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Fu C, Lu Z, Shi J, Liu F, Su X. Knockdown of WISP1/DKK1 restrains phenotypic plasticity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03639-6. [PMID: 39093516 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03639-6] [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: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Wnt-induced signaling protein 1 (WISP1) and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) are highly expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but no direct connection was identified between them. Phenotypic plasticity is a hallmark of ESCC. This research intended to identify the association between WISP1 and DKK1 and their roles in the phenotypic plasticity of ESCC. METHODS Genes differentially expressed in esophageal carcinoma were analyzed in the GEO database, followed by analyses of GO and KEGG enrichment to screen the hub gene. WISP1 expression and DKK1 secretion was assessed in ESCC tissues and cells. The tumor xenograft and in vivo metastasis models were established by injecting ESCC cells into nude mice. Functional deficiency and rescue experiments were conducted, followed by assays for cell proliferation, migration/invasion, stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and apoptosis, as well as tumor volume, weight, proliferation, stemness, and lung metastasis. The binding relationship and co-expression of WISP1 and DKK1 were determined. RESULTS WISP1 and DKK1 were upregulated in ESCC cells and tissues, and WISP1 was enriched in the cell stemness and Wnt pathways. WISP1 knockdown subdued proliferation, migration/invasion, EMT activity, and stemness but enhanced apoptosis in ESCC cells. WISP1 knockdown restrained ESCC growth, proliferation, stemness, and metastasis in vivo. WISP1 bound to DKK1 in ESCC. DKK1 overexpression abolished the repressive impacts of WISP1 knockdown on the malignant behaviors of ESCC cells in vitro and of ESCC tumor in vivo. CONCLUSION Knockdown of WISP1/DKK1 restrains the phenotypic plasticity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fu
- Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Z Lu
- Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - J Shi
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - F Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Luhe People's Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing, 211599, Jiangsu, China
| | - X Su
- Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Jiang H, Zhang Z, Yu Y, Chu HY, Yu S, Yao S, Zhang G, Zhang BT. Drug Discovery of DKK1 Inhibitors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:847387. [PMID: 35355709 PMCID: PMC8959454 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.847387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is a well-characterized Wnt inhibitor and component of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, whose dysregulation is associated with multiple abnormal pathologies including osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and various cancers. The Wnt signaling pathway has fundamental roles in cell fate determination, cell proliferation, and survival; thus, its mis-regulation can lead to disease. Although DKK1 is involved in other signaling pathways, including the β-catenin-independent Wnt pathway and the DKK1/CKAP4 pathway, the inhibition of DKK1 to propagate Wnt/β-catenin signals has been validated as an effective way to treat related diseases. In fact, strategies for developing DKK1 inhibitors have produced encouraging clinical results in different pathological models, and many publications provide detailed information about these inhibitors, which include small molecules, antibodies, and nucleic acids, and may function at the protein or mRNA level. However, no systematic review has yet provided an overview of the various aspects of their development and prospects. Therefore, we review the DKK1 inhibitors currently available or under study and provide an outlook on future studies involving DKK1 and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hewen Jiang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zongkang Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuanyuan Yu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China.,Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hang Yin Chu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sifan Yu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China.,Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shanshan Yao
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China.,Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bao-Ting Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-Based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong, China
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Kafka A, Bukovac A, Brglez E, Jarmek AM, Poljak K, Brlek P, Žarković K, Njirić N, Pećina-Šlaus N. Methylation Patterns of DKK1, DKK3 and GSK3β Are Accompanied with Different Expression Levels in Human Astrocytoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112530. [PMID: 34064046 PMCID: PMC8196684 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112530] [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: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated genetic and epigenetic changes and protein expression levels of negative regulators of Wnt signaling, DKK1, DKK3, and APC as well as glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3β) and β-catenin in 64 human astrocytomas of grades II-IV. Methylation-specific PCR revealed promoter methylation of DKK1, DKK3, and GSK3β in 38%, 43%, and 18% of samples, respectively. Grade IV comprised the lowest number of methylated GSK3β cases and highest of DKK3. Evaluation of the