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Chaudhry KA, Bianchi-Smiraglia A. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor as a tumor modulator: mechanisms to therapy. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1375905. [PMID: 38807762 PMCID: PMC11130384 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1375905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is widely recognized to play important, but complex, modulatory roles in a variety of tumor types. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the increasingly controversial role of AhR as a tumor regulator and the mechanisms by which it alters tumor progression based on the cancer cell type. Finally, we discuss new and emerging strategies to therapeutically modulate AhR, focusing on novel agents that hold promise in current human clinical trials as well as existing FDA-approved drugs that could potentially be repurposed for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Bianchi-Smiraglia
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, NY, United States
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2
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Congues F, Wang P, Lee J, Lin D, Shahid A, Xie J, Huang Y. Targeting aryl hydrocarbon receptor to prevent cancer in barrier organs. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116156. [PMID: 38518996 PMCID: PMC11144369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
The skin, lung, and gut are important barrier organs that control how the body reacts to environmental stressors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, air pollutants, dietary components, and microorganisms. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis of barrier organs. AhR was initially discovered as a receptor for environmental chemical carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Activation of AhR pathways by PAHs leads to increased DNA damage and mutations which ultimately lead to carcinogenesis. Ongoing evidence reveals an ever-expanding role of AhR. Recently, AhR has been linked to immune systems by the interaction with the development of natural killer (NK) cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells, and T helper 17 (Th17) cells, as well as the production of immunosuppressive cytokines. However, the role of AhR in carcinogenesis is not as straightforward as we initially thought. Although AhR activation has been shown to promote carcinogenesis in some studies, others suggest that it may act as a tumor suppressor. In this review, we aim to explore the role of AhR in the development of cancer that originates from barrier organs. We also examined the preclinical efficacy data of AhR agonists and antagonists on carcinogenesis to determine whether AhR modulation can be a viable option for cancer chemoprevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francoise Congues
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA; Department of Stomatology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Joshua Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Daphne Lin
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Ayaz Shahid
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Jianming Xie
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
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3
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Abduh MS, Alwassil OI, Aldaqal SM, Alfwuaires MA, Farhan M, Hanieh H. A pyrazolopyridine as a novel AhR signaling activator with anti-breast cancer properties in vitro and in vivo. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116079. [PMID: 38402910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the main causes of malignancy-related deaths globally and has a significant impact on women's quality of life. Despite significant therapeutic advances, there is a medical need for targeted therapies in breast cancer. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor mediates responses to environment stimuli, is emerging as a unique pleiotropic target. Herein, a combined molecular simulation and in vitro investigations identified 3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine (3FPP) as a novel AhR ligand in T47D and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Its agonistic effects induced formation of the AhR-AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt) heterodimer and prompted its binding to the penta-nucleotide sequence, called xenobiotic-responsive element (XRE) motif. Moreover, 3FPP augmented the promoter-driven luciferase activities and expression of AhR-regulated genes encoding cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and microRNA (miR)-212/132 cluster. It reduced cell viability, migration, and invasion of both cell lines through AhR signaling. These anticancer properties were concomitant with reduced levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), SRY-related HMG-box4 (SOX4), snail family zinc finger 2 (SNAI2), and cadherin 2 (CDH2). In vivo, 3FPP suppressed tumor growth and activated AhR signaling in an orthotopic mouse model. In conclusion, our results introduce the fused pyrazolopyridine 3FPP as a novel AhR agonist with AhR-specific anti-breast cancer potential in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maisa S Abduh
- Immune Responses in Different Diseases Research Group, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Osama I Alwassil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Saleh M Aldaqal
- Immune Responses in Different Diseases Research Group, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Manal A Alfwuaires
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mahdi Farhan
- International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan; Drug Development Department, UniTechPharma, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland.
| | - Hamza Hanieh
- International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan; Basic Medical Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aqaba Medical Sciences University, Aqaba 77110, Jordan.
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4
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Dos Santos IL, Mitchell M, Nogueira PAS, Lafita-Navarro MC, Perez-Castro L, Eriom J, Kilgore JA, Williams NS, Guo L, Xu L, Conacci-Sorrell M. Targeting of neuroblastoma cells through Kynurenine-AHR pathway inhibition. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38431776 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17109] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma poses significant challenges in clinical management. Despite its relatively low incidence, this malignancy contributes disproportionately to cancer-related childhood mortality. Tailoring treatments based on risk stratification, including MYCN oncogene amplification, remains crucial, yet high-risk cases often confront therapeutic resistance and relapse. Here, we explore the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a versatile transcription factor implicated in diverse physiological functions such as xenobiotic response, immune modulation, and cell growth. Despite its varying roles in malignancies, AHR's involvement in neuroblastoma remains elusive. Our study investigates the interplay between AHR and its ligand kynurenine (Kyn) in neuroblastoma cells. Kyn is generated from tryptophan (Trp) by the activity of the enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2). We found that neuroblastoma cells displayed sensitivity to the TDO2 inhibitor 680C91, exposing potential vulnerabilities. Furthermore, combining TDO2 inhibition with retinoic acid or irinotecan (two chemotherapeutic agents used to treat neuroblastoma patients) revealed synergistic effects in select cell lines. Importantly, clinical correlation analysis using patient data established a link between elevated expression of Kyn-AHR pathway genes and adverse prognosis, particularly in older children. These findings underscore the significance of the Kyn-AHR pathway in neuroblastoma progression, emphasizing its potential role as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Lopes Dos Santos
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michael Mitchell
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Pedro A S Nogueira
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - M Carmen Lafita-Navarro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lizbeth Perez-Castro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Joyane Eriom
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jessica A Kilgore
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Noelle S Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lei Guo
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Maralice Conacci-Sorrell
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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5
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Pacheco JHL, Elizondo G. Interplay between Estrogen, Kynurenine, and AHR Pathways: An immunosuppressive axis with therapeutic potential for breast cancer treatment. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115804. [PMID: 37716620 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide. Estrogen exposure via endogenous and exogenous sources during a lifetime, together with environmental exposure to estrogenic compounds, represent the most significant risk factor for breast cancer development. As breast tumors establish, multiple pathways are deregulated. Among them is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway. AHR, a ligand-activated transcription factor associated with the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and estrogens, is overexpressed in breast cancer. Furthermore, AHR and estrogen receptor (ER) cross-talk pathways have been observed. Additionally, the Tryptophan (Trp) catabolizing enzymes indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are overexpressed in breast cancer. IDO/TDO catalyzes the formation of Kynurenine (KYN) and other tryptophan-derived metabolites, which are ligands of AHR. Once KYN activates AHR, it stimulates the expression of the IDO enzyme, increases the level of KYN, and activates non-canonical pathways to control inflammation and immunosuppression in breast tumors. The interplay between E2, AHR, and IDO/TDO/KYN pathways and their impact on the immune system represents an immunosuppressive axis on breast cancer. The potential modulation of the immunosuppressive E2-AHR-IDO/TDO/KYN axis has aroused great expectations in oncotherapy. The present article will review the mechanisms implicated in generating the immunosuppressive axis E2-AHR-IDO/TDO/KYN in breast cancer and the current state of knowledge as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillermo Elizondo
- Departamento de Biología Celular, CINVESTAV-IPN, Av. IPN 2508, C.P. 07360 Ciudad de México, México.
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6
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Zeng Z, Fu M, Hu Y, Wei Y, Wei X, Luo M. Regulation and signaling pathways in cancer stem cells: implications for targeted therapy for cancer. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:172. [PMID: 37853437 PMCID: PMC10583419 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01877-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), initially identified in leukemia in 1994, constitute a distinct subset of tumor cells characterized by surface markers such as CD133, CD44, and ALDH. Their behavior is regulated through a complex interplay of networks, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional, epigenetic, tumor microenvironment (TME), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors. Numerous signaling pathways were found to be involved in the regulatory network of CSCs. The maintenance of CSC characteristics plays a pivotal role in driving CSC-associated tumor metastasis and conferring resistance to therapy. Consequently, CSCs have emerged as promising targets in cancer treatment. To date, researchers have developed several anticancer agents tailored to specifically target CSCs, with some of these treatment strategies currently undergoing preclinical or clinical trials. In this review, we outline the origin and biological characteristics of CSCs, explore the regulatory networks governing CSCs, discuss the signaling pathways implicated in these networks, and investigate the influential factors contributing to therapy resistance in CSCs. Finally, we offer insights into preclinical and clinical agents designed to eliminate CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zeng
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Agent Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Minyang Fu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Agent Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Hu
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology Nursing, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Agent Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Agent Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Min Luo
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Agent Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China.
