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George J, Chen Y, Abdelfattah N, Yamamoto K, Gallup TD, Adamson SI, Rybinski B, Srivastava A, Kumar P, Lee MG, Baskin DS, Jiang W, Choi JM, Flavahan W, Chuang JH, Kim BY, Xu J, Jung SY, Yun K. Cancer stem cells, not bulk tumor cells, determine mechanisms of resistance to SMO inhibitors. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:402-416. [PMID: 36688010 PMCID: PMC9853917 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of treatment resistance significantly reduces the clinical utility of many effective targeted therapies. Although both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance have been reported, whether these mechanisms are stochastically selected in individual tumors or governed by a predictable underlying principle is unknown. Here, we report that the dependence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), not bulk tumor cells, on the targeted pathway determines the molecular mechanism of resistance in individual tumors. Using both spontaneous and transplantable mouse models of sonic hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma (MB) treated with an SHH/Smoothened inhibitor, sonidegib/LDE225, we show that genetic-based resistance occurs only in tumors that contain SHH-dependent CSCs (SD-CSCs). In contrast, SHH MBs containing SHH-dependent bulk tumor cells but SHH-independent CSCs (SI-CSCs) acquire resistance through epigenetic reprogramming. Mechanistically, elevated proteasome activity in SMOi-resistant SI-CSC MBs alters the tumor cell maturation trajectory through enhanced degradation of specific epigenetic regulators, including histone acetylation machinery components, resulting in global reductions in H3K9Ac, H3K14Ac, H3K56Ac, H4K5Ac, and H4K8Ac marks and gene expression changes. These results provide new insights into how selective pressure on distinct tumor cell populations contributes to different mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies. This insight provides a new conceptual framework to understand responses and resistance to SMOis and other targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshy George
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Yaohui Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston, Texas
- The Kenneth R. Peak Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center, Houston Methodist, Houston Texas
| | - Nourhan Abdelfattah
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Hospital and Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
| | - Keiko Yamamoto
- The Jackson Laboratory-Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | - Thomas D. Gallup
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Scott I. Adamson
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Brad Rybinski
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anuj Srivastava
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Parveen Kumar
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Min Gyu Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - David S. Baskin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston, Texas
- The Kenneth R. Peak Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center, Houston Methodist, Houston Texas
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jong Min Choi
- Advanced Technology Core, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - William Flavahan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffrey H. Chuang
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Betty Y.S. Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jiaqiong Xu
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Texas
| | - Sung Yun Jung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Kyuson Yun
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Hospital and Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
- Department of Neurology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
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2
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Deng S, Li L, Xu S, Wang X, Han T. Promotion of gastric tumor initiating cells in a 3D collagen gel culture model via YBX1/SPP1/NF-κB signaling. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:599. [PMID: 34758833 PMCID: PMC8579534 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02307-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The high potential for tumor recurrence and chemoresistance is a major challenge of clinical gastric cancer treatment. Increasing evidence suggests that the presence of tumor initiating cells (TICs) is the principal cause of tumor recurrence and chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanism of TIC development remains controversial. Methods To identify novel molecular pathways in gastric cancer, we screened the genomic expression profile of 155 gastric cancer patients from the TCGA database. We then described an improved 3D collagen I gels and tested the effects of collagen on the TIC phenotype of gastric cells using colony formation assay, transwell assay, and nude mouse models. Additionally, cell apoptosis assay was performed to examine the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorine and paclitaxel on gastric cancer cells cultured in 3D collagen I gels. Results Elevated expression of type I collagen was observed in tumor tissues from high stage patients (stage T3–T4) when compared to the low stage group (n=10, stage T1–T2). Furthermore, tumor cells seeded in a low concentration of collagen gels acquired TIC-like phenotypes and revealed enhanced resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, which was dependent on an integrin β1 (ITGB1)/Y-box Binding Protein 1 (YBX1)/Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1)/NF-κB signaling pathway. Importantly, inhibition of ITGB1/NF-κB signaling efficiently reversed the chemoresistance induced by collagen and promoted anticancer effects in vivo. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that type I collagen promoted TIC-like phenotypes and chemoresistance through ITGB1/YBX1/SPP1/NF-κB pathway, which may provide novel insights into gastric cancer therapy. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02307-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangya Deng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lun Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shu Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tong Han
