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Weisbrod LJ, Thiraviyam A, Vengoji R, Shonka N, Jain M, Ho W, Batra SK, Salehi A. Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG): A review of current and emerging treatment strategies. Cancer Lett 2024; 590:216876. [PMID: 38609002 PMCID: PMC11231989 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a childhood malignancy of the brainstem with a dismal prognosis. Despite recent advances in its understanding at the molecular level, the prognosis of DIPG has remained unchanged. This article aims to review the current understanding of the genetic pathophysiology of DIPG and to highlight promising therapeutic targets. Various DIPG treatment strategies have been investigated in pre-clinical studies, several of which have shown promise and have been subsequently translated into ongoing clinical trials. Ultimately, a multifaceted therapeutic approach that targets cell-intrinsic alterations, the micro-environment, and augments the immune system will likely be necessary to eradicate DIPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Weisbrod
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Anand Thiraviyam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Raghupathy Vengoji
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Nicole Shonka
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Winson Ho
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Afshin Salehi
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Nebraska, Omaha, NE, 68114, USA.
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2
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Reisenauer KN, Aroujo J, Tao Y, Ranganathan S, Romo D, Taube JH. Therapeutic vulnerabilities of cancer stem cells and effects of natural products. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1432-1456. [PMID: 37103550 PMCID: PMC10524555 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00002h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 1995 to 2022Tumors possess both genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity leading to the survival of subpopulations post-treatment. The term cancer stem cells (CSCs) describes a subpopulation that is resistant to many types of chemotherapy and which also possess enhanced migratory and anchorage-independent growth capabilities. These cells are enriched in residual tumor material post-treatment and can serve as the seed for future tumor re-growth, at both primary and metastatic sites. Elimination of CSCs is a key goal in enhancing cancer treatment and may be aided by application of natural products in conjunction with conventional treatments. In this review, we highlight molecular features of CSCs and discuss synthesis, structure-activity relationships, derivatization, and effects of six natural products with anti-CSC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaquelin Aroujo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor Univesrity, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Yongfeng Tao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor Univesrity, Waco, TX, USA
| | | | - Daniel Romo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor Univesrity, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Joseph H Taube
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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3
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Regulation of Cell Plasticity by Bromodomain and Extraterminal Domain (BET) Proteins: A New Perspective in Glioblastoma Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065665. [PMID: 36982740 PMCID: PMC10055343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BET proteins are a family of multifunctional epigenetic readers, mainly involved in transcriptional regulation through chromatin modelling. Transcriptome handling ability of BET proteins suggests a key role in the modulation of cell plasticity, both in fate decision and in lineage commitment during embryonic development and in pathogenic conditions, including cancerogenesis. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of glioma, characterized by a very poor prognosis despite the application of a multimodal therapy. Recently, new insights are emerging about the glioblastoma cellular origin, leading to the hypothesis that several putative mechanisms occur during gliomagenesis. Interestingly, epigenome dysregulation associated with loss of cellular identity and functions are emerging as crucial features of glioblastoma pathogenesis. Therefore, the emerging roles of BET protein in glioblastoma onco-biology and the compelling demand for more effective therapeutic strategies suggest that BET family members could be promising targets for translational breakthroughs in glioblastoma treatment. Primarily, “Reprogramming Therapy”, which is aimed at reverting the malignant phenotype, is now considered a promising strategy for GBM therapy.
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4
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The role of Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathway in cancer. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:44. [PMID: 36517618 PMCID: PMC9751255 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00099-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch and Hedgehog signaling are involved in cancer biology and pathology, including the maintenance of tumor cell proliferation, cancer stem-like cells, and the tumor microenvironment. Given the complexity of Notch signaling in tumors, its role as both a tumor promoter and suppressor, and the crosstalk between pathways, the goal of developing clinically safe, effective, tumor-specific Notch-targeted drugs has remained intractable. Drugs developed against the Hedgehog signaling pathway have affirmed definitive therapeutic effects in basal cell carcinoma; however, in some contexts, the challenges of tumor resistance and recurrence leap to the forefront. The efficacy is very limited for other tumor types. In recent years, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the investigation and recognition of the critical roles of the Notch and Hedgehog signaling pathways in cancers, and the crosstalk between these pathways has vast space and value to explore. A series of clinical trials targeting signaling have been launched continually. In this review, we introduce current advances in the understanding of Notch and Hedgehog signaling and the crosstalk between pathways in specific tumor cell populations and microenvironments. Moreover, we also discuss the potential of targeting Notch and Hedgehog for cancer therapy, intending to promote the leap from bench to bedside.
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5
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Spina R, Mills I, Ahmad F, Chen C, Ames HM, Winkles JA, Woodworth GF, Bar EE. DHODH inhibition impedes glioma stem cell proliferation, induces DNA damage, and prolongs survival in orthotopic glioblastoma xenografts. Oncogene 2022; 41:5361-5372. [PMID: 36344676 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Glioma stem cells (GSCs) promote tumor progression and therapeutic resistance and exhibit remarkable bioenergetic and metabolic plasticity, a phenomenon that has been linked to their ability to escape standard and targeted therapies. However, specific mechanisms that promote therapeutic resistance have been somewhat elusive. We hypothesized that because GSCs proliferate continuously, they may require the salvage and de novo nucleotide synthesis pathways to satisfy their bioenergetic needs. Here, we demonstrate that GSCs lacking EGFR (or EGFRvIII) amplification are exquisitely sensitive to de novo pyrimidine synthesis perturbations, while GSCs that amplify EGFR are utterly resistant. Furthermore, we show that EGFRvIII promotes BAY2402234 resistance in otherwise BAY2402234 responsive GSCs. Remarkably, a novel, orally bioavailable, blood-brain-barrier penetrating, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor BAY2402234 was found to abrogate GSC proliferation, block cell-cycle progression, and induce DNA damage and apoptosis. When dosed daily by oral gavage, BAY2402234 significantly impaired the growth of two different intracranial human glioblastoma xenograft models in mice. Given this observed efficacy and the previously established safety profiles in preclinical animal models and human clinical trials, the clinical testing of BAY2402234 in patients with primary glioblastoma that lacks EGFR amplification is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Spina
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian Mills
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fahim Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chixiang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather M Ames
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Winkles
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Graeme F Woodworth
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eli E Bar
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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D’Amico M, De Amicis F. Aberrant Notch signaling in gliomas: a potential landscape of actionable converging targets for combination approach in therapies resistance. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 5:939-953. [PMID: 36627893 PMCID: PMC9771760 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The current therapeutic protocols and prognosis of gliomas still depend on clinicopathologic and radiographic characteristics. For high-grade gliomas, the standard of care is resection followed by radiotherapy plus temozolomide chemotherapy. However, treatment resistance develops due to different mechanisms, among which is the dynamic interplay between the tumor and its microenvironment. Different signaling pathways cause the proliferation of so-called glioma stem cells, a minor cancer cell population with stem cell-like characteristics and aggressive phenotype. In the last decades, numerous studies have indicated that Notch is a crucial pathway that maintains the characteristics of resistant glioma stem cells. Data obtained from preclinical models indicate that downregulation of the Notch pathway could induce multifaceted drug sensitivity, acting on the expression of drug-transporter proteins, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and shaping the tumor microenvironment. This review provides a brief overview of the published data supporting the roles of Notch in drug resistance and demonstrates how potential novel strategies targeting Notch could become an efficacious action to improve the therapy of high-grade glioma to overcome drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D’Amico
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Francesca De Amicis
