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Darmadi D, Aminov Z, Hjazi A, R R, Kazmi SW, Mustafa YF, Hosseen B, Sharma A, Alubiady MHS, Al-Abdeen SHZ. Investigation of the regulation of EGF signaling by miRNAs, delving into the underlying mechanism and signaling pathways in cancer. Exp Cell Res 2024; 442:114267. [PMID: 39313176 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114267] [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: 07/20/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The EGF receptors (EGFRs) signaling pathway is essential for tumorigenesis and progression of cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that miRNAs are essential regulators of EGF signaling, influencing various pathway components and tumor behavior. This article discusses the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of miRNA-mediated regulation of EGF signaling in cancer. miRNAs utilize multiple mechanisms to exert their regulatory effects on EGF signaling. They can target EGF ligands, including EGF and TGF-directly, inhibiting their expression and secretion. In addition, miRNAs can modulate EGF signaling indirectly by targeting EGF receptors, downstream signaling molecules, and transcription factors implicated in regulating the EGF pathway. These miRNAs can disrupt the delicate equilibrium of EGF signaling, resulting in aberrant activation and fostering tumor cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The dysregulation of the expression of specific miRNAs has been linked to clinical outcomes in numerous types of cancer. Specific profiles of miRNA expression have been identified as prognostic markers, reflecting tumor characteristics, invasiveness, metastatic potential, and therapeutic response. These miRNAs can serve as potential therapeutic targets for interventions that modulate EGF signaling and improve patient outcomes. Understanding the intricate relationship between miRNAs and EGF signaling in cancer can transform cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The identification of specific miRNAs involved in the regulation of the EGF pathway opens the door to the development of targeted therapies and personalized medicine approaches. In addition, miRNA-based interventions promise to overcome therapeutic resistance and improve the efficacy of existing treatments. miRNAs are crucial regulators of EGF signaling in cancer, affecting tumor behavior and clinical outcomes. Further research is required to decipher the complex network of miRNA-mediated EGF signaling regulation and translate these findings into clinically applicable strategies for enhanced cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darmadi Darmadi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.
| | - Zafar Aminov
- Department of Public Health and Healthcare Management, Samarkand State Medical University, 18 Amir Temur Street, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
| | - Ahmed Hjazi
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Roopashree R
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
| | - Syeda Wajida Kazmi
- Chandigarh Pharmacy College, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Jhanjeri, Mohali, 140307, Punjab, India.
| | - Yasser Fakri Mustafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Mosul, 41001, Iraq.
| | - Beneen Hosseen
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, the Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq; Medical Laboratory Technique College, the Islamic University of Al Diwaniyah, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq; Medical Laboratory Technique College, the Islamic University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq.
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Medicine, National Institute of Medical Sciences, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India.
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2
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Lin CC, Law BF, Hettick JM. MicroRNA-mediated Krüppel-like factor 4 upregulation induces alternatively activated macrophage-associated marker and chemokine transcription in 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate exposed macrophages. Xenobiotica 2024; 54:730-748. [PMID: 38568505 PMCID: PMC11489325 DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2024.2334329] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
1. Occupational exposure to 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is associated with occupational asthma (OA) development. Alveolar macrophage-induced recruitment of immune cells to the lung microenvironment plays an important role during asthma pathogenesis. Previous studies identified that MDI/MDI-glutathione (GSH)-exposure downregulates endogenous hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p. Our prior report shows that alternatively activated (M2) macrophage-associated markers/chemokines are induced by MDI/MDI-GSH-mediated Krüppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4) upregulation in macrophages and stimulates immune cell chemotaxis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) by which MDI/MDI-GSH upregulates KLF4 remain unclear. 2. Following MDI-GSH exposure, microRNA(miR)-inhibitors/mimics or plasmid transfection, endogenous hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p, KLF4, or M2 macrophage-associated markers (CD206, TGM2), and chemokines (CCL17, CCL22, CCL24) were measured by either RT-qPCR, western blot, or luciferase assay. 3. MDI-GSH exposure downregulates hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p by 1.46- to 9.75-fold whereas upregulates KLF4 by 1.68- to 1.99-fold, respectively. In silico analysis predicts binding between hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p and KLF4. Gain- and loss-of-function, luciferase reporter assays and RNA-induced silencing complex-immunoprecipitation (RISC-IP) studies confirm the posttranscriptional regulatory roles of hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p and KLF4 in macrophages. Furthermore, hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p regulate the expression of M2 macrophage-associated markers and chemokines via KLF4. 4. In conclusion, hsa-miR-206-3p/hsa-miR-381-3p play a major role in regulation of MDI/MDI-GSH-induced M2 macrophage-associated markers and chemokines by targeting the KLF4 transcript, and KLF4-mediated regulation in macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Chung Lin
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Brandon F. Law
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Justin M. Hettick
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505
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3
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Tiwari PK, Shanmugam P, Karn V, Gupta S, Mishra R, Rustagi S, Chouhan M, Verma D, Jha NK, Kumar S. Extracellular Vesicular miRNA in Pancreatic Cancer: From Lab to Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2179. [PMID: 38927885 PMCID: PMC11201547 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a prevalent lethal gastrointestinal cancer that generally does not show any symptoms until it reaches advanced stages, resulting in a high mortality rate. People at high risk, such as those with a family history or chronic pancreatitis, do not have a universally accepted screening protocol. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy demonstrate limited effectiveness in the management of pancreatic cancer, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Recent studies indicated that the complex interaction among pancreatic cancer cells within the dynamic microenvironment, comprising the extracellular matrix, cancer-associated cells, and diverse immune cells, intricately regulates the biological characteristics of the disease. Additionally, mounting evidence suggests that EVs play a crucial role as mediators in intercellular communication by the transportation of different biomolecules, such as miRNA, proteins, DNA, mRNA, and lipids, between heterogeneous cell subpopulations. This communication mediated by EVs significantly impacts multiple aspects of pancreatic cancer pathogenesis, including proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. In this review, we delve into the pivotal role of EV-associated miRNAs in the progression, metastasis, and development of drug resistance in pancreatic cancer as well as their therapeutic potential as biomarkers and drug-delivery mechanisms for the management of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar Tiwari
- Biological and Bio-Computational Lab, Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Poojhaa Shanmugam
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Mumbai 410206, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vamika Karn
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Mumbai 410206, Maharashtra, India
| | - Saurabh Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Richa Mishra
- Department of Computer Engineering, Parul University, Ta. Waghodia, Vadodara 391760, Gujarat, India
| | - Sarvesh Rustagi
- School of Applied and Life science, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Mandeep Chouhan
- Biological and Bio-Computational Lab, Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Devvret Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
- School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Biological and Bio-Computational Lab, Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
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4
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Ye L, Liu B, Huang J, Zhao X, Wang Y, Xu Y, Wang S. DCLK1 and its oncogenic functions: A promising therapeutic target for cancers. Life Sci 2024; 336:122294. [PMID: 38007147 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122294] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1), a significant constituent of the protein kinase superfamily and the doublecortin family, has been recognized as a prooncogenic factor that exhibits a strong association with the malignant progression and clinical prognosis of various cancers. DCLK1 serves as a stem cell marker that governs tumorigenesis, tumor cell reprogramming, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Multiple studies have indicated the capable of DCLK1 in regulating the DNA damage response and facilitating DNA damage repair. Additionally, DCLK1 is involved in the regulation of the immune microenvironment and the promotion of tumor immune evasion. Recently, DCLK1 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for a multitude of cancers. Several small-molecule inhibitors of DCLK1 have been identified. Nevertheless, the biological roles of DCLK1 are mainly ambiguous, particularly with the disparities between its α- and β-form transcripts in the malignant progression of cancers, which impedes the development of more precisely targeted drugs. This article focuses on tumor stem cells, tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the DNA damage response, and the tumor microenvironment to provide a comprehensive overview of the association between DCLK1 and tumor malignant progression, address unsolved questions and current challenges, and project future directions for targeting DCLK1 for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Ye
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Beibei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Jingling Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Xiaolin Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
| | - Yungen Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Shuping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
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5
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Roshani M, Molavizadeh D, Sadeghi S, Jafari A, Dashti F, Mirazimi SMA, Ahmadi Asouri S, Rajabi A, Hamblin MR, Anoushirvani AA, Mirzaei H. Emerging roles of miR-145 in gastrointestinal cancers: A new paradigm. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 166:115264. [PMID: 37619484 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) carcinomas are a group of cancers affecting the GI tract and digestive organs, such as the gastric, liver, bile ducts, pancreas, small intestine, esophagus, colon, and rectum. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small functional non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) which are involved in regulating the expression of multiple target genes; mainly at the post-transcriptional level, via complementary binding to their 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Increasing evidence has shown that miRNAs have critical roles in modulating of various physiological and pathological cellular processes and regulating the occurrence and development of human malignancies. Among them, miR-145 is recognized for its anti-oncogenic properties in various cancers, including GI cancers. MiR-145 has been implicated in diverse biological processes of cancers through the regulation of target genes or signaling, including, proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, metastasis, and therapy resistance. In this review, we have summarized the role of miR-145 in selected GI cancers and also its downstream molecules and cellular processes targets, which could lead to a better understanding of the miR-145 in these cancers. In conclusion, we reveal the potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value of miR-145 in GI cancer, and hope to provide new ideas for its application as a biomarker as well as a therapeutic target for the treatment of these cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Roshani
- Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Colorectal Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Danial Molavizadeh
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Sara Sadeghi
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ameneh Jafari
- Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Dashti
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Ali Mirazimi
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Sahar Ahmadi Asouri
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for BasicSciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ali Rajabi
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, South Africa
| | - Ali Arash Anoushirvani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Internal Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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6
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Anoushirvani AA, Jafarian Yazdi A, Amirabadi S, Asouri SA, Shafabakhsh R, Sheida A, Hosseini Khabr MS, Jafari A, Tamehri Zadeh SS, Hamblin MR, Kalantari L, Talaei Zavareh SA, Mirzaei H. Role of non-coding RNAs in neuroblastoma. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:1190-1208. [PMID: 37217790 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00623-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is known as the most prevalent extracranial malignancy in childhood with a neural crest origin. It has been widely accepted that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in many types of cancer, including glioma and gastrointestinal cancers. They may regulate the cancer gene network. According to recent sequencing and profiling studies, ncRNAs genes are deregulated in human cancers via deletion, amplification, abnormal epigenetic, or transcriptional regulation. Disturbances in the expression of ncRNAs may act either as oncogenes or as anti-tumor suppressor genes, and can lead to the induction of cancer hallmarks. ncRNAs can be secreted from tumor cells inside exosomes, where they can be transferred to other cells to affect their function. However, these topics still need more study to clarify their exact roles, so the present review addresses different roles and functions of ncRNAs in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Arash Anoushirvani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sanaz Amirabadi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Ahmadi Asouri
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran
| | - Rana Shafabakhsh
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Sheida
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Maryam Sadat Hosseini Khabr
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ameneh Jafari
- ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, P.O. BOX: 15179/64311, Tehran, Iran
- Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Michael R Hamblin
- Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, South Africa
| | - Leila Kalantari
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | | | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran.
