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Wang F, Zhang Y, Pang R, Shi S, Wang R. Scoulerine promotes cytotoxicity and attenuates stemness in ovarian cancer by targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis. ACTA PHARMACEUTICA (ZAGREB, CROATIA) 2023; 73:475-488. [PMID: 37708956 DOI: 10.2478/acph-2023-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
In women, ovarian cancer is a common gynecological cancer associated with poor prognosis, reoccurrence and chemoresistance. Scoulerine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, has been reported effective against several carcinomas. Thus, we investigated the impact of scoulerine on ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR3). Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, migration was determined by Boyden Chamber assay, while the invasion was monitored by Boyden Chamber assay using the matrigel. The stemness properties of OVCAR3 cells were observed by tumorsphere assay. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness-related protein markers were monitored by real-time PCR analysis and immunoblotting. Scoulerine inhibits the viability of OVCAR3 cells with the IC 50 observed at 10 µmol L-1 after 48 h treatment. Scoulerine inhibited the colony-forming ability, migration and invasiveness of OVCAR3 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Scoulerine treatment also drastically reduced the spheroid-forming ability of OVCAR3 cells. The mesenchymal and stemness--related markers like N-cadherin, vimentin, CD-44, Oct-4, Sox-2 and Aldh1A1 were downregulated, whereas the epithelial markers like E-cadherin and CD-24 were upregulated in scoulerine-treated cells. The upstream PI3K/Akt/mTOR-axis was downregulated in scoulerine-treated cells. We concluded that scoulerine successfully perturbs the cancerous properties of OVCAR3 cells by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis. In vivo studies revealed a substantial decrease in tumor mass and volume after scoulerine treatment. Furthermore, scoulerine treatment was found to decrease oxidative stress factors in ovarian cancer mice model. Scoulerine is a potential anticancer agent against ovarian cancer and can be considered as a lead molecule for this malignancy, provided further investigations are performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Department of Gynaecology, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Gynaecology, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rui Pang
- Department of Gynaecology, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shaohong Shi
- Department of Gynaecology, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ran Wang
- Department of Clinical laboratory, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang Lianyungang Jiangsu, China
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2
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Roberts CM, Rojas-Alexandre M, Hanna RE, Lin ZP, Ratner ES. Transforming Growth Factor Beta and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Alter Homologous Recombination Repair Gene Expression and Sensitize BRCA Wild-Type Ovarian Cancer Cells to Olaparib. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3919. [PMID: 37568736 PMCID: PMC10417836 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, largely due to metastasis and drug resistant recurrences. Fifteen percent of ovarian tumors carry mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, rendering them vulnerable to treatment with PARP inhibitors such as olaparib. Recent studies have shown that TGFβ can induce "BRCAness" in BRCA wild-type cancer cells. Given that TGFβ is a known driver of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the connection between EMT and metastatic spread in EOC and other cancers, we asked if TGFβ and EMT alter the susceptibility of EOC to PARP inhibition. Epithelial EOC cells were transiently treated with soluble TGFβ, and their clonogenic potential, expression, and function of EMT and DNA repair genes, and response to PARP inhibitors compared with untreated controls. A second epithelial cell line was compared to its mesenchymal derivative for EMT and DNA repair gene expression and drug responses. We found that TGFβ and EMT resulted in the downregulation of genes responsible for homologous recombination (HR) and sensitized cells to olaparib. HR efficiency was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, mesenchymal cells displayed sensitivity to olaparib, cisplatin, and the DNA-PK inhibitor Nu-7441. Therefore, the treatment of disseminated, mesenchymal tumors may represent an opportunity to expand the clinical utility of PARP inhibitors and similar agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai M. Roberts
- Department of Pharmacology, Midwestern University, 555 31st St., Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA
| | - Mehida Rojas-Alexandre
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ruth E. Hanna
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Z. Ping Lin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Elena S. Ratner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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3
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Wang Z, Yang L, Huang Z, Li X, Xiao J, Qu Y, Huang L, Wang Y. Identification of Prognosis Biomarkers for High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Based on Stemness. Front Genet 2022; 13:861954. [PMID: 35360863 PMCID: PMC8964092 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.861954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is studied, which is the most common histological subtype of ovarian cancer. We use a new analytical procedure to combine the bulk RNA-Seq sample for ovarian cancer, mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi), and single-cell data for ovarian cancer. Through integrating bulk RNA-Seq sample of cancer samples from TCGA, UCSC Xena and single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data of HGSOC from GEO, and performing a series of computational analyses on them, we identify stemness markers and survival-related markers, explore stem cell populations in ovarian cancer, and provide potential treatment recommendation. As a result, 171 key genes for capturing stem cell characteristics are screened and one vital cancer stem cell subpopulation is identified. Through further analysis of these key genes and cancer stem cell subpopulation, more critical genes can be obtained as LCP2, FCGR3A, COL1A1, COL1A2, MT-CYB, CCT5, and PAPPA, are closely associated with ovarian cancer. So these genes have the potential to be used as prognostic biomarkers for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhenyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Juan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yinwei Qu
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,College of Artificial Intelligence, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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4
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Single cell-derived spheroids capture the self-renewing subpopulations of metastatic ovarian cancer. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:614-626. [PMID: 34845371 PMCID: PMC8901794 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00878-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
High Grade Serous Ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a major unmet need in oncology, due to its precocious dissemination and the lack of meaningful human models for the investigation of disease pathogenesis in a patient-specific manner. To overcome this roadblock, we present a new method to isolate and grow single cells directly from patients' metastatic ascites, establishing the conditions for propagating them as 3D cultures that we refer to as single cell-derived metastatic ovarian cancer spheroids (sMOCS). By single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) we define the cellular composition of metastatic ascites and trace its propagation in 2D and 3D culture paradigms, finding that sMOCS retain and amplify key subpopulations from the original patients' samples and recapitulate features of the original metastasis that do not emerge from classical 2D culture, including retention of individual patients' specificities. By enabling the enrichment of uniquely informative cell subpopulations from HGSOC metastasis and the clonal interrogation of their diversity at the functional and molecular level, this method provides a powerful instrument for precision oncology in ovarian cancer.
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5
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Wilczyński JR, Wilczyński M, Paradowska E. Cancer Stem Cells in Ovarian Cancer-A Source of Tumor Success and a Challenging Target for Novel Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052496. [PMID: 35269636 PMCID: PMC8910575 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal neoplasm of the female genital organs. Despite indisputable progress in the treatment of ovarian cancer, the problems of chemo-resistance and recurrent disease are the main obstacles for successful therapy. One of the main reasons for this is the presence of a specific cell population of cancer stem cells. The aim of this review is to show the most contemporary knowledge concerning the biology of ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) and their impact on chemo-resistance and prognosis in ovarian cancer patients, as well as to present the treatment options targeted exclusively on the OCSCs. The review presents data concerning the role of cancer stem cells in general and then concentrates on OCSCs. The surface and intracellular OCSCs markers and their meaning both for cancer biology and clinical prognosis, signaling pathways specifically activated in OCSCs, the genetic and epigenetic regulation of OCSCs function including the recent studies on the non-coding RNA regulation, cooperation between OCSCs and the tumor microenvironment (ovarian cancer niche) including very specific environment such as ascites fluid, the role of shear stress, autophagy and metabolic changes for the function of OCSCs, and finally mechanisms of OCSCs escape from immune surveillance, are described and discussed extensively. The possibilities of anti-OCSCs therapy both in experimental settings and in clinical trials are presented, including the recent II phase clinical trials and immunotherapy. OCSCs are a unique population of cancer cells showing a great plasticity, self-renewal potential and resistance against anti-cancer treatment. They are responsible for the progression and recurrence of the tumor. Several completed and ongoing clinical trials have tested different anti-OCSCs drugs which, however, have shown unsatisfactory efficacy in most cases. We propose a novel approach to ovarian cancer diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek R Wilczyński
- Department of Gynecological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, 4 Kosciuszki Str., 90-419 Lodz, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Miłosz Wilczyński
- Department of Gynecological, Endoscopic and Oncological Surgery, Polish Mother’s Health Center—Research Institute, 281/289 Rzgowska Str., 93-338 Lodz, Poland;
- Department of Surgical and Endoscopic Gynecology, Medical University of Lodz, 4 Kosciuszki Str., 90-419 Lodz, Poland
| | - Edyta Paradowska
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 106 Lodowa Str., 93-232 Lodz, Poland;
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6
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NK Cell-Mediated Eradication of Ovarian Cancer Cells with a Novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor Directed against CD44. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101339. [PMID: 34680456 PMCID: PMC8533227 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of gynecological cancer-related death in the developed world. Disease recurrence and chemoresistance are major causes of poor survival rates in ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) were shown to represent a source of tumor recurrence owing to the high resistance to chemotherapy and enhanced tumorigenicity. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based adoptive immunotherapy represents a promising strategy to reduce the risk for recurrent disease. In this study, we developed a codon-optimized third-generation CAR to specifically target CD44, a marker widely expressed on ovarian cancer cells and associated with CSC-like properties and intraperitoneal tumor spread. We equipped NK-92 cells with the anti-CD44 CAR (CD44NK) and an anti-CD19 control CAR (CD19NK) using lentiviral SIN vectors. Compared to CD19NK and untransduced NK-92 cells, CD44NK showed potent and specific cytotoxic activity against CD44-positive ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and OVCAR3) and primary ovarian cancer cells harvested from ascites. In contrast, CD44NK had less cytotoxic activity against CD44-negative A2780 cells. Specific activation of engineered NK cells was also demonstrated by interferon-γ (IFNγ) secretion assays. Furthermore, CD44NK cells still demonstrated cytotoxic activity under cisplatin treatment. Most importantly, the simultaneous treatment with CD44NK and cisplatin showed higher anti-tumor activity than sequential treatment.
