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Babonis LS. On the evolutionary developmental biology of the cell. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00150-1. [PMID: 38971670 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.06.003] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Organisms are complex assemblages of cells, cells that produce light, shoot harpoons, and secrete glue. Therefore, identifying the mechanisms that generate novelty at the level of the individual cell is essential for understanding how multicellular life evolves. For decades, the field of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) has been developing a framework for connecting genetic variation that arises during embryonic development to the emergence of diverse adult forms. With increasing access to new single cell 'omics technologies and an array of techniques for manipulating gene expression, we can now extend these inquiries inward to the level of the individual cell. In this opinion, I argue that applying an Evo-Devo framework to single cells makes it possible to explore the natural history of cells, where this was once only possible at the organismal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S Babonis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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2
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Mi T, Tan X, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Jin L, Wang J, Li M, Wu X, He D. Activation of the p53 signaling pathway by piRNA-MW557525 overexpression induces a G0/G1 phase arrest thus inhibiting neuroblastoma growth. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:503. [PMID: 37941038 PMCID: PMC10631185 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01493-w] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial malignant solid tumor in children. Due to drug resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, mainly due to the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), some children still have a poor prognosis. Therefore, researchers have focused their attention on CSCs. Our research group successfully constructed cancer stem cell-like cells named Piwil2-iCSCs by reprogramming human preputial fibroblasts (FBs) with the PIWIL2 gene in the early stage, and Piwil2-iCSCs were confirmed to induce the formation of embryonic tumors. PiRNAs, noncoding small RNAs that interact with PIWI proteins, play important roles in a variety of tumors. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the role of differentially expressed (DE) piRNAs derived from sequencing of Piwil2-iCSCs in NB. METHODS The DE piRNAs in Piwil2-iCSCs were screened using high-throughput sequencing and further verified in NB tissues and cells. An unknown piRNA, named piRNA-MW557525, showed obvious downregulation in NB. Thus we studied the effect of piRNA-MW557525 on the biological behavior of NB through in vitro and in vivo experiments. On this basis, we successfully constructed a stably transfected NB cell line overexpressing piRNA-MW557525 and performed transcriptome sequencing to further explore the mechanism of piRNA-MW557525 in NB. RESULTS In vitro, piRNA-MW557525 inhibited NB cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induced apoptosis; in vivo, piRNA-MW557525 significantly reduced the volume and weight of tumors and inhibited their proliferation, migration and invasion. piRNA-MW557525 overexpression induced G0/G1 phase arrest in NB cells via activation of the P53-P21-CDK2-Cyclin E signaling pathway thus inhibiting NB growth. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that piRNA-MW557525 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in NB and may serve as an innovative biomarker and possible therapeutic target for NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Mi
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojun Tan
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
- Department of Urology, Nanchong Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhang Wang
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxia Zhang
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Jinkui Wang
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Mujie Li
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei He
- Department of Urology; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders; China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.
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Wang S, Ying L, Yu SY, Bai J, Hao C. Can precancerous stem cells be risk markers for malignant transformation in the oral mucosa? Cell Mol Biol Lett 2023; 28:30. [PMID: 37029348 PMCID: PMC10080963 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-023-00441-0] [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: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate assessment of the carcinogenic potential of oral mucosal diseases can significantly reduce the prevalence of oral cancer. We speculate that precancerous stem cells (pCSCs) arise during the evolution of carcinomas based on long-term experimental findings, published literature, and the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, wherein pCSCs exist in precancerous lesions and have characteristics of both CSCs and normal stem cells. This apparently contradictory feature may be the foundation of the reversible transformation of precancerous lesions. Predicting malignant transformation in potentially malignant oral illnesses would allow for focused treatment, prognosis, and secondary prevention. Currently available clinical assays for chromosomal instability and DNA aneuploidy have several deficiencies. We hope that our study will increase attention to pCSC research and lead to the development of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of oral cancer by identifying pCSC markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Wang
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Stomatology, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570216, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liu Ying
- College of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yi Yu
- Pharmacy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, 154003, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Bai
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, 322000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chunbo Hao
- Department of Stomatology, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, 570100, People's Republic of China.
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Ren J, Qu R, Rahman NT, Lewis JM, King ALO, Liao X, Mirza FN, Carlson KR, Huang Y, Gigante S, Evans B, Rajendran BK, Xu S, Wang G, Foss FM, Damsky W, Kluger Y, Krishnaswamy S, Girardi M. Integrated transcriptome and trajectory analysis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma identifies putative precancer populations. Blood Adv 2023; 7:445-457. [PMID: 35947128 PMCID: PMC9979716 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) increases with age, and blood involvement portends a worse prognosis. To advance our understanding of the development of CTCL and identify potential therapeutic targets, we performed integrative analyses of paired single-cell RNA and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from patients with CTCL to reveal disease-unifying features. The malignant CD4+ T cells of CTCL showed highly diverse transcriptomic profiles across patients, with most displaying a mature Th2 differentiation and T-cell exhaustion phenotype. TCR-CDR3 peptide prediction analysis suggested limited diversity between CTCL samples, consistent with a role for a common antigenic stimulus. Potential of heat diffusion for affinity-based trajectory embedding transition analysis identified putative precancerous circulating populations characterized by an intermediate stage of gene expression and mutation level between the normal CD4+ T cells and malignant CTCL cells. We further revealed the therapeutic potential of targeting CD82 and JAK that endow the malignant CTCL cells with survival and proliferation advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Ren
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Rihao Qu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Nur-Taz Rahman
- Bioinformatics Support Program, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Julia M. Lewis
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Xiaofeng Liao
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Fatima N. Mirza
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Kacie R. Carlson
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yaqing Huang
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Scott Gigante
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Benjamin Evans
- Yale Center for Research Computing, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Suzanne Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Guilin Wang
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Francine M. Foss
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - William Damsky
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yuval Kluger
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Michael Girardi
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Correspondence: Michael Girardi, Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, PO Box 208059, New Haven, CT 06520;
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5
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Cui G, Wang Z, Liu H, Pang Z. Cytokine-mediated crosstalk between cancer stem cells and their inflammatory niche from the colorectal precancerous adenoma stage to the cancerous stage: Mechanisms and clinical implications. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1057181. [PMID: 36466926 PMCID: PMC9714270 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1057181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are thought to arise from precancerous adenomas. Upon exposure to diverse microenvironmental factors, precancerous stem cells (pCSCs) undergo complex genetic/molecular changes and gradually progress to form cancer stem cells (CSCs). Accumulative evidence suggests that the pCSC/CSC niche is an inflammatory dominated milieu that contains different cytokines that function as the key communicators between pCSCs/CSCs and their niche and have a decisive role in promoting CRC development, progression, and metastasis. In view of the importance and increasing data about cytokines in modulating pCSCs/CSC stemness properties and their significance in CRC, this review summarizes current new insights of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, IL-33 and interferon (IFN)-γ, involving in the modulation of pCSC/CSC properties and features in precancerous and cancerous lesions and discusses the possible mechanisms of adenoma progression to CRCs and their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglin Cui
- Research Group of Gastrointestinal Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Faculty of Health Science, Nord University, Levanger, Norway
| | - Ziqi Wang
- College of Medical Imaging, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China
| | - Hanzhe Liu
- School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhigang Pang
- Research Group of Gastrointestinal Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Min J, Zhang C, Bliton RJ, Caldwell B, Caplan L, Presentation KS, Park DJ, Kong SH, Lee HS, Washington MK, Kim WH, Lau KS, Magness ST, Lee HJ, Yang HK, Goldenring JR, Choi E. Dysplastic Stem Cell Plasticity Functions as a Driving Force for Neoplastic Transformation of Precancerous Gastric Mucosa. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:875-890. [PMID: 35700772 PMCID: PMC9509466 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Dysplasia carries a high risk of cancer development; however, the cellular mechanisms for dysplasia evolution to cancer are obscure. We have previously identified 2 putative dysplastic stem cell (DSC) populations, CD44v6neg/CD133+/CD166+ (double positive [DP]) and CD44v6+/CD133+/CD166+ (triple positive [TP]), which may contribute to cellular heterogeneity of gastric dysplasia. Here, we investigated functional roles and cell plasticity of noncancerous Trop2+/CD133+/CD166+ DSCs initially developed in the transition from precancerous metaplasia to dysplasia in the stomach. METHODS Dysplastic organoids established from active Kras-induced mouse stomachs were used for transcriptome analysis, in vitro differentiation, and in vivo tumorigenicity assessments of DSCs. Cell heterogeneity and genetic alterations during clonal evolution of DSCs were examined by next-generation sequencing. Tissue microarrays were used to identify DSCs in human dysplasia. We additionally evaluated the effect of casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α) regulation on the DSC activities using both mouse and human dysplastic organoids. RESULTS We identified a high similarity of molecular profiles between DP- and TP-DSCs, but more dynamic activities of DP-DSCs in differentiation and survival for maintaining dysplastic cell lineages through Wnt ligand-independent CK1α/β-catenin signaling. Xenograft studies demonstrated that the DP-DSCs clonally evolve toward multiple types of gastric adenocarcinomas and promote cancer cell heterogeneity by acquiring additional genetic mutations and recruiting the tumor microenvironment. Last, growth and survival of both mouse and human dysplastic organoids were controlled by targeting CK1α. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that the DSCs are de novo gastric cancer-initiating cells responsible for neoplastic transformation and a promising target for intervention in early induction of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Min
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Changqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - R Jarrett Bliton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Brianna Caldwell
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Leah Caplan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Kimberly S Presentation
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Do-Joong Park
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong-Ho Kong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye Seung Lee
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - M Kay Washington
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Woo-Ho Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ken S Lau
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Scott T Magness
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hyuk-Joon Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Han-Kwang Yang
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - James R Goldenring
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Nashville VA Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Eunyoung Choi
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
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Expression and biochemical significance of Piwil2 in stem cell lines. POSTEP HIG MED DOSW 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/ahem-2022-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
P-element induced wimpy testis-like 2 (Piwil2) is in the Piwi gene family. Piwil2 has important roles in the self-renewal mechanism of stem cell induction and progression of numerous types of human malignancies such as lung, breast, colon, prostate, and cervical cancers. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) acts as detoxification in cancer metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the stem cell protein Piwil2 on MCF10A and MCF-7 at the GST activity levels.
