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Berrino C, Omar A. Unravelling the Mysteries of the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway in Cancer Stem Cells: Activity, Crosstalk and Regulation. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:5397-5419. [PMID: 38920995 PMCID: PMC11202538 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46060323] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling pathway plays a critical role in normal development and tissue homeostasis, guiding cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Aberrant activation of this pathway, however, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancers, largely due to its role in regulating cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a subpopulation of cancer cells with the ability to self-renew, differentiate, and initiate tumour growth, contributing significantly to tumorigenesis, recurrence, and resistance to therapy. This review focuses on the intricate activity of the Shh pathway within the context of CSCs, detailing the molecular mechanisms through which Shh signalling influences CSC properties, including self-renewal, differentiation, and survival. It further explores the regulatory crosstalk between the Shh pathway and other signalling pathways in CSCs, highlighting the complexity of this regulatory network. Here, we delve into the upstream regulators and downstream effectors that modulate Shh pathway activity in CSCs. This review aims to cast a specific focus on the role of the Shh pathway in CSCs, provide a detailed exploration of molecular mechanisms and regulatory crosstalk, and discuss current and developing inhibitors. By summarising key findings and insights gained, we wish to emphasise the importance of further elucidating the interplay between the Shh pathway and CSCs to develop more effective cancer therapies.
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Bamodu OA, Chung CC, Pisanic TR, Wu ATH. The intricate interplay between cancer stem cells and cell-of-origin of cancer: implications for therapeutic strategies. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1404628. [PMID: 38800385 PMCID: PMC11116576 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1404628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as pivotal players in tumorigenesis, disease progression, and resistance to therapies. Objective This comprehensive review delves into the intricate relationship between CSCs and the cell-of-origin in diverse cancer types. Design Comprehensive review of thematically-relevant literature. Methods We explore the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive the conversion of normal cells into CSCs and the impact of the cell-of-origin on CSC properties, tumor initiation, and therapeutic responses. Moreover, we discuss potential therapeutic interventions targeting CSCs based on their distinct cell-of-origin characteristics. Results Accruing evidence suggest that the cell-of-origin, the cell type from which the tumor originates, plays a crucial role in determining the properties of CSCs and their contribution to tumor heterogeneity. Conclusion By providing critical insights into the complex interplay between CSCs and their cellular origins, this article aims to enhance our understanding of cancer biology and pave the way for more effective and personalized cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu
- Directorate of Postgraduate Studies, School of Clinical Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Chen-Chih Chung
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Thomas R. Pisanic
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology - Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alexander T. H. Wu
- The Program for Translational Medicine, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Clinical Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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Gui Y, Fu H, Palanza Z, Tao J, Lin YH, Min W, Qiao Y, Bonin C, Hargis G, Wang Y, Yang P, Kreutzer DL, Wang Y, Liu Y, Yu Y, Liu Y, Zhou D. Fibroblast expression of transmembrane protein smoothened governs microenvironment characteristics after acute kidney injury. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e165836. [PMID: 38713523 PMCID: PMC11213467 DOI: 10.1172/jci165836] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The smoothened (Smo) receptor facilitates hedgehog signaling between kidney fibroblasts and tubules during acute kidney injury (AKI). Tubule-derived hedgehog is protective in AKI, but the role of fibroblast-selective Smo is unclear. Here, we report that Smo-specific ablation in fibroblasts reduced tubular cell apoptosis and inflammation, enhanced perivascular mesenchymal cell activities, and preserved kidney function after AKI. Global proteomics of these kidneys identified extracellular matrix proteins, and nidogen-1 glycoprotein in particular, as key response markers to AKI. Intriguingly, Smo was bound to nidogen-1 in cells, suggesting that loss of Smo could affect nidogen-1 accessibility. Phosphoproteomics revealed that the 'AKI protector' Wnt signaling pathway was activated in these kidneys. Mechanistically, nidogen-1 interacted with integrin β1 to induce Wnt in tubules to mitigate AKI. Altogether, our results support that fibroblast-selective Smo dictates AKI fate through cell-matrix interactions, including nidogen-1, and offers a robust resource and path to further dissect AKI pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gui
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Haiyan Fu
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zachary Palanza
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jianling Tao
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yi-Han Lin
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Wenjian Min
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Christopher Bonin
- University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Geneva Hargis
- University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Yanlin Wang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yansheng Liu
- Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yanbao Yu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Youhua Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dong Zhou
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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Wang Y, Liang ZJ, Gale RP, Liao HZ, Ma J, Gong TJ, Shao YQ, Liang Y. Chronic myeloid leukaemia: Biology and therapy. Blood Rev 2024; 65:101196. [PMID: 38604819 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is caused by BCR::ABL1. Tyrosine kinase-inhibitors (TKIs) are the initial therapy. Several organizations have reported milestones to evaluate response to initial TKI-therapy and suggest when a change of TKI should be considered. Achieving treatment-free remission (TFR) is increasingly recognized as the optimal therapy goal. Which TKI is the best initial therapy for which persons and what depth and duration of molecular remission is needed to achieve TFR are controversial. In this review we discuss these issues and suggest future research directions.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/diagnosis
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/etiology
- Remission Induction
- Biology
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Zhi-Jian Liang
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Robert Peter Gale
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China; Centre for Haematology, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Hua-Ze Liao
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Harbin First Hospital, Harbin 150010, China
| | - Tie-Jun Gong
- Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Harbin First Hospital, Harbin 150010, China.
| | - Ying-Qi Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China.
| | - Yang Liang
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China; State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China.
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Yin J, Ren P. New advances in the treatment of chondrosarcoma under the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. J Cancer Res Ther 2024; 20:522-530. [PMID: 38687921 DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_2269_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Bone sarcomas encompass a group of spontaneous mesenchymal malignancies, among which osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and chordoma are the most common subtypes. Chondrosarcoma, a relatively prevalent malignant bone tumor that originates from chondrocytes, is characterized by endogenous cartilage ossification within the tumor tissue. Despite the use of aggressive treatment approaches involving extensive surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for patients with osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and chordoma, limited improvements in patient outcomes have been observed. Furthermore, resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been observed in chondrosarcoma and chordoma cases. Consequently, novel therapeutic approaches for bone sarcomas, including chondrosarcoma, need to be uncovered. Recently, the emergence of immunotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors has garnered attention given their clinical success in various diverse types of cancer, thereby prompting investigations into their potential for managing chondrosarcoma. Considering that circumvention of immune surveillance is considered a key factor in the malignant progression of tumors and that immune checkpoints play an important role in modulating antitumor immune effects, blockers or inhibitors targeting these immune checkpoints have become effective therapeutic tools for patients with tumors. One such checkpoint receptor implicated in this process is programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1). The association between PD-1 and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and cancer progression in humans has been extensively studied, highlighting their remarkable potential as biomarkers for cancer treatment. This review comprehensively examines available studies on current chondrosarcoma treatments and advancements in anti-PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy for chondrosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Yin
- Trauma Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Yang Y, Yan X, Bai X, Yang J, Song J. Programmed cell death-ligand 2: new insights in cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1359532. [PMID: 38605944 PMCID: PMC11006960 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1359532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, with the anti-PD-1/PD-L1 axis therapy demonstrating significant clinical efficacy across various tumor types. However, it should be noted that this therapy is not universally effective for all PD-L1-positive patients, highlighting the need to expedite research on the second ligand of PD-1, known as Programmed Cell Death Receptor Ligand 2 (PD-L2). As an immune checkpoint molecule, PD-L2 was reported to be associated with patient's prognosis and plays a pivotal role in cancer cell immune escape. An in-depth understanding of the regulatory process of PD-L2 expression may stratify patients to benefit from anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Our review focuses on exploring PD-L2 expression in different tumors, its correlation with prognosis, regulatory factors, and the interplay between PD-L2 and tumor treatment, which may provide a notable avenue in developing immune combination therapy and improving the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukang Yang
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xia Yan
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xueqi Bai
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiayang Yang
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jianbo Song
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Wu Y, Guo W, Wang T, Liu Y, Mullor MDMR, Rodrìguez RA, Zhao S, Wei R. The comprehensive landscape of prognosis, immunity, and function of the GLI family by pan-cancer and single-cell analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5123-5148. [PMID: 38498906 PMCID: PMC11006459 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancers. However, the roles of the downstream GLI family (GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3) in tumorigenesis remain elusive. This study aimed to unravel the genetic alterations of GLI1/2/3 in cancer and their association with the immune microenvironment and related signaling pathways. Firstly, we evaluated the expression profiles of GLI1/2/3 in different cancer types, analyzed their prognostic and predictive values, and assessed their correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Secondly, we explored the relationships between GLI1/2/3 and genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications, and clinically relevant drugs. Finally, we performed enrichment analysis to decipher the underlying mechanisms of GLI1/2/3 in cancer initiation and progression. Our results revealed that the expression levels of GLI1/2/3 were positively correlated in most cancer tissues, suggesting a cooperative role of these factors in tumorigenesis. We also identified tissue-specific expression patterns of GLI1/2/3, which may reflect the distinct functions of these factors in different cell types. Furthermore, GLI1/2/3 expression displayed significant associations with poor prognosis in several cancers, indicating their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Importantly, we found that GLI1/2/3 modulated the immune microenvironment by regulating the recruitment, activation, and polarization of cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Additionally, functional enrichment analyses indicated that GLI1/2/3 are involved in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Together, our findings shed new light on the roles of GLI1/2/3 in tumorigenesis and provide a potential basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting GLI-mediated signaling pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinteng Wu
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Wenliang Guo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Guigang City People’s Hospital, Guigang, Guangxi 537100, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | | | | | - Shijian Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650102, China
| | - Ruqiong Wei
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
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Yang Y, Yang C, Yang Q, Lu S, Liu B, Li D, Li D, Zhang P, Xu P, Lang J, Zhou J. Elucidating Hedgehog pathway's role in HNSCC progression: insights from a 6-gene signature. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4686. [PMID: 38409358 PMCID: PMC10897175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54937-6] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
With the emergence of targeted inhibition strategies for Hedgehog signaling in cancer, multiple Hedgehog signaling pathway-related biomarkers have become the focus of research. SsGSEA algorithm was employed to analyze the Hedgehog pathway scores of samples in TCGA-HNSC dataset and divide them into two groups. Weighted co-expression network analysis was performed to identify modules strongly associated with the Hedgehog pathway. Differentially up-regulated genes in tumor samples in comparison to the normal ones were screened by Limma, in which genes belonging to modules strongly related to Hedgehog pathway were further filtered by LASSO reduction and multivariate Cox regression analysis to develop a model. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT were served to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME). TIDE assessed immunotherapy response. Hedgehog pathway activity was significantly higher in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues than in normal tissues and was correlated with HNSCC survival, glycan, cofactors and vitamins, drug metabolism, and matrix scores. Six genes (SLC2A3, EFNB2, OAF, COX4I2, MT2A and TXNRD1) were captured to form a Hedgehog associated 6-gene signature, and the resulting risk score was an independent indicator of HNSCC prognosis. It was significantly positively correlated with stromal score, metabolism, angiogenesis and inflammatory response. Patients in low-risk group with a low TIDE score had higher immunotherapy sensitivity relative to those in high-risk group. This study revealed novel findings of the Hedgehog pathway in HNSCC progression and opened up a Hedgehog pathology-related signature to help identify risk factors contributing to HNSCC progression and help predict immunotherapy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Oncology, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610014, China
| | - Chenxi Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Qiying Yang
- Military Casualty Management Department, General Hospital of the Western War Zone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Shun Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Bisheng Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Dongyun Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Dongliang Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Jinyi Lang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610042, China.