immunostaining using H-score was performed for β-catenin, both total and unphosphorylated (active) forms. Additionally, active (pY216) and inactive (pS9) forms of GSK3β protein were also analyzed. Spearman's correlation confirmed the prevalence of β-catenin's active form (rs = 0.634, p < 0.001) in astrocytoma tumor cells. The Wilcoxon test revealed that astrocytoma with higher levels of the active pGSK3β-Y216 form had lower expression levels of its inactive form (p < 0.0001, Z = -5.332). Changes in APC's exon 11 were observed in 44.44% of samples by PCR/RFLP. Astrocytomas with changes of APC had higher H-score values of total β-catenin compared to the group without genetic changes (t = -2.264, p = 0.038). Furthermore, a positive correlation between samples with methylated DKK3 promoter and the expression of active pGSK3β-Y216 (rs = 0.356, p = 0.011) was established. Our results emphasize the importance of methylation for the regulation of Wnt signaling. Large deletions of the APC gene associated with increased β-catenin levels, together with oncogenic effects of both β-catenin and GSK3β, are clearly involved in astrocytoma evolution. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the etiology of gliomas. Further studies should elucidate the clinical and therapeutic relevance of the observed molecular alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Kafka
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence:
| | - Anja Bukovac
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Emilija Brglez
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
| | - Ana-Marija Jarmek
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
| | - Karolina Poljak
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
| | - Petar Brlek
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
| | - Kamelija Žarković
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 10, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Division of Pathology, University Hospital Center “Zagreb”, Kišpatićeva 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Niko Njirić
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center “Zagreb”, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Kišpatićeva 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nives Pećina-Šlaus
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.B.); (E.B.); (A.-M.J.); (K.P.); (P.B.); (N.N.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Zhu G, Song J, Chen W, Yuan D, Wang W, Chen X, Liu H, Su H, Zhu J. Expression and Role of Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1) in Tumors: From the Cells to the Patients. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:659-675. [PMID: 33536782 PMCID: PMC7847771 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s275172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1) is a secretory antagonist of the classical Wnt signaling pathway. Many studies have reported that Dkk1 is abnormally expressed in tumor cells, and abnormal expression of Dkk1 can inhibit cell proliferation or induce apoptosis through pro-apoptotic factors, However, due to the differences in tumor environment and the complex regulatory mechanisms in different tumors, Dkk1 has different effects on the progression of different tumors. In many tumors, high expression of Dkk1 may promote tumor metastasis. However, Dkk1, which is highly expressed in other tumors, can inhibit tumor invasion and metastasis. More and more evidence shows that Dkk1 plays a complex and different role in tumor occurrence, development and metastasis in different tumor environments and through a variety of complex regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, Dkk1 may not only be a useful biomarker of metastasis, but also a target for studying the metabolic mechanism of tumor cells and treating tumors in many tumor types. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress on the expression, mechanism and function of Dkk1 in different tumors, and at the same time, based on the public database data, we made a further analysis of the expression of Dkk1 in different tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Zhu
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China
| | - Jukun Song
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Guizhou University School of Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Weimin Chen
- Guizhou University School of Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongbo Yuan
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Guizhou University School of Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyue Chen
- Guizhou University School of Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Hen Liu
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province 563000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Su
- Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province 563000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Zhu
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Department of Urology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550002, People's Republic of China.,Guizhou University School of Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550025, People's Republic of China.,Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province 563000, People's Republic of China
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5