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Rende 87036, Italy.,Health Center, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Rende 87036, Italy.,Correspondence to: Prof. Francesca De Amicis, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Rende 87036, Italy. E-mail:
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7
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Swati K, Agrawal K, Raj S, Kumar R, Prakash A, Kumar D. Molecular mechanism(s) of regulations of cancer stem cell in brain cancer propagation. Med Res Rev 2022; 43:441-463. [PMID: 36205299 DOI: 10.1002/med.21930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Brain tumors are most often diagnosed with solid neoplasms and are the primary reason for cancer-related deaths in both children and adults worldwide. With recent developments in the progression of novel targeted chemotherapies, the prognosis of malignant glioma remains dismal. However, the high recurrence rate and high mortality rate remain unresolved and are closely linked to the biological features of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Research on tumor biology has reached a new age with more understanding of CSC features. CSCs, a subpopulation of whole tumor cells, are now regarded as candidate therapeutic targets. Therefore, in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, recognizing the biological properties of CSCs is of considerable significance. Here, we have discussed the concept of CSCs and their significant role in brain cancer growth and propagation. We have also discussed personalized therapeutic development and immunotherapies for brain cancer by specifically targeting CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Swati
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Kirti Agrawal
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Sibi Raj
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Anand Prakash
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES University, Dehradun, India.,Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
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8
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Notch signaling pathway: architecture, disease, and therapeutics. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:95. [PMID: 35332121 PMCID: PMC8948217 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00934-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 134.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The NOTCH gene was identified approximately 110 years ago. Classical studies have revealed that NOTCH signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway. NOTCH receptors undergo three cleavages and translocate into the nucleus to regulate the transcription of target genes. NOTCH signaling deeply participates in the development and homeostasis of multiple tissues and organs, the aberration of which results in cancerous and noncancerous diseases. However, recent studies indicate that the outcomes of NOTCH signaling are changeable and highly dependent on context. In terms of cancers, NOTCH signaling can both promote and inhibit tumor development in various types of cancer. The overall performance of NOTCH-targeted therapies in clinical trials has failed to meet expectations. Additionally, NOTCH mutation has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade therapy in many cancers. Collectively, the NOTCH pathway needs to be integrally assessed with new perspectives to inspire discoveries and applications. In this review, we focus on both classical and the latest findings related to NOTCH signaling to illustrate the history, architecture, regulatory mechanisms, contributions to physiological development, related diseases, and therapeutic applications of the NOTCH pathway. The contributions of NOTCH signaling to the tumor immune microenvironment and cancer immunotherapy are also highlighted. We hope this review will help not only beginners but also experts to systematically and thoroughly understand the NOTCH signaling pathway.
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Papaspyropoulos A, Angelopoulou A, Mourkioti I, Polyzou A, Pankova D, Toskas K, Lanfredini S, Pantazaki AA, Lagopati N, Kotsinas A, Evangelou K, Chronopoulos E, O’Neill E, Gorgoulis V. RASSF1A disrupts the NOTCH signaling axis via SNURF/RNF4-mediated ubiquitination of HES1. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e51287. [PMID: 34897944 PMCID: PMC8811633 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
RASSF1A promoter methylation has been correlated with tumor dedifferentiation and aggressive oncogenic behavior. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of RASSF1A-dependent tumor dedifferentiation remains elusive. Here, we show that RASSF1A directly uncouples the NOTCH-HES1 axis, a key suppressor of differentiation. Interestingly, the crosstalk of RASSF1A with HES1 occurs independently from the signaling route connecting RASSF1A with the Hippo pathway. At the molecular level, we demonstrate that RASSF1A acts as a scaffold essential for the SUMO-targeted E3 ligase SNURF/RNF4 to target HES1 for degradation. The reciprocal relationship between RASSF1A and HES1 is evident across a wide range of human tumors, highlighting the clinical significance of the identified pathway. We show that HES1 upregulation in a RASSF1A-depleted environment renders cells non-responsive to the downstream effects of γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) which restrict signaling at the level of the NOTCH receptor. Taken together, we report a mechanism through which RASSF1A exerts autonomous regulation of the critical Notch effector HES1, thus classifying RASSF1A expression as an integral determinant of the clinical effectiveness of Notch inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelos Papaspyropoulos
- Department of OncologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK,Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece,Biomedical Research FoundationAcademy of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Andriani Angelopoulou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece,Biomedical Research FoundationAcademy of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Ioanna Mourkioti
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece
| | - Aikaterini Polyzou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece
| | | | | | | | - Anastasia A Pantazaki
- Laboratory of BiochemistryDepartment of ChemistryAristotle University of ThessalonikiThessalonikiGreece
| | - Nefeli Lagopati
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece,Biomedical Research FoundationAcademy of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Athanassios Kotsinas
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece
| | - Konstantinos Evangelou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece
| | - Efstathios Chronopoulos
- Laboratory for Research of the Musculoskeletal SystemKAT General HospitalSchool of MedicineNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Eric O’Neill
- Department of OncologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Vassilis Gorgoulis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis GroupDepartment of Histology and EmbryologySchool of MedicineNational Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)AthensGreece,Biomedical Research FoundationAcademy of AthensAthensGreece,Molecular and Clinical Cancer SciencesManchester Cancer Research CentreManchester Academic Health Sciences CentreUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK,Center for New Biotechnologies and Precision MedicineMedical SchoolNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece,Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreySurreyUK
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Qin S, Jiang J, Lu Y, Nice EC, Huang C, Zhang J, He W. Emerging role of tumor cell plasticity in modifying therapeutic response. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:228. [PMID: 33028808 PMCID: PMC7541492 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00313-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to cancer therapy is a major barrier to cancer management. Conventional views have proposed that acquisition of resistance may result from genetic mutations. However, accumulating evidence implicates a key role of non-mutational resistance mechanisms underlying drug tolerance, the latter of which is the focus that will be discussed here. Such non-mutational processes are largely driven by tumor cell plasticity, which renders tumor cells insusceptible to the drug-targeted pathway, thereby facilitating the tumor cell survival and growth. The concept of tumor cell plasticity highlights the significance of re-activation of developmental programs that are closely correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, acquisition properties of cancer stem cells, and trans-differentiation potential during drug exposure. From observations in various cancers, this concept provides an opportunity for investigating the nature of anticancer drug resistance. Over the years, our understanding of the emerging role of phenotype switching in modifying therapeutic response has considerably increased. This expanded knowledge of tumor cell plasticity contributes to developing novel therapeutic strategies or combination therapy regimens using available anticancer drugs, which are likely to improve patient outcomes in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingwen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Edouard C Nice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Canhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, 611137, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weifeng He
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Disease Proteomics, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Tarasov VV, Svistunov AA, Chubarev VN, Zatsepilova TA, Preferanskaya NG, Stepanova OI, Sokolov AV, Dostdar SA, Minyaeva NN, Neganova ME, Klochkov SG, Mikhaleva LM, Somasundaram SG, Kirkland CE, Aliev G. Feasibility of Targeting Glioblastoma Stem Cells: From Concept to Clinical Trials. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 19:2974-2984. [PMID: 31721715 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666191112140939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive and invasive brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) tumor. Current treatment options do not prolong overall survival significantly because the disease is highly prone to relapse. Therefore, research to find new therapies is of paramount importance. It has been discovered that glioblastomas contain a population of cells with stem-like properties and that these cells are may be responsible for tumor recurrence. METHODS A review of relevant papers and clinical trials in the field was conducted. A PubMed search with related keywords was used to gather the data. For example, "glioblastoma stem cells AND WNT signaling" is an example used to find information on clinical trials using the database ClinicalTrials.gov. RESULTS Cancer stem cell research has several fundamental issues and uncertainties that should be taken into consideration. Theoretically, a number of treatment options that target glioblastoma stem cells are available for patients. However, only a few of them have obtained promising results in clinical trials. Several strategies are still under investigation. CONCLUSION The majority of treatments to target cancer stem cells have failed during clinical trials. Taking into account a number of biases in the field and the number of unsuccessful investigations, the application of the cancer stem cells concept is questionable in clinical settings, at least with respect to glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim V Tarasov