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7
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Opitz CA, Holfelder P, Prentzell MT, Trump S. The complex biology of aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation in cancer and beyond. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 216:115798. [PMID: 37696456 PMCID: PMC10570930 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway is a complex regulatory network that plays a critical role in various biological processes, including cellular metabolism, development, and immune responses. The complexity of AHR signaling arises from multiple factors, including the diverse ligands that activate the receptor, the expression level of AHR itself, and its interaction with the AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT). Additionally, the AHR crosstalks with the AHR repressor (AHRR) or other transcription factors and signaling pathways and it can also mediate non-genomic effects. Finally, posttranslational modifications of the AHR and its interaction partners, epigenetic regulation of AHR and its target genes, as well as AHR-mediated induction of enzymes that degrade AHR-activating ligands may contribute to the context-specificity of AHR activation. Understanding the complexity of AHR signaling is crucial for deciphering its physiological and pathological roles and developing therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway. Ongoing research continues to unravel the intricacies of AHR signaling, shedding light on the regulatory mechanisms controlling its diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane A Opitz
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Division of Metabolic Crosstalk in Cancer and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), DKFZ Core Center Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Pauline Holfelder
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Division of Metabolic Crosstalk in Cancer and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), DKFZ Core Center Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Bioscience, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mirja Tamara Prentzell
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Division of Metabolic Crosstalk in Cancer and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), DKFZ Core Center Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Bioscience, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saskia Trump
- Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, a partnership between DKFZ and Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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8
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Elson DJ, Nguyen BD, Korjeff NA, Wilferd SF, Puig-Sanvicens V, Sang Jang H, Bernales S, Chakravarty S, Belmar S, Ureta G, Finlay D, Plaisier CL, Kolluri SK. Suppression of Ah Receptor (AhR) increases the aggressiveness of TNBC cells and 11-Cl-BBQ-activated AhR inhibits their growth. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 215:115706. [PMID: 37506922 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents around 15% of the 2.26 million breast cancers diagnosed worldwide annually and has the worst outcome. Despite recent therapeutic advances, there remains a lack of targeted therapies for this breast cancer subtype. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor with biological roles in regulating development, xenobiotic metabolism, cell cycle progression and cell death. AhR activation by select ligands can promote tumor suppression in multiple cancer types. AhR can negatively regulate the activity of different oncogenic signaling pathways and can directly upregulate tumor suppressor genes such as p27Kip1. To determine the role of AhR in TNBC, we generated AhR-deficient cancer cells and investigated the impact of AhR loss on TNBC cell growth phenotypes. We found that AhR-deficient MDA-MB-468 TNBC cells have increased proliferation and formed significantly more colonies compared to AhR expressing cells. These cells without AhR expression grew aggressively in vivo. To determine the molecular targets driving this phenotype, we performed transcriptomic profiling in AhR expressing and AhR knockout MDA-MB-468 cells and identified tyrosine receptor kinases, as well as other genes involved in proliferation, survival and clonogenicity that are repressed by AhR. In order to determine therapeutic targeting of AhR in TNBC, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of the novel AhR ligand 11-chloro-7H-benzimidazo[2,1-a]benzo[de]iso-quinolin-7-one (11-Cl-BBQ), which belongs to a class of high affinity, rapidly metabolized AhR ligands called benzimidazoisoquinolines (BBQs). 11-Cl-BBQ induced AhR-dependent cancer cell-selective growth inhibition and strongly inhibited colony formation in TNBC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Elson
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Bach D Nguyen
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Nicholas A Korjeff
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Sierra F Wilferd
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
| | - Veronica Puig-Sanvicens
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Hyo Sang Jang
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Sebastian Bernales
- Praxis Biotech, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States; Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Centro Científico y Tecnológico Ciencia & Vida, Avda. Del valle Norte 725, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Sebastián Belmar
- Praxis Biotech, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States; Merken Biotech, Avda. Del valle Norte 725, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Ureta
- Praxis Biotech, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States; Merken Biotech, Avda. Del valle Norte 725, Santiago, Chile
| | - Darren Finlay
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, NCI Designated Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Christopher L Plaisier
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
| | - Siva K Kolluri
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States.
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9
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Chong ZX, Yong CY, Ong AHK, Yeap SK, Ho WY. Deciphering the roles of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in regulating carcinogenesis. Toxicology 2023; 495:153596. [PMID: 37480978 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-dependent receptor that belongs to the superfamily of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors. The activation of the canonical AHR signaling pathway is known to induce the expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes, facilitating the detoxification metabolism in the human body. Additionally, AHR could interact with various signaling pathways such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), nuclear factor ekappa B (NF-κβ), estrogen receptor (ER), and androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathways. Over the past 30 years, several studies have reported that various chemical, physical, or biological agents, such as tobacco, hydrocarbon compounds, industrial and agricultural chemical wastes, drugs, UV, viruses, and other toxins, could affect AHR expression or activity, promoting cancer development. Thus, it is valuable to overview how these factors regulate AHR-mediated carcinogenesis. Current findings have reported that many compounds could act as AHR ligands to drive the expressions of AHR-target genes, such as CYP1A1, CYP1B1, MMPs, and AXL, and other targets that exert a pro-proliferation or anti-apoptotic effect, like XIAP. Furthermore, some other physical and chemical agents, such as UV and 3-methylcholanthrene, could promote AHR signaling activities, increasing the signaling activities of a few oncogenic pathways, such as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathways. Understanding how various factors regulate AHR-mediated carcinogenesis processes helps clinicians and scientists plan personalized therapeutic strategies to improve anti-cancer treatment efficacy. As many studies that have reported the roles of AHR in regulating carcinogenesis are preclinical or observational clinical studies that did not explore the detailed mechanisms of how different chemical, physical, or biological agents promote AHR-mediated carcinogenesis processes, future studies should focus on conducting large-scale and functional studies to unravel the underlying mechanism of how AHR interacts with different factors in regulating carcinogenesis processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Xiong Chong
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chean Yeah Yong
- China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, 43900 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Alan Han Kiat Ong
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Swee Keong Yeap
- China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, 43900 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Wan Yong Ho
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
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10
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Elson D, Nguyen BD, Bernales S, Chakravarty S, Jang HS, Korjeff NA, Zhang Y, Wilferd SF, Castro DJ, Plaisier CL, Finlay D, Oshima RG, Kolluri SK. Induction of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Cancer Cell-Selective Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by a High-Affinity Benzimidazoisoquinoline. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1028-1042. [PMID: 37470014 PMCID: PMC10353065 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00253] [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: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a disease with a paucity of targeted treatment opportunities. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including the sensing of xenobiotics, immune function, development, and differentiation. Different small-molecule AhR ligands drive strikingly varied cellular and organismal responses. In certain cancers, AhR activation by select small molecules induces cell cycle arrest or apoptosis via activation of tumor-suppressive transcriptional programs. AhR is expressed in triple-negative breast cancers, presenting a tractable therapeutic opportunity. Here, we identify a novel ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor that potently and selectively induces cell death in triple-negative breast cancer cells and TNBC stem cells via the AhR. Importantly, we found that this compound, Analog 523, exhibits minimal cytotoxicity against multiple normal human primary cells. Analog 523 represents a high-affinity AhR ligand with potential for future clinical translation as an anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel
J. Elson
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Bach D. Nguyen
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Sebastian Bernales
- Praxis
Biotech, San Francisco, California, 94158, United States
- Centro Ciencia
& Vida, Avda. Del
Valle Norte 725, Santiago, 8580702, Chile
| | | | - Hyo Sang Jang
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Nicholas A. Korjeff
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Yi Zhang
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
| | - Sierra F. Wilferd
- School
of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - David J. Castro
- Sanford
Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, NCI Designated Cancer
Center, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States
- Oregon Health
& Science University, Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
| | - Christopher L. Plaisier
- School
of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Darren Finlay
- Sanford
Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, NCI Designated Cancer
Center, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States
| | - Robert G. Oshima
- Sanford
Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, NCI Designated Cancer
Center, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States
| | - Siva K. Kolluri
- Cancer
Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
- Linus
Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United
States
- The
Pacific Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, United States
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11
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Kado SY, Bein K, Castaneda AR, Pouraryan AA, Garrity N, Ishihara Y, Rossi A, Haarmann-Stemmann T, Sweeney CA, Vogel CFA. Regulation of IDO2 by the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in Breast Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:1433. [PMID: 37408267 PMCID: PMC10216785 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2) is a tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme and a homolog of IDO1 with a distinct expression pattern compared with IDO1. In dendritic cells (DCs), IDO activity and the resulting changes in tryptophan level regulate T-cell differentiation and promote immune tolerance. Recent studies indicate that IDO2 exerts an additional, non-enzymatic function and pro-inflammatory activity, which may play an important role in diseases such as autoimmunity and cancer. Here, we investigated the impact of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation by endogenous compounds and environmental pollutants on the expression of IDO2. Treatment with AhR ligands induced IDO2 in MCF-7 wildtype cells but not in CRISPR-cas9 AhR-knockout MCF-7 cells. Promoter analysis with IDO2 reporter constructs revealed that the AhR-dependent induction of IDO2 involves a short-tandem repeat containing four core sequences of a xenobiotic response element (XRE) upstream of the start site of the human ido2 gene. The analysis of breast cancer datasets revealed that IDO2 expression increased in breast cancer compared with normal samples. Our findings suggest that the AhR-mediated expression of IDO2 in breast cancer could contribute to a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Y. Kado
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
| | - Keith Bein
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
| | - Alejandro R. Castaneda
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
| | - Arshia A. Pouraryan
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
| | - Nicole Garrity
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
| | - Yasuhiro Ishihara
- Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan;
| | - Andrea Rossi
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (A.R.); (T.H.-S.)
| | - Thomas Haarmann-Stemmann
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (A.R.); (T.H.-S.)
| | - Colleen A. Sweeney
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Christoph F. A. Vogel
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (S.Y.K.); (K.B.); (A.R.C.); (A.A.P.); (N.G.)
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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12
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Hanieh H, Bani Ismail M, Alfwuaires MA, Ibrahim HIM, Farhan M. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor as an Anticancer Target: An Overview of Ten Years Odyssey. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28103978. [PMID: 37241719 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28103978] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor belonging to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)/per-Arnt-sim (PAS) superfamily, is traditionally known to mediate xenobiotic metabolism. It is activated by structurally diverse agonistic ligands and regulates complicated transcriptional processes through its canonical and non-canonical pathways in normal and malignant cells. Different classes of AhR ligands have been evaluated as anticancer agents in different cancer cells and exhibit efficiency, which has thrust AhR into the limelight as a promising molecular target. There is strong evidence demonstrating the anticancer potential of exogenous AhR agonists including synthetic, pharmaceutical, and natural compounds. In contrast, several reports have indicated inhibition of AhR activity by antagonistic ligands as a potential therapeutic strategy. Interestingly, similar AhR ligands exert variable anticancer or cancer-promoting potential in a cell- and tissue-specific mode of action. Recently, ligand-mediated modulation of AhR signaling pathways and the associated tumor microenvironment is emerging as a potential approach for developing cancer immunotherapeutic drugs. This article reviews advances of AhR in cancer research covering publication from 2012 to early 2023. It summarizes the therapeutic potential of various AhR ligands with an emphasis on exogenous ligands. It also sheds light on recent immunotherapeutic strategies involving AhR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Hanieh
- Basic Medical Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aqaba Medical Sciences University, Aqaba 77110, Jordan
- International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan
| | - Mohammad Bani Ismail
- Basic Medical Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aqaba Medical Sciences University, Aqaba 77110, Jordan
| | - Manal A Alfwuaires
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hairul-Islam M Ibrahim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahdi Farhan
- International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan
- Department of Drug Development, UniTechPharma, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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13
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Elson DJ, Kolluri SK. Tumor-Suppressive Functions of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) and AhR as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12040526. [PMID: 37106727 PMCID: PMC10135996 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in regulating a wide range of biological responses. A diverse array of xenobiotics and endogenous small molecules bind to the receptor and drive unique phenotypic responses. Due in part to its role in mediating toxic responses to environmental pollutants, AhR activation has not been traditionally viewed as a viable therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, the expression and activation of AhR can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and survival of cancer cells, and many clinically approved drugs transcriptionally activate AhR. Identification of novel select modulators of AhR-regulated transcription that promote tumor suppression is an active area of investigation. The development of AhR-targeted anticancer agents requires a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving tumor suppression. Here, we summarized the tumor-suppressive mechanisms regulated by AhR with an emphasis on the endogenous functions of the receptor in opposing carcinogenesis. In multiple different cancer models, the deletion of AhR promotes increased tumorigenesis, but a precise understanding of the molecular cues and the genetic targets of AhR involved in this process is lacking. The intent of this review was to synthesize the evidence supporting AhR-dependent tumor suppression and distill insights for development of AhR-targeted cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Elson
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Siva K. Kolluri
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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14
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Yamashita N, Kawai K, Yoshikawa M, Watabe M, Kanno Y, Sanada N, Kizu R. FDI-6, a FOXM1 inhibitor, activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and suppresses tumorsphere formation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 639:29-35. [PMID: 36463758 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is activated by environmental contaminants such as dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Following ligand binding, AhR binds to xenobiotic responsive elements and modulates the transcription of AhR target genes. Multiple studies have shown that AhR plays important roles in a range of cancer cells and is attracting attention as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment. We have previously reported that AhR agonists inhibit tumorsphere formation in an AhR-dependent manner in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. In the present study, we found that FDI-6, an inhibitor of the transcription factor Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) induced the mRNA expression of AhR target genes, nuclear translocation of AhR, and transcriptional activity of AhR. In addition, FDI-6 dose-dependently reduced the mRNA expression of FOXM1-regulated genes in AhR-expressing MCF-7 cells, although not in AhR-deficient MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, FDI-6 was found to suppress tumorsphere formation via the AhR in MCF-7 cells and HepG2 human liver cancer cell line. On the basis of the findings of this study, we show that FDI-6, a FOXM1 inhibitor, functions as an AhR agonist, and suppresses tumorsphere formation via the AhR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Yamashita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan.