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Singla A, Wang J, Yang R, Geller DS, Loeb DM, Hoang BH. Wnt Signaling in Osteosarcoma. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1258:125-139. [PMID: 32767238 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-43085-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Wnt molecules are a class of cysteine-rich secreted glycoproteins that participate in various developmental events during embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Since its discovery in 1982, the roles of Wnt signaling have been established in various key regulatory systems in biology. Wnt signals exert pleiotropic effects, including mitogenic stimulation, cell fate specification, and differentiation. The Wnt signaling pathway in humans has been shown to be involved in a wide variety of disorders including colon cancer, sarcoma, coronary artery disease, tetra-amelia, Mullerian duct regression, eye vascular defects, and abnormal bone mass. The canonical Wnt pathway functions by regulating the function of the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin, whereas noncanonical pathways function independent of β-catenin. Although the role of Wnt signaling is well established in epithelial malignancies, its role in mesenchymal tumors is more controversial. Some studies have suggested that Wnt signaling plays a pro-oncogenic role in various sarcomas by driving cell proliferation and motility; however, others have reported that Wnt signaling acts as a tumor suppressor by committing tumor cells to differentiate into a mature lineage. Wnt signaling pathway also plays an important role in regulating cancer stem cell function. In this review, we will discuss Wnt signaling pathway and its role in osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Singla
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jichuan Wang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Musculoskeletal Tumor Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Tumors, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - David S Geller
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - David M Loeb
- Departments of Pediatrics and Developmental and Molecular Biology, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Bang H Hoang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Tumor-associated antigens and their antibodies in the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of esophageal cancers. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 32:779-788. [PMID: 32243347 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000001718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite the advances in the treatment and management, esophageal cancers continue to carry a dismal prognosis with an overall 5-year survival rate ranging from 15 to 25%. Delayed onset of symptoms and lack of effective screening methods and guidelines for diagnosis of the early disease contribute to the high mortality rate of esophageal cancers. Detection of esophageal cancer at their early stage is really a challenge for physicians including primary care physicians, gastroenterologists and oncologists. Although imaging, endoscopy and biopsy have been proved to be useful diagnostic tools for esophageal cancers, their diagnostic accuracy is unsatisfactory. In addition, expensive costs, invasiveness and special training operator have limited the clinical application of these tools. Recently, tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and their antibodies have been reported to be potential markers in esophageal cancer screening, diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication. Because TAAs and their antibodies have the advantages of inexpensive cost, noninvasiveness and easy access, they have attracted much attention as an affordable option for early esophageal cancer diagnosis. In this review, we summarized the advances in TAAs and their antibodies in esophageal cancer screening, diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication.
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7
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Study of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis with and without hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Exp Hepatol 2020; 6:85-91. [PMID: 32728624 PMCID: PMC7380466 DOI: 10.5114/ceh.2020.95831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim of the study Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is a secreted protein which acts as an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. DKK-1 was found to be a helpful biomarker for many cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is multifactorial in origin and its main etiology in Egypt is attributed to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Objectives: To assess the serum level and diagnostic performance of DKK-1 and α-fetoprotein (AFP) in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV-related liver cirrhosis with and without HCC. Material and methods 80 subjects were divided into: a control group (group I, 20 healthy volunteers) and two patient groups: group II (HCV with liver cirrhosis, 30 patients), and group III, (HCV-related liver cirrhosis with HCC, 30 patients). Thorough physical examination, triphasic computed tomography, calculation of Child-Pugh score, laboratory investigations (complete blood picture, liver profile, hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HCV antibodies, AFP (chemiluminometry) and DKK-1 (ELISA) were performed. Results There was a significant decrease in DKK-1 level in HCV patients with liver cirrhosis (group II) and HCV patients with HCC (group III) compared to the control group (group I) (p < 0.001). However, there was a significant increase in DKK-1 level in HCV patients with HCC (group III) compared to HCV patients with liver cirrhosis (group II) (p < 0.033). The ROC curve showed that DKK-1 has less sensitivity but higher specificity in HCV patients with HCC (group III) compared with HCV patients with liver cirrhosis (group II). Conclusions The combination of DKK-1 and AFP could further improve the diagnostic accuracy of HCV-related cirrhosis with or without HCC.