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7
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Giarrizzo M, LaComb JF, Bialkowska AB. The Role of Krüppel-like Factors in Pancreatic Physiology and Pathophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108589. [PMID: 37239940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) belong to the family of transcription factors with three highly conserved zinc finger domains in the C-terminus. They regulate homeostasis, development, and disease progression in many tissues. It has been shown that KLFs play an essential role in the endocrine and exocrine compartments of the pancreas. They are necessary to maintain glucose homeostasis and have been implicated in the development of diabetes. Furthermore, they can be a vital tool in enabling pancreas regeneration and disease modeling. Finally, the KLF family contains proteins that act as tumor suppressors and oncogenes. A subset of members has a biphasic function, being upregulated in the early stages of oncogenesis and stimulating its progression and downregulated in the late stages to allow for tumor dissemination. Here, we describe KLFs' function in pancreatic physiology and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Giarrizzo
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Joseph F LaComb
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Agnieszka B Bialkowska
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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8
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Liu H, Yan R, Xiao Z, Huang X, Yao J, Liu J, An G, Ge Y. Targeting DCLK1 attenuates tumor stemness and evokes antitumor immunity in triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling. Breast Cancer Res 2023; 25:43. [PMID: 37069669 PMCID: PMC10108533 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-023-01642-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) exhibits the poorest outcomes among breast cancer subtypes due to the high heterogeneity and a lasting scarcity of effectual treatments. Targeted therapies based on molecular subtypes of TNBC are critical step toward tailoring treatments to improve clinical outcomes. Gastrointestinal cancer stem cell (CSC) marker DCLK1 was reported to be highly expressed in stem cell-rich subtype of TNBC. Here, we firstly explored the impacts of DCLK1 on tumor cells as well as their immune microenvironment in TNBC and potential therapeutic strategies for TNBC patients with high DCLK1 expression. Our results disclosed that DCLK1 overexpression promoted, while knockout of DCLK1 suppressed the CSC-like traits of TNBC cells and resistance to chemotherapeutics. Besides, DCLK1 supported immune escape by inhibiting intratumoral cytotoxic T cell infiltration in TNBC and hence limited immune checkpoint inhibitors efficacy. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis revealed that IL-6/STAT3 signaling was significantly enriched in high DCLK1-expressing patients, and our results further revealed that DCLK1 enhanced IL-6 expression and STAT3 activation in TNBC cells, which finally gave rise to upregulated CSC traits and suppressed CD8+ T-cell activity. Inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 pathway by IL-6R antagonist, Tocilizumab or STAT3 inhibitor, S31-201 could abolish DCLK1-promoted malignant phenotypes of TNBC cells. Finally, DCLK1 was identified to be specifically and highly expressed in the mesenchymal-like subtype of TNBC and targeting DCLK1 could improve chemotherapy efficacy and activate antitumor immunity. Overall, our study revealed the potential clinical benefits of targeting DCLK1 in TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heshu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Rui Yan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Zeru Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Xuying Huang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Jiannan Yao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Guangyu An
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Yang Ge
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China.
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9
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Mozammel N, Amini M, Baradaran B, Mahdavi SZB, Hosseini SS, Mokhtarzadeh A. The function of miR-145 in colorectal cancer progression; an updated review on related signaling pathways. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 242:154290. [PMID: 36621158 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.154290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a broad class of small, highly conserved non-coding RNAs that largely influence gene expression after transcription through binding to various target mRNAs. miRNAs are frequently dysregulated in a wide array of human cancers, possessing great value as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. miR-145, as promising tumor suppressor miRNA, also exhibits deregulated expression levels in human malignancies and participates in various processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and differentiation. In particular, miR-145 has been shown to be downregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), which in turn leads to cell growth, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance. Furthermore, miR-145 is involved in the regulation of multiple tumor specific signaling pathways, such as KRAS and P53 signaling by targeting various genes through colorectal tumorigenesis. Therefore, considering its diagnostic and therapeutic potential, it was aimed to present the recent finding focusing on miR-145 functions to better understand its involvement in CRC incidence and progression through interplay with various signaling pathways. This study is based on articles indexed in PubMed and Google scholar until 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazila Mozammel
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amini
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | | | - Ahad Mokhtarzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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10
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Chhetri D, Vengadassalapathy S, Venkadassalapathy S, Balachandran V, Umapathy VR, Veeraraghavan VP, Jayaraman S, Patil S, Iyaswamy A, Palaniyandi K, Gnanasampanthapandian D. Pleiotropic effects of DCLK1 in cancer and cancer stem cells. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:965730. [PMID: 36250024 PMCID: PMC9560780 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.965730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1), a protein molecule, has been identified as a tumor stem cell marker in the cancer cells of gastrointestinal, pancreas, and human colon. DCLK1 expression in cancers, such as breast carcinoma, lung carcinoma, hepatic cell carcinoma, tuft cells, and human cholangiocarcinoma, has shown a way to target the DCLK1 gene and downregulate its expression. Several studies have discussed the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation along with neoplastic cell arrest when the DCLK1 gene, which is expressed in both cancer and normal cells, was targeted successfully. In addition, previous studies have shown that DCLK1 plays a vital role in various cancer metastases. The correlation of DCLK1 with numerous stem cell receptors, signaling pathways, and genes suggests its direct or an indirect role in promoting tumorigenesis. Moreover, the impact of DCLK1 was found to be related to the functioning of an oncogene. The downregulation of DCLK1 expression by using targeted strategies, such as embracing the use of siRNA, miRNA, CRISPR/Cas9 technology, nanomolecules, specific monoclonal antibodies, and silencing the pathways regulated by DCLK1, has shown promising results in both in vitro and in vivo studies on gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. In this review, we will discuss about the present understanding of DCLK1 and its role in the progression of GI cancer and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyashree Chhetri
- Cancer Science Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Srinivasan Vengadassalapathy
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | | | - Varadharaju Balachandran
- Department of Physiology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Vidhya Rekha Umapathy
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India
| | - Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Selvaraj Jayaraman
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Shankargouda Patil
- College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT, United States
| | - Ashok Iyaswamy
- Centre for Parkinsons Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kanagaraj Palaniyandi
- Cancer Science Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
- *Correspondence: Kanagaraj Palaniyandi, ; Dhanavathy Gnanasampanthapandian,
| | - Dhanavathy Gnanasampanthapandian
- Cancer Science Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
- *Correspondence: Kanagaraj Palaniyandi, ; Dhanavathy Gnanasampanthapandian,
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11
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Kalantari E, Razmi M, Tajik F, Asadi-Lari M, Ghods R, Madjd Z. Oncogenic functions and clinical significances of DCLK1 isoforms in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:217. [PMID: 35717205 PMCID: PMC9206744 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02632-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The oncogenic role of doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) as a putative cancer stem cell (CSC) marker has been clarified in colorectal cancer (CRC). Isoform-specific functions of DCLK1 have shed new light on different functions of DCLK1 short (DCLK1-S) and DCLK1 long (DCLK1-L) isoforms in tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. Therefore, the current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to review the available in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence on the oncogenic roles and clinical significance of DCLK1 isoforms in colorectal cancer. Methods The literature databases of PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Embase were searched to identify eligible articles. The description characteristics of in vitro and pre-clinical studies were extracted from identified reports. In addition, hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were recorded to determine the relationships between DCLK1-L and DCLK1-S expression and prognostic outcomes in patients with CRC. Results Both in vitro and in vivo evidence have emphasized the potential oncogenic functions of DCLK1 in tumor initiation, self-renewal ability, tumor invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metastasis. However, the anti-DCLK1 antibodies generally utilized in these studies could detect sequence homology epitopes of both isoforms. Recent limited isoform-specific evidence has strongly supported the significant positive expression and rather oncogenic efficacy of DCLK1-S in tumorigenesis, EMT, and invasion compared with DCLK1-L in human CRC cell lines. Our meta-analysis findings of limited clinical studies indicated that only overexpression of DCLK1-S is associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 7.930, 95% CI 2.252–27.924, p = 0.001). Increased expression of both DCLK1-S (HR = 1.610, 95% CI 1.020–2.541, p = 0.041) and DCLK1-L (HR = 5.890, 95% CI 1.219–28.453, p = 0.027) isoforms was closely associated with worse DSS/CSS in CRC patients. Furthermore, the high expression of DCLK1-S was found to be associated with poor DFS/RFS/PFS (HR = 1.913, 95% CI 1.230–2.973, p = 0.004). Conclusions The current findings strongly supported that the DCLK1-S isoform may play a crucial role in the invasion, aggressive tumor behavior, and worsened survival outcomes of CRC patients. However, further critical investigations related to the potential preclinical and clinical utilities of DCLK1-S as a specific CRC-CSC marker are warranted. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02632-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Kalantari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Razmi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tajik
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Asadi-Lari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Ghods
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.
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12
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Koltai T, Reshkin SJ, Carvalho TMA, Di Molfetta D, Greco MR, Alfarouk KO, Cardone RA. Resistance to Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Physiopathologic and Pharmacologic Review. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2486. [PMID: 35626089 PMCID: PMC9139729 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis and inadequate response to treatment. Many factors contribute to this therapeutic failure: lack of symptoms until the tumor reaches an advanced stage, leading to late diagnosis; early lymphatic and hematic spread; advanced age of patients; important development of a pro-tumoral and hyperfibrotic stroma; high genetic and metabolic heterogeneity; poor vascular supply; a highly acidic matrix; extreme hypoxia; and early development of resistance to the available therapeutic options. In most cases, the disease is silent for a long time, andwhen it does become symptomatic, it is too late for ablative surgery; this is one of the major reasons explaining the short survival associated with the disease. Even when surgery is possible, relapsesare frequent, andthe causes of this devastating picture are the low efficacy ofand early resistance to all known chemotherapeutic treatments. Thus, it is imperative to analyze the roots of this resistance in order to improve the benefits of therapy. PDAC chemoresistance is the final product of different, but to some extent, interconnected factors. Surgery, being the most adequate treatment for pancreatic cancer and the only one that in a few selected cases can achieve longer survival, is only possible in less than 20% of patients. Thus, the treatment burden relies on chemotherapy in mostcases. While the FOLFIRINOX scheme has a slightly longer overall survival, it also produces many more adverse eventsso that gemcitabine is still considered the first choice for treatment, especially in combination with other compounds/agents. This review discusses the multiple causes of gemcitabine resistance in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephan Joel Reshkin
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Tiago M. A. Carvalho
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Daria Di Molfetta
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Maria Raffaella Greco
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Khalid Omer Alfarouk
- Zamzam Research Center, Zamzam University College, Khartoum 11123, Sudan;
- Alfarouk Biomedical Research LLC, Temple Terrace, FL 33617, USA
| | - Rosa Angela Cardone
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
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β-Arrestin2 Is Critically Involved in the Differential Regulation of Phosphosignaling Pathways by Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone and Taltirelin. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091473. [PMID: 35563779 PMCID: PMC9103620 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and its analogs, including taltirelin (TAL), have demonstrated a range of effects on the central nervous system that represent potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms of their actions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated phosphosignaling dynamics in pituitary GH1 cells affected by TRH and TAL and the putative role of β-arrestin2 in mediating these effects. Our results revealed widespread alterations in many phosphosignaling pathways involving signal transduction via small GTPases, MAP kinases, Ser/Thr- and Tyr-protein kinases, Wnt/β-catenin, and members of the Hippo pathway. The differential TRH- or TAL-induced phosphorylation of numerous proteins suggests that these ligands exhibit some degree of biased agonism at the TRH receptor. The different phosphorylation patterns induced by TRH or TAL in β-arrestin2-deficient cells suggest that the β-arrestin2 scaffold is a key factor determining phosphorylation events after TRH receptor activation. Our results suggest that compounds that modulate kinase and phosphatase activity can be considered as additional adjuvants to enhance the potential therapeutic value of TRH or TAL.
