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Bahar ME, Kim HJ, Kim DR. Targeting the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway for cancer therapy: from mechanism to clinical studies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:455. [PMID: 38105263 PMCID: PMC10725898 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01705-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination of solid tumors, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, underscores the urgent need for enhanced insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying metastasis, chemoresistance, and the mechanistic backgrounds of individuals whose cancers are prone to migration. The most prevalent signaling cascade governed by multi-kinase inhibitors is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, encompassing the RAS-RAF-MAPK kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway. RAF kinase is a primary mediator of the MAPK pathway, responsible for the sequential activation of downstream targets, such as MEK and the transcription factor ERK, which control numerous cellular and physiological processes, including organism development, cell cycle control, cell proliferation and differentiation, cell survival, and death. Defects in this signaling cascade are associated with diseases such as cancer. RAF inhibitors (RAFi) combined with MEK blockers represent an FDA-approved therapeutic strategy for numerous RAF-mutant cancers, including melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and thyroid cancer. However, the development of therapy resistance by cancer cells remains an important barrier. Autophagy, an intracellular lysosome-dependent catabolic recycling process, plays a critical role in the development of RAFi resistance in cancer. Thus, targeting RAF and autophagy could be novel treatment strategies for RAF-mutant cancers. In this review, we delve deeper into the mechanistic insights surrounding RAF kinase signaling in tumorigenesis and RAFi-resistance. Furthermore, we explore and discuss the ongoing development of next-generation RAF inhibitors with enhanced therapeutic profiles. Additionally, this review sheds light on the functional interplay between RAF-targeted therapies and autophagy in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Entaz Bahar
- Department of Biochemistry and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Hyun Joon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Deok Ryong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea.
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2
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Castellani G, Buccarelli M, Arasi MB, Rossi S, Pisanu ME, Bellenghi M, Lintas C, Tabolacci C. BRAF Mutations in Melanoma: Biological Aspects, Therapeutic Implications, and Circulating Biomarkers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4026. [PMID: 37627054 PMCID: PMC10452867 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer resulting from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. Recent therapeutic approaches, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have improved the prognosis and outcome of melanoma patients. BRAF is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes recognised in melanoma. The most frequent oncogenic BRAF mutations consist of a single point mutation at codon 600 (mostly V600E) that leads to constitutive activation of the BRAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) signalling pathway. Therefore, mutated BRAF has become a useful target for molecular therapy and the use of BRAF kinase inhibitors has shown promising results. However, several resistance mechanisms invariably develop leading to therapeutic failure. The aim of this manuscript is to review the role of BRAF mutational status in the pathogenesis of melanoma and its impact on differentiation and inflammation. Moreover, this review focuses on the mechanisms responsible for resistance to targeted therapies in BRAF-mutated melanoma and provides an overview of circulating biomarkers including circulating tumour cells, circulating tumour DNA, and non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Castellani
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Mariachiara Buccarelli
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Maria Beatrice Arasi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Stefania Rossi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Maria Elena Pisanu
- High Resolution NMR Unit, Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Bellenghi
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carla Lintas
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy;
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tabolacci
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
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3
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Singh A, Sonawane P, Kumar A, Singh H, Naumovich V, Pathak P, Grishina M, Khalilullah H, Jaremko M, Emwas AH, Verma A, Kumar P. Challenges and Opportunities in the Crusade of BRAF Inhibitors: From 2002 to 2022. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:27819-27844. [PMID: 37576670 PMCID: PMC10413849 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf (BRAF; RAF = rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma) plays an important role in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade. Somatic mutations in the BRAF gene were first discovered in 2002 by Davies et al., which was a major breakthrough in cancer research. Subsequently, three different classes of BRAF mutants have been discovered. This class includes class I monomeric mutants (BRAFV600), class II BRAF homodimer mutants (non-V600), and class III BRAF heterodimers (non-V600). Cancers caused by these include melanoma, thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, nonsmall cell lung cancer, and others. In this study, we have highlighted the major binding pockets in BRAF protein, their active and inactive conformations with inhibitors, and BRAF dimerization and its importance in paradoxical activation and BRAF mutation. We have discussed the first-, second-, and third-generation drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration and drugs under clinical trials with all four different binding approaches with DFG-IN/OUT and αC-IN/OUT for BRAF protein. We have investigated particular aspects and difficulties with all three generations of inhibitors. Finally, this study has also covered recent developments in synthetic BRAF inhibitors (from their discovery in 2002 to 2022), their unique properties, and importance in inhibiting BRAF mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit
Kumar Singh
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Pankaj Sonawane
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Harshwardhan Singh
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Vladislav Naumovich
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Habibullah Khalilullah
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Unaizah College of
Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unayzah 51911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Smart-Health
Initiative and Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and
Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core
Laboratories, King Abdullah University of
Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi
Arabia
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic
and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of
Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj 211007, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
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4
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Vlašić I, Horvat A, Tadijan A, Slade N. p53 Family in Resistance to Targeted Therapy of Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010065. [PMID: 36613518 PMCID: PMC9820688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors, with frequent mutations affecting components of the MAPK pathway, mainly protein kinase BRAF. Despite promising initial response to BRAF inhibitors, melanoma progresses due to development of resistance. In addition to frequent reactivation of MAPK or activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, recently, the p53 pathway has been shown to contribute to acquired resistance to targeted MAPK inhibitor therapy. Canonical tumor suppressor p53 is inactivated in melanoma by diverse mechanisms. The TP53 gene and two other family members, TP63 and TP73, encode numerous protein isoforms that exhibit diverse functions during tumorigenesis. The p53 family isoforms can be produced by usage of alternative promoters and/or splicing on the C- and N-terminus. Various p53 family isoforms are expressed in melanoma cell lines and tumor samples, and several of them have already shown to have specific functions in melanoma, affecting proliferation, survival, metastatic potential, invasion, migration, and response to therapy. Of special interest are p53 family isoforms with increased expression and direct involvement in acquired resistance to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma cells, implying that modulating their expression or targeting their functional pathways could be a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome resistance to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma.
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5
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Antúnez-Lay A, Podlipnik S, Carrera C, Potrony M, Tell-Martí G, Badenas C, Puig-Butille JA, Espinosa N, Puig S, Malvehy J. Synchronous primary cutaneous melanomas: a descriptive study of their clinical features, histology, genetic background of the patients and clinical outcomes. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022; 36:2364-2372. [PMID: 35882522 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.18467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Around 0.5% cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients will present with synchronous melanomas when first seen. Moreover, 26%-40% of patients with multiple primary melanomas present with synchronous lesions. OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence, clinical and histopathological characteristics, germline mutations and outcome in patients with synchronous melanoma. METHODS Clinical and histopathological data from 4703 melanoma patients were included. Clinical, histological and genetic mutational status information was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to investigate survival outcomes. RESULTS A total of 144 patients (3.06%) presented simultaneously with 2 or more primary melanomas. During follow-up, 25.7% of patients with synchronous melanoma developed a new primary melanoma compared to 8.6% of patients diagnosed with single melanoma (p < 0.001). Germinal CDKN2A mutations were identified in 10.7% of patients with synchronous melanomas and genetic variants in MC1R in 72%. No significant differences in all survival outcomes between patients with synchronous melanomas and single melanomas were found. CONCLUSION Synchronous melanomas are more frequent than previously reported and are more frequent in older patients compared to single melanomas. Moreover, these patients have a higher risk of developing a new primary melanoma during follow-up and have higher rates of germline susceptibility variants. Nevertheless, these findings were not associated with worse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Antúnez-Lay
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain
| | - S Podlipnik
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain
| | - C Carrera
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Potrony
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - G Tell-Martí
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Badenas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - J A Puig-Butille
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Molecular Biology CORE. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain
| | - N Espinosa
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain
| | - S Puig
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Malvehy
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona University, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Progressing Vulvar Melanoma Caused by Instability in cKIT Juxtamembrane Domain: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Curr Oncol 2022; 29:3130-3137. [PMID: 35621644 PMCID: PMC9139488 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29050254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to identify the molecular pathways governing melanoma and track its progression, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach and targeted sequencing of cancer genes were employed. The primary tumor, as well as metastatic tissue, of an 84-year-old patient diagnosed with vulvar melanoma (VM), were investigated. The primary tumor specimen showed multiple somatic mutations in TP53 gene, suggesting its major contribution to melanoma origin. The metastatic sample showed additional alterations, including other melanoma-related genes. Clinical relevancy is postulated to juxtamembrane region instability of KIT gene (c-KIT). We did not identify BRAF or NRAS alterations, which are typical for the most common melanoma pathway–MAPK cascade. However, it should be noted that this is the first report evidencing PDGFRA in melanoma, although its role in triggering VM needs to be further elucidated.
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7
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Catalani E, Giovarelli M, Zecchini S, Perrotta C, Cervia D. Oxidative Stress and Autophagy as Key Targets in Melanoma Cell Fate. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225791. [PMID: 34830947 PMCID: PMC8616245 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma originates from the malignant transformation of melanocytes and is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The recent approval of several drugs has increased the chance of survival although a significant subset of patients with metastatic melanoma do not show a long-lasting response to these treatments. The complex cross-talk between oxidative stress and the catabolic process autophagy seems to play a central role in all aspects of melanoma pathophysiology, from initiation to progression and metastasis, including drug resistance. However, determining the fine role of autophagy in cancer death and in response to redox disruption is still a fundamental challenge in order to advance both basic and translational aspects of this field. In order to summarize the interactions among reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, autophagy machinery and proliferation/growth/death/apoptosis/survival, we provide here a narrative review of the preclinical evidence for drugs/treatments that modulate oxidative stress and autophagy in melanoma cells. The significance and the potential for pharmacological targeting (also through multiple and combination approaches) of these two different events, which can contribute independently or simultaneously to the fate of melanoma, may help to define new processes and their interconnections underlying skin cancer biology and unravel new reliable approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Catalani
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy;
| | - Matteo Giovarelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco” (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy; (M.G.); (S.Z.)
| | - Silvia Zecchini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco” (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy; (M.G.); (S.Z.)
| | - Cristiana Perrotta
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco” (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy; (M.G.); (S.Z.)
