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Saeki K, Wood IS, Wang WCK, Patil S, Sun Y, Schaeffer DF, Su GH, Kopp JL. Acvr1b Loss Increases Formation of Pancreatic Precancerous Lesions From Acinar and Ductal Cells of Origin. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 18:101387. [PMID: 39111635 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.101387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma can develop from precursor lesions, including pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). Previous studies indicated that loss of Acvr1b accelerates the Kras-mediated development of papillary IPMN in the mouse pancreas; however, the cell type predominantly affected by these genetic changes remains unclear. METHODS We investigated the contribution of cellular origin by inducing IPMN associated mutations (KRASG12D expression and Acvr1b loss) specifically in acinar (Ptf1aCreER;KrasLSL-G12D;Acvr1bfl/fl mice) or ductal (Sox9CreER;KrasLSL-G12D;Acvr1bfl/fl mice) cells in mice. We then performed magnetic resonance imaging and a thorough histopathologic analysis of their pancreatic tissues. RESULTS The loss of Acvr1b increased the development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and IPMN-like lesions when either acinar or ductal cells expressed a Kras mutation. Magnetic resonance imaging, immunohistochemistry, and histology revealed large IPMN-like lesions in these mice that exhibited features of flat, gastric epithelium. In addition, cyst formation in both mouse models was accompanied by chronic pancreatitis. Experimental acute pancreatitis accelerated the development of large mucinous cysts and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia when acinar, but not ductal, cells expressed mutant Kras and lost Acvr1b. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that loss of Acvr1b in the presence of the Kras oncogene promotes the development of large and small precancerous lesions from both ductal and acinar cells. However, the IPMN-like phenotype was not equivalent to that observed when these mutations were made in all pancreatic cells during development. Our study underscores the significance of the cellular context in the initiation and progression of precursor lesions from exocrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Saeki
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Ian S Wood
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Wei Chuan Kevin Wang
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shilpa Patil
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yanping Sun
- Oncology Precision Therapeutics and Imaging Core (OPTIC), Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - David F Schaeffer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gloria H Su
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Janel L Kopp
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Kundra S, Kaur R, Pasricha C, Kumari P, Gurjeet Singh T, Singh R. Pathological insights into activin A: Molecular underpinnings and therapeutic prospects in various diseases. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 139:112709. [PMID: 39032467 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Activin A (Act A) is a member of the TGFβ (transforming growth factor β) superfamily. It communicates via the Suppressor of Mothers against Decapentaplegic Homolog (SMAD2/3) proteins which govern processes such as cell proliferation, wound healing, apoptosis, and metabolism. Act A produces its action by attaching to activin receptor type IIA (ActRIIA) or activin receptor type IIB (ActRIIB). Increasing circulating Act A increases ActRII signalling, which on phosphorylation initiates the ALK4 (activin receptor-like kinase 4) type 1 receptor which further turns on the SMAD pathway and hinders cell functioning. Once triggered, this route leads to gene transcription, differentiation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation. Act A also governs the immunological and inflammatory responses of the body, as well as cell death. Moreover, Act A levels have been observed to elevate in several disorders like renal fibrosis, CKD, asthma, NAFLD, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammatory conditions etc. Here, we provide an update on the recent studies relevant to the role of Act A in the modulation of various pathological disorders, giving an overview of the biology of Act A and its signalling pathways, and discuss the possibility of incorporating activin-A targeting as a novel therapeutic approach for the control of various disorders. Pathways such as SMAD signaling, in which SMAD moves to the nucleus by making a complex and leads to tissue fibrosis in CKD, STAT3, which drives renal fibroblast activity and the production of ECM, Kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) in the synthesis, deposition of ECM proteins, SERCA2a (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase) in cardiac dysfunction, and NF-κB (Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) in inflammation are involved in Act A signaling, have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sejal Kundra
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Rupinder Kaur
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Chirag Pasricha
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Pratima Kumari
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | | | - Ravinder Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
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Wang D, Nakayama M, Hong CP, Oshima H, Oshima M. Gain-of-Function p53 Mutation Acts as a Genetic Switch for TGFβ Signaling-Induced Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Intestinal Tumors. Cancer Res 2024; 84:56-68. [PMID: 37851521 PMCID: PMC10758690 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Signaling by TGFβ family cytokines plays a tumor-suppressive role by inducing cell differentiation, while it promotes malignant progression through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Identification of the mechanisms regulating the switch from tumor suppression to tumor promotion could identify strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. To identify the key genetic alterations that determine the outcome of TGFβ signaling, we used mouse intestinal tumor-derived organoids carrying multiple driver mutations in various combinations to examine the relationship between genotypes and responses to the TGFβ family cytokine activin A. KrasG12D mutation protected organoid cells from activin A-induced growth suppression by inhibiting p21 and p27 expression. Furthermore, Trp53R270H gain-of-function (GOF) mutation together with loss of wild-type Trp53 by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) promoted activin A-induced partial EMT with formation of multiple protrusions on the organoid surface, which was associated with increased metastatic incidence. Histologic analysis confirmed that tumor cells at the protrusions showed loss of apical-basal polarity and glandular structure. RNA sequencing analysis indicated that expression of Hmga2, encoding a cofactor of the SMAD complex that induces EMT transcription factors, was significantly upregulated in organoids with Trp53 GOF/LOH alterations. Importantly, loss of HMGA2 suppressed expression of Twist1 and blocked activin A-induced partial EMT and metastasis in Trp53 GOF/LOH organoids. These results indicate that TP53 GOF/LOH is a key genetic state that primes for TGFβ family-induced partial EMT and malignant progression of colorectal cancer. Activin signaling may be an effective therapeutic target for colorectal cancer harboring TP53 GOF mutations. SIGNIFICANCE KRAS and TP53 mutations shift activin-mediated signaling to overcome growth inhibition and promote partial EMT, identifying a subset of patients with colorectal cancer that could benefit from inhibition of TGFβ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- WPI Nano-Life Science Institute (Nano-LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Mizuho Nakayama
- WPI Nano-Life Science Institute (Nano-LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | | | - Hiroko Oshima
- WPI Nano-Life Science Institute (Nano-LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Masanobu Oshima
- WPI Nano-Life Science Institute (Nano-LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Yu Y, Wang W, Lu W, Chen W, Shang A. Inhibin β-A (INHBA) induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and accelerates the motility of breast cancer cells by activating the TGF-β signaling pathway. Bioengineered 2021; 12:4681-4696. [PMID: 34346300 PMCID: PMC8806747 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1957754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that INHBA (Inhibin β-A, a member of the TGF-β superfamily) functions as an oncogene in cancer progression. However, little is known as to how INHBA regulates the progression and aggressiveness of breast cancer (BC). This study explored the function and underlying mechanism of INHBA in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BC cells. INHBA expression in BC cell lines was measured using RT-qPCR and Western blot. The would-healing and transwell migration assays were used to investigate the effect of INHBA overexpression or silencing on BC cell motility. Moreover, the expression levels of EMT-related genes were quantified after overexpressing or silencing of INHBA. Based on published dataset, INHBA was significantly upregulated in BC tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissues. A higher level of INHBA expression was also correlated with a poor survival in BC patients. In addition, in vitro study showed that INHBA played an indispensable role in promoting BC cell proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, INHBA induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and accelerated the motility of BC cells by activating TGF-β-regulated genes. In conclusion, INHBA plays a functional role in supporting EMT phenotype of BC cells, and it may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiwei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Tinghu District People’s Hospital of Yancheng City, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenying Lu
- Department of Pathology, Tinghu District People’s Hospital of Yancheng City, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Emergency, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Anquan Shang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Protein Ligands in the Secretome of CD36 + Fibroblasts Induce Growth Suppression in a Subset of Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13184521. [PMID: 34572749 PMCID: PMC8469330 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Human breast cancers are not fully autonomous. They are dependent on nutrients and growth-promoting signals provided by stromal cells. In order to instruct the surrounding cells to provide essential growth factors, cancer cells co-opt normal signaling molecules and mechanisms. To inhibit or potentially reverse tumor growth, our goal is to emulate this signaling and reprogram the microenvironment. For example, in a healthy mammary gland, fibroblasts (FBs) overexpress CD36; and the downregulation of CD36 is one of the hallmarks of cancer-associated FBs. Therefore, in this project, we hypothesized that signaling from CD36+ FBs could cause growth suppression in a subset of breast cancer cell lines. We then designed a series of experiments to validate this growth suppression and identified responsible secreted factors by the CD36+ FBs. These experiments suggested that three protein ligands are primarily responsible for growth suppression in a subset of breast cancer cell lines. Abstract Reprogramming the tumor stroma is an emerging approach to circumventing the challenges of conventional cancer therapies. This strategy, however, is hampered by the lack of a specific molecular target. We previously reported that stromal fibroblasts (FBs) with high expression of CD36 could be utilized for this purpose. These studies are now expanded to identify the secreted factors responsible for tumor suppression. Methodologies included 3D colonies, fluorescent microscopy coupled with quantitative techniques, proteomics profiling, and bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that the conditioned medium (CM) of the CD36+ FBs caused growth suppression via apoptosis in the triple-negative cell lines of MDA-MB-231, BT549, and Hs578T, but not in the ERBB2+ SKBR3. Following the proteomics and bioinformatic analysis of the CM of CD36+ versus CD36− FBs, we determined KLF10 as one of the transcription factors responsible for growth suppression. We also identified FBLN1, SLIT3, and PENK as active ligands, where their minimum effective concentrations were determined. Finally, in MDA-MB-231, we showed that a mixture of FBLN1, SLIT3, and PENK could induce an amount of growth suppression similar to the CM of CD36+ FBs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that these ligands, secreted by CD36+ FBs, can be targeted for breast cancer treatment.
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Qiu W, Kuo CY, Tian Y, Su GH. Dual Roles of the Activin Signaling Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9070821. [PMID: 34356885 PMCID: PMC8301451 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is involved in many physiological processes, such as embryonic development and follicle development, as well as in multiple human diseases including cancer. Genetic mutations in the activin signaling pathway have been reported in many cancer types, indicating that activin signaling plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. Recent evidence reveals that activin signaling may function as a tumor-suppressor in tumor initiation, and a promoter in the later progression and metastasis of tumors. This article reviews many aspects of activin, including the signaling cascade of activin, activin-related proteins, and its role in tumorigenesis, particularly in pancreatic cancer development. The mechanisms regulating its dual roles in tumorigenesis remain to be elucidated. Further understanding of the activin signaling pathway may identify potential therapeutic targets for human cancers and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanglong Qiu
- The Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (W.Q.); (C.K.); (Y.T.)
