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Alors-Pérez E, Pedraza-Arevalo S, Blázquez-Encinas R, Moreno-Montilla MT, García-Vioque V, Berbel I, Luque RM, Sainz B, Ibáñez-Costa A, Castaño JP. Splicing alterations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a new molecular landscape with translational potential. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:282. [PMID: 37880792 PMCID: PMC10601233 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02858-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers worldwide, mainly due to its late diagnosis and lack of effective therapies, translating into a low 5-year 12% survival rate, despite extensive clinical efforts to improve outcomes. International cooperative studies have provided informative multiomic landscapes of PDAC, but translation of these discoveries into clinical advances are lagging. Likewise, early diagnosis biomarkers and new therapeutic tools are sorely needed to tackle this cancer. The study of poorly explored molecular processes, such as splicing, can provide new tools in this regard. Alternative splicing of pre-RNA allows the generation of multiple RNA variants from a single gene and thereby contributes to fundamental biological processes by finely tuning gene expression. However, alterations in alternative splicing are linked to many diseases, and particularly to cancer, where it can contribute to tumor initiation, progression, metastasis and drug resistance. Splicing defects are increasingly being associated with PDAC, including both mutations or dysregulation of components of the splicing machinery and associated factors, and altered expression of specific relevant gene variants. Such disruptions can be a key element enhancing pancreatic tumor progression or metastasis, while they can also provide suitable tools to identify potential candidate biomarkers and discover new actionable targets. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current information about dysregulation of splicing-related elements and aberrant splicing isoforms in PDAC, and to describe their relationship with the development, progression and/or aggressiveness of this dismal cancer, as well as their potential as therapeutic tools and targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Alors-Pérez
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Sergio Pedraza-Arevalo
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Ricardo Blázquez-Encinas
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - María Trinidad Moreno-Montilla
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Víctor García-Vioque
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Berbel
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Raúl M Luque
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, (CIBERObn), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Area 3, Cancer, Madrid, Spain
- Gastrointestinal Tumours Research Programme, Biomedical Research Network in Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Ibáñez-Costa
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain.
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain.
| | - Justo P Castaño
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain.
- Reina Sofía University Hospital (HURS), Cordoba, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, (CIBERObn), Córdoba, Spain.
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Rao SV, Solum G, Niederdorfer B, Nørsett KG, Bjørkøy G, Thommesen L. Gastrin activates autophagy and increases migration and survival of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:68. [PMID: 28109268 PMCID: PMC5251222 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3055-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The peptide hormone gastrin exerts a growth-promoting effect in both normal and malignant gastrointestinal tissue. Gastrin mediates its effect via the cholecystokinin 2 receptor (CCKBR/CCK2R). Although a substantial part of the gastric adenocarcinomas express gastrin and CCKBR, the role of gastrin in tumor development is not completely understood. Autophagy has been implicated in mechanisms governing cytoprotection, tumor growth, and contributes to chemoresistance. This study explores the role of autophagy in response to gastrin in gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines. METHODS Immunoblotting, survival assays and the xCELLigence system were used to study gastrin induced autophagy. Chemical inhibitors of autophagy were utilized to assess the role of this process in the regulation of cellular responses induced by gastrin. Further, knockdown studies using siRNA and immunoblotting were performed to explore the signaling pathways that activate autophagy in response to gastrin treatment. RESULTS We demonstrate that gastrin increases the expression of the autophagy markers MAP1LC3B-II and SQSTM1 in gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Gastrin induces autophagy via activation of the STK11-PRKAA2-ULK1 and that this signaling pathway is involved in increased migration and cell survival. Furthermore, gastrin mediated increase in survival of cells treated with cisplatin is partially dependent on induced autophagy. CONCLUSION This study reveals a novel role of gastrin in the regulation of autophagy. It also opens up new avenues in the treatment of gastric cancer by targeting CCKBR mediated signaling and/or autophagy in combination with conventional cytostatic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini V Rao
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. .,Department of Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Guri Solum
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Barbara Niederdorfer
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin G Nørsett
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.,The Central Norway Regional Health Authority, Stjørdal, Norway
| | - Geir Bjørkøy
- Department of Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,CEMIR (Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research), NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Liv Thommesen
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
