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Muylaert C, Van Hemelrijck LA, Maes A, De Veirman K, Menu E, Vanderkerken K, De Bruyne E. Aberrant DNA methylation in multiple myeloma: A major obstacle or an opportunity? Front Oncol 2022; 12:979569. [PMID: 36059621 PMCID: PMC9434119 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.979569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance (DR) of cancer cells leading to relapse is a huge problem nowadays to achieve long-lasting cures for cancer patients. This also holds true for the incurable hematological malignancy multiple myeloma (MM), which is characterized by the accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). Although new treatment approaches combining immunomodulatory drugs, corticosteroids, proteasome inhibitors, alkylating agents, and monoclonal antibodies have significantly improved median life expectancy, MM remains incurable due to the development of DR, with the underlying mechanisms remaining largely ill-defined. It is well-known that MM is a heterogeneous disease, encompassing both genetic and epigenetic aberrations. In normal circumstances, epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and posttranslational histone modifications, play an important role in proper chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation. However, in MM, numerous epigenetic defects or so-called ‘epimutations’ have been observed and this especially at the level of DNA methylation. These include genome-wide DNA hypomethylation, locus specific hypermethylation and somatic mutations, copy number variations and/or deregulated expression patterns in DNA methylation modifiers and regulators. The aberrant DNA methylation patterns lead to reduced gene expression of tumor suppressor genes, genomic instability, DR, disease progression, and high-risk disease. In addition, the frequency of somatic mutations in the DNA methylation modifiers seems increased in relapsed patients, again suggesting a role in DR and relapse. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in understanding the involvement of aberrant DNA methylation patterns and/or DNA methylation modifiers in MM development, progression, and relapse. In addition, we discuss their involvement in MM cell plasticity, driving myeloma cells to a cancer stem cell state characterized by a more immature and drug-resistant phenotype. Finally, we briefly touch upon the potential of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors to prevent relapse after treatment with the current standard of care agents and/or new, promising (immuno) therapies.
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Gain of function of a metalloproteinase associated with multiple myeloma, bicuspid aortic valve, and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Biochem J 2022; 479:1533-1542. [PMID: 35789254 PMCID: PMC10084813 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A patient diagnosed with multiple myeloma, bicuspid aortic valve, and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome underwent whole-exome sequencing seeking a unified genetic cause for these three pathologies. The patient possessed a single-point mutation of arginine to cysteine (R24C) in the N-terminal region(pro-domain) of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). The pro-domain interacts with the catalytic site of this enzyme rendering it inactive. MMP-9 has previously been associated with all three pathologies suffered by the patient. We hypothesized that the observed mutation in the pro-domain would influence the activity of this enzyme. We expressed recombinant versions of MMP-9 and an investigation of their biochemical properties revealed that MMP-9 R24C is a constitutively active zymogen. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a mutation that discloses catalytic activity in the pro-form in any of the 24 human MMPs.