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chia-Yu Kuo
- The Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (W.Q.); (C.K.); (Y.T.)
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yu Tian
- The Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (W.Q.); (C.K.); (Y.T.)
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gloria H. Su
- The Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; (W.Q.); (C.K.); (Y.T.)
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Correspondence:
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Wound Repair, Scar Formation, and Cancer: Converging on Activin. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:1107-1117. [PMID: 32878730 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wound repair is a highly regulated process that requires the interaction of various cell types. It has been shown that cancers use the mechanisms of wound healing to promote their own growth. Therefore, it is of importance to identify common regulators of wound repair and tumor formation and to unravel their functions and mechanisms of action. An exciting example is activin, which acts on multiple cell types in wounds and tumors, thereby promoting healing, but also scar formation and tumorigenesis. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the role of activin in these processes and highlight the therapeutic potential of activin or activin antagonists for the treatment of impaired healing or excessive scarring and cancer, respectively.
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Ries A, Schelch K, Falch D, Pany L, Hoda MA, Grusch M. Activin A: an emerging target for improving cancer treatment? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:985-996. [PMID: 32700590 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1799350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Activin A is involved in the regulation of a surprisingly broad number of processes that are relevant for cancer development and treatment; it is implicated in cell autonomous functions and multiple regulatory functions in the tumor microenvironment. AREAS COVERED This article summarizes the current knowledge about activin A in cell growth and death, migration and metastasis, angiogenesis, stemness and drug resistance, regulation of antitumor immunity, and cancer cachexia. We explore the role of activin A as a biomarker and discuss strategies for using it as target for cancer therapy. Literature retrieved from Medline until 25 June 2020 was considered. EXPERT OPINION While many functions of activin A were investigated in preclinical models, there is currently limited experience from clinical trials. Activin A has growth- and migration-promoting effects, contributes to immune evasion and cachexia and is associated with shorter survival in several cancer types. Targeting activin A could offer the chance to simultaneously limit tumor growth and spreading, improve drug response, boost antitumor immune responses and improve cancer-associated or treatment-associated cachexia, bone loss, and anemia. Nevertheless, defining which patients have the highest likelihood of benefiting from these effects is challenging and will require further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Ries
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Schelch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - David Falch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Pany
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Mir Alireza Hoda
- Translational Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Grusch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
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Ren Y, Geng R, Lu Q, Tan X, Rao R, Zhou H, Yang X, Liu W. Involvement of TGF-β and ROS in G1 Cell Cycle Arrest Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Under UVA Irradiation in a 3D Spheroid Model. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:1997-2010. [PMID: 32273698 PMCID: PMC7102912 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s238145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background As one of the most widely produced engineered nanomaterials, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) are used in biomedicine and healthcare products, and as implant scaffolds; therefore, the toxic mechanism of nano-TiO2 has been extensively investigated with a view to guiding application. Three-dimensional (3D) spheroid models can simplify the complex physiological environment and mimic the in vivo architecture of tissues, which is optimal for the assessment of nano-TiO2 toxicity under ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation. Methods and Results In the present study, the toxicity of nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation was investigated in 3D H22 spheroids cultured in fibrin gels. A significant reduction of approximately 25% in spheroid diameter was observed following treatment with 100 μg/mL nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation after seven days of culture. Nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation triggered the initiation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, increasing the expression levels of TGF-β1, Smad3, Cdkn1a, and Cdkn2b at both the mRNA and protein level, which resulted in cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. In addition, nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation also triggered the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which were shown to be involved in cell cycle regulation and the induction of TGF-β1 expression. Conclusion Nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation induced cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase and the formation of smaller spheroids, which were associated with TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway activation and ROS generation. These results reveal the toxic mechanism of nano-TiO2 under UVA irradiation, providing the possibility for 3D spheroid models to be used in nanotoxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Ren
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Runqing Geng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Qunwei Lu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Tan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Rao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Zhou
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangliang Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
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Paajanen J, Ilonen I, Lauri H, Järvinen T, Sutinen E, Ollila H, Rouvinen E, Lemström K, Räsänen J, Ritvos O, Koli K, Myllärniemi M. Elevated Circulating Activin A Levels in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Are Related to Cancer Cachexia and Reduced Response to Platinum-based Chemotherapy. Clin Lung Cancer 2019; 21:e142-e150. [PMID: 31734071 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous preclinical studies have shown that activin A is overexpressed in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), associates with cancer cachexia, and is observed in in vitro resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. We evaluated circulating activin levels and their endogenous antagonists' follistatin/follistatin-like 3 in intrathoracic tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients suspected of thoracic malignancy were recruited prior to surgery. Serum samples were collected from 21 patients with MPM, 59 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 22 patients with benign lung lesions. Circulating activin/follistatin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS Circulating activin A levels were elevated in patients with MPM when compared with patients with NSCLC or benign lung lesion samples (P < .0001). Also, follistatin and follistatin-like 3 levels were the highest in MPM, although with less difference compared with activin A. Receiver operating characteristic analysis for activin A for separating NSCLC from benign lung lesion showed an area under the curve of 0.856 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.94). Activin A levels were higher in patients with cachexia (P < .001). In patients with MPM, activin A levels correlated positively with computed tomography-based baseline tumor size (R = 0.549; P = .010) and the change in tumor size after chemotherapy (R = 0.743; P = .0006). Patients with partial response or stable disease had lower circulating activin A levels than the ones with progressive disease (P = .028). CONCLUSION Activin A serum level could be used as a biomarker in differentiating malignant and benign lung tumors. Circulating activin A levels were elevated in MPM and associates with cancer cachexia and reduced chemotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juuso Paajanen
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ilkka Ilonen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Helena Lauri
- Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Järvinen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eva Sutinen
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hely Ollila
- Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eeva Rouvinen
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Transplantation Immunology Program, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Karl Lemström
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Transplantation Immunology Program, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Räsänen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Ritvos
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Koli
- Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjukka Myllärniemi
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Individualized Drug Therapy, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Seachrist DD, Keri RA. The Activin Social Network: Activin, Inhibin, and Follistatin in Breast Development and Cancer. Endocrinology 2019; 160:1097-1110. [PMID: 30874767 PMCID: PMC6475112 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Activins and inhibins are closely related protein heterodimers with a similar tissue distribution; however, these two complexes have opposing functions in development and disease. Both are secreted cytokine hormones, with activin the primary inducer of downstream signaling cascades and inhibin acting as a rheostat that exquisitely governs activin function. Adding to the complexity of activin signaling, follistatin, a highly glycosylated monomeric protein, binds activin with high affinity and restrains downstream pathway activation but through a mechanism distinct from that of inhibin. These three proteins were first identified as key ovarian hormones in the pituitary-gonadal axis that direct the synthesis and secretion of FSH from the pituitary, hence controlling folliculogenesis. Research during the past 30 years has expanded the roles of these proteins, first by discovering the ubiquitous expression of the trio and then by implicating them in a wide array of biological functions. In concert, these three hormones govern tissue development, homeostasis, and disease in multiple organ systems through diverse autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. In the present study, we have reviewed the actions of activin and its biological inhibitors, inhibin, and follistatin, in mammary gland morphogenesis and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darcie D Seachrist
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ruth A Keri
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Division of General Medical Sciences–Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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12
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Cui X, Shang S, Lv X, Zhao J, Qi Y, Liu Z. Perspectives of small molecule inhibitors of activin receptor‑like kinase in anti‑tumor treatment and stem cell differentiation (Review). Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:5053-5062. [PMID: 31059090 PMCID: PMC6522871 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Activin receptor‑like kinases (ALKs), members of the type I activin receptor family, belong to the serine/threonine kinase receptors of the transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β) superfamily. ALKs mediate the roles of activin/TGF‑β in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes, ranging from cell differentiation and proliferation to apoptosis. For example, the activities of ALKs are associated with an advanced tumor stage in prostate cancer and the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of ALKs would not only aid in investigating the function of activin/TGF‑β, but also in developing treatments for these diseases via the disruption of activin/TGF‑β. In recent studies, several ALK inhibitors, including LY‑2157299, SB‑431542 and A‑83‑01, have been identified and have been confirmed to affect stem cell differentiation and tumor progression in animal models. This review discusses the therapeutic perspective of small molecule inhibitors of ALKs as drug targets in tumor and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shumi Shang
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Xinran Lv
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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13
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Tsai CN, Tsai CL, Yi JS, Kao HK, Huang Y, Wang CI, Lee YS, Chang KP. Activin A regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor promoter by activating the PI3K/SP1 pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5197. [PMID: 30914776 PMCID: PMC6435638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41396-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and activin A are both overexpressed in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We evaluated their clinical correlation and activin A-mediated EGFR regulation in this study. Overexpression of both transcripts/proteins indicated a poorer prognosis in OSCC patients. Knockdown of endogenous INHBA repressed the expression of EGFR and inhibited activin A-mediated canonical Smads, noncanonical phosphorylation of AKT (ser473) (p-AKT ser473) and SP1. Inhibition of PI3K signaling via its inhibitor attenuated p-AKT ser473 and in turn reduced SP1 and EGFR expression in the presence of recombinant activin A (rActivin A) in OSCC cells, as revealed via a luciferase assay and western blotting. However, canonical Smad signaling repressed the EGFR promoter, as revealed by a luciferase assay. The transcription factor SP1, its coactivator CBP/p300, and Smad proteins were recruited to the EGFR proximal promoter following rActivin A treatment, as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Smad2/3/4 dramatically outcompeted SP1 binding to the EGFR proximal promoter following mithramycin A treatment. Activin A activates the PI3K and Smad pathways to compete for binding to overlapping SP1 consensus sequences on the EGFR proximal promoter. Nevertheless, canonical p-Smad2 was largely repressed in OSCC tumor tissues, suggesting that the activin A-mediated noncanonical pathway is essential for the carcinogenesis of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Neu Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang-Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan.,Department of Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lung Tsai
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Shan Yi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Huang-Kai Kao
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Yenlin Huang
- Department of Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chun-I Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Shien Lee
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.,Department of Biotechnology, Ming-Chuan University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33348, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Ping Chang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan. .,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan.