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Atallah GA, Abd. Aziz NH, Teik CK, Shafiee MN, Kampan NC. New Predictive Biomarkers for Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:465. [PMID: 33800113 PMCID: PMC7998656 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11030465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the eighth-most common cause of death among women worldwide. In the absence of distinctive symptoms in the early stages, the majority of women are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease. Surgical debulking and systemic adjuvant chemotherapy remain the mainstays of treatment, with the development of chemoresistance in up to 75% of patients with subsequent poor treatment response and reduced survival. Therefore, there is a critical need to revisit existing, and identify potential biomarkers that could lead to the development of novel and more effective predictors for ovarian cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The capacity of these biomarkers to predict the existence, stages, and associated therapeutic efficacy of ovarian cancer would enable improvements in the early diagnosis and survival of ovarian cancer patients. This review not only highlights current evidence-based ovarian-cancer-specific prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers but also provides an update on various technologies and methods currently used to identify novel biomarkers of ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Nirmala Chandralega Kampan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (G.A.A.); (N.H.A.A.); (C.K.T.); (M.N.S.)
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8
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A Marine Collagen-Based Biomimetic Hydrogel Recapitulates Cancer Stem Cell Niche and Enhances Progression and Chemoresistance in Human Ovarian Cancer. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18100498. [PMID: 33003514 PMCID: PMC7599646 DOI: 10.3390/md18100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent attention has focused on the development of an effective three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system enabling the rapid enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are resistant to therapies and serving as a useful in vitro tumor model that accurately reflects in vivo behaviors of cancer cells. Presently, an effective 3D in vitro model of ovarian cancer (OC) was developed using a marine collagen-based hydrogel. Advantages of the model include simplicity, efficiency, bioactivity, and low cost. Remarkably, OC cells grown in this hydrogel exhibited biochemical and physiological features, including (1) enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion, colony formation, and chemoresistance; (2) suppressed apoptosis with altered expression levels of apoptosis-regulating molecules; (3) upregulated expression of crucial multidrug resistance-related genes; (4) accentuated expression of key molecules associated with malignant progression, such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition transcription factors, Notch, and pluripotency biomarkers; and (5) robust enrichment of ovarian CSCs. The findings indicate the potential of our 3D in vitro OC model as an in vitro research platform to study OC and ovarian CSC biology and to screen novel therapies targeting OC and ovarian CSCs.
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Levy A, Alhazzani K, Dondapati P, Alaseem A, Cheema K, Thallapureddy K, Kaur P, Alobid S, Rathinavelu A. Focal Adhesion Kinase in Ovarian Cancer: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Platinum and Taxane-Resistant Tumors. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 19:179-188. [PMID: 29984656 DOI: 10.2174/1568009618666180706165222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, which is an essential player in regulating cell migration, invasion, adhesion, proliferation, and survival. Its overexpression and activation have been identified in sixty-eight percent of epithelial ovarian cancer patients and this is significantly associated with higher tumor stage, metastasis, and shorter overall survival of these patients. Most recently, a new role has emerged for FAK in promoting resistance to taxane and platinum-based therapy in ovarian and other cancers. The development of resistance is a complex network of molecular processes that make the identification of a targetable biomarker in platinum and taxane-resistant ovarian cancer a major challenge. FAK overexpression upregulates ALDH and XIAP activity in platinum-resistant and increases CD44, YB1, and MDR-1 activity in taxaneresistant tumors. FAK is therefore now emerging as a prognostically significant candidate in this regard, with mounting evidence from recent successes in preclinical and clinical trials using small molecule FAK inhibitors. This review will summarize the significance and function of FAK in ovarian cancer, and its emerging role in chemotherapeutic resistance. We will discuss the current status of FAK inhibitors in ovarian cancers, their therapeutic competencies and limitations, and further propose that the combination of FAK inhibitors with platinum and taxane-based therapies could be an efficacious approach in chemotherapeutic resistant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkene Levy
- College of Medical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Khalid Alhazzani
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Priya Dondapati
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Ali Alaseem
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Khadijah Cheema
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Keerthi Thallapureddy
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Paramjot Kaur
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Saad Alobid
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Appu Rathinavelu
- Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
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10
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Piao L, Li H, Feng Y, Li X, Cui Y, Xuan Y. Leucine Zipper-EF-Hand Containing Transmembrane Protein 1 Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Promotes Cell Progression in Prostate Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:1649-1660. [PMID: 32184668 PMCID: PMC7064284 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s236482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The leucine zipper-EF-hand containing transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) is a mitochondrial protein that has been associated with the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. Previous studies have shown that LETM1 expression is increased in several types of human cancer and is associated with a poor clinical outcome. However, the role of LETM1 in prostate cancer (PCa) has not yet been determined. In this study, we investigated the clinicopathological significance of LETM1 expression and its role in PCa progression. Methods We assessed the expression of LETM1 and genes related to cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and PI3K/Akt signaling in 133 paraffin-embedded PCa tissue samples and cancer cells by using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Results LETM1 expression was significantly increased in PCa, and it was positively correlated with Gleason score, pathologic tumor (pT) stage, clinical stage, and high microvessel density. Survival analysis showed that patients with PCa with a high level of LETM1 expression exhibited a low overall survival. Cox regression analysis indicated that LETM1 is an independent poor prognostic PCa factor. Additionally, the expression of LETM1 was correlated with cancer cell stemness-associated genes, EMT-related genes, cell cycle regulatory genes, and PI3K/Akt signaling gene expression in PCa. Furthermore, knocking down LETM1 expression down-regulated the expression of stemness-related proteins, while inhibiting tumor spheroid formation, EMT-like changes, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PCa cells. Importantly, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 strongly inhibited the expression of LETM1, pPI3K-p85, and pAkt (Thr308, Ser473) in PCa cells. Conclusion These results indicate that LETM1 expression is associated with cancer cell stemness, promotes EMT-like changes and cell proliferation and is a potential prognostic biomarker for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Piao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoyue Li
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Feng
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Department of Urology, Yanbian University Affiliated Hospital, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Cui
- Department of Oncology, Yanbian University Affiliated Hospital, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Xuan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji 133002, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
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11
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Piao L, Li H, Feng Y, Yang Z, Kim S, Xuan Y. SET domain-containing 5 is a potential prognostic biomarker that promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma stemness. Exp Cell Res 2020; 389:111861. [PMID: 31981592 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
SET domain-containing 5 (SETD5) is an uncharacterized member of the protein lysine methyltransferase family. Although it was reported that SETD5 gene mutations are associated with the several types of human cancer, its functional role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we used tissue samples from 147 patients with ESCC and ESCC cell lines to determine the clinicopathological significance of SETD5 in ESCC and its effects on ESCC stemness. We performed immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence imaging, and tumor sphere formation, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, Transwell, and western blotting assays. SETD5 expression was upregulated in ESCC tissue and associated with primary tumor (pT) stage, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, shorter overall survival rate, and disease-free survival rate. Cox regression analyses indicated that SETD5 is an independent poor prognostic factor of ESCC. In addition, SETD5 expression was correlated with cancer stemness-related protein, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and CD68 expression. Moreover, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that SETD5 was co-localized with CD44 and SOX2 in TE10 and TE11 cells and that exposing cells to cobalt chloride increased HIF-1α, SETD5, and stemness-related protein expression in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, SETD5 expression was significantly correlated with the expression of cell cycle-related genes and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins. Finally, knocking down SETD5 downregulated the expression of stemness-related and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins, while inhibiting tumor spheroid formation, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in ESCC cells. These results indicate that SETD5 expression is associated with cancer stemness and that SETD5 is a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Piao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China
| | - Haoyue Li
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China; Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China
| | - Ying Feng
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China; Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China
| | - Zhaoting Yang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China; Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China
| | - Seokhyung Kim
- Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul, 110-745, South Korea
| | - Yanhua Xuan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China; Department of Pathology, Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, PR China.
