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Yao C, Zhang T, Wu T, Brugarolas J. Facts and Hopes for Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:5013-5020. [PMID: 35819272 PMCID: PMC9835201 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-2372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has made a significant impact in many tumors, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC has been known to be immunoresponsive since the cytokine era of IFNα and IL2, but only a small number of patients had durable clinical benefit. Since then, discoveries of key tumor drivers, as well as an understanding of the contribution of angiogenesis and the tumor microenvironment (TME), has led to advances in drug development, ultimately transforming patient outcomes. Combinations of anti-angiogenic agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors are now standard of care. Current challenges include patient selection for immunotherapy combinations, resistance acquisition, and optimally sequencing therapies. Further discoveries about RCC biology, the TME, and resistance mechanisms will likely pave the way for the next generation of therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yao
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Kidney Cancer Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Tian Zhang
- Kidney Cancer Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Tuoqi Wu
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - James Brugarolas
- Kidney Cancer Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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2
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Devlin MJ, Miller R, Laforets F, Kotantaki P, Garsed DW, Kristeleit R, Bowtell DD, McDermott J, Maniati E, Balkwill FR. The Tumor Microenvironment of Clear-Cell Ovarian Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:1326-1339. [PMID: 36095166 PMCID: PMC9627265 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Some patients with advanced clear-cell ovarian cancer (CCOC) respond to immunotherapy; however, little is known about the tumor microenvironment (TME) of this relatively rare disease. Here, we describe a comprehensive quantitative and topographical analysis of biopsies from 45 patients, 9 with Federation Internationale des Gynaecologistes et Obstetristes (FIGO) stage I/II (early CCOC) and 36 with FIGO stage III/IV (advanced CCOC). We investigated 14 immune cell phenotype markers, PD-1 and ligands, and collagen structure and texture. We interrogated a microarray data set from a second cohort of 29 patients and compared the TMEs of ARID1A-wildtype (ARID1Awt) versus ARID1A-mutant (ARID1Amut) disease. We found significant variations in immune cell frequency and phenotype, checkpoint expression, and collagen matrix between the malignant cell area (MCA), leading edge (LE), and stroma. The MCA had the largest population of CD138+ plasma cells, the LE had more CD20+ B cells and T cells, whereas the stroma had more mast cells and αSMA+ fibroblasts. PD-L2 was expressed predominantly on malignant cells and was the dominant PD-1 ligand. Compared with early CCOC, advanced-stage disease had significantly more fibroblasts and a more complex collagen matrix, with microarray analysis indicating "TGFβ remodeling of the extracellular matrix" as the most significantly enriched pathway. Data showed significant differences in immune cell populations, collagen matrix, and cytokine expression between ARID1Awt and ARID1Amut CCOC, which may reflect different paths of tumorigenesis and the relationship to endometriosis. Increased infiltration of CD8+ T cells within the MCA and CD4+ T cells at the LE and stroma significantly associated with decreased overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael-John Devlin
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Oncology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rowan Miller
- Department of Medical Oncology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Oncology, University College London Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Laforets
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Panoraia Kotantaki
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dale W. Garsed
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca Kristeleit
- Medical Oncology Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jacqueline McDermott
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Maniati
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frances R. Balkwill
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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The Synergistic Cooperation between TGF-β and Hypoxia in Cancer and Fibrosis. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12050635. [PMID: 35625561 PMCID: PMC9138354 DOI: 10.3390/biom12050635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine regulating homeostasis and immune responses in adult animals and humans. Aberrant and overactive TGF-β signaling promotes cancer initiation and fibrosis through epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as the invasion and metastatic growth of cancer cells. TGF-β is a key factor that is active during hypoxic conditions in cancer and is thereby capable of contributing to angiogenesis in various types of cancer. Another potent role of TGF-β is suppressing immune responses in cancer patients. The strong tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β and its profibrotic effects make it a focus for the development of novel therapeutic strategies against cancer and fibrosis as well as an attractive drug target in combination with immune regulatory checkpoint inhibitors. TGF-β belongs to a family of cytokines that exert their function through signaling via serine/threonine kinase transmembrane receptors to intracellular Smad proteins via the canonical pathway and in combination with co-regulators such as the adaptor protein and E3 ubiquitin ligases TRAF4 and TRAF6 to promote non-canonical pathways. Finally, the outcome of gene transcription initiated by TGF-β is context-dependent and controlled by signals exerted by other growth factors such as EGF and Wnt. Here, we discuss the synergistic cooperation between TGF-β and hypoxia in development, fibrosis and cancer.