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
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3
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Malawsky DS, Weir SJ, Ocasio JK, Babcock B, Dismuke T, Cleveland AH, Donson AM, Vibhakar R, Wilhelmsen K, Gershon TR. Cryptic developmental events determine medulloblastoma radiosensitivity and cellular heterogeneity without altering transcriptomic profile. Commun Biol 2021; 4:616. [PMID: 34021242 PMCID: PMC8139976 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02099-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unclear why medulloblastoma patients receiving similar treatments experience different outcomes. Transcriptomic profiling identified subgroups with different prognoses, but in each subgroup, individuals remain at risk of incurable recurrence. To investigate why similar-appearing tumors produce variable outcomes, we analyzed medulloblastomas triggered in transgenic mice by a common driver mutation expressed at different points in brain development. We genetically engineered mice to express oncogenic SmoM2, starting in multipotent glio-neuronal stem cells, or committed neural progenitors. Both groups developed medulloblastomas with similar transcriptomic profiles. We compared medulloblastoma progression, radiosensitivity, and cellular heterogeneity, determined by single-cell transcriptomic analysis (scRNA-seq). Stem cell-triggered medulloblastomas progressed faster, contained more OLIG2-expressing stem-like cells, and consistently showed radioresistance. In contrast, progenitor-triggered MBs progressed slower, down-regulated stem-like cells and were curable with radiation. Progenitor-triggered medulloblastomas also contained more diverse stromal populations, with more Ccr2+ macrophages and fewer Igf1+ microglia, indicating that developmental events affected the subsequent tumor microenvironment. Reduced mTORC1 activity in M-Smo tumors suggests that differential Igf1 contributed to differences in phenotype. Developmental events in tumorigenesis that were obscure in transcriptomic profiles thus remained cryptic determinants of tumor composition and outcome. Precise understanding of medulloblastoma pathogenesis and prognosis requires supplementing transcriptomic/methylomic studies with analyses that resolve cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shiloh Malawsky
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Seth J Weir
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Karin Ocasio
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin Babcock
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Taylor Dismuke
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Abigail H Cleveland
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Cancer Cell Biology Training Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrew M Donson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's, Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Rajeev Vibhakar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program, Children's, Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kirk Wilhelmsen
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- RENCI, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Timothy R Gershon
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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4
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Selvadurai HJ, Luis E, Desai K, Lan X, Vladoiu MC, Whitley O, Galvin C, Vanner RJ, Lee L, Whetstone H, Kushida M, Nowakowski T, Diamandis P, Hawkins C, Bader G, Kriegstein A, Taylor MD, Dirks PB. Medulloblastoma Arises from the Persistence of a Rare and Transient Sox2 + Granule Neuron Precursor. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107511. [PMID: 32294450 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is a neoplasm linked to dysregulated cerebellar development. Previously, we demonstrated that the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) subgroup grows hierarchically, with Sox2+ cells at the apex of tumor progression and relapse. To test whether this mechanism is rooted in a normal developmental process, we studied the role of Sox2 in cerebellar development. We find that the external germinal layer (EGL) is derived from embryonic Sox2+ precursors and that the EGL maintains a rare fraction of Sox2+ cells during the first postnatal week. Through lineage tracing and single-cell analysis, we demonstrate that these Sox2+ cells are within the Atoh1+ lineage, contribute extensively to adult granule neurons, and resemble Sox2+ tumor cells. Critically, constitutive activation of the SHH pathway leads to their aberrant persistence in the EGL and rapid tumor onset. We propose that failure to eliminate this rare but potent developmental population is the tumor initiation mechanism in SHH-subgroup MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden J Selvadurai
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Erika Luis
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Kinjal Desai
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Xiaoyang Lan
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Maria C Vladoiu
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Owen Whitley
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, ON M5T 1W1, Canada
| | - Ciaran Galvin
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Robert J Vanner
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Lilian Lee
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Heather Whetstone
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Michelle Kushida
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Tomasz Nowakowski
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Phedias Diamandis
