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Zhang M, Shi Z, Zhang S, Li X, To SKY, Peng Y, Liu J, Chen S, Hu H, Wong AST, Zeng JZ. The Ginsenoside Compound K Suppresses Stem-Cell-like Properties and Colorectal Cancer Metastasis by Targeting Hypoxia-Driven Nur77-Akt Feed-Forward Signaling. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010024. [PMID: 36612021 PMCID: PMC9817892 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia reprograms cancer stem cells. Nur77, an orphan nuclear receptor, highly expresses and facilitates colorectal cancer (CRC) stemness and metastasis under a hypoxic microenvironment. However, safe and effective small molecules that target Nur77 for CSC depletion remain unexplored. Here, we report our identification of the ginsenoside compound K (CK) as a new ligand of Nur77. CK strongly inhibits hypoxia-induced CRC sphere formation and CSC phenotypes in a Nur77-dependent manner. Hypoxia induces an intriguing Nur77-Akt feed-forward loop, resulting in reinforced PI3K/Akt signaling that is druggable by targeting Nur77. CK directly binds and modulates Nur77 phosphorylation to block the Nur77-Akt activation loop by disassociating Nur77 from the p63-bound Dicer promoter. The transcription of Dicer that is silenced under a hypoxia microenvironment is thus reactivated by CK. Consequently, the expression and processing capability of microRNA let-7i-5p are significantly increased, which targets PIK3CA mRNA for decay. The in vivo results showed that CK suppresses cancer stemness and metastasis without causing significant adverse effects. Given that the majority of FDA-approved and currently clinically tested PI3K/Akt inhibitors are reversible ATP-competitive kinase antagonists, targeting Nur77 for PI3K/Akt inactivation may provide an alternative strategy to overcoming concerns about drug selectivity and safety. The mechanistic target identification provides a basis for exploring CK as a promising nutraceutical against CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minda Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Zeyu Shi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Shuaishuai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xudan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Sally Kit Yan To
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Yijia Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Siming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hongyu Hu
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi 321004, China
| | - Alice Sze Tsai Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Correspondence: (A.S.T.W.); (J.-Z.Z.)
| | - Jin-Zhang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
- Correspondence: (A.S.T.W.); (J.-Z.Z.)
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Li Z, Chen J, Zhu D, Wang X, Chen J, Zhang Y, Lian Q, Gu B. Identification of prognostic stemness biomarkers in colon adenocarcinoma drug resistance. BMC Genom Data 2022; 23:51. [PMID: 35794546 PMCID: PMC9261069 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-022-01063-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are vital for COAD chemoresistance and recurrence, however little is known about stem cell-related biomarkers in drug resistance and COAD prognosis prediction. METHODS To uncover the roles of CSC in COAD tumorigenesis, chemoresistance, and prognosis, we retrieved COAD patients' RNAseq data from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas). We further performed analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) to identify stemness-related COAD biomarkers. We then evaluated the roles of mRNAsi in tumorigenesis, clinical-stage, overall survival (OS), and chemoresistance. Afterward, we used identified prognostic stemness-related genes (PSRGs) to construct a prediction model. After constructing the prediction model, we used elastic Net regression and area under the curve (AUC) to explore the prediction value of PSRGs based on risk scores and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. To elucidate the underlying interconnected systems, we examined relationships between the levels of TFs, PSRGs, and 50 cancer hallmarks by a Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS Twelve thousand one hundred eight DEGs were identified by comparing 456 primary COADs and 41 normal solid tissue samples. Furthermore, we identified 4351 clinical stage-related DEGs, 16,516 stemness-associated DEGs, and 54 chemoresistance-related DEGs from cancer stages: mRNAsi, and COAD chemoresistance. Compared to normal tissue samples, mRNAsi in COAD patients were marked on an elevation and involved in prognosis (p = 0.027), stemness-related DEGs based on chemoresistance (OR = 3.28, p ≤ 0.001) and AJCC clinical stage relating (OR = 4.02, p ≤ 0.001) to COAD patients. The prediction model of prognosis were constructed using the 6 PSRGs with high accuracy (AUC: 0.659). The model identified universal correlation between NRIP2 and FDFT1 (key PRSGs), and some cancer related transcription factors (TFs) and trademarks of cancer gene were in the regulatory network. CONCLUSION We found that mRNAsi is a reliable predictive biomarker of tumorigenesis and COAD prognosis. Our established prediction model of COAD chemoresistance, which includes the six PSRGs, is effective, as the model provides promising therapeutic targets in the COAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyue Li
- Cord Blood Bank, Guangzhou Institute of Eugenics and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Jierong Chen
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, P. R. China
| | - Dandan Zhu
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, P. R. China
| | - Jace Chen
- Laboratory Schools, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, P. R. China
| | - Qizhou Lian
- Cord Blood Bank, Guangzhou Institute of Eugenics and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Bing Gu
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 106 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, P. R. China.
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Is High Expression of Claudin-7 in Advanced Colorectal Carcinoma Associated with a Poor Survival Rate? A Comparative Statistical and Artificial Intelligence Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122915. [PMID: 35740581 PMCID: PMC9221359 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122915] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The need for predictive and prognostic biomarkers in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) brought us to an era where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) models is increasing. We investigated the expression of Claudin-7, a tight junction component, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of normal epithelial mucosa, and its potential prognostic role in advanced CRCs by drawing a parallel between statistical and AI algorithms. Claudin-7 immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in the tumor core and invasion front of CRCs and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and survival using statistical and AI algorithms. The Kaplan–Meier univariate survival analysis showed that the immunohistochemical overexpression of Claudin-7 in the tumor invasive front may represent a poor prognostic factor in advanced stages of CRCs. On the contrary, AI models could not predict the same outcome, probably because of the small number of patients included in our cohort. Abstract Aim: The need for predictive and prognostic biomarkers in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) brought us to an era where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) models is increasing. We investigated the expression of Claudin-7, a tight junction component, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of normal epithelial mucosa, and its potential prognostic role in advanced CRCs, by drawing a parallel between statistical and AI algorithms. Methods: Claudin-7 immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in the tumor core and invasion front of CRCs from 84 patients and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and survival. The results were compared with those obtained by using various AI algorithms. Results: the Kaplan–Meier univariate survival analysis showed a significant correlation between survival and Claudin-7 intensity in the invasive front (p = 0.00), a higher expression being associated with a worse prognosis, while Claudin-7 intensity in the tumor core had no impact on survival. In contrast, AI models could not predict the same outcome on survival. Conclusion: The study showed through statistical means that the immunohistochemical overexpression of Claudin-7 in the tumor invasive front may represent a poor prognostic factor in advanced stages of CRCs, contrary to AI models which could not predict the same outcome, probably because of the small number of patients included in our cohort.
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Asgharzadeh F, Moradi-Marjaneh R, Marjaneh MM. The role of heat shock protein 40 in carcinogenesis and biology of colorectal cancer. Curr Pharm Des 2022; 28:1457-1465. [PMID: 35570564 DOI: 10.2174/1381612828666220513124603] [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: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Despite the enormous amount of effort in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC, the overall survival rate of patients remains low. The precise molecular and cellular basis underlying CRC has not been completely understood yet. Over time, new genes and molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of the disease are being identified. Accurate discovery of these genes and signaling pathways are important and urgent missions for the next generation of anticancer therapy research. Chaperone DnaJ, also known as Hsp40 (heat shock protein 40), has been of particular interest in CRC pathogenesis, as it is involved in the fundamental cell activities for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Evidence show that protein family members of DnaJ/Hsp40 play both roles; enhancing and reducing the growth of CRC cells. In the present review, we focus on the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the role of DnaJ/Hsp40 in CRC carcinogenesis and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Asgharzadeh
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Reyhaneh Moradi-Marjaneh
- Department of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Mahdi Moradi Marjaneh
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Wang H, Man Q, Huo F, Gao X, Lin H, Li S, Wang J, Su F, Cai, L, Shi Y, Liu, B, Bu L. STAT3 pathway in cancers: Past, present, and future. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e124. [PMID: 35356799 PMCID: PMC8942302 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a member of the STAT family, discovered in the cytoplasm of almost all types of mammalian cells, plays a significant role in biological functions. The duration of STAT3 activation in normal tissues is a transient event and is strictly regulated. However, in cancer tissues, STAT3 is activated in an aberrant manner and is induced by certain cytokines. The continuous activation of STAT3 regulates the expression of downstream proteins associated with the formation, progression, and metastasis of cancers. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms of STAT3 regulation and designing inhibitors targeting the STAT3 pathway are considered promising strategies for cancer treatment. This review aims to introduce the history, research advances, and prospects concerning the STAT3 pathway in cancer. We review the mechanisms of STAT3 pathway regulation and the consequent cancer hallmarks associated with tumor biology that are induced by the STAT3 pathway. Moreover, we summarize the emerging development of inhibitors that target the STAT3 pathway and novel drug delivery systems for delivering these inhibitors. The barriers against targeting the STAT3 pathway, the focus of future research on promising targets in the STAT3 pathway, and our perspective on the overall utility of STAT3 pathway inhibitors in cancer treatment are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han‐Qi Wang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Qi‐Wen Man
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Head Neck Oncology School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Fang‐Yi Huo
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Xin Gao
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Hao Lin
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Su‐Ran Li
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Jing Wang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Fu‐Chuan Su
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Lulu Cai,
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Department of Pharmacy School of Medicine Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Yi Shi