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4
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Zhou J, Dabiri Y, Gama-Brambila RA, Ghafoory S, Altinbay M, Mehrabi A, Golriz M, Blagojevic B, Reuter S, Han K, Seidel A, Đikić I, Wölfl S, Cheng X. pVHL-mediated SMAD3 degradation suppresses TGF-β signaling. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:212891. [PMID: 34860252 PMCID: PMC8650352 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202012097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling plays a fundamental role in metazoan development and tissue homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms concerning the ubiquitin-related dynamic regulation of TGF-β signaling are not thoroughly understood. Using a combination of proteomics and an siRNA screen, we identify pVHL as an E3 ligase for SMAD3 ubiquitination. We show that pVHL directly interacts with conserved lysine and proline residues in the MH2 domain of SMAD3, triggering degradation. As a result, the level of pVHL expression negatively correlates with the expression and activity of SMAD3 in cells, Drosophila wing, and patient tissues. In Drosophila, loss of pVHL leads to the up-regulation of TGF-β targets visible in a downward wing blade phenotype, which is rescued by inhibition of SMAD activity. Drosophila pVHL expression exhibited ectopic veinlets and reduced wing growth in a similar manner as upon loss of TGF-β/SMAD signaling. Thus, our study demonstrates a conserved role of pVHL in the regulation of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling in human cells and Drosophila wing development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Hunan University, Changsha, China.,Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yasamin Dabiri
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rodrigo A Gama-Brambila
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shahrouz Ghafoory
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mukaddes Altinbay
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mohammad Golriz
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Biljana Blagojevic
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reuter
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Jena, Germany
| | - Kang Han
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Seidel
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ivan Đikić
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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5
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Buart S, Terry S, Diop MK, Dessen P, Couvé S, Abdou A, Adam J, Thiery J, Savagner P, Chouaib S. The Most Common VHL Point Mutation R167Q in Hereditary VHL Disease Interferes with Cell Plasticity Regulation. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3897. [PMID: 34359798 PMCID: PMC8345752 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153897] [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: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a rare hereditary syndrome due to mutations of the VHL tumor suppressor gene. Patients harboring the R167Q mutation of the VHL gene have a high risk of developing ccRCCs. We asked whether the R167Q mutation with critical aspects of pseudo-hypoxia interferes with tumor plasticity. For this purpose, we used wild-type VHL (WT-VHL) and VHL-R167Q reconstituted cells. We showed that WT-VHL and VHL-R167Q expression had a similar effect on cell morphology and colony formation. However, cells transfected with VHL-R167Q display an intermediate, HIF2-dependent, epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype. Using RNA sequencing, we showed that this mutation upregulates the expression of genes involved in the hypoxia pathway, indicating that such mutation is conferring an enhanced pseudo-hypoxic state. Importantly, this hypoxic state correlates with the induction of genes belonging to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness pathways, as revealed by GSEA TCGA analysis. Moreover, among these deregulated genes, we identified nine genes specifically associated with a poor patient survival in the TCGA KIRC dataset. Together, these observations support the hypothesis that a discrete VHL point mutation interferes with tumor plasticity and may impact cell behavior by exacerbating phenotypic switching. A better understanding of the role of this mutation might guide the search for more effective treatments to combat ccRCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Buart
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
| | - Stéphane Terry
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
| | - M’boyba Khadija Diop
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, University of Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (M.K.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Philippe Dessen
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, University of Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (M.K.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Sophie Couvé
- EPHE, PSL Université, 75006 Paris, France;
- CNRS UMR 9019, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France
| | - Abdérémane Abdou
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
| | - Julien Adam
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
- Biology and Pathology Department, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France
| | - Jérôme Thiery
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
| | - Pierre Savagner
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
| | - Salem Chouaib
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (S.B.); (S.T.); (A.A.); (J.A.); (J.T.); (P.S.)
