1
|
Frąszczak K, Barczyński B. The Role of Cancer Stem Cell Markers in Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:40. [PMID: 38201468 PMCID: PMC10778113 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer and the eighth most common female cancer. The early diagnosis of ovarian cancer remains a clinical problem despite the significant development of technology. Nearly 70% of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with stages III-IV metastatic disease. Reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are currently lacking. Ovarian cancer recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy pose vital problems and translate into poor outcomes. Cancer stem cells appear to be responsible for tumour recurrence resulting from chemotherapeutic resistance. These cells are also crucial for tumour initiation due to the ability to self-renew, differentiate, avoid immune destruction, and promote inflammation and angiogenesis. Studies have confirmed an association between CSC occurrence and resistance to chemotherapy, subsequent metastases, and cancer relapses. Therefore, the elimination of CSCs appears important for overcoming drug resistance and improving prognoses. This review focuses on the expression of selected ovarian CSC markers, including CD133, CD44, CD24, CD117, and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1, which show potential prognostic significance. Some markers expressed on the surface of CSCs correlate with clinical features and can be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian cancer. However, due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of CSCs, the determination of specific CSC phenotypes is difficult.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bartłomiej Barczyński
- 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, Medical University in Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Szymanowski W, Szymanowska A, Bielawska A, Lopez-Berestein G, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Amero P. Aptamers as Potential Therapeutic Tools for Ovarian Cancer: Advancements and Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5300. [PMID: 37958473 PMCID: PMC10647731 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most common lethal gynecologic cause of death in women worldwide, with a high mortality rate and increasing incidence. Despite advancements in the treatment, most OC patients still die from their disease due to late-stage diagnosis, the lack of effective diagnostic methods, and relapses. Aptamers, synthetic, short single-stranded oligonucleotides, have emerged as promising anticancer therapeutics. Their ability to selectively bind to target molecules, including cancer-related proteins and receptors, has revolutionized drug discovery and biomarker identification. Aptamers offer unique insights into the molecular pathways involved in cancer development and progression. Moreover, they show immense potential as drug delivery systems, enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells while minimizing off-target effects and reducing systemic toxicity. In the context of OC, the integration of aptamers with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) presents an opportunity for precise and efficient gene targeting. Additionally, the conjugation of aptamers with nanoparticles allows for accurate and targeted delivery of ncRNAs to specific cells, tissues, or organs. In this review, we will summarize the potential use and challenges associated with the use of aptamers alone or aptamer-ncRNA conjugates, nanoparticles, and multivalent aptamer-based therapeutics for the treatment of OC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Szymanowski
- Department of Biotechnology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland; (W.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Anna Szymanowska
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
| | - Anna Bielawska
- Department of Biotechnology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland; (W.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paola Amero
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Khella CA, Franciosa L, Rodirguez-Rodriguez L, Rajkarnikar R, Mythreye K, Gatza ML. HCK Promotes High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Tumorigenesis through CD44 and NOTCH3 Signaling. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:1037-1049. [PMID: 37342066 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a highly aggressive and lethal subtype of ovarian cancer. While most patients initially respond to standard-of-care treatment, the majority will eventually relapse and succumb to their disease. Despite significant advances in our understanding of this disease, the mechanisms that govern the distinctions between HGSOC with good and poor prognosis remain unclear. In this study, we implemented a proteogenomic approach to analyze gene expression, proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiles of HGSOC tumor samples to identify molecular pathways that distinguish HGSOC tumors relative to clinical outcome. Our analyses identify significant upregulation of hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK) expression and signaling in poor prognostic HGSOC patient samples. Analyses of independent gene expression datasets and IHC of patient samples confirmed increased HCK signaling in tumors relative to normal fallopian or ovarian samples and demonstrated aberrant expression in tumor epithelial cells. Consistent with the association between HCK expression and tumor aggressiveness in patient samples, in vitro phenotypic studies showed that HCK can, in part, promote cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasive capacity of cell lines. Mechanistically, HCK mediates these phenotypes, partly through CD44 and NOTCH3-dependent signaling, and inhibiting CD44 or NOTCH3 activity, either genetically or through gamma-secretase inhibitors, can revert HCK-driven phenotypes. IMPLICATIONS Collectively, these studies establish that HCK acts as an oncogenic driver of HGSOC through aberrant activation of CD44 and NOTCH3 signaling and identifies this network as a potential therapeutic opportunity in a subset of patients with aggressive and recurrent HGSOC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christen A Khella
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
- School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | | | | | - Resha Rajkarnikar
- Department of Pathology and O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Pathology and O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Michael L Gatza
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
El Baba R, Haidar Ahmad S, Monnien F, Mansar R, Bibeau F, Herbein G. Polyploidy, EZH2 upregulation, and transformation in cytomegalovirus-infected human ovarian epithelial cells. Oncogene 2023; 42:3047-3061. [PMID: 37634008 PMCID: PMC10555822 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02813-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been implicated in epithelial ovarian cancer (OC). Polyploidy giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been observed in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC); they possess cancer stem cell-like characteristics and give rise to progeny cells expressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. EZH2 plays a potential oncogenic role, correlating with high proliferative index and tumor grade in OC. Herein, we present the experimental evidence for HCMV as a reprogramming vector that elicited human ovarian epithelial cells (OECs) transformation leading to the generation of "CMV-transformed Ovarian cells" (CTO). The infection with the two high-risk clinical strains, namely HCMV-DB and BL provoked a distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms in infected OECs. EZH2 upregulation and cellular proliferation were curtailed by using EZH2 inhibitors. The HGSOC biopsies were characterized by an elevated EZH2 expression, possessing a strong positive correlation between the aforementioned marker and HCMV. From HGSOC biopsies, we isolated three HCMV clinical strains that transformed OECs generating CTO cells which displayed proliferative potentials in addition to EZH2 upregulation and PGCCs generation; these features were reduced upon EZH2 inhibition. High-risk HCMV strains transformed OECs confirming an HCMV-induced epithelial ovarian cancer model and highlighting EZH2 tumorigenic properties. Our findings might be highly relevant in the pathophysiology of ovarian tumors thereby nominating new targeted therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ranim El Baba