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14
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Portale F, Beneforti L, Fallati A, Biondi A, Palmi C, Cazzaniga G, Dander E, D'Amico G. Activin A contributes to the definition of a pro-oncogenic bone marrow microenvironment in t(12;21) preleukemia. Exp Hematol 2019; 73:7-12.e4. [PMID: 30825516 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The TEL-AML1 fusion gene, generated by the t(12;21) chromosome translocation, arises in a progenitor/stem cell and could induce clonal expansion of a persistent preleukemic B-cell clone which, on acquisition of secondary alterations, may turn into full-blown leukemia. During infections, deregulated cytokine signaling, including transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), can further accelerate this process by creating a protumoral bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. Here, we show that activin A, a member of the TGF-β family induced under inflammatory conditions, inhibits the proliferation of normal progenitor B cells but not that of preleukemic TEL-AML1-positive clones, thereby providing a selective advantage to the latter. Finally, we find that activin A inhibits BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cell-mediated secretion of CXCL12, a major chemoattractant in the BM compartment, thereby contributing to shape a leukemia-promoting environment. Overall, our findings indicate that activin A, in concert with TGF-β, could play an important role in the creation of a pro-oncogenic BM microenvironment and provide novel mechanistic insights into TEL-AML1-associated leukemogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Portale
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Linda Beneforti
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Alessandra Fallati
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Andrea Biondi
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy; Clinica Pediatrica Ospedale S. Gerardo, Fondazione MBBM, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Chiara Palmi
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cazzaniga
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Erica Dander
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Giovanna D'Amico
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Pediatric Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy.
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15
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Kalli M, Mpekris F, Wong CK, Panagi M, Ozturk S, Thiagalingam S, Stylianopoulos T, Papageorgis P. Activin A Signaling Regulates IL13Rα2 Expression to Promote Breast Cancer Metastasis. Front Oncol 2019; 9:32. [PMID: 30805303 PMCID: PMC6370707 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination of cancer cells to distal organs is the major cause of death for patients suffering from the aggressive basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) subtype. Recently, we have shown that interleukin 13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2) is a critical gene that is overexpressed in a subset of BLBC primary tumors associated with poor distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and can promote extravasation and metastasis of breast cancer cells to the lungs. However, the upstream signaling mechanisms that promote aberrant IL13Rα2 expression during tumor progression remain unknown. Driven by our previously published gene expression microarray data derived from a well-characterized cell line model for BLBC progression, we show that both Inhibin βA (INHBA) and IL13Rα2 genes exhibit similarly higher expression levels in metastatic compared to non-metastatic cells and that overexpression of both genes predicts worse metastasis-free survival of patients with high grade tumors. Activin A, a member of the TGFβ superfamily comprising two INHBA subunits, has been shown to play context-depended roles in cancer progression. Here, we demonstrate that INHBA depletion downregulates IL13Rα2 expression in metastatic breast cancer cells, whereas treatment with Activin A in non-metastatic cells increases its expression levels. We also find that Activin A predominantly induces Smad2 phosphorylation and to a lesser extent activates Smad3 and Akt. Interestingly, we also show that Activin A-mediated upregulation of IL13Rα2 is Smad2-dependent since knocking down Smad2 or using the ALK4/ALK5 inhibitors EW-7197 and SB-505124 abolishes this effect. Most importantly, our data indicate that knocking down INHBA levels in breast cancer cells delays primary tumor growth, suppresses migration in vitro and inhibits the formation of lung metastases in vivo. Conclusively, our findings presented here suggest that the development of therapeutic interventions employing small molecule inhibitors against Activin receptors or neutralizing antibodies targeting Activin A ligand, could serve as alternative approaches against breast tumors overexpressing INHBA and/or IL13Rα2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kalli
- Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Fotios Mpekris
- Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Chen K Wong
- Genetics & Genomics and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Genetics Section, Molecular Medicine Program and Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Myrofora Panagi
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Sait Ozturk
- Genetics & Genomics and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Genetics Section, Molecular Medicine Program and Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sam Thiagalingam
- Genetics & Genomics and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Genetics Section, Molecular Medicine Program and Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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16
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Bloise E, Ciarmela P, Dela Cruz C, Luisi S, Petraglia F, Reis FM. Activin A in Mammalian Physiology. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:739-780. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activins are dimeric glycoproteins belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and resulting from the assembly of two beta subunits, which may also be combined with alpha subunits to form inhibins. Activins were discovered in 1986 following the isolation of inhibins from porcine follicular fluid, and were characterized as ovarian hormones that stimulate follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release by the pituitary gland. In particular, activin A was shown to be the isoform of greater physiological importance in humans. The current understanding of activin A surpasses the reproductive system and allows its classification as a hormone, a growth factor, and a cytokine. In more than 30 yr of intense research, activin A was localized in female and male reproductive organs but also in other organs and systems as diverse as the brain, liver, lung, bone, and gut. Moreover, its roles include embryonic differentiation, trophoblast invasion of the uterine wall in early pregnancy, and fetal/neonate brain protection in hypoxic conditions. It is now recognized that activin A overexpression may be either cytostatic or mitogenic, depending on the cell type, with important implications for tumor biology. Activin A also regulates bone formation and regeneration, enhances joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and triggers pathogenic mechanisms in the respiratory system. In this 30-yr review, we analyze the evidence for physiological roles of activin A and the potential use of activin agonists and antagonists as therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrrico Bloise
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Pasquapina Ciarmela
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Cynthia Dela Cruz
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Stefano Luisi
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Felice Petraglia
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Fernando M. Reis
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
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17
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Harada M, Morikawa M, Ozawa T, Kobayashi M, Tamura Y, Takahashi K, Tanabe M, Tada K, Seto Y, Miyazono K, Koinuma D. Palbociclib enhances activin-SMAD-induced cytostasis in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Cancer Sci 2018; 110:209-220. [PMID: 30343527 PMCID: PMC6317929 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and CDK6 inhibitors are effective therapeutic options for hormone receptor (HR)‐positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐negative advanced breast cancer. Although CDK4/6 inhibitors mainly target the cyclin D‐CDK4/6‐retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (RB) axis, little is known about the clinical impact of inhibiting phosphorylation of other CDK4/6 target proteins. Here, we focused on other CDK4/6 targets, SMAD proteins. We showed that a CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and activin‐SMAD2 signaling cooperatively inhibited cell cycle progression of a luminal‐type breast cancer cell line T47D. Palbociclib enhanced SMAD2 binding to the genome by inhibiting CDK4/6‐mediated linker phosphorylation of the SMAD2 protein. We also showed that cyclin G2 plays essential roles in SMAD2‐dependent cytostatic response. Moreover, comparison of the SMAD2 ChIP‐seq data of T47D cells with those of Hs578T (triple‐negative breast cancer cells) indicated that palbociclib augmented different SMAD2‐mediated functions based on cell type, and enhanced SMAD2 binding to the target regions on the genome without affecting its binding pattern. In summary, palbociclib enhances the cytostatic effects of the activin‐SMAD2 signaling pathway, whereas it possibly strengthens the tumor‐promoting aspect in aggressive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Harada
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Morikawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ozawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mai Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tamura
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei Takahashi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Tanabe
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiichiro Tada
- Department of Breast Surgery, Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Seto
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Miyazono
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daizo Koinuma
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Lee E, Luo J, Schumacher FR, Van Den Berg D, Wu AH, Stram DO, Bernstein L, Ursin G. Growth factor genes and change in mammographic density after stopping combined hormone therapy in the California Teachers Study. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:1072. [PMID: 30400783 PMCID: PMC6220514 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4981-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The contribution of genetic polymorphisms to the large inter-individual variation in mammographic density (MD) changes following starting and stopping use of estrogen and progestin combined therapy (EPT) has not been well-studied. Previous studies have shown that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factors are associated with MD and cross-talk between estrogen signaling and growth factors is necessary for cell proliferation in the breast. We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in growth factor genes in association with MD changes after women stop EPT use. Methods We genotyped 191 SNPs in 13 growth factor pathway genes in 284 non-Hispanic white California Teachers Study participants who previously used EPT and collected their mammograms before and after quitting EPT. Percent MD was assessed using a computer-assisted method. Change in percent MD was calculated by subtracting percent MD of an ‘off-EPT’ mammogram from percent MD of an ‘on-EPT’ (i.e. baseline) mammogram. We used multivariable linear regression analysis to investigate the association between SNPs and change in percent MD. We calculated P-values corrected for multiple testing within a gene (Padj). Results Rs1983210 in INHA and rs35539615 in IGFBP1/3 showed the strongest associations. Per minor allele of rs1983210, the absolute change in percent MD after stopping EPT use decreased by 1.80% (a difference in absolute change in percent MD) (Padj= 0.021). For rs35539615, change in percent MD increased by 1.79% per minor allele (Padj= 0.042). However, after applying a Bonferroni correction for the number of genes tested, these associations were no longer statistically significant. Conclusions Genetic variation in growth factor pathway genes INHA and IGFBP1/3 may predict longitudinal MD change after women quit EPT. The observed differences in EPT-associated changes in percent MD in association with these genetic polymorphisms are modest but may be clinically significant considering that the magnitude of absolute increase in percent MD reported from large clinical trials of EPT ranged from 3% to 7%. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4981-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunjung Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Jianning Luo
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Fredrick R Schumacher
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - David Van Den Berg
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Anna H Wu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Daniel O Stram
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Leslie Bernstein
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Giske Ursin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.,Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
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19
