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Fang J, Singh S, Cheng C, Natarajan S, Sheppard H, Abu-Zaid A, Durbin AD, Lee HW, Wu Q, Steele J, Connelly JP, Jin H, Chen W, Fan Y, Pruett-Miller SM, Rehg JE, Koo SC, Santiago T, Emmons J, Cairo S, Wang R, Glazer ES, Murphy AJ, Chen T, Davidoff AM, Armengol C, Easton J, Chen X, Yang J. Genome-wide mapping of cancer dependency genes and genetic modifiers of chemotherapy in high-risk hepatoblastoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4003. [PMID: 37414763 PMCID: PMC10326052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39717-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A lack of relevant genetic models and cell lines hampers our understanding of hepatoblastoma pathogenesis and the development of new therapies for this neoplasm. Here, we report an improved MYC-driven hepatoblastoma-like murine model that recapitulates the pathological features of embryonal type of hepatoblastoma, with transcriptomics resembling the high-risk gene signatures of the human disease. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics identify distinct subpopulations of hepatoblastoma cells. After deriving cell lines from the mouse model, we map cancer dependency genes using CRISPR-Cas9 screening and identify druggable targets shared with human hepatoblastoma (e.g., CDK7, CDK9, PRMT1, PRMT5). Our screen also reveals oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in hepatoblastoma that engage multiple, druggable cancer signaling pathways. Chemotherapy is critical for human hepatoblastoma treatment. A genetic mapping of doxorubicin response by CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies modifiers whose loss-of-function synergizes with (e.g., PRKDC) or antagonizes (e.g., apoptosis genes) the effect of chemotherapy. The combination of PRKDC inhibition and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy greatly enhances therapeutic efficacy. These studies provide a set of resources including disease models suitable for identifying and validating potential therapeutic targets in human high-risk hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shivendra Singh
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Changde Cheng
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sivaraman Natarajan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather Sheppard
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ahmed Abu-Zaid
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ha Won Lee
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jacob Steele
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jon P Connelly
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongjian Jin
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Wenan Chen
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jerold E Rehg
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Selene C Koo
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Teresa Santiago
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Joseph Emmons
- VPC Diagnostic Laboratory, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stefano Cairo
- Champions Oncology, 1330 Piccard dr, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ruoning Wang
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disease, Hematology/Oncology & BMT, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Evan S Glazer
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew M Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Carolina Armengol
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE), Badalona, Spain
- CIBER, Hepatic and Digestive Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Madrid, Spain
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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2
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Patierno BM, Foo WC, Allen T, Somarelli JA, Ware KE, Gupta S, Wise S, Wise JP, Qin X, Zhang D, Xu L, Li Y, Chen X, Inman BA, McCall SJ, Huang J, Kittles RA, Owzar K, Gregory S, Armstrong AJ, George DJ, Patierno SR, Hsu DS, Freedman JA. Characterization of a castrate-resistant prostate cancer xenograft derived from a patient of West African ancestry. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2022; 25:513-523. [PMID: 34645983 PMCID: PMC9005588 DOI: 10.1038/s41391-021-00460-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous disease, with highest incidence and mortality among men of African ancestry. To date, prostate cancer patient-derived xenograft (PCPDX) models to study this disease have been difficult to establish because of limited specimen availability and poor uptake rates in immunodeficient mice. Ancestrally diverse PCPDXs are even more rare, and only six PCPDXs from self-identified African American patients from one institution were recently made available. METHODS In the present study, we established a PCPDX from prostate cancer tissue from a patient of estimated 90% West African ancestry with metastatic castration resistant disease, and characterized this model's pathology, karyotype, hotspot mutations, copy number, gene fusions, gene expression, growth rate in normal and castrated mice, therapeutic response, and experimental metastasis. RESULTS This PCPDX has a mutation in TP53 and loss of PTEN and RB1. We have documented a 100% take rate in mice after thawing the PCPDX tumor from frozen stock. The PCPDX is castrate- and docetaxel-resistant and cisplatin-sensitive, and has gene expression patterns associated with such drug responses. After tail vein injection, the PCPDX tumor cells can colonize the lungs of mice. CONCLUSION This PCPDX, along with others that are established and characterized, will be useful pre-clinically for studying the heterogeneity of prostate cancer biology and testing new therapeutics in models expected to be reflective of the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon M Patierno
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Wen-Chi Foo
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Tyler Allen
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Kathryn E Ware
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Santosh Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Sandra Wise
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - John P Wise
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Xiaodi Qin
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Dadong Zhang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Lingfan Xu
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Yanjing Li
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Brant A Inman
