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Lee J, Bang JH, Ryu YC, Hwang BH. Multiple suppressing small interfering RNA for cancer treatment-Application to triple-negative breast cancer. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300060. [PMID: 37478121 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Certain cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), pose a challenging prognosis due to the absence of identifiable hormone-related receptors and effective targeted therapies. Consequently, novel therapeutics are required for these cancers, offering minimal side effects and reduced drug resistance. Unexpectedly, siRNA-7, initially employed as a control, exhibited significant efficacy in inhibiting cell viability in MDA-MB-231 cells. Through a genome-wide search of seed sequences, the targets of siRNA-7 were identified as cancer-related genes, namely PRKCE, RBPJ, ZNF737, and CDC7 in MDA-MB-231 cells. The mRNA repression analysis confirmed the simultaneous suppression by siRNA-7. Combinatorial administration of single-targeting siRNAs demonstrated a comparable reduction in viability to that achieved by siRNA-7. Importantly, siRNA-7 selectively inhibited cell viability in MDA-MB-231 cells, while normal HDF-n cells remained unaffected. Furthermore, in a xenograft mouse model, siRNA-7 exhibited a remarkable 76% reduction in tumor volume without any loss in body weight. These findings position siRNA-7 as a promising candidate for a novel, safe, specific, and potent TNBC cancer therapeutic. Moreover, the strategy of multiple suppressing small interfering RNA holds potential for the treatment of various diseases associated with gene overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewook Lee
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang Hyuk Bang
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeong Chae Ryu
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Hee Hwang
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Division of Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Bio Material & Process Development, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Institute for New Drug Development, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
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2
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Ordaz-Ramos A, Tellez-Jimenez O, Vazquez-Santillan K. Signaling pathways governing the maintenance of breast cancer stem cells and their therapeutic implications. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1221175. [PMID: 37492224 PMCID: PMC10363614 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1221175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of cells with the ability to self-renewal and differentiate into phenotypically diverse tumor cells. The involvement of CSC in treatment resistance and cancer recurrence has been well established. Numerous studies have provided compelling evidence that the self-renewal ability of cancer stem cells is tightly regulated by specific signaling pathways, which exert critical roles to maintain an undifferentiated phenotype and prevent the differentiation of CSCs. Signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, Notch, Hedgehog, TGF-β, and Hippo have been implicated in the promotion of self-renewal of many normal and cancer stem cells. Given the pivotal role of BCSCs in driving breast cancer aggressiveness, targeting self-renewal signaling pathways holds promise as a viable therapeutic strategy for combating this disease. In this review, we will discuss the main signaling pathways involved in the maintenance of the self-renewal ability of BCSC, while also highlighting current strategies employed to disrupt the signaling molecules associated with stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Ordaz-Ramos
- Innovation in Precision Medicine Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City, México
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, México
| | - Olivia Tellez-Jimenez
- Innovation in Precision Medicine Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City, México
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, México
| | - Karla Vazquez-Santillan
- Innovation in Precision Medicine Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City, México
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3
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Quiroga M, Rodríguez-Alonso A, Alfonsín G, Rodríguez JJE, Breijo SM, Chantada V, Figueroa A. Protein Degradation by E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer Stem Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040990. [PMID: 35205738 PMCID: PMC8870109 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The aim of this review was to discuss the fundamental role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in controlling cancer stem cells. It will be surmised that protein degradation controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligases plays a fundamental role in the self-renewal, maintenance and differentiation of cancer stem cells, highlighting its potential as an effective therapeutic target for anticancer drug development. Abstract Cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation within the tumor with high capacity for self-renewal, differentiation and reconstitution of tumor heterogeneity. Cancer stem cells are major contributors of tumor initiation, metastasis and therapy resistance in cancer. Emerging evidence indicates that ubiquitination-mediated post-translational modification plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of cancer stem cell characteristics. In this review, we will discuss how protein degradation controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligases plays a fundamental role in the self-renewal, maintenance and differentiation of cancer stem cells, highlighting the possibility to develop novel therapeutic strategies against E3 ubiquitin ligases targeting CSCs to fight cancer.
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4
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Means-Powell JA, Mayer IA, Ismail-Khan R, Del Valle L, Tonetti D, Abramson VG, Sanders MS, Lush RM, Sorrentino C, Majumder S, Miele L. A Phase Ib Dose Escalation Trial of RO4929097 (a γ-secretase inhibitor) in Combination with Exemestane in Patients with ER + Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). Clin Breast Cancer 2022; 22:103-114. [PMID: 34903452 PMCID: PMC8821119 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PRECLINICAL STUDIES: have demonstrated a complex cross-talk between Notch and estrogen signaling in ERα-positive breast cancer. Gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are investigational agents that block the cleavage and activation of Notch receptors. In animal models of endocrine-resistant breast cancer, combinations of tamoxifen and GSIs produce additive or synergistic efficacy, while decreasing the intestinal toxicity of GSIs. However, results of a clinical trial of a GSI-endocrine therapy combination in the metastatic setting have not been published to date, nor had the safety of such combinations been investigated with longer term treatment. We conducted a phase 1b dose escalation trial (NCT01149356) of GSI RO4929097 with exemestane in patients with ERα+, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety, tolerability and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of RO4929097 when administered in combination with exemestane in patients with estrogen receptor positive metastatic breast cancer RESULTS: We enrolled 15 patients with MBC. Of 14 evaluable patients, one had a partial response, 6 had stable disease and 7 progressive disease. Twenty % of patients had stable disease for ≥ 6 months. Common toxicities included nausea (73.3%), anorexia (60%), hyperglycemia (53.3%), hypophosphatemia (46.7%), fatigue (66.7%) and cough (33.0%). Grade 3 toxicities were uncommon, and included hypophosphatemia (13%) and rash (6.3%). Rash was the only DLT observed at 140 mg/d. Results suggest a possible recommended phase 2 dose of 90 mg/d. Ten patients with evaluable archival tissue showed expression of PKCα, which correlated with expression of Notch4. Mammospheres from a PKCα-expressing, endocrine-resistant T47D cell line were inhibited by a GSI-fulvestrant combination CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that combinations including endocrine therapy and Notch inhibitors deserve further investigation in endocrine-resistant ERα-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Means-Powell
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; Present address: Tennessee Oncology, Springfield, TN
| | | | | | - Luis Del Valle
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, LA; Department of Pathology, Louisiana State university Health, New Orleans, LA
| | - Debra Tonetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
| | | | | | - Richard M Lush
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; Section of Hematology/Oncology, Present address: George Washington University Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Claudia Sorrentino
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans
| | - Samarpan Majumder
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans
| | - Lucio Miele
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, LA; Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans.
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5
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Chen W, Wei W, Yu L, Ye Z, Huang F, Zhang L, Hu S, Cai C. Mammary Development and Breast Cancer: a Notch Perspective. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021; 26:309-320. [PMID: 34374886 PMCID: PMC8566423 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-021-09496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammary gland development primarily occurs postnatally, and this unique process is complex and regulated by systemic hormones and local growth factors. The mammary gland is also a highly dynamic organ that undergoes profound changes at puberty and during the reproductive cycle. These changes are driven by mammary stem cells (MaSCs). Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in women. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play prominent roles in tumor initiation, drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. The highly conserved Notch signaling pathway functions as a key regulator of the niche mediating mammary organogenesis and breast neoplasia. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which Notch contributes to breast carcinoma pathology and suggest potentials for therapeutic targeting of Notch in breast cancer. In summary, we provide a comprehensive overview of Notch functions in regulating MaSCs, mammary development, and breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liya Yu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zi Ye
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fujing Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liyan Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shiqi Hu
- DU-ANU Joint Science College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264200, China
| | - Cheguo Cai
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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6
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Wu HJ, Chu PY. Epigenetic Regulation of Breast Cancer Stem Cells Contributing to Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158113. [PMID: 34360879 PMCID: PMC8348144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, breast cancer has remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women. Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous and phenotypically diverse group of diseases, which require different selection of treatments. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), a small subset of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties, play essential roles in breast cancer progression, recurrence, metastasis, chemoresistance and treatments. Epigenetics is defined as inheritable changes in gene expression without alteration in DNA sequence. Epigenetic regulation includes DNA methylation and demethylation, as well as histone modifications. Aberrant epigenetic regulation results in carcinogenesis. In this review, the mechanism of epigenetic regulation involved in carcinogenesis, therapeutic resistance and metastasis of BCSCs will be discussed, and finally, the therapies targeting these biomarkers will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Ju Wu
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 500, Taiwan;
- Research Assistant Center, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Lukang Town, Changhua 505, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Chu
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
- Department of Health Food, Chung Chou University of Science and Technology, Changhua 510, Taiwan
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-975611855; Fax: +886-47227116
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7
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López-Sánchez LM, Mena R, Guil-Luna S, Mantrana A, Peñarando J, Toledano-Fonseca M, Conde F, De la Haba-Rodríguez JR, Aranda E, Rodríguez-Ariza A. Nitric oxide-targeted therapy inhibits stemness and increases the efficacy of tamoxifen in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells. J Transl Med 2021; 101:292-303. [PMID: 33262438 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-020-00507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in the resistance of estrogen (ER)-positive breast tumors against endocrine therapy. On the other hand, nitric oxide (NO) plays a relevant role in CSC biology, although there are no studies addressing how this important signaling molecule may contribute to resistance to antihormonal therapy in ER+ breast cancer. Therefore, we explored whether targeting NO in ER+ breast cancer cells impacts CSC subpopulation and sensitivity to hormonal therapy with tamoxifen. NO was targeted in ER+ breast cancer cells by specific NO depletion and NOS2 silencing and mammosphere formation capacity, stem cell markers and tamoxifen sensitivity were analyzed. An orthotopic breast tumor model in mice was also performed to analyze the efficacy of NO-targeted therapy plus tamoxifen. Kaplan-Meier curves were made to analyze the association of NOS2 gene expression with survival of ER+ breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. Our results show that targeting NO inhibited mamosphere formation, CSC markers expression and increased the antitumoral efficacy of tamoxifen in ER+ breast cancer cells, whereas tamoxifen-resistant cells displayed higher expression levels of NOS2 and Notch-1 compared with parental cells. Notably, NO-targeted therapy plus tamoxifen was more effective than either treatment alone in an orthotopic breast tumor model in immunodeficient mice. Furthermore, low NOS2 expression was significantly associated with a higher metastasis-free survival in ER+ breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. In conclusion, our data support that NO-targeted therapy in ER+ breast cancer may contribute to increase the efficacy of antihormonal therapy avoiding the development of resistance to these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M López-Sánchez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Mena
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Silvia Guil-Luna
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Mantrana
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jon Peñarando
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Marta Toledano-Fonseca
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Conde
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan R De la Haba-Rodríguez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Enrique Aranda
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Ariza
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain.
