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Qu R, Du W, Li S, Li W, Wei G, Chen Z, Gao H, Shi S, Zou L, Li H. Destruction of vascular endothelial glycocalyx during formation of pre-metastatic niches. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29101. [PMID: 38601565 PMCID: PMC11004892 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A special microenvironment called the "pre-metastatic niche" is thought to help primary tumor cells migrate to new tissues and invade them, in part because the normal barrier function of the vascular endothelium is compromised. While the primary tumor itself can promote the creation of such niches by secreting pro-metastatic factors, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we show that the injection of primary tumor-secreted pro-metastatic factors from B16F10 melanoma or 4T1 breast cancer cells into healthy mice can induce the destruction of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which is a polysaccharide coating on the vascular endothelial lumen that normally inhibits tumor cell passage into and out of the circulation. However, when human umbilical vein endothelial cultures were treated in vitro with these secreted pro-metastatic factors, no significant destruction of the glycocalyx was observed, implying that this destruction requires a complex in vivo microenvironment. The tissue section analysis revealed that secreted pro-metastatic factors could clearly upregulate macrophage-related molecules such as CD11b and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney, which is associated with the upregulation and activation of heparanase. In addition, macrophage depletion significantly attenuated the degradation of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx induced by secreted pro-metastatic factors. This indicates that the secreted pro-metastatic factors that destroy the vascular endothelial glycocalyx rely primarily on macrophages. Our findings suggest that the formation of pre-metastatic niches involves degradation of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which may hence be a useful target for developing therapies to inhibit cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Qu
- Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Wenxuan Du
- Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Shuyao Li
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Guangfei Wei
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Zhenjiang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhenjiang, 212004, China
| | - Zhoujiang Chen
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Huile Gao
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research, Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Sanjun Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Liang Zou
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Hanmei Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
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Liu Y, Wang H. Biomarkers and targeted therapy for cancer stem cells. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:56-66. [PMID: 38071088 PMCID: PMC10842814 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.11.006] [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] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cancer cells with capabilities of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenicity, and play a critical role in driving tumor heterogeneity that evolves insensitivity to therapeutics. For these reasons, extensive efforts have been made to identify and target CSCs to potentially improve the antitumor efficacy of therapeutics. While progress has been made to uncover certain CSC-associated biomarkers, the identification of CSC-specific markers, especially the targetable ones, remains a significant challenge. Here we provide an overview of the unique signaling and metabolic pathways of CSCs, summarize existing CSC biomarkers and CSC-targeted therapies, and discuss strategies to further differentiate CSCs from non-stem cancer cells and healthy cells for the development of enhanced CSC-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusheng Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carle College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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Chen Z, Qi Y, Shen J, Chen Z. Histone demethylase KDM6A coordinating with KMT2B regulates self-renewal and chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer stem cells. Transl Oncol 2023; 37:101778. [PMID: 37683307 PMCID: PMC10493599 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101778] [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: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Wnt signaling is essential for the maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs), but mutations in the β-catenin and APC genes are less common in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Thus, the mechanism underlying the constitutive activation of Wnt signaling in lung CSCs is still unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Gene set enrichment analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to establish the correlation between KDM6A/KM2B and CSC stemness. Human NSCLC cell lines were genetically manipulated for functional studies. Sphere formation assay and stemness gene expression profiling were examined to investigate the role of KDM6A/KMT2B in lung CSCs. Tumor xenograft assay were used to identify the function of KDM6A/KMT2B on tumorigenicity and tumor recurrence in vivo. Western blot analysis, coimmunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to understand KDM6A/KMT2B mediated epigenetic regulation of Histone 3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me) on Wnt signaling pathway. RESULTS We discovered that the expression of Histone demethylase KDM6A and methyltransferase KMT2B correlate with the stemness of CSCs in NSCLC. KDM6A coordinates with KMT2B to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by regulating the H3K4me3 level and promotes the tumorigenicity and maintenance of CSC stemness. Furthermore, KDM6A/ KMT2B overexpression promotes the CSC chemoresistance and tumor recurrence both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of KDM6A and KMT2B potently suppress tumor initiation and recurrence in xenografted animal models. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that KDM6A and KMT2B mediate the constitutive activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in lung CSCs, potentially providing a therapeutic target for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Chen
- Department of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuwen Qi
- Department of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- Department of Pathology, Shidong hospital, Yangpu District, Shidong hospital affiliated to University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, China.
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Shi S, Li W. Cancer Stem Cell Based Targeted Therapy. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:1951. [PMID: 32524917 DOI: 10.2174/138161282617200519100353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjun Shi
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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