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and Department of Laboratory Medicine Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Bing Liu,
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Head Neck Oncology School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Lin‐Lin Bu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei‐MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Head Neck Oncology School & Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University Wuhan China
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6
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Kurth I, Yamaguchi N, Andreu-Agullo C, Tian HS, Sridhar S, Takeda S, Gonsalves FC, Loo JM, Barlas A, Manova-Todorova K, Busby R, Bendell JC, Strauss J, Fakih M, McRee AJ, Hendifar AE, Rosen LS, Cercek A, Wasserman R, Szarek M, Spector SL, Raza S, Tavazoie MF, Tavazoie SF. Therapeutic targeting of SLC6A8 creatine transporter suppresses colon cancer progression and modulates human creatine levels. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi7511. [PMID: 34613776 PMCID: PMC8494442 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi7511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality. Creatine metabolism was previously shown to critically regulate colon cancer progression. We report that RGX-202, an oral small-molecule SLC6A8 transporter inhibitor, robustly inhibits creatine import in vitro and in vivo, reduces intracellular phosphocreatine and ATP levels, and induces tumor apoptosis. RGX-202 suppressed CRC growth across KRAS wild-type and KRAS mutant xenograft, syngeneic, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. Antitumor efficacy correlated with tumoral expression of creatine kinase B. Combining RGX-202 with 5-fluorouracil or the DHODH inhibitor leflunomide caused regressions of multiple colorectal xenograft and PDX tumors of distinct mutational backgrounds. RGX-202 also perturbed creatine metabolism in patients with metastatic CRC in a phase 1 trial, mirroring pharmacodynamic effects on creatine metabolism observed in mice. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of preclinical and human pharmacodynamic activity for creatine metabolism targeting in oncology, thus revealing a critical therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Kurth
- Inspirna, Inc., 310 E. 67th St, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Norihiro Yamaguchi
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Helen S. Tian
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jia Min Loo
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Tumor Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, 60 Biopolis Street, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Afsar Barlas
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 275 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Robert Busby
- Inspirna, Inc., 310 E. 67th St, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Johanna C. Bendell
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, 250 25th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - James Strauss
- Mary Crowley Cancer Research, Building C, 7777 Forest Ln #707, Dallas, TX 75230, USA
| | - Marwan Fakih
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Autumn J. McRee
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrew E. Hendifar
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Lee S. Rosen
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Andrea Cercek
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 275 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Michael Szarek
- Inspirna, Inc., 310 E. 67th St, New York, NY 10065, USA
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | | | - Syed Raza
- Inspirna, Inc., 310 E. 67th St, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Sohail F. Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Stefani C, Miricescu D, Stanescu-Spinu II, Nica RI, Greabu M, Totan AR, Jinga M. Growth Factors, PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK Signaling Pathways in Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis: Where Are We Now? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910260. [PMID: 34638601 PMCID: PMC8508474 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a predominant malignancy worldwide, being the fourth most common cause of mortality and morbidity. The CRC incidence in adolescents, young adults, and adult populations is increasing every year. In the pathogenesis of CRC, various factors are involved including diet, sedentary life, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, gut microbiota, diabetes, and genetic mutations. The CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) involves the complex cooperation between tumoral cells with stroma, immune, and endothelial cells. Cytokines and several growth factors (GFs) will sustain CRC cell proliferation, survival, motility, and invasion. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Insulin-like growth factor -1 receptor (IGF-1R), and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor -A (VEGF-A) are overexpressed in various human cancers including CRC. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and all the three major subfamilies of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways may be activated by GFs and will further play key roles in CRC development. The main aim of this review is to present the CRC incidence, risk factors, pathogenesis, and the impact of GFs during its development. Moreover, the article describes the relationship between EGF, IGF, VEGF, GFs inhibitors, PI3K/AKT/mTOR-MAPK signaling pathways, and CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Stefani
- Department of Family Medicine and Clinical Base, ‘‘Dr. Carol Davila’ Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 051075 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Daniela Miricescu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (I.-I.S.-S.); (A.R.T.)
- Correspondence: (D.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Iulia-Ioana Stanescu-Spinu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (I.-I.S.-S.); (A.R.T.)
| | - Remus Iulian Nica
- Surgery 2, ‘Dr. Carol Davila’ Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 051075 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Maria Greabu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (I.-I.S.-S.); (A.R.T.)
- Correspondence: (D.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Alexandra Ripszky Totan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (I.-I.S.-S.); (A.R.T.)
| | - Mariana Jinga
- Department of Gastroenterology, ‘Dr. Carol Davila’ Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 051075 Bucharest, Romania;
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Sin RWY, Foo DCC, Iyer DN, Fan MSY, Li X, Lo OSH, Law WL, Ng L. A Pilot Study Investigating the Expression Levels of Pluripotency-Associated Genes in Rectal Swab Samples for Colorectal Polyp and Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:4139528. [PMID: 34335790 PMCID: PMC8324395 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4139528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Change in gene expression is inevitable in cancer development. With more studies demonstrating the contributions of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, this study is aimed at investigating whether rectal swab specimen serves as a tool for detection of dysregulation of CSC or stem cell (SC) markers and at evaluating its potential as a new promising screening method for high-risk patients. Expression levels of 15 pluripotency-associated genes were assessed by quantitative PCR in 53 rectal swab specimens referred for endoscopic screening. Dysregulated genes and joint panels based on such genes were examined for their diagnostic potentials for both polyp and CRC. Out of 15 genes, Oct4, CD26, c-MYC, and CXCR4 showed significantly differential expression among normal, polyp, and CRC patients. A panel of Oct4 and CD26 showed an AUC value of 0.80 (p = 0.003) in identifying CRC patients from polyp/normal subjects, with sensitivity and specificity of 84.6% and 69.2%. A panel of c-MYC and CXCR4 achieved CRC/polyp identification with an AUC value of 0.79 (p = 0.002), with a sensitivity of 82.8% and specificity of 80.0%. The sensitivity for polyp and CRC was 80.0% and 85.7%, respectively. Further analysis showed that higher c-MYC and CXCR4 level was detected in normal subjects who developed polyps after 5-6 years, in comparison with subjects with no lesion developed, and the AUC of the c-MYC and CXCR4 panel increased to 0.88 (p < 0.001), with sensitivity and specificity of 84.4% and 92.3%, respectively, when these patients were included in the polyp group. This study suggests that the Oct4 and CD26 panel is a promising biomarker for distinguishing CRC from normal and polyp patients, whereas the c-MYC and CXCR4 panel may identify polyp and CRC from normal individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Wai-Yan Sin
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dominic Chi-Chung Foo
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Deepak Narayanan Iyer
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - May Sau-Yee Fan
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Oswens Siu-Hung Lo
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai-Lun Law
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lui Ng
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Liu SJ, Li ZQ, Wang XY, Liu F, Xiao ZM, Zhang DC. lncRNA UCA1 induced by SP1 and SP3 forms a positive feedback loop to facilitate malignant phenotypes of colorectal cancer via targeting miR-495. Life Sci 2021; 277:119569. [PMID: 33961855 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) was dysregulated in colorectal cancers (CRC) and promoted tumor progression of CRC. The aims of this study are to further investigate the underlying mechanism. MAIN METHODS Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were applied for gene knockdown. microRNA mimic and pcDNA-UCA1 plasmids were transfected for miR-495 and UCA1 overexpression, respectively. MTT was applied to determine cell viability and sensitivity of 5-fluorouracil (FU). Transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell migration/invasion. Angiogenesis was evaluated by tube formation. Western blotting and quantitative PCR were utilized for protein and mRNA detection, respectively. The interaction of UCA1, miR-495 and SP1/SP3 were explored by dual-luciferase assay. RNA pulldown was adopted to determine the UCA1/miR-495 interaction. KEY FINDINGS UCA1 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues. UCA1 enhanced cell proliferation, migration/invasion, angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and resistance to 5-FU in CRC cell lines. MiR-495 was inversely correlated to the expression of UCA1. The results indicated that UCA1 sponged miR-495, leading to the disinhibition of SP1/SP3 expression. SP1/SP3 induced the expression of DNA methyltransferases and, in turn, contributed to UCA1 mediated tumor-promoting actions. Reduction of SP1/SP3 exerted anti-cancer effects, which can be reversed by forced expression of UCA1. SIGNIFICANCE UCA1-miR-495-SP1/SP3 axis is dysregulated in CRC and contributed to malignant phenotypes of CRC. UCA1-SP1/SP3 may form a positive feedback loop in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Jun Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Zhao-Qi Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Fen Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Zhi-Ming Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - De-Cai Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, PR China.
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10
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Spelling Out CICs: A Multi-Organ Examination of the Contributions of Cancer Initiating Cells' Role in Tumor Progression. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 18:228-240. [PMID: 34244971 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-021-10195-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Tumor invasion and metastasis remain the leading causes of mortality for patients with cancer despite current treatment strategies. In some cancer types, recurrence is considered inevitable due to the lack of effective anti-metastatic therapies. Recent studies across many cancer types demonstrate a close relationship between cancer-initiating cells (CICs) and metastasis, as well as general cancer progression. First, this review describes CICs' contribution to cancer progression. Then we discuss our recent understanding of mechanisms through which CICs promote tumor invasion and metastasis by examining the role of CICs in each stage. Finally, we examine the current understanding of CICs' contribution to therapeutic resistance and recent developments in CIC-targeting drugs. We believe this understanding is key to advancing anti-CIC clinical therapeutics.
