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Voutyraki C, Choromidis A, Meligkounaki A, Vlachopoulos NA, Theodorou V, Grammenoudi S, Athanasiadis E, Monticelli S, Giangrande A, Delidakis C, Zacharioudaki E. Growth deregulation and interaction with host hemocytes contribute to tumor progression in a Drosophila brain tumor model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221601120. [PMID: 37549261 PMCID: PMC10438840 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221601120] [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: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumors constantly interact with their microenvironment. Here, we present data on a Notch-induced neural stem cell (NSC) tumor in Drosophila, which can be immortalized by serial transplantation in adult hosts. This tumor arises in the larva by virtue of the ability of Notch to suppress early differentiation-promoting factors in NSC progeny. Guided by transcriptome data, we have addressed both tumor-intrinsic and microenvironment-specific factors and how they contribute to tumor growth and host demise. The growth promoting factors Myc, Imp, and Insulin receptor in the tumor cells are important for tumor expansion and killing of the host. From the host's side, hemocytes, professional phagocytic blood cells, are found associated with tumor cells. Phagocytic receptors, like NimC1, are needed in hemocytes to enable them to capture and engulf tumor cells, restricting their growth. In addition to their protective role, hemocytes may also increase the host's morbidity by their propensity to produce damaging extracellular reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysanthi Voutyraki
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Alexandros Choromidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Anastasia Meligkounaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Andreas Vlachopoulos
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Theodorou
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Sofia Grammenoudi
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, 16672Athens, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Athanasiadis
- Greek Genome Centre, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527Athens, Greece
- Medical Image and Signal Processing Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of West Attica, 12243Athens, Greece
| | - Sara Monticelli
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67400Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104Strasbourg, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, 67404Strasbourg, France
| | - Angela Giangrande
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67400Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104Strasbourg, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, 67404Strasbourg, France
| | - Christos Delidakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Evanthia Zacharioudaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 70013Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Fruit fly for anticancer drug discovery and repurposing. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2023; 85:337-342. [PMID: 36845805 PMCID: PMC9949803 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000000222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
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Sun X, Xin S, Zhang Y, Jin L, Liu X, Zhang J, Mei W, Zhang B, Ma W, Ye L. Long non‑coding RNA CASC11 interacts with YBX1 to promote prostate cancer progression by suppressing the p53 pathway. Int J Oncol 2022; 61:110. [PMID: 35904175 PMCID: PMC9374466 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the principal causes of cancer‑related death worldwide. The roles and mechanisms of long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) involved in the development of PCa remain incompletely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of lncRNA in PCa tumorigenesis. In the present study, lncRNA cancer susceptibility candidate 11 (CASC11) was revealed to be a crucial regulator of PCa progression. The expression profiles of CASC11 in PCa were identified through analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, and validated in human PCa specimens and cell lines. Gain‑ and loss‑of‑function assays were utilized to explore the biological role of CASC11 in PCa initiation and progression. RNA‑sequencing, RNA pull‑down and RNA immunoprecipitation analyses were used to explore potential mechanisms with which CASC11 may be associated. Rescue experiments were further conducted to confirm this association. The present results revealed that CASC11 was dominantly distributed in the nuclei of PCa cells, and was highly expressed in PCa tissues and cells. Overexpression of CASC11 was markedly associated with increased tumor proliferation and migratory ability. Functionally, decreased proliferation and migration, as well as inhibited xenograft tumor growth, were observed in CASC11‑silenced PCa cells, whereas the opposite effects were detected in CASC11‑overexpressing cells. Mechanistically, CASC11 promoted progression of the cell cycle and competitively interacted with Y‑box binding protein 1 (YBX1) to block the p53 pathway. Given this, poly (β‑amino ester) (PBAE)/small interfering RNA‑CASC11 (si‑CASC11) nanoparticles were applied to inhibit CASC11 expression and enhance the antitumor effect in vivo. The results revealed that PBAE/si‑CASC11 nanoparticles augmented the antitumor efficacy of CASC11 knockdown in vivo. In conclusion, the present study suggested that CASC11 may regulate PCa progression and elucidated a novel CASC11/YBX1/p53 signaling axis, providing a potential lncRNA‑directed therapeutic strategy particularly for the treatment of patients with PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianchao Sun
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Shiyong Xin
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China