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Gong L, Qiu L, Hao M. Novel Insights into the Initiation, Evolution, and Progression of Multiple Myeloma by Multi-Omics Investigation. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:498. [PMID: 38339250 PMCID: PMC10854875 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary history of multiple myeloma (MM) includes malignant transformation, followed by progression to pre-malignant stages and overt malignancy, ultimately leading to more aggressive and resistant forms. Over the past decade, large effort has been made to identify the potential therapeutic targets in MM. However, MM remains largely incurable. Most patients experience multiple relapses and inevitably become refractory to treatment. Tumor-initiating cell populations are the postulated population, leading to the recurrent relapses in many hematological malignancies. Clonal evolution of tumor cells in MM has been identified along with the disease progression. As a consequence of different responses to the treatment of heterogeneous MM cell clones, the more aggressive populations survive and evolve. In addition, the tumor microenvironment is a complex ecosystem which plays multifaceted roles in supporting tumor cell evolution. Emerging multi-omics research at single-cell resolution permits an integrative and comprehensive profiling of the tumor cells and microenvironment, deepening the understanding of biological features of MM. In this review, we intend to discuss the novel insights into tumor cell initiation, clonal evolution, drug resistance, and tumor microenvironment in MM, as revealed by emerging multi-omics investigations. These data suggest a promising strategy to unravel the pivotal mechanisms of MM progression and enable the improvement in treatment, both holistically and precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China;
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Lugui Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China;
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 300020, China
- Gobroad Healthcare Group, Beijing 100072, China
| | - Mu Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China;
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 300020, China
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10
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Wang Y, Song W, Li Y, Liu Z, Zhao K, Jia L, Wang X, Jiang R, Tian Y, He X. Integrated analysis of tumor microenvironment features to establish a diagnostic model for papillary thyroid cancer using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing technology. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:16837-16850. [PMID: 37733241 PMCID: PMC10645658 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05420-8] [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: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterizing tumor microenvironment using single-cell RNA sequencing has been a promising strategy for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, a few studies have focused on diagnosing papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) through this technology. Therefore, our study explored tumor microenvironment (TME) features and identified potential biomarkers to establish a diagnostic model for papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS The cell types were identified using the markers from the CellMarker database and published research. The CellChat package was conducted to analyze the cell-cell interaction. The SCEVAN package was used to identify malignant thyroid cells. The SCP package was used to perform multiple single-cell downstream analyses, such as GSEA analysis, enrichment analysis, pseudotime trajectory analysis, and differential expression analysis. The diagnostic model of PTC was estimated using the calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curve analysis. RT-qPCR was performed to validate the expression of candidate genes in human papillary thyroid samples. RESULTS Eight cell types were identified in the scRNA-seq dataset by published cell markers. Extensive cell-cell interactions like FN1/ITGB1 existed in PTC tissues. We identified 26 critical genes related to PTC progression. Further, eight subgroups of PTC tumor cells were identified and exhibited high heterogeneity. The MDK/LRP1, MDK/ALK, GAS6/MERTK, and GAS6/AXL were identified as potential ligand-receptor pairs involved in the interactions between fibroblasts/endothelial cells and tumor cells. Eventually, the diagnostic model constructed by TRPC5, TENM1, NELL2, DMD, SLC35F3, and AUTS2 showed a good efficiency for distinguishing the PTC and normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS Our study comprehensively characterized the tumor microenvironment in papillary thyroid cancer. Through combined analysis with bulk RNA-seq, six potential diagnostic biomarkers were identified and validated. The diagnostic model we constructed was a promising tool for PTC diagnosis. Our findings provide new insights into the heterogeneity of thyroid cancer and the theoretical basis for diagnosing thyroid cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizeng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbin Song
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingxi Li
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoyi Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Lanning Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruoyu Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Tian
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xianghui He
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China.
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Bai Y, Li M, Geng D, Liu S, Chen Y, Li S, Zhang S, Wang H. Polyphyllins in cancer therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 121:155096. [PMID: 37769554 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polyphyllins are secondary metabolites that inhibit the growth of various tumours; however, clinical trials on their use are lacking. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antitumour efficacy of polyphyllins in animal models. STUDY DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS Electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for relevant articles. The Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's Risk of Bias tool was used to assess methodological quality. RevMan V.5.4 (Cochrane) and Stata MP 17 software were used to perform a meta-analysis. RESULTS Thirty articles were analysed including 33 independent experiments and 452 animals in this paper. Overall, tumour volume (standardised mean difference [SMD]: -3.35; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -4.27 to -2.43; p < 0.00001) and tumour weight (SMD: -3.79; 95% CI: -4.75 to -2.82; p < 0.00001) were reduced by polyphyllins, which showed a good cancer therapeutic effect; mouse weight (SMD: -0.22; 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.18; p = 0.28) was insignificantly different, which indicated that polyphyllins did not affect the growth of the mice within the test range. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms of the antitumour activity of polyphyllins were explained, including the P53, NF-kB, AMPK, and ERK signalling pathways. CONCLUSION Polyphyllins inhibit the growth of cancers within the experimental dose. However, due to heterogeneity of the results of the included studies, more studies are needed to support this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Bai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Dongjie Geng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Shouzan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; Botanical Garden, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Ye Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Shan Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Shaobo Zhang
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Hongzhen Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
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12
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Yang B, Lin Y, Huang Y, Zhu N, Shen YQ. Extracellular vesicles modulate key signalling pathways in refractory wound healing. BURNS & TRAUMA 2023; 11:tkad039. [PMID: 38026441 PMCID: PMC10654481 DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Chronic wounds are wounds that cannot heal properly due to various factors, such as underlying diseases, infection or reinjury, and improper healing of skin wounds and ulcers can cause a serious economic burden. Numerous studies have shown that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from stem/progenitor cells promote wound healing, reduce scar formation and have significant advantages over traditional treatment methods. EVs are membranous particles that carry various bioactive molecules from their cellular origins, such as cytokines, nucleic acids, enzymes, lipids and proteins. EVs can mediate cell-to-cell communication and modulate various physiological processes, such as cell differentiation, angiogenesis, immune response and tissue remodelling. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in EV-based wound healing, focusing on the signalling pathways that are regulated by EVs and their cargos. We discuss how EVs derived from different types of stem/progenitor cells can promote wound healing and reduce scar formation by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin, vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor β and JAK-STAT pathways. Moreover, we also highlight the challenges and opportunities for engineering or modifying EVs to enhance their efficacy and specificity for wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yumeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yibo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Nanxi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ying-Qiang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
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13
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Sarrand J, Soyfoo MS. Involvement of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Autoimmune Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14481. [PMID: 37833928 PMCID: PMC10572663 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex reversible biological process characterized by the loss of epithelial features and the acquisition of mesenchymal features. EMT was initially described in developmental processes and was further associated with pathological conditions including metastatic cascade arising in neoplastic progression and organ fibrosis. Fibrosis is delineated by an excessive number of myofibroblasts, resulting in exuberant production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, thereby compromising organ function and ultimately leading to its failure. It is now well acknowledged that a significant number of myofibroblasts result from the conversion of epithelial cells via EMT. Over the past two decades, evidence has accrued linking fibrosis to many chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In addition, chronic inflammatory states observed in most autoimmune and inflammatory diseases can act as a potent trigger of EMT, leading to the development of a pathological fibrotic state. In the present review, we aim to describe the current state of knowledge regarding the contribution of EMT to the pathophysiological processes of various rheumatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sarrand
- Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Muhammad S. Soyfoo
- Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