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Mao SPH, Park M, Cabrera RM, Christin JR, Karagiannis GS, Oktay MH, Zaiss DMW, Abrams SI, Guo W, Condeelis JS, Kenny PA, Segall JE. Loss of amphiregulin reduces myoepithelial cell coverage of mammary ducts and alters breast tumor growth. Breast Cancer Res 2018; 20:131. [PMID: 30367629 PMCID: PMC6203982 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-018-1057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amphiregulin (AREG), a ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor, is not only essential for proper mammary ductal development, but also associated with breast cancer proliferation and growth. In the absence of AREG, mammary ductal growth is stunted and fails to expand. Furthermore, suppression of AREG expression in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumor cells inhibits in-vitro and in-vivo growth. METHODS We crossed AREG-null (AREG-/-) mice with the murine luminal B breast cancer model, MMTV-PyMT (PyMT), to generate spontaneous breast tumors that lack AREG (AREG-/- PyMT). We evaluated tumor growth, cytokeratin-8 (K8)-positive luminal cells, cytokeratin-14 (K14)-positive myoepithelial cells, and expression of AREG, Ki67, and PyMT. Primary myoepithelial cells from nontumor-bearing AREG+/+ mice underwent fluorescence-activated cell sorting and were adapted to culture for in-vitro coculture studies with AT-3 cells, a cell line derived from C57Bl/6 PyMT mammary tumors. RESULTS Intriguingly, PyMT-induced lesions progress more rapidly in AREG-/- mice than in AREG+/+ mice. Quantification of K8+ luminal and K14+ myoepithelial cells in non-PyMT AREG-/- mammary glands showed fewer K14+ cells and a thinner myoepithelial layer. Study of AT-3 cells indicated that coculture with myoepithelial cells or exposure to AREG, epidermal growth factor, or basic fibroblast growth factor can suppress PyMT expression. Late-stage AREG-/- PyMT tumors are significantly less solid in structure, with more areas of papillary and cystic growth. Papillary areas appear to be both less proliferative and less necrotic. In The Cancer Genome Atlas database, luminal-B invasive papillary carcinomas have lower AREG expression than luminal B invasive ductal carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS Our study has revealed a previously unknown role of AREG in myoepithelial cell development and PyMT expression. AREG expression is essential for proper myoepithelial coverage of mammary ducts. Both AREG and myoepithelial cells can suppress PyMT expression. We find that lower AREG expression is associated with invasive papillary breast cancer in both the MMTV-PyMT model and human breast cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Amphiregulin/genetics
- Amphiregulin/metabolism
- Animals
- Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming/genetics
- Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Epithelial Cells/pathology
- Epithelial Cells/virology
- Female
- Humans
- Mammary Glands, Animal/cytology
- Mammary Glands, Animal/pathology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/virology
- Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse/genetics
- Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse/pathogenicity
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Neoplasm Invasiveness/pathology
- Polyomavirus/genetics
- Polyomavirus/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena P. H. Mao
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Minji Park
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Ramon M. Cabrera
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - John R. Christin
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - George S. Karagiannis
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Integrated Imaging Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Maja H. Oktay
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Integrated Imaging Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Dietmar M. W. Zaiss
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Scott I. Abrams
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263 USA
| | - Wenjun Guo
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - John S. Condeelis
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Integrated Imaging Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
| | - Paraic A. Kenny
- Kabara Cancer Research Institute, Gundersen Medical Foundation, La Crosse, WI 54601 USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Segall
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
- Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461 USA
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20
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Liu X, Cao M, Palomares M, Wu X, Li A, Yan W, Fong MY, Chan WC, Wang SE. Metastatic breast cancer cells overexpress and secrete miR-218 to regulate type I collagen deposition by osteoblasts. Breast Cancer Res 2018; 20:127. [PMID: 30348200 PMCID: PMC6198446 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-018-1059-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bone is one of the most frequent metastatic sites of advanced breast cancer. Current therapeutic agents aim to inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption but only have palliative effects. During normal bone remodeling, the balance between bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation is essential for bone homeostasis. One major function of osteoblast during bone formation is to secrete type I procollagen, which will then be processed before being crosslinked and deposited into the bone matrix. METHODS Small RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were used to detect miRNA levels in patient blood samples and in the cell lysates as well as extracellular vesicles of parental and bone-tropic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The effects of cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles isolated by ultracentrifugation and carrying varying levels of miR-218 were examined in osteoblasts by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, and P1NP bone formation marker analysis. Cancer cells overexpressing miR-218 were examined by transcriptome profiling through RNA sequencing to identify intrinsic genes and pathways influenced by miR-218. RESULTS We show that circulating miR-218 is associated with breast cancer bone metastasis. Cancer-secreted miR-218 directly downregulates type I collagen in osteoblasts, whereas intracellular miR-218 in breast cancer cells regulates the expression of inhibin β subunits. Increased cancer secretion of inhibin βA results in elevated Timp3 expression in osteoblasts and the subsequent repression of procollagen processing during osteoblast differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Here we identify a twofold function of cancer-derived miR-218, whose levels in the blood are associated with breast cancer metastasis to the bone, in the regulation of type I collagen deposition by osteoblasts. The adaptation of the bone niche mediated by miR-218 might further tilt the balance towards osteolysis, thereby facilitating other mechanisms to promote bone metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuxiang Liu
- City of Hope Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Minghui Cao
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0612, USA
| | | | - Xiwei Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Arthur Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0612, USA
| | - Miranda Y Fong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Wing-Chung Chan
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Shizhen Emily Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0612, USA.
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21
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Follistatin Expression in Human Invasive Breast Tumors: Pathologic and Clinical Associations. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2018; 26:108-112. [PMID: 27389553 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Follistatin is a potent native activin antagonist that is expressed in the normal mammary gland and in different breast proliferative diseases. Despite experimental evidence that follistatin can modulate the breast cancer cell cycle, the clinical significance of follistatin expression in these tumors is unknown. The aim of this study was to correlate the intensity of follistatin expression in invasive breast cancer with some of its clinical and pathologic features, such as the disease stage and the hormonal receptor status. Paraffin blocks of tumor samples that had been fixed in buffered formalin were obtained from 154 women subjected to surgery for breast cancer between 2008 and 2012. Sections from all paraffin blocks were cut and processed together by immunohistochemistry using a commercial monoclonal antibody to human follistatin. The intensity of follistatin staining was unrelated to the menopausal status, the disease stage, the grade, progesterone receptor expression, and local or systemic recurrence. However, follistatin immunoreactivity was significantly stronger in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors than in ER-positive tumors. These findings suggest that follistatin expression in invasive breast cancer is unrelated to the disease severity and the risk of recurrence, but is more intense in ER-negative tumors.
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22
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Couto HL, Buzelin MA, Toppa NH, Bloise E, Wainstein AJ, Reis FM. Prognostic value of follistatin-like 3 in human invasive breast cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 8:42189-42197. [PMID: 28178680 PMCID: PMC5522059 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) binds and inactivates activin, a growth factor involved with cell growth and differentiation. We have previously shown FSTL3 overexpression in invasive breast cancers, but its clinical relevance remained unexplored. Here we evaluate FSTL3 as a prognostic tool and its relation with clinical and pathological features of breast cancer. A cohort of 154 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2008 and 2012 was followed up for 5 years. Tumor samples were processed by immunohistochemistry to detect FSTL3 expression in tumor epithelium. FSTL3 expression was classified semiquantitatively and tested for possible correlation with age, menopause status, stage, tumor histological type and grade, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 expression. Survival plots with Kaplan-Mayer statistics were used to assess whether FSTL3 expression predicted disease-free survival. Our findings show that FSTL3 staining was unrelated to menopausal status, histological type, disease stage, or receptor profile. However, the intensity of FSTL3 immunostaining correlated inversely with tumor size (r = -0.366, p<0.001) and with nuclear grade (p<0.01). The intensity of FSTL3 expression in the tumoral epithelium was not predictive of the disease-free survival (p = 0.991, log-rank test), even though the follow-up length and the study size were sufficient to detect a significant reduction in disease-free survival among women with stage III-IV compared to stage I-II disease (p<0.001). FSTL3 expression in invasive breast cancer is inversely associated with tumor size and nuclear grade but it does not predict disease relapse in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique L Couto
- Division of Human Reproduction and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Department of Oncology, Hospital Alberto Cavalcanti, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Nivaldo H Toppa
- Laboratório Analys Patologia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Enrrico Bloise
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alberto J Wainstein
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Alberto Cavalcanti, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernando M Reis
- Division of Human Reproduction and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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23
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Zabkiewicz C, Resaul J, Hargest R, Jiang WG, Ye L. Increased Expression of Follistatin in Breast Cancer Reduces Invasiveness and Clinically Correlates with Better Survival. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2018. [PMID: 28647698 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Activin and its antagonist follistatin (FST) have been implicated in several solid tumours. This study investigated the role of FST in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS FST expression was examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry in a cohort of breast cancer samples. Expression was correlated to pathological and prognostic parameters in our patient cohort. FST was overexpressed in MCF-7 cells and assays for growth and invasion were performed. RESULTS FST is expressed in breast tissue, in the cytoplasm of mammary epithelial cells. Expression was decreased in breast cancer tissue in comparison to normal mammary tissue. Over-expression of FST in vitro led to significantly increased growth rate and reduced invasion. Higher FST associates with lower-grade tumours and better survival. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a role for FST as a suppressor of invasion and metastasis in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Zabkiewicz
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K
| | - Jeyna Resaul
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K
| | - Rachel Hargest
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K
| | - Wen Guo Jiang
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K.
| | - Lin Ye
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K.
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24
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Bossé Y, Amos CI. A Decade of GWAS Results in Lung Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018; 27:363-379. [PMID: 28615365 PMCID: PMC6464125 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-16-0794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were successful to identify genetic factors robustly associated with lung cancer. This review aims to synthesize the literature in this field and accelerate the translation of GWAS discoveries into results that are closer to clinical applications. A chronologic presentation of published GWAS on lung cancer susceptibility, survival, and response to treatment is presented. The most important results are tabulated to provide a concise overview in one read. GWAS have reported 45 lung cancer susceptibility loci with varying strength of evidence and highlighted suspected causal genes at each locus. Some genetic risk loci have been refined to more homogeneous subgroups of lung cancer patients in terms of histologic subtypes, smoking status, gender, and ethnicity. Overall, these discoveries are an important step for future development of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers to personalize and improve the quality of care for patients. GWAS results are on the edge of offering new tools for targeted screening in high-risk individuals, but more research is needed if GWAS are to pay off the investment. Complementary genomic datasets and functional studies are needed to refine the underlying molecular mechanisms of lung cancer preliminarily revealed by GWAS and reach results that are medically actionable. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(4); 363-79. ©2018 AACRSee all articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Genome-Wide Association Studies in Cancer."