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Chen P, Liu Y, Liu W, Wang Y, Liu Z, Rong M. Impact of High-Altitude Hypoxia on Bone Defect Repair: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:842800. [PMID: 35620712 PMCID: PMC9127390 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.842800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Reaching areas at altitudes over 2,500–3,000 m above sea level has become increasingly common due to commerce, military deployment, tourism, and entertainment. The high-altitude environment exerts systemic effects on humans that represent a series of compensatory reactions and affects the activity of bone cells. Cellular structures closely related to oxygen-sensing produce corresponding functional changes, resulting in decreased tissue vascularization, declined repair ability of bone defects, and longer healing time. This review focuses on the impact of high-altitude hypoxia on bone defect repair and discusses the possible mechanisms related to ion channels, reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial function, autophagy, and epigenetics. Based on the key pathogenic mechanisms, potential therapeutic strategies have also been suggested. This review contributes novel insights into the mechanisms of abnormal bone defect repair in hypoxic environments, along with therapeutic applications. We aim to provide a foundation for future targeted, personalized, and precise bone regeneration therapies according to the adaptation of patients to high altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Chen
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yushan Liu
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Department of Prosthodontics, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yarong Wang
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziyi Liu
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingdeng Rong
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Zheng G, Sundquist K, Sundquist J, Chen T, Försti A, Hemminki O, Hemminki K. Second Primary Cancers After Kidney Cancers, and Kidney Cancers as Second Primary Cancers. EUR UROL SUPPL 2021; 24:52-59. [PMID: 34337496 PMCID: PMC8317822 DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Second primary cancers (SPCs) are increasing due to improving survival in first primary cancers. Previous studies on SPCs in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have focused on treatment and other risk factors, but data of RCC as an SPC are scarce. Objective In this study, we want to elucidate the risk for any SPC after RCC, and in reverse order, for RCC as an SPC after any cancer. We additionally consider how family histories influence the risks. Design, setting, and participants Patient data were obtained from the Swedish Cancer Registry from years 1990 through 2015, and family data were obtained from the Multigeneration Register. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We employed standardized incidence ratios to estimate bidirectional relative risks of subsequent cancer associated with RCC. Results and limitations We identified 17 587 RCCs (60% in male patients). The highest increases for SPCs were observed for nervous system hemangioblastoma (HB; 26.8), adrenal (12.09) tumors, and renal pelvic cancer (6.32). In the reverse order, RCC as an SPC, nervous system HB (17.01), and adrenal tumors (15.34) were associated with the highest risks. Risks for many other sites (12 sites and subsites) were increased bidirectionally. For women, a total of seven sites and subsites were increased bidirectionally, and many were shared with men. The only significant sex difference in SPCs was the higher lung cancer risk in women (2.41) than in men (1.28). Patients with a family history of HBs or of prostate, colorectal and lung cancers showed high risks of these cancers as SPCs after RCC. Family history accounted for 30% of prostate cancers after RCC. Conclusions The bidirectional study design was able to suggest risk factors for SPCs and offered a clinical take-home message urging to consider strategies for early detection and prevention of SPCs. Readily available information on lifestyle (eg, smoking) and family history (eg, prostate cancer) may reveal targets for risk reduction with prognostic benefits. Patient summary Close to 10% of kidney cancer patients develop another cancer. The cause for these other cancers may not depend on kidney cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiao Zheng
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Community-based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Community-based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan
| | - Tianhui Chen
- Department of Cancer Prevention, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Asta Försti
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Otto Hemminki
- Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kari Hemminki
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Center in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Corresponding author. Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 581, Heidelberg 69120, Germany. Tel. +496221421800; Fax: +496221422203.
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Blecua P, Martinez‐Verbo L, Esteller M. The DNA methylation landscape of hematological malignancies: an update. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:1616-1639. [PMID: 32526054 PMCID: PMC7400809 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have made it more evident that epigenetic modifications orchestrate a plethora of complex biological processes. During the last decade, we have gained significant knowledge about a wide range of epigenetic changes that crucially contribute to some of the most aggressive forms of leukemia, lymphoma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. DNA methylation is a key epigenetic player in the abnormal initiation, development, and progression of these malignancies, often acting in synergy with other epigenetic alterations. It also contributes to the acquisition of drug resistance. In this review, we summarize the role of DNA methylation in hematological malignancies described in the current literature. We discuss in detail the dual role of DNA methylation in normal and aberrant hematopoiesis, as well as the involvement of this type of epigenetic change in other aspects of the disease. Finally, we present a comprehensive overview of the main clinical implications, including a discussion of the therapeutic strategies that regulate or reverse aberrant DNA methylation patterns in hematological malignancies, including their combination with (chemo)immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Blecua
- Cancer Epigenetics GroupJosep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Laura Martinez‐Verbo