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8
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Das PK, Siddika MA, Asha SY, Aktar S, Rakib MA, Khanam JA, Pillai S, Islam F. MicroRNAs, a Promising Target for Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 24:69-83. [PMID: 31758333 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-019-00439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Reactivation of the stem cell programme in breast cancer is significantly associated with persistent cancer progression and therapeutic failure. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are involved in the process of breast cancer initiation, metastasis and cancer relapse. Among the various important cues found in the formation and progression of BCSCs, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play a pivotal role by regulating the expression of various tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes. Accordingly, there is evidence that miRNAs are associated with BCSC self-renewal, differentiation, invasion, metastasis and therapy resistance, and therefore cancer recurrence. miRNAs execute their roles by regulating the expression of stemness markers, activation of signalling pathways or their components and regulation of transcription networks in BCSCs. Therefore, a better understanding of the association between BCSCs and miRNAs has the potential to help design more effective and safer therapeutic solutions against breast cancer. Thus, an miRNA-based therapeutic strategy may open up new horizons for the treatment of breast cancer in the future. In view of this, we present the progress to date of miRNA research associated with stemness marker expression, signalling pathways and activation of transcription networks to regulate the self-renewal, differentiation and therapy resistance properties of BCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Plabon Kumar Das
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Mst Ayesha Siddika
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Saharia Yeasmin Asha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Suraiya Aktar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Abdur Rakib
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Jahan Ara Khanam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Suja Pillai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Farhadul Islam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh. .,Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia.
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9
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Kumar S, Nandi A, Singh S, Regulapati R, Li N, Tobias JW, Siebel CW, Blanco MA, Klein-Szanto AJ, Lengner C, Welm AL, Kang Y, Chakrabarti R. Dll1 + quiescent tumor stem cells drive chemoresistance in breast cancer through NF-κB survival pathway. Nat Commun 2021; 12:432. [PMID: 33462238 PMCID: PMC7813834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of chemoresistance in breast cancer patients greatly increases mortality. Thus, understanding mechanisms underlying breast cancer resistance to chemotherapy is of paramount importance to overcome this clinical challenge. Although activated Notch receptors have been associated with chemoresistance in cancer, the specific Notch ligands and their molecular mechanisms leading to chemoresistance in breast cancer remain elusive. Using conditional knockout and reporter mouse models, we demonstrate that tumor cells expressing the Notch ligand Dll1 is important for tumor growth and metastasis and bear similarities to tumor-initiating cancer cells (TICs) in breast cancer. RNA-seq and ATAC-seq using reporter models and patient data demonstrated that NF-κB activation is downstream of Dll1 and is associated with a chemoresistant phenotype. Finally, pharmacological blocking of Dll1 or NF-κB pathway completely sensitizes Dll1+ tumors to chemotherapy, highlighting therapeutic avenues for chemotherapy resistant breast cancer patients in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil Kumar
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Ajeya Nandi
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Snahlata Singh
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Rohan Regulapati
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Ning Li
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - John W. Tobias
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Christian W. Siebel
- grid.418158.10000 0004 0534 4718Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
| | - Mario Andres Blanco
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Andres J. Klein-Szanto
- grid.249335.a0000 0001 2218 7820Histopathology Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Christopher Lengner
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Alana L. Welm
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Yibin Kang
- grid.16750.350000 0001 2097 5006Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
| | - Rumela Chakrabarti
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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10
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Majumder S, Crabtree JS, Golde TE, Minter LM, Osborne BA, Miele L. Targeting Notch in oncology: the path forward. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020; 20:125-144. [PMID: 33293690 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-00091-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Notch signalling is involved in many aspects of cancer biology, including angiogenesis, tumour immunity and the maintenance of cancer stem-like cells. In addition, Notch can function as an oncogene and a tumour suppressor in different cancers and in different cell populations within the same tumour. Despite promising preclinical results and early-phase clinical trials, the goal of developing safe, effective, tumour-selective Notch-targeting agents for clinical use remains elusive. However, our continually improving understanding of Notch signalling in specific cancers, individual cancer cases and different cell populations, as well as crosstalk between pathways, is aiding the discovery and development of novel investigational Notch-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarpan Majumder
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Judy S Crabtree
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Todd E Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lisa M Minter
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Barbara A Osborne
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. .,Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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11
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BeLow M, Osipo C. Notch Signaling in Breast Cancer: A Role in Drug Resistance. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102204. [PMID: 33003540 PMCID: PMC7601482 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that can be subdivided into unique molecular subtypes based on protein expression of the Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and/or the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2. Therapeutic approaches are designed to inhibit these overexpressed receptors either by endocrine therapy, targeted therapies, or combinations with cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, a significant percentage of breast cancers are inherently resistant or acquire resistance to therapies, and mechanisms that promote resistance remain poorly understood. Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that regulates cell fate, including survival and self-renewal of stem cells, proliferation, or differentiation. Deregulation of Notch signaling promotes resistance to targeted or cytotoxic therapies by enriching of a small population of resistant cells, referred to as breast cancer stem cells, within the bulk tumor; enhancing stem-like features during the process of de-differentiation of tumor cells; or promoting epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Preclinical studies have shown that targeting the Notch pathway can prevent or reverse resistance through reduction or elimination of breast cancer stem cells. However, Notch inhibitors have yet to be clinically approved for the treatment of breast cancer, mainly due to dose-limiting gastrointestinal toxicity. In this review, we discuss potential mechanisms of Notch-mediated resistance in breast cancer cells and breast cancer stem cells, and various methods of targeting Notch through γ-secretase inhibitors, Notch signaling biologics, or transcriptional inhibitors. We also discuss future plans for identification of novel Notch-targeted therapies, in order to reduce toxicity and improve outcomes for women with resistant breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenna BeLow
- Integrated Cell Biology Program, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60513, USA;
| | - Clodia Osipo
- Integrated Cell Biology Program, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60513, USA;
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60513, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60513, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-708-327-2372
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12
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Chen YT, Huang CR, Chang CL, Chiang JY, Luo CW, Chen HH, Yip HK. Jagged2 progressively increased expression from Stage I to III of Bladder Cancer and Melatonin-mediated downregulation of Notch/Jagged2 suppresses the Bladder Tumorigenesis via inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR/MMPs signaling. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:2648-2662. [PMID: 32792862 PMCID: PMC7415428 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.48358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This study assessed the expression of Jagged2 in human bladder cancer (BC) tested the hypothesis that melatonin (Mel) inhibited the tumorigenesis of BC cells mainly through downregulating the Notch/Jagged2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR/MMPs(2&9) signaling pathways. Methods and Results: Tissue array from BC patients showed that the gene and protein expressions of JAG2/Jagged2 were significantly upregulated from T1 to T3 (primary tumor size) and from stage I to III (all p<0.001). In vitro study showed that in BC cell line of UMUC3, the cellular and protein expressions of Jagged2 were significantly attenuated in Mel-treated UMUC3 and further attenuated in UMUC3 shRNA silenced Notch/JAG2 (UMUC3KD) than in UMUC3 only (all p<0.0001). The protein expressions of Notch/Jagged2/MMPs(2&9)/PI3K/p-AKT/mTOR/p53/ratio of LC3BII/LC3B-I were significantly progressively reduced from UMUC3 to UMUC3+Mel/1.0mM, further to UMUC3+Mel/2.0mM and furthermore to UMUC3KD (all p<0.0001). The cell proliferation/invasion/colony formation/healing-process were significantly inhibited in Mel-treated/2.0mM UMUC3 and further significantly inhibited in UMUC3KD regardless of Mel treatment as compared with UMUC3 only (all p<0.0001). By day 28 after UMUC3 implanted into nude mouse back, the BC weight/volume were significantly reduced in UMUC3+Mel (100 mg/kg/day) and furthermore reduced in UMUC3KD (all p<0.0001) as compared with UMUC3 only (all p<0.0001). The cellular (MMPs(2&9)/Notch/Jagged2) and protein (Notch/Jagged2/PI3K/p-AKT/mTOR/MMPs(2&9)) exhibited a similar trend, whereas the PTEN protein level exhibited an opposite pattern of PI3K among three groups (all p<0.0001). Conclusion: Notch/Jagged-PI3K/p-AKT/mTOR/MMPs is one essential signaling pathway for BC survival, proliferation and invasion that were remarkably suppressed by Mel treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Ta Chen
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Shockwave Medicine and Tissue Engineering, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ruei Huang
- Center for Shockwave Medicine and Tissue Engineering, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lo Chang
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - John Y Chiang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Healthcare Administration and Medical Informatics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Luo
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Hwa Chen
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hon-Kan Yip
- Center for Shockwave Medicine and Tissue Engineering, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Nursing, Asia University Taichung, Taiwan.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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13