Materials/Methods
MCF-7/Piwil2 and MCF10A/Piwil2, transfected with a plasmid carrying the Piwil2 gene, and non-transfected MCF-7 and MCF10A were cultured in a complete DMEM/F12 medium. GST A1 and P1 activity was determined in these cell lines using as substrates CDNB, EA respectively.
Results
According to experimental results, GST P1 activity decreased in the MCF-7/Piwil2 cells as compared with the non-transfected MCF-7 cells, however, MCF-7/Piwil2 cells demonstrated increases in GST A1 (total GST) activity. The statistically significant differences were found for the comparison of non-transfected MCF-7 and MCF-7/Piwil2 (p<0,0001), for GST enzyme activities by using CDNB and EA as substrates. These results were the same for the MCF10A cell line.
Discussion
It is shown for the first time that transfection studies may affect GST activity at the cellular mechanism level. The study contributes to determining the effect of transfection on GST isoenzymes and also how the Piwil2 gene may affect GST activity in the stem cell line.
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Lu HM, Fu YJ, Liu N, Xia WY, Chen HY, Liu MY, Li LF, Gao JX. A novel tumor-specific broad-spectral monoclonal antibody to PL2L60 is highly effective for the treatment of various types of cancers from human and mouse. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:265-279. [PMID: 35141017 PMCID: PMC8822270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
There are numerous antibodies used for cancer therapy in clinic, but they are essentially less efficacy than expected. None of them has tumor-specific and broad-spectral properties. PIWIL2-like (PL2L) protein 60 (PL2L60) is a product of alienated activation of PIWIL2 gene, and has been found to be specifically and widely expressed in various types of cancers, including hematopoietic and solid ones. Current study aims to investigate whether a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to PL2L60 has both tumor-specific and broad-spectral properties, which can be used universally to treat various types of cancers. The expression of PL2L60 protein in the cell surface and cytoplasm were determined in a panel of human and mouse tumor cell lines by flow cytometry, immunofluorescent microscopy and Western Blotting. The apoptosis and the cell cycle arrest of the tumor cells treated with mAb KAO3 were evaluated by flow cytometry. The tumorigenesis of the mAb KAO3-pretreated tumor cells was determined by tumor incidence and tumor size, and the efficacy of mAb KAO3 treatment on tumor growth in tumors-bearing mice were kinetically evaluated. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assay was used to determine the capacity of mAb KAO3 to kill tumor cells. Treatment of human or mouse tumor cells from hematopoietic or solid tumors with mAb KAO3 at the time of inoculation efficiently inhibited tumorigenesis in the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Moreover, injection of mAb KAO3 into established tumors significantly inhibited their growth, and prolonged survival of the tumor-bearing mice, including lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer and cervical cancer. The efficacy of mAb KAO3 treatment is likely associated with its binding to PL2L60 expressed on tumor cell surface, which may lead to cancer cell death through blocking cell cycling and/or activation of complement. In conclusion, we have identified a tumor-specific mAb to PL2L60 (KAO3), which may be used potentially to treat all the types of human cancers including from both hematopoietic and solid ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Min Lu
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
- Department of Oncology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai 200127, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fu
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai 200127, China
| | - Ning Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
| | - Wu-Yan Xia
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
| | - Hai-Yan Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
| | - Meng-Yao Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
| | - Lin-Feng Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
| | - Jian-Xin Gao
- The State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, and The Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai 200127, China
- Shanghai Evac Biotechnology Inc.Shanghai 200233, China
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Colon Fibroblasts and Inflammation: Sparring Partners in Colorectal Cancer Initiation? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081749. [PMID: 33916891 PMCID: PMC8067599 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. Patients suffering inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of CRC. It is admitted that CRC found its origin within crypts of the colon mucosa, which host the intestinal stem cells (ISCs) responsible of the tissue renewal. ISC behavior is controlled by the fibroblasts that surround the crypt. During inflammation, the signals delivered by fibroblasts are altered, leading to stem cells’ dysregulation, possibly turning them into cancer-initiating cells. Here, we reviewed the interplays between the fibroblast and the ISCs, possibly leading to the initiation of CRC due to chronic inflammation. Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. Significant improvements in CRC treatment have been made for the last 20 years, on one hand thanks to a better detection, allowing surgical resection of the incriminated area, and on the other hand, thanks to a better knowledge of CRC’s development allowing the improvement of drug strategies. Despite this crucial progress, CRC remains a public health issue. The current model for CRC initiation and progression is based on accumulation of sequential known genetic mutations in the colon epithelial cells’ genome leading to a loss of control over proliferation and survival. However, increasing evidence reveals that CRC initiation is more complex. Indeed, chronic inflammatory contexts, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, have been shown to increase the risk for CRC development in mice and humans. In this manuscript, we review whether colon fibroblasts can go from the main regulators of the ISC homeostasis, regulating not only the renewal process but also the epithelial cells’ differentiation occurring along the colon crypt, to the main player in the initiation of the colorectal cancer process due to chronic inflammation.
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Racaud-Sultan C, Vergnolle N. GSK3β, a Master Kinase in the Regulation of Adult Stem Cell Behavior. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020225. [PMID: 33498808 PMCID: PMC7911451 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In adult stem cells, Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β (GSK3β) is at the crossroad of signaling pathways controlling survival, proliferation, adhesion and differentiation. The microenvironment plays a key role in the regulation of these cell functions and we have demonstrated that the GSK3β activity is strongly dependent on the engagement of integrins and protease-activated receptors (PARs). Downstream of the integrin α5β1 or PAR2 activation, a molecular complex is organized around the scaffolding proteins RACK1 and β-arrestin-2 respectively, containing the phosphatase PP2A responsible for GSK3β activation. As a consequence, a quiescent stem cell phenotype is established with high capacities to face apoptotic and metabolic stresses. A protective role of GSK3β has been found for hematopoietic and intestinal stem cells. Latters survived to de-adhesion through PAR2 activation, whereas formers were protected from cytotoxicity through α5β1 engagement. However, a prolonged activation of GSK3β promoted a defect in epithelial regeneration and a resistance to chemotherapy of leukemic cells, paving the way to chronic inflammatory diseases and to cancer resurgence, respectively. In both cases, a sexual dimorphism was measured in GSK3β-dependent cellular functions. GSK3β activity is a key marker for inflammatory and cancer diseases allowing adjusted therapy to sex, age and metabolic status of patients.
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Feng D, Yan K, Liang H, Liang J, Wang W, Yu H, Zhou Y, Zhao W, Dong Z, Ling B. CBP-mediated Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling promotes cervical oncogenesis initiated by Piwil2. Neoplasia 2020; 23:1-11. [PMID: 33190089 PMCID: PMC7674161 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous work demonstrated that Piwil2 reactivated by the human papillomavirus oncoproteins E6 and E7 may reprogram somatic cells into tumor-initiating cells (TICs), which contribute to cervical neoplasia lesions. Maintaining the stemness of TICs is critical for the progression of cervical lesions. Here, we determined that canonical Wnt signaling was aberrantly activated in HaCaT cells transfected with lentivirus expressing Piwil2 and in cervical lesion specimens of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, and invasive carcinoma. Blocking the β-catenin and CREB binding protein interaction with ICG-001 significantly downregulated the reprogramming factors c-Myc, Nanog, Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4, thus leading to cell differentiation and preventing tumorigenicity in Piwil2-overexpressing HaCaT cells. Similarly, Piwil2 also critically regulated the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in cervical cancer. We further demonstrated that ICG-001 increased cisplatin sensitivity and significantly suppressed tumor growth of cervical cancer alone or in combination with cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. The β-catenin/ CREB binding protein-mediated transcription activated by Piwil2 is essential for the maintenance of TICs, therefore contributing to the progression of cervical oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingqing Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Keqin Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyan Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhui Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Weidong Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital, Hefei, China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Ling
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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12
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Halajzadeh J, Dana PM, Asemi Z, Mansournia MA, Yousefi B. An insight into the roles of piRNAs and PIWI proteins in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of oral, esophageal, and gastric cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2020; 216:153112. [PMID: 32853949 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2020.153112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
P-Element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) is a member of the non-coding RNAs family. Four PIWI proteins are found to be expressed in humans. The number of studies focusing on the roles of piRNAs and PIWI proteins in the field of cancer is increasing. Oral, esophageal, and gastric cancers are considered as important causes of death. PIWI proteins and piRNAs are suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Thus, studying these molecules may be beneficial for finding new therapeutics. Since it is shown that currently used biomarkers for these cancers have low sensitivity and specificity, there is a necessity for identifying novel non-invasive biomarkers which are highly sensitive and specific. This paper will provide an insight into current knowledge about the functions of PIWI proteins and piRNAs in the oral, esophageal, and gastric cancer. We discuss how PIWI proteins and piRNAs can be involved in the pathogenesis of these cancers. Moreover, we review the studies concerning with the roles of PIWI proteins and piRNAs as biomarkers which are used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Halajzadeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Research Center for Evidence-Based Health Management, Maragheh University of Medical Science, Maragheh, Iran.
| | - Parisa Maleki Dana
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR, Iran.
