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Quadri M, Palazzo E. The Role of the Neurotrophin Network in Skin Squamous Cell Cancer and the Novel Use of the Zebrafish System. JID INNOVATIONS 2024; 4:100295. [PMID: 39100386 PMCID: PMC11296245 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2024.100295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most prevalent form of skin cancer. An increasing number of cSCCs are associated with dysregulation of key molecules that control skin homeostasis. These observations have increased interest in the role of neurotrophins and their receptors in the pathogenesis of cSCC. They have been demonstrated to have a considerable impact on the aggressiveness potential of skin cancer by both in vitro and in vivo models. In this context, mouse models are classically used to dissect proliferation versus differentiation balance, but they have some limitations in terms of time, space, and costs. Recently, zebrafish models have been implemented as a new tool to obtain information regarding the invasive capacity and metastasis of neoplastic cells. By xenotransplantation technique, cSCC cells from a patient's biopsy or cell line can be successfully characterized, with or without the presence of genetic manipulation or treatments. In addition, the evaluation of the immune microenvironment contributes to potentially identifying connections and homologies with humans. In this review, we retrace the role of the neurotrophin network in healthy and pathological skin, particularly in cSCC. We review how zebrafish models can be important tools for studying cSCC development, growth, and potential treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Quadri
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palazzo
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Kaufmann J, Haist M, Kur IM, Zimmer S, Hagemann J, Matthias C, Grabbe S, Schmidberger H, Weigert A, Mayer A. Tumor-stroma contact ratio - a novel predictive factor for tumor response to chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer. Transl Oncol 2024; 46:102019. [PMID: 38833784 PMCID: PMC11190748 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.102019] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The growth pattern of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) varies from compact tumor cell aggregates to diffusely infiltrating tumor cell-clusters. The influence of the growth pattern on local tumor control and survival has been studied mainly for surgically treated oral cavity carcinomas on a visual basis. In this study, we used multiplex immunofluorescence staining (mIF) to examine the antigens pan-cytokeratin, p16INK4a, Ki67, CD271, PD-L1, and CD8 in pretherapeutic biopsies from 86 OPSCC. We introduce Tumor-stroma contact ratio (TSC), a novel parameter, to quantify the relationship between tumor cells in contact with the stromal surface and the total number of epithelial tumor cells. mIF tumor cores were analyzed at the single-cell level, and tumor-stromal contact area was quantified using the R package "Spatstat". TSC was correlated with the visually assessed invasion pattern by two independent investigators. Furthermore, TSC was analyzed in relation to clinical parameters and patient survival data to evaluate its potential prognostic significance. Higher TSC correlated with poor response to (chemo-)radiotherapy (r = 0.3, p < 0.01), and shorter overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival (median OS: 13 vs 136 months, p < 0.0001; median PFS: 5 vs 85 months, p < 0.0001). Visual categorization of growth pattern according to established criteria of tumor aggressiveness showed interobserver variability increasing with more nuanced categories (2 categories: k = 0.7, 95 %-CI: 0.55 - 0.85; 4 categories k = 0.48, 95 %-CI: 0.35 - 0.61). In conclusion, TSC is an objective and reproducible computer-based parameter to quantify tumor-stroma contact area. We demonstrate its relevance for the response of oropharyngeal carcinomas to primary (chemo-)radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Kaufmann
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz 55131, Germany.
| | - Maximilian Haist
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ivan-Maximiliano Kur
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefanie Zimmer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jan Hagemann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz 55131, Germany
| | - Christoph Matthias
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz 55131, Germany
| | - Stephan Grabbe
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heinz Schmidberger
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz 55131, Germany
| | - Andreas Weigert
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Arnulf Mayer
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz 55131, Germany; Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
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Quadri M, Tiso N, Musmeci F, Morasso MI, Brooks SR, Bonetti LR, Panini R, Lotti R, Marconi A, Pincelli C, Palazzo E. CD271 activation prevents low to high-risk progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and improves therapy outcomes. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:167. [PMID: 37443031 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02737-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most prevalent form of skin cancer, showing a rapid increasing incidence worldwide. Although most cSCC can be cured by surgery, a sizeable number of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, with local invasion and distant metastatic lesions. In the skin, neurotrophins (NTs) and their receptors (CD271 and Trk) form a complex network regulating epidermal homeostasis. Recently, several works suggested a significant implication of NT receptors in cancer. However, CD271 functions in epithelial tumors are controversial and its precise role in cSCC is still to be defined. METHODS Spheroids from cSCC patients with low-risk (In situ or Well-Differentiated cSCC) or high-risk tumors (Moderately/Poorly Differentiated cSCC), were established to explore histological features, proliferation, invasion abilities, and molecular pathways modulated in response to CD271 overexpression or activation in vitro. The effect of CD271 activities on the response to therapeutics was also investigated. The impact on the metastatic process and inflammation was explored in vivo and in vitro, by using zebrafish xenograft and 2D/3D models. RESULTS Our data proved that CD271 is upregulated in Well-Differentiated tumors as compared to the more aggressive Moderately/Poorly Differentiated cSCC, both in vivo and in vitro. We demonstrated that CD271 activities reduce proliferation and malignancy marker expression in patient-derived cSCC spheroids at each tumor grade, by increasing neoplastic cell differentiation. CD271 overexpression significantly increases cSCC spheroid mass density, while it reduces their weight and diameter, and promotes a major fold-enrichment in differentiation and keratinization genes. Moreover, both CD271 overexpression and activation decrease cSCC cell invasiveness in vitro. A significant inhibition of the metastatic process by CD271 was observed in a newly established zebrafish cSCC model. We found that the recruitment of leucocytes by CD271-overexpressing cells directly correlates with tumor killing and this finding was further highlighted by monocyte infiltration in a THP-1-SCC13 3D model. Finally, CD271 activity synergizes with Trk receptor inhibition, by reducing spheroid viability, and significantly improves the outcome of photodynamic therapy (PTD) or chemotherapy in spheroids and zebrafish. CONCLUSION Our study provides evidence that CD271 could prevent the switch between low to high-risk cSCC tumors. Because CD271 contributes to maintaining active differentiative paths and favors the response to therapies, it might be a promising target for future pharmaceutical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Quadri
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Maria I Morasso
- Laboratory of Skin Biology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen R Brooks
- Biodata Mining and Discovery Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Luca Reggiani Bonetti
- Department of Diagnostic, Clinic and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Rossana Panini
- Department of Diagnostic, Clinic and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Roberta Lotti
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marconi
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Pincelli
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palazzo
- DermoLAB, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, 41124, Modena, Italy.
