1
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Borrelli C, Roberts M, Eletto D, Hussherr MD, Fazilaty H, Valenta T, Lafzi A, Kretz JA, Guido Vinzoni E, Karakatsani A, Adivarahan S, Mannhart A, Kimura S, Meijs A, Baccouche Mhamedi F, Acar IE, Handler K, Ficht X, Platt RJ, Piscuoglio S, Moor AE. In vivo interaction screening reveals liver-derived constraints to metastasis. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07715-3. [PMID: 39048831 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07715-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
It is estimated that only 0.02% of disseminated tumour cells are able to seed overt metastases1. While this suggests the presence of environmental constraints to metastatic seeding, the landscape of host factors controlling this process remains largely unclear. Here, combining transposon technology2 and fluorescence niche labelling3, we developed an in vivo CRISPR activation screen to systematically investigate the interactions between hepatocytes and metastatic cells. We identify plexin B2 as a critical host-derived regulator of liver colonization in colorectal and pancreatic cancer and melanoma syngeneic mouse models. We dissect a mechanism through which plexin B2 interacts with class IV semaphorins on tumour cells, leading to KLF4 upregulation and thereby promoting the acquisition of epithelial traits. Our results highlight the essential role of signals from the liver parenchyma for the seeding of disseminated tumour cells before the establishment of a growth-promoting niche. Our findings further suggest that epithelialization is required for the adaptation of CRC metastases to their new tissue environment. Blocking the plexin-B2-semaphorin axis abolishes metastatic colonization of the liver and therefore represents a therapeutic strategy for the prevention of hepatic metastases. Finally, our screening approach, which evaluates host-derived extrinsic signals rather than tumour-intrinsic factors for their ability to promote metastatic seeding, is broadly applicable and lays a framework for the screening of environmental constraints to metastasis in other organs and cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Borrelli
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Morgan Roberts
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Davide Eletto
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Hassan Fazilaty
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Atefeh Lafzi
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas A Kretz
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elena Guido Vinzoni
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Ardian Mannhart
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shoichiro Kimura
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ab Meijs
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Ilhan E Acar
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Handler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xenia Ficht
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Randall J Platt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salvatore Piscuoglio
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas E Moor
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.
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2
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Calistri NL, Liby TA, Hu Z, Zhang H, Dane M, Gross SM, Heiser LM. TNBC response to paclitaxel phenocopies interferon response which reveals cell cycle-associated resistance mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.596911. [PMID: 38895265 PMCID: PMC11185620 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.596911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is a standard of care neoadjuvant therapy for patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, it shows limited benefit for locally advanced or metastatic disease. Here we used a coordinated experimental-computational approach to explore the influence of paclitaxel on the cellular and molecular responses of TNBC cells. We found that escalating doses of paclitaxel resulted in multinucleation, promotion of senescence, and initiation of DNA damage induced apoptosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of TNBC cells after paclitaxel treatment revealed upregulation of innate immune programs canonically associated with interferon response and downregulation of cell cycle progression programs. Systematic exploration of transcriptional responses to paclitaxel and cancer-associated microenvironmental factors revealed common gene programs induced by paclitaxel, IFNB, and IFNG. Transcription factor (TF) enrichment analysis identified 13 TFs that were both enriched based on activity of downstream targets and also significantly upregulated after paclitaxel treatment. Functional assessment with siRNA knockdown confirmed that the TFs FOSL1, NFE2L2 and ELF3 mediate cellular proliferation and also regulate nuclear structure. We further explored the influence of these TFs on paclitaxel-induced cell cycle behavior via live cell imaging, which revealed altered progression rates through G1, S/G2 and M phases. We found that ELF3 knockdown synergized with paclitaxel treatment to lock cells in a G1 state and prevent cell cycle progression. Analysis of publicly available breast cancer patient data showed that high ELF3 expression was associated with poor prognosis and enrichment programs associated with cell cycle progression. Together these analyses disentangle the diverse aspects of paclitaxel response and identify ELF3 upregulation as a putative biomarker of paclitaxel resistance in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L Calistri
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Tiera A. Liby
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Zhi Hu
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Mark Dane
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Sean M. Gross
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
| | - Laura M. Heiser
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon
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3