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Sandy Haidar Ahmad
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | | | - Racha Mansar
- Department of Pathology, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | | | - Georges Herbein
- Department of Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB Laboratory EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
- Department of Virology, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iżycka N, Zaborowski MP, Ciecierski Ł, Jaz K, Szubert S, Miedziarek C, Rezler M, Piątek-Bajan K, Synakiewicz A, Jankowska A, Figlerowicz M, Sterzyńska K, Nowak-Markwitz E. Cancer Stem Cell Markers-Clinical Relevance and Prognostic Value in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12746. [PMID: 37628927 PMCID: PMC10454196 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) may contribute to an increased risk of recurrence in ovarian cancer (OC). Further research is needed to identify associations between CSC markers and OC patients' clinical outcomes with greater certainty. If they prove to be correct, in the future, the CSC markers can be used to help predict survival and indicate new therapeutic targets. This study aimed to determine the CSC markers at mRNA and protein levels and their association with clinical presentation, outcome, and risk of recurrence in HGSOC (High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer). TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database with 558 ovarian cancer tumor samples was used for the evaluation of 13 CSC markers (ALDH1A1, CD44, EPCAM, KIT, LGR5, NES, NOTCH3, POU5F1, PROM1, PTTG1, ROR1, SOX9, and THY1). Data on mRNA and protein levels assessed by microarray and mass spectrometry were retrieved from TCGA. Models to predict chemotherapy response and survival were built using multiple variables, including epidemiological data, expression levels, and machine learning methodology. ALDH1A1 and LGR5 mRNA expressions indicated a higher platinum sensitivity (p = 3.50 × 10-3; p = 0.01, respectively). POU5F1 mRNA expression marked platinum-resistant tumors (p = 9.43 × 10-3). CD44 and EPCAM mRNA expression correlated with longer overall survival (OS) (p = 0.043; p = 0.039, respectively). THY1 mRNA and protein levels were associated with worse OS (p = 0.019; p = 0.015, respectively). Disease-free survival (DFS) was positively affected by EPCAM (p = 0.004), LGR5 (p = 0.018), and CD44 (p = 0.012). In the multivariate model based on CSC marker expression, the high-risk group had 9.1 months longer median overall survival than the low-risk group (p < 0.001). ALDH1A1, CD44, EPCAM, LGR5, POU5F1, and THY1 levels in OC may be used as prognostic factors for the primary outcome and help predict the treatment response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Iżycka
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Mikołaj Piotr Zaborowski
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
- European Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland (M.F.)
| | - Łukasz Ciecierski
- European Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland (M.F.)
| | - Kamila Jaz
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Sebastian Szubert
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Cezary Miedziarek
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Marta Rezler
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Kinga Piątek-Bajan
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Aneta Synakiewicz
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| | - Anna Jankowska
- Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 5D St., 60-806 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- European Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland (M.F.)
| | - Karolina Sterzyńska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Swiecickiego 6 St., 61-781 Poznan, Poland
| | - Ewa Nowak-Markwitz
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33 St., 60-535 Poznan, Poland (S.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fernández-Tabanera E, García-García L, Rodríguez-Martín C, Cervera ST, González-González L, Robledo C, Josa S, Martínez S, Chapado L, Monzón S, Melero-Fernández de Mera RM, Alonso J. CD44 Modulates Cell Migration and Invasion in Ewing Sarcoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11774. [PMID: 37511533 PMCID: PMC10381016 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The chimeric EWSR1::FLI1 transcription factor is the main oncogenic event in Ewing sarcoma. Recently, it has been proposed that EWSR1::FLI1 levels can fluctuate in Ewing sarcoma cells, giving rise to two cell populations. EWSR1::FLI1low cells present a migratory and invasive phenotype, while EWSR1::FLI1high cells are more proliferative. In this work, we described how the CD44 standard isoform (CD44s), a transmembrane protein involved in cell adhesion and migration, is overexpressed in the EWSR1::FLI1low phenotype. The functional characterization of CD44s (proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion ability) was performed in three doxycycline-inducible Ewing sarcoma cell models (A673, MHH-ES1, and CADO-ES1). As a result, CD44s expression reduced cell proliferation in all the cell lines tested without affecting clonogenicity. Additionally, CD44s increased cell migration in A673 and MHH-ES1, without effects in CADO-ES1. As hyaluronan is the main ligand of CD44s, its effect on migration ability was also assessed, showing that high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) blocked cell migration while low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) increased it. Invasion ability was correlated with CD44 expression in A673 and MHH-ES1 cell lines. CD44s, upregulated upon EWSR1::FLI1 knockdown, regulates cell migration and invasion in Ewing sarcoma cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Fernández-Tabanera
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (U758, CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28015 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura García-García
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Rodríguez-Martín
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (U758, CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Saint T Cervera
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (U758, CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura González-González
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Robledo
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Josa
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Selene Martínez
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Chapado
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Monzón
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel M Melero-Fernández de Mera
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (U758, CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Alonso
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras (IIER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (U758, CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhao Y, Qin C, Zhao B, Wang Y, Li Z, Li T, Yang X, Wang W. Pancreatic cancer stemness: dynamic status in malignant progression. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:122. [PMID: 37173787 PMCID: PMC10182699 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02693-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that the capacity for self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs) contribute to major challenges with current PC therapies, causing metastasis and therapeutic resistance, leading to recurrence and death in patients. The concept that PCSCs are characterized by their high plasticity and self-renewal capacities is central to this review. We focused specifically on the regulation of PCSCs, such as stemness-related signaling pathways, stimuli in tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as the development of innovative stemness-targeted therapies. Understanding the biological behavior of PCSCs with plasticity and the molecular mechanisms regulating PC stemness will help to identify new treatment strategies to treat this horrible disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Bangbo Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeru Li
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Weibin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China.
