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Kao TW, Chen HH, Lin J, Wang TL, Shen YA. PBX1 as a novel master regulator in cancer: Its regulation, molecular biology, and therapeutic applications. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189085. [PMID: 38341110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
PBX1 is a critical transcription factor at the top of various cell fate-determining pathways. In cancer, PBX1 stands at the crossroads of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and mediates responses by recruiting a broad repertoire of downstream targets. Research thus far has corroborated the involvement of PBX1 in cancer proliferation, resisting apoptosis, tumor-associated neoangiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis, immune evasion, genome instability, and dysregulating cellular metabolism. Recently, our understanding of the functional regulation of the PBX1 protein has advanced, as increasing evidence has depicted a regulatory network consisting of transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels of control mechanisms. Furthermore, accumulating studies have supported the clinical utilization of PBX1 as a prognostic or therapeutic target in cancer. Preliminary results showed that PBX1 entails vast potential as a targetable master regulator in the treatment of cancer, particularly in those with high-risk features and resistance to other therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will explore the regulation, protein-protein interactions, molecular pathways, clinical application, and future challenges of PBX1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Wan Kao
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Han Chen
- Department of General Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100224, Taiwan
| | - James Lin
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan
| | - Tian-Li Wang
- Departments of Pathology, Oncology and Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 1550 Orleans Street, CRB2, Room 306, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Yao-An Shen
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan; International Master/Ph.D. Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan.
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Crisafulli L, Brindisi M, Liturri MG, Sobacchi C, Ficara F. PBX1: a TALE of two seasons-key roles during development and in cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1372873. [PMID: 38404687 PMCID: PMC10884236 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1372873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Pre-B cell leukemia factor 1 (PBX1) is a Three Aminoacid Loop Extension (TALE) homeodomain-containing transcription factor playing crucial roles in organ pattering during embryogenesis, through the formation of nuclear complexes with other TALE class and/or homeobox proteins to regulate target genes. Its contribution to the development of several organs has been elucidated mainly through the study of murine knockout models. A crucial role for human development has been recently highlighted through the discovery of different de novo pathogenic PBX1 variants in children affected by developmental defects. In the adult, PBX1 is expressed in selected tissues such as in the brain, in the gastro-intestinal and urinary systems, or in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, while in other organs is barely detectable. When involved in the t(1;19) chromosomal translocation it acts as an oncogene, since the resulting fusion protein drives pre-B cell leukemia, due to the induction of target genes not normally targeted by the native protein. Its aberrant expression has been associated to tumor development, progression, or therapy-resistance as in breast cancer, ovarian cancer or myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). On the other hand, in colorectal cancer PBX1 functions as a tumor suppressor, highlighting its context-dependent role. We here discuss differences and analogies of PBX1 roles during embryonic development and in cancer, focusing mainly on the most recent discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Crisafulli
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Brindisi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Sobacchi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Ficara
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council, Milan, Italy
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Fader KA, Gosink MM, Xia S, Lanz TA, Halsey C, Vaidya VS, Radi ZA. Thymic lymphoma detection in RORγ knockout mice using 5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiling of circulating cell-free DNA. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 473:116582. [PMID: 37295732 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A high incidence of thymic lymphoma has been noted in mice deficient of retinoid-related orphan receptor γ2 (RORγ2), which is required for differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into TH17 cells. Using a RORγ homozygous knockout (KO) mouse model of thymic lymphoma, we characterized this tumor progression and investigated the utility of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) signatures as a non-invasive circulating biomarker for early prediction of malignancy. No evidence for malignancy was noted in the wild-type mice, while primary thymic lymphoma with multi-organ metastasis was observed microscopically in 97% of the homozygous RORγ KO mice. The severity of thymic lymphoma was not age-dependent in the KO mice of 2 to 4 months old. Differential enrichment of 5hmC in thymic DNA and plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was compared across different stages of tumor progression. Random forest modeling of plasma cfDNA achieved good predictivity (AUC = 0.74) in distinguishing early non-metastatic thymic lymphoma compared to cancer-free controls, while perfect predictivity was achieved with advanced multi-organ metastatic disease (AUC = 1.00). Lymphoid-specific genes involved in thymocyte selection during T cell development (Themis, Tox) were differentially enriched in both plasma and thymic tissue. This could help in differentiating thymic lymphoma from other tumors commonly detected in rodent carcinogenicity studies used in pharmaceutical drug development to inform human malignancy risk. Overall, these results provide a proof-of-concept for using circulating cfDNA profiles in rodent carcinogenicity studies for early risk assessment of novel pharmaceutical targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Fader
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Early Clinical Development; Groton, CT, USA.
