1
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Hossain MA. Targeting the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathway for Cancer treatment. Eur J Pharmacol 2024:176727. [PMID: 38866361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Cancer often involves the overactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways due to mutations in genes like RAS, RAF, PTEN, and PIK3CA. Various strategies are employed to address the overactivation of these pathways, among which targeted therapy emerges as a promising approach. Directly targeting specific proteins, leads to encouraging results in cancer treatment. For instance, RTK inhibitors such as imatinib and afatinib selectively target these receptors, hindering ligand binding and reducing signaling initiation. These inhibitors have shown potent efficacy against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Other inhibitors, like lonafarnib targeting Farnesyltransferase and GGTI 2418 targeting geranylgeranyl Transferase, disrupt post-translational modifications of proteins. Additionally, inhibition of proteins like SOS, SH2 domain, and Ras demonstrate promising anti-tumor activity both in vivo and in vitro. Targeting downstream components with RAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and sorafenib, along with MEK inhibitors like trametinib and binimetinib, has shown promising outcomes in treating cancers with BRAF-V600E mutations, including myeloma, colorectal, and thyroid cancers. Furthermore, inhibitors of PI3K (e.g., apitolisib, copanlisib), AKT (e.g., ipatasertib, perifosine), and mTOR (e.g., sirolimus, temsirolimus) exhibit promising efficacy against various cancers such as Invasive Breast Cancer, Lymphoma, Neoplasms, and hematological malignancies. This review offers an overview of small molecule inhibitors targeting specific proteins within the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Arafat Hossain
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8100, Bangladesh;.
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2
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Liou GY, Byrd CJ, Storz P, Messex JK. Cytokine CCL9 Mediates Oncogenic KRAS-Induced Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia by Promoting Reactive Oxygen Species and Metalloproteinases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4726. [PMID: 38731942 PMCID: PMC11083758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can originate from acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). Pancreatic acini harboring oncogenic Kras mutations are transdifferentiated to a duct-like phenotype that further progresses to become pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) lesions, giving rise to PDAC. Although ADM formation is frequently observed in KrasG12D transgenic mouse models of PDAC, the exact mechanisms of how oncogenic KrasG12D regulates this process remain an enigma. Herein, we revealed a new downstream target of oncogenic Kras, cytokine CCL9, during ADM formation. Higher levels of CCL9 and its receptors, CCR1 and CCR3, were detected in ADM regions of the pancreas in p48cre:KrasG12D mice and human PDAC patients. Knockdown of CCL9 in KrasG12D-expressed pancreatic acini reduced KrasG12D-induced ADM in a 3D organoid culture system. Moreover, exogenously added recombinant CCL9 and overexpression of CCL9 in primary pancreatic acini induced pancreatic ADM. We also showed that, functioning as a downstream target of KrasG12D, CCL9 promoted pancreatic ADM through upregulation of the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2. Blockade of MMPs via its generic inhibitor GM6001 or knockdown of specific MMP such as MMP14 and MMP3 decreased CCL9-induced pancreatic ADM. In p48cre:KrasG12D transgenic mice, blockade of CCL9 through its specific neutralizing antibody attenuated pancreatic ADM structures and PanIN lesion formation. Furthermore, it also diminished infiltrating macrophages and expression of MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2 in the ADM areas. Altogether, our results provide novel mechanistic insight into how oncogenic Kras enhances pancreatic ADM through its new downstream target molecule, CCL9, to initiate PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geou-Yarh Liou
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Crystal J. Byrd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Peter Storz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Justin K. Messex
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
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3
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Shen X, Niu N, Xue J. Oncogenic KRAS triggers metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Transl Int Med 2023; 11:322-329. [PMID: 38130635 PMCID: PMC10732496 DOI: 10.2478/jtim-2022-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with an extremely high lethality rate. Oncogenic KRAS activation has been proven to be a key driver of PDAC initiation and progression. There is increasing evidence that PDAC cells undergo extensive metabolic reprogramming to adapt to their extreme energy and biomass demands. Cell-intrinsic factors, such as KRAS mutations, are able to trigger metabolic rewriting. Here, we update recent advances in KRAS-driven metabolic reprogramming and the associated metabolic therapeutic potential in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuqing Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200127, China
| | - Ningning Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200127, China
| | - Jing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200127, China
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4
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Briseño-Díaz P, Schnoor M, Bello-Ramirez M, Correa-Basurto J, Rojo-Domínguez A, Arregui L, Vega L, Núñez-González E, Palau-Hernández LA, Parra-Torres CG, García Córdova OM, Zepeda-Castilla E, Torices-Escalante E, Domínguez-Camacho L, Xoconostle-Cazares B, Meraz-Ríos MA, Delfín-Azuara S, Carrión-Estrada DA, Villegas-Sepúlveda N, Hernández-Rivas R, Thompson-Bonilla MDR, Vargas M. Synergistic effect of antagonists to KRas4B/PDE6 molecular complex in pancreatic cancer. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302019. [PMID: 37813486 PMCID: PMC10561825 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the worst prognosis among all human cancers as it is highly resistant to chemotherapy. K-Ras mutations usually trigger the development and progression of PDAC. We hypothesized that compounds stabilizing the KRas4B/PDE6δ complex could serve as PDAC treatments. Using in silico approaches, we identified the small molecules C14 and P8 that reduced K-Ras activation in primary PDAC cells. Importantly, C14 and P8 significantly prevented tumor growth in patient-derived xenotransplants. Combined treatment with C14 and P8 strongly increased cytotoxicity in PDAC cell lines and primary cultures and showed strong synergistic antineoplastic effects in preclinical murine PDAC models that were superior to conventional therapeutics without causing side effects. Mechanistically, C14 and P8 reduced tumor growth by inhibiting AKT and ERK signaling downstream of K-RAS leading to apoptosis, specifically in PDAC cells. Thus, combined treatment with C14 and P8 may be a superior pharmaceutical strategy to improve the outcome of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Briseño-Díaz
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Michael Schnoor
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Martiniano Bello-Ramirez
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design of the Higher School of Medicine, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose Correa-Basurto
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design of the Higher School of Medicine, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Arturo Rojo-Domínguez
- Department of Natural Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Arregui
- Department of Natural Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Libia Vega
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Toxicology Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Núñez-González
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Ernesto Zepeda-Castilla
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Torices-Escalante
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Domínguez-Camacho
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Beatriz Xoconostle-Cazares
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Biotechnology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Marco Antonio Meraz-Ríos
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Sandra Delfín-Azuara
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Dayan Andrea Carrión-Estrada
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Nicolas Villegas-Sepúlveda
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Rosaura Hernández-Rivas
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | | | - Miguel Vargas
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
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Ramalingam PS, Arumugam S. Computational design and validation of effective siRNAs to silence oncogenic KRAS. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:350. [PMID: 37780803 PMCID: PMC10541393 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03767-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS mutations drive cancer progression in lung, colon, breast, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Apart from the current strategies, such as KRAS upstream inhibitors, downstream effector inhibitors, interaction inhibitors, cell cycle inhibitors, and direct KRAS inhibitors, against KRAS-mutated cancers, the therapeutic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) represent a promising alternative strategy that directly binds with the target mRNA and inhibits protein translation via mRNA degradation. Here, in the present study, we utilized various in silico approaches to design potential siRNA candidates against KRAS mRNA. We have predicted nearly 17 siRNAs against the KRAS mRNA, and further through various criteria, such as U, R, and A rules, GC%, secondary structure formation, mRNA-siRNA duplex stability, Tm (Cp), Tm (Conc), and inhibition efficiency, they have been filtered into 4 potential siRNAs namely siRNA8, siRNA11, siRNA12, and siRNA17. Further, the molecular docking analysis revealed that the siRNA8, siRNA11, siRNA12, and siRNA17 showed higher negative binding energies, such as - 379.13 kcal/mol, - 360.19 kcal/mol, - 288.47 kcal/mol, and - 329.76 kcal/mol, toward the human Argonaute2 protein (hAgo2) respectively. In addition, the normal mode analysis of the hAgo2-siRNAs complexes indicates the structural changes and deformation of the hAgo2 protein upon the binding of siRNA molecules in the dynamic environment which suggests that these siRNAs could be effective. Finally, we conclude that these 4 siRNAs have therapeutic potential against KRAS mRNA and also have to be studied in vitro and in vivo to evaluate their specificity toward mutant KRAS (not degrading wild-type KRAS). Also, the current challenges in the use of siRNA therapeutics could be overcome by the emerging siRNA delivery methods, such as Antibody-siRNA conjugates (ARCs) and Gelatin-Antibody Delivery System (GADS), in the near future and these siRNAs could be employed as potential therapeutic agents against KRAS-mutated cancers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03767-w.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sivakumar Arumugam
- Protein Engineering Lab, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
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6
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Chiorean EG, Picozzi V, Li C, Peeters M, Maurel J, Singh J, Golan T, Blanc J, Chapman SC, Hussain AM, Johnston EL, Hochster HS. Efficacy and safety of abemaciclib alone and with PI3K/mTOR inhibitor LY3023414 or galunisertib versus chemotherapy in previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A randomized controlled trial. Cancer Med 2023; 12:20353-20364. [PMID: 37840530 PMCID: PMC10652308 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) are characterized by frequent cell cycle pathways aberrations. This study evaluated safety and efficacy of abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor, as monotherapy or in combination with PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor LY3023414 or TGFβ inhibitor galunisertib versus standard of care (SOC) chemotherapy in patients with pretreated metastatic PDAC. METHODS This Phase 2 open-label study enrolled patients with metastatic PDAC who progressed after 1-2 prior therapies. Patients were enrolled in a safety lead-in (abemaciclib plus galunisertib) followed by a 2-stage randomized design. Stage 1 randomization was planned 1:1:1:1 for abemaciclib, abemaciclib plus LY3023414, abemaciclib plus galunisertib, or SOC gemcitabine or capecitabine. Advancing to Stage 2 required a disease control rate (DCR) difference ≥0 in abemaciclib-containing arms versus SOC. Primary objectives for Stages 1 and 2 were DCR and progression-free survival (PFS), respectively. Secondary objectives included response rate, overall survival, safety, and pharmacokinetics. RESULTS One hundred and six patients were enrolled. Abemaciclib plus galunisertib did not advance to Stage 1 for reasons unrelated to safety or efficacy. Stage 1 DCR was 15.2% with abemaciclib monotherapy, 12.1% with abemaciclib plus LY3023414, and 36.4% with SOC. Median PFS was 1.7 months (95% CI: 1.4-1.8), 1.8 months (95% CI: 1.3-1.9), and 3.3 months (95% CI: 1.1-5.7), respectively. No arms advanced to Stage 2. No new safety signals were identified. CONCLUSION In patients with pretreated metastatic PDAC, abemaciclib-based therapy did not improve DCRs or PFS compared with SOC chemotherapy. No treatment arms advanced to Stage 2. Abemaciclib remains investigational in patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Gabriela Chiorean
- University of Washington School of MedicineSeattleWashingtonUSA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Vincent Picozzi
- Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Chung‐Pin Li