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Ge Y, Liu H, Zhang Y, Liu J, Yan R, Xiao Z, Fan X, Huang X, An G. Inhibition of DCLK1 kinase reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and restores T-cell activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Transl Oncol 2022; 17:101317. [PMID: 34998236 PMCID: PMC8739467 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has recently become a promising cancer therapy with extensive applications of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) appears to be unresponsive to immunotherapy due to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Recent studies showed that cancer stem cell marker DCLK1 promoted the initiation and development of PDAC. Nevertheless, the mechanism driving this process remains unclear. Here, by performing gain-of-function investigations in PDAC cell lines, we demonstrate that both DCLK1 long (DCLK1-iso1, DCLK1-AS) and short (DCLK1-iso4, DCLK1-BL) isoforms can efficiently activate EMT leading to tumor migration and invasion. Consistent with experiments in vitro, bioinformatic analysis demonstrates that DCLK1 may act as a driver of EMT activation in PDAC. Further analysis showed that EMT was associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which includes more immunosuppressive cells and chemokines, and patients with a higher EMT score were less sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors according to the TIDE (Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion) algorithm. Multiplexed immunofluorescence results demonstrated the close correlation between DCLK1, EMT and immunosuppression in PDAC patients. The findings were further confirmed in vivo reflected by decreased CD4+, CD8+ T cells and increased M2 macrophages as well as E-cad loss in DCLK1-overexpressing subcutaneous tumors. Importantly, the highly-specific DCLK1 inhibitor (DCLK1-IN-1) was able to effectively block EMT process and restore T-cell activity. Altogether, our data demonstrate that DCLK1 is strongly associated with tumor immune escape in PDAC and inhibiting DCLK1 kinase activity may be a promising therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ge
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
| | - Heshu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Huai-Rou Hospital, Beijing 101400, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Rui Yan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zeru Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiaona Fan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xuying Huang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Guangyu An
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
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15
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Interaction between avian leukosis virus subgroup J surface protein and doublecortin-like kinase 1 accelerates cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Virol 2022; 96:e0165721. [PMID: 35080427 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01657-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) induces myelocytomas, which can metastasize to multiple organs in diseased chicken. Although metastasis is the primary cause of death in such cases, the mechanism for it remains unclear. Here, we found that interaction between ALV-J surface protein (SU) and doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell proliferation. We found that ALV-J can activate EMT in infected cells. Subsequently, proteomics analysis revealed that DCLK1, a well-established putative tumor stem cell marker, which is highly expressed in ALV-J-infected DF-1 cells and chickens, might be a potential factor mediating EMT. Furthermore, using immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation, we verified that SU interacts with DCLK1. Functional studies suggested that overexpression of DCLK1 increased viral replication, and promoted cell proliferation by accelerating the progression of cells from the G0/G1 phase to the S phase of cell cycle, whereas RNA-interference of DCLK1 reduced viral replication and arrested cell proliferation by retarding cell cycle progression from the late G1 phase into the S phase in ALV-J-infected cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that the increased accumulation of DCLK1 promotes EMT by increasing the expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, MMP2, transcription factor Snail1, and decreasing the expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin. These results suggest that ALV-J SU interacts with DCLK1, and accelerates cell proliferation, leading to increased viral replication, and ultimately activating EMT, which paves the way for tumor metastasis. IMPORTANCE Tumor metastasis is a major challenge in cancer research, because of its systemic nature and the resistance of disseminated tumor cells to existing therapeutic agents. It is estimated that >90% of mortality from cancer is attributable to metastases. We found that ALV-J can activate EMT, which plays a critical role in cancer metastasis. Subsequently, we identified a tumor stem cell marker, DCLK1, in ALV-J infected cells, which interacts with surface protein (SU) of ALV-J to promote virus replication, activate EMT, and accelerate cell proliferation enabling ALV-J to obtain metastatic ability. Understanding the process of participation of ALV-J in EMT and the route of metastasis will help elucidate the mechanism of virus-induced tumor metastasis, and help identify promising molecular targets and key obstacles for ALV-J control and clinical technology development.
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Wang Y, Yi J, Liu X. Roles of Dclk1 in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer: A review. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 16:13-19. [PMID: 34937474 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2022.2020643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant tumor with significantly increased incidence and poor prognosis. Its extremely poor prognosis is generally attributed to its early invasion and metastasis as well as the presence of chemotherapy resistance, which may be related to the potential role of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (Dclk1) has been recognized to be a marker of CSCs in PC, showing intimate association with its occurrence, metastasis, and poor prognosis. AREAS COVERED A review serves to provide a comprehensive overview of Dclk1 in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in PC. EXPERT OPINION Searching for potential key biomarkers for PC has been an urgent issue to be addressed. The expression of Dclk1 is increasing in PC, and its effect is linked to the mutant Kras, supporting that it may be a potential new target. Therefore, it highlights Dclk1 as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic target in future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Artificial Intelligence Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jun Yi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Artificial Intelligence Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Artificial Intelligence Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Ding L, Yang Y, Ge Y, Lu Q, Yan Z, Chen X, Du J, Hafizi S, Xu X, Yao J, Liu J, Cao Z, Weygant N. Inhibition of DCLK1 with DCLK1-IN-1 Suppresses Renal Cell Carcinoma Invasion and Stemness and Promotes Cytotoxic T-Cell-Mediated Anti-Tumor Immunity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225729. [PMID: 34830884 PMCID: PMC8616267 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this study, we found that the novel small molecule kinase inhibitor DCLK1-IN-1 not only inhibited DCLK1 phosphorylation, stemness, and EMT-related properties of RCC cells but also revealed its potential as an immunotherapy agent and potential combination therapy with anti-PD1 against RCC in immune co-culture experiments. Abstract The approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors has expanded treatment options for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but new therapies that target RCC stemness and promote anti-tumor immunity are needed. Previous findings demonstrate that doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) regulates stemness and is associated with RCC disease progression. Herein, we demonstrate that small-molecule kinase inhibitor DCLK1-IN-1 strongly inhibits DCLK1 phosphorylation and downregulates pluripotency factors and cancer stem cell (CSC) or epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers including c-MET, c-MYC, and N-Cadherin in RCC cell lines. Functionally, DCLK1-IN-1 treatment resulted in significantly reduced colony formation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, assays using floating or Matrigel spheroid protocols demonstrated potent inhibition of stemness. An analysis of clinical populations showed that DCLK1 predicts RCC survival and that its expression is correlated with reduced CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and increases in M2 immunosuppressive macrophage populations. The treatment of RCC cells with DCLK1-IN-1 significantly reduced the expression of immune checkpoint ligand PD-L1, and co-culture assays using peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) or T-cell expanded PBMCs demonstrated a significant increase in immune-mediated cytotoxicity alone or in combination with anti-PD1 therapy. Together, these findings demonstrate broad susceptibility to DCLK1 kinase inhibition in RCC using DCLK1-IN-1 and provide the first direct evidence for DCLK1-IN-1 as an immuno-oncology agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Ding
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yuning Yang
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yang Ge
- Department of Oncology, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Beijing 100020, China; (Y.G.); (J.Y.); (J.L.)
| | - Qin Lu
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Zixing Yan
- Affiliated Fuzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China;
| | - Xuzheng Chen
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jian Du
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Sassan Hafizi
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK;
| | - Xiaohui Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Taicang, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215400, China;
| | - Jiannan Yao
- Department of Oncology, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Beijing 100020, China; (Y.G.); (J.Y.); (J.L.)
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Oncology, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Beijing 100020, China; (Y.G.); (J.Y.); (J.L.)
| | - Zhiyun Cao
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Correspondence: (Z.C.); (N.W.)
| | - Nathaniel Weygant
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; (L.D.); (Y.Y.); (Q.L.); (X.C.); (J.D.)
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine in Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Correspondence: (Z.C.); (N.W.)
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Vijai M, Baba M, Ramalingam S, Thiyagaraj A. DCLK1 and its interaction partners: An effective therapeutic target for colorectal cancer. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:850. [PMID: 34733368 PMCID: PMC8561619 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.13111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase protein 1 (DCLK1) is a microtubule-associated protein with a C-terminal serine/threonine kinase domain. Its expression was first reported in radial glial cells, where it serves an essential role in early neurogenesis, and since then, other functions of the DCLK1 protein have also been identified. Initially considered to be a marker of quiescent gastrointestinal and pancreatic stem cells, DCLK1 has recently been identified in the gastrointestinal tract as a marker of tuft cells. It has also been implicated in different types of cancer, where it regulates several vital pathways, such as Kras signaling. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The present review discusses the different roles of DCLK1 and its interactions with other proteins that are homologically similar to DCLK1 to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to target cancer cells more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthu Vijai
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) Nagar, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Mursaleen Baba
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) Nagar, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Satish Ramalingam
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) Nagar, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Anand Thiyagaraj
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) Nagar, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
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MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer and Chemoresistance. Pancreas 2021; 50:1334-1342. [PMID: 35041330 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000001934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading malignancies affecting human health, largely because of the development of resistance to chemotherapy/radiotherapy. There are many mechanisms that mediate the development of drug resistance, such as the transport of antineoplastic agents into cells, shifts in energy metabolism and environment, antineoplastic agent-induced DNA damage, and genetic mutations. MicroRNAs are short, noncoding RNAs that are 20 to 24 nucleotides in length and serve several biological functions. They bind to the 3'-untranslated regions of target genes and induce target degradation or translational inhibition. MicroRNAs can regulate several target genes and mediate PDAC chemotherapy/radiotherapy resistance. The detection of novel microRNAs would not only reveal the molecular mechanisms of PDAC and resistance to chemotherapy/radiotherapy but also provide new approaches to PDAC therapy. MicroRNAs are thus potential therapeutic targets for PDAC and might be essential in uncovering new mechanisms of the disease.
