Vimentin Intermediate Filaments as Potential Target for Cancer Treatment

Vimentin-mediated buffering of internal integrin β1 pool increases survival of cells from anoikis

BACKGROUND

The intermediate filament protein vimentin is widely recognized as a molecular marker of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Although vimentin expression is strongly associated with cancer metastatic potential, the exact role of vimentin in cancer metastasis and the underlying mechanism of its pro-metastatic functions remain unclear.

RESULTS

This study revealed that vimentin can enhance integrin β1 surface expression and induce integrin-dependent clustering of cells, shielding them against anoikis cell death. The increased integrin β1 surface expression in suspended cells was caused by vimentin-mediated protection of the internal integrin β1 pool against lysosomal degradation. Additionally, cell detachment was found to induce vimentin Ser38 phosphorylation, allowing the translocation of internal integrin β1 to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the use of an inhibitor of p21-activated kinase PAK1, one of the kinases responsible for vimentin Ser38 phosphorylation, significantly reduced cancer metastasis in animal models.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that vimentin can act as an integrin buffer, storing internalized integrin β1 and releasing it when needed. Overall, this study provides insights regarding the strong correlation between vimentin expression and cancer metastasis and a basis for blocking metastasis using this novel therapeutic mechanism.

Inhibition of melanoma cell migration and invasion by natural coumarin auraptene through regulating EMT markers and reducing MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity

Melanoma, the most invasive form of skin cancer, shows a rising incidence trend in industrial countries. Since the main reason for the failure of current therapeutic approaches against melanoma is metastasis, there is a great interest in introducing effective natural agents to combat melanoma cell migration and invasion. Auraptene (AUR) is the most abundant coumarin derivative in nature with valuable pharmaceutical effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether AUR could induce inhibitory effects on the migration and invasion of melanoma cells. B16F10 melanoma cells were treated with different concentrations of AUR and the viability of cells was evaluated by alamarBlue assay. Then, cells were treated with 20 μM AUR, and wound healing, invasion, and adhesion assays were carried out. In addition, the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 was assessed by gelatin zymography and the expression of genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was investigated by qPCR. Finally, the interactions between AUR and MMPs were stimulated by molecular docking. Findings revealed that AUR significantly reduced the migration and invasion of B16F10 cells while improved their adhesion. Furthermore, results of gelatin zymography indicated that AUR suppressed the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and qPCR revealed negative regulatory effect of AUR on the expression of mesenchymal markers including fibronectin and N-cadherin. In addition, molecular docking verified the interactions between AUR and the active sites of wild-type and mutant MMP-2 and MMP-9. Accordingly, AUR could be considered as a potential natural agent with inhibitory effects on the migration and invasion of melanoma cells for future preclinical studies.

Canonical DDR activation by EMT inducing agent 5-Fluorouracil is modulated by a cannabinoid based combinatorial approach via inducing autophagy and suppression of vimentin expression

Anastasis cascade including induction of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), DNA repair, and stimulation of pro-survival mediators collectively exaggerate therapy resistance in cancer prognosis. The extensive implications of DNA-damaging agents are clinically proven futile for the rapid development of disease recurrence during treatment regime. Herein we report a glycosidic derivative of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-9-OG) abrogates sub-toxic doses of 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) induced EMT in colon cancer cells nullifying DNA repairing mechanism. Our in vitro and in vivo data strongly proclaims that THC-9-OG could not only abrogate 5FU mediated background EMT activation through stalling matrix degradation as well as murine 4T1 lung metastasis but also vigorously diminished Rad-51 repairing mediator along with stimulation of γ-H2AX foci formation. The combinatorial treatment (5FU + THC-9-OG) in Apc knockout colorectal carcinoma model conferred remission of the crypt progenitor phenotype which was prominently identified in 5FU treatment. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that 5FU plus THC-9-OG significantly attenuated major EMT inducer Vimentin via extensive ROS generation along with autophagy induction via LC3B I-II conversion and p62 degradation in a p-ATM dependent manner. Additionally, Cannabinoid receptor CB1 was responsible for abrogation of Vimentin since we found increase in the expression of γH2AX and decrease in vimentin expression in CB1 agonist (ACEA) plus 5FU treated cells. Nutshell, our results unveil a new direction of Cannabinoid based combinatorial approach to control background EMT along with robust enhancing of DNA damage potential of sub-toxic concentration of 5FU resulting immense inhibition of distant metastasis coupled with triggering cell death in vitro and in vivo.

Do PFCAs drive the establishment of thyroid cancer microenvironment? Effects of C6O4, PFOA and PFHxA exposure in two models of human thyroid cells in primary culture

BACKGROUND

Exposure to environmental pollutants is suspected to be one of the potential causes accounting for the increase in thyroid cancer (TC) incidence worldwide. Among the ubiquitous pollutants, per-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), were demonstrated to exert thyroid disrupting effects. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) represent a subgroup of PFAS and include perfluoro carboxylic acids (PFOA and PFHxA) and perfluoropolyether carboxylic acid (C6O4). The potential relationship between exposure to PFCAs and TC was not yet fully elucidated. This in vitro study investigated whether certain PFCAs (C6O4, PFOA, and PFHxA) can influence the composition of TC microenvironment.

METHODS

Two models of normal thyroid cells in primary cultures: Adherent (A-NHT) and Spheroids (S-NHT) were employed. A-NHT and S-NHT were exposed to C6O4, PFOA or PFHxA (0; 0.01; 0.1, 1; 10; 100; 1000 ng/mL) to assess viability (WST-1 and AV/PI assay), evaluate spherification index (SI) and volume specifically in S-NHT. CXCL8 and CCL2 (mRNA and protein), and EMT-related genes were assessed in both models after exposure to PFCAs.

RESULTS

PFHxA reduced the viability of both A-NHT and S-NHT. None of the PFCAs interfered with the volume or spherification process in S-NHT. CXCL8 and CCL2 mRNA and protein levels were differently up-regulated by each PFCAs, being PFOA and PFHxA the stronger inducers. Moreover, among the tested PFCAs, PFHxA induced a more consistent increase in the mRNA levels of EMT-related genes.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first evaluation of the effects of exposure to PFCAs on factors potentially involved in establishing the TC microenvironment. PFHxA modulated the TC microenvironment at three levels: cell viability, pro-tumorigenic chemokines, and EMT-genes. The results provide further evidence of the pro-tumorigenic effect of PFOA. On the other hand, a marginal effect was observed for C6O4 on pro-tumorigenic chemokines.

Waterpipe smoke condensate induces epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and promotes metastasis of oral cancer by FOXD1 expression

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Smoking is a major contributor to global oral cancer cases, necessitating urgent intervention. FOXD1, involved in developmental processes and various cancers, shows promise as a prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study investigates the impact of waterpipe smoke condensate (WPSC) on OSCC, focusing on FOXD1 role in inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis.

METHODS

The study involved using OSCC cells treated with WPSC to evaluate their proliferation, colony formation, gene expression, and protein levels. The researchers also explored the clinical relevance of their findings using online databases to analyze FOXD1 expression in cancer tissues and its correlation with clinicopathological features and patient survival. Additionally, in silico tools were employed for functional analysis, pathway enrichment, and network exploration.

RESULTS

The study found that WPSC increased the expression of FOXD1 in OSCC cells, which led to increased cell growth. The study also showed that FOXD1 plays a critical role in the EMT process induced by WPSC, as evidenced by changes in the expression of EMT-related genes and proteins. Clinical analysis revealed that FOXD1 was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor features and poorer prognosis in cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights FOXD1 as a key player in OSCC pathogenesis and a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target, particularly when influenced by WPSC exposure. Further research is needed to explore FOXD1 molecular mechanisms and clinical implications to enhance OSCC treatment strategies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor microenvironment is more suppressive than colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) tumor microenvironment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

While HCC is an inflammation-associated cancer, CRLM develops on permissive healthy liver microenvironment. To evaluate the immune aspects of these two different environments, peripheral blood-(PB), peritumoral-(PT) and tumoral tissues-(TT) from HCC and CRLM patients were evaluated.