- Department of Pathology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada; Division of Pathology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Cynthia Hawkins
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Pathology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada; Division of Pathology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Gary Bader
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, ON M5T 1W1, Canada
| | - Arnold Kriegstein
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael D Taylor
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Peter B Dirks
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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5
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Veleta KA, Cleveland AH, Babcock BR, He YW, Hwang D, Sokolsky-Papkov M, Gershon TR. Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins BCL-xL and MCL-1 integrate neural progenitor survival and proliferation during postnatal cerebellar neurogenesis. Cell Death Differ 2020; 28:1579-1592. [PMID: 33293647 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-020-00687-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The tendency of brain cells to undergo apoptosis in response to exogenous events varies across neural development, with apoptotic threshold dependent on proliferation state. Proliferative neural progenitors show a low threshold for apoptosis, while terminally differentiated neurons are relatively refractory. To define the mechanisms linking proliferation and apoptotic threshold, we examined the effect of conditionally deleting Bcl2l1, the gene that codes the antiapoptotic protein BCL-xL, in cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs), and of co-deleting Bcl2l1 homologs, antiapoptotic Mcl-1, or pro-apoptotic Bax. We found that cerebella in conditional Bcl2l1-deleted (Bcl-xLcKO) mice were severely hypoplastic due to the increased apoptosis of CGNPs and their differentiated progeny, the cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Apoptosis was highest as Bcl-xLcKO CGNPs exited the cell cycle to initiate differentiation, with proliferating Bcl-xLcKO CGNPs relatively less affected. Despite the overall reduction in cerebellar growth, SHH-dependent proliferation was prolonged in Bcl-xLcKO mice, as more CGNPs remained proliferative in the second postnatal week. Co-deletion of Bax rescued the Bcl-xLcKO phenotype, while co-deletion of Mcl-1 enhanced the phenotype. These findings show that CGNPs require BCL-xL to regulate BAX-dependent apoptosis, and that this role can be partially compensated by MCL-1. Our data further show that BCL-xL expression regulates MCL-1 abundance in CGNPs, and suggest that excessive MCL-1 in Bcl-xLcKO mice prolongs CGNP proliferation by binding SUFU, resulting in increased SHH pathway activation. Accordingly, we propose that BCL-xL and MCL-1 interact with each other and with developmental mechanisms that regulate proliferation, to adjust the apoptotic threshold as CGNPs progress through postnatal neurogenesis to CGNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Veleta
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Abigail H Cleveland
- UNC Cancer Cell Biology Training Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Benjamin R Babcock
- Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - You-Wen He
- Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Duhyeong Hwang
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Marina Sokolsky-Papkov
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Timothy R Gershon
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. .,Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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6
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da Cunha Jaeger M, Ghisleni EC, Cardoso PS, Siniglaglia M, Falcon T, Brunetto AT, Brunetto AL, de Farias CB, Taylor MD, Nör C, Ramaswamy V, Roesler R. HDAC and MAPK/ERK Inhibitors Cooperate To Reduce Viability and Stemness in Medulloblastoma. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:981-992. [PMID: 32056089 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01505-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB), which originates from embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs) or neural precursors in the developing cerebellum, is the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood. Recurrent and metastatic disease is the principal cause of death and may be related to resistance within cancer stem cells (CSCs). Chromatin state is involved in maintaining signaling pathways related to stemness, and inhibition of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDAC) has emerged as an experimental therapeutic strategy to target this cell population. Here, we observed antitumor actions and changes in stemness induced by HDAC inhibition in MB. Analyses of tumor samples from patients with MB showed that the stemness markers BMI1 and CD133 are expressed in all molecular subgroups of MB. The HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) NaB reduced cell viability and expression of BMI1 and CD133 and increased acetylation in human MB cells. Enrichment analysis of genes associated with CD133 or BMI1 expression showed mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK signaling as the most enriched processes in MB tumors. MAPK/ERK inhibition reduced expression of the stemness markers, hindered MB neurosphere formation, and its antiproliferative effect was enhanced by combination with NaB. These results suggest that combining HDAC and MAPK/ERK inhibitors may be a novel and more effective approach in reducing MB proliferation when compared to single-drug treatments, through modulation of the stemness phenotype of MB cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariane da Cunha Jaeger
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduarda Chiesa Ghisleni
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Paula Schoproni Cardoso
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Marialva Siniglaglia