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12
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Roberts CM, Cardenas C, Tedja R. The Role of Intra-Tumoral Heterogeneity and Its Clinical Relevance in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1083. [PMID: 31366178 PMCID: PMC6721439 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer, due in large part to recurrent tumors. Recurrences tend to have metastasized, mainly in the peritoneal cavity and developed resistance to the first line chemotherapy. Key to the progression and ultimate lethality of ovarian cancer is the existence of extensive intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH). In this review, we describe the genetic and epigenetic changes that have been reported to give rise to different cell populations in ovarian cancer. We also describe at length the contributions made to heterogeneity by both linear and parallel models of clonal evolution and the existence of cancer stem cells. We dissect the key biological signals from the tumor microenvironment, both directly from other cell types in the vicinity and soluble or circulating factors. Finally, we discuss the impact of tumor heterogeneity on the choice of therapeutic approaches in the clinic. Variability in ovarian tumors remains a major barrier to effective therapy, but by leveraging future research into tumor heterogeneity, we may be able to overcome this barrier and provide more effective, personalized therapy to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai M Roberts
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Roslyn Tedja
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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13
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Ward Rashidi MR, Mehta P, Bregenzer M, Raghavan S, Fleck EM, Horst EN, Harissa Z, Ravikumar V, Brady S, Bild A, Rao A, Buckanovich RJ, Mehta G. Engineered 3D Model of Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment and Chemoresistance. Neoplasia 2019; 21:822-836. [PMID: 31299607 PMCID: PMC6624324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraperitoneal dissemination of ovarian cancers is preceded by the development of chemoresistant tumors with malignant ascites. Despite the high levels of chemoresistance and relapse observed in ovarian cancers, there are no in vitro models to understand the development of chemoresistance in situ. Method: We describe a highly integrated approach to establish an in vitro model of chemoresistance and stemness in ovarian cancer, using the 3D hanging drop spheroid platform. The model was established by serially passaging non-adherent spheroids. At each passage, the effectiveness of the model was evaluated via measures of proliferation, response to treatment with cisplatin and a novel ALDH1A inhibitor. Concomitantly, the expression and tumor initiating capacity of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) was analyzed. RNA-seq was used to establish gene signatures associated with the evolution of tumorigenicity, and chemoresistance. Lastly, a mathematical model was developed to predict the emergence of CSCs during serial passaging of ovarian cancer spheroids. Results: Our serial passage model demonstrated increased cellular proliferation, enriched CSCs, and emergence of a platinum resistant phenotype. In vivo tumor xenograft assays indicated that later passage spheroids were significantly more tumorigenic with higher CSCs, compared to early passage spheroids. RNA-seq revealed several gene signatures supporting the emergence of CSCs, chemoresistance, and malignant phenotypes, with links to poor clinical prognosis. Our mathematical model predicted the emergence of CSC populations within serially passaged spheroids, concurring with experimentally observed data. Conclusion: Our integrated approach illustrates the utility of the serial passage spheroid model for examining the emergence and development of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer in a controllable and reproducible format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria R Ward Rashidi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pooja Mehta
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael Bregenzer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shreya Raghavan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elyse M Fleck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eric N Horst
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zainab Harissa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Visweswaran Ravikumar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Division of Quantitative Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samuel Brady
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Andrea Bild
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics, City of Hope Cancer Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Arvind Rao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ronald J Buckanovich
- Director of Ovarian Cancer Research, Magee Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Geeta Mehta
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA..
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14
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Piao L, Feng Y, Yang Z, Qi W, Li H, Han H, Xuan Y. LETM1 is a potential cancer stem-like cell marker and predicts poor prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Pathol Res Pract 2019; 215:152437. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2019.152437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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15
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Targeting Ovarian Cancer Cells Overexpressing CD44 with Immunoliposomes Encapsulating Glycosylated Paclitaxel. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20051042. [PMID: 30818864 PMCID: PMC6429518 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20051042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the front-line drugs approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer. However, the application of PTX is limited due to the significant hydrophobicity and poor pharmacokinetics. We previously reported target-directed liposomes carrying tumor-selective conjugated antibody and encapsulated glycosylated PTX (gPTX-L) which successfully overcome the PTX limitation. The tubulin stabilizing activity of gPTX was equivalent to that of PTX while the cytotoxic activity of gPTX was reduced. In human ovarian cancer cell lines, SK-OV-3 and OVK18, the concentration at which cell growth was inhibited by 50% (IC50) for gPTX range from 15–20 nM, which was sensitive enough to address gPTX-L with tumor-selective antibody coupling for ovarian cancer therapy. The cell membrane receptor CD44 is associated with cancer progression and has been recognized as a cancer stem cell marker including ovarian cancer, becoming a suitable candidate to be targeted by gPTX-L therapy. In this study, gPTX-loading liposomes conjugated with anti-CD44 antibody (gPTX-IL) were assessed for the efficacy of targeting CD44-positive ovarian cancer cells. We successfully encapsulated gPTX into liposomes with the loading efficiency (LE) more than 80% in both of gPTX-L and gPTX-IL with a diameter of approximately 100 nm with efficacy of enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro and of convenient treatment in vivo. As the result, gPTX-IL efficiently suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Therefore gPTX-IL could be a promising formulation for effective ovarian cancer therapies.
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16
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Al-Alem LF, Pandya UM, Baker AT, Bellio C, Zarrella BD, Clark J, DiGloria CM, Rueda BR. Ovarian cancer stem cells: What progress have we made? Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 107:92-103. [PMID: 30572025 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in the United States primarily due to lack of a reliable early diagnostic, high incidence of chemo-resistant recurrent disease as well as profuse tumor heterogeneity. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) continue to gain attention, as they are known to resist chemotherapy, self-renew and re-populate the bulk tumor with undifferentiated and differentiated cells. Moreover, CSCs appear to readily adapt to environmental, immunologic and pharmacologic cues. The plasticity and ability to inactivate or activate signaling pathways promoting their longevity has been, and continues to be, the challenge faced in developing successful CSC targeted therapies. Identifying and understanding unique ovarian CSC markers and the pathways they utilize could reveal new therapeutic opportunities that may offer alternative adjuvant treatment options. Herein, we will discuss the current state of ovarian CSC characterization, their contribution to disease resistance, recurrence and shed light on clinical trials that may target the CSC population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linah F Al-Alem
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Unnati M Pandya
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew T Baker
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chiara Bellio
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bianca D Zarrella
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Celeste M DiGloria
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bo R Rueda
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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17
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Kiselev VI, Ashrafyan LA, Muyzhnek EL, Gerfanova EV, Antonova IB, Aleshikova OI, Sarkar FH. A new promising way of maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer: a comparative clinical study. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:904. [PMID: 30236079 PMCID: PMC6148762 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4792-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is an urgent need for more novel and efficacious therapeutic agents and strategies for the treatment of ovarian cancer - one of the most formidable female malignancies. These approaches should be based on comprehensive understanding of the pathobiology of this cancer and focused on decreasing its recurrence and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of five-year maintenance therapy with indole-3-carbinol (I3C) as well as I3C and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) conducted before, during, and after combined treatment compared with combined treatment alone in advanced ovarian cancer. Methods Patients with stage III-IV serous ovarian cancer were assigned to receive combined treatment plus I3C (arm 1), combined treatment plus I3C and EGCG (arm 2), combined treatment plus I3C and EGCG plus long-term platinum-taxane chemotherapy (arm 3), combined treatment alone without neoadjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy (control arm 4), and combined treatment alone (control arm 5). Combined treatment included neoadjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and rate of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with ascites after combined treatment. Results After five years of follow-up, maintenance therapy dramatically prolonged PFS and OS compared to control. Median OS was 60.0 months (95% CI: 58.0–60.0 months) in arm 1, 60.0 months (95% CI: 60.0–60.0 months) in arms 2 and 3 while 46.0 months (95% СI: 28.0–60.0 months) in arm 4, and 44.0 months (95% СI: 33.0–58.0 months) in arm 5. Median PFS was 39.5 months (95% СI: 28.0–49.0 months) in arm 1, 42.5 months (95% СI: 38.0–49.0 months) in arm 2, 48.5 months (95% СI: 39.0–53.0 months) in arm 3, 24.5 months (95% СI: 14.0–34.0 months) in arm 4, 22.0 months (95% СI: 15.0–26.0 months) in arm 5. The rate of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with ascites after combined treatment was significantly less in maintenance therapy arms compared to control. Conclusions Long-term usage of I3C and EGCG may represent a new promising way of maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer patients, which achieved better treatment outcomes. Trial registration Retrospectively registered with ANZCTR number: ACTRN12616000394448. Date of registration: 24/03/2016.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Levon A Ashrafyan
- Russian Scientific Center of Roentgenoradiology, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina L Muyzhnek
- MiraxBioPharma, Joint-Stock Company, Valovaya Ul., 21, build. 125, Moscow, Russian Federation, 115054.
| | | | - Irina B Antonova
- Russian Scientific Center of Roentgenoradiology, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Olga I Aleshikova
- Russian Scientific Center of Roentgenoradiology, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Fazlul H Sarkar
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University (Retired as Distinguished Professor), Detroit, MI, USA
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18
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Saif M, Ager EI, Field P, Lilischkis KJ. The role of cancer stem cells and the therapeutic potential of TRX-E-002-1 in ovarian cancer. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2018.1508339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Saif
- GI Oncology & Exp. Therapeutics, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - E. I. Ager
- Kazia Therapeutics, Three International Towers Level 24, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - K. J. Lilischkis
- Kazia Therapeutics, Three International Towers Level 24, Sydney, Australia
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19
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Research Progresses in Cancer Stem Cells of Three Common Fertility-Related Female Malignancies. Pathol Oncol Res 2018; 25:827-835. [DOI: 10.1007/s12253-018-0448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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20
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Emerging Role of Nestin as an Angiogenesis and Cancer Stem Cell Marker in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Immunohistochemical Study. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2018; 25:571-580. [PMID: 26945442 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic malignancy and the existing second-line treatments have not been confirmed to be effective. Cancer stem cells research has a leading role to explore promising therapeutic applications. Nestin was postulated to reflect cancer stem cell properties in various tumors, correlating with poor prognosis. Furthermore, nestin is proposed as a reliable neovascularization marker. This study aimed to elucidate the status of nestin expression in various epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs), its neoangiogenic properties, and investigate its potential association with clinicopathologic parameters. A total of 80 primary EOCs (37 serous, 20 Mucinous, 13 endometrioid, and 10 clear cell carcinomas) were immunohistochemically stained with nestin. Staining intensity and automated microvascular density (MVD) were assessed. Positive nestin expression was defined in ≈47.5% of all EOC; more commonly in ≈60% of the serous tumors. It was noticeably expressed in tumor spheroids. Nestin expression significantly correlated with overall tumor grade, lymph node, distant metastasis, and stage. Nestin neoangiogenesis was detectable in all cases (average=60.1). The nestin expression in tumor cells significantly correlated with Nestin/MVD. The average Nestin/MVD was significantly an independent predictor of high tumor stage. As a stem cell marker, nestin is expressed in cells of EOC including those growing as spherules and correlated with poor prognosis. Thus, nestin may be a novel therapeutic target for tumor angiogenesis and a combination therapy that includes nestin-targeting agents may be an effective therapeutic approach. In addition, detection of Nestin/stem cells and Nestin/MVD can be used as predictors of disease.