- Division of Clinical Skills Training, Department of Medical EducationTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of MedicineTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- Therapeutic and Research Center of Pancreatic CancerTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of Medicine, College of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Marc Peeters
- Department of OncologyAntwerp University HospitalAntwerpBelgium
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Joan Maurel
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group, IDIBAPSUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jaswinder Singh
- Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Research Medical CenterKansas CityMissouriUSA
| | - Talia Golan
- Oncology Institute, Sheba M9edical Center at Tel‐HashomerTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Jean‐Frédéric Blanc
- Service d'Hépato‐Gastroentérologie et d'Oncologie DigestiveGroupe Hospitalier Haut‐LévêqueCHU BordeauxPessacFrance
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7
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Antal CE, Oh TG, Aigner S, Luo EC, Yee BA, Campos T, Tiriac H, Rothamel KL, Cheng Z, Jiao H, Wang A, Hah N, Lenkiewicz E, Lumibao JC, Truitt ML, Estepa G, Banayo E, Bashi S, Esparza E, Munoz RM, Diedrich JK, Sodir NM, Mueller JR, Fraser CR, Borazanci E, Propper D, Von Hoff DD, Liddle C, Yu RT, Atkins AR, Han H, Lowy AM, Barrett MT, Engle DD, Evan GI, Yeo GW, Downes M, Evans RM. A super-enhancer-regulated RNA-binding protein cascade drives pancreatic cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5195. [PMID: 37673892 PMCID: PMC10482938 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40798-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy in need of new therapeutic options. Using unbiased analyses of super-enhancers (SEs) as sentinels of core genes involved in cell-specific function, here we uncover a druggable SE-mediated RNA-binding protein (RBP) cascade that supports PDAC growth through enhanced mRNA translation. This cascade is driven by a SE associated with the RBP heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F, which stabilizes protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) to, in turn, control the translational mediator ubiquitin-associated protein 2-like. All three of these genes and the regulatory SE are essential for PDAC growth and coordinately regulated by the Myc oncogene. In line with this, modulation of the RBP network by PRMT1 inhibition reveals a unique vulnerability in Myc-high PDAC patient organoids and markedly reduces tumor growth in male mice. Our study highlights a functional link between epigenetic regulation and mRNA translation and identifies components that comprise unexpected therapeutic targets for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina E Antal
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tae Gyu Oh
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73117, USA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - En-Ching Luo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Brian A Yee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tania Campos
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Hervé Tiriac
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Katherine L Rothamel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Zhang Cheng
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Henry Jiao
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Allen Wang
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nasun Hah
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | - Jan C Lumibao
- Regulatory Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Morgan L Truitt
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Gabriela Estepa
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ester Banayo
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Senada Bashi
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Edgar Esparza
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ruben M Munoz
- Molecular Medicine Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Mass Spectrometry Core for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicole M Sodir
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Genentech, Department of Translational Oncology, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jasmine R Mueller
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Cory R Fraser
- HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258, USA
- Scottsdale Pathology Associates, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, USA
| | - Erkut Borazanci
- Molecular Medicine Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
- HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258, USA
| | - David Propper
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, USA
| | - Daniel D Von Hoff
- Molecular Medicine Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
- HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258, USA
| | - Christopher Liddle
- Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Ruth T Yu
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Annette R Atkins
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Haiyong Han
- Molecular Medicine Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Andrew M Lowy
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael T Barrett
- Molecular Medicine Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Dannielle D Engle
- Regulatory Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Gerard I Evan
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Sanford Stem Cell Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael Downes
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Ronald M Evans
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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8
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Ramalingam PS, Arumugam S. Reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics approaches to design multi-epitope based vaccine against oncogenic KRAS. Med Oncol 2023; 40:283. [PMID: 37644143 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02160-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Mutant KRAS-induced tumorigenesis is highly involved in the progression of pancreatic, lung, and breast cancer. Comparatively, KRAS G12D and KRAS G12C are the most frequent mutations that promote cancer progression and aggressiveness. Although KRAS mutant inhibitors exhibit significant therapeutic potential, day by day, they are becoming resistant among patients. Multi-epitope based cancer vaccines are a promising alternative strategy that induces an immune response against tumor antigens. In the present study, we have designed, constructed, and validated a novel multi-epitope vaccine construct against KRAS G12D and G12C mutants using reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics approaches. In addition, the vaccine construct was structurally refined and showed significant physiochemical properties, and could induce an immune response. Furthermore, the optimized vaccine construct was cloned into a pET‑28a (+) expression vector through in silico cloning. Conclusively, the multi-epitope vaccine construct is structurally stable, soluble, antigenic, non‑allergic, and non‑toxic. Further, it has to be studied in in vitro and in vivo to evaluate its therapeutic efficacy against KRAS-mutated cancers in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sivakumar Arumugam
- Protein Engineering Lab, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.
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9
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Kumarasamy V, Frangou C, Wang J, Wan Y, Dynka A, Rosenheck H, Dey P, Abel EV, Knudsen ES, Witkiewicz AK. Pharmacologically targeting KRAS G12D in PDAC models: tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic impact. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.18.533261. [PMID: 37162905 PMCID: PMC10168422 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.18.533261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease for which new therapeutic interventions are needed. Here we assessed the cellular response to pharmacological KRAS inhibition, which target the central oncogenic factor in PDAC. In a panel of PDAC cell lines, pharmaceutical inhibition of KRAS G12D allele, with MRTX1133 yields variable efficacy in the suppression of cell growth and downstream gene expression programs in 2D culture. CRISPR screens identify new drivers for enhanced therapeutic response that regulate focal adhesion and signaling cascades, which were confirmed by gene specific knockdowns and combinatorial drug synergy. Interestingly, MRTX1133 is considerably more efficacious in the context of 3D cell cultures and in vivo PDAC patient-derived xenografts. In syngeneic models, KRAS G12D inhibition elicits potent tumor regression that did not occur in immune-deficient hosts. Digital spatial profiling on tumor tissues indicates that MRTX1133 activates interferon-γ signaling and induces antigen presentation that modulate the tumor microenvironment. Further investigation on the immunological response using single cell sequencing and multispectral imaging reveals that tumor regression is associated with suppression of neutrophils and influx of effector CD8 + T-cells. Thus, both tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic events contribute to response and credential KRAS G12D inhibition as promising strategy for a large percentage of PDAC tumors.
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10
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Fang YT, Yang WW, Niu YR, Sun YK. Recent advances in targeted therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:571-595. [PMID: 37123059 PMCID: PMC10134207 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i4.571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of 8% and a median survival of 6 mo. In PDAC, several mutations in the genes are involved, with Kirsten rat sarcoma oncogene (90%), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (90%), and tumor suppressor 53 (75%–90%) being the most common. Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 represents 50%. In addition, the self-preserving cancer stem cells, dense tumor microenvironment (fibrous accounting for 90% of the tumor volume), and suppressive and relatively depleted immune niche of PDAC are also constitutive and relevant elements of PDAC. Molecular targeted therapy is widely utilized and effective in several solid tumors. In PDAC, targeted therapy has been extensively evaluated; however, survival improvement of this aggressive disease using a targeted strategy has been minimal. There is currently only one United States Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted therapy for PDAC – erlotinib, but the absolute benefit of erlotinib in combination with gemcitabine is also minimal (2 wk). In this review, we summarize current targeted therapies and clinical trials targeting dysregulated signaling pathways and components of the PDAC oncogenic process, analyze possible reasons for the lack of positive results in clinical trials, and suggest ways to improve them. We also discuss emerging trends in targeted therapies for PDAC: combining targeted inhibitors of multiple pathways. The PubMed database and National Center for Biotechnology Information clinical trial website (www.clinicaltrials.gov) were queried to identify completed and published (PubMed) and ongoing (clinicaltrials.gov) clinical trials (from 2003-2022) using the keywords pancreatic cancer and targeted therapy. The PubMed database was also queried to search for information about the pathogenesis and molecular pathways of pancreatic cancer using the keywords pancreatic cancer and molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Fang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Wen-Wei Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ya-Ru Niu
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yong-Kun Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Hebei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Langfang 065001, Hebei Province, China
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11
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Arsenic trioxide sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine through downregulation of the TIMP1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis. Transl Res 2022; 255:66-76. [PMID: 36400307 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gemcitabine (GEM) is the first-line medication for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, over some treatment cycles, GEM sensitivity declines and chemotherapeutic resistance develops, resulting in tumor recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, it is critical to elucidate the mechanism of GEM chemoresistance. And a specific drug that is closely related to the mechanism is urgently required to sensitize GEM. Here, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) were found to be substantially elevated in PDAC patients and were associated with worse overall survival. The TIMP1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was found in GEM-resistant PDAC cells and was revealed to be involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and apoptosis. Furthermore, arsenic trioxide (ATO), a basic therapeutic drug for acute promyelocytic leukemia, mediated TIMP1 reduction by inducing reactive oxygen species generation and hampered the subsequent PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis. Moreover, the combination of ATO and GEM cooperatively suppressed the TIMP1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, synergistically inhibited EMT and promoted apoptosis. In vitro and in vivo, ATO combined with GEM has a collaborative anticancer effect, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and suppressing tumor growth both in PDAC parental and GEM-resistant cells. Overall, the TIMP1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is present in PDAC and linked to GEM resistance. ATO suppresses the axis to sensitize GEM and reverse GEM resistance, suggesting a promising treatment for the disease.
