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Jeibouei S, Monfared AK, Hojat A, Aref AR, Shams F, Dolati M, Moradi A, Hosseini M, Javadi SM, Ajoudanian M, Molavi Z, Moghaddam M, Mohammadi F, Nuoroozi G, Naeimi SK, Shahani M, Zali H, Akbari ME, Mostafavi E. Human-derived Tumor-On-Chip model to study the heterogeneity of breast cancer tissue. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 162:213915. [PMID: 38878646 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
One of the leading causes that complicate the treatment of some malignancies, including breast cancer, is tumor heterogeneity. In addition to inter-heterogeneity and intra-heterogeneity of tumors that reflect the differences between cancer cell characteristics, heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor progression and could be considered an overlooked and a proper target for the effective selection of therapeutic approaches. Due to the difficulty of completely capturing tumor heterogeneity in conventional detection methods, Tumor-on-Chip (TOC) devices with culturing patient-derived spheroids could be an appropriate alternative. In this research, human-derived spheroids from breast cancer individuals were cultured for 6 days in microfluidic devices. To compare TOC data with conventional detection methods, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ITRAQ data were employed, and various protein expressions were validated using the transcriptomic databases. The behavior of the spheroids in the collagen matrix and the cell viability were monitored over 6 days of culture. IHC and immunocytochemistry (ICC) results revealed that inter and intra-heterogeneity of tumor spheroids are associated with HER2/ER expression. HER2 expression levels revealed a more important biomarker associated with invasion in the 3D culturing of spheroids. The expression levels of CD163 (as a marker for Ma2 macrophages) and CD44 (a marker for cancer stem cells (CSCs)) were also evaluated. Interestingly, the levels of M2a macrophages and CSCs were higher in triple-negative specimens and samples that showed higher migration and invasion. Cell density and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness were also important factors affecting the migration and invasion of the spheroids through the matrix. Among these, rigid ECM revealed a more crucial role than cell density. To sum up, these research findings demonstrated that human-derived spheroids from breast cancer specimens in microfluidic devices provide a dynamic condition for predicting tumor heterogeneity in patients, which can help move the field forward for better and more accurate therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Jeibouei
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran; Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Hampton, VA 23669, USA
| | - Arefeh Khazraie Monfared
- William Harvey Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Hojat
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Department of surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Vitro Vision, DeepkinetiX Inc, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Forough Shams
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mandana Dolati
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Afshin Moradi
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Hosseini
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammadreza Javadi
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Besat Hospital, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 65178-38636, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ajoudanian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Molavi
- Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Maryam Moghaddam
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Mohammadi
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Ghader Nuoroozi
- Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Khakpour Naeimi
- Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Department of Biology, Tehran 63537-11489, Iran
| | - Minoo Shahani
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Hakimeh Zali
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran; Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari
- Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran.
| | - Ebrahim Mostafavi
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Sankhe CS, Sacco JL, Lawton J, Fair RA, Soares DVR, Aldahdooh MKR, Gomez ED, Gomez EW. Breast Cancer Cells Exhibit Mesenchymal-Epithelial Plasticity Following Dynamic Modulation of Matrix Stiffness. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024:e2400087. [PMID: 38977422 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202400087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is essential for tissue and organ development and is thought to contribute to cancer by enabling the establishment of metastatic lesions. Despite its importance in both health and disease, there is a lack of in vitro platforms to study MET and little is known about the regulation of MET by mechanical cues. Here, hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels with dynamic and tunable stiffnesses mimicking that of normal and tumorigenic mammary tissue are synthesized. The platform is then utilized to examine the response of mammary epithelial cells and breast cancer cells to dynamic modulation of matrix stiffness. Gradual softening of the hydrogels reduces proliferation and increases apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Moreover, breast cancer cells exhibit temporal changes in cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression that are consistent with mesenchymal-epithelial plasticity as the stiffness of the matrix is reduced. A reduction in matrix stiffness attenuates the expression of integrin-linked kinase, and inhibition of integrin-linked kinase impacts proliferation, apoptosis, and gene expression in cells cultured on stiff and dynamic hydrogels. Overall, these findings reveal intermediate epithelial/mesenchymal states as cells move along a matrix stiffness-mediated MET trajectory and suggest an important role for matrix mechanics in regulating mesenchymal-epithelial plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay S Sankhe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jessica L Sacco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jacob Lawton
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Ryan A Fair
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | | | - Mohammed K R Aldahdooh
