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Inomata M, Kawashima Y, Saito R, Morinaga D, Nogawa H, Sato M, Suzuki Y, Yanagisawa S, Kikuchi T, Jingu D, Yoshimura N, Harada T, Miyauchi E. Comparing the Effectiveness of Afatinib and Osimertinib for Patients With PD-L1-positive EGFR-mutant Non-small Cell Carcinoma. CANCER DIAGNOSIS & PROGNOSIS 2024; 4:515-520. [PMID: 38962552 PMCID: PMC11215441 DOI: 10.21873/cdp.10357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Background/Aim Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations. However, higher tumor programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression is associated with a poor response to EGFR-TKIs, and information on the comparison between afatinib and osimertinib in PD-L1-positive EGFR-mutant NSCLC is scarce. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed data of patients with PD-L1-positive EGFR-mutant NSCLC to compare the effectiveness of afatinib and osimertinib. Results A total of 177 patients were included in the study. The Cox proportion hazard model was adjusted for age, sex, performance status, EGFR mutation status, PD-L1 expression level, and brain metastasis, revealing that there was no significant difference in risk for progression [hazard ratio (HR)=0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.64-1.53] or death (HR=0.96, 95% CI=0.54-1.73) between afatinib and osimertinib. Conclusion In conclusion, the EGFR-TKI treatment duration and overall survival after the treatment with afatinib or osimertinib were similar in patients with PD-L1-positive EGFR-mutant NSCLC in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minehiko Inomata
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kawashima
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sendai Kousei Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryota Saito
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Daisuke Morinaga
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hitomi Nogawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Masamichi Sato
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Yohei Suzuki
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Omagari Kosei Medical Center, Daisen, Japan
| | - Satoru Yanagisawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Saku Central Hospital Advanced Care Center, Saku, Japan
| | - Takashi Kikuchi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Iwate Prefectural Isawa Hospital, Ohshu, Japan
| | - Daisuke Jingu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Saka General Hospital, Shiogama, Japan
| | - Naruo Yoshimura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Harada
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Japan Community Health Care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Eisaku Miyauchi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
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2
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Chiang CY, Zhang M, Huang J, Zeng J, Chen C, Pan D, Yang H, Zhang T, Yang M, Han Q, Wang Z, Xiao T, Chen Y, Zou Y, Yin F, Li Z, Zhu L, Zheng D. A novel selective ERK1/2 inhibitor, Laxiflorin B, targets EGFR mutation subtypes in non-small-cell lung cancer. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:422-435. [PMID: 37816856 PMCID: PMC10789733 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01164-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) are key members of multiple signaling pathways, including the ErbB axis. Ectopic ERK1/2 activation contributes to various types of cancer, especially drug resistance to inhibitors of RTK, RAF and MEK, and specific ERK1/2 inhibitors are scarce. In this study, we identified a potential novel covalent ERK inhibitor, Laxiflorin B, which is a herbal compound with anticancer activity. However, Laxiflorin B is present at low levels in herbs; therefore, we adopted a semi-synthetic process for the efficient production of Laxiflorin B to improve the yield. Laxiflorin B induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis via BAD activation in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, especially in EGFR mutant subtypes. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that Laxiflorin B inhibits amphiregulin (AREG) and epiregulin (EREG) expression through ERK inhibition, and suppressed the activation of their receptors, ErbBs, via a positive feedback loop. Moreover, mass spectrometry analysis combined with computer simulation revealed that Laxiflorin B binds covalently to Cys-183 in the ATP-binding pocket of ERK1 via the D-ring, and Cys-178 of ERK1 through non-inhibitory binding of the A-ring. In a NSCLC tumor xenograft model in nude mice, Laxiflorin B also exhibited strong tumor suppressive effects with low toxicity and AREG and EREG were identified as biomarkers of Laxiflorin B efficacy. Finally, Laxiflorin B-4, a C-6 analog of Laxiflorin B, exhibited higher binding affinity for ERK1/2 and stronger tumor suppression. These findings provide a new approach to tumor inhibition using natural anticancer compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yao Chiang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Junrong Huang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Juan Zeng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Chunlan Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongmei Pan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Heng Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Tiantian Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Min Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiangqiang Han
- SpecAlly Life Technology Co., Ltd, Wuhan, 430075, China
- Wuhan Biobank Co., Ltd, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Zou Wang
- Wuhan Biobank Co., Ltd, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Tian Xiao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yangchao Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Yongdong Zou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Feng Yin
- Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen University Town, Xili, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zigang Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen University Town, Xili, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lizhi Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
| | - Duo Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Dreschers S, Platen C, Oppermann L, Doughty C, Ludwig A, Babendreyer A, Orlikowsky TW. EGF-Receptor against Amphiregulin (AREG) Influences Costimulatory Molecules on Monocytes and T Cells and Modulates T-Cell Responses. J Immunol Res 2023; 2023:8883045. [PMID: 38046264 PMCID: PMC10691888 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8883045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphiregulin (AREG) is a ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and has been shown to regulate the phagocytosis-induced cell death of monocytes in peripheral blood. AREG-dependent apoptotic signaling engages factors of the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway, such as BCL-2, BCL-XL, and death ligand/receptor CD95/CD95L. Here, we tested the hypothesis that AREG influences costimulatory monocyte functions, which are crucial for T-cell responses. We found a stronger expression of AREG and EGFR in monocytes compared to lymphocytes. As a novel function of AREG, we observed reduced T-cell proliferation following polyclonal T-cell stimulation with OKT3. This reduction of proliferation occurred in the presence of monocytes as well as in their absence, monocyte signaling being replaced by crosslinking of OKT3. Increasing concentrations of AREG down-modulated the concentration of costimulatory B7 molecules (CD80/CD86) and HLA-DR on monocytes. In proliferation assays, CD28 expression on T cells was down-modulated on the application of OKT3 but unaltered by AREG. LcK activation, following OKT3-stimulation, was reduced in T cells that had been coincubated with AREG. The effects of AREG on T-cell phenotypes were also present when monocytes were depleted and OKT3 was crosslinked. The rearranged expression of immunological synapse proteins was accompanied by an alteration of T-cell polarization. Although the proportion of regulatory T cells was not shifted by AREG, IL-17-expressing T cells were significantly enhanced, with a bias toward TH1-polarization. Taken together, these results suggest that AREG acts as an immunoregulatory molecule at the interface between antigen-presenting cells and T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Dreschers