- National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure On Translational Medicine in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100023, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Englisz A, Smycz-Kubańska M, Mielczarek-Palacz A. Evaluation of the Potential Diagnostic Utility of the Determination of Selected Immunological and Molecular Parameters in Patients with Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13101714. [PMID: 37238197 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13101714] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious challenges in modern gynaecological oncology. Due to its non-specific symptoms and the lack of an effective screening procedure to detect the disease at an early stage, ovarian cancer is still marked by a high mortality rate among women. For this reason, a great deal of research is being carried out to find new markers that can be used in the detection of ovarian cancer to improve early diagnosis and survival rates of women with ovarian cancer. Our study focuses on presenting the currently used diagnostic markers and the latest selected immunological and molecular parameters being currently investigated for their potential use in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Englisz
- The Doctoral School, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Marta Smycz-Kubańska
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Mielczarek-Palacz
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lansbergen MF, Khelil M, Etten-Jamaludin FSV, Bijlsma MF, van Laarhoven HWM. Poor-prognosis molecular subtypes in adenocarcinomas of pancreato-biliary and gynecological origin: A systematic review. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 185:103982. [PMID: 37004743 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.103982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreato-biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas need better tools to predict clinical outcome. Potential prognostic mesenchymal(-like) transcriptome-based subtypes have been identified in these cancers. In this systematic review, we include studies into molecular subtyping and summarize biological and clinical features of the subtypes within and across sites of origin, searching for suggestions to improve classification and prognostication. PubMed and Embase were searched for original research articles describing potential mesenchymal(-like) mRNA-based subtypes in pancreato-biliary or gynecological adenocarcinomas. Studies limited to supervised clustering were excluded. Fourty-four studies, discussing cholangiocarcinomas, gallbladder, ampullary, pancreatic, ovarian, and endometrial adenocarcinomas were included. There was overlap in molecular and clinical features in mesenchymal(-like) subtypes across all adenocarcinomas. Approaches including microdissection were more likely to identify prognosis-associating subtypes. To conclude, molecular subtypes in pancreato-biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas share biological and clinical characteristics. Furthermore, separation of stromal and epithelial signals should be applied in future studies into biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein F Lansbergen
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Maryam Khelil
- University of Amsterdam, Spui 21, 1012 WX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Faridi S van Etten-Jamaludin
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Research Support Medical Library, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten F Bijlsma
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Jaarbeursplein 6, 3521 AL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke W M van Laarhoven
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Varier L, Sundaram SM, Gamit N, Warrier S. An Overview of Ovarian Cancer: The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Chemoresistance and a Precision Medicine Approach Targeting the Wnt Pathway with the Antagonist sFRP4. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041275. [PMID: 36831617 PMCID: PMC9954718 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most prevalent gynecological cancers, having a relatively high fatality rate with a low five-year chance of survival when detected in late stages. The early detection, treatment and prevention of metastasis is pertinent and a pressing research priority as many patients are diagnosed only in stage three of ovarian cancer. Despite surgical interventions, targeted immunotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy, relapses are significantly higher than other cancers, suggesting the dire need to identify the root cause of metastasis and relapse and present more precise therapeutic options. In this review, we first describe types of ovarian cancers, the existing markers and treatment modalities. As ovarian cancer is driven and sustained by an elusive and highly chemoresistant population of cancer stem cells (CSCs), their role and the associated signature markers are exhaustively discussed. Non-invasive diagnostic markers, which can be identified early in the disease using circulating tumor cells (CTCs), are also described. The mechanism of the self-renewal, chemoresistance and metastasis of ovarian CSCs is regulated by the Wnt signaling pathway. Thus, its role in ovarian cancer in promoting stemness and metastasis is delineated. Based on our findings, we propose a novel strategy of Wnt inhibition using a well-known Wnt antagonist, secreted frizzled related protein 4 (sFRP4), wherein short micropeptides derived from the whole protein can be used as powerful inhibitors. The latest approaches to early diagnosis and novel treatment strategies emphasized in this review will help design precision medicine approaches for an effective capture and destruction of highly aggressive ovarian cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Varier
- Cuor Stem Cellutions Pvt Ltd., Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore 560 065, India
| | - S. Mohana Sundaram
- Division of Cancer Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Regeneration, Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore 560 065, India
| | - Naisarg Gamit
- Division of Cancer Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Regeneration, Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore 560 065, India
| | - Sudha Warrier
- Cuor Stem Cellutions Pvt Ltd., Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore 560 065, India
- Division of Cancer Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Regeneration, Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore 560 065, India
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wei Z, Gan J, Feng X, Zhang M, Chen Z, Zhao H, Du Y. APOBEC3B is overexpressed in cervical cancer and promotes the proliferation of cervical cancer cells through apoptosis, cell cycle, and p53 pathway. Front Oncol 2022; 12:864889. [PMID: 36249021 PMCID: PMC9556651 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.864889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective APOBEC3B (A3B), a member of the APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases, has been gradually regarded as a key cancerous regulator. However, its expression and mechanism in cervical cancer (CC) have not been fully elucidated. This study was to investigate its expression pattern and potential mechanism on the cell cycle, as well as HPV oncogenes in CC. Methods Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression (GEO) were used to indicate the mRNA expression pattern of A3B in cervical cancer. Western blot assay was used to detect A3B levels in SiHa and Hela cell lines. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to explore A3B protein abundance and sublocation in cervical cancer as well as normal cervical tissues. Based on the Protein atlas (www.proteinatlas.org), A3B expression in the SiHa cell line is lower than in the HeLa cell line. Therefore, the SiHa cell line was used for A3B gene overexpression experiments while the HeLa cell line was used for knockdown experiments. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect cell apoptosis. Biological function and cancer-related pathways of A3B were conducted using bioinformatics analysis. Results A3B mRNA was significantly overexpressed in cervical cancer in TCGA-cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), GSE67522, and GSE7803. A3B was more highly expressed in cervical cancers than in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and normal controls. A3B expression was found to be progressively activated during cervical cancer development. IHC results showed that A3B was significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues than in normal cervical tissues. A3B plasmid-mediated overexpression experiments and A3B siRNA-mediated knockdown experiments showed that A3B significantly promotes cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and chemoresistance in cervical cancer cells by the p53 pathway. GO and KEGG analyses showed that A3B expression was strikingly associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immune-associated pathways. Conclusions Taken together, our study implies that A3B promotes cell proliferation, migration, and cell cycle and inhibits cancer cell apoptosis through the p53-mediated signaling pathway. Moreover, A3B could also contribute to chemoresistance in cervical cancer cells. It may be a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for chemoresistant cervical cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Gan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Feng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mo Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixian Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongbo Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yan Du, ; Hongbo Zhao,