| | - Zatollah Asemi
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Ali Mansournia
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Bahman Yousefi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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13
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Mahmoodi S, Nezafat N, Negahdaripour M, Ghasemi Y. A New Approach for Cancer Immunotherapy Based on the Cancer Stem Cell Antigens Properties. Curr Mol Med 2020; 19:2-11. [PMID: 30714514 DOI: 10.2174/1566524019666190204114721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a rare population of tumor cells, which play an important role in tumor initiation, progression, and maintenance. The concept that cancer cells arise from stem cells was presented about 150 years ago. Recently, this hypothesis was renewed considering the heterogeneity of tumor cells. CSCs are resistant to chemo- and radio-therapy. Therefore, targeting CSCs could be a novel and effective strategy to struggle with tumor cells. OBJECTIVE In this mini-review, we highlight that different immunotherapeutic approaches can be used to target cancer cells and eradicate different tumor cells. The most important targets are specific markers recognized on the CSC surface as CSC antigens such as CD44, CD133, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH), and SOX family members. This article emphasizes recent advances in CSCs in cancer therapy. RESULTS Our results present that CSC antigens play an important role in tumor initiation, especially in the cells that are resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy agents. Therefore, they are ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy, for instance, in developing different types of cancer vaccines or antibodies against tumor cells. CONCLUSION The current studies related to cancer immunotherapy through targeting the CSC antigens based on their properties are briefly summarized. Altogether, CSC antigens can be efficiently targeted to treat cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Mahmoodi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Navid Nezafat
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Manica Negahdaripour
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Younes Ghasemi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Zhang D, Li D, Shen L, Hu D, Tang B, Guo W, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Wei G, He D. Exosomes derived from Piwil2‑induced cancer stem cells transform fibroblasts into cancer‑associated fibroblasts. Oncol Rep 2020; 43:1125-1132. [PMID: 32323829 PMCID: PMC7057936 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, several studies have demonstrated that cancer cell‑derived exosomes can facilitate tumor development and metastasis formation. However, the detailed function of exosomes released by cancer stem cells (CSCs) requires further investigation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of CSC‑derived exosomes in tumor development. For this purpose, Piwil2‑induced cancer stem cells (Piwil2‑iCSCs) were used as exosome‑generating cells, while fibroblasts (FBs) served as recipient cells. Exosomes were isolated by the ultracentrifugation of Piwil2‑iCSC‑conditioned medium and identified by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blot analysis. To evaluate the effects of the exosomes on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, cell counting assay (CCK‑8), a wound healing assay and a Transwell assay were performed. Protein expression [matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP9, α‑smooth muscle actin (α‑SMA) and vimentin and fibroblast‑activating protein (FAP)] was examined in FBs by western blot analysis. It was found that the Piwil2‑iCSC‑derived exosomes (Piwil2‑iCSC‑Exo) were oval or spherical, membrane‑coated vesicles with a uniform size (30‑100 nm in diameter). They are characterized by the surface expression of CD9, CD63, Hsp70 and Piwil2 proteins. Additional results from functional analyses revealed that Piwil2‑iCSC‑Exo enhanced the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of FBs, accompanied by the upregulated expression of MMP2 and MMP9. In addition, the increased expression of α‑SMA (P<0.05), vimentin (P<0.01 vs. control group, P<0.05 vs. PBS group) and FAP (P<0.001 vs. control group, P<0.01 vs. PBS group) following exposure to Piwil2‑iCSC‑Exo suggested that the exosomes induced FB transformation into cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs). On the whole, the findings of this study demonstrate that Piwil2‑iCSC‑Exo induce the cancer‑associated phenotype in fibroblasts in vitro, suggesting that CSCs can promote tumor development through the modulation of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Dian Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Lianju Shen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Dong Hu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Bo Tang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Wenhao Guo
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Zhang Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoxia Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
| | - Dawei He
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China
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Reduced Basal Nitric Oxide Production Induces Precancerous Mammary Lesions via ERBB2 and TGFβ. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6688. [PMID: 31040372 PMCID: PMC6491486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43239-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
One third of newly diagnosed breast cancers in the US are early-stage lesions. The etiological understanding and treatment of these lesions have become major clinical challenges. Because breast cancer risk factors are often linked to aberrant nitric oxide (NO) production, we hypothesized that abnormal NO levels might contribute to the formation of early-stage breast lesions. We recently reported that the basal level of NO in the normal breast epithelia plays crucial roles in tissue homeostasis, whereas its reduction contributes to the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. Here, we show that the basal level of NO in breast cells plummets during cancer progression due to reduction of the NO synthase cofactor, BH4, under oxidative stress. Importantly, pharmacological deprivation of NO in prepubertal to pubertal animals stiffens the extracellular matrix and induces precancerous lesions in the mammary tissues. These lesions overexpress a fibrogenic cytokine, TGFβ, and an oncogene, ERBB2, accompanied by the occurrence of senescence and stem cell-like phenotype. Consistently, normalization of NO levels in precancerous and cancerous breast cells downmodulates TGFβ and ERBB2 and ameliorates their proliferative phenotype. This study sheds new light on the etiological basis of precancerous breast lesions and their potential prevention by manipulating the basal NO level.
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Liu SS, Liu N, Liu MY, Sun L, Xia WY, Lu HM, Fu YJ, Yang GL, Bo JJ, Liu XX, Feng H, Wu H, Li LF, Gao JX. An unusual intragenic promoter of PIWIL2 contributes to aberrant activation of oncogenic PL2L60. Oncotarget 2018; 8:46104-46120. [PMID: 28545024 PMCID: PMC5542253 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWIL2-like (PL2L) protein 60 (PL2L60), a product of aberrantly activated PIWIL2 gene, is widely expressed in various types of tumors and may promote tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying the activation of expression of PL2L60 remain unknown. In this study, an intragenic promoter responsible for the activation of PL2L60 within the human PIWIL2 gene has been identified, cloned and characterized. The promoter of PL2L60 is located in the intron 10 of the host gene PIWIL2. Bioinformatic and mutagenic analysis reveals that this intragenic promoter within the sequence of 50 nucleotides contains two closely arranged cis-acting elements specific for the hepatic leukemia factor (HLF) in the positive strand and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the negative strand. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrates that both the HLF and polymerase II (Pol II), a hallmark of active promoters, directly bind to the sequence, although STAT3 does not. Knockdown of HLF and STAT3 alone or both by RNA interference significantly reduced both promoter activity and the PL2L60 protein expression, although there is no additive effect. The expression of PL2L60 proteins was enhanced when host gene Piwil2 was genetically disrupted in a murine cell model. Taken together, we have identified a PL2L60-specific intragenic promoter in the host gene of PIWIL2, which is interdependently activated by HLF and STAT3 through steric interaction. This activation is dependent on cellular milieu rather than the integrity of host gene PIWIL2, highlighting a novel, important mechanism for a cancer-causing gene to be activated during tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Shan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng-Yao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu-Yan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Min Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guo-Liang Yang
- Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan-Jie Bo
- Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Xing Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haizhong Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin-Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Xin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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17
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Piwil2 is reactivated by HPV oncoproteins and initiates cell reprogramming via epigenetic regulation during cervical cancer tumorigenesis. Oncotarget 2018; 7:64575-64588. [PMID: 27602489 PMCID: PMC5323100 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoproteins E6 and E7 are risk factors that are primarily responsible for the initiation and progression of cervical cancer, and they play a key role in immortalization and transformation by reprogramming differentiating host epithelial cells. It is unclear how cervical epithelial cells transform into tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Here, we observed that the germ stem cell protein Piwil2 is expressed in pre-cancerous and malignant lesions of the cervix and cervical cancer cell lines with the exception of the non-HPV-infected C33a cell line. Knockdown of Piwil2 by shRNA led to a marked reduction in proliferation and colony formation, in vivo tumorigenicity, chemo-resistance, and the proportion of cancer stem-like cells. In contrast, Piwil2 overexpression induced malignant transformation of HaCaT cells and the acquisition of tumor-initiating capabilities. Gene-set enrichment analysis revealed embryonic stem cell (ESC) identity, malignant biological behavior, and specifically, activation targets of the cell reprogramming factors c-Myc, Klf4, Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 in Piwil2-overexpressing HaCaT cells. We further confirmed that E6 and E7 reactivated Piwil2 and that E6 and E7 overexpression resulted in a similar gene-set enrichment pattern as Piwil2 overexpression in HaCaT cells. Moreover, Piwil2 overexpression or E6 and E7 activation induced H3K9 acetylation but reduced H3K9 trimethylation, which contributed to the epigenetic reprogramming and ESC signature maintenance, as predicted previously. Our study demonstrates that Piwil2, reactivated by the HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7, plays an essential role in the transformation of cervical epithelial cells to TICs via epigenetics-based cell reprogramming.