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Mahmoudian RA, Akhlaghipour I, Lotfi M, Shahidsales S, Moghbeli M. Circular RNAs as the pivotal regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastrointestinal tumor cells. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 245:154472. [PMID: 37087995 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, as the most common human malignancies are always considered one of the most important health challenges in the world. Late diagnosis in advanced tumor stages is one of the main reasons for the high mortality rate and treatment failure in these patients. Therefore, investigating the molecular pathways involved in GI tumor progression is required to introduce the efficient markers for the early tumor diagnosis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the main cellular mechanisms involved in the GI tumor metastasis. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are one of the main regulatory factors in EMT process. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of covalently closed loop ncRNAs that have higher stability in body fluids compared with other ncRNAs. Considering the importance of circRNAs in regulation of EMT process, in the present review we discussed the role of circRNAs in EMT process during GI tumor invasion. It has been reported that circRNAs mainly affect the EMT process through the regulation of EMT-specific transcription factors and signaling pathways such as WNT, PI3K/AKT, TGF-β, and MAPK. This review can be an effective step in introducing a circRNA/EMT based diagnostic panel marker for the early tumor detection among GI cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reihaneh Alsadat Mahmoudian
- Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Cancer Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Iman Akhlaghipour
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Malihe Lotfi
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Meysam Moghbeli
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Identity matters: cancer stem cells and tumour plasticity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Med 2023; 25:e8. [PMID: 36740973 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2023.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents frequent yet aggressive tumours that encompass complex ecosystems of stromal and neoplastic components including a dynamic population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Recently, research in the field of CSCs has gained increased momentum owing in part to their role in tumourigenicity, metastasis, therapy resistance and relapse. We provide herein a comprehensive assessment of the latest progress in comprehending CSC plasticity, including newly discovered influencing factors and their possible application in HNSCC. We further discuss the dynamic interplay of CSCs within tumour microenvironment considering our evolving appreciation of the contribution of oral microbiota and the pressing need for relevant models depicting their features. In sum, CSCs and tumour plasticity represent an exciting and expanding battleground with great implications for cancer therapy that are only beginning to be appreciated in head and neck oncology.
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Kono M, Saito S, Egloff AM, Allen CT, Uppaluri R. The mouse oral carcinoma (MOC) model: A 10-year retrospective on model development and head and neck cancer investigations. Oral Oncol 2022; 132:106012. [PMID: 35820346 PMCID: PMC9364442 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.106012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical models of cancer have long been paramount to understanding tumor development and advancing the treatment of cancer. Creating preclinical models that mimic the complexity and heterogeneity of human tumors is a key challenge in the advancement of cancer therapy. About ten years ago, we created the mouse oral carcinoma (MOC) cell line models that were derived from 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced mouse oral squamous cell cancers. This model has been used in numerous investigations, including studies on tumor biology and therapeutics. We have seen remarkable progress in cancer immunology in recent years, and these cell lines, which are syngeneic to C57BL/6 background, have also been used to study the anti-tumor immune response. Herein, we aim to review the MOC model from its development and characterization to its use in non-immunological and immunological preclinical head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) studies. Integrating and refining these MOC model studies and extending findings to other systems will provide crucial insights for translational approaches aimed at improving head and neck cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michihisa Kono
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
| | - Shin Saito
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Ann Marie Egloff
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Surgery/Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, United States.
| | - Clint T Allen
- Section on Translational Tumor Immunology, National Institutes on Deafness and Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Ravindra Uppaluri
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Surgery/Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, United States.
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Chiu WC, Ou DL, Tan CT. Mouse Models for Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapeutic Research in Oral Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169195. [PMID: 36012461 PMCID: PMC9409124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The most prevalent oral cancer globally is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The invasion of adjacent bones and the metastasis to regional lymph nodes often lead to poor prognoses and shortened survival times in patients with OSCC. Encouraging immunotherapeutic responses have been seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); however, these positive responses to monotherapy have been limited to a small subset of patients. Therefore, it is urgent that further investigations into optimizing immunotherapies are conducted. Areas of research include identifying novel immune checkpoints and targets and tailoring treatment programs to meet the needs of individual patients. Furthermore, the advancement of combination therapies against OSCC is also critical. Thus, additional studies are needed to ensure clinical trials are successful. Mice models are advantageous in immunotherapy research with several advantages, such as relatively low costs and high tumor growth success rate. This review paper divided methods for establishing OSCC mouse models into four categories: syngeneic tumor models, chemical carcinogen induction, genetically engineered mouse, and humanized mouse. Each method has advantages and disadvantages that influence its application in OSCC research. This review comprehensively surveys the literature and summarizes the current mouse models used in immunotherapy, their advantages and disadvantages, and details relating to the cell lines for oral cancer growth. This review aims to present evidence and considerations for choosing a suitable model establishment method to investigate the early diagnosis, clinical treatment, and related pathogenesis of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Chiao Chiu
- Department of Medical Research, Fu-Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City 100225, Taiwan
| | - Da-Liang Ou
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10051, Taiwan
- YongLin Institute of Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10672, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ting Tan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City 100225, Taiwan
- Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10051, Taiwan
- Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 100233, Taiwan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu 302058, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-23123456 (ext. 88649)
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Guendisch U, Loos B, Cheng PF, Dummer R, Levesque MP, Varum S, Sommer L. Loss of YY1, a Regulator of Metabolism in Melanoma, Drives Melanoma Cell Invasiveness and Metastasis Formation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:916033. [PMID: 35693944 PMCID: PMC9178194 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.916033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of cellular metabolism through metabolic rewiring and translational reprogramming are considered hallmark traits of tumor development and malignant progression. The transcription factor YY1 is a master regulator of metabolism that we have previously shown to orchestrate a metabolic program required for melanoma formation. In this study, we demonstrate that YY1, while being essential for primary melanoma formation, suppresses metastatic spreading. Its downregulation or loss resulted in the induction of an invasiveness gene program and sensitized melanoma cells for pro-invasive signaling molecules, such as TGF-β. In addition, NGFR, a key effector in melanoma invasion and phenotype switching, was among the most upregulated genes after YY1 knockdown. High levels of NGFR were also associated with other metabolic stress inducers, further indicating that YY1 knockdown mimics a metabolic stress program associated with an increased invasion potential in melanoma. Accordingly, while counteracting tumor growth, loss of YY1 strongly promoted melanoma cell invasiveness in vitro and metastasis formation in melanoma mouse models in vivo. Thus, our findings show that the metabolic regulator YY1 controls phenotype switching in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Guendisch
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Loos
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Phil F. Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Sandra Varum
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Sommer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Lukas Sommer,
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Strohmayer C, Klang A, Kummer S, Walter I, Jindra C, Weissenbacher-Lang C, Redmer T, Kneissl S, Brandt S. Tumor Cell Plasticity in Equine Papillomavirus-Positive Versus-Negative Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020266. [PMID: 35215208 PMCID: PMC8875230 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is a common malignant tumor in humans and animals. In humans, papillomavirus (PV)-induced HNSCCs have a better prognosis than papillomavirus-unrelated HNSCCs. The ability of tumor cells to switch from epithelial to mesenchymal, endothelial, or therapy-resistant stem-cell-like phenotypes promotes disease progression and metastasis. In equine HNSCC, PV-association and tumor cell phenotype switching are poorly understood. We screened 49 equine HNSCCs for equine PV (EcPV) type 2, 3 and 5 infection. Subsequently, PV-positive versus -negative lesions were analyzed for expression of selected epithelial (keratins, β-catenin), mesenchymal (vimentin), endothelial (COX-2), and stem-cell markers (CD271, CD44) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF; keratins/vimentin, CD44/CD271 double-staining) to address tumor cell plasticity in relation to PV infection. Only EcPV2 PCR scored positive for 11/49 equine HNSCCs. IHC and IF from 11 EcPV2-positive and 11 EcPV2-negative tumors revealed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition events, with vimentin-positive cells ranging between <10 and >50%. CD44- and CD271-staining disclosed the intralesional presence of infiltrative tumor cell fronts and double-positive tumor cell subsets independently of the PV infection status. Our findings are indicative of (partial) epithelial–mesenchymal transition events giving rise to hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and stem-cell-like tumor cell phenotypes in equine HNSCCs and suggest CD44 and CD271 as potential malignancy markers that merit to be further explored in the horse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Strohmayer
- Clinical Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Andrea Klang
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.K.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Stefan Kummer
- VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (S.K.); (I.W.)