- Cancer Epigenetics GroupJosep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics GroupJosep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC)BarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC)MadridSpain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
- Physiological Sciences DepartmentSchool of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaSpain
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Al Tameemi W, Dale TP, Al-Jumaily RMK, Forsyth NR. Hypoxia-Modified Cancer Cell Metabolism. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:4. [PMID: 30761299 PMCID: PMC6362613 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 301] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While oxygen is critical to the continued existence of complex organisms, extreme levels of oxygen within a system, known as hypoxia (low levels of oxygen) and hyperoxia (excessive levels of oxygen), potentially promote stress within a defined biological environment. The consequences of tissue hypoxia, a result of a defective oxygen supply, vary in response to the gravity, extent and environment of the malfunction. Persistent pathological hypoxia is incompatible with normal biological functions, and as a result, multicellular organisms have been compelled to develop both organism-wide and cellular-level hypoxia solutions. Both direct, including oxidative phosphorylation down-regulation and inhibition of fatty-acid desaturation, and indirect processes, including altered hypoxia-sensitive transcription factor expression, facilitate the metabolic modifications that occur in response to hypoxia. Due to the dysfunctional vasculature associated with large areas of some cancers, sections of these tumors continue to develop in hypoxic environments. Crucial to drug development, a robust understanding of the significance of these metabolism changes will facilitate our understanding of cancer cell survival. This review defines our current knowledge base of several of the hypoxia-instigated modifications in cancer cell metabolism and exemplifies the correlation between metabolic change and its support of the hypoxic-adapted malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wafaa Al Tameemi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Tina P. Dale
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Rakad M. Kh Al-Jumaily
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Nicholas R. Forsyth
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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Childebayeva A, Jones TR, Goodrich JM, Leon-Velarde F, Rivera-Chira M, Kiyamu M, Brutsaert TD, Dolinoy DC, Bigham AW. LINE-1 and EPAS1 DNA methylation associations with high-altitude exposure. Epigenetics 2019; 14:1-15. [PMID: 30574831 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1561117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent discoveries indicate a genetic basis for high-altitude adaptation among human groups who have resided at high altitude for millennia, including Andeans, Tibetans, and Ethiopians. Yet, genetics alone does not explain the extent of variation in altitude-adaptive phenotypes. Current and past environments may also play a role, and one way to determine the effect of the environment is through the epigenome. To characterize if Andean adaptive responses to high altitude have an epigenetic component, we analyzed DNA methylation of the promoter region of EPAS1 and LINE-1 repetitive element among 572 Quechua individuals from high- (4,388 m) and low-altitude (0 m) in Peru. Participants recruited at high altitude had lower EPAS1 DNA methylation and higher LINE-1 methylation. Altitude of birth was associated with higher LINE-1 methylation, not with EPAS1 methylation. The number of years lived at high altitude was negatively associated with EPAS1 methylation and positively associated with LINE-1 methylation. We found four one-carbon metabolism SNPs (MTHFD1 rs2236225, TYMS rs502396, FOLH1 rs202676, GLDC rs10975681) that cumulatively explained 11.29% of the variation in average LINE-1 methylation. And identified an association between LINE-1 methylation and genome-wide SNP principal component 1 that distinguishes European from Indigenous American ancestry suggesting that European admixture decreases LINE-1 methylation. Our results indicate that both current and lifetime exposure to high-altitude hypoxia have an effect on EPAS1 and LINE-1 methylation among Andean Quechua, suggesting that epigenetic modifications may play a role in high-altitude adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainash Childebayeva
- a Department of Anthropology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA.,b Department of Environmental Health Sciences , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Tamara R Jones
- b Department of Environmental Health Sciences , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Jaclyn M Goodrich
- b Department of Environmental Health Sciences , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Fabiola Leon-Velarde
- c Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas , Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia , Lima , Peru
| | - Maria Rivera-Chira
- c Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas , Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia , Lima , Peru
| | - Melisa Kiyamu
- c Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas , Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia , Lima , Peru
| | - Tom D Brutsaert
- d Department of Exercise Science , Syracuse University , Syracuse , NY , USA
| | - Dana C Dolinoy
- b Department of Environmental Health Sciences , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA.,e Department of Nutritional Sciences , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Abigail W Bigham
- a Department of Anthropology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Next generation sequencing and large-scale analysis of patient specimens has created a more complete picture of multiple myeloma (MM) revealing that epigenetic deregulation is a prominent factor in MM pathogenesis. RECENT FINDINGS Over half of MM patients have mutations in genes encoding epigenetic modifier enzymes. The DNA methylation profile of MM is related to the stage of the disease and certain classes of mutations in epigenetic modifiers are more prevalent upon disease relapse, suggesting a role in disease progression. Many small molecules targeting regulators of epigenetic machinery have been developed and clinical trials are underway for some of these in MM. SUMMARY Recent findings suggest that epigenetic targeting drugs could be an important strategy to cure MM. Combining these agents along with other strategies to affect the MM cell such as immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors may enhance efficacy of combination regimens in MM.