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Structural basis for small molecule targeting of Doublecortin Like Kinase 1 with DCLK1-IN-1. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1105. [PMID: 34545159 PMCID: PMC8452690 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02631-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is an understudied bi-functional kinase with a proven role in tumour growth and development. However, the presence of tissue-specific spliced DCLK1 isoforms with distinct biological functions have challenged the development of effective strategies to understand the role of DCLK1 in oncogenesis. Recently, DCLK1-IN-1 was reported as a highly selective DCLK1 inhibitor, a powerful tool to dissect DCLK1 biological functions. Here, we report the crystal structures of DCLK1 kinase domain in complex with DCLK1-IN-1 and its precursors. Combined, our data rationalises the structure-activity relationship that informed the development of DCLK1-IN-1 and provides the basis for the high selectivity of DCLK1-IN-1, with DCLK1-IN-1 inducing a drastic conformational change of the ATP binding site. We demonstrate that DCLK1-IN-1 binds DCLK1 long isoforms but does not prevent DCLK1's Microtubule-Associated Protein (MAP) function. Together, our work provides an invaluable structural platform to further the design of isoform-specific DCLK1 modulators for therapeutic intervention.
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Patil K, Khan FB, Akhtar S, Ahmad A, Uddin S. The plasticity of pancreatic cancer stem cells: implications in therapeutic resistance. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:691-720. [PMID: 34453639 PMCID: PMC8556195 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-09979-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ever-growing perception of cancer stem cells (CSCs) as a plastic state rather than a hardwired defined entity has evolved our understanding of the functional and biological plasticity of these elusive components in malignancies. Pancreatic cancer (PC), based on its biological features and clinical evolution, is a prototypical example of a CSC-driven disease. Since the discovery of pancreatic CSCs (PCSCs) in 2007, evidence has unraveled their control over many facets of the natural history of PC, including primary tumor growth, metastatic progression, disease recurrence, and acquired drug resistance. Consequently, the current near-ubiquitous treatment regimens for PC using aggressive cytotoxic agents, aimed at ‘‘tumor debulking’’ rather than eradication of CSCs, have proven ineffective in providing clinically convincing improvements in patients with this dreadful disease. Herein, we review the key hallmarks as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic resistance mechanisms of CSCs that mediate treatment failure in PC and enlist the potential CSC-targeting ‘natural agents’ that are gaining popularity in recent years. A better understanding of the molecular and functional landscape of PCSC-intrinsic evasion of chemotherapeutic drugs offers a facile opportunity for treating PC, an intractable cancer with a grim prognosis and in dire need of effective therapeutic advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyani Patil
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Farheen B Khan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, The United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sabah Akhtar
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Aamir Ahmad
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.,Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar. .,Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. .,Laboratory Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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22
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Methyltransferase like 13 mediates the translation of Snail in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Oral Sci 2021; 13:26. [PMID: 34381012 PMCID: PMC8357922 DOI: 10.1038/s41368-021-00130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Methyltransferase like 13 (METTL13), a kind of methyltransferase, is implicated in protein binding and synthesis. The upregulation of METTL13 has been reported in a variety of tumors. However, little was known about its potential function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) so far. In this study, we found that METTL13 was significantly upregulated in HNSCC at both mRNA and protein level. Increased METTL13 was negatively associated with clinical prognosis. And METTL13 markedly affected HNSCC cellular phenotypes in vivo and vitro. Further mechanism study revealed that METTL13 could regulate EMT signaling pathway by mediating enhancing translation efficiency of Snail, the key transcription factor in EMT, hence regulating the progression of EMT. Furthermore, Snail was verified to mediate METTL13-induced HNSCC cell malignant phenotypes. Altogether, our study had revealed the oncogenic role of METTL13 in HNSCC, and provided a potential therapeutic strategy.
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23
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Jang DM, Lim HJ, Hahn H, Lee Y, Kim HK, Kim HS. Structural Basis of Inhibition of DCLK1 by Ruxolitinib. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168488. [PMID: 34445192 PMCID: PMC8395186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the functional attributes of Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, cell motility, and tumor stemness, it is emerging as a therapeutic target in gastrointestinal cancers. Although a series of specific or nonspecific ATP-competitive inhibitors were identified against DCLK1, different types of scaffolds that can be utilized for the development of highly selective inhibitors or structural understanding of binding specificities of the compounds remain limited. Here, we present our work to repurpose a Janus kinase 1 inhibitor, ruxolitinib as a DCLK1 inhibitor, showing micromolar binding affinity and inhibitory activity. Furthermore, to gain an insight into its interaction mode with DCLK1, a crystal structure of the ruxolitinib-complexed DCLK1 has been determined and analyzed. Ruxolitinib as a nonspecific DCLK1 inhibitor characterized in this work is anticipated to provide a starting point for the structure-guided discovery of selective DCLK1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hark Kyun Kim
- Correspondence: (H.K.K.); (H.S.K.); Tel.: +82-31-920-2275 (H.S.K.)
| | - Hyoun Sook Kim
- Correspondence: (H.K.K.); (H.S.K.); Tel.: +82-31-920-2275 (H.S.K.)
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24
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Broner EC, Trujillo JA, Korzinkin M, Subbannayya T, Agrawal N, Ozerov IV, Zhavoronkov A, Rooper L, Kotlov N, Shen L, Pearson AT, Rosenberg AJ, Savage PA, Mishra V, Chatterjee A, Sidransky D, Izumchenko E. Doublecortin-Like Kinase 1 (DCLK1) Is a Novel NOTCH Pathway Signaling Regulator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:677051. [PMID: 34336664 PMCID: PMC8323482 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.677051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advancements, the 5 year survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) hovers at 60%. DCLK1 has been shown to regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as well as serving as a cancer stem cell marker in colon, pancreatic and renal cancer. Although it was reported that DCLK1 is associated with poor prognosis in oropharyngeal cancers, very little is known about the molecular characterization of DCLK1 in HNSCC. In this study, we performed a comprehensive transcriptome-based computational analysis on hundreds of HNSCC patients from TCGA and GEO databases, and found that DCLK1 expression positively correlates with NOTCH signaling pathway activation. Since NOTCH signaling has a recognized role in HNSCC tumorigenesis, we next performed a series of in vitro experiments in a collection of HNSCC cell lines to investigate the role of DCLK1 in NOTCH pathway regulation. Our analyses revealed that DCLK1 inhibition, using either a pharmacological inhibitor or siRNA, resulted in substantially decreased proliferation, invasion, migration, and colony formation. Furthermore, these effects paralleled downregulation of active NOTCH1, and its downstream effectors, HEY1, HES1 and HES5, whereas overexpression of DCLK1 in normal keratinocytes, lead to an upregulation of NOTCH signaling associated with increased proliferation. Analysis of 233 primary and 40 recurrent HNSCC cancer biopsies revealed that high DCLK1 expression was associated with poor prognosis and showed a trend towards higher active NOTCH1 expression in tumors with elevated DCLK1. Our results demonstrate the novel role of DCLK1 as a regulator of NOTCH signaling network and suggest its potential as a therapeutic target in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther C. Broner
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jonathan A. Trujillo
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | | | - Nishant Agrawal
- Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ivan V. Ozerov
- InSilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Pak Shek Kok, Hong Kong
| | | | - Lisa Rooper
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nikita Kotlov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Le Shen
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alexander T. Pearson
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ari J. Rosenberg
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Peter A. Savage
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vasudha Mishra
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Aditi Chatterjee
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology Park, Bangalore, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - David Sidransky
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Evgeny Izumchenko
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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25
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Low Serum miR-607 Level as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Patients of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Preliminary Study. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 2021:8882129. [PMID: 34222137 PMCID: PMC8213505 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8882129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the microRNAs (miRNAs) known to be associated with cancer development is miR-607. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance and diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-607 and to explore its potential role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS The expression levels of miR-607 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between miR-607 expression and clinical characteristics was analyzed by the Chi-square test. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated via the Kaplan-Meier method, and the association between miR-607 expression and OS was investigated by the Cox proportional hazard analysis. The diagnostic value was estimated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The effect of miR-607 overexpression on cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was determined by wound-healing, Transwell invasion, and Western blotting assays. RESULTS miR-607 levels were downregulated in PDAC tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. Also, low miR-607 levels were observed in serum samples from PDAC patients than that in healthy controls. The miR-607 level was found to be closely correlated with lymphatic metastasis and liver metastasis, perineural invasion, and OS and PFS, and the low miR-607 level was an independent prognostic factor for the poor OS of PDAC patients. Furthermore, the area under the curve (AUC) of serum miR-607 for discriminating PDAC patients was 0.785 with a sensitivity of 0.647 and a specificity of 0.772, which was better than those for CA19-9 (AUC: 0.702, sensitivity: 0.607, specificity: 0.736) and CEA (AUC: 0.648, sensitivity: 0.542, specificity: 0.670). The AUC (0.863), sensitivity (0.766), and specificity (0.831) of their combination in the diagnosis of PDAC were better than those for alone. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of miR-607 could inhibit cell migration and invasion of BxPc-3 and PANC-1 cells by decreasing EMT ability. CONCLUSIONS Low serum miR-607 level may serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker through regulation of tumor metastasis in PDAC patients.
