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Marayati R, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Wadhwani N, Williams AP, Markert HR, Atigadda V, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Beierle EA. Novel second-generation rexinoid induces growth arrest and reduces cancer cell stemness in human neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts. J Pediatr Surg 2021; 56:1165-1173. [PMID: 33762121 PMCID: PMC8131234 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The poor therapeutic efficacy seen with current treatments for neuroblastoma may be attributed to stem cell-like cancer cells (SCLCCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells associated with poor prognosis and disease recurrence. Retinoic acid (RA) is a differentiating agent used as maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma but nearly half of children treated with RA relapse. We hypothesized that 6-Methyl-UAB30 (6-Me), a second-generation rexinoid recently developed with a favorable toxicity profile compared to RA, would reduce cancer cell stemness in human neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). METHODS Cells from three neuroblastoma PDXs were treated with 6-Me and proliferation, viability, motility, and cell-cycle progression were assessed. CD133 expression, sphere formation, and mRNA abundance of stemness and differentiation markers were evaluated using flow cytometry, in vitro extreme limiting dilution analysis, and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS Treatment with 6-Me decreased proliferation, viability, and motility, and induced cell-cycle arrest and differentiation in all three neuroblastoma PDXs. In addition, 6-Me treatment led to decreased CD133 expression, decreased sphere-forming ability, and decreased mRNA abundance of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2, indicating decreased cancer cell stemness. CONCLUSIONS 6-Me decreased oncogenicity and reduced cancer cell stemness of neuroblastoma PDXs, warranting further exploration of 6-Me as potential novel therapy for neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura V. Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H. Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Nikita Wadhwani
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Adele P. Williams
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Hooper R. Markert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Venkatram Atigadda
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jamie M. Aye
- Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E. Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Karina J. Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
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Fusco P, Mattiuzzo E, Frasson C, Viola G, Cimetta E, Esposito MR, Tonini GP. Verteporfin induces apoptosis and reduces the stem cell-like properties in Neuroblastoma tumour-initiating cells through inhibition of the YAP/TAZ pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 893:173829. [PMID: 33347823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is an embryonal malignancy of early childhood arising from the embryonic sympatho-adrenal lineage of the neural crest. About half of all cases are currently classified as high-risk of disease recurrence, with an overall survival rate of less than 40% at 5 years despite intensive therapy. Recent studies on matched primary tumours and at the relapse revealed downregulation of genes transcriptionally silenced by YAP as significant association with neuroblastoma relapse. Here, we evaluated the pharmacological targeting of YAP/TAZ with the YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitor Verteporfin (VP) in Tumour Initiating Cells (TICs) derived from High-Risk Neuroblastoma patients. VP treatment suppresses YAP/TAZ expression, induces apoptosis and causes the re-organization of the cytoskeleton reducing cells migration and clonogenic ability. Moreover, VP reduces the percentage of side population cells and ABC transporters involved in drug resistance, and the percentage of stem cell subpopulations CD133+ and CD44+ of TICs. Finally, we demonstrated that VP sensitizes TICs to the standard drugs used for neuroblastoma therapy etoposide and cis-platin opening the way to use VP as drug repositioning candidate for recurrent neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pina Fusco
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città Della Speranza (IRP) - Neuroblastoma Laboratory, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy.
| | - Elena Mattiuzzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Italy.
| | - Chiara Frasson
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città Della Speranza (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy.
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Italy.
| | - Elisa Cimetta
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città Della Speranza (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy; University of Padua, Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), Via Marzolo 9, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Rosaria Esposito
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città Della Speranza (IRP) - Neuroblastoma Laboratory, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy.