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Granit RZ, Masury H, Condiotti R, Fixler Y, Gabai Y, Glikman T, Dalin S, Winter E, Nevo Y, Carmon E, Sella T, Sonnenblick A, Peretz T, Lehmann U, Paz K, Piccioni F, Regev A, Root DE, Ben-Porath I. Regulation of Cellular Heterogeneity and Rates of Symmetric and Asymmetric Divisions in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3237-3250. [PMID: 30232005 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiation events contribute to phenotypic cellular heterogeneity within tumors and influence disease progression and response to therapy. Here, we dissect mechanisms controlling intratumoral heterogeneity within triple-negative basal-like breast cancers. Tumor cells expressing the cytokeratin K14 possess a differentiation state that is associated with that of normal luminal progenitors, and K14-negative cells are in a state closer to that of mature luminal cells. We show that cells can transition between these states through asymmetric divisions, which produce one K14+ and one K14- daughter cell, and that these asymmetric divisions contribute to the generation of cellular heterogeneity. We identified several regulators that control the proportion of K14+ cells in the population. EZH2 and Notch increase the numbers of K14+ cells and their rates of symmetric divisions, and FOXA1 has an opposing effect. Our findings demonstrate that asymmetric divisions generate differentiation transitions and heterogeneity, and identify pathways that control breast cancer cellular composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Z Granit
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Hadas Masury
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Reba Condiotti
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yaakov Fixler
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yael Gabai
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tzofia Glikman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Simona Dalin
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Eitan Winter
- Info-CORE, Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center at The Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yuval Nevo
- Info-CORE, Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center at The Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Einat Carmon
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tamar Sella
- Department of Radiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Amir Sonnenblick
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tamar Peretz
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Ulrich Lehmann
- Institute of Pathology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Keren Paz
- Champions Oncology, Inc., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and David H. Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Biology, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David E Root
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ittai Ben-Porath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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14
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Tian L, Truong MJ, Lagadec C, Adriaenssens E, Bouchaert E, Bauderlique-Le Roy H, Figeac M, Le Bourhis X, Bourette RP. s-SHIP Promoter Expression Identifies Mouse Mammary Cancer Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 13:10-20. [PMID: 31204299 PMCID: PMC6626869 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
During normal mammary gland development, s-SHIP promoter expression marks a distinct type of mammary stem cells, at two different stages, puberty and early mid-pregnancy. To determine whether s-SHIP is a marker of mammary cancer stem cells (CSCs), we generated bitransgenic mice by crossing the C3(1)-SV40 T-antigen transgenic mouse model of breast cancer, and a transgenic mouse (11.5kb-GFP) expressing green fluorescent protein from the s-SHIP promoter. Here we show that in mammary tumors originating in these bitransgenic mice, s-SHIP promoter expression enriches a rare cell population with CSC activity as demonstrated by sphere-forming assays in vitro and limiting dilution transplantation in vivo. These s-SHIP-positive CSCs are characterized by lower expression of Delta-like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (DLK1), a negative regulator of the Notch pathway. Inactivation of Dlk1 in s-SHIP-negative tumor cells increases their tumorigenic potential, suggesting a role for DLK1 in mammary cancer stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tian
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, UMR 8161 - M3T - Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis and Targeted Therapies, Institut de Biologie de Lille, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, CS 54447, Lille Cedex 59000/59021, France
| | - Marie-José Truong
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, UMR 8161 - M3T - Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis and Targeted Therapies, Institut de Biologie de Lille, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, CS 54447, Lille Cedex 59000/59021, France
| | - Chann Lagadec
- Université de Lille, INSERM U908 - CPAC - Cell Plasticity and Cancer, Lille 59000, France
| | - Eric Adriaenssens
- Université de Lille, INSERM U908 - CPAC - Cell Plasticity and Cancer, Lille 59000, France
| | | | | | - Martin Figeac
- Functional Genomics Platform, Université de Lille, Lille 59000, France
| | - Xuefen Le Bourhis
- Université de Lille, INSERM U908 - CPAC - Cell Plasticity and Cancer, Lille 59000, France
| | - Roland P Bourette
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille, UMR 8161 - M3T - Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis and Targeted Therapies, Institut de Biologie de Lille, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, CS 54447, Lille Cedex 59000/59021, France.
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15
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McClements L, Annett S, Yakkundi A, O’Rourke M, Valentine A, Moustafa N, Alqudah A, Simões BM, Furlong F, Short A, McIntosh SA, McCarthy HO, Clarke RB, Robson T. FKBPL and its peptide derivatives inhibit endocrine therapy resistant cancer stem cells and breast cancer metastasis by downregulating DLL4 and Notch4. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:351. [PMID: 30975104 PMCID: PMC6460676 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-5500-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimising breast cancer treatment remains a challenge. Resistance to therapy is a major problem in both ER- and ER+ breast cancer. Tumour recurrence after chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy leads to more aggressive tumours with enhanced metastatic ability. Self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in treatment resistance, recurrence and the development of metastatic disease. METHODS In this study, we utilised in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo breast cancer models using ER+ MCF-7 and ER- MDA-MB-231 cells, as well as solid and metastatic breast cancer patient samples, to interrogate the effects of FKBPL and its peptide therapeutics on metastasis, endocrine therapy resistant CSCs and DLL4 and Notch4 expression. The effects of FKBPL overexpression or peptide treatment were assessed using a t-test or one-way ANOVA with Dunnett's multiple comparison test. RESULTS We demonstrated that FKBPL overexpression or treatment with FKBPL-based therapeutics (AD-01, pre-clinical peptide /ALM201, clinical peptide) inhibit i) CSCs in both ER+ and ER- breast cancer, ii) cancer metastasis in a triple negative breast cancer metastasis model and iii) endocrine therapy resistant CSCs in ER+ breast cancer, via modulation of the DLL4 and Notch4 protein and/or mRNA expression. AD-01 was effective at reducing triple negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell migration (n ≥ 3, p < 0.05) and invasion (n ≥ 3, p < 0.001) and this was translated in vivo where AD-01 inhibited breast cancer metastasis in MDA-MB-231-lucD3H1 in vivo model (p < 0.05). In ER+ MCF-7 cells and primary breast tumour samples, we demonstrated that ALM201 inhibits endocrine therapy resistant mammospheres, representative of CSC content (n ≥ 3, p < 0.05). Whilst an in vivo limiting dilution assay, using SCID mice, demonstrated that ALM201 alone or in combination with tamoxifen was very effective at delaying tumour recurrence by 12 (p < 0.05) or 21 days (p < 0.001), respectively, by reducing the number of CSCs. The potential mechanism of action, in addition to CD44, involves downregulation of DLL4 and Notch4. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates, for the first time, the pre-clinical activity of novel systemic anti-cancer therapeutic peptides, ALM201 and AD-01, in the metastatic setting, and highlights their impact on endocrine therapy resistant CSCs; both areas of unmet clinical need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana McClements
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- The School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephanie Annett
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anita Yakkundi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Martin O’Rourke
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Charles River Labs, 8-9 Spire Green Centre, Essex, Harlow, CM19 5TR UK
| | - Andrea Valentine
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Charles River Labs, 8-9 Spire Green Centre, Essex, Harlow, CM19 5TR UK
| | | | - Abdelrahim Alqudah
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Hashemite University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Bruno M. Simões
- Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Manchester, UK
| | - Fiona Furlong
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Amy Short
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Stuart A. McIntosh
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast and Breast Surgery Department, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK
| | | | - Robert B. Clarke
- Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Manchester, UK
| | - Tracy Robson
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
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16
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Jeon YH, Ha M, Kim SW, Kim MJ, Lee CS, Oh CK, Han ME, Oh SO, Kim YH. Evaluation of the prognostic significances of γ-secretase genes in pancreatic cancer. Oncol Lett 2019; 17:4614-4620. [PMID: 30944650 PMCID: PMC6444455 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With the growing requirement for novel prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer, many studies have focused on clinical and/or genomic variables. Although many studies have been performed, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 is the only biomarker in clinical use. Therefore, the present study examined whether γ-secretase genes, including presenilin (PSEN), nicastrin (NCSTN), presenilin enhancer protein 2 (PSENEN), and anterior pharynx-defective 1 (APH1-), could serve as prognostic factors for pancreatic cancer. The cohorts selected included >100 pancreatic cancer patients. Patient data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE21501). The prognostic roles of the γ-secretase genes were analyzed by several survival analysis methods. Among the γ-secretase genes, the prognosis tended to be worse in the 2 cohorts with increasing expression of PSEN1, APH1A, and PSENEN, while the remaining genes were the opposite in the 2 cohorts. Notably, although the patient characteristics were quite different, APH1A was statistically significantly associated with prognosis in the 2 cohorts. The hazard ratio of APH1A for overall survival was 1.598 (TCGA) and 2.724 (GSE21501). These results contribute to the study of γ-secretase in pancreatic cancer. We believe that γ-secretase, particularly APH1A, will be a new prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ho Jeon
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Mihyang Ha
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Won Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Mun Ju Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Seung Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 49241, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Oh
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung-Eun Han
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae-Ock Oh
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Hak Kim
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.,Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 49241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
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17