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Enrique D Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Esther W Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Alwehaibi MA, Al-Ansari MM, Alfadda AA, Al-Malki R, Masood A, Abdel Rahman AM, Benabdelkamel H. Proteomics Investigation of the Impact of the Enterococcus faecalis Secretome on MCF-7 Tumor Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14937. [PMID: 37834385 PMCID: PMC10573200 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914937] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among women. The microenvironment of a cancer tumor is surrounded by various cells, including the microbiota. An imbalance between microbes and their host may contribute to the development and spread of breast cancer. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the influence of Enterococcus faecalis on a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) to mimic the luminal A subtype of breast cancer, using an untargeted proteomics approach to analyze the proteomic profiles of breast cancer cells after their treatment with E. faecalis in order to understand the microbiome and its role in the development of cancer. The breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was cultured and then treated with a 10% bacterial supernatant at two time points (24 h and 48 h) at 37 °C in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2. Proteins were then extracted and separated using two-dimensional difference (2D-DIGE) gel electrophoresis, and the statistically significant proteins (p-value < 0.05, fold change > 1.5) were identified via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The protein fingerprints showed a differential protein expression pattern in the cells treated with E. faecalis for 24 and 48 h compared with the control. We found 58 statistically significant proteins changes in the MCF-7 breast cancer cells affected by E. faecalis. Kilin and transgelin were upregulated after 24 h of treatment and could be used as diagnostic and prognostic markers for breast cancer. In addition, another protein involved in the inhibition of cell proliferation was coiled-coil domain-containing protein 154. The protein markers identified in this study may serve as possible biomarkers for breast cancer progression. This promotes their future uses as important therapeutic goals in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer and increases our understanding of the breast microbiome and its role in the development of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moudi A Alwehaibi
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Proteomics Resource Unit, Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mysoon M Al-Ansari
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Assim A Alfadda
- Proteomics Resource Unit, Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and King Saud Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reem Al-Malki
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afshan Masood
- Proteomics Resource Unit, Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anas M Abdel Rahman
- Metabolomics Section, Department of Clinical Genomics, Center for Genome Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hicham Benabdelkamel
- Proteomics Resource Unit, Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
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Combination of ZEN-3694 with CDK4/6 inhibitors reverses acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER-positive breast cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:859-869. [PMID: 34385584 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
CDK4/6 inhibitors significantly prolong progression-free survival in patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR+) HER2-negative breast cancer. Despite recent successes, patients acquire resistance, necessitating the development of additional novel therapeutic strategies. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are key epigenetic regulators that interact with acetylated lysine (AcLys) residues of histones or transcription factors. BET proteins are directly involved in modulating estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and the cell cycle. Therefore, BET inhibitors can potentially offer new strategies in the treatment of advanced ER+ breast cancer. ZEN-3694 is an orally bioavailable small molecule BET inhibitor currently being evaluated in Phase 1/2 clinical trials (NCT03901469). To assess a potential combination strategy in a CDK4/6i resistant breast cancer population, we investigated the mechanism of action of ZEN-3694 combined with CDK4/6 inhibitors in the ER+ cell lines resistant to palbociclib or abemaciclib. Here, we describe that the combination of ZEN-3694 with CDK4/6i potently inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in CDK4/6i resistant cell lines. The resistance to both palbociclib and abemaciclib was associated with the strong upregulation of CDK6 and CCND1 protein levels, which was reversed by the ZEN-3694 treatment. Furthermore, RNAseq data and pathway analysis elucidated the combinatorial effects of ZEN-3694 with CDK4/6 inhibitors through significant downregulation of multiple pathways involved in cell cycle regulation, cellular growth, proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and cellular immune response. Our data indicate that ZEN-3694 has therapeutic potential in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with advanced ER+ breast resistant to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
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Knockdown of ILK Alleviates High Glucose-Induced Damage of H9C2 Cells through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Pathway. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:6205190. [PMID: 35571621 PMCID: PMC9098299 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6205190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the role of ILK in an in vitro model of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We used 30 mmol/L high glucose to treat H9C2 cells to construct an in vitro model, knocked down the ILK expression level of H9C2 cells by small interference technology, and detected the activity of antioxidant enzymes and inflammatory factors in the supernatant. The expression levels of SOD1 and IL-1β were detected by immunofluorescence staining. The expression levels of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and its downstream factors were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Compared with the control group, after high-glucose culture of H9C2 cells, the cell activity decreased, while the apoptosis rate increased, with the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway activated, thereby inducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Compared with the high-glucose group, the HG+si-ILK group increased cell activity, decreased the apoptosis rate, and inhibited the excessive activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby improving oxidative stress and inflammation. Knockdown of ILK expression can protect H9C2 cells from reducing high glucose-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Xu M, Zhao D, Chen Y, Chen C, Zhang L, Sun L, Chen J, Tang Q, Sun S, Ma C, Liang