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Danielpour D. Advances and Challenges in Targeting TGF-β Isoforms for Therapeutic Intervention of Cancer: A Mechanism-Based Perspective. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:533. [PMID: 38675493 PMCID: PMC11054419 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040533] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The TGF-β family is a group of 25 kDa secretory cytokines, in mammals consisting of three dimeric isoforms (TGF-βs 1, 2, and 3), each encoded on a separate gene with unique regulatory elements. Each isoform plays unique, diverse, and pivotal roles in cell growth, survival, immune response, and differentiation. However, many researchers in the TGF-β field often mistakenly assume a uniform functionality among all three isoforms. Although TGF-βs are essential for normal development and many cellular and physiological processes, their dysregulated expression contributes significantly to various diseases. Notably, they drive conditions like fibrosis and tumor metastasis/progression. To counter these pathologies, extensive efforts have been directed towards targeting TGF-βs, resulting in the development of a range of TGF-β inhibitors. Despite some clinical success, these agents have yet to reach their full potential in the treatment of cancers. A significant challenge rests in effectively targeting TGF-βs' pathological functions while preserving their physiological roles. Many existing approaches collectively target all three isoforms, failing to target just the specific deregulated ones. Additionally, most strategies tackle the entire TGF-β signaling pathway instead of focusing on disease-specific components or preferentially targeting tumors. This review gives a unique historical overview of the TGF-β field often missed in other reviews and provides a current landscape of TGF-β research, emphasizing isoform-specific functions and disease implications. The review then delves into ongoing therapeutic strategies in cancer, stressing the need for more tools that target specific isoforms and disease-related pathway components, advocating mechanism-based and refined approaches to enhance the effectiveness of TGF-β-targeted cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Danielpour
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; ; Tel.: +1-216-368-5670; Fax: +1-216-368-8919
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Institute of Urology, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Pan C, Jaiswal Agrawal N, Zulia Y, Singh S, Sha K, Mohler JL, Eng KH, Chakkalakal JV, Krolewski JJ, Nastiuk KL. Prostate tumor-derived GDF11 accelerates androgen deprivation therapy-induced sarcopenia. JCI Insight 2020; 5:127018. [PMID: 32078585 PMCID: PMC7213789 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.127018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Most prostate cancers depend on androgens for growth, and therefore, the mainstay treatment for advanced, recurrent, or metastatic prostate cancer is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). A prominent side effect in patients receiving ADT is an obese frailty syndrome that includes fat gain and sarcopenia, defined as the loss of muscle function accompanied by reduced muscle mass or quality. Mice bearing Pten-deficient prostate cancers were examined to gain mechanistic insight into ADT-induced sarcopenic obesity. Castration induced fat gain as well as skeletal muscle mass and strength loss. Catabolic TGF-β family myokine protein levels were increased immediately prior to strength loss, and pan-myokine blockade using a soluble receptor (ActRIIB-Fc) completely reversed the castration-induced sarcopenia. The onset of castration-induced strength and muscle mass loss, as well as the increase in catabolic TGF-β family myokine protein levels, were coordinately accelerated in tumor-bearing mice relative to tumor-free mice. Notably, growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) increased in muscle after castration only in tumor-bearing mice, but not in tumor‑free mice. An early surge of GDF11 in prostate tumor tissue and in the circulation suggests that endocrine GDF11 signaling from tumor to muscle is a major driver of the accelerated ADT-induced sarcopenic phenotype. In tumor-bearing mice, GDF11 blockade largely prevented castration-induced strength loss but did not preserve muscle mass, which confirms a primary role for GDF11 in muscle function and suggests an additional role for the other catabolic myokines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kai Sha
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics
| | | | - Kevin H Eng
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics.,Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Joe V Chakkalakal
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology and.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | | | - Kent L Nastiuk
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics.,Department of Urology, and
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Nastiuk KL, Krolewski JJ. Opportunities and challenges in combination gene cancer therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 98:35-40. [PMID: 26724249 PMCID: PMC4957561 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Treatment for solid tumor malignancies, which constitute the majority of human cancers, is still dominated by surgery and radiotherapies. This is especially true for many localized solid tumors, which are often curable with these treatments. However, metastatic cancers are beyond the reach of these therapies, and many localized cancers that are initially treated with surgery and radiation will recur and metastasize. Thus, for over 60years there has been a concerted effort to develop effective drug treatments for metastatic cancers. Combination therapies are an increasingly important part of the anti-cancer drug armamentarium. In the case of cytotoxic chemotherapy, multi-drug regimens rapidly became the norm, as the earliest single agents were relatively ineffective. In contrast to chemotherapy, where combination therapies were required in order to achieve treatment efficacy, for both hormonal and targeted therapies the impetus to move toward the use of combination therapies is to prevent or reverse the development of treatment resistance. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that combination therapy may also improve cancer treatment by neutralizing an emerging treatment side effect termed therapy-induced metastasis, which accompanies some effective single agent therapies. Finally, although gene therapy is still far from use in the clinic, we propose that combination therapies may enhance its effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kent L Nastiuk
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States
| | - John J Krolewski
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Center for Personalized Medicine, United States; Department of Cancer Genetics, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States.