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11
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Sameri S, Mohammadi C, Mehrabani M, Najafi R. Targeting the hallmarks of cancer: the effects of silibinin on proliferation, cell death, angiogenesis, and migration in colorectal cancer. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:160. [PMID: 34059044 PMCID: PMC8168007 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03330-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Silibinin, as a chemopreventive agent, has shown anti-cancer efficacy against different types of cancers. In the present study, we investigated the anti-cancer activities of silibinin on CT26 mouse colon cell line. Methods CT26 cells were treated with different concentrations of silibinin. To examine the cytotoxic effect of silibinin on proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, and migration, MTT, colony-forming assay, Annexin V/PI flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and Scratch assay were used. Results Silibinin was found to significantly reduce CT26 cells survival. Furthermore, silibinin strongly induced apoptosis and autophagy by up-regulating the expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Atg5, Atg7 and BECN1 and down-regulating Bcl-2. Silibinin considerably down-regulated the expression of COX-2, HIF-1α, VEGF, Ang-2, and Ang-4 as well as the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, CCR-2 and CXCR-4. Conclusions The present study revealed that silibinin shows anticancer activities by targeting proliferation, cell survival, angiogenesis, and migration of CT26 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Sameri
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Chiman Mohammadi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Mehrabani
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Rezvan Najafi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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12
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Lu X, Tayebi M, Ai Y. A low-cost and high-throughput benchtop cell sorter for isolating white blood cells from whole blood. Electrophoresis 2021; 42:2281-2292. [PMID: 34010478 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The ability to isolate and purify white blood cells (WBCs) from mixed ensembles such as blood would benefit autologous cell-based therapeutics as well as diagnosis of WBC disorders. Current WBCs isolation methods have the limitations of low purity or requiring complex and expensive equipment. In addition, due to the overlap in size distribution between lymphocytes (i.e., a sub-population of WBCs) and red blood cells (RBCs), it is challenging to achieve isolation of entire WBCs populations. In this work, we developed an inertial microfluidics-based cell sorter, which enables size-based, high-throughput isolation, and enrichment of WBCs from RBC-lysed whole blood. Using the developed inertial microfluidic chip, the sorting resolution is sharpened within 2 μm, which achieved separation between 3 and 5 μm diameter particles. Thus, with the present cell sorter, a full population of WBCs can be isolated from RBC-lysed blood samples with recovery ratio of 92%, and merely 5% difference in the composition percentage of the three subpopulations of granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes compared to the original sample. Furthermore, our cell sorter is designed to enable broad application of size-based inertial cell sorting by supplying a series of microchips with different sorting cutoff size. This strategy allows us to further enrich the lymphocytes population by twofold using another microchip with a cutoff size between 10 and 15 μm. With simplicity and efficiency, our cell sorter provides a powerful platform for isolating and sorting of WBCs and also envisions broad potential sorting applications for other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Lu
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
| | - Mahnoush Tayebi
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
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13
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Mohamed R, Kennedy C, Willmore WG. Responses of Porcupine and Wntless proteins to oxidative, hypoxic and endoplasmic reticulum stresses. Cell Signal 2021; 85:110047. [PMID: 34015469 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2021.110047] [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: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The WNT (Wingless and Int-1) proteins play a role in stem cell development and cell differentiation. Mutations in the WNT proteins lead to the development of various tumours, including gastric tumours. Porcupine (PORCN) is a palmitoyltransferase and Wntless (WLS) is a dedicated WNT transport protein that modify and fold the WNT proteins respectively and are involved in their proper secretion and binding to the frizzled (FZD) receptor and the lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 or 6 (LRP5/6). We investigated how modifications of PORCN and WLS result in changes in WNT expression and secretion from cells under stress conditions that occur in the tumour microenvironment (hypoxia, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress). In the present study, we found the mRNA expression of both PORCN and WLS were significantly increased with treatments inducing oxidative stress (antimycin A) and proteasome inhibition (MG-132), in human colon cancer (HCT116) and human intestinal epithelial cell-6 (HIEC-6) cells. Treatment with ER stressors thapsigargin, tunicamycin, and dithiolthreitol significantly increased PORCN gene expression, while treatment with thapsigargin and dithiolthreitol increased WLS gene expression. The expression of PORCN and WLS proteins increased with hypoxia and ER stressor treatments in both HCT116 and HIEC-6 cells. All stressors used in this study increased beta-catenin (β-catenin) expression in HCT116 cells. Our results suggest that these stressors alter PORCN, WLS and β-catenin expression and function which may, in turn, alter WNT secretion. Silencing the expression of PORCN and WLS with siRNA expression reduced the expression of WLS and WNT3A in HCT116 cells. The possibility exists that PORCN specifically may be involved in a novel signaling pathway, independent of its palmitoleation of the WNT proteins and its role in their secretion, that is rate-limiting for cancer cell growth and tumorigenesis, within the tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowida Mohamed
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Catherine Kennedy
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - William G Willmore
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada; Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada; Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
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14
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Hervieu C, Christou N, Battu S, Mathonnet M. The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer: From the Basics to Novel Clinical Trials. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1092. [PMID: 33806312 PMCID: PMC7961892 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment options available for colorectal cancer (CRC) have increased over the years and have significantly improved the overall survival of CRC patients. However, the response rate for CRC patients with metastatic disease remains low and decreases with subsequent lines of therapy. The clinical management of patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) presents a unique challenge in balancing the benefits and harms while considering disease progression, treatment-related toxicities, drug resistance and the patient's overall quality of life. Despite the initial success of therapy, the development of drug resistance can lead to therapy failure and relapse in cancer patients, which can be attributed to the cancer stem cells (CSCs). Thus, colorectal CSCs (CCSCs) contribute to therapy resistance but also to tumor initiation and metastasis development, making them attractive potential targets for the treatment of CRC. This review presents the available CCSC isolation methods, the clinical relevance of these CCSCs, the mechanisms of drug resistance associated with CCSCs and the ongoing clinical trials targeting these CCSCs. Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to effectively eradicate both tumor growth and metastasis, while taking into account the tumor microenvironment (TME) which plays a key role in tumor cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Hervieu
- EA 3842 CAPTuR “Control of Cell Activation in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, Genomics, Environment, Immunity, Health and Therapeutics (GEIST) Institute, University of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France; (C.H.); (N.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Niki Christou
- EA 3842 CAPTuR “Control of Cell Activation in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, Genomics, Environment, Immunity, Health and Therapeutics (GEIST) Institute, University of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France; (C.H.); (N.C.); (S.B.)
- Department of General, Endocrine and Digestive Surgery, University Hospital of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France
| | - Serge Battu
- EA 3842 CAPTuR “Control of Cell Activation in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, Genomics, Environment, Immunity, Health and Therapeutics (GEIST) Institute, University of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France; (C.H.); (N.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Muriel Mathonnet
- EA 3842 CAPTuR “Control of Cell Activation in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, Genomics, Environment, Immunity, Health and Therapeutics (GEIST) Institute, University of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France; (C.H.); (N.C.); (S.B.)
- Department of General, Endocrine and Digestive Surgery, University Hospital of Limoges, 87025 Limoges CEDEX, France
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15
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RNA-binding protein CELF1 enhances cell migration, invasion, and chemoresistance by targeting ETS2 in colorectal cancer. Clin Sci (Lond) 2020; 134:1973-1990. [PMID: 32677671 DOI: 10.1042/cs20191174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often diagnosed at later stages after it has metastasized to other organs. The development of chemoresistance also contributes to a poor prognosis. Therefore, an increased understanding of the metastatic properties of CRC and chemoresistance could improve patient survival. CUGBP elav-like family member 1 (CELF1) is an RNA-binding protein, which is overexpressed in many human malignant tumors. However, the influence of CELF1 in CRC is unclear. V-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homologue 2 (ETS2) is an evolutionarily conserved proto-oncogene known to be overexpressed in a variety of human cancers including CRC. In thespresent tudy, we investigated the association between CELF1 and ETS2 in CRC tumorigenesis and oxaliplatin (L-OHP) resistance. We found a positive correlation between the elevated expression of CELF1 and ETS2 in human CRC tissues. Overexpression of CELF1 increased CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in a xenograft tumor growth model in vivo, and induced resistance to L-OHP. In contrast, CELF1 knockdown improved the response of CRC cells to L-OHP. Overexpression of ETS2 increased the malignant behavior of CRC cells (growth, migration, and invasion) and L-OHP resistance in vitro. Moreover, L-OHP resistance induced by CELF1 overexpression was reversed by ETS2 knockdown. The results of luciferase reporter and ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation assays indicated that CELF1 up-regulates ETS2 by binding to its 3'-UTR. Taken together, our findings have identified that CELF1 regulates ETS2 in a mechanism that results in CRC tumorigenesis and L-OHP resistance, and CELF1 may be a promising target for overcoming chemoresistance in CRC.
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16
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Žlajpah M, Boštjančič E, Tepeš B, Zidar N. Expression of Extracellular Matrix-Related Genes and Their Regulatory microRNAs in Problematic Colorectal Polyps. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123715. [PMID: 33322258 PMCID: PMC7764749 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal carcinoma usually evolves gradually, forming a spectrum of lesions, due to accumulation of genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations. Many early lesions are detected since the introduction of screening programs. The greatest challenge is to distinguish between adenomas with epithelial misplacement (AEM) and adenomas with early carcinoma (AEC), considering the diagnosis affects prognosis and treatment. We analyzed the expression of selected extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes and proteins, and their regulatory microRNAs using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in biopsies from 44 patients. Differences were observed in AEM in comparison to AEC for DCN, EPHA4, FN1, SPON2, and SPP1, reflecting inflammatory stromal reaction to traumatisation and misplacement of dysplastic glands in the submucosa in the former, and desmoplastic stromal reaction to true invasion of dysplastic glands in the submucosa in the latter. Expression of regulatory microRNAs hsa-miR-200c and hsa-miR-146a significantly negatively correlated with the expression of their regulated genes, while significant difference between AEM and AEC was observed only for hsa-miR-29c. The described expression patterns are too complex to be used in diagnostic work, but might contribute to better understanding ECM changes in colorectal carcinoma development, helping to find new markers in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margareta Žlajpah
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Ž.); (E.B.)
| | - Emanuela Boštjančič
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Ž.); (E.B.)
| | - Bojan Tepeš
- Gastroenterology Unit, AM DC Rogaška, 3250 Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia;
| | - Nina Zidar
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Ž.); (E.B.)