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christopher Platen
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Louise Oppermann
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Caitlin Doughty
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Ludwig
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Babendreyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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4
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Yang S, Yang X, Li C. Integrated analysis of EREG expression, a gene associated with cervical cancer prognosis. Am J Cancer Res 2023; 13:4644-4660. [PMID: 37970371 PMCID: PMC10636660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most gynecological malignancy in the world. The identification of predictive markers can provide a basis for personalized treatment and prognostic evaluation. Our aim was to identify a new predictive marker of epiregulin (EREG) gene and explore its functional characteristics of CC and other cancer types. Differentially highly expressed genes were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Key genes can be verified by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) data, and the functions of these genes were investigated through gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Survival analysis were performed to determine the key genes (EREG) related to the prognosis of CC. Then, the expression difference of EREG between tumor and normal tissue was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between EREG and prognosis of patients, immune microenvironment, immune checkpoint, immune therapy and angiogenesis was discussed in 33 tumor types. Finally, the regulatory mechanism of EREG on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was also explored. The differential analysis results from multiple databases showed that EREG was significantly highly expressed in CC, which was further verified in Hela and Siha cell lines. Then, Survival analysis revealed that EREG was associated with the prognosis of CC and other tumor types, and high EREG expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis. In addition, in almost all tumor types, the expression of EREG was related to immune cells infiltration, immune checkpoint genes expression and immunotherapy. Further analysis exhibited that high EREG expression can promote the high expression of angiogenesis related genes. The experimental data demonstrated that EREG could promote the proliferative, migration, invasive and tube formation of HUVECs by interacting with receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR and ERBB4). EREG may be an independent prognostic marker for predicting tumor prognosis and immunotherapy response of various cancers, and may be a potential target of tumor anti-angiogenic therapy in CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Tongji Hospital of Tongji University School of MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Chunbo Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
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5
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Chen B, Shen K, Zhang T, Gao WC. ELOVL6 is associated with immunosuppression in lung adenocarcinoma through bioinformatics analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e35013. [PMID: 37682172 PMCID: PMC10489423 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000035013] [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] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to reveal the correlation between the expression of ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6 (ELOVL6) gene in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its clinical significance, immune cell infiltration level and prognosis. Expression profile data of ELOVL6 mRNA were collected from the cancer genome atlas database to analyze the differences in ELOVL6 mRNA expression in LUAD tissues and normal lung tissues, and to analyze the correlation between ELOVL6 and information on clinicopathological features. Based on TIMER database, TISDIB database and GEPIA2 database, the correlation between ELOVL6 expression and tumor immune cell infiltration in LUAD was analyzed. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analyses of ELOVL6-related co-expressed genes were performed to identify the involved signaling pathways and to construct their co-expressed gene protein interaction networks. Drugs affected by ELOVL6 expression were screened based on the Cell Miner database. These findings suggest that ELOVL6 plays an important role in the course of LUAD, and the expression level of this gene has a close relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and survival prognosis, and has the potential to become a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyu Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kaiyu Shen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tiantian Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Cang Gao
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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6
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Sperrhacke M, Leitzke S, Ahrens B, Reiss K. Breakdown of Phospholipid Asymmetry Triggers ADAM17-Mediated Rescue Events in Cells Undergoing Apoptosis. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:720. [PMID: 37623781 PMCID: PMC10456294 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13080720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
ADAM17, a prominent member of the "Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase" (ADAM) family, controls vital cellular functions through the cleavage of transmembrane substrates, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha and Epiregulin (EREG). Several ADAM17 substrates are relevant to oncogenesis and tumor growth. We have presented evidence that surface exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) is pivotal for ADAM17 to exert sheddase activity. The scramblase Xkr8 is instrumental for calcium-independent exposure of PS in apoptotic cells. Xkr8 can be dually activated by caspase-3 and by kinases. In this investigation, we examined whether Xkr8 would modulate ADAM17 activity under apoptotic and non-apoptotic conditions. Overexpression of Xkr8 in HEK293T cells led to significantly increased caspase-dependent as well as PMA-induced release of EREG and TGF-alpha. Conversely, siRNA-mediated downregulation of Xkr8 in colorectal Caco-2 cancer cells led to decreased PS externalization upon induction of apoptosis, which was accompanied by reduced shedding of endogenously expressed EREG and reduced cell survival. We conclude that Xkr8 shares with conventional scramblases the propensity to upmodulate the ADAM-sheddase function. Liberation of growth factors could serve a rescue function in cells on the pathway to apoptotic death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karina Reiss
- Department of Dermatology, University of Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany (B.A.)
