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Wang P, Pan Y, Zhang Y, Chen C, Hu J, Wang X. Role of interferon-induced transmembrane protein family in cancer progression: a special focus on pancreatic cancer. Med Oncol 2024; 41:85. [PMID: 38472606 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02308-6] [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: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Human interferon-induced transmembrane protein family (IFITMs) consists of five main proteins. IFITM1, IFITM2, and IFITM3 can be induced by interferon, while IFITM5 and IFITM10 are insensitive to interferon. IFITMs has various functions, including well-researched antiviral effects. As a molecule whose expression is significantly increased by interferon in the immune microenvironment, IFITMs has drawn growing interest in recent years for their role in the cancer progression. Unlike antiviral effects, the role and mechanism of IFITMs in cancer progression have not been clearly studied, especially the role and molecular mechanism of IFITMs in pancreatic cancer are rarely reported in the literature. This article focuses on the role and potential mechanism of IFITMs in pancreatic cancer progression by analyzing the function and mechanism of IFITM1-3 in other cancers and conducting bioinformatics analysis using the databases, so as to provide a new target for pancreatic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Wang
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Pan
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Congliang Chen
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Junmei Hu
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, 3-17 Renmin South Rd, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Montalvo-Javé EE, Nuño-Lámbarri N, López-Sánchez GN, Ayala-Moreno EA, Gutierrez-Reyes G, Beane J, Pawlik TM. Pancreatic Cancer: Genetic Conditions and Epigenetic Alterations. J Gastrointest Surg 2023; 27:1001-1010. [PMID: 36749558 DOI: 10.1007/s11605-022-05553-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a lethal proliferative disease driven by multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. Microarrays and omics-based sequencing techniques are potent tools that have facilitated a broader understanding of the complex biological processes that drive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In turn, these tools have resulted in the identification of novel disease markers, prognostic factors, and therapeutic targets. Herein, we provide a review of the genetic and epigenetic drivers of PDAC relative to recent discoveries that impact patient management. METHODS A review of PubMed, Medline, Clinical Key, and Index Medicus was conducted to identify literature from January 1995 to July 2022 that is related to PDAC genetics and epigenetics. Articles in Spanish and English were considered during selection. RESULTS Molecular, genetic, and epigenetic diagnostic tools, novel biomarkers, and promising therapeutic targets have emerged in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The implementation of microarray technology and application of large omics-based data repositories have facilitated recent discoveries in PDAC. Multiple molecular analyses based on RNA interference have been instrumental in the identification of novel therapeutic targets for patients with PDAC. Moreover, microarrays and next-generation omics-based discoveries have been instrumental in the characterization of subtypes of pancreatic cancer, thereby improving prognostication and refining patient selection for available targeted therapies. CONCLUSION Advances in molecular biology, genetics, and epigenetics have ushered in a new era of discovery in the pathobiology of PDAC. Current efforts are underway to translate these findings into clinical tools and therapies to improve outcomes in patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo E Montalvo-Javé
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Clinic, Department of Surgery, Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", Mexico City, Mexico. .,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | | | | | - Edwin A Ayala-Moreno
- Department of Surgery, Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Gutierrez-Reyes
- Liver, Pancreas and Motility Laboratory, Unit of Experimental Medicine, Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Joal Beane
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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Pozzi V, Campagna R, Sartini D, Emanuelli M. Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase as Promising Tool for Management of Gastrointestinal Neoplasms. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091173. [PMID: 36139012 PMCID: PMC9496617 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms include esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatic, and pancreatic cancers. They are characterized by asymptomatic behavior, being responsible for diagnostic delay. Substantial refractoriness to chemo- and radiotherapy, exhibited by late-stage tumors, contribute to determine poor patient outcome. Therefore, it is of outmost importance to identify new molecular targets for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we focused on the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which catalyzes the N-methylation reaction of nicotinamide and whose overexpression has been reported in numerous neoplasms, including GI cancers. The aim of this review was to report data illustrating NNMT involvement in these tumors, highlighting its contribution to tumor cell phenotype. Cited works clearly demonstrate the interesting potential use of enzyme level determination for both diagnostic and prognostic purposes. NNMT was also found to positively affect cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, contributing to sustain in vitro and in vivo tumor growth and metastatic spread. Moreover, enzyme upregulation featuring tumor cells was significantly associated with enhancement of resistance to treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs. Taken together, these results strongly suggest the possibility to target NNMT for setup of molecular-based strategies to effectively treat GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Pozzi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Roberto Campagna
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Davide Sartini
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-071-2204673
| | - Monica Emanuelli
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
- New York-Marche Structural Biology Center (NY-MaSBiC), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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Beyond Nicotinamide Metabolism: Potential Role of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase as a Biomarker in Skin Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194943. [PMID: 34638427 PMCID: PMC8508019 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Skin cancers (SC) collectively represent the most common type of malignancy in white populations. SC includes two main forms: malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). NMSC includes different subtypes, namely, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), and keratoacanthoma (KA), together with the two pre-neoplastic conditions Bowen disease (BD) and actinic keratosis (AK). Both malignant melanoma and NMSC are showing an increasing incidence rate worldwide, thus representing an important challenge for health care systems, also because, with some exceptions, SC are generally characterized by an aggressive behavior and are often diagnosed late. Thus, identifying new biomarkers suitable for diagnosis, as well as for prognosis and targeted therapy is mandatory. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is an enzyme that is emerging as a crucial player in the progression of several malignancies, while its substrate, nicotinamide, is known to exert chemopreventive effects. Since there is increasing evidence regarding the involvement of this enzyme in the malignant behavior of SC, the current review aims to summarize the state of the art as concerns NNMT role in SC and to support future studies focused on exploring the diagnostic and prognostic potential of NNMT in skin malignancies and its suitability for targeted therapy.