- Correspondence:
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17
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Massimino L, Lovisa S, Antonio Lamparelli L, Danese S, Ungaro F. Gut eukaryotic virome in colorectal carcinogenesis: Is that a trigger? Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 19:16-28. [PMID: 33363706 PMCID: PMC7750180 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiota is composed of bacteria and viruses that might be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) onset and progression. Indeed, although viral infections have been reported to be the primary trigger in many diseases, the role of eukaryotic viruses populating the gut mucosa during early colorectal carcinogenesis is underinvestigated. Human eukaryotic viruses in the gut were found to induce alterations of the immune homeostasis so that some viral-dependent mechanisms likely able to induce DNA alterations in the bowel wall have been proposed, although no demonstration is available yet. However, thanks to the latest advancements in computational biology and the implementation of the bioinformatic pipelines, the option of establishing a direct causative link between intestinal virome and CRC will be possible soon, hopefully paving the way to innovative therapeutic strategies blocking or reverting the CRC pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Massimino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Lovisa
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Silvio Danese
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Ungaro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
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18
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Kasprzak A. Angiogenesis-Related Functions of Wnt Signaling in Colorectal Carcinogenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123601. [PMID: 33276489 PMCID: PMC7761462 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Angiogenesis belongs to the most clinical characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is strongly linked to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The most prominent factors stimulating constitutive activation of this pathway, and in consequence angiogenesis, are genetic alterations (mainly mutations) concerning APC and the β-catenin encoding gene (CTNNB1), detected in a large majority of CRC patients. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in the basic types of vascularization (sprouting and nonsprouting angiogenesis), vasculogenic mimicry as well as the formation of mosaic vessels. The number of known Wnt/β-catenin signaling components and other pathways interacting with Wnt signaling, regulating angiogenesis, and enabling CRC progression continuously increases. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway in the process of CRC angiogenesis, aiming to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis as well as improvements in the management of this cancer. Abstract Aberrant activation of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the major molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. On the other hand, one of the most common clinical CRC characteristics include high levels of angiogenesis, which is a key event in cancer cell dissemination and distant metastasis. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin downstream signaling regulates the most important pro-angiogenic molecules including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and chemokines. Furthermore, mutations of the β-catenin gene associated with nuclear localization of the protein have been mainly detected in microsatellite unstable CRC. Elevated nuclear β-catenin increases the expression of many genes involved in tumor angiogenesis. Factors regulating angiogenesis with the participation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling include different groups of biologically active molecules including Wnt pathway components (e.g., Wnt2, DKK, BCL9 proteins), and non-Wnt pathway factors (e.g., chemoattractant cytokines, enzymatic proteins, and bioactive compounds of plants). Several lines of evidence argue for the use of angiogenesis inhibition in the treatment of CRC. In the context of this paper, components of the Wnt pathway are among the most promising targets for CRC therapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway in the process of CRC angiogenesis, aiming to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis as well as improvements in the management of this cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldona Kasprzak
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Swiecicki Street 6, 60-781 Poznań, Poland
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Zheng GW, Tang MM, Shu CY, Xin WX, Zhang YH, Chi BB, Shi MR, Guo X, Zhang ZZ, Lian XY. A small natural molecule CADPE kills residual colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting key transcription factors and translation initiation factors. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:982. [PMID: 33191401 PMCID: PMC7667164 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Residual disease is the major cause for colorectal cancer (CRC) relapse. Herein, we explore whether and how a natural molecule CADPE killed heterogenic populations in a panel of CRC cell lines with KRAS/BRAF mutations that are natively resistant to EGFR- or VEGFR-targeted therapy, without sparing persistent cells, a reservoir of the disease relapse. Results showed that CADPE killed the tumor bulk and residual cells in the panel of CRC cell lines, rapidly inactivated c-Myc, STAT3, and NF-κB, and then decreased the protein levels of key signaling molecules for CRC, such as β-catenin, Notch1, and the nodes of mTOR pathways; eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIF4F); anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, and survivin); and stemness-supporting molecules (CD133, Bim-1, and VEGF). In terms of mechanism of action, concurrent downregulation of Mcl-1, Bcl-xl, and survivin was necessary for CADPE to kill CRC bulk cells, while additional depletion of CD133 and VEGF proteins was required for killing the residual CRC cells. Moreover, the disabled c-Myc, STAT3, NF-κB, and eIF4F were associated with the broadly decreased levels of anti-apoptosis proteins and pro-stemness proteins. Consistently, CADPE suppressed CRC tumor growth associated with robust apoptosis and depleted levels of c-Myc, STAT3, NF-κB, eIF4F, anti-apoptotic proteins, and pro-stemness proteins. Our findings showed the promise of CADPE for treating CRC and suggested a rational polytherapy that disables c-Myc, STAT3, NF-κB, and eIF4F for killing CRC residual disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Wan Zheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ming-Min Tang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chen-Yan Shu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wen-Xiu Xin
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 310022, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan-Hua Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bin-Bin Chi
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mu-Ran Shi
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xing Guo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhi-Zhen Zhang
- Ocean College, Zhoushan Campus, Zhejiang University, 316021, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xiao-Yuan Lian
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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20
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Kennedy SA, Morrissey ME, Dunne MR, O'Connell F, Butler CT, Cathcart MC, Buckley AM, Mehigan BJ, Larkin JO, McCormick P, Kennedy BN, O'Sullivan J. Combining 1,4-dihydroxy quininib with Bevacizumab/FOLFOX alters angiogenic and inflammatory secretions in ex vivo colorectal tumors. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:952. [PMID: 33008336 PMCID: PMC7532092 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07430-y] [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: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide with one in every five patients diagnosed with metastatic CRC (mCRC). In mCRC cases, the 5-year survival rate remains at approximately 14%, reflecting the lack of effectiveness of currently available treatments such as the anti-VEGF targeting antibody Bevacizumab combined with the chemotherapy folinic acid, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). Approximately 60% of patients do not respond to this combined treatment. Furthermore, Bevacizumab inhibits dendritic cell (DC) maturation in poor responders, a key process for tumor eradication. Method Following drug treatment, secreted expression levels of angiogenic and inflammatory markers in tumor conditioned media generated from human ex vivo colorectal tumors were measured by ELISA. Dendritic cell phenotypic and maturation markers were assessed by flow cytometry. Results Our novel compound, 1,4-dihydroxy quininib, acts in an alternative pathway compared to the approved therapy Bevacizumab. 1,4-dihydroxy quininib alone, and in combination with Bevacizumab or FOLFOX significantly reduced TIE-2 expression which is involved in the promotion of tumor vascularization. Combination treatment with 1,4-dihydroxy quininib significantly increased the expression level of DC phenotypic and maturation markers. Conclusion Our results indicate the anti-angiogenic small molecule 1,4-dihydroxy quininib could be an alternative novel treatment in combination therapy for CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Kennedy
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Maria E Morrissey
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Margaret R Dunne
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Fiona O'Connell
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Clare T Butler
- UCD Conway Institute & UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Mary-Clare Cathcart
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Amy M Buckley
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | | | | | | | - Breandán N Kennedy
- UCD Conway Institute & UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jacintha O'Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland.
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21
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Ungaro F, D’Alessio S, Danese S. The Role of Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Colorectal Cancer-Associated Inflammation: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082060. [PMID: 32722560 PMCID: PMC7463689 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a recognized hallmark of cancer that contributes to the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used for the treatment of CRC show many adverse side effects that prompted researchers to propose the polyunsaturated fatty acids-derived specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) as promoters of resolution of cancer-associated inflammation. SPMs were found to inhibit the CRC-associated pro-inflammatory milieu via specific G-coupled protein receptors, although clinical data are still lacking. This review aims to summarize the state-of-the-art in this field, ultimately providing insights for the development of innovative anti-CRC therapies that promote the endogenous lipid-mediated resolution of CRC-associated inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Ungaro
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy; (S.D.); (S.D.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Silvia D’Alessio
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy; (S.D.); (S.D.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvio Danese
- IBD Center, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy; (S.D.); (S.D.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
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22
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Monti E, Marras E, Prini P, Gariboldi MB. Luteolin impairs hypoxia adaptation and progression in human breast and colon cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 881:173210. [PMID: 32526242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are the force which drives hypoxic cancer cells to a more aggressive and resistant phenotype in a number of solid tumors, including colorectal and breast cancer. Results from recent studies suggest a role for HIF-1 in immune evasion and cancer stem cell phenotype promotion, establishing HIF-1 as a potential therapeutic target. Thus, identifying new compounds that might inhibit HIF1 activity, or at least exert antiproliferative effects that are unaffected by HIF1-dependent adaptations, is an attractive goal for the management of hypoxic tumors. Here we show that the flavonoid luteolin exerts a significant cytotoxic effect on the colon cancer cell line HCT116 and the breast adenocarcinoma cell line MDA-MB231, by inducing both apoptotic and necrotic cell death, and that this effect is not impaired by HIF-1 activation. In these cells, luteolin also stimulates autophagy; however this seems to be part of a protective response, rather than contribute to the cytotoxic effect. Interestingly, luteolin induces a decrease in HIF-1 transcriptional activity. This is accompanied by a decrease in the levels of protein markers of stemness and invasion, and by a reduction of migratory capacity of the cells. Taken together, our results suggest that luteolin could be developed into a useful therapeutic agent aimed at hypoxic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Monti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, VA, Italy
| | - Emanuela Marras
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, VA, Italy
| | - Pamela Prini
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, VA, Italy
| | - Marzia Bruna Gariboldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, VA, Italy.