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21
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Adipocyte microenvironment promotes Bcl xl expression and confers chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells. Apoptosis 2018; 22:558-569. [PMID: 28012060 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-016-1339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to mitochondria-initiated apoptosis is a hallmark of chemoresistant cancer stem cells including CD44+/MyD88+ epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) stem cells. This is controlled by members of the Bcl2 family of proteins, which function as rheostats of mitochondrial stability. We observed a differential expression profile of Bcl2 family members comparing the chemoresistant EOC stem cells and the chemosensitive CD44-/MyD88- EOC cells. Chemoresistant EOC stem cells surprisingly express higher levels of the pro-apoptotic members Bak and Bax compared to the chemosensitive EOC cells. In addition, whereas chemosensitive EOC cells preferentially express Bcl2, chemoresistant EOC stem cells preferentially express Bclxl. In the EOC stem cells, 40% knock-down of Bclxl expression was sufficient to induce the full activation of caspases and this can be reversed by concurrent knock-down of Puma. More importantly, we demonstrate that Bclxl expression levels in EOC cells is dynamic and can be regulated by microenvironments that are enriched with the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 such as the cancer stem cell and adipocyte niches. Adipocyte-induced upregulation of Bclxl correlated with acquisition of chemoresistance and thus demonstrates how a specific microenvironment can regulate the expression of apoptotic proteins and confer chemoresistance.
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22
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Ovarian Cancers: Genetic Abnormalities, Tumor Heterogeneity and Progression, Clonal Evolution and Cancer Stem Cells. MEDICINES 2018; 5:medicines5010016. [PMID: 29389895 PMCID: PMC5874581 DOI: 10.3390/medicines5010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Four main histological subtypes of ovarian cancer exist: serous (the most frequent), endometrioid, mucinous and clear cell; in each subtype, low and high grade. The large majority of ovarian cancers are diagnosed as high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGS-OvCas). TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in HGS-OvCas; about 50% of these tumors displayed defective homologous recombination due to germline and somatic BRCA mutations, epigenetic inactivation of BRCA and abnormalities of DNA repair genes; somatic copy number alterations are frequent in these tumors and some of them are associated with prognosis; defective NOTCH, RAS/MEK, PI3K and FOXM1 pathway signaling is frequent. Other histological subtypes were characterized by a different mutational spectrum: LGS-OvCas have increased frequency of BRAF and RAS mutations; mucinous cancers have mutation in ARID1A, PIK3CA, PTEN, CTNNB1 and RAS. Intensive research was focused to characterize ovarian cancer stem cells, based on positivity for some markers, including CD133, CD44, CD117, CD24, EpCAM, LY6A, ALDH1. Ovarian cancer cells have an intrinsic plasticity, thus explaining that in a single tumor more than one cell subpopulation, may exhibit tumor-initiating capacity. The improvements in our understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of ovarian cancers should lead to more efficacious treatments.
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23
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Ma J, Salamoun J, Wipf P, Edwards R, Van Houten B, Qian W. Combination of a thioxodihydroquinazolinone with cisplatin eliminates ovarian cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) and shows preclinical potential. Oncotarget 2017; 9:6042-6054. [PMID: 29464053 PMCID: PMC5814193 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23679] [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] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) contribute to drug resistance and recurrence of ovarian cancer. Strategies that can eradicate CSC-LCs are expected to substantially improve the outcome of ovarian cancer treatment. We have previously identified a class of thioxodihydroquinazolinone small molecules, which have strong synergistic antitumor activity with platinum drugs, the standard chemotherapeutic agents for ovarian cancer treatment. In the current study, using the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) as a marker of CSC-LCs, we demonstrated that the combination of thioxodihydroquinazolinone compound 19 with cisplatin is able to diminish ALDH-high CSC-LC populations in both platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines and primary ovarian cancer cells from metastatic ascites of a cisplatin-resistant patient. Compound 19 enhanced the accumulation of intracellular cisplatin in ALDH-high ovarian CSC-LCs. The combination of compound 19 with cisplatin was also able to reduce the sphere-forming capability of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Using a spheroid-based in vitro metastasis model of ovarian cancer, we demonstrated that the co-administration of compound 19 with cisplatin prevents ovarian cancer spheroid cells from attaching to substratum and spreading. In a cisplatin-resistant in vivo intraperitoneal xenograft mouse model, the combination of compound 19 with cisplatin significantly reduced tumor burden, as compared to cisplatin alone. Taken together, our study demonstrated that thioxodihydroquinazolinones represent a new class of agents that in combination with cisplatin are capable of eliminating CSC-LCs in ovarian cancer. Further development of thioxodihydroquinazolinone small molecules may yield a more effective treatment for cisplatin-resistant metastatic ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Joseph Salamoun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.,Accelerated Chemical Discovery Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Robert Edwards
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Bennett Van Houten
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Wei Qian
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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24
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Ding DC, Liu HW, Chang YH, Chu TY. Expression of CD133 in endometrial cancer cells and its implications. J Cancer 2017; 8:2142-2153. [PMID: 28819416 PMCID: PMC5559977 DOI: 10.7150/jca.18869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells are an attractive therapeutic target for cancer. The present study examined stem cell characteristics of CD133+ cells isolated from endometrial cancer. Phenotypic characteristics, proliferation, migration, anchorage-independent growth, chemoresistance, gene expression profile and tumorigenicity of CD133+ tumor cells were assessed. Primary tumor exhibited immunoreactivity for CD133. Endometrial CD133+ tumor cells enhanced proliferation rate, colony formation, chemotaxis migration ability, and chemoresistance to cisplatin, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin than CD133- cells. CD133+ cells expressed more cancer stem cells markers such as EpCAM, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor than CD133- cells. Moreover, CD133+ cells also increased expression of embryonic stem cell markers including oct4, nanog, sox2, and cmyc than CD133- cells. Finally, CD133+ tumor cells could generate xenograft but not CD133- tumor cells. CD133 and Ki67 were extensively expressed in the xenograft. In conclusion, endometrial CD133+ tumor cells displayed cancer stem cell characteristics and might represent a valuable tool for identifying endometrial cancer stem cells and hence a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dah-Ching Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital; Hualien, Taiwan.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University; Hualien, Taiwan.,Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Research, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Hwan-Wun Liu
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University; Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Occupational medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital; Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsun Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital; Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Tang-Yuan Chu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital; Hualien, Taiwan.,Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University; Hualien, Taiwan
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25
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Kolev VN, Tam WF, Wright QG, McDermott SP, Vidal CM, Shapiro IM, Xu Q, Wicha MS, Pachter JA, Weaver DT. Inhibition of FAK kinase activity preferentially targets cancer stem cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:51733-51747. [PMID: 28881682 PMCID: PMC5584283 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Because cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in chemo-resistance, metastasis and tumor recurrence, therapeutic targeting of CSCs holds promise to address these clinical challenges to cancer treatment. VS-4718 and VS-6063 are potent inhibitors of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that mediates cell signals transmitted by integrins and growth factor receptors. We report here that inhibition of FAK kinase activity by VS-4718 or VS-6063 preferentially targets CSCs, as demonstrated by a panel of orthogonal CSC assays in cell line models and surgically resected primary breast tumor specimens cultured ex vivo. Oral administration of VS-4718 or VS-6063 to mice bearing xenograft models of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) significantly reduced the proportion of CSCs in the tumors, as evidenced by a reduced tumor-initiating capability upon re-implantation in limiting dilutions of cells prepared from these tumors. In contrast, the cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, paclitaxel and carboplatin, enriched for CSCs, consistent with previous reports that these cytotoxic agents preferentially target non-CSCs. Importantly, VS-4718 and VS-6063 attenuated the chemotherapy-induced enrichment of CSCs in vitro and delayed tumor regrowth following cessation of chemotherapy. An intriguing crosstalk between FAK and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was revealed wherein FAK inhibition blocks β-catenin activation by reducing tyrosine 654 phosphorylation of β-catenin. Furthermore, a constitutively active mutant form of β-catenin reversed the preferential targeting of CSCs by FAK inhibition, suggesting that this targeting is mediated, at least in part, through attenuating β-catenin activation. The preferential targeting of cancer stem cells by FAK inhibitors provides a rationale for the clinical development of FAK inhibitors aimed to increase durable responses for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sean P McDermott
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Qunli Xu
- Verastem, Inc., Needham, MA, USA
| | - Max S Wicha
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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26
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Lupia M, Cavallaro U. Ovarian cancer stem cells: still an elusive entity? Mol Cancer 2017; 16:64. [PMID: 28320418 PMCID: PMC5360065 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-017-0638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cancer stem cell (CSC) model proposes that tumor development and progression are fueled and sustained by undifferentiated cancer cells, endowed with self-renewal and tumor-initiating capacity. Ovarian carcinoma, based on its biological features and clinical evolution, appears as a prototypical example of CSC-driven disease. Indeed, ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSC) would account not only for the primary tumor growth, the peritoneal spread and the relapse, but also for the development of chemoresistance, thus having profound implication for the treatment of this deadly disease. In the last decade, an increasing body of experimental evidence has supported the existence of OCSC and their pathogenic role in the disease. Nevertheless, the identification of OCSC and the definition of their phenotypical and functional traits have proven quite challenging, mainly because of the heterogeneity of the disease and of the difficulties in establishing reliable biological models. A deeper understanding of OCSC pathobiology will shed light on the mechanisms that underlie the clinical behaviour of OC. In addition, it will favour the design of innovative treatment regimens that, on one hand, would counteract the resistance to conventional chemotherapy, and, on the other, would aim at the eradication of OC through the elimination of its CSC component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Lupia
- Unit of Gynecological Oncology Research, European Institute of Oncology, Via G. Ripamonti 435, I-20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Ugo Cavallaro
- Unit of Gynecological Oncology Research, European Institute of Oncology, Via G. Ripamonti 435, I-20141, Milan, Italy.