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (D.C.)
| | - Davide Cervia
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy;
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (D.C.)
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8
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Tadijan A, Precazzini F, Hanžić N, Radić M, Gavioli N, Vlašić I, Ozretić P, Pinto L, Škreblin L, Barban G, Slade N, Ciribilli Y. Altered Expression of Shorter p53 Family Isoforms Can Impact Melanoma Aggressiveness. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205231. [PMID: 34680379 PMCID: PMC8533715 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Despite the significant advances in the management of melanoma in recent decades, it still represents a challenge for clinicians. The TP53 gene, the guardian of the genome, which is altered in more than 50% of human cancers, is rarely mutated in melanoma. More recently, researchers started to appreciate the importance of shorter p53 isoforms as potential modifiers of the p53-dependent responses. We analyzed the expression of p53 and p73 isoforms both at the RNA and protein level in a panel of melanoma-derived cell lines with different TP53 and BRAF status, in normal conditions or upon treatment with common anti-cancer DNA damaging agents or targeted therapy. Using lentiviral vectors, we also generated stable clones of H1299 p53 null cells over-expressing the less characterized isoforms Δ160p53α, Δ160p53β, and Δ160p53γ. Further, we obtained two melanoma-derived cell lines resistant to BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib. We observed that melanoma cell lines expressed a wide array of p53 and p73 isoforms, with Δ160p53α as the most variable one. We demonstrated for the first time that Δ160p53α, and to a lesser extent Δ160p53β, can be recruited on chromatin, and that Δ160p53γ can localize in perinuclear foci; moreover, all Δ160p53 isoforms can stimulate proliferation and in vitro migration. Lastly, vemurafenib-resistant melanoma cells showed an altered expression of p53 and p73 isoforms, namely an increased expression of potentially pro-oncogenic Δ40p53β and a decrease in tumor-suppressive TAp73β. We therefore propose that p53 family isoforms can play a role in melanoma cells' aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Tadijan
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Francesca Precazzini
- Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy; (F.P.); (N.G.); (L.P.); (G.B.)
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy
| | - Nikolina Hanžić
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Martina Radić
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Nicolò Gavioli
- Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy; (F.P.); (N.G.); (L.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Ignacija Vlašić
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Petar Ozretić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Lia Pinto
- Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy; (F.P.); (N.G.); (L.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Lidija Škreblin
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Giulia Barban
- Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy; (F.P.); (N.G.); (L.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Neda Slade
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.T.); (N.H.); (M.R.); (I.V.); (L.Š.)
- Correspondence: (N.S.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yari Ciribilli
- Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Povo, TN, Italy; (F.P.); (N.G.); (L.P.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence: (N.S.); (Y.C.)
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9
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Salimi A, Ghasempour M, Farzaneh S, Khodaparast F, Naserzadeh P, Zarghi A, Pourahmad J. Evaluation of Cytotoxic Potentials of Novel Synthesized Chalconeferrocenyl Derivative against Melanoma and Normal Fibroblast and Its Anticancer Effect through Mitochondrial Pathway. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2021; 20:241-253. [PMID: 34567159 PMCID: PMC8457721 DOI: 10.22037/ijpr.2020.113949.14578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of melanoma is still challenging and therefore identification of novel agents is needed for its better management. Our previous study suggested that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) would be a novel target for treatment of several cancers. In the present study, we searched selective cytotoxicity and mitochondria mediated apoptosis of novel synthesized chalconeferrocenyl derivative (1-Ferrocenyl-3-(dimethylamino)-3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl) propan-1-one) (FDMPO) as a COX-2 inhibitor on normal and melanoma cells and their mitochondria. For this purpose, we evaluated the cellar parameters such as cytotoxicity, apoptosis% versus necrosis%, activation of caspase-3 and ATP content, and also mitochondrial parameters such as reactive oxygen species formation, mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial membrane potential decline, mitochondrial membrane integrity, and cytochrome C release. Our results showed FDMPO could selectively induce cellular and mitochondrial toxicity (up to 50 µM) on melanoma cells and mitochondria without any toxic effects on normal fibroblast and their mitochondria. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that mitochondria are a potential target for the melanoma. Selective inhibition of mitochondrial COX-2 could be an attractive therapeutic option for the effective clinical management of therapy-resistant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Salimi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.,Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mozhgan Ghasempour
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Farzaneh
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Khodaparast
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Parvaneh Naserzadeh
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afshin Zarghi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalal Pourahmad
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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10
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Zhao S, Chen Z, Han S, Wu H. Effects of the p16/cyclin D1/CDK4/Rb/E2F1 pathway on aberrant lung fibroblast proliferation in neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1057. [PMID: 34434271 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
p16INK4a (p16) inhibits the vital G1 to S phase transition during cell cycle progression through the p16/cyclin D1/CDK4/retinoblastoma(Rb)/E2F1 pathway. Hyperoxia can suppress the G1/S checkpoint and induce more lung fibroblasts (LFs) to transition from the G1 phase to the S phase and undergo cell proliferation. The present study investigated the rate of p16 gene promoter methylation and the protein expression levels of p16, cyclin D1, CDK4, Rb and E2F1 in LFs from the lungs of rats exposed to hyperoxia and normoxia on postnatal days 3, 7 and 14. In the hyperoxia-exposed group, the methylation rate was 50 and 80% on days 7 and 14, respectively. Cyclin D1 and CDK4 overexpression was associated with p16 loss and Rb inactivation by phosphorylation. Rb phosphorylation induced E2F1 release in the G1 phase, which promoted cell proliferation. No methylation was observed in the normoxia-exposed group. These observations suggested that p16 loss may stimulate aberrant LF proliferation via the p16/cyclin D1/CDK4/Rb/E2F1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimeng Zhao
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Zhiguang Chen
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Shuang Han
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Hongmin Wu
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
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11
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Xiao M, Tang N, Yan Y, Li Z, Shi S, He S, Chen Z, Cao K, Chen J, Zhou J, Chen X. Knockdown of enhancer of rudimentary homolog expression attenuates proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of melanoma cells. Melanoma Res 2021; 31:309-318. [PMID: 34193803 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Early stage or localized melanoma can be surgically resected with satisfactory outcome, whereas advanced malignant melanoma responds to treatment poorly and has a negative prognosis even after surgery, radiotherapy and other comprehensive treatments. Gene therapy targeting various biological signaling pathways has become an increasingly popular area in melanoma research. However, for gene therapy success, it is important to reveal the molecular mechanisms of melanoma tumorigenesis and development. The present study examined the effects of downregulating enhancer of rudimentary homolog (ERH) expression on the proliferation, metastasis and cell cycle of melanoma cells. ERH expression levels in melanoma tissues and cells were determined. Then, ERH gene expression in melanoma cell lines was downregulated or overexpressed by the lentiviral RNA interference technique. Furthermore, we performed cell counting kit-8, clone formation, scratch, transwell migration, subcutaneous tumorigenesis and venous metastasis assays as well as carried out flow cytometry analysis to explore the effects of ERH expression on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis and metastasis. We found that ERH expression in melanoma tissues and cells was markedly higher than in normal melanin nevus. Suppressing ERH expression by RNA interference in melanoma A375, WM35 and SK28 cell lines inhibited their proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. The cell cycle was also found to be blocked in the G1 phase. However, the metastatic properties of melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo remained largely unaltered by ERH knockdown. Our results show that ERH expression is increased in melanoma. Meanwhile, the proliferation and cell cycle transformation abilities are impaired potentially by downregulating the ERH expression in melanoma cells. Therefore, targeting ERH might serve as a novel therapeutic approach for malignant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muzhang Xiao
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha
- Xiangya Changde Hospital, Changde
| | - Ningning Tang
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha
- Xiangya Changde Hospital, Changde
| | - Yu Yan
- Department of Plastic surgery
| | | | | | - Siqi He
- Department of Plastic surgery
| | | | - Ke Cao
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha
| | | | | | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. Changsha, Hunan, China
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12
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Scatena C, Murtas D, Tomei S. Cutaneous Melanoma Classification: The Importance of High-Throughput Genomic Technologies. Front Oncol 2021; 11:635488. [PMID: 34123788 PMCID: PMC8193952 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.635488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive tumor responsible for 90% of mortality related to skin cancer. In the recent years, the discovery of driving mutations in melanoma has led to better treatment approaches. The last decade has seen a genomic revolution in the field of cancer. Such genomic revolution has led to the production of an unprecedented mole of data. High-throughput genomic technologies have facilitated the genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of several cancers, including melanoma. Nevertheless, there are a number of newer genomic technologies that have not yet been employed in large studies. In this article we describe the current classification of cutaneous melanoma, we review the current knowledge of the main genetic alterations of cutaneous melanoma and their related impact on targeted therapies, and we describe the most recent high-throughput genomic technologies, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. We hope that the current review will also help scientists to identify the most suitable technology to address melanoma-related relevant questions. The translation of this knowledge and all actual advancements into the clinical practice will be helpful in better defining the different molecular subsets of melanoma patients and provide new tools to address relevant questions on disease management. Genomic technologies might indeed allow to better predict the biological - and, subsequently, clinical - behavior for each subset of melanoma patients as well as to even identify all molecular changes in tumor cell populations during disease evolution toward a real achievement of a personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Scatena
- Division of Pathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela Murtas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sara Tomei
- Omics Core, Integrated Genomics Services, Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
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13
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Wu X, Zhao J. Novel oxidative stress-related prognostic biomarkers for melanoma associated with tumor metastasis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e24866. [PMID: 33663112 PMCID: PMC7909214 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000024866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a prevalent skin cancer whose metastatic form is dangerous due to its high morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have systematically established the vital role of oxidative stress (OS) in melanoma progression. This study aimed to identify prognostic OS genes closely associated with SKCM and illustrate their potential mechanisms. Transcriptome data and corresponding clinical traits of patients with SKCM were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted to identify relationships between clinical features and OS genes in specific modules. Subsequently, Cox regression analysis was performed on candidate OS genes; four hub prognosis-associated OS genes (AKAP9, VPS13C, ACSL4, and HMOX2) were identified to construct a prognostic model. After a series of bioinformatics analysis, our prognostic model was identified significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with SKCM and metastatic ability of the cancer. Furthermore, our risk model demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy in the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts. In addition, we established 2 nomograms based on either risk score or hub genes, which displayed favorable discriminating ability for SKCM. Our results provide novel insight into the potential applications of OS-associated genes in SKCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianpei Wu
- Department of Orthopedics Trauma and Hand Surgery
| | - Jinmin Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics Trauma and Hand Surgery
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P.R. China
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14
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Transcript levels of keratin 1/5/6/14/15/16/17 as potential prognostic indicators in melanoma patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1023. [PMID: 33441834 PMCID: PMC7806772 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80336-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Keratins (KRTs), the intermediate filament-forming proteins of epithelial cells, are extensively used as diagnostic biomarkers in cancers and associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis in multiple cancers. However, the diverse expression patterns and prognostic values of KRTs in melanoma have yet to be elucidated. In the current study, we examined the transcriptional and clinical data of KRTs in patients with melanoma from GEO, TCGA, ONCOMINE, GEPIA, cBioPortal, TIMER and TISIDB databases. We found that the mRNA levels of KRT1/2/5/6/8/10/14/15/16/17 were significantly differential expressed between primary melanoma and metastatic melanoma. The expression levels of KRT1/2/5/6/10/14/15/16/17 were correlated with advanced tumor stage. Survival analysis revealed that the high transcription levels of KRT1/5/6/14/15/16/17 were associated with low overall survival in melanoma patients. GSEA analysis indicated that the most involved hallmarks pathways were P53 pathway, KRAS signaling, estrogen response early and estrogen response late. Furthermore, we found some correlations among the expression of KRTs and the infiltration of immune cells. Our study may provide novel insights for the selection of prognostic biomarkers for melanoma.