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Ton TVT, Hong HHL, Kovi RC, Shockley KR, Peddada SD, Gerrish KE, Janardhan KS, Flake G, Stout MD, Sills RC, Pandiri AR. Chronic Inhalation Exposure to Antimony Trioxide Exacerbates the MAPK Signaling in Alveolar Bronchiolar Carcinomas in B6C3F1/N Mice. Toxicol Pathol 2023; 51:39-55. [PMID: 37009983 DOI: 10.1177/01926233231157322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Antimony trioxide (AT) is used as a flame retardant in fabrics and plastics. Occupational exposure in miners and smelters is mainly through inhalation and dermal contact. Chronic inhalation exposure to AT particulates in B6C3F1/N mice and Wistar Han rats resulted in increased incidences and tumor multiplicities of alveolar/bronchiolar carcinomas (ABCs). In this study, we demonstrated Kras (43%) and Egfr (46%) hotspot mutations in mouse lung tumors (n = 80) and only Egfr (50%) mutations in rat lung tumors (n = 26). Interestingly, there were no differences in the incidences of these mutations in ABCs from rats and mice at exposure concentrations that did and did not exceed the pulmonary overload threshold. There was increased expression of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (Erk1/2) protein in ABCs harboring mutations in Kras and/or Egfr, confirming the activation of MAPK signaling. Transcriptomic analysis indicated significant alterations in MAPK signaling such as ephrin receptor signaling and signaling by Rho-family GTPases in AT-exposed ABCs. In addition, there was significant overlap between transcriptomic data from mouse ABCs due to AT exposure and human pulmonary adenocarcinoma data. Collectively, these data suggest chronic AT exposure exacerbates MAPK signaling in ABCs and, thus, may be translationally relevant to human lung cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thai-Vu T Ton
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hue-Hua L Hong
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ramesh C Kovi
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keith R Shockley
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shyamal D Peddada
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin E Gerrish
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyathanahalli S Janardhan
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gordon Flake
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mathew D Stout
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert C Sills
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Arun R Pandiri
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Holm TM, Yeo S, Turner KM, Guan JL. Targeting Autophagy in Thyroid Cancer: EMT, Apoptosis, and Cancer Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:821855. [PMID: 35846375 PMCID: PMC9277179 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.821855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a highly conserved recycling process through which cellular homeostasis is achieved and maintained. With respect to cancer biology, autophagy acts as a double-edged sword supporting tumor cells during times of metabolic and therapeutic stress, while also inhibiting tumor development by promoting genomic stability. Accumulating evidence suggests that autophagy plays a role in thyroid cancer, acting to promote tumor cell viability and metastatic disease through maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs), supporting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and preventing tumor cell death. Intriguingly, well-differentiated thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women as compared to men, though the underlying molecular biology driving this disparity has not yet been elucidated. Several studies have demonstrated that autophagy inhibitors may augment the anti-cancer effects of known thyroid cancer therapies. Autophagy modulation has become an attractive target for improving outcomes in thyroid cancer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the current knowledge regarding the role of autophagy in thyroid cancer, focusing on the potential mechanism(s) through which inhibition of autophagy may enhance cancer therapy and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammy M Holm
- Department of Surgery, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Syn Yeo
- Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Kevin M Turner
- Department of Surgery, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Jun-Lin Guan
- Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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9
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Epiregulin increases stemness-associated genes expression and promotes chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer via ERK signaling. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:197. [PMID: 35551652 PMCID: PMC9102725 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02859-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chemoresistance often causes the failure of treatment and death of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, there is still no resistance genes signature and available enriched signaling derived from a comprehensive RNA-Seq data analysis of lung cancer patients that could act as a therapeutic target to re-sensitize the acquired resistant cancer cells to chemo-drugs. Hence, in this study, we aimed to identify the resistance signature for clinical lung cancer patients and explore the regulatory mechanism.
Method Analysis of RNA-Seq data from clinical lung cancer patients was conducted in R studio to identify the resistance signature. The resistance signature was validated by survival time of lung cancer patients and qPCR in chemo-resistant cells. Cytokine application, small-interfering RNA and pharmacological inhibition approaches were applied to characterize the function and molecular mechanism of EREG and downstream signaling in chemoresistance regulation via stemness. Results The RTK and vitamin D signaling were enriched among resistance genes, where 6 genes were validated as resistance signature and associated with poor survival in patients. EREG/ERK signaling was activated by chemo-drugs in NSCLC cells. EREG protein promoted the NSCLC resistance to chemo-drugs by increasing stemness genes expression. Additionally, inhibition of EREG/ErbB had downregulated ERK signaling, resulting in decreased expression of stemness-associated genes and subsequently re-sensitized the resistant NSCLC cells and spheres to chemo-drugs. Conclusions These findings revealed 6 resistance genes signature and proved that EREG/ErbB regulated the stemness to maintain chemoresistance of NSCLC via ERK signaling. Therefore, targeting EREG/ErbB might significantly and effectively resolve the chemoresistance issue. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-02859-3.