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Colombo M, Platonova N, Giannandrea D, Palano MT, Basile A, Chiaramonte R. Re-establishing Apoptosis Competence in Bone Associated Cancers via Communicative Reprogramming Induced Through Notch Signaling Inhibition. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:145. [PMID: 30873026 PMCID: PMC6400837 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch and its ligands on adjacent cells are key mediators of cellular communication during developmental choice in embryonic and adult tissues. This communication is frequently altered in the pathological interaction between cancer cells and healthy cells of the microenvironment due to the aberrant expression of tumor derived Notch receptors or ligands, that results in homotypic or heterotypic Notch signaling activation in tumor cells or surrounding stromal cells. A deadly consequence of this pathological communication is pharmacological resistance that results in patient's relapse. We will provide a survey of the role of Notch signaling in the bone marrow (BM), a microenvironment with a very high capacity to support several types of cancer, including primary cancers such as osteosarcoma or multiple myeloma and bone metastases from carcinomas. Moreover, in the BM niche several hematological malignancies maintain a reservoir of cancer stem cells, characterized by higher intrinsic drug resistance. Cell-cell communication in BM-tumor interaction triggers signaling pathways by direct contact and paracrine communication through soluble growth factors or extracellular vesicles, which can deliver specific molecules such as mRNAs, miRNAs, proteins, metabolites, etc. enabling tumor cells to reprogram the healthy cells of the microenvironment inducing them to support tumor growth. In this review we will explore how the dysregulated Notch activity contributes to tumor-mediated reprogramming of the BM niche and drug resistance, strengthening the rationale of a Notch-directed therapy to re-establish apoptosis competence in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Colombo
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Basile
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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18
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Sosa Iglesias V, Giuranno L, Dubois LJ, Theys J, Vooijs M. Drug Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Potential for NOTCH Targeting? Front Oncol 2018; 8:267. [PMID: 30087852 PMCID: PMC6066509 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is a major cause for therapeutic failure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leading to tumor recurrence and disease progression. Cell intrinsic mechanisms of resistance include changes in the expression of drug transporters, activation of pro-survival, and anti-apoptotic pathways, as well as non-intrinsic influences of the tumor microenvironment. It has become evident that tumors are composed of a heterogeneous population of cells with different genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic characteristics that result in diverse responses to therapy, and underlies the emergence of resistant clones. This tumor heterogeneity is driven by subpopulations of tumor cells termed cancer stem cells (CSCs) that have tumor-initiating capabilities, are highly self-renewing, and retain the ability for multi-lineage differentiation. CSCs have been identified in NSCLC and have been associated with chemo- and radiotherapy resistance. Stem cell pathways are frequently deregulated in cancer and are implicated in recurrence after treatment. Here, we focus on the NOTCH signaling pathway, which has a role in stem cell maintenance in non-squamous non-small lung cancer, and we critically assess the potential for targeting the NOTCH pathway to overcome resistance to chemotherapeutic and targeted agents using both preclinical and clinical evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venus Sosa Iglesias
- Department of Radiation Oncology, GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lorena Giuranno
- Department of Radiation Oncology, GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ludwig J Dubois
- Department of Radiation Oncology, GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jan Theys
- Department of Radiation Oncology, GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marc Vooijs
- Department of Radiation Oncology, GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Maastricht, Netherlands
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19
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Zhang Y, Xu B, Zhang XP. Effects of miRNAs on functions of breast cancer stem cells and treatment of breast cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:4263-4270. [PMID: 30100733 PMCID: PMC6065473 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s165156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies for women, which accounts for 30% of all female malignancies. The formation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) is attributed to the acquisition of stemness of tumor cells. With self-renewal potential, these stem cells are insensitive to either radiotherapy or chemotherapy but are significant in regulating tumor behaviors and drug resistance. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a kind of noncoding small RNA for negatively regulating gene expressions. Research findings suggest that many miRNAs specifically regulate the expression of target genes and signal pathways of BCSCs. They play an important role in self-renewal, growth, and metastasis of breast cancer cells as potential targets for treating breast cancer. These signal pathways include phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and so on. This paper reviews the progress of research about miRNAs in self-renewal, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis, mediation of resistance to chemotherapies, and treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Surgery, Zhejiang Rehabilitation Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xi-Ping Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China,
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20
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Chen JH, Kuo KT, Bamodu OA, Lin YC, Yang RB, Yeh CT, Chao TY. Upregulated SCUBE2 expression in breast cancer stem cells enhances triple negative breast cancer aggression through modulation of notch signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Exp Cell Res 2018; 370:444-453. [PMID: 29981340 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastatic and/or recurrent breast carcinomas are leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) have been implicated in cancer metastases and progression, thus, the need for the discovery and development of effective BCSCs-specific therapies against metastatic and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The expression of SCUBE2, originally identified in vascular endothelia, then in several non-endothelial cell types, is downregulated in invasive breast carcinomas. However, the role of SCUBE2 in BCSCs remains unknown. This present study investigated the probable involvements of SCUBE2 in BCSCs and TNBC metastasis. METHODS The mRNA expression of SCUBE2, stemness and EMT markers in MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T tumorspheres or adherent cells were evaluated by qRT-PCR and microarray analyses. Using gene overexpression, in vitro migration and invasion assays, as well as in vivo bioluminescence imaging, we evaluated the role of SCUBE2 in MDA-MB-231 or Hs578T BCSCs. Western blot and cytotoxicity assays helped identify and validate SCUBE2 molecular target(s) and inhibitor(s). RESULTS Concurrently increased SCUBE2 expression and cell motility were observed in TNBC tumorspheres compared to the parental adherent cells. SCUBE2 overexpression augmented BCSCs motility in vitro, and enhanced TNBC metastasis in vivo. While SCUBE2 overexpression activated Notch signaling its downregulation suppressed Notch signal effectors NICD, Jagged 1, HEY1, and HES1. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that SCUBE2 expression is upregulated in BCSCs, promote EMT and enhance TNBC metastasis by activating Notch signaling. This reveals a potential druggable molecular target and an effective therapeutic strategy against metastatic and aggressive TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hong Chen
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Tai Kuo
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yuh-Charn Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ruey-Bing Yang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Tai Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Tsu-Yi Chao
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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21
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Wang Q, Jiang J, Ying G, Xie XQ, Zhang X, Xu W, Zhang X, Song E, Bu H, Ping YF, Yao XH, Wang B, Xu S, Yan ZX, Tai Y, Hu B, Qi X, Wang YX, He ZC, Wang Y, Wang JM, Cui YH, Chen F, Meng K, Wang Z, Bian XW. Tamoxifen enhances stemness and promotes metastasis of ERα36 + breast cancer by upregulating ALDH1A1 in cancer cells. Cell Res 2018; 28:336-358. [PMID: 29393296 PMCID: PMC5835774 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2018.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The 66 kDa estrogen receptor alpha (ERα66) is the main molecular target for endocrine therapy such as tamoxifen treatment. However, many patients develop resistance with unclear mechanisms. In a large cohort study of breast cancer patients who underwent surgery followed by tamoxifen treatment, we demonstrate that ERα36, a variant of ERα66, correlates with poor prognosis. Mechanistically, tamoxifen directly binds and activates ERα36 to enhance the stemness and metastasis of breast cancer cells via transcriptional stimulation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1). Consistently, the tamoxifen-induced stemness and metastasis can be attenuated by either ALDH1 inhibitors or a specific ERα36 antibody. Thus, tamoxifen acts as an agonist on ERα36 in breast cancer cells, which accounts for hormone therapy resistance and metastasis of breast cancer. Our study not only reveals ERα36 as a stratifying marker for endocrine therapy but also provides a promising therapeutic avenue for tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Department of Breast Diseases, Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Guoguang Ying
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Xie
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, China National Center of Biomedical Analysis, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Erwei Song
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Hong Bu
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yi-Fang Ping
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Yao
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Shilei Xu
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Ze-Xuan Yan
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yanhong Tai
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100853, China
- Department of Pathology, No.307 Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Baoquan Hu
- Department of Breast Diseases, Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xiaowei Qi
- Department of Breast Diseases, Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yan-Xia Wang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Zhi-Cheng He
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Ji Ming Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - You-Hong Cui
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Shenogen Pharma Group, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Kun Meng
- Shenogen Pharma Group, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Zhaoyi Wang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
- Departments of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Creighton University Medical School, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Xiu-Wu Bian
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing 400038, China
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22
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Pindiprolu SKSS, Krishnamurthy PT, Chintamaneni PK. Pharmacological targets of breast cancer stem cells: a review. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2018; 391:463-479. [PMID: 29476201 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-018-1479-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancers contain small population of tumor-initiating cells called breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), which are spared even after chemotherapy. Recently, BCSCs are implicated to be a cause of metastasis, tumor relapse, and therapy resistance in breast cancer. BCSCs have unique molecular mechanisms, which can be targeted to eliminate them. These include surface biomarkers, proteins involved in self-renewal pathways, drug efflux transporters, apoptotic/antiapoptotic proteins, autophagy, metabolism, and microenvironment regulation. The complex molecular mechanisms behind the survival of BCSCs and pharmacological targets for elimination of BCSCs are described in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Kiran S S Pindiprolu
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy (Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University), Rocklands, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, 643001, India
| | - Praveen T Krishnamurthy
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy (Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University), Rocklands, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, 643001, India.