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Andrey A Svistunov
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir N Chubarev
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Tamara A Zatsepilova
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Nina G Preferanskaya
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Olga I Stepanova
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Alexander V Sokolov
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Samira A Dostdar
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation
| | - Nina N Minyaeva
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20 Myasnitskaya Street, Moscow 101000,Russian Federation
| | - Margarita E Neganova
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432,Russian Federation
| | - Sergey G Klochkov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432,Russian Federation
| | - Liudmila M Mikhaleva
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow 117418,Russian Federation
| | - Siva G Somasundaram
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salem University, Salem, WV,United States
| | - Cecil E Kirkland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salem University, Salem, WV,United States
| | - Gjumrakch Aliev
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991,Russian Federation.,Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432,Russian Federation.,Research Institute of Human Morphology, 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow 117418,Russian Federation.,GALLY International Research Institute, 7733 Louis Pasteur Drive, #330, San Antonio, TX 78229,United States
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12
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Chen D, Wang CY. Targeting cancer stem cells in squamous cell carcinoma. PRECISION CLINICAL MEDICINE 2019; 2:152-165. [PMID: 31598386 PMCID: PMC6770277 DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly aggressive tumor and the sixth
most common cancer worldwide. Current treatment strategies for HNSCC are surgery,
radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or combinatorial therapies. However, the overall
5-year survival rate of HNSCC patients remains at about 50%. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a
small population among tumor cells, are able to self-renew and differentiate into
different tumor cell types in a hierarchical manner, similar to normal tissue. In HNSCC,
CSCs are proposed to be responsible for tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, drug
resistance, and recurrence. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular
characteristics of CSCs in HNSCC. We summarize current approaches used in the literature
for identification of HNSCC CSCs, and mechanisms required for CSC regulation. We also
highlight the role of CSCs in treatment failure and therapeutic targeting options for
eliminating CSCs in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demeng Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Cun-Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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13
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Yi L, Zhou X, Li T, Liu P, Hai L, Tong L, Ma H, Tao Z, Xie Y, Zhang C, Yu S, Yang X. Notch1 signaling pathway promotes invasion, self-renewal and growth of glioma initiating cells via modulating chemokine system CXCL12/CXCR4. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:339. [PMID: 31382985 PMCID: PMC6683584 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1319-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioma initiating cells (GICs), also known as glioma stem cells (GSCs), play an important role in the progression and recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) due to their potential for self-renewal, multiple differentiation and tumor initiation. In the recent years, Notch1 has been found to be overexpressed in GICs. However, the regulatory mechanism of Notch1 in the self-renewal and invasion ability of GICs remains unclear. This study aims to explore the effect of Notch pathway on self-renewal and invasion of GICs and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to evaluate the expression of Notch1 and Hes1 in GBM samples. Immunofluorescent (IF) staining was performed to observe the distribution of Notch1 and CXCR4 in GBM and GICs. Both pharmacological intervention and RNA interference were employed to investigate the role of Notch1 in GICs self-renewal, invasion and tumor growth in vitro or in vivo. The crosstalk effect of Notch1 and CXCL12/CXCR4 system on GIC self-renewal and invasion was explored by sphere formation assay, limiting dilution assay and Transwell assay. Western blots were used to verify the activation of Notch1/CXCR4/AKT pathway in self-renewal, invasion and tumor growth of GICs. Luciferase reporter assay was used to testify the potential binding site of Notch1 signaling and CXCR4. The orthotopic GICs implantations were established to analyze the role and the mechanism of Notch1 in glioma progression in vivo. RESULTS Notch1 signaling activity was elevated in GBM tissues. Notch1 and CXCR4 were both upregulated in GICs, compared to Notch1 positive glioma cells comprised a large proportion in the CD133+ glioma cell spheres, CXCR4 positive glioma cells which usually expressed Notch1 both and dispersed in the periphery of the sphere, only represent a small subset of CD133+ glioma cell spheres. Furthermore, downregulation of the Notch1 pathway by shRNA and MK0752 significantly inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway via the decreased expression of CXCR4 in GICs, and weakened the self-renewal, invasion and tumor growth ability of GICs. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the cross-talk between Notch1 signaling and CXCL12/CXCR4 system could contribute to the self-renewal and invasion of GICs, and this discovery could help drive the design of more effective therapies in Notch1-targeted treatment of GBMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Xingchen Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, 233000, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Peidong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Long Hai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Henan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450000, China
| | - Luqing Tong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Haiwen Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Zhennan Tao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Yang Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Neuro-Oncology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030, Texas, USA
| | - Shengping Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Xuejun Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China. .,Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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14
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Gersey Z, Osiason AD, Bloom L, Shah S, Thompson JW, Bregy A, Agarwal N, Komotar RJ. Therapeutic Targeting of the Notch Pathway in Glioblastoma Multiforme. World Neurosurg 2019; 131:252-263.e2. [PMID: 31376551 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly form of brain tumor. After standard treatment of resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival is <5%. In recent years, research has uncovered several potential targets within the Notch signaling pathway, which may lead to improved patient outcomes. METHODS A literature search was performed for articles containing the terms "Glioblastoma" and "Receptors, Notch" between 2003 and July 2015. Of the 62 articles retrieved, 46 met our criteria and were included in our review. Nine articles were identified from other sources and were subsequently included, leaving 55 articles reviewed. RESULTS Of the 55 articles reviewed, 47 used established human GBM cell lines. Seventeen articles used human GBM surgical samples. Forty-five of 48 articles that assessed Notch activity showed increased expression in GBM cell lines. Targeting the Notch pathway was carried out through Notch knockdown and overexpression and targeting δ-like ligand, Jagged, γ-secretase, ADAM10, ADAM17, and Mastermindlike protein 1. Arsenic trioxide, microRNAs, and several other compounds were shown to have an effect on the Notch pathway in GBM. Notch activity in GBM was also shown to be associated with hypoxia and certain cancer-related molecular pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK/MAPK. Most articles concluded that Notch activity amplifies malignant characteristics in GBM and targeting this pathway can bring about amelioration of these effects. CONCLUSIONS Recent literature suggests targeting the Notch pathway has great potential for future therapies for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Gersey
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Adam D Osiason
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Laura Bloom
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Sumedh Shah
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - John W Thompson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Amade Bregy
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ricardo J Komotar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
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15