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Al-Azayzih A, Gao F, Somanath PR. P21 activated kinase-1 mediates transforming growth factor β1-induced prostate cancer cell epithelial to mesenchymal transition. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2015; 1853:1229-39. [PMID: 25746720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is believed to play a dual role in prostate cancer. Molecular mechanism by which TGFβ1 suppresses early prostate tumor growth and induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in advanced stages is not known. We determined if P21-activated kinase1 (Pak1), which mediates cytoskeletal remodeling is necessary for the TGFβ1 induced prostate cancer EMT. Effects of TGFβ1 on control prostate cancer PC3 and DU145 cells and those with IPA 3 and siRNA mediated Pak1 inhibition were tested for prostate tumor xenograft in vivo and EMT in vitro. TGFβ1 inhibited PC3 tumor xenograft growth via activation of P38-MAPK and caspase-3, 9. Long-term stimulation with TGFβ1 induced PC3 and DU145 cell scattering and increased expression of EMT markers such as Snail and N-cadherin through tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF6)-mediated activation of Rac1/Pak1 pathway. Selective inhibition of Pak1 using IPA 3 or knockdown using siRNA both significantly inhibited TGFβ1-induced prostate cancer cell EMT and expression of mesenchymal markers. Our study demonstrated that TGFβ1 induces apoptosis and EMT in prostate cancer cells via activation of P38-MAPK and Rac1/Pak1 respectively. Our results reveal the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting TGFβ1-Pak1 pathway for advanced-stage prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Al-Azayzih
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, United States; College of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Fei Gao
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Payaningal R Somanath
- Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, United States; Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center and Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, United States.
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Song K, Shankar E, Yang J, Bane KL, Wahdan-Alaswad R, Danielpour D. Critical role of a survivin/TGF-β/mTORC1 axis in IGF-I-mediated growth of prostate epithelial cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61896. [PMID: 23658701 PMCID: PMC3641055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Survivin is a unique member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins that is overexpressed in numerous cancers through poorly defined mechanisms. One such mechanism may be through constitutive activation of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) signaling pathway, implicated in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Using the pre-neoplastic NRP-152 rat prostate cell line as a model, we showed that IGF-I induces Survivin expression, and that silencing Survivin by lentiviral-mediated small hairpin RNA (shRNA) represses IGF-I-stimulated cell growth, implicating Survivin as a mediator of this growth response. Moreover, our data support that the induction of Survivin by IGF-I occurs through a transcriptional mechanism that is mediated in part by the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway. Use of various Survivin promoter-luciferase constructs revealed that the CDE and CHR response elements in the proximal region of the Survivin promoter are involved in this IGF-I response. Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) signaling antagonists similarly activated the Surivin promoter and rendered cells refractory to further promoter activation by IGF-I. IGF-I suppressed levels of phospho-Smads 2 and 3 with kinetics similar to that of Survivin induction. Suppression of TGF-β signaling, either by TGF-β receptor kinase inhibitors or by silencing Smads 2 and 3, induced Survivin expression and promoted cell growth similar to that induced by IGF-I. TGF-β receptor antagonists also rescued cells from down-regulation of Survivin expression and growth suppression by pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K, Akt, MEK and mTOR. Sh-RNA gene silencing studies suggest that mTORC1 induces while mTORC2 represses the expression of Survivin by IGF-I. Taken together, these results suggest that IGF-I signaling through a PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 mechanism elevates expression of Survivin and promotes growth of prostate epithelial cells by suppressing Smad-dependent autocrine TGF-β signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Song
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Eswar Shankar
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jiayi Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kara L. Bane
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Reema Wahdan-Alaswad
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - David Danielpour