METHODS

40 HCC and 34 CRLM were enrolled and freshly TT, PT and PB were collected at the surgery. PB-, PT- and TT-derived CD4+CD25+ Tregs, M/PMN-MDSC and PB-derived CD4+CD25- T-effector cells (Teffs) were isolated and characterized. Tregs' function was also evaluated in the presence of the CXCR4 inhibitor, peptide-R29, AMD3100 or anti-PD1. RNA was extracted from PB/PT/TT tissues and tested for FOXP3, CXCL12, CXCR4, CCL5, IL-15, CXCL5, Arg-1, N-cad, Vim, CXCL8, TGFβ and VEGF-A expression.

RESULTS

In HCC/CRLM-PB, higher number of functional Tregs, CD4+CD25hiFOXP3+ was detected, although PB-HCC Tregs exert a more suppressive function as compared to CRLM Tregs. In HCC/CRLM-TT, Tregs were highly represented with activated/ENTPD-1+Tregs prevalent in HCC. As compared to CRLM, HCC overexpressed CXCR4 and N-cadherin/vimentin in a contest rich in arginase and CCL5. Monocytic MDSCs were highly represented in HCC/CRLM, while high polymorphonuclear MDSCs were detected only in HCC. Interestingly, the function of CXCR4-PB-Tregs was impaired in HCC/CRLM by the CXCR4 inhibitor R29.

CONCLUSION

In HCC and CRLM, peripheral blood, peritumoral and tumoral tissues Tregs are highly represented and functional. Nevertheless, HCC displays a more immunosuppressive TME due to Tregs, MDSCs, intrinsic tumor features (CXCR4, CCL5, arginase) and the contest in which it develops. As CXCR4 is overexpressed in HCC/CRLM tumor/TME cells, CXCR4 inhibitors may be considered for double hit therapy in liver cancer patients.

Analysing the Anticancer Properties of Pterostilbene Through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) and Molecular Docking Studies

Aim The aim of this study is to examine the possible therapeutic effect of pterostilbene (PTS), a chemical present in grapes and blueberries, in the treatment of liver cancer by analysing its interactions with important proteins linked to the wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling system. Objective Using computational techniques like molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies, this research focuses on examining the pharmacokinetics and molecular interactions of PTS with proteins such as vimentin (Vim), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3-β), epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and Wnt, all of which are connected to the Wnt signaling pathway in liver cancer. Methods The study includes the synthesis of proteins and ligands, ADME investigations for PTS, and AutoDock Vina molecular docking simulations to evaluate binding affinities and interactions. PTS is obtained from PubChem, while protein structures are obtained from the Protein Data Bank. Results Strong binding affinities between PTS and essential proteins in the Wnt signaling cascade are shown by molecular docking, which also highlights noteworthy hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic contacts. According to an ADME study, PTS has advantageous pharmacokinetic properties, such as moderate solubility, membrane permeability, and a minimal chance of drug interactions. Conclusion The extensive study highlights PTS's potential as a viable treatment option for liver cancer. The study promotes its investigation in cutting-edge liver cancer therapy approaches and urges more investigation into the molecular mechanisms, underpinning its anticancer properties. This paper sheds important light on the role of natural chemicals in cancer therapy and emphasizes the need for computational methods in drug discovery.

Mechanotransduction and epigenetic modulations of chromatin: Role of mechanical signals in gene regulation

Mechanical forces may be generated within a cell due to tissue stiffness, cytoskeletal reorganization, and the changes (even subtle) in the cell's physical surroundings. These changes of forces impose a mechanical tension within the intracellular protein network (both cytosolic and nuclear). Mechanical tension could be released by a series of protein-protein interactions often facilitated by membrane lipids, lectins and sugar molecules and thus generate a type of signal to drive cellular processes, including cell differentiation, polarity, growth, adhesion, movement, and survival. Recent experimental data have accentuated the molecular mechanism of this mechanical signal transduction pathway, dubbed mechanotransduction. Mechanosensitive proteins in the cell's plasma membrane discern the physical forces and channel the information to the cell interior. Cells respond to the message by altering their cytoskeletal arrangement and directly transmitting the signal to the nucleus through the connection of the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton before the information despatched to the nucleus by biochemical signaling pathways. Nuclear transmission of the force leads to the activation of chromatin modifiers and modulation of the epigenetic landscape, inducing chromatin reorganization and gene expression regulation; by the time chemical messengers (transcription factors) arrive into the nucleus. While significant research has been done on the role of mechanotransduction in tumor development and cancer progression/metastasis, the mechanistic basis of force-activated carcinogenesis is still enigmatic. Here, in this review, we have discussed the various cues and molecular connections to better comprehend the cellular mechanotransduction pathway, and we also explored the detailed role of some of the multiple players (proteins and macromolecular complexes) involved in mechanotransduction. Thus, we have described an avenue: how mechanical stress directs the epigenetic modifiers to modulate the epigenome of the cells and how aberrant stress leads to the cancer phenotype.

Galbanic acid suppresses melanoma cell migration and invasion by reducing MMP activity and downregulating N-cadherin and fibronectin

High mortality rate of melanoma is due to the metastasis of malignant cells. Galbanic acid (GBA) is a natural sesquiterpene coumarin with valuable pharmaceutical activities. Our study aimed to investigate whether GBA can affect the migration, invasion, and adhesion of melanoma cells. The survival rate of B16F10 cells was measured using the alamarBlue assay. Scratch, adhesion, and invasion assays were performed to determine the effect of GBA on metastatic behavior of cells. Moreover, gelatin zymography was done to assess the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and qRT-PCR was used to investigate the effect of GBA on the expression of candidate genes. Based on the results of alamarBlue assay, 40 µM GBA was chosen as the optimum concentration for all tests. Our findings indicated that GBA significantly decreased the invasion and migration of B16F10 cells while enhancing their adhesion ability. In addition, gelatin zymography demonstrated that GBA reduced the enzymatic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, qRT-PCR revealed that GBA reduced the expression of N-cadherin and fibronectin. Current findings demonstrated, for the first time, that GBA inhibited the migration and invasion of melanoma cells via reducing the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and downregulating N-cadherin and fibronectin expression. Accordingly, GBA could be suggested as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of melanoma.

NAT10/CEBPB/vimentin signalling axis promotes adenoid cystic carcinoma malignant phenotypes in vitro

OBJECTIVE

To explore the biological function and mechanisms of CEBPB and NAT10-mediated N4-acetylcytidine (ac4c) modification in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CEBPB and NAT10 were knocked down in SACC-LM cells by siRNA transfection and overexpressed in SACC-83 cells by plasmid transfection. Malignant phenotypes were evaluated using CCK-8, Transwell migration and colony formation assays. Real-time PCR, western blotting, ChIP and acRIP were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved.

RESULTS

We found that CEBPB was highly expressed in SACC tissues and correlated with lung metastasis and unfavourable prognosis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments revealed that CEBPB promoted SACC malignant phenotypes. Mechanistically, CEBPB exerted its oncogenic effect by binding to the vimentin gene promoter region to enhance its expression. Moreover, NAT10-mediated ac4c modification led to stabilization and overexpression of CEBPB in SACC cells. We also found that NAT10, the only known human enzyme responsible for ac4C modification, promoted SACC cell migration, proliferation and colony formation. Moreover, CEBPB overexpression restored the inhibitory effect of NAT10 knockdown on malignant phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study reveals the critical role of the newly identified NAT10/CEBPB/vimentin axis in SACC malignant progression, and the findings may be applied to improve treatment for SACC.

The cellular triumvirate: fibroblasts entangled in the crosstalk between cancer cells and immune cells

This review article will focus on subpopulations of fibroblasts that get reprogrammed by tumor cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Throughout this article, we will discuss the intricate interactions between fibroblasts, immune cells, and tumor cells. Unravelling complex intercellular crosstalk will pave the way for new insights into cellular mechanisms underlying the reprogramming of the local tumor immune microenvironment and propose novel immunotherapy strategies that might have potential in harnessing and modulating immune system responses.