| | - Kaho Kawai
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Minami Yoshikawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Mina Watabe
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kanno
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan
| | - Noriko Sanada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Kizu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
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15
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Sweeney C, Lazennec G, Vogel CFA. Environmental exposure and the role of AhR in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1095289. [PMID: 36588678 PMCID: PMC9797527 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1095289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) through environmental exposure to chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) can lead to severe adverse health effects and increase the risk of breast cancer. This review considers several mechanisms which link the tumor promoting effects of environmental pollutants with the AhR signaling pathway, contributing to the development and progression of breast cancer. We explore AhR's function in shaping the tumor microenvironment, modifying immune tolerance, and regulating cancer stemness, driving breast cancer chemoresistance and metastasis. The complexity of AhR, with evidence for both oncogenic and tumor suppressor roles is discussed. We propose that AhR functions as a "molecular bridge", linking disproportionate toxin exposure and policies which underlie environmental injustice with tumor cell behaviors which drive poor patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Sweeney
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Gwendal Lazennec
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, SYS2DIAG-ALCEN, Cap Delta, Montpellier, France
| | - Christoph F. A. Vogel
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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16
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Tian X, Zheng S, Wang J, Yu M, Lin Z, Qin M, Wu Y, Chen S, Zhong S. Cardiac disorder-related adverse events for aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists: a safety review. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2022; 21:1505-1510. [PMID: 35582860 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2022.2078301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although cardiac disorder-related adverse events (AEs) have been reported in patients treated with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonists, their safety profiles remain unknown. Here, we identified significant cardiac disorders associated with AHR agonists and further evaluated their relevance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Database queries were performed using OpenVigil 2.1 and AEs voluntarily submitted to Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) between 2004 and 2020 were included. This study based on the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities and the standardized MedDRA Queries to define the preferred terms, and we used reporting odd ratio to detect signals. RESULTS In the FAERS database, 14,078 cardiac disorder-related AEs were identified in patients receiving AHR agonists. Among all AHR agonists, the number of cardiac disorder-related PTs with positive signals for AHR agonists was 93. Peripheral swelling (n = 1572) and atrial fibrillation (n = 1277) were the most reported cardiac disorder-related AEs among AHR agonists in disproportionately reported PTs. Moreover, several AHR agonists were highly associated with tachyarrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS By mining the FAERS database, we provided more information on the association between AHR agonist use and cardiac disorder-related AEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Tian
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shufen Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Meiling Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhuoheng Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiyu Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shilong Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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17
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Abstract
Significance: Cancer-associated tissue-specific lactic acidosis stimulates and mediates tumor invasion and metastasis and is druggable. Rarely, malignancy causes systemic lactic acidosis, the role of which is poorly understood. Recent Advances: The understanding of the role of lactate has shifted dramatically since its discovery. Long recognized as only a waste product, lactate has become known as an alternative metabolism substrate and a secreted nutrient that is exchanged between the tumor and the microenvironment. Tissue-specific lactic acidosis is targeted to improve the host body's anticancer defense and serves as a tool that allows the targeting of anticancer compounds. Systemic lactic acidosis is associated with poor survival. In patients with solid cancer, systemic lactic acidosis is associated with an extremely poor prognosis, as revealed by the analysis of 57 published cases in this study. Although it is considered a pathology worth treating, targeting systemic lactic acidosis in patients with solid cancer is usually inefficient. Critical Issues: Research gaps include simple questions, such as the unknown nuclear pH of the cancer cells and its effects on chemotherapy outcomes, pH sensitivity of glycosylation in cancer cells, in vivo mechanisms of response to acidosis in the absence of lactate, and overinterpretation of in vitro results that were obtained by using cells that were not preadapted to acidic environments. Future Directions: Numerous metabolism-targeting anticancer compounds induce lactatemia, lactic acidosis, or other types of acidosis. Their potential to induce acidic environments is largely overlooked, although the acidosis might contribute to a substantial portion of the observed clinical effects. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 37, 1130-1152.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Heneberg
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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18
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The Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) and Its Ligands in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225574. [PMID: 36428667 PMCID: PMC9688153 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex disease which is defined by numerous cellular and molecular markers that can be used to develop more targeted and successful therapies. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is overexpressed in many breast tumor sub-types, including estrogen receptor -positive (ER+) tumors; however, the prognostic value of the AhR for breast cancer patient survival is not consistent between studies. Moreover, the functional role of the AhR in various breast cancer cell lines is also variable and exhibits both tumor promoter- and tumor suppressor- like activity and the AhR is expressed in both ER-positive and ER-negative cells/tumors. There is strong evidence demonstrating inhibitory AhR-Rα crosstalk where various AhR ligands induce ER degradation. It has also been reported that different structural classes of AhR ligands, including halogenated aromatics, polynuclear aromatics, synthetic drugs and other pharmaceuticals, health promoting phytochemical-derived natural products and endogenous AhR-active compounds inhibit one or more of breast cancer cell proliferation, survival, migration/invasion, and metastasis. AhR-dependent mechanisms for the inhibition of breast cancer by AhR agonists are variable and include the downregulation of multiple genes/gene products such as CXCR4, MMPs, CXCL12, SOX4 and the modulation of microRNA levels. Some AhR ligands, such as aminoflavone, have been investigated in clinical trials for their anticancer activity against breast cancer. In contrast, several publications have reported that AhR agonists and antagonists enhance and inhibit mammary carcinogenesis, respectively, and differences between the anticancer activities of AhR agonists in breast cancer may be due in part to cell context and ligand structure. However, there are reports showing that the same AhR ligand in the same breast cancer cell line gives opposite results. These differences need to be resolved in order to further develop and take advantage of promising agents that inhibit mammary carcinogenesis by targeting the AhR.
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19
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Xu T, Luo Y, Xie HQ, Xia Y, Li Y, Chen Y, Guo Z, Xu L, Zhao B. Systematic identification of molecular mechanisms for aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated neuroblastoma cell migration. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 168:107461. [PMID: 35981476 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tumor cell migration is affected by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). However, the systematic molecular mechanisms underlying AhR-mediated migration of human neuroblastoma cells are not fully understood. To address this issue, we performed an integrative analysis of mRNA and microRNA (miR) expression profiles in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a potent agonist of AhR. The cell migration was increased in a time- and concentration- dependent manner, and was blocked by AhR antagonist (CH223191). A total of 4,377 genes were differentially expressed after 24-hour-treatment with 10-10 M TCDD, of which the upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cell migration-related biological pathways. Thirty-four upregulated genes, of which 25 were targeted by 78 differentially expressed miRs, in the axon guidance pathway were experimentally confirmed, and the putative dioxin-responsive elements were present in the promoter regions of most genes (79 %) and miRs (82 %) in this pathway. Furthermore, two promigratory genes (CFL2 and NRP1) induced by TCDD was reversed by blockade of AhR. In conclusion, AhR-mediated mRNA-miR networks in the axon guidance pathway may represent a potential molecular mechanism of dioxin-induced directional migration of human neuroblastoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yali Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Heidi Qunhui Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yingjie Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiling Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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20
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Proposal to Consider Chemical/Physical Microenvironment as a New Therapeutic Off-Target Approach. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14102084. [PMID: 36297518 PMCID: PMC9611316 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular revolution could lead drug discovery from chance observation to the rational design of new classes of drugs that could simultaneously be more effective and less toxic. Unfortunately, we are witnessing some failure in this sense, and the causes of the crisis involve a wide range of epistemological and scientific aspects. In pharmacology, one key point is the crisis of the paradigm the “magic bullet”, which is to design therapies based on specific molecular targets. Drug repurposing is one of the proposed ways out of the crisis and is based on the off-target effects of known drugs. Here, we propose the microenvironment as the ideal place to direct the off-targeting of known drugs. While it has been extensively investigated in tumors, the generation of a harsh microenvironment is also a phenotype of the vast majority of chronic diseases. The hostile microenvironment, on the one hand, reduces the efficacy of both chemical and biological drugs; on the other hand, it dictates a sort of “Darwinian” selection of those cells armed to survive in such hostile conditions. This opens the way to the consideration of the microenvironment as a convenient target for pharmacological action, with a clear example in proton pump inhibitors.