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23
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Circulating Cancer Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Novel Biomarker for Clinical Outcome Evaluation. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:5879616. [PMID: 31827511 PMCID: PMC6885781 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5879616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The recent introduction of the “precision medicine” concept in oncology pushed cancer research to focus on dynamic measurable biomarkers able to predict responses to novel anticancer therapies in order to improve clinical outcomes. Recently, the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer pathophysiology has been described, and given their release from all cell types under specific stimuli, EVs have also been proposed as potential biomarkers in cancer. Among the techniques used to study EVs, flow cytometry has a high clinical potential. Here, we have applied a recently developed and simplified flow cytometry method for circulating EV enumeration, subtyping, and isolation from a large cohort of metastatic and locally advanced nonhaematological cancer patients (N = 106); samples from gender- and age-matched healthy volunteers were also analysed. A large spectrum of cancer-related markers was used to analyse differences in terms of peripheral blood circulating EV phenotypes between patients and healthy volunteers, as well as their correlation to clinical outcomes. Finally, EVs from patients and controls were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and their protein cargoes were analysed by proteomics. Results demonstrated that EV counts were significantly higher in cancer patients than in healthy volunteers, as previously reported. More interestingly, results also demonstrated that cancer patients presented higher concentrations of circulating CD31+ endothelial-derived and tumour cancer stem cell-derived CD133 + CD326- EVs, when compared to healthy volunteers. Furthermore, higher levels of CD133 + CD326− EVs showed a significant correlation with a poor overall survival. Additionally, proteomics analysis of EV cargoes demonstrated disparities in terms of protein content and function between circulating EVs in cancer patients and healthy controls. Overall, our data strongly suggest that blood circulating cancer stem cell-derived EVs may have a role as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in cancer.
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24
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Chen WZ, Jiang JX, Yu XY, Xia WJ, Yu PX, Wang K, Zhao ZY, Chen ZG. Endothelial cells in colorectal cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2019; 11:946-956. [PMID: 31798776 PMCID: PMC6883186 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i11.946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The dependence of tumor growth on neovascularization has become an important aspect of cancer biology. Tumor angiogenesis is one of the key mechanisms of tumorigenesis, growth and metastasis. The key events involved in this process are endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and vascular formation. Recent studies have revealed the importance of tumor-associated endothelial cells (TECs) in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), including epithelial proliferation, stem cell maintenance, angiogenesis, and immune remodeling. Decades of research have identified that the molecular basis of tumor angiogenesis includes vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and their receptor family, which are the main targets of antiangiogenesis therapy. VEGFs and their receptors play key roles in the pathology of angiogenesis, and their overexpression indicates poor prognosis in CRC. This article reviews the characteristics of the tumor vasculature and the role of TECs in different stages of CRC and immune remodeling. We also discuss the biological effects of VEGFs and their receptor family as angiogenesis regulators and emphasize the clinical implications of TECs in clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu-Zhen Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Xin Jiang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiu-Yan Yu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jie Xia
- Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Peng-Xin Yu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Zhao
- Department of Administrative Office, the First People’s Hospital of Jiande, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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25
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Macarulla T, Montagut C, Sánchez-Martin FJ, Granja M, Verdaguer H, Sastre J, Tabernero J. The role of PIGF blockade in the treatment of colorectal cancer: overcoming the pitfalls. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 20:15-22. [PMID: 31608707 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1677603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: In colorectal cancer, anti-VEGF agents have demonstrated a survival benefit when combined with chemotherapy. However, development of resistance is very common. One of the mechanisms is due not to a failure in the VEGFR blockade, but rather to development of compensatory mechanisms of resistance, such as hypoxia-triggered upregulation of other proangiogenic factors, like placental growth factor (PlGF).Areas covered: This article summarizes the fundamental role of PlGF in the development of resistance to antiangiogenic treatment as well as the efficacy of aflibercept, ramucirumab, and regorafenib.Expert opinion: Aflibercept functions as a soluble decoy receptor precluding VEGFs and PlGF from binding to native VEGFR, and therefore preventing the emergence of resistance. Bevacizumab limits its function to preventing the interaction between VEGF-A and VEGFR. In combination with FOLFIRI (VELOUR trial), aflibercept improves survival in patients with metastatic CRC who are resistant or have progressed to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Ramucirumab, a fully humanized immunoglobulin G1 (IgG-1) monoclonal antibody and regorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, have significant improvement for overall survival as well as for progression-free survival in chemotherapy refractory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Macarulla
- Vall d´Hebron University Hospital (HUVH) and Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Montagut
- Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Helena Verdaguer
- Vall d´Hebron University Hospital (HUVH) and Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Josep Tabernero
- Vall d´Hebron University Hospital (HUVH) and Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Karlsson H, Senkowski W, Fryknäs M, Mansoori S, Linder S, Gullbo J, Larsson R, Nygren P. A novel tumor spheroid model identifies selective enhancement of radiation by an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation. Oncotarget 2019; 10:5372-5382. [PMID: 31523395 PMCID: PMC6731106 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a need for preclinical models that can enable identification of novel radiosensitizing drugs in clinically relevant high-throughput experiments. We used a new high-throughput compatible total cell kill spheroid assay to study the interaction between drugs and radiation in order to identify compounds with radiosensitizing activity. Experimental drugs were compared to known radiosensitizers and cytotoxic drugs clinically used in combination with radiotherapy. VLX600, a novel iron-chelating inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, potentiated the effect of radiation in tumor spheroids in a synergistic manner. This effect was specific to spheroids and not observed in monolayer cell cultures. In conclusion, the total cell kill spheroid assay is a feasible high-throughput method in the search for novel radiosensitizers. VLX600 shows encouraging characteristics for development as a novel radiosensitizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Karlsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Mårten Fryknäs
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Stig Linder
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Cancer Center Karolinska, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joachim Gullbo
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rolf Larsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Nygren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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27
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Pape J, Magdeldin T, Ali M, Walsh C, Lythgoe M, Emberton M, Cheema U. Cancer invasion regulates vascular complexity in a three-dimensional biomimetic model. Eur J Cancer 2019; 119:179-193. [PMID: 31470251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is a growing appreciation for including a complex, vascularised stroma in three-dimensional (3D) tumour models to recapitulate the native tumour microenvironment in situ. METHODS Using a compartmentalised, biomimetic, 3D cancer model, comprising a central cancer mass surrounded by a vascularised stroma, we have tested the invasive capability of colorectal cancer cells. RESULTS We show histological analysis of dense collagen I/laminin scaffolds, forming necrotic cores with cellular debris. Furthermore, cancer cells within this 3D matrix form spheroids, which is corroborated with high EpCAM expression. We validate the invasive growth of cancer cells into the stroma through quantitative image analysis and upregulation of known invasive gene markers, including metastasis associated in colon cancer 1, matrix metalloproteinase 7 and heparinase. Tumouroids containing highly invasive HCT116 cancer masses form less complex and less branched vascular networks, recapitulating 'leaky' vasculature associated with highly metastatic cancers. Angiogenic factors regulating this were vascular endothelial growth factor A and hepatocyte growth factor active protein. Where vascular networks were formed with less invasive cancer masses (HT29), higher expression of vascular endothelial cadherin active protein resulted in more complex and branched networks. To eliminate the cell-cell interaction between the cancer mass and stroma, we developed a three-compartment model containing an acellular ring to test the chemoattractant pull from the cancer mass. This resulted in migration of endothelial networks through the acellular ring accompanied by alignment of vascular networks at the cancer/stroma boundary. DISCUSSION This work interrogates to the gene and protein level how cancer cells influence the development of a complex stroma, which shows to be directly influenced by the invasive capability of the cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Pape
- Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Stanmore Campus, Brockley Hill, HA7 4LP, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tarig Magdeldin
- Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Stanmore Campus, Brockley Hill, HA7 4LP, London, United Kingdom
| | - Morium Ali
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, University College London, WC1E 6DD, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Walsh
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, University College London, WC1E 6DD, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Lythgoe
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, University College London, WC1E 6DD, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Emberton
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, Bloomsbury Campus Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, United Kingdom
| | - Umber Cheema
- Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Stanmore Campus, Brockley Hill, HA7 4LP, London, United Kingdom.
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28
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Amirkhah R, Naderi-Meshkin H, Shah JS, Dunne PD, Schmitz U. The Intricate Interplay between Epigenetic Events, Alternative Splicing and Noncoding RNA Deregulation in Colorectal Cancer. Cells 2019; 8:cells8080929. [PMID: 31430887 PMCID: PMC6721676 DOI: 10.3390/cells8080929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from a transformation of colonic epithelial cells into adenocarcinoma cells due to genetic and epigenetic instabilities, alongside remodelling of the surrounding stromal tumour microenvironment. Epithelial-specific epigenetic variations escorting this process include chromatin remodelling, histone modifications and aberrant DNA methylation, which influence gene expression, alternative splicing and function of non-coding RNA. In this review, we first highlight epigenetic modulators, modifiers and mediators in CRC, then we elaborate on causes and consequences of epigenetic alterations in CRC pathogenesis alongside an appraisal of the complex feedback mechanisms realized through alternative splicing and non-coding RNA regulation. An emphasis in our review is put on how this intricate network of epigenetic and post-transcriptional gene regulation evolves during the initiation, progression and metastasis formation in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raheleh Amirkhah
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, UK
- Nastaran Center for Cancer Prevention (NCCP), Mashhad 9185765476, Iran
| | - Hojjat Naderi-Meshkin
- Nastaran Center for Cancer Prevention (NCCP), Mashhad 9185765476, Iran
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Academic Center for Education, Culture Research (ACECR), Khorasan Razavi Branch, Mashhad 9177949367, Iran
| | - Jaynish S Shah
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Philip D Dunne
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Ulf Schmitz
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
- Computational BioMedicine Laboratory Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
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29
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Chen YH, Wang CW, Wei MF, Tzeng YS, Lan KH, Cheng AL, Kuo SH. Maintenance BEZ235 Treatment Prolongs the Therapeutic Effect of the Combination of BEZ235 and Radiotherapy for Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081204. [PMID: 31430901 PMCID: PMC6721476 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated that administration of NVP-BEZ235 (BEZ235), a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, before radiotherapy (RT) enhanced the radiotherapeutic effect in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we evaluated whether maintenance BEZ235 treatment, after combinatorial BEZ235 + RT therapy, prolonged the antitumor effect in CRC. K-RAS mutant CRC cells (HCT116 and SW480), wild-type CRC cells (HT29), and HCT116 xenograft tumors were separated into the following six study groups: (1) untreated (control); (2) RT alone; (3) BEZ235 alone; (4) RT + BEZ235; (5) maintenance BEZ235 following RT + BEZ235 (RT + BEZ235 + mBEZ235); and (6) maintenance BEZ235 following BEZ235 (BEZ235 + mBEZ235). RT + BEZ235 + mBEZ235 treatment significantly inhibited cell viability and increased apoptosis in three CRC cell lines compared to the other five treatments in vitro. In the HCT116 xenograft tumor model, RT + BEZ235 + mBEZ235 treatment significantly reduced the tumor size when compared to the other five treatments. Furthermore, the expression of mTOR signaling molecules (p-rpS6 and p-eIF4E), DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair-related molecules (p-ATM and p-DNA-PKcs), and angiogenesis-related molecules (VEGF-A and HIF-1α) was significantly downregulated after RT + BEZ235 + mBEZ235 treatment both in vitro and in vivo when compared to the RT + BEZ235, RT, BEZ235, BEZ235 + mBEZ235, and control treatments. Cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), 53BP1, and γ-H2AX expression in the HCT116 xenograft tissue and three CRC cell lines were significantly upregulated after RT + BEZ235 + mBEZ235 treatment. Maintenance BEZ235 treatment in CRC cells prolonged the inhibition of cell viability, enhancement of apoptosis, attenuation of mTOR signaling, impairment of the DNA-DSB repair mechanism, and downregulation of angiogenesis that occurred due to concurrent BEZ235 and RT treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Wang
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Feng Wei
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan.
