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Costa AR, Lança de Oliveira M, Cruz I, Gonçalves I, Cascalheira JF, Santos CRA. The Sex Bias of Cancer. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2020; 31:785-799. [PMID: 32900596 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In hormone-dependent organs, sex hormones and dysregulated hormone signaling have well-documented roles in cancers of the breast and female reproductive organs including endometrium and ovary, as well as in prostate and testicular cancers in males. Strikingly, epidemiological data highlight significant differences between the sexes in the incidence of various cancers in nonreproductive organs, where the role of sex hormones has been less well studied. In an era when personalized medicine is gaining recognition, understanding the molecular, cellular, and biological differences between men and women is timely for developing more appropriate therapeutic interventions according to gender. We review evidence that sex hormones also shape many of the dysregulated cellular and molecular pathways that lead to cell proliferation and cancer in nonreproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Costa
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal
| | | | - Inês Cruz
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Isabel Gonçalves
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal
| | - José Francisco Cascalheira
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal; Department of Chemistry, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Cecília R A Santos
- Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal.
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2
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Docherty CK, Nilsen M, MacLean MR. Influence of 2-Methoxyestradiol and Sex on Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1-α. J Am Heart Assoc 2019; 8:e011628. [PMID: 30819028 PMCID: PMC6474940 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.118.011628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Women are at greater risk of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension, with estrogen and its downstream metabolites playing a potential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1-α (HIF 1α) is a pro-proliferative mediator and may be involved in the development of human pulmonary arterial hypertension . The estrogen metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2 ME 2) has antiproliferative properties and is also an inhibitor of HIF 1α. Here, we examine sex differences in HIF 1α signaling in the rat and human pulmonary circulation and determine if 2 ME 2 can inhibit HIF 1α in vivo and in vitro. Methods and Results HIF 1α signaling was assessed in male and female distal human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells ( hPASMC s), and the effects of 2 ME 2 were also studied in female hPASMC s. The in vivo effects of 2 ME 2 in the chronic hypoxic rat (male and female) model of pulmonary hypertension were also determined. Basal HIF 1α protein expression was higher in female hPASMC s compared with male. Both factor-inhibiting HIF and prolyl hydroxylase-2 (hydroxylates HIF leading to proteosomal degradation) protein levels were significantly lower in female hPASMC s when compared with males. In vivo, 2 ME 2 ablated hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in male and female rats while decreasing protein expression of HIF 1α. 2 ME 2 reduced proliferation in hPASMC s and reduced basal protein expression of HIF 1α. Furthermore, 2 ME 2 caused apoptosis and significant disruption to the microtubule network. Conclusions Higher basal HIF 1α in female hPASMC s may increase susceptibility to developing pulmonary arterial hypertension . These data also demonstrate that the antiproliferative and therapeutic effects of 2 ME 2 in pulmonary hypertension may involve inhibition of HIF 1α and/or microtubular disruption in PASMC s.