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The Utility of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase as a Potential Biomarker to Predict the Oncological Outcomes for Urological Cancers: An Update. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11081214. [PMID: 34439880 PMCID: PMC8393883 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyzes the N-methylation reaction of nicotinamide, using S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor. Enzyme overexpression has been described in many non-neoplastic diseases, as well as in a wide range of solid malignancies. This review aims to report and discuss evidence available in scientific literature, dealing with NNMT expression and the potential involvement in main urologic neoplasms, namely, renal, bladder and prostate cancers. Data illustrated in the cited studies clearly demonstrated NNMT upregulation (pathological vs. normal tissue) in association with these aforementioned tumors. In addition to this, enzyme levels were also found to correlate with key prognostic parameters and patient survival. Interestingly, NNMT overexpression also emerged in peripheral body fluids, such as blood and urine, thus leading to candidate the enzyme as promising biomarker for the early and non-invasive detection of these cancers. Examined results undoubtedly showed NNMT as having the capacity to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness, as well as its potential participation in fundamental events highlighting cancer progression, metastasis and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. In the light of this evidence, it is reasonable to attribute to NNMT a promising role as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of urologic neoplasms, as well as a molecular target for effective anti-cancer treatment.
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Campagna R, Mateuszuk Ł, Wojnar-Lason K, Kaczara P, Tworzydło A, Kij A, Bujok R, Mlynarski J, Wang Y, Sartini D, Emanuelli M, Chlopicki S. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in endothelium protects against oxidant stress-induced endothelial injury. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1868:119082. [PMID: 34153425 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT, EC 2.1.1.1.) plays an important role in the growth of many different tumours and is also involved in various non-neoplastic disorders. However, the presence and role of NNMT in the endothelium has yet to be specifically explored. Here, we characterized the functional activity of NNMT in the endothelium and tested whether NNMT regulates endothelial cell viability. NNMT in endothelial cells (HAEC, HMEC-1 and EA.hy926) was inhibited using two approaches: pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme by NNMT inhibitors (5-amino-1-methylquinoline - 5MQ and 6-methoxynicotinamide - JBSF-88) or by shRNA-mediated silencing. Functional inhibition of NNMT was confirmed by LC/MS/MS-based analysis of impaired MNA production. The effects of NNMT inhibition on cellular viability were analyzed in both the absence and presence of menadione. Our results revealed that all studied endothelial lines express relatively high levels of functionally active NNMT compared with cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). Although the aldehyde oxidase 1 enzyme was also expressed in the endothelium, the further metabolites of N1-methylnicotinamide (N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide and N1-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide) generated by this enzyme were not detected, suggesting that endothelial NNMT-derived MNA was not subsequently metabolized in the endothelium by aldehyde oxidase 1. Menadione induced a concentration-dependent decrease in endothelial viability as evidenced by a decrease in cell number that was associated with the upregulation of NNMT and SIRT1 expression in the nucleus in viable cells. The suppression of the NNMT activity either by NNMT inhibitors or shRNA-based silencing significantly decreased the endothelial cell viability in response to menadione. Furthermore, NNMT inhibition resulted in nuclear SIRT1 expression downregulation and upregulation of the phosphorylated form of SIRT1 on Ser47. In conclusion, our results suggest that the endothelial nuclear NNMT/SIRT1 pathway exerts a cytoprotective role that safeguards endothelial cell viability under oxidant stress insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Campagna
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Łukasz Mateuszuk
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Kamila Wojnar-Lason
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Pharmacology, Krakow, Poland
| | - Patrycja Kaczara
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Tworzydło
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kij
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Robert Bujok
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Mlynarski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, LKS Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Davide Sartini
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Monica Emanuelli
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Stefan Chlopicki
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Pharmacology, Krakow, Poland.
