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Zhang X, Zhang Y, Feng X, Zhao H, Ye H, Fang X, Cui J, Qi W, Ye L. The role of estrogen receptors (ERs)-Notch pathway in thyroid toxicity induced by Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure: Population data and in vitro studies. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 269:115727. [PMID: 38042133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115727] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess the exposure level and risk of Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) among adults in Jilin Province, China, clarify the impact of DEHP on human thyroid function, and to explore the role of estrogen receptors (ERs)-Notch signaling pathway in the effect of DEHP metabolites on thyroid hormones based on population data and in vitro experiments. METHODS 312 adults participated in this study. Urinary DEHP metabolites were determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). Two pharmacokinetic models were used to evaluate the estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) of the adults. Multiple linear regression and mediating effect models were used to evaluate the target associations. In cell experiments, thyroid follicular epithelial (Nthy-ori3-1) cells were exposed to mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) for testing. The inhibitions of ERα and Notch pathway were conducted by siRNA and Notch pathway inhibitor DAPT. RESULTS The detection rate of five DEHP metabolites was 97.1∼100.0%. The HQ value of 0.3% of adults was higher than 1. The levels of urinary DEHP metabolites were significantly correlated with thyrotropin (TSH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) and gene (estrogen receptor α (ERα), Notch1, Dll4) levels. The ERα-Notch pathway played a mediating role in the association between DEHP metabolite levels and FT4. The cell results showed, the levels of FT3 and FT4 in cell supernatant decreased after MEHP exposure, and the downward trend was reversed after ERα and notch pathways were inhibited, notch pathway genes also decreased after ERα inhibition. CONCLUSION Adults in the Jilin Province of China were widely exposed to DEHP. ERs-Notch pathway played an important role in the effect of DEHP metabolites on thyroid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Yuezhu Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Xin Feng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Haotang Zhao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Hui Ye
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaoqi Fang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Jianwei Cui
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Wen Qi
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China.
| | - Lin Ye
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin, China.
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Anbarasu S, Anbarasu A. Cancer-biomarkers associated with sex hormone receptors and recent therapeutic advancements: a comprehensive review. Med Oncol 2023; 40:171. [PMID: 37162589 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02044-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Hormones and its regulation plays vital role in causing breast, prostate, ovarian and endometrial cancers collectively known as hormone-sensitive cancers. This review discusses the various functions of the sex hormones and the biological pathways involved in causing hormone-associated cancer under differential regulation. We have also attempted to explore the biomarkers associated with the cancers and the current therapeutic availability to treat such cancers. Among various sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and androgen, estrogen the female sex hormone and its receptor had a major contribution in causing cancer and hence are considered a predominant target in treating the associated cancers. Other hormones and receptors such a androgen, progesterone, and their respective receptors were also reported to have a significant correlation in causing cancers. Apart from these receptors certain enzymes that act as precursors or as promoters are also targeted for treatment strategies. The drugs commonly used belong to the selective drug classes such as selective estrogen receptor modulators and selective progesterone receptor modulators. In the case of androgen regulation androgen deprivation therapies are practiced. It is also suggested that the use of natural substances to treat cancer could prevent resistance and reduce side effects. Identification of significant targets and the discovery of many efficient drugs shall be possible in the future with better understanding of hormone regulation and its influence on cancer causative mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvitha Anbarasu
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Anand Anbarasu
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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3
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Gogola S, Rejzer M, Bahmad HF, Abou-Kheir W, Omarzai Y, Poppiti R. Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Markers in Prostate Cancer: From Bench to Bedside. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082309. [PMID: 37190236 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent type of cancer in men worldwide, with 288,300 new cases and 34,700 deaths estimated in the United States in 2023. Treatment options for early-stage disease include external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy, active surveillance, or a combination of these. In advanced cases, androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is considered the first-line therapy; however, PCa in most patients eventually progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) despite ADT. Nonetheless, the transition from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent tumors is not yet fully understood. The physiological processes of epithelial-to-non-epithelial ("mesenchymal") transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) are essential for normal embryonic development; however, they have also been linked to higher tumor grade, metastatic progression, and treatment resistance. Due to this association, EMT and MET have been identified as important targets for novel cancer therapies, including CRPC. Here, we discuss the transcriptional factors and signaling pathways involved in EMT, in addition to the diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that have been identified in these processes. We also tackle the various studies that have been conducted from bench to bedside and the current landscape of EMT-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Gogola