| | - Ingrid Walter
- VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (S.K.); (I.W.)
- Institute of Morphology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Jindra
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Christiane Weissenbacher-Lang
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.K.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Torben Redmer
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Sibylle Kneissl
- Clinical Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Sabine Brandt
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-12-5077-5308
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Bashir N, Ishfaq M, Mazhar K, Khan JS, Shahid R. Upregulation of CD271 transcriptome in breast cancer promotes cell survival via NFκB pathway. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:487-495. [PMID: 34755264 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06900-1] [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: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological treatment of many cancers currently targets membrane bound receptors located on a cell surface. We are in a great to need identify novel membrane proteins associated with migration and metastasis of breast cancer cells. CD271, a single transmembrane protein belongs to tumor necrosis factor receptor family acts and play its role in proliferation of cancer cell. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of CD271 in breast cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study we analyzed the mRNA expression of CD271 in breast tumor tissue, breast cancer cell line MCF7 and isolated cancer stem cells (MCF7-CSCs) by RT-qPCR. We also measured the protein levels through western blotting in MCF-7 cell line. CD271 was upregulated in breast cancer patients among all age groups. Within the promoter region of CD271, there is a binding site for NF-κB1 which overlaps a putative quadraplex forming sequence. While CD271 also activates NF-κB pathway, down regulation of CD271 through quadraplex targeting resulted in inhibition of NF-κB and its downstream targets Nanog and Sox2. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our data shows that CD271 and NF-κB are regulated in interdependent manner. Upon CD271 inhibition, the NF-κB expression also reduces which in turn affects the cell proliferation and migration. These results suggest that CD271 is playing a crucial rule in cancer progression by regulating NF-κB and is a good candidate for the therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabiha Bashir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mehreen Ishfaq
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Kehkashan Mazhar
- Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), KRL Hospital Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jahangir Sarwar Khan
- Department of General Surgery, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Ramla Shahid
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan.
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Harnessing Carcinoma Cell Plasticity Mediated by TGF-β Signaling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143397. [PMID: 34298613 PMCID: PMC8307280 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This review describes mechanisms driving epithelial plasticity in carcinoma mediated by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling. Plasticity in carcinoma is frequently induced through epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionary conserved process in the development of multicellular organisms. The review explores the multifaceted functions of EMT, particularly focusing on the intermediate stages, which provide more adaptive responses of carcinoma cells in their microenvironment. The review critically considers how different intermediate or hybrid EMT stages confer carcinoma cells with stemness, refractoriness to therapies, and ability to execute all steps of the metastatic cascade. Finally, the review provides examples of therapeutic interventions based on the EMT concept. Abstract Epithelial cell plasticity, a hallmark of carcinoma progression, results in local and distant cancer dissemination. Carcinoma cell plasticity can be achieved through epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), with cells positioned seemingly indiscriminately across the spectrum of EMT phenotypes. Different degrees of plasticity are achieved by transcriptional regulation and feedback-loops, which confer carcinoma cells with unique properties of tumor propagation and therapy resistance. Decoding the molecular and cellular basis of EMT in carcinoma should enable the discovery of new therapeutic strategies against cancer. In this review, we discuss the different attributes of plasticity in carcinoma and highlight the role of the canonical TGFβ receptor signaling pathway in the acquisition of plasticity. We emphasize the potential stochasticity of stemness in carcinoma in relation to plasticity and provide data from recent clinical trials that seek to target plasticity.
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Bhat GR, Hyole RG, Li J. Head and neck cancer: Current challenges and future perspectives. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 152:67-102. [PMID: 34353444 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Head and neck cancers are a heterogeneous, aggressive and genetically complex collection of malignancies of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, paranasal sinuses and salivary glands, which are difficult to treat. About 90% of all head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Larynx and Oral cavity carcinomas are generally related with tobacco consumption, alcohol abuse (or both), but pharynx carcinomas are generally associated with infection of human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV-16 subtype. Thus, usually HNSCC can be separated into HPV-negative and HPV-positive categories. Despite substantial efforts invested into therapeutic development of HNSCC, the 5-year survival rate of patients with HNSCC still remains dismal. The primary reason being late diagnosis, recurrent metastasis, relapse and resistance to therapies. Currently surgery and radiotherapy represent the baseline treatment options for most initial stage HNSCC patients, but these treatments are associated with significant morbidity and poor prognosis. Moreover, the issue of resistance to both radiotherapy/chemotherapy and recurrent relapse are common in HNSCC. Elucidation of the genetic landscape, tumor microenvironment and aberrant signaling pathways have generated new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of this disease. Thus, the scientific research has therefore been focused on the understanding of HNSCC biology and immunobiology to identification of predictive/prognostic biomarkers, which will be key to develop more effective targeted therapies with less toxicity and high specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gh Rasool Bhat
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Rosalie G Hyole
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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Zhang M, Hoyle RG, Ma Z, Sun B, Cai W, Cai H, Xie N, Zhang Y, Hou J, Liu X, Chen D, Kellogg GE, Harada H, Sun Y, Wang C, Li J. FOSL1 promotes metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through super-enhancer-driven transcription program. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2583-2600. [PMID: 33794365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we discovered that FOSL1 facilitates the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cancer stem cells in a spontaneous mouse model. However, the molecular mechanisms remained unclear. Here, we demonstrated that FOSL1 serves as the dominant activating protein 1 (AP1) family member and is significantly upregulated in HNSCC tumor tissues and correlated with metastasis of HNSCC. Mechanistically, FOSL1 exerts its function in promoting tumorigenicity and metastasis predominantly via selective association with Mediators to establish super-enhancers (SEs) at a cohort of cancer stemness and pro-metastatic genes, such as SNAI2 and FOSL1 itself. Depletion of FOSL1 led to disruption of SEs and expression inhibition of these key oncogenes, which resulted in the suppression of tumor initiation and metastasis. We also revealed that the abundance of FOSL1 is positively associated with the abundance of SNAI2 in HNSCC and the high expression levels of FOSL1 and SNAI2 are associated with short overall disease-free survival. Finally, the administration of the FOSL1 inhibitor SR11302 significantly suppressed tumor growth and lymph node metastasis of HNSCC in a patient-derived xenograft model. These findings indicate that FOSL1 is a master regulator that promotes the metastasis of HNSCC through a SE-driven transcription program that may represent an attractive target for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rosalie G Hoyle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Zhikun Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Weixin Cai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Hongshi Cai
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Nan Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Oral Pathology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China
| | - Yadong Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jinsong Hou
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiqiang Liu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Demeng Chen
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Glen E Kellogg
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Hisashi Harada
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Yue Sun
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA; Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, USA.