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15
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Wang D, Li Q, Wang Y, Jiang Y. (S)-(-)-N-[2-(3-Hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-acetamide inhibits melanoma cell growth through inducing apoptosis and autophagy. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 2020; 40:293-299. [PMID: 33287574 DOI: 10.1080/15569527.2020.1861002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer with the incidence drastically increasing over the past several decades. (S)-(-)-N-[2-(3-Hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-acetamide (SA) was a new compound isolated from the leaves of Selaginella pulvinata, with potent activities to inhibit the proliferation of SK-mel-110 cells. This study was to further investigate effects of SA against melanoma and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS B16 cells were treated with different concentrations of SA. Tumour model was established by injecting B16 cells into C57 mice subcutaneously. MTT and LDH assays were used to detect effects of SA on cell viability. ELISA assay, Annexin V/PI staining and TUNEL assay were used to detect apoptosis. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of genes and proteins, respectively. RESULTS SA significantly inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells and induced the apoptosis as well as autophagy, which may be associated with PI3K/Akt and MAPK signal pathways. Moreover, SA treatment significantly slowed melanoma tumour growth, evidenced by decreased tumour volume and tumour weight. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggested that SA could be developed as a potential anti-tumour drug against melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Wang
- DDepartment of Dermatology and Venereology, Affiliated Qiqihar Hospital, Southern Medical University, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Ultrasound, The Second Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Wangyue Dermatology Clinic, Qujing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanchun Jiang
- Department of Ultrasound, The Second Hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar, People's Republic of China
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16
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Monti M, Consoli F, Vescovi R, Bugatti M, Vermi W. Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Cutaneous Melanoma. Cells 2020; 9:E417. [PMID: 32054102 PMCID: PMC7072514 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of metastatic melanoma (MM) patients has remained poor for a long time. However, the recent introduction of effective target therapies (BRAF and MEK inhibitors for BRAFV600-mutated MM) and immunotherapies (anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1) has significantly improved the survival of MM patients. Notably, all these responses are highly dependent on the fitness of the host immune system, including the innate compartment. Among immune cells involved in cancer immunity, properly activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) exert an important role, bridging the innate and adaptive immune responses and directly eliminating cancer cells. A distinctive feature of pDCs is the production of high amount of type I Interferon (I-IFN), through the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 9 signaling pathway activation. However, published data indicate that melanoma-associated escape mechanisms are in place to hijack pDC functions. We have recently reported that pDC recruitment is recurrent in the early phases of melanoma, but the entire pDC compartment collapses over melanoma progression. Here, we summarize recent advances on pDC biology and function within the context of melanoma immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Monti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Francesca Consoli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Medical Oncology, University of Brescia at ASST-Spedali Civili, 25123 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Raffaella Vescovi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Mattia Bugatti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - William Vermi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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17
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Pisano M, Arru C, Serra M, Galleri G, Sanna D, Garribba E, Palmieri G, Rozzo C. Antiproliferative activity of vanadium compounds: effects on the major malignant melanoma molecular pathways. Metallomics 2019; 11:1687-1699. [PMID: 31490510 DOI: 10.1039/c9mt00174c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most fatal skin cancer, whose incidence has critically increased in the last decades. Recent molecular therapies are giving excellent results in the remission of melanoma but often they induce drug resistance in patients limiting their therapeutic efficacy. The search for new compounds able to overcome drug resistance is therefore essential. Vanadium has recently been cited for its anticancer properties against several tumors, but only a few data regard its effect against MM. In a previous work we demonstrated the anticancer activity of four different vanadium species towards MM cell lines. The inorganic anion vanadate(v) (VN) and the oxidovanadium(iv) complex [VO(dhp)2] (VS2), where dhp is 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinonate, showed IC50 values of 4.7 and 2.6 μM, respectively, against the A375 MM cell line, causing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Here we demonstrate the involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production in the pro-apoptotic effect of these two V species and evaluate the activation of different cell cycle regulators, to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in their antitumor activity. We establish that VN and VS2 treatments reduce the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) by about 80%, causing the deactivation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in A375 cells. VN and VS2 also induce dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) (VN 100% and VS2 90%), together with a pronounced increase of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 p21 (p21Cip1) protein expression up to 1800%. Taken together, our results confirm the antitumor properties of vanadium against melanoma cells, highlighting its ability to induce apoptosis through generation of ROS and cell cycle arrest by counteracting MAPK pathway activation and strongly inducing p21Cip1 expression and Rb hypo-phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Pisano
- Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (ICB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Traversa La Crucca 3, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
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18
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Ozretić P, Hanžić N, Proust B, Sabol M, Trnski D, Radić M, Musani V, Ciribilli Y, Milas I, Puljiz Z, Bosnar MH, Levanat S, Slade N. Expression profiles of p53/p73, NME and GLI families in metastatic melanoma tissue and cell lines. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12470. [PMID: 31462745 PMCID: PMC6713730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48882-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike other tumours, TP53 is rarely mutated in melanoma; however, it fails to function as a tumour suppressor. We assume that its functions might be altered through interactions with several families of proteins, including p53/p73, NME and GLI. To elucidate the potential interplay among these families we analysed the expression profiles of aforementioned genes and proteins in a panel of melanoma cell lines, metastatic melanoma specimens and healthy corresponding tissue. Using qPCR a higher level of NME1 gene expression and lower levels of Δ40p53β, ΔNp73, GLI1, GLI2 and PTCH1 were observed in tumour samples compared to healthy tissue. Protein expression of Δ133p53α, Δ160p53α and ΔNp73α isoforms, NME1 and NME2, and N'ΔGLI1, GLI1FL, GLI2ΔN isoforms was elevated in tumour tissue, whereas ∆Np73β was downregulated. The results in melanoma cell lines, in general, support these findings. In addition, we correlated expression profiles with clinical features and outcome. Higher Δ133p53β and p53α mRNA and both GLI1 mRNA and GLI3R protein expression had a negative impact on the overall survival. Shorter overall survival was also connected with lower p53β and NME1 gene expression levels. In conclusion, all examined genes may have implications in melanoma development and functional inactivity of TP53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petar Ozretić
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Hanžić
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Bastien Proust
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Sabol
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Diana Trnski
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Martina Radić
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vesna Musani
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Yari Ciribilli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo (Trento), IT-38123, Italy
| | - Ivan Milas
- Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Vinogradska cesta 29, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zvonimir Puljiz
- Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Vinogradska cesta 29, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Herak Bosnar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sonja Levanat
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Neda Slade
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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19
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Metabolic flexibility in melanoma: A potential therapeutic target. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 59:187-207. [PMID: 31362075 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) represents one of the most metastasizing and drug resistant solid tumors. CM is characterized by a remarkable metabolic plasticity and an important connection between oncogenic activation and energetic metabolism. In fact, melanoma cells can use both cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during cancer progression. However, the CM energetic demand mainly depends on glycolysis, whose upregulation is strictly linked to constitutive activation of BRAF/MAPK pathway affected by BRAFV600E kinase mutant. Furthermore, the impressive metabolic plasticity of melanoma allows the development of resistance mechanisms to BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi) and the adaptation to microenvironmental changes. The metabolic interaction between melanoma cells and tumor microenvironment affects the immune response and CM growth. In this review article, we describe the regulation of melanoma metabolic alterations and the metabolic interactions between cancer cells and microenvironment that influence melanoma progression and immune response. Finally, we summarize the hallmarks of melanoma therapies and we report BRAF/MEK pathway targeted therapy and mechanisms of metabolic resistance.