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21
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Ballinger TJ, Djuric Z, Sardesai S, Hovey KM, Andrews CA, Brasky TM, Zhang JT, Rohan TE, Saquib N, Shadyab AH, Simon M, Wactawski-Wende J, Wallace R, Kato I. Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Obesity-Associated Cancer in the Women's Health Initiative. Nutr Cancer 2022; 75:265-275. [PMID: 35968582 PMCID: PMC9772040 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2022.2108467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have off-target activity on fatty acid synthase (FASN), a critical enzyme in energy balance and cancer growth. We evaluated risk of common obesity-related cancers: breast, colorectal (CRC), and endometrial, with use of PPI and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) in 124,931 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative. Incident cancer cases were physician-adjudicated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cancer incidence after year 3. There were 7956 PPI ever users and 9398 H2RA only users. Ever use of either PPI or H2RA was not associated with risk of breast cancer (n = 9186) nor risk of endometrial cancer (n = 1231). The risk of CRC (n = 2280) was significantly lower in PPI users (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.61-0.92), but not in H2RA users (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.97-1.31). The association of PPI use with CRC was apparent regardless of BMI or NSAID use, and was stronger with longer PPI duration (p = 0.006) and potency (p = 0.005). The findings that PPI use, but not H2RA use, demonstrate an inverse dose-response relationship with risk of CRC is consistent with preclinical data showing FASN inhibition prevents colon cancer progression and supports a role of PPI in CRC prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarah J. Ballinger
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Zora Djuric
- Departments of Family Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Sagar Sardesai
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
| | - Kathleen M. Hovey
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
| | - Chris A. Andrews
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
| | - Theodore M. Brasky
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
| | - Jian Ting Zhang
- Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH
| | - Thomas E Rohan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Nazmus Saquib
- College of Medicine, Sulaiman AlRajhi University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aladdin H. Shadyab
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Michael Simon
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Jean Wactawski-Wende
- Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH
| | - Robert Wallace
- Department of Epidemiology, Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA
| | - Ikuko Kato
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit
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22
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Omeprazole suppresses aggressive cancer growth and metastasis in mice through promoting Snail degradation. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:1816-1828. [PMID: 34785782 PMCID: PMC9253046 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00787-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that has recently been reported to exhibit anticancer activity against several types of cancer. However, the anticancer mechanisms of omeprazole remain elusive. Snail is an oncogenic zinc finger transcription factor; aberrant activation of Snail is associated with the occurrence and progression of cancer. In this study, we investigated whether Snail acted as a direct anticancer target of omeprazole. We showed that omeprazole displayed a high binding-affinity to recombinant Snail protein (Kd = 0.076 mM), suggesting that omeprazole directly and physically binds to the Snail protein. We further revealed that omeprazole disrupted CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300-mediated Snail acetylation and then promoted Snail degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in HCT116 cells. Omeprazole treatment markedly suppressed Snail-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in aggressive HCT116, SUM159, and 4T1 cancer cells in vitro and reduced EMT-associated tumor invasion and metastasis in cancer cell xenograft models. Omeprazole also inhibited tumor growth by limiting Snail-dependent cell cycle progression. Overall, this study, for the first time, identifies Snail as a target of omeprazole and reveals a novel mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of omeprazole against cancer. This study strongly suggests that omeprazole may be an excellent auxiliary drug for treating patients with malignant tumors.
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23
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Tan Q, Cai J, Peng J, Hu C, Wu C, Liu H. VEGF-B targeting by aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediates the migration and invasion of choriocarcinoma stem-like cells. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:221. [PMID: 35773697 PMCID: PMC9245252 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02641-8] [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: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike other members of the VEGF family, the function of VEGF-B in tumor progression remains to be elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the function of VEGF-B in human choriocarcinoma cells by investigating its detailed effects and molecular mechanisms. VEGF-B and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis and western blot analysis in JEG-3 cells and choriocarcinoma stem-like cells (CSLCs) and their proliferation, migration, and invasion after the transfection of short hairpin RNA VEGF-B, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; AhR agonist) treatment or StemRegenin 1 (SR1; AhR antagonist) treatment were examined by cell proliferation assay, wound healing assay and Transwell assay. In addition, luciferase reporter analysis and bioinformatics data mining were used to investigate the association between VEGF-B and AhR. Upregulation of VEGF-B and AhR expression was observed in CSLCs. Following VEGF-B knockdown or SR1 treatment, the proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of CSLCs were significantly decreased, contrary to the findings after TCDD treatment. It was also found that AhR enhanced VEGF-B transcriptional activity by binding to the relative promoter region. These observations indicated that VEGF-B may be an oncogene that promotes choriocarcinoma cell migration and invasion targeted by AhR. Therefore, targeting VEGF-B may provide a novel therapeutic opportunity for choriocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianxia Tan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingting Cai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingping Peng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China
| | - Cui Hu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China
| | - ChenChun Wu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China
| | - Huining Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, People's Republic of China.
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24
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Miret NV, Zárate LV, Díaz FE, Agustina Leguizamón M, Pontillo CA, Chiappini FA, Ceballos L, Geffner J, Randi AS. Extracellular acidosis stimulates breast cancer cell motility through aryl hydrocarbon receptor and c-Src kinase activation. J Cell Biochem 2022; 123:1197-1206. [PMID: 35538691 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30275] [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: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A reduction in extracellular pH (pHe) is a characteristic of most malignant tumors. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor localized in a cytosolic complex with c-Src, which allows it to trigger non-genomic effects through c-Src. Considering that the slightly acidic tumor microenvironment promotes breast cancer progression in a similar way to the AhR/c-Src axis, our aim was to evaluate whether this pathway could be activated by low pHe. We examined the effect of pHe 6.5 on AhR/c-Src axis using two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and LM3) and mammary epithelial cells (NMuMG) and found that acidosis increased c-Src phosphorylation only in tumor cells. Moreover, the presence of AhR inhibitors prevented c-Src activation. Low pHe reduced intracellular pH (pHi), while amiloride treatment, which is known to reduce pHi, induced c-Src phosphorylation through AhR. Analyses were conducted on cell migration and metalloproteases (MMP)-2 and -9 activities, with results showing an acidosis-induced increase in MDA-MB-231 and LM3 cell migration and MMP-9 activity, but no changes in NMuMG cells. Moreover, all these effects were blocked by AhR and c-Src inhibitors. In conclusion, acidosis stimulates the AhR/c-Src axis only in breast cancer cells, increasing cell migration and MMP-9 activity. Although the AhR activation mechanism still remains elusive, a reduction in pHi may be thought to be involved. These findings suggest a critical role for the AhR/c-Src axis in breast tumor progression stimulated by an acidic microenvironment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia V Miret
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lorena V Zárate
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Erra Díaz
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (CONICET), Paraguay 2155, 11° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Agustina Leguizamón
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina A Pontillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia A Chiappini
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Ceballos
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Geffner
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA (CONICET), Paraguay 2155, 11° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea S Randi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Paraguay 2155, 5° piso, (CP 1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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25
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Xu L, Liu Y, Chen Y, Zhu R, Li S, Zhang S, Zhang J, Xie HQ, Zhao B. Emodin inhibits U87 glioblastoma cells migration by activating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathway. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 234:113357. [PMID: 35272197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated receptor to mediates the biological reactions of many environmental and natural compounds, which is highly expressed in glioblastoma. Although it has been reported that AhR agonist emodin can suppress some kinds of tumors, its inhibitory effect on glioblastoma migration and its relationship with AhR remain unclear. Based on the complexity of tumor pathogenesis and the tissue specificity of AhR, we hope can further understand the effect of emodin on glioblastoma and explore its mechanism. We found that the inhibitory effect of emodin on the migration of U87 glioblastoma cells increased with time, and the cell migration ability was inhibited by about 25% after 36 h exposure. In this process, emodin promoted the expression of the tumor suppressor IL24 by activating the AhR signaling pathway. Reducing the expression of AhR or IL24 by interfering RNA could block or relieve the inhibitory effect of emodin on the U87 cells migration, which indicates the inhibition of emodin on the migration of glioblastoma is mediated by the AhR-IL24 axis. Our data proved the AhR-IL24 signal axis is an important pathway for emodin to inhibit the migration of glioblastoma, and the AhR signaling pathway can be used as a key target to research the regulation effect and its mechanism of compounds on glioblastoma migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yiyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yangsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruihong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Songyan Zhang
- Engineering Laboratory of Shenzhen Natural Small Molecule Innovative Drugs, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Engineering Laboratory of Shenzhen Natural Small Molecule Innovative Drugs, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Heidi Qunhui Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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26
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Hanieh H, Ibrahim HIM, Mohammed M, Alwassil OI, Abukhalil MH, Farhan M. Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling by gallic acid suppresses progression of human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 96:153817. [PMID: 34782204 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer remains the most common malignancy and the second cause of death in women. Increasingly, preclinical evidence has suggested aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), a ligand activated transcription factor, a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer. PURPOSE This study aims at screening a number of phenolic compounds to identify an Ahr ligand with suppressive effects on human breast cancer. METHODS Potential interactions between Ahr and phenolic compounds were predicted in silico, and physical interaction was examined by ligand competitive binding in vitro. The MDA-MB-231 and T47D breast cancer cell lines were used to examine the expression of Ahr downstream genes and progression of breast cancer cells in vitro. Binding of Ahr/Ahr nuclear transporter (Arnt) complex to the xenobiotic-responsive element (XRE)-box was examined by DNA-protein interaction (DPI)-ELISA, promoter activity was assessed using luciferase reporter system, and RNA interreference was carried out using electroporation. The real-time PCR and/or immunoblotting were used to quantify gene expressions. Tumor growth in vivo was assessed using a murine orthotopic model. RESULTS A combined computational modeling and in vitro approaches identified gallic acid (GA) as an Ahr ligand with agonistic properties. It induced binding of Ahr/Arnt to the XRE-box, enhanced the promoter activity and expression of Ahr downstream genes including cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), and SRY-related HMG-box4 (SOX4)-targeting miR-212/132 cluster and miR-335 in both MDA-MB-231 and T47D cells. GA increased apoptosis while decreased proliferation, migration and invasion capacities of breast cancer cells in an Ahr-dependent fashion. Furthermore, it reduced the levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and SOX4, while selectively increased that of tumor protein 53 (P53), in an Ahr-dependent and -independent fashions. In an in vivo orthotopic model, GA activated Ahr signaling and reduced the growth of breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION We identified GA as an Ahr phenolic ligand, and provided evidence on the role of Ahr in mediating its anti-breast cancer effects, indicating that GA, and possibly other phenolic compounds, have important therapeutic implications in human breast cancer through activation of Ahr signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Hanieh
- Department of Medical Analysis, Department of Biological Sciences, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an 71111, Jordan; International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan.