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Sun X, St John JC. Modulation of mitochondrial DNA copy number in a model of glioblastoma induces changes to DNA methylation and gene expression of the nuclear genome in tumours. Epigenetics Chromatin 2018; 11:53. [PMID: 30208958 PMCID: PMC6136172 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-018-0223-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There are multiple copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) present in each cell type, and they are strictly regulated in a cell-specific manner by a group of nuclear-encoded mtDNA-specific replication factors. This strict regulation of mtDNA copy number is mediated by cell-specific DNA methylation of these replication factors. Glioblastoma multiforme, HSR-GBM1, cells are hyper-methylated and maintain low mtDNA copy number to support their tumorigenic status. We have previously shown that when HSR-GBM1 cells with 50% of their original mtDNA content were inoculated into mice, tumours grew more aggressively than non-depleted cells. However, when the cells possessed only 3% and 0.2% of their original mtDNA content, tumour formation was less frequent and the initiation of tumorigenesis was significantly delayed. Importantly, the process of tumorigenesis was dependent on mtDNA copy number being restored to pre-depletion levels. Results By performing whole genome MeDIP-Seq and RNA-Seq on tumours generated from cells possessing 100%, 50%, 0.3% and 0.2% of their original mtDNA content, we determined that restoration of mtDNA copy number caused significant changes to both the nuclear methylome and its transcriptome for each tumour type. The affected genes were specifically associated with gene networks and pathways involving behaviour, nervous system development, cell differentiation and regulation of transcription and cellular processes. The mtDNA-specific replication factors were also modulated. Conclusions Our results highlight the bidirectional control of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes through modulation of DNA methylation to control mtDNA copy number, which, in turn, modulates nuclear gene expression during tumorigenesis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-018-0223-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sun
- Mitochondrial Genetics Group, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Justin C St John
- Mitochondrial Genetics Group, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia. .,Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
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16
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Sui C, Zhuang C, Sun D, Yang L, Zhang L, Song L. Notch1 regulates the JNK signaling pathway and increases apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 8:45837-45847. [PMID: 28507277 PMCID: PMC5542231 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch1-induced pathways are involved in cell growth, apoptosis, motility, and invasion in many cancers. In the present study, the expression of Notch1 and NICD1 was detected in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues using in-vitro assays. And then, we explored cell biology and signaling pathways using Notch1 siRNA or plasmids. Here, the expression of Notch1 and NICD1 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues. In-vitro, Notch1 plasmids inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but enhanced apoptosis of HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Conversely, si-Notch1 enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but inhibited apoptosis of HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Mechanically, Notch1 decreased the expression of cyclin D1, MMP-9 and Bcl-2, but increased the expression of p-JNK, Bax and cleaved caspase 3 in HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Besides, si-JNK or JNK inhibitor SP600125 affected the activation of Notch1 signaling pathway, and prevents cell apoptosis. In conclusion, Notch1 regulates the JNK signaling pathway and increases apoptosis in HCC. Because patients with HCC have a poor prognosis, Notch1 pathway may provide a novel treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxu Sui
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
| | - Chengjun Zhuang
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
| | - Deguang Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
| | - Lei Song
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, Liaoning, China
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17
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Hombach-Klonisch S, Mehrpour M, Shojaei S, Harlos C, Pitz M, Hamai A, Siemianowicz K, Likus W, Wiechec E, Toyota BD, Hoshyar R, Seyfoori A, Sepehri Z, Ande SR, Khadem F, Akbari M, Gorman AM, Samali A, Klonisch T, Ghavami S. Glioblastoma and chemoresistance to alkylating agents: Involvement of apoptosis, autophagy, and unfolded protein response. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 184:13-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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18
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Venkatesh V, Nataraj R, Thangaraj GS, Karthikeyan M, Gnanasekaran A, Kaginelli SB, Kuppanna G, Kallappa CG, Basalingappa KM. Targeting Notch signalling pathway of cancer stem cells. Stem Cell Investig 2018; 5:5. [PMID: 29682512 DOI: 10.21037/sci.2018.02.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been defined as cells within tumor that possess the capacity to self-renew and to cause the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. CSCs have been increasingly identified in blood cancer, prostate, ovarian, lung, melanoma, pancreatic, colon, brain and many more malignancies. CSCs have slow growth rate and are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy that lead to the failure of traditional current therapy. Eradicating the CSCs and recurrence, is promising aspect for the cure of cancer. The CSCs like any other stem cells activate the signal transduction pathways that involve the development and tissue homeostasis, which include Notch signaling pathway. The new treatment targets these pathway that control stem-cell replication, survival and differentiation that are under development. Notch inhibitors either single or in combination with chemotherapy drugs have been developed to treat cancer and its recurrence. This approach of targeting signaling pathway of CSCs represents a promising future direction for the therapeutic strategy to cure cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Venkatesh
- Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, (Deemed to be University), Mysuru, India
| | - Raghu Nataraj
- Division of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, (Deemed to be University), Mysuru, India
| | - Gopenath S Thangaraj
- Division of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, (Deemed to be University), Mysuru, India
| | - Murugesan Karthikeyan
- Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Quest International University Perak, Malaysia
| | - Ashok Gnanasekaran
- Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Quest International University Perak, Malaysia
| | - Shanmukhappa B Kaginelli
- Division of Medical Physics, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, (Deemed to be University), Mysuru, India
| | - Gobianand Kuppanna
- Department of Microbiology, Vivekanandha College of Arts and Sciences for Women, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode. Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Kanthesh M Basalingappa
- Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, (Deemed to be University), Mysuru, India
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19
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Yahyanejad S, King H, Iglesias VS, Granton PV, Barbeau LMO, van Hoof SJ, Groot AJ, Habets R, Prickaerts J, Chalmers AJ, Eekers DBP, Theys J, Short SC, Verhaegen F, Vooijs M. NOTCH blockade combined with radiation therapy and temozolomide prolongs survival of orthotopic glioblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:41251-41264. [PMID: 27183910 PMCID: PMC5173056 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9275] [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: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. The current standard of care includes surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). Treatment often fails due to the radiation resistance and intrinsic or acquired TMZ resistance of a small percentage of cells with stem cell-like behavior (CSC). The NOTCH signaling pathway is expressed and active in human glioblastoma and NOTCH inhibitors attenuate tumor growth in vivo in xenograft models. Here we show using an image guided micro-CT and precision radiotherapy platform that a combination of the clinically approved NOTCH/γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) RO4929097 with standard of care (TMZ + RT) reduces tumor growth and prolongs survival compared to dual combinations. We show that GSI in combination with RT and TMZ attenuates proliferation, decreases 3D spheroid growth and results into a marked reduction in clonogenic survival in primary and established glioma cell lines. We found that the glioma stem cell marker CD133, SOX2 and Nestin were reduced following combination treatments and NOTCH inhibitors albeit in a different manner. These findings indicate that NOTCH inhibition combined with standard of care treatment has an anti-glioma stem cell effect which provides an improved survival benefit for GBM and encourages further translational and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Yahyanejad
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Henry King
- Radiation Biology and Therapy Group, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, England
| | - Venus Sosa Iglesias
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick V Granton
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Oncology, London Health Sciences Center, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lydie M O Barbeau
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan J van Hoof
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan J Groot
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Roger Habets
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Prickaerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Anthony J Chalmers
- Translational Radiation Biology, Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Daniëlle B P Eekers
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Maastro Clinic, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theys
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Susan C Short
- Radiation Biology and Therapy Group, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, England
| | - Frank Verhaegen
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Vooijs
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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20
