1
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Fatma H, Siddique HR. Cancer cell plasticity, stem cell factors, and therapy resistance: how are they linked? Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:423-440. [PMID: 37796391 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10144-9] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity can occur naturally in an organism and is considered an adapting mechanism during the developmental stage. However, abnormal cellular plasticity is observed in different diseased conditions, including cancer. Cancer cell plasticity triggers the stimuli of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), abnormal epigenetic changes, expression of stem cell factors and implicated signaling pathways, etc., and helps in the maintenance of CSC phenotype. Conversely, CSC maintains the cancer cell plasticity, EMT, and epigenetic plasticity. EMT contributes to increased cell migration and greater diversity within tumors, while epigenetic changes, stem cell factors (OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2), and various signaling pathways allow cancer cells to maintain various phenotypes, giving rise to intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. The intricate relationships between cancer cell plasticity and stem cell factors help the tumor cells adopt drug-tolerant states, evade senescence, and successfully acquire drug resistance with treatment dismissal. Inhibiting molecules/signaling pathways involved in promoting CSCs, cellular plasticity, EMT, and epigenetic plasticity might be helpful for successful cancer therapy management. This review discussed the role of cellular plasticity, EMT, and stem cell factors in tumor initiation, progression, reprogramming, and therapy resistance. Finally, we discussed how the intervention in this axis will help better manage cancers and improve patient survivability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Fatma
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Lab, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, 202002, India
| | - Hifzur R Siddique
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Lab, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, 202002, India.
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2
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Xie X, Wu Q, Zhang K, Liu Y, Zhang N, Chen Q, Wang L, Li W, Zhang J, Liu Y. O-GlcNAc modification regulates MTA1 transcriptional activity during breast cancer cell genotoxic adaptation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129930. [PMID: 34019948 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromatin modifier metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1), closely associated with tumor angiogenesis in breast cancer, plays an important role in gene expression and cancer cell behavior. Recently, an association between O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and MTA1 was identified by mass spectroscopy. However, the potential relationship between MTA1 and O-GlcNAc modification has not yet explored. METHODS In the current study, the role of MTA1 and its O-GlcNAc modification in breast cancer cell genotoxic adaptation was investigated through quantitative proteomics, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq), transcriptome analysis, and loss- and gain-of-function experiments. RESULTS We demonstrate that the O-GlcNAc modification promotes MTA1 to interaction with chromatin and thus changes the expression of target genes, contributing to breast cancer cell genotoxic adaptation. MTA1 is modified with O-GlcNAc residues at serine (S) residues S237/S241/S246 in adriamycin-adaptive breast cancer cells, and this modification improves the genome-wide interactions of MTA1 with gene promotor regions by enhancing its association with nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation (NuRD) complex. Further, O-GlcNAc modification modulates MTA1 chromatin binding, influencing the specific transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the adaptation of breast cancer cells to genotoxic stress. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for O-GlcNAc-modified MTA1 in transcriptional regulation and suggest that the O-GlcNAc modification is a key to the molecular regulation of chemoresistance in breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Xie
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Qiutong Wu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Keren Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yimin Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Nana Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Qiushi Chen
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lingyan Wang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Wenli Li
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Jianing Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China..
| | - Yubo Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China..