| | - Yan Du
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yan Du, ; Hongbo Zhao,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Role of CD44 isoforms in epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and metastasis. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:391-406. [PMID: 35023031 PMCID: PMC10042269 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-022-10146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity lies at the core of cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. Stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer are concepts that represent a cancer cell's ability to coopt and adapt normal developmental programs to promote survival and expansion. The cancer stem cell model states that a small subset of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties are responsible for driving tumorigenesis and metastasis while remaining especially resistant to common chemotherapeutic drugs. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity describes a cancer cell's ability to transition between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes which drives invasion and metastasis. Recent research supports the existence of stable epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid phenotypes which represent highly plastic states with cancer stem cell characteristics. The cell adhesion molecule CD44 is a widely accepted marker for cancer stem cells, and it lies at a functional intersection between signaling networks regulating both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. CD44 expression is complex, with alternative splicing producing many isoforms. Interestingly, not only does the pattern of isoform expression change during transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes in cancer, but these isoforms have distinct effects on cell behavior including the promotion of metastasis and stemness. The role of CD44 both downstream and upstream of signaling pathways regulating epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness make this protein a valuable target for further research and therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
|
13
|
Butylidenephthalide Abrogates the Snail-Induced Cancer Stemness in Oral Carcinomas. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116157. [PMID: 35682836 PMCID: PMC9180956 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, especially in South Central Asia. It has been suggested that cancer stem cells (CSC) play crucial roles in tumor relapse and metastasis, and approaches to target CSC may lead to promising results. Here, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and CD44 were utilized to isolate CSCs of oral cancer. Butylidenephthalide, a bioactive phthalide compound from Angelica sinensis, was tested for its anti-CSC effects. MTT assay showed that a lower concentration of butylidenephthalide was sufficient to inhibit the proliferation of patient-derived ALDH1+/CD44+ cells without affecting normal cells. Administration of butylidenephthalide not only reduced ALDH1 activity and CD44 expression, it also suppressed the migration, invasion, and colony formation abilities of ALDH1+/CD44+ cells using a transwell system and clonogenic assay. A patient-derived xenograft mouse model supported our in vitro findings that butylidenephthalide possessed the capacity to retard tumor development. We found that butylidenephthalide dose-dependently downregulated the gene and protein expression of Sox2 and Snail. Our results demonstrated that overexpression of Snail in ALDH1-/CD44- (non-CSCs) cells induced the CSC phenotypes, whereas butylidenephthalide treatment successfully diminished the enhanced self-renewal and propagating properties. In summary, this study showed that butylidenephthalide may serve as an adjunctive for oral cancer therapy.
Collapse
|
14
|
Evaluation of hydroalcoholic extract effects of Ferula assa-foetida on expression change of EMT and CD44-related genes in gastric cancer stem cell. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
15
|
Zhou M, Li B, Liu J, Hong L. Genomic, Immunological, and Clinical Characterization of Pyroptosis in Ovarian Cancer. J Inflamm Res 2022; 14:7341-7358. [PMID: 34992421 PMCID: PMC8714015 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s344554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Pyroptosis is a form of lytic programmed cell death that is associated with the pathogenesis of many tumors. However, the potential roles of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain unclear. Materials and Methods We systematically described the genetic and transcriptional alterations in PRGs in gynecological cancers. An unsupervised clustering method was used to investigate the molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer (OV) and systematically analyze the TME cell infiltration characteristics. A prognostic signature and nomogram were established to quantify the pyroptosis patterns of individual tumors. We also analyzed the expression levels of eight PRGs in the OV tissues. Results Two distinct molecular subtypes of OV were identified, and these two distinct molecular subtypes could predict clinicopathological features, prognosis, TME stromal activity, immune infiltrating cells, and immune checkpoints. A prognostic signature was established, and its predictive capability was validated. Low risk score, characterized by activation of immunity, upregulation of programmed death-ligand 1 expression, lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion scores, lower tumor mutation burden, and favorable prognosis. These findings suggested that low-risk patients with OV may be more sensitive to immunotherapy. In addition, this signature could effectively predict the response to chemotherapy in patients with OV. Furthermore, a prognostic nomogram was generated, which exhibited superior predictive accuracy. Conclusion This study highlights the crucial role of PRGs in the TME and may help develop immunotherapies and promote individualized therapeutic strategies for patients with OV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingshu Li
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Hong
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ritch SJ, Telleria CM. The Transcoelomic Ecosystem and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Dissemination. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:886533. [PMID: 35574025 PMCID: PMC9096207 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.886533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is considered the deadliest gynecological disease and is normally diagnosed at late stages, at which point metastasis has already occurred. Throughout disease progression, EOC will encounter various ecosystems and the communication between cancer cells and these microenvironments will promote the survival and dissemination of EOC. The primary tumor is thought to develop within the ovaries or the fallopian tubes, both of which provide a microenvironment with high risk of causing DNA damage and enhanced proliferation. EOC disseminates by direct extension from the primary tumors, as single cells or multicellular aggregates. Under the influence of cellular and non-cellular factors, EOC spheroids use the natural flow of peritoneal fluid to reach distant organs within the peritoneal cavity. These cells can then implant and seed distant organs or tissues, which develop rapidly into secondary tumor nodules. The peritoneal tissue and the omentum are two common sites of EOC metastasis, providing a microenvironment that supports EOC invasion and survival. Current treatment for EOC involves debulking surgery followed by platinum-taxane combination chemotherapy; however, most patients will relapse with a chemoresistant disease with tumors developed within the peritoneum. Therefore, understanding the role of the unique microenvironments that promote EOC transcoelomic dissemination is important in improving patient outcomes from this disease. In this review article, we address the process of ovarian cancer cellular fate at the site of its origin in the secretory cells of the fallopian tube or in the ovarian surface epithelial cells, their detachment process, how the cells survive in the peritoneal fluid avoiding cell death triggers, and how cancer- associated cells help them in the process. Finally, we report the mechanisms used by the ovarian cancer cells to adhere and migrate through the mesothelial monolayer lining the peritoneum. We also discuss the involvement of the transcoelomic ecosystem on the development of chemoresistance of EOC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina J. Ritch