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Moon JH, Lee SH, Lim YC. Wnt/β-catenin/Slug pathway contributes to tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Clin Exp Metastasis 2021; 38:163-174. [PMID: 33630219 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in diverse cancer development mechanisms, such as proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains largely unknown. We investigated whether the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway acts as a controller of invasion and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in HNSCC. Loss of function experiments against the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway were conducted to evaluate its invasive and metastatic role in HNSCC cells. Slug was evaluated as a downstream protein in canonical Wnt/β-catenin-mediated invasion. In addition, canonical Wnt/β-catenin and Slug expression levels were examined in 119 HNSCC tissue samples to study the relevance of these proteins in LNM and prognosis of patients post-treatment. In vitro suppression of β-catenin expression led to decreased migration and invasion of HNSCC cells. Using an in vivo mouse orthotopic LNM model, a decrease in LNM was observed with mitigated β-catenin expression. Slug expression upregulation mediates invasion and LNM by the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Simultaneous expression of β-catenin and Slug is the major predictive factor of LNM and survival rate in patients with HNSCC. In conclusion, the canonical Wnt/β-catenin/Slug signaling axis significantly contributes to cancer cell invasion and LNM. Its blockade may be a treatment strategy for LNM and tumor recurrence in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Hwa Moon
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, #1, Hwayang-dong, Gwangin-gu, Seoul, 143-752, Korea
| | - Sang Hyuk Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Chang Lim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, #1, Hwayang-dong, Gwangin-gu, Seoul, 143-752, Korea.
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Targeting Oncoimmune Drivers of Cancer Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030554. [PMID: 33535613 PMCID: PMC7867187 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Residual metastasis is a major cause of cancer-associated death. Recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the related cancer stem cells (CSCs) have revealed the landscapes of cancer metastasis and are promising contributions to clinical treatments. However, this rarely leads to practical advances in the management of cancer in clinical settings, and thus cancer metastasis is still a threat to patients. The reason for this may be the heterogeneity and complexity caused by the evolutional transformation of tumor cells through interactions with the host environment, which is composed of numerous components, including stromal cells, vascular cells, and immune cells. The reciprocal evolution further raises the possibility of successful tumor escape, resulting in a fatal prognosis for patients. To disrupt the vicious spiral of tumor-immunity aggravation, it is important to understand the entire metastatic process and the practical implementations. Here, we provide an overview of the molecular and cellular links between tumors' biological properties and host immunity, mainly focusing on EMT and CSCs, and we also highlight therapeutic agents targeting the oncoimmune determinants driving cancer metastasis toward better practical use in the treatment of cancer patients.
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16
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Perineural invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: background, mechanisms, and prognostic implications. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020; 28:90-95. [PMID: 32011398 DOI: 10.1097/moo.0000000000000610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Perineural invasion (PNI) is a pathological feature frequently observed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The difficulties of pathological standardization and the lack of a simple validated experimental model to study PNI render its analysis complex. Here, we aim to summarize the recent advances in the understanding of the biology of PNI in HNSCC and their potential clinical implications. RECENT FINDINGS PNI is a multistep process leading to a dialogue between cancer cells and nerve fibers in HNSCC. Recent studies have identified some of the active molecular mechanisms involved in PNI. Comprehensive studies addressing the transcriptional regulation of PNI bring interesting perspectives for a standardized molecular diagnosis of PNI and a better assessment of its contribution to the aggressiveness of HNSCC. SUMMARY Perineural invasion is a complex process that reflects specific tumor biology. In addition to unveiling new fundamental concepts about the tumor microenvironment, research on PNI promises to identify new biomarkers, enabling progress in therapeutic development against HNSCC.
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Wei J, Huang J, Kuang Y, Li Y, Zhong D, Song J. Metformin inhibits proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by suppressing proteolysis of nerve growth factor receptor. Arch Oral Biol 2020; 121:104971. [PMID: 33220581 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore the effects of metformin on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell proliferation and the associated molecular mechanisms. METHODS We established an OSCC model in SCC15 cells overexpressing nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) or the N-terminal region (aa 1-250; NGFR-N), and assessed cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and cell cycle analysis. Levels of NGFR and related genes and proteins were detected by qPCR and western blotting, and NGFR and NGFR-N affinity for p53 was assessed by immunoprecipitation assay. Additionally, the effects of NGFR and NGFR-N on p53 binding with its downstream gene promoters were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS Metformin inhibited OSCC cell proliferation and blocked NGFR proteolysis, thereby reducing the generation of its intracellular domain and NGFR-N. Moreover, compared with NGFR, NGFR-N showed higher affinity for p53 and more strongly inactivated p53 to promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, upregulation of NGFR-N downregulated levels of p53-specific downstream transcripts and proteins, whereas these levels were significantly upregulated in metformin-treated cells overexpressing NGFR. CONCLUSIONS These results showed that metformin inhibited cell proliferation by suppressing NGFR proteolysis, thereby promoting its antitumor effect in OSCC and offering novel insight into a role for metformin in OSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wei
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Jiao Huang
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Yunchun Kuang
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Yongkai Li
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Daiqin Zhong
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Jinlin Song
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China.
