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Klymenko Y, Nephew KP. Epigenetic Crosstalk between the Tumor Microenvironment and Ovarian Cancer Cells: A Therapeutic Road Less Traveled. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:E295. [PMID: 30200265 PMCID: PMC6162502 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10090295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) predominantly occurs through direct cell shedding from the primary tumor into the intra-abdominal cavity that is filled with malignant ascitic effusions. Facilitated by the fluid flow, cells distribute throughout the cavity, broadly seed and invade through peritoneal lining, and resume secondary tumor growth in abdominal and pelvic organs. At all steps of this unique metastatic process, cancer cells exist within a multidimensional tumor microenvironment consisting of intraperitoneally residing cancer-reprogramed fibroblasts, adipose, immune, mesenchymal stem, mesothelial, and vascular cells that exert miscellaneous bioactive molecules into malignant ascites and contribute to EOC progression and metastasis via distinct molecular mechanisms and epigenetic dysregulation. This review outlines basic epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA regulators, and summarizes current knowledge on reciprocal interactions between each participant of the EOC cellular milieu and tumor cells in the context of aberrant epigenetic crosstalk. Promising research directions and potential therapeutic strategies that may encompass epigenetic tailoring as a component of complex EOC treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Klymenko
- Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology Program, Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46617, USA.
| | - Kenneth P Nephew
- Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology Program, Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
- Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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Colombo M, Mirandola L, Reidy A, Suvorava N, Konala V, Chiaramonte R, Grizzi F, Rahman RL, Jenkins MR, Nugyen DD, Dalhbeck S, Cobos E, Figueroa JA, Chiriva-Internati M. Targeting Tumor Initiating Cells through Inhibition of Cancer Testis Antigens and Notch Signaling: A Hypothesis. Int Rev Immunol 2016; 34:188-99. [PMID: 25901861 DOI: 10.3109/08830185.2015.1027629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Tumor initiating cells (TICs) differ from normal stem cells (SCs) in their ability to initiate tumorigenesis, invasive growth, metastasis and the acquisition of chemo and/or radio-resistance. Over the past years, several studies have indicated the potential role of the Notch system as a key regulator of cellular stemness and tumor development. Furthermore, the expression of cancer testis antigens (CTA) in TICs, and their role in SC differentiation and biology, has become an important area of investigation. Here, we propose a model in which CTA expression and Notch signaling interacts to maintain the sustainability of self-replicating tumor populations, ultimately leading to the development of metastasis, drug resistance and cancer progression. We hypothesize that Notch-CTA interactions in TICs offer a novel opportunity for meaningful therapeutic interventions in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Colombo
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milano , Italy
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Rycaj K, Plummer JB, Yin B, Li M, Garza J, Radvanyi L, Ramondetta LM, Lin K, Johanning GL, Tang DG, Wang-Johanning F. Cytotoxicity of human endogenous retrovirus K-specific T cells toward autologous ovarian cancer cells. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 21:471-83. [PMID: 25370465 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-0388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine whether HERV-K envelope (ENV) protein could function as a tumor-associated antigen and elicit specific T-cell responses against autologous ovarian cancer cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The expression of HERV-K transcripts and ENV protein, the presence of serum antibodies against HERV-K, reverse transcriptase (RT) activities, and cellular immune responses in primary ovarian cancer tissues and patient blood samples were analyzed and compared with samples from patients with benign ovarian diseases and normal female donors. RESULTS Ovarian cancer cells in primary tumors and ascites expressed markers of cancer stem cells and markers of both mesenchymal and epithelial cells. Expression of HERV transcripts and HERV-K ENV protein and reverse transcriptase activities were higher in ovarian cancer compared with adjacent normal and benign tissues. The ovarian cancer patient plasma also had high reverse transcriptase activities and the ovarian cancer patient sera contained HERV-K immunoreactive antibodies. HERV-K-specific T cells generated from autologous dendritic cells pulsed with HERV-K ENV antigens exhibited phenotypes and functions consistent with a cellular immune response including T-cell proliferation, IFNγ production, and HERV-K-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. Significantly higher CTL lysis of autologous tumor cells than of uninvolved normal cells was demonstrated in patients with ovarian cancer than patients with benign diseases and further enhanced lysis was observed if T regulatory cells were depleted. CONCLUSION Endogenous retroviral gene products in ovarian cancer may represent a potentially valuable new pool of tumor-associated antigens for targeting of therapeutic vaccines to ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 21(2); 471-83. ©2014 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiera Rycaj
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Joshua B Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Bingnan Yin
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Viral Oncology Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California. Viral Oncology Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Jeremy Garza
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas. Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lois M Ramondetta
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Lyndon Baines Johnson Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin Lin
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gary L Johanning
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Dean G Tang
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Feng Wang-Johanning
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas. Viral Oncology Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California. Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Arnaboldi F, Menon A, Menegola E, Di Renzo F, Mirandola L, Grizzi F, Figueroa JA, Cobos E, Jenkins M, Barajon I, Chiriva-Internati M. Sperm protein 17 is an oncofetal antigen: a lesson from a murine model. Int Rev Immunol 2014; 33:367-74. [PMID: 24811209 DOI: 10.3109/08830185.2014.911856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sperm protein 17 (Sp17) was originally identified in the flagellum of spermatozoa and subsequently included in the subfamily of tumor-associated antigens known as cancer-testes antigens (CTA). Sp17 has been associated with the motility and migratory capacity in tumor cells, representing a link between gene expression patterns in germinal and tumor cells of different histological origins. Here we review the relevance of Sp17 expression in the mouse embryo and cancerous tissues, and present additional data demonstrating Sp17 complex expression pattern in this murine model. The expression of Sp17 in embryonic as well as adult neoplastic cells, but not normal tissues, suggests this protein should be considered an "oncofetal antigen." Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms and functional significance of Sp17 aberrant expression in human adult cells and its implication in the pathobiology of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Arnaboldi
- 1Department of Human Morphology and Biomedical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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GRP78 Protein Expression in Ovarian Cancer Patients and Perspectives for a Drug-Targeting Approach. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2012; 2012:468615. [PMID: 22481929 PMCID: PMC3317113 DOI: 10.1155/2012/468615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucose-regulated protein of 78 kD (GRP78) is a chaperone protein mainly located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This protein is normally present at low levels in adult cells but its expression is triggered by ER stress including glucose deprivation and hypoxia. In tumor cells, it is overexpressed with fraction of protein found at the cell surface. This paper presents the physiology of GRP78 in the context of ovarian cancer and its potential use as drug delivery systems targeting ovarian cancer cell.
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