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26
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Kjærgaard S, Jensen TS, Feddersen UR, Bindslev N, Grunddal KV, Poulsen SS, Rasmussen HB, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Berner-Hansen M. Decreased number of colonic tuft cells in quiescent ulcerative colitis patients. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 33:817-824. [PMID: 33079783 PMCID: PMC8083166 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000001959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colonic tuft cells are epithelial chemosensory cells involved in barrier integrity, modulation of inflammatory responses and gut homeostasis. Recent evidence indicates an involvement of tuft cells in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis, though mechanisms remain largely unknown.Here, we quantified the colonic tuft cell population in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis as compared to patients without identified colonic disease (controls). METHODS In this retrospective study, we obtained endoscopic colonic sigmoid biopsies from 14 patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis and from 17 controls. In a blinded central-reading design, we identified tuft cells by immunohistochemistry using a cyclooxygenase-1 antibody as a marker and performed a simple counting by visual inspection. Poisson regression was employed for statistics and results were adjusted for gender, age and smoking status. RESULTS Ulcerative colitis patients demonstrated a 55% reduced tuft cell count in colonic mucosa compared with the control group (95% confidence limit: range 31-71%, P = 0.0002). Ulcerative colitis patients had a mean tuft cells count of 46 tuft cells/mm2 (95% CI, 36-59), while controls demonstrated a mean of 104 tuft cells/mm2 (95% CI, 79-136). No interactions of other covariates, such as age, smoking status, total duration of ulcerative colitis disease and duration of clinical remission prior to study inclusion were detected between ulcerative colitis patients and controls. CONCLUSION Quiescent ulcerative colitis patients have a relatively low number of colonic tuft cells. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential involvement of tuft cells in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kaare V. Grunddal
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Centre for Medical Parasitology
| | | | | | | | - Mark Berner-Hansen
- Digestive Disease Center, Bispebjerg Hospital
- Research and Development, Zealand Pharma A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
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27
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Zhang Z, Li H, You J, Xue H, Tan X, Chao C. MicroRNA-223-5p suppresses the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting DCLK1. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:396. [PMID: 33777219 PMCID: PMC7988698 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of microRNA (miR)-223-5p in the malignant biological behavior of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. The expression levels of miR-223-5p and doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. Cell viability was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were measured via Transwell assays, while a luciferase reporter assay was conducted to identify the interaction between miR-223-5p and DCLK1. The results demonstrated that miR-223-5p expression was significantly downregulated, whereas DCLK1 expression was significantly upregulated in NPC tissues and cells. Moreover, both miR-223-5p overexpression and DCLK1 silencing markedly suppressed the progression of NPC. It was also observed that miR-223-5p directly targeted DCLK1 and decreased its expression. Furthermore, it was suggested that DCLK1 overexpression may partially reverse the suppressive effects of miR-223-5p on the progression of NPC. Collectively, the results of the present study indicated that miR-223-5p may suppress NPC progression by targeting DCLK1, thereby indicating a novel potential approach to the diagnosis and treatment of NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixuan Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
| | - Jianqiang You
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
| | - Haixiang Xue
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoye Tan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
| | - Changjiang Chao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213000, P.R. China
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Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most aggressive and invasive type of pancreatic cancer (PCa) and is expected to be the second most common cause of cancer-associated deaths. The high mortality rate is due to the asymptomatic progression of the clinical features until the advanced stages of the disease and the limited effectiveness of the current therapeutics. Aberrant expression of several microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs) has been related to PDAC progression and thus they could be potential early diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic predictors for PDAC. miRs are small (18 to 24 nucleotides long) non-coding RNAs, which regulate the expression of key genes by targeting their 3′-untranslated mRNA region. Increased evidence has also suggested that the chemoresistance of PDAC cells is associated with metabolic alterations. Metabolic stress and the dysfunctionality of systems to compensate for the altered metabolic status of PDAC cells is the foundation for cellular damage. Current data have implicated multiple systems as hallmarks of PDAC development, such as glutamine redox imbalance, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Hence, both the aberrant expression of miRs and dysregulation in metabolism can have unfavorable effects in several biological processes, such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, growth, survival, stress response, angiogenesis, chemoresistance, invasion, and migration. Therefore, due to these dismal statistics, it is crucial to develop beneficial therapeutic strategies based on an improved understanding of the biology of both miRs and metabolic mediators. This review focuses on miR-mediated pathways and therapeutic resistance mechanisms in PDAC and evaluates the impact of metabolic alterations in the progression of PDAC.
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29
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Crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways involved in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 901:174006. [PMID: 33711308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with 5-year survival rates below 8%. Most patients with PC and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) die after relapse and cancer progression as well as resistance to treatment. Pancreatic tumors contain a high desmoplastic stroma that forms a rigid mass and has a potential role in tumor growth and metastasis. PC initiates from intraepithelial neoplasia lesions leading to invasive cancer through various pathways. These lesions harbor particular changes in signaling pathways involved in the tumorigenesis process. These events affect both the epithelial cells, including the tumor and the surrounding stroma, and eventually lead to the formation of complex signaling networks. Genetic studies of PC have revealed common molecular features such as the presence of mutations in KRAS gene in more than 90% of patients, as well as the inactivation or deletion mutations of some tumor suppressor genes including TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4. In recent years, studies have also identified different roles of microRNAs in PC pathogenesis as well as their importance in PC diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement in various signaling pathways. In this study, we discussed the most common pathways involved in PC and PDAC as well as their role in tumorigenesis and progression. Furthermore, the miRNAs participating in the regulation of these signaling pathways in PC progression are summarized in this study. Therefore, understanding more about pathways involved in PC can help with the development of new and effective therapies in the future.
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30
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Lorenzo N, Sabina DM, Guido C, Ilaria Grazia Z, Samira S, Valeria A, Daniele C, Diletta O, Antonella G, Marco M, Daniela B, Valerio DP, Andrea O, Agostino Maria DR, Fabio M, Maria Consiglia B, Jessica F, Sara M, Gian Luca G, Pierluigi Benedetti P, Paquale Bartomeo B, Felice G, Vincenzo C, Pietro I, Giuseppina C, Eugenio G, Domenico A. DCLK1, a Putative Stem Cell Marker in Human Cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatology 2021; 73:144-159. [PMID: 32978808 PMCID: PMC8243252 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a very aggressive cancer showing the presence of high cancer stem cells (CSCs). Doublecortin-like kinase1 (DCLK1) has been demonstrated as a CSC marker in different gastroenterological solid tumors. Our aim was to evaluate in vitro the expression and the biological function of DCLK1 in intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) and perihilar CCA (pCCA). APPROACH AND RESULTS Specimens surgically resected of human CCA were enzymatically digested, submitted to immunosorting for specific CSC markers (LGR5 [leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor], CD [clusters of differentiation] 90, EpCAM [epithelial cell adhesion molecule], CD133, and CD13), and primary cell cultures were prepared. DCLK1 expression was analyzed in CCA cell cultures by real-time quantitative PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. Functional studies have been performed by evaluating the effects of selective DCLK1 inhibitor (LRRK2-IN-1) on cell proliferation (MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] assay, cell population doubling time), apoptosis, and colony formation capacity. DCLK1 was investigated in situ by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR. DCLK1 serum concentration was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We describe DCLK1 in CCA with an increased gene and protein DCLK1 expression in pCCALGR5+ and in iCCACD133+ cells compared with unsorted cells. LRRK2-IN-1 showed an anti-proliferative effect in a dose-dependent manner. LRRK2-IN-1 markedly impaired cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased colony formation capacity and colony size in both iCCA and pCCA compared with the untreated cells. In situ analysis confirmed that DCLK1 is present only in tumors, and not in healthy tissue. Interestingly, DCLK1 was detected in the human serum samples of patients with iCCA (high), pCCA (high), HCC (low), and cirrhosis (low), but it was almost undetectable in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS DCLK1 characterizes a specific CSC subpopulation of iCCACD133+ and pCCALGR5+ , and its inhibition exerts anti-neoplastic effects in primary CCA cell cultures. Human DCLK1 serum might represent a serum biomarker for the early CCA diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevi Lorenzo
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly,Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Di Matteo Sabina
- Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly,Department of ImmunologyBambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Carpino Guido
- Department of MovementHuman and Health SciencesUniversity of Rome “Foro Italico”RomeItaly
| | | | - Safarikia Samira
- Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Ambrosino Valeria
- Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Costantini Daniele
- Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Overi Diletta
- Department of AnatomicalHistological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics SciencesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Giancotti Antonella
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urologic SciencesUmberto I HospitalSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Monti Marco
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urologic SciencesUmberto I HospitalSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Bosco Daniela
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and CytodiagnosticSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - De Peppo Valerio
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery IRCCSRegina Elena National Cancer InstituteRomeItaly
| | - Oddi Andrea
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery IRCCSRegina Elena National Cancer InstituteRomeItaly
| | - De Rose Agostino Maria
- Surgery, Hepatobiliary UnitCatholic University of the Sacred Heart School of Medicine and SurgeryRomeItaly
| | - Melandro Fabio
- Department of General Surgery and Organ TransplantationSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | | | - Faccioli Jessica
- Department of Medico‐Surgical Sciences and BiotechnologiesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Massironi Sara
- Division of Gastroenterology and Center for Autoimmune Liver DiseasesDepartment of Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Milan‐BicoccaMonzaItaly,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE‐LIVER)San Gerardo HospitalMonzaItaly
| | - Grazi Gian Luca
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery IRCCSRegina Elena National Cancer InstituteRomeItaly
| | - Panici Pierluigi Benedetti
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urologic SciencesUmberto I HospitalSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | | | - Giuliante Felice
- Surgery, Hepatobiliary UnitCatholic University of the Sacred Heart School of Medicine and SurgeryRomeItaly
| | - Cardinale Vincenzo
- Department of Medico‐Surgical Sciences and BiotechnologiesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Invernizzi Pietro
- Division of Gastroenterology and Center for Autoimmune Liver DiseasesDepartment of Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Milan‐BicoccaMonzaItaly,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE‐LIVER)San Gerardo HospitalMonzaItaly
| | | | - Gaudio Eugenio
- Department of AnatomicalHistological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics SciencesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Alvaro Domenico
- Department of Translational and Precision MedicineSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
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31
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Tuft and Cancer Stem Cell Marker DCLK1: A New Target to Enhance Anti-Tumor Immunity in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123801. [PMID: 33348546 PMCID: PMC7766931 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is a tumor stem cell marker in colon, pancreatic, and potentially other cancers that has received wide attention recently. Aside from its role as a tuft cell marker in normal tissue and as a tumor stem cell marker in cancer, previous studies have demonstrated that silencing DCLK1 functionally reduces stemness, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), and tumorigenesis in cancers. More recently, DCLK1′s role in regulating the inflammatory, pre-cancer, and tumor microenvironment including its ability to modulate immune cell mechanisms has started to come into focus. Importantly, clinically viable therapeutic means of targeting DCLK1 have finally become available in the form of kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T). Herein, we comprehensively review the mechanistic role of DCLK1 in the tumor microenvironment, assess the potential for targeting DCLK1 in colon, pancreatic and renal cancer. Abstract Microtubule-associated doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is an accepted marker of tuft cells (TCs) and several kinds of cancer stem cells (CSCs), and emerging evidence suggests that DCLK1-positive TCs participate in the initiation and formation of inflammation-associated cancer. DCLK1-expressing CSCs regulate multiple biological processes in cancer, promote resistance to therapy, and are associated with metastasis. In solid tumor cancers, tumor epithelia, immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells and blood vessels, extracellular matrix, and hypoxia all support a CSC phenotype characterized by drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Recently, studies have shown that DCLK1-positive CSCs are associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and immune checkpoint. Emerging data concerning targeting DCLK1 with small molecular inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells shows promising effects on inhibiting tumor growth and regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Overall, DCLK1 is reaching maturity as an anti-cancer target and therapies directed against it may have potential against CSCs directly, in remodeling the tumor microenvironment, and as immunotherapies.