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tiago Falcon
- Bioinformatics Core, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - André T Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Algemir L Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Caroline Brunetto de Farias
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Michael D Taylor
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carolina Nör
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Vijay Ramaswamy
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rafael Roesler
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500 (ICBS, Campus Centro/UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
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7
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Bahmad HF, Poppiti RJ. Medulloblastoma cancer stem cells: molecular signatures and therapeutic targets. J Clin Pathol 2020; 73:243-249. [PMID: 32034059 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2019-206246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant primary intracranial neoplasm diagnosed in childhood. Although numerous efforts have been made during the past few years to exploit novel targeted therapies for this aggressive neoplasm, there still exist substantial hitches hindering successful management of MB. Lately, progress in cancer biology has shown evidence that a subpopulation of cells within the tumour, namely cancer stem cells (CSCs), are thought to be responsible for the resistance to most chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy, accounting for cancer recurrence. Hence, it is crucial to identify the molecular signatures and genetic aberrations that characterise those CSCs and develop therapies that specifically target them. In this review, we aim to give an overview of the main genetic and molecular cues that depict MB-CSCs and provide a synopsis of the novel therapeutic approaches that specifically target this population of cells to attain enhanced antitumorous effects and therefore overcome resistance to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham F Bahmad
- Arkadi M Rywlin MD Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA.,Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Robert J Poppiti
- Arkadi M Rywlin MD Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA .,Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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8
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Gao JP, Xu W, Liu WT, Yan M, Zhu ZG. Tumor heterogeneity of gastric cancer: From the perspective of tumor-initiating cell. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24:2567-2581. [PMID: 29962814 PMCID: PMC6021770 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i24.2567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common and malignant types of cancer due to its rapid progression, distant metastasis, and resistance to conventional chemotherapy, although efforts have been made to understand the underlying mechanism of this resistance and to improve clinical outcome. It is well recognized that tumor heterogeneity, a fundamental feature of malignancy, plays an essential role in the cancer development and chemoresistance. The model of tumor-initiating cell (TIC) has been proposed to explain the genetic, histological, and phenotypical heterogeneity of GC. TIC accounts for a minor subpopulation of tumor cells with key characteristics including high tumorigenicity, maintenance of self-renewal potential, giving rise to both tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic cancer cells, and resistance to chemotherapy. Regarding tumor-initiating cell of GC (GATIC), substantial studies have been performed to (1) identify the putative specific cell markers for purification and functional validation of GATICs; (2) trace the origin of GATICs; and (3) decode the regulatory mechanism of GATICs. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate the plasticity of GATIC and the interaction between GATIC and its surrounding factors (TIC niche or tumor microenvironment). All these investigations pave the way for the development of GATIC-targeted therapy, which is in the phase of preclinical studies and clinical trials. Here, we interpret the heterogeneity of GC from the perspectives of TIC by reviewing the above-mentioned fundamental and clinical studies of GATICs. Problems encountered during the GATIC investigations and the potential solutions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Peng Gao
- Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wen-Tao Liu
- Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Min Yan
- Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zheng-Gang Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
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9
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Addressing intra-tumoral heterogeneity and therapy resistance. Oncotarget 2018; 7:72322-72342. [PMID: 27608848 PMCID: PMC5342165 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last several years, our appreciation of intra-tumoral heterogeneity has greatly increased due to accumulating evidence for the co-existence of genetically and epigenetically divergent cancer cells residing in different microenvironments within a tumor. Herein, we review recent literature discussing intra-tumoral heterogeneity in the context of therapy resistance mechanisms at the genetic, epigenetic and microenvironmental levels. We illustrate the influence of tumor microenvironment on therapy resistance and epigenetic states of cancer cells by highlighting the role of cancer stem cells in therapy resistance. We also summarize different strategies that have been employed to address various resistance mechanisms at genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironmental levels in preclinical and clinical studies. We propose that future personalized cancer therapy design needs to incorporate dynamic and comprehensive analyses of tumor heterogeneity landscape and multi-dimensional mechanisms of therapy resistance.