| | - Hairul-Islam M Ibrahim
- Biological Sciences Department, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maged Mohammed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44111, Egypt
| | - Osama I Alwassil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad H Abukhalil
- Department of Medical Analysis, Department of Biological Sciences, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an 71111, Jordan; International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan
| | - Mahdi Farhan
- International Medical Research Center (iMReC), Aqaba 77110, Jordan; Department of Drug Development, UniTechPharma, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
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27
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Liu J, Pi Z, Xiao Y, Zeng Z, Yu J, Zou P, Tang B, Qiu X, Tang R, Shi Y, Xiao R. Esomeprazole alleviates fibrosis in systemic sclerosis by modulating AhR/Smad2/3 signaling. Pharmacol Res 2022; 176:106057. [PMID: 34995795 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with the involvement of complex signaling pathways, such as TGF-β/Smad2/3. SSc can lead to severe multiple organ fibrosis, but no effective therapy is currently available because of its unclear pathogenesis. Exploring new treatments is the focus of recent research on SSc. Recent studies have implied a potential antifibrotic role of esomeprazole (ESO), but with currently unidentified mechanisms. Signaling of AhR, a ligand-dependent transcription factor, has been described as a key controller of fibrosis, tumorigenesis, and immune balance. Recently, it has been reported that ESO may be an exogenous agonist of AhR signaling, while no previous study has revealed the effects of ESO on SSc and its underlying mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that ESO suppresses the migration of SSc dermal fibroblasts, downregulates profibrotic markers, including COLIA1, α-SMA CTGF and MMP1, and limits collagen production potentially via the activation of AhR signaling. More importantly, ESO could block Smad2/3 phosphorylation concurrently with the reduction in collagen via AhR signaling. Moreover, our results from the bleomycin (BLM)-induced SSc model in skin and lung shows that ESO ameliorates fibrosis in vivo, which in keeping with our in vitro results. We conclude that ESO is a potential therapeutic drug for SSc fibrosis.
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MESH Headings
- Actins/genetics
- Animals
- Bleomycin
- Cells, Cultured
- Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain/genetics
- Connective Tissue Growth Factor/genetics
- Cytokines/genetics
- Esomeprazole/pharmacology
- Esomeprazole/therapeutic use
- Fibroblasts/drug effects
- Fibroblasts/metabolism
- Fibrosis
- Humans
- Lung/drug effects
- Lung/metabolism
- Lung/pathology
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/genetics
- Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/metabolism
- Scleroderma, Systemic/drug therapy
- Scleroderma, Systemic/genetics
- Scleroderma, Systemic/metabolism
- Scleroderma, Systemic/pathology
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Skin/drug effects
- Skin/metabolism
- Skin/pathology
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Zixin Pi
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Yangfan Xiao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhuotong Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Jiangfan Yu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Puyu Zou
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Bingsi Tang
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Xiangning Qiu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Rui Tang
- Department of Rheumatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Yaqian Shi
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
| | - Rong Xiao
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
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28
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Liu Z, Ren Z, Zhang C, Qian R, Wang H, Wang J, Zhang W, Liu B, Lian X, Wang Y, Guo Y, Gao Y. ELK3: A New Molecular Marker for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Glioma. Front Oncol 2022; 11:608748. [PMID: 34976781 PMCID: PMC8716454 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.608748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ETS transcription factor ELK3 (ELK3), a novel oncogene, affects pathological processes and progression of many cancers in human tissues. However, it remains unclear whether ELK3, as a key gene, affects the pathological process of gliomas and the prognosis of patients with gliomas. This study aimed to comprehensively and systematically reveal the correlation between ELK3 and the malignant progression of gliomas by analyzing clinical sample information stored in multiple databases. We revealed the putative mechanism of ELK3 involvement in malignant gliomas progression and identified a new and efficient biomarker for glioma diagnosis and targeted therapy. Based on the sample data from multiple databases and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), the abnormally high expression of ELK3 in gliomas was confirmed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses demonstrated that a high ELK3 expression was markedly associated with low patient survival and served as an independent biomarker of gliomas. Wilcox and Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed that expression of ELK3 was positively correlated with several clinical characteristics of patients with gliomas, such as age, WHO classification, and recurrence. Moreover, Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK-8), immunofluorescence, and wound healing assays confirmed that ELK3 overexpression markedly promoted the proliferation and migration of glioma cells. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and western blotting confirmed that overexpression of ELK3 regulated the JAK–STAT signaling pathway and upregulate the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) to promote the malignant transition of gliomas. Therefore, ELK3 may serve as an efficient biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of gliomas and it can also be used as a therapeutic target to improve the poor prognosis of patients with gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhendong Liu
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People's Hospital; People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhishuai Ren
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- North Broward Preparatory School, Nord Anglia Education, Coconut Creek, FL, United States
| | - Rongjun Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- People's Hospital of Henan University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jialin Wang
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Wang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Binfeng Liu
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Lian
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yanbiao Wang
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yuqi Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory for Gynecological Oncology and Nanomedicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanzheng Gao
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People's Hospital; People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, China
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29
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Panitz V, Končarević S, Sadik A, Friedel D, Bausbacher T, Trump S, Farztdinov V, Schulz S, Sievers P, Schmidt S, Jürgenson I, Jung S, Kuhn K, Pflüger I, Sharma S, Wick A, Pfänder P, Selzer S, Vollmuth P, Sahm F, von Deimling A, Heiland I, Hopf C, Schulz-Knappe P, Pike I, Platten M, Wick W, Opitz CA. Tryptophan metabolism is inversely regulated in the tumor and blood of patients with glioblastoma. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:9217-9233. [PMID: 34646367 PMCID: PMC8490504 DOI: 10.7150/thno.60679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tryptophan (Trp)-catabolic enzymes (TCEs) produce metabolites that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and promote tumor progression and immunosuppression in glioblastoma. As therapies targeting TCEs or AHR become available, a better understanding of Trp metabolism is required. Methods: The combination of LC-MS/MS with chemical isobaric labeling enabled the simultaneous quantitative comparison of Trp and its amino group-bearing metabolites in multiple samples. We applied this method to the sera of a cohort of 43 recurrent glioblastoma patients and 43 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Tumor volumes were measured in MRI data using an artificial neural network-based approach. MALDI MSI visualized Trp and its direct metabolite N-formylkynurenine (FK) in glioblastoma tissue. Analysis of scRNA-seq data was used to detect the presence of Trp metabolism and AHR activity in different cell types in glioblastoma. Results: Compared to healthy controls, glioblastoma patients showed decreased serum Trp levels. Surprisingly, the levels of Trp metabolites were also reduced. The decrease became smaller with more enzymatic steps between Trp and its metabolites, suggesting that Trp availability controls the levels of its systemic metabolites. High tumor volume associated with low systemic metabolite levels and low systemic kynurenine levels associated with worse overall survival. MALDI MSI demonstrated heterogeneity of Trp catabolism across glioblastoma tissues. Analysis of scRNA-seq data revealed that genes involved in Trp metabolism were expressed in almost all the cell types in glioblastoma and that most cell types, in particular macrophages and T cells, exhibited AHR activation. Moreover, high AHR activity associated with reduced overall survival in the glioblastoma TCGA dataset. Conclusion: The novel techniques we developed could support the identification of patients that may benefit from therapies targeting TCEs or AHR activation.
