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De Vito F, Cassano V, Mancuso E, Succurro E, Hribal ML, Sciacqua A, Andreozzi F, Sesti G, Fiorentino TV. Higher circulating levels of proneurotensin are associated with increased risk of incident NAFLD. J Intern Med 2023; 294:336-346. [PMID: 37157165 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurotensin (NT), an intestinal peptide able to promote fat absorption, is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Increased levels of proneurotensin (pro-NT), a stable NT precursor fragment, have been found in subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, whether higher pro-NT levels are associated with an increased NAFLD risk independently of other metabolic risk factors is unsettled. METHODS Ultrasound-defined presence of NAFLD was assessed on 303 subjects stratified into tertiles according to fasting pro-NT levels. The longitudinal association between pro-NT levels and NAFLD was explored on the study participants without NAFLD at baseline reexamined after 5 years of follow-up (n = 124). RESULTS Individuals with higher pro-NT levels exhibited increased adiposity, a worse lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity as compared to the lowest tertile of pro-NT. Prevalence of NAFLD was progressively increased in the intermediate and highest pro-NT tertile as compared to the lowest tertile. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for several confounders, individuals with higher pro-NT levels displayed a raised risk of having NAFLD (OR = 3.43, 95%CI = 1.48-7.97, p = 0.004) than those in the lowest pro-NT tertile. Within the study cohort without NAFLD at baseline, subjects with newly diagnosed NAFLD at follow-up exhibited higher baseline pro-NT levels than those without incident NAFLD. In a cox hazard regression analysis model adjusted for anthropometric and metabolic parameters collected at baseline and follow-up visit, higher baseline pro-NT levels were associated with an increased risk of incident NAFLD (HR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.017-2.282, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Higher pro-NT levels are a predictor of NAFLD independent of other metabolic risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Vito
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Velia Cassano
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Elettra Mancuso
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Elena Succurro
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Marta Letizia Hribal
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Angela Sciacqua
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Francesco Andreozzi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giorgio Sesti
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome-Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa Vanessa Fiorentino
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Dinh TA, Utria AF, Barry KC, Ma R, Abou-Alfa GK, Gordan JD, Jaffee EM, Scott JD, Zucman-Rossi J, O’Neill AF, Furth ME, Sethupathy P. A framework for fibrolamellar carcinoma research and clinical trials. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:328-342. [PMID: 35190728 PMCID: PMC9516439 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-022-00580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare, lethal hepatic cancer, occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. Unlike hepatocellular carcinoma, FLC has no known association with viral, metabolic or chemical agents that cause cirrhosis. Currently, surgical resection is the only treatment demonstrated to achieve cure, and no standard of care exists for systemic therapy. Progress in FLC research illuminates a transition from an obscure cancer to one for which an interactive community seems poised to uncover fundamental mechanisms and initiate translation towards novel therapies. In this Roadmap, we review advances since the seminal discovery in 2014 that nearly all FLC tumours express a signature oncogene (DNAJB1-PRKACA) encoding a fusion protein (DNAJ-PKAc) in which the J-domain of a heat shock protein 40 (HSP40) co-chaperone replaces an amino-terminal segment of the catalytic subunit of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Important gains include increased understanding of oncogenic pathways driven by DNAJ-PKAc; identification of potential therapeutic targets; development of research models; elucidation of immune mechanisms with potential for the development of immunotherapies; and completion of the first multicentre clinical trials of targeted therapy for FLC. In each of these key areas we propose a Roadmap for future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Dinh
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Alan F. Utria
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Kevin C. Barry
- Translational Research Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Rosanna Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College at Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - John D. Gordan
- Gastrointestinal oncology, University of California at San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Jaffee
- Department of oncology, Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John D. Scott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors, Paris, France
| | - Allison F. O’Neill
- Department of Paediatric Hematology/oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark E. Furth
- Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation, Greenwich, CT, USA.,;
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,;
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New Insights in the Control of Fat Homeostasis: The Role of Neurotensin. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042209. [PMID: 35216326 PMCID: PMC8876516 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotensin (NT) is a small peptide with pleiotropic functions, exerting its primary actions by controlling food intake and energy balance. The first evidence of an involvement of NT in metabolism came from studies on the central nervous system and brain circuits, where NT acts as a neurotransmitter, producing different effects in relation to the specific region involved. Moreover, newer interesting chapters on peripheral NT and metabolism have emerged since the first studies on the NT-mediated regulation of gut lipid absorption and fat homeostasis. Intriguingly, NT enhances fat absorption from the gut lumen in the presence of food with a high fat content, and this action may explain the strong association between high circulating levels of pro-NT, the NT stable precursor, and the increased incidence of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer observed in large population studies. This review aims to provide a synthetic overview of the main regulatory effects of NT on several biological pathways, particularly those involving energy balance, and will focus on new evidence on the role of NT in controlling fat homeostasis, thus influencing the risk of unfavorable cardio–metabolic outcomes and overall mortality in humans.