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Winterhoff BJ, Maile M, Mitra AK, Sebe A, Bazzaro M, Geller MA, Abrahante JE, Klein M, Hellweg R, Mullany SA, Beckman K, Daniel J, Starr TK. Single cell sequencing reveals heterogeneity within ovarian cancer epithelium and cancer associated stromal cells. Gynecol Oncol 2017; 144:598-606. [PMID: 28111004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the level of heterogeneity in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) by analyzing RNA expression in single epithelial and cancer associated stromal cells. In addition, we explored the possibility of identifying subgroups based on pathway activation and pre-defined signatures from cancer stem cells and chemo-resistant cells. METHODS A fresh, HGSOC tumor specimen derived from ovary was enzymatically digested and depleted of immune infiltrating cells. RNA sequencing was performed on 92 single cells and 66 of these single cell datasets passed quality control checks. Sequences were analyzed using multiple bioinformatics tools, including clustering, principle components analysis, and geneset enrichment analysis to identify subgroups and activated pathways. Immunohistochemistry for ovarian cancer, stem cell and stromal markers was performed on adjacent tumor sections. RESULTS Analysis of the gene expression patterns identified two major subsets of cells characterized by epithelial and stromal gene expression patterns. The epithelial group was characterized by proliferative genes including genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation and MYC activity, while the stromal group was characterized by increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) genes and genes associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Neither group expressed a signature correlating with published chemo-resistant gene signatures, but many cells, predominantly in the stromal subgroup, expressed markers associated with cancer stem cells. CONCLUSIONS Single cell sequencing provides a means of identifying subpopulations of cancer cells within a single patient. Single cell sequence analysis may prove to be critical for understanding the etiology, progression and drug resistance in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris J Winterhoff
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Makayla Maile
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amit Kumar Mitra
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Attila Sebe
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Martina Bazzaro
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Melissa A Geller
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Juan E Abrahante
- University of Minnesota Informatics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Molly Klein
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Raffaele Hellweg
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sally A Mullany
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kenneth Beckman
- Genomics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jerry Daniel
- Genomics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Timothy K Starr
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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Kasten BB, Arend RC, Katre AA, Kim H, Fan J, Ferrone S, Zinn KR, Buchsbaum DJ. B7-H3-targeted 212Pb radioimmunotherapy of ovarian cancer in preclinical models. Nucl Med Biol 2017; 47:23-30. [PMID: 28104527 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Novel therapies that effectively kill both differentiated cancer cells and cancer initiating cells (CICs), which are implicated in causing chemotherapy-resistance and disease recurrence, are needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality of ovarian cancer. These studies used monoclonal antibody (mAb) 376.96, which recognizes a B7-H3 epitope expressed on ovarian cancer cells and CICs, as a carrier molecule for targeted α-particle radioimmunotherapy (RIT) in preclinical models of human ovarian cancer. METHODS mAb 376.96 was conjugated to the chelate 2-(4-isothiocyanotobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraaza-1,4,7,10-tetra-(2-carbamoylmethyl)-cyclododecane (TCMC) and radiolabeled with 212Pb, a source of α-particles. In vitro Scatchard assays determined the specific binding of 212Pb-376.96 to adherent differentiated or non-adherent CIC-enriched ES-2 and A2780cp20 ovarian cancer cells. Adherent ovarian cancer cells and non-adherent CIC-enriched tumorspheres treated in vitro with 212Pb-376.96 or the irrelevant isotype-matched 212Pb-F3-C25 were assessed for clonogenic survival. Mice bearing i.p. ES-2 or A2780cp20 xenografts were injected i.p. with 0.17-0.70MBq 212Pb-376.96 or 212Pb-F3-C25 and were used for in vivo imaging, ex vivo biodistribution, and therapeutic survival studies. RESULTS 212Pb-376.96 was obtained in high yield and purity (>98%); Kd values ranged from 10.6-26.6nM for ovarian cancer cells, with 104-105 binding sites/cell. 212Pb-376.96 inhibited the clonogenic survival of ovarian cancer cells up to 40 times more effectively than isotype-matched control 212Pb-F3-C25; combining 212Pb-376.96 with carboplatin significantly decreased clonogenic survival compared to either agent alone. In vivo imaging and biodistribution analysis 24h after i.p. injection of 212Pb-376.96 showed high peritoneal retention and tumor tissue accumulation (28.7% ID/g in ES-2 ascites, 73.1% ID/g in A2780cp20 tumors); normal tissues showed lower and comparable uptake for 212Pb-376.96 and 212Pb-F3-C25. Tumor-bearing mice treated with 212Pb-376.96 alone or combined with carboplatin survived 2-3 times longer than mice treated with 212Pb-F3-C25 or non-treated controls. CONCLUSION These results support additional RIT studies with 212Pb-376.96 for future evaluation in patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B Kasten
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
| | - Rebecca C Arend
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Ashwini A Katre
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Harrison Kim
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Jinda Fan
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kurt R Zinn
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Donald J Buchsbaum
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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Lin J, Ding D. The prognostic role of the cancer stem cell marker CD44 in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis. Cancer Cell Int 2017; 17:8. [PMID: 28070170 PMCID: PMC5216581 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-016-0376-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CD44 has recently been reported as a cancer stem cell marker in ovarian cancer. However, the clinicopathological and prognostic value of this marker in ovarian cancer remains controversial; Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between CD44 expression and the clinicopathological features or survival of ovarian cancer patients. METHODS An extensive literature search in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Wanfang databases (up to June 1, 2016) was conducted to identify studies that assessed the clinical or prognostic significance of CD44 expression in ovarian cancer. A meta-analysis was then performed to clarify the association between CD44 expression and clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer patients. RESULTS A total of 18 publications consisting of 2161 patients were included for this meta-analysis. Our data reveal that CD44-positive expression in ovarian cancers were significantly associated with a high TMN stage (pooled OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.26-3.53, P = 0.004) and poor 5-year overall survival (RR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.01-2.00, P = 0.05). However, CD44 expression was not associated with tumor grade, lymphatic metastasis, age of the patients, residual tumor size, response to chemotherapy, or ascites volume (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Detection of CD44 may be an effective tool for pathological diagnosis and prognostic prediction of ovarian cancer patients in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Lin
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011 China
| | - Ding Ding
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, 419 Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011 China
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Novel mechanisms and approaches to overcome multidrug resistance in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2016; 1866:266-275. [PMID: 27717733 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality despite the advances in surgical techniques and chemotherapy drugs over the past three decades. Multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy is the major cause of treatment failure. Previous research has focused mainly on strategies to reverse MDR by targeting the MDR1 gene encoded P-glycoprotein (Pgp) with small molecular compound inhibitors. However, prior Pgp inhibitors have shown very limited clinical success because these agents have relatively low potency and high toxicity. Therefore, identification of more specific and potent new inhibitors would be useful. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs), deregulated non-coding RNA (ncRNA), autophagy, and tumor heterogeneity also contribute significantly to drug sensitivity/resistance in ovarian cancer. This review summarizes these novel mechanisms of MDR and evaluates several new concepts to overcome MDR in the treatment of ovarian cancer. These new strategies include overcoming MDR with more potent and specific Pgp inhibitors, targeting CSCs and ncRNA, modulating autophagy signaling pathway, and targeting tumor heterogeneity.
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Szajnik M, Czystowska-Kuźmicz M, Elishaev E, Whiteside TL. Biological markers of prognosis, response to therapy and outcome in ovarian carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2016; 16:811-26. [PMID: 27268121 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2016.1194758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is among the most common types of cancer and is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies in western countries. Cancer biomarkers have a potential for improving the management of OvCa patients at every point from screening and detection, diagnosis, prognosis, follow up, response to therapy and outcome. AREAS COVERED The literature search has indicated a number of candidate biomarkers have recently emerged that could facilitate the molecular definition of OvCa, providing information about prognosis and predicting response to therapy. These potentially promising biomarkers include immune cells and their products, tumor-derived exosomes, nucleic acids and epigenetic biomarkers. Expert commentary: Although most of the biomarkers available today require prospective validation, the development of noninvasive liquid biopsy-based monitoring promises to improve their utility for evaluations of prognosis, response to therapy and outcome in OvCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Szajnik
- a Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology , Military Institute of Medicine , Warsaw , Poland.,b Department of Immunology, Centre of Biostructure Research , Medical University of Warsaw , Warsaw , Poland
| | | | - Esther Elishaev
- c Department of Pathology , University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine , Pittsburgh , PA , USA
| | - Theresa L Whiteside
- c Department of Pathology , University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.,d University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute , Pittsburgh , PA , USA
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Nayama M, Collinet P, Salzet M, Vinatier D. [Immunological aspects of ovarian cancer: Therapeutic perspectives]. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 45:1020-1036. [PMID: 27320132 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgyn.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is recognized by the immunological system of its host. Initially, it is effective to destroy and eliminate the cancer. But gradually, resistant tumor cells more aggressive and those able to protect themselves by inducing immune tolerance will be selected. Immunotherapy to be effective should consider both components of immune response with an action on cytotoxic immune effectors and action on tolerance mechanisms. The manipulations of the immune system should be cautious, because the immune effects are not isolated. A theoretically efficient handling may simultaneously cause an adverse effect which was not envisaged and could neutralize the benefits of treatment. Knowledge of tolerance mechanisms set up by the tumor is for the clinician a prerequisite before they prescribe these treatments. For each cancer, the knowledge of its immunological status is a prerequisite to propose adapted immunological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nayama
- Service de gynécologie obstétrique, maternité Issaka-Gazoby, BP 10975, Niamey, Niger
| | - P Collinet
- CHU de Lille, 59000 Lille, France; Département universitaire de gynécologie obstétrique, université Nord-de-France, 59045 Lille cedex, France
| | - M Salzet
- EA 4550, IFR 147, laboratoire PRISM : protéomique, réponse inflammatoire, spectrométrie de Masse, université Lille 1, bâtiment SN3, 1(er) étage, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq cedex, France
| | - D Vinatier
- CHU de Lille, 59000 Lille, France; EA 4550, IFR 147, laboratoire PRISM : protéomique, réponse inflammatoire, spectrométrie de Masse, université Lille 1, bâtiment SN3, 1(er) étage, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq cedex, France; Département universitaire de gynécologie obstétrique, université Nord-de-France, 59045 Lille cedex, France.