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman 4184, United Arab Emirates
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6
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Li T, Yu C, Zhuang S. Histone Methyltransferase EZH2: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Kidney Diseases. Front Physiol 2021; 12:640700. [PMID: 33679454 PMCID: PMC7930071 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.640700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase enzyme that catalyzes the addition of methyl groups to histone H3 at lysine 27, leading to gene silencing. Mutation or over-expression of EZH2 has been linked to many cancers including renal carcinoma. Recent studies have shown that EZH2 expression and activity are also increased in several animal models of kidney injury, such as acute kidney injury (AKI), renal fibrosis, diabetic nephropathy, lupus nephritis (LN), and renal transplantation rejection. The pharmacological and/or genetic inhibition of EZH2 can alleviate AKI, renal fibrosis, and LN, but potentiate podocyte injury in animal models, suggesting that the functional role of EZH2 varies with renal cell type and disease model. In this article, we summarize the role of EZH2 in the pathology of renal injury and relevant mechanisms and highlight EZH2 as a potential therapeutic target for kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shougang Zhuang
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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7
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Hapke RY, Haake SM. Hypoxia-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition in cancer. Cancer Lett 2020; 487:10-20. [PMID: 32470488 PMCID: PMC7336507 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A common feature of many solid tumors is low oxygen conditions due to inadequate blood supply. Hypoxia induces hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) stabilization and downstream signaling. This signaling has pleiotropic roles in cancers, including the promotion of cellular proliferation, changes in metabolism, and induction of angiogenesis. In addition, hypoxia is becoming recognized as an important driver of epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) in cancer. During EMT, epithelial cells lose their typical polarized states and transition to a more mobile mesenchymal phenotype. Hypoxia induces this transition by modulating EMT signaling pathways, inducing EMT transcription factor activity, and regulating miRNA networks. As both hypoxia and EMT modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are associated with immunosuppression, we also explore how these pathways may impact response to immuno-oncology therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott M Haake
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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8
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Gong X, Zhao H, Saar M, Peehl DM, Brooks JD. miR-22 Regulates Invasion, Gene Expression and Predicts Overall Survival in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. KIDNEY CANCER 2019; 3:119-132. [PMID: 31763513 PMCID: PMC6839454 DOI: 10.3233/kca-190051] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is molecularly diverse and distinct molecular subtypes show different clinical outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential components of gene regulatory networks and play a crucial role in progression of many cancer types including ccRCC. Objective: Identify prognostic miRNAs and determine the role of miR-22 in ccRCC. Methods: Hierarchical clustering was done in R using gene expression profiles of over 450 ccRCC cases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to identify prognostic miRNAs in the TCGA dataset. RNA-Seq was performed to identify miR-22 target genes in primary ccRCC cells and Matrigel invasion assay was performed to assess the effects of miR-22 overexpression on cell invasion. Results: Hierarchical clustering analysis using 2,621 prognostic genes previously identified by our group demonstrated that ccRCC patients with longer overall survival expressed lower levels of genes promoting proliferation or immune responses, while better maintaining gene expression associated with cortical differentiation and cell adhesion. Targets of 26 miRNAs were significantly enriched in the 2,621 prognostic genes and these miRNAs were prognostic by themselves. MiR-22 was associated with poor overall survival in the TCGA dataset. Overexpression of miR-22 promoted invasion of primary ccRCC cells in vitro and modulated transcriptional programs implicated in cancer progression including DNA repair, cell proliferation and invasion. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ccRCCs with differential clinical outcomes have distinct transcriptomes for which miRNAs could serve as master regulators. MiR-22, as a master regulator, promotes ccRCC progression at least in part by enhancing cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Gong