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10
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Epiregulin as an Alternative Ligand for Leptin Receptor Alleviates Glucose Intolerance without Change in Obesity. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030425. [PMID: 35159237 PMCID: PMC8834548 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The leptin receptor (LepR) acts as a signaling nexus for the regulation of glucose uptake and obesity, among other metabolic responses. The functional role of LepR under leptin-deficient conditions remains unclear. This study reports that epiregulin (EREG) governed glucose uptake in vitro and in vivo in Lepob mice by activating LepR under leptin-deficient conditions. Single and long-term treatment with EREG effectively rescued glucose intolerance in comparative insulin and EREG tolerance tests in Lepob mice. The immunoprecipitation study revealed binding between EREG and LepR in adipose tissue of Lepob mice. EREG/LepR regulated glucose uptake without changes in obesity in Lepob mice via mechanisms, including ERK activation and translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface. EREG-dependent glucose uptake was abolished in Leprdb mice which supports a key role of LepR in this process. In contrast, inhibition of the canonical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway implicated in other EREG responses, increased glucose uptake. Our data provide a basis for understanding glycemic responses of EREG that are dependent on LepR unlike functions mediated by EGFR, including leptin secretion, thermogenesis, pain, growth, and other responses. The computational analysis identified a conserved amino acid sequence, supporting an evolutionary role of EREG as an alternative LepR ligand.
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11
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Zhai WY, Duan FF, Chen S, Wang JY, Lin YB, Wang YZ, Rao BY, Zhao ZR, Long H. A Novel Inflammatory-Related Gene Signature Based Model for Risk Stratification and Prognosis Prediction in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 12:798131. [PMID: 35069695 PMCID: PMC8766344 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.798131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is an important hallmark of cancer and plays a role in both neogenesis and tumor development. Despite this, inflammatory-related genes (IRGs) remain to be poorly studied in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We aim to explore the prognostic value of IRGs for LUAD and construct an IRG-based prognosis signature. The transcriptomic profiles and clinicopathological information of patients with LUAD were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis and multivariate Cox regression were applied in the TCGA set to generate an IRG risk signature. LUAD cases with from the GSE31210 and GSE30219 datasets were used to validate the predictive ability of the signature. Analysis of the TCGA cohort revealed a five-IRG risk signature consisting of EREG, GPC3, IL7R, LAMP3, and NMUR1. This signature was used to divide patients into two risk groups with different survival rates. Multivariate Cox regression analysis verified that the risk score from the five-IRG signature negatively correlated with patient outcome. A nomogram was developed using the IRG risk signature and stage, with C-index values of 0.687 (95% CI: 0.644-0.730) in the TCGA training cohort, 0.678 (95% CI: 0.586-0.771) in GSE30219 cohort, and 0.656 (95% CI: 0.571-0.740) in GSE30219 cohort. Calibration curves were consistent between the actual and the predicted overall survival. The immune infiltration analysis in the TCGA training cohort and two GEO validation cohorts showed a distinctly differentiated immune cell infiltration landscape between the two risk groups. The IRG risk signature for LUAD can be used to predict patient prognosis and guide individual treatment. This risk signature is also a potential biomarker of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yu Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fang-Fang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Medical Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Bin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing-Yu Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Rui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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12
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Wang H, Liu J, Gao J, Yan W, Rehan VK. Perinatal Exposure to Nicotine Alters Sperm RNA Profiles in Rats. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:893863. [PMID: 35600600 PMCID: PMC9114732 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.893863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Perinatal exposure to smoking has been associated with childhood asthma, one of the most common pediatric conditions affecting millions of children globally. Of great interest, this disease phenotype appears heritable as it can persist across multiple generations even in the absence of persistent exposure to smoking in subsequent generations. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying childhood asthma induced by perinatal exposure to smoking or nicotine remain elusive, an epigenetic mechanism has been proposed, which is supported by the data from our earlier analyses on germline DNA methylation (5mC) and histone marks (H3 and H4 acetylation). To further investigate the potential epigenetic inheritance of childhood asthma induced by perinatal nicotine exposure, we profiled both large and small RNAs in the sperm of F1 male rats. Our data revealed that perinatal exposure to nicotine leads to alterations in the profiles of sperm-borne RNAs, including mRNAs and small RNAs, and that rosiglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, can attenuate the effect of nicotine and reverse the sperm-borne RNA profiles of F1 male rats to close to placebo control levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hetan Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Jie Liu
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Jianjun Gao
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Wei Yan
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Wei Yan, ; Virender K. Rehan,
| | - Virender K. Rehan
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Wei Yan, ; Virender K. Rehan,
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13