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Zeng G, Zhang D, Liu X, Kang Q, Fu Y, Tang B, Guo W, Zhang Y, Wei G, He D. Co-expression of Piwil2/Piwil4 in nucleus indicates poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 8:4607-4617. [PMID: 27894076 PMCID: PMC5354858 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to explore the localization and expression of P-element-induced wimpy testis-like 2 (piwil2)/Piwil4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, and analyze the correlation between co-expression pattern and prognosis of HCC. Results Piwil2 showed 100% positive expression in the cell nucleus, with the intensity higher than in the cytoplasm. Piwil4 showed a lower intensity of expression in the cell nucleus than in the cytoplasm. The molecular chaperone Piwil2/Piwil4 had four co-expression patterns: nuclear co-expression, nuclear and cytoplasmic co-expression, cytoplasmic co-expression, and non-coexpression. The survival rate and the overall survival sequentially increased. The prognostic phenotype of the nuclear co-expression of Piwil2/Piwil4 was worse than that of non-coexpression, and the intracellular localization and expression of Piwil2 and Piwil4 were not significantly different. Methods HCC pathological tissue samples with follow-up information (90 cases) and 2 normal control liver tissues were collected and made into a 92-site microarray. The expression of Piwil2 and Piwil4 was detected using the immunofluorescence double staining method. The differences in the expression and location of Piwil2 and Piwil4 in tumor cells were explored, and the influence of such differences on the long-term survival rate of HCC was studied using Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test. The clinical staging was analyzed according to the HCC international TNM staging criteria. Conclusions The nuclear co-expression of Piwil2/Piwil4 indicated that patients with HCC had a worse prognostic phenotype. The molecular chaperone Piwil2/Piwil4 seems promising as a molecular marker for prognosis judgment; a single marker (Piwil2/Piwil4) cannot be used for prognosis judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangping Zeng
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Deying Zhang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Qing Kang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Yiyao Fu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Wenhao Guo
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103, USA
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Dawei He
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
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Zhang D, Wu X, Liu X, Cai C, Zeng G, Rohozinski J, Zhang Y, Wei G, He D. Piwil2-transfected human fibroblasts are cancer stem cell-like and genetically unstable. Oncotarget 2017; 8:12259-12271. [PMID: 28103575 PMCID: PMC5355342 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncontrolled cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis are considered to be vital for cancer initiation, maintenance, infiltration, metastasis and recurrence after anti-cancer therapy. Here we report the generation of a novel cell line by reprogramming child foreskin fibroblast with the full length apoptosis inhibitor gene PIWIL2. The fibroblasts transfected with PIWIL2 expressed the stem cell markers OCT-4, NANOG, SOX-2, KLF-4 and C-MYC; endoderm marker AFP and GATA6; mesoderm markers ACTA2 and BRACHYURY; and ectoderm markers NESTIN and TUBB3. The karyotype was found to be hyperdiploid. The PIWIL2 transfected fibroblast cells grew into tumorous masses within 5 weeks of subcutaneous injection into adult nude mice. Although the injected cell expressed markers for all three germlines, ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm, they did not form teratomas in vivo. This study indicates that the PIWIL2 gene could play a key role in cancer induction and maintenance. This method for generating induced tumorigenic cells (ITGC) provides a new research tool to study oncogenesis that in turn may lead to a better understanding of cancer etiology and the development of novel anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deying Zhang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Chunhong Cai
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Guangping Zeng
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Jan Rohozinski
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103, USA
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Dawei He
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
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Abstract
Advances in cancer research in the past have led to an evolving understanding of cancer pathogenesis and the development of novel drugs that significantly improve patient outcomes. However, many patients still encounter treatment resistance, recurrence, or metastasis and eventually die from progressing disease. Experimental evidence indicates that a subpopulation of cancer cells, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), possess "stemness" properties similar to normal stem cells, including self-renewal, differentiation, and proliferative potential. These stemness properties are lost during differentiation and are governed by pathways such as STAT3, NANOG, NOTCH, WNT, and HEDGEHOG, which are highly dysregulated in CSCs due to genetic and epigenetic changes. Promising results have been observed in preclinical models targeting these CSCs through the disruption of stemness pathways in combination with current treatment modalities. This has led to anti-CSC-based clinical trials in multiple stages of development. In this review, we discuss the role of CSCs and stemness pathways in cancer treatment and how they relate to clinical observations. Because CSCs and the stemness pathways governing them may explain the negative clinical outcomes observed during treatment, it is important for oncologists to understand how they contribute to cancer progression and how they may be targeted to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D Lathia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave., NC10, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
| | - Huiping Liu
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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21
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Hubbard JM, Grothey A. Napabucasin: An Update on the First-in-Class Cancer Stemness Inhibitor. Drugs 2017; 77:1091-1103. [PMID: 28573435 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-017-0759-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Napabucasin (BBI608) is an orally administered small molecule that blocks stem cell activity in cancer cells by targeting the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway is over-activated in many types of cancer and has been shown to be an important pathway in cancer stem cell-mediated propagation of cancer. Cancer stem cells are a subpopulation of cancer cells considered to be the primary source of tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to conventional therapies, and thus, responsible for cancer relapse. This review describes the clinical development program of this first-in-class cancer stemness inhibitor, including preclinical discovery, early clinical trials, current phase III clinical trial evaluation, and future therapeutic combinations. The therapeutic potential of napabucasin was first reported in a preclinical study that demonstrated the potent anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activity of napabucasin in several different cancer types, both in vitro and in vivo. In mouse models, napabucasin was effective both as a monotherapy and in combination with other agents; in particular, synergy was observed with paclitaxel in vivo. Napabucasin clinical trials have demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity as monotherapy and in combination with conventional therapeutics, with no significant pharmacokinetic interactions when used in combination therapies. Adverse events attributed to napabucasin have been predominantly mild, although some patients have experienced grade 3 gastrointestinal adverse events. More severe adverse events required reduced or discontinued dosing of napabucasin or medication to reverse or manage symptoms. In conclusion, napabucasin may prove useful in targeting cancer stem cells, with the potential to suppress metastasis and prevent relapse in patients with varying cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joleen M Hubbard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street NW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Axel Grothey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street NW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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22
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Zhao YD, Zhang QB, Chen H, Fei XF, Shen YT, Ji XY, Ma JW, Wang AD, Dong J, Lan Q, Huang Q. Research on human glioma stem cells in China. Neural Regen Res 2017; 12:1918-1926. [PMID: 29239340 PMCID: PMC5745848 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.219055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on human glioma stem cells began early in the 21st century and since then has become a rapidly growing research field with the number of publications increasing year by year. The research conducted by our diverse group of investigators focused primarily on cell culture techniques, molecular regulation, signaling pathways, cancer treatment, the stem cell microenvironment and the cellular origin and function of glioma stem cells. In particular, we put forward our view that there are inverse or forward transformations among neural stem cells, glial cells and glioma stem cells in glioma tissues under certain conditions. Based on the background of the progress of international research on human glioma stem cells, we aim to share our progress and current findings of human glioma stem cell research in China with colleagues around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Dong Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province; Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan-Bin Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province; Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province; Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xi-Feng Fei
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province; Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-Tian Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jia-Wei Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ai-Dong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jun Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qing Lan
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qiang Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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23
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Roles for small noncoding RNAs in silencing of retrotransposons in the mammalian brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:12697-12702. [PMID: 27791114 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1609287113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), long thought to be restricted to germline, have recently been discovered in neurons of Aplysia, with a role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression underlying long-term memory. We here ask whether piwi/piRNAs are also expressed and have functional roles in the mammalian brain. Large-scale RNA sequencing and subsequent analysis of protein expression revealed the presence in brain of several piRNA biogenesis factors including a mouse piwi (Mili), as well as small RNAs, albeit at low levels, resembling conserved piRNAs in mouse testes [primarily LINE1 (long interspersed nuclear element1) retrotransposon-derived]. Despite the seeming low expression of these putative piRNAs, single-base pair CpG methylation analyses across the genome of Mili/piRNA-deficient (Mili-/- ) mice demonstrate that brain genomic DNA is preferentially hypomethylated within intergenic areas and LINE1 promoter areas of the genome. Furthermore, Mili mutant mice exhibit behavioral deficits such as hyperactivity and reduced anxiety. These results suggest that putative piRNAs exist in mammalian brain, and similar to the role of piRNAs in testes, they may be involved in the silencing of retrotransposons, which in brain have critical roles in contributing to genomic heterogeneity underlying adaptation, stress response, and brain pathology. We also describe the presence of another class of small RNAs in the brain, with features of endogenous siRNAs, which may have taken over the role of invertebrate piRNAs in their capacity to target both transposons, as well as protein-coding genes. Thus, RNA interference through gene and retrotransposon silencing previously encountered in Aplysia may also have potential roles in the mammalian brain.
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Bielecka ZF, Maliszewska-Olejniczak K, Safir IJ, Szczylik C, Czarnecka AM. Three-dimensional cell culture model utilization in cancer stem cell research. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1505-1520. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zofia F. Bielecka
- Department of Oncology with Laboratory of Molecular Oncology; Military Institute of Medicine; Szaserów 128 04-141 Warsaw Poland
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine; Medical University of Warsaw; Zwirki i Wigury 61 02-109 Warsaw Poland
| | - Kamila Maliszewska-Olejniczak
- Department of Oncology with Laboratory of Molecular Oncology; Military Institute of Medicine; Szaserów 128 04-141 Warsaw Poland
- Laboratory of DNA Sequencing and Oligonucleotides Synthesis, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Polish Academy of Sciences; Pawinskiego 5a 02-106 Warsaw Poland
| | - Ilan J. Safir
- Department of Urology; Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta GA 30322 U.S.A
| | - Cezary Szczylik
- Department of Oncology with Laboratory of Molecular Oncology; Military Institute of Medicine; Szaserów 128 04-141 Warsaw Poland
| | - Anna M. Czarnecka
- Department of Oncology with Laboratory of Molecular Oncology; Military Institute of Medicine; Szaserów 128 04-141 Warsaw Poland
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25
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Malignant transformation of bone marrow stromal cells induced by the brain glioma niche in rats. Mol Cell Biochem 2015; 412:1-10. [PMID: 26590986 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-015-2602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Normal human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can develop neoplastic cancer stem cell (CSC) properties after coculture with transformed hESCs in vitro. In the present study, the influence of the tumor microenvironment on malignant transformation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) was studied after allografting a mixture of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-labeled BMSCs and C6 glioma cells into the rat brain to understand the influence of the cellular environment, especially the tumor environment, on the transformation of grafted BMSCs in the rat brain. We performed intracerebral transplantation in the rat brain using EGFP-labeled BMSCs coinjected with C6 tumor cells. After transplantation, the EGFP-labeled cells were isolated from the tumor using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and the characteristics of the recovered cells were investigated. Glioma-specific biomarkers of the sorted cells and the biological characteristics of the tumors were analyzed. The BMSCs isolated from the cografts were transformed into glioma CSCs, as indicated by the marked expression of the glioma marker GFAP in glioma cells, and of Nestin and CD133 in neural stem cells and CSCs, as well as rapid cell growth, decreased level of the tumor suppressor gene p53, increased level of the oncogene murine double minute gene 2 (MDM2), and recapitulation of glioma tissues in the brain. These data suggest that BMSCs can be transformed into CSCs, which can be further directed toward glioma formation under certain conditions, supporting the notion that the tumor microenvironment is involved in transforming normal BMSCs into glial CSCs.