In-Depth Proteome Profiling of Small Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Cancer Cell Lines and Patient Serum

Extracellular vesicle (EV) secretion has been observed in many types of both normal and tumor cells. EVs contain a variety of distinctive cargoes, allowing tumor-derived serum proteins in EVs to act as a minimally invasive method for clinical monitoring. We have undertaken a comprehensive study of the protein content of the EVs from several cancer cell lines using direct data-independent analysis. Several thousand proteins were detected, including many classic EV markers such as CD9, CD81, CD63, TSG101, and Syndecan-1, among others. We detected many distinctive cancer-specific proteins, including several known markers used in cancer detection and monitoring. We further studied the protein content of EVs from patient serum for both normal controls and pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. The EVs for these studies have been isolated by various methods for comparison, including ultracentrifugation and CD9 immunoaffinity column. Typically, 500-1000 proteins were identified, where most of them overlapped with the EV proteins identified from the cell lines studied. We were able to identify many of the cell-line EV protein markers in the serum EVs, in addition to the large numbers of proteins specific to pancreatic and HCC cancers.

Impairment of Assembly of the Vimentin Intermediate Filaments Leads to Suppression of Formation and Maturation of Focal Contacts and Alteration of the Type of Cellular Protrusions

Cell migration is largely determined by the type of protrusions formed by the cell. Mesenchymal migration is accomplished by formation of lamellipodia and/or filopodia, while amoeboid migration is based on bleb formation. Changing of migrational conditions can lead to alteration in the character of cell movement. For example, inhibition of the Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization by the CK-666 inhibitor leads to transition from mesenchymal to amoeboid motility mode. Ability of the cells to switch from one type of motility to another is called migratory plasticity. Cellular mechanisms regulating migratory plasticity are poorly understood. One of the factors determining the possibility of migratory plasticity may be the presence and/or organization of vimentin intermediate filaments (VIFs). To investigate whether organization of the VIF network affects the ability of fibroblasts to form membrane blebs, we used rat embryo fibroblasts REF52 with normal VIF organization, fibroblasts with vimentin knockout (REF-/-), and fibroblasts with mutation inhibiting assembly of the full-length VIFs (REF117). Blebs formation was induced by treatment of cells with CK-666. Vimentin knockout did not lead to statistically significant increase in the number of cells with blebs. The fibroblasts with short fragments of vimentin demonstrate the significant increase in number of cells forming blebs both spontaneously and in the presence of CK-666. Disruption of the VIF organization did not lead to the significant changes in the microtubules network or the level of myosin light chain phosphorylation, but caused significant reduction in the focal contact system. The most pronounced and statistically significant decrease in both size and number of focal adhesions were observed in the REF117 cells. We believe that regulation of the membrane blebbing by VIFs is mediated by their effect on the focal adhesion system. Analysis of migration of fibroblasts with different organization of VIFs in a three-dimensional collagen gel showed that organization of VIFs determines the type of cell protrusions, which, in turn, determines the character of cell movement. A novel role of VIFs as a regulator of membrane blebbing, essential for manifestation of the migratory plasticity, is shown.

Ellagic Acid and Cancer Hallmarks: Insights from Experimental Evidence

Cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease with a high global incidence and mortality rate. Although cancer therapy has evolved significantly over the years, numerous challenges persist on the path to effectively combating this multifaceted disease. Natural compounds derived from plants, fungi, or marine organisms have garnered considerable attention as potential therapeutic agents in the field of cancer research. Ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenolic compound found in various fruits and nuts, has emerged as a potential cancer prevention and treatment agent. This review summarizes the experimental evidence supporting the role of EA in targeting key hallmarks of cancer, including proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis evasion, immune evasion, inflammation, genomic instability, and more. We discuss the molecular mechanisms by which EA modulates signaling pathways and molecular targets involved in these cancer hallmarks, based on in vitro and in vivo studies. The multifaceted actions of EA make it a promising candidate for cancer prevention and therapy. Understanding its impact on cancer biology can pave the way for developing novel strategies to combat this complex disease.

Differential response of MDA‑MB‑231 breast cancer and MCF10A normal breast cells to cytoskeletal disruption

Metastasis remains a major clinical problem in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer‑related mortality but is still poorly understood. Cytoskeletal proteins are considered potential therapeutic targets for metastatic cancer cells because the cytoskeleton serves a key role in the migration and invasion of these cells. Vimentin and F‑actin exhibit several functional similarities and undergo quantitative and structural changes during carcinogenesis. The present study investigated the effects of vimentin and F‑actin deficiency on the survival and motility of breast cancer cells. In metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA‑MB‑231) and breast epithelial cells (MCF10A), vimentin was knocked down by small interfering RNA and F‑actin was depolymerized by latrunculin A, respectively. The effect of reduced vimentin and F‑actin content on cell viability was analyzed using the MTT assay and the proliferative capacity was compared by analyzing the recovery rate. The effect on motility was analyzed based on two processes: The distance traveled by tracking the cell nucleus and the movement of the protrusions. The effects on cell elasticity were measured using atomic force microscopy. Separately reducing vimentin or F‑actin did not effectively inhibit the growth and motility of MDA‑MB‑231 cells; however, when both vimentin and F‑actin were simultaneously deficient, MDA‑MB‑231 cells growth and migration were severely impaired. Vimentin deficiency in MDA‑MB‑231 cells was compensated by an increase in F‑actin polymerization, but no complementary action of vimentin on the decrease in F‑actin was observed. In MCF10A cells, no complementary interaction was observed for both vimentin and F‑actin.

Long non-coding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript 1-Vimentin axis promoting the migration and invasion of HeLa cells

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (CCAT1) is involved in transforming multiple cancers into malignant cancer types. Previous studies underlining the mechanisms of the functions of CCAT1 primarily focused on its decoy for miRNAs (micro RNAs). However, the regulatory mechanism of CCAT1-protein interaction associated with tumor metastasis is still largely unknown. The present study aimed to identify proteome-wide CCAT1 partners and explored the CCAT1-protein interaction mediated tumor metastasis.

METHODS

CCAT1-proteins complexes were purified and identified using RNA antisense purification coupled with the mass spectrometry (RAP-MS) method. The database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery and database for eukaryotic RNA binding proteins (EuRBPDB) websites were used to bioinformatic analyzing CCAT1 binding proteins. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation were used to validate CCAT1-Vimentin interaction. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the migration and invasion abilities of HeLa cells.

RESULTS

RAP-MS method worked well by culturing cells with nucleoside analog 4-thiouridine, and cross-linking was performed using 365 nm wavelength ultraviolet. There were 631 proteins identified, out of which about 60% were RNA binding proteins recorded by the EuRBPDB database. Vimentin was one of the CCAT1 binding proteins and participated in the tumor metastasis pathway. Knocked down vimetin ( VIM ) and rescued the downregulation by overexpressing CCAT1 demonstrated that CCAT1 could enhance tumor migration and invasion abilities by stabilizing Vimentin protein.

CONCLUSION

CCAT1 may bind with and stabilize Vimentin protein, thus enhancing cancer cell migration and invasion abilities.

Atractylodinol prevents pulmonary fibrosis through inhibiting TGF-β receptor 1 recycling by stabilizing vimentin

Pirfenidone and nintedanib are only anti-pulmonary fibrosis (PF) drugs approved by the FDA. However, they are not target specific, and unable to modify the disease status. Therefore, it is still desirable to discover more effective agents against PF. Vimentin (VIM) plays key roles in tissue regeneration and wound healing, but its molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this work, we demonstrated that atractylodinol (ATD) significantly inhibits TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition in vitro. ATD also reduces bleomycin-induced lung injury and fibrosis in mice models. Mechanistically, ATD inhibited TGF-β receptor I recycling by binding to VIM (KD = 454 nM) and inducing the formation of filamentous aggregates. In conclusion, we proved that ATD (derived from Atractylodes lancea) modified PF by targeting VIM and inhibiting the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Therefore, VIM is a druggable target and ATD is a proper drug candidate against PF. We prove a novel VIM function that TGF-β receptor I recycling. These findings paved the way to develop new targeted therapeutics against PF.