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Bolger GB. The cAMP-signaling cancers: Clinically-divergent disorders with a common central pathway. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1024423. [PMID: 36313756 PMCID: PMC9612118 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1024423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The cAMP-signaling cancers, which are defined by functionally-significant somatic mutations in one or more elements of the cAMP signaling pathway, have an unexpectedly wide range of cell origins, clinical manifestations, and potential therapeutic options. Mutations in at least 9 cAMP signaling pathway genes (TSHR, GPR101, GNAS, PDE8B, PDE11A, PRKARA1, PRKACA, PRKACB, and CREB) have been identified as driver mutations in human cancer. Although all cAMP-signaling pathway cancers are driven by mutation(s) that impinge on a single signaling pathway, the ultimate tumor phenotype reflects interactions between five critical variables: (1) the precise gene(s) that undergo mutation in each specific tumor type; (2) the effects of specific allele(s) in any given gene; (3) mutations in modifier genes (mutational "context"); (4) the tissue-specific expression of various cAMP signaling pathway elements in the tumor stem cell; and (5) and the precise biochemical regulation of the pathway components in tumor cells. These varying oncogenic mechanisms reveal novel and important targets for drug discovery. There is considerable diversity in the "druggability" of cAMP-signaling components, with some elements (GPCRs, cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases and kinases) appearing to be prime drug candidates, while other elements (transcription factors, protein-protein interactions) are currently refractory to robust drug-development efforts. Further refinement of the precise driver mutations in individual tumors will be essential for directing priorities in drug discovery efforts that target these mutations.
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Sánchez ML, Coveñas R. The Neurotensinergic System: A Target for Cancer Treatment. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:3231-3260. [PMID: 34711154 DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666211027124328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The scientific interest regarding the involvement of peptides in cancer has increased in the last years. In tumor cells the overexpression of peptides and their receptors is known and new therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer have been suggested. The overexpression of the neurotensinergic system has been associated with poor prognosis, tumor size, higher tumor aggressiveness, increased relapse risk and worse sensitivity to chemotherapy agents. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review is to update the findings regarding the involvement of the neurotensinergic system in cancer to suggest anticancer therapeutic strategies targeting this system. The neurotensin (NT) precursor, NT and its receptors (NTR) and the involvement of the neurotensinergic system in lung, breast, prostate, gastric, colon, liver and pancreatic cancers, glioblastoma, neuroendocrine tumors and B-cell leukemia will be mentioned and discussed as well as the signaling pathways mediated by NT. Some research lines to be developed in the future will be suggested such as: molecules regulating the expression of the NT precursor, influence of the diet in the development of tumors, molecules and signaling pathways activated by NT and antitumor therapeutic strategies targeting the neurotensinergic system. CONCLUSION NT, via the NTR, exerts oncogenic (tumor cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis) and antiapoptotic effects, whereas NTR antagonists inhibit these effects. NTR expression can be used as a diagnostic tool/therapeutic target and the administration of NTR antagonists as antitumor drugs could be a therapeutic strategy to treat tumors overexpressing NTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Lisardo Sánchez
- University of Salamanca, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems (Lab. 14), Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), Salamanca. Spain
| | - Rafael Coveñas
- University of Salamanca, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems (Lab. 14), Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), Salamanca. Spain
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Expression of neurotensin receptor-1 (NTS 1) in primary breast tumors, cellular distribution, and association with clinical and biological factors. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 190:403-413. [PMID: 34596798 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06402-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neurotensin receptor-1 (NTS1) is increasingly recognized as a potential target in diverse tumors including breast cancer, but factors associated with NTS1 expression have not been fully clarified. METHODS We studied NTS1 expression using the Tissue MicroArray (TMA) of primary breast tumors from Institut Bergonié. We also studied association between NTS1 expression and clinical, pathological, and biological parameters, as well as patient outcomes. RESULTS Out of 1419 primary breast tumors, moderate to strong positivity for NTS1 (≥ 10% of tumoral cells stained) was seen in 459 samples (32.4%). NTS1 staining was cytoplasmic in 304 tumors and nuclear in 155 tumors, a distribution which appeared mutually exclusive. Cytoplasmic overexpression of NTS1 was present in 21.5% of all breast tumors. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with cytoplasmic overexpression of NTS1 in breast cancer samples were higher tumor grade, Ki67 ≥ 20%, and higher pT stage. Cytoplasmic NTS1 was more frequent in tumors other than luminal A (30% versus 17.3%; p < 0.0001). Contrastingly, the main "correlates" of a nuclear location of NTS1 were estrogen receptor (ER) positivity, low E&E (Elston and Ellis) grade, Ki67 < 20%, and lower pT stage. In NTS1-positive samples, cytoplasmic expression of NTS1 was associated with shorter 10-year metastasis-free interval (p = 0.033) compared to NTS1 nuclear staining. Ancillary analysis showed NTS1 expression in 73% of invaded lymph nodes from NTS1-positive primaries. CONCLUSION NTS1 overexpression was found in about one-third of breast tumors from patients undergoing primary surgery with two distinct patterns of distribution, cytoplasmic distribution being more frequent in aggressive subtypes. These findings encourage the development of NTS1-targeting strategy, including radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy.