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Zhao L, Gu C, Huang K, Zhang Z, Ye M, Fan W, Han W, Meng Y. The prognostic value and clinicopathological significance of CD44 expression in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2016; 294:1019-1029. [PMID: 27300001 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-016-4137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The prognostic value and clinicopathological significance of CD44 in ovarian cancer (OC) remain unclear. This meta-analysis, therefore, aims to evaluate the correlation between CD44 expression and OC. METHODS Studies published until March 2016 were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases. The odds ratio (OR) and the hazard ratio (HR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the effects. RESULTS Twenty-four studies that include 2267 OC patients were identified for the final analysis. Sixteen studies investigated the expression difference of CD44 standard (CD44s) in 1848 patients. Results showed that high CD44s expression is associated with chemoresistance (OR 5.94, 95 % CI 1.91-18.47) and short disease-free survival (DFS) time (HR 2.57, 95 % CI 1.34-4.91). In addition, CD44s expression is not associated with tumor differentiation grade, residual mass, lymphoid nodal metastasis, and overall survival (OS). Ten studies investigated the expression difference of CD44v6 in 724 patients. Results showed that the CD44v6 expression is not correlated with FIGO stage, tumor differentiation grade, lymphoid nodal metastasis, and OS. CONCLUSION High CD44s expression possibly indicates poor prognosis in OC patients given that high CD44s expression initiates chemotherapy resistance, although this expression pattern is not an independent predictive factor for OS. Meanwhile, high CD44s expression may be related to poor DFS of OC, but this relationship must be further confirmed. In addition, the result in which CD44v6 is not associated with OS of OC patients should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chenglei Gu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The 309th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Huang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxia Ye
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wensheng Fan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weidong Han
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medicine, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanguang Meng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, PLA Medical School, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.
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Alvero AB, Heaton A, Lima E, Pitruzzello M, Sumi N, Yang-Hartwich Y, Cardenas C, Steinmacher S, Silasi DA, Brown D, Mor G. TRX-E-002-1 Induces c-Jun-Dependent Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells and Prevents Recurrence In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:1279-90. [PMID: 27196760 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemoresistance is a major hurdle in the management of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and is responsible for its high mortality. Studies have shown that chemoresistance is due to the presence of a subgroup of cancer cells with stemness properties and a high capacity for tumor repair. We have developed a library of super-benzopyran analogues to generate potent compounds that can induce cell death in chemoresistant cancer stem cells. TRX-E-002-1 is identified as the most potent analogue and can induce cell death in all chemoresistant CD44(+)/MyD88(+) ovarian cancer stem cells tested (IC50 = 50 nmol/L). TRX-E-002-1 is also potent against spheroid cultures formed from cancer stem cells, chemosensitive CD44(-)/MyD88(-) ovarian cancer cells, and heterogeneous cultures of ovarian cancer cells. Cell death was associated with the phosphorylation and increased levels of c-Jun and induction of caspases. In vivo, TRX-E-002-1 given as daily intraperitoneal monotherapy at 100 mg/kg significantly decreased intraperitoneal tumor burden compared with vehicle control. When given in combination with cisplatin, animals receiving the combination of cisplatin and TRX-E-002-1 showed decreased tumor burden compared with each monotherapy. Finally, TRX-E-002-1 given as maintenance treatment after paclitaxel significantly delayed disease recurrence. Our results suggest that TRX-E-002-1 may fill the current need for better therapeutic options in the control and management of recurrent ovarian cancer and may help improve patient survival. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1279-90. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha B Alvero
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Andrew Heaton
- CanTx, New Haven, Connecticut. Novogen Ltd., Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eydis Lima
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Mary Pitruzzello
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Natalia Sumi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yang Yang-Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Carlos Cardenas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sahra Steinmacher
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dan-Arin Silasi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - David Brown
- CanTx, New Haven, Connecticut. Novogen Ltd., Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gil Mor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. CanTx, New Haven, Connecticut.
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Ovarian cancer stem-like cells differentiate into endothelial cells and participate in tumor angiogenesis through autocrine CCL5 signaling. Cancer Lett 2016; 376:137-47. [PMID: 27033454 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are well known for their self-regeneration and tumorigenesis potential. In addition, the multi-differentiation potential of CSCs has become a popular issue and continues to attract increased research attention. Recent studies demonstrated that CSCs are able to differentiate into functional endothelial cells and participate in tumor angiogenesis. In this study, we found that ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) activate the NF-κB and STAT3 signal pathways through autocrine CCL5 signaling and mediate their own differentiation into endothelial cells (ECs). Our data demonstrate that CSLCs differentiate into ECs morphologically and functionally. Anti-CCL5 antibodies and CCL5-shRNA lead to markedly inhibit EC differentiation and the tube formation of CSLCs, both in vitro and in vivo. Recombinant human-CCL5 significantly promotes ovarian CSLCs that differentiate into ECs and form microtube network. The CCL5-mediated EC differentiation of CSLCs depends on binding to receptors, such as CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5. The results demonstrated that CCL5-CCR1/CCR3/CCR5 activates the NF-κB and STAT3 signal pathways, subsequently mediating the differentiation of CSLCs into ECs. Therefore, this study was conducted based on the theory that CSCs improve tumor angiogenesis and provides a novel strategy for anti-angiogenesis in ovarian cancer.
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Lin S, Xu Y, Gan Z, Han K, Hu H, Yao Y, Huang M, Min D. Monitoring cancer stem cells: insights into clinical oncology. Onco Targets Ther 2016; 9:731-40. [PMID: 26929644 PMCID: PMC4755432 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s96645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small, characteristically distinctive subset of tumor cells responsible for tumor initiation and progression. Several treatment modalities, such as surgery, glycolytic inhibition, driving CSC proliferation, immunotherapy, and hypofractionated radiotherapy, may have the potential to eradicate CSCs. We propose that monitoring CSCs is important in clinical oncology as CSC populations may reflect true treatment response and assist with managing treatment strategies, such as defining optimal chemotherapy cycles, permitting pretreatment cancer surveillance, conducting a comprehensive treatment plan, modifying radiation treatment, and deploying rechallenge chemotherapy. Then, we describe methods for monitoring CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- ShuChen Lin
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - YingChun Xu
- Department of Oncology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - ZhiHua Gan
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Han
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - HaiYan Hu
- Department of Oncology, The Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yao
- Department of Oncology, The Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
| | - MingZhu Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - DaLiu Min
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China
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Guy MS, Qamar L, Behbakht K, Post MD, Sheeder J, Sartorius CA, Spillman MA. Progestin treatment decreases CD133+ cancer stem cell populations in endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2015; 140:518-26. [PMID: 26731726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2015.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Endometrial cancer is a hormonally responsive malignancy. Response to progestins is associated with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. CD133 is a marker of endometrial cancer stem cells. We postulated that CD133+ cells express ER and PR and that progestin therapy differentially regulates CD133+ cells. METHODS The Ishikawa (ER/PR positive) and KLE (ER/PR negative) cell lines were examined for the presence of CD133 populations. Cell lines were treated with 30.4μM medroxyprogesterone 17-acetate (MPA) for 6days. After treatment, cell counts, apoptosis assays and CD133+ populations were examined. In a clinical project, we identified 12 endometrial cancer patients who were treated with progestin drugs at our institution. Using immunohistochemistry, CD133, ER, PR, and androgen receptor (AR) expression was scored and evaluated for change over time on serial biopsies. RESULTS CD133+ populations were identified in Ishikawa and KLE cell lines. MPA treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the percentage of live cells (Ishikawa, P=0.036; KLE, P=0.0002), significant increase in apoptosis (Ishikawa, P=0.01; KLE, P=0.0006) and significant decrease in CD133+ populations (Ishikawa, P<0.0001; KLE, P=0.0001). ER, PR, AR and CD133 were present in 96.4%, 96.4%, 89.3% and 100% of patient samples respectively. Paralleling the in vitro results, CD133 expression decreased in patients who had histologic response to progestin treatment. CONCLUSION CD133+ populations decreased after treatment with MPA in an in vitro model and in patients responding to treatment with progestins. Progestin treatment differentially decreases CD133+ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Guy
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA.