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Spina R, Voss DM, Asnaghi L, Sloan A, Bar EE. Flow Cytometry-based Drug Screening System for the Identification of Small Molecules That Promote Cellular Differentiation of Glioblastoma Stem Cells. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29364250 DOI: 10.3791/56176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most lethal primary brain tumor in adults, causing roughly 14,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Median survival following diagnosis is less than 15 months with maximal surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide chemotherapy. The challenges inherent in developing more effective GBM treatments have become increasingly clear, and include its unyielding invasiveness, its resistance to standard treatments, its genetic complexity and molecular adaptability, and subpopulations of GBM cells with phenotypic similarities to normal stem cells, herein referred to as glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Because GSCs are required for tumor growth and progression, differentiation-based therapy represents a viable treatment modality for these incurable neoplasms. The following protocol describes a collection of procedures to establish a high throughput screening platform aimed at the identification of small molecules that promote GSC astroglial differentiation. At the core of the system is a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) differentiation reporter-construct. The protocol contains the following general procedures: (1) establishing GSC differentiation reporter lines; (2) testing/validating the relevance of the reporter to GSC self-renewal/clonogenic capacity; and (3) high-capacity flow-cytometry based drug screening. The screening platform provides a straightforward and inexpensive approach to identify small molecules that promote GSCs differentiation. Furthermore, utilization of libraries of FDA-approved drugs holds the potential for the identification of agents that can be repurposed more rapidly. Also, therapies that promote cancer stem cell differentiation are expected to work synergistically with current "standard of care" therapies that have been shown to target and eliminate primarily more differentiated cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Spina
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
| | - Dillon M Voss
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
| | - Laura Asnaghi
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine
| | - Andrew Sloan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Department of Neurological Surgery, University Hospital-Case Medical Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
| | - Eli E Bar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine;
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21
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Dobranowski P, Ban F, Contreras-Sanz A, Cherkasov A, Black PC. Perspectives on the discovery of NOTCH2-specific inhibitors. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017; 91:691-706. [PMID: 29078041 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Notch pathway is a cell-cell communication system where membrane-bound ligands interact with the extracellular region of Notch receptors to induce intracellular, downstream effects on gene expression. Aberrant Notch signaling promotes tumorigenesis, and the Notch pathway has tremendous potential for novel targeting strategies in cancer treatment. While γ-secretase inhibitors as Notch-inhibiting agents are already promising in clinical trials, they are highly non-specific with adverse side-effects. One of the underlying challenges is that two of the four known human Notch paralogs, NOTCH1 and 2, share very high structural similarity but play opposing roles in some tumorigenesis pathways. This perspective explores the feasibility of developing Notch-specific small molecule inhibitors targeting the anti-NOTCH2 antibody-binding epitopes or the "S2-Leu-plug-binding site" using a computer-aided drug discovery approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Dobranowski
- Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fuqiang Ban
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alberto Contreras-Sanz
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter C Black
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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22
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Park NI, Guilhamon P, Desai K, McAdam RF, Langille E, O'Connor M, Lan X, Whetstone H, Coutinho FJ, Vanner RJ, Ling E, Prinos P, Lee L, Selvadurai H, Atwal G, Kushida M, Clarke ID, Voisin V, Cusimano MD, Bernstein M, Das S, Bader G, Arrowsmith CH, Angers S, Huang X, Lupien M, Dirks PB. ASCL1 Reorganizes Chromatin to Direct Neuronal Fate and Suppress Tumorigenicity of Glioblastoma Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell 2017; 21:209-224.e7. [PMID: 28712938 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastomas exhibit a hierarchical cellular organization, suggesting that they are driven by neoplastic stem cells that retain partial yet abnormal differentiation potential. Here, we show that a large subset of patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) express high levels of Achaete-scute homolog 1 (ASCL1), a proneural transcription factor involved in normal neurogenesis. ASCL1hi GSCs exhibit a latent capacity for terminal neuronal differentiation in response to inhibition of Notch signaling, whereas ASCL1lo GSCs do not. Increasing ASCL1 levels in ASCL1lo GSCs restores neuronal lineage potential, promotes terminal differentiation, and attenuates tumorigenicity. ASCL1 mediates these effects by functioning as a pioneer factor at closed chromatin, opening new sites to activate a neurogenic gene expression program. Directing GSCs toward terminal differentiation may provide therapeutic applications for a subset of GBM patients and strongly supports efforts to restore differentiation potential in GBM and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole I Park
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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
| | - Paul Guilhamon
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Kinjal Desai
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Rochelle F McAdam
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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
| | - Ellen Langille
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Madlen O'Connor
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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 and 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
| | - Heather Whetstone
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Fiona J Coutinho
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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
| | - Robert J Vanner
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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
| | - Erick Ling
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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 M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lilian Lee
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Hayden Selvadurai
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Gurnit Atwal
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Michelle Kushida
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ian D Clarke
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; OCAD University, Toronto, ON M5T 1W1, Canada
| | - Veronique Voisin
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Michael D Cusimano
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Mark Bernstein
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Sunit Das
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Gary Bader
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Stephane Angers
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Xi Huang
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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
| | - Mathieu Lupien
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Peter B Dirks
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and 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; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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23
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Voss DM, Spina R, Carter DL, Lim KS, Jeffery CJ, Bar EE. Disruption of the monocarboxylate transporter-4-basigin interaction inhibits the hypoxic response, proliferation, and tumor progression. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4292. [PMID: 28655889 PMCID: PMC5487345 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04612-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are enriched in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, and that monocarboxylate transporter-4 (MCT4) is critical for mediating GSC signaling in hypoxia. Basigin is involved in many physiological functions during early stages of development and in cancer and is required for functional plasma membrane expression of MCT4. We sought to determine if disruption of the MCT-Basigin interaction may be achieved with a small molecule. Using a cell-based drug-screening assay, we identified Acriflavine (ACF), a small molecule that inhibits the binding between Basigin and MCT4. Surface plasmon resonance and cellular thermal-shift-assays confirmed ACF binding to basigin in vitro and in live glioblastoma cells, respectively. ACF significantly inhibited growth and self-renewal potential of several glioblastoma neurosphere lines in vitro, and this activity was further augmented by hypoxia. Finally, treatment of mice bearing GSC-derived xenografts resulted in significant inhibition of tumor progression in early and late-stage disease. ACF treatment inhibited intratumoral expression of VEGF and tumor vascularization. Our work serves as a proof-of-concept as it shows, for the first time, that disruption of MCT binding to their chaperon, Basigin, may be an effective approach to target GSC and to inhibit angiogenesis and tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon M Voss
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Raffaella Spina
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - David L Carter
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kah Suan Lim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Constance J Jeffery
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eli E Bar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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24
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Abstract
Orthotopic xenotransplantation studies represent the final stage in preclinical cancer research and could facilitate the implementation of precision medicine. To date, these xenografts have been tested in immunodeficient animals, but complete elimination of the adaptive immunity is a significant drawback. We present a method of efficient human glioblastoma (GBM) cell engraftment in adult mice with intact immune systems, mediated by a transient blockade of T-cell co-stimulation. Compared to transplants grown in immunodeficient hosts, the resulting tumors more accurately resemble the clinical pathophysiology of patient GBMs, which are characterized by blood-brain-barrier leakage and strong neo-vascularization. We expect our method to have great utility for studying human tumor cell biology, particularly in the field of cancer immunotherapy and in studies on microenvironmental interactions. Given the straightforward approach, the method may also be applicable to other tumor types and additional model organisms.