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Cheng WL, Feng PH, Lee KY, Chen KY, Sun WL, Van Hiep N, Luo CS, Wu SM. The Role of EREG/EGFR Pathway in Tumor Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312828. [PMID: 34884633 PMCID: PMC8657471 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ERBB1) by erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog (ERBB) ligands contributes to various tumor malignancies, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer (CRC). Epiregulin (EREG) is one of the EGFR ligands and is low expressed in most normal tissues. Elevated EREG in various cancers mainly activates EGFR signaling pathways and promotes cancer progression. Notably, a higher EREG expression level in CRC with wild-type Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is related to better efficacy of therapeutic treatment. By contrast, the resistance of anti-EGFR therapy in CRC was driven by low EREG expression, aberrant genetic mutation and signal pathway alterations. Additionally, EREG overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is anticipated to be a therapeutic target for EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). However, recent findings indicate that EREG derived from macrophages promotes NSCLC cell resistance to EGFR-TKI treatment. The emerging events of EREG-mediated tumor promotion signals are generated by autocrine and paracrine loops that arise from tumor epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is a crucial element for the development of various cancer types and drug resistance. The regulation of EREG/EGFR pathways depends on distinct oncogenic driver mutations and cell contexts that allows specific pharmacological targeting alone or combinational treatment for tailored therapy. Novel strategies targeting EREG/EGFR, tumor-associated macrophages, and alternative activation oncoproteins are under development or undergoing clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the clinical outcomes of EREG expression and the interaction of this ligand in the TME. The EREG/EGFR pathway may be a potential target and may be combined with other driver mutation targets to combat specific cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Li Cheng
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan;
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hao Feng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Yun Lee
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Yuan Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lun Sun
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Nguyen Van Hiep
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- International PhD Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Shan Luo
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
| | - Sheng-Ming Wu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; (P.-H.F.); (K.-Y.L.); (K.-Y.C.); (W.-L.S.); (N.V.H.); (C.-S.L.)
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
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14
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Xiong Y, Xi S, Gara SK, Shan J, Gao J, Zhang M, Shukla V, Wang R, Hoang CD, Chen H, Schrump DS. Hookah Smoke Mediates Cancer-Associated Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Signatures in Human Respiratory Epithelial Cells. JTO Clin Res Rep 2021; 2:100181. [PMID: 34790904 PMCID: PMC8479631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2021.100181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although communal smoking of hookah by means of water pipes is perceived to be a safe alternative to cigarette smoking, the effects of hookah smoke in respiratory epithelia have not been well characterized. This study evaluated epigenomic and transcriptomic effects of hookah smoke relative to cigarette smoke in human respiratory epithelial cells. Methods Primary normal human small airway epithelial cells from three donors and cdk4 and hTERT-immortalized small airway epithelial cells and human bronchial epithelial cells were cultured for 5 days in normal media with or without cigarette smoke condensates (CSCs) or water pipe condensates (WPCs). Cell count, immunoblot, RNA sequencing, quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation techniques were used to compare effects of hookah and cigarette smoke on cell proliferation, global histone marks, gene expression, and promoter-related chromatin structure. Results CSC and WPC decreased global H4K16ac and H4K20me3 histone marks and mediated distinct and overlapping cancer-associated transcriptome signatures and pathway modulations that were cell line dependent and stratified across lung cancer cells in a histology-specific manner. Epiregulin encoding a master regulator of EGFR signaling that is overexpressed in lung cancers was up-regulated, whereas FILIP1L and ABI3BP encoding mediators of senescence that are repressed in lung cancers were down-regulated by CSC and WPC. Induction of epiregulin and repression of FILIP1L and ABI3BP by these condensates coincided with unique epigenetic alterations within the respective promoters. Conclusions These findings support translational studies to ascertain if hookah-mediated epigenomic and transcriptomic alterations in cultured respiratory epithelia are detectable and clinically relevant in hookah smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xiong
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sichuan Xi
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sudheer Kumar Gara
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jigui Shan
- The Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - James Gao
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mary Zhang
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Vivek Shukla
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ruihong Wang
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chuong D Hoang
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Haobin Chen
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David S Schrump
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
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15
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Ton TVT, Kovi RC, Peddada TN, Chhabria RM, Shockley KR, Flagler ND, Gerrish KE, Herbert RA, Behl M, Hoenerhoff MJ, Sills RC, Pandiri AR. Cobalt-induced oxidative stress contributes to alveolar/bronchiolar carcinogenesis in B6C3F1/N mice. Arch Toxicol 2021; 95:3171-3190. [PMID: 34468815 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-021-03146-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Rodent alveolar/bronchiolar carcinomas (ABC) that arise either spontaneously or due to chemical exposure are similar to a subtype of lung adenocarcinomas in humans. B6C3F1/N mice and F344/NTac rats exposed to cobalt metal dust (CMD) by inhalation developed ABCs in a dose dependent manner. In CMD-exposed mice, the incidence of Kras mutations in ABCs was 67% with 80% of those being G to T transversions on codon 12 suggesting a role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis. In vitro studies, such as DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) immune-spin trapping assay, and dihydroethidium (DHE) fluorescence assay on A549 and BEAS-2B cells demonstrated increased oxidative stress due to cobalt exposure. In addition, significantly increased 8-oxo-dG adducts were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in lungs from mice exposed to CMD for 90 days. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis on ABCs arising spontaneously or due to chronic CMD-exposure demonstrated significant alterations in canonical pathways related to MAPK signaling (IL-8, ErbB, Integrin, and PAK pathway) and oxidative stress (PI3K/AKT and Melatonin pathway) in ABCs from CMD-exposed mice. Oxidative stress can stimulate PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. Nox4 was significantly upregulated only in CMD-exposed ABCs and NOX4 activation of PI3K/AKT can lead to increased ROS levels in human cancer cells. The gene encoding Ereg was markedly up-regulated in CMD-exposed mice. Oncogenic KRAS mutations have been shown to induce EREG overexpression. Collectively, all these data suggest that oxidative stress plays a significant role in CMD-induced pulmonary carcinogenesis in rodents and these findings may also be relevant in the context of human lung cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thai-Vu T Ton