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Jing J, Wu Z, Wang J, Luo G, Lin H, Fan Y, Zhou C. Hedgehog signaling in tissue homeostasis, cancers, and targeted therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:315. [PMID: 37596267 PMCID: PMC10439210 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01559-5] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway in various biological events. HH signaling pathway exerts its biological effects through a complex signaling cascade involved with primary cilium. HH signaling pathway has important functions in embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. It plays a central role in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of adult stem cells. Importantly, it has become increasingly clear that HH signaling pathway is associated with increased cancer prevalence, malignant progression, poor prognosis and even increased mortality. Understanding the integrative nature of HH signaling pathway has opened up the potential for new therapeutic targets for cancer. A variety of drugs have been developed, including small molecule inhibitors, natural compounds, and long non-coding RNA (LncRNA), some of which are approved for clinical use. This review outlines recent discoveries of HH signaling in tissue homeostasis and cancer and discusses how these advances are paving the way for the development of new biologically based therapies for cancer. Furthermore, we address status quo and limitations of targeted therapies of HH signaling pathway. Insights from this review will help readers understand the function of HH signaling in homeostasis and cancer, as well as opportunities and challenges of therapeutic targets for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhuoxuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiahe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guowen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hengyi Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yi Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Chenchen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Pospieszna J, Dams-Kozlowska H, Udomsak W, Murias M, Kucinska M. Unmasking the Deceptive Nature of Cancer Stem Cells: The Role of CD133 in Revealing Their Secrets. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10910. [PMID: 37446085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, and its complexity poses a significant challenge to effective treatment. Cancer stem cells and their markers have become key players in tumor growth and progression. CD133, a marker in various cancer types, is an active research area as a potential therapeutic target. This article explores the role of CD133 in cancer treatment, beginning with an overview of cancer statistics and an explanation of cancer stem cells and their markers. The rise of CD133 is discussed, including its structure, functions, and occurrence in different cancer types. Furthermore, the article covers CD133 as a therapeutic target, focusing on gene therapy, immunotherapy, and approaches to affect CD133 expression. Nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles and nanoliposomes are also discussed in the context of CD133-targeted therapy. In conclusion, CD133 is a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. As research in this area progresses, it is hoped that CD133-targeted therapies will offer new and effective treatment options for cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pospieszna
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
| | - Hanna Dams-Kozlowska
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
| | - Wachirawit Udomsak
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Murias
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
- Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 10 Street, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Kucinska
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
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Wu H, Zhang L, Chen B, Ou B, Xu J, Tian N, Yang D, Ai Y, Chen Q, Quan D, Zhang T, Lv L, Tian Y, Zhang J, Wu S. B13, a well-tolerated inhibitor of hedgehog pathway, exhibited potent anti-tumor effects against colorectal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Bioorg Chem 2023; 135:106488. [PMID: 36989734 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway mediates the genesis and progression of various tumors [1]. Currently, three drugs targeting the Hh signaling component Smoothened (Smo) have been marketed for the clinical treatment of basal cell tumors or acute myeloid leukemia. However, drug resistance is a common problem in those drugs, so the study of Smo inhibitors that can overcome drug resistance has important guiding significance for clinical adjuvant drugs. MTT assay, clone formation assay and EdU assay were used to detect the proliferation inhibitory activity of the drugs on tumor cells. The effect of B13 on cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. An acute toxicity test was used to detect the toxicity of B13 in vivo, and xenograft tumor model was used to detect the efficacy of B13 in vivo. The binding of B13 to Smo was studied by BODIPY-cyclopamine competitive binding assay and molecular docking. The effect of B13 on the expression and localization of downstream target gene Gli1/2 of Smo was investigated by Western Blot and immunofluorescence assay. SmoD473H mutant cell line was constructed to study the effect of B13 against drug resistance. (1) B13 had the strongest inhibitory activity against colorectal cancer cells. (2) B13 can effectively inhibit the clone formation and EdU positive rate of colon cancer cells. (3) B13 can block the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and cell apoptosis. (4) B13 has low toxicity in vivo, and its efficacy in vivo is better than that of the Vismodegib. (5) Molecular docking and BODIPY-cyclopamine experiments showed that B13 could bind to Smo protein. (6) B13 can inhibit the protein expression of Gli1, the downstream of Smo, and inhibit its entry into the nucleus. (7) B13 could inhibit the expression of Gli1 in the HEK293 cells with SmoD473H, and the molecular docking results showed that B13 could bind SmoD473H protein. B13 with the best anti-tumor activity was screened out by MTT assay. In vitro, pharmacodynamics experiments showed that B13 could effectively inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells, induce cell cycle arrest, and induce cell apoptosis. In vivo pharmacodynamics experiments showed that B13 was superior to Vismodegib in antitumor activity and had low toxicity in vivo. Mechanism studies have shown that B13 can bind Smo protein, inhibit the expression of downstream Gli1 and its entry into the nucleus. Notably, B13 overcomes resistance caused by SmoD473H mutations.
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Farahzadi R, Valipour B, Montazersaheb S, Fathi E. Targeting the stem cell niche micro-environment as therapeutic strategies in aging. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1162136. [PMID: 37274742 PMCID: PMC10235764 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1162136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult stem cells (ASCs) reside throughout the body and support various tissue. Owing to their self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential, ASCs have the potential to be used in regenerative medicine. Their survival, quiescence, and activation are influenced by specific signals within their microenvironment or niche. In better words, the stem cell function is significantly influenced by various extrinsic signals derived from the niche. The stem cell niche is a complex and dynamic network surrounding stem cells that plays a crucial role in maintaining stemness. Studies on stem cell niche have suggested that aged niche contributes to the decline in stem cell function. Notably, functional loss of stem cells is highly associated with aging and age-related disorders. The stem cell niche is comprised of complex interactions between multiple cell types. Over the years, essential aspects of the stem cell niche have been revealed, including cell-cell contact, extracellular matrix interaction, soluble signaling factors, and biochemical and biophysical signals. Any alteration in the stem cell niche causes cell damage and affects the regenerative properties of the stem cells. A pristine stem cell niche might be essential for the proper functioning of stem cells and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. In this regard, niche-targeted interventions may alleviate problems associated with aging in stem cell behavior. The purpose of this perspective is to discuss recent findings in the field of stem cell aging, heterogeneity of stem cell niches, and impact of age-related changes on stem cell behavior. We further focused on how the niche affects stem cells in homeostasis, aging, and the progression of malignant diseases. Finally, we detail the therapeutic strategies for tissue repair, with a particular emphasis on aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raheleh Farahzadi
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behnaz Valipour
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Sarab Faculty of Medical Sciences, Sarab, Iran
| | - Soheila Montazersaheb
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ezzatollah Fathi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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Yu X, Li W, Feng Y, Gao Z, Wu Q, Xia Y. The prognostic value of hedgehog signaling in bladder cancer by integrated bioinformatics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6241. [PMID: 37069207 PMCID: PMC10110581 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33140-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the second most prevalent urological malignancy. It's a big contributor to cancer-related deaths throughout the globe. Researchers discovered that the hedgehog signaling (HhS) pathway contributed to the onset and spread of many different kinds of cancer. Nevertheless, the present understanding of the function of HhS in the bladder cancer molecular landscape is incomplete. Raw data were gotten from the IMvigor210, the Gene Expression Omnibus, and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. Bioinformatics was used to examine the HhS score of each sample, and the enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentiation characteristics, immunological infiltration, and metabolic activity. The HhS prognostic signature was developed with significant assistance from the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and Cox regression. An HhS-related nomogram was developed to assist in the prediction of patients' survival probability. We found that HhS was linked to poor prognosis in bladder cancer, and its activation was linked to the Basal subtype of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer with high HhS activity has higher glycolysis, nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and other cancer-promoting metabolic activities. Furthermore, HhS mediates an immunosuppressive microenvironment in bladder cancer on the basis that HhS negatively correlates with the CD8 + T cells and correlates positively with immune checkpoints and T cell exhaustion scores. Finally, an HhS-related signature was developed for predicting the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. Targeting HhS may be a potential therapy choice for bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenge Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Artemed Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Feng
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Artemed Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijie Gao
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Wu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yue Xia
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Xiong X, Wang S, Gao Z, Ye Y. C6orf15 acts as a potential novel marker of adverse pathological features and prognosis for colon cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 245:154426. [PMID: 37054577 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of chromosome 6 open reading frame 15 (C6orf15) in colon cancer and its effects on clinicopathological features and prognosis. METHODS Using the transcriptome and clinical data of colon cancer and normal tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the expression of C6orf15 mRNA in colon cancer samples and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were explored. The expression level of C6orf15 protein in 23 colon cancer tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The possible mechanism of C6orf15 involved in the occurrence and development of colon cancer was explored by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). RESULTS Compared with normal tissues, C6orf15 was highly expressed in colon cancer (1.207 ± 0.694 vs 0.276 ± 0.166, t = 8.281, P < 0.01). The expression level of C6orf15 was associated with tumor invasion depth (χ2 = 8.30, P = 0.04), lymph node metastasis (χ2 = 36.97, P < 0.001), distant metastasis (χ2 = 8.69, P = 0.003) and pathological stage (χ2 = 34.17, P < 0.001). High expression of C6orf15 was associated with poor prognosis (χ2 = 6.43, P < 0.05). The results of GSEA showed that C6orf15 promotes the occurrence and development of colon cancer by promoting the ECM receptor interaction pathway, Hedgehog signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of C6orf15 protein in colon cancer tissues was correlated with the depth of invasion (P = 0.023) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.048). CONCLUSION C6orf15 is highly expressed in colon cancer tissue and is related to adverse pathological features and poor prognosis of colon cancer. It is involved in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and may serve as a prognostic marker of colon cancer.