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Shin Tzeng
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Hsueh Lan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ann-Lii Cheng
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- National Taiwan University Cancer Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Hsin Kuo
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan.
- Cancer Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
- National Taiwan University Cancer Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
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30
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Sun Y, Lai X, Yu Y, Li J, Cao L, Lin W, Huang C, Liao J, Chen W, Li C, Yang C, Ying M, Chen Q, Ye Y. Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Id1) mediates stemness of colorectal cancer cells through the Id1-c-Myc-PLAC8 axis via the Wnt/β-catenin and Shh signaling pathways. Cancer Manag Res 2019; 11:6855-6869. [PMID: 31440083 PMCID: PMC6664424 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s207167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Id1) is upregulated in multiple cancers, and Id1overexpression correlates with cancer aggressiveness and poor clinical outcomes in cancer patients. However, its roles in cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are still elusive. Purpose This study aimed to examine the role of Id1 on the mediation of CRC stemness and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods Id1 and CD133 expression was detected by qPCR assay and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in normal mucosal and primary colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens. Id1 was stably knocked down (KD) in human CRC cell lines. Spheres forming assay and tumorigenic assay were performed to evaluate self-renewal capacity and tumor initiation. Expression of CSC- and EMT-related markers and TCF/LEF activity were assessed in HCT116 cells after Id1 KD. Results qPCR assay showed higher Id1 and CD133 expression in CRC specimens than in normal mucosal specimens (P<0.05). IHC detected high cytoplasmic Id1 expression in 35 CRC specimens (46.7%), and high CD133 expression in 22 CRC specimens (29.3%) and negative expression in 18 normal mucosal specimens. High Id1 expression positively correlated with poor differentiation (P=0.034), and CD133 expression correlated with T category in CRC patients (P=0.002). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between Id1 and CD133 expression in CRC patients (P<0.05). Id1 KD resulted in suppression of proliferation, cell-colony formation, self-renewal capability and CSC-like features in HCT116 cells, and impaired the tumor-initiating capability in CRC cells. In addition, Id1 maintained the stemness of CRC cells via the Id1-c-Myc-PLAC8 axis through activating the Wnt/β-catenin and Shh signaling pathways. Conclusions Id1 expression significantly correlates with CD133 expression in CRC patients, and Id1 KD impairs CSC-like capacity and reverses EMT traits, partially via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Id1 may be a promising therapeutic target against colon CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolan Lai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Yu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jieyu Li
- Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine , Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wansong Lin
- Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine , Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanzhong Huang
- Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine , Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinrong Liao
- Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine , Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunkang Yang
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingang Ying
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunbin Ye
- Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine , Fuzhou 350014, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
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Garza Treviño EN, González PD, Valencia Salgado CI, Martinez Garza A. Effects of pericytes and colon cancer stem cells in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:173. [PMID: 31303863 PMCID: PMC6604392 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0888-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one type of tumor with the highest frequency and mortality worldwide. Although current treatments increase patient survival, it is important to detect CRC in early stages; however, most CRC, despite responding favorably to treatment, develop resistance and present recurrence, a situation that will inevitably lead to death. In recent years, it has been shown that the main reason for drug resistance is the presence of colon cancer stem cells (CSC). Pericytes are also capable of tumor homing and are important cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to the formation of vessels and promoting metastasis; however, they have not been considered very important as a therapeutic target in cancer. In this review, we highlight the contribution of pericytes and cancer stem cells to some classical hallmarks of cancer, namely, tumor angiogenesis, growth, metastasis, and evasion of immune destruction, and discuss therapies targeting pericytes and cancer stem cells in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa N Garza Treviño
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Paulina Delgado González
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Carlos I Valencia Salgado
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Martinez Garza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
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32
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Wang MY, Qiu YH, Cai ML, Zhang CH, Wang XW, Liu H, Chen Y, Zhao WL, Liu JB, Shao RG. Role and molecular mechanism of stem cells in colorectal cancer initiation. J Drug Target 2019; 28:1-10. [PMID: 31244351 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2019.1632317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the rate of colorectal cancer has sharply increased, especially in China, where it ranks second for the number of cancer fatalities. Currently, the treatment of colorectal cancer patients involves the combination of resection surgery and treatment with postoperative anticancer drugs such as 5-FU and oxaliplatin. However, recurrence and metastasis after treatment are still the dominant reasons for the low survival rate. Colorectal cancer stem cells (CSCs) are regarded as the key contributors to tumour recurrence and metastasis due to their resistance to chemotherapy drugs and their extremely high tumourigenicity. Once CSCs overcome chemotherapy treatment, they continue to survive and reinitiate proliferation to form tumours, leading to recurrence. The dominant reason for CSC resistance is that most anticancer drugs are aimed at inhibiting proliferative pathways in cancer cells that differ from those in CSCs. Therefore, studies on the characteristics of CSCs and their intracellular molecular pathways are essential for the exploration of CSC-targeted drugs. In this report, we review recent advances in the research of CSCs and, in particular, review the important intracellular molecular pathways, such as HOXA5-catenin, STRAP-NOTCH and YAP/TAZ, related to the maintenance and differentiation of stem cells to generate a theoretical basis for the exploration of CSC-targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Han Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mei-Lian Cai
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cong-Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi- Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Chinese Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wu-Li Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Bo Liu
- Department of Urology, Dongzhimen Hospital Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong-Guang Shao
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Ministry of Health, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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33
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Lacroix A, Deluche E, Zhang LY, Dalmay C, Mélin C, Leroy J, Babay M, Morand Du Puch C, Giraud S, Bessette B, Bégaud G, Saada S, Lautrette C, Pothier A, Battu S, Lalloué F. A New Label-Free Approach to Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cell Sorting and Detection. Anal Chem 2019; 91:8948-8957. [PMID: 31179686 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b00913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play critical roles in cancer, making them important targets for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Since CSCs are heterogeneous and not abundant in tumors, and few specific markers for these cells currently exist, new methods to isolate and characterize them are required. To address this issue, we developed a new label-free methodology to isolate, enrich, and identify CSCs from an heterogeneous tumor cell subpopulation using a cell sorting method (sedimentation field flow fractionation, SdFFF) and a biosensor as a detector. Enrichment was optimized using an original protocol and U87-MG glioblastoma cells cultured in a normal (N) or defined (D) medium (± fetal bovine serum, FBS) under normoxic (N, pO2 = 20%) or hypoxic (H, pO2 < 2%) conditions to obtain four cell populations: NN, NH, DN, and DH. After elution of CSCs via SdFFF using the hyperlayer mode (inertial elution mode for micrometer-sized species), we isolated eight subpopulations with distinct CSC contents based on phenotypical and functional properties, ranging from NN F1 with a lower CSC content to DH F3 with a higher CSC content. Reflecting biological differences, the intrinsic intracellular dielectric permittivity increased from NN to DH conditions. The largest difference in electromagnetic signature was observed between NN F1 and DH F3, in which the CSC content was lowest and highest, respectively. The results demonstrate that microwave dielectric spectroscopy can be used to reliably and efficiently distinguish stem cell characteristics. This new instrumental and methodological approach is an important innovation that allows both enrichment and detection of CSCs, opening the door to novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Lacroix
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Elise Deluche
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France.,Department of Medical Oncology , Limoges University Hospital , 2 rue Martin Luther King , 87042 Limoges , France
| | - Ling Yan Zhang
- XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252 , Université de Limoges , 123, avenue Albert Thomas , 87060 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Claire Dalmay
- XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252 , Université de Limoges , 123, avenue Albert Thomas , 87060 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Carole Mélin
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Jonathan Leroy
- XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252 , Université de Limoges , 123, avenue Albert Thomas , 87060 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Meissa Babay
- XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252 , Université de Limoges , 123, avenue Albert Thomas , 87060 Limoges Cedex , France
| | | | | | - Barbara Bessette
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Gaëlle Bégaud
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Sofiane Saada
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | | | - Arnaud Pothier
- XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252 , Université de Limoges , 123, avenue Albert Thomas , 87060 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Serge Battu
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
| | - Fabrice Lalloué
- EA3842- CAPTuR, GEIST, Faculté de Médecine , Université de Limoges , 2 rue du Dr Marcland , 87025 Limoges Cedex , France