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20
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Chen J, Wu F, Shi Y, Yang D, Xu M, Lai Y, Liu Y. Identification of key candidate genes involved in melanoma metastasis. Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:903-914. [PMID: 31173190 PMCID: PMC6625188 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the most lethal stage of cancer progression. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of melanoma metastasis using bioinformatics. Using the microarray dataset GSE8401 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 52 biopsy specimens from patients with melanoma metastasis and 31 biopsy specimens from patients with primary melanoma, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, subsequent to data preprocessing with the affy package, followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Mutated genes were analyzed with 80 mutated cases with melanoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The overall survival of key candidate DEGs, which were within a filtering of degree >30 criteria in the PPI network and involved three or more KEGG signaling pathways, and genes with a high mutation frequency were delineated. The expression analysis of key candidate DEGs, mutant genes and their associated genes were performed on UALCAN. Of the 1,187 DEGs obtained, 505 were upregulated and 682 were downregulated. ‘Extracellular exosome’ processes, the ‘amoebiasis’ pathway, the ‘ECM-receptor interaction’ pathway and the ‘focal adhesion’ signaling pathway were significantly enriched and identified as important processes or signaling pathways. The overall survival analysis of phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulator subunit 3 (PIK3R3), centromere protein M (CENPM), aurora kinase A (AURKA), laminin subunit α 1 (LAMA1), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1), BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase (BUB1), NDC80 kinetochore complex component (NDC80) and protein kinase C α (PRKCA) in DEGs was statistically significant. Mutation gene analysis identified that BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) had a higher mutation frequency and survival analysis, and its associated genes in the BAP1-associated PPI network, including ASXL transcriptional regulator 1 (ASXL1), proteasome 26S subunit, non-ATPase 3 (PSMD3), proteasome 26S subunit, non ATPase 11 (PSMD11) and ubiquitin C (UBC), were statistically significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma. The expression levels of PRKCA, BUB1, BAP1 and ASXL1 were significantly different between primary melanoma and metastatic melanoma. Based on the present study, ‘extracellular exosome’ processes, ‘amoebiasis’ pathways, ‘ECM-receptor interaction’ pathways and ‘focal adhesion’ signaling pathways may be important in the formation of metastases from melanoma. The involved genes, including PIK3R3, CENPM, AURKA, LAMA1, PCNA, ADCY1, BUB1, NDC80 and PRKCA, and mutation associated genes, including BAP1, ASXL1, PSMD3, PSMD11 and UBC, may serve important roles in metastases of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Chen
- Department of Dermatopathology, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Fei Wu
- Department of Dermatopathology, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Yu Shi
- Department of Medical Cosmetology, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Degang Yang
- Department of Treatment, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Mingyuan Xu
- Department of Dermatopathology, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Yongxian Lai
- Department of Dermatologic Surgery, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
| | - Yeqiang Liu
- Department of Dermatopathology, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai 200443, P.R. China
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21
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Braga DL, Mota STS, Zóia MAP, Lima PMAP, Orsolin PC, Vecchi L, Nepomuceno JC, Fürstenau CR, Maia YCP, Goulart LR, Araújo TG. Ethanolic Extracts from Azadirachta indica Leaves Modulate Transcriptional Levels of Hormone Receptor Variant in Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19071879. [PMID: 29949923 PMCID: PMC6073126 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19071879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast Cancer (BC) encompasses numerous entities with different biological and behavioral characteristics, favored by tumor molecular complexity. Azadirachta indica (neem) presents phenolic compounds, indicating its potential as an antineoplastic compound. The present study aimed to evaluate the cellular response of MCF10, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 breast cell lines to ethanolic extracts of neem leaves (EENL) obtained by dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate (EA) solvent. Extracts’ antiproliferative activities were evaluated against MCF 10A, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 for 24 and 48 h using MTT assay. ESR1, ESR2, AR, AR-V1, AR-V4, and AR-V7 transcripts were quantified through qPCR for 0.03125 μg/mL of DCM and 1.0 μg/mL for EA for 48 h. The EENL was tested on Drosophila melanogaster as a sole treatment and then also together with doxorubicin. Antiproliferative effect on tumor cell lines without affecting MCF 10A were 1.0 µg/mL (P < 0.001) for EA, and 0.03125 µg/mL (P < 0.0001) for DCM, both after 48 h. Transcriptional levels of AR-V7 increased after treatment. In vivo assays demonstrated that EENL induced fewer tumors at a higher concentration with doxorubicin (DXR). The behavior of AR-V7 in the MDA-MB-231 tumor lineage indicates new pathways involved in tumor biology and this may have therapeutic value for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deisi L Braga
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
| | - Sara T S Mota
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Mariana A P Zóia
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Paula M A P Lima
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Priscila C Orsolin
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Lara Vecchi
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Júlio C Nepomuceno
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Cristina R Fürstenau
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Culture, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
| | - Yara C P Maia
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
- University of California Davis, Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Thaise G Araújo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
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22
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Abstract
Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potent mediators of melanoma development and progression, a precise understanding of their oncogenic role remains unclear. In this study, we analysed formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from two separate melanoma cohorts and from a series of benign melanocytic nevi. Using three different quantification methods [array analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and in-situ hybridization (ISH) quantified by digital image analysis], we found considerable miRNA dysregulation in tumours. Using array analysis, samples mainly clustered according to their biological group (benign vs. malignant) and 77 miRNAs differed significantly between nevi and melanoma samples. Increase of miR-21 and miR-142, and decrease of miR-125b, miR-211, miR-101 and miR-513c in the melanomas were verified in both cohorts using qPCR, whereas the decrease of miR-205 observed with array analysis could not be confirmed using qPCR. ISH with digital quantification showed expression of miR-21 and miR-125b in the melanocytic lesions. miR-21 ISH was increased in melanomas, whereas quantification of miR-125b showed uniform ISH expression across nevi and melanomas. Our results support the important involvement of different miRNAs in melanoma biology and may serve as solid basics for further miRNA investigations in melanoma formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue. In particular, there is increased expression of miR-21 in melanomas compared with benign nevi.
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23
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De Summa S, Guida M, Tommasi S, Strippoli S, Pellegrini C, Fargnoli MC, Pilato B, Natalicchio I, Guida G, Pinto R. Genetic profiling of a rare condition: co-occurrence of albinism and multiple primary melanoma in a Caucasian family. Oncotarget 2018; 8:29751-29759. [PMID: 27776349 PMCID: PMC5444700 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple primary melanoma (MPM) is a rare condition, whose genetic basis has not yet been clarified. Only 8-12% of MPM are due to germline mutations of CDKN2A. However, other genes (POT1, BRCA1/2, MC1R, MGMT) have been demonstrated to be involved in predisposition to this pathology. To our knowledge, this is the first family study based on two siblings with the rare coexistence of MPM and oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), an autosomal recessive disease characterized by the absence or decrease in pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes. In this study, we evaluated genes involved in melanoma predisposition (CDKN2A, CDK4, MC1R, MITF, POT1, RB1, MGMT, BRCA1, BRCA2), pathogenesis (BRAF, NRAS, PIK3CA, KIT, PTEN), skin/hair pigmentation (MC1R, MITF) and in immune pathways (CTLA4) to individuate alterations able to explain the rare onset of MPM and OCA in indexes and the transmission in their pedigree. From the analysis of the pedigree, we were able to identify a “protective” haplotype with respect to MPM, including MGMT p.I174V alteration. The second generation offspring is under strict follow up as some of them have a higher risk of developing MPM according to our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona De Summa
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Guida
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Oncology Unit, Bari, Italy
| | - Stefania Tommasi
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Bari, Italy
| | - Sabino Strippoli
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Oncology Unit, Bari, Italy
| | - Cristina Pellegrini
- University of L'Aquila, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Fargnoli
- University of L'Aquila, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Brunella Pilato
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Guida
- University of Bari, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Bari, Italy
| | - Rosamaria Pinto
- IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Bari, Italy
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24
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D'Arcangelo D, Facchiano F, Nassa G, Stancato A, Antonini A, Rossi S, Senatore C, Cordella M, Tabolacci C, Salvati A, Tarallo R, Weisz A, Facchiano AM, Facchiano A. PDGFR-alpha inhibits melanoma growth via CXCL10/IP-10: a multi-omics approach. Oncotarget 2018; 7:77257-77275. [PMID: 27764787 PMCID: PMC5363585 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive skin-cancer, showing high mortality at advanced stages. Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor-alpha (PDGFR-alpha) potently inhibits melanoma- and endothelium-proliferation and its expression is significantly reduced in melanoma-biopsies, suggesting that melanoma progression eliminates cells expressing PDGFR-alpha. In the present study transient overexpression of PDGFR-alpha in endothelial (HUVEC) and melanoma (SKMel-28, A375, Preyer) human-cells shows strong anti-proliferative effects, with profound transcriptome and miRNome deregulation. PDGFR-alpha overexpression strongly affects expression of 82 genes in HUVEC (41 up-, 41 down-regulated), and 52 genes in SKMel-28 (43 up-, 9 down-regulated). CXCL10/IP-10 transcript showed up to 20 fold-increase, with similar changes detectable at the protein level. miRNA expression profiling in cells overexpressing PDGFR-alpha identified 14 miRNAs up- and 40 down-regulated, with miR-503 being the most down-regulated (6.4 fold-reduction). miR-503, miR-630 and miR-424 deregulation was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, the most upregulated transcript (i.e., CXCL10/IP-10) was a validated miR-503 target and CXCL10/IP-10 neutralization significantly reverted the anti-proliferative action of PDGFR-alpha, and PDGFR-alpha inhibition by Dasatinb totally reverted the CXCL10/IP10 induction, further supporting a functional interplay of these factors. Finally, integration of transcriptomics and miRNomics data highlighted several pathways affected by PDGFR-alpha. This study demonstrates for the first time that PDGFR-alpha strongly inhibits endothelial and melanoma cells proliferation in a CXCL10/IP-10 dependent way, via miR-503 down-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela D'Arcangelo
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, Fondazione Luigi Maria Monti, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facchiano
- Dipartimento Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nassa
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine and Surgery,University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy.,Genomix4Life srl, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy
| | - Andrea Stancato
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, Fondazione Luigi Maria Monti, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Antonini
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, Fondazione Luigi Maria Monti, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Rossi
- Dipartimento Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Senatore
- Dipartimento Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Cordella
- Dipartimento Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tabolacci
- Dipartimento Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Annamaria Salvati
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine and Surgery,University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy
| | - Roberta Tarallo
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine and Surgery,University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy
| | - Alessandro Weisz
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine and Surgery,University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy
| | | | - Antonio Facchiano
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, Fondazione Luigi Maria Monti, Rome, Italy
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25
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Epidemiology and genetic susceptibility of malignant melanoma in North Sardinia, Italy. Eur J Cancer Prev 2018; 26:263-267. [PMID: 26999380 DOI: 10.1097/cej.0000000000000223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this report was to study the descriptive and genetic epidemiology of malignant melanoma in North Sardinia, Italy, in the period 1992-2011. Epidemiological data were obtained from the local tumor registry, which is part of the Italian Association for Tumor Registries. Among patients included in the North Sardinia tumor registry, 316 patients first evaluated for familial recurrence of melanoma were submitted to mutation analysis in CDKN2A and CDK4 genes. The overall number of cases registered was 532. The male-to-female ratio was 1 : 1 and the mean age was 56 years for men and 55 years for women. The standardized incidence rates were 4.9/100 000 and 4.4/100 000 and the standardized mortality rates were 1.7/100 000 and 1.3/100 000 for men and women, respectively. The relative 5-year survival was 77% for men and 79% for women. In our series, 24/316 (7.6%) patients had a familial occurrence of melanoma (presence of at least one additional family member affected). Among these, one variant (Gly23Asp), reported previously as a low-frequency disease-causing mutation, was detected by mutational screening in the p16 gene only. With the exception of polymorphisms, none of either the sporadic melanoma patients or healthy controls presented a germline mutation in candidate genes. An increase in incidence and a decrease in mortality rates of malignant melanoma were registered in North Sardinia, from 1992 to 2011, whereas survival was similar to that reported in recent international reports. The high-penetrance melanoma susceptibility genes (CDKN2A and CDK4) are not involved in predisposition to melanoma in North Sardinia.