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12
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Makler A, Narayanan R, Asghar W. An Exosomal miRNA Biomarker for the Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:831. [PMID: 36290970 PMCID: PMC9599289 DOI: 10.3390/bios12100831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a difficult tumor to diagnose and treat. To date, PDAC lacks routine screening with no markers available for early detection. Exosomes are 40-150 nm-sized extracellular vesicles that contain DNA, RNA, and proteins. These exosomes are released by all cell types into circulation and thus can be harvested from patient body fluids, thereby facilitating a non-invasive method for PDAC detection. A bioinformatics analysis was conducted utilizing publicly available miRNA pancreatic cancer expression and genome databases. Through this analysis, we identified 18 miRNA with strong potential for PDAC detection. From this analysis, 10 (MIR31, MIR93, MIR133A1, MIR210, MIR330, MIR339, MIR425, MIR429, MIR1208, and MIR3620) were chosen due to high copy number variation as well as their potential to differentiate patients with chronic pancreatitis, neoplasms, and PDAC. These 10 were examined for their mature miRNA expression patterns, giving rise to 18 mature miRs for further analysis. Exosomal RNA from cell culture media was analyzed via RTqPCR and seven mature miRs exhibited statistical significance (miR-31-5p, miR-31-3p, miR-210-3p, miR-339-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-425-3p, and miR-429). These identified biomarkers can potentially be used for early detection of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Makler
- Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Ramaswamy Narayanan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Waseem Asghar
- Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
- Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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13
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Ma Y, Nikfarjam M, He H. The trilogy of P21 activated kinase, autophagy and immune evasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2022; 548:215868. [PMID: 36027997 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal types of cancer with a dismal prognosis. KRAS mutation is a commonly identified oncogene in PDA tumorigenesis and P21-activated kinases (PAKs) are its downstream mediator. While PAK1 is more well-studied, PAK4 also attracted increasing interest. In PDA, PAK inhibition not only reduces cancer cell viability but also sensitises it to chemotherapy. While PDA remains resistant to existing immunotherapies, PAK inhibition has been shown to increase cancer immunogenicity of melanoma, glioblastoma and PDA. Furthermore, autophagy plays an important role in PDA immune evasion, and accumulating evidence has pointed to a connection between PAK and cancer cell autophagy. In this literature review, we aim to summarize currently available studies that have assessed the potential connection between PAK, autophagy and immune evasion in PDA biology to guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ma
- Department of Surgery, Austin Precinct, The University of Melbourne, 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
| | - Mehrdad Nikfarjam
- Department of Surgery, Austin Precinct, The University of Melbourne, 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia; Department of Hepatopancreatic-Biliary Surgery, Austin Health, 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
| | - Hong He
- Department of Surgery, Austin Precinct, The University of Melbourne, 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia.
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14
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Ferreira A, Pereira F, Reis C, Oliveira MJ, Sousa MJ, Preto A. Crucial Role of Oncogenic KRAS Mutations in Apoptosis and Autophagy Regulation: Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2022; 11:cells11142183. [PMID: 35883626 PMCID: PMC9319879 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
KRAS, one of the RAS protein family members, plays an important role in autophagy and apoptosis, through the regulation of several downstream effectors. In cancer cells, KRAS mutations confer the constitutive activation of this oncogene, stimulating cell proliferation, inducing autophagy, suppressing apoptosis, altering cell metabolism, changing cell motility and invasion and modulating the tumor microenvironment. In order to inhibit apoptosis, these oncogenic mutations were reported to upregulate anti-apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-xL and survivin, and to downregulate proteins related to apoptosis induction, including thymine-DNA glycosylase (TDG) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). In addition, KRAS mutations are known to induce autophagy in order to promote cell survival and tumor progression through MAPK and PI3K regulation. Thus, these mutations confer resistance to anti-cancer drug treatment and, consequently, result in poor prognosis. Several therapies have been developed in order to overcome KRAS-induced cell death resistance and the downstream signaling pathways blockade, especially by combining MAPK and PI3K inhibitors, which demonstrated promising results. Understanding the involvement of KRAS mutations in apoptosis and autophagy regulation, might bring new avenues to the discovery of therapeutic approaches for CRCs harboring KRAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabela Ferreira
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.F.); (F.P.); (M.J.S.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Flávia Pereira
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.F.); (F.P.); (M.J.S.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (C.R.); (M.J.O.)
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Celso Reis
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (C.R.); (M.J.O.)
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria José Oliveira
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (C.R.); (M.J.O.)
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Sousa
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.F.); (F.P.); (M.J.S.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Preto
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.F.); (F.P.); (M.J.S.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-253-601524
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15
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Luo L, Zheng T, Wang Q, Liao Y, Zheng X, Zhong A, Huang Z, Luo H. Virtual Screening Based on Machine Learning Explores Mangrove Natural Products as KRASG12C Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050584. [PMID: 35631410 PMCID: PMC9146975 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mangrove secondary metabolites have many unique biological activities. We identified lead compounds among them that might target KRASG12C. KRAS is considered to be closely related to various cancers. A variety of novel small molecules that directly target KRAS are being developed, including covalent allosteric inhibitors for KRASG12C mutant, protein–protein interaction inhibitors that bind in the switch I/II pocket or the A59 site, and GTP-competitive inhibitors targeting the nucleotide-binding site. To identify a candidate pool of mangrove secondary metabolic natural products, we tested various machine learning algorithms and selected random forest as a model for predicting the targeting activity of compounds. Lead compounds were then subjected to virtual screening and covalent docking, integrated absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) testing, and structure-based pharmacophore model validation to select the most suitable compounds. Finally, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to verify the binding mode of the lead compound to KRASG12C. The lazypredict function package was initially used, and the Accuracy score and F1 score of the random forest algorithm exceeded 60%, which can be considered to carry a strong ability to distinguish the data. Four marine natural products were obtained through machine learning identification and covalent docking screening. Compound 44 and compound 14 were selected for further validation after ADME and toxicity studies, and pharmacophore analysis indicated that they had a favorable pharmacodynamic profile. Comparison with the positive control showed that they stabilized switch I and switch II, and like MRTX849, retained a novel binding mechanism at the molecular level. Molecular dynamics analysis showed that they maintained a stable conformation with the target protein, so compound 44 and compound 14 may be effective inhibitors of the G12C mutant. These findings reveal that the mangrove-derived secondary metabolite compound 44 and compound 14 might be potential therapeutic agents for KRASG12C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianxiang Luo
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
| | - Tongyu Zheng
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Qu Wang
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Yingling Liao
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Xiaoqi Zheng
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Ai Zhong
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Zunnan Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
| | - Hui Luo
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
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16
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Pramanik S, Chen Y, Song H, Khutsishvili I, Marky LA, Ray S, Natarajan A, Singh P, Bhakat K. The human AP-endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a DNA G-quadruplex structure binding protein and regulates KRAS expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3394-3412. [PMID: 35286386 PMCID: PMC8990529 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most aggressive types of cancer, is characterized by aberrant activity of oncogenic KRAS. A nuclease-hypersensitive GC-rich region in KRAS promoter can fold into a four-stranded DNA secondary structure called G-quadruplex (G4), known to regulate KRAS expression. However, the factors that regulate stable G4 formation in the genome and KRAS expression in PDAC are largely unknown. Here, we show that APE1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1), a multifunctional DNA repair enzyme, is a G4-binding protein, and loss of APE1 abrogates the formation of stable G4 structures in cells. Recombinant APE1 binds to KRAS promoter G4 structure with high affinity and promotes G4 folding in vitro. Knockdown of APE1 reduces MAZ transcription factor loading onto the KRAS promoter, thus reducing KRAS expression in PDAC cells. Moreover, downregulation of APE1 sensitizes PDAC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrate that PDAC patients' tissue samples have elevated levels of both APE1 and G4 DNA. Our findings unravel a critical role of APE1 in regulating stable G4 formation and KRAS expression in PDAC and highlight G4 structures as genomic features with potential application as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suravi Pramanik
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Yingling Chen
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Heyu Song
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Irine Khutsishvili
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Luis A Marky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Sutapa Ray
- Hematology/Oncology Division, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Kishor K Bhakat
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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17
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Dehghanian F, Azhir Z, Khalilian S, Grüning B. Non-coding RNAs underlying the pathophysiological links between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer: A systematic review. J Diabetes Investig 2022; 13:405-428. [PMID: 34859606 PMCID: PMC8902405 DOI: 10.1111/jdi.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes is known as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC). Various genetic and environmental factors cause both these global chronic diseases. The mechanisms that define their relationships are complex and poorly understood. Recent studies have implicated that metabolic abnormalities, including hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, could lead to cell damage responses, cell transformation, and increased cancer risk. Hence, these kinds of abnormalities following molecular events could be essential to develop our understanding of this complicated link. Among different molecular events, focusing on shared signaling pathways including metabolic (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) and mitogenic (MAPK) pathways in addition to regulatory mechanisms of gene expression such as those involved in non-coding RNAs (miRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs) could be considered as powerful tools to describe this association. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer would help us to find a new research area for developing therapeutic and preventive strategies. For this purpose, in this review, we focused on the shared molecular events resulting in type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer. First, a comprehensive literature review was performed to determine similar molecular pathways and non-coding RNAs; then, the final results were discussed in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fariba Dehghanian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Biological Science and TechnologyUniversity of IsfahanIsfahanIran
| | - Zahra Azhir
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Biological Science and TechnologyUniversity of IsfahanIsfahanIran
| | - Sheyda Khalilian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Biological Science and TechnologyUniversity of IsfahanIsfahanIran
| | - Björn Grüning
- Department of Computer ScienceBioinformatics GroupUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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18
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Kole C, Charalampakis N, Tsakatikas S, Frountzas M, Apostolou K, Schizas D. Immunotherapy in Combination with Well-Established Treatment Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer: Current Insights. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:1043-1061. [PMID: 35300059 PMCID: PMC8921671 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s267260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and fourth most common cause of death in developed countries. Despite improved survival rates after resection combined with adjuvant chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence still occurs in a high percentage of patients within the first 2 years after resection. Immunotherapy aims to improve antitumor immune responses and reduce toxicity providing a more specific, targeted therapy compared to chemotherapy and has been proved an efficient therapeutic tool for many solid tumors. In this work, we present the latest advances in PDAC treatment using a combination of immunotherapy with other interventions such as chemotherapy and/or radiation both at neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting. Moreover, we outline the role of the tumor microenvironment as a key barrier to immunotherapy efficacy and examine how immunotherapy biomarkers may be used to detect immunotherapy’s response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christo Kole
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece
| | | | - Sergios Tsakatikas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Metaxa Cancer Hospital, Athens, 185 37, Greece
| | - Maximos Frountzas
- First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocration General Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Apostolou
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Schizas
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece