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3
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Kimm MA, Klenk C, Alunni-Fabbroni M, Kästle S, Stechele M, Ricke J, Eisenblätter M, Wildgruber M. Tumor-Associated Macrophages-Implications for Molecular Oncology and Imaging. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040374. [PMID: 33918295 PMCID: PMC8066018 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) represent the largest group of leukocytes within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of solid tumors and orchestrate the composition of anti- as well as pro-tumorigenic factors. This makes TAMs an excellent target for novel cancer therapies. The plasticity of TAMs resulting in varying membrane receptors and expression of intracellular proteins allow the specific characterization of different subsets of TAMs. Those markers similarly allow tracking of TAMs by different means of molecular imaging. This review aims to provides an overview of the origin of tumor-associated macrophages, their polarization in different subtypes, and how characteristic markers of the subtypes can be used as targets for molecular imaging and theranostic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A. Kimm
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Christopher Klenk
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Marianna Alunni-Fabbroni
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Sophia Kästle
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Matthias Stechele
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Jens Ricke
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
| | - Michel Eisenblätter
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Freiburg University Hospital, 79106 Freiburg, Germany;
| | - Moritz Wildgruber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (M.A.K.); (C.K.); (M.A.-F.); (S.K.); (M.S.); (J.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-0-89-4400-76640
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4
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Ranganathan S, Kumar S, Mohanty SS, Jolly MK, Rangarajan A. Cellular Plasticity in Matrix-attached and -Detached Cells: Implications in Metastasis. J Indian Inst Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-020-00179-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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5
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Anuradha, Patel S, Patle R, Parameswaran P, Jain A, Shard A. Design, computational studies, synthesis and biological evaluation of thiazole-based molecules as anticancer agents. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 134:20-30. [PMID: 30965082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abolition of cancer warrants effective treatment modalities directed towards specific pathways dysregulated in tumor proliferation and survival. The antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins are significantly altered in several tumor types which position them as striking targets for therapeutic intervention. Here we designed, computationally evaluated, synthesized, and biologically tested structurally optimized thiazole-based small molecules as anticancer agents. METHODS The virtually designed 200 molecules were subjected to rigorous docking and in silico ADME-Toxicity studies. Out of this, 23 skeletally diverse thiazole-based molecules which passed pan assay interference compounds (PAINS) filter and were synthetically feasible were synthesized in 3 steps using cheap and readily available reagents. The molecules were in vitro evaluated against Bcl-2-Jurkat, A-431 cancerous cell lines and ARPE-19 cell lines. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation studies were performed to analyse conformational changes induced by ligand 32 in Bcl-2. Flow cytometry analysis of compound 32 treated Bcl-2 cells was done to check apoptosis. RESULTS The molecules exhibited appreciable interactions with Bcl-2 and were having acceptable drug like properties as tested in silico. The multi step synthesis yielded 23 skeletally diverse thiazole-based molecules in up to 80% yield. The molecules simultaneously inhibited Bcl-2 Jurkat cells in vitro without causing detectable toxicity to normal cells (ARPE-19 cells). Among them molecules 32, 50, 53, 57 and 59 showed considerable activities against Bcl-2 Jurkat and A-431cell lines at concentrations ranging from 32-46 μM and 34-52 μM, respectively. The standard doxorubicin exhibited IC50 in Bcl-2 Jurkat and A-431cell lines at 45.87 μM and 42.37 μM, respectively. The molecule 32, almost equipotent in both the cell lines was subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with Bcl-2 protein (4IEH). It was shown that 32 interacted with protein majorly via hydrophobic interactions and few H-bonding interactions. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis established that molecule is dragging cancerous cells towards apoptosis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The chemical intuition was checked by computation coupled with biological results confirmed that thiazole-based hits have the potential to be developed downstream into potent and safer leads against antiapoptotic Bcl-2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India
| | - Sagarkumar Patel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India
| | - Rajkumar Patle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India
| | - Preethi Parameswaran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India
| | - Alok Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India.
| | - Amit Shard
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad, Opposite Air Force Station, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India.
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6
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Zhang X, Xiang J. Remodeling the Microenvironment before Occurrence and Metastasis of Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:105-113. [PMID: 30662351 PMCID: PMC6329933 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.28669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis and progression of cancer are complex processes which transformed cells and stromal cells interact and co-evolve. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors cause the mutations of cells. The survival of transformed cells critically depends on the circumstances which they reside. The malignant transformed cancer cells reprogram the microenvironment locally and systemically. The formation of premetastatic niche in the secondary organs facilitates cancer cells survival in the distant organs. This review outlines the current understanding of the key roles of premalignant niche and premetastatic niche in cancer progression. We proposed that a niche facilitates survival of transformed cells is characteristics of senescence, stromal fibrosis and obese microenvironment. We also proposed the formation of premetastatic niche in secondary organs is critically influenced by primary cancer cells. Therefore, it suggested that strategies to target the niche can be promising approach to eradicate cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xina Zhang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.,Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Juanjuan Xiang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.,Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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7