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Michael Rejzer
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
| | - Wassim Abou-Kheir
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, Lebanon
| | - Yumna Omarzai
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Robert Poppiti
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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4
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Shi ZD, Pang K, Wu ZX, Dong Y, Hao L, Qin JX, Wang W, Chen ZS, Han CH. Tumor cell plasticity in targeted therapy-induced resistance: mechanisms and new strategies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:113. [PMID: 36906600 PMCID: PMC10008648 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01383-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of targeted therapies in cancer treatment, therapy-induced resistance remains a major obstacle to a complete cure. Tumor cells evade treatments and relapse via phenotypic switching driven by intrinsic or induced cell plasticity. Several reversible mechanisms have been proposed to circumvent tumor cell plasticity, including epigenetic modifications, regulation of transcription factors, activation or suppression of key signaling pathways, as well as modification of the tumor environment. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, tumor cell and cancer stem cell formation also serve as roads towards tumor cell plasticity. Corresponding treatment strategies have recently been developed that either target plasticity-related mechanisms or employ combination treatments. In this review, we delineate the formation of tumor cell plasticity and its manipulation of tumor evasion from targeted therapy. We discuss the non-genetic mechanisms of targeted drug-induced tumor cell plasticity in various types of tumors and provide insights into the contribution of tumor cell plasticity to acquired drug resistance. New therapeutic strategies such as inhibition or reversal of tumor cell plasticity are also presented. We also discuss the multitude of clinical trials that are ongoing worldwide with the intention of improving clinical outcomes. These advances provide a direction for developing novel therapeutic strategies and combination therapy regimens that target tumor cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Duo Shi
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Kun Pang
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuo-Xun Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Yang Dong
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lin Hao
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jia-Xin Qin
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA.
| | - Cong-Hui Han
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China. .,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. .,School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu, China. .,Department of Urology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Heilongjiang, China.
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5
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Ramesh S, Selvakumar P, Ameer MY, Lian S, Abdullah Alzarooni AIM, Ojha S, Mishra A, Tiwari A, Kaushik A, Jung YD, Chouaib S, Lakshmanan VK. State-of-the-art therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer stem cells in prostate cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1059441. [PMID: 36969009 PMCID: PMC10035756 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1059441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new therapeutic strategies is on the increase for prostate cancer stem cells, owing to current standardized therapies for prostate cancer, including chemotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), radiotherapy, and surgery, often failing because of tumor relapse ability. Ultimately, tumor relapse develops into advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which becomes an irreversible and systemic disease. Hence, early identification of the intracellular components and molecular networks that promote prostate cancer is crucial for disease management and therapeutic intervention. One of the potential therapeutic methods for aggressive prostate cancer is to target prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs), which appear to be a primary focal point of cancer metastasis and recurrence and are resistant to standardized therapies. PCSCs have also been documented to play a major role in regulating tumorigenesis, sphere formation, and the metastasis ability of prostate cancer with their stemness features. Therefore, the current review highlights the origin and identification of PCSCs and their role in anti-androgen resistance, as well as stemness-related signaling pathways. In addition, the review focuses on the current advanced therapeutic strategies for targeting PCSCs that are helping to prevent prostate cancer initiation and progression, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), nanotechnology, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene-editing system, and photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravanan Ramesh
- Prostate Cancer Biomarker Laboratory, Faculty of Clinical Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Preethi Selvakumar
- Prostate Cancer Biomarker Laboratory, Faculty of Clinical Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Mohamed Yazeer Ameer
- Prostate Cancer Biomarker Laboratory, Faculty of Clinical Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Sen Lian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anshuman Mishra