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Shannon J McCall
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jiaoti Huang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Rick A Kittles
- Division of Health Equities, Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope, Duarte, 91010, CA, USA
| | - Kouros Owzar
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Simon Gregory
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Andrew J Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Daniel J George
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Steven R Patierno
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - David S Hsu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jennifer A Freedman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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3
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Yao Y, Chen C, Cai Z, Liu G, Ding C, Lim D, Chao D, Feng Z. Screen identifies fasudil as a radioprotector on human fibroblasts. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2022; 11:662-672. [PMID: 36051660 PMCID: PMC9424713 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Radioprotectors safeguard biological system exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) by protecting normal cells from radiation damage during radiotherapy. Due to the toxicity and limited clinical utility of the present radioprotectors, it prompts us to identify novel radioprotectors that could alleviate IR-induced cytotoxicity of normal tissues. Aims and Methods To identify new radioprotectors, we screened a chemical molecular library comprising 253 compounds in normal human fibroblasts (HFs) or 16HBE cells upon IR by CCK-8 assays and clonogenic survival assays. Fasudil was identified as a potential effective radioprotector. Results The results indicated that Fasudil exerts radioprotective effects on HFs against IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through the regulation of DSB repair. Fasudil increased homologous recombination (HR) repair by 45.24% and decreased non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) by 63.88% compared with untreated cells, without affecting changes to cell cycle profile. We further found that fasudil significantly facilitated the expression and foci formation of HR core proteins such as Rad51 and BRCA1 upon IR, and decreased the expression of NHEJ-associated proteins such as DNA-PKcs at 24 h post-IR. Conclusion Our study identified fasudil as a novel radioprotector that exert radioprotective effects on normal cells through regulation of DSB repair by promoting HR repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Yao
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Zuchao Cai
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Guochao Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Chenxia Ding
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - David Lim
- Health services Management, School of Science and Health, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown 1797, Australia
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042, Australia
| | - Dong Chao
- Corresponding author: Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, The Public Health School, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, Jinan 250012, China. ;
| | - Zhihui Feng
- Corresponding author: Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, The Public Health School, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, Jinan 250012, China. ;
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4
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Rana PS, Model MA. A Reverse-Osmosis Model of Apoptotic Shrinkage. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:588721. [PMID: 33195250 PMCID: PMC7644884 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.588721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The standard theory of apoptotic volume decrease (AVD) posits activation of potassium and/or chloride channels, causing an efflux of ions and osmotic loss of water. However, in view of the multitude of possible channels that are known to support apoptosis, a model based on specific signaling to a channel presents certain problems. We propose another mechanism of apoptotic dehydration based on cytoskeletal compression. As is well known, cytoskeleton is not strong enough to expel a substantial amount of water against an osmotic gradient. It is possible, however, that an increase in intracellular pressure may cause an initial small efflux of water, and that will create a small concentration gradient of ions, favoring their exit. If the channels are open, some ions will exit the cell, relieving the osmotic gradient; in this way, the process will be able to continue. Calculations confirm the possibility of such a mechanism. An increase in membrane permeability for water or ions may also result in dehydration if accompanied even by a constant cytoskeletal pressure. We review the molecular processes that may lead to apoptotic dehydration in the context of this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka S Rana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Michael A Model
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
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5
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Wang K, Shi L, Linthicum W, Man K, He X, Wen Q, Rojanasakul LW, Rojanasakul Y, Yang Y. Substrate Stiffness-Dependent Carbon Nanotube-Induced Lung Fibrogenesis. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:5443-5451. [PMID: 31369708 PMCID: PMC6724206 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Most living tissues exhibit the specific stiffness, which has been known to have profound influence on cell behaviors, yet how the stiffness affects cellular responses to engineered nanomaterials has not been elucidated. Particularly, discrepancies exist between in vitro and in vivo nanotoxicological studies. Here, we investigated the effects of substrate stiffness on the fibrogenic responses of normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). NHLFs were grown on polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels with the stiffness comparable to that of human normal and fibrotic lung tissues, and treated with MWCNTs for various time. The fibrogenic responses, including cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species production, and collagen I expression, of NHLFs to MWCNTs were observed to be regulated by substrate stiffness in a time-dependent manner. NHLFs generally were rounded on soft hydrogels and required a long treatment time to exhibit fibrogenic responses, while on stiff hydrogels the cells were well-spread with defined stress fibers and short-time MWCNTs treatment sufficiently induced the fibrogenic responses. Mechanistic studies showed that MWCNTs induced fibrogenesis of NHLFs through promoting expression and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), while attenuating intracellular tension in the cells on stiff gels could increase MWCNTs uptake and thus elevate the induced fibrogenic responses. Moreover, we proposed a time-stiffness superposition principle to describe the equivalent effects of treatment time and substrate stiffness on nanomaterials-induced fibrogenesis, which suggested that increasing substrate stiffness expedited fibrogenesis and shed light on the rational design of in vitro models for nanotoxicological study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