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18
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de Morais EF, Rolim LSA, de Melo Fernandes Almeida DR, de Farias Morais HG, de Souza LB, de Almeida Freitas R. Biological role of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition-inducing transcription factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review. Arch Oral Biol 2020; 119:104904. [PMID: 32947165 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review was to explore the biological functions and mechanisms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell lines. In addition, we analyzed the possible usefulness of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors as a future therapeutic target. DESIGN An electronic search was performed in EMBASE, Medline/PubMed, Chinese BioMedical Literature Databases, and Cochrane Collaboration Library. Articles evaluating the relationship between epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors and the biological behavior of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were selected for this systematic review. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. RESULTS After application of the previously established inclusion/exclusion criteria, 23 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Our study showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors are essential components during the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and their overexpression is associated with a greater capacity of dissemination and survival of the tumor and resistance to cancer treatment. The inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors is able to reverse the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and to increase the sensitivity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines to radio/chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors for the prediction of prognosis and response to cancer treatment may have a significant clinical impact.
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Vidal A, Redmer T. Decoding the Role of CD271 in Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092460. [PMID: 32878000 PMCID: PMC7564075 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer, is triggered by driver mutations that are acquired in the coding regions of particularly BRAF (rat fibrosarcoma serine/threonine kinase, isoform B) or NRAS (neuroblastoma-type ras sarcoma virus) in melanocytes. Although driver mutations strongly determine tumor progression, additional factors are likely required and prerequisite for melanoma formation. Melanocytes are formed during vertebrate development in a well-controlled differentiation process of multipotent neural crest stem cells (NCSCs). However, mechanisms determining the properties of melanocytes and melanoma cells are still not well understood. The nerve growth factor receptor CD271 is likewise expressed in melanocytes, melanoma cells and NCSCs and programs the maintenance of a stem-like and migratory phenotype via a comprehensive network of associated genes. Moreover, CD271 regulates phenotype switching, a process that enables the rapid and reversible conversion of proliferative into invasive or non-stem-like states into stem-like states by yet largely unknown mechanisms. Here, we summarize current findings about CD271-associated mechanisms in melanoma cells and illustrate the role of CD271 for melanoma cell migration and metastasis, phenotype-switching, resistance to therapeutic interventions, and the maintenance of an NCSC-like state.
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Inactivating p53 is essential for nerve growth factor receptor to promote melanoma-initiating cell-stemmed tumorigenesis. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:550. [PMID: 32686661 PMCID: PMC7371866 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02758-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR, CD271, or p75NTR) is highly expressed in melanoma-initiating cells (MICs) and is critical for their proliferation and tumorigenesis, and yet the underlying mechanism(s) remain incompletely understood. We previously showed that NGFR inhibits p53 activity in a negative feedback manner in various cancer cells. Here we report that this feedback inhibition of p53 by NGFR plays an essential role in maintaining the sphere formation (stem-like phenotype) and proliferation of MICs, and in promoting MIC-derived melanoma growth in vivo. Knockdown of NGFR markedly reduced the size and number of spheroid formation of melanoma cells, which can be rescued by ectopically expressed NGFR. This reduction was also reversed by depleting p53. Consistently, knockdown of NGFR led to the suppression of MIC-derived xenograft tumor growth by inducing the p53 pathway. These results demonstrate that the NGFR-p53 feedback loop is essential for maintaining MIC stem-like phenotype and MIC-derived tumorigenesis, and further validates NGFR as a potential target for developing a molecule-based therapy against melanoma.
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Gao W, Xu S, Zhang M, Liu S, Siu SPK, Peng H, Ng JCW, Tsao GSW, Chan AWH, Chow VLY, Chan JYW, Wong TS. NADPH oxidase 5α promotes the formation of CD271 tumor-initiating cells in oral cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:1710-1727. [PMID: 32642285 PMCID: PMC7339284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has a distinctive cell sub-population known as tumor-initiating cells (TICs). CD271 is a functional TIC receptor in head and neck cancers. The molecular mechanisms governing CD271 up-regulation remains unclear. Oxidative stress is a contributing factor in TIC development. Here, we explored the potential role of NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) and its regulatory mechanism on the development of CD271-expressing OTSCC. Our results showed that the splice variant NOX5α is the most prevalent form expressed in head and neck cancers. NOX5α enhanced OTSCC proliferation, migration, and invasion. Overexpression of NOX5α increased the size of OTSCC xenograft significantly in vivo. The tumor-promoting functions of NOX5α were mediated through the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating property. NOX5α activated ERK singling and increased CD271 expression at the transcription level. Also, NOX5α reduces the sensitivity of OTSCC to cisplatin and natural killer cells. The findings indicate that NOX5α plays an important part in the development of TIC in OTSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shaowei Xu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Minjuan Zhang
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sharie Pui-Kei Siu
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hanwei Peng
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Judy Chun-Wai Ng
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - George Sai-Wah Tsao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anthony Wing-Hung Chan
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, NT, China
| | - Velda Ling-Yu Chow
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jimmy Yu-Wai Chan
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Thian-Sze Wong
- Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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Choi SY, Lee DW, Song B, Kim SY, Kim HJ, Shin DY, Ku B, Chung MK. A rapid quantification of invasive phenotype in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A novel 3D pillar array system. Oral Oncol 2020; 108:104807. [PMID: 32450501 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The widely used in vitro invasion assays for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are wound healing, transwell, and organotypic assays. However, these are still lab-intensive and time-consuming tasks. For the rapid detection and high throughput screening of invasiveness in 3D condition, we propose a novel spheroid invasion assay using commercially available pillar platform system. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the pillar-based spheroid invasion assay, migration and invasion was evaluated in three patient-derived cells (PDCs) of HNSCC. Immunofluorescence of live cells was used for the quantitative measurement of migratory and invaded cells attached to the pillar. Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene (snai1/2) was measured by qRT-PCR. We also tested the impact of drug treatments (cisplatin, docetaxel) on the changes in the invasive phenotype. RESULTS All PDCs successfully formed spheroid at 4 days and can be measured invasiveness within 7 days. Intriguingly, one PDC (#1) obtained from the advanced stage showed robust migration, invasion and higher transcription of snai1/2, compared with the other two PDCs. Furthermore, the invasion ratio of the control spheroids was about 70% while the invasion ratios of drug-treated spheroids were lower than 50%, and the difference showed statistical significance (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION The presented spheroid invasion assay using pillar array could be useful for the evaluation of cancer cell behavior and physiology in response to diverse therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Yong Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Konyang University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bokhyun Song
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Yoon Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Da-Yong Shin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bosung Ku
- Central R & D Center, Medical & Bio Decision (MBD) Co., Ltd, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Man Ki Chung