Recent advances in anticancer peptoids

Since most tumors become resistant to drugs in a gradual and irreversible manner, making treatment less effective over time, anticancer drugs require continuous development. Peptoids are a class of peptidomimetics that can be easily synthesized and optimized. They exhibit a number of unique characteristics, including protease resistance, non-immunogenicity, do not interfere with peptide functionality and skeleton polarity, and can adopt different conformations. They have been studied for their efficacy in different cancer therapies, and can be considered as a promising alternative molecular category for the development of anticancer drugs. Herein, we discuss the extensive recent advances in peptoids and peptoid hybrids in the treatment of cancers such as prostate, breast, lung, and other ones, in the hope of providing a reference for the further development of peptoid anticancer drugs.

Molecular targets and mechanisms of anti-cancer effects of withanolides

Withanolides are a class of natural products with a steroidal lactone structure that exhibit a broad spectrum of anti-cancer effects. To date, several studies have shown that their possible mechanisms in cancer development and progression are associated with the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Withanolides can also attenuate inflammatory responses, as well as modulate the genomic instability and energy metabolism of cancer cells. In addition, they may improve the safety and efficacy of cancer treatments as adjuvants to traditional cancer therapeutics. Herein, we summarize the molecular targets and mechanisms of withanolides in different cancers, as well as their current clinical studies on them.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeting of BPV-1-Transformed Primary Equine Sarcoid Fibroblasts

Equine sarcoids (EqS) are fibroblast-derived skin tumors associated with bovine papillomavirus 1 and 2 (BPV-1 and -2). Based on Southern blotting, the BPV-1 genome was not found to be integrated in the host cell genome, suggesting that EqS pathogenesis does not result from insertional mutagenesis. Hence, CRISPR/Cas9 implies an interesting tool for selectively targeting BPV-1 episomes or genetically anchored suspected host factors. To address this in a proof-of-concept study, we confirmed the exclusive episomal persistence of BPV-1 in EqS using targeted locus amplification (TLA). To investigate the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of BPV-1 episomes, primary equine fibroblast cultures were established and characterized. In the EqS fibroblast cultures, CRISPR-mediated targeting of the episomal E5 and E6 oncogenes as well as the BPV-1 long control region was successful and resulted in a pronounced reduction of the BPV-1 load. Moreover, the deletion of the equine Vimentin (VIM), which is highly expressed in EqS, considerably decreased the number of BPV-1 episomes. Our results suggest CRISPR/Cas9-based gene targeting may serve as a tool to help further unravel the biology of EqS pathogenesis.

Exploring the Potential of Metal-Based Candidate Drugs as Modulators of the Cytoskeleton

During recent years, accumulating evidence suggested that metal-based candidate drugs are promising modulators of cytoskeletal and cytoskeleton-associated proteins. This was substantiated by the identification and validation of actin, vimentin and plectin as targets of distinct ruthenium(II)- and platinum(II)-based modulators. Despite this, structural information about molecular interaction is scarcely available. Here, we compile the scattered reports about metal-based candidate molecules that influence the cytoskeleton, its associated proteins and explore their potential to interfere in cancer-related processes, including proliferation, invasion and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Advances in this field depend crucially on determining binding sites and on gaining comprehensive insight into molecular drug-target interactions. These are key steps towards establishing yet elusive structure-activity relationships.

Vimentin-targeted radiopeptide 99m Tc-HYNIC-(tricine/EDDA)-VNTANST: a promising drug for pulmonary fibrosis imaging

OBJECTIVE

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix. Because there is no effective treatment for advanced IPF to date, its early diagnosis can be critical. Vimentin is a cytoplasmic intermediate filament that is significantly up-regulated at the surface of fibrotic foci with a crucial role in fibrotic morphological changes.

METHODS

In the present study, VNTANST sequence as a known vimentin-targeting peptide was conjugated to hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC) and labeled with 99m Tc. The stability test in saline and human plasma and log P determination were performed. Next, the biodistribution study and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) integrated with computed tomography (CT) scanning were performed in healthy and bleomycin-induced fibrosis mice models.

RESULTS

The 99m Tc-HYNIC-(tricine/EDDA)-VNTANST showed a hydrophilic nature (log P  = -2.20 ± 0.38) and high radiochemical purity > 97% and specific activity (336 Ci/mmol). The radiopeptide was approximately 93% and 86% intact in saline and human plasma within 6 h, respectively. The radiopeptide was substantially accumulated in the pulmonary fibrotic lesions (test vs. control = 4.08 ± 0.08% injected dose per gram (ID/g) vs. 0.36 ± 0.01% ID/g at 90 min postinjection). SPECT-CT images in fibrosis-bearing mice also indicated the fibrotic foci and kidneys.

CONCLUSION

Because there is no available drug for the treatment of advanced pulmonary fibrosis, early diagnosis is the only chance. The 99m Tc-HYNIC-(tricine/EDDA)-VNTANST could be a potential tracer for SPECT imaging of pulmonary fibrosis.

[Advances in cell nuclear mechanobiology and its regulation mechanisms]

As an important intracellular genetic and regulatory center, the nucleus is not only a terminal effector of intracellular biochemical signals, but also has a significant impact on cell function and phenotype through direct or indirect regulation of nuclear mechanistic cues after the cell senses and responds to mechanical stimuli. The nucleus relies on chromatin-nuclear membrane-cytoskeleton infrastructure to couple signal transduction, and responds to these mechanical stimuli in the intracellular and extracellular physical microenvironments. Changes in the morphological structure of the nucleus are the most intuitive manifestation of this mechanical response cascades and are the basis for the direct response of the nucleus to mechanical stimuli. Based on such relationships of the nucleus with cell behavior and phenotype, abnormal nuclear morphological changes are widely used in clinical practice as disease diagnostic tools. This review article highlights the latest advances in how nuclear morphology responds and adapts to mechanical stimuli. Additionally, this article will shed light on the factors that mechanically regulate nuclear morphology as well as the tumor physio-pathological processes involved in nuclear morphology and the underlying mechanobiological mechanisms. It provides new insights into the mechanisms that nuclear mechanics regulates disease development and its use as a potential target for diagnosis and treatment.

HIV Infection: Shaping the Complex, Dynamic, and Interconnected Network of the Cytoskeleton

HIV-1 has evolved a plethora of strategies to overcome the cytoskeletal barrier (i.e., actin and intermediate filaments (AFs and IFs) and microtubules (MTs)) to achieve the viral cycle. HIV-1 modifies cytoskeletal organization and dynamics by acting on associated adaptors and molecular motors to productively fuse, enter, and infect cells and then traffic to the cell surface, where virions assemble and are released to spread infection. The HIV-1 envelope (Env) initiates the cycle by binding to and signaling through its main cell surface receptors (CD4/CCR5/CXCR4) to shape the cytoskeleton for fusion pore formation, which permits viral core entry. Then, the HIV-1 capsid is transported to the nucleus associated with cytoskeleton tracks under the control of specific adaptors/molecular motors, as well as HIV-1 accessory proteins. Furthermore, HIV-1 drives the late stages of the viral cycle by regulating cytoskeleton dynamics to assure viral Pr55Gag expression and transport to the cell surface, where it assembles and buds to mature infectious virions. In this review, we therefore analyze how HIV-1 generates a cell-permissive state to infection by regulating the cytoskeleton and associated factors. Likewise, we discuss the relevance of this knowledge to understand HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis in patients and to develop therapeutic strategies to battle HIV-1.

In Vitro 3D Spheroid Model Preserves Tumor Microenvironment of Hot and Cold Breast Cancer Subtypes

Dynamic interaction of cancer, immune, and stromal cells with extracellular matrix components modulates and resists the response of standard care therapies. To mimic this, an in vitro 3D spheroid model is designed using liquid overlay method to simulate hot (MDA-MB-231) and cold (MCF-7) breast tumor microenvironment (TME). This study shows increased mesenchymal phenotype, stemness, and suppressive microenvironment in MDA-MB-231-spheroids upon exposure to doxorubicin. Intriguingly, the presence of human dermal fibroblasts enhances cancer-associated fibroblast phenotype in MDA-MB-231-spheroids through increased expression of CXCL12 and FSP-1, leading to higher infiltration of immune cells (THP-1 monocytes). However, a suppressive TME is observed in both subtypes, as seen by upregulation of M2-macrophage-specific CD68 and CD206 markers. Specifically, increased PDL-1 expressing tumor-associated macrophages along with FoxP3 expressing T regulatory cells are found in MDA-MB-231-spheroids when cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Further, it is found that the addition of 1-methyl-tryptophan, a potent indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-1 inhibitor, subsides the suppressive phenotype by decreasing the M2 polarization via downregulation of tryptophan metabolism and IL10 expression, particularly in MCF-7 triculture spheroids. Thus, the in vitro 3D spheroid model of TME can be utilized in therapeutics to validate immunomodulatory drugs for various breast cancer subtypes.