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Li D, Shi Z, Liu X, Jin S, Chen P, Zhang Y, Chen G, Fan X, Yang J, Lin H. Identification and development of a novel risk model based on cuproptosis-associated RNA methylation regulators for predicting prognosis and characterizing immune status in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2023; 17:112-130. [PMID: 36598701 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-022-10460-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cuproptosis, a novel cell death caused by excess copper, is quite obscure in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and needs more investigation. METHODS RNA-seq and clinical data of HCC patients TCGA database were analyzed to establish a predictive model through LASSO Cox regression analysis. External dataset ICGC was used for the verification. GSEA and CIBERSORT were applied to investigate the molecular mechanisms and immune microenvironment of HCC. Cuproptosis induced by elesclomol was confirmed via various in vitro experiments. The expression of prognostic genes was verified in HCC tissues using qRT-PCR analysis. RESULTS Initially, 18 cuproptosis-associated RNA methylation regulators (CARMRs) were selected for prognostic analysis. A nine-gene signature was created by applying the LASSO Cox regression method. Survival and ROC assays were carried out to validate the model using TCGA and ICGC database. Moreover, there exhibited obvious differences in drug sensitivity in terms of common drugs. A higher tumor mutation burden was shown in the high-risk group. Additionally, significant discrepancies were found between the two groups in metabolic pathways and RNA processing via GSEA analysis. Meanwhile, CIBERSORT analysis indicated different infiltrating levels of various immune cells between the two groups. Elesclomol treatment caused a unique form of programmed cell death accompanied by loss of lipoylated mitochondrial proteins and Fe-S cluster protein. The results of qRT-PCR indicated that most prognostic genes were differentially expressed in the HCC tissues. CONCLUSION Overall, our predictive signature displayed potential value in the prediction of overall survival of HCC patients and might provide valuable clues for personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duguang Li
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoqi Shi
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengxi Jin
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoqiao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxiao Fan
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hui Lin
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 3 East Qingchun Rd, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China. .,Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Cognitive Healthcare, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. .,College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Emerging Roles of Hedgehog Signaling in Cancer Immunity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021321. [PMID: 36674836 PMCID: PMC9864846 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog-GLI (HH) signaling plays an essential role in embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant activation of the pathway through mutations or other mechanisms is involved in the development and progression of numerous types of cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma, melanoma, breast, prostate, hepatocellular and pancreatic carcinomas. Activation of HH signaling sustains proliferation, suppresses cell death signals, enhances invasion and metastasis, deregulates cellular metabolism and promotes angiogenesis and tumor inflammation. Targeted inhibition of the HH pathway has therefore emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. Currently, the Smoothened (SMO) receptor and the downstream GLI transcriptional factors have been investigated for the development of targeted drugs. Recent studies have revealed that the HH signaling is also involved in tumor immune evasion and poor responses to cancer immunotherapy. Here we focus on the effects of HH signaling on the major cellular components of the adaptive and innate immune systems, and we present recent discoveries elucidating how the immunosuppressive function of the HH pathway is engaged by cancer cells to prevent immune surveillance. In addition, we discuss the future prospect of therapeutic options combining the HH pathway and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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22
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SHH/GLI2-TGF-β1 feedback loop between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages maintains epithelial-mesenchymal transition and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis in cholangiocarcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2023; 187:106564. [PMID: 36423790 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a dual role in tumors. However, the factors which drive the function of TAMs in cholangiocarcinoma remain largely undefined. METHODS SHH signaling pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) indicators were detected in clinical tissues and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. TAMs were co-cultured with cholangiocarcinoma cells under conditions of hypoxia/normoxia. Polarized TAMs were counted by flow cytometry, and TGF-β1 levels in cell supernatants were detected by ELISA. The effects of glioma-associated oncogene GLI2 on TAMs themselves and cholangiocarcinoma cells were examined by conducting interference and overexpression assays. RESULTS The SHH signaling pathway and ERS were both activated in tumor tissues or tumor cell lines under conditions of hypoxia. In co-culture experiments, the presence of cholangiocarcinoma cells increased the proportion of M2-polarized TAMs and the secretion of TGF-β1 by TAMs, while knockdown of SHH expression reversed those increases. Overexpression of GLI2 in TAMS or stimulation of TAMS with Hh-Ag1.5 increased their levels of TGF-β1 expression. Furthermore, under co-culture conditions, interference with GLI2 expression in TAMs reduced the tumor cell migration, invasion, and ER homeostasis induced by Hh-Ag1.5-pretreated TAMs. Under conditions of hypoxia, the presence of cholangiocarcinoma cells promoted the expression of GLI2 and TGF-β1 in Tams, and in turn, TAMs inhibited the apoptosis and promoted the migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells. In vivo, an injection of cholangiocarcinoma cells plus TAMs contributed to the growth, EMT, and ER homeostasis of tumor tissue, while an injection of TAMs with GLI2 knockdown had the opposite effects. CONCLUSION Cholangiocarcinoma cells regulated TAM polarization and TGF-β1 secretion via a paracrine SHH signaling pathway, and in turn, TAMs promoted the growth, EMT, and ER homeostasis of cholangiocarcinoma cells via TGF-β1.
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Meta-Analysis of RNA-Seq Datasets Identifies Novel Players in Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235788. [PMID: 36497269 PMCID: PMC9737249 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is a devastating grade IV glioma with poor prognosis. Identification of predictive molecular biomarkers of disease progression would substantially contribute to better disease management. In the current study, we performed a meta-analysis of different RNA-seq datasets to identify differentially expressed protein-coding genes (PCGs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). This meta-analysis aimed to improve power and reproducibility of the individual studies while identifying overlapping disease-relevant pathways. We supplemented the meta-analysis with small RNA-seq on glioblastoma tissue samples to provide an overall transcriptomic view of glioblastoma. Co-expression correlation of filtered differentially expressed PCGs and lncRNAs identified a functionally relevant sub-cluster containing DANCR and SNHG6, with two novel lncRNAs and two novel PCGs. Small RNA-seq of glioblastoma tissues identified five differentially expressed microRNAs of which three interacted with the functionally relevant sub-cluster. Pathway analysis of this sub-cluster identified several glioblastoma-linked pathways, which were also previously associated with the novel cell death pathway, ferroptosis. In conclusion, the current meta-analysis strengthens evidence of an overarching involvement of ferroptosis in glioblastoma pathogenesis and also suggests some candidates for further analyses.
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24
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Lee SH, Lee JS, Park JH, Yoon S, Lee KY, Kim HS. Glycolytic Metabolic Remodeling by the Truncate of Glioma-Associated Oncogene Homolog 1 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. J Cancer 2022; 13:3031-3043. [PMID: 36046646 PMCID: PMC9414023 DOI: 10.7150/jca.72793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an essential role in embryonic development, tissue regeneration, and stem cell renewal. In particular, terminal effectors of the Hh signaling pathway are associated with the regulation of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) transcription factors. Overexpression of GLI1 is closely associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. The Hh-GLI1 signaling pathway is activated and participates in the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer, especially in the aggressive subtype of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the role of GLI1 in regulating TNBC metabolism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the functional role of GLI1 in glycolytic metabolism in TNBC. Immunohistochemical analysis of GLI1 expression in a tissue microarray revealed significant correlations between GLI1 expression and advanced tumor stage and grade. GLI1 expression levels were drastically increased in MDA-MB-231 cells compared to those in other cell lines. Inhibition of GLI1 expression using GLI1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) in MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in a significant reduction in cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Furthermore, GLI1 downregulation significantly reduced the expression of glycolysis-regulated proteins. GLI1 knockdown resulted in reduced glycolytic rates and extracellular lactate levels. Moreover, metabolic stress after GLI1 knockdown activated the energy sensor, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which subsequently resulted in autophagy induction. In conclusion, this study indicates that targeting GLI1 reprograms the tumor glucose metabolism to suppress breast cancer cell growth and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Hyun Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Sun Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Hyeon Park
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungpil Yoon
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Youl Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Sik Kim
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
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Han X, Li B. The emerging role of noncoding RNAs in the Hedgehog signaling pathway in cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 154:113581. [PMID: 36037783 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog (HH), a conserved signaling pathway, is involved in embryo development, organogenesis, and other biological functions. Dysregulation and abnormal activation of HH are involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. With the emergence of interest in noncoding RNAs, studies on their involvement in abnormal regulation of biological processes in tumors have been published one after another. In this review, we focus on the crosstalk between noncoding RNAs and the HH pathway in tumors and elaborate the mechanisms by which long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs regulate or are regulated by HH signaling in cancer. We also discuss the interaction between noncoding RNAs and the HH pathway from the perspective of cancer hallmarks, presenting this complex network as concisely as possible and organizing ideas for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, China. libo--
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Tesanovic S, Krenn PW, Aberger F. Hedgehog/GLI signaling in hematopoietic development and acute myeloid leukemia—From bench to bedside. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:944760. [PMID: 35990601 PMCID: PMC9388743 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.944760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While the underlying genetic alterations and biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive hematologic malignancy characterized by clonal expansion of undifferentiated myeloid cells, have been gradually unraveled in the last decades, translation into clinical treatment approaches has only just begun. High relapse rates remain a major challenge in AML therapy and are to a large extent attributed to the persistence of treatment-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs). The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is crucial for the development and progression of multiple cancer stem cell driven tumors, including AML, and has therefore gained interest as a therapeutic target. In this review, we give an overview of the major components of the HH signaling pathway, dissect HH functions in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, and specifically elaborate on the role of HH signaling in AML pathogenesis and resistance. Furthermore, we summarize preclinical and clinical HH inhibitor studies, leading to the approval of the HH pathway inhibitor glasdegib, in combination with low-dose cytarabine, for AML treatment.
