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Mazziotta C, Badiale G, Cervellera CF, Morciano G, Di Mauro G, Touzé A, Pinton P, Tognon M, Martini F, Rotondo JC. All-trans retinoic acid exhibits anti-proliferative and differentiating activity in Merkel cell carcinoma cells via retinoid pathway modulation. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2024; 38:1419-1431. [PMID: 38450801 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.19933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The limited therapies available for treating Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a highly aggressive skin neoplasm, still pose clinical challenges, and novel treatments are required. Targeting retinoid signalling with retinoids, such as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), is a promising and clinically useful antitumor approach. ATRA drives tumour cell differentiation by modulating retinoid signalling, leading to anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects. Although retinoid signalling is dysregulated in MCC, ATRA activity in this tumour is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ATRA on the pathological phenotype of MCC cells. METHODS The effect of ATRA was tested in various Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive and polyomavirus-negative MCC cell lines in terms of cell proliferation, viability, migration and clonogenic abilities. In addition, cell cycle, apoptosis/cell death and the retinoid gene signature were evaluated upon ATRA treatments. RESULTS ATRA efficiently impaired MCC cell proliferation and viability in MCC cells. A strong effect in reducing cell migration and clonogenicity was determined in ATRA-treated cells. Moreover, ATRA resulted as strongly effective in arresting cell cycle and inducing apoptosis/cell death in all tested MCC cells. Enrichment analyses indicated that ATRA was effective in modulating the retinoid gene signature in MCC cells to promote cell differentiation pathways, which led to anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic/cell death effects. CONCLUSIONS These results underline the potential of retinoid-based therapy for MCC management and might open the way to novel experimental approaches with other retinoids and/or combinatorial treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Mazziotta
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Studies on Gender Medicine-Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giada Badiale
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | - Giulia Di Mauro
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Antoine Touzé
- Biologie des infections à Polyomavirus team, UMR INRA ISP 1282, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Paolo Pinton
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mauro Tognon
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Fernanda Martini
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Studies on Gender Medicine-Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - John Charles Rotondo
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Center for Studies on Gender Medicine-Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Xue W, Yu Y, Yao Y, Zhou L, Huang Y, Wang Y, Chen Z, Wang L, Li X, Wang X, Du R, Shen Y, Xu Q. Breast cancer cells have an increased ferroptosis risk induced by system x c- blockade after deliberately downregulating CYTL1 to mediate malignancy. Redox Biol 2024; 70:103034. [PMID: 38211443 PMCID: PMC10821163 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytokine-like protein 1 (CYTL1) expression is deliberately downregulated during the progression of multiple types of cancers, especially breast cancer. However, the metabolic characteristics of cancer progression remain unclear. Here, we uncovered a risk of breast cancer cells harboring low CYTL1 expression, which is metabolically controlled during malignant progression. We performed metabolism comparison and revealed that breast cancer cells with low CYTL1 expression have highly suppressed transsulfuration activity that is driven by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and contributes to de novo cysteine synthesis. Mechanistically, CYTL1 activated Nrf2 by promoting autophagic Keap1 degradation, and Nrf2 subsequently transactivated CBS expression. Due to the lack of cellular cysteine synthesis, breast cancer cells with low CYTL1 expression showed hypersensitivity to system xc- blockade-induced ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. Silencing CBS counteracted CYTL1-mediated ferroptosis resistance. Our results show the importance of exogeneous cysteine in breast cancer cells with low CYTL1 expression and highlight a potential metabolic vulnerability to target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongzhong Yao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yixuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhixiu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ronghui Du
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Qiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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Butsri S, Kukongviriyapan V, Senggunprai L, Kongpetch S, Prawan A. 13‑ cis‑retinoic acid inhibits the self‑renewal, migration, invasion and adhesion of cholangiocarcinoma cells. Int J Mol Med 2023; 51:20. [PMID: 36660943 PMCID: PMC9911079 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2023.5223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
13‑cis‑retinoic acid (13CRA), a Food and Drug Administration‑approved drug for severe acne, is currently being investigated for its potential use in skin cancer prevention. 13CRA has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects against various types of cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. However, to the best of our knowledge, no information is yet available regarding the effects of 13CRA on cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignancy of the bile duct epithelia. Currently, there are no reliably effective therapeutic options for metastatic CCA. The present study thus aimed to evaluate the effects of 13CRA on the self‑renewal, migration, invasion and adhesion of CCA cells, and also investigated the underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that 13CRA suppressed cell proliferation via the inhibition of the self‑renewal ability of CCA cells. 13CRA induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in KKU‑100 and KKU‑213B CCA cells through the regulation of cell cycle‑regulatory genes and proteins. 13CRA reduced the cell migratory ability of both cell lines via the modulation of the genes and proteins associated with epithelial‑mesenchymal transition. 13CRA also inhibited the invasive and adhesive abilities of CCA cells via the suppression of genes and proteins associated with the invasion and adhesion of CCA cells. On the whole, these results suggested that 13CRA exerts suppressive effects on CCA cell proliferation, migration, adhesion and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Auemduan Prawan
- Correspondence to: Dr Auemduan Prawan, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mittraparp Highway, Muang, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, E-mail:
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Abdelaal MR, Ibrahim E, Elnagar MR, Soror SH, Haffez H. Augmented Therapeutic Potential of EC-Synthetic Retinoids in Caco-2 Cancer Cells Using an In Vitro Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169442. [PMID: 36012706 PMCID: PMC9409216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer therapies have produced promising clinical responses, but tumor cells rapidly develop resistance to these drugs. It has been previously shown that EC19 and EC23, two EC-synthetic retinoids, have single-agent preclinical anticancer activity in colorectal carcinoma. Here, isobologram analysis revealed that they have synergistic cytotoxicity with retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isoform-selective agonistic retinoids such as AC261066 (RARβ2-selective agonist) and CD437 (RARγ-selective agonist) in Caco-2 cells. This synergism was confirmed by calculating the combination index (lower than 1) and the dose reduction index (higher than 1). Flow cytometry of combinatorial IC50 (the concentration causing 50% cell death) confirmed the cell cycle arrest at the SubG0-G1 phase with potentiated apoptotic and necrotic effects. The reported synergistic anticancer activity can be attributed to their ability to reduce the expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters including P-glycoprotein (P-gp1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and multi-drug resistance-associated protein-1 (MRP1) and Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70). This adds up to the apoptosis-promoting activity of EC19 and EC23, as shown by the increased Caspase-3/7 activities and DNA fragmentation leading to DNA double-strand breaks. This study sheds the light on the possible use of EC-synthetic retinoids in the rescue of multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer using Caco-2 as a model and suggests new promising combinations between different synthetic retinoids. The current in vitro results pave the way for future studies on these compounds as possible cures for colorectal carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed R. Abdelaal
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
- Center of Scientific Excellence “Helwan Structural Biology Research, (HSBR)”, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Esraa Ibrahim
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
- Center of Scientific Excellence “Helwan Structural Biology Research, (HSBR)”, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Mohamed R. Elnagar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11823, Egypt
| | - Sameh H. Soror
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
- Center of Scientific Excellence “Helwan Structural Biology Research, (HSBR)”, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Hesham Haffez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
- Center of Scientific Excellence “Helwan Structural Biology Research, (HSBR)”, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +20-1094-970-173
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