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Bossé
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher I Amos
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire
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25
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Jana A, Krett NL, Guzman G, Khalid A, Ozden O, Staudacher JJ, Bauer J, Baik SH, Carroll T, Yazici C, Jung B. NFkB is essential for activin-induced colorectal cancer migration via upregulation of PI3K-MDM2 pathway. Oncotarget 2018; 8:37377-37393. [PMID: 28418896 PMCID: PMC5514916 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a common and deadly cancer due to metastatic disease. Activin and TGFB (TGFβ) signaling are growth suppressive pathways that exert non-canonical pro-metastatic effects late in CRC carcinogenesis. We have recently shown that activin downregulates p21 via ubiquitination and degradation associated with enhanced cellular migration independent of SMADs. To investigate the mechanism of metastatic activin signaling, we examined activated NFkB signaling and activin ligand expression in CRC patient samples and found a strong correlation. We hypothesize that activation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2 by NFkB leads to p21 degradation in response to activin treatment. To dissect the link between activin and pro-carcinogenic NFkB signaling and downstream targets, we found that activin but not TGFB induced activation of NFkB leading to increased MDM2 ubiquitin ligase via PI3K. Further, overexpression of wild type p65 NFkB increased MDM2 expression while the NFkB inhibitors NEMO-binding domain (NBD) and Bay11-7082 blocked the activin-induced increase in MDM2. In conclusion, in colon cancer cell migration, activin utilizes NFkB to induce MDM2 activity leading to the degradation of p21 in a PI3K dependent mechanism. This provides new mechanistic knowledge linking activin and NFkB signaling in advanced colon cancer which is applicable to targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arundhati Jana
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Nancy L Krett
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Grace Guzman
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Ahmer Khalid
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Ozkan Ozden
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jonas J Staudacher
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jessica Bauer
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Seung Hyun Baik
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Timothy Carroll
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Cemal Yazici
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Barbara Jung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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26
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Sun J, Liu X, Gao H, Zhang L, Ji Q, Wang Z, Zhou L, Wang Y, Sui H, Fan Z, Li Q. Overexpression of colorectal cancer oncogene CHRDL2 predicts a poor prognosis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:11489-11506. [PMID: 28009989 PMCID: PMC5355280 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) both promote and suppress tumorigenesis, and multiple BMP antagonists reportedly contribute to cancer progression. In this study, we demonstrated that the BMP antagonist Chordin-like 2 (CHRDL2) is upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, and that CHRDL2 levels correlate with clinical features of CRC patients, including tumor size, TNM staging, and tumor differentiation. In addition, survival rate and Cox proportional hazards model analyses showed that high CHRDL2 levels correlate with a poor prognosis in CRC. Moreover, CHRDL2 promoted CRC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, perhaps through up-regulation of Cyclin D1 and down-regulation of P21. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that CHRDL2 bound to BMPs, which inhibited p-Smad1/5, thereby promoting CRC cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. These results suggest CHRDL2 could serve as a biomarker of poor prognosis in CRC, and provide evidence that CHRDL2 acts as an oncogene in human CRC, making it a novel potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hong Gao
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qing Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziyuan Wang
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Lihong Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Cancer Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hua Sui
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhongze Fan
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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27
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Jiang L, Si T, Yu M, Zeng X, Morse HC, Lu Y, Ouyang G, Zhou JX. The tumor suppressive role of inhibin βA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Leuk Lymphoma 2017; 59:1202-1212. [PMID: 28877610 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2017.1372574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INHBA (inhibin βA), a subunit of a ligand of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is known to play diverse roles in various solid tumors. However, its role in hematologic malignancies remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the function of INHBA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Both mRNA and protein levels of INHBA were significantly downregulated in primary DLBCL tissues, irrespective of germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) or non-GCB subtype, compared to those in benign tonsils. The low level of INHBA in patients with de novo DLBCL was correlated with reduced overall and progression-free survival. Ectopic expression of INHBA in DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly01 and SUDHL-10) resulted in reduced cell proliferation, increased spontaneous apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in vitro and suppressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, INHBA enhanced the chemosensitivity of DLBCL cells. Thus, our results provide novel evidence that INHBA functions as a tumor suppressor in DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Ting Si
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,b Department of Hematology , Affiliated Yinzhou Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Mei Yu
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Xinli Zeng
- c Department of ENT , Ningbo Second People's Hospital , Ningbo , China
| | - Herbert C Morse
- d Laboratory of Immunopathology , National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Ying Lu
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,b Department of Hematology , Affiliated Yinzhou Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Guifang Ouyang
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,e Department of Hematology , Ningbo First People's Hospital , Ningbo , China
| | - Jeff X Zhou
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
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Abstract
Testes-specific protease 50 (TSP50), a novelly identified oncogene, has the capacity to induce cell proliferation, cell invasion and tumor growth. Further studies indicated that CAGA-luc (an activin-responsive reporter construct) reporter activity could be significantly suppressed by TSP50 overexpression, implying that the activin signaling may participate in TSP50-mediated cell proliferation. Here, we reported that TSP50 had an inhibitory effect on activin signaling. Mechanistic studies revealed that TSP50 could interact with ActRIIA, inhibit activin typeIreceptor (ActRIB) phosphorylation, repress Smad2/3 nuclear accumulation and finally promote cell proliferation by reducing the expression of activin signal target gene p27. Additionally, we found that ActRIB activation could reverse TSP50-mediated cell proliferation and tumor growth. Furthermore, analysis of human breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry indicated that TSP50 expression was negatively related to p-Smad2/3 and p27 protein levels. Most importantly, breast cancer diagnosis-related indicators such as tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) levels, were correlated well with TSP50/p-Samd2/3 and TSP50/p27 expression status. Thus, our studies revealed a novel regulatory mechanism underlying TSP50-induced cell proliferation and provided a new favorable intervention target for the treatment of breast cancer.
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29
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Follistatin is a metastasis suppressor in a mouse model of HER2-positive breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2017; 19:66. [PMID: 28583174 PMCID: PMC5460489 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-017-0857-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Follistatin (FST) is an intrinsic inhibitor of activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily of ligands. The prognostic value of FST and its family members, the follistatin-like (FSTL) proteins, have been studied in various cancers. However, these studies, as well as limited functional analyses of the FSTL proteins, have yielded conflicting results on the role of these proteins in disease progression. Furthermore, very few have been focused on FST itself. We assessed whether FST may be a suppressor of tumorigenesis and/or metastatic progression in breast cancer. Methods Using publicly available gene expression data, we examined the expression patterns of FST and INHBA, a subunit of activin, in normal and cancerous breast tissue and the prognostic value of FST in breast cancer metastases, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival. The functional effects of activin and FST on in vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells were also examined. FST overexpression in an autochthonous mouse model of breast cancer was then used to assess the in vivo impact of FST on metastatic progression. Results Examination of multiple breast cancer datasets revealed that FST expression is reduced in breast cancers compared with normal tissue and that low FST expression predicts increased metastasis and reduced overall survival. FST expression was also reduced in a mouse model of HER2/Neu-induced metastatic breast cancer. We found that FST blocks activin-induced breast epithelial cell migration in vitro, suggesting that its loss may promote breast cancer aggressiveness. To directly determine if FST restoration could inhibit metastatic progression, we transgenically expressed FST in the HER2/Neu model. Although FST had no impact on tumor initiation or growth, it completely blocked the formation of lung metastases. Conclusions These data indicate that FST is a bona fide metastasis suppressor in this mouse model and support future efforts to develop an FST mimetic to suppress metastatic progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-017-0857-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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30
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Loomans HA, Arnold SA, Quast LL, Andl CD. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma invasion is inhibited by Activin A in ACVRIB-positive cells. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:873. [PMID: 27829391 PMCID: PMC5101642 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2920-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a global public health issue, as it is the eighth most common cancer worldwide. The mechanisms behind ESCC invasion and progression are still poorly understood, and warrant further investigation into these processes and their drivers. In recent years, the ligand Activin A has been implicated as a player in the progression of a number of cancers. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of Activin A signaling in ESCC. Methods To investigate the role Activin A plays in ESCC biology, tissue microarrays containing 200 cores from 120 ESCC patients were analyzed upon immunofluorescence staining. We utilized three-dimensional organotypic reconstruct cultures of dysplastic and esophageal squamous tumor cells lines, in the context of fibroblast-secreted Activin A, to identify the effects of Activin A on cell invasion and determine protein expression and localization in epithelial and stromal compartments by immunofluorescence. To identify the functional consequences of stromal-derived Activin A on angiogenesis, we performed endothelial tube formation assays. Results Analysis of ESCC patient samples indicated that patients with high stromal Activin A expression had low epithelial ACVRIB, the Activin type I receptor. We found that overexpression of stromal-derived Activin A inhibited invasion of esophageal dysplastic squamous cells, ECdnT, and TE-2 ESCC cells, both positive for ACVRIB. This inhibition was accompanied by a decrease in expression of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin and podoplanin, which is often expressed at the leading edge during invasion. Endothelial tube formation was disrupted in the presence of conditioned media from fibroblasts overexpressing Activin A. Interestingly, ACVRIB-negative TE-11 cells did not show the prior observed effects in the context of Activin A overexpression, indicating a dependence on the presence of ACVRIB. Conclusions We describe the first observation of an inhibitory role for Activin A in ESCC progression that is dependent on the expression of ACVRIB. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2920-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holli A Loomans
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shanna A Arnold
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laura L Quast
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Claudia D Andl
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Building 20, BMS 223, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
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Liu R, Wang JH, Xu C, Sun B, Kang SO. Activin pathway enhances colorectal cancer stem cell self-renew and tumor progression. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 479:715-720. [PMID: 27693580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.09.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Activin belongs to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β super family of growth and differentiation factors and activin pathway participated in broad range of cell process. Studies elaborated activin pathway maintain pluripotency in human stem cells and suggest that the function of activin/nodal signaling in self-renew would be conserved across embryonic and adult stem cells. In this study, we tried to determine the effect of activin signaling pathway in regulation of cancer stem cells as a potential target for cancer therapy in clinical trials. A population of colorectal cancer cells was selected by the treatment of activin A. This population of cell possessed stem cell character with sphere formation ability. We demonstrated activin pathway enhanced the colorectal cancer stem cells self-renew and contribute to colorectal cancer progression in vivo. Targeting activin pathway potentially provide effective strategy for colorectal cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea; Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Chengxiong Xu
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea; State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Sa-Ouk Kang
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea; Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
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Kim MN, Kim YI, Cho C, Mayo KE, Cho BN. Change in the Gastro-Intestinal Tract by Overexpressed Activin Beta A. Mol Cells 2015; 38:1079-85. [PMID: 26608361 PMCID: PMC4696999 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2015.0189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Originally, activins were identified as stimulators of FSH release in reproduction. Other activities, including secondary axis formation in development, have since been revealed. Here, we investigated the influence of activin βA on the body, including the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Initially, the activin βA protein was detected in the serum proportional to the amount of pCMV-rAct plasmid injected. The induced level of activin βA in muscle was higher in female than male mice. Subsequent results revealed that stomach and intestine were severely damaged in pCMV-rAct-injected mice. At the cellular level, loss of parietal cells was observed, resulting in increased pH within the stomach. This phenomenon was more severe in male than female mice. Consistent with damage of the stomach and intestine, activin βA often led to necrosis in the tip of the tail or foot, and loss of body weight was observed in pCMV-rAct-injected male but not female mice. Finally, in pCMV-rAct-injected mice, circulating activin βA led to death at supraphysiological doses, and this was dependent on the strain of mice used. Taken together, these results indicate that activin βA has an important role outside of reproduction and development, specifically in digestion. These data also indicate that activin βA must be controlled within a narrow range because of latent lethal activity. In addition, our approach can be used effectively for functional analysis of secreted proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Nyeu Kim