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26
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Magbanua MJM, Pugia M, Lee JS, Jabon M, Wang V, Gubens M, Marfurt K, Pence J, Sidhu H, Uzgiris A, Rugo HS, Park JW. A Novel Strategy for Detection and Enumeration of Circulating Rare Cell Populations in Metastatic Cancer Patients Using Automated Microfluidic Filtration and Multiplex Immunoassay. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141166. [PMID: 26496203 PMCID: PMC4619669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Size selection via filtration offers an antigen-independent approach for the enrichment of rare cell populations in blood of cancer patients. We evaluated the performance of a novel approach for multiplex rare cell detection in blood samples from metastatic breast (n = 19) and lung cancer patients (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 30) using an automated microfluidic filtration and multiplex immunoassay strategy. Captured cells were enumerated after sequential staining for specific markers to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating mesenchymal cells (CMCs), putative circulating stem cells (CSCs), and circulating endothelial cells (CECs). Preclinical validation experiments using cancer cells spiked into healthy blood demonstrated high recovery rate (mean = 85%) and reproducibility of the assay. In clinical studies, CTCs and CMCs were detected in 35% and 58% of cancer patients, respectively, and were largely absent from healthy controls (3%, p = 0.001). Mean levels of CTCs were significantly higher in breast than in lung cancer patients (p = 0.03). Fifty-three percent (53%) of cancer patients harbored putative CSCs, while none were detectable in healthy controls (p<0.0001). In contrast, CECs were observed in both cancer and control groups. Direct comparison of CellSearch® vs. our microfluidic filter method revealed moderate correlation (R2 = 0.46, kappa = 0.47). Serial blood analysis in breast cancer patients demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring circulating rare cell populations over time. Simultaneous assessment of CTCs, CMCs, CSCs and CECs may provide new tools to study mechanisms of disease progression and treatment response/resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Jesus M. Magbanua
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Michael Pugia
- Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Elkhart, IN, 46516, United States of America
| | - Jin Sun Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
| | - Marc Jabon
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
| | - Victoria Wang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
| | - Matthew Gubens
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
| | - Karen Marfurt
- Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Elkhart, IN, 46516, United States of America
| | - Julia Pence
- Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Elkhart, IN, 46516, United States of America
| | - Harwinder Sidhu
- Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Elkhart, IN, 46516, United States of America
| | - Arejas Uzgiris
- Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Elkhart, IN, 46516, United States of America
| | - Hope S. Rugo
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
| | - John W. Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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Pan Q, Yang GL, Yang JH, Lin SL, Liu N, Liu SS, Liu MY, Zhang LH, Huang YR, Shen RL, Liu Q, Gao JX, Bo JJ. Metformin can block precancerous progression to invasive tumors of bladder through inhibiting STAT3-mediated signaling pathways. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2015; 34:77. [PMID: 26245871 PMCID: PMC4553001 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-015-0183-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metformin is the first line of oral antidiabetic drug in the biguanide class for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence has suggested that it is a potential anti-tumor drug. However, the mechanisms underlying inhibiting tumor development remain elusive, especially in bladder tumors. METHODS T24 and J82 cell lines were used as an in vitro model, and 24 female SD rats were used to build an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced orthotopic rat bladder cancer model. Transfection of lentivirus-based shRNA was used to construct the STAT3-KNOCKDOWN T24 cell line. After metformin treatment, the viability of bladde cancer cells was determined by CCK8. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. The migration and invasion abilities of cells were evaluated by wound healing and transwell asssays. The inactivation of stat3 pahtway was examined by qRTPCR, western blot and Immunofluorescence. RESULTS Metformin can effectively inhibit precancerous progression to invasive cancer in an MNU-induced rat orthotopic bladder tumor model, although it could not completely suppress normal cells transforming into tumor cells. While the MNU could induce 50 % rats (4/8) to develop invasive bladder cancers, the rats co-administrated with metformin failed to develop invasive tumors but retained at precancerous or non-invasive stages, exhibiting as dysplasia, papillary tumor and/or carcinoma in situ (CIS). Accordingly, phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is a well known oncogene, was significantly inhibited in the tumors of rats treated with metformin. In vitro experiments revealed that the metformin could efficiently inhibit STAT3 activation, which was associated with the cell cycle arrest, reduction of cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness, and increase in apoptotic cell death of bladder cancer cell lines. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide for the first time the evidence that metformin can block precancerous lesions progressing to invasive tumors through inhibiting the activation of STAT3 pathway, and may be used for treatment of the non-invasive bladder cancers to prevent them from progression to invasive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Pan
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guo-Liang Yang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiang-Hua Yang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shi-Long Lin
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shan-Shan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Shanghai, China.
| | - Meng-Yao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lian-Hua Zhang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi-Ran Huang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ru-long Shen
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jian-Xin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Shanghai, China. .,Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Juan-Jie Bo
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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28
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Kumar S, Raina K, Agarwal C, Agarwal R. Silibinin strongly inhibits the growth kinetics of colon cancer stem cell-enriched spheroids by modulating interleukin 4/6-mediated survival signals. Oncotarget 2015; 5:4972-89. [PMID: 24970802 PMCID: PMC4148115 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Involvement of cancer stem cells (CSC) in initiation, progression, relapse, and therapy-resistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) warrants search for small molecules as ‘adjunct-therapy’ to target both colon CSC and bulk tumor population. Herein, we assessed the potential of silibinin to eradicate colon CSC together with associated molecular mechanisms. In studies examining how silibinin modulates dynamics of CSC spheroids in terms of its effect on kinetics of CSC spheroids generated in presence of mitogenic and interleukin (IL)-mediated signaling which provides an autocrine/paracrine amplification loop in CRC, silibinin strongly decreased colon CSC pool together with cell survival of bulk tumor cells. Silibinin effect on colon CSC was mediated via blocking of pro-tumorigenic signaling, notably IL-4/-6 signaling that affects CSC population. These silibinin effects were associated with decreased mRNA and protein levels of various CSC-associated transcription factors, signaling molecules and markers. Furthermore, 2D and 3D differentiation assays indicated formation of more differentiated clones by silibinin. These results highlight silibinin potential to interfere with kinetics of CSC pool by shifting CSC cell division to asymmetric type via targeting various signals associated with the survival and multiplication of colon CSC pool. Together, our findings further support clinical usefulness of silibinin in CRC intervention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. These Authors Contributed equally and share first authorship
| | - Komal Raina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. These Authors Contributed equally and share first authorship
| | - Chapla Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Rajesh Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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29
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Theophilou G, Paraskevaidi M, Lima KMG, Kyrgiou M, Martin-Hirsch PL, Martin FL. Extracting biomarkers of commitment to cancer development: potential role of vibrational spectroscopy in systems biology. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2015; 15:693-713. [DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2015.1028372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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30
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Ojha R, Bhattacharyya S, Singh SK. Autophagy in Cancer Stem Cells: A Potential Link Between Chemoresistance, Recurrence, and Metastasis. Biores Open Access 2015; 4:97-108. [PMID: 26309786 PMCID: PMC4497670 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2014.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells require an uninterrupted nutritional supply for maintaining their proliferative needs and this high demand in concurrence with inadequate supply of blood and nutrition induces stress in these cells. These cells utilize various strategies like high glycolytic flux, redox signaling, and modulation of autophagy to avoid cell death and overcome nutritional deficiency. Autophagy allows the cell to generate ATP and other essential biochemical building blocks necessary under such adverse conditions. It is emerging as a decisive process in the development and progression of pathophysiological conditions that are associated with increased cancer risk. However, the precise role of autophagy in tumorigenesis is still debatable. Autophagy is a novel cytoprotective process to augment tumor cell survival under nutrient or growth factor starvation, metabolic stress, and hypoxia. The tumor hypoxic environment may provide site for the enrichment/expansion of the cancer stem cells (CSCs) and successive rapid tumor progression. CSCs are characteristically resistant to conventional anticancer therapy, which may contribute to treatment failure and tumor relapse. CSCs have the potential to regenerate for an indefinite period, which can impel tumor metastatic invasion. From last decade, preclinical research has focused on the diversity in CSC content within tumors that could affect their chemo- or radio-sensitivity by impeding with mechanisms of DNA repair and cell cycle progression. The aim of this review is predominantly directed on the recent developments in the CSCs during cancer treatment, role of autophagy in maintenance of CSC populations and their implications in the development of promising new cancer treatment options in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Ojha
- Department of Urology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India
| | - Shalmoli Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biophysics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India
- Address correspondence to: Shalmoli Bhattacharyya, PhD, Department of Biophysics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India, E-mail:
| | - Shrawan K. Singh
- Department of Urology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India
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31
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Expression profiles of PIWIL2 short isoforms differ in testicular germ cell tumors of various differentiation subtypes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112528. [PMID: 25384072 PMCID: PMC4226551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
PIWI family proteins have recently emerged as essential contributors in numerous biological processes including germ cell development, stem cell maintenance and epigenetic reprogramming. Expression of some of the family members has been shown to be elevated in tumors. In particular, PIWIL2 has been probed as a potential neoplasia biomarker in many cancers in humans. Previously, PIWIL2 was shown to be expressed in most tumours as a set of its shorter isoforms. In this work, we demonstrated the presence of its 60 kDa (PL2L60A) and 80 kDa (PL2L80A) isoforms in testicular cancer cell lines. We also ascertained the transcriptional boundaries of mRNAs and alternative promoter regions for these PIWIL2 isoforms. Further, we probed a range of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) samples and found PIWIL2 to be predominantly expressed as PL2L60A in most of them. Importantly, the levels of both PL2L60A mRNA and protein products were found to vary depending on the differentiation subtype of TGCTs, i.e., PL2L60A expression is significantly higher in undifferentiated seminomas and appears to be substantially decreased in mixed and nonseminomatous TGCTs. The higher level of PL2L60A expression in undifferentiated TGCTs was further validated in the model system of retinoic acid induced differentiation in NT2/D1 cell line. Therefore, both PL2L60A mRNA and protein abundance could serve as an additional marker distinguishing between seminomas and nonseminomatous tumors with different prognosis and therapy approaches.