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Rai V, Agrawal S. Targets (Metabolic Mediators) of Therapeutic Importance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8502. [PMID: 33198082 PMCID: PMC7697422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an extremely aggressive invasive cancer, is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The higher mortality in PDAC is often attributed to the inability to detect it until it has reached advanced stages. The major challenge in tackling PDAC is due to its elusive pathology, minimal effectiveness, and resistance to existing therapeutics. The aggressiveness of PDAC is due to the capacity of tumor cells to alter their metabolism, utilize the diverse available fuel sources to adapt and grow in a hypoxic and harsh environment. Therapeutic resistance is due to the presence of thick stroma with poor angiogenesis, thus making drug delivery to tumor cells difficult. Investigating the metabolic mediators and enzymes involved in metabolic reprogramming may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The metabolic mediators of glucose, glutamine, lipids, nucleotides, amino acids and mitochondrial metabolism have emerged as novel therapeutic targets. Additionally, the role of autophagy, macropinocytosis, lysosomal transport, recycling, amino acid transport, lipid transport, and the role of reactive oxygen species has also been discussed. The role of various pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells in the pathogenesis of PDAC and the metabolites involved in the signaling pathways as therapeutic targets have been previously discussed. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of metabolic mediators in PDAC along with stemness due to metabolic alterations and their therapeutic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikrant Rai
- Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Swati Agrawal
- Department of Surgery, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
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Fujimoto T, Tsunedomi R, Matsukuma S, Yoshimura K, Oga A, Fujiwara N, Fujiwara Y, Matsui H, Shindo Y, Tokumitsu Y, Suzuki N, Kobayashi S, Hazama S, Eguchi H, Nagano H. Cathepsin B is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer stem-like cells and is associated with patients' surgical outcomes. Oncol Lett 2020; 21:30. [PMID: 33240436 PMCID: PMC7681200 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) in solid tumors are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy, which is thought to contribute to cancer recurrence and metastasis. The present study aimed to identify biomarkers for pancreatic CSLCs (P-CSLCs). Using our previously reported methods, P-CSLC-enriched populations were generated from pancreatic cancer cell lines. The protein expression profiles of these populations were compared with those of parental cells using two-dimensional electrophoresis, tandem mass spectrometry, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Protein expression in surgical specimens was also evaluated for relationships with clinical outcomes. A lysosomal cysteine protease, cathepsin B (CTSB), was significantly upregulated in P-CSLCs compared with that in the parental cells, as shown using western blotting. Flow cytometry analysis also confirmed that CTSB was more highly expressed on the surface of P-CSLCs compared with that on parental cells. Moreover, PCLCs had elevated cellular secretions of CTSB compared with the parental cells. Finally, CTSB expression was evaluated in 69 resected tumor specimens, and high expression was associated with the patients' clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes. The present results suggested that CTSB is a biomarker for poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer, which is possibly associated with P-CSLCs. This novel biomarker may also have potential as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Fujimoto
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Ryouichi Tsunedomi
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Satoshi Matsukuma
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Yoshimura
- Department of Clinical Research in Tumor Immunology, Showa University Clinical Research Institute for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8577, Japan
| | - Atsunori Oga
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Hiroto Matsui
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yoshitaro Shindo
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yukio Tokumitsu
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Shogo Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shoichi Hazama
- Department of Translational Research and Developmental Therapeutics Against Cancer, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Eguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Nagano
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
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Expression of POU2F3 Transcription Factor Control Inflammation, Immunological Recruitment and Metastasis of Pancreatic Cancer in Mice. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9100341. [PMID: 33086657 PMCID: PMC7603360 DOI: 10.3390/biology9100341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The presence and the role of TUFT cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is discussed. Therefore, we decided to inactivate the POU2F3 gene, which is essential for TUFT cells development, in an aggressive PDAC mice model known as PDX1-Cre;LSL-KrasG12D;Ink4afl/fl. Morphological and molecular analysis of POU2F3-deleted PDAC show not significant changes in tumors growth and survival of animals although it promotes EMT. Remarkably, we observed that in POU2F3-deleted animals the lack of TUFT cells prevents metastasis formation and strongly modifies the immunological and inflammatory landscape. Abstract TUFT cells have been described as strong modulators of inflammatory cells in several tissues including pancreas. TUFT cells, also known as DCLK1+ cells, are dependent of the transcriptional factor POU2F3. Several works report DCLK1+ cells in early stages of PDAC development suggesting an important role of TUFT cells in PDAC development. Therefore, we developed a mice model (PDX1-Cre;KrasG12D;Ink4afl/fl), known as PKI model, deficient or not of POU2F3. In this animal model, deficiency of POU2F3 results in the absence of TUFT cells in PDAC as expected. Although, tumor development and growth are not significantly influenced, the development of liver metastasis was almost completely inhibited in POU2F3-deficient mice. Surprisingly, the absence of metastasis was associated with a higher expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers, but to a lower inflammatory microenvironment suggesting that inflammation influences metastasis production more than epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in this animal model. We can conclude that POU2F3 could be a new therapeutic target for control PDAC progression.
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Liu Y, Ferguson FM, Li L, Kuljanin M, Mills CE, Subramanian K, Harshbarger W, Gondi S, Wang J, Sorger PK, Mancias JD, Gray NS, Westover KD. Chemical Biology Toolkit for DCLK1 Reveals Connection to RNA Processing. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1229-1240.e4. [PMID: 32755567 PMCID: PMC8053042 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is critical for neurogenesis, but overexpression is also observed in multiple cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the function of DCLK1 in cancer, especially the context-dependent functions, are poorly understood. We present a "toolkit" that includes the DCLK1 inhibitor DCLK1-IN-1, a complementary DCLK1-IN-1-resistant mutation G532A, and kinase dead mutants D511N and D533N, which can be used to investigate signaling pathways regulated by DCLK1. Using a cancer cell line engineered to be DCLK1 dependent for growth and cell migration, we show that this toolkit can be used to discover associations between DCLK1 kinase activity and biological processes. In particular, we show an association between DCLK1 and RNA processing, including the identification of CDK11 as a potential substrate of DCLK1 using phosphoproteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Fleur M Ferguson
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lianbo Li
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Miljan Kuljanin
- Division of Radiation and Genome Stability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caitlin E Mills
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kartik Subramanian
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wayne Harshbarger
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sudershan Gondi
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter K Sorger
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph D Mancias
- Division of Radiation and Genome Stability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth D Westover
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Doublecortin-like kinase 1 promotes hepatocyte clonogenicity and oncogenic programming via non-canonical β-catenin-dependent mechanism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10578. [PMID: 32601309 PMCID: PMC7324569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67401-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic liver injury is a risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The molecular mechanisms that regulate the decision between normal injury repair and neoplastic initiation are unclear. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1), a tumor stem cell marker, is induced during cirrhosis and HCC. Here, we demonstrate that DCLK1-overexpressing primary human hepatocytes formed spheroids in suspension cultures. Spheroids derived from DCLK1-overexpressing hepatoma cells showed high level expression of active β-catenin, α-fetoprotein, and SOX9, suggesting that DCLK1 overexpression induces clonogenicity and dedifferentiated phenotypes in hepatoma cells. DCLK1 overexpression in hepatoma cells also increased phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Ser9. This was associated with an induction of a 48-kDa active β-catenin with a preserved hypophosphorylated N-terminus that interacted with nuclear TCF-4 resulting in luciferase reporter activity and cyclin D1 expression. DCLK1 downregulation inhibited 48-kDa β-catenin expression. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib did not block the 48-kDa β-catenin, instead, caused a threefold accumulation, suggesting a proteasome-independent mechanism. Liver tissues from patients with cirrhosis and HCC revealed epithelial co-staining of DCLK1 and active β-catenin, and cleaved E-cadherin. Repopulated DCLK1-overexpressing primary human hepatocytes in humanized FRG mouse livers demonstrated active β-catenin. In conclusion, DCLK1 regulates oncogenic signaling and clonogenicity of hepatocytes by a novel non-canonical/atypical β-catenin-dependent mechanism.
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Chandrakesan P, Panneerselvam J, May R, Weygant N, Qu D, Berry WR, Pitts K, Stanger BZ, Rao CV, Bronze MS, Houchen CW. DCLK1-Isoform2 Alternative Splice Variant Promotes Pancreatic Tumor Immunosuppressive M2-Macrophage Polarization. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:1539-1549. [PMID: 32371580 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-associated M2-macrophages are one of the most abundant immunosuppressive cell types in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the generation of M2-macrophages are unclear. Here, we demonstrated that overexpression of DCLK1-isoform2 in AsPC1 and MIA PaCa2 cells resulted in the polarization of M1-macrophages toward an M2 phenotype via secreted chemokines/cytokines. These M2-macrophages enhanced parental PDAC cell migration, invasion, and self-renewal, and this was associated with increased expression of Snail and Slug. We observed distinct expression of Dclk-isoform2, marked infiltration of M2-macrophages, and a marginal increase of CD8+ T cells in 20-week-old KPCY mice pancreas compared with 5 weeks old. Utilizing an autochthonous mouse model of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, we observed distinct immunoreactive Dclk1 and arginase1 in tissues where CD8+ T-cell infiltration was low and observed a paucity of DCLK1 and arginase1 staining where CD8+ T-cell infiltration was high. Finally, we found that DCLK1-isoform2 tumor-educated M2-macrophages inhibit CD8+ T-cell proliferation and granzyme-B activation. Inhibition of DCLK1 in an organoid coculture system enhanced CD8+ T-cell activation and associated organoid death. We conclude that DCLK1-isoform2 is a novel initiator of alternate macrophage activation that contributes to the immunosuppression observed in the PDAC TME. These data suggest that tumor DCLK1-isoform2 may be an attractive target for PDAC therapy, either alone or in conjunction with immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parthasarathy Chandrakesan
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. .,OU Cancer Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Janani Panneerselvam
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.,OU Cancer Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Randal May
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Nathaniel Weygant
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Dongfeng Qu
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.,OU Cancer Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - William R Berry
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Kamille Pitts
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Chinthalapally V Rao
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.,OU Cancer Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Michael S Bronze
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Courtney W Houchen
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. .,OU Cancer Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Deng YN, Xia Z, Zhang P, Ejaz S, Liang S. Transcription Factor RREB1: from Target Genes towards Biological Functions. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:1463-1473. [PMID: 32210733 PMCID: PMC7085234 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.40834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ras-responsive element binding protein 1(RREB1) is a member of zinc finger transcription factors, which is widely involved in biological processes including cell proliferation, transcriptional regulation and DNA damage repair. New findings reveal RREB1 functions as both transcriptional repressors and transcriptional activators for transcriptional regulation of target genes. The activation of RREB1 is regulated by MAPK pathway. We have summarized the target genes of RREB1 and discussed RREB1 roles in the cancer development. In addition, increasing evidences suggest that RREB1 is a potential risk gene for type 2 diabetes and obesity. We also review the current clinical application of RREB1 as a biomarker for melanoma detection. In conclusion, RREB1 is a promising diagnostic biomarker or new drug target for cancers and metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Zijing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China.,Department of Rheumatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urinary Surgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P. R. China
| | - Samina Ejaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Baghdad Campus, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Shufang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China
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Satheesh NJ, Samuel SM, Büsselberg D. Combination Therapy with Vitamin C Could Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10010079. [PMID: 31947879 PMCID: PMC7022456 DOI: 10.3390/biom10010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [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: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the most feared and dreaded diseases in this era of modern medicine, claiming the lives of many, and affecting the quality of life of several others around the globe despite major advances in the diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and the immense resources invested into cancer research. While research in cancer has largely focused on the neoplasm/tumor and the cancerous cells that make up the tumor, more recently, the existence, proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the role that CSCs play in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, drug resistance and relapse/recurrence of the disease has gained widespread interest in cancer research. Although the conventional therapeutic approaches such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are effective cancer treatments, very often these treatment modalities fail to target the CSCs, which then later become the source of disease recurrence. A majority of the anti-cancer agents target rapidly dividing cancer cells and normal cells and hence, have side effects that are not expected. Targeting CSCs remains a challenge due to their deviant nature with a low proliferation rate and increased drug resistance mechanism. Ascorbic acid/Vitamin C (Vit.C), a potent antioxidant, is a cofactor for several biosynthetic and gene regulatory enzymes and a vital contributor to immune defense of the body, and was found to be deficient in patients with advanced stages of cancer. Vit.C has gained importance in the treatment of cancer due to its ability to modulate the redox status of the cell and influence epigenetic modifications and significant roles in HIF1α signaling. Studies have reported that intravenous administration of Vit.C at pharmacological doses selectively kills tumor cells and targets CSCs when administered along with chemotherapeutic drugs. In the current article, we provide an in-depth review of how Vit.C plays an important role in targeting CSCs and its possible use as an adjuvant, neoadjuvant or co-treatment in the treatment of cancers.