| | - Lin Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
| | - Will Linthicum
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Kun Man
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
| | - Xiaoqing He
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Qi Wen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
- Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Liying Wang Rojanasakul
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
| | - Yon Rojanasakul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
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6
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Zhu P, Tseng NH, Xie T, Li N, Fitts-Sprague I, Peyton SR, Sun Y. Biomechanical Microenvironment Regulates Fusogenicity of Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:3817-3827. [PMID: 33438422 PMCID: PMC9800072 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fusion of cancer cells is thought to contribute to tumor development and drug resistance. The low frequency of cell fusion events and the instability of fused cells have hindered our ability to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern cell fusion. We have demonstrated that several breast cancer cell lines can fuse into multinucleated giant cells in vitro, and the initiation and longevity of fused cells can be regulated solely by biophysical factors. Dynamically tuning the adhesive area of the patterned substrates, reducing cytoskeletal tensions pharmacologically, altering matrix stiffness, and modulating pattern curvature all supported the spontaneous fusion and stability of these multinucleated giant cells. These observations highlight that the biomechanical microenvironment of cancer cells, including the matrix rigidity and interfacial curvature, can directly modulate their fusogenicity, an unexplored mechanism through which biophysical cues regulate tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiran Zhu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Ning-Hsuan Tseng
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Tianfa Xie
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Ningwei Li
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Isaac Fitts-Sprague
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Shelly R. Peyton
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Institue for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Yubing Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Institue for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.,Corresponding Author: Correspondence should be addressed to Y. Sun ()
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7
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Xin Y, Chen X, Tang X, Li K, Yang M, Tai WCS, Liu Y, Tan Y. Mechanics and Actomyosin-Dependent Survival/Chemoresistance of Suspended Tumor Cells in Shear Flow. Biophys J 2019; 116:1803-1814. [PMID: 31076101 PMCID: PMC6531788 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells disseminate to distant organs mainly through blood circulation in which they experience considerable levels of fluid shear stress. However, the effects of hemodynamic shear stress on biophysical properties and functions of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in suspension are not fully understood. In this study, we found that the majority of suspended breast tumor cells could be eliminated by fluid shear stress, whereas cancer stem cells held survival advantages over conventional cancer cells. Compared to untreated cells, tumor cells surviving shear stress exhibited unique biophysical properties: 1) cell adhesion was significantly retarded, 2) these cells exhibited elongated morphology and enhanced spreading and expressed genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition or hybrid phenotype, and 3) surviving tumor cells showed reduced F-actin assembly and stiffness. Importantly, inhibiting actomyosin activity promoted the survival of suspended tumor cells in fluid shear stress, whereas activating actomyosin suppressed cell survival, which might be explained by the up- and downregulation of the antiapoptosis genes. Soft surviving tumor cells held survival advantages in shear flow and higher resistance to chemotherapy. Inhibiting actomyosin activity in untreated cells enhanced chemoresistance, whereas activating actomyosin in surviving tumor cells suppressed this ability. These findings might be associated with the corresponding changes in the genes related to multidrug resistance. In summary, these data demonstrate that hemodynamic shear stress significantly influences biophysical properties and functions of suspended tumor cells. Our study unveils the regulatory roles of actomyosin in the survival and drug resistance of suspended tumor cells in hemodynamic shear flow, which suggest the importance of fluid shear stress and actomyosin activity in tumor metastasis. These findings may reveal a new, to our knowledge, mechanism by which CTCs are able to survive hemodynamic shear stress and chemotherapy and may offer a new potential strategy to target CTCs in shear flow and combat chemoresistance through actomyosin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xi Chen
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mo Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - William Chi-Shing Tai
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yiyao Liu
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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8