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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Danielpour D. Transforming Growth Factor-Beta in Prostate Cancer. Prostate Cancer 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6828-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Yan L, Wang A, Chen L, Shang W, Li M, Zhao Y. Expression of apoptosis-related genes in the endometrium of polycystic ovary syndrome patients during the window of implantation. Gene 2012; 506:350-4. [PMID: 22789864 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2011] [Revised: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the expression of the apoptosis-related genes fas-associated via death domain (FADD) and Bcl-2 in the endometrium during the window of implantation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. The aim was to explore the role of cell apoptosis in endometrial receptivity during this period. The subjects were divided into experimental and control group. The experimental group comprised 12 infertile women with PCOS, and the control group comprised 12 women who were infertile because of tubal pathological factors but had normal menstrual cycles. Endometria were collected by biopsy 7d after ovulation. Six samples from each group were randomly selected and subjected to gene chip analyses. The expression of endometrial FADD and Bcl-2 was determined by immunohistochemistry, and cell apoptosis was detected by the TUNEL method. Compared with the control group, 194 differentially expressed genes were found in the PCOS group, 102 of which were upregulated and 92 were downregulated. The differentially expressed genes were divided into 15 types according to function. Among the nine genes related to cell apoptosis, five (including Bcl-2) were upregulated and four were downregulated (including FADD). Bcl-2 expression during the window of implantation in the PCOS group increased compared with the control group, showing a significant difference (P<0.05). FADD expression in the PCOS group notably decreased compared with that in the control group, which also showed a significant difference (P<0.05). Cell apoptosis analysis showed a significant difference between the average apoptotic indices in the PCOS and control groups (P<0.05). Significant differences were observed between the endometrial gene expression in the PCOS and control groups. The decrease in cell apoptosis during the window of implantation in PCOS patients may be one of the causes of the reduced endometrial receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Yan
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Navy General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100048, China
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Järvinen K, Hotti A, Santos L, Nummela P, Hölttä E. Caspase-8, c-FLIP, and caspase-9 in c-Myc-induced apoptosis of fibroblasts. Exp Cell Res 2011; 317:2602-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2011.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2011] [Revised: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 08/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Davis JS, Nastiuk KL, Krolewski JJ. TNF is necessary for castration-induced prostate regression, whereas TRAIL and FasL are dispensable. Mol Endocrinol 2011; 25:611-20. [PMID: 21292828 DOI: 10.1210/me.2010-0312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
TNF, a proinflammatory and immune-regulatory cytokine, is a potent apoptotic stimulus in vitro. However, there have been few examples of a physiologic role for TNF-induced apoptosis in vivo. Here, we describe a novel role for TNF in prostate epithelial cell apoptosis after androgen withdrawal. Employing high-resolution serial magnetic resonance imaging to measure mouse prostate volume changes over time, we demonstrate that the extent of castration-induced prostate regression is significantly reduced in mice null for either the Tnf or Tnfr1 genes but not mice deficient for TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand or Fas signaling. Wild-type mice receiving soluble TNF (sTNF) receptor 2 (to bind TNF and block signaling) before castration exhibit an identical reduction of prostate regression. Together, these data indicate that uniquely among known extrinsic death signals, TNF is required for castration-induced prostate regression. Additionally, membrane-bound TNF protein and stromal cell specific TNF mRNA levels increase in rat prostate after castration. This is consistent with a paracrine role for TNF in prostate regression. When injected into the peritoneum of Tnf(-/-) mice at the time of castration, sTNF restores normal levels of prostate regression. However, wild-type mice receiving sTNF in the absence of castration do not exhibit prostate regression, indicating that TNF alone is not sufficient but acts in the context of additional castration-induced signals. These findings support a physiologic role for TNF in prostate regression after androgen withdrawal. Understanding this role may lead to novel therapies for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Davis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4800, USA
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Yoo KS, Nastiuk KL, Krolewski JJ. Transforming growth factor ß1 induces apoptosis by suppressing FLICE-like inhibitory protein in DU145 prostate epithelial cells. Int J Cancer 2009; 124:834-42. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.24024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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