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Zheng YW, Tsuchida T, Shimao T, Li B, Takebe T, Zhang RR, Sakurai Y, Ueno Y, Sekine K, Ishibashi N, Imajima M, Tanaka T, Taniguchi H. The CD133+CD44+ precancerous subpopulation of oval cells is a therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma. Stem Cells Dev 2014; 23:2237-49. [PMID: 24804872 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor associated with a generally poor prognosis and a high rate of recurrence. HCC usually develops in the context of chronic liver diseases, and long-lasting premalignant conditions precede cancer development. A promising therapeutic approach is to eliminate precancerous cells, which are considered as the precursors of cancer stem cells, to prevent further malignant transformation. In this study, we identified a subpopulation of precancerous cells in a rat liver carcinogenesis model, which were enriched in CD133(+)CD44(+)CD45(-)HIS49(-) cells that formed part of the hepatic oval cells fraction. Prospective isolation of the precancerous cells using flow cytometry identified stem cell properties such as the ability to expand clonally and differentiate into bi-lineage cell types. Furthermore, an acyclic retinoid, which was recently shown to improve overall survival after HCC resection, directly inhibited the extensive expansion of the isolated precancerous cells in vitro and decreased the emergence of the precancerous cells and their progeny in vivo. Long-term follow-up after the acyclic retinoid treatment confirmed reduction in precancerous changes, ultimately resulting in suppression of HCC development. These findings, together with data from recent clinical trials showing marked reduction in intrahepatic recurrence, suggest that acyclic retinoid directly prevents de novo HCC by inhibiting the development of precancerous cells. Given recent advances in diagnostic techniques and the establishment of surveillance programs, the targeting of precancerous cells may have a huge impact on preventative cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Wen Zheng
- 1 Department of Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University , Yokohama, Japan
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Cancer stem cells accountability in progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: the most recent trends! Mol Biol Int 2014; 2014:375325. [PMID: 24693428 PMCID: PMC3946131 DOI: 10.1155/2014/375325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2013] [Revised: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a major role in local recurrence and metastatic spread in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Evidence suggests that cancer stem cells are resistant to conventional therapy. So the emerging concepts of the role of cancer stem cells in the pathobiology of HNSCC should be understood carefully to be able to create new paradigms in treatment plans.
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Belyaev NN, Abramova VA. Transmission of "split anergy" from tumor infiltrating to peripheral NK cells in a manner similar to "infectious tolerance". Med Hypotheses 2013; 82:129-33. [PMID: 24332531 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
According to a new paradigm of carcinogenesis, a tumor arises not from transformed cell, but only from tumor initiating cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which can originate from tissue stem cells. CSC are resistant to conventional therapy and after treatment form new tumors and give rise to metastases. Only natural killer (NK) cells are capable of lysing CSCs, but within different tumor types these cells experience a condition known as "split anergy", whereby the NK cells lose the ability to kill CSCs and being to produce cytokines. As a result, uncontrolled tumor growth arises and tumor stroma accumulates anergic NK cells. We hypothesize that anergic tumor infiltrating NK (TINK) cells transmit their property to naïve NK cells by infecting" them with a state of "split anergy" in a similar manner as T conventional cells are transformed into T regulatory cells during the process of "infectious tolerance". Anergic TINK cells egress from the tumor stroma via the lymphatic system, where they reach regional lymph nodes and transmit their properties to naïve NK cells, which in turn become anergic toward CSCs and lose immunosurveillance functions. The mechanisms proposed for this hypothesis and the methodological approaches for confirming the idea are presented in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai N Belyaev
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunobiotechnology, M.A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
| | - Vera A Abramova
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunobiotechnology, M.A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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Cao Z, Shang B, Zhang G, Miele L, Sarkar FH, Wang Z, Zhou Q. Tumor cell-mediated neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis contrive tumor progression and cancer metastasis. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2013; 1836:273-86. [PMID: 23933263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2013.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Robust neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis have been found in a variety of aggressive and metastatic tumors. Endothelial sprouting angiogenesis is generally considered to be the major mechanism by which new vasculature forms in tumors. However, increasing evidence shows that tumor vasculature is not solely composed of endothelial cells (ECs). Some tumor cells acquire processes similar to embryonic vasculogenesis and produce new vasculature through vasculogenic mimicry, trans-differentiation of tumor cells into tumor ECs, and tumor cell-EC vascular co-option. In addition, tumor cells secrete various vasculogenic factors that induce sprouting angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Vasculogenic tumor cells actively participate in the formation of vascular cancer stem cell niche and a premetastatic niche. Therefore, tumor cell-mediated neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis are closely associated with tumor progression, cancer metastasis, and poor prognosis. Vasculogenic tumor cells have emerged as key players in tumor neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis and play pivotal roles in tumor progression and cancer metastasis. However, the mechanisms underlying tumor cell-mediated vascularity as they relate to tumor progression and cancer metastasis remain unclear. Increasing data have shown that various intrinsic and extrinsic factors activate oncogenes and vasculogenic genes, enhance vasculogenic signaling pathways, and trigger tumor neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis. Collectively, tumor cells are the instigators of neovascularization. Therefore, targeting vasculogenic tumor cells, genes, and signaling pathways will open new avenues for anti-tumor vasculogenic and metastatic drug discovery. Dual targeting of endothelial sprouting angiogenesis and tumor cell-mediated neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis may overcome current clinical problems with anti-angiogenic therapy, resulting in significantly improved anti-angiogenesis and anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifei Cao
- Cyrus Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Ministry of Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
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NVP-LDE-225 (Erismodegib) inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and human prostate cancer stem cell growth in NOD/SCID IL2Rγ null mice by regulating Bmi-1 and microRNA-128. Oncogenesis 2013; 2:e42. [PMID: 23567619 PMCID: PMC3641359 DOI: 10.1038/oncsis.2013.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs) are defined by their extensive self-renewal, differentiation and tumor initiation properties. It is now clear that CSCs are involved in tumor growth and recurrence, and resistance to conventional treatments. The sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway has a crucial role in stemness and tumorigenesis. Thus, the strategy that suppresses stemness and consequently tumorigenic potential of CSCs could be considered for the management of prostate cancer. The objectives of this study were to examine the molecular mechanisms, by which NVP-LDE-225/Erismodegib (smoothened inhibitor) regulates stem cell characteristics and tumor growth in prostate cancer. The effects of NVP-LDE-225 on CSC's viability, sphere formation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor growth in NOD/SCID IL2Rγ null mice were examined. NVP-LDE-225 inhibited cell viability and spheroid formation, and induced apoptosis by activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). NVP-LDE-225 induced expression of Bax and Bak, and inhibited the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, XIAP, cIAP1, cIAP2 and survivin. NVP-LDE-225 inhibited Gli transcriptional activity, Gli-DNA interaction and the expression of Gli1, Gli2, Patched1 and Patched-2 in prostate CSCs. Interestingly, NVP-LDE-225 induced PDCD4 and apoptosis and inhibited cell viability by suppressing miR-21. Furthermore, NVP-LDE-225 inhibited pluripotency-maintaining factors Nanog, Oct-4, c-Myc and Sox-2. The inhibition of Bmi-1 by NVP-LDE-225 was regulated by upregulation of miR-128. NVP-LDE-225 suppressed EMT by upregulating E-cadherin and inhibiting N-cadherin, Snail, Slug and Zeb1 by regulating the miR-200 family. Finally, NVP-LDE-225 inhibited CSC tumor growth, which was associated with the suppression of Gli1, Gli2, Patched-1, Patched-2, Cyclin D1, Bmi-1 and PCNA and cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP in tumor tissues derived from NOD/SCID IL2Rγ null mice. Overall, our findings suggest that inhibition of the Shh signaling pathway could therefore be a novel therapeutic option in treating prostate cancer.
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Chen Z, Pradhan S, Liu C, Le LQ. Skin-derived precursors as a source of progenitors for cutaneous nerve regeneration. Stem Cells 2013; 30:2261-70. [PMID: 22851518 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral nerves have the potential to regenerate axons and reinnervate end organs. Chronic denervation and disturbed nerve regeneration are thought to contribute to peripheral neuropathy, pain, and pruritus in the skin. The capacity of denervated distal nerves to support axonal regeneration requires proliferation by Schwann cells, which guide regenerating axons to their denervated targets. However, adult peripheral nerve Schwann cells do not retain a growth-permissive phenotype, as is required to produce new glia. Therefore, it is believed that following injury, mature Schwann cells dedifferentiate to a progenitor/stem cell phenotype to promote axonal regrowth. In this study, we show that skin-derived precursors (SKPs), a recently identified neural crest-related stem cell population in the dermis of skin, are an alternative source of progenitors for cutaneous nerve regeneration. Using in vivo and in vitro three-dimensional cutaneous nerve regeneration models, we show that the SKPs are neurotropic toward injured nerves and that they have a full capacity to differentiate into Schwann cells and promote axon regeneration. The identification of SKPs as a physiologic source of progenitors for cutaneous nerve regeneration in the skin, where SKPs physiologically reside, has important implications for understanding early cellular events in peripheral nerve regeneration. It also provides fertile ground for the elucidation of intrinsic and extrinsic factors within the nerve microenvironment that likely play essential roles in cutaneous nerve homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguo Chen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9069, USA
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Shahali M, Kabir-Salmani M, Nayernia K, Soleimanpour-Lichaei HR, Vasei M, Mowla SJ, Ranaie E, Shakibaie M, Modaresi MH. A novel in vitro model for cancer stem cell culture using ectopically expressed piwil2 stable cell line. CELL JOURNAL 2013; 15:250-7. [PMID: 24027667 PMCID: PMC3769608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Piwil2, a member of Ago/Piwi gene family containing Piwi and PAZ domains, has been shown to be ectopically expressed in different cancer cells, especially its remarkable expression in cancer stem cells (CSCs), and is also known to be essential for germ line stem cell self-renewal in various organisms. The hypothesis that CSC may hold the key to the central problem of clinical oncology and tumor relapse leads to more anticancer treatment studies. Due to emerging controversies and extreme difficulties in studying of CSC, like the cells using in vivo models, more attempts have expended to establish different in vitro models. However, the progress was slow owing to the problems associated with establishing proper CSC cultures in vitro. To overcome these difficulties, we prompted to establish a novel stable cell line over-expressing Piwil2 to develop a potential proper in vitro CSC model. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were isolated and electroporated with a construct containing Piwil2 cDNA under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter (CMV). Stable transfectants were selected, and the established MEF-Piwil2 cell line was characterized and designated as CSC-like cells using molecular markers. Functional assays, including proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were performed using characterized CSC like cells in serum-free medium. Additionally, MEF-Piwil2 cell density and viability were measured by direct and indirect methods in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. RESULTS The results of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot, and immunocytochemistry revealed an overexpression for Piwil2 in the transfected Piwil2 cells both in the RNA and protein levels. Furthermore, analysis of the kinetic and stoichiometric parameters demonstrated that the specific growth rate and the yield of lactate per glucose were significantly higher in the MEF-Piwil2 group compared to the MEF cells (ANOVA, p< 0.05). Also, analysis of functional assays including migration and invasion assays demonstrated a significantly higher number of migrated and invaded cells in the MEF-Piwil2 compared to that of the MEF cells (ANOVA, p< 0.05). The MEF-Piwil2 cells tolerated hypoxia mimetic conditions (CoCl2 ) with more than 95% viability. CONCLUSION According to the molecular and functional studies, it has been realized that Piwil2 plays a key role(s) in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. Therefore, Piwil2 can be used not only as a common biomarker for tumor, but also as a target for the development of new anticancer drug. Finally, the main outcome of our study was the establishment of a novel CSC-like in vitro model which is expected to be utilized in understanding the complex roles played by CSC in tumor maintenance, metastasis, therapy resistance or cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Shahali
