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Tsuji Y, Hara T, Meng S, Sato H, Arao Y, Ofusa K, Ishii H. Role of RNA methylation in the regulation of pancreatic cancer stem cells (Review). Oncol Lett 2023; 26:336. [PMID: 37427348 PMCID: PMC10326658 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.13922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a key role in the initiation and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). CSCs are responsible for resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, and for cancer metastasis. Recent studies have indicated that RNA methylation, a type of RNA modification, predominantly occurring as m6A methylation, plays an important role in controlling the stemness of cancer cells, therapeutic resistance against chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and their overall relevance to a patient's prognosis. CSCs regulate various behaviors of cancer through cell-cell communication by secreting factors, through their receptors, and through signal transduction. Recent studies have shown that RNA methylation is involved in the biology of the heterogeneity of PDAC. The present review provides an update on the current understanding of RNA modification-based therapeutic targets against deleterious PDAC. Several key pathways and agents that can specifically target CSCs have been identified, thus providing novel insights into the early diagnosis and efficient treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiko Tsuji
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Hara
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Sikun Meng
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Sato
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuko Arao
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ken Ofusa
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Prophoenix Division, Food and Life-Science Laboratory, IDEA Consultants, Inc., Osaka, Osaka 559-8519, Japan
| | - Hideshi Ishii
- Department of Medical Data Science, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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2
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Bubin R, Uljanovs R, Strumfa I. Cancer Stem Cells in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087030. [PMID: 37108193 PMCID: PMC10138709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The first discovery of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in leukaemia triggered active research on stemness in neoplastic tissues. CSCs represent a subpopulation of malignant cells, defined by unique properties: a dedifferentiated state, self-renewal, pluripotency, an inherent resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, the presence of certain epigenetic alterations, as well as a higher tumorigenicity in comparison with the general population of cancer cells. A combination of these features highlights CSCs as a high-priority target during cancer treatment. The presence of CSCs has been confirmed in multiple malignancies, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, an entity that is well known for its dismal prognosis. As the aggressive course of pancreatic carcinoma is partly attributable to treatment resistance, CSCs could contribute to adverse outcomes. The aim of this review is to summarize the current information regarding the markers and molecular features of CSCs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the therapeutic options to remove them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Bubin
- Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
| | - Romans Uljanovs
- Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
| | - Ilze Strumfa
- Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, 16 Dzirciema Street, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
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3
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Mazloumi Z, Farahzadi R, Rafat A, Asl KD, Karimipour M, Montazer M, Movassaghpour AA, Dehnad A, Charoudeh HN. Effect of aberrant DNA methylation on cancer stem cell properties. Exp Mol Pathol 2022; 125:104757. [PMID: 35339454 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2022.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation, as an epigenetic mechanism, occurs by adding a methyl group of cytosines in position 5 by DNA methyltransferases and has essential roles in cellular function, especially in the transcriptional regulation of embryonic and adult stem cells. Hypomethylation and hypermethylation cause either the expression or inhibition of genes, and there is a tight balance between regulating the activation or repression of genes in normal cellular activity. Abnormal methylation is well-known hallmark of cancer development and progression and can switch normal stem cells into cancer stem cells. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are minor populations of tumor cells that exhibit unique properties such as self-regeneration, resistance to chemotherapy, and high ability of metastasis. The purpose of this paper is to show how aberrant DNA methylation accumulation affects self-renewal, differentiation, multidrug-resistant, and metastasis processes in cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Mazloumi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Raheleh Farahzadi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Rafat
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Dizaji Asl
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Karimipour
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Majid Montazer
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Dehnad
- Department of Bacterial Disease Research, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Tabriz, Iran
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4
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Keyvani-Ghamsari S, Khorsandi K, Rasul A, Zaman MK. Current understanding of epigenetics mechanism as a novel target in reducing cancer stem cells resistance. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:120. [PMID: 34051847 PMCID: PMC8164819 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01107-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, after extensive studies in the field of cancer, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed as a major factor in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and recurrence. CSCs are a subpopulation of bulk tumors, with stem cell-like properties and tumorigenic capabilities, having the abilities of self-renewal and differentiation, thereby being able to generate heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells and lead to resistance toward anti-tumor treatments. Highly resistant to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy, CSCs have heterogeneity and can migrate to different organs and metastasize. Recent studies have demonstrated that the population of CSCs and the progression of cancer are increased by the deregulation of different epigenetic pathways having effects on gene expression patterns and key pathways connected with cell proliferation and survival. Further, epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA methylations) have been revealed to be key drivers in the formation and maintenance of CSCs. Hence, identifying CSCs and targeting epigenetic pathways therein can offer new insights into the treatment of cancer. In the present review, recent studies are addressed in terms of the characteristics of CSCs, the resistance thereof, and the factors influencing the development thereof, with an emphasis on different types of epigenetic changes in genes and main signaling pathways involved therein. Finally, targeted therapy for CSCs by epigenetic drugs is referred to, which is a new approach in overcoming resistance and recurrence of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Khatereh Khorsandi
- Department of Photodynamic, Medical Laser Research Center, Yara Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Azhar Rasul
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Khatir Zaman
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM), Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
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Vasantharajan SS, Eccles MR, Rodger EJ, Pattison S, McCall JL, Gray ES, Calapre L, Chatterjee A. The Epigenetic landscape of Circulating tumour cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1875:188514. [PMID: 33497709 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is the main reason for the high mortality in patients, contributing to 90% of cancer-related deaths. Biomarkers for early detection and therapeutic monitoring are essential to improve cancer outcomes. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) arise from solid tumours and are capable of metastatic dissemination via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Thus, CTCs can potentially be developed as a minimally invasive biomarker for early detection and therapeutic monitoring. Despite its clinical potential, research on CTCs remains limited, and this is likely due to their low numbers, short half-life, and the lack of robust methods for their isolation. There is also a need for molecular characterisation of CTCs to identify tumour-specific features, such as epigenetic signatures of metastasis. This review provides an overview of the epigenetic landscape of CTCs. We discuss the role of epigenetic modifications in CTC dissemination,metastatic tumour formation and progression and highlight its clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael R Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School-Dunedin Campus, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
| | - Euan J Rodger
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School-Dunedin Campus, New Zealand.