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Liu J, Dai X, Guo X, Cheng A, Mac SM, Wang Z. Circ-OXCT1 Suppresses Gastric Cancer EMT and Metastasis by Attenuating TGF-β Pathway Through the Circ-OXCT1/miR-136/SMAD4 Axis. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:3987-3998. [PMID: 32523351 PMCID: PMC7236241 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s239789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proven to play important roles in tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism by which circRNAs act on gastric cancer (GC) through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is unclear. In this study, we identified circ-OXCT1 and elucidated its function on EMT in GC. Methods Tissue circRNA microarray analysis and qRT-PCR were utilized to determine the expression level of circ-OXCT1 in GC. Luciferase reporter assay and FISH were employed to confirm the interaction between circ-OXCT1 and miR-136. CCK-8, cloning formation, transwell, wound healing, nude mice experiment, circ-OXCT1 overexpression and silencing were conducted to elucidate the function of circ-OXCT1 in vivo and in vitro. Western blot and rescue experiment were carried out to evaluate the changes of EMT-related proteins induced by circ-OXCT1 overexpression or silencing. Results Circ-OXCT1 was downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines. Its expression level was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, pathologic stage and overall survival rate through clinicopathologic data analysis. Circ-OXCT1 silencing downregulated SMAD4 expression and accordingly regulated expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin through the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway by a circ-OXCT1/miR-136/SMAD4 axis, resulting in enhancement of EMT and subsequent boost of cell migration, invasion and nude mice lung metastasis. Conclusion Our data showed that circ-OXCT1 suppresses gastric cancer EMT and metastasis through TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. The clinicopathologic data analysis revealed that circ-OXCT1 overexpression could be a novel treatment for advanced GC especially with distant metastasis by targeting the circ-OXCT1/miR-136/SMAD4 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinglong Dai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiong Guo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
| | - Anqi Cheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
| | - Sandrie Mariella Mac
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, People's Republic of China
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Li Q, Dong H, Yang G, Song Y, Mou Y, Ni Y. Mouse Tumor-Bearing Models as Preclinical Study Platforms for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:212. [PMID: 32158692 PMCID: PMC7052016 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical animal models of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have been extensively studied in recent years. Investigating the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic strategies of OSCC is required to further progress in this field, and a suitable research animal model that reflects the intricacies of cancer biology is crucial. Of the animal models established for the study of cancers, mouse tumor-bearing models are among the most popular and widely deployed for their high fertility, low cost, and molecular and physiological similarity to humans, as well as the ease of rearing experimental mice. Currently, the different methods of establishing OSCC mouse models can be divided into three categories: chemical carcinogen-induced, transplanted and genetically engineered mouse models. Each of these methods has unique advantages and limitations, and the appropriate application of these techniques in OSCC research deserves our attention. Therefore, this review comprehensively investigates and summarizes the tumorigenesis mechanisms, characteristics, establishment methods, and current applications of OSCC mouse models in published papers. The objective of this review is to provide foundations and considerations for choosing suitable model establishment methods to study the relevant pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and clinical treatment of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Heng Dong
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Oral Implantology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangwen Yang
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxian Song
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongbin Mou
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Oral Implantology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Yongbin Mou
| | - Yanhong Ni
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Yanhong Ni
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Relevance of Neurotrophin Receptors CD271 and TrkC for Prognosis, Migration, and Proliferation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101167. [PMID: 31569361 PMCID: PMC6830344 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and often has a poor prognosis. The present study investigated the role of the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor CD271 as a putative therapy target in HNSCC. Neurotrophins that bind to CD271 also have a high affinity for the tropomyosin receptor kinase family (Trk), consisting of TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC, which must also be considered in addition to CD271. A retrospective study and functional in vitro cell line tests (migration assay and cell sorting) were conducted in order to evaluate the relevance of CD271 expression alone and with regard to Trk expression. CD271 and Trks were heterogeneously expressed in human HNSCC. The vast majority of tumors exhibited CD271 and TrkA, whereas only half of the tumors expressed TrkB and TrkC. High expression of CD271-positive cells predicted a bad clinical outcome of patients with HNSCC and was associated with distant metastases. However, the human carcinomas that also expressed TrkC had a reduced correlation with distant metastases and better survival rates. In vitro, CD271 expression marked a subpopulation with higher proliferation rates, but proliferation was lower in tumor cells that co-expressed CD271 and TrkC. The CD271 inhibitor LM11A 31 suppressed cell motility in vitro. However, neither TrkA nor TrkB expression were linked to prognosis or cell proliferation. We conclude that CD271 is a promising candidate that provides prognostic information for HNSCC and could be a putative target for HNSCC treatment.
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Newton JM, Hanoteau A, Liu HC, Gaspero A, Parikh F, Gartrell-Corrado RD, Hart TD, Laoui D, Van Ginderachter JA, Dharmaraj N, Spanos WC, Saenger Y, Young S, Sikora AG. Immune microenvironment modulation unmasks therapeutic benefit of radiotherapy and checkpoint inhibition. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:216. [PMID: 31409394 PMCID: PMC6693252 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0698-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for solid tumors, including those targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), have shown impressive clinical efficacy, however, most patients do not achieve durable responses. One major therapeutic obstacle is the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Thus, we hypothesized that a strategy combining tumor-directed radiation with TIME immunomodulation could improve ICI response rates in established solid tumors. METHODS Using a syngeneic mouse model of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancer, mEER, we developed a maximally effective regimen combining PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibition, tumor-directed radiation, and two existing immunomodulatory drugs: cyclophosphamide (CTX) and a small-molecule inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, L-n6-(1-iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL). We compared the effects of the various combinations of this regimen on tumor growth, overall survival, establishment of immunologic memory, and immunologic changes with flow cytometry and quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence. RESULTS We found PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade, and radiotherapy alone or in combination, incapable of clearing established tumors or reversing the unfavorable balance of effector to suppressor cells in the TIME. However, modulation of the TIME with cyclophosphamide (CTX) and L-NIL in combination with dual checkpoint inhibition and radiation led to rejection of over 70% of established mEER tumors and doubled median survival in the B16 melanoma model. Anti-tumor activity was CD8+ T cell-dependent and led to development of immunologic memory against tumor-associated HPV antigens. Immune profiling revealed that CTX/L-NIL induced remodeling of myeloid cell populations in the TIME and tumor-draining lymph node and drove subsequent activation and intratumoral infiltration of CD8+ effector T cells. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study demonstrates that modulation of the immunosuppressive TIME is required to unlock the benefits of ICIs and radiotherapy to induce immunologic rejection of treatment-refractory established solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M. Newton
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Aurelie Hanoteau
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Hsuan-Chen Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Angelina Gaspero
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Falguni Parikh
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Robyn D. Gartrell-Corrado
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, NY USA
| | - Thomas D. Hart
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, NY USA
| | - Damya Laoui
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Immunology, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jo A. Van Ginderachter
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Immunology, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Neeraja Dharmaraj
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - William C. Spanos
- Department of Surgery, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD USA
| | - Yvonne Saenger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, NY USA
| | - Simon Young
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Andrew G. Sikora
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Department of Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
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27
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Elkashty OA, Ashry R, Tran SD. Head and neck cancer management and cancer stem cells implication. Saudi Dent J 2019; 31:395-416. [PMID: 31700218 PMCID: PMC6823822 DOI: 10.1016/j.sdentj.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) arise in the mucosal linings of the upper aerodigestive tract and are heterogeneous in nature. Risk factors for HNSCCs are smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and the human papilloma virus. Conventional treatments are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combined modality; however, no international standard mode of therapy exists. In contrast to the conventional model of clonal evolution in tumor development, there is a newly proposed theory based on the activity of cancer stem cells (CSCs) as the model for carcinogenesis. This “CSC hypothesis” may explain the high mortality rate, low response to treatments, and tendency to develop multiple tumors for HNSCC patients. We review current knowledge on HNSCC etiology and treatment, with a focus on CSCs, including their origins, identifications, and effects on therapeutic options.