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27
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El-Kishky AHM, Moussa N, Helmy MW, Haroun M. GANT61/BI-847325 combination: a new hope in lung cancer treatment. MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (NORTHWOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 39:144. [PMID: 35834029 PMCID: PMC9283175 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite the huge efforts employed to implement novel chemotherapeutic paradigms for lung cancer, the disease still remains a major concern worldwide. Targeting molecular pathways as Hedgehog (Hh) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) represent a new hope in lung cancer treatment. This work was undertaken to evaluate the antitumor effects of GANT61 (5 μM), BI-847325(30 μM), and GANT61 (5 μM)/BI-847325(30 μM) combination on A549 adenocarcinoma lung cancer cell line. The growth inhibition 50 (GI50) for both drugs was performed using MTT. The protein levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), Myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL-1), cyclin D1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), p-Akt, and phosphohistone H3 (pHH3) were measured using ELISA. Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1(Gli1) gene expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. The GI50 for GANT61 and BI-8473255 were 5 µM and 30 µM, respectively. Caspase-3 and Bax protein levels were significantly elevated while MCL-1, cyclin D1, VEGF, ERK 1/2, p-Akt, and pHH3 levels were significantly reduced by both drugs and their combination relative to the control group. Gli1 gene expression was down-regulated in all groups relative to the control group. GANT61, BI-847325 and their combination inhibited proliferation and angiogenesis but activated the apoptotic pathway. Both drugs conferred a profound negative impact on the crosstalk between each of Hh and MAPK pathways and Phosphoinositide 3 -kinases (PI3K)/Akt/Mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR). To the best of our knowledge, the antitumor effects of BI-847325/GANT61 combination have not been tested before. Further in-vitro and in-vivo studies are warranted to support the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel Halim M El-Kishky
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Nermine Moussa
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Maged W Helmy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damanhur University, Damanhur, Egypt
| | - Medhat Haroun
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Zhang Y, Shi J, Luo J, Liu C, Zhu L. Regulatory mechanisms and potential medical applications of HNF1A-AS1 in cancers. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:4154-4168. [PMID: 35836869 PMCID: PMC9274608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are defined as a class of non-protein-coding RNAs that are longer than 200 nucleotides. Previous studies have shown that lncRNAs play a vital role in the progression of multiple diseases, which highlights their potential for medical applications. The lncRNA hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox A (HNF1A) antisense RNA 1 (HNF1A-AS1) is known to be abnormally expressed in multiple cancers. HNF1A-AS1 exerts its oncogenic roles through a variety of molecular mechanisms. Moreover, aberrant HNF1A-AS1 expression is associated with diverse clinical features in cancer patients. Therefore, HNF1A-AS1 is a promising biomarker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis and thus a potential candidate for tumor therapy. This review summarizes current studies on the role and the underlying mechanisms of HNF1A-AS1 various cancer types, including gastric cancer, liver cancer, glioma, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, osteosarcoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, hemangioma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, as well as gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. We also describe the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value of HNF1A-AS1 for multiple cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Sleep, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Jiang Shi
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Sleep, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Junfang Luo
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Sleep, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory and Sleep, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Lixu Zhu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
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29
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Liso A, Venuto S, Coda ARD, Giallongo C, Palumbo GA, Tibullo D. IGFBP-6: At the Crossroads of Immunity, Tissue Repair and Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084358. [PMID: 35457175 PMCID: PMC9030159 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factors binding protein-6 (IGFBP-6) is involved in a relevant number of cellular activities and represents an important factor in the immune response, particularly in human dendritic cells (DCs). Over the past several years, significant insights into the IGF-independent effects of IGFBP-6 were discovered, such as the induction of chemotaxis, capacity to increase oxidative burst and neutrophils degranulation, ability to induce metabolic changes in DCs, and, more recently, the regulation of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway during fibrosis. IGFBP-6 has been implicated in different human diseases, and it plays a rather controversial role in the biology of tumors. Notably, well established relationships between immunity, stroma activity, and fibrosis are prognostic and predictive of response to cancer immunotherapy. This review aims at describing the current understanding of mechanisms that link IGFBP-6 and fibrosis development and at highlighting the multiple roles of IGFBP-6 to provide an insight into evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that can be relevant for inflammation, tumor immunity, and immunological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arcangelo Liso
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy; (S.V.); (A.R.D.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Santina Venuto
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy; (S.V.); (A.R.D.C.)
| | - Anna Rita Daniela Coda
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy; (S.V.); (A.R.D.C.)
| | - Cesarina Giallongo
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (C.G.); (G.A.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Alberto Palumbo
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (C.G.); (G.A.P.)
| | - Daniele Tibullo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
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Zhou Y, Huang J, Jin B, He S, Dang Y, Zhao T, Jin Z. The Emerging Role of Hedgehog Signaling in Viral Infections. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:870316. [PMID: 35464958 PMCID: PMC9023792 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.870316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is one of the key pathways that is indispensable for many developmental processes and postnatal tissue homeostasis. Dysregulated HH signaling could lead to developmental disorders and tumorigenesis in a variety of tissues via inherited or sporadic mutation, gene overexpression, and crosstalk with other signaling pathways. Recently, accumulating evidence has shown that HH signaling is targeted by viruses to facilitate viral transcription, immune evasion, and uncontrolled growth, leading to effective viral replication and pathogenesis. In this study, we will summarize recent advances in functional interaction between HH signaling and different types of viruses, particularly focusing on the pathological role of HH signaling in viral infections and related diseases.
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31
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Hsieh PH, Huang WY, Wang HC, Kuan CH, Shiue TY, Chen Y, Wang TW. Dual-responsive polypeptide nanoparticles attenuate tumor-associated stromal desmoplasia and anticancer through programmable dissociation. Biomaterials 2022; 284:121469. [PMID: 35344799 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Hsuan Hsieh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Wei-Yuan Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
| | - Huan-Chih Wang
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Hsiang Kuan
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yun Shiue
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
| | - Yunching Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Wei Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.
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32
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Ramelyte E, Restivo G, Mannino M, Levesque MP, Dummer R. Advances in the drug management of basal cell carcinoma. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:573-582. [PMID: 35081851 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2032646] [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: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer in humans. Recently, BCCs were suggested to be classified into 'easy to treat' and 'difficult to treat,' and different therapeutic options are suggested for their management. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors discuss treatment options that are approved, recommended for, or are still in development for treatment of BCC. The review covers approved local therapies, such as imiquimod and 5-fluorouracil, and systemic therapies, such as hedgehog inhibitors. New medical agents, investigated in clinical trials, are reviewed. These include: targeted therapies, such as GLI antagonists or anti-VEGFR agents, immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, recombinant cytokines or silencing RNA, as well as intralesional virotherapies with modified adeno- or herpes viruses. EXPERT OPINION The progress made in recent years has improved the management of patients with advanced BCC; however, neither tumor targeting nor immune system engaging agents provide a cure. New treatment approaches directed not only to known targets but also the tumor microenvironment are in development and are anticipated to improve the management of difficult to treat BCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egle Ramelyte
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gaetana Restivo
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Mannino
- Department of Dermatology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Salimi-Jeda A, Ghabeshi S, Gol Mohammad Pour Z, Jazaeri EO, Araiinejad M, Sheikholeslami F, Abdoli M, Edalat M, Abdoli A. Autophagy Modulation and Cancer Combination Therapy: A Smart Approach in Cancer Therapy. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2022; 30:100512. [PMID: 35026533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2022.100512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The autophagy pathway is the process whereby cells keep cellular homeostasis and respond to stress via recycling their damaged cellular proteins, organelles, and other cellular components. In the context of cancer, autophagy is a dual-edge sword pro- and anti-tumorigenic role depending on the oncogenic context and stage of tumorigenesis. Cancer cells have a higher dependency on autophagy compared with normal cells because of cellular damages and high demands for energy. The carbon, nitrogen, and molecular oxygen are building blocks for highly proliferative cancer cells which extremely depend on glutaminolysis and aerobic glycolysis; when a cancer cell is restricted to glucose and glutamine, it initiates to activate a stress response pathway using autophagy. Oncogenic tyrosine kinases (OncTKs) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) activation result in autophagy modulation through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 and RAS/MAPK signaling pathways. Targeted inhibition of tyrosine kinases (TKs) and RTKs have recently been considered as cancer therapy but drug resistance and cancer relapse continue to be a major limitation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Manipulation of autophagy pathway along with TKIs may be a promising strategy to circumvent unknown existing drug-resistance mechanisms that may emerge in a treated patient. In this way, clinical trials are ongoing to modulate autophagy to treat cancer. This review aims to summarize the combination therapy of autophagy affecting compounds with anticancer drugs which target cell signaling pathways, metabolism mechanisms, and epigenetics modification to improve therapeutic efficacy against cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Salimi-Jeda
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Soad Ghabeshi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Ollah Jazaeri
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, 13169-43551, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Araiinejad
- WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran Iran
| | - Farzaneh Sheikholeslami
- WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran Iran
| | - Mohsen Abdoli
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahdi Edalat
- Department of medical laboratory sciences, Paramedical Sciences, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Asghar Abdoli
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, 13169-43551, Iran.