- Department of Life Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662,
Korea
| | - Young Il Kim
- Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 130-872,
Korea
| | - Chunghee Cho
- School of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology (K-JIST), Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Kelly E. Mayo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208,
USA
| | - Byung-Nam Cho
- Department of Life Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662,
Korea
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Yarygin KN, Lupatov AY, Kholodenko IV. Cell-based therapies of liver diseases: age-related challenges. Clin Interv Aging 2015; 10:1909-24. [PMID: 26664104 PMCID: PMC4671765 DOI: 10.2147/cia.s97926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The scope of this review is to revise recent advances of the cell-based therapies of liver diseases with an emphasis on cell donor's and patient's age. Regenerative medicine with cell-based technologies as its integral part is focused on the structural and functional restoration of tissues impaired by sickness or aging. Unlike drug-based medicine directed primarily at alleviation of symptoms, regenerative medicine offers a more holistic approach to disease and senescence management aimed to achieve restoration of homeostasis. Hepatocyte transplantation and organ engineering are very probable forthcoming options of liver disease treatment in people of different ages and vigorous research and technological innovations in this area are in progress. Accordingly, availability of sufficient amounts of functional human hepatocytes is crucial. Direct isolation of autologous hepatocytes from liver biopsy is problematic due to related discomfort and difficulties with further expansion of cells, particularly those derived from aging people. Allogeneic primary human hepatocytes meeting quality standards are also in short supply. Alternatively, autologous hepatocytes can be produced by reprogramming of differentiated cells through the stage of induced pluripotent stem cells. In addition, fibroblasts and mesenchymal stromal cells can be directly induced to undergo advanced stage hepatogenic differentiation. Reprogramming of cells derived from elderly people is accompanied by the reversal of age-associated changes at the cellular level manifesting itself by telomere elongation and the U-turn of DNA methylation. Cell reprogramming can provide high quality rejuvenated hepatocytes for cell therapy and liver tissue engineering. Further technological advancements and establishment of national and global registries of induced pluripotent stem cell lines homozygous for HLA haplotypes can allow industry-style production of livers for immunosuppression-free transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexei Y Lupatov
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina V Kholodenko
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
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Tarasewicz E, Rivas L, Hamdan R, Dokic D, Parimi V, Bernabe BP, Thomas A, Shea LD, Jeruss JS. Inhibition of CDK-mediated phosphorylation of Smad3 results in decreased oncogenesis in triple negative breast cancer cells. Cell Cycle 2015; 13:3191-201. [PMID: 25485498 DOI: 10.4161/15384101.2014.950126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer onset and disease progression have been linked to members of the TGFβ superfamily and their downstream signaling components, the Smads. Alterations in Smad3 signaling are associated with the dichotomous role of TGFβ in malignancy, mediating both tumor suppressant and pro-metastatic behaviors. Overexpression of cell cycle regulators, cyclins D and E, renders cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 4/2 hyperactive. Noncanonical phosphorylation of Smad3 by CDK4/2 inhibits tumor suppressant actions of Smad3. We hypothesized that CDK inhibition (CDKi) would restore Smad3 action and help promote cancer cell regression. Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, Hs578T) with CDK2i or CDK4i resulted in increased Smad3 activity and decreased cell migration. Transfection with a 5M Smad3 construct containing inhibitory mutations in 5 CDK phosphorylation sites also resulted in decreased TNBC cell migration and invasion. MDA-MB-231 cells treated with CDK2i or CDK4i resulted in decreased Smad3 protein phosphorylation at the CDK phosphorylation T179 site, decreased MMP2 and c-myc expression, and increased p15 and p21 expression. Using a novel transfected cell array, we found that CDK2i treatment decreased activity of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition related transcription factors Snail and Twist. In vivo studies in an MDA-MB-231 tumor model showed that individual and combination treatment with paclitaxel and CDK2i resulted in decreased tumor volume and Ki67 staining. Collectively, these data support further investigation of targeted CDK inhibitors as a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC, a breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options.
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Key Words
- BCSC, breast cancer stem cells
- CDK
- CDK, cyclin dependent kinase
- CDKi, cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor
- CK, cytokeratin
- EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor
- EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition
- ER, estrogen receptor
- HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2
- PR, progesterone receptor
- Pin1, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
- Smad3
- TNBC, triple negative breast cancer
- cyclin
- paclitaxel
- triple negative breast cancer
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Tarasewicz
- a Department of Surgery ; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine ; Chicago , IL USA
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Bufalino A, Cervigne NK, de Oliveira CE, Fonseca FP, Rodrigues PC, Macedo CCS, Sobral LM, Miguel MC, Lopes MA, Leme AFP, Lambert DW, Salo TA, Kowalski LP, Graner E, Coletta RD. Low miR-143/miR-145 Cluster Levels Induce Activin A Overexpression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas, Which Contributes to Poor Prognosis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136599. [PMID: 26317418 PMCID: PMC4552554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulated expression of activin A is reported in several tumors, but its biological functions in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are unknown. Here, we investigate whether activin A can play a causal role in OSCCs. Activin A expression was assessed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry in OSCC tissues. Low activin A-expressing cells were treated with recombinant activin A and assessed for apoptosis, proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Those phenotypes were also evaluated in high activin A-expressing cells treated with follistatin (an activin A antagonist) or stably expressing shRNA targeting activin A. Transfections of microRNA mimics were performed to determine whether the overexpression of activin A is regulated by miR-143/miR-145 cluster. Activin A was overexpressed in OSCCs in comparison with normal oral mucosa, and high activin A levels were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation and poor survival. High activin A levels promoted multiple properties associated with malignant transformation, including decreased apoptosis and increased proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. Both miR-143 and miR-145 were markedly downregulated in OSCC cell lines and in clinical specimens, and inversely correlated to activin A levels. Forced expression of miR-143 and miR-145 in OSCC cells significantly decreased the expression of activin A. Overexpression of activin A in OSCCs, which is controlled by downregulation of miR-143/miR-145 cluster, regulates apoptosis, proliferation and invasiveness, and it is clinically correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Bufalino
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | - Nilva K. Cervigne
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Paiva Fonseca
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lays Martin Sobral
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | - Marcia Costa Miguel
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
- Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal-RN, Brazil
| | - Marcio Ajudarte Lopes
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel W. Lambert
- Integrated Biosciences, School of Clinical Dentistry and Sheffield Cancer Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Tuula A. Salo
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
- Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry and Oulu University Hospital and Medical Research Center, University of Oulu, Oulu and Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luiz Paulo Kowalski
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Edgard Graner
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo D. Coletta
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Farhanji B, Latifpour M, Alizadeh AM, Khodayari H, Khodayari S, Khaniki M, Ghasempour S. Tumor suppression effects of myoepithelial cells on mice breast cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 765:171-8. [PMID: 26297304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have assumed that myoepithelial cells (MECs) loss may contribute to epithelial tumor induction and/or progression. We adopted an in vitro assay and a syngeneic mice breast cancer model with histological and molecular characteristics resembling human lesions to evaluate tumor suppression effects of MECs. Flow cytometric, cell viability, blood chemistry, transmission electron microscope, immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR assays were performed at the end of the study. We demonstrated that MECs could significantly suppress the viability of cancer cells at different time points (P<0.05). At the end of the fourth and fifth weeks, treated mice had smaller tumor volume compared with control animals. Average tumor volume was significantly less in treated groups than control group at days 21 (0.38±0.19 vs. 1.99±0.13 cm3), 28 (0.57±0.3 vs. 2.5±0.37 cm3) and 35 (0.7±0.35 vs. 2.65±0.4 cm3) after tumor cell injection (P<0.05). No hematological, hepatocellular, and renal toxicities were seen in MECs treated groups. Ultrastructural features revealed severe relationship between adjacent tumoral cells and loose interconnections of neoplastic cells in treated group. Immunohistochemical examinations of breast tumors showed high p63 and low alpha-smooth muscle actin protein expression in treated mice compared to control (P<0.05). MRNA expressions of TNF-α, smooth muscle-myosin heavy chain, connexin 43, and maspin were significantly up-regulated in breast tumor tissues in treated group compared to control (P<0.05). VEGF and alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNA expression were reduced in treated animals (P<0.05). The present study highlighted the potential tumor suppression effects of MECs on breast cancer in a typical animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baharak Farhanji
- Iranian Tissue Bank & Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Latifpour
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mohammad Alizadeh
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hamid Khodayari
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Khodayari
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran; Department of Pharmacology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Mahmood Khaniki
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sarieh Ghasempour
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran
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37
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Biglycan enhances the ability of migration and invasion in endometrial cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2015; 293:429-38. [DOI: 10.1007/s00404-015-3844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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38
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Palumbo A, Da Costa NDOM, Bonamino MH, Pinto LFR, Nasciutti LE. Genetic instability in the tumor microenvironment: a new look at an old neighbor. Mol Cancer 2015; 14:145. [PMID: 26227631 PMCID: PMC4521350 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-015-0409-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent exponential increase in our knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis has largely failed to translate into new therapies and clinical practices. This lack of success may result in part from the fact that most studies focus on tumor cells as potential therapeutic targets and neglect the complex microenvironment that undergoes profound changes during tumor development. Furthermore, an unfortunate association of factors such as tumor genetic complexity, overestimation of biomarker and drug potentials, as well as a poor understanding of tumor microenvironment in diagnosis and prognosis leads to the current levels of treatment failure regarding a vast majority of cancer types. A growing body of evidence points to the importance of the functional diversity of immune and structural cells during tumor development. In this sense, the lack of technologies that would allow for molecular screening of individual stromal cell types poses a major challenge for the development of therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment. Progress in microenvironment genetic studies represents a formidable opportunity for the development of new selective drugs because stromal cells have lower mutation rates than malignant cells, and should prove to be good targets for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Palumbo
- Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Prédio de Ciências da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, A. Carlos Chagas, 373 - bloco F, sala 26, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. .,Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37 - 6° andar - Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
| | - Nathalia de Oliveira Meireles Da Costa
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37 - 6° andar - Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
| | - Martin Hernan Bonamino
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37 - 6° andar - Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. .,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Vice-presidência de Pesquisa e Laboratórios de Referência, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, Av. Brasil, 4365 - Pavilhão Mourisco - Manguinhos, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
| | - Luis Felipe Ribeiro Pinto
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37 - 6° andar - Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
| | - Luiz Eurico Nasciutti
- Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Prédio de Ciências da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, A. Carlos Chagas, 373 - bloco F, sala 26, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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Translational regulation of inhibin βA by TGFβ via the RNA-binding protein hnRNP E1 enhances the invasiveness of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitioned cells. Oncogene 2015; 35:1725-35. [PMID: 26096938 PMCID: PMC4688046 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that functions during embryonic development and tissue regeneration, thought to be aberrantly activated in epithelial-derived cancer and play an important role in the process of metastasis. The TGFβ signaling pathway is a key inducer of EMT and we have elucidated a post-transcriptional mechanism by which TGFβ modulates expression of select transcripts via the RNA binding protein hnRNP E1 during EMT. One such transcript inhibin βA is a member of the TGFβ superfamily. Here, we show by polysome profiling that inhibin βA is translationally regulated by TGFβ via hnRNP E1. TGFβ treatment or knockdown of hnRNP E1 relieves silencing of the inhibin βA transcript, resulting in increased protein expression and secreted levels of the inhibin βA homodimer, activin A. Our data indicates that the translational up-regulation of inhibin βA enhances the migration and invasion of cells that have undergone an EMT and promotes cancer progression in vivo.