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8
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Chae WJ, Bothwell ALM. Dickkopf1: An immunomodulatory ligand and Wnt antagonist in pathological inflammation. Differentiation 2019; 108:33-39. [PMID: 31221431 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway plays essential roles in tissue or organ homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Upon tissue or organ injury, inflammation is coupled with tissue repair and regeneration process. The canonical Wnt signaling transduction pathway is crucial for cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and tissue regeneration. Dickkopf1 (DKK1) is a quintessential Wnt antagonist that inhibits the Wnt-mediated tissue repair process. Recent studies reported increased levels of DKK1 in many diseases such as cancer, infection, and musculoskeletal diseases. In many cases, the role of DKK1 has been identified as a pro-inflammatory ligand and the expression levels are associated with poor disease outcomes. A variety of cell types including platelets, endothelial cells, and cancer cells secrete DKK1 upon stimuli. This puts DKK1 in a unique place to view immune responses from multicellular interactions in tissue injury and repair process. In this review, we discuss recent efforts to address the underlying mechanism regarding the pro-inflammatory role of DKK1 in cancer, bone diseases, and other inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wook-Jin Chae
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 1101 Marshall Street, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA; Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
| | - Alfred L M Bothwell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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Kagey MH, He X. Rationale for targeting the Wnt signalling modulator Dickkopf-1 for oncology. Br J Pharmacol 2017; 174:4637-4650. [PMID: 28574171 PMCID: PMC5727329 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signalling is a fundamental pathway involved in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Mutations in the pathway frequently lead to developmental defects and cancer. As such, therapeutic intervention of this pathway has generated tremendous interest. Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is a secreted inhibitor of β-catenin-dependent Wnt signalling and was originally characterized as a tumour suppressor based on the prevailing view that Wnt signalling promotes cancer pathogenesis. However, DKK1 appears to increase tumour growth and metastasis in preclinical models and its elevated expression correlates with a poor prognosis in a range of cancers, indicating that DKK1 has more complex cellular and biological functions than originally appreciated. Here, we review current evidence for the cancer-promoting activity of DKK1 and recent insights into the effects of DKK1 on signalling pathways in both cancer and immune cells. We discuss the rationale and promise of targeting DKK1 for oncology. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on WNT Signalling: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.24/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xi He
- The F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of NeurologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
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10
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Peng Y, Xu Y, Guo H, Huang L, Tan H, Hong C, Li S, Xu L, Li E. Combined detection of serum Dickkopf-1 and its autoantibodies to diagnose esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Med 2016; 5:1388-96. [PMID: 26988995 PMCID: PMC4944864 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) can be treated effectively if diagnosed at an early stage. We evaluated whether measurement of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in combination of DKK-1 autoantibodies in serum may benefit early diagnosis of ESCC. Serum DKK-1 and DKK-1 autoantibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a training cohort (185 ESCC samples vs. 97 normal controls) and validated in a validation cohort (104 ESCC samples vs. 53 normal controls). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was applied to calculate diagnostic accuracy. Testing of DKK-1 and DKK-1 autoantibodies together could differentiate ESCC from normal controls (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.769, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.715-0.823, 50.3% sensitivity, and 90.7% specificity in the training cohort; AUC 0.752, 95% CI, 0.675-0.829, 50.0% sensitivity, and 84.9% specificity in the validation cohort). Importantly, the diagnostic performance of the combination of DKK-1 and DKK-1 autoantibodies persisted in early ESCC patients (AUC 0.780, 95% CI, 0.699-0.862, 50.0% sensitivity, and 90.7% specificity in the training cohort; AUC 0.745, 95% CI, 0.626-0.865, 53.8% sensitivity, and 84.9% specificity in the validation cohort). Furthermore, the levels of serum DKK-1 or DKK-1 autoantibody after surgical resection were lower, respectively, compared with the corresponding preoperative samples (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that measurement of DKK-1 combined with DKK-1 autoantibodies is a potentially valuable tool for the early detection of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Hui Peng
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryThe Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Yi‐Wei Xu
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryThe Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Hong Guo
- Department of Radiation OncologyThe Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Li‐Sheng Huang
- Department of Radiation OncologyThe Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Hua‐Zhen Tan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Chao‐Qun Hong
- Department of Oncological Research LabThe Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Shan‐Shan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Li‐Yan Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- Institute of Oncologic PathologyShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - En‐Min Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
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Mazon M, Masi D, Carreau M. Modulating Dickkopf-1: A Strategy to Monitor or Treat Cancer? Cancers (Basel) 2016; 8:cancers8070062. [PMID: 27367730 PMCID: PMC4963804 DOI: 10.3390/cancers8070062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is a secreted Wnt/β-catenin pathway antagonist involved in embryogenesis. It was first described 25 years ago for its function in head induction and limb morphogenesis. Since then, this protein has been widely studied in the context of active Wnt/β-catenin signalling during cellular differentiation and development. Dysregulation of DKK1 has been associated with bone pathologies and has now emerged as a potential biomarker of cancer progression and prognosis for several types of malignancies. Reducing the amount of circulating DKK1 may reveal a simple and efficient strategy to limit or reverse cancer growth. This review will provide an overview of the role of Dickkopf-1 in cancer and explore its potential use as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélody Mazon
- CHU de Québec Research Center, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, RC-9800, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Delphine Masi
- CHU de Québec Research Center, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, RC-9800, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Madeleine Carreau
- CHU de Québec Research Center, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, RC-9800, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
- Department of Pediatrics, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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