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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* Corresponding Address: P.O.Box: : 14115-154Department of Molecular GeneticsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Maryam Kabir-Salmani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Stem Cell Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
,P.O.Box: 14965-161Department of Medical BiotechnologyStem Cell DivisionNational Institute of Genetic
Engineering and BiotechnologyTehranIran
| | | | - Hamid Reza Soleimanpour-Lichaei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Stem Cell Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Vasei
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medicine Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Javad Mowla
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ranaie
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shakibaie
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Stem Cell Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Modaresi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medicine Science, Tehran, Iran
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Ji B, Chen Q, Liu B, Wu L, Tian D, Guo Z, Yi W. Glioma stem cell-targeted dendritic cells as a tumor vaccine against malignant glioma. Yonsei Med J 2013; 54:92-100. [PMID: 23225804 PMCID: PMC3521251 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.1.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer stem cells have recently been thought to be closely related to tumor development and reoccurrence. It may be a promising way to cure malignant glioma by using glioma stem cell-targeted dendritic cells as a tumor vaccine. In this study, we explored whether pulsing dendritic cells with antigens of glioma stem cells was a potent way to induce specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and anti-tumor immunity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cancer stem cells were cultured from glioma cell line U251. Lysate of glioma stem cells was obtained by the repeated freezing and thawing method. Dendritic cells (DCs) were induced and cultured from the murine bone marrow cells, the biological characteristics were detected by electron microscope and flow cytometry. The DC vaccine was obtained by mixing DCs with lysate of glioma stem cells. The DC vaccine was charactirizated through the mixed lymphocyte responses and cell killing experiment in vitro. Level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the supernatant was checked by ELISA. RESULTS After stimulation of lysate of glioma stem cell, expression of surface molecules of DC was up-regulated, including CD80, CD86, CD11C and MHC-II. DCs pulsed with lysate of glioma stem cells were more effective than the control group in stimulating original glioma cells-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes responses, killing glioma cells and boosting the secretion of IFN-γ in vitro. CONCLUSION The results demonstrated DCs loaded with antigens derived from glioma stem cells can effectively stimulate naive T cells to form specific cytotoxic T cells, kill glioma cells cultured in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baowei Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qianxue Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Baohui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liquan Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Daofeng Tian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhentao Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Shang B, Zhang G, Pan Y, Zhou Q. Deciphering the Key Features of Malignant Tumor Microenvironment for Anti-cancer Therapy. CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT SOCIETY 2012; 5:211-23. [PMID: 22592483 PMCID: PMC3460050 DOI: 10.1007/s12307-012-0108-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment (TME) is important in tumor development and may be a target for anti-cancer therapy. The genesis of TME is a dynamic process that is regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors and coordinated by multiple genes, cells, and signal pathways. Cancer anaerobic metabolism and various oncogenes may stimulate the genesis of TME. Tumor cells and cancer stem cells actively participate in the genesis of the cancer stem cell niche and tumor neovascularization, important in the initiation of the TME. Various cancer-associated stromal cells, derived niche factors, and tumor-associated macrophages may function as promoters in the genesis of the TME. Dicer1 gene-deleted stromal cells can induce generation of cancer stem cells and initiate tumorigenesis, suggesting that stromal cells also may promote the genesis of the TME. Therefore, the key features of TME include niche-driving oncogenes, cancer anaerobic metabolism, niche-driving cancer stem cells, neovascularization, tumor-associated inflammatory cells, and cancer-associated stromal cells. These features are potential targets for normalization of the malignant TME and effective anti-cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxue Shang
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Ministry of Health; Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China
| | - Gaochuan Zhang
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Ministry of Health; Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China
| | - Yanyan Pan
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Ministry of Health; Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China
| | - Quansheng Zhou
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Ministry of Health; Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Soochow University, 199 Ren Ai Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China
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Li D, Sun X, Yan D, Huang J, Luo Q, Tang H, Peng Z. Piwil2 modulates the proliferation and metastasis of colon cancer via regulation of matrix metallopeptidase 9 transcriptional activity. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2012; 237:1231-40. [PMID: 23104504 DOI: 10.1258/ebm.2012.011380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Piwi-like protein 2 (Piwil2) has recently emerged as a putative oncogene which is amplified in several human malignancies. However, the role of Piwil2 in colon cancer remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathological significance of Piwil2, and the possible role in the proliferation and metastasis of colon cancer. Primary colon cancer paired with adjacent normal colon tissue and lymph node metastasis (LNM) lesions in 66 patients' tissue microarrays (TMA) were used to determine the expression of Piwil2. Knocked down Piwil2 expression in SW620 and SW480 colon cancer cell lines was performed to evaluate the role of Piwil2 in cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. The possible roles of Piwil2 in the regulation of a 2 kb matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) promoter fragment and on the regulation of apoptotic pathways were evaluated by using a luciferase reporter construct and Western blots, respectively. Significantly higher expression levels of Piwil2 were observed in primary colon cancer tissue and in LNM in comparison with normal colon mucosa. Piwil2 expression significantly correlated with more aggressive clinical and pathological parameters with poorer five-year metastasis-free survival and overall survival. Piwil2 silencing significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation, colony formation ability and increased apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Piwil2 knockdown also attenuated migration and invasion of colon cancer cells via modulation of MMP9 transcriptional activities. Our results indicate that Piwil2 moderates the proliferation and metastasis potential of colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated First People’s Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Oh SJ, Kim SM, Kim YO, Chang HK. Clinicopathologic Implications of PIWIL2 Expression in Colorectal Cancer. KOREAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2012; 46:318-23. [PMID: 23110023 PMCID: PMC3479824 DOI: 10.4132/koreanjpathol.2012.46.4.318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background There are no established reports about the expression of the Piwil gene, a subfamily of the Piwi gene involved in RNA silencing and self-renewal, in colorectal carcinomas. It is known that the degree of PIWIL2 expression is higher in colorectal carcinomas. But its clinicopathologic significance remains undetermined. This study reassessed the relationship between PIWIL2 expression and the clinicopathologic parameters in colorectal carcinomas. Methods An immunohistochemistry
of PIWIL2 expression was done in 60 cases of colorectal carcinoma. This was followed by an analysis of the correlation between PIWIL2 expression and clinicopathologic features and a survival analysis. Results There were 44 cases (73.3%) where the degree of PIWIL2 expression was relatively higher. The high degree of PIWIL2 expression was significantly correlated with the lower degree of differentiation (p=0.039), deep invasion (p=0.019) and perineural invasion (p=0.027). The overall survival was longer in patients with the lower degree of PIWIL2 expression than in those with the higher degree of PIWIL2 expression. Conclusions Our results showed that the degree of PIWIL2 expression was relatively higher in colorectal carcinomas and it was significantly correlated with variable clinicopathologic indicators for a poor prognosis. This indicates that PIWIL2-positive cells contribute to the progression of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Ju Oh
- Department of Pathology, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
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Zhu W, Pao GM, Satoh A, Cummings G, Monaghan JR, Harkins TT, Bryant SV, Randal Voss S, Gardiner DM, Hunter T. Activation of germline-specific genes is required for limb regeneration in the Mexican axolotl. Dev Biol 2012; 370:42-51. [PMID: 22841627 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The capacity for tissue and organ regeneration in humans is dwarfed by comparison to that of salamanders. Emerging evidence suggests that mechanisms learned from the early phase of salamander limb regeneration-wound healing, cellular dedifferentiation and blastemal formation-will reveal therapeutic approaches for tissue regeneration in humans. Here we describe a unique transcriptional fingerprint of regenerating limb tissue in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) that is indicative of cellular reprogramming of differentiated cells to a germline-like state. Two genes that are required for self-renewal of germ cells in mice and flies, Piwi-like 1 (PL1) and Piwi-like 2 (PL2), are expressed in limb blastemal cells, the basal layer keratinocytes and the thickened apical epithelial cap in the wound epidermis in the regenerating limb. Depletion of PL1 and PL2 by morpholino oligonucleotides decreased cell proliferation and increased cell death in the blastema leading to a significant retardation of regeneration. Examination of key molecules that are known to be required for limb development or regeneration further revealed that FGF8 is transcriptionally downregulated in the presence of the morpholino oligos, indicating PL1 and PL2 might participate in FGF signaling during limb regeneration. Given the requirement for FGF signaling in limb development and regeneration, the results suggest that PL1 and PL2 function to establish a unique germline-like state that is associated with successful regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Ross JP, Rand KN, Molloy PL. Hypomethylation of repeated DNA sequences in cancer. Epigenomics 2012; 2:245-69. [PMID: 22121873 DOI: 10.2217/epi.10.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
