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Gowkielewicz M, Lipka A, Zdanowski W, Waśniewski T, Majewska M, Carlberg C. Anti-Müllerian hormone: biology and role in endocrinology and cancers. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1468364. [PMID: 39351532 PMCID: PMC11439669 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1468364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a peptide belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and acts exclusively through its receptor type 2 (AMHR2). From the 8th week of pregnancy, AMH is produced by Sertoli cells, and from the 23rd week of gestation, it is produced by granulosa cells of the ovary. AMH plays a critical role in regulating gonadotropin secretion, ovarian tissue responsiveness to pituitary hormones, and the pathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome. It inhibits the transition from primordial to primary follicles and is considered the best marker of ovarian reserve. Therefore, measuring AMH concentration of the hormone is valuable in managing assisted reproductive technologies. AMH was initially discovered through its role in the degeneration of Müllerian ducts in male fetuses. However, due to its ability to inhibit the cell cycle and induce apoptosis, it has also garnered interest in oncology. For example, antibodies targeting AMHR2 are being investigated for their potential in diagnosing and treating various cancers. Additionally, AMH is present in motor neurons and functions as a protective and growth factor. Consequently, it is involved in learning and memory processes and may support the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the biology of AMH and its role in both endocrinology and oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Gowkielewicz
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Lipka
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wojciech Zdanowski
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Tomasz Waśniewski
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Marta Majewska
- Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Carsten Carlberg
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
- School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Du R, Wen L, Niu M, Zhao L, Guan X, Yang J, Zhang C, Liu H. Activin receptors in human cancer: Functions, mechanisms, and potential clinical applications. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116061. [PMID: 38369212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Activins are members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily and act as key regulators in various physiological processes, such as follicle and embryonic development, as well as in multiple human diseases, including cancer. They have been established to signal through three type I and two type II serine/threonine kinase receptors, which, upon ligand binding, form a final signal-transducing receptor complex that activates downstream signaling and governs gene expression. Recent research highlighted the dysregulation of the expression or activity of activin receptors in multiple human cancers and their critical involvement in cancer progression. Furthermore, expression levels of activin receptors have been associated with clinicopathological features and patient outcomes across different cancers. However, there is currently a paucity of comprehensive systematic reviews of activin receptors in cancer. Thus, this review aimed to consolidate existing knowledge concerning activin receptors, with a primary emphasis on their signaling cascade and emerging biological functions, regulatory mechanisms, and potential clinical applications in human cancers in order to provide novel perspectives on cancer prognosis and targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Du
- First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Department of Laboratory Animal Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Liqi Wen
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Min Niu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Liting Zhao
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Xiaoya Guan
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Jiao Yang
- Department of Anatomy, the Basic Medical School of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Chunming Zhang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China.
| | - Hongliang Liu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, the Basic Medical School of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China.
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Chauvin M, Meinsohn MC, Dasari S, May P, Iyer S, Nguyen NMP, Oliva E, Lucchini Z, Nagykery N, Kashiwagi A, Mishra R, Maser R, Wells J, Bult CJ, Mitra AK, Donahoe PK, Pépin D. Cancer-associated mesothelial cells are regulated by the anti-Müllerian hormone axis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112730. [PMID: 37453057 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMCs) in the tumor microenvironment are thought to promote growth and immune evasion. We find that, in mouse and human ovarian tumors, cancer cells express anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) while CAMCs express its receptor AMHR2, suggesting a paracrine axis. Factors secreted by cancer cells induce AMHR2 expression during their reprogramming into CAMCs in mouse and human in vitro models. Overexpression of AMHR2 in the Met5a mesothelial cell line is sufficient to induce expression of immunosuppressive cytokines and growth factors that stimulate ovarian cancer cell growth in an AMH-dependent way. Finally, syngeneic cancer cells implanted in transgenic mice with Amhr2-/- CAMCs grow significantly slower than in wild-type hosts. The cytokine profile of Amhr2-/- tumor-bearing mice is altered and their tumors express less immune checkpoint markers programmed-cell-death 1 (PD1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4). Taken together, these data suggest that the AMH/AMHR2 axis plays a critical role in regulating the pro-tumoral function of CAMCs in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chauvin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M-C Meinsohn
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Dasari
- Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - P May
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Iyer
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - N M P Nguyen
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - E Oliva
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Z Lucchini
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - N Nagykery
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Kashiwagi
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Mishra
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - R Maser
- Mouse Genome Informatics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - J Wells
- Mouse Genome Informatics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - C J Bult
- Mouse Genome Informatics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - A K Mitra
- Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Patricia K Donahoe
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D Pépin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Mouse Genome Informatics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA.
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Fukuda T, Suzuki E, Fukuda R. Bone morphogenetic protein signaling is a possible therapeutic target in gynecologic cancer. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:722-729. [PMID: 36468782 PMCID: PMC9986083 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15682] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. BMPs play crucial roles in embryogenesis and bone remodeling. Recently, BMP signaling has been found to have diverse effects on different types of tumors. In this review, we summarized the effects of BMP signaling on gynecologic cancer. BMP signaling has tumor-promoting effects on ovarian cancer (OC) and endometrial cancer (EC), whereas it has tumor-suppressing effects on uterine cervical cancer (UCC). Interestingly, EC has frequent gain-of-function mutations in ACVR1, encoding one of the type I BMP receptors, which are also observed in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Little is known about the relationship between BMP signaling and other gynecologic cancers. Tumor-promoting effects of BMP signaling in OC and EC are dependent on the promotion of cancer stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In accordance, BMP receptor kinase inhibitors suppress the cell growth and migration of OC and EC. Since both cancer stemness and EMT are associated with chemoresistance, BMP signaling activation might also be an important mechanism by which OC and EC patients acquire chemoresistance. Therefore, BMP inhibitors are promising for OC and EC patients even if they become resistant to standard chemotherapy. In contrast, BMP signaling inhibits UCC growth in vitro. However, the in vivo effects of BMP signaling have not been elucidated in UCC. In conclusion, BMP signaling has a variety of functions, depending on the types of gynecologic cancer. Therefore, targeting BMP signaling should improve the treatment of patients with gynecologic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiko Fukuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eri Suzuki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Risa Fukuda
- Division of Dermatology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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