Vimentin-mediated myosin 10 aggregation at tips of cell extensions drives MT1-MMP-dependent collagen degradation in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high prevalence adenocarcinoma with progressive increases in metastasis-related mortality, but the mechanisms governing the extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation important for metastasis in CRC are not well-defined. We investigated a functional relationship between vimentin (Vim) and myosin 10 (Myo10), and whether this relationship is associated with cancer progression. We tested the hypothesis that Vim regulates the aggregation of Myo10 at the tips of cell extensions, which increases membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)-associated local collagen proteolysis and ECM degradation. Analysis of CRC samples revealed colocalization of Vim with Myo10 and MT1-MMP in cell extensions adjacent to sites of collagen degradation, suggesting an association with local cell invasion. We analyzed cultured CRC cells and fibroblasts and found that Vim accelerates aggregation of Myo10 at cell tips, which increases the cell extension rate. Vim stabilizes the interaction of Myo10 with MT1-MMP, which in turn increases collagenolysis. Vim depletion reduced the aggregation of Myo10 at the cell extension tips and MT1-MMP-dependent collagenolysis. We propose that Vim interacts with Myo10, which in turn associates with MT1-MMP to facilitate the transport of these molecules to the termini of cell extensions and there enhance cancer invasion of soft connective tissues.

Protective impact of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on replicative and radiation-induced senescence of human osteoblasts

The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular changes induced by spontaneous/replicative senescence and radiation in human osteoblasts (OBs), and the impact of cultivation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on apoptosis, senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining (SA β-gal), and senescence-related gene expression using RT2 Profiler PCR array. The results showed that replicative OB aging follows a different pattern from that of radiation-induced cellular senescence. SA β-gal intensity score showed a significant elevation after spontaneous replicative aging of OB (agiT1) 7 days following the start of the experiment, compared with their initial control condition (T0) (T0 = 2.1 ± 0.47; agiT1 = 9.60 ± 1.56; p = 0.001). Concurrent treatment by NMN and PRF showed a protective effect on OBs undergoing replicative senescence, and reduced SA β-gal staining significantly (agiT1 = 9.60 ± 1.56; agiT1+PRF = 3.19 ± 0.52; agiT1+NMN = 3.38 ± 0.36; p < 0.001). These results provide evidence for the potential clinical implications of systematic NMN administration and local PRF application to prevent age-related bone disturbances in elderly patients.

Single-cell profiling of low-stage endometrial cancers identifies low epithelial vimentin expression as a marker of recurrent disease

BACKGROUND

Identification of aggressive low-stage endometrial cancers is challenging. So far, studies have failed to pinpoint robust features or biomarkers associated with risk of recurrence for these patients.

METHODS

Imaging mass cytometry was used to examine single-cell expression of 23 proteins in 36 primary FIGO IB endometrial cancers, of which 17 recurred. Single-cell information was extracted for each tumor and unsupervised clustering was used to identify cellular phenotypes. Distinct phenotypes and cellular neighborhoods were compared in relation to recurrence. Cellular differences were validated in a separate gene expression dataset and the TCGA EC dataset. Vimentin protein expression was evaluated by IHC in pre-operative samples from 518 patients to validate its robustness as a prognostic marker.

FINDINGS

The abundance of epithelial, immune or stromal cell types did not associate with recurrence. Clustering of patients based on tumor single cell marker expression revealed distinct patient clusters associated with outcome. A cell population neighboring CD8+ T cells, defined by vimentin, ER, and PR expressing epithelial cells, was more prevalent in non-recurrent tumors. Importantly, lower epithelial vimentin expression and lower gene expression of VIM associated with worse recurrence-free survival. Loss and low expression of vimentin was validated by IHC as a robust marker for recurrence in FIGO I stage disease and predicted poor prognosis also when including all patients and in endometrioid patients only.

INTERPRETATION

This study reveals distinct characteristics in low-stage tumors and points to vimentin as a clinically relevant marker that may aid in identifying a here to unidentified subgroup of high-risk patients.

FUNDING

A full list of funding that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section.

Analysis of Differential Gene Expression and Core Canonical Pathways Involved in the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a malignant form of cancer with very high mortality and morbidity. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the most common pathophysiological change observed in cancer cells of epithelial origin that promotes metastasis, drug resistance and cancer stem cell formation. Since the information regarding differential gene expression in TNBC cells and cell signaling events leading to EMT is limited, this investigation was done by comparing transcriptomic data generated by RNA isolation and sequencing of a EMT model TNBC cell line in comparison to regular TNBC cells. RNA sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Software Analysis (IPA) of the transcriptomic data revealed several upregulated and downregulated gene expressions along with novel core canonical pathways including Sirtuin signaling, Oxidative Phosphorylation and Mitochondrial dysfunction events involved in EMT changes of the TNBC cells.

Vimentin single cysteine residue acts as a tunable sensor for network organization and as a key for actin remodeling in response to oxidants and electrophiles

Cysteine residues can undergo multiple posttranslational modifications with diverse functional consequences, potentially behaving as tunable sensors. The intermediate filament protein vimentin has important implications in pathophysiology, including cancer progression, infection, and fibrosis, and maintains a close interplay with other cytoskeletal structures, such as actin filaments and microtubules. We previously showed that the single vimentin cysteine, C328, is a key target for oxidants and electrophiles. Here, we demonstrate that structurally diverse cysteine-reactive agents, including electrophilic mediators, oxidants and drug-related compounds, disrupt the vimentin network eliciting morphologically distinct reorganizations. As most of these agents display broad reactivity, we pinpointed the importance of C328 by confirming that local perturbations introduced through mutagenesis provoke structure-dependent vimentin rearrangements. Thus, GFP-vimentin wild type (wt) forms squiggles and short filaments in vimentin-deficient cells, the C328F, C328W, and C328H mutants generate diverse filamentous assemblies, and the C328A and C328D constructs fail to elongate yielding dots. Remarkably, vimentin C328H structures resemble the wt, but are strongly resistant to electrophile-elicited disruption. Therefore, the C328H mutant allows elucidating whether cysteine-dependent vimentin reorganization influences other cellular responses to reactive agents. Electrophiles such as 1,4-dinitro-1H-imidazole and 4-hydroxynonenal induce robust actin stress fibers in cells expressing vimentin wt. Strikingly, under these conditions, vimentin C328H expression blunts electrophile-elicited stress fiber formation, apparently acting upstream of RhoA. Analysis of additional vimentin C328 mutants shows that electrophile-sensitive and assembly-defective vimentin variants permit induction of stress fibers by reactive species, whereas electrophile-resistant filamentous vimentin structures prevent it. Together, our results suggest that vimentin acts as a break for actin stress fibers formation, which would be released by C328-aided disruption, thus allowing full actin remodeling in response to oxidants and electrophiles. These observations postulate C328 as a "sensor" transducing structurally diverse modifications into fine-tuned vimentin network rearrangements, and a gatekeeper for certain electrophiles in the interplay with actin.

Cell Surface Vimentin Detection in Cancer Cells by Peptide-Based Monoclonal Antibody

Background

Vimentin is a prominent Intermediate Filaments (IFs) protein expressed in different mesenchymal origin cell types. Besides a wide range of cellular function roles associated with vimentin expression, its dysregulation and cell surface expression in the induction of malignancy properties have been reported extensively, making it a promising cancer-specific target. Therefore, this study aimed to generate and characterize anti-vimentin monoclonal antibodies.