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10
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Sun X, Liu X. Cancer metastasis: enactment of the script for human reproductive drama. Cancer Cell Int 2017; 17:51. [PMID: 28469531 PMCID: PMC5414196 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-017-0421-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on compelling evidence from many biological disciplines, we put forth a hypothesis for cancer metastasis. In the hypothesis, the metastatic cascade is depicted as human reproduction in miniature. Illustrated in a reproductive light, the staggering resemblance of cancer metastasis to human reproduction becomes evident despite some ostensible dis-similarities. In parallel to the appearance of primordial germ cells during early embryogenesis, the cancer reproductive saga starts with the separation of metastasis initiating cells (MICs) from cancer initiating cells when the primary cancer is still in its infancy. Prime MICs embark on a journey to the host bone marrow where they undergo further development and regulation. Migrating MICs are guided by the same CXCR4/CYCL12 axis as used in the migration of primordial germ cells to the genital ridge. Like the ovary, the host bone marrow features immune privileges, coolness, hypoxia and acidity which are essential for stemness maintenance and regulation. Opportune activation of the MICs via fusion with bone marrow stem cells triggers a frenzy of cellular proliferation and sets them on the move again. This scenario is akin to oocyte fertilization in the Fallopian tube and its subsequent journey towards the decidum. Just as the human reproductive process is plagued with undesirable outcomes so is the cancer metastasis highly inefficient. The climax of the cancer metastatic drama (colonization) is reached when proliferating MIC clusters attempt to settle down on decidum-like premetastatic sites. Successfully colonized clusters blossom into overt macrometastases only after the execution of sophisticated immunomodulation, angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Similarly, the implanted blastomere needs to orchestrate these feats before flourishing into a new life. What is more, the cancer reproductive drama seems to be directed by a primordial hypothalamus–pituitary–gonad axis. Pursuing this reproductive trail could lead to new frontiers and breakthroughs in cancer research and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xichun Sun
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGuire Holmes Veteran Affairs Medical Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23249 USA.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, People's Hospital of Hunan Province, Hunan, China
| | - Xiwu Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGuire Holmes Veteran Affairs Medical Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23249 USA.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, People's Hospital of Hunan Province, Hunan, China
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11
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Song Y, Wang Y, Tong C, Xi H, Zhao X, Wang Y, Chen L. A unified model of the hierarchical and stochastic theories of gastric cancer. Br J Cancer 2017; 116:973-989. [PMID: 28301871 PMCID: PMC5396111 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is a life-threatening disease worldwide. Despite remarkable advances in treatments for GC, it is still fatal to many patients due to cancer progression, recurrence and metastasis. Regarding the development of novel therapeutic techniques, many studies have focused on the biological mechanisms that initiate tumours and cause treatment resistance. Tumours have traditionally been considered to result from somatic mutations, either via clonal evolution or through a stochastic model. However, emerging evidence has characterised tumours using a hierarchical organisational structure, with cancer stem cells (CSCs) at the apex. Both stochastic and hierarchical models are reasonable systems that have been hypothesised to describe tumour heterogeneity. Although each model alone inadequately explains tumour diversity, the two models can be integrated to provide a more comprehensive explanation. In this review, we discuss existing evidence supporting a unified model of gastric CSCs, including the regulatory mechanisms of this unified model in addition to the current status of stemness-related targeted therapy in GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjing Song
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Chuan Tong
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Hongqing Xi
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Xudong Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
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12
