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Huang R, Wu Y, Zou Z. Combining EZH2 inhibitors with other therapies for solid tumors: more choices for better effects. Epigenomics 2022; 14:1449-1464. [PMID: 36601794 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
EZH2 is an epigenetic regulator that methylates lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27) and is closely related to the development and metastasis of tumors. It often shows gain-of-function mutations in hematological tumors, while it is often overexpressed in solid tumors. EZH2 inhibitors have shown good efficacy in hematological tumors in clinical trials but poor efficacy in solid tumors. Therefore, current research on EZH2 inhibitors has focused on exploring additional combination strategies in solid tumors. Herein we summarize the combinations and mechanisms of EZH2 inhibitors and other therapies, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and epigenetic therapy, both in clinical trials and preclinical studies, aiming to provide a reference for better antitumor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yirong Wu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Zhengyun Zou
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
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2
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Li C, Ma YQ. Prognostic significance of sex determining region Y-box 2, E-cadherin, and vimentin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10:9657-9669. [PMID: 36186174 PMCID: PMC9516931 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i27.9657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) can promote squamous cell carcinoma (SSC) because it regulates the migration and invasion of several different types of squamous carcinoma cells. However, few studies have examined the prognostic value of SOX2 and its effect on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in esophageal SSC (ESCC), a cancer characterized by high invasion and rapid metastasis.
AIM To verify the relationship of SOX2 and the EMT in ESCC and determine the prognostic value and significance of SOX2 and protein markers of the EMT in ESCC.
METHODS One hundred and eighty-five postsurgical ESCC patients were retrospectively examined. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect SOX2, E-cadherin, and vimentin in ESCC tissues. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationships of the expression of these proteins with clinical data. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate factors associated with overall survival (OS).
RESULTS SOX2 and vimentin had high expression in ESCC tissues and correlated with the depth of local carcinoma invasion. SOX2 expression had positive correlations with tumor size, vimentin expression, and the EMT, and a negative correlation with E-cadherin expression. Expression of SOX2 and vimentin had negative correlations with OS. SOX2 expression was an independent prognostic risk factor for poor OS in patients with ESCC.
CONCLUSION SOX2 expression was an independent risk factor for OS in patients with ESCC and its expression had a positive correlation with the expression of vimentin, a classic marker of the EMT. SOX2 promoted the migration and invasion of ESCC, and this may related to its effect on vimentin in promoting the EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Department of RICU, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yu-Qing Ma
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
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Bisserier M, Brojakowska A, Saffran N, Rai AK, Lee B, Coleman M, Sebastian A, Evans A, Mills PJ, Addya S, Arakelyan A, Garikipati VNS, Hadri L, Goukassian DA. Astronauts Plasma-Derived Exosomes Induced Aberrant EZH2-Mediated H3K27me3 Epigenetic Regulation of the Vitamin D Receptor. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:855181. [PMID: 35783863 PMCID: PMC9243458 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.855181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are unique stressors in the spaceflight environment. Exposure to such stressors may be associated with adverse effects on astronauts' health, including increased cancer and cardiovascular disease risks. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs, i.e., exosomes) play a vital role in intercellular communication and regulate various biological processes contributing to their role in disease pathogenesis. To assess whether spaceflight alters sEVs transcriptome profile, sEVs were isolated from the blood plasma of 3 astronauts at two different time points: 10 days before launch (L-10) and 3 days after return (R+3) from the Shuttle mission. AC16 cells (human cardiomyocyte cell line) were treated with L-10 and R+3 astronauts-derived exosomes for 24 h. Total RNA was isolated and analyzed for gene expression profiling using Affymetrix microarrays. Enrichment analysis was performed using Enrichr. Transcription factor (TF) enrichment analysis using the ENCODE/ChEA Consensus TF database identified gene sets related to the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and Vitamin D receptor (VDR) in AC16 cells treated with R+3 compared to cells treated with L-10 astronauts-derived exosomes. Further analysis of the histone modifications using datasets from the Roadmap Epigenomics Project confirmed enrichment in gene sets related to the H3K27me3 repressive mark. Interestingly, analysis of previously published H3K27me3–chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) ENCODE datasets showed enrichment of H3K27me3 in the VDR promoter. Collectively, our results suggest that astronaut-derived sEVs may epigenetically repress the expression of the VDR in human adult cardiomyocytes by promoting the activation of the PRC2 complex and H3K27me3 levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malik Bisserier
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Cardiovascular Research Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Agnieszka Brojakowska
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Cardiovascular Research Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nathaniel Saffran
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Cardiovascular Research Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amit Kumar Rai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Brooke Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Matthew Coleman
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Aimy Sebastian
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Angela Evans
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Mills
- Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Sankar Addya
- Kimmel Cancer Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Arsen Arakelyan
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA), Yerevan, Armenia