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Jia D, Jolly MK, Kulkarni P, Levine H. Phenotypic Plasticity and Cell Fate Decisions in Cancer: Insights from Dynamical Systems Theory. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:E70. [PMID: 28640191 PMCID: PMC5532606 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9070070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Waddington's epigenetic landscape, a famous metaphor in developmental biology, depicts how a stem cell progresses from an undifferentiated phenotype to a differentiated one. The concept of "landscape" in the context of dynamical systems theory represents a high-dimensional space, in which each cell phenotype is considered as an "attractor" that is determined by interactions between multiple molecular players, and is buffered against environmental fluctuations. In addition, biological noise is thought to play an important role during these cell-fate decisions and in fact controls transitions between different phenotypes. Here, we discuss the phenotypic transitions in cancer from a dynamical systems perspective and invoke the concept of "cancer attractors"-hidden stable states of the underlying regulatory network that are not occupied by normal cells. Phenotypic transitions in cancer occur at varying levels depending on the context. Using epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stem-like properties, metabolic reprogramming and the emergence of therapy resistance as examples, we illustrate how phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells enables them to acquire hybrid phenotypes (such as hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and hybrid metabolic phenotypes) that tend to be more aggressive and notoriously resilient to therapies such as chemotherapy and androgen-deprivation therapy. Furthermore, we highlight multiple factors that may give rise to phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells, such as (a) multi-stability or oscillatory behaviors governed by underlying regulatory networks involved in cell-fate decisions in cancer cells, and (b) network rewiring due to conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that are highly enriched in cancer cells. We conclude by discussing why a therapeutic approach that promotes "recanalization", i.e., the exit from "cancer attractors" and re-entry into "normal attractors", is more likely to succeed rather than a conventional approach that targets individual molecules/pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongya Jia
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
- Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
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8
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Raimondi C, Carpino G, Nicolazzo C, Gradilone A, Gianni W, Gelibter A, Gaudio E, Cortesi E, Gazzaniga P. PD-L1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in circulating tumor cells from non-small cell lung cancer patients: A molecular shield to evade immune system ?. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1315488. [PMID: 29209560 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1315488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway has emerged as a critical inhibitory pathway regulating T-cell response in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the development of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has changed the landscape of NSCLC therapy. Nevertheless, the high degree of non-responders demonstrates that we are still far from completely understanding the events underlying tumor immune resistance. Although the expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissue has been correlated with clinical response to anti PD-1 inhibitors, the ability of this marker to discriminate the subgroup of patients who derive benefit from immunotherapy is suboptimal. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), as an accessible source of tumor for biologic characterization that can be serially obtained with minimally invasive procedure, hold significant promise to facilitate treatment-specific biomarkers discovery. We recently demonstrated that the presence of PD-L1 on CTCs apparently predicts resistance to the anti-PD-1 Nivolumab in metastatic NSCLC patients and that PD-L1 positive CTCs usually have an elongated morphology that can be ascribed to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We here demonstrate for the first time that PD-L1 positive CTCs isolated from NSCLC patients are characterized by partial EMT phenotype, and hypothesize that the co-expression of PD-L1 and EMT markers might represent for these cells a possible molecular background for immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Raimondi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italia
| | - Guido Carpino
- Dipartimento di Anatomia, Istologia, Medicina Forense e Scienze Ortopediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia
| | - Chiara Nicolazzo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italia
| | - Angela Gradilone
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italia
| | - Walter Gianni
- Policlinico Umberto I, II Clinica Medica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia
| | - Alain Gelibter
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche ed Anatomopatologiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Dipartimento di Anatomia, Istologia, Medicina Forense e Scienze Ortopediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia
| | - Enrico Cortesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche ed Anatomopatologiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia
| | - Paola Gazzaniga
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italia
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9
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Epigenetic regulation of HGF/Met receptor axis is critical for the outgrowth of bone metastasis from breast carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2578. [PMID: 28151481 PMCID: PMC5386451 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Our translational research deals with the influence of microenvironment on the phenotype and colonization of bone metastases from breast carcinoma, and on pre-metastatic niche formation. The aim of the present study was to clarify the origin of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), ligand of Met receptor, the control of the axis HGF/Met by DNA methylation, and its importance for the nexus supportive cells-metastatic cells and for metastasis outgrowth. In bone metastasis of the 1833-xenograft model, DNA methyltransferase blockade using the chemotherapic drug 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (decitabine) strongly reduced the expression of HGF/Met receptor axis and of E-cadherin, with decrease of metastasis wideness and osteolysis, prolonging mice survival. Thus, DNA methylation events acted as commanders of breast carcinoma cells metastatizing to bone influencing the epithelial phenotype. HGF emerged as a bone-marrow stimulus, and the exosomes seemed to furnish HGF to metastatic cells. In fact, decitabine treatment similarly affected some markers of these microvesicles and HGF, indicating that its supply to recipient cells was prevented. Notably, in bone metastasis the hypomethylation of HGF, Met and E-cadherin promoters did not appear responsible for their elevated expression, but we suggest the involvement of hypermethylated regulators and of Wwox oncosuppressor, the latter being affected by decitabine. Wwox expression increased under decitabine strongly localizing in nuclei of bone metastases. We hypothesize a role of Wwox in Met activity since in vitro Wwox overexpression downregulated the level of nuclear-Met protein fragment and Met stability, also under long exposure of 1833 cells to decitabine. HGF enhanced phosphoMet and the activity in nuclei, an effect partially prevented by decitabine. Altogether, the data indicated the importance to target the tumor microenvironment by blocking epigenetic mechanisms, which control critical events for colonization such as HGF/Met axis and Wwox, as therapy of bone metastasis.