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Amodio N, D'Aquila P, Passarino G, Tassone P, Bellizzi D. Epigenetic modifications in multiple myeloma: recent advances on the role of DNA and histone methylation. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:91-101. [PMID: 27892767 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2016.1266339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a clonal late B-cell disorder accounting for about 13% of hematological cancers and 1% of all neoplastic diseases. Recent studies on the molecular pathogenesis and biology of MM have highlighted a complex epigenomic landscape contributing to MM onset, prognosis and high individual variability. Areas covered: We describe here the current knowledge on epigenetic events characterizing MM initiation and progression, focusing on the role of DNA and histone methylation and on the most promising epi-therapeutic approaches targeting the methylation pathway. Expert opinion: Data published so far indicate that alterations of the epigenetic framework, which include aberrant global or gene/non-coding RNA specific methylation profiles, feature prominently in the pathobiology of MM. Indeed, the aberrant expression of components of the epigenetic machinery as well as the reversibility of the epigenetic marks make this pathway druggable, providing the basis for the design of epigenetic therapies against this still fatal malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Amodio
- a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , Magna Graecia University , Catanzaro , Italy
| | - Patrizia D'Aquila
- b Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Passarino
- b Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende , Italy
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , Magna Graecia University , Catanzaro , Italy.,c Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology , Temple University , Philadelphia , PA , US
| | - Dina Bellizzi
- b Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences , University of Calabria , Rende , Italy
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Issa ME, Takhsha FS, Chirumamilla CS, Perez-Novo C, Vanden Berghe W, Cuendet M. Epigenetic strategies to reverse drug resistance in heterogeneous multiple myeloma. Clin Epigenetics 2017; 9:17. [PMID: 28203307 PMCID: PMC5303245 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy, which remains incurable because most patients eventually relapse or become refractory to current treatments. Due to heterogeneity within the cancer cell microenvironment, cancer cell populations employ a dynamic survival strategy to chemotherapeutic treatments, which frequently results in a rapid acquisition of therapy resistance. Besides resistance-conferring genetic alterations within a tumor cell population selected during drug treatment, recent findings also reveal non-mutational mechanisms of drug resistance, involving a small population of "cancer stem cells" (CSCs) which are intrinsically more refractory to the effects of a variety of anticancer drugs. Other studies have implicated epigenetic mechanisms in reversible drug tolerance to protect the population from eradication by potentially lethal exposures, suggesting that acquired drug resistance does not necessarily require a stable heritable genetic alteration. Clonal evolution of MM cells and the bone marrow microenvironment changes contribute to drug resistance. MM-CSCs may not be a static population and survive as phenotypically and functionally different cell types via the transition between stem-like and non-stem-like states in local microenvironments, as observed in other types of cancers. Targeting MM-CSCs is clinically relevant, and different approaches have been suggested to target molecular, metabolic and epigenetic signatures, and the self-renewal signaling characteristic of MM CSC-like cells. Here, we summarize epigenetic strategies to reverse drug resistance in heterogeneous multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Issa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Farnaz Sedigheh Takhsha
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical sciences, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Chandra Sekhar Chirumamilla
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical sciences, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Claudina Perez-Novo
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical sciences, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical sciences, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Muriel Cuendet