X, Wang S. Charge Reversal Polypyrrole Nanocomplex-Mediated Gene Delivery and Photothermal Therapy for Effectively Treating Papillary Thyroid Cancer and Inhibiting Lymphatic Metastasis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:14072-14086. [PMID: 35289594 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c25179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As a traditional treatment for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), surgical resection of diseased tissues often brings lots of inconveniences to patients, and the tumor recurrence and metastasis are difficult to avoid. Herein, we developed a gene and photothermal combined therapy nanosystem based on a polypyrrole (Ppy)-poly(ethylene imine)-siILK nanocomplex (PPRILK) to achieve minimally invasive ablation and lymphatic metastasis inhibition in PTC simultaneously. In this system, gelatin-stabilized Ppy mainly acted as a photothermal- and photoacoustic (PA)-responsive nanomaterial and contributed to its well-behaved photosensitivity in the near-infrared region. Moreover, gelatin-stabilized Ppy possessed a charge reversal function, facilitating the tight conjunction of siILK gene at physiological pH (7.35-7.45) and its automatic release into acidic lysosomes (pH 4.0-5.5); the proton sponge effect generated during this process further facilitated the escape of siILK from lysosomes to the cytoplasm and played its role in inhibiting PTC proliferation and lymphatic metastasis. With the guidance of fluorescence and PA bimodal imaging, gene delivery and Ppy location in tumor regions could be clearly observed. As a result, tumors were completely eradicated by photothermal therapy, and the recurrences and metastases were obviously restrained by siILK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghong Xu
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Duo Zhao
- Department of Ultrasound, Ordos City Central Hospital, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia 017000, P. R. China
| | - Yuwen Chen
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Chaoyi Chen
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Lihong Sun
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Qingshuang Tang
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Suhui Sun
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Ma
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolong Liang
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Shumin Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
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Kakati T, Bhattacharyya DK, Kalita JK, Norden-Krichmar TM. DEGnext: classification of differentially expressed genes from RNA-seq data using a convolutional neural network with transfer learning. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:17. [PMID: 34991439 PMCID: PMC8734099 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04527-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A limitation of traditional differential expression analysis on small datasets involves the possibility of false positives and false negatives due to sample variation. Considering the recent advances in deep learning (DL) based models, we wanted to expand the state-of-the-art in disease biomarker prediction from RNA-seq data using DL. However, application of DL to RNA-seq data is challenging due to absence of appropriate labels and smaller sample size as compared to number of genes. Deep learning coupled with transfer learning can improve prediction performance on novel data by incorporating patterns learned from other related data. With the emergence of new disease datasets, biomarker prediction would be facilitated by having a generalized model that can transfer the knowledge of trained feature maps to the new dataset. To the best of our knowledge, there is no Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based model coupled with transfer learning to predict the significant upregulating (UR) and downregulating (DR) genes from both trained and untrained datasets. RESULTS We implemented a CNN model, DEGnext, to predict UR and DR genes from gene expression data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. DEGnext uses biologically validated data along with logarithmic fold change values to classify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as UR and DR genes. We applied transfer learning to our model to leverage the knowledge of trained feature maps to untrained cancer datasets. DEGnext's results were competitive (ROC scores between 88 and 99[Formula: see text]) with those of five traditional machine learning methods: Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and XGBoost. DEGnext was robust and effective in terms of transferring learned feature maps to facilitate classification of unseen datasets. Additionally, we validated that the predicted DEGs from DEGnext were mapped to significant Gene Ontology terms and pathways related to cancer. CONCLUSIONS DEGnext can classify DEGs into UR and DR genes from RNA-seq cancer datasets with high performance. This type of analysis, using biologically relevant fine-tuning data, may aid in the exploration of potential biomarkers and can be adapted for other disease datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulika Kakati
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Tezpur University, Assam, India
| | | | - Jugal K Kalita
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Trina M Norden-Krichmar
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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Narayanankutty A. Phytochemicals as PI3K/ Akt/ mTOR Inhibitors and Their Role in Breast Cancer Treatment. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2021; 15:188-199. [PMID: 32914720 DOI: 10.2174/1574892815666200910164641] [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: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the predominant form of cancer in women; various cellular pathways are involved in the initiation and progression of breast cancer. Among the various types of breast cancer that differ in their growth factor receptor status, PI3K/Akt signaling is a common pathway where all these converge. Thus, the PI3K signaling is of great interest as a target for breast cancer prevention; however, it is less explored. OBJECTIVE The present review is aimed to provide a concise outline of the role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in breast carcinogenesis and its progression events, including metastasis, drug resistance and stemness. The review emphasizes the role of natural and synthetic inhibitors of PI3K/Akt/m- TOR pathway in breast cancer prevention. METHODS The data were obtained from PubMed/Medline databases, Scopus and Google patent literature. RESULTS PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling plays an important role in human breast carcinogenesis; it acts on the initiation and progression events associated with it. Numerous molecules have been isolated and identified as promising drug candidates by targeting the signaling pathway. Results from clinical studies confirm their application in the treatment of human breast cancer alone and in combination with classical chemotherapeutics as well as monoclonal antibodies. CONCLUSION PI3K/mTOR signaling blockers have evolved as promising anticancer agents by interfering breast cancer development and progression at various stages. Natural products and bioactive components are emerging as novel inhibitors of PI3K signaling and more research in this area may yield numerous drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunaksharan Narayanankutty
- Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Post Graduate & Research Department of Zoology, St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Devagiri, Kerala, India
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Tsirtsaki K, Gkretsi V. The focal adhesion protein Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) as an important player in breast cancer pathogenesis. Cell Adh Migr 2021; 14:204-213. [PMID: 33043811 PMCID: PMC7553581 DOI: 10.1080/19336918.2020.1829263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-extracellular matrix interactions, or focal adhesions (FA), are crucial for tissue homeostasis but are also implicated in cancer. Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) is an abundantly expressed FA protein involved in multiple signaling pathways. Here, we reviewed the current literature on the role of ILK in breast cancer (BC). Articles included in vitro and in vivo experiments as well as studies in human BC samples. ILK attenuation via silencing or pharmaceutical inhibition, leads to apoptosis or inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and cell invasion whereas ILK overexpression suppresses anoikis and promotes tumor growth and metastasis. Finally, ILK is upregulated in BC tumors and its expression is associated with grade, and metastasis. Therefore, ILK should be evaluated as a potential anti-cancer pharmaceutical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Tsirtsaki
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus , Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Vasiliki Gkretsi
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus , Nicosia, Cyprus
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Geraniin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis through inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in human colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. Anticancer Drugs 2021; 31:575-582. [PMID: 32427739 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Geraniin, a polyphenolic component isolated from Phyllanthus amarus, has been reported to possess diverse biological activities, including antitumor, antiinflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of geraniin in colorectal cancer still remain unclear. In the present study, we found that geraniin notably inhibited cell proliferation and clonogenic formation of colorectal cancer cell SW480 and HT-29 in a dose-dependent manner by Cell Counting Kit 8, EdU, and colony formation assays, respectively. Additionally, geraniin remarkably induced apoptosis of SW480 and HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent way by Hoechst 33342 staining, flow cytometric analysis, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assays and increased the expressions of Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9, while decreased the level of Bcl-2. Besides, wound healing, transwell migration, and invasion assays demonstrated that geraniin obviously inhibited the migration and invasion of SW480 and HT-29 cells. Moreover, it also inhibited the levels of phospho (p)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p-Akt. Furthermore, in-vivo animal study revealed that geraniin had the significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth and promoted cancer cell apoptosis remarkably, which further confirmed the antitumor effect of geraniin. Taken together, the present study exhibited the positive role of geraniin in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis through suppression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, which might provide new insights in searching for new drug candidates of anticolorectal cancer.
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Pu Q, Lu L, Dong K, Geng WW, Lv YR, Gao HD. The Novel Transcription Factor CREB3L4 Contributes to the Progression of Human Breast Carcinoma. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2020; 25:37-50. [PMID: 32026099 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-020-09443-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast carcinoma(BC)is the most common cancer type among females globally. Understanding the molecular pathways that trigger the development of BC is crucial for both prevention and treatment. As such, the role of transcription factors (TFs) in the development of BC is a focal point in this field. CREB3s play a critical role in initiating the unfolded protein response (UPR); however, the role of CREB3 family members in breast cancer development remains largely unknown. Here, we mined the ONCOMINE database for the transcriptional data of CREB3s in patients with BC. Then, the regulatory functions of a novel TF, CREB3L4, were investigated. CREB3L4 knockdown in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. ChIP assays confirmed that CREB3L4 can directly bind to the PCNA promoter region, suggesting that the PCNA protein may be functionally downstream of CREB3L4. Additionally, the expression level of CREB3L4 was assessed using our cohort. CREB3L4 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and is significantly associated with histological grade and tumour size (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, PCNA expression was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and positively correlated with CREB3L4. In summary, CREB3L4 may play an important role in the progression of human BC and may serve as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Pu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, People's Republic of China
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) of Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200040, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Dong
- Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Wen Geng
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) of Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Rong Lv
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hai-Dong Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, People's Republic of China.
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao) of Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China.
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