- Correspondence: Dimitrios Schizas, First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece, Tel +306944505917, Fax +302132061766, Email
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19
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Mu H, Zeng Y, Zhuang Y, Gao W, Zhou Y, Rajalingam K, Zhao W. Patterning of Oncogenic Ras Clustering in Live Cells Using Vertically Aligned Nanostructure Arrays. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:1007-1016. [PMID: 35044178 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As a dominant oncogenic protein, Ras is well-known to segregate into clusters on the plasma membrane for activating downstream signaling. However, current technologies for direct measurements of Ras clustering are limited to sophisticated high-resolution techniques like electron microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging. To further promote fundamental investigations and the related drug development, we hereby introduce a nanobar-based platform which effectively guides Ras clusters into quantifiable patterns in live cells that is resolvable under conventional microscopy. Major Ras isoforms, K-Ras, H-Ras, and N-Ras, were differentiated, as well as their highly prevalent oncogenic mutants G12V and G13D. Moreover, the isoform specificity and the sensitivity of a Ras inhibitor were successfully characterized on nanobars. We envision that this nanobar-based platform will serve as an effective tool to read Ras clustering on the plasma membrane, enabling a novel avenue both to decipher Ras regulations and to facilitate anti-Ras drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanwen Mu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
- Ageing Research Institute for Society and Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637335, Singapore
| | - Yongpeng Zeng
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Yinyin Zhuang
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Weibo Gao
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- The Photonics Institute and Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Krishnaraj Rajalingam
- Cell Biology Unit, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University, D 55131 Mainz, Germany
- University Cancer Center Mainz, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University, D 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Wenting Zhao
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637457, Singapore
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20
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Pereira F, Ferreira A, Reis CA, Sousa MJ, Oliveira MJ, Preto A. KRAS as a Modulator of the Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment: Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030398. [PMID: 35159208 PMCID: PMC8833974 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS mutations are one of the most frequent oncogenic mutations of all human cancers, being more prevalent in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers. Intensive efforts have been encouraged in order to understand the effect of KRAS mutations, not only on tumor cells but also on the dynamic network composed by the tumor microenvironment (TME). The relevance of the TME in cancer biology has been increasing due to its impact on the modulation of cancer cell activities, which can dictate the success of tumor progression. Here, we aimed to clarify the pro- and anti-inflammatory role of KRAS mutations over the TME, detailing the context and the signaling pathways involved. In this review, we expect to open new avenues for investigating the potential of KRAS mutations on inflammatory TME modulation, opening a different vision of therapeutic combined approaches to overcome KRAS-associated therapy inefficacy and resistance in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia Pereira
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Ferreira
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Celso Albuquerque Reis
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Sousa
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Maria José Oliveira
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Preto
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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21
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Rojas JD, Joiner JB, Velasco B, Bautista KJB, Aji AM, Moore CJ, Beaumont NJ, Pylayeva-Gupta Y, Dayton PA, Gessner RC, Czernuszewicz TJ. Validation of a combined ultrasound and bioluminescence imaging system with magnetic resonance imaging in orthotopic pancreatic murine tumors. Sci Rep 2022; 12:102. [PMID: 34996939 PMCID: PMC8741958 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03684-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical mouse solid tumor models are widely used to evaluate efficacy of novel cancer therapeutics. Recent reports have highlighted the need for utilizing orthotopic implantation to represent clinical disease more accurately, however the deep tissue location of these tumors makes longitudinal assessment challenging without the use of imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a new multi-modality high-throughput in vivo imaging system that combines bioluminescence imaging (BLI) with robotic, hands-free ultrasound (US) for evaluating orthotopic mouse models. Long utilized in cancer research as independent modalities, we hypothesized that the combination of BLI and US would offer complementary advantages of detection sensitivity and quantification accuracy, while mitigating individual technological weaknesses. Bioluminescent pancreatic tumor cells were injected into the pancreas tail of C57BL/6 mice and imaged weekly with the combination system and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to serve as a gold standard. BLI photon flux was quantified to assess tumor activity and distribution, and US and MRI datasets were manually segmented for gross tumor volume. Robotic US and MRI demonstrated a strong agreement (R2 = 0.94) for tumor volume measurement. BLI showed a weak overall agreement with MRI (R2 = 0.21), however, it offered the greatest sensitivity to detecting the presence of tumors. We conclude that combining BLI with robotic US offers an efficient screening tool for orthotopic tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordan B Joiner
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brian Velasco
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kathlyne Jayne B Bautista
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuliya Pylayeva-Gupta
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paul A Dayton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Tomasz J Czernuszewicz
- SonoVol, Inc, Durham, NC, USA.
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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22
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The Impact of Biomarkers in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma on Diagnosis, Surveillance and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14010217. [PMID: 35008381 PMCID: PMC8750069 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the frequently late diagnosis, early metastasis and high therapy resistance curation is rare and prognosis remains poor overall. To provide early diagnostic and therapeutic predictors, various molecules from blood, tissue and other origin e.g., saliva, urine and stool, have been identified as biomarkers. This review summarizes current trends in biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still difficult to treat due to insufficient methods for early diagnosis and prediction of therapy response. Furthermore, surveillance after curatively intended surgery lacks adequate methods for timely detection of recurrence. Therefore, several molecules have been analyzed as predictors of recurrence or early detection of PDAC. Enhanced understanding of molecular tumorigenesis and treatment response triggered the identification of novel biomarkers as predictors for response to conventional chemotherapy or targeted therapy. In conclusion, progress has been made especially in the prediction of therapy response with biomarkers. The use of molecules for early detection and recurrence of PDAC is still at an early stage, but there are promising approaches in noninvasive biomarkers, composite panels and scores that can already ameliorate the current clinical practice. The present review summarizes the current state of research on biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic cancer.
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23
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Rajpurohit T, Bhattacharya S. Moving Towards Dawn: KRas Signaling and Treatment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2022; 15:904-928. [PMID: 35088684 DOI: 10.2174/1874467215666220128161647] [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: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
"Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)" is robust, nearly clueless, and all-around deadly among all tumors. Below 10 %, the general 5-year endurance period has remained adamantly unaltered in the last 30 years, regardless of enormous clinical and therapeutic endeavors. The yearly number of deaths is more than the number of recently analyzed cases. Not a classic one, but "Carbohydrate Antigen CA19- 9" remains the prevailing tool for diagnosis. MicroRNAs and non-invasive techniques are now incorporated for the effective prognosis of PDAC than just CA19-9. Mutated "Rat sarcoma virus Ras" conformation "V-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog KRas" is 95 % accountable for PDAC, and its active (GTP-bound) formation activates signaling cascade comprising "Rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma Raf"/"Mitogen-activated protein kinase MEK"/ "Extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK" with "Phosphoinositide 3-kinase PI3K"/ "protein kinase B Akt"/ "mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR" pathways. KRas has acquired the label of 'undruggable' since the crosstalk in the nexus of pathways compensates for Raf and PI3K signaling cascade blocking. It is arduous to totally regulate KRascoordinated PDAC with traditional medicaments like "gemcitabine GEM" plus nabpaclitaxel/ FOLFIRINOX. For long-haul accomplishments aiming at KRas, future endeavors should be directed to combinatorial methodologies to adequately block KRas pathways at different standpoints. Currently they are contributing to healing PDAC. In this review article, we outline the function of KRas in carcinogenesis in PDAC, its signaling cascade, former techniques utilized in hindering Kras, current and future possibilities for targeting Kras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarun Rajpurohit
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra 425405, India
| | - Sankha Bhattacharya
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra 425405, India
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24
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Mahmoudian F, Akbariqomi M, Heidari R, Ghahremani MH, Roshan N, Adabi M, Absalan M, Karimi F, Bahrami S, Fathi S, Tavoosidana G. Designing a fluorescence padlock probe-based biosensor and colorimetric assay for the detection of G12D KRAS mutation. Biomark Med 2021; 15:1741-1754. [PMID: 34784779 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2021-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Cell-free DNA in the plasma is known to be a potential biomarker for noninvasive diagnosis of oncogenic mutations. The authors aimed to design an optimized padlock probe-based hyperbranched rolling circle amplification biosensor to detect the KRAS G12D mutation using fluorescence and colorimetric methods. Methods: Single-factor experiments, Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology were applied to optimize the padlock probe-based hyperbranched rolling circle amplification reaction. Results: The maximum fluorescence intensity was achieved at a padlock probe concentration of 1.5 pM and target concentration of 9 pM at 38°C ligation temperature. The proposed biosensor has a low detection limit of 60 fM of target DNA and a linear response in the concentration range of 60 fM to 0.2 pM. Conclusion: The results indicated the power of these assays to detect KRAS point mutations in liquid state reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Mahmoudian
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Akbariqomi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Heidari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad H Ghahremani
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nader Roshan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Adabi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Moloud Absalan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Karimi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Bahrami
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Fathi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Tavoosidana
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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25
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Chen RJ, Lyu YJ, Chen YY, Lee YC, Pan MH, Ho YS, Wang YJ. Chloroquine Potentiates the Anticancer Effect of Pterostilbene on Pancreatic Cancer by Inhibiting Autophagy and Downregulating the RAGE/STAT3 Pathway. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26216741. [PMID: 34771150 PMCID: PMC8588513 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26216741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a huge challenge, because pro-survival signaling pathways—such as the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway—are overexpressed in PDAC cells. Moreover, PDAC cells are highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents because of autophagy induction. Therefore, autophagy and its modulated signaling pathways are attractive targets for developing novel therapeutic strategies for PDAC. Pterostilbene is a stilbenoid chemically related to resveratrol, and has potential for the treatment of cancers. Accordingly, we investigated whether the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine could potentiate the anticancer effect of pterostilbene in the PDAC cell lines MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3, as well as in an orthotopic animal model. The results indicated that pterostilbene combined with chloroquine significantly inhibited autophagy, decreased cell viability, and sensitized the cells to pterostilbene-induced apoptosis via downregulation of the RAGE/STAT3 and protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in PDAC cells. The results of the orthotopic animal model showed that pterostilbene combined with chloroquine significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer growth, delayed tumor quadrupling times, and inhibited autophagy and STAT3 in pancreatic tumors. In summary, the present study suggested the novel therapeutic strategy of pterostilbene combined with chloroquine against the growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by inhibiting autophagy and downregulating the RAGE/STAT3 signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Jane Chen
- Department of Food Safety/Hygiene and Risk Management, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan;
| | - Yi-Jhen Lyu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.C.)
| | - Yu-Ying Chen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.C.)
| | - Yen-Chien Lee
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, Tainan 70043, Taiwan;
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiung Pan
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
| | - Yuan-Soon Ho
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.H.); (Y.-J.W.); Tel.: +886-2-2736-1661 (ext. 3327) (Y.-S.H.); +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5804) (Y.-J.W.); Fax: +886-6-275-2484 (Y.-J.W.)
| | - Ying-Jan Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.C.)
