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Ahmadi-Dehlaghi F, Mohammadi P, Valipour E, Pournaghi P, Kiani S, Mansouri K. Autophagy: A challengeable paradox in cancer treatment. Cancer Med 2023. [PMID: 36760166 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autophagy is an intracellular degradation pathway conserved in all eukaryotes from yeast to humans. This process plays a quality-control role by destroying harmful cellular components under normal conditions, maintaining cell survival, and establishing cellular adaptation under stressful conditions. Hence, there are various studies indicating dysfunctional autophagy as a factor involved in the development and progression of various human diseases, including cancer. In addition, the importance of autophagy in the development of cancer has been highlighted by paradoxical roles, as a cytoprotective and cytotoxic mechanism. Despite extensive research in the field of cancer, there are many questions and challenges about the roles and effects suggested for autophagy in cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the paradoxical roles of autophagy in different tumors and related cancer treatment options. METHODS In this study, to find articles, a search was made in PubMed and Google scholar databases with the keywords Autophagy, Autophagy in Cancer Management, and Drug Design. RESULTS According to the investigation, some studies suggest that several advanced cancers are dependent on autophagy for cell survival, so when cancer cells are exposed to therapy, autophagy is induced and suppresses the anti-cancer effects of therapeutic agents and also results in cell resistance. However, enhanced autophagy from using anti-cancer drugs causes autophagy-mediated cell death in several cancers. Because autophagy also plays roles in both tumor suppression and promotion further research is needed to determine the precise mechanism of this process in cancer treatment. CONCLUSION We concluded in this article, autophagy manipulation may either promote or hinder the growth and development of cancer according to the origin of the cancer cells, the type of cancer, and the behavior of the cancer cells exposed to treatment. Thus, before starting treatment it is necessary to determine the basal levels of autophagy in various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Ahmadi-Dehlaghi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Mohammadi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Valipour
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sarah Kiani
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Kamran Mansouri
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Wang Y, Liang Q, Lei K, Zhu Q, Zeng D, Liu Y, Lu Y, Kang T, Tang N, Huang L, Ye L, Tang D, Zhu C. Targeting MEX3A attenuates metastasis of breast cancer via β-catenin signaling pathway inhibition. Cancer Lett 2021; 521:50-63. [PMID: 34425185 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of mortality in patients with breast cancer. Understanding the metastatic mechanism to guide clinical diagnoses and the treatment of breast cancer remains a challenge. We found that the expression of Mex-3 RNA binding family member A (MEX3A) was upregulated significantly and related to tumor grade in breast cancer. The results of in vitro and in vivo studies showed that knockdown of MEX3A inhibited the metastasis and impaired the stemness of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, activation of the β-catenin signaling pathway was discovered as a molecular intermediate of MEX3A-mediated regulation. We also found that ectopic expression of β-catenin restored the migration ability, invasion ability, and CD44+/CD24- percentage of MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells when MEX3A was depleted. In addition, we revealed that MEX3A positively regulated the expression of β-catenin by downregulating Dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1) expression. Therefore, a previously undiscovered role of MEX3A comprising a critical contribution to promoting metastasis and maintaining the stemness of breast cancer via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was demonstrated in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Qian Liang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Kefeng Lei
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qingqing Zhu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Delong Zeng
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingsi Lu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Tingting Kang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Nannan Tang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lifen Huang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Ye
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Di Tang
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengming Zhu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
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Lim SM, Mohamad Hanif EA, Chin SF. Is targeting autophagy mechanism in cancer a good approach? The possible double-edge sword effect. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:56. [PMID: 33743781 PMCID: PMC7981910 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00570-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved cellular process required to maintain homeostasis. The hallmark of autophagy is the formation of a phagophore that engulfs cytosolic materials for degradation and recycling to synthesize essential components. Basal autophagy is constitutively active under normal conditions and it could be further induced by physiological stimuli such as hypoxia, nutrient starvation, endoplasmic reticulum stress,energy depletion, hormonal stimulation and pharmacological treatment. In cancer, autophagy is highly context-specific depending on the cell type, tumour microenvironment, disease stage and external stimuli. Recently, the emerging role of autophagy as a double-edged sword in cancer has gained much attention. On one hand, autophagy suppresses malignant transformation by limiting the production of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage during tumour development. Subsequently, autophagy evolved to support the survival of cancer cells and promotes the tumourigenicity of cancer stem cells at established sites. Hence, autophagy is an attractive target for cancer therapeutics and researchers have been exploiting the use of autophagy modulators as adjuvant therapy. In this review, we present a summary of autophagy mechanism and controlling pathways, with emphasis on the dual-role of autophagy (double-edged sword) in cancer. This is followed by an overview of the autophagy modulation for cancer treatment and is concluded by a discussion on the current perspectives and future outlook of autophagy exploitation for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Min Lim
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, W. Persekutuan, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ezanee Azlina Mohamad Hanif
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, W. Persekutuan, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siok-Fong Chin
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, W. Persekutuan, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Regulated Necrotic Cell Death in Alternative Tumor Therapeutic Strategies. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122709. [PMID: 33348858 PMCID: PMC7767016 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of tumors requires the induction of cell death. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are administered to kill cancer cells; however, some cancer cells are resistant to these therapies. Therefore, effective treatments require various strategies for the induction of cell death. Regulated cell death (RCD) is systematically controlled by intracellular signaling proteins. Apoptosis and autophagy are types of RCD that are morphologically different from necrosis, while necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis are morphologically similar to necrosis. Unlike necrosis, regulated necrotic cell death (RNCD) is caused by disruption of the plasma membrane under the control of specific proteins and induces tissue inflammation. Various types of RNCD, such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis, have been used as therapeutic strategies against various tumor types. In this review, the mechanisms of necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis are described in detail, and a potential effective treatment strategy to increase the anticancer effects on apoptosis- or autophagy-resistant tumor types through the induction of RNCD is suggested.