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Carlos M. Telleria
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Carlos M. Telleria, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-1070-3538
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hassn Mesrati M, Syafruddin SE, Mohtar MA, Syahir A. CD44: A Multifunctional Mediator of Cancer Progression. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1850. [PMID: 34944493 PMCID: PMC8699317 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CD44, a non-kinase cell surface transmembrane glycoprotein, has been widely implicated as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in several cancers. Cells overexpressing CD44 possess several CSC traits, such as self-renewal and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) capability, as well as a resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. The CD44 gene regularly undergoes alternative splicing, resulting in the standard (CD44s) and variant (CD44v) isoforms. The interaction of such isoforms with ligands, particularly hyaluronic acid (HA), osteopontin (OPN) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), drive numerous cancer-associated signalling. However, there are contradictory results regarding whether high or low CD44 expression is associated with worsening clinicopathological features, such as a higher tumour histological grade, advanced tumour stage and poorer survival rates. Nonetheless, high CD44 expression significantly contributes to enhanced tumourigenic mechanisms, such as cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, migration and stemness; hence, CD44 is an important clinical target. This review summarises current research regarding the different CD44 isoform structures and their roles and functions in supporting tumourigenesis and discusses CD44 expression regulation, CD44-signalling pathways and interactions involved in cancer development. The clinical significance and prognostic value of CD44 and the potential of CD44 as a therapeutic target in cancer are also addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malak Hassn Mesrati
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Saiful Effendi Syafruddin
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.E.S.); (M.A.M.)
| | - M. Aiman Mohtar
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.E.S.); (M.A.M.)
| | - Amir Syahir
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia;
- UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Titapun A, Luvira V, Srisuk T, Jareanrat A, Thanasukarn V, Thanee M, Sa-Ngiamwibool P, Padthaisong S, Duangkumpha K, Suksawat M, Loilome W, Sithithaworn P, Techasen A, Thinkhamrop B, Dzienny A, Caglayan A, Park D, Mahmud S, Khuntikeo N. High Levels of Serum IgG for Opisthorchis viverrini and CD44 Expression Predict Worse Prognosis for Cholangiocarcinoma Patients after Curative Resection. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:2191-2204. [PMID: 34103974 PMCID: PMC8179826 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s306339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Opisthorchis viverrini (OV)-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has a high immune response with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. CD44 and Nestin, two cancer stem cell (CSC) markers, play major roles in cancer cell survival. Effects of immune response and expression CSC markers on survival of patients with CCA remain unclear. Objective To investigate the effects of level of OV IgG together with CSC marker expression and also the combination of these markers on survival of CCA patients after curative resection. Methods All serum specimens from CCA patients who underwent curative surgery from 2005 to 2015 were examined for IgG for OV antigen by ELISA. Tissue specimens were studied for CD44 and Nestin expression. Survival analysis by Cox proportional hazard model was used for estimating hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results In this study, 122 (69.3%) of 176 were positive for OV IgG, and 35 (19.9%) were considered to have high-positive OV IgG. CD44s positive expression was found in 54 (40%), CD44v6 high expression in 96 (69.6%), CD44v8-10 high expression in 87 (63.5%) and Nestin high expression in 21 (16.1%). Multivariate survival analysis found that high-positive OV IgG and late stage tumor were independent prognostic factors with the adjusted HR of 2.24 (95% CI 1.27–3.93) and 2.78 (95% CI 1.46–5.29), respectively. Subgroup analysis in early and late stage CCA showed that a combined positive OV IgG and CD44s expression with the high expression of CD44v8-10 had the significantly poorest prognosis with HR of 3.75 (95% CI 1.61–8.72) and HR of 1.76 (95% CI 1.02–3.03), respectively. Conclusion A high level of OV IgG as well as a high level of CSC markers resulted in an aggressive CCA. OV IgG level together with CSC markers can be used as the prognostic markers for CCA patients’ survival. The study of the CD44 pathway is promising for adjuvant treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attapol Titapun
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Vor Luvira
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Tharatip Srisuk
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Apiwat Jareanrat
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Vasin Thanasukarn
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Malinee Thanee
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Prakasit Sa-Ngiamwibool
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Sureerat Padthaisong
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Kassaporn Duangkumpha
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Manida Suksawat
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Watcharin Loilome
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Paiboon Sithithaworn
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Anchalee Techasen
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Bandit Thinkhamrop
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Alexa Dzienny
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ayse Caglayan
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Park
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Simran Mahmud
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Narong Khuntikeo
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Riddle MR, Aspiras A, Damen F, McGaugh S, Tabin JA, Tabin CJ. Genetic mapping of metabolic traits in the blind Mexican cavefish reveals sex-dependent quantitative trait loci associated with cave adaptation. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:94. [PMID: 34020589 PMCID: PMC8139031 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01823-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a longstanding interest in understanding how animals adapt to environments with limited nutrients, we have incomplete knowledge of the genetic basis of metabolic evolution. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, is a species of fish that consists of two morphotypes; eyeless cavefish that have adapted to a low-nutrient cave environment, and ancestral river-dwelling surface fish with abundant access to nutrients. Cavefish have evolved altered blood sugar regulation, starvation tolerance, increased fat accumulation, and superior body condition. To investigate the genetic basis of cavefish metabolic evolution we carried out a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in surface/cave F2 hybrids. We genetically mapped seven metabolism-associated traits in hybrids that were challenged with a nutrient restricted diet. RESULTS We found that female F2 hybrids are bigger than males and have a longer hindgut, bigger liver, and heavier gonad, even after correcting for fish size. Although there is no difference between male and female blood sugar level, we found that high blood sugar is associated with weight gain in females and lower body weight and fat level in males. We identified a significant QTL associated with 24-h-fasting blood glucose level with the same effect in males and females. Differently, we identified sex-independent and sex-dependent QTL associated with fish length, body condition, liver size, hindgut length, and gonad weight. We found that some of the genes within the metabolism QTL display evidence of non-neutral evolution and are likely to be under selection. Furthermore, we report predicted nonsynonymous changes to the cavefish coding sequence of these genes. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals previously unappreciated genomic regions associated with blood glucose regulation, body condition, gonad size, and internal organ morphology. In addition, we find an interaction between sex and metabolism-related traits in A. mexicanus. We reveal coding changes in genes that are likely under selection in the low-nutrient cave environment, leading to a better understanding of the genetic basis of metabolic evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Misty R Riddle