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McInnes T, Zou D, Rao DS, Munro FM, Phillips VL, McCall JL, Black MA, Reeve AE, Guilford PJ. Genome-wide methylation analysis identifies a core set of hypermethylated genes in CIMP-H colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:228. [PMID: 28351398 PMCID: PMC5371203 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3226-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant DNA methylation profiles are a characteristic of all known cancer types, epitomized by the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Hypermethylation has been observed at CpG islands throughout the genome, but it is unclear which factors determine whether an individual island becomes methylated in cancer. METHODS DNA methylation in CRC was analysed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K array. Differentially methylated loci were identified using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank (WSR) test. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering was used to identify methylation subtypes in CRC. RESULTS In this study we characterized the DNA methylation profiles of 94 CRC tissues and their matched normal counterparts. Consistent with previous studies, unsupervized hierarchical clustering of genome-wide methylation data identified three subtypes within the tumour samples, designated CIMP-H, CIMP-L and CIMP-N, that showed high, low and very low methylation levels, respectively. Differential methylation between normal and tumour samples was analysed at the individual CpG level, and at the gene level. The distribution of hypermethylation in CIMP-N tumours showed high inter-tumour variability and appeared to be highly stochastic in nature, whereas CIMP-H tumours exhibited consistent hypermethylation at a subset of genes, in addition to a highly variable background of hypermethylated genes. EYA4, TFPI2 and TLX1 were hypermethylated in more than 90% of all tumours examined. One-hundred thirty-two genes were hypermethylated in 100% of CIMP-H tumours studied and these were highly enriched for functions relating to skeletal system development (Bonferroni adjusted p value =2.88E-15), segment specification (adjusted p value =9.62E-11), embryonic development (adjusted p value =1.52E-04), mesoderm development (adjusted p value =1.14E-20), and ectoderm development (adjusted p value =7.94E-16). CONCLUSIONS Our genome-wide characterization of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer has identified 132 genes hypermethylated in 100% of CIMP-H samples. Three genes, EYA4, TLX1 and TFPI2 are hypermethylated in >90% of all tumour samples, regardless of CIMP subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler McInnes
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Donghui Zou
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Dasari S Rao
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.,Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Francesca M Munro
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Vicky L Phillips
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - John L McCall
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Michael A Black
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Anthony E Reeve
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Parry J Guilford
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Translational Cancer Research (Te Aho Matatū), Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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13
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Crowther AJ, Ocasio JK, Fang F, Meidinger J, Wu J, Deal AM, Chang SX, Yuan H, Schmid R, Davis I, Gershon TR. Radiation Sensitivity in a Preclinical Mouse Model of Medulloblastoma Relies on the Function of the Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway. Cancer Res 2016; 76:3211-23. [PMID: 27197166 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
While treatments that induce DNA damage are commonly used as anticancer therapies, the mechanisms through which DNA damage produces a therapeutic response are incompletely understood. Here we have tested whether medulloblastomas must be competent for apoptosis to be sensitive to radiotherapy. Whether apoptosis is required for radiation sensitivity has been controversial. Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, is a biologically heterogeneous set of tumors typically sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy; 80% of medulloblastoma patients survive long-term after treatment. We used functional genetic studies to determine whether the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is required for radiation to produce a therapeutic response in mice with primary, Shh-driven medulloblastoma. We found that cranial radiation extended the survival of medulloblastoma-bearing mice and induced widespread apoptosis. Expression analysis and conditional deletion studies showed that Trp53 (p53) was the predominant transcriptional regulator activated by radiation and was strictly required for treatment response. Deletion of Bax, which blocked apoptosis downstream of p53, was sufficient to render tumors radiation resistant. In apoptosis-incompetent, Bax-deleted tumors, radiation activated p53-dependent transcription without provoking cell death and caused two discrete populations to emerge. Most radiated tumor cells underwent terminal differentiation. Perivascular cells, however, quickly resumed proliferation despite p53 activation, behaved as stem cells, and rapidly drove recurrence. These data show that radiation must induce apoptosis in tumor stem cells to be effective. Mutations that disable the intrinsic apoptotic pathways are sufficient to impart radiation resistance. We suggest that medulloblastomas are typically sensitive to DNA-damaging therapies, because they retain apoptosis competence. Cancer Res; 76(11); 3211-23. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Crowther