- Translational Research & Sustainable Healthcare Management, Institute of Advanced Materials, IAAM, Ulrika, Sweden
| | - Ashutosh Tiwari
- Translational Research & Sustainable Healthcare Management, Institute of Advanced Materials, IAAM, Ulrika, Sweden
| | - Ajeet Kaushik
- NanoBioTech Laboratory, Department of Environmental Engineering, Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL, United States
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, India
| | - Young Do Jung
- Department of Biochemistry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Salem Chouaib
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- INSERM UMR1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, EPHE, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Vinoth-Kumar Lakshmanan
- Prostate Cancer Biomarker Laboratory, Faculty of Clinical Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
- Translational Research & Sustainable Healthcare Management, Institute of Advanced Materials, IAAM, Ulrika, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Vinoth-Kumar Lakshmanan,
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Tian L, Peng Y, Yang K, Cao J, Du X, Liang Z, Shi J, Zhang J. The ERα-NRF2 signalling axis promotes bicalutamide resistance in prostate cancer. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:178. [PMID: 36376959 PMCID: PMC9661764 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00979-0] [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: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bicalutamide is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen widely used as a first-line clinical treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Although patients initially show effective responses to bicalutamide treatment, resistance to bicalutamide frequently occurs and leads to the development of castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). This research investigated the roles of the oestrogen receptor α (ERα)-nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signalling pathway in bicalutamide resistance in PCa cells. METHODS We performed bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemical staining on normal and cancerous prostate tissue to evaluate ERα and NRF2 expression and their correlation. Gene expression and localization in PCa cell lines were further investigated using real-time reverse transcription PCR/Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. We treated PCa cells with the ER inhibitor tamoxifen and performed luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to understand ERα-dependent NRF2 expression. Overexpression and knockdown of ERα and NRF2 were used to explore the potential role of the ERα-NRF2 signalling axis in bicalutamide resistance in PCa cells. RESULTS We found that the expression of ERα and NRF2 was positively correlated and was higher in human CRPC tissues than in primary PCa tissues. Treatment with oestrogen or bicalutamide increased the expression of ERα and NRF2 as well as NRF2 target genes in PCa cell lines. These effects were blocked by pretreatment with tamoxifen. ChIP assays demonstrated that ERα directly binds to the oestrogen response element (ERE) in the NRF2 promoter. This binding led to increased transcriptional activity of NRF2 in a luciferase reporter assay. Activation of the ERα-NRF2 signalling axis increased the expression of bicalutamide resistance-related genes. Inhibition of this signalling axis by knockdown of ERα or NRF2 downregulated the expression of bicalutamide resistance-related genes and inhibited the proliferation and migration of PCa cells. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the transcriptional interaction between ERα and NRF2 in CRPC tissues and cell lines by showing the direct binding of ERα to the ERE in the NRF2 promoter under oestrogen treatment. Activation of the ERα-NRF2 signalling axis contributes to bicalutamide resistance in PCa cells, suggesting that the ERα-NRF2 signalling axis is a potential therapeutic target for CRPC. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tian
- grid.216938.70000 0000 9878 7032Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Yanfei Peng
- grid.410648.f0000 0001 1816 6218School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617 China
| | - Kuo Yang
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211 China
| | - Jiasong Cao
- grid.216938.70000 0000 9878 7032Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Xiaoling Du
- grid.216938.70000 0000 9878 7032Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Zhixian Liang
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Jiandang Shi
- grid.216938.70000 0000 9878 7032Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Ju Zhang
- grid.216938.70000 0000 9878 7032Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
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7
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The number of the intraepithelial T cells correlate with the proliferation index in human bulbourethral gland epithelium. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11658. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Smith AE, Muralidharan A, Smith MT. Prostate cancer induced bone pain: pathobiology, current treatments and pain responses from recent clinical trials. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:108. [PMID: 36258057 PMCID: PMC9579264 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00569-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Metastatic spread of prostate cancer to the skeleton may result in debilitating bone pain. In this review, we address mechanisms underpinning the pathobiology of metastatic prostate cancer induced bone pain (PCIBP) that include sensitization and sprouting of primary afferent sensory nerve fibres in bone. We also review current treatments and pain responses evoked by various treatment modalities in clinical trials in this patient population. METHODS We reviewed the literature using PubMed to identify research on the pathobiology of PCIBP. Additionally, we reviewed clinical trials of various treatment modalities in patients with PCIBP with pain response outcomes published in the past 7 years. RESULTS Recent clinical trials show that radionuclides, given either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, evoked favourable pain responses in many patients and a single fraction of local external beam radiation therapy was as effective as multiple fractions. However, treatment with chemotherapy, small molecule inhibitors and/or immunotherapy agents, produced variable pain responses but pain response was the primary endpoint in only one of these trials. Additionally, there were no published trials of potentially novel analgesic agents in patients with PCIBP. CONCLUSION There is a knowledge gap for clinical trials of chemotherapy, small molecule inhibitors and/or immunotherapy in patients with PCIBP where pain response is the primary endpoint. Also, there are no novel analgesic agents on the horizon for the relief of PCIBP and this is an area of large unmet medical need that warrants concerted research attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. E. Smith
- St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - A. Muralidharan
- Neurobiology of Chronic Pain, The Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia
| | - M. T. Smith
- Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
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Gadkar S, Thakur M, Desouza J, Bhowmick S, Patel V, Chaudhari U, Acharya KK, Sachdeva G. Estrogen receptor expression is modulated in human and mouse prostate epithelial cells during cancer progression. Steroids 2022; 184:109036. [PMID: 35413338 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2022.109036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Substantial data posit estrogen receptors (ERs) as promising targets for prostate cancer (PCa) therapeutics. However, the trials on assessing the chemo-preventive or therapeutic potential of ER targeting drugs or selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) have not yet established their clinical benefits. This could be ascribed to a possible modulation in the ER expression during PCa progression. Further it is warranted to test various ER targeting drugs in appropriate preclinical models that simulate human ER expression pattern during PCa progression. The study was undertaken to revisit the existing data on the epithelial ER expression pattern in human cancerous prostates and experimentally determine whether these patterns are replicated in TRAMP (Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate) mice, a model for human PCa. Estradiol (E2) binding to the plasma membrane of the epithelial cells and its modulation during the PCa progression in TRAMP were also investigated. A reassessment of the existing data revealed a trend towards downregulation in the epithelial expression of wild-type ESR1 transcripts in high-grade PCa, compared to non-cancerous prostate in humans. Next, epithelial cell-enriched populations from TRAMP prostates (TP) displaying low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (LGPIN), high-grade PIN (HGPIN), HGPIN with well-differentiated carcinoma (PIN + WDC), WDC (equivalent to grade 2/3 human PCa), and poorly-differentiated carcinoma (PDC-equivalent to grade 4/5 human PCa) revealed significantly higher Esr1 and Esr2 levels in HGPIN and significantly reduced levels in WDC, compared to respective age-matched control prostates. These patterns for the nuclear ERs were similar to the trend shown by E2 binding to the plasma membrane of the epithelial cells during PCa progression in TRAMP. E2 binding to epithelial cells (EpCAM+), though significantly higher in TPs displaying LGPIN, decreased significantly as the disease progressed to WDC. The study highlights a reduction in the epithelial ESR level with the PCa progression and this pattern was evident in both humans and TRAMP. These observations may have major implications in refining PCa therapeutics targeting ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushama Gadkar
- Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Mohini Thakur
- Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Junita Desouza
- Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Shilpa Bhowmick
- Viral Immunopathogenesis Laboratory, ICMR-NIRRCH, Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Vainav Patel
- Viral Immunopathogenesis Laboratory, ICMR-NIRRCH, Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Uddhav Chaudhari
- Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Kshitish K Acharya
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Shodhaka Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru (Bangalore) 560100, India
| | - Geetanjali Sachdeva
- Cell Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai 400012, India.
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10
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Banerjee A, Cai S, Xie G, Li N, Bai X, Lavudi K, Wang K, Zhang X, Zhang J, Patnaik S, Backes FJ, Bennett C, Wang QE. A Novel Estrogen Receptor β Agonist Diminishes Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells via Suppressing the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2311. [PMID: 35565440 PMCID: PMC9105687 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive tract. A healthy ovary expresses both Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) and β (ERβ). Given that ERα is generally considered to promote cell survival and proliferation, thereby, enhancing tumor growth, while ERβ shows a protective effect against the development and progression of tumors, the activation of ERβ by its agonists could be therapeutically beneficial for ovarian cancer. Here, we demonstrate that the activation of ERβ using a newly developed ERβ agonist, OSU-ERb-12, can impede ovarian cancer cell expansion and tumor growth in an ERα-independent manner. More interestingly, we found that OSU-ERb-12 also reduces the cancer stem cell (CSC) population in ovarian cancer by compromising non-CSC-to-CSC conversion. Mechanistically, we revealed that OSU-ERb-12 decreased the expression of Snail, a master regulator of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is associated with de novo CSC generation. Given that ERα can mediate EMT and facilitate maintenance of the CSC subpopulation and that OSU-ERb-12 can block the transactivity of ERα, we conclude that OSU-ERb-12 reduces the CSC subpopulation by inhibiting EMT in an ERα-dependent manner. Taken together, our data indicate that the ERβ agonist OSU-ERb-12 could be used to hinder tumor progression and limit the CSC subpopulation with the potential to prevent tumor relapse and metastasis in patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Banerjee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Shurui Cai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Guozhen Xie