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Houshmand M, Kazemi A, Anjam Najmedini A, Ali MS, Gaidano V, Cignetti A, Fava C, Cilloni D, Saglio G, Circosta P. Shedding Light on Targeting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10245805. [PMID: 34945101 PMCID: PMC8708315 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10245805] [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: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells (CML LSCs) are a rare and quiescent population that are resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). When TKI therapy is discontinued in CML patients in deep, sustained and apparently stable molecular remission, these cells in approximately half of the cases restart to grow, resuming the leukemic process. The elimination of these TKI resistant leukemic stem cells is therefore an essential step in increasing the percentage of those patients who can reach a successful long-term treatment free remission (TFR). The understanding of the biology of the LSCs and the identification of the differences, phenotypic and/or metabolic, that could eventually allow them to be distinguished from the normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are therefore important steps in designing strategies to target LSCs in a rather selective way, sparing the normal counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Houshmand
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Alireza Kazemi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1971653313, Iran; (A.K.); (A.A.N.)
| | - Ali Anjam Najmedini
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1971653313, Iran; (A.K.); (A.A.N.)
| | - Muhammad Shahzad Ali
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Valentina Gaidano
- Division of Hematology, A.O. SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Cignetti
- Division of Hematology and Cell Therapy, A.O. Ordine Mauriziano, 10128 Turin, Italy;
| | - Carmen Fava
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Daniela Cilloni
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Saglio
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Paola Circosta
- Department of Clinical Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Turin, Italy; (M.H.); (M.S.A.); (C.F.); (D.C.); (P.C.)
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Jiang J, Ding Y, Chen Y, Lu J, Chen Y, Wu G, Xu N, Wang H, Teng L. Pan-cancer analyses reveal that increased Hedgehog activity correlates with tumor immunosuppression and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer Med 2021; 11:847-863. [PMID: 34841742 PMCID: PMC8817099 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown numerous clinical benefits in multiple cancer types, but good predictive biomarkers are severely lacking. Although increasing evidence has linked Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway with tumor development, a systematic investigation for its potential as a biomarker remains elusive. Methods We collected and analyzed the transcriptional data and clinical outcomes of diverse cancers from the Cancer Genome Atlas and four published ICI datasets. Hh activity was estimated by conducting a single‐sample gene‐set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) for the Hh‐related genes and calculating the ssGSEA score in each tumor sample. Results Our findings suggest that tumors with high Hh activity displayed multiple immunosuppressive characteristics, including lack of anti‐tumor response pathways, downregulation of immune effectors, enrichment of immunosuppressive cells and chemokines, and activation of immunosuppressive signaling. Notably, patients in the non‐response group had enriched Hh activity and showed worse overall survival (OS; pooled HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.02–2.21, p = 0.039). In the subgroup of high programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression, patients who harbored high Hh activity displayed a dramatically lower response rate to ICIs and a strikingly worse OS (pooled HR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.53–5.49, p < 0.001). Conclusion Increased Hh activity correlates with tumor immunosuppression across diverse cancers. Hh activity is not only a predictive biomarker for resistance to ICIs but can also better predict clinical outcomes in combination with PD‐L1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Jiang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongfeng Ding
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guanghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nong Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyong Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lisong Teng
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Statins Enhance the Molecular Response in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia when Combined with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215543. [PMID: 34771705 PMCID: PMC8582667 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Approximately 50–60% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) achieve a stable deep molecular response (DMR) after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. The achievement of DMR is a prerequisite for treatment-free remission. Repurposing statins is a straightforward strategy for enhancing molecular response in CML treatment. Second-generation TKIs have been reported to exhibit cardiovascular toxicity. Thus, statins have been widely prescribed for patients with CML undergoing second-generation TKI therapy for modifying cardiovascular risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia. Furthermore, the results of this study support the therapeutic benefit of the concomitant use of statins in TKI therapy for patients with CML. Additionally, the potential additive effects of statins and TKIs enhance the DMR rate in patients with CML, rendering these effects clinically relevant in these patients. In particular, this combination is a strong candidate for the achievement of DMR in patients with CML who have not achieved DMR with TKI therapy alone. Abstract Previous studies have suggested that statins can be repurposed for cancer treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of statins in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 408 CML patients who underwent imatinib therapy. The deep molecular response rates in patients treated with the statin/TKI combination were significantly higher than those in patients treated with TKI alone (p = 0.0016). The statin/TKI combination exerted potent cytotoxic effects against wild-type and ABL1 mutant CML, BaF3, and K562/T315I mutant cells. Furthermore, the statin/TKI combination additively inhibited the colony-forming capacity of murine CML-KLS+ cells in vitro. In addition, we examined the additive growth-inhibitory effects of the statin/tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combination against CML patient-derived CD34+ cells. The growth-inhibitory effects of the statin/imatinib combination against CD34+/CML primary cells were higher than those against CD34+/Norm cells (p = 0.005), suggesting that the combination of rosuvastatin and imatinib exerted growth-inhibitory effects against CML CD34+ cells, but not against normal CD34+ cells. Furthermore, results from RNA sequencing of control and statin-treated cells suggested that statins inhibited c-Myc-mediated and hematopoietic cell differentiation pathways. Thus, statins can be potentially repurposed to improve treatment outcomes in CML patients when combined with TKI therapy.
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Abstract
The expression of ALCAM was positively correlated with patients’ survival. ALCAM-EGFR interaction regulates myelomagenesis via the crosstalk among Mek/Erk signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, and hedgehog pathway.
Multiple myeloma, a plasma cell malignancy in the bone marrow, remains largely incurable with currently available therapeutics. In this study, we discovered that the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) interacted with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and regulated myelomagenesis. ALCAM was a negative regulator of myeloma clonogenicity. ALCAM expression was positively correlated with patients’ survival. ALCAM-knockdown myeloma cells displayed enhanced colony formation in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). BMSCs supported myeloma colony formation by secreted epidermal growth factor (EGF), which bound with its receptor (EGFR) on myeloma cells and activated Mek/Erk cell signaling, PI3K/Akt cell signaling, and hedgehog pathway. ALCAM could also bind with EGFR, block EGF from binding to EGFR, and abolish EGFR-initiated cell signaling. Hence, our study identifies ALCAM as a novel negative regulator of myeloma pathogenesis.
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The Role of the Hedgehog Pathway in Cholangiocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194774. [PMID: 34638259 PMCID: PMC8507550 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the most refractory malignancies with a high mortality rate. Among all the pathways involved in CCA development, emerging evidence highlights Hedgehog (HH) signaling as a substantial player in CCA-genesis and development. The pro-tumoral function of HH provides potential therapeutic implications, and recently the use of HH inhibitors has paved the way for clinical application in various solid tumors. Targeting HH members, namely Hedgehog ligands, SMO transmembrane protein and GLI transcription factors may thus confer therapeutic options for the improvement of CCA treatment outcome. Abstract Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a poorly treatable type of cancer and, along with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the predominant type of primitive liver cancer in adults. The lack of understanding of CCA biology has slowed down the identification of novel targets and the development of effective treatments. While tumors share some general characteristics, detailed knowledge of specific features is essential for the development of effectively tailored therapeutic approaches. The Hedgehog (HH) signaling cascade regulates stemness biology, embryonal development, tissue homeostasis, and cell proliferation and differentiation. Its aberrant activation has been associated with a variety of solid and hematological human malignancies. Several HH-inhibiting compounds have been indeed developed as potential anticancer agents in different types of tumors, with Smoothened and GLI inhibitors showing the most promising results. Beside its well-established function in other tumors, findings regarding the HH signaling in CCA are still controversial. Here we will give an overview of the most important clinical and molecular features of cholangiocarcinoma, and we will discuss the available evidence of the crosstalk between the HH signaling pathway and the cholangiocarcinoma cell biology.