- Department of Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, and Molecular Biology, Russian-Armenian University, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Venkata Naga Srikanth Garikipati
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart Lung and Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Lahouaria Hadri
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Cardiovascular Research Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Lahouaria Hadri
| | - David A. Goukassian
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Cardiovascular Research Institute, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: David A. Goukassian
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Liu W, Xia Y, Li M, Abulajiang G, Wang H, Su L, Li C, Shi Y, Zhang W, Xu S, Ma Y. Prognostic value of MTA1, SOX4 and EZH2 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:722. [PMID: 34007331 PMCID: PMC8120658 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer has always been one of the major malignant tumor types affecting the health of the Chinese population. Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1), SOX4 and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) are all potent inducers of invasion and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the role of these signaling molecules and their implication in ESCC have remained largely elusive. In the present study, the effects of MTA1, SOX4 and EZH2 on the prognosis of patients with ESCC were explored. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression levels of MTA1, SOX4 and EZH2. The χ2 test was used to analyze the association between protein expression and clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards model survival analysis was performed to investigate the effects of the three proteins examined on disease prognosis. The results indicated that MTA1 may be used as a prognostic and diagnostic marker for ESCC. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first to demonstrate that MTA1-SOX4 signaling is associated with prognosis in ESCC. However, no significant association was noted between SOX4 and EZH2 in the present study, which was inconsistent with previously reported findings. The function of the MTA1-SOX4-EZH2 axis and the interactions of the proteins involved require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Liu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Yu Xia
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Mengyan Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Gulinaer Abulajiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Liping Su
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Yan Shi
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Shanshan Xu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Yuqing Ma
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
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Miller SA, Damle M, Kim J, Kingston RE. Full methylation of H3K27 by PRC2 is dispensable for initial embryoid body formation but required to maintain differentiated cell identity. Development 2021; 148:dev196329. [PMID: 33688077 PMCID: PMC8077505 DOI: 10.1242/dev.196329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) catalyzes methylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 and is required for normal development of complex eukaryotes. The nature of that requirement is not clear. H3K27me3 is associated with repressed genes, but the modification is not sufficient to induce repression and, in some instances, is not required. We blocked full methylation of H3K27 with both a small molecule inhibitor, GSK343, and by introducing a point mutation into EZH2, the catalytic subunit of PRC2, in the mouse CJ7 cell line. Cells with substantively decreased H3K27 methylation differentiate into embryoid bodies, which contrasts with EZH2 null cells. PRC2 targets had varied requirements for H3K27me3, with a subset that maintained normal levels of repression in the absence of methylation. The primary cellular phenotype of blocked H3K27 methylation was an inability of altered cells to maintain a differentiated state when challenged. This phenotype was determined by H3K27 methylation in embryonic stem cells through the first 4 days of differentiation. Full H3K27 methylation therefore was not necessary for formation of differentiated cell states during embryoid body formation but was required to maintain a stable differentiated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Miller
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Manashree Damle
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jongmin Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert E. Kingston
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Radiologic Features of Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Ann Thorac Surg 2020; 112:1647-1655. [PMID: 33248987 DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays a crucial role in cancer progression and is a significant prognosticator for postoperative survival in patients with lung cancer. Predicting epithelial-mesenchymal transition preoperatively using computed tomography may help to determine the optimal surgical strategy. METHODS We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin and vimentin expressions using tumor specimens from resected primary lung adenocarcinoma and classified the results into 3 subgroups according to the expressions: epithelial, intermediate, and mesenchymal. The intermediate and mesenchymal groups were classified as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion group. We analyzed the association between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and radiologic characteristics, especially computed tomographic features. RESULTS The epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion group comprised 162 patients (49.1%). Computed tomography revealed that tumors with epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion showed a high consolidation/tumor ratio compared with those without conversion. Univariate analysis demonstrated that tumors with epithelial-mesenchymal transition were significantly associated with bronchial and/or vascular convergence (P < .001) and notching (P = .028). When the cutoff value for the consolidation/tumor ratio was set by the receiver operating characteristic curve, independent predictive factors for epithelial-mesenchymal transition by multivariate analysis were high ratio (>0.7946; P < .001) and the presence of convergence (P = .05). Tumors with a high consolidation/tumor ratio and convergence had a 4-fold higher odds ratio for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and patients had significantly poorer survival. CONCLUSIONS Convergence and a high consolidation/tumor ratio were independently associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion. These preoperative radiologic results will help to predict epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion in lung adenocarcinoma.