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Greathouse KM, Boros BD, Deslauriers JF, Henderson BW, Curtis KA, Gentry EG, Herskowitz JH. Distinct and complementary functions of rho kinase isoforms ROCK1 and ROCK2 in prefrontal cortex structural plasticity. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4227-4241. [PMID: 30196430 PMCID: PMC6252131 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK) 1 and 2 are attractive drug targets for a range of neurologic disorders; however, a critical barrier to ROCK-based therapeutics is ambiguity over whether there are isoform-specific roles for ROCKs in neuronal structural plasticity. Here, we used a genetics approach to address this long-standing question by analyzing both male and female adult ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice compared to littermate controls. Individual pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were targeted for iontophoretic microinjection of fluorescent dye, followed by high-resolution confocal microscopy and neuronal 3D reconstructions for morphometry analysis. Increased apical and basal dendritic length and intersections were observed in ROCK1+/- but not ROCK2+/- mice. Although dendritic spine densities were comparable among genotypes, apical spine length was decreased in ROCK1+/- but increased in ROCK2+/- mice. Spine head and neck diameter were reduced similarly in ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice; however, certain spine morphologic subclasses were more affected than others in a genotype-dependent manner. Biochemical analyses of ROCK substrates in synaptic fractions revealed that phosphorylation of LIM kinase and cofilin were reduced in ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice, while phosphorylation of myosin light chain was decreased exclusively in ROCK1+/- mice. Collectively, these observations implicate ROCK1 as a novel regulatory factor of neuronal dendritic structure and detail distinct and complementary roles of ROCKs in mPFC dendritic spine structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Greathouse
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin D Boros
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Josue F Deslauriers
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin W Henderson
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kendall A Curtis
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Erik G Gentry
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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9
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Zhang X, Wu N. Fasudil inhibits proliferation and migration of Hep-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2018; 12:373-381. [PMID: 29503530 PMCID: PMC5825979 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s147547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Rho-kinase signal pathway is a new target for cancer therapy. Fasudil, a selective Rho-kinase inhibitor, is found to exert antitumor effects on several types of cancer, but whether fasudil has antitumor effects on laryngeal carcinoma is still unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of fasudil on laryngeal carcinoma and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms in this process. Methods After treatment with fasudil, changes in biological behaviors, including the growth, proliferation, clone formation, apoptosis, and migration of human laryngeal carcinoma cells (Hep-2 cells) were observed. The influences on apoptotic protease activity factor-1 (APAF-1)-mediated apoptosis pathway and the activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) were measured by Western blotting and gelatin zymography assay. Results Half-maximal inhibitory concentration of fasudil to Hep-2 cells was ~3.40×103 µM (95% CI: 2.53-4.66×103 µM). Moreover, fasudil treatment significantly decreased the ability of growth, proliferation, clone formation, and migration of Hep-2 cells, while remarkably increased the apoptosis rate. Furthermore, the expressions of APAF-1, caspase-9, and caspase-3 significantly increased in fasudil treatment group. Meanwhile, fasudil led to a remarkable decrease in the expressions and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Conclusion Our findings first demonstrate that fasudil not only inhibits the proliferation of laryngeal carcinoma cells through activating APAF-1-mediated apoptosis pathway, but also prevents migration by inhibiting the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Therefore, fasudil is an attractive antitumor drug candidate for the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Zhang
- Medical Research Center, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Nan Wu
- The Core Laboratory for Public Health Science and Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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10
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Wei L, Surma M, Shi S, Lambert-Cheatham N, Shi J. Novel Insights into the Roles of Rho Kinase in Cancer. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2016; 64:259-78. [PMID: 26725045 PMCID: PMC4930737 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-015-0382-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) is a major downstream effector of the small GTPase RhoA. The ROCK family, consisting of ROCK1 and ROCK2, plays a central role in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, and is involved in a wide range of fundamental cellular functions such as contraction, adhesion, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Since the discovery of effective inhibitors such as fasudil and Y27632, the biological roles of ROCK have been extensively explored in numerous diseases, including cancer. Accumulating evidence supports the concept that ROCK plays important roles in tumor development and progression through regulating many key cellular functions associated with malignancy, including tumorigenicity, tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor cell apoptosis/survival and chemoresistance as well. This review focuses on the new advances of the most recent 5 years from the studies on the roles of ROCK in cancer development and progression; the discussion is mainly focused on the potential value of ROCK inhibitors in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wei
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 Building, Room 332, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA. .,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University, School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, R4-370, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA.