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Na Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Xuetao Bai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Kousalya Lavudi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Kevin Wang
- Columbus Academy, Gahanna, OH 43230, USA;
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Junran Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Srinivas Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India;
| | - Floor J. Backes
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Chad Bennett
- Drug Development Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Qi-En Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.B.); (S.C.); (N.L.); (X.B.); (K.L.); (J.Z.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
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11
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Lin Q, Cao J, Du X, Yang K, Yang X, Liang Z, Shi J, Zhang J. CYP1B1-catalyzed 4-OHE2 promotes the castration resistance of prostate cancer stem cells by estrogen receptor α-mediated IL6 activation. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:31. [PMID: 35292057 PMCID: PMC8922936 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-021-00807-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Resistance to androgen deprivation therapy remains a major challenge for the clinical treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). CYP1B1, a critical enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of estradiol to 4-Hydroxy-17β-estradiol (4-OHE2), has been reported to promote the development and progression of hormone-related cancer, but its role in CRPC is unclear. Methods To explore the underlying mechanism which CYP1B1 promotes the prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) characteristics, bioinformatics analyses of human clinical prostate cancer (PCa) datasets were performed. CYP1B1, IL6, and estrogen receptor-α (ERα) expression levels were evaluated in PCa and CRPC tissues via immunohistochemistry. The high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay was carried out to examine intracellular 4-OHE2 levels. Serum-free suspension culture and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate PCSCs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to validate that 4-OHE2 recruited ERα to the IL6 promoter. Results CYP1B1 expression was significantly increased in CRPC tissues and androgen-independent PCa cell lines. CYP1B1+ PCa cells were significantly enriched in bicalutamide-treated LNCaP cells, and CYP1B1 knockdown reduced the cell viability under bicalutamide treatment. In addition, CYP1B1 knockdown decreased the intracellular 4-OHE2 concentration, accompanied by reduced PCSC characteristics. In PCa cells, 4-OHE2 stimulated ERα transcriptional activity and upregulated the expression of IL6 and downstream genes of the IL6-STAT3 signaling. 4-OHE2 increased cell viability under bicalutamide treatment and promoted PCSC characteristics, while IL6 neutralizing antibody reversed these effects. Mechanistically, siERα and the ER antagonist ICI182780 significantly attenuated 4-OHE2-induced IL6 expression, and 4-OHE2 promoted the binding of ERα to the estrogen response element of the IL6 promoter. Conclusions Our findings indicate that CYP1B1-catalyzed 4-OHE2 enhanced PCSC characteristics and attenuated bicalutamide sensitivity by ERα-mediated the IL6-STAT3 pathway activation. Our study further emphasizes the role of CYP1B1 in castration resistance and illustrates a novel mechanism of CRPC development. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Video Abstract.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-021-00807-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimei Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jiasong Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.,Tianjin Key Lab of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiaoling Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Kuo Yang
- Department of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zhixian Liang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jiandang Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Ju Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Lab of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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12
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Lin Q, Cao J, Du X, Yang K, Shen Y, Wang W, Klocker H, Shi J, Zhang J. The HeyL-Aromatase Axis Promotes Cancer Stem Cell Properties by Endogenous Estrogen-Induced Autophagy in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:787953. [PMID: 35096586 PMCID: PMC8789881 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.787953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major clinical challenge. We previously showed that estrogenic effects contribute to CRPC progression and are primarily caused by the increased endogenous estradiol produced via highly expressed aromatase. However, the mechanism of aromatase upregulation and its role in CRPC are poorly described. In this study, we report that HeyL is aberrantly upregulated in CRPC tissues, and its expression is positively correlated with aromatase levels. HeyL overexpression increased endogenous estradiol levels and estrogen receptor-α (ERα) transcriptional activity by upregulating CYP19A1 expression, which encodes aromatase, enhancing prostate cancer