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26
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Wang LX, Li Y, Chen GZ. Network-based co-expression analysis for exploring the potential diagnostic biomarkers of metastatic melanoma. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190447. [PMID: 29377892 PMCID: PMC5788335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer and is one of the global malignancies with high mortality and morbidity. It is essential to identify and verify diagnostic biomarkers of early metastatic melanoma. Previous studies have systematically assessed protein biomarkers and mRNA-based expression characteristics. However, molecular markers for the early diagnosis of metastatic melanoma have not been identified. To explore potential regulatory targets, we have analyzed the gene microarray expression profiles of malignant melanoma samples by co-expression analysis based on the network approach. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by the EdgeR package of R software. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used for the identification of DEGs in the special gene modules and hub genes. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed to extract hub genes associated with gene modules. Finally, twenty-four important hub genes (RASGRP2, IKZF1, CXCR5, LTB, BLK, LINGO3, CCR6, P2RY10, RHOH, JUP, KRT14, PLA2G3, SPRR1A, KRT78, SFN, CLDN4, IL1RN, PKP3, CBLC, KRT16, TMEM79, KLK8, LYPD3 and LYPD5) were treated as valuable factors involved in the immune response and tumor cell development in tumorigenesis. In addition, a transcriptional regulatory network was constructed for these specific modules or hub genes, and a few core transcriptional regulators were found to be mostly associated with our hub genes, including GATA1, STAT1, SP1, and PSG1. In summary, our findings enhance our understanding of the biological process of malignant melanoma metastasis, enabling us to identify specific genes to use for diagnostic and prognostic markers and possibly for targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-xin Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong, China
| | - Yang Li
- Institute of Dermatology and Skin Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Guan-zhi Chen
- Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong, China
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27
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Sini MC, Doneddu V, Paliogiannis P, Casula M, Colombino M, Manca A, Botti G, Ascierto PA, Lissia A, Cossu A, Palmieri G. Genetic alterations in main candidate genes during melanoma progression. Oncotarget 2018; 9:8531-8541. [PMID: 29492214 PMCID: PMC5823576 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is a common and aggressive human skin cancers. Much is actually known about the molecular mechanisms underlying melanoma pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to evaluate any possible correlation between mutations in main growth-controlling genes (BRAF, NRAS, CDKN2A) and copy number variations in frequently amplified candidate genes (MITF, EGFR, CCND1, cMET, and cKIT) during melanoma initiation and progression. A large series of primary and secondary melanoma tissue samples (N = 274) from 232 consecutively-collected patients of Italian origin as well as 32 tumor cell lines derived from primary and metastatic melanomas underwent mutation screening and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Overall, BRAF, NRAS, and CDKN2A were found mutated in 62.5%, 12.5% and 59% cell lines and in 47%, 16%, 12% tumor tissues, respectively. Quite identical mutation patterns between primary tumors and metastatic lesions were found for BRAF and NRAS genes; mutations of CDKN2A gene appeared to be instead selected during tumor progression. In cell lines, high rates of gene amplifications were observed (varying from 12.5% for cKIT to 50% for MITF); vast majority of cell lines (75%) presented at least one amplified gene. Conversely, prevalence of gene amplification was significantly and progressively decreasing in melanoma metastases (12%) and primary melanomas (4%). Our findings suggest that gene amplifications may be acquired during the late phases of melanoma evolution and mostly act as "passenger" or "non-causative" alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Sini
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
| | - Valentina Doneddu
- Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Milena Casula
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Colombino
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonella Manca
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Amelia Lissia
- Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Cossu
- Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Palmieri
- Unit of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Sassari, Italy
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28
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Cantile M, Scognamiglio G, Marra L, Aquino G, Botti C, Falcone MR, Malzone MG, Liguori G, Di Bonito M, Franco R, Ascierto PA, Botti G. HOTAIR role in melanoma progression and its identification in the blood of patients with advanced disease. J Cell Physiol 2017; 232:3422-3432. [PMID: 28067428 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms responsible for the metastatic progression of melanoma have not been fully defined yet. We have recently shown that an important role in this process is certainly played by HOX genes, whose regulation is under control of particular non-coding RNAs, some of which are present within the HOX locus. HOTAIR is the most studied among them, whose aberrant expression is associated with the metastatic progression of many malignancies. The aim of this study was to verify the role played by HOTAIR in metastatic progression of melanoma and to evaluate the circulating levels of HOTAIR in the blood of patients with metastatic melanoma. A series of melanocytic lesions were selected to evaluate the potential changes in the expression of HOTAIR during the evolution of the disease through in situ and molecular approaches. None of the benign melanocytic lesions showed the presence of HOTAIR. The staining of HOTAIR resulted very weak in the primary pT1 lesions, while it was very strong in all pairs of primary tissues and corresponding metastases. Surprisingly, we found the presence of HOTAIR in some intratumoral lymphocytes, while this positivity decreased in lymphocyte component further away from the tumor. HOTAIR was also detected in the serum of selected metastatic patients. These data allowed us to speculate on the fundamental role played by HOTAIR in tumor evolution of melanoma. Its presence in intratumoral lymphocytes might suggest that its involvement in the modulation of tumor microenvironment and the detection in the serum could be used in the management of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Cantile
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Giosuè Scognamiglio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Laura Marra
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Gabriella Aquino
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Chiara Botti
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Falcone
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Liguori
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Maurizio Di Bonito
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Renato Franco
- Department of Psychiatry, Pathology Unit, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione "G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
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29
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Li J, Zou X, Li C, Zhong J, Chen Y, Zhang X, Qi F, Li M, Cai Z, Tang A. Expression of novel cancer/testis antigen TMEM31 increases during metastatic melanoma progression. Oncol Lett 2017; 13:2269-2273. [PMID: 28454390 PMCID: PMC5403168 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.5728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer/testis (CT) antigens are promising targets for immunotherapy due to their restricted expression in the germ cells of the testis in healthy tissue and high immunogenicity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether transmembrane protein 31 (TMEM31) is a CT antigen and to investigate the pattern of TMEM31 expression during the progression of melanoma. The pattern of expression of human TMEM31 mRNA in multiple human tissues was determined through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. TMEM31 protein expression was analyzed in the human testis, in addition to 128 primary melanoma and 64 metastatic melanoma samples through immunohistochemistry analysis. TMEM31 was identified to be predominantly expressed in the testis and weakly expressed in the placenta. In addition, TMEM31 protein expression was detected in 120/190 (63.16%) melanoma samples (primary and metastatic). The intensity of TMEM31 staining in metastatic and primary melanomas was determined through semiquantitative integrated optical density (IOD) analysis, and identified to be significantly increased in metastatic melanoma compared with primary melanoma (0.24±0.03 vs. 0.09±0.01 IOD/area; P<0.001). The expression of TMEM31 protein was significantly increased in metastatic compared with primary melanoma samples (76.56 vs. 56.35%; P=0.017). The results of the present study suggest that TMEM31 is a novel CT antigen that serves an essential role in melanoma metastasis, in addition to being a potential immunotherapeutic target for the treatment of patients with melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Li
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518026, P.R. China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
| | - Xiaowen Zou
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, P.R. China
| | - Cailing Li
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, P.R. China
| | - Jianhua Zhong
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyue Zhang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, P.R. China
| | - Fuming Qi
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Mengshuo Li
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P.R. China
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Zhiming Cai
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Aifa Tang
- Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Dr Aifa Tang, Department of Science and Education, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 3002 Sungang West Road, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China, E-mail:
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30
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Mutational Status of NRAS and BRAF Genes and Protein Expression Analysis in a Series of Primary Oral Mucosal Melanoma. Am J Dermatopathol 2017; 39:104-110. [DOI: 10.1097/dad.0000000000000605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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31