An important feature of cancer development and progression is the change in DNA methylation patterns, characterized by the hypermethylation of specific genes concurrently with an overall decrease in the level of 5-methylcytosine. Hypomethylation of the genome can affect both single-copy genes, repeat DNA sequences and transposable elements, and is highly variable among and within cancer types. Here, we review our current understanding of genome hypomethylation in cancer, with a particular focus on hypomethylation of the different classes and families of repeat sequences. The emerging data provide insights into the importance of methylation of different repeat families in the maintenance of chromosome structural integrity and the fidelity of normal transcriptional regulation. We also consider the events underlying cancer-associated hypomethylation and the potential for the clinical use of characteristic DNA methylation changes in diagnosis, prognosis or classification of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason P Ross
- Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, Food & Nutritional Science, Preventative Health National Research Flagship, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia
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Liang D, Fang Z, Dong M, Liang C, Xing C, Zhao J, Yang Y. Effect of RNA interference-related HiWi gene expression on the proliferation and apoptosis of lung cancer stem cells. Oncol Lett 2012; 4:146-150. [PMID: 22807978 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2012.677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HiWi gene silencing on lung cancer tumor stem cell proliferation and apoptosis using gene transfection and RNA interference. Moreover, we examined the feasibility of using the HiWi gene as a molecular target for the inhibition of lung cancer tumor stem cells (TSCs). shRNA eukaryotic expression vectors, pGenesil-2-HiWi1, pGenesil-2-HiWi2263 and pGenesil-2-control, targeting the HiWi gene were constructed. PBS served as the control group. The expression vector of the target HiWi gene shRNA was transfected into lung cancer TSCs with PEI as the medium. The conditions of lung cancer TSC proliferation and apoptosis in each group were examined using an MTT assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and Annexin V staining. The results showed that 24 h after transfection, the proliferation inhibition rates in the pGenesil-2-HiWi2263 (81.62%) and pGenesil-2-HiWi1 (73.16%) groups were higher as compared to the proliferation inhibition rate in the pGenesil-2-control group (8.54%). The apoptotic ratios in the pGenesil-2-HiWi1 and pGenesil-2-HiWi2263 groups were 26.16±1.21 and 28.06±1.78%, respectively, were higher as compared to those in the pGenesil-2-control group 2.86±0.09% (P<0.01). Our results suggest that HiWi gene silencing decreases proliferation and promotes apoptosis of lung cancer TSCs. Therefore, the HiWi gene could be used as a molecular target for the inhibition of the growth of lung cancer TSCs, which has potential value for the treatment of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liang
- Hainan Province Nongken Sanya Hospital, Sanya, Hainan 572023
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Shang B, Cao Z, Zhou Q. Progress in tumor vascular normalization for anticancer therapy: challenges and perspectives. Front Med 2012; 6:67-78. [DOI: 10.1007/s11684-012-0176-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2011] [Accepted: 11/16/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Molina-Peña R, Álvarez MM. A simple mathematical model based on the cancer stem cell hypothesis suggests kinetic commonalities in solid tumor growth. PLoS One 2012; 7:e26233. [PMID: 22363395 PMCID: PMC3281810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) hypothesis has gained credibility within the cancer research community. According to this hypothesis, a small subpopulation of cells within cancerous tissues exhibits stem-cell-like characteristics and is responsible for the maintenance and proliferation of cancer. Methodologies/Principal Findings We present a simple compartmental pseudo-chemical mathematical model for tumor growth, based on the CSC hypothesis, and derived using a “chemical reaction” approach. We defined three cell subpopulations: CSCs, transit progenitor cells, and differentiated cells. Each event related to cell division, differentiation, or death is then modeled as a chemical reaction. The resulting set of ordinary differential equations was numerically integrated to describe the time evolution of each cell subpopulation and the overall tumor growth. The parameter space was explored to identify combinations of parameter values that produce biologically feasible and consistent scenarios. Conclusions/Significance Certain kinetic relationships apparently must be satisfied to sustain solid tumor growth and to maintain an approximate constant fraction of CSCs in the tumor lower than 0.01 (as experimentally observed): (a) the rate of symmetrical and asymmetrical CSC renewal must be in the same order of magnitude; (b) the intrinsic rate of renewal and differentiation of progenitor cells must be half an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding intrinsic rates for cancer stem cells; (c) the rates of apoptosis of the CSC, transit amplifying progenitor (P) cells, and terminally differentiated (D) cells must be progressively higher by approximately one order of magnitude. Simulation results were consistent with reports that have suggested that encouraging CSC differentiation could be an effective therapeutic strategy for fighting cancer in addition to selective killing or inhibition of symmetric division of CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Molina-Peña
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey at Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Mario Moisés Álvarez
- Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey at Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
- * E-mail:
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Cheng L, Alexander R, Zhang S, Pan CX, MacLennan GT, Lopez-Beltran A, Montironi R. The clinical and therapeutic implications of cancer stem cell biology. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2012; 11:1131-43. [PMID: 21806335 DOI: 10.1586/era.11.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have provided new insights into the tumorigenesis and metastatic potential of cancer. The discovery of CSCs has provided many new insights into the complexities of cancer therapy: tumor initiation, treatment resistance, metastasis, recurrence, assessment of prognosis and prediction of clinical course. Recent rapid advances in molecular analysis have contributed to the better understanding of the molecular attributes and pathways that give CSCs their unique attributes. Use of these molecular techniques has facilitated elucidation of specific surface markers and pathways that favor propagation of CSCs - allowing for targeted therapy. Furthermore, it has been discovered that a specific microenvironment, or niche, is essential for the genesis of tumors from CSCs. Therapeutic strategies that alter these microenvironments compromise CSC proliferation and constitute another method of targeted cancer therapy. We review the clinical and therapeutic implications of CSCs, with a focus on treatment resistance and metastasis, and the emerging approaches to target CSCs and their microenvironments in order to attain improved outcomes in cancer. It is noteworthy that CSCs are the only cells capable of sustaining tumorigenesis; however, the cell of origin of cancer, in which tumorigenesis is initiated, may be distinct from CSCs that propagate the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 350 West 11th Street, Room 4010, Indianapolis, IN 4620, USA.
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Weng D, Penzner JH, Song B, Koido S, Calderwood SK, Gong J. Metastasis is an early event in mouse mammary carcinomas and is associated with cells bearing stem cell markers. Breast Cancer Res 2012; 14:R18. [PMID: 22277639 PMCID: PMC3496135 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction It is still uncertain whether metastasis is predominantly an early or late event in tumor progression. The detection of early metastases and cells responsible for the dissemination may therefore have significant clinical implications. Methods Lung dissemination and/or metastasis were investigated in mice carrying the polyomavirus middle-T oncogene (PyMT) during different stages of mammary tumorigenesis using the colony forming assay. Immunocytochemical or immunohistochemical staining was used to identify subpopulations of cells responsible for lung dissemination and metastasis. Histological examination was used to show primary and metastatic tumors. The tumor-initiating and metastatic capacity of cells expressing stem cell markers was assessed in syngeneic wild-type (WT) mice whose mammary fat pads were injected with these cells. Results Metastatic mammary epithelial cells were detected in the lungs of mice carrying the PyMT oncogene (MMT mice). These cells were observed early in breast tumorigenesis when the mammary tree appeared by histological inspection to be normal (or at a premalignant stage), suggesting the possession of disseminating and metastatic capacity even before full malignant transformation. Some of the disseminated cells and lung metastases displayed surface stem cell markers. These findings suggest that stem cells from apparently precancerous primary lesions could be a source of metastasis. Indeed, injection of lung tissue cells from MMT mice into syngeneic WT mice resulted in the formation of mammary tumors. These tumors resembled their parent mammary tumors in the MMT donors as well as grafted tumors derived from mammary tumor cells. Furthermore, when we injected lung tissue cells from GFP MMT mice into the fat pads of recipient WT mice, disseminated or metastatic GFP-expressing cells were detected in the lungs, lymph nodes and blood of the recipient WT mice. We finally identified a subpopulation of mammary epithelial/tumor cells expressing CD44 and Sca1 that was largely responsible for dissemination and metastasis in MMT mice. Conclusions The tumorigenic and metastatic potential of a subpopulation of mammary epithelial/tumor cells in MMT mice is endowed relatively early in mammary neoplasms and suggests a potential role for cancer stem cell sub-populations in metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desheng Weng
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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Yin DT, Wang Q, Chen L, Liu MY, Han C, Yan Q, Shen R, He G, Duan W, Li JJ, Wani A, Gao JX. Germline stem cell gene PIWIL2 mediates DNA repair through relaxation of chromatin. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27154. [PMID: 22110608 PMCID: PMC3217960 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA damage response (DDR) is an intrinsic barrier of cell to tumorigenesis initiated by genotoxic agents. However, the mechanisms underlying the DDR are not completely understood despite of extensive investigation. Recently, we have reported that ectopic expression of germline stem cell gene PIWIL2 is associated with tumor stem cell development, although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we show that PIWIL2 is required for the repair of DNA-damage induced by various types of genotoxic agents. Upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, silenced PIWIL2 gene in normal human fibroblasts was transiently activated after treatment with UV light. This activation was associated with DNA repair, because Piwil2-deficienct mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mili(-/-) MEFs) were defective in cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) repair after UV treatment. As a result, the UV-treated mili(-/-) MEFs were more susceptible to apoptosis, as characterized by increased levels of DNA damage-associated apoptotic proteins, such as active caspase-3, cleaved Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and Bik. The impaired DNA repair in the mili(-/-) MEFs was associated with the reductions of histone H3 acetylation and chromatin relaxation, although the DDR pathway downstream chromatin relaxation appeared not to be directly affected by Piwil2. Moreover, guanine-guanine (Pt-[GG]) and double strand break (DSB) repair were also defective in the mili(-/-) MEFs treated by genotoxic chemicals Cisplatin and ionizing radiation (IR), respectively. The results indicate that Piwil2 can mediate DNA repair through an axis of Piwil2 → histone acetylation → chromatin relaxation upstream DDR pathways. The findings reveal a new role for Piwil2 in DNA repair and suggest that Piwil2 may act as a gatekeeper against DNA damage-mediated tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Tao Yin
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qien Wang
- Department of Radiology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Meng-Yao Liu
- Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunhua Han
- Department of Radiology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Qingtao Yan
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Rulong Shen
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Gang He
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Wenrui Duan
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jian-Jian Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Altaf Wani
- Department of Radiology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jian-Xin Gao
- Laboratory of Tumorigenesis and Immunity, Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
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