| | - Liang Jin
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Jiaxin Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Wangli Mei
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Bihui Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Weiguo Ma
- Department of Urology, Tongxin People's Hospital, Tongxin, Ningxia 751300, P.R. China
| | - Lin Ye
- Department of Urology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
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Jiang H, Kimura T, Hai H, Yamamura R, Sonoshita M. Drosophila as a toolkit to tackle cancer and its metabolism. Front Oncol 2022; 12:982751. [PMID: 36091180 PMCID: PMC9458318 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.982751] [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: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most severe health problems worldwide accounting for the second leading cause of death. Studies have indicated that cancers utilize different metabolic systems as compared with normal cells to produce extra energy and substances required for their survival, which contributes to tumor formation and progression. Recently, the fruit fly Drosophila has been attracting significant attention as a whole-body model for elucidating the cancer mechanisms including metabolism. This tiny organism offers a valuable toolkit with various advantages such as high genetic conservation and similar drug response to mammals. In this review, we introduce flies modeling for cancer patient genotypes which have pinpointed novel therapeutic targets and drug candidates in the salivary gland, thyroid, colon, lung, and brain. Furthermore, we introduce fly models for metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cachexia. Diabetes mellitus and obesity are widely acknowledged risk factors for cancer, while cachexia is a cancer-related metabolic condition. In addition, we specifically focus on two cancer metabolic alterations: the Warburg effect and redox metabolism. Indeed, flies proved useful to reveal the relationship between these metabolic changes and cancer. Such accumulating achievements indicate that Drosophila offers an efficient platform to clarify the mechanisms of cancer as a systemic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Taku Kimura
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Oral Diagnosis and Medicine, Graduate school of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Han Hai
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryodai Yamamura
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Ryodai Yamamura, ; Masahiro Sonoshita,
| | - Masahiro Sonoshita
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Ryodai Yamamura, ; Masahiro Sonoshita,
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Munnik C, Xaba MP, Malindisa ST, Russell BL, Sooklal SA. Drosophila melanogaster: A platform for anticancer drug discovery and personalized therapies. Front Genet 2022; 13:949241. [PMID: 36003330 PMCID: PMC9393232 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.949241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease whereby multiple genetic aberrations, epigenetic modifications, metabolic reprogramming, and the microenvironment contribute to the development of a tumor. In the traditional anticancer drug discovery pipeline, drug candidates are usually screened in vitro using two-dimensional or three-dimensional cell culture. However, these methods fail to accurately mimic the human disease state. This has led to the poor success rate of anticancer drugs in the preclinical stages since many drugs are abandoned due to inefficacy or toxicity when transitioned to whole-organism models. The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a beneficial system for modeling human cancers. Decades of fundamental research have shown the evolutionary conservation of key genes and signaling pathways between flies and humans. Moreover, Drosophila has a lower genetic redundancy in comparison to mammals. These factors, in addition to the advancement of genetic toolkits for manipulating gene expression, allow for the generation of complex Drosophila genotypes and phenotypes. Numerous studies have successfully created Drosophila models for colorectal, lung, thyroid, and brain cancers. These models were utilized in the high-throughput screening of FDA-approved drugs which led to the identification of several compounds capable of reducing proliferation and rescuing phenotypes. More noteworthy, Drosophila has also unlocked the potential for personalized therapies. Drosophila ‘avatars’ presenting the same mutations as a patient are used to screen multiple therapeutic agents targeting multiple pathways to find the most appropriate combination of drugs. The outcomes of these studies have translated to significant responses in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancers. Despite not being widely utilized, the concept of in vivo screening of drugs in Drosophila is making significant contributions to the current drug discovery pipeline. In this review, we discuss the application of Drosophila as a platform in anticancer drug discovery; with special focus on the cancer models that have been generated, drug libraries that have been screened and the status of personalized therapies. In addition, we elaborate on the biological and technical limitations of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chamoné Munnik
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Malungi P. Xaba
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sibusiso T. Malindisa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bonnie L. Russell
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Buboo (Pty) Ltd, The Innovation Hub, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Selisha A. Sooklal
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Selisha A. Sooklal,
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