| | - Gian Paolo Tonini
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città Della Speranza (IRP) - Neuroblastoma Laboratory, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
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3
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Marayati R, Bownes LV, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Quinn CH, Atigadda V, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Beierle EA. 9-cis-UAB30, a novel rexinoid agonist, decreases tumorigenicity and cancer cell stemness of human neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts. Transl Oncol 2020; 14:100893. [PMID: 33010553 PMCID: PMC7530346 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) therapy has been utilized as maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma, but over half of patients treated with RA relapse. Neuroblastoma stem cell-like cancer cells (SCLCCs) are a subpopulation of cells characterized by the expression of the cell surface marker CD133 and are hypothesized to contribute to drug resistance and disease relapse. A novel rexinoid compound, 9-cis-UAB30 (UAB30), was developed having the same anti-tumor effects as RA but a more favorable toxicity profile. In the current study, we investigated the efficacy of UAB30 in neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDX). Two PDXs, COA3 and COA6, were utilized and alterations in the malignant phenotype were assessed following treatment with RA or UAB30. UAB30 significantly decreased proliferation, viability, and motility of both PDXs. UAB30 induced cell-cycle arrest as demonstrated by the significant increase in percentage of cells in G1 (COA6: 33.7 ± 0.7 vs. 43.3 ± 0.7%, control vs. UAB30) and decrease in percentage of cells in S phase (COA6: 44.7 ± 1.2 vs. 38.6 ± 1%, control vs. UAB30). UAB30 led to differentiation of PDX cells, as evidenced by the increase in neurite outgrowth and mRNA abundance of differentiation markers. CD133 expression was decreased by 40% in COA6 cells after UAB30. The ability to form tumorspheres and mRNA abundance of known stemness markers were also significantly decreased following treatment with UAB30, further indicating decreased cancer cell stemness. These results provide evidence that UAB30 decreased tumorigenicity and cancer cell stemness in neuroblastoma PDXs, warranting further exploration as therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura V Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura L Stafman
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Adele P Williams
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Venkatram Atigadda
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jamie M Aye
- Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Karina J Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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Wen Y, Gong X, Dong Y, Tang C. Long Non Coding RNA SNHG16 Facilitates Proliferation, Migration, Invasion and Autophagy of Neuroblastoma Cells via Sponging miR-542-3p and Upregulating ATG5 Expression. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:263-275. [PMID: 32021273 PMCID: PMC6959506 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s226915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous pediatric malignant tumor with many biological and clinical characteristics. Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) plays vital role in the development of NB. However, the potential mechanism of SNHG16 in the progression of NB is rarely reported. Methods The expression levels of SNHG16, miR-542-3p and autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) were measured with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The proliferation, migration and invasion of NB cells were determined using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-YI)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) or transwell assay. Protein levels of ATG5, microtubule-associated protein A1/1B-light chain3 (LC3-I/II) and p62 were detected by Western blot analysis. The interaction between miR-542-3p and SNHG16 or ATG5 was predicted by starBase and confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. Xenograft mice models were constructed to confirm the role of SNHG16 in vivo. Results SNHG16 was upregulated in NB tissues and cells and associated with clinical stage and poor prognosis of NB. Knockdown of SNHG16 impeded proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy of NB cells in vitro, and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Interestingly, SNHG16 mediated ATG5 expression through sponging miR-542-3p in NB cells. Moreover, miR-542-3p downregulation reversed the inhibitory effects of SNHG16 silencing on proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy of NB cells. Besides, ATG5 overturned the regulatory effects on proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy of NB cells induced by SNHG16 or miR-542-3p knockdown. Conclusion SNHG16 facilitated proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy of NB cells via sponging miR-542-3p and upregulating ATG5 expression in NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wen
- Neonatal Pediatrics, Central Hospital of Zhoukou City, Zhoukou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohui Gong
- Neonatal Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yubin Dong
- Neonatal Pediatrics, Central Hospital of Zhoukou City, Zhoukou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenghe Tang
- Neonatal Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang, Henan, People's Republic of China