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Ramisetty S, Subbalakshmi AR, Pareek S, Mirzapoiazova T, Do D, Prabhakar D, Pisick E, Shrestha S, Achuthan S, Bhattacharya S, Malhotra J, Mohanty A, Singhal SS, Salgia R, Kulkarni P. Leveraging Cancer Phenotypic Plasticity for Novel Treatment Strategies. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3337. [PMID: 38893049 PMCID: PMC11172618 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113337] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells, like all other organisms, are adept at switching their phenotype to adjust to the changes in their environment. Thus, phenotypic plasticity is a quantitative trait that confers a fitness advantage to the cancer cell by altering its phenotype to suit environmental circumstances. Until recently, new traits, especially in cancer, were thought to arise due to genetic factors; however, it is now amply evident that such traits could also emerge non-genetically due to phenotypic plasticity. Furthermore, phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity in the population, which is a major impediment in treating the disease. Finally, plasticity also impacts the group behavior of cancer cells, since competition and cooperation among multiple clonal groups within the population and the interactions they have with the tumor microenvironment also contribute to the evolution of drug resistance. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that cancer cells exploit to tailor their phenotypes at a systems level can aid the development of novel cancer therapeutics and treatment strategies. Here, we present our perspective on a team medicine-based approach to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon to develop new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sravani Ramisetty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Siddhika Pareek
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Tamara Mirzapoiazova
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Dana Do
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Dhivya Prabhakar
- City of Hope Atlanta, 600 Celebrate Life Parkway, Newnan, GA 30265, USA;
| | - Evan Pisick
- City of Hope Chicago, 2520 Elisha Avenue, Zion, IL 60099, USA;
| | - Sagun Shrestha
- City of Hope Phoenix, 14200 West Celebrate Life Way, Goodyear, AZ 85338, USA;
| | - Srisairam Achuthan
- Center for Informatics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Supriyo Bhattacharya
- Integrative Genomics Core, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Jyoti Malhotra
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Atish Mohanty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Sharad S. Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.R.); (A.R.S.); (S.P.); (T.M.); (D.D.); (J.M.); (A.M.); (S.S.S.)
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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4
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Ju Y, Fang S, Liu L, Ma H, Zheng L. The function of the ELF3 gene and its mechanism in cancers. Life Sci 2024; 346:122637. [PMID: 38614305 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122637] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
E74-like factor 3 (ELF3) is an important member of the E-twenty-six (ETS) transcription factor family. ELF3 is expressed in various types of cells and regulates a variety of biological behaviors, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion, by binding to DNA to regulate the expression of other genes. In recent years, studies have shown that ELF3 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of many tumors and inflammation and immune related diseases. ELF3 has different functions and expression patterns in different tumors; it can function as a tumor suppressor gene or an oncogene, highlighting its dual effects of tumor promotion and inhibition. ELF3 also affects the levels of tumor immunity-related cytokines and is involved in the regulation and expression of multiple signaling pathways. In tumor therapy, ELF3 is a complex and multifunctional gene and has become a key focus of targeted treatment research. An in-depth study of the biological function of ELF3 can help to elucidate its role in biological processes and provide ideas and a basis for the development and clinical application of ELF3-related therapeutic methods. This review introduces the structure and physiological and cellular functions of the ELF3 gene, summarizes the mechanisms of action of ELF3 in different types of malignant tumors and its role in immune regulation, inflammation, etc., and discusses treatment methods for ELF3-related diseases, providing significant reference value for scholars studying the ELF3 gene and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiheng Ju
- Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Sheng Fang
- Yantai Penglai People's Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Longbo Zheng
- Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
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5
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Ghosal N, Tapadar P, Biswas D, Pal R. ELF3 plays an important role in defining TRAIL sensitivity in breast cancer by modulating the expression of decoy receptor 2 (DCR2). Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:671. [PMID: 38787503 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TRAIL protein on binding to its cognate death receptors (DR) can induce apoptosis specifically in breast tumor cells sparing normal cells. However, TRAIL also binds to decoy receptors (DCR) thereby inhibiting the apoptotic pathways thus causing TRAIL resistance. Also, one of the barriers due to which TRAIL-based therapy could not become FDA-approved might be because of resistance to therapy. Therefore, in the current study we wanted to explore the role of transcription factors in TRAIL resistance with respect to breast cancer. METHODS Microarray data from TRAIL-sensitive (TS) and TRAIL-resistant (TR) MDA-MB-231 cells were reanalyzed followed by validation of the candidate genes using quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunoblotting and immunofluorescence technique. Overexpression of the candidate gene was performed in MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells followed by cell viability assay and immunoblotting for cleaved caspase-3. Additionally, immunoblotting for DCR2 was carried out. TCGA breast cancer patient survival was used for Kaplan-Meier (KM) plot. RESULTS Validation of the candidate gene i.e. ELF3 using qPCR and immunoblotting revealed it to be downregulated in TR cells compared to TS cells. ELF3 overexpression in MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells caused reversal of TRAIL resistance as observed using cell viability assay and cleaved caspase-3 immunoblotting. ELF3 overexpression also resulted in DCR2 downregulation in the MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells. Furthermore, KM analysis found high ELF3 and low DCR2 expression to show better patient survival in the presence of TRAIL. CONCLUSION Our study shows ELF3 to be an important factor that can influence TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer. Also, ELF3 and DCR2 expression status should be taken into consideration while designing strategies for successful TRAIL-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirajan Ghosal
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India
| | - Poulami Tapadar
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India
| | - Divisha Biswas
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India
| | - Ranjana Pal
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India.