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Larigot L, Benoit L, Koual M, Tomkiewicz C, Barouki R, Coumoul X. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Its Diverse Ligands and Functions: An Exposome Receptor. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 62:383-404. [PMID: 34499523 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-052220-115707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcriptional factor that regulates multiple functions following its activation by a variety of ligands, including xenobiotics, natural products, microbiome metabolites, and endogenous molecules. Because of this diversity, the AhR constitutes an exposome receptor. One of its main functions is to regulate several lines of defense against chemical insults and bacterial infections. Indeed, in addition to its well-established detoxication function, it has several functions at physiological barriers, and it plays a critical role in immunomodulation. The AhR is also involved in the development of several organs and their homeostatic maintenance. Its activity depends on the type of ligand and on the time frame of the receptor activation, which can be either sustained or transient, leading in some cases to opposite modes of regulations as illustrated in the regulation of different cancer pathways. The development of selective modulators and their pharmacological characterization are important areas of research. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Larigot
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France;
| | - Louise Benoit
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; .,Service de Chirurgie Cancérologique Gynécologique et du Sein, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Meriem Koual
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; .,Service de Chirurgie Cancérologique Gynécologique et du Sein, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Céline Tomkiewicz
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France;
| | - Robert Barouki
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; .,Service de Chirurgie Cancérologique Gynécologique et du Sein, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- INSERM UMR-S1124, T3S, Toxicologie Environnementale, Cibles thérapeutiques, Signalisation cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France;
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Liu Y, Chen Y, Sha R, Li Y, Xu T, Hu X, Xu L, Xie Q, Zhao B. A new insight into the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the migration of glioblastoma by AhR-IL24 axis regulation. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 154:106658. [PMID: 34082239 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cancer occurrence and development are closely related to the environment. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an important receptor mediating the toxic effects of many environmental compounds, and is also involved in regulating tumor cell migration. Glioblastoma is the most malignant glioma and exhibits high motility, but the effects of AhR on the migration of glioblastoma are still unclear. We aimed to understand the role of AhR in the migration of this type of tumor cell and to explore the underlying molecular mechanism. In cultured human neuroblastoma cells (U87), we found that AhR overexpression or knockdown increased or suppressed the migration ability of U87 cells, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition of basal activation of the AhR pathway suppressed migration ability, suggesting a positive correlation between endogenous activity of the AhR pathway and cell migration. When the AhR pathway was activated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or 6-formyl [3,2-b] carbazole (FICZ), the migration of U87 cells was inhibited by inducing the expression of a tumor suppressor, IL24, which is a downstream responsive gene of AhR activation. Moreover, a similar AhR-IL24-dependent mechanism for migration inhibition of TCDD was documented in a breast cancer cell line and a lung cancer cell line. This study demonstrated that AhR plays important roles in regulating the migration of glioblastoma, and the induction of the AhR-IL24 axis mediates the inhibition of migration in response to TCDD or FICZ treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangsheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Sha
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qunhui Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Madka V, Kumar G, Pathuri G, Panneerselvam J, Zhang Y, Ganta V, Lightfoot S, Lubet RA, Suen CS, Steele VE, Janakiram NB, Mohammed A, Rao CV. Proton pump inhibitor omeprazole suppresses carcinogen induced colonic adenoma progression to adenocarcinoma in F344 rat. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2021; 14:1009-1020. [PMID: 34341012 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-21-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes over 53,000 deaths annually in the United States. Its rising incidences worldwide and particularly in young adults is a major concern. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of omeprazole (OME) that is clinically approved for treating acid-reflux, to enable its repurposing for CRC prevention. In the azoxymethane (AOM)-induced rat CRC model, dietary OME (250 and 500 ppm) was administered at early adenoma stage (8 weeks after AOM) to assess the progression of early lesions to adenocarcinoma. Administration of OME at 250 ppm or 500 ppm doses led to suppression of total colon adenocarcinoma incidence by 15.7% and 32% (p<0.01), respectively. Importantly, invasive carcinoma incidence was reduced by 59% (p<0.0005) and 90% (p<0.0001) in OME administered rats in a dose-dependent manner. There was also a strong and dose-dependent inhibition in the adenocarcinoma multiplicity in rats exposed to OME. Administration of 250 and 500 ppm OME inhibited total colon adenocarcinoma multiplicity by ~49% and ~65% (p<0.0001), respectively. While non-invasive adenocarcinomas multiplicity was suppressed by ~34% to ~48% (p<0.02), the invasive carcinomas multiplicity was reduced by ~74% to ~94% (p<0.0001) in OME exposed rats in comparison to the untreated rats. Biomarker analysis results showed a decrease in cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic/pro-survival proteins with an increase in apoptosis. Transcriptome analysis of treated tumors revealed a significant increase in adenocarcinoma inhibitory genes (Olmf4; Spink4) expression and down regulation of progression promoting genes (SerpinA1, MMP21, IL6). In summary, OME showed significant protection against the progression of adenoma to adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkateshwar Madka
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Gopal Pathuri
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Janani Panneerselvam
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Vishal Ganta
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Stanley Lightfoot
- Pathology-Retired, Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development
| | - Ronald A Lubet
- Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
| | - Chen S Suen
- Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
| | | | | | - Altaf Mohammed
- Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
| | - Chinthalapally V Rao
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
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33
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Kamiya C, Odagiri K, Hakamata A, Sakurada R, Inui N, Watanabe H. Omeprazole suppresses endothelial calcium response and eNOS Ser1177 phosphorylation in porcine aortic endothelial cells. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:5503-5511. [PMID: 34291395 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06561-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although high doses of proton pump inhibitors can elicit an anticancer effect, this strategy may impair vascular biology. In particular, their effects on endothelial Ca2+ signaling and production of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) are unknown. To this end, we investigated the effects of high dosages of omeprazole on endothelial Ca2+ responses and EDRF production in primary cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells. METHODS AND RESULTS Omeprazole (10-1000 μM) suppressed both bradykinin (BK)- and thapsigargin-induced endothelial Ca2+ response in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, omeprazole slightly attenuated Ca2+ mobilization from the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas no inhibitory effects on endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase were observed. Omeprazole decreased BK-induced phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) at Ser1177 and tended to decrease BK-induced nitric oxide production. Production of prostaglandin I2 metabolites, especially 6-keto-prostaglandin 1α, also tended to be reduced by omeprazole. CONCLUSION Our results are the first to indicate that high doses of omeprazole may suppress both store-operated Ca2+ channels and partially the G protein-coupled receptor/phospholipase C/inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate pathway, and decreased BK-induced, Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation of eNOS(Ser1177). Thus, high dosages of omeprazole impaired EDRF production by attenuating intracellular Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiaki Kamiya
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Keiichi Odagiri
- Center for Clinical Research, Hamamatsu University Hospital, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan.
| | - Akio Hakamata
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Ryugo Sakurada
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Naoki Inui
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan
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34
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Hipólito A, Martins F, Mendes C, Lopes-Coelho F, Serpa J. Molecular and Metabolic Reprogramming: Pulling the Strings Toward Tumor Metastasis. Front Oncol 2021; 11:656851. [PMID: 34150624 PMCID: PMC8209414 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.656851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is a major hurdle to the efficient treatment of cancer, accounting for the great majority of cancer-related deaths. Although several studies have disclosed the detailed mechanisms underlying primary tumor formation, the emergence of metastatic disease remains poorly understood. This multistep process encompasses the dissemination of cancer cells to distant organs, followed by their adaptation to foreign microenvironments and establishment in secondary tumors. During the last decades, it was discovered that these events may be favored by particular metabolic patterns, which are dependent on reprogrammed signaling pathways in cancer cells while they acquire metastatic traits. In this review, we present current knowledge of molecular mechanisms that coordinate the crosstalk between metastatic signaling and cellular metabolism. The recent findings involving the contribution of crucial metabolic pathways involved in the bioenergetics and biosynthesis control in metastatic cells are summarized. Finally, we highlight new promising metabolism-based therapeutic strategies as a putative way of impairing metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Hipólito
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Filipa Martins
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cindy Mendes
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Filipa Lopes-Coelho
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jacinta Serpa
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Lisboa, Portugal
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35
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Liao M, Zhang J, Wang G, Wang L, Liu J, Ouyang L, Liu B. Small-Molecule Drug Discovery in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Current Situation and Future Directions. J Med Chem 2021; 64:2382-2418. [PMID: 33650861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, but an effective targeted therapy has not been well-established so far. Considering the lack of effective targets, where do we go next in the current TNBC drug development? A promising intervention for TNBC might lie in de novo small-molecule drugs that precisely target different molecular characteristics of TNBC. However, an ideal single-target drug discovery still faces a huge challenge. Alternatively, other new emerging strategies, such as dual-target drug, drug repurposing, and combination strategies, may provide new insight into the improvement of TNBC therapeutics. In this review, we focus on summarizing the current situation of a series of candidate small-molecule drugs in TNBC therapy, including single-target drugs, dual-target drugs, as well as drug repurposing and combination strategies that will together shed new light on the future directions targeting TNBC vulnerabilities with small-molecule drugs for future therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minru Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Leiming Wang
- The Institute of Chemical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Liang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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36
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Lu P, Yamaguchi Y, Fulton WB, Wang S, Zhou Q, Jia H, Kovler ML, Salazar AG, Sampah M, Prindle T, Wipf P, Sodhi CP, Hackam DJ. Maternal aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation protects newborns against necrotizing enterocolitis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1042. [PMID: 33589625 PMCID: PMC7884836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21356-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease of premature infants characterized by acute intestinal necrosis. Current dogma suggests that NEC develops in response to post-natal dietary and bacterial factors, and so a potential role for in utero factors in NEC remains unexplored. We now show that during pregnancy, administration of a diet rich in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligand indole-3-carbinole (I3C), or of breast milk, activates AHR and prevents NEC in newborn mice by reducing Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in the newborn gut. Protection from NEC requires activation of AHR in the intestinal epithelium which is reduced in mouse and human NEC, and is independent of leukocyte activation. Finally, we identify an AHR ligand ("A18") that limits TLR4 signaling in mouse and human intestine, and prevents NEC in mice when administered during pregnancy. In summary, AHR signaling is critical in NEC development, and maternally-delivered, AHR-based therapies may alleviate NEC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/agonists
- Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics
- Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/immunology
- Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/genetics
- Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/immunology
- Diet/methods
- Disease Models, Animal
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/genetics
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/immunology
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/pathology
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/prevention & control
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Humans
- Indoles/administration & dosage
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant, Premature
- Intestinal Mucosa/drug effects
- Intestinal Mucosa/immunology
- Intestinal Mucosa/pathology
- Ligands
- Maternal Exposure
- Mice
- Milk, Human/physiology
- Pregnancy
- Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/agonists
- Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/genetics
- Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/immunology
- Signal Transduction
- Swine
- Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics
- Toll-Like Receptor 4/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Lu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Yukihiro Yamaguchi
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William B Fulton
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sanxia Wang
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qinjie Zhou
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hongpeng Jia
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark L Kovler
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andres Gonzalez Salazar
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maame Sampah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Prindle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chhinder P Sodhi
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David J Hackam
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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A New Insight into the Potential Role of Tryptophan-Derived AhR Ligands in Skin Physiological and Pathological Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031104. [PMID: 33499346 PMCID: PMC7865493 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays a crucial role in environmental responses and xenobiotic metabolism, as it controls the transcription profiles of several genes in a ligand-specific and cell-type-specific manner. Various barrier tissues, including skin, display the expression of AhR. Recent studies revealed multiple roles of AhR in skin physiology and disease, including melanogenesis, inflammation and cancer. Tryptophan metabolites are distinguished among the groups of natural and synthetic AhR ligands, and these include kynurenine, kynurenic acid and 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ). Tryptophan derivatives can affect and regulate a variety of signaling pathways. Thus, the interest in how these substances influence physiological and pathological processes in the skin is expanding rapidly. The widespread presence of these substances and potential continuous exposure of the skin to their biological effects indicate the important role of AhR and its ligands in the prevention, pathogenesis and progression of skin diseases. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of AhR in skin physiology. Moreover, we discuss the role of AhR in skin pathological processes, including inflammatory skin diseases, pigmentation disorders and cancer. Finally, the impact of FICZ, kynurenic acid, and kynurenine on physiological and pathological processes in the skin is considered. However, the mechanisms of how AhR regulates skin function require further investigation.