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Skarkova V, Kralova V, Vitovcova B, Rudolf E. Selected Aspects of Chemoresistance Mechanisms in Colorectal Carcinoma-A Focus on Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition, Autophagy, and Apoptosis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8030234. [PMID: 30871055 PMCID: PMC6468859 DOI: 10.3390/cells8030234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoresistance has been found in all malignant tumors including colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Nowadays chemoresistance is understood as a major reason for therapy failure, with consequent tumor growth and spreading leading ultimately to the patient's premature death. The chemotherapy-related resistance of malignant colonocytes may be manifested in diverse mechanisms that may exist both prior to the onset of the therapy or after it. The ultimate function of this chemoresistance is to ensure the survival of malignant cells through continuing adaptation within an organism, therefore, the nature and spectrum of cell-survival strategies in CRC represent a highly significant target of scientific inquiry. Among these survival strategies employed by CRC cells, three unique but significantly linked phenomena stand out-epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), autophagy, and cell death. In this mini-review, current knowledge concerning all three mechanisms including their emergence, timeline, regulation, and mutual relationships will be presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Skarkova
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Zborovská 2089, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Vera Kralova
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Zborovská 2089, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Barbora Vitovcova
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Zborovská 2089, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Emil Rudolf
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Zborovská 2089, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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Tanigawa K, Maekawa M, Kiyoi T, Nakayama J, Kitazawa R, Kitazawa S, Semba K, Taguchi T, Akita S, Yoshida M, Ishimaru K, Watanabe Y, Higashiyama S. SNX9 determines the surface levels of integrin β1 in vascular endothelial cells: Implication in poor prognosis of human colorectal cancers overexpressing SNX9. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:17280-17294. [PMID: 30784076 PMCID: PMC6617759 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is involved in a variety of diseases including the tumor growth. In response to various angiogenic stimulations, a number of proteins on the surface of vascular endothelial cells are activated to coordinate cell proliferation, migration, and spreading processes to form new blood vessels. Plasma membrane localization of these angiogenic proteins, which include vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and integrins, are warranted by intracellular membrane trafficking. Here, by using a siRNA library, we screened for the sorting nexin family that regulates intracellular trafficking and identified sorting nexin 9 (SNX9) as a novel angiogenic factor in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). SNX9 was essential for cell spreading on the Matrigel, and tube formation that mimics in vivo angiogenesis in HUVECs. SNX9 depletion significantly delayed the recycling of integrin β1, an essential adhesion molecule for angiogenesis, and reduced the surface levels of integrin β1 in HUVECs. Clinically, we showed that SNX9 protein was highly expressed in tumor endothelial cells of human colorectal cancer tissues. High-level expression of SNX9 messenger RNA significantly correlated with poor prognosis of the patients with colorectal cancer. These results suggest that SNX9 is an angiogenic factor and provide a novel target for the development of new antiangiogenic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazufumi Tanigawa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Masashi Maekawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.,Division of Cell Growth and Tumor Regulation, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University
| | - Takeshi Kiyoi
- Division of Analytical Bio-medicine, Advanced Research Support Center, Ehime University
| | - Jun Nakayama
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University
| | - Riko Kitazawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine.,Division of Diagnostic Pathology, Ehime University Hospital
| | - Sohei Kitazawa
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Kentaro Semba
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University
| | - Tomohiko Taguchi
- Department of Integrative Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University
| | - Satoshi Akita
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Motohira Yoshida
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Kei Ishimaru
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Yuji Watanabe
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Shigeki Higashiyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.,Division of Cell Growth and Tumor Regulation, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University
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36
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Atreya I, Kindermann M, Wirtz S. Innate lymphoid cells in intestinal cancer development. Semin Immunol 2019; 41:101267. [PMID: 30772139 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prominent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although the functions of immune cells in the colorectal tumor microenvironment are complex and heterogeneous, dysregulated changes in the composition and activation state of immune cells are believed to represent key events supporting the establishment of pro- or anti-tumorigenic immune states. Recently, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) emerged as central innate immune mediators during both gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammatory pathologies. Hence, ILCs might also represent promising targets in the context of cancer therapy and are increasingly recognized as innate immune cells with potent immunomodulatory properties. In this review, we summarize the pleiotropic roles of the different ILC subsets for intestinal homeostasis and discuss the recent evidence on their potential involvement in the development and growth of intestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Atreya
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus Kindermann
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wirtz
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen, Germany.
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37
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Elbadawy M, Usui T, Yamawaki H, Sasaki K. Development of an Experimental Model for Analyzing Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10060164. [PMID: 29843359 PMCID: PMC6025190 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10060164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, for which combination treatment of chemotherapy is employed. However, most patients develop drug resistance during the course of treatment. To clarify the mechanisms of drug resistance, various research models have been developed. Recently, we established a human CRC patients-derived three-dimensional (3D) culture system using an air-liquid interface organoid method. It contained numerous cancer stem cells and showed resistance to 5-fluorouracil and Irinotecan. In this review, we introduce conventional and our established models for studying drug resistance in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Elbadawy
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor, Toukh, Elqaliobiya 13736, Egypt.
| | - Tatsuya Usui
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Hideyuki Yamawaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.
| | - Kazuaki Sasaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
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38
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Pan F, Li M, Chen W. FOXD1 predicts prognosis of colorectal cancer patients and promotes colorectal cancer progression via the ERK 1/2 pathway. Am J Transl Res 2018; 10:1522-1530. [PMID: 29887965 PMCID: PMC5992558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies indicated a critical role of foxhead box D1 (FOXD1) in human cancers. However, its expression pattern in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the molecular mechanism of FOXD1 on cancer progression remain unknown. In this study, we found that FOXD1 was aberrantly overexpressed in human CRC tissues, and FOXD1 levels were correlated with tumor size, differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. Knockdown of FOXD1 attenuated CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Overexpression of FOXD1 produced the opposite effects. These effects were mediated by activation of the ERK 1/2 signaling pathway, and inhibition of this pathway with a specific ERK 1/2 inhibitor (U0126) could impair the tumor-promoting effects induced by overexpression of FOXD1. Taken together, these findings indicate that FOXD1 promotes tumorgenesis and progression of CRC by activating ERK 1/2 signaling pathway and may represent a potential clinical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengping Pan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of MedicineZhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing UniversityJiaxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Minjiang Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of MedicineZhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou Red Cross HospitalHangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenbin Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of MedicineZhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Huijbers A, van Pelt GW, Kerr RS, Johnstone EC, Tollenaar RAEM, Kerr DJ, Mesker WE. The value of additional bevacizumab in patients with high-risk stroma-high colon cancer. A study within the QUASAR2 trial, an open-label randomized phase 3 trial. J Surg Oncol 2018; 117:1043-1048. [PMID: 29448309 DOI: 10.1002/jso.24998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients with a high stroma percentage within the primary tumor have a poor prognosis. In this study, we investigate whether anti-angiogenic therapy might improve survival of patients with a stroma-high profile with potentially increased angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tissue samples of the primary tumor of 965 colon cancer patients participating in the QUASAR2 trial were analyzed for tumor-stroma ratio (TSR). Stroma-high (>50%) and stroma-low (≤50%) groups were evaluated with respect to survival. RESULTS Disease free survival (DFS) was significantly lower in the stroma-high group (HR 1.53, 95%CI 1.19-1.95, P = 0.001). No difference in DFS was seen with respect to treatment with capecitabine alone (CAP) or capecitabine with bevacizumab (CAPBEV) (Stroma-high HR 1.00, 95%CI 0.69-1.46, P = 0.996; stroma-low HR 1.02, 95%CI 0.75-1.41, P = 0.883). A significant difference in survival was seen comparing groups with or without vascular invasion (DFS P < 0.001). A correlation between vascular invasion and stroma-high was seen (χ2 -test P = 0.043). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The TSR confirmed to be a strong prognosticator for disease-free survival in a selected high-risk patient population. No benefit was found in response to treatment with bevacizumab when stratified for TSR. TSR showed to have an additional prognostic value in patients with vascular invasion present in the primary tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouck Huijbers
- Department of Surgery, Leiden Universal Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gabi W van Pelt
- Department of Surgery, Leiden Universal Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel S Kerr
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rob A E M Tollenaar
- Department of Surgery, Leiden Universal Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - David J Kerr
- Nuffield Division of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wilma E Mesker
- Department of Surgery, Leiden Universal Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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40
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Polyphenols in Colorectal Cancer: Current State of Knowledge including Clinical Trials and Molecular Mechanism of Action. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:4154185. [PMID: 29568751 PMCID: PMC5820674 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4154185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Polyphenols have been reported to have wide spectrum of biological activities including major impact on initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer by modulating different signalling pathways. Colorectal cancer is the second most major cause of mortality and morbidity among females and the third among males. The objective of this review is to describe the activity of a variety of polyphenols in colorectal cancer in clinical trials, preclinical studies, and primary research. The molecular mechanisms of major polyphenols related to their beneficial effects on colorectal cancer are also addressed. Synthetic modifications and other future directions towards exploiting of natural polyphenols against colorectal cancer are discussed in the last section.