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Vasaturo A, Di Blasio S, Verweij D, Blokx WAM, van Krieken JH, de Vries IJM, Figdor CG. Multispectral imaging for highly accurate analysis of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in primary melanoma. Histopathology 2016; 70:643-649. [PMID: 27571246 DOI: 10.1111/his.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The quality and quantity of the infiltration of immune cells into tumour tissues have substantial impacts on patients' clinical outcomes, and are associated with response to immunotherapy. Therefore, the precise analysis of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is becoming an important additional pathological biomarker. Analysis of TILs is usually performed semiquantitatively by pathologists on haematoxylin and eosin-stained or immunostained tissue sections. However, automated quantification outperforms semiquantitative approaches, and is becoming the standard. Owing to the presence of melanin pigment, this approach is seriously hampered in melanoma, because the spectrum of melanin lies close to that of commonly used immunohistochemical stains. Aim of this study is to overcome the technical issues due to the presence of melanin for an automated and accurate quantification of TILs in melanoma. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we successfully applied a novel multispectral imaging (MSI) technique to enumerate T cells in human primary melanomas. This microscopy technique combines imaging with spectroscopy to obtain both quantitative expression data and the tissue distributions of different cellular markers. We demonstrate that MSI allows complete and accurate analysis of TILs, successfully avoiding the blurring of images by melanin pigments, in whole tissue slide primary melanoma lesions, which could otherwise not be accurately detected by conventional digital image methodologies. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the potential of MSI for accurate assessment of immune cell infiltrates, including those in notoriously difficult tissues, such as pigmented melanomas. Quantification of tumour infiltration by different immune cell types is crucial in the search for new biomarkers to predict patient responses to immunotherapies. Our findings show that this innovative microscopy technique is an important extension of the armamentarium of pathologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Vasaturo
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefania Di Blasio
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dagmar Verweij
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Willeke A M Blokx
- Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - J Han van Krieken
- Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - I Jolanda M de Vries
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Carl G Figdor
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Abstract
The etiology and pathogenesis of lentiginous acral melanomas are poorly understood. Recent studies have postulated that DNA repair mechanisms and cell growth pathways are involved in the development of melanoma, particularly changes in the MAPK pathways (RAS, BRAF, MEK 1/2, and ERK 1/2). The aim of this study is to assess the status of the MAP kinase pathways in the pathogenesis of acral melanomas. The authors examined the components of the RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK cascades by immunohistochemistry in a series of 16 primary acral melanomas by tissue microarray. The expression of MAP kinase cascade proteins changed in most cases. The authors observed that 57.14% of cases were BRAF positive and that 61.53%, 71.42%, and 71.42% of cases were positive for MEK2, ERK1, and ERK2, respectively; RAS was not expressed in 92.31%, and all cases were negative for MEK1. The absence of RAS and positivity for MEK2, ERK1, and ERK2 were most seen in invasive cases with high thickness. These aspects of the MAPK pathway require further examination in acral melanomas between different populations. Nevertheless, the results highlight significant alterations in the MAP kinase cascades that are related to histological indicators of prognosis in primary acral melanomas.
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33
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Mitchell B, Dhingra JK, Mahalingam M. BRAF and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Lessons From Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Primary Cutaneous Melanoma. Adv Anat Pathol 2016; 23:244-71. [PMID: 27145091 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The increased prevalence of BRAF mutations in thyroid carcinoma and primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) hint that dysregulation of BRAF might contribute to the noted association between PCM and thyroid carcinoma. A recent study evaluating the rate of BRAFV600E mutations among patients who had been diagnosed with primary papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and PCM showed that patients with either PCM or PTC were at an increased risk of developing the other as a second primary malignant neoplasm. Furthermore, the authors noted that samples from patients suffering from both malignancies exhibited a higher rate of incidence of the BRAFV600E mutation, compared with patients not suffering from both malignancies. These studies support the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of these 2 malignancies might share a conserved molecular pattern associated with dysregulation of the BRAF protein. One mechanism through which BRAF might contribute to PCM and thyroid carcinoma progression is through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Specifically, the Snail/E-cadherin axis has been demonstrated as a pathway dysregulated by BRAF, leading to EMT in both malignancies. Our analysis focuses on the results of these recent investigations, and through a review of select molecules relevant to EMT, looks to provide a context by which to better understand the relevance and role of stromal-parenchymal signaling and the BRAF mutation in the pathogenesis of PTC and PCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Mitchell
- *University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL †Department of Otolaryngology, Tufts Medical center, Boston, MA ‡Dermatopathology Section, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, VA Consolidated Laboratories, West Roxbury, MA
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34
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Ulivieri A, Cardillo G, Manente L, Paone G, Mancuso AP, Vigna L, Di Stasio E, Gasbarra R, Girlando S, Leone A. Molecular characterization of a selected cohort of patients affected by pulmonary metastases of malignant melanoma: Hints from BRAF, NRAS and EGFR evaluation. Oncotarget 2016; 6:19868-79. [PMID: 26305188 PMCID: PMC4637326 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Melanoma is highly curable in early stages but holds devastating consequences in advanced phases with a median survival of 6–10 months. Lungs are a common metastasis target, but despite this, limited data are available on the molecular status of pulmonary lesions. Materials and Methods 25 patients with surgically resected melanoma lung metastases were screened for BRAF, NRAS, CKIT and EGFR alterations. The results were correlated with time to lung metastasis (TLM), relapse-free survival after metastasectomy (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results BRAF or NRAS were mutated in 52% and 20% of cases while CKIT was unaffected. Chromosome 7 polysomy was detected in 47% of cases with 17.5% showing EGFR amplification and concomitant BRAF mutation. NRAS mutated patients developed LM within 5 yrs from primary melanoma with larger lesions compared with BRAF (mean diameter 3.3 ± 2.2cm vs 1.9 ± 1.1cm, p = 0.2). NRAS was also associated with a shorter median RFS and OS after metastasectomy. Moreover, Cox regression analysis revealed that NRAS mutation was the only predictive factor of shorter survival from primary melanoma (p = 0.039, OR = 5.5 (1.1–27.6)). Conclusions Molecular characterization identifies advanced melanoma subgroups with distinct prognosis and therapeutic options. The presence of NRAS mutation was associated to a worse disease evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Ulivieri
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy.,Laboratory of Biomedical research "Fondazione Niccolò Cusano per la Ricerca Medico-Scientifica" Niccolò Cusano University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Liborio Manente
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy
| | - Gregorino Paone
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Vigna
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Di Stasio
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Gasbarra
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alvaro Leone
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy
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35
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Kordaß T, Weber CEM, Oswald M, Ast V, Bernhardt M, Novak D, Utikal J, Eichmüller SB, König R. SOX5 is involved in balanced MITF regulation in human melanoma cells. BMC Med Genomics 2016; 9:10. [PMID: 26927636 PMCID: PMC4772287 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-016-0170-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Melanoma is a cancer with rising incidence and new therapeutics are needed. For this, it is necessary to understand the molecular mechanisms of melanoma development and progression. Melanoma differs from other cancers by its ability to produce the pigment melanin via melanogenesis; this biosynthesis is essentially regulated by microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). MITF regulates various processes such as cell cycling and differentiation. MITF shows an ambivalent role, since high levels inhibit cell proliferation and low levels promote invasion. Hence, well-balanced MITF homeostasis is important for the progression and spread of melanoma. Therefore, it is difficult to use MITF itself for targeted therapy, but elucidating its complex regulation may lead to a promising melanoma-cell specific therapy. Method We systematically analyzed the regulation of MITF with a novel established transcription factor based gene regulatory network model. Starting from comparative transcriptomics analysis using data from cells originating from nine different tumors and a melanoma cell dataset, we predicted the transcriptional regulators of MITF employing ChIP binding information from a comprehensive set of databases. The most striking regulators were experimentally validated by functional assays and an MITF-promoter reporter assay. Finally, we analyzed the impact of the expression of the identified regulators on clinically relevant parameters of melanoma, i.e. the thickness of primary tumors and patient overall survival. Results Our model predictions identified SOX10 and SOX5 as regulators of MITF. We experimentally confirmed the role of the already well-known regulator SOX10. Additionally, we found that SOX5 knockdown led to MITF up-regulation in melanoma cells, while double knockdown with SOX10 showed a rescue effect; both effects were validated by reporter assays. Regarding clinical samples, SOX5 expression was distinctively up-regulated in metastatic compared to primary melanoma. In contrast, survival analysis of melanoma patients with predominantly metastatic disease revealed that low SOX5 levels were associated with a poor prognosis. Conclusion MITF regulation by SOX5 has been shown only in murine cells, but not yet in human melanoma cells. SOX5 has a strong inhibitory effect on MITF expression and seems to have a decisive clinical impact on melanoma during tumor progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12920-016-0170-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Kordaß
- GMP & T Cell Therapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747, Jena, Germany.
| | - Claudia E M Weber
- GMP & T Cell Therapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Marcus Oswald
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747, Jena, Germany. .,Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute Jena, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Volker Ast
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747, Jena, Germany. .,Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute Jena, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Mathias Bernhardt
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Daniel Novak
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Stefan B Eichmüller
- GMP & T Cell Therapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), INF 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rainer König
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747, Jena, Germany. .,Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute Jena, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany. .,Theoretical Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center, INF 580, 69121, Heidelberg, Germany.