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Wong KY, Chim CS. DNA methylation of tumor suppressor protein-coding and non-coding genes in multiple myeloma. Epigenomics 2015; 7:985-1001. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma is an incurable hematological malignancy arising from immortalized plasma cells in the bone marrow. DNA methylation refers to the catalytic addition of a methyl group to the cytosine ring of a CpG dinucleotide. Methylation of a promoter-associated CpG island, a cluster of CpG dinucleotides, may lead to silencing of the associated gene. In carcinogenesis, methylation of protein-coding or non-coding tumor suppressor genes/miRNAs is associated with transcriptional silencing, loss of tumor suppressor function and prognostic significance. This review first introduces pathogenesis of myeloma and DNA methylation in cancer. Then, it summarizes methylation of protein-coding tumor suppressor genes, especially, the latest genome-wide methylation studies in myeloma, followed by the latest findings of methylation of non-coding tumor suppressor miRNAs in myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Yeung Wong
- Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Chor Sang Chim
- Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
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Ullah F, Khan T, Ali N, Malik FA, Kayani MA, Shah STA, Saeed M. Promoter Methylation Status Modulate the Expression of Tumor Suppressor (RbL2/p130) Gene in Breast Cancer. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134687. [PMID: 26271034 PMCID: PMC4536218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant expression of tumor suppressor genes may correspond to the abnormal cell development and tumorigenesis. Rbl2/p130, a member of retinoblastoma family of proteins, has growth suppressive properties. Numerous studies reported de-regulation of Rbl2/p130 in various types of cancer as a consequence of a number of genetic alterations. However, role of epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation in Rbl2/p130 expression remains elusive. Methods In the current study, 76 breast cancer tumors along with normal tissues (n = 76), blood (n = 76) of respective individuals and control blood (n = 50) were analyzed. Rbl2/p130 expression was analyzed by quantitative real time PCR (syber green method). Promoter methylation status was studied through methylation specific PCR of bisulfite converted genomic DNA. Data was analyzed using various statistical tests. Results We report significantly reduced Rbl2/p130 expression (P = 0.001) in tumors tissues as compared to control samples. Similarly, Rbl2/p130 expression varies with age and disease stages (P = 0.022), which suggest its involvement in tumor progression. Aberrant promoter methylation (Δmeth) was found in almost all the diseased samples and that was significantly different (P<0.001) with control samples. Similarly, methylation status varies significantly with tumor progression stages (P = 0.022). Hyper-methylation was observed at -1, +3, +15 and +75 of Rbl2/p130 promoter flanking around the TSS. Statistical analysis revealed that Rbl2/p130 expression negatively correlates to its promoter methylation (r = -0.412) in tumor tissues. Our results reflect an epigenetic regulation of Rbl2/p130 expression in breast cancer. This highlights the importance of Rbl2/p130 promoter methylation in breast cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farman Ullah
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Taimoor Khan
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Nawab Ali
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan
| | - Faraz Arshad Malik
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mahmood Akhtar Kayani
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Syed Tahir Abbas Shah
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saeed
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan
- * E-mail:
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Low VHL mRNA expression is associated with more aggressive tumor features of papillary thyroid carcinoma. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114511. [PMID: 25490036 PMCID: PMC4260854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations of the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene can cause different hereditary tumors associated with VHL syndrome, but the potential role of the VHL gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not been characterized. This study set out to investigate the relationship of VHL expression level with clinicopathological features of PTC in an ethnically and geographically homogenous group of 264 patients from Serbia, for the first time. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a strong correlation between low level of VHL expression and advanced clinical stage (OR = 5.78, 95% CI 3.17–10.53, P<0.0001), classical papillary morphology of the tumor (OR = 2.92, 95% CI 1.33–6.44, P = 0.008) and multifocality (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.06–3.62, P = 0.031). In disease-free survival analysis, low VHL expression had marginal significance (P = 0.0502 by the log-rank test) but did not appear to be an independent predictor of the risk for chance of faster recurrence in a proportion hazards model. No somatic mutations or evidence of VHL downregulation via promoter hypermethylation in PTC were found. The results indicate that the decrease of VHL expression associates with tumor progression but the mechanism of downregulation remains to be elucidated.