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Master Degree Program in Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.H.); (Y.-J.W.); Tel.: +886-2-2736-1661 (ext. 3327) (Y.-S.H.); +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5804) (Y.-J.W.); Fax: +886-6-275-2484 (Y.-J.W.)
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26
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Sankarasubramanian S, Pfohl U, Regenbrecht CRA, Reinhard C, Wedeken L. Context Matters-Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:760705. [PMID: 34805167 PMCID: PMC8599957 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.760705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and remains a major unsolved health problem. While pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with driver mutations in only four major genes (KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, and CDKN2A), every tumor differs in its molecular landscape, histology, and prognosis. It is crucial to understand and consider these differences to be able to tailor treatment regimens specific to the vulnerabilities of the individual tumor to enhance patient outcome. This review focuses on the heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor cells and how in addition to genetic alterations, the subsequent dysregulation of multiple signaling cascades at various levels, epigenetic and metabolic factors contribute to the oncogenesis of PDAC and compensate for each other in driving cancer progression if one is tackled by a therapeutic approach. This implicates that besides the need for new combinatorial therapies for PDAC, a personalized approach for treating this highly complex cancer is required. A strategy that combines both a target-based and phenotypic approach to identify an effective treatment, like Reverse Clinical Engineering® using patient-derived organoids, is discussed as a promising way forward in the field of personalized medicine to tackle this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulrike Pfohl
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Bio Science, Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian R. A. Regenbrecht
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Lena Wedeken
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
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27
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Hu HF, Ye Z, Qin Y, Xu XW, Yu XJ, Zhuo QF, Ji SR. Mutations in key driver genes of pancreatic cancer: molecularly targeted therapies and other clinical implications. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021; 42:1725-1741. [PMID: 33574569 PMCID: PMC8563973 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-020-00584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers, with a minimal difference between its incidence rate and mortality rate. Advances in oncology over the past several decades have dramatically improved the overall survival of patients with multiple cancers due to the implementation of new techniques in early diagnosis, therapeutic drugs, and personalized therapy. However, pancreatic cancers remain recalcitrant, with a 5-year relative survival rate of <9%. The lack of measures for early diagnosis, strong resistance to chemotherapy, ineffective adjuvant chemotherapy and the unavailability of molecularly targeted therapy are responsible for the high mortality rate of this notorious disease. Genetically, PDAC progresses as a complex result of the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressors. Although next-generation sequencing has identified numerous new genetic alterations, their clinical implications remain unknown. Classically, oncogenic mutations in genes such as KRAS and loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressors, such as TP53, CDNK2A, DPC4/SMAD4, and BRCA2, are frequently observed in PDAC. Currently, research on these key driver genes is still the main focus. Therefore, studies assessing the functions of these genes and their potential clinical implications are of paramount importance. In this review, we summarize the biological function of key driver genes and pharmaceutical targets in PDAC. In addition, we conclude the results of molecularly targeted therapies in clinical trials and discuss how to utilize these genetic alterations in further clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-feng Hu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Zeng Ye
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Yi Qin
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Xiao-wu Xu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Xian-jun Yu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Qi-feng Zhuo
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Shun-rong Ji
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
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28
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Bansod S, Dodhiawala PB, Lim KH. Oncogenic KRAS-Induced Feedback Inflammatory Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer: An Overview and New Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215481. [PMID: 34771644 PMCID: PMC8582583 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains highly refractory to treatment. While the KRAS oncogene is present in almost all PDAC cases and accounts for many of the malignant feats of PDAC, targeting KRAS or its canonical, direct effector cascades remains unsuccessful in patients. The recalcitrant nature of PDAC is also heavily influenced by its highly fibro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME), which comprises an acellular extracellular matrix and various types of non-neoplastic cells including fibroblasts, immune cells, and adipocytes, underscoring the critical need to delineate the bidirectional signaling interplay between PDAC cells and the TME in order to develop novel therapeutic strategies. The impact of tumor-cell KRAS signaling on various cell types in the TME has been well covered by several reviews. In this article, we critically reviewed evidence, including work from our group, on how the feedback inflammatory signals from the TME impact and synergize with oncogenic KRAS signaling in PDAC cells, ultimately augmenting their malignant behavior. We discussed past and ongoing clinical trials that target key inflammatory pathways in PDAC and highlight lessons to be learned from outcomes. Lastly, we provided our perspective on the future of developing therapeutic strategies for PDAC through understanding the breadth and complexity of KRAS and the inflammatory signaling network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapana Bansod
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and The Alvin J. Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (S.B.); (P.B.D.)
| | - Paarth B. Dodhiawala
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and The Alvin J. Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (S.B.); (P.B.D.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kian-Huat Lim
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and The Alvin J. Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (S.B.); (P.B.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-314-362-6157
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29
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Ardalan B, Azqueta JI, England J, Eatz TA. Potential benefit of treatment with MEK inhibitors and chemotherapy in BRAF-mutated KRAS wild-type pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients: a case report. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud 2021; 7:mcs.a006108. [PMID: 34667063 PMCID: PMC8559623 DOI: 10.1101/mcs.a006108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This is the first case report of a 60-yr-old female who underwent therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer with fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX). Upon the progression of her disease, she was switched to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. Per genomic sequencing, her tumor was found to be a KRAS wild-type and BRAF V600E mutation, which then warranted treatment with the MEK1 and MEK2 inhibitor, cobimetinib. The patient has achieved a complete response (CR) to a combination of gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, and cobimetinib. It has been 16 mo since the start of the treatment, and the patient continues to demonstrate a complete durable response both serologically and radiologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bach Ardalan
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
| | - Jose Ignacio Azqueta
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
| | - Jonathan England
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
| | - Tiffany Alyssa Eatz
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
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Highlights on the Role of KRAS Mutations in Reshaping the Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910219. [PMID: 34638560 PMCID: PMC8508406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The most frequent mutated oncogene family in the history of human cancer is the RAS gene family, including NRAS, HRAS, and, most importantly, KRAS. A hallmark of pancreatic cancer, recalcitrant cancer with a very low survival rate, is the prevalence of oncogenic mutations in the KRAS gene. Due to this fact, studying the function of KRAS and the impact of its mutations on the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a priority for understanding pancreatic cancer progression and designing novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the dismal disease. Despite some recent enlightening studies, there is still a wide gap in our knowledge regarding the impact of KRAS mutations on different components of the pancreatic TME. In this review, we will present an updated summary of mutant KRAS role in the initiation, progression, and modulation of the TME of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This review will highlight the intriguing link between diabetes mellitus and PDAC, as well as vitamin D as an adjuvant effective therapy via TME modulation of PDAC. We will also discuss different ongoing clinical trials that use KRAS oncogene signaling network as therapeutic targets.