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Ramsden DB, Waring RH, Parsons RB, Barlow DJ, Williams AC. Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase: Genomic Connection to Disease. Int J Tryptophan Res 2020; 13:1178646920919770. [PMID: 32547055 PMCID: PMC7273554 DOI: 10.1177/1178646920919770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in and around the nicotinamide
N-methyltransferase (NNMT) gene are associated with a range
of cancers and other diseases and conditions. The data on these associations
have been assembled, and their strength discussed. There is no evidence that the
presence of either the major or minor base in any SNP affects the expression of
nicotinamide N-methyltransferase. Nevertheless, suggestions
have been put forward that some of these SNPs do affect NNMT expression and thus
homocysteine metabolism. An alternative idea involving non-coding messenger RNAs
(mRNAs) is suggested as a possible mechanism whereby health is influenced. It is
postulated that these long, non-coding NNMT mRNAs may exert deleterious effects
by interfering with the expression of other genes. Neither hypothesis, however,
has experimental proof, and further work is necessary to elucidate NNMT genetic
interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Ramsden
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Richard B Parsons
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - David J Barlow
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Kings College London, London, UK
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Zhang L, Wang Z, Kong D, Zhao X, Chen X, Chai W. Knockdown of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 inhibited proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and suppressed MAPK signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2020; 84:1603-1613. [PMID: 32434425 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2020.1762479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC), highly malignant, is one of the most lethal cancers. Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) has recently been regarded as a new molecular marker in human cancers. However, the role of IFITM1 in PC remains unclear. In this study, a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was constructed to assess the effect of IFITM1 on PANC-1 and ASPC-1 cells. The level of IFITM1 was downregulated in cells transfected with shRNA targeting IFITM1 (sh-IFITM1). Silencing of IFITM1 significantly decreased cell viability, downregulated the level of Ki-67, arrested cell at G1/S phase, reduced the number of cells in S phase, and decreased cyclinD1, cyclinE, CDK2, and CDK4 levels. Moreover, Hoechst staining and Western blotting analysis showed that cell apoptosis was induced by IFITM1. IFITM1 knockdown suppressed the MAPK signaling pathway by downregulation of p-ERK, p-P38, and p-JNK levels. These findings suggested that IFITM1 could be considered a potential therapeutic target for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Zhenyong Wang
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Deshuai Kong
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Xiulei Zhao
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Xiongfei Chen
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Wei Chai
- First Department of General Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital , Cangzhou, Hebei, China
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Pompei V, Salvolini E, Rubini C, Lucarini G, Molinelli E, Brisigotti V, Pozzi V, Sartini D, Campanati A, Offidani A, Emanuelli M. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in nonmelanoma skin cancers. Eur J Clin Invest 2019; 49:e13175. [PMID: 31571214 DOI: 10.1111/eci.13175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represent the most common forms of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Although successful treatment of these neoplasms is based on surgical excision, an increasing number of BCCs relapses and many SCCs display high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a cytosolic enzyme, which was found to be upregulated in different solid tumours. However, there are no data regarding enzyme expression in NMSCs. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the potential involvement of NNMT in BCCs and SCCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immunohistochemical analyses were carried out on 40 BCC cases and 39 SCC cases, to evaluate enzyme expression in tumour and surrounding healthy margins. Moreover, the relationship between NNMT intratumour levels and clinico-pathological parameters were explored. RESULTS Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase was found to be overexpressed in BCCs compared with control tissues, while a significant enzyme downregulation was detected in SCCs with respect to corresponding healthy margins. In addition, NNMT levels were negatively related to aggressiveness of both BCCs (distinguishing between infiltrative and nodular tumours) and SCCs (considering head and neck forms and tumours of the extremities and trunk). CONCLUSIONS These evidences seem to demonstrate that the different NNMT dysregulation detected in BCC and SCC may be the result of important biological traits distinctively characterizing these two forms within NMSCs. In addition, enzyme levels seem to be inversely correlated with tumour aggressiveness, thus suggesting the potential suitability of the enzyme as a prognostic biomarker for both neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Pompei
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Eleonora Salvolini
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Corrado Rubini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Guendalina Lucarini
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Elisa Molinelli
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Valerio Brisigotti