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Sureban SM, Berahovich R, Zhou H, Xu S, Wu L, Ding K, May R, Qu D, Bannerman-Menson E, Golubovskaya V, Houchen CW. DCLK1 Monoclonal Antibody-Based CAR-T Cells as a Novel Treatment Strategy against Human Colorectal Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010054. [PMID: 31878090 PMCID: PMC7016951 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cells) immunotherapy is effective in many hematological cancers; however, efficacy in solid tumors is disappointing. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) labels tumor stem cells (TSCs) in genetic mouse models of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we describe a novel CAR-T targeting DCLK1 (CBT-511; with our proprietary DCLK1 single-chain antibody variable fragment) as a treatment strategy to eradicate CRC TSCs. The cell surface expression of DCLK1 and cytotoxicity of CBT-511 were assessed in CRC cells (HT29, HCT116, and LoVo). LoVo-derived tumor xenografts in NOD Scid gamma (NSGTM)mice were treated with CBT-511 or mock CAR-T cells. Adherent CRC cells express surface DCLK1 (two-dimensional, 2D). A 4.5-fold increase in surface DCLK1 was observed when HT29 cells were grown as spheroids (three-dimensional, 3D). CBT-511 induced cytotoxicity (2D; p < 0.0001), and increased Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release in CRC cells (2D) compared to mock CAR-T (p < 0.0001). Moreover, an even greater increase in IFN-γ release was observed when cells were grown in 3D. CBT-511 reduced tumor growth by approximately 50 percent compared to mock CAR-T. These data suggest that CRC cells with increased clonogenic capacity express increased surface DCLK1. A DCLK1-targeted CAR-T can induce cytotoxicity in vitro and inhibit xenograft growth in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sripathi M. Sureban
- COARE Holdings Inc., Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA; (R.M.); (D.Q.); (E.B.-M.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section, The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73014, USA;
- Correspondence: (S.M.S.); (C.W.H.); Tel.: +1-405-271-5428 (S.M.S. & C.W.H.)
| | - Robert Berahovich
- ProMab Biotechnologies Inc., Richmond, CA 94806, USA; (R.B.); (H.Z.); (S.X.); (L.W.); (V.G.)
| | - Hua Zhou
- ProMab Biotechnologies Inc., Richmond, CA 94806, USA; (R.B.); (H.Z.); (S.X.); (L.W.); (V.G.)
| | - Shirley Xu
- ProMab Biotechnologies Inc., Richmond, CA 94806, USA; (R.B.); (H.Z.); (S.X.); (L.W.); (V.G.)
| | - Lijun Wu
- ProMab Biotechnologies Inc., Richmond, CA 94806, USA; (R.B.); (H.Z.); (S.X.); (L.W.); (V.G.)
| | - Kai Ding
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section, The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73014, USA;
| | - Randal May
- COARE Holdings Inc., Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA; (R.M.); (D.Q.); (E.B.-M.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section, The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73014, USA;
| | - Dongfeng Qu
- COARE Holdings Inc., Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA; (R.M.); (D.Q.); (E.B.-M.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section, The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73014, USA;
| | | | - Vita Golubovskaya
- ProMab Biotechnologies Inc., Richmond, CA 94806, USA; (R.B.); (H.Z.); (S.X.); (L.W.); (V.G.)
| | - Courtney W. Houchen
- COARE Holdings Inc., Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA; (R.M.); (D.Q.); (E.B.-M.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section, The University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73014, USA;
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
- Correspondence: (S.M.S.); (C.W.H.); Tel.: +1-405-271-5428 (S.M.S. & C.W.H.)
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Shen SN, Li K, Liu Y, Yang CL, He CY, Wang HR. Silencing lncRNAs PVT1 Upregulates miR-145 and Confers Inhibitory Effects on Viability, Invasion, and Migration in EC. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 19:668-682. [PMID: 31951853 PMCID: PMC6965729 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) is correlated to various malignant tumors. Consequently, we explored effects of lncRNA PVT1 on esophageal carcinoma (EC) targeting microRNA-145 (miR-145). EC tissues, adjacent normal tissues, and EC-related cell lines were collected and cultured. Expression of lncRNA PVT1, miR-145, fascin-1 (FSCN1), and related genes with intervening expression of PVT1 and miR-145 was determined. Bioinformatic website, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were carried to verify target relationship among lncRNA PVT1, FSCN1, and miR-145. Scratch test, Transwell assay, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and flow cytometry were performed for detection of migration, invasion, viability, and apoptosis of transfected cells, respectively. Finally, tumor formation in nude mice was measured. After database analysis, lncRNA PVT1, miR-145, and FSCN1 were selected for study. lncRNA PVT1 and FSCN1 can bind to miR-145. After overexpressing miR-145 or inhibiting lncRNA PVT1, EC cell viability, migration, and invasion were inhibited, while volume and weight of tumor formation in nude mice decreased. Expression of lncRNA PVT1, FSCN1, Bcl-2, CD147, VEGFR2, and MTA1 decreased and expression of miR-145 and Bax increased. Silencing lncRNA PVT1 can upregulate miR-145, which is a tumor suppressor in EC via knockdown of FSCN1. Thus, we might provide a potential theoretical basis for EC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Ning Shen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, Henan Province, P.R. China.
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, P.R. China
| | - Cheng-Liang Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, P.R. China.
| | - Chun-Yu He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, P.R. China
| | - Hao-Rang Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, Henan Province, P.R. China
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Gzil A, Zarębska I, Bursiewicz W, Antosik P, Grzanka D, Szylberg Ł. Markers of pancreatic cancer stem cells and their clinical and therapeutic implications. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:6629-6645. [PMID: 31486978 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-05058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth most common cause of death among all cancers. Poor prognosis of PC may be caused by a prevalence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a population of cancer cells showing stem cell-like characteristics. CSCs have the ability to self-renew and may initiate tumorigenesis. PC CSCs express markers such as CD133, CD24, CD44, DCLK1, CXCR4, ESA, Oct4 and ABCB1. There is a wide complexity of interaction and relationships between CSC markers in PC. These markers are negative prognostic factors and are connected with tumor recurrence and clinical progression. Additionally, PC CSCs are resistant to treatment with gemcitabine. Thus, most current therapies for PC are ineffective. Numerous studies have shown, that targeting of these proteins may increase both disease-free and overall survival in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Gzil
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
| | - Izabela Zarębska
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Wiktor Bursiewicz
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Paulina Antosik
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Dariusz Grzanka
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Łukasz Szylberg
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Sklodowskiej-Curie Str. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Pathomorphology, Military Clinical Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Shen S, Li K, Liu Y, Yang C, He C, Wang H. Down-regulation of long noncoding RNA PVT1 inhibits esophageal carcinoma cell migration and invasion and promotes cell apoptosis via microRNA-145-mediated inhibition of FSCN1. Mol Oncol 2019; 13:2554-2573. [PMID: 31369196 PMCID: PMC6887590 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has established that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) is a tumor regulator in many cancers. Here, we aimed to investigate the possible function of lncRNA PVT1 in esophageal carcinoma (EC) via targeting of microRNA-145 (miR-145). Initially, microarray-based gene expression profiling of EC was employed to identify differentially expressed genes. Moreover, the expression of lncRNA PVT1 was examined and the cell line presenting with the highest level of lncRNA PVT1 expression was selected for subsequent experiments. We then proceeded to examine interaction among lncRNA PVT1, FSCN1, and miR-145. The effect of lncRNA PVT1 on viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis of transfected cells was examined with gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments. We observed that lncRNA PVT1 was robustly induced in EC. lncRNA PVT1 could bind to miR-145 and regulate its expression, and FSCN1 is a target gene of miR-145. Overexpression of miR-145 or silencing of lncRNA PVT1 was revealed to suppress cell viability, migration, and invasion abilities, while also stimulating cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our in vivo results showed that overexpression of miR-145 or silencing of lncRNA PVT1 resulted in decreased tumor growth in nude mice. In conclusion, our research reveals that down-regulation of lncRNA PVT1 could potentially promote expression of miR-145 to repress cell migration and invasion, and promote cell apoptosis through the inhibition of FSCN1. This highlights the potential of lncRNA PVT1 as a therapeutic target for EC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si‐Ning Shen
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of OncologyAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of OncologyAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
| | - Cheng‐Liang Yang
- Department of Radiation OncologyAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
| | - Chun‐Yu He
- Department of Radiation OncologyAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
| | - Hao‐Rang Wang
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital)China
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Agbo KC, Huang JZ, Ghaleb AM, Williams JL, Shroyer KR, Bialkowska AB, Yang VW. Loss of the Krüppel-like factor 4 tumor suppressor is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 5. [PMID: 32566755 PMCID: PMC7304562 DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2019.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cancer-related cause of death due to its propensity to metastasize. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multistep process important for invasion and metastasis of CRC. Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc finger transcription factor highly expressed in differentiated cells of the intestinal epithelium. KLF4 has been shown to play a tumor suppressor role during CRC tumorigenesis - its loss accelerates development and progression of cancer. The present study examined the relationship between KLF4 and markers of EMT in CRC. Methods: Immunofluorescence staining for KLF4 and EMT markers was performed on archived patient samples after colorectal cancer resection and on colonic tissues of mice with colitis-associated cancer. Results: We found that KLF4 expression is lost in tumor sections obtained from CRC patients and in those of mouse colon following azoxymethane and dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS) treatment when compared to their respective normal appearing mucosa. Importantly, in CRC patient tumor sections, we observed a negative correlation between KLF4 levels and mesenchymal markers including TWIST, β-catenin, claudin-1, N-cadherin, and vimentin. Similarly, in tumor tissues from AOM/DSS-treated mice, KLF4 levels were negatively correlated with mesenchymal markers including SNAI2, β-catenin, and vimentin and positively correlated with the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the loss of KLF4 expression is a potentially significant indicator of EMT in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley C Agbo
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jessie Z Huang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Amr M Ghaleb
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jennie L Williams
- Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kenneth R Shroyer
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Agnieszka B Bialkowska
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Vincent W Yang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Leone P, Buonavoglia A, Fasano R, Solimando AG, De Re V, Cicco S, Vacca A, Racanelli V. Insights into the Regulation of Tumor Angiogenesis by Micro-RNAs. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8122030. [PMID: 31757094 PMCID: PMC6947031 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8122030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of cancer is angiogenesis, a series of events leading to the formation of the abnormal vascular network required for tumor growth, development, progression, and metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs whose functions include modulation of the expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors and regulation of the function of vascular endothelial cells. Vascular-associated microRNAs can be either pro- or anti-angiogenic. In cancer, miRNA expression levels are deregulated and typically vary during tumor progression. Experimental data indicate that the tumor phenotype can be modified by targeting miRNA expression. Based on these observations, miRNAs may be promising targets for the development of novel anti-angiogenic therapies. This review discusses the role of various miRNAs and their targets in tumor angiogenesis, describes the strategies and challenges of miRNA-based anti-angiogenic therapies and explores the potential use of miRNAs as biomarkers for anti-angiogenic therapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Leone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-080-5478050; Fax: +39-080-5478-045
| | - Alessio Buonavoglia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Rossella Fasano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Antonio Giovanni Solimando
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
- Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari, Viale Orazio Flacco, 65, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Valli De Re
- Bio-Proteomics Facility, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy;
| | - Sebastiano Cicco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Angelo Vacca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Vito Racanelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.B.); (R.F.); (A.G.S.); (S.C.); (A.V.); (V.R.)