| | - Sharon Pattison
- Department of Medicine, Otago Medical School-Dunedin Campus, New Zealand.
| | - John L McCall
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Otago Medical School-Dunedin Campus, New Zealand.
| | - Elin S Gray
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Leslie Calapre
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School-Dunedin Campus, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
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6
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Valle S, Alcalá S, Martin-Hijano L, Cabezas-Sáinz P, Navarro D, Muñoz ER, Yuste L, Tiwary K, Walter K, Ruiz-Cañas L, Alonso-Nocelo M, Rubiolo JA, González-Arnay E, Heeschen C, Garcia-Bermejo L, Hermann PC, Sánchez L, Sancho P, Fernández-Moreno MÁ, Sainz B. Exploiting oxidative phosphorylation to promote the stem and immunoevasive properties of pancreatic cancer stem cells. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5265. [PMID: 33067432 PMCID: PMC7567808 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18954-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the fourth leading cause of cancer death, has a 5-year survival rate of approximately 7-9%. The ineffectiveness of anti-PDAC therapies is believed to be due to the existence of a subpopulation of tumor cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are functionally plastic, and have exclusive tumorigenic, chemoresistant and metastatic capacities. Herein, we describe a 2D in vitro system for long-term enrichment of pancreatic CSCs that is amenable to biological and CSC-specific studies. By changing the carbon source from glucose to galactose in vitro, we force PDAC cells to utilize OXPHOS, resulting in enrichment of CSCs defined by increased CSC biomarker and pluripotency gene expression, greater tumorigenic potential, induced but reversible quiescence, increased OXPHOS activity, enhanced invasiveness, and upregulated immune evasion properties. This CSC enrichment method can facilitate the discovery of new CSC-specific hallmarks for future development into targets for PDAC-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Valle
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Alcalá
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Martin-Hijano
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Cabezas-Sáinz
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Diego Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Lourdes Yuste
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kanishka Tiwary
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karolin Walter
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura Ruiz-Cañas
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Alonso-Nocelo
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Rubiolo
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | | | - Christopher Heeschen
- Stem Cells & Cancer Group, Molecular Pathology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Single-Cell Omics and Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | | | - Miguel Ángel Fernández-Moreno
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
- Cancer Stem Cells and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3 - Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Ciernikova S, Earl J, García Bermejo ML, Stevurkova V, Carrato A, Smolkova B. Epigenetic Landscape in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: On the Way to Overcoming Drug Resistance? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21114091. [PMID: 32521716 PMCID: PMC7311973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive solid malignancies due to the rapid rate of metastasis and high resistance to currently applied cancer therapies. The complex mechanism underlying the development and progression of PDAC includes interactions between genomic, epigenomic, and signaling pathway alterations. In this review, we summarize the current research findings on the deregulation of epigenetic mechanisms in PDAC and the influence of the epigenome on the dynamics of the gene expression changes underlying epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is responsible for the invasive phenotype of cancer cells and, therefore, their metastatic potential. More importantly, we provide an overview of the studies that uncover potentially actionable pathways. These studies provide a scientific basis to test epigenetic drug efficacy in synergy with other anticancer therapies in future clinical trials, in order to reverse acquired therapy resistance. Thus, epigenomics has the potential to generate relevant new knowledge of both a biological and clinical impact. Moreover, the potential, hurdles, and challenges of predictive biomarker discoveries will be discussed, with a special focus on the promise of liquid biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sona Ciernikova
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +421-2-3229-5198
| | - Julie Earl
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Medical Oncology Research Laboratory, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (J.E.); (A.C.)
| | - María Laura García Bermejo
- Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets Group, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Viola Stevurkova
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Alfredo Carrato
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Medical Oncology Research Laboratory, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (J.E.); (A.C.)
| | - Bozena Smolkova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia;
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