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Ramesh C Kovi
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.,Experimental Pathology Laboratories Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.,Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Teja N Peddada
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.,National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Raveena M Chhabria
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.,Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Keith R Shockley
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Norris D Flagler
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Kevin E Gerrish
- Molecular Genomics Core Laboratory, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Ronald A Herbert
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Mamta Behl
- Toxicology Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Mark J Hoenerhoff
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.,In Vivo Animal Core, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Robert C Sills
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Arun R Pandiri
- Comparative and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
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16
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Groves IJ, Drane ELA, Michalski M, Monahan JM, Scarpini CG, Smith SP, Bussotti G, Várnai C, Schoenfelder S, Fraser P, Enright AJ, Coleman N. Short- and long-range cis interactions between integrated HPV genomes and cellular chromatin dysregulate host gene expression in early cervical carcinogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009875. [PMID: 34432858 PMCID: PMC8439666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of cervical cancer is directly associated with integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomes into host chromosomes and subsequent modulation of HPV oncogene expression, which correlates with multi-layered epigenetic changes at the integrated HPV genomes. However, the process of integration itself and dysregulation of host gene expression at sites of integration in our model of HPV16 integrant clone natural selection has remained enigmatic. We now show, using a state-of-the-art 'HPV integrated site capture' (HISC) technique, that integration likely occurs through microhomology-mediated repair (MHMR) mechanisms via either a direct process, resulting in host sequence deletion (in our case, partially homozygously) or via a 'looping' mechanism by which flanking host regions become amplified. Furthermore, using our 'HPV16-specific Region Capture Hi-C' technique, we have determined that chromatin interactions between the integrated virus genome and host chromosomes, both at short- (<500 kbp) and long-range (>500 kbp), appear to drive local host gene dysregulation through the disruption of host:host interactions within (but not exceeding) host structures known as topologically associating domains (TADs). This mechanism of HPV-induced host gene expression modulation indicates that integration of virus genomes near to or within a 'cancer-causing gene' is not essential to influence their expression and that these modifications to genome interactions could have a major role in selection of HPV integrants at the early stage of cervical neoplastic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J. Groves
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L. A. Drane
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Michalski
- Nuclear Dynamics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jack M. Monahan
- EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Cinzia G. Scarpini
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen P. Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Giovanni Bussotti
- EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Csilla Várnai
- Nuclear Dynamics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Fraser
- Nuclear Dynamics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Anton J. Enright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Coleman
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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17
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de Falco A, Dezso Z, Ceccarelli F, Cerulo L, Ciaramella A, Ceccarelli M. Adaptive one-class Gaussian processes allow accurate prioritization of oncology drug targets. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:1420-1427. [PMID: 33165571 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The cost of drug development has dramatically increased in the last decades, with the number new drugs approved per billion US dollars spent on R&D halving every year or less. The selection and prioritization of targets is one the most influential decisions in drug discovery. Here we present a Gaussian Process model for the prioritization of drug targets cast as a problem of learning with only positive and unlabeled examples. RESULTS Since the absence of negative samples does not allow standard methods for automatic selection of hyperparameters, we propose a novel approach for hyperparameter selection of the kernel in One Class Gaussian Processes. We compare our methods with state-of-the-art approaches on benchmark datasets and then show its application to druggability prediction of oncology drugs. Our score reaches an AUC 0.90 on a set of clinical trial targets starting from a small training set of 102 validated oncology targets. Our score recovers the majority of known drug targets and can be used to identify novel set of proteins as drug target candidates. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The matrix of features for each protein is available at: https://bit.ly/3iLgZTa. Source code implemented in Python is freely available for download at https://github.com/AntonioDeFalco/Adaptive-OCGP. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio de Falco
- BIOGEM Istituto di Ricerche Genetiche "G. Salvatore", 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Zoltan Dezso
- ABBVIE Biotherapeutics, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA
| | - Francesco Ceccarelli
- Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS), Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Luigi Cerulo
- BIOGEM Istituto di Ricerche Genetiche "G. Salvatore", 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy.,Department of Science and Technologies, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
| | - Angelo Ciaramella
- Department Science and Technology, University of Naples Parthenope, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Ceccarelli
- BIOGEM Istituto di Ricerche Genetiche "G. Salvatore", 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI), University of Naples" Federico II", 80128 Naples, Italy
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18