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25
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López-Juárez A, Titus HE, Silbak SH, Pressler JW, Rizvi TA, Bogard M, Bennett MR, Ciraolo G, Williams MT, Vorhees CV, Ratner N. Oligodendrocyte Nf1 Controls Aberrant Notch Activation and Regulates Myelin Structure and Behavior. Cell Rep 2017; 19:545-557. [PMID: 28423318 PMCID: PMC5828008 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.073] [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: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The RASopathy neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common autosomal dominant genetic disorders. In NF1 patients, neurological issues may result from damaged myelin, and mice with a neurofibromin gene (Nf1) mutation show white matter (WM) defects including myelin decompaction. Using mouse genetics, we find that altered Nf1 gene-dose in mature oligodendrocytes results in progressive myelin defects and behavioral abnormalities mediated by aberrant Notch activation. Blocking Notch, upstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), or nitric oxide signaling rescues myelin defects in hemizygous Nf1 mutants, and pharmacological gamma secretase inhibition rescues aberrant behavior with no effects in wild-type (WT) mice. Concomitant pathway inhibition rescues myelin abnormalities in homozygous mutants. Notch activation is also observed in Nf1+/− mouse brains, and cells containing active Notch are increased in NF1 patient WM. We thus identify Notch as an Nf1 effector regulating myelin structure and behavior in a RASopathy and suggest that inhibition of Notch signaling may be a therapeutic strategy for NF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro López-Juárez
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Haley E Titus
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sadiq H Silbak
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Joshua W Pressler
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Tilat A Rizvi
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Madeleine Bogard
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Michael R Bennett
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Georgianne Ciraolo
- Division of Pathology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Michael T Williams
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Nancy Ratner
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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26
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Spina R, Voss DM, Asnaghi L, Sloan A, Bar EE. Atracurium Besylate and other neuromuscular blocking agents promote astroglial differentiation and deplete glioblastoma stem cells. Oncotarget 2016; 7:459-72. [PMID: 26575950 PMCID: PMC4808011 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of about one year. This poor prognosis is attributed primarily to therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence after surgical removal, with the root cause suggested to be found in glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a reporter of astrocytic differentiation, we isolated multiple clones from three independent GSC lines which express GFAP in a remarkably stable fashion. We next show that elevated expression of GFAP is associated with reduced clonogenicity in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Utilizing this in vitro cell-based differentiation reporter system we screened chemical libraries and identified the non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker (NNMB), Atracurium Besylate, as a small molecule which effectively induces astroglial but not neuronal differentiation of GSCs. Functionally, Atracurium Besylate treatment significantly inhibited the clonogenic capacity of several independent patient-derived GSC neurosphere lines, a phenomenon which was largely irreversible. A second NNMB, Vecuronium, also induced GSC astrocytic differentiation while Dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP), a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist, significantly blocked Atracurium Besylate pro-differentiation activity. To investigate the clinical importance of nAChRs in gliomas, we examined clinical outcomes and found that glioma patients with tumors overexpressing CHRNA1 or CHRNA9 (encoding for the AChR-α1 or AChR-α9) exhibit significant shorter overall survival. Finally, we found that ex-vivo pre-treatment of GSCs, expressing CHRNA1 and CHRNA9, with Atracurium Besylate significantly increased the survival of mice xenotransplanted with these cells, therefore suggesting that tumor initiating subpopulations have been reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Spina
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Dillon M Voss
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Laura Asnaghi
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Sloan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University Hospital-Case Medical Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Eli E Bar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
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27
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Carnero A, Garcia-Mayea Y, Mir C, Lorente J, Rubio IT, LLeonart ME. The cancer stem-cell signaling network and resistance to therapy. Cancer Treat Rev 2016; 49:25-36. [PMID: 27434881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The study of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has shown that tumors are driven by a subpopulation of self-renewing CSCs that retain the capacity to engender the various differentiated cell populations that form tumors. The characterization of CSCs has indicated that CSCs are remarkably resistant to conventional radio- and chemo-therapy. Clinically, the remaining populations of CSC are responsible for metastasis and recurrence in patients with cancer, which can lead to the disease becoming chronic and incurable. Therefore, the elimination of CSCs is an important goal of cancer treatments. Furthermore, CSCs are subject to strong regulation by the surrounding microenvironment, which also impacts tumor responses. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which pathways that are defective in CSCs influence ultimately therapeutic and clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carnero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS/HUVR/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla), Molecular Biology of Cancer Group, Oncohematology and Genetic Department, Campus HUVR, Edificio IBIS, Avda. Manuel Siurot s/n. 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Y Garcia-Mayea
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Translational Research in Cancer Stem Cell Group, Pathology Department, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Mir
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Translational Research in Cancer Stem Cell Group, Pathology Department, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Lorente
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Translational Research in Cancer Stem Cell Group, Pathology Department, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - I T Rubio
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Oncologia (VHIO), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Breast Surgical Oncology Unit, Breast Cancer Center, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M E LLeonart
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Translational Research in Cancer Stem Cell Group, Pathology Department, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
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28
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NOTCH1 inhibition enhances the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic agents by targeting head neck cancer stem cell. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24704. [PMID: 27108536 PMCID: PMC4842967 DOI: 10.1038/srep24704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered responsible for tumor initiation and chemoresistance. This study was aimed to investigate the possibility of targeting head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by NOTCH1 pathway inhibition and explore the synergistic effect of combining NOTCH inhibition with conventional chemotherapy. NOTCH1/HES1 elevation was found in human HNSCC, especially in tissue post chemotherapy and lymph node metastasis, which is correlated with CSCs markers. NOTCH1 inhibitor DAPT (GSI-IX) significantly reduces CSCs population and tumor self-renewal ability in vitro and in vivo. Flow cytometry analysis showed that NOTCH1 inhibition reduces CSCs frequency either alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, namely, cisplatin, docetaxel, and 5-fluorouracil. The combined strategy of NOTCH1 blockade and chemotherapy synergistically attenuated chemotherapy-enriched CSC population, promising a potential therapeutic exploitation in future clinical trial.