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41
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Ho CL, Tan HQ, Chua KJ, Kang A, Lim KH, Ling KL, Yew WS, Lee YS, Thiery JP, Chang MW. Engineered commensal microbes for diet-mediated colorectal-cancer chemoprevention. Nat Biomed Eng 2018; 2:27-37. [PMID: 31015663 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-017-0181-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chemoprevention-the use of medication to prevent cancer-can be augmented by the consumption of produce enriched with natural metabolites. However, chemopreventive metabolites are typically inactive and have low bioavailability and poor host absorption. Here, we show that engineered commensal microbes can prevent carcinogenesis and promote the regression of colorectal cancer through a cruciferous vegetable diet. The engineered commensal Escherichia coli bound specifically to the heparan sulphate proteoglycan on colorectal cancer cells and secreted the enzyme myrosinase to transform host-ingested glucosinolates-natural components of cruciferous vegetables-to sulphoraphane, an organic small molecule with known anticancer activity. The engineered microbes coupled with glucosinolates resulted in >95% proliferation inhibition of murine, human and colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines in vitro. We also show that murine models of colorectal carcinoma fed with the engineered microbes and the cruciferous vegetable diet displayed significant tumour regression and reduced tumour occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Loong Ho
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Qing Tan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koon Jiew Chua
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aram Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiat Hon Lim
- Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Khoon Lin Ling
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wen Shan Yew
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yung Seng Lee
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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42
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Chu Q, Shen D, He L, Wang H, Liu C, Zhang W. Prognostic significance of SOCS3 and its biological function in colorectal cancer. Gene 2017; 627:114-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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43
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Choi SH, Lee SW, Ok M, Kim KS, Kim S, Ahn SH. Gene Expression Profiling of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Derived Cancer Stem Like Cell under Hypoxia. Yonsei Med J 2017; 58:925-933. [PMID: 28792135 PMCID: PMC5552646 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2017.58.5.925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer stem like cells (CSCs), with unlimited self-renewal potential and other stem cell characteristics, occur in several cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although CSCs can initiate tumors, malignant proliferation, relapse and multi-drug resistance, the ways how to activate them still remain unknown. This study aims to evaluate whether CSC acquire tumorigenic characters under tumor hypoxia, analyzed by microarray analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS CSCs were purified from HCC patients and Affymetrix microarray was used to investigate their gene expression profiles. The results were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS The results of the microarray indicated that 18 genes were up-regulated and 10 genes were down-regulated in CSCs. Several genes were identified to be significantly involved in the regulation of CSCs such as HCC. Furthermore, the up-regulated genes were related with metabolism, angiogenesis and hypoxia, whereas the down-regulated genes were related with apoptosis and inflammation. CONCLUSION The results may help to understand the mechanisms of tumor development through CSCs which acquired their distinctive tumorogenic properties by hypoxic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Hoon Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Division of Bioconvergence, Drug and Disease Target Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, Korea
| | - Sang Woo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minseon Ok
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Sik Kim
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- BK21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Yonsei Liver Center, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Sang Hoon Ahn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- BK21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Yonsei Liver Center, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
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Bahrami A, Khazaei M, Hassanian SM, ShahidSales S, Joudi-Mashhad M, Maftouh M, Jazayeri MH, Parizade MR, Ferns GA, Avan A. Targeting the tumor microenvironment as a potential therapeutic approach in colorectal cancer: Rational and progress. J Cell Physiol 2017; 233:2928-2936. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Afsane Bahrami
- Department of Modern Sciences and Technologies; Faculty of Medicine; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
- Student Research Committee; Faculty of Medicine; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Department of Physiology; Faculty of Medicine; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hassanian
- Department of Medical Biochemistry; Faculty of Medicine; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | | | - Mona Joudi-Mashhad
- Cancer Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Mina Maftouh
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Mir Hadi Jazayeri
- Immunology Research Center; Iran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
- Department of Immunology; School of Medicine; Iran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Parizade
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Gordon A. Ferns
- Division of Medical Education; Brighton and Sussex Medical School; Falmer, Brighton, Sussex UK
| | - Amir Avan
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
- Cancer Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
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Tauriello DVF, Calon A, Lonardo E, Batlle E. Determinants of metastatic competency in colorectal cancer. Mol Oncol 2017; 11:97-119. [PMID: 28085225 PMCID: PMC5423222 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types and represents a major therapeutic challenge. Although initial events in colorectal carcinogenesis are relatively well characterized and treatment for early‐stage disease has significantly improved over the last decades, the mechanisms underlying metastasis – the main cause of death – remain poorly understood. Correspondingly, no effective therapy is currently available for advanced or metastatic disease. There is increasing evidence that colorectal cancer is hierarchically organized and sustained by cancer stem cells, in concert with various stromal cell types. Here, we review the interplay between cancer stem cells and their microenvironment in promoting metastasis and discuss recent insights relating to both patient prognosis and novel targeted treatment strategies. A better understanding of these topics may aid the prevention or reduction of metastatic burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele V F Tauriello
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Spain
| | - Alexandre Calon
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enza Lonardo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Spain
| | - Eduard Batlle
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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Establishment of a Novel Model for Anticancer Drug Resistance in Three-Dimensional Primary Culture of Tumor Microenvironment. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:7053872. [PMID: 28119740 PMCID: PMC5227181 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7053872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment has been implicated in tumor development and progression. As a three-dimensional tumor microenvironment model, air liquid interface (ALI) organoid culture from oncogene transgenic mouse gastrointestinal tissues was recently produced. However, ALI organoid culture system from tissues of colorectal cancer patients has not been established. Here, we developed an ALI organoid model from normal and tumor colorectal tissues of human patients. Both organoids were successfully generated and showed cystic structures containing an epithelial layer and surrounding mesenchymal stromal cells. Structures of tumor organoids closely resembled primary tumor epithelium. Expression of an epithelial cell marker, E-cadherin, a goblet cell marker, MUC2, and a fibroblast marker, vimentin, but not a myofibroblast marker, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), was observed in normal organoids. Expression of E-cadherin, MUC2, vimentin, and α-SMA was observed in tumor organoids. Expression of a cancer stem cell marker, LGR5 in tumor organoids, was higher than that in primary tumor tissues. Tumor organoids were more resistant to toxicity of 5-fluorouracil and Irinotecan than colorectal cancer cell lines, SW480, SW620, and HCT116. These findings indicate that ALI organoid culture from colorectal cancer patients may become a novel model that is useful for examining resistance to chemotherapy in tumor microenvironment.
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Abstract
The Nobel prized discovery of nuclear reprogramming is swiftly providing mechanistic evidence of a role for metabolism in the generation of cancer stem cells (CSC). Traditionally, the metabolic demands of tumors have been viewed as drivers of the genetic programming detected in cancer tissues. Beyond the energetic requirements of specific cancer cell states, it is increasingly recognized that metabolism per se controls epi-transcriptional networks to dictate cancer cell fate, i.e., metabolism can define CSC. Here I review the CSC-related metabolic features found in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to provide an easily understandable framework in which the infrastructure and functioning of cellular metabolism might control the efficiency and kinetics of reprogramming in the re-routing of non-CSC to CSC-like cellular states. I suggest exploring how metabolism-dependent regulation of epigenetics can play a role in directing CSC states beyond conventional energetic demands of stage-specific cancer cell states, opening a new dimension of cancer in which the "physiological state" of CSC might be governed not only by cell-autonomous cues but also by local micro-environmental and systemic metabolo-epigenetic interactions. Forthcoming studies should decipher how specific metabolites integrate and mediate the overlap between the CSC-intrinsic "micro-epigenetics" and the "upstream" local and systemic "macro-epigenetics," thus paving the way for targeted epigenetic regulation of CSCs through metabolic modulation including "smart foods" or systemic "metabolic nichotherapies."
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier A Menendez
- a Metabolism & Cancer Group; Translational Research Laboratory ; Catalan Institute of Oncology ; Girona , Spain.,b Molecular Oncology Group ; Girona Biomedical Research Institute ; Girona , Spain
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48
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Tauriello DV, Batlle E. Targeting the Microenvironment in Advanced Colorectal Cancer. Trends Cancer 2016; 2:495-504. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Gozal D, Ham SA, Mokhlesi B. Sleep Apnea and Cancer: Analysis of a Nationwide Population Sample. Sleep 2016; 39:1493-500. [PMID: 27166241 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.6004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Epidemiological evidence from relatively small cohorts suggests that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with higher cancer incidence and mortality. Here we aimed to determine whether cancer incidence for major cancer types and risk of metastases or mortality from cancer are increased in the presence of OSA. METHODS All OSA diagnoses included in an employee-sponsored health insurance database spanning the years 2003-2012 were identified and 1:1 matched demographically based on age, gender, and state of residence, or alternatively matched by comorbidities. The incidence of 12 types of cancer was assessed. In addition, another cohort of patients with a primary diagnosis of cancer was retrieved, and the risk of metastatic disease or cancer mortality was determined as a function of the presence or absence of OSA. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to assess the independent associations between OSA and outcomes of interest. RESULTS Based on a cohort of ∼5.6 million individuals, the incidence of all cancer diagnoses combined was similar in OSA and retrospectively matched cases. However, the adjusted risk of pancreatic and kidney cancer and melanoma were significantly higher in patients with OSA, while the risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers appeared to be lower. Among individuals with a diagnosis of cancer, the presence of OSA was not associated with an increased risk for metastasis or death. CONCLUSIONS In a large nationally representative health insurance database, OSA appears to increase the risk for only a very selective number of cancer types, and does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of metastatic cancer or cancer-related deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gozal
- Sections of Pediatric Sleep Medicine and Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Prizkter School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Sandra A Ham
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Babak Mokhlesi
- Sleep Disorders Center and the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Primary cultures of human colon cancer as a model to study cancer stem cells. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:12833-12842. [PMID: 27449036 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-016-5214-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The principal cause of death in cancer involves tumor progression and metastasis. Since only a small proportion of the primary tumor cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are the most aggressive, have the capacity to metastasize and display properties of stem cells, it is imperative to characterize the gene expression of diagnostic markers and to evaluate the drug sensitivity in the CSCs themselves. Here, we have examined the key genes that are involved in the progression of colorectal cancer and are expressed in cancer stem cells. Primary cultures of colorectal cancer cells from a patient's tumors were studied using the flow cytometry and cytological methods. We have evaluated the clinical and stem cell marker expression in these cells, their resistance to 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan, and the ability of cells to form tumors in mice. The data shows the role of stem cell marker Oct4 in the resistance of primary colorectal cancer tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil.
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