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31
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Yoshimachi S, Shirakawa R, Cao M, Trinh DA, Gao P, Sakata N, Miyazaki K, Goto K, Miura T, Ariake K, Maeda S, Masuda K, Ishida M, Ohtsuka H, Unno M, Horiuchi H. Ral GTPase-activating protein regulates the malignancy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3064-3073. [PMID: 34009715 PMCID: PMC8353909 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The small GTPases RalA and RalB are members of the Ras family and activated downstream of Ras. Ral proteins are found in GTP-bound active and GDP-bound inactive forms. The activation process is executed by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, while inactivation is mediated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). RalGAPs are complexes that consist of a catalytic α1 or α2 subunit together with a common β subunit. Several reports implicate the importance of Ral in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, there are few reports on the relationship between levels of RalGAP expression and malignancy in PDAC. We generated RalGAPβ-deficient PDAC cells by CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to investigate how increased Ral activity affects malignant phenotypes of PDAC cells. RalGAPβ-deficient PDAC cells exhibited several-fold higher Ral activity relative to control cells. They had a high migratory and invasive capacity. The RalGAPβ-deficient cells grew more rapidly than control cells when injected subcutaneously into nude mice. When injected into the spleen, the RalGAPβ-deficient cells formed larger splenic tumors with more liver metastases, and unlike controls, they disseminated into the abdominal cavity. These results indicate that RalGAPβ deficiency in PDAC cells contributes to high activities of RalA and RalB, leading to enhanced cell migration and invasion in vitro, and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Yoshimachi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Ryutaro Shirakawa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Mingxin Cao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Duc Anh Trinh
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Pan Gao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of General and Emergency DentistryWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Natsumi Sakata
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Kento Miyazaki
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Kota Goto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Takayuki Miura
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Kyohei Ariake
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Shimpei Maeda
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Kunihiro Masuda
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Masaharu Ishida
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Hideo Ohtsuka
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Michiaki Unno
- Department of SurgeryTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendaiJapan
| | - Hisanori Horiuchi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyInstitute of Development, Aging and CancerTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
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Kerk SA, Papagiannakopoulos T, Shah YM, Lyssiotis CA. Metabolic networks in mutant KRAS-driven tumours: tissue specificities and the microenvironment. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:510-525. [PMID: 34244683 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations in KRAS drive common metabolic programmes that facilitate tumour survival, growth and immune evasion in colorectal carcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the impacts of mutant KRAS signalling on malignant cell programmes and tumour properties are also dictated by tumour suppressor losses and physiological features specific to the cell and tissue of origin. Here we review convergent and disparate metabolic networks regulated by oncogenic mutant KRAS in colon, lung and pancreas tumours, with an emphasis on co-occurring mutations and the role of the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, we explore how these networks can be exploited for therapeutic gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Kerk
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Thales Papagiannakopoulos
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yatrik M Shah
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Romano R, Picca A, Eusebi LHU, Marzetti E, Calvani R, Moro L, Bucci C, Guerra F. Extracellular Vesicles and Pancreatic Cancer: Insights on the Roles of miRNA, lncRNA, and Protein Cargos in Cancer Progression. Cells 2021; 10:1361. [PMID: 34205944 PMCID: PMC8226820 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the most devastating digestive tract cancers worldwide. This cancer is characterized by poor diagnostic detection, lack of therapy, and difficulty in predicting tumorigenesis progression. Although mutations of key oncogenes and oncosuppressor involved in tumor growth and in immunosurveillance escape are known, the underlying mechanisms that orchestrate PC initiation and progression are poorly understood or still under debate. In recent years, the attention of many researchers has been concentrated on the role of extracellular vesicles and of a particular subset of extracellular vesicles, known as exosomes. Literature data report that these nanovesicles are able to deliver their cargos to recipient cells playing key roles in the pathogenesis and progression of many pancreatic precancerous conditions. In this review, we have summarized and discussed principal cargos of extracellular vesicles characterized in PC, such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and several proteins, to offer a systematic overview of their function in PC progression. The study of extracellular vesicles is allowing to understand that investigation of their secretion and analysis of their content might represent a new and potential diagnostic and prognostic tools for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Romano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Anna Picca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (E.M.); (R.C.)
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leonardo Henry Umberto Eusebi
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Sant’Orsola University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Emanuele Marzetti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (E.M.); (R.C.)
- Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Calvani
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (E.M.); (R.C.)
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Loredana Moro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; or
- Perlmutter NYU Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Cecilia Bucci
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Flora Guerra
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
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Alzhrani R, Alsaab HO, Vanamal K, Bhise K, Tatiparti K, Barari A, Sau S, Iyer AK. Overcoming the Tumor Microenvironmental Barriers of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas for Achieving Better Treatment Outcomes. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2021; 4:2000262. [PMID: 34212073 PMCID: PMC8240487 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive disease with the lowest survival rate among all solid tumors. The lethality of PDAC arises from late detection and propensity of the tumor to metastasize and develop resistance against chemo and radiation therapy. A highly complex tumor microenvironment composed of dense stroma, immune cells, fibroblast, and disorganized blood vessels, is the main obstacle to current PDAC therapy. Despite the tremendous success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancers, PDAC remains one of the poorest responders of ICIs therapy. The immunologically "cold" phenotype of PDAC is attributed to the low mutational burden, high infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T-regs, contributing to a significant immunotherapy resistance mechanism. Thus, the development of innovative strategies for turning immunologically "cold" tumor into "hot" ones is an unmet need to improve the outcome of PDAC ICIs therapies. Other smart strategies, such as nanomedicines, sonic Hedgehog inhibitor, or smoothened inhibitor, are discussed to enhance chemotherapeutic agents' efficiency by disrupting the PDAC stroma. This review highlights the current challenges and various preclinical and clinical strategies to overcome current PDAC therapy difficulties, thus significantly advancing PDAC research knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Alzhrani
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hashem O. Alsaab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kushal Vanamal
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Ketki Bhise
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Katyayani Tatiparti
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Ayatakshi Barari
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Samaresh Sau
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Arun K. Iyer
- Use-Inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, United States
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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Hidden Targets in RAF Signalling Pathways to Block Oncogenic RAS Signalling. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040553. [PMID: 33920182 PMCID: PMC8070103 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic RAS (Rat sarcoma) mutations drive more than half of human cancers, and RAS inhibition is the holy grail of oncology. Thirty years of relentless efforts and harsh disappointments have taught us about the intricacies of oncogenic RAS signalling that allow us to now get a pharmacological grip on this elusive protein. The inhibition of effector pathways, such as the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, has largely proven disappointing. Thus far, most of these efforts were aimed at blocking the activation of ERK. Here, we discuss RAF-dependent pathways that are regulated through RAF functions independent of catalytic activity and their potential role as targets to block oncogenic RAS signalling. We focus on the now well documented roles of RAF kinase-independent functions in apoptosis, cell cycle progression and cell migration.
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36
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Guo T, Dong X, Xie S, Zhang L, Zeng P, Zhang L. Cellular Mechanism of Gene Mutations and Potential Therapeutic Targets in Ovarian Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:3081-3100. [PMID: 33854378 PMCID: PMC8041604 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s292992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a common and complex malignancy with poor prognostic outcome. Most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced stage disease due to a lack of effective detection strategies in the early stage. Traditional treatment with cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based combination chemotherapy has not significantly improved prognosis and 5-year survival rates are still extremely poor. Therefore, novel treatment strategies are needed to improve the treatment of ovarian cancer patients. Recent advances of next generation sequencing technologies have both confirmed previous known mutated genes and discovered novel candidate genes in ovarian cancer. In this review, we illustrate recent advances in identifying ovarian cancer gene mutations, including those of TP53, BRCA1/2, PIK3CA, and KRAS genes. In addition, we discuss advances in targeting therapies for ovarian cancer based on these mutated genes in ovarian cancer. Further, we associate between detection of mutation genes by liquid biopsy and the potential early diagnostic value in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Guo
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Dong
- Department of Gynecology, Cheng Du Shang Jin Nan Fu Hospital, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanli Xie
- First People's Hospital of Guangyuan, Guangyuan, Sichuan, 628000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, Sichuan, 628000, People's Republic of China
| | - Peibin Zeng
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Forensic Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China
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37
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Wang Y, Cui L, Georgiev P, Singh L, Zheng Y, Yu Y, Grein J, Zhang C, Muise ES, Sloman DL, Ferguson H, Yu H, Pierre CS, Dakle PJ, Pucci V, Baker J, Loboda A, Linn D, Brynczka C, Wilson D, Haines BB, Long B, Wnek R, Sadekova S, Rosenzweig M, Haidle A, Han Y, Ranganath SH. Combination of EP 4 antagonist MF-766 and anti-PD-1 promotes anti-tumor efficacy by modulating both lymphocytes and myeloid cells. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1896643. [PMID: 33796403 PMCID: PMC7993229 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1896643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), an arachidonic acid pathway metabolite produced by cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/2, has been shown to impair anti-tumor immunity through engagement with one or more E-type prostanoid receptors (EP1-4). Specific targeting of EP receptors, as opposed to COX-1/2 inhibition, has been proposed to achieve preferential antagonism of PGE2–mediated immune suppression. Here we describe the anti-tumor activity of MF-766, a potent and highly selective small-molecule inhibitor of the EP4 receptor. EP4 inhibition by MF-766 synergistically improved the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy in CT26 and EMT6 syngeneic tumor mouse models. Multiparameter flow cytometry analysis revealed that treatment with MF-766 promoted the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), induced M1-like macrophage reprogramming, and reduced granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In vitro experiments demonstrated that MF-766 restored PGE2-mediated inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production in THP-1 cells and human blood, and PGE2-mediated inhibition of interleukin (IL)-2-induced interferon (IFN)-γ production in human NK cells. MF-766 reversed the inhibition of IFN-γ in CD8+ T-cells by PGE2 and impaired suppression of CD8+ T-cells induced by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC)/PGE2. In translational studies using primary human tumors, MF-766 enhanced anti-CD3-stimulated IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α production in primary histoculture and synergized with pembrolizumab in a PGE2 high TME. Our studies demonstrate that the combination of EP4 blockade with anti-PD-1 therapy enhances antitumor activity by differentially modulating myeloid cell, NK cell, cDC and T-cell infiltration profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Long Cui
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter Georgiev
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Latika Singh
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yanyan Zheng
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ying Yu
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeff Grein
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chunsheng Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric S Muise
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David L Sloman
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Heidi Ferguson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hongshi Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cristina St Pierre
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Pranal J Dakle
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincenzo Pucci
- Department of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James Baker
- Department of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrey Loboda
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Doug Linn
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher Brynczka
- Dept. Safety and Exploratory Pharmacology, Safety Assessment and Laboratory Animal Resources, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Doug Wilson
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian B Haines
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian Long
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Richard Wnek
- Department of Translational Biomarkers, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Svetlana Sadekova
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Rosenzweig
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Haidle
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yongxin Han
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sheila H Ranganath
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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De Dosso S, Siebenhüner AR, Winder T, Meisel A, Fritsch R, Astaras C, Szturz P, Borner M. Treatment landscape of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 96:102180. [PMID: 33812339 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive form of cancer with a dismal prognosis. The lack of symptoms in the early phase of the disease makes early diagnosis challenging, and about 80-85% of the patients are diagnosed only after the disease is locally advanced or metastatic. The current front-line treatment landscape in local stages comprises surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. In Switzerland, although both FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel regimens are feasible and comparable in the first-line setting, FOLFIRINOX is preferred in the treatment of fit (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance status [PS]: 0-1), young (<65 years old) patients with few comorbidities and normal liver function, while gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel is used to treat less fit (ECOG PS: 1-2) and more vulnerable patients. In the second-line setting of advanced PDAC, there is currently only one approved regimen, based on the phase III NAPOLI-1 trial. Furthermore, the use of liposomal-irinotecan in the second line is supported by real-world data. Beyond the standard of care, various alternative treatment modalities are being explored in clinical studies. Immunotherapy has demonstrated only limited benefits until now, and only in cases of high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). However, data on the benefit of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition as maintenance therapy in patients with germline BRCA-mutated tumors might signal of an advance in targeted therapy. Currently, there is a lack of molecular and genetic biomarkers for optimal stratification of patients and in guiding treatment decisions. Thus, identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers and evaluating novel treatment strategies are equally relevant for improving the prognosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Dosso