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Key Words
- ABC, ATP-binding cassette transporters
- ATC, amplifying transitory cell
- Antineoplastic agents
- BMI-1, B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1
- Cancer stem cells
- Cancer treatment
- Carcinoma
- EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor
- HIFs, hypoxia-inducible factors
- Head and neck cancer
- MDR1, Multidrug Resistance Protein 1
- NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells
- PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase
- Squamous cell
- TKIs, tyrosine kinase inhibitors
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama A Elkashty
- McGill Craniofacial Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells Laboratory, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ramy Ashry
- Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Simon D Tran
- McGill Craniofacial Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells Laboratory, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Peitzsch C, Nathansen J, Schniewind SI, Schwarz F, Dubrovska A. Cancer Stem Cells in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Identification, Characterization and Clinical Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11050616. [PMID: 31052565 PMCID: PMC6562868 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11050616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Despite advances in the treatment management, locally advanced disease has a poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 50%. The growth of HNSCC is maintained by a population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) which possess unlimited self-renewal potential and induce tumor regrowth if not completely eliminated by therapy. The population of CSCs is not only a promising target for tumor treatment, but also an important biomarker to identify the patients at risk for therapeutic failure and disease progression. This review aims to provide an overview of the recent pre-clinical and clinical studies on the biology and potential therapeutic implications of HNSCC stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Peitzsch
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany: German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Jacqueline Nathansen
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Sebastian I Schniewind
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Franziska Schwarz
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology-OncoRay, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Anna Dubrovska
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology-OncoRay, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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Hanoteau A, Newton JM, Krupar R, Huang C, Liu HC, Gaspero A, Gartrell RD, Saenger YM, Hart TD, Santegoets SJ, Laoui D, Spanos C, Parikh F, Jayaraman P, Zhang B, Van der Burg SH, Van Ginderachter JA, Melief CJM, Sikora AG. Tumor microenvironment modulation enhances immunologic benefit of chemoradiotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:10. [PMID: 30646957 PMCID: PMC6332704 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-018-0485-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains one of the most common cancer treatment modalities, and recent data suggest that CRT is maximally effective when there is generation of an anti-tumoral immune response. However, CRT has also been shown to promote immunosuppressive mechanisms which must be blocked or reversed to maximize its immune stimulating effects. METHODS Therefore, using a preclinical model of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we developed a clinically relevant therapy combining CRT and two existing immunomodulatory drugs: cyclophosphamide (CTX) and the small molecule inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor L-n6-(1-iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL). In this model, we treated the syngeneic HPV-HNSCC mEER tumor-bearing mice with fractionated (10 fractions of 3 Gy) tumor-directed radiation and weekly cisplatin administration. We compared the immune responses induced by CRT and those induced by combinatory treatment (CRT + CTX/L-NIL) with flow cytometry, quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence and by profiling immune-related gene expression changes. RESULTS We show that combination treatment favorably remodels the tumor myeloid immune microenvironment including an increase in anti-tumor immune cell types (inflammatory monocytes and M1-like macrophages) and a decrease in immunosuppressive granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Intratumoral T cell infiltration and tumor antigen specificity of T cells were also improved, including a 31.8-fold increase in the CD8+ T cell/ regulatory T cell ratio and a significant increase in tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells compared to CRT alone. CTX/LNIL immunomodulation was also shown to significantly improve CRT efficacy, leading to rejection of 21% established tumors in a CD8-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these data show that modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment with CTX/L-NIL enhances susceptibility of treatment-refractory tumors to CRT. The combination of tumor immune microenvironment modulation with CRT constitutes a translationally relevant approach to enhance CRT efficacy through enhanced immune activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Hanoteau
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jared M. Newton
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Rosemarie Krupar
- Pathology of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck and Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Lubeck and Borstel, Germany
| | - Chen Huang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Lester & Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Hsuan-Chen Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Angelina Gaspero
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Robyn D. Gartrell
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, USA
| | - Yvonne M. Saenger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, USA
| | - Thomas D. Hart
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian, New York, USA
| | - Saskia J. Santegoets
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Damya Laoui
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Immunology, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chad Spanos
- Department of Surgery, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD USA
| | - Falguni Parikh
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Padmini Jayaraman
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Lester & Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Sjoerd H. Van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jo A. Van Ginderachter
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Immunology, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Andrew G. Sikora
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Department of Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
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Neural regulation of drug resistance in cancer treatment. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2018; 1871:20-28. [PMID: 30419311 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of cancer has made great progress. However, drug resistance remains problematic. Multiple physiologic processes of tumor development can be dominated by central and sympathetic nervous systems. The interactions between the nervous system, immune system, and tumor occur consistently and dynamically. Recent evidence suggests that nerves and neural signals are intimately involved in the development of resistance to cancer therapies. In this review, we will provide an overview of the recent progress in this rapidly growing area and discuss the potential new strategies for targeting the neural signaling pathway to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapies, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies.