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MESH Headings
- 2-Methoxyestradiol/pharmacology
- Animals
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Cells, Cultured
- Cytoskeleton/drug effects
- Cytoskeleton/metabolism
- Cytoskeleton/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Female
- Humans
- Hypoxia/complications
- Hypoxia/metabolism
- Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism
- Male
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/drug therapy
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/etiology
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/metabolism
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/pathology
- Pulmonary Artery/drug effects
- Pulmonary Artery/metabolism
- Pulmonary Artery/pathology
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Sex Factors
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Vascular Remodeling/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig K. Docherty
- Research Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesCollege of Medical, Veterinary and Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Margaret Nilsen
- Research Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesCollege of Medical, Veterinary and Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
| | - Margaret R. MacLean
- Research Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesCollege of Medical, Veterinary and Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
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3
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Maity G, Ghosh A, Gupta V, Haque I, Sarkar S, Das A, Dhar K, Bhavanasi S, Gunewardena SS, Von Hoff DD, Mallik S, Kambhampati S, Banerjee SK, Banerjee S. CYR61/CCN1 Regulates dCK and CTGF and Causes Gemcitabine-resistant Phenotype in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:788-800. [PMID: 30787177 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-0899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) develops extrinsic- and intrinsic-resistant phenotypes to prevent chemotherapies from entering into the cells by promoting desmoplastic reactions (DR) and metabolic malfunctions of the drugs. It is well established that these responses are also associated with pancreatic cancer cells' gemcitabine resistance. However, the mechanism by which these resistant pathways function in the pancreatic cancer cells remains poorly understood. In these studies, we show that CYR61/CCN1 signaling plays a vital role in making pancreatic cancer cells resistant to gemcitabine in vitro and also in a tumor xenograft model. We proved that the catastrophic effect of gemcitabine could significantly be increased in gemcitabine-resistant PDAC cells when CYR61/CCN1 is depleted, while this effect can be suppressed in gemcitabine-sensitive neoplastic cells by treating them with CYR61/CCN1 recombinant protein. Ironically, nontransformed pancreatic cells, which are sensitive to gemcitabine, cannot be resistant to gemcitabine by CYR61/CCN1 protein treatment, showing a unique feature of CYR61/CCN signaling that only influences PDAC cells to become resistant. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CYR61/CCN1 suppresses the expression of the gemcitabine-activating enzyme deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) while it induces the expression of a DR-promoting factor CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo Thus, the previously described mechanisms (dCK and CTGF pathways) for gemcitabine resistance may be two novel targets for CYR61/CCN1 to protect pancreatic cancer cells from gemcitabine. Collectively, these studies reveal a novel paradigm in which CYR61/CCN1regulates both extrinsic and intrinsic gemcitabine resistance in PDAC cells by employing unique signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Maity
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Arnab Ghosh
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Vijayalaxmi Gupta
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- Department of Ob/Gyn, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Inamul Haque
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Sandipto Sarkar
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Amlan Das
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Kakali Dhar
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Sneha Bhavanasi
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Sumedha S Gunewardena
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Daniel D Von Hoff
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Sanku Mallik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
| | - Suman Kambhampati
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Sushanta K Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Snigdha Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
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4
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Zhang X, Yang M, Shi H, Hu J, Wang Y, Sun Z, Xu S. Reduced E-cadherin facilitates renal cell carcinoma progression by WNT/β-catenin signaling activation. Oncotarget 2017; 8:19566-19576. [PMID: 28223537 PMCID: PMC5386706 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Reduced expression of E-cadherin was observed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, its potential clinical value and correlation with WNT/β-catenin signaling in RCC progression was still unclear. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in RCC tissue microarray to examine the expression status and prognosis value of E-cadherin and β-catenin. The potential role of E-cadherin in β-catenin translocation was analyzed with immunobloting assays. A significant negative correlation was observed between E-cadherin and β-catenin expression in RCC tissues. E-cadherin inhibits β-catenin translocation from membrane to cytoplasm in RCC tissues, which was an important step for WNT/β-catenin signaling. Reduced E-cadherin expression was associated with poor prognosis. More importantly, E-cadherin-/β-catenin+ was an independent detrimental factor for survival estimation of RCC patients. Reduced E-cadherin expression in RCC promoted cancer progression via WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway activation. E-cadherin/β-catenin provides a valuable prognosis marker for RCC, which may be an effective target for RCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqi Zhang