| | - Pavan Kumar Chintamaneni
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy (Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University), Rocklands, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, 643001, India
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23
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Del Barco Barrantes I, Stephan-Otto Attolini C, Slobodnyuk K, Igea A, Gregorio S, Gawrzak S, Gomis RR, Nebreda AR. Regulation of Mammary Luminal Cell Fate and Tumorigenesis by p38α. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 10:257-271. [PMID: 29290625 PMCID: PMC5768988 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammary stem and progenitor cells are essential for mammary gland homeostasis and are also candidates for cells of origin of mammary tumors. Here, we have investigated the function of the protein kinase p38α in the mammary gland using mice that delete this protein in the luminal epithelial cells. We show that p38α regulates the fate of luminal progenitor cells through modulation of the transcription factor RUNX1, an important controller of the estrogen receptor-positive cell lineage. We also provide evidence that the regulation of RUNX1 by p38α probably involves the kinase MSK1, which phosphorylates histone H3 at the RUNX1 promoter. Moreover, using a mouse model for breast cancer initiated by luminal cells, we show that p38α downregulation in mammary epithelial cells reduces tumor burden, which correlates with decreased numbers of tumor-initiating cells. Collectively, our results define a key role for p38α in luminal progenitor cell fate that affects mammary tumor formation. Luminal progenitor cell fate in the mammary gland is regulated by p38α p38α controls the ER transcriptional program by modulating RUNX1 p38α regulates H3 phosphorylation at the RUNX1 promoter through the kinase MSK1 p38α promotes mammary tumorigenesis by maintaining luminal tumor-initiating cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Del Barco Barrantes
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Konstantin Slobodnyuk
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Igea
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Gregorio
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sylwia Gawrzak
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger R Gomis
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; CIBERONC, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angel R Nebreda
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
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24
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Chung WC, Zhang S, Challagundla L, Zhou Y, Xu K. Lunatic Fringe and p53 Cooperatively Suppress Mesenchymal Stem-Like Breast Cancer. Neoplasia 2017; 19:885-895. [PMID: 28938159 PMCID: PMC5608590 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Claudin-low breast cancer (CLBC) is a poor prognosis molecular subtype showing stemness and mesenchymal features. We previously discovered that deletion of a Notch signaling modulator, Lunatic Fringe (Lfng), in the mouse mammary gland induced a subset of tumors resembling CLBC. Here we report that deletion of one copy of p53 on this background not only accelerated mammary tumor development but also led to a complete penetrance of the mesenchymal stem-like phenotype. All mammary tumors examined in the Lfng/p53 compound mutant mice displayed a mesenchymal/spindloid pathology. These tumors showed high level expressions of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers including Vimentin, Twist, and PDGFRα, a gene known to be enriched in CLBC. Prior to tumor onset, Lfng/p53 mutant mammary glands exhibited increased levels of Vimentin and E-cadherin, but decreased expressions of cytokeratin 14 and cytokeratin 8, accompanied by elevated basal cell proliferation and an expanded mammary stem cell-enriched population. Lfng/p53 mutant glands displayed increased accumulation of Notch3 intracellular fragment, up-regulation of Hes5 and down-regulation of Hes1. Analysis in human breast cancer datasets found the lowest HES1 and second lowest LFNG expressions in CLBC among molecular subtypes, and low level of LFNG is associated with poor survival. Immunostaining of human breast cancer tissue array found correlation between survival and LFNG immunoreactivity. Finally, patients carrying TP53 mutations express lower LFNG than patients with wild type TP53. Taken together, these data revealed genetic interaction between Lfng and p53 in mammary tumorigenesis, established a new mouse model resembling CLBC, and may suggest targeting strategy for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Cheng Chung
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Shubing Zhang
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Lavanya Challagundla
- Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Yunyun Zhou
- Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Keli Xu
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
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25
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Nguyen NM, de Oliveira Andrade F, Jin L, Zhang X, Macon M, Cruz MI, Benitez C, Wehrenberg B, Yin C, Wang X, Xuan J, de Assis S, Hilakivi-Clarke L. Maternal intake of high n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid diet during pregnancy causes transgenerational increase in mammary cancer risk in mice. Breast Cancer Res 2017; 19:77. [PMID: 28673325 PMCID: PMC5494892 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-017-0866-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal and paternal high-fat (HF) diet intake before and/or during pregnancy increases mammary cancer risk in several preclinical models. We studied if maternal consumption of a HF diet that began at a time when the fetal primordial germ cells travel to the genital ridge and start differentiating into germ cells would result in a transgenerational inheritance of increased mammary cancer risk. METHODS Pregnant C57BL/6NTac mouse dams were fed either a control AIN93G or isocaloric HF diet composed of corn oil high in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids between gestational days 10 and 20. Offspring in subsequent F1-F3 generations were fed only the control diet. RESULTS Mammary tumor incidence induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene was significantly higher in F1 (p < 0.016) and F3 generation offspring of HF diet-fed dams (p < 0.040) than in the control offspring. Further, tumor latency was significantly shorter (p < 0.028) and burden higher (p < 0.027) in F1 generation HF offspring, and similar trends were seen in F3 generation HF offspring. RNA sequencing was done on normal mammary glands to identify signaling differences that may predispose to increased breast cancer risk by maternal HF intake. Analysis revealed 1587 and 4423 differentially expressed genes between HF and control offspring in F1 and F3 generations, respectively, of which 48 genes were similarly altered in both generations. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis validated 13 chosen up- and downregulated genes in F3 HF offspring, but only downregulated genes in F1 HF offspring. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified upregulation of Notch signaling as a key alteration in HF offspring. Further, knowledge-fused differential dependency network analysis identified ten node genes that in the HF offspring were uniquely connected to genes linked to increased cancer risk (ANKEF1, IGFBP6, SEMA5B), increased resistance to cancer treatments (SLC26A3), poor prognosis (ID4, JAM3, TBX2), and impaired anticancer immunity (EGR3, ZBP1). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that maternal HF diet intake during pregnancy induces a transgenerational increase in offspring mammary cancer risk in mice. The mechanisms of inheritance in the F3 generation may be different from the F1 generation because significantly more changes were seen in the transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen M Nguyen
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Fabia de Oliveira Andrade
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Lu Jin
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Xiyuan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Madisa Macon
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - M Idalia Cruz
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Carlos Benitez
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Bryan Wehrenberg
- UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chao Yin
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Jianhua Xuan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Sonia de Assis
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Leena Hilakivi-Clarke
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Research Building, Room E407, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Wnt signals regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentiation during development, as well as synaptic transmission and plasticity in the adult brain. Abnormal Wnt signaling is central to a number of brain pathologies. We review here, the significance of this pathway focused in the contribution of the most frequent alterations in receptors, secretable modulators and downstream targets in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Glioblastoma (GBM). β-catenin and GSK3 levels are pivotal in the neurodegeneration associated to AD contributing to memory deficits, tau phosphorylation, increased β-amyloid production and modulation of Apolipoprotein E in the brain. In consequence, β-catenin and GSK3 are targets for potential treatments in AD. Also, Wnt pathway components and secreted molecules interfering with this signaling contribute to the progression of tumoral cells. Wnt pathway activation is a bad prognosis in brain cancer; however, mutations in WNT or Frizzled (FZD) genes do not account for the cases of GBM. Instead, recent studies indicate that epigenetic modifications contribute to the development of GBMs opening novel strategies to study GBM progression.
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Denkert C, Liedtke C, Tutt A, von Minckwitz G. Molecular alterations in triple-negative breast cancer-the road to new treatment strategies. Lancet 2017; 389:2430-2442. [PMID: 27939063 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)32454-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 548] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and specific therapies have not been available for a long time. Therefore, conventional chemotherapy is still considered the clinical state of the art. Different subgroups of triple-negative breast cancer have been identified on the basis of protein expression, mRNA signatures, and genomic alterations. Important elements of triple-negative breast cancer biology include high proliferative activity, an increased immunological infiltrate, a basal-like and a mesenchymal phenotype, and deficiency in homologous recombination, which is in part associated with loss of BRCA1 or BRCA2 function. A minority of triple-negative tumours express luminal markers, such as androgen receptors, and have a lower proliferative activity. These biological subgroups are overlapping and currently cannot be combined into a unified model of triple-negative breast cancer biology. Nevertheless, the molecular analysis of this disease has identified potential options for targeted therapeutic intervention. This has led to promising clinical strategies, including modified chemotherapy approaches targeting the DNA damage response, angiogenesis inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, or even anti-androgens, all of which are being evaluated in phase 1-3 clinical studies. This Series paper focuses on the most relevant clinical questions, summarises the results of recent clinical trials, and gives an overview of ongoing studies and trial concepts that will lead to a more refined therapy for this tumour type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Denkert
- Institute of Pathology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Andrew Tutt
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research and Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College, London, UK
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28
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Inhibition of Cdk5 induces cell death of tumor-initiating cells. Br J Cancer 2017; 116:912-922. [PMID: 28222068 PMCID: PMC5379151 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Tumour-initiating cells (TICs) account for chemoresistance, tumour recurrence and metastasis, and therefore represent a major problem in tumour therapy. However, strategies to address TICs are limited. Recent studies indicate Cdk5 as a promising target for anti-cancer therapy and Cdk5 has recently been associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, a role of Cdk5 in TICs has not been described yet. Methods: Expression of Cdk5 in human cancer tissue was analysed by staining of a human tissue microarray (TMA). Functional effects of Cdk5 overexpression, genetic knockdown by siRNA and shRNA, and pharmacologic inhibition by the small molecule roscovitine were tested in migration, invasion, cell death, and tumorsphere assays and in tumour establishment in vivo. For mechanistic studies, molecular biology methods were applied. Results: In fact, here we pin down a novel function of Cdk5 in TICs: knockdown and pharmacological inhibition of Cdk5 impaired tumorsphere formation and reduced tumour establishment in vivo. Conversely, Cdk5 overexpression promoted tumorsphere formation which was in line with increased expression of Cdk5 in human breast cancer tissues as shown by staining of a human TMA. In order to understand how Cdk5 inhibition affects tumorsphere formation, we identify a role of Cdk5 in detachment-induced cell death: Cdk5 inhibition induced apoptosis in tumorspheres by stabilizing the transcription factor Foxo1 which results in increased levels of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim. Conclusions: In summary, our study elucidates a Cdk5-Foxo1-Bim pathway in cell death in tumorspheres and suggests Cdk5 as a potential target to address TICs.