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40
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Wilson C, Ottewell P, Coleman RE, Holen I. The differential anti-tumour effects of zoledronic acid in breast cancer - evidence for a role of the activin signaling pathway. BMC Cancer 2015; 15:55. [PMID: 25884855 PMCID: PMC4329195 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-015-1066-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neo-adjuvant breast cancer clinical trials of zoledronic acid (ZOL) have shown that patients with oestrogen negative (ER-ve) tumours have improved disease outcomes. We investigated the molecular mechanism behind this differential anti-tumour effect according to ER status, hypothesising it may in part be mediated via the activin signaling pathway. Methods The effects of activin A, its inhibitor follistatin and zoledronic acid on proliferation of breast cancer cells was evaluated using either an MTS proliferation assay or trypan blue. Secretion of activin A and follistatin in conditioned medium (CM) from MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, MCF7 and T47D cell lines were measured using specific ELISAs. The effects of ZOL on phosphorylation domains of Smad2 (pSmad2c + pSmad2L) were evaluated using immunofluorescence. Changes seen in vitro were confirmed in a ZOL treated subcutaneous ER-ve MDA-MB-436 xenograft model. Results Activin A inhibits proliferation of both ER-ve and oestrogen positive (ER + ve) breast cancer cells, an effect impaired by follistatin. ZOL significantly inhibits proliferation and the secretion of follistatin from ER-ve cells only, which increases the biological activity of the canonical activin A pathway by significantly increasing intracellular pSmad2c and decreasing nuclear accumulation of pSmad2L. In vivo, ZOL significantly decreases follistatin and pSmad2L expression in ER-ve subcutaneous xenografts compared to saline treated control animals. Conclusions This is the first report showing a differential effect of ZOL, according to ER status, on the activin pathway and its inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest a potential molecular mechanism contributing to the differential anti-tumour effects reported from clinical trials and requires further evaluation in clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Wilson
- Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Penelope Ottewell
- Academic Department of Oncology, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Robert E Coleman
- Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Ingunn Holen
- Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
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Zhu J, Liu F, Wu Q, Liu X. Activin A regulates proliferation, invasion and migration in osteosarcoma cells. Mol Med Rep 2015; 11:4501-7. [PMID: 25634369 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A is a member of the TGF‑β superfamily. Previous studies have demonstrated that activin A exhibited pluripotent effects in several tumours. However, the roles of activin A signaling in osteosarcoma pathogenesis have not been previously investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of activin A on osteosarcoma cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Firstly, the expression of activin A in osteosarcoma cell lines (MG63, SaOS‑2 and U2OS) and a human osteoblastic cell line (hFOB1.19) was detected using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Activin A was upregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines compared with hFOB1.19 cells. To investigate the effects of activin A on osteosarcoma cell proliferation, invasion and migration, MG63 cells were generated in which activin A was either overexpressed or depleted. MTT staining, propidium iodide staining and a Transwell assay were used to analyze the cell cycle, proliferation, invasion and migration of MG63 cells, respectively. The results of the present study revealed that the abilities of proliferation, invasion and migration were suppressed in MG63 cells in which activin A was depleted, while they were enhanced in activin A-overexpressing cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that activin A may facilitate proliferation, invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cells, and it may therefore be a potential target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Fan Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Quanming Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Xiancheng Liu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
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42
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Loomans HA, Andl CD. Intertwining of Activin A and TGFβ Signaling: Dual Roles in Cancer Progression and Cancer Cell Invasion. Cancers (Basel) 2014; 7:70-91. [PMID: 25560921 PMCID: PMC4381251 DOI: 10.3390/cancers7010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a significant amount of research has examined the controversial role of activin A in cancer. Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily, is best characterized for its function during embryogenesis in mesoderm cell fate differentiation and reproduction. During embryogenesis, TGFβ superfamily ligands, TGFβ, bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and activins, act as potent morphogens. Similar to TGFβs and BMPs, activin A is a protein that is highly systemically expressed during early embryogenesis; however, post-natal expression is overall reduced and remains under strict spatiotemporal regulation. Of importance, normal post-natal expression of activin A has been implicated in the migration and invasive properties of various immune cell types, as well as endometrial cells. Aberrant activin A signaling during development results in significant morphological defects and premature mortality. Interestingly, activin A has been found to have both oncogenic and tumor suppressor roles in cancer. Investigations into the role of activin A in prostate and breast cancer has demonstrated tumor suppressive effects, while in lung and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, it has been consistently shown that activin A expression is correlated with increased proliferation, invasion and poor patient prognosis. Activin A signaling is highly context-dependent, which is demonstrated in studies of epithelial cell tumors and the microenvironment. This review discusses normal activin A signaling in comparison to TGFβ and highlights how its dysregulation contributes to cancer progression and cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holli A Loomans
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Claudia D Andl
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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Lee HY, Li CC, Huang CN, Li WM, Yeh HC, Ke HL, Yang KF, Liang PI, Li CF, Wu WJ. INHBA overexpression indicates poor prognosis in urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder and upper tract. J Surg Oncol 2014; 111:414-22. [PMID: 25488476 DOI: 10.1002/jso.23836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urothelial carcinoma (UC) originating from the bladder (UBUC) and upper urinary tract (UTUC) is the most common type of urinary tract tumor. While its pathogenesis remains obscured. Computerizing a published transcriptomic database of UBUC (GSE31684), we identified Inhibin, Beta A (INHBA) as the most significant upregulated gene associated with tumor progression among those associated with growth factor activity (GO:0008083). We therefore analyzed the clinicopathological significance of INHBA expression in UC. DESIGN QuantiGene assay was used to detect INHBA transcript level in 36 UTUCs and 30 UBUCs. Immunohistochemistry evaluated by H-score was used to determine INHBA protein expression in 340 UTUCs and 296 UBUCs. INHBA expression was correlated with clinicopathological features and disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS). RESULTS Increments of INHBA transcript level was associated with higher pT status in both UTUC and UBUC. INHBA protein overexpression was significantly associated with advanced clinicopathological features in both groups of UC. INHBA overexpression significantly implied inferior DSS (UTUC, P = 0.002; UBUC, P = 0.005) and MeFS (UTUC and UBUC, both P < 0.001) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION INHBA overexpression implies adverse clinical outcomes for UC, justifying it is a potential prognostic biomarker and a novel therapeutic target in UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Ying Lee
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Togashi Y, Kogita A, Sakamoto H, Hayashi H, Terashima M, de Velasco MA, Sakai K, Fujita Y, Tomida S, Kitano M, Okuno K, Kudo M, Nishio K. Activin signal promotes cancer progression and is involved in cachexia in a subset of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2014; 356:819-27. [PMID: 25449777 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported that activin produces a signal with a tumor suppressive role in pancreatic cancer (PC). Here, the association between plasma activin A and survival in patients with advanced PC was investigated. Contrary to our expectations, however, patients with high plasma activin A levels had a significantly shorter survival period than those with low levels (median survival, 314 days vs. 482 days, P = 0.034). The cellular growth of the MIA PaCa-2 cell line was greatly enhanced by activin A via non-SMAD pathways. The cellular growth and colony formation of an INHBA (beta subunit of inhibin)-overexpressed cell line were also enhanced. In a xenograft study, INHBA-overexpressed cells tended to result in a larger tumor volume, compared with a control. The bodyweights of mice inoculated with INHBA-overexpressed cells decreased dramatically, and these mice all died at an early stage, suggesting the occurrence of activin-induced cachexia. Our findings indicated that the activin signal can promote cancer progression in a subset of PC and might be involved in cachexia. The activin signal might be a novel target for the treatment of PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Togashi
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akihiro Kogita
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sakamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Hayashi
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masato Terashima
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Marco A de Velasco
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuko Sakai
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Fujita
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shuta Tomida
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Kitano
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Okuno
- Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuto Nishio
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
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Makanji Y, Zhu J, Mishra R, Holmquist C, Wong WPS, Schwartz NB, Mayo KE, Woodruff TK. Inhibin at 90: from discovery to clinical application, a historical review. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:747-94. [PMID: 25051334 PMCID: PMC4167436 DOI: 10.1210/er.2014-1003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
When it was initially discovered in 1923, inhibin was characterized as a hypophysiotropic hormone that acts on pituitary cells to regulate pituitary hormone secretion. Ninety years later, what we know about inhibin stretches far beyond its well-established capacity to inhibit activin signaling and suppress pituitary FSH production. Inhibin is one of the major reproductive hormones involved in the regulation of folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis. Although the physiological role of inhibin as an activin antagonist in other organ systems is not as well defined as it is in the pituitary-gonadal axis, inhibin also modulates biological processes in other organs through paracrine, autocrine, and/or endocrine mechanisms. Inhibin and components of its signaling pathway are expressed in many organs. Diagnostically, inhibin is used for prenatal screening of Down syndrome as part of the quadruple test and as a biochemical marker in the assessment of ovarian reserve. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of our current understanding of the biological role of inhibin, its relationship with activin, its signaling mechanisms, and its potential value as a diagnostic marker for reproductive function and pregnancy-associated conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogeshwar Makanji