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Sellam F, Harir N, Khaled MB, Mrabent NM, Belkralladi H, Tou A, Diaf M, Salah R, Moulessehoul S. Immunohistochemical examination of cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors (CCK-2/gastrin-R) expression in normal and exocrine cancerous human pancreatic tissues. Pancreatology 2015; 15:661-6. [PMID: 26520651 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluating tissue samples of normal and exocrine cancerous human pancreas on the expression of CCK2/gastrin receptor. We performed an immunohistochemical protocol that allows efficient detection of this receptor in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human tissues. METHODS Twenty (20) paraffin blocks of pancreatic tissue sections were collected from the Departments of pathology, Central University Hospital of Sidi-bel-Abbes City (Western Algeria) for the period 2004-2013; ten (10) of them were normal pancreatic samples; and ten (10) cancerous pancreatic sections. The samples were studied using an immunohistochemical protocol for CCK-2/gastrin receptors. RESULTS Our immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CCK-2/gastrin receptors were expressed in both normal and malignant pancreatic cells but with different immunoreactivity levels and different immunostaining intensity i.e., CCK-2/gastrin receptors were highly expressed within the cytoplasmic area of cancerous cells; 40% of the samples had an immunoreactivity (IR) of (+++) and 60% (++++); the immunostaining was as well very intense since we reported a dark brown staining of the malignant cells. However; in normal pancreatic tissues; CCK-2/gastrin receptors IR levels were very low; 80% of the samples had an IR of (+); and 20% had (++) and the immunostaining was less intense; we noted a light brown staining of few normal pancreatic cells. CONCLUSION The gastrointestinal peptides CCK could be very interesting targets for exocrine pancreatic cancer therapies; thus further surveys such as western blotting and RTPCR could indentify CCK-2/gastrin receptors as a helpful biomarker for exocrine pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feriel Sellam
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
| | - Noria Harir
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria; Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Proteomics and Health, Algeria
| | - Méghit B Khaled
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
| | - Nesrine M Mrabent
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
| | - Houria Belkralladi
- Department of Pathology, Hassani Abdelkader University Hospital, Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
| | - Abdelnacer Tou
- Department of Pathology, Hassani Abdelkader University Hospital, Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria; Laboratory of Environment and Cancer, Algeria
| | - Mustapha Diaf
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
| | - Rachida Salah
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
| | - Soraya Moulessehoul
- Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria
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Wayua C, Low PS. Evaluation of a cholecystokinin 2 receptor-targeted near-infrared dye for fluorescence-guided surgery of cancer. Mol Pharm 2013; 11:468-76. [PMID: 24325469 DOI: 10.1021/mp400429h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Surgical resection of malignant disease remains one of the most effective tools for treating cancer. Tumor-targeted near-infrared dyes have the potential to improve contrast between normal and malignant tissues, thereby enabling surgeons to more quantitatively resect malignant disease. Because the cholecystokinin 2 receptor (CCK2R and its tumor-specific splice variant CCK2i4svR) is overexpressed in cancers of the lungs, colon, thyroid, pancreas, and stomach, but absent or inaccessible to parenterally administered drugs in most normal tissues, we have undertaken to design a targeting ligand that can deliver attached near-infrared dyes to CCK2R+ tumors. We report here the synthesis and biological characterization of a CCK2R-targeted conjugate of the near-infrared dye, LS-288 (CRL-LS288). We demonstrate that CRL-LS288 binds selectively to CCK2R+ cancer cells with low nanomolar affinity (Kd = 7 × 10(-9) M). We further show that CRL-LS288 localizes primarily to CCK2R-expressing HEK 293 murine tumor xenografts and that dye uptake in these xenografts is significantly reduced when CCK2R are blocked by preinjection of excess ligand (CRL) or when mice are implanted with CCK2R-negative tumors. Because CRL-LS288 is also found to reveal the locations of distant tumor metastases, we suggest that CRL-LS288 has the potential to facilitate intraoperative identification of malignant disease during a variety of cancer debulking surgeries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charity Wayua
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Abstract
C-terminally amidated gastrins act at cholecystokinin-2 receptors (CCK2R), which are normally expressed by gastric parietal and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells and smooth muscle; there is also extensive expression in the CNS where the main endogenous ligand is cholecystokinin. A variety of neoplasms express CCK2R, or splice variants, including neuroendocrine, pancreatic, medullary thyroid and lung cancers. Other products of the gastrin gene (progastrin, the Gly-gastrins) may stimulate cell proliferation but are not CCK2R ligands. Depending on the cell type, stimulation of CCK2R evokes secretion, increases proliferation and cell migration, inhibits apoptosis, and controls the expression of various genes. These effects are mediated by increased intracellular calcium and activation of protein kinase C, MAPkinase and other protein kinase cascades. There has been recent progress in developing CCK2R ligands that can be used for imaging tumours expressing the receptor. New antagonists have also been developed, and there is scope for using these for suppression of gastric acid and for treatment of neuroendocrine and other CCK2R-expressing tumours.
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Rai R, Chandra V, Tewari M, Kumar M, Shukla HS. Cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors targeting in gastrointestinal cancer. Surg Oncol 2012; 21:281-92. [PMID: 22801592 DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2012.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cholecystokinin and Gastrin are amongst the first gastrointestinal hormone discovered. In addition to classical actions (contraction of gallbladder, growth and secretion in the stomach and pancreas), these also act as growth stimulants for gastrointestinal malignancies and cell lines. Growth of these tumours is inhibited by antagonists of the cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors. These receptors provides most promising approach in clinical oncology and several specific radiolabelled ligands have been synthesized for specific tumour targeting and therapy of tumours overexpressing these receptors. Therefore, definition of the molecular structure of the receptor involved in the autocrine/paracrine loop may contribute to novel therapies for gastrointestinal cancer. Hence, this review tries to focus on the role and distribution of these hormones and their receptors in gastrointestinal cancer with a brief talk about the clinical trial using available agonist and antagonist in gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajani Rai
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Banaras Hindu University, 7 SKG Colony, Lanka, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
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