| | - Michelle Surma
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 Building, Room 332, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA
| | - Stephanie Shi
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 Building, Room 332, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA
| | - Nathan Lambert-Cheatham
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 Building, Room 332, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA
| | - Jianjian Shi
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 Building, Room 332, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5225, USA.
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11
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Feng Y, LoGrasso PV, Defert O, Li R. Rho Kinase (ROCK) Inhibitors and Their Therapeutic Potential. J Med Chem 2015; 59:2269-300. [PMID: 26486225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Rho kinases (ROCKs) belong to the serine-threonine family, the inhibition of which affects the function of many downstream substrates. As such, ROCK inhibitors have potential therapeutic applicability in a wide variety of pathological conditions including asthma, cancer, erectile dysfunction, glaucoma, insulin resistance, kidney failure, neuronal degeneration, and osteoporosis. To date, two ROCK inhibitors have been approved for clinical use in Japan (fasudil and ripasudil) and one in China (fasudil). In 1995 fasudil was approved for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm, and more recently, ripasudil was approved for the treatment of glaucoma in 2014. In this Perspective, we present a comprehensive review of the physiological and biological functions for ROCK, the properties and development of over 170 ROCK inhibitors as well as their therapeutic potential, the current status, and future considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olivier Defert
- Amakem Therapeutics , Agoralaan A bis, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Rongshi Li
- Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Cancer Genes and Molecular Regulation Program, Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center , 986805 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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12
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Neurotrophic requirements of human motor neurons defined using amplified and purified stem cell-derived cultures. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110324. [PMID: 25337699 PMCID: PMC4206291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Human motor neurons derived from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (hESCs and hiPSCs) are a potentially important tool for studying motor neuron survival and pathological cell death. However, their basic survival requirements remain poorly characterized. Here, we sought to optimize a robust survival assay and characterize their response to different neurotrophic factors. First, to increase motor neuron yield, we screened a small-molecule collection and found that the Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 enhances motor neuron progenitor proliferation up to 4-fold in hESC and hiPSC cultures. Next, we FACS-purified motor neurons expressing the Hb9::GFP reporter from Y-27632-amplified embryoid bodies and cultured them in the presence of mitotic inhibitors to eliminate dividing progenitors. Survival of these purified motor neurons in the absence of any other cell type was strongly dependent on neurotrophic support. GDNF, BDNF and CNTF all showed potent survival effects (EC(50) 1-2 pM). The number of surviving motor neurons was further enhanced in the presence of forskolin and IBMX, agents that increase endogenous cAMP levels. As a demonstration of the ability of the assay to detect novel neurotrophic agents, Y-27632 itself was found to support human motor neuron survival. Thus, purified human stem cell-derived motor neurons show survival requirements similar to those of primary rodent motor neurons and can be used for rigorous cell-based screening.