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Pal D, Kolluru V, Chandrasekaran B, Baby BV, Aman M, Suman S, Sirimulla S, Sanders MA, Alatassi H, Ankem MK, Damodaran C. Targeting aberrant expression of Notch-1 in ALDH + cancer stem cells in breast cancer. Mol Carcinog 2016; 56:1127-1136. [PMID: 27753148 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We have previously reported that high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme activity in breast cancer cells results in breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) properties by upregualting Notch-1 and epithelial mesenchymal markers. This results in chemoresistance in breast cancer. Here, we examined the functional and clinical significance of ALDH expression by measuring the ALDH levels in breast cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry. There was a significantly higher ALDH expression in higher grade breast cancer tumor tissues (Grade- II and III) versus normal breast tissues. Injection of BCSC (ALDH+ and CD44+ /CD22- ) cells resulted in aggressive tumor growth in athymic mice versus ALDH- cells. The ALDH+ and CD44+ /CD22- tumors grow rapidly and are larger than ALDH- tumors which were slow growing and smaller. Molecularly, ALDH+ tumors expressed higher expression of Notch-1 and EMT markers than ALDH- tumors. Oral administration of the naturally occurring Psoralidin (Pso, 25 mg/kg of body weight) significantly inhibited the growth in ALDH+ and ALDH- tumors as well. Psoralidin inhibited Notch-1 mediated EMT activation in ALDH+ and ALDH- tumors-this confirms our in vitro findings. Our results suggest that Notch-1 could be an attractive target and inhibition of Notch-1 by Psoralidin may prevent pathogenesis of breast cancer as well as metastasis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deeksha Pal
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | | | | | - Becca V Baby
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Masarath Aman
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Suman Suman
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | | | | | - Houda Alatassi
- Department of Pathology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Murali K Ankem
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
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Sun Y, Zhang R, Zhou S, Ji Y. Overexpression of Notch1 is associated with the progression of cervical cancer. Oncol Lett 2015; 9:2750-2756. [PMID: 26137140 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the third most common malignancy worldwide, accounting for 250,000 mortalities annually. Notch1, an important regulator of cell-fate decisions and differentiation, has been found to be overexpressed in certain types of cancer. However, the role of Notch1 in cervical carcinogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis revealed that Notch1 expression was significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues than that in normal cervical tissues. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that Notch1 expression was significantly associated with tumor differentiation and tumor stage. These findings indicated that Notch1 expression was associated with the progression of cervical cancer. The western blot assay also identified a positive correlation between Notch1 and Ki67 expression in cervical cancer tissues, which suggested that Notch1 expression may be associated with the proliferation of cervical cancer. In order to further evaluate the specific role of Notch1 in cervical cancer progression, its expression in SiHa and C33A cells was knocked down using small interfering RNA. It was revealed that the knockdown of Notch1 in SiHa and C33A cells resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro. These results indicated that Notch1 was able to promote cell proliferation in cervical cancer. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that Notch1 may function as a promoter in cervical carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Sun
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital of Zaozhuang Mining Group, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277000, P.R. China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital of Zaozhuang Mining Group, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277000, P.R. China
| | - Shujuan Zhou
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital of Zaozhuang Mining Group, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277000, P.R. China
| | - Yuqiang Ji
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, No. 1 Hospital of Xi'an City, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710002, P.R. China
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Barbieri F, Thellung S, Ratto A, Carra E, Marini V, Fucile C, Bajetto A, Pattarozzi A, Würth R, Gatti M, Campanella C, Vito G, Mattioli F, Pagano A, Daga A, Ferrari A, Florio T. In vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity of metformin on stem-like cells isolated from spontaneous canine mammary carcinomas: translational implications for human tumors. BMC Cancer 2015; 15:228. [PMID: 25884842 PMCID: PMC4397725 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-015-1235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered the cell subpopulation responsible for breast cancer (BC) initiation, growth, and relapse. CSCs are identified as self-renewing and tumor-initiating cells, conferring resistance to chemo- and radio-therapy to several neoplasias. Nowadays, th (about 10mM)e pharmacological targeting of CSCs is considered an ineludible therapeutic goal. The antidiabetic drug metformin was reported to suppress in vitro and in vivo CSC survival in different tumors and, in particular, in BC preclinical models. However, few studies are available on primary CSC cultures derived from human postsurgical BC samples, likely because of the limited amount of tissue available after surgery. In this context, comparative oncology is acquiring a relevant role in cancer research, allowing the analysis of larger samples from spontaneous pet tumors that represent optimal models for human cancer. Methods Isolation of primary canine mammary carcinoma (CMC) cells and enrichment in stem-like cell was carried out from fresh tumor specimens by culturing cells in stem-permissive conditions. Phenotypic and functional characterization of CMC-derived stem cells was performed in vitro, by assessment of self-renewal, long-lasting proliferation, marker expression, and drug sensitivity, and in vivo, by tumorigenicity experiments. Corresponding cultures of differentiated CMC cells were used as internal reference. Metformin efficacy on CMC stem cell viability was analyzed both in vitro and in vivo. Results We identified a subpopulation of CMC cells showing human breast CSC features, including expression of specific markers (i.e. CD44, CXCR4), growth as mammospheres, and tumor-initiation in mice. These cells show resistance to doxorubicin but were highly sensitive to metformin in vitro. Finally, in vivo metformin administration significantly impaired CMC growth in NOD-SCID mice, associated with a significant depletion of CSCs. Conclusions Similarly to the human counterpart, CMCs contain stem-like subpopulations representing, in a comparative oncology context, a valuable translational model for human BC, and, in particular, to predict the efficacy of antitumor drugs. Moreover, metformin represents a potential CSC-selective drug for BC, as effective (neo-)adjuvant therapy to eradicate CSC in mammary carcinomas of humans and animals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1235-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Barbieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy. .,Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Stefano Thellung
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy. .,Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Ratto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, and National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Genoa, Italy.
| | - Elisa Carra
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Valeria Marini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Carmen Fucile
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Adriana Bajetto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Pattarozzi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Roberto Würth
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Monica Gatti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Chiara Campanella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, and National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Genoa, Italy.
| | - Guendalina Vito
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, and National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Genoa, Italy.
| | - Francesca Mattioli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Aldo Pagano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy. .,IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST, Genoa, Italy.
| | | | - Angelo Ferrari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, and National Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Genoa, Italy.
| | - Tullio Florio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Sezione di Farmacologia, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy. .,Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
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Zhang S, Chung WC, Wu G, Egan SE, Miele L, Xu K. Manic fringe promotes a claudin-low breast cancer phenotype through notch-mediated PIK3CG induction. Cancer Res 2015; 75:1936-43. [PMID: 25808869 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-3303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Claudin-low breast cancer (CLBC) is a poor prognosis disease biologically characterized by stemness and mesenchymal features. These tumors disproportionately affect younger patients and women with African ancestry, causing significant morbidity and mortality, and no effective targeted therapy exists at present. CLBC is thought to originate from mammary stem cells, but little is known on how or why these tumors express a stable epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype, or what are the driving forces of this disease. Here, we report that Manic Fringe (Mfng), which encodes an O-fucosylpeptide 3-β-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase known to modify EGF repeats in the Notch extracellular domain, is highly expressed in CLBC and functions as an oncogene in this context. We show that Mfng modulates Notch activation in human and mouse CLBC cell lines, as well as in mouse mammary gland. Mfng silencing in CLBC cell lines reduced cell migration, tumorsphere formation, and in vivo tumorigenicity associated with a decrease in the stem-like cell population. Mfng deletion in the Lfng(flox/flox);MMTV-Cre mouse model, in which one-third of mammary tumors resemble human CLBC, caused a tumor subtype shift away from CLBC. We identified the phosphoinositide kinase Pik3cg as a direct transcriptional target of Mfng-facilitated RBPJκ-dependent Notch signaling. Indeed, pharmacologic inhibition of PI3Kγ in CLBC cell lines blocked migration and tumorsphere formation. Taken together, our results define Mfng as an oncogene acting through Notch-mediated induction of Pik3cg. Furthermore, they suggest that targeting PI3Kγ may prove beneficial for the treatment of CLBC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubing Zhang
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wen-Cheng Chung
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Guanming Wu
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology and Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Sean E Egan
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lucio Miele
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Keli Xu
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare, tumour-initiating cells that exhibit stem cell properties: capacity of self-renewal, pluripotency, highly tumorigenic potential, and resistance to therapy. Cancer stem cells have been characterised and isolated from many cancers, including breast cancer. Developmental pathways, such as the Wnt/β-catenin, Notch/γ-secretase/Jagged, Shh (sonic hedgehog), and BMP signalling pathways, which direct proliferation and differentiation of normal stem cells, have emerged as major signalling pathways that contribute to the self-renewal of stem and/or progenitor cells in a variety of organs and cancers. Deregulation of these signalling pathways is frequently linked to an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and breast CSCs often possess properties of cells that have undergone the EMT process. Signalling networks mediated by microRNAs and EMT-inducing transcription factors tie the EMT process to regulatory networks that maintain "stemness". Recent studies have elucidated epigenetic mechanisms that control pluripotency and stemness, which allows an assessment on how embryonic and normal tissue stem cells are deregulated during cancerogenesis to give rise to CSCs. Epigenetic-based mechanisms are reversible, and the possibility of "resetting" the abnormal cancer epigenome by applying pharmacological compounds targeting epigenetic enzymes is a promising new therapeutic strategy. Chemoresistance of CSCs is frequently driven by various mechanisms, including aberrant expression/activity of ABC transporters, aldehyde dehydrogenase and anti-oncogenic proteins (i.e. BCL2, B-cell lymphoma-2), enhanced DNA damage response, activation of pro-survival signalling pathways, and epigenetic deregulations. Despite controversy surrounding the CSC hypothesis, there is substantial evidence for their role in cancer, and a number of drugs intended to specifically target CSCs have entered clinical trials.
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Bolós V, Mira E, Martínez-Poveda B, Luxán G, Cañamero M, Martínez-A C, Mañes S, de la Pompa JL. Notch activation stimulates migration of breast cancer cells and promotes tumor growth. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 15:R54. [PMID: 23826634 PMCID: PMC3978930 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Revised: 05/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysregulated NOTCH receptor activity has been implicated in breast cancer but the mechanisms by which NOTCH contributes to transformation are not yet clear, as it has context-dependent effects on the properties of transformed cells. METHODS We have used various in vitro and in vivo carcinogenic models to analyze the impact of Notch signaling in the onset and progression of breast tumors. RESULTS We found that ectopic expression of the Notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) in MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cell line caused reduction and delocalization of E-CADHERIN levels and increased migratory and invasive abilities. Notch inhibition in the invasive breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 resulted in increased E-CADHERIN expression and a parallel reduction in their invasive capacity. The growth of subcutaneous xenografts produced with MCF-7 cells was boosted after N1ICD induction, in a cell autonomous manner. In vivo Notch1 activation in the mammary gland using the MMTV-Cre driver caused the formation of papillary tumors that showed increased Hes1 and Hey1 expression and delocalized E-cadherin staining. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm NOTCH1 as a signal triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition in epithelial cancer cells, which may have implications in tumor dissemination, metastasis and proliferation in vivo. The identification of specific factors interacting with NOTCH signaling could thus be relevant to fully understanding the role of NOTCH in breast neoplasia.