| | - Lubna Qamar
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kian Behbakht
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Miriam D Post
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jeanelle Sheeder
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Carol A Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Monique A Spillman
- Texas Oncology, Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75246, USA
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Carboxymethyl Hyaluronan-Stabilized Nanoparticles for Anticancer Drug Delivery. Int J Cell Biol 2015; 2015:249573. [PMID: 26448751 PMCID: PMC4581577 DOI: 10.1155/2015/249573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid (CMHA) is a semisynthetic derivative of HA that is recognized by HA binding proteins but contains an additional carboxylic acid on some of the 6-hydroxyl groups of the N-acetyl glucosamine sugar units. These studies tested the ability of CMHA to stabilize the formation of calcium phosphate nanoparticles and evaluated their potential to target therapy resistant, CD44+/CD24−/low human breast cancer cells (BT-474EMT). CMHA stabilized particles (nCaPCMHA) were loaded with the chemotherapy drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) to form nCaPCMHACDDP. nCaPCMHACDDP was determined to be poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite, 200 nm in diameter with a −43 mV zeta potential. nCaPCMHACDDP exhibited a two-day burst release of CDDP that tapered resulting in 86% release by 7 days. Surface plasmon resonance showed that nCaPCMHACDDP binds to CD44, but less effectively than CMHA or hyaluronan. nCaPCMHA-AF488 was taken up by CD44+/CD24− BT-474EMT breast cancer cells within 18 hours. nCaPCMHACDDP was as cytotoxic as free CDDP against the BT-474EMT cells. Subcutaneous BT-474EMT tumors were more reproducibly inhibited by a near tumor dose of 2.8 mg/kg CDDP than a 7 mg/kg dose nCaPCMHACDDP. This was likely due to a lack of distribution of nCaPCMHACDDP throughout the dense tumor tissue that limited drug diffusion.
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Nuti SV, Mor G, Li P, Yin G. TWIST and ovarian cancer stem cells: implications for chemoresistance and metastasis. Oncotarget 2015; 5:7260-71. [PMID: 25238494 PMCID: PMC4202121 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor TWIST1 is a highly evolutionally conserved basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor that functions as a master regulator of gastrulation and mesodermal development. Although TWIST1 was initially associated with embryo development, an increasing number of studies have shown TWIST1 role in the regulation of tissue homeostasis, primarily as a regulator of inflammation. More recently, TWIST1 has been found to be involved in the process of tumor metastasis through the regulation of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). The objective of this review is to examine the normal functions of TWIST1 and its role in tumor development, with a particular focus on ovarian cancer. We discuss the potential role of TWIST1 in the context of ovarian cancer stem cells and its influence in the process of tumor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhakar V Nuti
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gil Mor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peiyao Li
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Gang Yin
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Alvero AB, Montagna MK, Sumi NJ, Joo WD, Graham E, Mor G. Multiple blocks in the engagement of oxidative phosphorylation in putative ovarian cancer stem cells: implication for maintenance therapy with glycolysis inhibitors. Oncotarget 2015; 5:8703-15. [PMID: 25237928 PMCID: PMC4226715 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival rate in ovarian cancer has not improved since chemotherapy was introduced a few decades ago. The dismal prognosis is mostly due to disease recurrence where majority of the patients succumb to the disease. The demonstration that tumors are comprised of subfractions of cancer cells displaying heterogeneity in stemness potential, chemoresistance, and tumor repair capacity suggests that recurrence may be driven by the chemoresistant cancer stem cells. Thus to improve patient survival, novel therapies should eradicate this cancer cell population. We show that in contrast to the more differentiated ovarian cancer cells, the putative CD44+/MyD88+ ovarian cancer stem cells express lower levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase, Cox–I, Cox-II, and Cox–IV, and higher levels of UCP2. Together, this molecular phenotype establishes a bioenergetic profile that prefers the use of glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP. This bioenergetic profile is conserved in vivo and therefore a maintenance regimen of 2-deoxyglucose administered after Paclitaxel treatment is able to delay the progression of recurrent tumors and decrease tumor burden in mice. Our findings strongly suggest the value of maintenance with glycolysis inhibitors with the goal of improving survival in ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha B Alvero
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michele K Montagna
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Natalia J Sumi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Won Duk Joo
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emma Graham
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gil Mor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Sakai S, Inamoto K, Ashida T, Takamura R, Taya M. Cancer stem cell marker-expressing cell-rich spheroid fabrication from PANC-1 cells using alginate microcapsules with spherical cavities templated by gelatin microparticles. Biotechnol Prog 2015; 31:1071-6. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Sakai
- Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science; Osaka University; Toyonaka Osaka 560-8531 Japan
| | - Kazuya Inamoto
- Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science; Osaka University; Toyonaka Osaka 560-8531 Japan
| | - Tomoaki Ashida
- Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science; Osaka University; Toyonaka Osaka 560-8531 Japan
| | - Ryo Takamura
- Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science; Osaka University; Toyonaka Osaka 560-8531 Japan
| | - Masahito Taya
- Div. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science; Osaka University; Toyonaka Osaka 560-8531 Japan
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The side population of ovarian cancer cells defines a heterogeneous compartment exhibiting stem cell characteristics. Oncotarget 2015; 5:7027-39. [PMID: 25216521 PMCID: PMC4196181 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSC) are believed to be involved in tumor evasion of classical antitumor therapies and have thus become an attractive target for further improvement of anticancer strategies. However, the existence and identity of CSC are still a matter of controversy. In a systematic screen of 13 ovarian cancer cell lines we show that cells with stem cell properties are reliably detectable as a minor population, characterized by ABC transporter expression resulting in the side population (SP) phenotype. In different cell lines, either ABCG2 or ABCB1 was found to be responsible for this effect. Purified SP cells featured virtually all characteristics of bona fide CSC, including clonogenicity, asymmetric division and high tumorigenicity in vivo. Using in-depth phenotyping by multicolor flow cytometry, we found that among the investigated ovarian cancer cell lines the SP compartment exhibits tremendous heterogeneity and is composed of multiple phenotypically distinct subpopulations. Thus, our study confirms previous results showing that CSC are contained within the SP. However, the exact identity of the CSC is still disguised by the high complexity of the CSC-containing compartment. Further functional studies are needed to determine whether a single cellular subset can unambiguously be defined as CSC or whether multiple stem cell-like cells with different properties coexist. Moreover, the observed heterogeneity may reflect a high level of plasticity and likely influences tumor progression, escape from immune-surveillance and development of resistance to anticancer therapies and should therefore be considered in the development of new treatment strategies.
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Wen Y, Graybill WS, Previs RA, Hu W, Ivan C, Mangala LS, Zand B, Nick AM, Jennings NB, Dalton HJ, Sehgal V, Ram P, Lee JS, Vivas-Mejia PE, Coleman RL, Sood AK. Immunotherapy targeting folate receptor induces cell death associated with autophagy in ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 21:448-59. [PMID: 25416196 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-1578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer cells are highly dependent on folate metabolism, making them susceptible to drugs that inhibit folate receptor activities. Targeting overexpressed folate receptor alpha (FRα) in cancer cells offers a therapeutic opportunity. We investigated the functional mechanisms of MORAB-003 (farletuzumab), a humanized mAb against FRα, in ovarian cancer models. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We first examined FRα expression in an array of human ovarian cancer cell lines and then assessed the in vivo effect of MORAB-003 on tumor growth and progression in several orthotopic mouse models of ovarian cancer derived from these cell lines. Molecular mechanisms of tumor cell death induced by MORAB-003 were investigated by cDNA and protein expression profiling analysis. Mechanistic studies were performed to determine the role of autophagy in MORAB-003-induced cell death. RESULTS MORAB-003 significantly decreased tumor growth in the high-FRα IGROV1 and SKOV3ip1 models but not in the low-FRα A2780 model. MORAB-003 reduced proliferation, but had no significant effect on apoptosis. Protein expression and cDNA microarray analyses showed that MORAB-003 regulated an array of autophagy-related genes. It also significantly increased expression of LC3 isoform II and enriched autophagic vacuolization. Blocking autophagy with hydroxychloroquine or bafilomycin A1 reversed the growth inhibition induced by MORAB-003. In addition, alteration of FOLR1 gene copy number significantly correlated with shorter disease-free survival in patients with ovarian serous cancer. CONCLUSIONS MORAB-003 displays prominent antitumor activity in ovarian cancer models expressing FRα at high levels. Blockade of folate receptor by MORAB-003 induced sustained autophagy and suppressed cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Wen
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Whitney S Graybill
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Rebecca A Previs
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Cristina Ivan
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lingegowda S Mangala
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Behrouz Zand
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alpa M Nick
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Nicholas B Jennings
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Heather J Dalton
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Vasudha Sehgal
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Prahlad Ram
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ju-Seog Lee
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pablo E Vivas-Mejia
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Robert L Coleman
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Anil K Sood
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Sumi NJ, Lima E, Pizzonia J, Orton SP, Craveiro V, Joo W, Holmberg JC, Gurrea M, Yang-Hartwich Y, Alvero A, Mor G. Murine model for non-invasive imaging to detect and monitor ovarian cancer recurrence. J Vis Exp 2014:e51815. [PMID: 25407815 PMCID: PMC4353409 DOI: 10.3791/51815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Although patients initially respond to the current standard of care consisting of surgical debulking and combination chemotherapy consisting of platinum and taxane compounds, almost 90% of patients recur within a few years. In these patients the development of chemoresistant disease limits the efficacy of currently available chemotherapy agents and therefore contributes to the high mortality. To discover novel therapy options that can target recurrent disease, appropriate animal models that closely mimic the clinical profile of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer are required. The challenge in monitoring intra-peritoneal (i.p.) disease limits the use of i.p. models and thus most xenografts are established subcutaneously. We have developed a sensitive optical imaging platform that allows the detection and anatomical location of i.p. tumor mass. The platform includes the use of optical reporters that extend from the visible light range to near infrared, which in combination with 2-dimensional X-ray co-registration can provide anatomical location of molecular signals. Detection is significantly improved by the use of a rotation system that drives the animal to multiple angular positions for 360 degree imaging, allowing the identification of tumors that are not visible in single orientation. This platform provides a unique model to non-invasively monitor tumor growth and evaluate the efficacy of new therapies for the prevention or treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia J Sumi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Eydis Lima