stem cell (PCSC) properties in PC3 cells. Mechanistically, HeyL bound to the CYP19A1 promoter and activated its transcription. HeyL overexpression significantly promoted bicalutamide resistance in LNCaP cells, which was reversed by the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. In PC3 cells, the HeyL-aromatase axis promoted the PCSC phenotype by upregulating autophagy-related genes, while the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) suppressed the aromatase-induced PCSC phenotype. The activated HeyL-aromatase axis promoted PCSC autophagy via ERα-mediated estrogenic effects. Taken together, our results indicated that the HeyL-aromatase axis could increase endogenous estradiol levels and activate ERα to suppress PCSC apoptosis by promoting autophagy, which enhances the understanding of how endogenous estrogenic effects influence CRPC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimei Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiasong Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Lab of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoling Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kuo Yang
- Department of Urology of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongmei Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Lab of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weishu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Helmut Klocker
- Department of Urology, Division of Experimental Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jiandang Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ju Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Bioactive Materials Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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13
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Chaves LP, Melo CM, Saggioro FP, dos Reis RB, Squire JA. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Signaling and Prostate Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Biomarkers and Opportunities for Precision Therapeutics. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1900. [PMID: 34946849 PMCID: PMC8701270 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancers may reactivate a latent embryonic program called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during the development of metastatic disease. Through EMT, tumors can develop a mesenchymal phenotype similar to cancer stem cell traits that contributes to metastasis and variation in therapeutic responses. Some of the recurrent somatic mutations of prostate cancer affect EMT driver genes and effector transcription factors that induce the chromatin- and androgen-dependent epigenetic alterations that characterize castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). EMT regulators in prostate cancer comprise transcription factors (SNAI1/2, ZEB1, TWIST1, and ETS), tumor suppressor genes (RB1, PTEN, and TP53), and post-transcriptional regulators (miRNAs) that under the selective pressures of antiandrogen therapy can develop an androgen-independent metastatic phenotype. In prostate cancer mouse models of EMT, Slug expression, as well as WNT/β-Catenin and notch signaling pathways, have been shown to increase stemness potential. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies also suggest that the stemness phenotype of advanced prostate cancer may be related to EMT. Other evidence correlates EMT and stemness with immune evasion, for example, activation of the polycomb repressor complex I, promoting EMT and stemness and cytokine secretion through RB1, TP53, and PRC1. These findings are helping clinical trials in CRPC that seek to understand how drugs and biomarkers related to the acquisition of EMT can improve drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Paulo Chaves
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Camila Morais Melo
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Fabiano Pinto Saggioro
- Pathology Department, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Rodolfo Borges dos Reis
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Jeremy Andrew Squire
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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14
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Papanikolaou S, Vourda A, Syggelos S, Gyftopoulos K. Cell Plasticity and Prostate Cancer: The Role of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Tumor Progression, Invasion, Metastasis and Cancer Therapy Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112795. [PMID: 34199763 PMCID: PMC8199975 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a well-known cellular process involved during normal embryogenesis and wound healing, it also has a dark side; it is a complex process that provides tumor cells with a more aggressive phenotype, facilitating tumor metastasis and even resistance to therapy. This review focuses on the key pathways of EMT in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and the development of metastases and evasion of currently available treatments. Abstract Prostate cancer, the second most common malignancy in men, is characterized by high heterogeneity that poses several therapeutic challenges. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic, reversible cellular process which is essential in normal embryonic morphogenesis and wound healing. However, the cellular changes that are induced by EMT suggest that it may also play a central role in tumor progression, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to current therapeutic options. These changes include enhanced motility and loss of cell–cell adhesion that form a more aggressive cellular phenotype. Moreover, the reverse process (MET) is a necessary element of the metastatic tumor process. It is highly probable that this cell plasticity reflects a hybrid state between epithelial and mesenchymal status. In this review, we describe the underlying key mechanisms of the EMT-induced phenotype modulation that contribute to prostate tumor aggressiveness and cancer therapy resistance, in an effort to provide a framework of this complex cellular process.