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Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog signalling pathway in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva as a potential target for cancer therapy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17665. [PMID: 34480080 PMCID: PMC8417215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, we showed that the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway is aberrantly activated in vulval squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). In this study, we further validated our findings on a prospective cohort of primary VSCC cases, where immunohistochemical staining confirmed that key Hh pathway components were overexpressed in VSCC compared to normal vulval epithelium. We also undertook a series of in vitro studies to determine the extent of Hh pathway activation in VSCC-derived cell lines, and examine the consequences of pathway inhibition on the growth of these cells. We found that of six cell lines tested, four displayed elevated baseline Hh pathway activity that was dependent on SHH ligand, or in one case, a PTCH1 gene mutation. Hh signalling appeared necessary to sustain cell growth, as SHH ligand depletion with Robotikinin or SMO inhibition, either with chemical inhibitors (Itraconazole or LDE-225) or SMO-specific siRNA, attenuated GLI1 activity and cell proliferation in both monolayer and organotypic raft culture. Furthermore, treatment of Hh-dependent cell lines with SMO inhibitors sensitised cells to Cisplatin. Findings from our study offer us the opportunity to explore further the development of targeted chemotherapy for women with VSCC driven by aberrant Hh activation.
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Braunstein JA, Robbins AE, Stewart S, Stankunas K. Basal epidermis collective migration and local Sonic hedgehog signaling promote skeletal branching morphogenesis in zebrafish fins. Dev Biol 2021; 477:177-190. [PMID: 34038742 PMCID: PMC10802891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Teleost fish fins, like all vertebrate limbs, comprise a series of bones laid out in characteristic pattern. Each fin's distal bony rays typically branch to elaborate skeletal networks providing form and function. Zebrafish caudal fin regeneration studies suggest basal epidermal-expressed Sonic hedgehog (Shh) promotes ray branching by partitioning pools of adjacent pre-osteoblasts. This Shh role is distinct from its well-studied Zone of Polarizing Activity role establishing paired limb positional information. Therefore, we investigated if and how Shh signaling similarly functions during developmental ray branching of both paired and unpaired fins while resolving cellular dynamics of branching by live imaging. We found shha is expressed uniquely by basal epidermal cells overlying pre-osteoblast pools at the distal aspect of outgrowing juvenile fins. Lateral splitting of each shha-expressing epidermal domain followed by the pre-osteoblast pools precedes overt ray branching. We use ptch2:Kaede fish and Kaede photoconversion to identify short stretches of shha+basal epidermis and juxtaposed pre-osteoblasts as the Shh/Smoothened (Smo) active zone. Basal epidermal distal collective movements continuously replenish each shha+domain with individual cells transiently expressing and responding to Shh. In contrast, pre-osteoblasts maintain Shh/Smo activity until differentiating. The Smo inhibitor BMS-833923 prevents branching in all fins, paired and unpaired, with surprisingly minimal effects on caudal fin initial skeletal patterning, ray outgrowth or bone differentiation. Staggered BMS-833923 addition indicates Shh/Smo signaling acts throughout the branching process. We use live cell tracking to find Shh/Smo restrains the distal movement of basal epidermal cells by apparent 'tethering' to pre-osteoblasts. We propose short-range Shh/Smo signaling promotes these heterotypic associations to couple instructive basal epidermal collective movements to pre-osteoblast repositioning as a unique mode of branching morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Braunstein
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, 273 Onyx Bridge, 1318 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1229, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 77 Klamath Hall, 1370 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1210, USA
| | - Amy E Robbins
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, 273 Onyx Bridge, 1318 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1229, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 77 Klamath Hall, 1370 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1210, USA
| | - Scott Stewart
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, 273 Onyx Bridge, 1318 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1229, USA
| | - Kryn Stankunas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, 273 Onyx Bridge, 1318 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1229, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 77 Klamath Hall, 1370 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97403-1210, USA.
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Liang Y, Yang L, Xie J. The Role of the Hedgehog Pathway in Chemoresistance of Gastrointestinal Cancers. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082030. [PMID: 34440799 PMCID: PMC8391142 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog pathway, which plays a significant role in embryonic development and stem cell regulation, is activated in gastrointestinal cancers. Chemotherapy is widely used in cancer treatment. However, chemoresistance becomes a substantial obstacle in cancer therapy. This review focuses on the recent advances in the hedgehog pathway's roles in drug resistance of gastrointestinal cancers and the novel drugs and strategies targeting hedgehog signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Liang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Clinical Medical Research Center of the Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China;
| | - Ling Yang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Clinical Medical Research Center of the Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China;
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (J.X.)
| | - Jingwu Xie
- Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (J.X.)
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Abd Elhameed AG, Helal MG, Said E, Salem HA. Saxagliptin defers thioacetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats: A novel suppressive impact on Wnt/Hedgehog/Notch1 signaling. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 86:103668. [PMID: 33945853 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2021.103668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly invasive form of hepatic cancer. It is a highly intricate disease with multiple pathophysiological mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The results of the current investigation shed light on the ability of saxagliptin (SAXA) (12.5 mg/kg) to defer HCC progression in an experimental model of thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. RESULTS SAXA administration improved liver function biomarkers, with a concomitant histopathological recovery. Mechanistically, the observed hepatoprotective impact was associated with significant suppression of the hepatic content of Wnt3a, β-catenin, Notch1, Smo, and Gli2 and enhanced expression of GSK 3β. Nevertheless, the hepatic expression of PCNA, P53, and cyclin D1 was significantly enhanced, with a parallel increase in the tumor expression of caspase-3. Thus, it appears that SAXA significantly enhanced tumor apoptosis, with concomitant suppression of HCC proliferation. CONCLUSION SAXA deferred experimentally-induced HCC via suppressing Wnt/Hedgehog/Notch1 Signaling, with enhanced tumor apoptosis and suppressed proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed G Abd Elhameed
- Dep. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt; Dep. of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University-Egypt, New Damietta, Egypt
| | - Manar G Helal
- Dep. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Eman Said
- Dep. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Hatem A Salem
- Dep. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Trnski D, Sabol M, Tomić S, Štefanac I, Mrčela M, Musani V, Rinčić N, Kurtović M, Petrić T, Levanat S, Ozretić P. SHH-N non-canonically sustains androgen receptor activity in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14880. [PMID: 34290270 PMCID: PMC8295376 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93971-6] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosed in men worldwide. Localized disease can be successfully treated, but advanced cases are more problematic. After initial effectiveness of androgen deprivation therapy, resistance quickly occurs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) signaling in sustaining androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells. We found various modes of HH-GLI signaling activation in prostate cancer cells depending on androgen availability. When androgen was not deprived, we found evidence of non-canonical SMO signaling through the SRC kinase. After short-term androgen deprivation canonical HH-GLI signaling was activated, but we found little evidence of canonical HH-GLI signaling activity in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. We show that in androgen-independent cells the pathway ligand, SHH-N, non-canonically binds to the androgen receptor through its cholesterol modification. Inhibition of this interaction leads to androgen receptor signaling downregulation. This implies that SHH-N activates the androgen receptor and sustains androgen-independence. Targeting this interaction might prove to be a valuable strategy for advanced prostate cancer treatment. Also, other non-canonical aspects of this signaling pathway should be investigated in more detail and considered when developing potential therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Trnski
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Maja Sabol
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sanja Tomić
- Laboratory for Protein Biochemistry and Molecular Modelling, Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivan Štefanac
- Primary Health Care Center Osijek, Park kralja Petra Krešimira IV 6, 31000, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Milanka Mrčela
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000, Osijek, Croatia
- Department of Pathology, Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Vesna Musani
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Rinčić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matea Kurtović
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tina Petrić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sonja Levanat
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Petar Ozretić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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Bhat A, Yadav J, Thakur K, Aggarwal N, Tripathi T, Chhokar A, Singh T, Jadli M, Bharti AC. Exosomes from cervical cancer cells facilitate pro-angiogenic endothelial reconditioning through transfer of Hedgehog-GLI signaling components. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:319. [PMID: 34167524 PMCID: PMC8223267 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiogenic switch is a hallmark feature of transition from low-grade to high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in cervical cancer progression. Therefore, early events leading to locally-advanced cervical metastatic lesions demand a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Recent leads indicate the role of tumor-derived exosomes in altering the functions of endothelial cells in cervical cancer, which needs further investigation. METHODS Exosomes isolated from cervical cancer cell lines were assessed for their angiogenic effect on the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using tube formation and wound healing assay. The exosomal uptake by HUVEC cells was monitored using PKH-67 labelling followed by fluorescence microscopy. Alterations in Hh-GLI signaling components, PTCH1 and GLI1, in HUVEC were measured by immunoblotting. Changes in angiogenesis-related transcripts of vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGFR2 and angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, osteopontin were measured in exosome-treated HUVEC and in the exosomal RNA by RT-PCR. RESULTS Enhanced tube formation, with an increased number of nodes and branching was observed in HUVEC's treated with exosomes derived from different cervical cancer cell lines. HPV-positive (SiHa and HeLa) cells' exosomes were more angiogenic. Exosome-treated HUVEC showed increased migration rate. PKH-67 labelled exosomes were found internalized in HUVEC. A high level of PTCH1 protein was detected in the exosome-treated endothelial cells. Subsequent RT-PCR analysis showed increased transcripts of Hh-GLI downstream target genes VEGF-A, VEGFR2, angiopoietin-2, and decreased expression of VEGF-B, and angiopoietin-1, suggestive of active Hh-GLI signaling. These effects were more pronounced in HUVEC's treated with exosomes of HPV-positive cells. However, these effects were independent of tumor-derived VEGF-A as exosomal cargo lacked VEGF-A transcripts or proteins. CONCLUSION Overall, the data showed cervical cancer exosomes promote pro-angiogenic response in endothelial cells via upregulation of Hh-GLI signaling and modulate downstream angiogenesis-related target genes. The study provides a novel exosome-mediated mechanism potentially favoring cervical angiogenesis and thus identifies the exosomes as potential pharmacological targets against locally-advanced metastatic cervical lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Bhat
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Joni Yadav
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Kulbhushan Thakur
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Nikita Aggarwal
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Tanya Tripathi
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Arun Chhokar
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Tejveer Singh
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Mohit Jadli
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Alok Chandra Bharti
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi, 110007, India.