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Chen KY, Tseng CH, Feng PH, Sun WL, Ho SC, Lin CW, Van Hiep N, Luo CS, Tseng YH, Chen TT, Liu WT, Lee KY, Wu SM. 3-Nitrobenzanthrone promotes malignant transformation in human lung epithelial cells through the epiregulin-signaling pathway. Cell Biol Toxicol 2021; 38:865-887. [PMID: 34036453 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09612-1] [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: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental and occupational contaminants leads to lung cancer. 3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7H-benz[de]anthracen-7-one, 3-NBA) is a potential carcinogen in ambient air or diesel particulate matter. Studies have revealed that short-term exposure to 3-NBA induces cell death, reactive oxygen species activation, and DNA adduct formation and damage. However, details of the mechanism by which chronic exposure to 3-NBA influences lung carcinogenesis remain largely unknown. In this study, human lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells were continuously exposed to 0-10-μM 3-NBA for 6 months. NanoString analysis was conducted to evaluate gene expression in the cells, revealing that 3-NBA-mediated transformation results in a distinct gene expression signature including carbon cancer metabolism, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Alterations in tumor-promoting genes such as EREG (epiregulin), SOX9, E-cadherin, TWIST, and IL-6 were involved in epithelial cell aggressiveness. Kaplan-Meier plotter analyses indicated that increased EREG and IL-6 expressions in early-stage lung cancer cells are correlated with poor survival. In vivo xenografts on 3-NBA-transformed cells exhibited prominent tumor formation and metastasis. EREG knockout cells exposed to 3-NBA for a short period exhibited high apoptosis and low colony formation. By contrast, overexpression of EREG in 3-NBA-transformed cells markedly activated the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, resulting in tumorigenicity. Furthermore, elevated IL-6 and EREG expressions synergistically led to STAT3 signaling activation, resulting in clonogenic cell survival and migration. Taken together, chronic exposure of human lung epithelial cells to 3-NBA leads to malignant transformation, in which the EREG signaling pathway plays a pivotal mediating role. • Short-term exposure of lung epithelial cells to 3-NBA can lead to ROS production and cell apoptosis. • Long-term chronic exposure to 3-NBA upregulates the levels of tumor-promoting genes such as EREG and IL-6. • Increased EREG expression in 3-NBA-transformed cells markedly contributes to tumorigenesis through PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK activation and synergistically enhances the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway, which promotes tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Yuan Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hua Tseng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hao Feng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lun Sun
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Chuan Ho
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Wei Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nguyen Van Hiep
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,International PhD Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Shan Luo
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Han Tseng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Tao Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Te Liu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Yun Lee
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Ming Wu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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19
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Epiregulin confers EGFR-TKI resistance via EGFR/ErbB2 heterodimer in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncogene 2021; 40:2596-2609. [PMID: 33750895 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01734-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR-activating mutations. The mechanisms underlying EGFR-TKI resistance are not fully understood. This study aimed to analyze the effects of seven EGFR ligands on EGFR-TKI sensitivity in NSCLC cells and patients. Cells with EGFR E746-A750del mutation were treated with recombinant EGFR ligands, and analyzed for cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. shRNA knockdown of endogenous Epiregulin (EREG) or overexpression of exogenous EREG and immunofluorescence experiments were carried out. Public gene expression datasets were used for tumor microenvironment and clinical assessment. Among the EGFR ligands, EREG significantly diminished cellular sensitivity to TKIs and was associated with decreased response to erlotinib in NSCLC patients. EREG induced AKT phosphorylation and attenuated TKI-induced cellular apoptosis in an ErbB2-dependent manner. EREG induced the formation of the EGFR/ErbB2 heterodimer regardless of gefitinib treatment. However, overexpression or knockdown of EREG in cancer cells had little impact on TKI sensitivity. Single-cell RNA sequencing data revealed that EREG was predominantly expressed in macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, EREG-enriched macrophage conditional medium induced EGFR-TKI resistance. These findings shed new light on the mechanism underlying EGFR-TKI resistance, and suggest macrophage-produced intratumoral EREG as a novel regulator and biomarker for EGFR-TKI therapy in NSCLC.
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miR-215 Targeting Novel Genes EREG, NIPAL1 and PTPRU Regulates the Resistance to E.coli F18 in Piglets. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11091053. [PMID: 32906628 PMCID: PMC7563519 DOI: 10.3390/genes11091053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has revealed that miR-215 might be an important miRNA regulating weaned piglets’ resistance to Escherichia coli (E. coli) F18. In this study, target genes of miR-215 were identified by RNA-seq, bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase detection. The relationship between target genes and E. coli infection was explored by RNAi technology, combined with E. coli stimulation and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection. Molecular regulating mechanisms of target genes expression were analyzed by methylation detection of promoter regions and dual luciferase activity assay of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in core promoter regions. The results showed that miR-215 could target EREG, NIPAL1 and PTPRU genes. Expression levels of three genes in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) in the RNAi group were significantly lower than those in the negative control pGMLV vector (pGMLV-NC) group after E. coli F18 stimulation, while cytokines levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the RNAi group were significantly higher than in the pGMLV-NC group. Variant sites in the promoter region of three genes could affect their promoter activities. These results suggested that miR-215 could regulate weaned piglets’ resistance to E. coli F18 by targeting EREG, NIPAL1 and PTPRU genes. This study is the first to annotate new biological functions of EREG, NIPAL1 and PTPRU genes in pigs, and provides a new experimental basis and reference for the research of piglets disease-resistance breeding.