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36
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Lee WR, Shen SC, Wu PR, Chou CL, Shih YH, Yeh CM, Yeh KT, Jiang MC. CSE1L Links cAMP/PKA and Ras/ERK pathways and regulates the expressions and phosphorylations of ERK1/2, CREB, and MITF in melanoma cells. Mol Carcinog 2015; 55:1542-1552. [PMID: 26331446 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Ras/ERK (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase) and cAMP/PKA (protein kinase A) pathways are essential for the transcriptional activities of CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) and MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) in melanogenesis and the progression of melanoma. However, the interaction between Ras/ERK and cAMP/PKA pathways in the melanogenesis and progression of melanoma is not fully known. Here, we report that CSE1L (chromosome segregation 1-like protein) regulates cAMP/PKA-induced CREB and MITF expressions as well as Ras-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. IBMX, a cAMP/PKA activator, treatment induced CSE1L phosphorylation and augmented Ras-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. CSE1L knockdown by CSE1L shRNA expression vectors inhibited Ras-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and melanogenesis in melanoma cells. CSE1L overexpression increased phospho-CREB expression; CSE1L knockdown also inhibited Ras-induced phospho-CREB, MITF, and tyrosinase expressions, regardless of the presence of IBMX. This study identifies CSE1L links and controls the Ras/ERK and cAMP/PKA pathways in the melanogenesis of melanoma cells. Melanomas frequently develop drug resistance via paradoxical activation of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK or alternatively activated Ras/ERK and cAMP/PKA pathways. Thus CSE1L may be a potential target for treating melanomas that harbor Ras mutations or are resistant to drugs targeting Raf/MEK/ERK. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woan-Ruoh Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shing-Chuan Shen
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ru Wu
- Department of Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Technology, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lun Chou
- Department of Dermatology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsien Shih
- Department of Dermatology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Min Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Technology, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Tu Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chung Jiang
- Department of Dermatology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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37
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Palmieri G, Ombra M, Colombino M, Casula M, Sini M, Manca A, Paliogiannis P, Ascierto PA, Cossu A. Multiple Molecular Pathways in Melanomagenesis: Characterization of Therapeutic Targets. Front Oncol 2015; 5:183. [PMID: 26322273 PMCID: PMC4530319 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms involved in pathogenesis of malignant melanoma have been widely studied and novel therapeutic treatments developed in recent past years. Molecular targets for therapy have mostly been recognized in the RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK and PI3K–AKT signaling pathways; small-molecule inhibitors were drawn to specifically target key kinases. Unfortunately, these targeted drugs may display intrinsic or acquired resistance and various evidences suggest that inhibition of a single effector of the signal transduction cascades involved in melanoma pathogenesis may be ineffective in blocking the tumor growth. In this sense, a wider comprehension of the multiple molecular alterations accounting for either response or resistance to treatments with targeted inhibitors may be helpful in assessing, which is the most effective combination of such therapies. In the present review, we summarize the known molecular mechanisms underlying either intrinsic and acquired drug resistance either alternative roads to melanoma pathogenesis, which may become targets for innovative anticancer approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Palmieri
- Unità di Genetica dei Tumori, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Sassari , Italy
| | - MariaNeve Ombra
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Alimentazione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Avellino , Italy
| | - Maria Colombino
- Unità di Genetica dei Tumori, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Sassari , Italy
| | - Milena Casula
- Unità di Genetica dei Tumori, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Sassari , Italy
| | - MariaCristina Sini
- Unità di Genetica dei Tumori, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Sassari , Italy
| | - Antonella Manca
- Unità di Genetica dei Tumori, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Sassari , Italy
| | - Panagiotis Paliogiannis
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Microchirurgiche e Mediche, Università di Sassari , Sassari , Italy
| | | | - Antonio Cossu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche, Microchirurgiche e Mediche, Università di Sassari , Sassari , Italy
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38
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Liguori G, Cantile M, Collina F, Marra L, DE Chiara A, Franco R, Caraglia M, Botti G, D'Andrea M, Nicoletti GF. Atypical amplification of chromosome region 22q12 in melanoma: A case report. Oncol Lett 2015; 10:349-353. [PMID: 26171028 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3150] [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: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical characteristics of clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of the soft tissue frequently overlap with those of malignant melanoma. Thus, the differential diagnosis between the two lesions represents an important diagnostic dilemma. However, a number of genetic factors can be used to differentiate the two tumors; in particular, the t(12;22)(q13;q12) chromosomal translocation is typical of CCS, resulting in fusion of the EWSR1 gene on chromosome 22q12 and the ATF1 gene on chromosome 12q13. The detection of this molecular alteration has proved useful in the differential diagnosis of the two lesions. The present study reports the case of a 71-year-old male patient with a suspicious lymph node mass. Immunohistochemical analysis of the lesion indicated a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma, however, cytogenetic analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridization was additionally performed to investigate the chromosomal rearrangements of the 22q12 region and completely exclude the possibility of CCS. The current case did not demonstrate the presence of the translocation, supporting the diagnosis of melanoma. However, a clear orange amplification signal was observed relative to an ~500-kb region adjacent to the EWSR1 gene in the centromeric direction of chromosome 22q12. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a 22q12 chromosomal alteration in melanoma. Furthermore, despite the presence of numerous genes in this region, their amplification has not previously been associated with the pathogenesis of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Liguori
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Monica Cantile
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Francesca Collina
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Laura Marra
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Anna DE Chiara
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Renato Franco
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and General Pathology, Second University of Naples, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Pathology Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Mirella D'Andrea
- Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialities, Second University of Naples, Naples 80138, Italy
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39
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Toxicity of oxidized phosphatidylcholines in cultured human melanoma cells. Chem Phys Lipids 2015; 189:39-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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40
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Antiproliferative Effect of Rottlerin on Sk-Mel-28 Melanoma Cells. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2015; 2015:545838. [PMID: 26161122 PMCID: PMC4464680 DOI: 10.1155/2015/545838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive and chemoresistant form of skin cancer. Mutated, constitutively active B-RAF is believed to play a crucial role, although the selective B-RAF inhibition has shown poor clinical success, since phenomena of resistance usually occur, likely arising from additional genetic aberrations, such as loss of function of p53 and PTEN, overexpression of cyclin D1, hyperactivation of NF-κB, and downregulation of p21/Cip1. Since all of them are present in the Sk-Mel-28 melanoma cells, this cell line could be an ideal, albeit hard to study, model to develop new therapeutic strategies. In the current study, we tested the cytostatic action of Rottlerin on Sk-Mel-28 melanoma cells, on the basis of the known Rottlerin effects on the main proliferative signaling pathways. We presented evidence that the drug inhibits cell growth by an Akt- and p21/Cip1-independent mechanism, involving the dual inhibition of ERK and NF-κB and downregulation of cyclin D1. In addition, we found that Rottlerin increases ERK phosphorylation, but, surprisingly, this resulted in decreased ERK activity. Pull-down experiments, using Rottlerin-CNBr-conjugated Sepharose beads, revealed that Rottlerin binds to ERK, independently from its phosphorylation status. This direct interaction could in part explain the paradoxical blockage of ERK downstream signaling and growth arrest. We would like to dedicate this paper to the memory of our friend and colleague, prematurely deceased, Claudia Torricelli, who actively contributed to this project
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Palmieri G, Colombino M, Casula M, Budroni M, Manca A, Sini MC, Lissia A, Stanganelli I, Ascierto PA, Cossu A. Epidemiological and genetic factors underlying melanoma development in Italy. Melanoma Manag 2015; 2:149-163. [PMID: 30190844 PMCID: PMC6094587 DOI: 10.2217/mmt.15.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among human cancers, melanoma remains one of the malignancies with an ever-growing incidence in white populations. Recent advances in biological and immunological therapeutic approaches as well as increased efforts for secondary prevention are contributing to improve the survival rates. It is likely that a significant fall in mortality rates for melanoma will be achieved by further increase of the early detection through a more accurate selection of the higher-risk individuals (i.e., carriers of predisposing genetic alterations). A similar scenario occurs in Italy. In the present review, we have considered data on incidence, survival and mortality rates of melanoma in Italian population, including evaluation of the main risk factors and genetic mutations underlying disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Palmieri
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Colombino
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Milena Casula
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Mario Budroni
- Department of Pathology, Hospital-University Health Unit (AOU), Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonella Manca
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Sini
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Amelia Lissia
- Department of Pathology, Hospital-University Health Unit (AOU), Sassari, Italy
| | - Ignazio Stanganelli
- Skin Cancer Unit, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo Tumori (IRST), Meldola, Italy
| | - Paolo A Ascierto
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori (INT), Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Cossu
- Department of Pathology, Hospital-University Health Unit (AOU), Sassari, Italy
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Doma V, Gulya E. [Genetic diversity and immunological characteristics of malignant melanoma: the therapeutic spectrum]. Orv Hetil 2015; 156:583-91. [PMID: 25845317 DOI: 10.1556/oh.2015.30122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma, originating from pigment cells, is a highly aggressive tumour affecting patients of any age group. Its incidence is rapidly growing. The most common form can be easily diagnosed by any physician. There are some well-known genetic (skin-, eye-, hair colour, naevi, melanoma in the personal/family history) and environmental (ultraviolet radiation) predisposing factors. Treatment is based on early diagnosis and excision. When metastasis occurs, the traditional chemo- and radiotherapy gives a low response rate. Recently some newly approved targeted therapies and immunomodulant drugs have become available. This review focuses on the classification and novel therapeutic approaches of malignant melanoma to provide guidance to clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktória Doma
- Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar II. Patológiai Intézet Budapest Fejér Megyei Szent György Egyetemi Oktató Kórház Bőrgyógyászati Osztály Székesfehérvár
| | - Ernő Gulya
- Magyar Honvédség Egészségügyi Központ Honvédkórház Budapest
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Prevalence of Germline BAP1, CDKN2A, and CDK4 Mutations in an Australian Population-Based Sample of Cutaneous Melanoma Cases. Twin Res Hum Genet 2015; 18:126-33. [PMID: 25787093 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2015.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) and Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 (CDK4) contribute to susceptibility in approximately 40% of high-density cutaneous melanoma (CMM) families and about 2% of unselected CMM cases. BRCA-1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) has been more recently shown to predispose to CMM and uveal melanoma (UMM) in some families; however, its contribution to CMM development in the general population is unreported. We sought to determine the contribution of these genes to CMM susceptibility in a population-based sample of cases from Australia. We genotyped 1,109 probands from Queensland families and found that approximately 1.31% harbored mutations in CDKN2A, including some with novel missense mutations (p.R22W, p.G35R and p.I49F). BAP1 missense variants occurred in 0.63% of cases but no CDK4 variants were observed in the sample. This is the first estimate of the contribution of BAP1 and CDK4 to a population-based sample of CMM and supports the previously reported estimate of CDKN2A germline mutation prevalence.