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Abstract
A number of genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of BCC in addition to the Hedgehog pathway, which is known to drive the initiation of this tumour. We performed in-depth analysis of 13 BCC-related genes (CSMD1, CSMD2, DPH3 promoter, PTCH1, SMO, GLI1, NOTCH1, NOTCH2, TP53, ITIH2, DPP10, STEAP4, TERT promoter) in 57 BCC lesions (26 superficial and 31 nodular) from 55 patients and their corresponding blood samples. PTCH1 and TP53 mutations were found in 71.9% and 45.6% of BCCs, respectively. A high mutation rate was also detected in CSMD1 (63.2%), NOTCH1 (43.8%) and DPP10 (35.1%), and frequent non-coding mutations were identified in TERT (57.9%) and DPH3 promoter (49.1%). CSMD1 mutations significantly co-occurred with TP53 changes (p = 0.002). A significant association was observed between the superficial type of BCC and PTCH1 (p = 0.018) and NOTCH1 (p = 0.020) mutations. In addition, PTCH1 mutations were significantly associated with intermittent sun exposure (p = 0.046) and the occurrence of single lesions (p = 0.021), while NOTCH1 mutations were more frequent in BCCs located on the trunk compared to the head/neck and extremities (p = 0.001). In conclusion, we provide further insights into the molecular alterations underlying the tumorigenic mechanism of superficial and nodular BCCs with a view towards novel rationale-based therapeutic strategies.
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46
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Helal MG, Abd Elhameed AG. Graviola mitigates acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats: insight on apoptosis and Wnt/Hh signaling crosstalk. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:29615-29628. [PMID: 33559079 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12716-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we elucidated the potential protective effects of graviola leaves, compared with sulfasalazine, against acetic acid (AA)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats. Twenty-eight mature male rats were divided into four groups, Sham, Colitis, Colitis/Sulfa, and Colitis/Graviola, and were treated orally with either saline, saline, sulfasalazine (100 mg/kg/day), or graviola (100 mg/kg/day), respectively, for 7 days. On the 4th day, UC was induced by transrectal administration of 4% AA. Colon tissues were excised for macroscopic and histopathological evaluation and immunohistochemical analysis of caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). Also, levels of oxidative mediators, Wnt family member1 (Wnt1), smoothened (Smo), and glioblastoma-1 (Gli1) were evaluated. Macroscopic and histopathological examination revealed that both graviola and sulfasalazine significantly mitigated colonic damage. Besides, both treatments significantly alleviated AA-induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by reduced nitric oxide (No) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and raised reduced glutathione (GSH) content. Both treatments significantly attenuated AA-induced apoptosis via downregulating the expression of Bax and caspase-3 and upregulating the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2. Furthermore, downregulation of mRNA expression of Wnt1 with concomitant upregulation of Smo and Gli1 was observed in rats treated with either sulfasalazine or graviola. Based on these observations, graviola may attenuate AA-induced UC, at least partially, by modulating apoptosis and Wingless/Int1 (Wnt) and hedgehog (Hh) signaling crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manar G Helal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed G Abd Elhameed
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University-Egypt, New Damietta, Egypt
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47
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Kotulak-Chrząszcz A, Kmieć Z, Wierzbicki PM. Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway in gynecological and genitourinary cancer (Review). Int J Mol Med 2021; 47:106. [PMID: 33907821 PMCID: PMC8057295 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers of the urinary tract, as well as those of the female and male reproductive systems, account for a large percentage of malignancies worldwide. Mortality is frequently affected by late diagnosis or therapeutic difficulties. The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway is an evolutionary conserved molecular cascade, which is mainly associated with the development of the central nervous system in fetal life. The present review aimed to provide an in‑depth summary of the SHH signaling pathway, including the characterization of its major components, the mechanism of its upstream regulation and non‑canonical activation, as well as its interactions with other cellular pathways. In addition, the three possible mechanisms of the cellular SHH cascade in cancer tissue are discussed. The aim of the present review was to summarize significant findings with regards to the expression of the SHH pathway components in kidney, bladder, ovarian, cervical and prostate cancer. Reports associated with common deficits and de‑regulations of the SHH pathway were summarized, despite the differences in molecular and histological patterns among these malignancies. However, currently, neither are SHH pathway elements included in panels of prognostic/therapeutic molecular patterns in any of the discussed cancers, nor have the drugs targeting SMO or GLIs been approved for therapy. The findings of the present review may support future studies on the treatment of and/or molecular targets for gynecological and genitourinary cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Piotr M. Wierzbicki
- Correspondence to: Dr Piotr M. Wierzbicki, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, ul. Debinki 1, 80211 Gdansk, Poland, E-mail:
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48
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Avery JT, Zhang R, Boohaker RJ. GLI1: A Therapeutic Target for Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:673154. [PMID: 34113570 PMCID: PMC8186314 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.673154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
GLI1 is a transcriptional effector at the terminal end of the Hedgehog signaling (Hh) pathway and is tightly regulated during embryonic development and tissue patterning/differentiation. GLI1 has low-level expression in differentiated tissues, however, in certain cancers, aberrant activation of GLI1 has been linked to the promotion of numerous hallmarks of cancer, such as proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis, metabolic rewiring, and chemotherapeutic resistance. All of these are driven, in part, by GLI1’s role in regulating cell cycle, DNA replication and DNA damage repair processes. The consequences of GLI1 oncogenic activity, specifically the activity surrounding DNA damage repair proteins, such as NBS1, and cell cycle proteins, such as CDK1, can be linked to tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms driving GLI1 dysregulation can provide prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers to identify a patient population that would derive therapeutic benefit from either direct inhibition of GLI1 or targeted therapy towards proteins downstream of GLI1 regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Avery
- Oncology Department, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Ruowen Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca J Boohaker
- Oncology Department, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, United States
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49
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Lu J, Wood D, Ingley E, Koks S, Wong D. Update on genomic and molecular landscapes of well-differentiated liposarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:3637-3647. [PMID: 33893924 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06362-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) is the most frequent subtype of liposarcoma and may transform into dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) which is a more aggressive subtype. Retroperitoneal lesions of WDLPS/DDLPS tend to recur repeatedly due to incomplete resections, and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy have little effect on patient survival. Consequently, identifying therapeutic targets and developing targeted drugs is critical for improving the outcome of WDLPS/DDLPS patients. In this review, we summarised the mutational landscape of WDLPS/DDLPS from recent studies focusing on potential oncogenic drivers and the development of molecular targeted drugs for DDLPS. Due to the limited number of studies on the molecular networks driving WDLPS to DDLPS development, we looked at other dedifferentiation-related tumours to identify potential parallel mechanisms that could be involved in the dedifferentiation process generating DDLPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Lu
- Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia. .,Cell Signalling Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - David Wood
- Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Evan Ingley
- Cell Signalling Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.,Discipline of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sulev Koks
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel Wong
- Anatomical Pathology, PathWest, QEII Medical Centre, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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50
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Westermann J, Bullinger L. Precision medicine in myeloid malignancies. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 84:153-169. [PMID: 33895273 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid malignancies have always been at the forefront of an improved understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cancer. In accordance, over the last years, basic research focusing on the aberrations underlying malignant transformation of myeloid cells has provided the basis for precision medicine approaches and subsequently has led to the development of powerful therapeutic strategies. In this review article, we will recapitulate what has happened since in the 1980s the use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), as a first targeted cancer therapy, has changed one of the deadliest leukemia subtypes, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), into one that can be cured without classical chemotherapy today. Similarly, imatinib, the first molecularly designed cancer therapy, has revolutionized the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Thus, targeted treatment approaches have become the paradigm for myeloid malignancy, but many questions still remain unanswered, especially how identical mutations can be associated with different phenotypes. This might be linked to the impact of the cell of origin, gene-gene interactions, or the tumor microenvironment including the immune system. Continuous research in the field of myeloid neoplasia has started to unravel the molecular pathways that are not only crucial for initial treatment response, but also resistance of leukemia cells under therapy. Ongoing studies focusing on leukemia cell vulnerabilities do already point to novel (targetable) "Achilles heels" that can further improve myeloid cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Westermann
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow Clinic, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lars Bullinger
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow Clinic, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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