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Aravindan N, Jain D, Somasundaram DB, Herman TS, Aravindan S. Cancer stem cells in neuroblastoma therapy resistance. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2019; 2:948-967. [PMID: 31867574 PMCID: PMC6924637 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common cancer of infancy and accounts for nearly one tenth of pediatric cancer deaths. This mortality rate has been attributed to the > 50% frequency of relapse despite intensive, multimodal clinical therapy in patients with progressive NB. Given the disease’s heterogeneity and developed resistance, attaining a cure after relapse of progressive NB is highly challenging. A rapid decrease in the timeline between successive recurrences is likely due to the ongoing acquisition of genetic rearrangements in undifferentiated NB-cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this review, we present the current understanding of NB-CSCs, their intrinsic role in tumorigenesis, their function in disease progression, and their influence on acquired therapy resistance and tumor evolution. In particular, this review focus on the intrinsic involvement of stem cells and signaling in the genesis of NB, the function of pre-existing CSCs in NB progression and therapy response, the formation and influence of induced CSCs (iCSCs) in drug resistance and tumor evolution, and the development of a CSC-targeted therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natarajan Aravindan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.,Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Drishti Jain
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Dinesh Babu Somasundaram
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Terence S Herman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.,Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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6
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Monferrer E, Burgos-Panadero R, Blanquer-Maceiras M, Cañete A, Navarro S, Noguera R. High Oct4 expression: implications in the pathogenesis of neuroblastic tumours. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:1. [PMID: 30606139 PMCID: PMC6318846 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-5219-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroblastic tumours (NBTs) are paediatric solid tumours derived from embryonic neural crest cells which harbour their own cancer stem cells (CSC). There is evidence indicating that CSC may be responsible for tumour progression, chemotherapy resistance and recurrence in NBTs. Oct4 is a transcription factor which plays a key role in mammal embryonic development and stem cell fate regulation. The aim of the study is to elucidate the clinical significance of Oct4 in NBTs. METHODS We studied Oct4 expression in 563 primary NBTs using digital image quantification. Chi-square test was applied to analyse the correlation between histopathology and the Oct4+ cell percentage. Survival analysis was carried out with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. Additionally, a multivariate Cox regression analysis with the stepwise backwards (Wald) method was undertaken to calculate the impact of Oct4 expression level on survival. RESULTS We found that tumours with a high proportion of cells expressing Oct4 correlated statistically with undifferentiated and poorly differentiated neuroblastoma / nodular ganglioneuroblastoma, and that Oct4 expression was not present in ganglioneuroma (p < 0.05). Statistical analysis also indicated a relationship between high Oct4 expression levels, high-risk patients according to the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group pre-treatment classification parameters, larger blood vessels and low survival rates. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the Oct4 gene may regulate NBT pathogenic differentiation pathways, and should thus be considered as a target for knockdown when developing novel therapies for high-risk NBT patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel Monferrer
- Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Burgos-Panadero
- Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Maite Blanquer-Maceiras
- Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adela Cañete
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Samuel Navarro
- Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Noguera
- Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Tomolonis JA, Agarwal S, Shohet JM. Neuroblastoma pathogenesis: deregulation of embryonic neural crest development. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 372:245-262. [PMID: 29222693 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2747-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive pediatric cancer that originates from neural crest tissues of the sympathetic nervous system. NB is highly heterogeneous both from a clinical and a molecular perspective. Clinically, this cancer represents a wide range of phenotypes ranging from spontaneous regression of 4S disease to unremitting treatment-refractory progression and death of high-risk metastatic disease. At a cellular level, the heterogeneous behavior of NB likely arises from an arrest and deregulation of normal neural crest development. In the present review, we summarize our current knowledge of neural crest development as it relates to pathways promoting 'stemness' and how deregulation may contribute to the development of tumor-initiating CSCs. There is an emerging consensus that such tumor subpopulations contribute to the evolution of drug resistance, metastasis and relapse in other equally aggressive malignancies. As relapsed, refractory disease remains the primary cause of death for neuroblastoma, the identification and targeting of CSCs or other primary drivers of tumor progression remains a critical, clinically significant goal for neuroblastoma. We will critically review recent and past evidence in the literature supporting the concept of CSCs as drivers of neuroblastoma pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Tomolonis
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine (TBMM) Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Saurabh Agarwal
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jason M Shohet
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Neuroblastoma Research Program, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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8