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38
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Wang Z, Snyder M, Kenison JE, Yang K, Lara B, Lydell E, Bennani K, Novikov O, Federico A, Monti S, Sherr DH. How the AHR Became Important in Cancer: The Role of Chronically Active AHR in Cancer Aggression. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010387. [PMID: 33396563 PMCID: PMC7795223 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) was studied for its role in environmental chemical toxicity i.e., as a quirk of nature and a mediator of unintended consequences of human pollution. During that period, it was not certain that the AHR had a “normal” physiological function. However, the ongoing accumulation of data from an ever-expanding variety of studies on cancer, cancer immunity, autoimmunity, organ development, and other areas bears witness to a staggering array of AHR-controlled normal and pathological activities. The objective of this review is to discuss how the AHR has gone from a likely contributor to genotoxic environmental carcinogen-induced cancer to a master regulator of malignant cell progression and cancer aggression. Particular focus is placed on the association between AHR activity and poor cancer outcomes, feedback loops that control chronic AHR activity in cancer, and the role of chronically active AHR in driving cancer cell invasion, migration, cancer stem cell characteristics, and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyan Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Z.W.); (K.Y.); (E.L.)
| | - Megan Snyder
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Jessica E. Kenison
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Kangkang Yang
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Z.W.); (K.Y.); (E.L.)
| | - Brian Lara
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (B.L.); (K.B.)
| | - Emily Lydell
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Z.W.); (K.Y.); (E.L.)
| | - Kawtar Bennani
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (B.L.); (K.B.)
| | | | - Anthony Federico
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (A.F.); (S.M.)
| | - Stefano Monti
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (A.F.); (S.M.)
| | - David H. Sherr
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Z.W.); (K.Y.); (E.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-358-1707
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Mukha A, Dubrovska A. Metabolic Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2020; 10:537930. [PMID: 33415069 PMCID: PMC7783393 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.537930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most human tumors possess a high heterogeneity resulting from both clonal evolution and cell differentiation program. The process of cell differentiation is initiated from a population of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are enriched in tumor-regenerating and tumor-propagating activities and responsible for tumor maintenance and regrowth after treatment. Intrinsic resistance to conventional therapies, as well as a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, makes CSCs hard-to-target tumor cell population. Reprogramming of CSC metabolic pathways plays an essential role in tumor progression and metastatic spread. Many of these pathways confer cell adaptation to the microenvironmental stresses, including a shortage of nutrients and anti-cancer therapies. A better understanding of CSC metabolic dependences as well as metabolic communication between CSCs and the tumor microenvironment are of utmost importance for efficient cancer treatment. In this mini-review, we discuss the general characteristics of CSC metabolism and potential metabolic targeting of CSC populations as a potent strategy to enhance the efficacy of conventional treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mukha
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany.,Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Dubrovska
- OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany.,Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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40
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Nothdurft S, Thumser-Henner C, Breitenbücher F, Okimoto RA, Dorsch M, Opitz CA, Sadik A, Esser C, Hölzel M, Asthana S, Forster J, Beisser D, Kalmbach S, Grüner BM, Bivona TG, Schramm A, Schuler M. Functional screening identifies aryl hydrocarbon receptor as suppressor of lung cancer metastasis. Oncogenesis 2020; 9:102. [PMID: 33214553 PMCID: PMC7677369 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-020-00286-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer mortality largely results from metastasis. Despite curative surgery many patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer ultimately succumb to metastatic relapse. Current risk reduction strategies based on cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation have only modest activity. Against this background, we functionally screened for novel metastasis modulators using a barcoded shRNA library and an orthotopic lung cancer model. We identified aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a sensor of xenobiotic chemicals and transcription factor, as suppressor of lung cancer metastasis. Knockdown of endogenous AHR induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition signatures, increases invasiveness of lung cancer cells in vitro and metastasis formation in vivo. Low intratumoral AHR expression associates with inferior outcome of patients with resected lung adenocarcinomas. Mechanistically, AHR triggers ATF4 signaling and represses matrix metalloproteinase activity, both counteracting metastatic programs. These findings link the xenobiotic defense system with control of lung cancer progression. AHR-regulated pathways are promising targets for innovative anti-metastatic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Nothdurft
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Clotilde Thumser-Henner
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Frank Breitenbücher
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ross A Okimoto
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Madeleine Dorsch
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christiane A Opitz
- DKTK Brain Cancer Metabolism Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ahmed Sadik
- DKTK Brain Cancer Metabolism Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Bioscience, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Esser
- IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Hölzel
- Institute of Experimental Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Saurabh Asthana
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jan Forster
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Department of Biodiversity, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sophie Kalmbach
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Barbara M Grüner
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Trever G Bivona
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Schramm
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Martin Schuler
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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1'H-Indole-3'-Carbonyl-Thiazole-4-Carboxylic Acid Methyl Ester Blocked Human Glioma Cell Invasion via Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor's Regulation of Cytoskeletal Contraction. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:2616930. [PMID: 33083460 PMCID: PMC7556083 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2616930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Blocking glioma cell invasion has been challenging due to cancer cells that can swiftly switch their migration mode, and agents that can block more than one migration mode are sought after. We found that small molecule 2-(1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE), an endogenous aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist, can block more than one mode of glioma cell migration, based on cultured cell behavior captured by videos. Data from wound-healing assays and mouse xenograft glioma models corroborated ITE's migration-inhibiting effects while knocking down AHR by siRNA abolished these effects. To identify genes that mediated ITE-AHR's effect, we first collected gene expression changes upon ITE treatment by RNA-seq, then compared them against literature reported migration-related genes in glioma and that were potentially regulated by AHR. MYH9, a component of nonmuscle myosin IIA (NMIIA), was confirmed to be reduced by ITE treatment. When MYH9 was overexpressed in the glioma cells, a good correlation was observed between the expression level and the cell migration ability, determined by wound-healing assay. Correspondingly, overexpression of MYH9 abrogated ITE's migration-inhibiting effects, indicating that ITE-AHR inhibited cell migration via inhibiting MYH9 expression. MYH9 is essential for cell migration in 3D confined space and not a discovered target of AHR; the fact that ITE affects MYH9 via AHR opens a new research and development avenue.
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Huybrechts I, Zouiouich S, Loobuyck A, Vandenbulcke Z, Vogtmann E, Pisanu S, Iguacel I, Scalbert A, Indave I, Smelov V, Gunter MJ, Michels N. The Human Microbiome in Relation to Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Epidemiologic Studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020; 29:1856-1868. [PMID: 32727720 PMCID: PMC7541789 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-20-0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiome has been hypothesized to play a role in cancer development. Because of the diversity of published data, an overview of available epidemiologic evidence linking the microbiome with cancer is now needed. We conducted a systematic review using a tailored search strategy in Medline and EMBASE databases to identify and summarize the current epidemiologic literature on the relationship between the microbiome and different cancer outcomes published until December 2019. We identified 124 eligible articles. The large diversity of parameters used to describe microbial composition made it impossible to harmonize the different studies in a way that would allow meta-analysis, therefore only a qualitative description of results could be performed. Fifty studies reported differences in the gut microbiome between patients with colorectal cancer and various control groups. The most consistent findings were for Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, and Peptostreptococcus being significantly enriched in fecal and mucosal samples from patients with colorectal cancer. For the oral microbiome, significantly increased and decreased abundance was reported for Fusobacterium and Streptococcus, respectively, in patients with oral cancer compared with controls. Overall, although there was a large amount of evidence for some of these alterations, most require validation in high-quality, preferably prospective, epidemiologic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Semi Zouiouich
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Astrid Loobuyck
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Zeger Vandenbulcke
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emily Vogtmann
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Silvia Pisanu
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Virology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Isabel Iguacel
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
- GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Iciar Indave
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Vitaly Smelov
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
- Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-course, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marc J Gunter
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Nathalie Michels
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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43
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Wei Q, Qian Y, Yu J, Wong CC. Metabolic rewiring in the promotion of cancer metastasis: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Oncogene 2020; 39:6139-6156. [PMID: 32839493 PMCID: PMC7515827 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01432-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tumor metastasis is the major cause of mortality from cancer. Metabolic rewiring and the metastatic cascade are highly intertwined, co-operating to promote multiple steps of cancer metastasis. Metabolites generated by cancer cells influence the metastatic cascade, encompassing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), survival of cancer cells in circulation, and metastatic colonization at distant sites. A variety of molecular mechanisms underlie the prometastatic effect of tumor-derived metabolites, such as epigenetic deregulation, induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), promotion of cancer stemness, and alleviation of oxidative stress. Conversely, metastatic signaling regulates expression and activity of rate-limiting metabolic enzymes to generate prometastatic metabolites thereby reinforcing the metastasis cascade. Understanding the complex interplay between metabolism and metastasis could unravel novel molecular targets, whose intervention could lead to improvements in the treatment of cancer. In this review, we summarized the recent discoveries involving metabolism and tumor metastasis, and emphasized the promising molecular targets, with an update on the development of small molecule or biologic inhibitors against these aberrant situations in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyao Wei
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yun Qian
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Chun Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Jin UH, Michelhaugh SK, Polin LA, Shrestha R, Mittal S, Safe S. Omeprazole Inhibits Glioblastoma Cell Invasion and Tumor Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2097. [PMID: 32731514 PMCID: PMC7465678 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is expressed in gliomas and the highest staining is observed in glioblastomas. A recent study showed that the AhR exhibited tumor suppressor-like activity in established and patient-derived glioblastoma cells and genomic analysis showed that this was due, in part, to suppression of CXCL12, CXCR4 and MMP9. Methods: Selective AhR modulators (SAhRMs) including AhR-active pharmaceuticals were screened for their inhibition of invasion using a spheroid invasion assay in patient-derived AhR-expressing 15-037 glioblastoma cells and in AhR-silenced 15-037 cells. Invasion, migration and cell proliferation were determined using spheroid invasion, Boyden chambers and scratch assay, and XTT metabolic assays for cell growth. Changes in gene and gene product expression were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot assays, respectively. In vivo antitumorigenic activity of omeprazole was determined in SCID mice bearing subcutaneous patient-derived 15-037 cells. Results: Results of a screening assay using patient-derived 15-037 cells (wild-type and AhR knockout) identified the AhR-active proton pump inhibitor omeprazole as an inhibitor of glioblastoma cell invasion and migration only AhR-expressing cells but not in cells where the AhR was downregulated. Omeprazole also enhanced AhR-dependent repression of the pro-invasion CXCL12, CXCR4 and MMP9 genes, and interactions and effectiveness of omeprazole plus temozolomide were response-dependent. Omeprazole (100 mg/kg/injection) inhibited and delayed tumors in SCID mice bearing patient-derived 15-037 cells injected subcutaneously. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that omeprazole enhances AhR-dependent inhibition of glioblastoma invasion and highlights a potential new avenue for development of a novel therapeutic mechanism-based approach for treating glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Un-Ho Jin
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Sharon K. Michelhaugh
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24014, USA; (S.K.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Lisa A. Polin
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Rupesh Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Sandeep Mittal
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24014, USA; (S.K.M.); (S.M.)