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29
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Kaur H, Ali SZ, Huey L, Hütt-Cabezas M, Taylor I, Mao XG, Weingart M, Chu Q, Rodriguez FJ, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH. The transcriptional modulator HMGA2 promotes stemness and tumorigenicity in glioblastoma. Cancer Lett 2016; 377:55-64. [PMID: 27102002 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) contains a population of stem-like cells that promote tumor invasion and resistance to therapy. Identifying and targeting stem cell factors in GBM may lead to the development of more effective therapies. High Mobility Group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a transcriptional modulator that mediates motility and self-renewal in normal and cancer stem cells. We identified increased expression of HMGA2 in the majority of primary human GBM tumors and cell lines compared to normal brain. Additionally, HMGA2 expression was increased in CD133+ GBM neurosphere cells compared to CD133- cells. Targeting HMGA2 with lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) led to decreased GBM stemness, invasion, and tumorigenicity. Ectopic expression of HMGA2 in GBM cell lines promoted stemness, invasion, and tumorigenicity. Our data suggests that targeting HMGA2 in GBM may be therapeutically beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Kaur
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Children's Hospital, Room 11379, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Sabeen Zulfiqar Ali
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Lauren Huey
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Marianne Hütt-Cabezas
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Children's Hospital, Room 11379, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Isabella Taylor
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Children's Hospital, Room 11379, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Xing-Gang Mao
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Melanie Weingart
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Qian Chu
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Fausto J Rodriguez
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Eric H Raabe
- Division of Neuropathology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Children's Hospital, Room 11379, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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30
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Yahyanejad S, Theys J, Vooijs M. Targeting Notch to overcome radiation resistance. Oncotarget 2016; 7:7610-28. [PMID: 26713603 PMCID: PMC4884942 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy represents an important therapeutic strategy in the treatment of cancer cells. However, it often fails to eliminate all tumor cells because of the intrinsic or acquired treatment resistance, which is the most common cause of tumor recurrence. Emerging evidences suggest that the Notch signaling pathway is an important pathway mediating radiation resistance in tumor cells. Successful targeting of Notch signaling requires a thorough understanding of Notch regulation and the context-dependent interactions between Notch and other therapeutically relevant pathways. Understanding these interactions will increase our ability to design rational combination regimens that are more likely to be safe and effective. Here we summarize the role of Notch in mediating resistance to radiotherapy, the different strategies to block Notch in cancer cells and how treatment scheduling can improve tumor response. Finally, we discuss a need for reliable Notch related biomarkers in specific tumors to measure pathway activity and to allow identification of a subset of patients who are likely to benefit from Notch targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Yahyanejad
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theys
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Vooijs
- Department of Radiotherapy (MAASTRO)/GROW, School for Developmental Biology and Oncology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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31
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Natsumeda M, Maitani K, Liu Y, Miyahara H, Kaur H, Chu Q, Zhang H, Kahlert UD, Eberhart CG. Targeting Notch Signaling and Autophagy Increases Cytotoxicity in Glioblastoma Neurospheres. Brain Pathol 2016; 26:713-723. [PMID: 26613556 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas are highly aggressive tumors that contain treatment resistant stem-like cells. Therapies targeting developmental pathways such as Notch eliminate many neoplastic glioma cells, including those with stem cell features, but their efficacy can be limited by various mechanisms. One potential avenue for chemotherapeutic resistance is the induction of autophagy, but little is known how it might modulate the response to Notch inhibitors. We used the γ-secretase inhibitor MRK003 to block Notch pathway activity in glioblastoma neurospheres and assessed its effects on autophagy. A dramatic, several fold increase of LC3B-II/LC3B-I autophagy marker was noted on western blots, along with the emergence of punctate LC3B immunostaining in cultured cells. By combining the late stage autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) with MRK003, a significant induction in apoptosis and reduction in growth was noted as compared to Notch inhibition alone. A similar beneficial effect on inhibition of cloogenicity in soft agar was seen using the combination treatment. These results demonstrated that pharmacological Notch blockade can induce protective autophagy in glioma neurospheres, resulting in chemoresistance, which can be abrogated by combination treatment with autophagy inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kosuke Maitani
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Hiroaki Miyahara
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Harpreet Kaur
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ulf D Kahlert
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
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32
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Oldrini B, Schuhmacher AJ, Squatrito M. Take It Down a NOTCH in Forebrain Tumors. Cancer Cell 2015; 28:681-682. [PMID: 26678333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Cancer Cell, Giachino and colleagues, employing various approaches, describe a tumor suppressor function for Notch signaling in forebrain tumors and suggest that decreased Notch activity could be a key molecular event in supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (sPNET).
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Oldrini
- Cancer Cell Biology Programme, Seve Ballesteros Foundation Brain Tumor Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto J Schuhmacher
- Cancer Cell Biology Programme, Seve Ballesteros Foundation Brain Tumor Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Massimo Squatrito
- Cancer Cell Biology Programme, Seve Ballesteros Foundation Brain Tumor Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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33
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Disrupting NOTCH Slows Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Growth, Enhances Radiation Sensitivity, and Shows Combinatorial Efficacy With Bromodomain Inhibition. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2015; 74:778-90. [PMID: 26115193 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0000000000000216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
NOTCH regulates stem cells during normal development and stemlike cells in cancer, but the roles of NOTCH in the lethal pediatric brain tumor diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) remain unknown. Because DIPGs express stem cell factors such as SOX2 and MYCN, we hypothesized that NOTCH activity would be critical for DIPG growth. We determined that primary DIPGs expressed high levels of NOTCH receptors, ligands, and downstream effectors. Treatment of the DIPG cell lines JHH-DIPG1 and SF7761 with the γ-secretase inhibitor MRK003 suppressed the level of the NOTCH effectors HES1, HES4, and HES5; inhibited DIPG growth by 75%; and caused a 3-fold induction of apoptosis. Short hairpin RNAs targeting the canonical NOTCH pathway caused similar effects. Pretreatment of DIPG cells with MRK003 suppressed clonogenic growth by more than 90% and enhanced the efficacy of radiation therapy. The high level of MYCN in DIPG led us to test sequential therapy with the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 and MRK003, and we found that JQ1 and MRK003 inhibited DIPG growth and induced apoptosis. Together, these results suggest that dual targeting of NOTCH and MYCN in DIPG may be an effective therapeutic strategy in DIPG and that adding a γ-secretase inhibitor during radiation therapy may be efficacious initially or during reirradiation.