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6
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Youssef KK, Nieto MA. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tissue repair and degeneration. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00733-z. [PMID: 38684869 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00733-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) are the epitome of cell plasticity in embryonic development and cancer; during EMT, epithelial cells undergo dramatic phenotypic changes and become able to migrate to form different tissues or give rise to metastases, respectively. The importance of EMTs in other contexts, such as tissue repair and fibrosis in the adult, has become increasingly recognized and studied. In this Review, we discuss the function of EMT in the adult after tissue damage and compare features of embryonic and adult EMT. Whereas sustained EMT leads to adult tissue degeneration, fibrosis and organ failure, its transient activation, which confers phenotypic and functional plasticity on somatic cells, promotes tissue repair after damage. Understanding the mechanisms and temporal regulation of different EMTs provides insight into how some tissues heal and has the potential to open new therapeutic avenues to promote repair or regeneration of tissue damage that is currently irreversible. We also discuss therapeutic strategies that modulate EMT that hold clinical promise in ameliorating fibrosis, and how precise EMT activation could be harnessed to enhance tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Angela Nieto
- Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain.
- CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Wu S, Qin X, Huang L. The role of alternative polyadenylation in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of non-small cell lung cancer. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:677-686. [PMID: 38224682 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae001] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the cancers with high incidence, poor survival, and limited treatment. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the first step by which an early tumor converts to an invasive one. Studying the underlying mechanisms of EMT can help the understanding of cancer metastasis and improve the treatment. In this study, 1013 NSCLC patients and 123 NSCLC cell lines are deeply analyzed for the potential roles of alternative polyadenylation (APA) in the EMT process. A trend of shorter 3'-UTRs (three prime untranslated region) is discovered in the mesenchymal samples. The identification of EMT-related APA events highlights the proximal poly(A) selection of CARM1. It is a pathological biomarker of mesenchymal tumor and cancer metastasis through losing miRNA binding to upregulate the EMT inducer of CARM1 and releasing miRNAs to downregulate the EMT inhibitor of RBM47. The crucial role of this APA event in EMT also guides its effect on drug responses. The patients with shorter 3'-UTR of CARM1 are more benefit from chemotherapy drugs, especially cisplatin. A stratification of NSCLC patients based on this APA event is useful for chemotherapy design in future clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, No. 2, South Taibai Road, Yanta district, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Xinyu Qin
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, No. 2, South Taibai Road, Yanta district, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Liyu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, No. 2, South Taibai Road, Yanta district, Xi'an 710071, China
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8
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McCluskey ES, Liu N, Pandey A, Marchetti N, Kelsen SG, Sajjan US. Quercetin improves epithelial regeneration from airway basal cells of COPD patients. Respir Res 2024; 25:120. [PMID: 38468259 PMCID: PMC10926630 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-024-02742-0] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Airway basal cells (BC) from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) regenerate abnormal airway epithelium and this was associated with reduced expression of several genes involved in epithelial repair. Quercetin reduces airway epithelial remodeling and inflammation in COPD models, therefore we examined whether quercetin promotes normal epithelial regeneration from COPD BC by altering gene expression. METHODS COPD BC treated with DMSO or 1 µM quercetin for three days were cultured at air/liquid interface (ALI) for up to 4 weeks. BC from healthy donors cultured at ALI were used as controls. Polarization of cells was determined at 8 days of ALI. The cell types and IL-8 expression in differentiated cell cultures were quantified by flow cytometry and ELISA respectively. Microarray analysis was conducted on DMSO or 1 µM quercetin-treated COPD BC for 3 days to identify differentially regulated genes (DEG). Bronchial brushings obtained from COPD patients with similar age and disease status treated with either placebo (4 subjects) or 2000 mg/day quercetin (7 subjects) for 6 months were used to confirm the effects of quercetin on gene expression. RESULTS Compared to placebo-, quercetin-treated COPD BC showed significantly increased transepithelial resistance, more ciliated cells, fewer goblet cells, and lower IL-8. Quercetin upregulated genes associated with tissue and epithelial development and differentiation in COPD BC. COPD patients treated with quercetin, but not placebo showed increased expression of two developmental genes HOXB2 and ELF3, which were also increased in quercetin-treated COPD BC with FDR < 0.001. Active smokers showed increased mRNA expression of TGF-β (0.067) and IL-8 (22.0), which was reduced by 3.6 and 4.14 fold respectively after quercetin treatment. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that quercetin may improve airway epithelial regeneration by increasing the expression of genes involved in epithelial development/differentiation in COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 6-18-2019. The study number is NCT03989271.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S McCluskey
- Center for Inflammation and Lung Research, Lewis-Katz Medical School, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Nathan Liu