- Emergency Department, General Hospital of Jinan Military Area, Jinan, Shandong, 250031, China
| | - Mingxi Yang
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Hua Shi
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Jianxin Hu
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Yuanlin Wang
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Zhaolin Sun
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
| | - Shuxiong Xu
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China
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Ren LL, Yan TT, Wang ZH, Bian ZL, Yang F, Hong J, Chen HY, Fang JY. Alcohol consumption and the risk of Barrett's esophagus: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16048. [PMID: 26542211 PMCID: PMC4635354 DOI: 10.1038/srep16048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have been proposed to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and risk of Barrett’s esophagus (BE), but as of yet, no quantitative summary of the literature to clarify the relationship between them. In our study, twenty eligible cohort studies involving 42925 participants were identified. Combined relative risk (RR) ratios for the highest versus lowest alcohol consumption levels were calculated. The alcohol dose-response analysis was performed to investigate the association between the increment consumption of 10 g/d alcohol and the risk of developing BE. Subgroup analyses were used to examine heterogeneity across the studies. A combined RR of 0.98 (0.62–1.34) was found when comparing highest vs. lowest alcohol consumption levels for BE. An inverse association between alcohol and incidence of BE (RR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.055–0.96) was demonstrated in women. Moreover, Asian drinkers had a relative higher risk of BE (RR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11–1.56) compared with Western drinkers. In conclusion, our results showed that overall alcohol consumption was not associated with increased BE incidence. The limited data available on alcohol consumption supports a tentative inversion of alcohol consumption with BE risk in women, while Asian drinkers tend to have a higher risk of BE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Zhao-Lian Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Jie Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Hao-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Jing-Yuan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease. 145 Middle Shandong Rd, Shanghai, 200001, China
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6
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Zhao S, Sun HZ, Zhu ST, Lu H, Niu ZF, Guo WF, Takano Y, Zheng HC. Effects of parafibromin expression on the phenotypes and relevant mechanisms in the DLD-1 colon carcinoma cell line. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 14:4249-54. [PMID: 23991985 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.7.4249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parafibromin is a protein encoded by the HRPT2 (hyperparathyroidism 2) oncosuppressor gene and its down-regulated expression is involved in pathogenesis of parathyroid, breast, gastric and colorectal carcinomas. This study aimed to clarify the effects of parafibromin expression on the phenotypes and relevant mechanisms of DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells. METHODS DLD-1 cells transfected with a parafibromin-expressing plasmid were subjected to examination of phenotype, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Phenotype-related proteins were measured by Western blot. Parafibromin and ki-67 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. RESULTS The transfectants showed higher proliferation by CCK-8, better differentiation by electron microscopy and ALP activity and more apoptotic resistance to cisplatin by DNA fragmentation than controls. There was no difference in early apoptosis by annexin V, capase-3 activity, migration and invasion between DLD-1 cells and their transfectants. Ectopic parafibromin expression resulted in down-regulated expression of smad4, MEKK, GRP94, GRP78, GSK3β-ser9, and Caspase-9. However, no difference was detectable in caspase-12 and -8 expression. A positive relationship was noted between parafibromin and ki-67 expression in colorectal carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Parafibromin overexpression could promote cell proliferation, apoptotic resistance, and differentiation of DLD-1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhao
- Cancer Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, JinZhou, China. zheng_huachuan @hotmail.com
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7
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Kambhampati S, Rajewski RA, Tanol M, Haque I, Das A, Banerjee S, Jha S, Burns D, Reyes EBD, Van Veldhuizen PJ, Banerjee SK. A second-generation 2-Methoxyestradiol prodrug is effective against Barrett's adenocarcinoma in a mouse xenograft model. Mol Cancer Ther 2013; 12:255-63. [PMID: 23288782 PMCID: PMC4729448 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-0777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME2) is an endogenous metabolite of estradiol. In preclinical models, 2-ME2 is effective against different types of tumors. Unfortunately, only low systemic concentrations of 2-ME2 can be achieved following oral administration, even after very high doses are administered to patients. In an effort to solve this problem, we have now synthesized and tested a new prodrug of 2-ME2 that is water-soluble due to a bioreversible hydrophilic group added at the 3-position and that more effectively resists metabolic inactivation due to an ester moiety added to mask the 17-position alcohol. We are reporting here for the first time that this double prodrug of 2-ME2 is effective as an antiproliferative and anticancer agent for both in vitro and in vivo studies against Barrett esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEAC) and provided greater potency than 2-ME2 in inhibiting the growth of BEAC xenografts. Finally, studies indicate that, like 2-ME2, the 2-ME2-PD1 exhibits anticancer effect through possible disruption of microtubule network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Kambhampati