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Notch signaling: an emerging therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Cancer Lett 2015; 369:20-7. [PMID: 26341688 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Notch pathway is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. The Notch signaling pathway is one of the most commonly activated signaling pathways in cancer. Alterations include activating mutations and amplification of the Notch pathway, which play key roles in the progression of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that the pharmacological inhibition of this pathway can overcome chemoresistance. Efforts have been taken to develop Notch inhibitors as a single agent or in combination with clinically used chemotherapeutics to treat cancer. Some Notch inhibitors have been demonstrated to have therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies. This review summarizes the recent studies and clinical evaluations of the Notch inhibitors in cancer.
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Abstract
Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common primary brain tumor in children; various signaling pathways have been implicated in its biology. The Notch signaling pathway has been found to play a role in the development, stem cell biology, and pathogenesis of several cancers, but its role in PA has not been investigated. We studied alterations in Notch signaling components in tumor tissue from 18 patients with PA and 4 with other low-grade astrocytomas to identify much needed therapeutic targets. We found that Notch pathway members were overexpressed at the mRNA (NOTCH1, NOTCH2, HEY1, HEY2) and protein (HES1) levels in PAs at various anatomic sites compared with non-neoplastic brain samples. These changes were not associated with specific BRAF alterations. Inhibiting the Notch pathway in the pediatric low-grade astrocytoma cell lines Res186 and Res259 using either RNA interference or a γ-secretase inhibitor resulted in variable, but significant, reduction in cell growth and migration. This study suggests a potential role for Notch signaling in pediatric low-grade astrocytoma tumorigenesis and that Notch signaling may be a viable pathway therapeutic target.
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Hiddingh L, Tannous BA, Teng J, Tops B, Jeuken J, Hulleman E, Boots-Sprenger SH, Vandertop WP, Noske DP, Kaspers GJL, Wesseling P, Wurdinger T. EFEMP1 induces γ-secretase/Notch-mediated temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma. Oncotarget 2015; 5:363-74. [PMID: 24495907 PMCID: PMC3964213 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor. Temozolomide (TMZ) is the standard chemotherapeutic agent for this disease. However, intrinsic and acquired TMZ-resistance represents a major obstacle for this therapy. In order to identify factors involved in TMZ-resistance, we engineered different TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cell lines. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that EFEMP1, an extracellular matrix protein, is associated with TMZ-resistant phenotype. Silencing of EFEMP1 in glioblastoma cells resulted in decreased cell survival following TMZ treatment, whereas overexpression caused TMZ-resistance. EFEMP1 acts via multiple signaling pathways, including γ-secretase-mediated activation of the Notch pathway. We show that inhibition of γ-secretase by RO4929097 causes at least partial sensitization of glioblastoma cells to temozolomide in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we show that EFEMP1 expression levels correlate with survival in TMZ-treated glioblastoma patients. Altogether our results suggest EFEMP1 as a potential therapeutic target to overcome TMZ-resistance in glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Hiddingh
- Department of Neurosurgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Strong therapeutic potential of γ-secretase inhibitor MRK003 for CD44-high and CD133-low glioblastoma initiating cells. J Neurooncol 2014; 121:239-50. [PMID: 25293440 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-014-1630-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The Notch signal regulates both cell viability and apoptosis, and maintains stemness of various cancers including glioblastoma (GBM). Although Notch signal inhibition may be an effective strategy in treating GBM initiating cells (GICs), its applicability to the different subtypes of GBM remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the effectiveness of MRK003, a preclinical γ-secretase inhibitor, on GICs. Nine patient-derived GICs were treated by MRK003, and its efficacy on cell viability, apoptosis, sphere forming ability and Akt expression level which might be related to Notch downstream and be greatly important signals in GBM was evaluated. MRK003 suppressed viability and sphere-formation ability, and induced apoptosis in all GICs in varying doses of MRK003. Based on their sensitivities to MRK003, the nine GICs were divided into "relatively sensitive" and "relatively resistant" GICs. Sensitivity to MRK003 was associated with its inhibitory effect on Akt pathway. Transgenic expression of the myristoylated Akt vector in relatively sensitive GICs partially rescued the effect of MRK003, suggesting that the effect of MRK003 was, at least in part, mediated through inhibition of the Akt pathway. These GICs were differentiated by the expression of CD44 and CD133 with flow cytometric analysis. The relatively sensitive GICs are CD44-high and CD133-low. The IC50 of MRK003 in a set of GICs exhibited a negative correlation with CD44 and positive correlation with CD133. Collectively, MRK003 is partially mediated by the Akt pathway and has strong therapeutic potential for CD44-high and CD133-low GICs.
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Arsenic trioxide inhibits Hedgehog, Notch and stem cell properties in glioblastoma neurospheres. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:31. [PMID: 24685274 PMCID: PMC3977902 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-2-31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Notch and Hedgehog signaling have been implicated in the pathogenesis and stem-like characteristics of glioblastomas, and inhibitors of the pathways have been suggested as new therapies for these aggressive tumors. It has also been reported that targeting both pathways simultaneously can be advantageous in treating glioblastoma neurospheres, but this is difficult to achieve in vivo using multiple agents. Since arsenic trioxide has been shown to inhibit both Notch and Hedgehog in some solid tumors, we examined its effects on these pathways and on stem cell phenotype in glioblastoma. Results We found that arsenic trioxide suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis in three stem-like glioblastoma neurospheres lines, while inhibiting Notch and Hedgehog target genes. Importantly, arsenic trioxide markedly reduced clonogenic capacity of the tumor neurospheres, and the stem-like CD133-positive fraction was also diminished along with expression of the stem cell markers SOX2 and CD133. Conclusions Our results suggest that arsenic trioxide may be effective in targeting stem-like glioblastoma cells in patients by inhibiting Notch and Hedgehog activity.
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Ntziachristos P, Lim JS, Sage J, Aifantis I. From fly wings to targeted cancer therapies: a centennial for notch signaling. Cancer Cell 2014; 25:318-34. [PMID: 24651013 PMCID: PMC4040351 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 275] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Since Notch phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster were first identified 100 years ago, Notch signaling has been extensively characterized as a regulator of cell-fate decisions in a variety of organisms and tissues. However, in the past 20 years, accumulating evidence has linked alterations in the Notch pathway to tumorigenesis. In this review, we discuss the protumorigenic and tumor-suppressive functions of Notch signaling, and dissect the molecular mechanisms that underlie these functions in hematopoietic cancers and solid tumors. Finally, we link these mechanisms and observations to possible therapeutic strategies targeting the Notch pathway in human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Ntziachristos
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; NYU Cancer Institute and Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jing Shan Lim
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; NYU Cancer Institute and Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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