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
| | - Ariel Aspiras
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Fleur Damen
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Suzanne McGaugh
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Julius A Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Clifford J Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Singh MS, Ramishetti S, Landesman-Milo D, Goldsmith M, Chatterjee S, Palakuri R, Peer D. Therapeutic Gene Silencing Using Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles in Metastatic Ovarian Cancer. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2100287. [PMID: 33825318 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202100287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is an aggressive tumor owing to its ability to metastasize from stage II onward. Herein, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that encapsulate combination of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1), and eukaryotic translation-initiation factor 3c (eIF3c), to target different cellular pathways essential for ovarian cancer progression are generated. The LNPs are further modified with hyaluronan (tNPs) to target cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) expressing cells. Interestingly, hyaluronan-coated LNPs (tNPs) prolong functional activity and reduce growth kinetics of spheroids in in vitro assay as compared to uncoated LNPs (uNPs) due to ≈1500-fold higher expression of CD44. Treatment of 2D and 3D cultured ovarian cancer cells with LNPs encapsulating both siRNAs result in 85% cell death and robust target gene silencing. In advanced orthotopic ovarian cancer model, intraperitoneal administration of LNPs demonstrates CD44 specific tumor targeting of tNPs compared to uNPs and robust gene silencing in tissues involved in ovarian cancer pathophysiology. At very low siRNA dose, enhanced overall survival of 60% for tNPs treated mice is observed compared to 10% and 20% for single siRNA-, eIF3c-tNP, and PLK1-tNP treatment groups, respectively. Overall, LNPs represent promising platform in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer by improving median- and overall-survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manu Smriti Singh
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Srinivas Ramishetti
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Dalit Landesman-Milo
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Meir Goldsmith
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Sushmita Chatterjee
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ramesh Palakuri
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Dan Peer
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Non-Coding RNAs as Biomarkers of Tumor Progression and Metastatic Spread in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081839. [PMID: 33921525 PMCID: PMC8069230 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite advances in cancer research in recent years, efficient predictive biomarkers of tumor progression and metastatic spread for ovarian cancer are still missing. Therefore, we critically address recent findings in the field of non-coding RNAs (microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) and DNA methylation in ovarian cancer patients as promising novel biomarkers of ovarian cancer progression. Abstract Ovarian cancer is one of the most common causes of death among gynecological malignancies. Molecular changes occurring in the primary tumor lead to metastatic spread into the peritoneum and the formation of distant metastases. Identification of these changes helps to reveal the nature of metastases development and decipher early biomarkers of prognosis and disease progression. Comparing differences in gene expression profiles between primary tumors and metastases, together with disclosing their epigenetic regulation, provides interesting associations with progression and metastasizing. Regulatory elements from the non-coding RNA families such as microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs seem to participate in these processes and represent potential molecular biomarkers of patient prognosis. Progress in therapy individualization and its proper targeting also rely upon a better understanding of interactions among the above-listed factors. This review aims to summarize currently available findings of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs linked with tumor progression and metastatic process in ovarian cancer. These biomolecules provide promising tools for monitoring the patient’s response to treatment, and further they serve as potential therapeutic targets of this deadly disease.
Collapse
|
22
|
Yi Y, Liao B, Zheng Z, Yang X, Yang Y, Zhou Y, Tan B, Yang X. Downregulation of DEC1 inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion, and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells via regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:372. [PMID: 33732345 PMCID: PMC7903451 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.9803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DEC1 has been reported to regulate the expression of multiple target genes, participate in cell differentiation, apoptosis, aging and the development and progression of numerous tumors, but the detailed effects and possible mechanisms of DEC1 in ovarian cancer (OC) remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and mechanism of function of DEC1 in OC. The present results demonstrated that DEC1 was highly expressed in OC tissues and cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and high expression of DEC1 was negatively associated with the prognosis of patients with OC. In addition, knockdown of DEC1 significantly inhibited proliferation in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells compared with control. DEC1 knockdown also induced apoptosis and increased the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in OC cells. The results suggested that knockdown of DEC1 inhibited OC cell migration and invasion via regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related protein. It was also found that DEC1 knockdown significantly inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Collectively, the current results indicated that knockdown of DEC1 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis in OC cells via modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Thus, DEC1 may participate in malignant progression of OC, and may be a target for treatment and diagnosis of OC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Yi
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| | - Bing Liao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330000, P.R. China
| | - Ziwen Zheng
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| | - Xiaorong Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| | - Yunsheng Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| | - Yanfang Zhou
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| | - Buzhen Tan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330000, P.R. China
| | - Xinfeng Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Zhou Q, Jin P, Liu J, Li S, Liu W, Xi S. HER2 overexpression triggers the IL-8 to promote arsenic-induced EMT and stem cell-like phenotypes in human bladder epithelial cells. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111693. [PMID: 33396024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic is a natural chemical element that is strongly associated with bladder cancer. Understanding the underlying mechanisms behind the association between arsenic and bladder cancer as well as identifying effective preventive interventions will help reduce the incidence and mortality of this disease. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties play key roles in cancer development and progression. Here, we reported that chronic exposure to arsenic resulted in EMT and increased levels of the CSC marker CD44 in human uroepithelial cells. Furthermore, IL-8 promoted a mesenchymal phenotype and upregulated CD44 by activating the ERK, AKT and STAT3 signaling. Phosphorylation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was key for arsenic-induced IL-8 overexpression and depended on the simultaneous activation of the MAPK, JNK, PI3K/AKT and GSK3β signaling pathways. We also found that genistein inhibited arsenic-induced HER2 phosphorylation and downregulated its downstream signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting progression of EMT, and reducing CD44 expression levels. These results demonstrate that the HER2/IL-8 axis is related to the acquisition of an EMT phenotype and CSCs in arsenic-treated cells. The inhibitory effects of genistein on EMT and CSCs provide a new perspective for the intervention and potential chemotherapy against arsenic-induced bladder cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| | - Peiyu Jin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| | - Jieyu Liu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| | - Sihao Li