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15
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Semenas J, Wang T, Sajid Syed Khaja A, Firoj Mahmud AKM, Simoulis A, Grundström T, Fällman M, Persson JL. Targeted inhibition of ERα signaling and PIP5K1α/Akt pathways in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:968-986. [PMID: 33275817 PMCID: PMC8024724 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective ERα modulator, tamoxifen, is well tolerated in a heavily pretreated castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) patient cohort. However, its targeted gene network and whether expression of intratumor ERα due to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may play a role in PCa progression is unknown. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on castration-resistant PCa in vitro and in vivo. We found that tamoxifen is a potent compound that induced a high degree of apoptosis and significantly suppressed growth of xenograft tumors in mice, at a degree comparable to ISA-2011B, an inhibitor of PIP5K1α that acts upstream of PI3K/AKT survival signaling pathway. Moreover, depletion of tumor-associated macrophages using clodronate in combination with tamoxifen increased inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on aggressive prostate tumors. We showed that both tamoxifen and ISA-2011B exert their on-target effects on prostate cancer cells by targeting cyclin D1 and PIP5K1α/AKT network and the interlinked estrogen signaling. Combination treatment using tamoxifen together with ISA-2011B resulted in tumor regression and had superior inhibitory effect compared with that of tamoxifen or ISA-2011B alone. We have identified sets of genes that are specifically targeted by tamoxifen, ISA-2011B or combination of both agents by RNA-seq. We discovered that alterations in unique gene signatures, in particular estrogen-related marker genes are associated with poor patient disease-free survival. We further showed that ERα interacted with PIP5K1α through formation of protein complexes in the nucleus, suggesting a functional link. Our finding is the first to suggest a new therapeutic potential to inhibit or utilize the mechanisms related to ERα, PIP5K1α/AKT network, and MMP9/VEGF signaling axis, providing a strategy to treat castration-resistant ER-positive subtype of prostate cancer tumors with metastatic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tianyan Wang
- Department of Molecular BiologyUmeå UniversitySweden
| | | | | | - Athanasios Simoulis
- Department of Clinical Pathology and CytologySkåne University HospitalMalmöSweden
| | | | - Maria Fällman
- Department of Molecular BiologyUmeå UniversitySweden
| | - Jenny L. Persson
- Department of Molecular BiologyUmeå UniversitySweden
- Division of Experimental Cancer ResearchDepartment of Translational MedicineLund UniversityClinical Research Centre in MalmöSweden
- Department of Biomedical ScienceMalmö UniversitySweden
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16
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Bahmad HF, Jalloul M, Azar J, Moubarak MM, Samad TA, Mukherji D, Al-Sayegh M, Abou-Kheir W. Tumor Microenvironment in Prostate Cancer: Toward Identification of Novel Molecular Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy Development. Front Genet 2021; 12:652747. [PMID: 33841508 PMCID: PMC8033163 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.652747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is by far the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Despite sensitivity to androgen deprivation, patients with advanced disease eventually develop resistance to therapy and may die of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). A key challenge in the management of PCa is the clinical heterogeneity that is hard to predict using existing biomarkers. Defining molecular biomarkers for PCa that can reliably aid in diagnosis and distinguishing patients who require aggressive therapy from those who should avoid overtreatment is a significant unmet need. Mechanisms underlying the development of PCa are not confined to cancer epithelial cells, but also involve the tumor microenvironment. The crosstalk between epithelial cells and stroma in PCa has been shown to play an integral role in disease progression and metastasis. A number of key markers of reactive stroma has been identified including stem/progenitor cell markers, stromal-derived mediators of inflammation, regulators of angiogenesis, connective tissue growth factors, wingless homologs (Wnts), and integrins. Here, we provide a synopsis of the stromal-epithelial crosstalk in PCa focusing on the relevant molecular biomarkers pertaining to the tumor microenvironment and their role in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham F Bahmad
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.,Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, United States
| | - Mohammad Jalloul
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Joseph Azar
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Maya M Moubarak
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Tamara Abdul Samad
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Deborah Mukherji
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mohamed Al-Sayegh
- Biology Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wassim Abou-Kheir
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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17
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Context Matters: NOTCH Signatures and Pathway in Cancer Progression and Metastasis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010094. [PMID: 33430387 PMCID: PMC7827494 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is a critical player in embryogenesis but also plays various roles in tumorigenesis, with both tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities. Mutations, deletions, amplifications, or over-expression of Notch receptors, ligands, and a growing list of downstream Notch-activated genes have by now been described for most human cancer types. Yet, it often remains unclear what may be the functional impact of these changes for tumor biology, initiation, and progression, for cancer therapy, and for personalized medicine. Emerging data indicate that Notch signaling can also contribute to increased aggressive properties such as invasion, tumor heterogeneity, angiogenesis, or tumor cell dormancy within solid cancer tissues; especially in epithelial cancers, which are in the center of this review. Notch further supports the “stemness” of cancer cells and helps define the stem cell niche for their long-term survival, by integrating the interaction between cancer cells and the cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The complexity of Notch crosstalk with other signaling pathways and its roles in cell fate and trans-differentiation processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) point to this pathway as a decisive player that may tip the balance between tumor suppression and promotion, differentiation and invasion. Here we not only review the literature, but also explore genomic databases with a specific focus on Notch signatures, and how they relate to different stages in tumor development. Altered Notch signaling hereby plays a key role for tumor cell survival and coping with a broad spectrum of vital issues, contributing to failed therapies, poor patient outcome, and loss of lives.