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Nguyen MP, Lee S, Lee YM. Epigenetic regulation of hypoxia inducible factor in diseases and therapeutics. Arch Pharm Res 2013; 36:252-63. [DOI: 10.1007/s12272-013-0058-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2012] [Accepted: 12/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Cancer epigenetics: new therapies and new challenges. JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY 2013; 2013:529312. [PMID: 23533770 PMCID: PMC3600296 DOI: 10.1155/2013/529312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is nowadays considered to be both a genetic and an epigenetic disease. The most well studied epigenetic modification in humans is DNA methylation; however it becomes increasingly acknowledged that DNA methylation does not work alone, but rather is linked to other modifications, such as histone modifications. Epigenetic abnormalities are reversible and as a result novel therapies that work by reversing epigenetic effects are being increasingly explored. The biggest clinical impact of epigenetic modifying agents in neoplastic disorders thus far has been in haematological malignancies, and the efficacy of DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors in blood cancers clearly attests to the principle that therapeutic modification of the cancer cell epigenome can produce clinical benefit. This paper will discuss the most well studied epigenetic modifications and how these are linked to cancer, will give a brief overview of the clinical use of epigenetics as biomarkers, and will focus in more detail on epigenetic drugs and their use in solid and blood cancers.
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16
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Moreaux J, Rème T, Leonard W, Veyrune JL, Requirand G, Goldschmidt H, Hose D, Klein B. Development of gene expression-based score to predict sensitivity of multiple myeloma cells to DNA methylation inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther 2012; 11:2685-92. [PMID: 23087257 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-0721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell cancer with poor survival, characterized by the clonal expansion of multiple myeloma cells (MMC), primarily in the bone marrow. Novel compounds are currently tested in this disease, but partial or minor patients' responses are observed for most compounds used as a single agent. The design of predictors for drug efficacy could be most useful to better understand basic mechanisms targeted by these drugs and design clinical trials. In the current study, we report the building of a DNA methylation score (DM score) predicting the efficacy of decitabine, an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT), targeting methylation-regulated gene expression. DM score was built by identifying 47 genes regulated by decitabine in human myeloma cell lines and the expression of which in primary MMCs of previously untreated patients is predictive for overall survival. A high DM score predicts patients' poor survival, and, of major interest, high sensitivity of primary MMCs or human myeloma cell lines to decitabine in vitro. Thus, DM score could be useful to design novel treatments with DMNT inhibitor in multiple myeloma and has highlighted 47 genes, the gene products of which could be important for multiple myeloma disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Moreaux
- CHU Montpellier, Institute of Research in Biotherapy, France
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Amodio N, Leotta M, Bellizzi D, Di Martino MT, D'Aquila P, Lionetti M, Fabiani F, Leone E, Gullà AM, Passarino G, Caraglia M, Negrini M, Neri A, Giordano A, Tagliaferri P, Tassone P. DNA-demethylating and anti-tumor activity of synthetic miR-29b mimics in multiple myeloma. Oncotarget 2012; 3:1246-58. [PMID: 23100393 PMCID: PMC3717964 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant DNA methylation plays a relevant role in multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that recently emerged as master regulator of gene expression by targeting protein-coding mRNAs. However, miRNAs involvement in the regulation of the epigenetic machinery and their potential use as therapeutics in MM remain to be investigated. Here, we provide evidence that the expression of de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) is deregulated in MM cells. Moreover, we show that miR-29b targets DNMT3A and DNMT3B mRNAs and reduces global DNA methylation in MM cells. In vitro transfection of MM cells with synthetic miR-29b mimics significantly impairs cell cycle progression and also potentiates the growth-inhibitory effects induced by the demethylating agent 5-azacitidine. Most importantly, in vivo intratumor or systemic delivery of synthetic miR-29b mimics, in two clinically relevant murine models of human MM, including the SCID-synth-hu system, induces significant anti-tumor effects. All together, our findings demonstrate that aberrant DNMTs expression is efficiently modulated by tumor suppressive synthetic miR-29b mimics, indicating that methyloma modulation is a novel matter of investigation in miRNA-based therapy of MM.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/pharmacology