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| | - Weijue Liu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| | - Shuhua Xi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Arsenic Biological Effect and Poisoning, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Martincuks A, Li PC, Zhao Q, Zhang C, Li YJ, Yu H, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L. CD44 in Ovarian Cancer Progression and Therapy Resistance-A Critical Role for STAT3. Front Oncol 2020; 10:589601. [PMID: 33335857 PMCID: PMC7736609 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.589601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant progress in cancer therapy over the last decades, ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy worldwide with the five-year overall survival rate less than 30% due to frequent disease recurrence and chemoresistance. CD44 is a non-kinase transmembrane receptor that has been linked to cancer metastatic progression, cancer stem cell maintenance, and chemoresistance development via multiple mechanisms across many cancers, including ovarian, and represents a promising therapeutic target for ovarian cancer treatment. Moreover, CD44-mediated signaling interacts with other well-known pro-tumorigenic pathways and oncogenes during cancer development, such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Given that both CD44 and STAT3 are strongly implicated in the metastatic progression and chemoresistance of ovarian tumors, this review summarizes currently available evidence about functional crosstalk between CD44 and STAT3 in human malignancies with an emphasis on ovarian cancer. In addition to the role of tumor cell-intrinsic CD44 and STAT3 interaction in driving cancer progression and metastasis, we discuss how CD44 and STAT3 support the pro-tumorigenic tumor microenvironment and promote tumor angiogenesis, immunosuppression, and cancer metabolic reprogramming in favor of cancer progression. Finally, we review the current state of therapeutic CD44 targeting and propose superior treatment possibilities for ovarian cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antons Martincuks
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Pei-Chuan Li
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Qianqian Zhao
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Chunyan Zhang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Yi-Jia Li
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Hua Yu
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Low junctional adhesion molecule-A expression is associated with an epithelial to mesenchymal transition and poorer outcomes in high-grade serous carcinoma of uterine adnexa. Mod Pathol 2020; 33:2361-2377. [PMID: 32514162 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-020-0586-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
High-grade serous carcinoma of uterine adnexa (HGSC) is the most frequent histotype of epithelial ovarian cancer and has a poor 5-year survival rate due to late-stage diagnosis and the poor efficacy of standard treatments. Novel biomarkers of cancer outcome are needed to identify new targetable pathways and improve personalized treatments. Cell-surface screening of 26 HGSC cell lines by high-throughput flow cytometry identified junctional adhesion molecule 1 (JAM-A, also known as F11R) as a potential biomarker. Using a multi-labeled immunofluorescent staining coupled with digital image analysis, protein levels of JAM-A were quantified in tissue microarrays from three HGSC patient cohorts: a discovery cohort (n = 101), the Canadian Ovarian Experimental Unified Resource cohort (COEUR, n = 1158), and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group OV16 cohort (n = 267). Low JAM-A level was associated with poorer outcome in the three cohorts by Kaplan-Meier (p = 0.023, p < 0.001, and p = 0.036, respectively) and was an independent marker of shorter survival in the COEUR cohort (HR = 0.517 (0.381-703), p < 0.001). When analyses were restricted to patients treated by taxane-platinum-based chemotherapy, low JAM-A protein expression was associated with poorer responses in the COEUR (p < 0.001) and OV16 cohorts (p = 0.006) by Kaplan-Meier. Decreased JAM-A gene expression was an indicator of poor outcome in gene expression datasets including The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 606, p = 0.002) and Kaplan-Meier plotter (n = 1816, p = 0.024). Finally, we observed that tumors with decreased JAM-A expression exhibited an enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature. Our results demonstrate that JAM-A expression is a robust prognostic biomarker of HGSC and may be used to discriminate tumors responsive to therapies targeting EMT.
Collapse
|
26
|
Luo Z, He Y, Ma G, Deng Y, Chen Y, Zhou Y, Xu X, Li X, Du Y. Years of life lost due to premature death and their trends in people with malignant neoplasm of female genital organs in Shanghai, China during 1995-2018: a population based study. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1489. [PMID: 33004024 PMCID: PMC7528500 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09593-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The increasing aging population has been posing a significant challenge to disease burden in developing countries. In particular, the contribution of population aging to and long term changes of disease burden of malignant neoplasm of female genital organs (MNFGO) have not been quantitatively demonstrated. Methods Data were collected from the Shanghai Vital Statistics System of Pudong New Area (PNA). Crude mortality rate (CMR), age-standardized mortality rate by Segi’s world standard population (ASMRW), and years of life lost (YLL) of MNFGO as the underlying cause of death in age and pathology types from 1995 to 2018 were calculated. The joinpoint regression was used to estimate the trends of those rates by identifying the annual percent changes (APCs), and the decomposition method was used to calculate the increased rates and the contribution resulting from demographic and non-demographic factors. Results From 1995 to 2018, a total of 2869 MNFGO-specific deaths were reported in PNA, accounting for 0.64% of the total deaths. The CMR and ASMRW of MNFGO were 9.23/105 person-years and 4.80/105 person-years, respectively. Ovary cancer was the most common cause of MNFGO death, accounting for 43.9% (1260/2869) of all MNFGO death. Other common causes of MNFGO death included cervix uteri cancer, uterus unspecified cancer, and corpus uteri cancer. With the increase of age, the mortality rate of MNFGO in residents had shown an upward trend ([APC (95%CI) = 3.46 (2.74, 4.18), P < 0.001)] for each five-year age group from 0 to 4 to 85+ years. From 1995 to 2018, YLL of MNFGO in Shanghai PNA was 42,152.82 years, and the rate of YLL was 135.56 /105. The top three MNFGO types in YLLs were ovary cancer, cervix uteri cancer and uterus unspecified cancer. Demographic factors contributed significantly to the upward trends of CMR, ASMRW, and YLL rates of MNFGO. Conclusion With aggravated population aging in Shanghai, MNFGO is and will continue to be a serious threat to women’s health. More precise and effective prevention strategies are needed to target high risk population, to achieve efficient health resource allocation and to improve women’s health in particular.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Luo
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, No. 1500 Zhouyuan Rd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Yuan He
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, 419 Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Guifen Ma
- Department of Radiotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yang Deng
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Yichen Chen
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3039 Zhangyang Rd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China.,Fudan University Pudong Institute of Preventive Medicine, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3039 Zhangyang Rd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China.,Fudan University Pudong Institute of Preventive Medicine, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China
| | - Xiaoyun Xu
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, No. 1500 Zhouyuan Rd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201318, China.