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hongjuan Zhao
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Matthias Saar
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Donna M Peehl
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James D Brooks
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Mallikarjuna P, Raviprakash TS, Aripaka K, Ljungberg B, Landström M. Interactions between TGF-β type I receptor and hypoxia-inducible factor-α mediates a synergistic crosstalk leading to poor prognosis for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Cell Cycle 2019; 18:2141-2156. [PMID: 31339433 PMCID: PMC6986558 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2019.1642069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the significance of expression of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and SNAIL1 proteins; and TGF-β signaling pathway proteins in ccRCC, their relation with clinicopathological parameters and patient's survival were examined. We also investigated potential crosstalk between HIF-α and TGF-β signaling pathway, including the TGF-β type 1 receptor (ALK5-FL) and the intracellular domain of ALK5 (ALK5-ICD). Tissue samples from 154 ccRCC patients and comparable adjacent kidney cortex samples from 38 patients were analyzed for HIF-1α/2α, TGF-β signaling components, and SNAIL1 proteins by immunoblot. Protein expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α were significantly higher, while SNAIL1 had similar expression levels in ccRCC compared with the kidney cortex. HIF-2α associated with poor cancer-specific survival, while HIF-1α and SNAIL1 did not associate with survival. Moreover, HIF-2α positively correlated with ALK5-ICD, pSMAD2/3, and PAI-1; HIF-1α positively correlated with pSMAD2/3; SNAIL1 positively correlated with ALK5-FL, ALK5-ICD, pSMAD2/3, PAI-1, and HIF-2α. Intriguingly, in vitro experiments performed under normoxic conditions revealed that ALK5 interacts with HIF-1α and HIF-2α, and promotes their expression and the expression of their target genes GLUT1 and CA9, in a VHL dependent manner. We found that ALK5 induces expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α, through its kinase activity. Under hypoxic conditions, HIF-α proteins correlated with the activated TGF-β signaling pathway. In conclusion, we reveal that ALK5 plays a pivotal role in synergistic crosstalk between TGF-β signaling and hypoxia pathway, and that the interaction between ALK5 and HIF-α contributes to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Karthik Aripaka
- a Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Börje Ljungberg
- b Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Urology and Andrology, Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
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10
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miRNA-21 promotes cell proliferation and invasion via VHL/PI3K/AKT in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Hum Cell 2019; 32:428-436. [PMID: 31161410 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-019-00254-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the main kind of thyroid carcinoma, most of which are diagnosed in women. MiR-21 has been reported to be upregulated in multiple cancers to effect tumor growth. However, the role of miR-21 in PTC development remains unclear. In this present study, miR-21 and VHL expressions in PTC tissues and cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR and/or western blot. MTT assay and transwell assay were employed to assess cell proliferative and invasive abilities, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was carried out to identify the target of miR-21and explore its roles in PTC. MiR-21 was upregulated in PTC tissues and cells. Ectopic of miR-21 expression promoted cell proliferative and invasive abilities, while knockdown miR-21 suppressed these in TPC-1 and BCPAP cells. Overexpression of miR-21 predicted poor prognosis in PTC. What is more, luciferase reporter assays showed miR-21 can directly target VHL in PTC cells. Knockdown of miR-21 expression inhibited TPC-1 and BCPAP cell invasion-mediated EMT and proliferation through the PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, VHL reverses partial function of miR-21 on PTC cell proliferation and invasion. MiR-21 can inhibit cell proliferation and invasion by regulated VHL in PTC cells. The newly identified miR-21/VHL axis might provide a novel insight into the pathogenesis and therapy of PTC.
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