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Alshareef A, Gupta N, Zhang HF, Wu C, Haque M, Lai R. High expression of β-catenin contributes to the crizotinib resistant phenotype in the stem-like cell population in neuroblastoma. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16863. [PMID: 29203817 PMCID: PMC5715105 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17319-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ALK has been identified as a novel therapeutic target in neuroblastoma (NB), but resistance to ALK inhibitors (such as crizotinib) is well recognized. We recently published that the crizotinib sensitivity in NB cells strongly correlates with the crizotinib—ALK binding, and β-catenin effectively hinders this interaction and confers crizotinib resistance. Here, we asked if these observations hold true for the stem-like cells in NB cells, which were purified based on their responsiveness to a Sox2 reporter. Compared to bulk, reporter unresponsive (RU) cells, reporter responsive (RR) cells had significantly higher neurosphere formation ability, expression of CD133/nestin and chemo-resistance. Using the cellular thermal shift assay, we found that RR cells exhibited significantly weaker crizotinib—ALK binding and higher crizotinib resistance than RU cells. The suboptimal crizotinib—ALK binding in RR cells can be attributed to their high β-catenin expression, since siRNA knockdown of β-catenin restored the crizotinib—ALK binding and lowered the crizotinib resistance to the level of RU cells. Enforced expression of β-catenin in RU cells resulted in the opposite effects. To conclude, high expression of β-catenin in the stem-like NB cells contributes to their crizotinib resistance. Combining β-catenin inhibitors and ALK inhibitors may be useful in treating NB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulraheem Alshareef
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Almedinah, P.O. Box 41477, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hai-Feng Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Chengsheng Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Moinul Haque
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Raymond Lai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. .,Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. .,DynaLIFE Medical Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Sobhan PK, Zhai Q, Green LC, Hansford LM, Funa K. ASK1 regulates the survival of neuroblastoma cells by interacting with TLX and stabilizing HIF-1α. Cell Signal 2016; 30:104-117. [PMID: 27890558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Elevated expression of TLX (also called as NR2E1) in neuroblastoma (NB) correlates with unfavorable prognosis, and TLX is required for self-renewal of NB cells. Knockdown of TLX has been shown to reduce the NB sphere-forming ability. ASK1 (MAP3K5) and TLX expression are both enhanced in SP (side population) NB and patient-derived primary NB sphere cell lines, but the majority of non-SP NB lines express lower ASK1 expression. We found that ASK1 phosphorylated and stabilized TLX, which led induction of HIF-1α, and its downstream VEGF-A in an Akt dependent manner. In depleting ASK1 upon hypoxia, TLX decreased and the apoptosis ratio of NB cells was enhanced, while low-ASK1-expressing NB cell lines were refractory in TUNEL assay by using flow cytometry. Interestingly, primary NB spheres cell lines express only high levels of active pASK1Thr-838 but the established cell lines expressed inhibitory pASK1Ser-966, and both could be targeted by ASK1 depletion. We report a novel pro-survival role of ASK1 in the tumorigenic NB cell populations, which may be applied as a therapeutic target, inducing apoptosis specifically in cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen K Sobhan
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Qiwei Zhai
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Lydia C Green
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Loen M Hansford
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Keiko Funa
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; Oncology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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10
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Garner EF, Beierle EA. Cancer Stem Cells and Their Interaction with the Tumor Microenvironment in Neuroblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2015; 8:cancers8010005. [PMID: 26729169 PMCID: PMC4728452 DOI: 10.3390/cancers8010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [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: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma, a solid tumor arising from neural crest cells, accounts for over 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths. The interaction of neuroblastoma cancer-initiating cells with their microenvironment likely plays an integral role in the maintenance of resistant disease and tumor relapse. In this review, we discuss the interaction between neuroblastoma cancer-initiating cells and the elements of the tumor microenvironment and how these interactions may provide novel therapeutic targets for this difficult to treat disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan F Garner
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Beierle
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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11