| | - Xiaopan Li
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3039 Zhangyang Rd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China. .,Fudan University Pudong Institute of Preventive Medicine, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200136, China.
| | - Yan Du
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, 419 Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ashrafizadeh M, Hushmandi K, Hashemi M, Akbari ME, Kubatka P, Raei M, Koklesova L, Shahinozzaman M, Mohammadinejad R, Najafi M, Sethi G, Kumar AP, Zarrabi A. Role of microRNA/Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Axis in the Metastasis of Bladder Cancer. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1159. [PMID: 32784711 PMCID: PMC7464913 DOI: 10.3390/biom10081159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BC) is the 11th most common diagnosed cancer, and a number of factors including environmental and genetic ones participate in BC development. Metastasis of BC cells into neighboring and distant tissues significantly reduces overall survival of patients with this life-threatening disorder. Recently, studies have focused on revealing molecular pathways involved in metastasis of BC cells, and in this review, we focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) and their regulatory effect on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanisms that can regulate metastasis. EMT is a vital process for migration of BC cells, and inhibition of this mechanism restricts invasion of BC cells. MiRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs with 19-24 nucleotides capable of regulating different cellular events, and EMT is one of them. In BC cells, miRNAs are able to both induce and/or inhibit EMT. For regulation of EMT, miRNAs affect different molecular pathways such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), Snail, Slug, ZEB1/2, CD44, NSBP1, which are, discussed in detail this review. Besides, miRNA/EMT axis can also be regulated by upstream mediators such as lncRNAs, circRNAs and targeted by diverse anti-tumor agents. These topics are also discussed here to reveal diverse molecular pathways involved in migration of BC cells and strategies to target them to develop effective therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran;
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology & Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran 1419963114, Iran;
| | - Mehrdad Hashemi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1916893813, Iran;
| | - Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1989934148, Iran;
| | - Peter Kubatka
- Department of Medical Biology and Division of Oncology—Biomedical Center Martin, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, 03601 Martin, Slovakia;
| | - Mehdi Raei
- Health Research Center, Life Style Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1435916471, Iran;
| | - Lenka Koklesova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Martin University Hospital and Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, 03601 Martin, Slovakia;
| | - Md Shahinozzaman
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Reza Mohammadinejad
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 55877577, Iran;
| | - Masoud Najafi
- Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6715847141, Iran;
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore;
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore;
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Centre for Translational Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, #11-01M, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Center of Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces (EFSUN), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Balduit A, Agostinis C, Mangogna A, Maggi V, Zito G, Romano F, Romano A, Ceccherini R, Grassi G, Bonin S, Bonazza D, Zanconati F, Ricci G, Bulla R. The Extracellular Matrix Influences Ovarian Carcinoma Cells' Sensitivity to Cisplatinum: A First Step towards Personalized Medicine. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051175. [PMID: 32392708 PMCID: PMC7281165 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of personalized therapies for ovarian carcinoma patients is still hampered by several limitations, mainly the difficulty of predicting patients’ responses to chemotherapy in tumor cells isolated from peritoneal fluids. The main reason for the low predictive power of in vitro assays is related to the modification of the cancer cells’ phenotype induced by the culture conditions, which results in changes to the activation state and drug sensitivity of tumor cells compared to their in vivo properties. We have defined the optimal culture conditions to set up a prognostic test to predict high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) patients’ responses to platinum chemotherapy. We evaluated the effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) and fibronectin matrices and the contribution of freezing/thawing processes to the cell response to platinum-based treatment, collecting spheroids from the ascitic fluids of 13 patients with stage II or III HGSOC. Our findings indicated that an efficient model used to generate predictive data for in vivo sensitivity to platinum is culturing fresh spheroids on HA, avoiding the use of previously frozen primary tumor cells. The establishment of this easy, reproducible and standardized testing method can significantly contribute to an improvement in therapeutic effectiveness, thus bringing the prospect of personalized therapy closer for ovarian carcinoma patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Balduit
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.B.); (A.M.); (G.G.); (R.B.)
| | - Chiara Agostinis
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34134 Trieste, Italy; (G.Z.); (F.R.); (G.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-04-0558-8646
| | - Alessandro Mangogna
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.B.); (A.M.); (G.G.); (R.B.)
| | - Veronica Maggi
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Gabriella Zito
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34134 Trieste, Italy; (G.Z.); (F.R.); (G.R.)
| | - Federico Romano
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34134 Trieste, Italy; (G.Z.); (F.R.); (G.R.)
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Rita Ceccherini
- Centro Sociale Oncologico, OSARF, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Grassi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.B.); (A.M.); (G.G.); (R.B.)
| | - Serena Bonin
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Deborah Bonazza
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Fabrizio Zanconati
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Giuseppe Ricci
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34134 Trieste, Italy; (G.Z.); (F.R.); (G.R.)
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy; (V.M.); (A.R.); (S.B.); (D.B.); (F.Z.)
| | - Roberta Bulla
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.B.); (A.M.); (G.G.); (R.B.)
| |
Collapse
|