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Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare malignant entity arising from the liver and primarily affecting patients in late adolescence and young adulthood. FLC tumors are characterized by their unique histologic features and an only recently discovered genomic alteration: a chimeric fusion protein found in nearly all tumors. The rarity of these tumors coupled with the only recent acknowledgement of this genomic abnormality has likely led to disease under-recognition and de-prioritization of collaborative efforts aimed at establishing an evidence-guided standard of care. Surgical resection undoubtedly remains a mainstay of therapy and a necessity for cure but given the incidence of metastatic disease at diagnosis and high rates of distant relapse, systemic therapies remain a key component of disease control. There are few systemic therapies that have demonstrated proven benefit. Recent efforts have galvanized around single-institute or small consortia-based studies specifically focused on the enrollment of patients with FLC or use of agents with biologic rationale. This review will outline the current state of FLC epidemiology, histology, biology and trialed therapies derived from available published literature.
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de Oliveira S, Houseright RA, Korte BG, Huttenlocher A. DnaJ-PKAc fusion induces liver inflammation in a zebrafish model of fibrolamellar carcinoma. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm042564. [PMID: 32102783 PMCID: PMC7197716 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.042564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that affects adolescents and young adults. Genomic analysis of FLC has revealed a 400 kb deletion in chromosome 19 that leads to the chimeric transcript DNAJB1-PRKACA (DnaJ-PKAc), comprised of the first exon of heat shock protein 40 (DNAJB1) and exons 2-10 of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PRKACA). Here, we report a new zebrafish model of FLC induced by ectopic expression of zebrafish Dnaja-Pkaca (zfDnaJa-Pkaca) in hepatocytes that is amenable to live imaging of early innate immune inflammation. Expression of zfDnaJa-Pkaca in hepatocytes induces hepatomegaly and increased hepatocyte size. In addition, FLC larvae exhibit early innate immune inflammation characterized by early infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages into the liver microenvironment. Increased Caspase-a (the zebrafish homolog for human caspase-1) activity was also found in the liver of FLC larvae, and pharmacological inhibition of Tnfα and caspase-a decreased liver size and inflammation. Overall, these findings show that innate immune inflammation is an early feature in a zebrafish model of FLC and that pharmacological inhibition of TNFα or caspase-1 activity might be targets to treat inflammation and progression in FLC patients.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia de Oliveira
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ruth A Houseright
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin G Korte
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Anna Huttenlocher
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA
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Nikolaou S, Qiu S, Fiorentino F, Simillis C, Rasheed S, Tekkis P, Kontovounisios C. The role of Neurotensin and its receptors in non-gastrointestinal cancers: a review. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:68. [PMID: 32336282 PMCID: PMC7183616 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-020-00569-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurotensin, originally isolated in 1973 has both endocrine and neuromodulator activity and acts through its three main receptors. Their role in promoting tumour cell proliferation, migration, DNA synthesis has been studied in a wide range of cancers. Expression of Neurotensin and its receptors has also been correlated to prognosis and prediction to treatment. Main body The effects of NT are mediated through mitogen-activated protein kinases, epidermal growth factor receptors and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinases amongst others. This review is a comprehensive summary of the molecular pathways by which Neurotensin and its receptors act in cancer cells. Conclusion Identifying the role of Neurotensin in the underlying molecular mechanisms in various cancers can give way to developing new agnostic drugs and personalizing treatment according to the genomic structure of various cancers. Video abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Nikolaou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Shengyang Qiu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Francesca Fiorentino
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Constantinos Simillis
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Shahnawaz Rasheed
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Paris Tekkis
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Christos Kontovounisios
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. .,Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK. .,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK.
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