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Alisi A, Cho WC, Locatelli F, Fruci D. Multidrug resistance and cancer stem cells in neuroblastoma and hepatoblastoma. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:24706-25. [PMID: 24351843 PMCID: PMC3876137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms141224706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is one of the major modalities in treating cancers. However, its effectiveness is limited by the acquisition of multidrug resistance (MDR). Several mechanisms could explain the up-regulation of MDR genes/proteins in cancer after chemotherapy. It is known that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a role as master regulators. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate some traits of CSCs may help design efficient strategies to overcome chemoresistance. Different CSC phenotypes have been identified, including those found in some pediatric malignancies. As solid tumors in children significantly differ from those observed in adults, this review aims at providing an overview of the mechanistic relationship between MDR and CSCs in common solid tumors, and, in particular, focuses on clinical as well as experimental evidence of the relations between CSCs and MDR in neuroblastoma and hepatoblastoma. Finally, some novel approaches, such as concomitant targeting of multiple key transcription factors governing the stemness of CSCs, as well as nanoparticle-based approaches will also be briefly addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Alisi
- Liver Research Unit, “Bambino Gesù” Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (A.A.); (D.F.); Tel.: +39-06-6859-2186 (A.A.); +39-06-6859-2157 (D.F.); Fax: +39-06-6859-2904 (A.A. & D.F)
| | - William C. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; E-Mail:
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Oncohematology, “Bambino Gesù” Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Doriana Fruci
- Department of Oncohematology, “Bambino Gesù” Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy; E-Mail:
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (A.A.); (D.F.); Tel.: +39-06-6859-2186 (A.A.); +39-06-6859-2157 (D.F.); Fax: +39-06-6859-2904 (A.A. & D.F)
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Monajemzadeh M, Soleimani V, Vasei M, Koochakzadeh L, Karbakhsh M. Expression and prognostic significance of Oct4 and Nanog in neuroblastoma. APMIS 2013; 122:734-41. [PMID: 24320714 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of children, accounting for an estimated 15% cancer-related deaths in this period. It has been hypothesized that drug resistance of cancer stem cells may be responsible for chemotherapy failure, sustained tumor growth, and recurrence in many solid tumors. In this study, we investigated the expression of Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) and Nanog, two stem cell markers, in 47 neuroblastic tumors by immunohistochemistry and correlated their expression by other prognostic factors especially with NMYC amplification using both fluorescent and chromogenic in situ hybridization methods. Twenty three cases (48.9%) showed Oct4 signals and eight cases (17%) showed Nanog expression. All Nanog positive tumors showed Oct4 expression. Seven cases (14.1%) had NMYC amplification. There was also no association between positive Oct4 and Nanog reactivity and tumor morphology, age, mitosis-karyorrhexis index, NMYC amplification, favorable or unfavorable histology, and risk groups (p > 0.05). Cancer stem cells hypothesis is a challenging issue and controversies exist about their significance. Although our study did not show strong association between prognostic factors and expression of stem cell markers, performing of further large-scale studies of various neuroblastic tumors with various stages is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Monajemzadeh
- Department of Pathology, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Targeting neuroblastoma stem cells with retinoic acid and proteasome inhibitor. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76761. [PMID: 24116151 PMCID: PMC3792090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroblastma cell lines contain a side-population of cells which express stemness markers. These stem-like cells may represent the potential underlying mechanism for resistance to conventional therapy and recurrence of neuroblastoma in patients. Methodology/Principal Findings To develop novel strategies for targeting the side-population of neurobastomas, we analyzed the effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA) combined with the proteasome inhibitor MG132. The short-term action of the treatment was compared with effects after a 5-day recovery period during which both chemicals were withdrawn. RA induced growth arrest and differentiation of SH-SY5Y and SK-N-BE(2) neuroblastoma cell lines. Inhibition of the proteasome caused apoptosis in both cell lines, thus, revealing the critical role of this pathway in the regulated degradation of proteins involved in neuroblastoma proliferation and survival. The combination of RA with MG132 induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, in addition to promoting G2/M arrest in treated cultures. Interestingly, expression of stem cell markers such as Nestin, Sox2, and Oct4 were reduced after the recovery period of combined treatment as compared with untreated cells or treated cells with either compound alone. Consistent with this, neurosphere formation was significantly impaired by the combined treatment of RA and MG132. Conclusions Given that stem-like cells are associated with resistant to conventional therapy and are thought to be responsible for relapse, our results suggest that dual therapy of RA and proteasome inhibitor might be beneficial for targeting the side-population of cells associated residual disease in high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Zheng X, Naiditch J, Czurylo M, Jie C, Lautz T, Clark S, Jafari N, Qiu Y, Chu F, Madonna MB. Differential effect of long-term drug selection with doxorubicin and vorinostat on neuroblastoma cells with cancer stem cell characteristics. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e740. [PMID: 23887631 PMCID: PMC3730434 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have confirmed that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are more resistant to chemotherapy; however, there is a paucity of data exploring the effect of long-term drug treatment on the CSC sub-population. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether long-term doxorubicin treatment could expand the neuroblastoma cells with CSC characteristics and histone acetylation could affect stemness gene expression during the development of drug resistance. Using n-myc amplified SK-N-Be(2)C and non-n-myc amplified SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, our laboratory generated doxorubicin-resistant cell lines in parallel over 1 year; one cell line intermittently treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) vorinostat and the other without exposure to HDACi. Cells' sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, the ability to form tumorspheres, and capacity for in vitro invasion were examined. Cell-surface markers and side populations (SPs) were analyzed using flow cytometry. Differentially expressed stemness genes were identified through whole genome analysis and confirmed with real-time PCR. Our results indicated that vorinostat increased the sensitivity of only SK-N-Be(2)C-resistant cells to chemotherapy, made cells lose the ability to form tumorspheres, and reduced in vitro invasion and the SP percentage. CD133 was not enriched in doxorubicin-resistant or vorinostat-treated doxorubicin-resistant cells. Nine stemness-linked genes (ABCB1, ABCC4, LMO2, SOX2, ERCC5, S100A10, IGFBP3, TCF3, and VIM) were downregulated in vorinostat-treated doxorubicin-resistant SK-N-Be(2)C cells relative to doxorubicin-resistant cells. A sub-population of cells with CSC characteristics is enriched during prolonged drug selection of n-myc amplified SK-N-Be(2)C neuroblastoma cells. Vorinostat treatment affects the reversal of drug resistance in SK-N-Be(2)C cells and may be associated with downregulation of stemness gene expression. This work may be valuable for clinicians to design treatment protocols specific for different neuroblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Zheng
- Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital of Chicago Research Center, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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15
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Yang L, Zheng J, Xu T, Xiao X. Downregulation of OCT4 promotes differentiation and inhibits growth of BE (2)-C human neuroblastoma I-type cells. Oncol Rep 2013; 29:2191-6. [PMID: 23525564 DOI: 10.3892/or.2013.2356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In in vitro continuous culture, N (neuroblastic)-, S (substrate adherent)- and I (intermediate)-type cells were identified in human neuroblastoma (NB), where I-type is recognized as a stem cell type. Octamer-binding protein 4 (OCT4) is a cell marker used to identify the stemness of cells, whose roles in regulating I-type NB cells have yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we assessed the differentiation regulation role of OCT4 in BE (2)-C of I-type cells. We demonstrated that downregulation of OCT4 expression in BE (2)-C was associated with reduced cell proliferation and loss of colony formation ability on soft agar, and prompted BE (2)-C cells to differentiate to S-type cells. By contrast, overexpression of OCT4 increased cell proliferation and colony formation ratio, but no obvious differentiation promotion was observed. Furthermore, induced differentiation of BE (2)-C cells to S-type by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) was accompanied by reduced expression of OCT4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Yang
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, PR China
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Chiodi I, Belgiovine C, Donà F, Scovassi AI, Mondello C. Drug treatment of cancer cell lines: a way to select for cancer stem cells? Cancers (Basel) 2011; 3:1111-28. [PMID: 24212655 PMCID: PMC3756405 DOI: 10.3390/cancers3011111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors are generally composed of different cell types. In recent years, it has been shown that in many types of cancers a subset of cells show peculiar characteristics, such as the ability to induce tumors when engrafted into host animals, self-renew and being immortal, and give rise to a differentiated progeny. These cells have been defined as cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor initiating cells. CSCs can be isolated both from tumor specimens and established cancer cell lines on the basis of their ability to exclude fluorescent dyes, express specific cell surface markers or grow in particular culture conditions. A key feature of CSCs is their resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, which could contribute to the remaining of residual cancer cells after therapeutic treatments. It has been shown that CSC-like cells can be isolated after drug treatment of cancer cell lines; in this review, we will describe the strategies so far applied to identify and isolate CSCs. Furthermore, we will discuss the possible use of these selected populations to investigate CSC biology and develop new anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Chiodi
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, CNR, via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
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Abstract
Recently, a subpopulation of cells, termed tumor-initiating cells or tumor stem cells (TSC), has been identified in many different types of solid tumors. These TSC, which are typically more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation compared to other tumor cells, have properties similar to normal stem cells including multipotency and the ability to self-renew, proliferate, and maintain the neoplastic clone. Much of the research on TSC has focused on adult cancers. With considerable differences in tumor biology between adult and pediatric cancers, there may be significant differences in the presence, function and behavior of TSC in pediatric malignancies. We discuss what is currently known about pediatric solid TSC with specific focus on TSC markers, tumor microenvironment, signaling pathways, therapeutic resistance and potential future therapies to target pediatric TSC.
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