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland; Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Alexander R Siebenhüner
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Winder
- Swiss Tumor Molecular Institute, OnkoZentrum, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Meisel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ralph Fritsch
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoforos Astaras
- Department of Medical Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Petr Szturz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Kawalerski RR, Leach SD, Escobar-Hoyos LF. Pancreatic cancer driver mutations are targetable through distant alternative RNA splicing dependencies. Oncotarget 2021; 12:525-533. [PMID: 33796221 PMCID: PMC7984828 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, has one of the highest case fatality rates of all known solid malignancies. Over the past decade, several landmark studies have established mutations in KRAS and TP53 as the predominant drivers of PDAC pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance, though treatment options for PDACs and other tumors with these mutations remain extremely limited. Hampered by late tumor discovery and diagnosis, clinicians are often faced with using aggressive and non-specific chemotherapies to treat advanced disease. Clinically meaningful responses to targeted therapy are often limited to the minority of patients with susceptible PDACs, and immunotherapies have routinely encountered roadblocks in effective activation of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Alternative RNA splicing (ARS) has recently gained traction in the PDAC literature as a field from which we may better understand and treat complex mechanisms of PDAC initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Here, we review PDAC pathogenesis as it relates to fundamental ARS biology, with an extension to implications for PDAC patient clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R. Kawalerski
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Steven D. Leach
- Departments of Molecular and Systems Biology, Surgery, and Medicine, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Luisa F. Escobar-Hoyos
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06513, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06513, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Kato S. Tumour-Agnostic Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:252. [PMID: 33562094 PMCID: PMC7914923 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11020252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of patients with solid tumours has remarkably improved with the development of molecular-targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, the improvements in the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and biliary tract cancer is delayed compared to other carcinomas, and the 5-year survival rates of distal-stage disease are approximately 10 and 20%, respectively. However, a comprehensive analysis of tumour cells using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project has led to the identification of various driver mutations. Evidently, few mutations exist across organs, and basket trials targeting driver mutations regardless of the primary organ are being actively conducted. Such basket trials not only focus on the gate keeper-type oncogene mutations, such as HER2 and BRAF, but also focus on the caretaker-type tumour suppressor genes, such as BRCA1/2, mismatch repair-related genes, which cause hereditary cancer syndrome. As oncogene panel testing is a vital approach in routine practice, clinicians should devise a strategy for improved understanding of the cancer genome. Here, the gene mutation profiles of pancreatic cancer and biliary tract cancer have been outlined and the current status of tumour-agnostic therapy in these cancers has been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Kato
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
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Song S, Zhang Y, Ding T, Ji N, Zhao H. The Dual Role of Macropinocytosis in Cancers: Promoting Growth and Inducing Methuosis to Participate in Anticancer Therapies as Targets. Front Oncol 2021; 10:570108. [PMID: 33542897 PMCID: PMC7851083 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.570108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Macropinocytosis is an important mechanism of internalizing extracellular materials and dissolved molecules in eukaryotic cells. Macropinocytosis has a dual effect on cancer cells. On the one hand, cells expressing RAS genes (such as K-RAS, H-RAS) under the stress of nutrient deficiency can spontaneously produce constitutive macropinocytosis to promote the growth of cancer cells by internalization of extracellular nutrients (like proteins), receptors, and extracellular vesicles(EVs). On the other hand, abnormal expression of RAS genes and drug treatment (such as MOMIPP) can induce a novel cell death associated with hyperactivated macropinocytosis: methuosis. Based on the dual effect, there is immense potential for designing anticancer therapies that target macropinocytosis in cancer cells. In view of the fact that there has been little review of the dual effect of macropinocytosis in cancer cells, herein, we systematically review the general process of macropinocytosis, its specific manifestation in cancer cells, and its application in cancer treatment, including anticancer drug delivery and destruction of macropinocytosis. This review aims to serve as a reference for studying macropinocytosis in cancers and designing macropinocytosis-targeting anticancer drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojuan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingting Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ning Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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42
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Xiao F, Li J, Huang K, Li X, Xiong Y, Wu M, Wu L, Kuang W, Lv S, Wu L, Zhu X, Guo H. Macropinocytosis: mechanism and targeted therapy in cancers. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:14-30. [PMID: 33520357 PMCID: PMC7840718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Macropinocytosis is a form of endocytosis which provides an effective way for non-selective uptakes of extracellular proteins, liquids, and particles. The endocytic process is initiated by the activation of the growth factors signaling pathways. After activation of the biochemical signal, the cell starts internalizing extracellular solutes and nutrients into the irregular endocytic vesicles, known as macropinosomes that deliver them into the lysosomes for degradation. Macropinocytosis plays an important role in the nutritional supply of cancer cells. Due to the rapid expansion of cancer cells and the abnormal vascular microenvironment, cancer cells are usually deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, they must transform their metabolism to survive and grow in this harsh microenvironment. To satisfy their energy needs, cancer cells enhance the activity of macropinocytosis. Therefore, this metabolic adaptation that is used by cancer cells can be exploited to develop new targeted cancer therapies. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanism that actuates the process of macropinocytosis in a variety of cancers, and the novel anti-cancer therapeutics in targeting macropinocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xiao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jingying Li
- Department of Comprehensive Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yaping Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Miaojing Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wei Kuang
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shigang Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xingen Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang UniversityNanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
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The type of KRAS mutation drives PI3Kα/γ signalling dependency: Implication for the choice of targeted therapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2021; 45:101473. [PMID: 32593694 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma PDAC is a complex disease with an important diversity of genetic alterations found between patients. KRAS mutation is considered as a major oncogenic driver in this cancer (around 90% of the patients), but there exists different KRAS mutation types. The type of KRAS mutation was recently shown to be of importance to detect signalling vulnerabilities in a subset of PDAC patients. We comment on these innovative results and discuss their importance when designing clinical trials with PI3K targeted therapies in this cancer.
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Molecular and Metabolic Subtypes Correspondence for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Classification. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9124128. [PMID: 33371431 PMCID: PMC7767410 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9124128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, is an extremely lethal disease due to late diagnosis, aggressiveness and lack of effective therapies. Considering its intrinsic heterogeneity, patient stratification models based on transcriptomic and genomic signatures, with partially overlapping subgroups, have been established. Besides molecular alterations, PDAC tumours show a strong desmoplastic response, resulting in profound metabolic reprogramming involving increased glucose and amino acid consumption, as well as lipid scavenging and biosynthesis. Interestingly, recent works have also revealed the existence of metabolic subtypes with differential prognosis within PDAC, which correlated to defined molecular subclasses in patients: lipogenic subtype correlated with a classical/progenitor signature, while glycolytic tumours associated with the highly aggressive basal/squamous profile. Bioinformatic analyses have demonstrated that the representative genes of each metabolic subtype are up-regulated in PDAC samples and predict patient survival. This suggests a relationship between the genetic signature, metabolic profile, and aggressiveness of the tumour. Considering all this, defining metabolic subtypes represents a clear opportunity for patient stratification considering tumour functional behaviour independently of their mutational background.
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45
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Karaboga H, Huang W, Srivastava S, Widmann S, Addanki S, Gamage KT, Mazhar Z, Ebalunode JO, Briggs JM, Gustafsson JÅ, Filgueira CS, Gilbertson SR, Lin CY. Screening of Focused Compound Library Targeting Liver X Receptors in Pancreatic Cancer Identified Ligands with Inverse Agonist and Degrader Activity. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:2916-2928. [PMID: 33074669 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the predominant form of pancreatic cancer. PDACs harbor oncogenic mutations in the KRAS gene, and ongoing efforts to directly target its mutant protein product to inhibit tumor growth are a priority not only in pancreatic cancer but in other malignancies such as lung and colorectal cancers where KRAS is also commonly mutated. An alternative strategy to directly targeting KRAS is to identify and target druggable receptors involved in dysregulated cancer hallmarks downstream of KRAS dysregulation. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are members of the nuclear receptor family of ligand-modulated transcription factors and are involved in the regulation of genes which function in key cancer-related processes, including cholesterol transport, lipid and glucose metabolism, and inflammatory and immune responses. Modulation of LXRs via small molecule ligands has emerged as a promising approach for directly targeting tumor cells or the stromal and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. We have previously shown that only one of the two LXR subtypes (LXRβ) is expressed in pancreatic cancer cells, and targeting LXR with available synthetic ligands blocked the proliferation of PDAC cells and tumor formation. In a screen of a focused library of drug-like small molecules predicted to dock in the ligand-binding pocket of LXRβ, we identified two novel LXR ligands with more potent antitumor activity than current LXR agonists used in our published studies. Characterization of the two lead compounds (GAC0001E5 and GAC0003A4) indicates that they function as LXR inverse agonists which inhibit their transcriptional activity. Prolonged treatments with novel ligands further revealed their function as LXR "degraders" which significantly reduced LXR protein levels in all three PDAC cell lines tested. These findings support the utility of these novel inhibitors in basic research on ligand design, allosteric mechanisms, and LXR functions and their potential application as treatments for advanced pancreatic cancer and other recalcitrant malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wentao Huang
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Qingxiu District, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carly S. Filgueira
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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Mosele F, Remon J, Mateo J, Westphalen CB, Barlesi F, Lolkema MP, Normanno N, Scarpa A, Robson M, Meric-Bernstam F, Wagle N, Stenzinger A, Bonastre J, Bayle A, Michiels S, Bièche I, Rouleau E, Jezdic S, Douillard JY, Reis-Filho JS, Dienstmann R, André F. Recommendations for the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for patients with metastatic cancers: a report from the ESMO Precision Medicine Working Group. Ann Oncol 2020; 31:1491-1505. [PMID: 32853681 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 600] [Impact Index Per Article: 150.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows sequencing of a high number of nucleotides in a short time frame at an affordable cost. While this technology has been widely implemented, there are no recommendations from scientific societies about its use in oncology practice. The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is proposing three levels of recommendations for the use of NGS. Based on the current evidence, ESMO recommends routine use of NGS on tumour samples in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancers, ovarian cancers and cholangiocarcinoma. In these tumours, large multigene panels could be used if they add acceptable extra cost compared with small panels. In colon cancers, NGS could be an alternative to PCR. In addition, based on the KN158 trial and considering that patients with endometrial and small-cell lung cancers should have broad access to anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD1) antibodies, it is recommended to test tumour mutational burden (TMB) in cervical cancers, well- and moderately-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours, salivary cancers, thyroid cancers and vulvar cancers, as TMB-high predicted response to pembrolizumab in these cancers. Outside the indications of multigene panels, and considering that the use of large panels of genes could lead to few clinically meaningful responders, ESMO acknowledges that a patient and a doctor could decide together to order a large panel of genes, pending no extra cost for the public health care system and if the patient is informed about the low likelihood of benefit. ESMO recommends that the use of off-label drugs matched to genomics is done only if an access programme and a procedure of decision has been developed at the national or regional level. Finally, ESMO recommends that clinical research centres develop multigene sequencing as a tool to screen patients eligible for clinical trials and to accelerate drug development, and prospectively capture the data that could further inform how to optimise the use of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Mosele
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - J Remon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal (HM-CIOCC), Hospital HM Delfos, HM Hospitales, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Mateo
- Clinical Research Program, Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C B Westphalen
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich and Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - F Barlesi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - M P Lolkema
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - N Normanno
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, 'Fondazione G. Pascale' - IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - A Scarpa
- ARC-Net Research Centre and Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Section of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - M Robson
- Breast Medicine and Clinical Genetics Services, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - F Meric-Bernstam
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - N Wagle
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - A Stenzinger
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - J Bonastre
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France; Oncostat U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, labeled Ligue Contre le Cancer, Villejuif, France
| | - A Bayle
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France; Oncostat U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, labeled Ligue Contre le Cancer, Villejuif, France
| | - S Michiels
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France; Oncostat U1018, Inserm, University Paris-Saclay, labeled Ligue Contre le Cancer, Villejuif, France
| | - I Bièche
- Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - E Rouleau
- Cancer Genetic Laboratories, Department of Medical Biology and Pathology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - S Jezdic
- Scientific and Medical Division, European Society for Medical Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - J-Y Douillard
- Scientific and Medical Division, European Society for Medical Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - J S Reis-Filho
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - R Dienstmann
- Oncology Data Science Group, Molecular Prescreening Program, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F André
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Inserm, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, UMR981, Villejuif, France; Paris Saclay University, Orsay, France.