| | - Mark M Gosink
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ridgefield, CT, USA
| | - Shuhua Xia
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Drug Safety Research and Development; Groton, CT, USA
| | - Thomas A Lanz
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Drug Safety Research and Development; Groton, CT, USA
| | - Charles Halsey
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Drug Safety Research and Development; Groton, CT, USA
| | - Vishal S Vaidya
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Drug Safety Research and Development; Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zaher A Radi
- Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development and Medical; Drug Safety Research and Development; Cambridge, MA, USA
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Zou F, Liu M, Sui Y, Liu J. Comprehensive overview of the role of PBX1 in mammalian kidneys. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1106370. [PMID: 37006624 PMCID: PMC10063971 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1106370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox transcription factor 1 (PBX1) is a member of the TALE (three-amino acid loop extension) family and functions as a homeodomain transcription factor (TF). When dimerized with other TALE proteins, it can act as a pioneer factor and provide regulatory sequences via interaction with partners. In vertebrates, PBX1 is expressed during the blastula stage, and its germline variations in humans are interrelated with syndromic anomalies of the kidney, which plays an important role in hematopoiesis and immunity among vertebrates. Herein, we summarize the existing data on PBX1 functions and the impact of PBX1 on renal tumors, PBX1-deficient animal models, and blood vessels in mammalian kidneys. The data indicated that the interaction of PBX1 with different partners such as the HOX genes is responsible for abnormal proliferation and variation of the embryonic mesenchyme, while truncating variants were shown to cause milder phenotypes (mostly cryptorchidism and deafness). Although such interactions have been identified to be the cause of many defects in mammals, some phenotypic variations are yet to be understood. Thus, further research on the TALE family is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Pediatrics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mingsheng Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yutong Sui
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jinyu Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Jinyu Liu,
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Veiga RN, de Oliveira JC, Gradia DF. PBX1: a key character of the hallmarks of cancer. J Mol Med (Berl) 2021; 99:1667-1680. [PMID: 34529123 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-021-02139-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox transcription factor 1 (PBX1) was first identified as part of a fusion protein resulting from the chromosomal translocation t(1;19) in pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Since then, PBX1 has been associated with important developmental programs, and its expression dysregulation has been related to multifactorial disorders, including cancer. As PBX1 overexpression in many cancers is correlated to poor prognosis, we sought to understand how this transcription factor contributes to carcinogenesis, and to organize PBX1's roles in the hallmarks of cancer. There is enough evidence to associate PBX1 with at least five hallmarks: sustaining proliferative signaling, activating invasion and metastasis, inducing angiogenesis, resisting cell death, and deregulating cellular energetics. The lack of studies investigating a possible role for PBX1 on the remaining hallmarks made it impossible to defend or refute its contribution on them. However, the functions of some of the PBX1's transcription targets indicate a potential engagement of PBX1 in the avoidance of immune destruction and in the tumor-promoting inflammation hallmarks. Interestingly, PBX1 might be a player in tumor suppression by activating the transcription of some DNA damage response genes. This is the first review organizing PBX1 roles into the hallmarks of cancer. Thus, we encourage future studies to uncover the PBX1's underlying mechanisms to promote carcinogenesis, for it is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as a potential target in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Nasser Veiga
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Department of Genetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Carvalho de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Department of Genetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Daniela Fiori Gradia
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Department of Genetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil.
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Batchu S. Immunological landscape of Neuroblastoma and its clinical significance. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2020; 26:100274. [PMID: 33338852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2020.100274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immune infiltration in neuroblastoma (NBL) has been associated with clinical outcome. However, the diversity of distinct immune subpopulations that comprise immune infiltrates in NBL has not been examined. To this end, the present study investigated the immunological landscape of NBL tumors and its clinical significance. CIBERSORTx, an established RNA deconvolution algorithm, was used to impute immune cell proportions from 153 primary NBL tumors. Associations between immune proportions and overall/event-free survival were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves and evaluated using log-rank test. Of the 22 subpopulations imputed, M2 macrophages were the most abundant subtype in NBL tumors. Furthermore, monocytes, CD4+ naïve T cells, and CD4+ activated memory T cells were significantly associated with survival. Altogether, the findings suggest differences amongst certain immune cell subsets comprising NBL tumor infiltration and these differences may be important determinants of prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Batchu
- Cooper Medical School, Camden, NJ, United States.
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Mukherjee S, Sengupta M, Das RN, Chatterjee U, Kanjilal B, Basu K, Kar A, Mondal A, Mukhopadhyay S. Diagnostic utility of cytology smears and cell block in adrenal lesions. Diagn Cytopathol 2020; 48:1003-1012. [PMID: 32445510 DOI: 10.1002/dc.24484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytology of the adrenal gland is a less performed technique even in tertiary care centres; yet cytological evaluation is an important diagnostic tool for assessment of adrenal lesions. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of FNAC smears and cellblock with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in lesions of the adrenal. MATERIAL AND METHODS We had a total of 50 cases over a period of 2 years where both FNAC smears and cellblocks were taken. The smears and cellblocks were examined for adequacy. They were subsequently categorised into four groups: unsatisfactory, benign, suspicious of malignancy and malignant. The diagnostic accuracy of FNAC smears and cellblock with IHC were evaluated and compared, taking histopathology, wherever available, as the gold standard, RESULT: We had 50 cases with age ranging from 6 to 53 years with a median of 7.5 years. Of these, 54% were cytologically malignant and neuroblastoma was the commonest lesion. Histopathology was available in 23 cases only, where the diagnostic accuracy was evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAC smear was 100% and 85.71%, respectively whereas the sensitivity and specificity of cellblock with IHC was 100% and 92.86%, respectively. CONCLUSION Cellblock together with IHC provides a higher degree of specificity, reduces the unsatisfactory rate and improves the diagnostic accuracy in lesions of the adrenal gland. Immunohistochemistry is an important adjunctive tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ram Narayan Das
- Department of Pathology, Coochbehar Government Medical College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India
| | | | | | - Keya Basu
- Department of Pathology, IPGME&R, Kolkata, India
| | - Anish Kar
- Department of Endocrinology, IPGME&R, Kolkata, India
| | - Akash Mondal
- Department of Pathology, IPGME&R, Kolkata, India
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