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Vinicius Craveiro
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Wonduk Joo
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Jennie C Holmberg
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Marta Gurrea
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Yang Yang-Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Ayesha Alvero
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine;
| | - Gil Mor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine
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45
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Bonneau C, Rouzier R, Geyl C, Cortez A, Castela M, Lis R, Daraï E, Touboul C. Predictive markers of chemoresistance in advanced stages epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol 2014; 136:112-20. [PMID: 25449309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE DNA repair mechanisms, environment-mediated drug resistance and cancer initiating cells (CIC) are three major research concepts that can explain the chemoresistance of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The objective was to test if changes in the expression of potential markers associated with drug resistance before and after chemotherapy would correlate with platinum resistance, defined as a recurrence within the first year after chemotherapy cessation, and with survival, in advanced EOC. METHODS We included 32 patients with stage IIIC-IV EOC who underwent laparoscopy to evaluate the extent of carcinomatosis, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (carboplatin/taxol) and interval surgery. Biopsies taken during the initial laparoscopies and interval surgeries were evaluated using immunohistochemistry for the expression of 7 proteins: CD117, CD44 and ALDH1 to evaluate CIC; IL-6, IL-8 and BMP2 to evaluate environment-mediated drug resistance; and ERCC1 to evaluate DNA repair. Expression measurements were correlated with platin resistance and survival. The markers' relevance was confirmed in vitro using chemoresistance tests and flow cytometric measurements of the proportion of CD44+ cells. RESULTS 17 patients were chemoresistant and 15 patients were chemosensitive. We observed increases in CD44, IL-6 and ERCC1 expression and stable ALDH1, CD117, IL-8, and BMP2 expression. Reduced expression of cancer initiating cell markers and increased expression of environment-mediated drug resistance markers were associated with poor prognosis. We also demonstrated that CD44+ cells had survival advantages in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Changes in CD44 and IL-8 expression on tumor cells appeared to correlate with overall survival and should be further tested as predictors of chemoresistance using larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bonneau
- UMRS 938 INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, 27 rue de Chaligny, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France; Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Est, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Tenon, Institut Universitaire de Cancérologie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France
| | - Roman Rouzier
- Department of Surgery, Institut Curie, Paris Saint-Cloud, Université Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 35 Rue Dailly, 92210 Saint-Cloud, France
| | - Caroline Geyl
- UMR INSERM U965, Angiogenèse et Recherche translationnelle, Hôpital Lariboisière, 49 bd de la chapelle, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Annie Cortez
- Department of Pathology, Hôpital Tenon, 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Castela
- UMRS 938 INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, 27 rue de Chaligny, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France
| | - Raphael Lis
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Genetic Medicine, Shahin Rafii' Laboratory, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, 510 East 70th Street, Building A, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emile Daraï
- UMRS 938 INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, 27 rue de Chaligny, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France; Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Est, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Tenon, Institut Universitaire de Cancérologie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France
| | - Cyril Touboul
- UMR INSERM U965, Angiogenèse et Recherche translationnelle, Hôpital Lariboisière, 49 bd de la chapelle, 75010 Paris, France; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil, Université Paris Est, Paris XII, 40 avenue de Verdun, 94000 Créteil, France.
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Gil M, Komorowski MP, Seshadri M, Rokita H, McGray AJR, Opyrchal M, Odunsi KO, Kozbor D. CXCL12/CXCR4 blockade by oncolytic virotherapy inhibits ovarian cancer growth by decreasing immunosuppression and targeting cancer-initiating cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 193:5327-37. [PMID: 25320277 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Signals mediated by the chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 are involved in the progression of ovarian cancer through enhancement of tumor angiogenesis and immunosuppressive networks that regulate dissemination of peritoneal metastasis and development of cancer-initiating cells (CICs). In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of a CXCR4 antagonist expressed by oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV) against an invasive variant of the murine epithelial ovarian cancer cell line ID8-T. This variant harbors a high frequency of CICs that form multilayered spheroid cells and express the hyaluronan receptor CD44, as well as stem cell factor receptor CD117 (c-kit). Using an orthotopic ID8-T tumor model, we observed that i.p. delivery of a CXCR4 antagonist-expressing OVV led to reduced metastatic spread of tumors and improved overall survival compared with oncolysis alone. Inhibition of tumor growth with the armed virus was associated with efficient killing of CICs, reduced expression of ascitic CXCL12 and vascular endothelial growth factor, and decreases in i.p. numbers of endothelial and myeloid cells, as well as plasmacytoid dendritic cells. These changes, together with reduced recruitment of T regulatory cells, were associated with higher ratios of IFN-γ(+)/IL-10(+) tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, as well as induction of spontaneous humoral and cellular antitumor responses. Similarly, the CXCR4 antagonist released from virally infected human CAOV2 ovarian carcinoma cells inhibited peritoneal dissemination of tumors in SCID mice, leading to improved tumor-free survival in a xenograft model. Our findings demonstrate that OVV armed with a CXCR4 antagonist represents a potent therapy for ovarian CICs with a broad antitumor repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Gil
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263
| | | | - Mukund Seshadri
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263
| | - Hanna Rokita
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - A J Robert McGray
- Department of Gynecology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263; and
| | - Mateusz Opyrchal
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263
| | - Kunle O Odunsi
- Department of Gynecology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263; and
| | - Danuta Kozbor
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263;
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Ahmed N, Abubaker K, Findlay JK. Ovarian cancer stem cells: Molecular concepts and relevance as therapeutic targets. Mol Aspects Med 2014; 39:110-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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48
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Marsh DJ, Shah JS, Cole AJ. Histones and their modifications in ovarian cancer - drivers of disease and therapeutic targets. Front Oncol 2014; 4:144. [PMID: 24971229 PMCID: PMC4053763 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality of the gynecological malignancies. High grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) is the most common subtype, with the majority of women presenting with advanced disease where 5-year survival is around 25%. Platinum-based chemotherapy in combination with paclitaxel remains the most effective treatment despite platinum therapies being introduced almost 40 years ago. Advances in molecular medicine are underpinning new strategies for the treatment of cancer. Major advances have been made by international initiatives to sequence cancer genomes. For SEOC, with the exception of TP53 that is mutated in virtually 100% of these tumors, there is no other gene mutated at high frequency. There is extensive copy number variation, as well as changes in methylation patterns that will influence gene expression. To date, the role of histones and their post-translational modifications in ovarian cancer is a relatively understudied field. Post-translational histone modifications play major roles in gene expression as they direct the configuration of chromatin and so access by transcription factors. Histone modifications include methylation, acetylation, and monoubiquitination, with involvement of enzymes including histone methyltransferases, histone acetyltransferases/deacetylases, and ubiquitin ligases/deubiquitinases, respectively. Complexes such as the Polycomb repressive complex also play roles in the control of histone modifications and more recently roles for long non-coding RNA and microRNAs are emerging. Epigenomic-based therapies targeting histone modifications are being developed and offer new approaches for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Here, we discuss histone modifications and their aberrant regulation in malignancy and specifically in ovarian cancer. We review current and upcoming histone-based therapies that have the potential to inform and improve treatment strategies for women with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah J Marsh
- Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Jaynish S Shah
- Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Alexander J Cole
- Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
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49
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Saldanha SN, Tollefsbol TO. Pathway modulations and epigenetic alterations in ovarian tumorbiogenesis. J Cell Physiol 2014; 229:393-406. [PMID: 24105793 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cellular pathways are numerous and are highly integrated in function in the control of cellular systems. They collectively regulate cell division, proliferation, survival and apoptosis of cells and mutagenesis of key genes that control these pathways can initiate neoplastic transformations. Understanding these pathways is crucial to future therapeutic and preventive strategies of the disease. Ovarian cancers are of three major types; epithelial, germ-cell, and stromal. However, ovarian cancers of epithelial origin, arising from the mesothelium, are the predominant form. Of the subtypes of ovarian cancer, the high-grade serous tumors are fatal, with low survival rate due to late detection and poor response to treatments. Close examination of preserved ovarian tissues and in vitro studies have provided insights into the mechanistic changes occurring in cells mediated by a few key genes. This review will focus on pathways and key genes of the pathways that are mutated or have aberrant functions in the pathology of ovarian cancer. Non-genetic mechanisms that are gaining prominence in the pathology of ovarian cancer, miRNAs and epigenetics, will also be discussed in the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabita N Saldanha
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama
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50
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Shah MM, Landen CN. Ovarian cancer stem cells: are they real and why are they important? Gynecol Oncol 2013; 132:483-9. [PMID: 24321398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The cancer stem cell hypothesis has been put forward as a paradigm to describe varying levels of aggressiveness in heterogeneous tumors. Specifically, many subpopulations have been clearly demonstrated to possess increased tumorigenicity in mice, broad differentiating capacity, and resistance to therapy. However, the extent to which these experimental findings are potentially clinically significant is still not clear. This review will describe the principles of this emerging hypothesis, ways in which it may be appropriate in ovarian cancer based on the clinical course of the disease, and how we might exploit it to improve outcomes in ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monjri M Shah
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Charles N Landen
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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