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Liu S, Wang Y, Han Y, Xia W, Zhang L, Xu S, Ju H, Zhang X, Ren G, Liu L, Ye W, Zhang Z, Hu J. EREG-driven oncogenesis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma exhibits higher sensitivity to Erlotinib therapy. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:10589-10605. [PMID: 32929368 PMCID: PMC7482801 DOI: 10.7150/thno.47176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The oncogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is believed to result from oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inactivation. Here, we identified a new oncogenic role for the EREG gene in HNSCC. Methods: The TCGA database and immunohistochemistry assay were used to analyze expression of EREG in HNSCC tissues. Immunoblotting was performed to identify the EGFR-mediated pathways altered by EREG. The role of EREG in oncogenesis was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Results: Upregulated EREG expression predicted a poor prognosis and triggered HNSCC oncogenic transformation by activating the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway. We also demonstrated the direct association of EREG with EGFR and that this binding required EGFR domains I and III and the N57 residue of EREG. Moreover, EREG overexpression was shown to promote HNSCC oncogenesis by inducing C-Myc expression, and the pharmacological inhibition of C-Myc rescued EREG-promoted HNSCC oncogenesis. Unlike other EGFR ligands, EREG could mimic EGFR mutations by sustaining the activation of the EGFR-Erk pathway, and high EREG expression was positively associated with the response to treatment with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib. Furthermore, knockdown of EREG decreased sensitivity to erlotinib treatment in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: These results identify the EREG-EGFR-C-Myc pathway as a crucial axis that drives HNSCC oncogenesis and show that EREG expression could be a predictive functional marker of sensitivity to erlotinib therapy in HNSCC.
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22
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Preferential Response of Basal-Like Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines to EGFR-Targeted Therapy Depending on EREG-Driven Oncogenic Addiction. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060795. [PMID: 31181806 PMCID: PMC6627901 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The management of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), achieves only moderate response rates, and clinical trials that evaluated EGFR-blockade with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) yielded disappointing results. Inter-tumor heterogeneity may hinder the therapeutic efficiency of anti-EGFR treatments. HNSCC heterogeneity was addressed in several studies, which all converged towards the definition of molecular subgroups. They include the basal subgroup, defined by the deregulated expression of factors involved in the EGFR signaling pathway, including the epiregulin EGFR ligand encoded by the EREG gene. These observations indicate that basal tumors could be more sensitive to anti-EGFR treatments. To test this hypothesis, we performed a screen of a representative collection of basal versus non-basal HNSCC cell lines for their sensitivity to several anti-EGFR drugs (Cetuximab, Afatinib, and Gefitinib), tested as monotherapy or in combination with drugs that target closely-linked pathways [Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal–regulated kinases (MEK), mammalian Target of Rapamycine (mTOR) or Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2)]. Basal-like cell lines were found to be more sensitive to EGFR blockade alone or in combination with treatments that target MEK, mTOR, or HER2. Strikingly, the basal-like status was found to be a better predictor of cell response to EGFR blockade than clinically relevant mutations [e.g., cyclin-dependent kinase Inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A)]. Interestingly, we show that EGFR blockade inhibits EREG expression, and that EREG knock-down decreases basal cell clonogenic survival, suggesting that EREG expression could be a predictive functional marker of sensitivity to EGFR blockade in basal-like HNSCC.
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Bazzani L, Donnini S, Finetti F, Christofori G, Ziche M. PGE2/EP3/SRC signaling induces EGFR nuclear translocation and growth through EGFR ligands release in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:31270-31287. [PMID: 28415726 PMCID: PMC5458206 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) interacts with tyrosine kinases receptor signaling in both tumor and stromal cells supporting tumor progression. Here we demonstrate that in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells, A549 and GLC82, PGE2 promotes nuclear translocation of epidermal growth factor receptor (nEGFR), affects gene expression and induces cell growth. Indeed, cyclin D1, COX-2, iNOS and c-Myc mRNA levels are upregulated following PGE2 treatment. The nuclear localization sequence (NLS) of EGFR as well as its tyrosine kinase activity are required for the effect of PGE2 on nEGFR and downstream signaling activities. PGE2 binds its bona fide receptor EP3 which by activating SRC family kinases, induces ADAMs activation which, in turn, releases EGFR-ligands from the cell membrane and promotes nEGFR. Amphiregulin (AREG) and Epiregulin (EREG) appear to be involved in nEGFR promoted by the PGE2/EP3-SRC axis. Pharmacological inhibition or silencing of the PGE2/EP3/SRC-ADAMs signaling axis or EGFR ligands i.e. AREG and EREG expression abolishes nEGFR induced by PGE2. In conclusion, PGE2 induces NSCLC cell proliferation by EP3 receptor, SRC-ADAMs activation, EGFR ligands shedding and finally, phosphorylation and nEGFR. Since nuclear EGFR is a hallmark of cancer aggressiveness, our findings reveal a novel mechanism for the contribution of PGE2 to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Bazzani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy.,Department of Biomedizin, University of Basel, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Donnini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Federica Finetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Marina Ziche
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
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