- Azacitidine/pharmacology
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Biomimetics
- Blotting, Western
- Bone Marrow/metabolism
- Bone Marrow/pathology
- Case-Control Studies
- Cell Cycle
- Cell Proliferation
- Cellular Microenvironment/drug effects
- DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/antagonists & inhibitors
- DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics
- DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/metabolism
- DNA Methylation
- DNA Methyltransferase 3A
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Humans
- Immunoenzyme Techniques
- Leukemia, Plasma Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Plasma Cell/pathology
- Leukemia, Plasma Cell/prevention & control
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, SCID
- MicroRNAs/chemical synthesis
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- Multiple Myeloma/genetics
- Multiple Myeloma/pathology
- Multiple Myeloma/prevention & control
- Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- DNA Methyltransferase 3B
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Amodio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Marzia Leotta
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Dina Bellizzi
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Calabria, Cosenza
| | - Maria Teresa Di Martino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | - Marta Lionetti
- Department of Medical Sciences University of Milan, Hematology 1, IRCCS
Policlinico Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Fernanda Fabiani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Emanuela Leone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Gullà
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Second University of Naples,
Naples, Italy
| | - Massimo Negrini
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Diagnostics, University of
Ferrara
| | - Antonino Neri
- Department of Medical Sciences University of Milan, Hematology 1, IRCCS
Policlinico Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for
Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pierosandro Tagliaferri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University
and Medical Oncology Unit, T. Campanella Cancer Center, Salvatore Venuta University Campus,
Catanzaro, Italy
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for
Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Otjacques E, Binsfeld M, Noel A, Beguin Y, Cataldo D, Caers J. Biological aspects of angiogenesis in multiple myeloma. Int J Hematol 2011; 94:505-18. [PMID: 22086206 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-011-0963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2011] [Revised: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the aberrant expansion of malignant plasma cells within the bone marrow (BM). One of the hallmarks of this disease is the close interaction between myeloma cells and neighboring cells within the BM. Angiogenesis, through the activation of endothelial cells, plays an essential role in MM biology. In the current review, we describe the angiogenesis process in MM by identifying the interacting cells, the pro- and anti-angiogenic cytokines modulated, and the extracellular matrix degrading proteases liable to participate in the pathophysiology. Finally, we highlight the impact of hypoxia (through hypoxia-inducible factor-1) and constitutive activation of nuclear factor-κB in this tumor-induced neo-vascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Otjacques
- Laboratory of Hematology, GIGA-Research, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman, Belgium
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HDAC inhibitors and decitabine are highly synergistic and associated with unique gene-expression and epigenetic profiles in models of DLBCL. Blood 2011; 118:5506-16. [PMID: 21772049 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-02-336891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) and decitabine were investigated in models of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A number of cell lines representing both germinal center B-like and activated B-cell like DLBCL, patient-derived tumor cells and a murine xenograft model were used to study the effects of HDACIs and decitabine in this system. All explored HDACIs in combination with decitabine produced a synergistic effect in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in DLBCL cells. This effect was time dependent, mediated via caspase-3 activation, and resulted in increased levels of acetylated histones. Synergy in inducing apoptosis was confirmed in patient-derived primary tumor cells treated with panobinostat and decitabine. Xenografting experiments confirmed the in vitro activity and tolerability of the combination. We analyzed the molecular basis for this synergistic effect by evaluating gene-expression and methylation patterns using microarrays, with validation by bisulfite sequencing. These analyses revealed differentially expressed genes and networks identified by each of the single treatment conditions and by the combination therapy to be unique with few overlapping genes. Among the genes uniquely altered by the combination of panobinostat and decitabine were VHL, TCEB1, WT1, and DIRAS3.