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31
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Clinical perineural invasion of cutaneous head and neck cancer: Impact of radiotherapy, imaging, and nerve growth factor receptors on symptom control and prognosis. Oral Oncol 2018; 85:60-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2018.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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A gene expression profile associated with perineural invasion identifies a subset of HNSCC at risk of post-surgical recurrence. Oral Oncol 2018; 86:53-60. [PMID: 30409320 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Perineural invasion (PNI) is a common histopathological finding in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in PNI and the role of PNI as an aggressive pathological feature. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to relate the histological presentation of 528 HNSCC tumours to clinical, whole genome expression and proteomic data. RESULTS We identified a specific gene expression profile highly enriched in genes related to muscle differentiation/function and associated with PNI in HNSCC. We explored the clinical significance of this profile in three groups of HNSCC tumours stratified according to their low, intermediate or high risk of post-surgical recurrence. In the "low-risk" group, defined as tumours indicated for surgery without adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 51), the PNI gene expression profile identified a subset of HNSCC with a higher rate of tumour recurrence, decreased Disease Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS) (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0064, respectively). Comparable results were observed in "intermediate risk" tumours (n = 112), but not in "high risk" tumours (n = 147), whose prognosis was driven by the presence of lymph node extracapsular spread. Finally, we found that tumours with histological PNI had increased activation levels of the Akt/PKB and mTOR (mammalian Target Of Rapamycin) kinases. CONCLUSION PNI is characterised by a specific gene expression profile and distinct biological characteristics. Analysing the PNI gene expression profile holds potential for therapeutic stratification of HNSCC and identification of a subset of tumours with a higher risk of recurrence.
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Dong Y, Zheng Y, Wang C, Ding X, Du Y, Liu L, Zhang W, Zhang W, Zhong Y, Wu Y, Song X. MiR-876-5p modulates head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis and invasion by targeting vimentin. Cancer Cell Int 2018; 18:121. [PMID: 30181714 PMCID: PMC6114268 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-018-0619-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Local or distant metastasis remains the main course of death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in metastasis of HNSCC, but the mechanisms of their action are mainly undocumented. Through public head and neck cancer miRNA expression datasets, we found that miR-876-5p was a novel potential tumor suppressor targeting HNSCC metastasis. METHODS Clinical significance and mechanism of miR-876-5P was systematically analyzed in HNSCC. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to evaluate miR-876-5p levels in HNSCC cell lines and in 20 pairs of HNSCC with associated regional nodal metastases and HNSCC without metastatic primary tumors. Scratch and invasion assays were evaluated to determine the role of miR-876-5p in the regulation of HNSCC cell migration and invasion, respectively. Western blotting was used to investigate the mechanism by which miR-876-5p suppresses HNSCC cell invasion and migration. Luciferase assays were performed to assess miR-876-5p binding to the vimentin gene. The animal model was used to support the in vitro experimental findings. RESULTS MiR-876-5p mimics inhibited HNSCC cell migration and invasion. Vimentin protein and mRNA levels were decreased in the miR-876-5p mimics group but increased in the miR-876-5p inhibitors group, which demonstrated that miR-876-5p inhibits vimentin expression in HNSCC cells. By directly targeting the vimentin 3'-UTR, we used dual-luciferase reporter assays to verify that vimentin is a functional downstream target of miR-876-5p. Importantly, increased vimentin expression promoted cell migration and invasion, and co-transfection with miR-876-5p mimics and vimentin restored cell aggressiveness to the original level. Moreover, miR-876-5p overexpression significantly downregulated vimentin expression level and inhibited the distal metastasis of HNSCC cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS miR-876-5p, which functions as a tumor suppressor in HNSCC, inhibits metastasis by targeting vimentin and provides a novel therapeutic target for HNSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Dong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Yang Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Chundi Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Xu Ding
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Yifei Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Laikui Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Yi Zhong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Yunong Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
| | - Xiaomeng Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, 140, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, 136, Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029 China
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Srivastava K, Pickard A, Craig SG, Quinn GP, Lambe SM, James JA, McDade SS, McCance DJ. ΔNp63γ/SRC/Slug Signaling Axis Promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Squamous Cancers. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:3917-3927. [PMID: 29739791 PMCID: PMC6098695 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-3775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its importance in tumor invasion.Experimental Design: We use a three-dimensional invasive organotypic raft culture model of human foreskin keratinocytes expressing the E6/E7 genes of the human papilloma virus-16, coupled with bioinformatic and IHC analysis of patient samples to investigate the role played by EMT in invasion and identify effectors and upstream regulatory pathways.Results: We identify SNAI2 (Slug) as a critical effector of EMT-activated downstream of TP63 overexpression in HNSCC. Splice-form-specific depletion and rescue experiments further identify the ΔNp63γ isoform as both necessary and sufficient to activate the SRC signaling axis and SNAI2-mediated EMT and invasion. Moreover, elevated SRC levels are associated with poor outcome in patients with HNSCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Importantly, the effects on EMT and invasions and SNAI2 expression can be reversed by genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of SRC.Conclusions: Overexpression of ΔNp63γ modulates cell invasion by inducing targetable SRC-Slug-evoked EMT in HNSCC, which can be reversed by inhibitors of the SRC signaling. Clin Cancer Res; 24(16); 3917-27. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirtiman Srivastava
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom.
| | - Adam Pickard
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie G Craig
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Gerard P Quinn
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Shauna M Lambe
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline A James
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Simon S McDade
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom.
| | - Dennis J McCance
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Li W, Zhu D, Qin S. SIRT7 suppresses the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in oral squamous cell carcinoma metastasis by promoting SMAD4 deacetylation. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2018; 37:148. [PMID: 30001742 PMCID: PMC6044017 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-0819-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies and has a poor prognosis. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial for increasing the metastasis of OSCC. Recently, studies have indicated that sirtuin7 (SIRT7) is implicated in tumor genesis; however, the potential role of SIRT7 in the EMT and metastasis of OSCC has not been reported. METHODS We investigated the cellular responses to SIRT7 silencing or overexpression in OSCC cell lines by wound healing assay, migration and invasion assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In the present study, we found that SIRT7 was significantly downregulated in OSCC cell lines and human OSCC/OSCC tissues with lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of SIRT7 decreased the proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro, whereas SIRT7 knockdown significantly increased OSCC cell growth and invasion. Upregulation of SIRT7 concomitantly increased the expression of E-cadherin, and decreased the expression of mesenchymal markers. SIRT7 overexpression also reduced the level of acetylated SMAD4 in OSCC cells. Moreover, SIRT7 overexpression significantly inhibited OSCC lung metastasis in vivo. CONCLUSION Together, these findings suggested that SIRT7 suppressed EMT in OSCC metastasis by promoting SMAD4 deacetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlu Li
- Department of Stomatology, The First affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1# East Jianshe Road 1, Zhengzhou, 450000 Henan China
| | - Dandan Zhu
- Department of Stomatology, The First affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1# East Jianshe Road 1, Zhengzhou, 450000 Henan China
| | - Shuaihua Qin
- Department of Stomatology, The First affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1# East Jianshe Road 1, Zhengzhou, 450000 Henan China
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