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Hu MB, Zhang JW, Gao JB, Qi YW, Gao Y, Xu L, Ma Y, Wei ZZ. Atorvastatin induces autophagy in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Ultrastruct Pathol 2018; 42:409-415. [PMID: 30300062 DOI: 10.1080/01913123.2018.1522406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This article explores the effects of atorvastatin on cultured breast cancer cells. Our experiment demonstrated that atorvastatin triggered autophagy and inhibited proliferation in breast cancer cells. A CCK8 assay indicated that atorvastatin can inhibit the activity of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Western blotting results showed that atorvastatin increased the conversion of light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate (LC3-II). Confocal microscopy was used to reveal the appearance of a punctate structure in the cytoplasm, and electron microscopy was used to reveal the formation of double-membrane autophagosome. In conclusion, our study showed that atorvastatin may affect MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by inducing autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Bai Hu
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Jing-Wei Zhang
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Jing-Bo Gao
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Yu-Wen Qi
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Yang Gao
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Liu Xu
- b Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Yanbing Ma
- b Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Zheng-Zhuan Wei
- a Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center , Wuhan University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
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Aristizabal Prada ET, Spöttl G, Maurer J, Lauseker M, Koziolek EJ, Schrader J, Grossman A, Pacak K, Beuschlein F, Auernhammer CJ, Nölting S. The role of GSK3 and its reversal with GSK3 antagonism in everolimus resistance. Endocr Relat Cancer 2018; 25:893-908. [PMID: 29895527 PMCID: PMC7439002 DOI: 10.1530/erc-18-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNETs) are often inoperable at diagnosis. The mTORC1 inhibitor everolimus has been approved for the treatment of advanced NETs. However, the regular development of resistance to everolimus limits its clinical efficacy. We established two independent everolimus-resistant panNET (BON1) cell lines (BON1 RR1, BON1 RR2) to find potential mechanisms of resistance. After 24 weeks of permanent exposure to 10 nM everolimus, BON1 RR1 and BON1 RR2 showed stable resistance with cellular survival rates of 96.70% (IC50 = 5200 nM) and 92.30% (IC50 = 2500 nM), respectively. The control cell line showed sensitivity to 10 nM everolimus with cellular survival declining to 54.70% (IC50 = 34 nM). Both resistant cell lines did not regain sensitivity over time and showed persistent stable resistance after a drug holiday of 13 weeks. The mechanisms of resistance in our cell line model included morphological adaptations, G1 cell cycle arrest associated with reduced CDK1(cdc2) expression and decreased autophagy. Cellular migration potential was increased and indirectly linked to c-Met activation. GSK3 was over-activated in association with reduced baseline IRS-1 protein levels. Specific GSK3 inhibition strongly decreased BON1 RR1/RR2 cell survival. The combination of everolimus with the PI3Kα inhibitor BYL719 re-established everolimus sensitivity through GSK3 inhibition and restoration of autophagy. We suggest that GSK3 over-activation combined with decreased baseline IRS-1 protein levels and decreased autophagy may be a crucial feature of everolimus resistance, and hence, a possible therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Tatjana Aristizabal Prada
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Gerald Spöttl
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Julian Maurer
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Lauseker
- Institute for Medical Information SciencesBiometry, and Epidemiology, Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Jolanthe Koziolek
- Department of Nuclear MedicineUniversity Medical Center Charité, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jörg Schrader
- I. Medizinische Klinik und PoliklinikUniversitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ashley Grossman
- Oxford Centre for DiabetesEndocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Royal Free Hospital ENETS Centre of ExcellenceLondon, UK
| | - Karel Pacak
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Felix Beuschlein
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
- Klinik für EndokrinologieDiabetologie und Klinische Ernährung, Universitätsspital Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Joseph Auernhammer
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Svenja Nölting
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IVInterdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Klinikum der Universität München (KUM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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Pacheco-Velázquez SC, Robledo-Cadena DX, Hernández-Reséndiz I, Gallardo-Pérez JC, Moreno-Sánchez R, Rodríguez-Enríquez S. Energy Metabolism Drugs Block Triple Negative Breast Metastatic Cancer Cell Phenotype. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:2151-2164. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Moreno-Sánchez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Sara Rodríguez-Enríquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Medicina Traslacional, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