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44
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Aoude LG, Wadt KAW, Pritchard AL, Hayward NK. Genetics of familial melanoma: 20 years after CDKN2A. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2015; 28:148-60. [PMID: 25431349 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Twenty years ago, the first familial melanoma susceptibility gene, CDKN2A, was identified. Two years later, another high-penetrance gene, CDK4, was found to be responsible for melanoma development in some families. Progress in identifying new familial melanoma genes was subsequently slow; however, with the advent of next-generation sequencing, a small number of new high-penetrance genes have recently been uncovered. This approach has identified the lineage-specific oncogene MITF as a susceptibility gene both in melanoma families and in the general population, as well as the discovery of telomere maintenance as a key pathway underlying melanoma predisposition. Given these rapid recent advances, this approach seems likely to continue to pay dividends. Here, we review the currently known familial melanoma genes, providing evidence that most additionally confer risk to other cancers, indicating that they are likely general tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes, which has significant implications for surveillance and screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren G Aoude
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, Australia; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
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Manca A, Lissia A, Capone M, Ascierto PA, Botti G, Caracò C, Stanganelli I, Colombino M, Sini M, Cossu A, Palmieri G. Activating PIK3CA mutations coexist with BRAF or NRAS mutations in a limited fraction of melanomas. J Transl Med 2015; 13:37. [PMID: 25627962 PMCID: PMC4312444 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0401-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Activated PI3K-AKT pathway may contribute to decrease sensitivity to inhibitors of key pathogenetic effectors (mutated BRAF, active NRAS or MEK) in melanoma. Functional alterations are deeply involved in PI3K-AKT activation, with a minimal role reported for mutations in PIK3CA, the catalytic subunit of the PI3K gene. We here assessed the prevalence of the coexistence of BRAF/NRAS and PIK3CA mutations in a series of melanoma samples. Methods A total of 245 tumor specimens (212 primary melanomas and 33 melanoma cell lines) was screened for mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and PIK3CA genes by automated direct sequencing. Results Overall, 110 (44.9%) samples carried mutations in BRAF, 26 (10.6%) in NRAS, and 24 (9.8%) in PIK3CA. All identified PIK3CA mutations have been reported to induce PI3K activation; those detected in cultured melanomas were investigated for their interference with the antiproliferative activity of the BRAF-mutant inhibitor vemurafenib. A reduced suppression in cell growth was observed in treated cells carrying both BRAF and PIK3CA mutations as compared with those presenting a mutated BRAF only. Among the analysed melanomas, 12/245 (4.9%) samples presented the coexistence of PIK3CA and BRAF/NRAS mutations. Conclusions Our study further suggests that PIK3CA mutations account for a small fraction of PI3K pathway activation and have a limited impact in interfering with the BRAF/NRAS-driven growth in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Giuseppe Palmieri
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR), Traversa La Crucca 3 - Baldinca Li Punti, Sassari, 07100, Italy.
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Bordelon JR, Sanchez MI, Grichnik JM. Melanomagenesis: multifaceted attacks on the genome. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:175-6. [PMID: 25421308 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna R Bordelon
- Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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MITF drives endolysosomal biogenesis and potentiates Wnt signaling in melanoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E420-9. [PMID: 25605940 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1424576112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Canonical Wnt signaling plays an important role in development and disease, regulating transcription of target genes and stabilizing many proteins phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). We observed that the MiT family of transcription factors, which includes the melanoma oncogene MITF (micropthalmia-associated transcription factor) and the lysosomal master regulator TFEB, had the highest phylogenetic conservation of three consecutive putative GSK3 phosphorylation sites in animal proteomes. This finding prompted us to examine the relationship between MITF, endolysosomal biogenesis, and Wnt signaling. Here we report that MITF expression levels correlated with the expression of a large subset of lysosomal genes in melanoma cell lines. MITF expression in the tetracycline-inducible C32 melanoma model caused a marked increase in vesicular structures, and increased expression of late endosomal proteins, such as Rab7, LAMP1, and CD63. These late endosomes were not functional lysosomes as they were less active in proteolysis, yet were able to concentrate Axin1, phospho-LRP6, phospho-β-catenin, and GSK3 in the presence of Wnt ligands. This relocalization significantly enhanced Wnt signaling by increasing the number of multivesicular bodies into which the Wnt signalosome/destruction complex becomes localized upon Wnt signaling. We also show that the MITF protein was stabilized by Wnt signaling, through the novel C-terminal GSK3 phosphorylations identified here. MITF stabilization caused an increase in multivesicular body biosynthesis, which in turn increased Wnt signaling, generating a positive-feedback loop that may function during the proliferative stages of melanoma. The results underscore the importance of misregulated endolysosomal biogenesis in Wnt signaling and cancer.
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Park S, Ahn ES, Kim Y. Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell-derived exosomes stimulate dendrite-like outgrowths and modify the differentiation of A375 melanoma cells. Cell Biol Int 2014; 39:379-87. [DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seyeon Park
- Department of Applied Chemistry; Dongduk Women's University; Seoul 136-714 Korea
| | - Eun Sook Ahn
- Department of Applied Chemistry; Dongduk Women's University; Seoul 136-714 Korea
| | - Yunjoo Kim
- Department of Applied Chemistry; Dongduk Women's University; Seoul 136-714 Korea
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Abstract
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows the identification of objects through the analysis of their unique spectral signatures. Although first developed many years ago for use in terrestrial remote sensing, this technology has more recently been studied for application in the medical field. With preliminary data favoring a role for HSI in distinguishing normal and lesional skin tissues, we sought to investigate the potential use of HSI as a diagnostic aid in the classification of atypical Spitzoid neoplasms, a group of lesions that often leave dermatopathologists bewildered. One hundred and two hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue samples were divided into 1 of 4 diagnostic categories (Spitz nevus, Spitz nevus with unusual features, atypical Spitzoid neoplasm, and Spitzoid malignant melanoma) and 1 of 2 control groups (benign melanocytic nevus and malignant melanoma). A region of interest was selected from the dermal component of each sample, thereby maximizing the examination of melanocytes. Tissue samples were examined at ×400 magnification using a spectroscopy system interfaced with a light microscope. The absorbance patterns of wavelengths from 385 to 880 nm were measured and then analyzed within and among groups. All tissue groups demonstrated 3 common absorbance spectra at 496, 533, and 838 nm. Each sample group contained at least one absorption point that was unique to that group. The Spitzoid malignant melanoma category had the highest number of total and unique absorption points for any sample group. The data were then clustered into 12 representative spectral classes. Although each of the sample groups contained all 12 spectral vectors, they did so in differing proportions. These preliminary results reveal differences in the spectral signatures of the Spitzoid lesions examined in this study. Further investigation into a role for HSI in classifying atypical Spitzoid neoplasms is encouraged.
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Oliveira CS, de Bock CE, Molloy TJ, Sadeqzadeh E, Geng XY, Hersey P, Zhang XD, Thorne RF. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor engages PI3K/Akt signalling and is a prognostic factor in metastatic melanoma. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:630. [PMID: 25168062 PMCID: PMC4155090 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a widely expressed cytokine involved in a variety of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation and the control of proliferation. Overexpression of MIF has been reported in a number of cancer types and it has previously been shown that MIF is upregulated in melanocytic tumours with the highest expression levels occurring in malignant melanoma. However, the clinical significance of high MIF expression in melanoma has not been reported. Methods MIF expression was depleted in human melanoma cell lines using siRNA-mediated gene knockdown and effects monitored using in vitro assays of proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, clonogenicity and Akt signalling. In silico analyses of expression microarray data were used to correlate MIF expression levels in melanoma tumours with overall patient survival using a univariate Cox regression model. Results Knockdown of MIF significantly decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis and decreased anchorage-independent growth. Effects were associated with reduced numbers of cells entering S phase concomitant with decreased cyclin D1 and CDK4 expression, increased p27 expression and decreased Akt phosphorylation. Analysis of clinical outcome data showed that MIF expression levels in primary melanoma were not associated with outcome (HR = 1.091, p = 0.892) whereas higher levels of MIF in metastatic lesions were significantly associated with faster disease progression (HR = 2.946, p = 0.003 and HR = 4.600, p = 0.004, respectively in two independent studies). Conclusions Our in vitro analyses show that MIF functions upstream of the PI3K/Akt pathway in human melanoma cell lines. Moreover, depletion of MIF inhibited melanoma proliferation, viability and clonogenic capacity. Clinically, high MIF levels in metastatic melanoma were found to be associated with faster disease recurrence. These findings support the clinical significance of MIF signalling in melanoma and provide a strong rationale for both targeting and monitoring MIF expression in clinical melanoma. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-630) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rick F Thorne
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
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