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Zhou C, Liang Y, Zhou L, Yan Y, Liu N, Zhang R, Huang Y, Wang M, Tang Y, Ali DW, Wang Y, Michalak M, Chen XZ, Tang J. TSPAN1 promotes autophagy flux and mediates cooperation between WNT-CTNNB1 signaling and autophagy via the MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 axis in pancreatic cancer. Autophagy 2020; 17:3175-3195. [PMID: 32972302 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1826689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors associated with a poor clinical prognosis, weakly effective therapeutic options. Therefore, there is a strong impetus to discover new therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we first demonstrated that TSPAN1 is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and that TSPAN1 depletion decreases pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. TSPAN1 expression was correlated with poor overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, we demonstrated that TSPAN1 is a novel positive regulator of macroautophagy/autophagy characterized by decreased LC3-II and SQSTM1/p62 expressions, inhibited puncta formation of GFP-LC3 and autophagic vacuoles. We also demonstrated that tspan1 mutation impaired autophagy in the zebrafish model. Furthermore, we showed that TSPAN1 promoted autophagy maturation via direct binding to LC3 by two conserved LIR motifs. Mutations in the LIR motifs of TSPAN1 resulted in a loss of the ability to induce autophagy and promote pancreatic cancer proliferation. Second, we discovered two conservative TCF/LEF binding elements present in the promoter region of the TSPAN1 gene, which was further verified through luciferase activity and ChIP assays. Furthermore, TSPAN1 was upregulated by FAM83A through the canonical WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that both TSPAN1 and FAM83A are both direct targets of MIR454 (microRNA 454). Additionally, we revealed the role of MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 in the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that components of the MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 axis may be valuable prognosis markers or therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer.Abbreviations: AMPK: adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase; APC: APC regulator of WNT signaling pathway; ATG: autophagy related; AXIN2: axin 2; BECN1: beclin 1; CCND1: cyclin D1; CSNK1A1/CK1α: casein kinase 1 alpha 1; CTNNB1/β-catenin: catenin beta 1; DAPI: 4'6-diamino-2-phenylindole; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; EdU: 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine; FAM83A: family with sequence similarity 83 member A; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GFP: green fluorescent protein; GSEA: gene set enrichment analysis; GSK3B: glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta; IHC: immunohistochemical; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MIR454: microRNA 454; miRNA: microRNA; MKI67: antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki 67; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; MYC: MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor; OS: overall survival; PDAC: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; RAB7A: RAB7A, member RAS oncogene family; shRNA: short hairpin RNA; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TBE: TCF/LEF binding element; TCGA: The Cancer Genome Atlas; TCF/LEF: transcription factor/lymphoid enhancer binding factor; TCF4: transcription factor 4; TSPAN1: tetraspanin 1; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling; UTR: untranslated region; WT: wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cefan Zhou
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.,Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yanyan Liang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Animal Biosafety Level III Laboratory at the Center for Animal Experiment, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanan Yan
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Nanxi Liu
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongfei Tang
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Declan William Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yefu Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Marek Michalak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xing-Zhen Chen
- Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jingfeng Tang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
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Jia X, Xu W, Ye Z, Wang Y, Dong Q, Wang E, Li D, Wang J. Functionalized Graphene@Gold Nanostar/Lipid for Pancreatic Cancer Gene and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy under Photoacoustic/Photothermal Imaging Dual-Modal Guidance. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2003707. [PMID: 32851808 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nanomaterial-based pancreatic cancer treatment has received widespread attention and rapid development in the past few years. The major challenges include the poor combination of diagnosis and therapy, the difficulty in targeting therapy from the root and the unsatisfactory antitumor efficiency, which is accompanied by a great risk of relapse and metastasis. In this work, a positively charged lipid bilayer membrane is coated on reduced graphene oxide@gold nanostar (rGO@AuNS) for photoacoustic/photothermal dual-modal imaging-guided gene/photothermal synergistic therapy of pancreatic cancer. In addition, the cross-linking of folic acid on the surface of rGO@AuNS-lipid can specifically bind after recognizing folic acid receptors on the surface of cancer cells, and greatly improve the targeting ability of the nanomaterial and the performance of imaging diagnosis by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Moreover, the photothermal and gene (targeting G12V mutant K-Ras gene) synergistic therapy shows outstanding anticancer efficacy for pancreatic cancer tumor bearing mice, and it is noteworthy that the treatment groups have anti-liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuna Jia
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130012, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Weiguo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Zhikai Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Yuling Wang
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, Department of Molecular Sciences Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Qing Dong
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130012, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Erkang Wang
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130012, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400, USA
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49
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Rizzuti IF, Mascheroni P, Arcucci S, Ben-Mériem Z, Prunet A, Barentin C, Rivière C, Delanoë-Ayari H, Hatzikirou H, Guillermet-Guibert J, Delarue M. Mechanical Control of Cell Proliferation Increases Resistance to Chemotherapeutic Agents. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:128103. [PMID: 33016731 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.128103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
While many cellular mechanisms leading to chemotherapeutic resistance have been identified, there is an increasing realization that tumor-stroma interactions also play an important role. In particular, mechanical alterations are inherent to solid cancer progression and profoundly impact cell physiology. Here, we explore the influence of compressive stress on the efficacy of chemotherapeutics in pancreatic cancer spheroids. We find that increased compressive stress leads to decreased drug efficacy. Theoretical modeling and experiments suggest that mechanical stress decreases cell proliferation which in turn reduces the efficacy of chemotherapeutics that target proliferating cells. Our work highlights a mechanical form of drug resistance and suggests new strategies for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Francesca Rizzuti
- CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology for Precision Medicine, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- Computer Science and Technology, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Via All'Opera Pia, 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Pietro Mascheroni
- Department of Systems Immunology and Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Rebenring 56, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Silvia Arcucci
- INSERM U1037, CRCT, Universite Paul Sabatier, F-31037 Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence TouCAN, F-31037 Toulouse, France
| | - Zacchari Ben-Mériem
- CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Audrey Prunet
- Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Catherine Barentin
- Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Charlotte Rivière
- Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hélène Delanoë-Ayari
- Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Haralampos Hatzikirou
- Department of Systems Immunology and Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Rebenring 56, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julie Guillermet-Guibert
- INSERM U1037, CRCT, Universite Paul Sabatier, F-31037 Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence TouCAN, F-31037 Toulouse, France
| | - Morgan Delarue
- CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
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50
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Gromisch C, Qadan M, Machado MA, Liu K, Colson Y, Grinstaff MW. Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Unconventional Approaches for an Unconventional Disease. Cancer Res 2020; 80:3179-3192. [PMID: 32220831 PMCID: PMC7755309 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-2731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This review highlights current treatments, limitations, and pitfalls in the management of pancreatic cancer and discusses current research in novel targets and drug development to overcome these clinical challenges. We begin with a review of the clinical landscape of pancreatic cancer, including genetic and environmental risk factors, as well as limitations in disease diagnosis and prevention. We next discuss current treatment paradigms for pancreatic cancer and the shortcomings of targeted therapy in this disease. Targeting major driver mutations in pancreatic cancer, such as dysregulation in the KRAS and TGFβ signaling pathways, have failed to improve survival outcomes compared with nontargeted chemotherapy; thus, we describe new advances in therapy such as Ras-binding pocket inhibitors. We then review next-generation approaches in nanomedicine and drug delivery, focusing on preclinical advancements in novel optical probes, antibodies, small-molecule agents, and nucleic acids to improve surgical outcomes in resectable disease, augment current therapies, expand druggable targets, and minimize morbidity. We conclude by summarizing progress in current research, identifying areas for future exploration in drug development and nanotechnology, and discussing future prospects for management of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Gromisch
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Motaz Qadan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mariana Albuquerque Machado
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kebin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Yolonda Colson
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark W Grinstaff
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
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