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer K Ocasio
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Fang Fang
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jessica Meidinger
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jaclyn Wu
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Allison M Deal
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sha X Chang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hong Yuan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Ralf Schmid
- Department of Pathology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Ian Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Timothy R Gershon
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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14
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Liang L, Aiken C, McClelland R, Morrison LC, Tatari N, Remke M, Ramaswamy V, Issaivanan M, Ryken T, Del Bigio MR, Taylor MD, Werbowetski-Ogilvie TE. Characterization of novel biomarkers in selecting for subtype specific medulloblastoma phenotypes. Oncotarget 2015; 6:38881-900. [PMID: 26497209 PMCID: PMC4770744 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major research efforts have focused on defining cell surface marker profiles for characterization and selection of brain tumor stem/progenitor cells. Medulloblastoma is the most common primary malignant pediatric brain cancer and consists of 4 molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. Given the heterogeneity within and between medulloblastoma variants, surface marker profiles may be subtype-specific. Here, we employed a high throughput flow cytometry screen to identify differentially expressed cell surface markers in self-renewing vs. non-self-renewing SHH medulloblastoma cells. The top 25 markers were reduced to 4, CD271/p75NTR/NGFR, CD106/VCAM1, EGFR and CD171/NCAM-L1, by evaluating transcript levels in SHH tumors relative to samples representing the other variants. However, only CD271/p75NTR/NGFR and CD171/NCAM-L1 maintain differential expression between variants at the protein level. Functional characterization of CD271, a low affinity neurotrophin receptor, in cell lines and primary cultures suggested that CD271 selects for lower self-renewing progenitors or stem cells. Moreover, CD271 levels were negatively correlated with expression of SHH pathway genes. Our study reveals a novel role for CD271 in SHH medulloblastoma and suggests that targeting CD271 pathways could lead to the design of more selective therapies that lessen the broad impact of current treatments on developing nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Liang
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Christopher Aiken
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Robyn McClelland
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ludivine Coudière Morrison
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nazanin Tatari
- Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Marc Remke
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vijay Ramaswamy
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Timothy Ryken
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Marc R. Del Bigio
- Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba and Manitoba Institute of Child Health, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Michael D. Taylor
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tamra E. Werbowetski-Ogilvie
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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15
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Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Intertumoral Heterogeneity. Trends Cancer 2015; 1:15-23. [PMID: 28741558 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Intertumoral heterogeneity is driven by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Intrinsic mechanisms include the genetic/epigenetic mutational profile of cells and the nature of the 'cell of origin'. There is accumulating evidence that distinct 'cells of origin' within an organ can give rise to different subtypes of cancer. Tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells are the predominant targets exploited for tumor initiation. Extrinsic factors imposed by the microenvironment may also directly influence the cell of origin by eliciting dedifferentiation. Identification of these target cell populations is important for earlier diagnosis, the detection of premalignant clones during relapse, and the design of prevention therapies for high-risk cancer families. Here we review recent developments in deciphering the cellular origins of solid cancers.