Methods

A 14-mer synthetic peptide from vimentin was conjugated to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) and used for immunization of Blab/C mice and monoclonal production by conventional hybridoma technology. The monoclonal antibody was purified using affinity chromatography of supernatants from the selected hybridoma cells. ELISA, Immunoprecipitation-Western blotting (IP-WB), Immunocytochemistry (ICC), and flow cytometry were employed to characterize the produced monoclonal antibody in terms of interaction with vimentin immunizing peptide as well as vimentin protein.

Results

Amid the several obtained producing anti-vimentin antibody hybridomas, the 7C11-D9 clone (IgG1 isotype with kappa light chain) showed higher reactivity with the immunizing peptide, and led to its selection for purification and characterization. The purified antibody could detect vimentin protein in IP-WB, ICC and flow cytometry of the normal and cancerous cells with different origin. No vimentin expression was found in normal healthy Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC).

Conclusion

Taken together, 7C11-D9 anti-vimentin monoclonal antibody might be used as immune diagnostic or immune therapeutic tool where detection or targeting of vimentin in a wide range of organisms is required.

Roles of the cytoskeleton in human diseases

Recently, researches have revealed the key roles of the cytoskeleton in the occurrence and development of multiple diseases, suggesting that targeting the cytoskeleton is a viable approach for treating numerous refractory diseases. The cytoskeleton is a highly structured and complex network composed of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. In normal cells, these three cytoskeleton components are highly integrated and coordinated. However, the cytoskeleton undergoes drastic remodeling in cytoskeleton-related diseases, causing changes in cell polarity, affecting the cell cycle, leading to senescent diseases, and influencing cell migration to accelerate cancer metastasis. Additionally, mutations or abnormalities in cytoskeletal proteins and their related proteins are closely associated with several congenital diseases. Therefore, this review summarizes the roles of the cytoskeleton in cytoskeleton-related diseases as well as its potential roles in disease treatment to provide insights regarding the physiological functions and pathological roles of the cytoskeleton.

The extracellular matrix protein pattern in the canine neoplastic mammary gland

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the mammary gland provide structure and regulate its development and homeostasis. Alterations in its structure can regulate and support pathogenesis, like breast tumors. Aiming to identify the health and tumoral canine mammary ECM scaffold protein profile by immunohistochemistry, the decellularization process was carried out to remove the cellular content. Additionally, it was verified the influence of health and tumoral ECM on the attachment of health and tumoral cells. The types I, III, IV, and V structural collagens were scarce in the mammary tumor, and ECM fibers were disorganized. Vimentin and CD44 were more common in mammary tumor stroma, suggesting a role in cell migration that results in tumor progression. Elastin, fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, and osteopontin were similarly detected under healthy and tumor conditions, providing the attachment of normal cells in healthy ECM, while tumoral cells were able to attach in tumoral ECM. The protein pattern demonstrates ECM alteration in canine mammary tumorigenesis, presenting new knowledge on mammary tumor ECM microenvironment.

CRISPR technology: A versatile tool to model, screen, and reverse drug resistance in cancer

BACKGROUND

Drug resistance is a serious challenge in cancer treatment that can render chemotherapy a failure. Understanding the mechanisms behind drug resistance and developing novel therapeutic approaches are cardinal steps in overcoming this issue. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats (CRISPR) gene-editing technology has proven to be a useful tool to study cancer drug resistance mechanisms and target the responsible genes. In this review, we evaluated original research studies that used the CRISPR tool in three areas related to drug resistance, namely screening resistance-related genes, generating modified models of resistant cells and animals, and removing resistance by genetic manipulation. We reported the targeted genes, study models, and drug groups in these studies. In addition to discussing different applications of CRISPR technology in cancer drug resistance, we analyzed drug resistance mechanisms and provided examples of CRISPR's role in studying them. Although CRISPR is a powerful tool for examining drug resistance and sensitizing resistant cells to chemotherapy, more studies are required to overcome its disadvantages, such as off-target effects, immunotoxicity, and inefficient delivery of CRISPR/cas9 into the cells.

The emerging role of microtubules in invasion plasticity

The ability of cells to switch between different invasive modes during metastasis, also known as invasion plasticity, is an important characteristic of tumor cells that makes them able to resist treatment targeted to a particular invasion mode. Due to the rapid changes in cell morphology during the transition between mesenchymal and amoeboid invasion, it is evident that this process requires remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Although the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell invasion and plasticity is already quite well described, the contribution of microtubules is not yet fully clarified. It is not easy to infer whether destabilization of microtubules leads to higher invasiveness or the opposite since the complex microtubular network acts differently in diverse invasive modes. While mesenchymal migration typically requires microtubules at the leading edge of migrating cells to stabilize protrusions and form adhesive structures, amoeboid invasion is possible even in the absence of long, stable microtubules, albeit there are also cases of amoeboid cells where microtubules contribute to effective migration. Moreover, complex crosstalk of microtubules with other cytoskeletal networks participates in invasion regulation. Altogether, microtubules play an important role in tumor cell plasticity and can be therefore targeted to affect not only cell proliferation but also invasive properties of migrating cells.

The mechanosensitive TRPV2 calcium channel promotes human melanoma invasiveness and metastatic potential

Melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer endowed with a unique capacity of rapidly metastasizing, which is fundamentally driven by aberrant cell motility behaviors. Discovering "migrastatics" targets, specifically controlling invasion and dissemination of melanoma cells during metastasis, is therefore of primary importance. Here, we uncover the prominent expression of the plasma membrane TRPV2 calcium channel as a distinctive feature of melanoma tumors, directly related to melanoma metastatic dissemination. In vitro as well as in vivo, TRPV2 activity is sufficient to confer both migratory and invasive potentials, while conversely TRPV2 silencing in highly metastatic melanoma cells prevents aggressive behavior. In invasive melanoma cells, TRPV2 channel localizes at the leading edge, in dynamic nascent adhesions, and regulates calcium-mediated activation of calpain and the ensuing cleavage of the adhesive protein talin, along with F-actin organization. In human melanoma tissues, TRPV2 overexpression correlates with advanced malignancy and poor prognosis, evoking a biomarker potential. Hence, by regulating adhesion and motility, the mechanosensitive TRPV2 channel controls melanoma cell invasiveness, highlighting a new therapeutic option for migrastatics in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Capparis zeylanica L. root extract promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and triggers E-cadherin expression in breast cancer cell lines

Capparis zeylanica L. is a climbing shrub distributed in Indian subcontinent and Mediterranean region. Almost all parts of the plant are used in folk medicine and traditional practices to treat several human ailments. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of C. zeylanica L. root extract in preventing cancerous cells growth and proliferation, as well as promoting apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methanolic extract of C. zeylanica L. (MECz) was prepared and characterized by LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. In vitro cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity of MECz was evaluated by MTT assay, while cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle progression by Muse Cell analyzer. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expressions of EMT markers were assessed using qRT-PCR and western blotting techniques, respectively. The MECz was found to be rich in phenolic compounds including chlorogenic acid, 6-gingerol, and certain triterpenes like ursolic acid etc. The apparent anti-metastasis activity of MECz was evident from IC50 value of 19.12 and 24.22 μg/mL, respectively, on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells in MTT assay. An absolute decrease in cell viability (78.1-53.4% and 89.9-49.0%), augmented apoptosis (90.98-48.25% and 88.25-47.70%) and S phase, G2/M phase cell cycle arrest was found by MECz treatment on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. The gene expression studies revealed that MECz could significantly (p < 0.001) regulate the expression of EMT markers such as snail, slug, zeb-1, twist-1, fibronectin, vimentin and E-cadherin at molecular level. These findings demonstrate that C. zeylanica L. root extract inhibits breast cancer cells growth and proliferation through regulating the expression of key EMT marker genes and proteins. Thus, MECz may be suggested as a potential anti-metastasis agent in the treatment of breast cancer.