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Kadletz L, Kenner L, Wiebringhaus R, Jank B, Mayer C, Gurnhofer E, Konrad S, Heiduschka G. Evaluation of the cancer stem cell marker DCLK1 in patients with lymph node metastases of head and neck cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2019; 215:152698. [PMID: 31706685 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2019.152698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lymph node metastases are frequently detected in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Little is known about biomarkers expressed in lymph node metastases or their influence on clinical outcome. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is one marker that might be associated with outcome, owing to its correlation with stem cell-like characteristics. METHODS We assessed the expression of DCLK1 in 74 postoperatively irradiated patients in histologically confirmed HNSCC lymph node metastases. Statistical analysis of the association with DCLK1 on clinical outcomes was performed. RESULTS DCLK1 was expressed in 63.5% of our patient cohort. DCLK1(+) HNSCC patients, compared with those without DCLK1 expression, showed a significantly poorer time to recurrence. Moreover, we observed a significantly poorer time to recurrence in HPV(-) HNSCC patients, and significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival rates in HPV(-) oropharyngeal cancer patients, compared with HPV(+) patients with these cancers. HPV(+) patients showed no significant differences in survival time according to DCLK1 expression. However, recurrent disease occurred in only DCLK1(+) patients. Mulitivariate analysis showed that DCLK1 expression in lymph node metastases is an independent marker for recurrence. CONCLUSION DCLK1 expression might be associated with poorer clinical outcomes in HNSCC patients, specifically in HPV(-) move patients. However, larger studies are required to verify our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Kadletz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, Vienna, Austria; Department of Experimental Pathology and Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
| | | | - Bernhard Jank
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Mayer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Stefan Konrad
- Department of Radiotherapy and -Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Heiduschka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Li L, Mei H, Commey ANA. Application of RNA-sequencing to identify transcriptome modification by DCLK1 in colorectal cancer cells. Cancer Gene Ther 2019; 27:691-701. [PMID: 31636360 PMCID: PMC7170768 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-019-0144-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is a cancer stem cell marker for the colorectal cancer (CRC). It plays critical roles in the oncogenesis, progression and metastasis of CRC. DCLK1 can be an intriguing therapeutic target for CRC treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of how DCLK1 functions is unclear currently. In our research, we aim to apply RNA-Sequencing (RNA Seq) technology, a high throughput massively Next Generation Sequencing approach, to monitor transcriptome changes due to DCLK1 over-expression in the CRC cells. In order to achieve our goal, RNA from quadruplicate samples from two clones of isogenic DCLK1 stable over-expression cells and the parental wild type HCT116 cells was sent for RNA Seq on the Illumina NextSeq500 platform. Differentially expressed (DE) genes were evaluated by t-test (P <0.05 and fold-change ±1.5 or greater) using two methods: (1) FWER; and (2) Benjamani and Hochberg FDR (false discovery rate) which corrects for multiple comparisons. Gene networks and functional analysis were evaluated using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA). We identified 1463 DE genes common for both DCLK1 overexpression clone A and clone B cells. IPA results indicated that 72 canonical pathways were significantly modified by DCLK1 over-expression (P<0.05), among which 9 out of the top 10 pathways are involved in the cell cycle regulation, indicating that DCLK1 might play its tumorigenesis role via activation of pathways facilitating cell proliferation, repression of pathways inhibiting cells proliferation and function against pathways facilitating cell apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis results confirmed the IPA findings, which demonstrated that DCLK1 over-expression cells had much less G0/G1 cells but much more S and G2/M cells (P<0.05). In conclusion, DCLK1 over-expression significantly modified transcriptome profile of CRC cancer cells. Control of the cell cycle regulation might be one of the critical mechanism for DCLK1 function. Our findings provide more direct evidence for the development of DCLK1 as a therapeutic target for CRC treatment, and will be of great benefit for the discovery of novel therapeutic target within the DCLK1 molecular network for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianna Li
- Biology Department, Tougaloo College, 500 West County Line Road, Tougaloo, MS, 39174, USA.
| | - Hao Mei
- Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
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Makino S, Takahashi H, Okuzaki D, Miyoshi N, Haraguchi N, Hata T, Matsuda C, Yamamoto H, Mizushima T, Mori M, Doki Y. DCLK1 integrates induction of TRIB3, EMT, drug resistance and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Carcinogenesis 2019; 41:303-312. [DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgz157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) promotes tumour proliferation in human colorectal cancer (CRC). To elucidate the mechanism and clinical relevance of this association, we performed expression analysis using commercially available colon carcinoma cell lines (SW480, HCT116, CaCO2, SW48 and SKCO1) and immunohistochemical analysis of 200 resected CRC samples for correlation with clinical features. DCLK1 showed a high level of expression, especially in SW480 and HCT116 cells. Silencing DCLK1 expression using short hairpin DCLK1 (shDCLK1) RNA inhibited the growth and invasion capacities of these cell lines, which showed signs of entering into the mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET). We found evidence of a strong correlation of DCLK1 expression with that of Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3), and silencing TRIB3 also led to the MET phenotype in these cells. In the clinical samples, compared with samples showing low expression of DCLK1, high expression was associated with poor prognosis in terms of overall and recurrence-free survival (P < 0.0001). The results of univariate and multivariate analysis suggested that high expression of DCLK1 in clinical colon cancer samples was tied to poor prognosis, cancer invasion depth and lymph node metastasis. DCLK1 expression correlates with malignant grade of colon cancer and offers a potential treatment target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunichiro Makino
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Okuzaki
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norikatsu Miyoshi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naotsugu Haraguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Taishi Hata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chu Matsuda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Yamamoto
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tsunekazu Mizushima
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaki Mori
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medicine, Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka Japan
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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Mohammadi C, Najafi R. DCLK1 as a Promising Marker for Radioresistance in Colorectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Cancer 2019; 51:714-715. [PMID: 31422542 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-019-00292-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chiman Mohammadi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Rezvan Najafi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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Overexpression of DCLK1-AL Increases Tumor Cell Invasion, Drug Resistance, and KRAS Activation and Can Be Targeted to Inhibit Tumorigenesis in Pancreatic Cancer. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:6402925. [PMID: 31467540 PMCID: PMC6699308 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6402925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS mutation plays a key role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumorigenesis with nearly 95% of PDAC harboring mutation-activated KRAS, which has been considered an undruggable target. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is often overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, and recent studies indicate that DCLK1+ PDAC cells can initiate pancreatic tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigate whether overexpressing DCLK1 activates RAS and promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and MiaPaCa-2) were infected with lentivirus and selected to create stable DCLK1 isoform 2 (alpha-long, AL) overexpressing lines. The invasive potential of these cells relative to vector control was compared using Matrigel coated transwell assay. KRAS activation and interaction were determined by a pull-down assay and coimmunoprecipitation. Gemcitabine, mTOR (Everolimus), PI3K (LY-294002), and BCL-2 (ABT-199) inhibitors were used to evaluate drug resistance downstream of KRAS activation. Immunostaining of a PDAC tissue microarray was performed to detect DCLK1 alpha- and beta-long expression. Analysis of gene expression in human PDAC was performed using the TCGA PAAD dataset. The effects of targeting DCLK1 were studied using xenograft and Pdx1CreKrasG12DTrp53R172H/+ (KPC) mouse models. Overexpression of DCLK1-AL drives a more than 2-fold increase in invasion and drug resistance and increased the activation of KRAS. Evidence from TCGA PAAD demonstrated that human PDACs expressing high levels of DCLK1 correlate with activated PI3K/AKT/MTOR-pathway signaling suggesting greater KRAS activity. High DCLK1 expression in normal adjacent tissue of PDAC correlated with poor survival and anti-DCLK1 mAb inhibited pancreatic tumor growth in vivo in mouse models.
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