- Center for Inflammation and Lung Research, Lewis-Katz Medical School, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Abhimaneu Pandey
- Center for Inflammation and Lung Research, Lewis-Katz Medical School, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Nathaniel Marchetti
- Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Steven G Kelsen
- Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Umadevi S Sajjan
- Center for Inflammation and Lung Research, Lewis-Katz Medical School, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Inflammation, Lewis-Katz Medical School, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
- Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
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9
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Terekhanova NV, Karpova A, Liang WW, Strzalkowski A, Chen S, Li Y, Southard-Smith AN, Iglesia MD, Wendl MC, Jayasinghe RG, Liu J, Song Y, Cao S, Houston A, Liu X, Wyczalkowski MA, Lu RJH, Caravan W, Shinkle A, Naser Al Deen N, Herndon JM, Mudd J, Ma C, Sarkar H, Sato K, Ibrahim OM, Mo CK, Chasnoff SE, Porta-Pardo E, Held JM, Pachynski R, Schwarz JK, Gillanders WE, Kim AH, Vij R, DiPersio JF, Puram SV, Chheda MG, Fuh KC, DeNardo DG, Fields RC, Chen F, Raphael BJ, Ding L. Epigenetic regulation during cancer transitions across 11 tumour types. Nature 2023; 623:432-441. [PMID: 37914932 PMCID: PMC10632147 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06682-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin accessibility is essential in regulating gene expression and cellular identity, and alterations in accessibility have been implicated in driving cancer initiation, progression and metastasis1-4. Although the genetic contributions to oncogenic transitions have been investigated, epigenetic drivers remain less understood. Here we constructed a pan-cancer epigenetic and transcriptomic atlas using single-nucleus chromatin accessibility data (using single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin) from 225 samples and matched single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-sequencing expression data from 206 samples. With over 1 million cells from each platform analysed through the enrichment of accessible chromatin regions, transcription factor motifs and regulons, we identified epigenetic drivers associated with cancer transitions. Some epigenetic drivers appeared in multiple cancers (for example, regulatory regions of ABCC1 and VEGFA; GATA6 and FOX-family motifs), whereas others were cancer specific (for example, regulatory regions of FGF19, ASAP2 and EN1, and the PBX3 motif). Among epigenetically altered pathways, TP53, hypoxia and TNF signalling were linked to cancer initiation, whereas oestrogen response, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and apical junction were tied to metastatic transition. Furthermore, we revealed a marked correlation between enhancer accessibility and gene expression and uncovered cooperation between epigenetic and genetic drivers. This atlas provides a foundation for further investigation of epigenetic dynamics in cancer transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda V Terekhanova
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alla Karpova
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wen-Wei Liang
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Siqi Chen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yize Li
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Austin N Southard-Smith
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael D Iglesia
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael C Wendl
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Reyka G Jayasinghe
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jingxian Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yizhe Song
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Song Cao
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew Houston
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xiuting Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Matthew A Wyczalkowski
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rita Jui-Hsien Lu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wagma Caravan
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew Shinkle
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nataly Naser Al Deen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - John M Herndon
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jacqueline Mudd
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cong Ma
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Hirak Sarkar
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kazuhito Sato
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Omar M Ibrahim
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chia-Kuei Mo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sara E Chasnoff
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Eduard Porta-Pardo
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jason M Held
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Russell Pachynski
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julie K Schwarz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - William E Gillanders
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Albert H Kim
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ravi Vij
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - John F DiPersio
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sidharth V Puram
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Milan G Chheda
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katherine C Fuh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ryan C Fields
- Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Benjamin J Raphael
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Li Ding
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
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10