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Roger A. Rajewski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Mehmet Tanol
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Inamul Haque
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Amlan Das
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Snigdha Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Saheli Jha
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Douglas Burns
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Emma Borrego-Diaz Reyes
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Peter J. Van Veldhuizen
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Sushanta K. Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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8
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Essack M, MacPherson CR, Schmeier S, Bajic VB. Identification of estrogen responsive genes using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2012; 6:135. [PMID: 23101584 PMCID: PMC3495646 DOI: 10.1186/1752-0509-6-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/18/2012] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Background Estrogen therapy has positively impact the treatment of several cancers, such as prostate, lung and breast cancers. Moreover, several groups have reported the importance of estrogen induced gene regulation in esophageal cancer (EC). This suggests that there could be a potential for estrogen therapy for EC. The efficient design of estrogen therapies requires as complete as possible list of genes responsive to estrogen. Our study develops a systems biology methodology using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model to identify estrogen responsive genes. These genes, on the other hand, could be affected by estrogen therapy in ESCC. Results Based on different sources of information we identified 418 genes implicated in ESCC. Putative estrogen responsive elements (EREs) mapped to the promoter region of the ESCC genes were used to initially identify candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs mapped to the promoter sequence of 30.62% (128/418) of ESCC genes of which 43.75% (56/128) are known to be estrogen responsive, while 56.25% (72/128) are new candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs did not map to 290 ESCC genes. Of these 290 genes, 50.34% (146/290) are known to be estrogen responsive. By analyzing transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the promoters of the 202 (56+146) known estrogen responsive ESCC genes under study, we found that their regulatory potential may be characterized by 44 significantly over-represented co-localized TFBSs (cTFBSs). We were able to map these cTFBSs to promoters of 32 of the 72 new candidate estrogen responsive ESCC genes, thereby increasing confidence that these 32 ESCC genes are responsive to estrogen since their promoters contain both: a/mapped EREs, and b/at least four cTFBSs characteristic of ESCC genes that are responsive to estrogen. Recent publications confirm that 47% (15/32) of these 32 predicted genes are indeed responsive to estrogen. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge our study is the first to use a cancer disease model as the framework to identify hormone responsive genes. Although we used ESCC as the disease model and estrogen as the hormone, the methodology can be extended analogously to other diseases as the model and other hormones. We believe that our results provide useful information for those interested in genes responsive to hormones and in the design of hormone-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magbubah Essack
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Haque I, De A, Majumder M, Mehta S, McGregor D, Banerjee SK, Van Veldhuizen P, Banerjee S. The matricellular protein CCN1/Cyr61 is a critical regulator of Sonic Hedgehog in pancreatic carcinogenesis. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:38569-79. [PMID: 23027863 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.389064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
CCN1 is a matricellular protein and a member of the CCN family of growth factors. CCN1 is associated with the development of various cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our recent studies found that CCN1 plays a critical role in pancreatic carcinogenesis through the induction of EMT and stemness. CCN1 mRNA and protein were detected in the early precursor lesions, and their expression intensified with disease progression. However, biochemical activity and the molecular targets of CCN1 in pancreatic cancer cells are unknown. Here we show that CCN1 regulates the Sonic Hedgehog (SHh) signaling pathway, which is associated with the PDAC progression and poor prognosis. SHh regulation by CCN1 in pancreatic cancer cells is mediated through the active Notch-1. Notably, active Notch-1is recruited by CCN1 in these cells via the inhibition of proteasomal degradation results in stabilization of the receptor. We find that CCN1-induced activation of SHh signaling might be necessary for CCN1-dependent in vitro pancreatic cancer cell migration and tumorigenicity of the side population of pancreatic cancer cells (cancer stem cells) in a xenograft in nude mice. Moreover, the functional role of CCN1 could be mediated through the interaction with the αvβ3 integrin receptor. These extensive studies propose that targeting CCN1 can provide a new treatment option for patients with pancreatic cancer since blocking CCN1 simultaneously blocks two critical pathways (i.e. SHh and Notch1) associated with the development of the disease as well as drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inamul Haque
- Cancer Research Unit, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri 64128, USA
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