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20
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Aberrant global methylation patterns affect the molecular pathogenesis and prognosis of multiple myeloma. Blood 2010; 117:553-62. [PMID: 20944071 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2010-04-279539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We used genome-wide methylation microarrays to analyze differences in CpG methylation patterns in cells relevant to the pathogenesis of myeloma plasma cells (B cells, normal plasma cells, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance [MGUS], presentation myeloma, and plasma cell leukemia). We show that methylation patterns in these cell types are capable of distinguishing nonmalignant from malignant cells and the main reason for this difference is hypomethylation of the genome at the transition from MGUS to presentation myeloma. In addition, gene-specific hypermethylation was evident at the myeloma stage. Differential methylation was also evident at the transition from myeloma to plasma cell leukemia with remethylation of the genome, particularly of genes involved in cell-cell signaling and cell adhesion, which may contribute to independence from the bone marrow microenvironment. There was a high degree of methylation variability within presentation myeloma samples, which was associated with cytogenetic differences between samples. More specifically, we found methylation subgroups were defined by translocations and hyperdiploidy, with t(4;14) myeloma having the greatest impact on DNA methylation. Two groups of hyperdiploid samples were identified, on the basis of unsupervised clustering, which had an impact on overall survival. Overall, DNA methylation changes significantly during disease progression and between cytogenetic subgroups.
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Huang KT, Dobrovic A, Fox SB. No evidence for DNA methylation of von Hippel-Lindau ubiquitin ligase complex genes in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2010; 124:853-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-010-1087-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
This review describes the role that epigenetic changes play in the pathogenesis of cancer, concentrating on the plasma cell malignancy multiple myeloma, and highlights recent findings regarding the efficacy of epigenetic therapeutic agents in laboratory studies and clinical trials. DNA methylation is altered in a wide range of cancers with hypermethylation of CpG islands associated with silencing of tumour suppressor genes. Genes found to be silenced by methylation in myeloma samples include VHL, TP53, CDKN2A, and TGFBR2. Myeloma is linked to the overexpression of a histone methylatransferase (MMSET) and inactivating mutations of a histone demethylase (UTX), suggesting that the regulation of histone methylation is a potential therapeutic target. Abnormal expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) has been widely described in solid tumours and haematological malignancies. In myeloma, histone deacetylase inhibitors show promising results both in laboratory-based cell culture studies and in clinical trials, where they demonstrate particularly good therapeutic outcome when administered in combination with other standard chemotherapeutic agents. The study of epigenetics shows great promise for understanding the alterations in gene expression that underlie malignancies and provides exciting novel drugable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Smith
- Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
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23
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Hatzimichael E, Dasoula A, Shah R, Syed N, Papoudou-Bai A, Coley HM, Dranitsaris G, Bourantas KL, Stebbing J, Crook T. The prolyl-hydroxylase EGLN3 and not EGLN1 is inactivated by methylation in plasma cell neoplasia. Eur J Haematol 2009; 84:47-51. [PMID: 19737309 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.2009.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
EGLN1 and EGLN3 are members of the egg-laying-defective 9 (EglN) prolyl-hydroxylases which during normoxia catalyse hydroxylation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha, thereby promoting its ubiquitination by a complex containing the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor. EGLN3 also has pro-apoptotic activity in some cell types. Analyses of a well-characterised series of cases of plasma cell dyscrasias, including multiple myeloma (MM), Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) surprisingly demonstrated that the CpG island of EGLN3, and not EGLN1, is frequently methylated in these disorders. Multiple myeloma patients with a methylated EGLN3 promoter showed trends towards an increased risk of death, bone lytic lesions, anaemia, advanced stage of disease and the presence of extramedullary disease. Those individuals with methylation in the EGLN3 CpG island also had significantly lower albumin levels. These data suggest that the prolyl-hydroxylases may be a novel class of potential tumour suppressors in plasma cell neoplasia that warrant further investigation with regard to their potential utility as biomarkers. Moreover, we observed that EGLN3 is also methylated at high frequency in B-cell lymphoma subtypes, implying that loss of EGLN3 is an important epigenetic event not only in plasma cell neoplasias but also in B-cell neoplasias.
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