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Liu Q, Zhou X, Li C, Zhang X, Li CL. Rapamycin promotes the anticancer action of dihydroartemisinin in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by regulating expression of Atg7 and DAPK. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:5781-5786. [PMID: 29545903 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is limited knowledge regarding the influence of autophagy on the anticancer effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA). The present study aimed to investigate this influence within human breast cancer cells. Changes in cell viability, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and associated genes were analyzed in MDA-MB-231 cells subjected to DHA following alteration in autophagy levels; the autophagy level was decreased following autophagy-related 7 (Atg7) knockdown or increased using rapamycin. The data indicated that rapamycin had the ability to notably enhance the anticancer effect of DHA on MDA-MB-231 cells. Autophagy induction may be key in mediating the anticancer effects of DHA, and rapamycin may regulate the death-associated protein kinase via the alteration of Atg7 expression, which would influence cell apoptosis. The present study presented a novel insight into enhancing the effectiveness of future treatment regimens for breast cancer using DHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xianyao Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Chuan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Chang Long Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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Enhanced cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin through the inhibition of autophagy in triple negative breast cancer cell line. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:49-57. [PMID: 27842219 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The outcome of triple negative breast cancer is still poor and requires improvement with better therapy options. Autophagy has recently been shown to play a role in anticancer drug resistance. Therefore, we investigated if the effectiveness of doxorubicin was augmented by the inhibition of autophagy. METHODS MDA-MB-231 was used as a model cell line for triple negative breast cancer and 3-methyladenine was used as an inhibitor of autophagy. Cells were treated with 0.46-1.84μM doxorubicin and 2.5-10μM 3-methyladenine for 48h. Cell death mode was examined with M30 and M65 ELISA assays. ROS level and LDH activity was examined and the cellular acidic compartment of cells was monitored by acridine orange staining. The expression of various autophagy and apoptosis related proteins/genes were evaluated with Western blotting and RT-qPCR respectively. RESULTS Synergism was observed between the compounds (CI value<1.0). RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the combination resulted in a down-regulation of autophagy-related genes. Moreover, the combination resulted in a different cell death modality, upregulating necroptosis-related genes. This suggests that the mode of cell death may switch from apoptosis to necroptosis, which is a more severe form of cell death, when autophagy is inhibited. These results were further confirmed at protein level by Western blotting. CONCLUSION Inhibition of autophagy seems to sensitize triple negative breast cancer cells to doxorubicin, warranting further in vivo studies for the proof of this concept. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Autophagy has a key role in drug resistance in MDA-MB-231 cells. Therefore combinatorial approaches may effectively overcome resistance.
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Rodríguez CE, Reidel SI, Bal de Kier Joffé ED, Jasnis MA, Fiszman GL. Autophagy Protects from Trastuzumab-Induced Cytotoxicity in HER2 Overexpressing Breast Tumor Spheroids. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137920. [PMID: 26360292 PMCID: PMC4567133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular tumor spheroids represent a 3D in vitro model that mimics solid tumor essential properties including assembly and development of extracellular matrix and nutrient, oxygen and proliferation gradients. In the present study, we analyze the impact of 3D spatial organization of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells on the response to Trastuzumab. We cultured human mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines as spheroids with the hanging drop method and we observed a gradient of proliferating, quiescent, hypoxic, apoptotic and autophagic cells towards the inner core. This 3D organization decreased Trastuzumab sensitivity of HER2 over-expressing cells compared to monolayer cell cultures. We did not observe apoptosis induced by Trastuzumab but found cell arrest in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, the treatment downregulated the basal apoptosis only found in tumor spheroids, by eliciting protective autophagy. We were able to increase sensitivity to Trastuzumab by autophagy inhibition, thus exposing the interaction between apoptosis and autophagy. We confirmed this result by developing a resistant cell line that was more sensitive to autophagy inhibition than the parental BT474 cells. In summary, the development of Trastuzumab resistance relies on the balance between death and survival mechanisms, characteristic of 3D cell organization. We propose the use of spheroids to further improve the understanding of Trastuzumab antitumor activity and overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina E. Rodríguez
- Research Area, Institute of Oncology ‘Ángel H. Roffo’, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sara I. Reidel
- Industrial Biotechnology Research and Development Center, National Institute of Industrial Technology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elisa D. Bal de Kier Joffé
- Research Area, Institute of Oncology ‘Ángel H. Roffo’, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria A. Jasnis
- Research Area, Institute of Oncology ‘Ángel H. Roffo’, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriel L. Fiszman
- Research Area, Institute of Oncology ‘Ángel H. Roffo’, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Industrial Biotechnology Research and Development Center, National Institute of Industrial Technology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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