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Y.M., J.Z., C.H., W.P.S.W., T.K.W.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60610; Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery (R.M., C.H.), Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208; and Department of Molecular Biosciences (N.B.S., K.E.M., T.K.W.), Center for Reproductive Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
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Le Bras GF, Loomans HA, Taylor C, Revetta F, Andl CD. Activin A balance regulates epithelial invasiveness and tumorigenesis. J Transl Med 2014; 94:1134-46. [PMID: 25068654 PMCID: PMC4309391 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2014.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A (Act A) is a member of the TGFβ superfamily. Act A and TGFβ have multiple common downstream targets and have been described to merge in their intracellular signaling cascades and function. We have previously demonstrated that coordinated loss of E-cadherin and TGFβ receptor II (TβRII) results in epithelial cell invasion. When grown in three-dimensional organotypic reconstruct cultures, esophageal keratinocytes expressing dominant-negative mutants of E-cadherin and TβRII showed activated Smad2 in the absence of functional TβRII. However, we could show that increased levels of Act A secretion was able to induce Smad2 phosphorylation. Growth factor secretion can activate autocrine and paracrine signaling, which affects crosstalk between the epithelial compartment and the surrounding microenvironment. We show that treatment with the Act A antagonist Follistatin or with a neutralizing Act A antibody can increase cell invasion in organotypic cultures in a fibroblast- and MMP-dependent manner. Similarly, suppression of Act A with shRNA increases cell invasion and tumorigenesis in vivo. Therefore, we conclude that maintaining a delicate balance of Act A expression is critical for homeostasis in the esophageal microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire F. Le Bras
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
| | - Holli A. Loomans
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
| | - Chase Taylor
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
| | - Frank Revetta
- Department of Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
- Department of Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
- Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
| | - Claudia D. Andl
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
- Department of Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
- Department of Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-6840, USA
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Activin A is anti-lymphangiogenic in a melanoma mouse model. J Invest Dermatol 2014; 135:212-221. [PMID: 25084052 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2014.328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma spreads primarily to the sentinel lymph nodes, and its risk correlates with lymphangiogenesis, which is mainly driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C. However, anti-lymphangiogenic factors are poorly characterized. We have shown in a melanoma model that Wnt1 reduces lymphangiogenesis by reducing VEGF-C expression. Screening this model for additional potentially anti-lymphangiogenic factors identified increased activin A expression and reduced expression of the antagonist, follistatin (FST), in Wnt1(+) cells. Activin A is known to reduce blood vessel formation, but the effects on lymphangiogenesis are unknown. Here we show that human primary melanoma expresses significantly higher levels of activin A and lower levels of FST compared with nevi and melanoma metastasis. Using our mouse model with melanoma cells overexpressing Wnt1, FST, Wnt1/FST, or the inhibin βA subunit (INHBA, resulting in activin A expression), we found both activin A and Wnt1 to reduce lymphangiogenesis. Whereas Wnt1 also reduced metastasis, this was not seen with activin A. In vitro, activin A phosphorylated SMAD2 in both melanoma and lymphatic endothelium but, although it reduced sprouting of lymphatic endothelium, it enhanced the migration of melanoma cells. In conclusion, activin A is an anti-lymphangiogenic factor, but because of its pleiotropic effects on cell mobility it appears not suitable as a pharmacological target.
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Qiao W, Wang W, Laurenti E, Turinsky AL, Wodak SJ, Bader GD, Dick JE, Zandstra PW. Intercellular network structure and regulatory motifs in the human hematopoietic system. Mol Syst Biol 2014; 10:741. [PMID: 25028490 PMCID: PMC4299490 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20145141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The hematopoietic system is a distributed tissue that consists of functionally distinct cell types continuously produced through hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation. Combining genomic and phenotypic data with high-content experiments, we have built a directional cell-cell communication network between 12 cell types isolated from human umbilical cord blood. Network structure analysis revealed that ligand production is cell type dependent, whereas ligand binding is promiscuous. Consequently, additional control strategies such as cell frequency modulation and compartmentalization were needed to achieve specificity in HSC fate regulation. Incorporating the in vitro effects (quiescence, self-renewal, proliferation, or differentiation) of 27 HSC binding ligands into the topology of the cell-cell communication network allowed coding of cell type-dependent feedback regulation of HSC fate. Pathway enrichment analysis identified intracellular regulatory motifs enriched in these cell type- and ligand-coupled responses. This study uncovers cellular mechanisms of hematopoietic cell feedback in HSC fate regulation, provides insight into the design principles of the human hematopoietic system, and serves as a foundation for the analysis of intercellular regulation in multicellular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlian Qiao
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Weijia Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elisa Laurenti
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Shoshana J Wodak
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gary D Bader
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John E Dick
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter W Zandstra
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada Heart & Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Tarasewicz E, Hamdan R, Straehla J, Hardy A, Nunez O, Zelivianski S, Dokic D, Jeruss JS. CDK4 inhibition and doxorubicin mediate breast cancer cell apoptosis through Smad3 and survivin. Cancer Biol Ther 2014; 15:1301-11. [PMID: 25006666 DOI: 10.4161/cbt.29693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin D1/CDK4 activity is upregulated in up to 50% of breast cancers and CDK4-mediated phosphorylation negatively regulates the TGFβ superfamily member Smad3. We sought to determine if CDK4 inhibition and doxorubicin chemotherapy could impact Smad3-mediated cell/colony growth and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Parental and cyclin D1-overexpressing MCF7 cells were treated with CDK4 inhibitor, doxorubicin, or combination therapy and cell proliferation, apoptosis, colony formation, and expression of apoptotic proteins were evaluated using an MTS assay, TUNEL staining, 3D Matrigel assay, and apoptosis array/immunoblotting. Study cells were also transduced with WT Smad3 or a Smad3 construct resistant to CDK4 phosphorylation (5M) and colony formation and expression of apoptotic proteins were assessed. Treatment with CDK4 inhibitor/doxorubicin combination therapy, or transduction with 5M Smad3, resulted in a similar decrease in colony formation. Treating cyclin D overexpressing breast cancer cells with combination therapy also resulted in the greatest increase in apoptosis, resulted in decreased expression of anti-apoptotic proteins survivin and XIAP, and impacted subcellular localization of pro-apoptotic Smac/DIABLO. Additionally, transduction of 5M Smad3 and doxorubicin treatment resulted in the greatest change in apoptotic protein expression. Collectively, this work showed the impact of CDK4 inhibitor-mediated, Smad3-regulated tumor suppression, which was augmented in doxorubicin-treated cyclin D-overexpressing study cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Tarasewicz
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Randala Hamdan
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Joelle Straehla
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Ashley Hardy
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Omar Nunez
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Stanislav Zelivianski
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Danijela Dokic
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
| | - Jacqueline S Jeruss
- Department of Surgery; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chicago, IL USA
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Togashi Y, Sakamoto H, Hayashi H, Terashima M, de Velasco MA, Fujita Y, Kodera Y, Sakai K, Tomida S, Kitano M, Ito A, Kudo M, Nishio K. Homozygous deletion of the activin A receptor, type IB gene is associated with an aggressive cancer phenotype in pancreatic cancer. Mol Cancer 2014; 13:126. [PMID: 24886203 PMCID: PMC4047430 DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-13-126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transforming growth factor, beta (TGFB) signal is considered to be a tumor suppressive pathway based on the frequent genomic deletion of the SMAD4 gene in pancreatic cancer (PC); however; the role of the activin signal, which also belongs to the TGFB superfamily, remains largely unclear. Methods and results We found a homozygous deletion of the activin A receptor, type IB (ACVR1B) gene in 2 out of 8 PC cell lines using array-comparative genomic hybridization, and the absence of ACVR1B mRNA and protein expression was confirmed in these 2 cell lines. Activin A stimulation inhibited cellular growth and increased the phosphorylation level of SMAD2 and the expression level of p21CIP1/WAF1 in the Sui66 cell line (wild-type ACVR1B and SMAD4 genes) but not in the Sui68 cell line (homozygous deletion of ACVR1B gene). Stable ACVR1B-knockdown using short hairpin RNA cancelled the effects of activin A on the cellular growth of the PC cell lines. In addition, ACVR1B-knockdown significantly enhanced the cellular growth and colony formation abilities, compared with controls. In a xenograft study, ACVR1B-knockdown resulted in a significantly elevated level of tumorigenesis and a larger tumor volume, compared with the control. Furthermore, in clinical samples, 6 of the 29 PC samples (20.7%) carried a deletion of the ACVR1B gene, while 10 of the 29 samples (34.5%) carried a deletion of the SMAD4 gene. Of note, 5 of the 6 samples with a deletion of the ACVR1B gene also had a deletion of the SMAD4 gene. Conclusion We identified a homozygous deletion of the ACVR1B gene in PC cell lines and clinical samples and proposed that the deletion of the ACVR1B gene may mediate an aggressive cancer phenotype in PC. Our findings provide novel insight into the role of the activin signal in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kazuto Nishio
- Department of Genome Biology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
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