- Carilion Clinic-Neurosurgery, Roanoke, VA 24014, USA
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
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Che X, Dai W. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor: Its Regulation and Roles in Transformation and Tumorigenesis. Curr Drug Targets 2020; 20:625-634. [PMID: 30411679 DOI: 10.2174/1389450120666181109092225] [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: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AhR is an environmental response gene that mediates cellular responses to a variety of xenobiotic compounds that frequently function as AhR ligands. Many AhR ligands are classified as carcinogens or pro-carcinogens. Thus, AhR itself acts as a major mediator of the carcinogenic effect of many xenobiotics in vivo. In this concise review, mechanisms by which AhR trans-activates downstream target gene expression, modulates immune responses, and mediates malignant transformation and tumor development are discussed. Moreover, activation of AhR by post-translational modifications and crosstalk with other transcription factors or signaling pathways are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Che
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10010, United States
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10010, United States
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46
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Costa B, Amorim I, Gärtner F, Vale N. Understanding Breast cancer: from conventional therapies to repurposed drugs. Eur J Pharm Sci 2020; 151:105401. [PMID: 32504806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is considered a developed country disease. Moreover, is a heterogenous disease, existing different types and stages of breast cancer development, therefore, better understanding of cancer biology, helps to improve the development of therapies. The conventional treatments accessible after diagnosis, have the main goal of controlling the disease, by improving survival. In more advance stages the aim is to prolong life and symptom palliation care. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the main options available, which must be adapted to each person individually. However, patients are developing resistance to the conventional therapies. This resistance is due to alterations in important regulatory pathways such as PI3K/AKt/mTOR, this pathway contributes to trastuzumab resistance, a reference drug to treat breast cancer. Therefore, is proposed the repurposing of drugs, instead of developing drugs de novo, for example, to seek new medical treatments within the drugs available, to be used in breast cancer treatment. Providing safe and tolerable treatments to patients, and new insights to efficacy and efficiency of breast cancer treatments. The economic and social burden of cancer is enormous so it must be taken measures to relieve this burden and to ensure continued access to therapies to all patients. In this review we focus on how conventional therapies against breast cancer are leading to resistance, by reviewing those mechanisms and discussing the efficacy of repurposed drugs to fight breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Irina Amorim
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo 228, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Gärtner
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo 228, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo 228, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
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47
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Proton pump inhibitors enhance chemosensitivity, promote apoptosis, and suppress migration of breast cancer cells. ACTA PHARMACEUTICA (ZAGREB, CROATIA) 2020; 70:179-190. [PMID: 31955147 DOI: 10.2478/acph-2020-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Despite the availability of numerous therapeutics for breast cancer management, cytotoxicity and emergence of drug resistance are major challenges that limit their benefits. The acidic microenvironment surrounding tumor cells is a common feature inducing cancer cell invasiveness and chemoresistance. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment of acid-related conditions. PPIs have been reported to exhibit antitumorigenic effects in many cancer types. In this study, the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects of PPIs in three breast cancer cell lines; MCF-7, T47D, and MDA-MB-231 cells, have been investigated. In addition, the combined effects of PPIs with anticancer drugs, as well as the mechanism of PPI-mediated anti-proliferative activity were evaluated. The anti-proliferative and combined effects of PPIs were evaluated by MTT assay. Cell migration was assessed using the wound-healing assay. The mechanism of cell death was assessed using annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining flow cytometry method. Our results indicated that PPIs treatment significantly inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The antiproliferative activity of PPIs was significantly induced by apoptosis in all tested cell lines. The combined treatment of PPIs with doxorubicin resulted in a synergistic effect in all cell lines, whereas the combined treatment with raloxifene exhibited synergistic effect in T47D cells only and additive effects in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. In addition, PPIs treatment significantly reduced cell migration in MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, the addition of PPIs to the treatment regimen of breast cancer appears to be a promising strategy to potentiate the efficacy of chemotherapy and may suppress cancer metastasis.
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Ong TT, Ang Z, Verma R, Koean R, Tam JKC, Ding JL. pHLuc, a Ratiometric Luminescent Reporter for in vivo Monitoring of Tumor Acidosis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:412. [PMID: 32457886 PMCID: PMC7225611 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Even under normoxia, cancer cells exhibit increased glucose uptake and glycolysis, an occurrence known as the Warburg effect. This altered metabolism results in increased lactic acid production, leading to extracellular acidosis and contributing to metastasis and chemoresistance. Current pH imaging methods are invasive, costly, or require long acquisition times, and may not be suitable for high-throughput pre-clinical small animal studies. Here, we present a ratiometric pH-sensitive bioluminescence reporter called pHLuc for in vivo monitoring of tumor acidosis. pHLuc consists of a pH-sensitive GFP (superecliptic pHluorin or SEP), a pH-stable OFP (Antares), and Nanoluc luciferase. The resulting reporter produces a pH-responsive green 510nm emission (from SEP) and a pH-insensitive red-orange 580nm emission (from Antares). The ratiometric readout (R580 / 510) is indicative of changes in extracellular pH (pHe). In vivo proof-of-concept experiments with NSG mice model bearing human synovial sarcoma SW982 xenografts that stably express the pHLuc reporter suggest that the level of acidosis varies across the tumor. Altogether, we demonstrate the diagnostic value of pHLuc as a bioluminescent reporter for pH variations across the tumor microenvironment. The pHLuc reporter plasmids constructed in this work are available from Addgene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany T Ong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiwei Ang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Riva Verma
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ricky Koean
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John Kit Chung Tam
- Division of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeak Ling Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Abdulla A, Wang B, Qian F, Kee T, Blasiak A, Ong YH, Hooi L, Parekh F, Soriano R, Olinger GG, Keppo J, Hardesty CL, Chow EK, Ho D, Ding X. Project IDentif.AI: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Rapidly Optimize Combination Therapy Development for Infectious Disease Intervention. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2020; 3:2000034. [PMID: 32838027 PMCID: PMC7235487 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 2019/2020, the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) resulted in rapid increases in infection rates as well as patient mortality. Treatment options addressing COVID‐19 included drug repurposing, investigational therapies such as remdesivir, and vaccine development. Combination therapy based on drug repurposing is among the most widely pursued of these efforts. Multi‐drug regimens are traditionally designed by selecting drugs based on their mechanism of action. This is followed by dose‐finding to achieve drug synergy. This approach is widely‐used for drug development and repurposing. Realizing synergistic combinations, however, is a substantially different outcome compared to globally optimizing combination therapy, which realizes the best possible treatment outcome by a set of candidate therapies and doses toward a disease indication. To address this challenge, the results of Project IDentif.AI (Identifying Infectious Disease Combination Therapy with Artificial Intelligence) are reported. An AI‐based platform is used to interrogate a massive 12 drug/dose parameter space, rapidly identifying actionable combination therapies that optimally inhibit A549 lung cell infection by vesicular stomatitis virus within three days of project start. Importantly, a sevenfold difference in efficacy is observed between the top‐ranked combination being optimally and sub‐optimally dosed, demonstrating the critical importance of ideal drug and dose identification. This platform is disease indication and disease mechanism‐agnostic, and potentially applicable to the systematic N‐of‐1 and population‐wide design of highly efficacious and tolerable clinical regimens. This work also discusses key factors ranging from healthcare economics to global health policy that may serve to drive the broader deployment of this platform to address COVID‐19 and future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aynur Abdulla
- Institute for Personalized Medicine School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200030 China
| | - Boqian Wang
- Institute for Personalized Medicine School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200030 China
| | - Feng Qian
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology Human Phenome Institute School of Life Sciences Fudan University Shanghai 200438 China
| | - Theodore Kee
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) National University of Singapore Singapore 117456 Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore Singapore 11756 Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering NUS Engineering National University of Singapore Singapore 117583 Singapore
| | - Agata Blasiak
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) National University of Singapore Singapore 117456 Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore Singapore 11756 Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering NUS Engineering National University of Singapore Singapore 117583 Singapore
| | - Yoong Hun Ong
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) National University of Singapore Singapore 117456 Singapore
| | - Lissa Hooi
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore National University of Singapore Singapore 117599 Singapore
| | | | | | - Gene G Olinger
- Global Health Surveillance and Diagnostic Division MRIGlobal Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA.,Boston University School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases Boston MA 02118 USA
| | - Jussi Keppo
- NUS Business School and Institute of Operations Research and Analytics National University of Singapore Singapore 119245 Singapore
| | - Chris L Hardesty
- KPMG Global Health and Life Sciences Centre of Excellence Singapore 048581 Singapore
| | - Edward K Chow
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) National University of Singapore Singapore 117456 Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore National University of Singapore Singapore 117599 Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore Singapore 117600 Singapore
| | - Dean Ho
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) National University of Singapore Singapore 117456 Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore Singapore 11756 Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering NUS Engineering National University of Singapore Singapore 117583 Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore Singapore 117600 Singapore
| | - Xianting Ding
- Institute for Personalized Medicine School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200030 China
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50
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Ward C, Meehan J, Gray ME, Murray AF, Argyle DJ, Kunkler IH, Langdon SP. The impact of tumour pH on cancer progression: strategies for clinical intervention. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2020; 1:71-100. [PMID: 36046070 PMCID: PMC9400736 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of cellular pH is frequent in solid tumours and provides potential opportunities for therapeutic intervention. The acidic microenvironment within a tumour can promote migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells through a variety of mechanisms. Pathways associated with the control of intracellular pH that are under consideration for intervention include carbonic anhydrase IX, the monocarboxylate transporters (MCT, MCT1 and MCT4), the vacuolar-type H+-ATPase proton pump, and the sodium-hydrogen exchanger 1. This review will describe progress in the development of inhibitors to these targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Ward
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre and Edinburgh Pathology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Meehan
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre and Edinburgh Pathology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Gray
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG Midlothian, UK
| | - Alan F Murray
- School of Engineering, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, EH9 3JL Edinburgh, UK
| | - David J Argyle
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG Midlothian, UK
| | - Ian H Kunkler
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre and Edinburgh Pathology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon P Langdon
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre and Edinburgh Pathology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
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