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10
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Ferrao PT. Taking out the JNK: A window of opportunity to improve cancer therapy. Mol Cell Oncol 2016; 3:e1128515. [PMID: 27314087 DOI: 10.1080/23723556.2015.1128515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
c-JUN-N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling is a stress-induced response that enables survival of normal cells and is also utilized by cancer cells to evade therapy. Combining JNK inhibitors with standard therapies provides a potential strategy for overcoming drug resistance. Use of the optimal combination dosing and scheduling may substantially improve outcomes for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petranel T Ferrao
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Pathology and The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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11
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Ramsdale R, Jorissen RN, Li FZ, Al-Obaidi S, Ward T, Sheppard KE, Bukczynska PE, Young RJ, Boyle SE, Shackleton M, Bollag G, Long GV, Tulchinsky E, Rizos H, Pearson RB, McArthur GA, Dhillon AS, Ferrao PT. The transcription cofactor c-JUN mediates phenotype switching and BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma. Sci Signal 2015; 8:ra82. [PMID: 26286024 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aab1111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Most patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma display remarkable but incomplete and short-lived responses to inhibitors of the BRAF kinase or the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), collectively BRAF/MEK inhibitors. We found that inherent resistance to these agents in BRAF(V600)-mutant melanoma cell lines was associated with high abundance of c-JUN and characteristics of a mesenchymal-like phenotype. Early drug adaptation in drug-sensitive cell lines grown in culture or as xenografts, and in patient samples during therapy, was consistently characterized by down-regulation of SPROUTY4 (a negative feedback regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases and the BRAF-MEK signaling pathway), increased expression of JUN and reduced expression of LEF1. This coincided with a switch in phenotype that resembled an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In cultured cells, these BRAF inhibitor-induced changes were reversed upon removal of the drug. Knockdown of SPROUTY4 was sufficient to increase the abundance of c-JUN in the absence of drug treatment. Overexpressing c-JUN in drug-naïve melanoma cells induced similar EMT-like phenotypic changes to BRAF inhibitor treatment, whereas knocking down JUN abrogated the BRAF inhibitor-induced early adaptive changes associated with resistance and enhanced cell death. Combining the BRAF inhibitor with an inhibitor of c-JUN amino-terminal kinase (JNK) reduced c-JUN phosphorylation, decreased cell migration, and increased cell death in melanoma cells. Gene expression data from a panel of melanoma cell lines and a patient cohort showed that JUN expression correlated with a mesenchymal gene signature, implicating c-JUN as a key mediator of the mesenchymal-like phenotype associated with drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ramsdale
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Robert N Jorissen
- Systems Biology and Personalised Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Frederic Z Li
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Sheren Al-Obaidi
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Teresa Ward
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Karen E Sheppard
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Patricia E Bukczynska
- Molecular Therapeutics and Biomarkers Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Richard J Young
- Molecular Therapeutics and Biomarkers Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Samantha E Boyle
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Cancer Development and Treatment Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Mark Shackleton
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Cancer Development and Treatment Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Gideon Bollag
- Plexxikon Inc., 91 Bolivar Drive, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2060, Australia. University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Eugene Tulchinsky
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Helen Rizos
- Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2060, Australia. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Richard B Pearson
- Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Cancer Signalling Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Grant A McArthur
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia
| | - Amardeep S Dhillon
- Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Petranel T Ferrao
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St. Andrew's Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Cancer Therapeutics Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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