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Prognostic Value of EZH2 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancers: A Meta-Analysis and Bioinformatics Analysis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:2380124. [PMID: 33299862 PMCID: PMC7705440 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2380124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Background The prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been significantly improved. In the past several years, research on epigenetics is in full swing. There is a focus on the gene EZH2; however, its role as a predictor of the prognosis of NSCLC is in the debate. Objective To clarify if the expression level of EZH2 can influence the prognosis of NSCLC and explain its prognostic value. Methods We have systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library, screened relevant articles, and conducted a meta-analysis on the expression level of EZH2 in NSCLC. We collected the hazard ratio (HR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) and used STATA 12.0 to calculate the combined result of EZH2 overall survival. In addition, we conducted subgroup analyses, a sensitivity analysis, and a funnel plot to test the reliability of the results. We further validated these meta-analysis results using the Kaplan-Meier plotter database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In addition, we have investigated the correlation between EZH2 expression and EGFR expression, KRAS expression, BRAF expression, and smoking in TCGA database to further explore the mechanism behind the influence of high EZH2 expression on lung cancer prognosis. Results 13 studies including 2180 participants were included in the meta-analysis. We found that high expression of EZH2 indicates a poor prognosis of NSCLC (HR = 1.65 and 95% CI 1.16-2.35; p ≤ 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed high heterogeneity in stages I-IV (I 2 = 85.1% and p ≤ 0.001) and stages I-III (I 2 = 66.9% and p = 0.029) but not in stage I (I 2 = 0.00% and p = 0.589). In the Kaplan-Meier plotter database, there was a high expression in 963 cases and low expression in 964 cases (HR = 1.31 and 95% CI 1.15-1.48; p < 0.05). Further analysis found that the high expression of EZH2 was statistically significant in lung adenocarcinoma (HR = 1.27and 95% CI 1.01-1.6; p = 0.045), but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (HR = 1.03 and 95% CI 0.81-1.3; p = 0.820). The results of the TCGA database showed that the expression of EZH2 in normal tissues was lower than that in lung cancer tissues (p < 0.05). Smoking was associated with high expression of EZH2 (p < 0.001). EZH2 was also highly expressed in lung cancers with positive KRAS expression, and the correlation was positive in lung adenocarcinoma (r = 0.3129 and p < 0.001). The correlation was also positive in lung squamous cell carcinoma (r = 0.3567 and p < 0.001). EZH2 expression was positively correlated with BRAF expression (r = 0.2397 and p < 0.001), especially in lung squamous cell carcinoma (r = 0.3662 and p < 0.001). In lung squamous cell carcinoma, a positive yet weak correlation was observed between EZH2 expression and EGFR expression (r = 0.1122 and p < 0.001). Conclusions The high expression of EZH2 indicates a poor prognosis of NSCLC, which may be related to tumor stage or cancer type. EZH2 may be an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC. EZH2 high expression or its synergistic action with KRAS and BRAF mutations affects the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.
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Kang N, Eccleston M, Clermont PL, Latarani M, Male DK, Wang Y, Crea F. EZH2 inhibition: a promising strategy to prevent cancer immune editing. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1457-1476. [PMID: 32938196 PMCID: PMC7607396 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies are revolutionizing the clinical management of a wide range of cancers. However, intrinsic or acquired unresponsiveness to immunotherapies does occur due to the dynamic cancer immunoediting which ultimately leads to immune escape. The evolutionarily conserved histone modifier enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) is aberrantly overexpressed in a number of human cancers. Accumulating studies indicate that EZH2 is a main driver of cancer cells' immunoediting and mediate immune escape through downregulating immune recognition and activation, upregulating immune checkpoints and creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In this review, we overviewed the roles of EZH2 in cancer immunoediting, the preclinical and clinical studies of current pharmacologic EZH2 inhibitors and the prospects for EZH2 inhibitor and immunotherapy combination for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Kang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Mark Eccleston
- Belgian Volition SPRL, Parc Scientifique Créalys, Rue Phocas Lejeune 22, BE-5032 Isnes, Belgium
| | - Pier-Luc Clermont
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Maryam Latarani
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - David Kingsley Male
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Urologic Sciences, The Vancouver Prostate Centre, The University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Francesco Crea
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Health & Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
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