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Implications of stemness-related signaling pathways in breast cancer response to therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2014; 31:43-51. [PMID: 25153354 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence that breast cancer may arise from a small subpopulation of transformed mammary stem/progenitor cells, termed breast cancer-initiating cells (BCICs), responsible for initiation and maintenance of cancer. BCICs have been identified in clinical specimens based on CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) membrane expression and/or enzymatic activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1+), or isolated and in vitro propagated as non-adherent spheres. This cell population has been demonstrated to be able to recreate, when injected in mice even at very low concentrations, the same histopathological features of the tumor they were derived from and to escape from current therapeutic strategies. Alterations in genes involved in stemness-related pathways, such as Wnt, Notch, and Sonic Hedgehog, have been proven to play a role in breast cancer progression. Targeting these key elements represents an attractive option, with a solid rationale, although possible concerns may derive from the poor knowledge of tolerance and efficacy of inhibiting these mechanisms without inducing severe side effects. In addition, efforts to develop alternative BCIC-targeted therapies against stemness markers (CD44 and ALDH1) and molecules involved in regulating EMT- and HER2-related pathways, or able to reverse the multi-drug resistance phenotype, or to induce differentiation and to control cell survival pathways are currently ongoing and encouraging results from pre-clinical studies have already been obtained using in vitro and in vivo models.
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Abstract
While it has been known for decades that androgen hormones influence normal breast development and breast carcinogenesis, the underlying mechanisms have only been recently elucidated. To date, most studies have focused on androgen action in breast cancer cell lines, yet these studies represent artificial systems that often do not faithfully replicate/recapitulate the cellular, molecular and hormonal environments of breast tumours in vivo. It is critical to have a better understanding of how androgens act in the normal mammary gland as well as in in vivo systems that maintain a relevant tumour microenvironment to gain insights into the role of androgens in the modulation of breast cancer development. This in turn will facilitate application of androgen-modulation therapy in breast cancer. This is particularly relevant as current clinical trials focus on inhibiting androgen action as breast cancer therapy but, depending on the steroid receptor profile of the tumour, certain individuals may be better served by selectively stimulating androgen action. Androgen receptor (AR) protein is primarily expressed by the hormone-sensing compartment of normal breast epithelium, commonly referred to as oestrogen receptor alpha (ERa (ESR1))-positive breast epithelial cells, which also express progesterone receptors (PRs) and prolactin receptors and exert powerful developmental influences on adjacent breast epithelial cells. Recent lineage-tracing studies, particularly those focussed on NOTCH signalling, and genetic analysis of cancer risk in the normal breast highlight how signalling via the hormone-sensing compartment can influence normal breast development and breast cancer susceptibility. This provides an impetus to focus on the relationship between androgens, AR and NOTCH signalling and the crosstalk between ERa and PR signalling in the hormone-sensing component of breast epithelium in order to unravel the mechanisms behind the ability of androgens to modulate breast cancer initiation and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard A Tarulli
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL)Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Lisa M Butler
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL)Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Wayne D Tilley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL)Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Theresa E Hickey
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL)Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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Guo W. Concise review: breast cancer stem cells: regulatory networks, stem cell niches, and disease relevance. Stem Cells Transl Med 2014; 3:942-8. [PMID: 24904174 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2014-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has shown that cancer stem cells (CSCs), the cancer cells that have long-term proliferative potential and the ability to regenerate tumors with phenotypically heterogeneous cell types, are important mediators of tumor metastasis and cancer relapse. In breast cancer, these cells often possess attributes of cells that have undergone an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Signaling networks mediated by microRNAs and EMT-inducing transcription factors connect the EMT program with the core stem cell regulatory machineries. These signaling networks are also regulated by extrinsic niche signals that induce and maintain CSCs, contributing to metastatic colonization and promoting the reactivation of dormant tumor cells. Targeting these CSC pathways is likely to improve the efficacy of conventional chemo- and radiotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Guo
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Carvalho FLF, Simons BW, Eberhart CG, Berman DM. Notch signaling in prostate cancer: a moving target. Prostate 2014; 74:933-45. [PMID: 24737393 PMCID: PMC4323172 DOI: 10.1002/pros.22811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION By regulating cell fate, proliferation, and survival, Notch pathway signaling provides critical input into differentiation, organization, and function of multiple tissues. Notch signaling is also becoming an increasingly recognized feature in malignancy, including prostate cancer, where it may play oncogenic or tumor suppressive roles. METHODS Based on an electronic literature search from 2000 to 2013 we identified, summarized, and integrated published research on Notch signaling dynamics in prostate homeostasis and prostate cancer. RESULTS In benign prostate, Notch controls the differentiation state and architecture of the gland. In prostate cancer, similar features correlate with lethal potential and may be influenced by Notch. Increased Notch1 can confer a survival advantage on prostate cancer cells, and levels of Notch family members, such as Jagged2, Notch3, and Hes6 increase with higher cancer grade. However, Notch signaling can also antagonize growth and survival of both benign and malignant prostate cells, possibly through antagonistic effects of the Notch target HEY1 on androgen receptor function. DISCUSSION Notch signaling can dramatically influence prostate development and disease. Determining the cellular contexts where Notch promotes or suppresses prostate growth could open opportunities for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe L F Carvalho
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Malaguarnera R, Belfiore A. The emerging role of insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling in cancer stem cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:10. [PMID: 24550888 PMCID: PMC3912738 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells frequently exploit the IGF signaling, a fundamental pathway mediating development, cell growth, and survival. As a consequence, several components of the IGF signaling are deregulated in cancer and sustain cancer progression. However, specific targeting of IGF-IR in humans has resulted efficacious only in small subsets of cancers, making researches wondering whether IGF system targeting is still worth pursuing in the clinical setting. Although no definite answer is yet available, it has become increasingly clear that other components of the IGF signaling pathway, such as IR-A, may substitute for the lack of IGF-IR, and induce cancer resistance and/or clonal selection. Moreover, accumulating evidence now indicates that IGF signaling is a central player in the induction/maintenance of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell stemness, two strictly related programs, which play a key role in metastatic spread and resistance to cancer treatments. Here we review the evidences indicating that IGF signaling enhances the expression of transcription factors implicated in the EMT program and has extensive cross-talk with specific pathways involved in cell pluripotency and stemness maintenance. In turn, EMT and cell stemness activate positive feed-back mechanisms causing up-regulation of various IGF signaling components. These findings may have novel translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Malaguarnera
- Endocrinology, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Antonino Belfiore
- Endocrinology, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- James L. Sherley
- The Adult Stem Cell Technology Center; Boston Biomedical Research Institute; Watertown; MA; USA
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Park JP, Raafat A, Feltracco JA, Blanding WM, Booth BW. Differential gene expression in nuclear label-retaining cells in the developing mouse mammary gland. Stem Cells Dev 2013. [PMID: 23199335 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2012.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The immortal strand theory postulates stem cells protect themselves from DNA replication-associated mutations and subsequent cancer risk through selective segregation of template DNA strands. Stem cells self-renew by asymmetric cellular division. During asymmetric division, stem cells maintain their template DNA strands, while the newly synthesized DNA strands segregate to newly formed daughter cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that self-renewing mammary stem cells originate in the expanding mammary ducts during puberty-associated allometric growth. In this study, we labeled newly forming mammary stem cells with the thymidine analog 5-ethynl-2'-deoxyuridine for 2 weeks during allometric ductal expansion. Cells that incorporate and retain the nuclear label following extended chase periods are termed label-retaining cells (LRCs). A second nuclear label, 5-bromodeoxyuridine, was administered before euthanasia to identify cells traversing the cell cycle. Mammary cells collected following euthanasia were sorted based on nuclear label retention. Members of the Notch and Wnt signaling pathways were found differentially expressed by mammary LRCs. These pathways are involved in the regulation of stem cells in the mouse mammary gland. Upon further analysis, we found that in contrast to non-LRCs, Notch1 and Notch2 are expressed and localized in the nuclei of the LRCs. Expression of Notch-inducible genes, Hes1 and Hey2, was elevated in LRCs. Inhibition of Notch1 by shRNA reduced colony forming potential and label retention by mammary epithelial cells in vitro. These results indicate that genes are differentially regulated in the LRC population of mammary glands and Notch1 mediates asymmetric cell division of mammary progenitor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jang Pyo Park
- Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA
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Shah M, Allegrucci C. Keeping an open mind: highlights and controversies of the breast cancer stem cell theory. BREAST CANCER-TARGETS AND THERAPY 2012; 4:155-66. [PMID: 24367202 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s26434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery that breast cancers contain stem-like cells has fuelled exciting research in the last few years. These cells are referred to as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and are thought to be involved in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Being intrinsically resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy, they are also considered responsible for recurrence of the disease after treatment. BCSCs have been suggested to be at the basis of tumor complexity, as they have the ability to self-renew and give rise to highly proliferating and terminally differentiated cancer cells that comprise the heterogeneous bulk of the tumor. There has been much speculation on the BCSC model, and in this review we address some fundamental questions, such as the identity of BCSCs and their involvement in tumor intra- and interheterogeneity. As an alternative to the BCSC model, we discuss clonal evolution, as both theories show extensive evidence in support of their arguments. Finally, we discuss a unifying idea that reconciles both models, which is based on stem cell plasticity and epigenetic modifications induced by the tumor microenvironment. The implications of cancer stem cell plasticity for drug discovery and future therapeutic interventions are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Shah
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK
| | - Cinzia Allegrucci
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK ; Center for Genetics and Genomics and Cancer Research Nottingham, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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Tanveer R, Gowran A, Noonan J, Keating SE, Bowie AG, Campbell VA. The endocannabinoid, anandamide, augments Notch-1 signaling in cultured cortical neurons exposed to amyloid-β and in the cortex of aged rats. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:34709-21. [PMID: 22891244 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.350678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant Notch signaling has recently emerged as a possible mechanism for the altered neurogenesis, cognitive impairment, and learning and memory deficits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). Recently, targeting the endocannabinoid system in models of AD has emerged as a potential approach to slow the progression of the disease process. Although studies have identified neuroprotective roles for endocannabinoids, there is a paucity of information on modulation of the pro-survival Notch pathway by endocannabinoids. In this study the influence of the endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, on the Notch-1 pathway and on its endogenous regulators were investigated in an in vitro model of AD. We report that AEA up-regulates Notch-1 signaling in cultured neurons. We also provide evidence that although Aβ(1-42) increases expression of the endogenous inhibitor of Notch-1, numb (Nb), this can be prevented by AEA and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Interestingly, AEA up-regulated Nct expression, a component of γ-secretase, and this was found to play a crucial role in the enhanced Notch-1 signaling mediated by AEA. The stimulatory effects of AEA on Notch-1 signaling persisted in the presence of Aβ(1-42). AEA was found to induce a preferential processing of Notch-1 over amyloid precursor protein to generate Aβ(1-40). Aging, a natural process of neurodegeneration, was associated with a reduction in Notch-1 signaling in rat cortex and hippocampus, and this was restored with chronic treatment with URB 597. In summary, AEA has the proclivity to enhance Notch-1 signaling in an in vitro model of AD, which may have relevance for restoring neurogenesis and cognition in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riffat Tanveer
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Chen HJ, Edwards R, Tucci S, Bu P, Milsom J, Lee S, Edelmann W, Gümüs ZH, Shen X, Lipkin S. Chemokine 25-induced signaling suppresses colon cancer invasion and metastasis. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:3184-96. [PMID: 22863617 DOI: 10.1172/jci62110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) can help regulate tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Here, we show that chemokine 25 (CCL25) and its cognate receptor chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) inhibit colorectal cancer (CRC) invasion and metastasis. We found that CCR9 protein expression levels were highest in colon adenomas and progressively decreased in invasive and metastatic CRCs. CCR9 was expressed in both primary tumor cell cultures and colon-cancer-initiating cell (CCIC) lines derived from early-stage CRCs but not from metastatic CRC. CCL25 stimulated cell proliferation by activating AKT signaling. In vivo, systemically injected CCR9+ early-stage CCICs led to the formation of orthotopic gastrointestinal xenograft tumors. Blocking CCR9 signaling inhibited CRC tumor formation in the native gastrointestinal CCL25+ microenvironment, while increasing extraintestinal tumor incidence. NOTCH signaling, which promotes CRC metastasis, increased extraintestinal tumor frequency by stimulating CCR9 proteasomal degradation. Overall, these data indicate that CCL25 and CCR9 regulate CRC progression and invasion and further demonstrate an appropriate in vivo experimental system to study CRC progression in the native colon microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Joyce Chen
- Department of Medicine, Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
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Xia J, Li Y, Yang Q, Mei C, Chen Z, Bao B, Ahmad A, Miele L, Sarkar FH, Wang Z. Arsenic trioxide inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis through inactivation of notch signaling pathway in breast cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2012; 13:9627-9641. [PMID: 22949821 PMCID: PMC3431819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms13089627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 07/15/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Arsenic trioxide has been reported to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptotic cell death in many human cancer cells including breast cancer. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor activity of arsenic trioxide are still largely unknown. In the present study, we assessed the effects of arsenic trioxide on cell viability and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. For mechanistic studies, we used multiple cellular and molecular approaches such as MTT assay, apoptosis ELISA assay, gene transfection, RT-PCR, Western blotting, and invasion assays. For the first time, we found a significant reduction in cell viability in arsenic trioxide-treated cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was consistent with induction of apoptosis and also associated with down-regulation of Notch-1 and its target genes. Taken together, our findings provide evidence showing that the down-regulation of Notch-1 by arsenic trioxide could be an effective approach, to cause down-regulation of Bcl-2, and NF-κB, resulting in the inhibition of cell growth and invasion as well as induction of apoptosis. These results suggest that the anti-tumor activity of arsenic trioxide is in part mediated through a novel mechanism involving inactivation of Notch-1 and its target genes. We also suggest that arsenic trioxide could be further developed as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China; E-Mails: (J.X.); (C.M.); (Z.C.)
| | - Youjian Li
- Laboratory Medicine, Taixing People’s Hospital, Taizhou 225400, China; E-Mail:
| | - Qingling Yang
- Research Center of Clinical Laboratory Science, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China; E-Mail:
| | - Chuanzhong Mei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China; E-Mails: (J.X.); (C.M.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zhiwen Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China; E-Mails: (J.X.); (C.M.); (Z.C.)
| | - Bin Bao
- Department of Pathology and Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; E-Mails: (B.B.); (A.A.); (F.H.S.)
| | - Aamir Ahmad
- Department of Pathology and Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; E-Mails: (B.B.); (A.A.); (F.H.S.)
| | - Lucio Miele
- University of Mississippi Cancer Institute, 2500 N State St, Jackson, MS 39216, USA; E-Mail:
| | - Fazlul H Sarkar
- Department of Pathology and Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; E-Mails: (B.B.); (A.A.); (F.H.S.)
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China; E-Mails: (J.X.); (C.M.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-617-735-2474; Fax: +1-617-735-2480
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Wong NKY, Fuller M, Sung S, Wong F, Karsan A. Heterogeneity of breast cancer stem cells as evidenced with Notch-dependent and Notch-independent populations. Cancer Med 2012; 1:105-13. [PMID: 23342261 PMCID: PMC3544441 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have suggested the potential importance of Notch signaling to the cancer stem cell population in some tumors, but it is not known whether all cells in the cancer stem cell fraction require Notch activity. To address this issue, we blocked Notch activity in MCF-7 cells by expressing a dominant-negative MAML-GFP (dnMAML) construct, which inhibits signaling through all Notch receptors, and quantified the effect on tumor-initiating activity. Inhibition of Notch signaling reduced primary tumor sphere formation and side population. Functional quantification of tumor-initiating cell numbers in vivo showed a significant decrease, but not a complete abrogation, of these cells in dnMAML-expressing cells. Interestingly, when assessed in secondary assays in vitro or in vivo, there was no difference in tumor-initiating activity between the dnMAML-expressing cells and control cells. The fact that a subpopulation of dnMAML-expressing cells was capable of forming primary and secondary tumors indicates that there are Notch-independent tumor-initiating cells in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Our findings thus provide direct evidence for a heterogeneous cancer stem cell pool, which will require combination therapies against multiple oncogenic pathways to eliminate the tumor-initiating cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson K Y Wong
- Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Han J, Shen Q. Targeting γ-secretase in breast cancer. BREAST CANCER-TARGETS AND THERAPY 2012; 4:83-90. [PMID: 24367196 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s26437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
γ-secretase complexes are multisubunit protease complexes that perform the intramembrane cleavage of more than 60 type-I transmembrane proteins, including Notch receptors. Since dysregulated Notch signaling has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer, small molecule γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are being tested for their therapeutic potential in breast cancer treatment in several clinical trials. Here, the structure of γ-secretase complex and the development of GSIs are briefly reviewed, the roles of Notch and several other γ-secretase substrates in breast cancer are discussed, and the difference between γ-secretase inhibition and Notch inhibition, as well as the side effects associated with GSIs, are described. A better understanding of molecular mechanisms that affect the responsiveness of breast cancer to GSI might help to develop strategies to enhance the antitumor activity and, at the same time, alleviate the side effects of GSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxun Han
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qiang Shen
- Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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γ-Secretase inhibition promotes cell death, Noxa upregulation, and sensitization to BH3 mimetic ABT-737 in human breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res 2012; 14:R96. [PMID: 22703841 PMCID: PMC3446359 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Inappropriate Notch signaling, downstream of γ-secretase activity, is understood to have tumor-promoting function and to be associated with poor outcome in cancer, of the breast in particular. The molecular basis of antitumoral effects of its inhibitors, however, remains poorly characterized. Moreover, the effects of their combination with the pro-apoptotic pharmacologic inhibitor of Bcl-2/Bcl-xL, ABT-737, have never been evaluated. In this study, we thus specifically addressed the biologic consequences of targeting γ-secretase and Bcl-2/Bcl-xL, alone or simultaneously, in breast cancer cell lines as well as in a novel human breast cancer ex vivo assay. Methods By using in vitro 2D or 3D cultures of breast cancer cells plus a novel preclinical short-term ex vivo assay that correctly maintains human mammary tissue integrity and preserves tumor microenvironment, we tested the effects of the pharmacologic γ-secretase inhibitor GSIXII used as a single agent or in combination with ABT-737. Results We show herein that the γ-secretase inhibitor, GSIXII, efficiently induces apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines by a process that relies on the induction of Noxa, a pro-apoptotic Bcl2-homology 3 domain (BH3)-only protein of the Bcl-2 family that functions as an inhibitor of antiapoptotic Mcl1. GSIXII also targets mammary cancer stem-like cells because it dramatically prevents in vitro mammosphere formation. Moreover, combining GSIXII treatment with ABT-737, a BH3-mimetic inhibitor of additional antiapoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, leads to both a synergistic apoptotic response in breast cancer cells and to an inhibitory effect on mammosphere formation. These effects are also found when a Notch transcriptional inhibitor, SAHM1, is used. Finally, we evaluated individual human tumor responses to γ-secretase inhibition alone or in combination with ABT-737 in ex vivo assays. Analysis of a series of 30 consecutive tumors indicated that a majority of tumors are sensitive to apoptosis induction by GSIXII and that association of GSIXII with ABT-737 leads to an enhanced induction of apoptosis in tumor cells. Conclusions We thus provide evidence that γ-secretase, and downstream Notch signaling, are relevant targets in breast cancer. GSIXII, used as single agent or in combination with clinically relevant BH3-mimetics, is a promising innovative proapoptotic strategy to treat mammary tumors.
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