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18
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Shen Y, Li C, Zhou L, Huang JA. G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor promotes cell growth of non-small cell lung cancer cells via YAP1/QKI/circNOTCH1/m6A methylated NOTCH1 signalling. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 25:284-296. [PMID: 33237585 PMCID: PMC7810948 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.15997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Results from various studies reveal that the role of G protein‐coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) is cancer‐context dependent, and the function of GPER in non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. The present study demonstrated that neoplasm lung tissues expressed higher level of GPER compared with the normal lung tissues. The clinical data also showed that GPER expression level was positively correlated with the tumour stage of NSCLC. Our experimental data confirmed that GPER played an oncogenic role to promote cell growth of NSCLC cells. Mechanistic dissection revealed that GPER could modulate the NOTCH1 pathway to regulate cell growth in NSCLC cells. Further exploration of the mechanism demonstrated that GPER could up‐regulate circNOTCH1, which could compete with NOTCH1 mRNA for METTL14 binding. Because of the lack of m6A modification by METTL14 on the NOTCH1 mRNA, NOTCH1 mRNA was more stable and much easier to undergo protein translation. Subsequently, we found that GPER could prevent YAP1 phosphorylation and promote YAP1‐TEAD's transcriptional regulation on QKI, a transacting RNA‐binding factor involved in circRNA biogenesis, to facilitate circNOTCH1 generation. Supportively, data from preclinical mice model with implantation of H1299 cells also demonstrated that knock‐down of circNOTCH1 could block GPER‐induced NOTCH1 to suppress NSCLC tumour growth. Together, our data showed that GPER could promote NSCLC cell growth via regulating the YAP1/QKI/circNOTCH1/m6A methylated NOTCH1 pathway, and targeting our identified molecules may be a potentially therapeutic approach to suppress NSCLC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Chong Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Jian-An Huang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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19
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Qin S, Jiang J, Lu Y, Nice EC, Huang C, Zhang J, He W. Emerging role of tumor cell plasticity in modifying therapeutic response. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:228. [PMID: 33028808 PMCID: PMC7541492 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00313-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to cancer therapy is a major barrier to cancer management. Conventional views have proposed that acquisition of resistance may result from genetic mutations. However, accumulating evidence implicates a key role of non-mutational resistance mechanisms underlying drug tolerance, the latter of which is the focus that will be discussed here. Such non-mutational processes are largely driven by tumor cell plasticity, which renders tumor cells insusceptible to the drug-targeted pathway, thereby facilitating the tumor cell survival and growth. The concept of tumor cell plasticity highlights the significance of re-activation of developmental programs that are closely correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, acquisition properties of cancer stem cells, and trans-differentiation potential during drug exposure. From observations in various cancers, this concept provides an opportunity for investigating the nature of anticancer drug resistance. Over the years, our understanding of the emerging role of phenotype switching in modifying therapeutic response has considerably increased. This expanded knowledge of tumor cell plasticity contributes to developing novel therapeutic strategies or combination therapy regimens using available anticancer drugs, which are likely to improve patient outcomes in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingwen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Edouard C Nice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Canhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, 611137, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weifeng He
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Disease Proteomics, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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Dou Y, Shang Y, Shen Y, Qu J, Liu C, Cao J. Baicalin alleviates adriamycin-induced focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria by inhibiting the Notch1-Snail axis mediated podocyte EMT. Life Sci 2020; 257:118010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Estrogen Receptors in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11101418. [PMID: 31548498 PMCID: PMC6826537 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) remains a widespread malignancy in men. Since the androgen/androgen receptor (AR) axis is associated with the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, suppression of AR-dependent signaling by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) still represents the primary intervention for this disease. Despite the initial response, prostate cancer frequently develops resistance to ADT and progresses. As such, the disease becomes metastatic and few therapeutic options are available at this stage. Although the majority of studies are focused on the role of AR signaling, compelling evidence has shown that estrogens and their receptors control prostate cancer initiation and progression through a still debated mechanism. Epithelial versus mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in metastatic spread as well as drug-resistance of human cancers, and many studies on the role of this process in prostate cancer progression have been reported. We discuss here the findings on the role of estrogen/estrogen receptor (ER) axis in epithelial versus mesenchymal transition of prostate cancer cells. The pending questions concerning this issue are presented, together with the impact of the available data in clinical management of prostate cancer patients.
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