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16
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Rovida E, Stecca B. Mitogen-activated protein kinases and Hedgehog-GLI signaling in cancer: A crosstalk providing therapeutic opportunities? Semin Cancer Biol 2015; 35:154-67. [PMID: 26292171 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) signaling is of critical importance during embryonic development, where it regulates a number of cellular processes, including patterning, proliferation and differentiation. Its aberrant activation has been linked to several types of cancer. HH-GLI signaling is triggered by binding of ligands to the transmembrane receptor patched and is subsequently mediated by transcriptional effectors belonging to the GLI family, whose function is fine tuned by a series of molecular interactions and modifications. Several HH-GLI inhibitors have been developed and are in clinical trials. Similarly, the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) are involved in a number of biological processes and play an important role in many diseases including cancer. Inhibiting molecules targeting MAPK signaling, especially those elicited by the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway, have been developed and are moving into clinical trials. ERK1/2 may be activated as a consequence of aberrant activation of upstream signaling molecules or during development of drug resistance following treatment with kinase inhibitors such as those for PI3K or BRAF. Evidence of a crosstalk between HH-GLI and other oncogenic signaling pathways has been reported in many tumor types, as shown by recent reviews. Here we will focus on the interaction between HH-GLI and the final MAPK effectors ERK1/2, p38 and JNK in cancer in view of its possible implications for cancer therapy. Several reports highlight the existence of a consistent crosstalk between HH signaling and MAPK, especially with the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway, and this fact should be taken into consideration for designing optimal treatment and prevent tumor relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Rovida
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Sperimentali e Cliniche "Mario Serio", Sezione di Patologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Core Research Laboratory-Istituto Toscano Tumori (CRL-ITT), Florence, Italy; Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
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17
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Panditharatna E, Yaeger K, Kilburn LB, Packer RJ, Nazarian J. Clinicopathology of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and its redefined genomic and epigenomic landscape. Cancer Genet 2015. [PMID: 26206682 DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergen.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is one of the most lethal pediatric central nervous system (CNS) cancers. Recently, a surge in molecular studies of DIPG has occurred, in large part due to the increased availability of tumor tissue through donation of post-mortem specimens. These new discoveries have established DIPGs as biologically distinct from adult gliomas, harboring unique genomic aberrations. Mutations in histone encoding genes are shown to be associated with >70% of DIPG cases. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of the tumorigenicity of these mutations remain elusive. Understanding the driving mutations and genomic landscape of DIPGs can now guide the development of targeted therapies for this incurable childhood cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshini Panditharatna
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kurt Yaeger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lindsay B Kilburn
- Division of Oncology, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Roger J Packer
- Brain Tumor Institute, Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Javad Nazarian
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Integrative Systems Biology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
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18
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Farooqi AA, Tang JY, Li RN, Ismail M, Chang YT, Shu CW, Yuan SSF, Liu JR, Mansoor Q, Huang CJ, Chang HW. Epigenetic mechanisms in cancer: push and pull between kneaded erasers and fate writers. Int J Nanomedicine 2015; 10:3183-91. [PMID: 25995628 PMCID: PMC4425311 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s82527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Research concerning the epigenome over the years has systematically and sequentially shown substantial development and we have moved from global inhibition of modifications of the epigenome toward identification and targeted therapy against tumor-specific epigenetic mechanisms. In accordance with this approach, several drugs with epigenetically modulating activity have received considerable attention and appreciation, and recently emerging scientific evidence is uncovering details of their mode of action. High-throughput technologies have considerably improved our existing understanding of tumor suppressors, oncogenes, and signaling pathways that are key drivers of cancer. In this review, we summarize the general epigenetic mechanisms in cancer, including: the post-translational modification of DNA methyltransferase and its mediated inactivation of Ras association domain family 1 isoform A, Sonic hedgehog signaling, Wnt signaling, Notch signaling, transforming growth factor signaling, and natural products with epigenetic modification ability. Moreover, we introduce the importance of nanomedicine for delivery of natural products with modulating ability to epigenetic machinery in cancer cells. Such in-depth and comprehensive knowledge regarding epigenetic dysregulation will be helpful in the upcoming era of molecular genomic pathology for both detection and treatment of cancer. Epigenetic information will also be helpful when nanotherapy is used for epigenetic modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammad Ahmad Farooqi
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), KRL Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jen-Yang Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Nian Li
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Muhammad Ismail
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), KRL Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Yung-Ting Chang
- Doctor Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University/Academia Sinica, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Shu
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shyng-Shiou F Yuan
- Translational Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Ru Liu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Qaisar Mansoor
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), KRL Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Chih-Jen Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Wei Chang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ; Research Center of Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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