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Jain P, Pillai M, Duddu AS, Somarelli JA, Goyal Y, Jolly MK. Dynamical hallmarks of cancer: Phenotypic switching in melanoma and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:48-63. [PMID: 37788736 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.09.007] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity was recently incorporated as a hallmark of cancer. This plasticity can manifest along many interconnected axes, such as stemness and differentiation, drug-sensitive and drug-resistant states, and between epithelial and mesenchymal cell-states. Despite growing acceptance for phenotypic plasticity as a hallmark of cancer, the dynamics of this process remains poorly understood. In particular, the knowledge necessary for a predictive understanding of how individual cancer cells and populations of cells dynamically switch their phenotypes in response to the intensity and/or duration of their current and past environmental stimuli remains far from complete. Here, we present recent investigations of phenotypic plasticity from a systems-level perspective using two exemplars: epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in carcinomas and phenotypic switching in melanoma. We highlight how an integrated computational-experimental approach has helped unravel insights into specific dynamical hallmarks of phenotypic plasticity in different cancers to address the following questions: a) how many distinct cell-states or phenotypes exist?; b) how reversible are transitions among these cell-states, and what factors control the extent of reversibility?; and c) how might cell-cell communication be able to alter rates of cell-state switching and enable diverse patterns of phenotypic heterogeneity? Understanding these dynamic features of phenotypic plasticity may be a key component in shifting the paradigm of cancer treatment from reactionary to a more predictive, proactive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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11
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McCluskey ES, Liu N, Pandey A, Marchetti N, Sajjan U. Quercetin improves epithelial regeneration from airway basal cells of COPD patients. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3185241. [PMID: 37546740 PMCID: PMC10402257 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3185241/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Airway basal cells from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) regenerate abnormal airway epithelium and this was associated with reduced expression of several genes involved in epithelial repair. Quercetin reduces goblet cell metaplasia and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in COPD models. This study assessed whether quercetin improves epithelial regeneration from COPD airway basal cells. Methods COPD airway basal cells were treated with DMSO or 1 μM quercetin for three days. The cells were then cultured at air/liquid interface (ALI) for up to 4 weeks. Basal cells from healthy donors cultured at air/liquid interface were used as controls. Polarization of cells was determined at 8 days of ALI. The cell types and IL-8 expression in differentiated cell cultures were quantified by flow cytometry and ELISA. Microarray analysis was conducted on DMSO or quercetin-treated COPD basal cells to identify differentially regulated genes (DEG) and the enriched biological pathways. Bronchial brushings from COPD patients treated with either placebo or quercetin for 6 months were used to confirm the effects of quercetin on gene expression. Results Compared to DMSO, quercetin-treated COPD basal cells showed an increase in TER and regenerated the airway epithelium with more ciliated cells, and less goblet cells and IL-8. Comparison of DMSO- and quercetin-treated COPD basal cell transcriptomic profiles indicated that quercetin upregulated genes associated with tissue and epithelial development and differentiation. COPD patients treated with quercetin, but not placebo showed significantly increased expression of two developmental genes HOXB2 and ELF3, which were also increased in quercetin-treated COPD basal cells. Bronchial brushings from active smokers showed significantly increased mRNA expression of TGF-β and IL-8, and it was reduced after quercetin treatment. Conclusions These results indicate that quercetin may improve airway epithelial regeneration by increasing the expression of genes involved in epithelial development/differentiation in COPD. Trial registration This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 6-18-2019. The study number is NCT03989271.
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12
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Akhmetkaliyev A, Alibrahim N, Shafiee D, Tulchinsky E. EMT/MET plasticity in cancer and Go-or-Grow decisions in quiescence: the two sides of the same coin? Mol Cancer 2023; 22:90. [PMID: 37259089 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01793-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) are genetic determinants of cellular plasticity. These programs operate in physiological (embryonic development, wound healing) and pathological (organ fibrosis, cancer) conditions. In cancer, EMT and MET interfere with various signalling pathways at different levels. This results in gross alterations in the gene expression programs, which affect most, if not all hallmarks of cancer, such as response to proliferative and death-inducing signals, tumorigenicity, and cell stemness. EMT in cancer cells involves large scale reorganisation of the cytoskeleton, loss of epithelial integrity, and gain of mesenchymal traits, such as mesenchymal type of cell migration. In this regard, EMT/MET plasticity is highly relevant to the Go-or-Grow concept, which postulates the dichotomous relationship between cell motility and proliferation. The Go-or-Grow decisions are critically important in the processes in which EMT/MET plasticity takes the central stage, mobilisation of stem cells during wound healing, cancer relapse, and metastasis. Here we outline the maintenance of quiescence in stem cell and metastatic niches, focusing on the implication of EMT/MET regulatory networks in Go-or-Grow switches. In particular, we discuss the analogy between cells residing in hybrid quasi-mesenchymal states and GAlert, an intermediate phase allowing quiescent stem cells to enter the cell cycle rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azamat Akhmetkaliyev
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Darya Shafiee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan
| | - Eugene Tulchinsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
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