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13
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Stiles JM, Amaya C, Rains S, Diaz D, Pham R, Battiste J, Modiano JF, Kokta V, Boucheron LE, Mitchell DC, Bryan BA. Targeting of beta adrenergic receptors results in therapeutic efficacy against models of hemangioendothelioma and angiosarcoma. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60021. [PMID: 23555867 PMCID: PMC3610939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic targeting of the beta-adrenergic receptors has recently shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of benign vascular tumors such as infantile hemangiomas. As infantile hemangiomas are reported to express high levels of beta adrenergic receptors, we examined the expression of these receptors on more aggressive vascular tumors such as hemangioendotheliomas and angiosarcomas, revealing beta 1, 2, and 3 receptors were indeed present and therefore aggressive vascular tumors may similarly show increased susceptibility to the inhibitory effects of beta blockade. Using a panel of hemangioendothelioma and angiosarcoma cell lines, we demonstrate that beta adrenergic inhibition blocks cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. Beta blockade is selective for vascular tumor cells over normal endothelial cells and synergistically effective when combined with standard chemotherapeutic or cytotoxic agents. We demonstrate that inhibition of beta adrenergic signaling induces large scale changes in the global gene expression patterns of vascular tumors, including alterations in the expression of established cell cycle and apoptotic regulators. Using in vivo tumor models we demonstrate that beta blockade shows remarkable efficacy as a single agent in reducing the growth of angiosarcoma tumors. In summary, these experiments demonstrate the selective cytotoxicity and tumor suppressive ability of beta adrenergic inhibition on malignant vascular tumors and have laid the groundwork for a promising treatment of angiosarcomas in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Stiles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Clarissa Amaya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Steven Rains
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dolores Diaz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Robert Pham
- Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - James Battiste
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jaime F. Modiano
- Masonic Cancer Center, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Victor Kokta
- Department of Pathology, CHU Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laura E. Boucheron
- Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Dianne C. Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Brad A. Bryan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
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14
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Street CA, Bryan BA. Rho kinase proteins--pleiotropic modulators of cell survival and apoptosis. Anticancer Res 2011; 31:3645-3657. [PMID: 22110183 PMCID: PMC3226732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Rho kinase (ROCK) proteins are Rho-GTPase activated serine/threonine kinases that function as modulators of actin-myosin cytoskeletal dynamics via regulation of Lin11, Isl-1 & Mec-3 domain (LIM) kinase, myosin light chain (MLC), and MLC phosphatase. A strong correlation between cytoskeletal rearrangements and tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and deregulated microenvironment interaction has been reported in the literature, and the utilization of pharmacological inhibitors of ROCK signaling for the treatment of cancer is actively being pursued by a number of pharmaceutical companies. Indeed, in many preclinical models ROCK inhibitors have shown remarkable efficacy in reducing tumor growth and metastasis. Interestingly, ROCK signaling has been shown to be either pro-apoptotic or pro-survival in a cell type and context dependent manner, though the molecular mechanisms controlling ROCK-mediated cell fate decisions are unknown. This review summarizes the many pleiotropic roles of ROCK signaling in survival and apoptosis, and suggests that controlled modulation of ROCK activity in tumor cells has the potential to significantly affect tumor survival and patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine A. Street
- Ghosh Science and Technology Center, Department of Biology, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, 01602, U.S.A
| | - Brad A. Bryan
- Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX 79905, U.S.A
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15
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Spencer C, Montalvo J, McLaughlin SR, Bryan BA. Small molecule inhibition of cytoskeletal dynamics in melanoma tumors results in altered transcriptional expression patterns of key genes involved in tumor initiation and progression. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2011; 8:77-85. [PMID: 21471517 PMCID: PMC3209963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rho kinase signaling plays an important role in the oncogenic process largely through its regulation of F-actin dynamics, and inhibition of this pathway results in reduction in tumor volume and metastasis across a number of tumor types. While the cytoskeletal-regulatory role of Rho kinase has been a topic of in-depth study, the mechanisms linking Rho kinase to altered gene expression are largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Global gene expression analysis was performed on melanoma tumors treated with sham or the small molecule inhibitor Y27632. RESULTS Inhibition of Rho kinase activity in melanoma tumors results in a statistically significant change in gene transcription of 94 genes, many of which are critically involved in tumor initiation and progression. CONCLUSION In addition to regulating tumorigenesis through modulation of the phosphoproteome, Rho kinase signaling also contributes to the regulation of the tumor transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Spencer
- Ghosh Science and Technology Center, Department of Biology, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA 01602 USA
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