New panel of biomarkers to discriminate between amelanotic and melanotic metastatic melanoma

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that can rapidly invade distant organs. A distinctive feature of melanomas is their pigmentation status, as melanin is present in most skin melanomas, whilst many metastatic tumors could become amelanotic. Besides the obvious malfunction of the key genes of the melanin pathway, the amelanotic tumors could bear a characteristic molecular signature accounting for their aggressivity. Using mass spectrometry-based proteomics we report here a distinctive panel of biomarkers for amelanotic aggressive melanoma that differ from the less invasive pigmented cells. The developed method allows the label-free quantification of proteins identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. We found a set of proteins comprising AHNAK, MYOF, ANXA1, CAPN2, ASPH, EPHA2, THBS1, TGM2, ACTN4 along with proteins involved in cell adhesion/migration (integrins, PLEC, FSCN1, FN1) that are highly expressed in amelanotic melanoma. Accompanying the down regulation of pigmentation specific proteins such as tyrosinase and TYRP1, these biomarkers are highly specific for a type of highly invasive melanoma. Interestingly, the LC-MS/MS proteomics analysis in hypoxia revealed that the abundance of this specific set of proteins found in normoxia was rather unaltered in these conditions. These biomarkers could therefore predict a metastatic behaviour for the amelanotic cells in the early stages of the tumor development and thus serve in melanoma prognostic. Applying this algorithm to related databases including melanoma samples published by independent laboratories/public databases we confirm the specificity of the newly found signatures. Overall, we begin to unravel the molecular alterations in the amelanotic melanoma and how basic proteomics offers insights into how to assess the clinical, pathological and misdiagnosis differences between the main subtypes of melanoma.

FRMD3 inhibits the growth and metastasis of breast cancer through the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of vimentin and subsequent impairment of focal adhesion

Recurrence and metastasis are the main causes of breast cancer (BRCA)-related death and remain a challenge for treatment. In-depth research on the molecular mechanisms underlying BRCA progression has been an important basis for developing precise biomarkers and therapy targets for early prediction and treatment of progressed BRCA. Herein, we identified FERM domain-containing protein 3 (FRMD3) as a novel potent BRCA tumor suppressor which is significantly downregulated in BRCA clinical tissue and cell lines, and low FRMD3 expression has been closely associated with progressive BRCA and shortened survival time in BRCA patients. Overexpression and knockdown experiments have revealed that FRMD3 significantly inhibits BRCA cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and suppresses BRCA xenograft growth and metastasis in vivo as well. Mechanistically, FRMD3 can interact with vimentin and ubiquitin protein ligase E3A(UBE3A) to induce the polyubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of vimentin, which subsequently downregulates focal adhesion complex proteins and pro-cancerous signaling activation, thereby resulting in cytoskeletal rearrangement and defects in cell morphology and focal adhesion. Further evidence has confirmed that FRMD3-mediated vimentin degradation accounts for the anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis effects of FRMD3 on BRCA. Moreover, the N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain of FRMD3 has been identified as responsible for FRMD3-vimentin interaction through binding the head domain of vimentin and the truncated FRMD3 with the deletion of ubiquitin-like domain almost completely loses the anti-BRCA effects. Taken together, our study indicates significant potential for the use of FRMD3 as a novel prognosis biomarker and a therapeutic target of BRCA and provides an additional mechanism underlying the degradation of vimentin and BRCA progression.

Anoikis in phenotypic reprogramming of the prostate tumor microenvironment

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in males wherein 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with this disease in their lifetime. The urgency to find novel therapeutic interventions is associated with high treatment resistance and mortality rates associated with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Anoikis is an apoptotic phenomenon for normal epithelial or endothelial cells that have lost their attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Tumor cells that lose their connection to the ECM can die via apoptosis or survive via anoikis resistance and thus escaping to distant organs for metastatic progression. This review discusses the recent advances made in our understanding of the signaling effectors of anoikis in prostate cancer and the approaches to translate these mechanistic insights into therapeutic benefits for reducing lethal disease outcomes (by overcoming anoikis resistance). The prostate tumor microenvironment is a highly dynamic landscape wherein the balance between androgen signaling, cell lineage changes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), extracellular matrix interactions, actin cytoskeleton remodeling as well as metabolic changes, confer anoikis resistance and metastatic spread. Thus, these mechanisms also offer unique molecular treatment signatures, exploitation of which can prime prostate tumors to anoikis induction with a high translational significance.

Exosomal microRNAs: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Small Bio-molecule in Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related death worldwide. EC is usually diagnosed at a late stage, and despite aggressive therapy, the five-year survival rate of patients remains poor. Exosomes play important roles in cancer biology. Indeed, exosomes are implicated in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion. They contain bioactive molecules such as lipids, proteins, and non-coding RNAs. Exosome research has recently concentrated on microRNAs, which are tiny noncoding endogenous RNAs that can alter gene expression and are linked to nearly all physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. It is suggested that deregulation of miRNAs results in cancer progression and directly induces tumor initiation. In esophageal cancer, miRNA dysregulation plays an important role in cancer prognosis and patients' responsiveness to therapy, indicating that miRNAs are important in tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the impact of exosomal miRNAs on esophageal cancer pathogenesis and their potential applications for EC diagnosis and therapy.

Correlation Between Intensity of Vimentin Immuno-expression in Young Women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Its Cliniocopathological Parameters

Background

Young breast cancer patients (≤40 years) have different unifying oncogenic signaling pathways when compared to older people. Vimentin is a filament intermediate. Vimentin expression has an important role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer progression.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between vimentin intensity and clinicopathological parameters in patients with triple negative breast cancer aged 40 years.

Methods

Samples were taken from 45 paraffin blocks of patients with young woman with triple negative invasive breast cancer NOS type that met the inclusion criteria, immunohistochemical examination was performed with vimentin. Vimentin intensity was assessed using ImageJ analysis.

Results

Samples were taken from paraffin blocks of patients with triple negative invasive breast cancer NOS type that met the inclusion criteria, immunohistochemical examination was performed with vimentin. Vimentin intensity was assessed using ImageJ analysis.

Conclusion

This study shows that vimentin intensity is strongly associated with tumor progression, tumor mass size and tumor invasion so that it can be used as a prognostic factor in young triple negative breast cancer patients.

The actin cytoskeleton: Morphological changes in pre- and fully developed lung cancer

Actin, a primary component of the cell cytoskeleton can have multiple isoforms, each of which can have specific properties uniquely suited for their purpose. These monomers are then bound together to form polymeric filaments utilizing adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis as a source of energy. Proteins, such as Arp2/3, VASP, formin, profilin, and cofilin, serve important roles in the polymerization process. These filaments can further be linked to form stress fibers by proteins called actin-binding proteins, such as α-actinin, myosin, fascin, filamin, zyxin, and epsin. These stress fibers are responsible for mechanotransduction, maintaining cell shape, cell motility, and intracellular cargo transport. Cancer metastasis, specifically epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is one of the key steps of the process, is accompanied by the formation of thick stress fibers through the Rho-associated protein kinase, MAPK/ERK, and Wnt pathways. Recently, with the advent of "field cancerization," pre-malignant cells have also been demonstrated to possess stress fibers and related cytoskeletal features. Analytical methods ranging from western blot and RNA-sequencing to cryo-EM and fluorescent imaging have been employed to understand the structure and dynamics of actin and related proteins including polymerization/depolymerization. More recent methods involve quantifying properties of the actin cytoskeleton from fluorescent images and utilizing them to study biological processes, such as EMT. These image analysis approaches exploit the fact that filaments have a unique structure (curvilinear) compared to the noise or other artifacts to separate them. Line segments are extracted from these filament images that have assigned lengths and orientations. Coupling such methods with statistical analysis has resulted in development of a new reporter for EMT in lung cancer cells as well as their drug responses.

Optimization of a cell surface vimentin binding peptoid to extract antagonist effect on lung cancer cells

Targeting cytoskeletal proteins that are uniquely translocated to cancer cell surface may provide an alternative path for conventional drug discovery. Vimentin is such a cell surface-translocated cytoskeletal protein (CSV) found in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We previously reported the identification of CSV-binding peptoid, named JM3A. While JM3A had no antagonist effect, here we used multiple strategies to optimize the binding of JM3A on CSV and extract the antagonistic effect. We first performed minimum pharmacophore identification studies using alanine/sarcosine scans. These studies revealed that residues 1-4 and 8 (from the C-terminus) are not important and those residues 5-7 are important for JM3A binding to CSV. We then found that our previous N-terminal benzophenone (BP)-coupled JM3A (JM3A-BP), which was used for pull-down and target identification studies, displayed 3-fold binding enhancement. The molecular docking studies indicated that the BP moiety binds to a new binding pocket on the vimentin coil 2 fragment, and further studies using 12 benzophenone-like moieties indicated that at least two phenyl groups are needed to occupy this new binding site. Interestingly, the binding was improved when non-important and bulky residues at the 4th and 8th positions were replaced with methyl groups (JM3A-4,8-BP). We next dimerized JM3A-4,8-BP to enhance the binding via the "avidity effect," using a central lysine linker to develop JM3A-4,8-BPD1 (EC50 = 300 nM). This showed 27- and 63-fold-improvement in binding over JM3A-4,8-BP and JM3A monomers, respectively. JM3A4,8BPD1 also displayed binding comparable to vimentin antibody. Finally, we observed an antagonist effect on H1299 NSCLC cell proliferation and viability from this most improved dimeric JM3A-4,8BPD1, which was not shown by the monomeric versions.

ALD-R491 regulates vimentin filament stability and solubility, cell contractile force, cell migration speed and directionality

Metastasizing cells express the intermediate filament protein vimentin, which is used to diagnose invasive tumors in the clinic. However, the role of vimentin in cell motility, and if the assembly of non-filamentous variants of vimentin into filaments regulates cell migration remains unclear. We observed that the vimentin-targeting drug ALD-R491 increased the stability of vimentin filaments, by reducing filament assembly and/or disassembly. ALD-R491-treatment also resulted in more bundled and disorganized filaments and an increased pool of non-filamentous vimentin. This was accompanied by a reduction in size of cell-matrix adhesions and increased cellular contractile forces. Moreover, during cell migration, cells showed erratic formation of lamellipodia at the cell periphery, loss of coordinated cell movement, reduced cell migration speed, directionality and an elongated cell shape with long thin extensions at the rear that often detached. Taken together, these results indicate that the stability of vimentin filaments and the soluble pool of vimentin regulate the speed and directionality of cell migration and the capacity of cells to migrate in a mechanically cohesive manner. These observations suggest that the stability of vimentin filaments governs the adhesive, physical and migratory properties of cells, and expands our understanding of vimentin functions in health and disease, including cancer metastasis.

Vimentin and cytokeratin: Good alone, bad together

The cytoskeleton plays an integral role in maintaining the integrity of epithelial cells. Epithelial cells primarily employ cytokeratin in their cytoskeleton, whereas mesenchymal cells use vimentin. During the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cytokeratin-positive epithelial cells begin to express vimentin. EMT induces stem cell properties and drives metastasis, chemoresistance, and tumor relapse. Most studies of the functions of cytokeratin and vimentin have relied on the use of either epithelial or mesenchymal cell types. However, it is important to understand how these two cytoskeleton intermediate filaments function when co-expressed in cells undergoing EMT. Here, we discuss the individual and shared functions of cytokeratin and vimentin that coalesce during EMT and how alterations in intermediate filament expression influence carcinoma progression.

Systems-biology analysis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes implicates cell line-specific transcription factor function

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated disease affecting diarthrodial joints that remains an unmet medical need despite improved therapy. This limitation likely reflects the diversity of pathogenic pathways in RA, with individual patients demonstrating variable responses to targeted therapies. Better understanding of RA pathogenesis would be aided by a more complete characterization of the disease. To tackle this challenge, we develop and apply a systems biology approach to identify important transcription factors (TFs) in individual RA fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cell lines by integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic information. Based on the relative importance of the identified TFs, we stratify the RA FLS cell lines into two subtypes with distinct phenotypes and predicted active pathways. We biologically validate these predictions for the top subtype-specific TF RARα and demonstrate differential regulation of TGFβ signaling in the two subtypes. This study characterizes clusters of RA cell lines with distinctive TF biology by integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic data, which could pave the way towards a greater understanding of disease heterogeneity.

CXCL12/CXCR7/β-arrestin1 biased signal promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer by repressing miRNAs through YAP1 nuclear translocation

BACKGROUND

Chemokine CXC motif receptor 7 (CXCR7) is an atypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that signals in a biased fashion. CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal has been reported to play crucial roles in multiple stages of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the mechanism of CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal in promoting CRC progression and metastasis remains obscure.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that CXCR7 activation promotes EMT and upregulates the expression of Vimentin and doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in CRC cells with concurrent repression of miR-124-3p and miR-188-5p through YAP1 nuclear translocation. Cell transfection and luciferase assay prove that these miRNAs regulate EMT by targeting Vimentin and DCLK1. More importantly, CXCL12/CXCR7/β-arrestin1-mediated biased signal induces YAP1 nuclear translocation, which functions as a transcriptional repressor by interacting with Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and recruiting YY1 to the promoters of miR-124-3p and miR-188-5p. Pharmacological inhibitor of YAP1 suppresses EMT and tumor metastasis upon CXCR7 activation in vivo in tumor xenografts of nude mice and inflammatory colonic adenocarcinoma models. Clinically, the expression of CXCR7 is positively correlated with nuclear YAP1 levels and EMT markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our studies reveal a novel mechanism and clinical significance of CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal in promoting EMT and invasion in CRC progression. These findings highlight the potential of targeting YAP1 nuclear translocation in hampering CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal-induced metastasis of colorectal cancer.

How does plasticity of migration help tumor cells to avoid treatment: Cytoskeletal regulators and potential markers

Tumor shrinkage as a result of antitumor therapy is not the only and sufficient indicator of treatment success. Cancer progression leads to dissemination of tumor cells and formation of metastases - secondary tumor lesions in distant organs. Metastasis is associated with acquisition of mobile phenotype by tumor cells as a result of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and further cell migration based on cytoskeleton reorganization. The main mechanisms of individual cell migration are either mesenchymal, which depends on the activity of small GTPase Rac, actin polymerization, formation of adhesions with extracellular matrix and activity of proteolytic enzymes or amoeboid, which is based on the increase in intracellular pressure caused by the enhancement of actin cortex contractility regulated by Rho-ROCK-MLCKII pathway, and does not depend on the formation of adhesive structures with the matrix, nor on the activity of proteases. The ability of tumor cells to switch from one motility mode to another depending on cell context and environmental conditions, termed migratory plasticity, contributes to the efficiency of dissemination and often allows the cells to avoid the applied treatment. The search for new therapeutic targets among cytoskeletal proteins offers an opportunity to directly influence cell migration. For successful treatment it is important to assess the likelihood of migratory plasticity in a particular tumor. Therefore, the search for specific markers that can indicate a high probability of migratory plasticity is very important.

Amphiphilic Aminated Derivatives of [60]Fullerene as Potent Inhibitors of Tumor Growth and Metastasis

Malignant proliferation and metastasis are the hallmarks of cancer cells. Aminated [70]fullerene exhibits notable antineoplastic effects, promoting it a candidate for multi-targeted cancer drugs. It is an urgent need to reveal the structure-activity relationship for antineoplastic aminated fullerenes. Herein, three amphiphilic derivatives of [60]fullerene with clarified molecular structures are synthesized: TAPC-4, TAPC-3, and TCPC-4. TAPC-4 inhibits the proliferation of diverse tumor cells via G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, reverses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and abrogates the high mobility of tumor cells. TAPC-4 can be excreted from the organism and achieves an in vivo inhibition index of 75.5% in tumor proliferation and 87.5% in metastatic melanoma with a wide safety margin. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the amphiphilic molecular structure and the ending amino groups promote the targeting of TAPC-4 to heat shock protein Hsp90-beta, vimentin, and myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), probably resulting in the alteration of cyclin D1 translation, vimentin expression, and MYH9 location, respectively. This work initially emphasizes the dominant role of the amphiphilic structure and the terminal amino moieties in the antineoplastic effects of aminated fullerenes, providing fundamental support for their anti-tumor drug development.