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Valentina Pozzi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.,New York-Marche Structural Biology Center (NY-MaSBiC), Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Davide Sartini
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Anna Campanati
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Annamaria Offidani
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Monica Emanuelli
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.,New York-Marche Structural Biology Center (NY-MaSBiC), Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Ganzetti G, Sartini D, Campanati A, Rubini C, Molinelli E, Brisigotti V, Cecati M, Pozzi V, Campagna R, Offidani A, Emanuelli M. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase: potential involvement in cutaneous malignant melanoma. Melanoma Res 2018; 28:82-88. [PMID: 29420365 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is an enzyme that catalyzes the N-methylation of nicotinamide and pyridine compounds, participating in xenobiotic and drug metabolism. Data on literature have evidenced a possible role of NNMT in many solid cancers, but no data are currently available in cutaneous melanoma. Recent important advances have been achieved in the treatment of advanced melanoma with targeted therapy and immunotherapy. However, the identification of biomarkers that can be used for the detection of early stage disease as well as for monitoring the therapeutic response during treatment is of utmost importance. The aim of this study was to study the possible role of NNMT in melanoma. In the present study, we carried out immunohistochemical analyses to evaluate the expression of the enzyme NNMT in 34 melanomas and 34 nevi. Moreover, we explored the relationship between NNMT levels and the prognostic parameters of patients with melanoma. The results obtained showed significantly (P<0.0001) higher NNMT expression in melanoma compared with that detected in nevi. In addition, a significant (P<0.05) inverse relationship was found between enzyme levels and Breslow thickness, Clark level, the presence/number of mitoses, and ulceration. Taken together, these data seem to suggest that NNMT could represent a molecular biomarker for melanoma, thus highlighting its potential for both diagnosis and prognosis of this neoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Corrado Rubini
- Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Valentina Pozzi
- Clinical and Stomatological Sciences
- New York-Marche Structural Biology Centre (NY-MaSBiC), New York City, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Monica Emanuelli
- Clinical and Stomatological Sciences
- New York-Marche Structural Biology Centre (NY-MaSBiC), New York City, New York, USA
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Expression profile and prognostic value of NNMT in patients with pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:19975-81. [PMID: 26942567 PMCID: PMC4991432 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The elevation of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) has been reported in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines, but its clinical and prognostic implications remain controversial. This study aimed at investigating the expression of NNMT in pancreatic benign and malignant tissues and the prognostic value of NNMT in pancreatic cancer. The expression of NNMT in tissue specimens of 28 chronic pancreatitis patients and 178 pancreatic cancer patients were assayed with immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray. The NNMT expression levels of pancreatic patients were correlated with their clinicopathological characteristics. The influences of NNMT expression and patients' clinicopathological characteristics on overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The percentage of NNMT high expression (NNMTh) in pancreatic cancer (55.6%) was significantly higher than those in chronic pancreatitis (21.4%) and paracancerous tissues (14.8%) (p < 0.001). NNMTh tends to significantly correlate with unfavorable clinicopathological features such as age > 60 years old (p = 0.014), tumor diameter > 4 cm (p < 0.001), TNM stage III or IV (p < 0.001) and poor tumor differentiation (p = 0.004). The median OS of patients with NNMTh and NNMTl were 7.0 months (95% CI: 5.275–8.725) and 11.5 months (95% CI: 9.759–13.241) respectively (p = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, NNMTl (hazards ratio [HR]: 0.399; 95% CI: 0.284–0.560; p < 0.001), absence of neurological involvement (HR: 0.651; 95% CI: 0.421–0.947; p = 0.041), TNM stage I or II (HR: 0.506; 95% CI: 0.299–0.719; p = 0.015) and well tumor differentiation (HR: 0.592; 95% CI: 0.319–0.894; p = 0.044) were significant favorable prognostic factors of OS. In conclusion, NNMT is upregulated in pancreatic cancer, correlates with unfavorable clinicopathological features and may serve as an independent prognosticator of patients' survival.
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Clinical performance and utility of a NNMT-based urine test for bladder cancer. Int J Biol Markers 2017; 33:94-101. [PMID: 29148015 DOI: 10.5301/ijbm.5000311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer (BC) represents the most common neoplasm of the urinary tract. Although cystoscopy and urine cytology represent the gold standard methods to monitor BC, both procedures have limitations. Therefore, the identification of reliable biomarkers for early and noninvasive detection of BC is urgently required. Methods: In this study, we analyzed nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) expression in urine samples from 55 BC patients and 107 controls, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to identify the best cutoff value to discriminate BC patients from healthy donors, and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a urine-based NNMT test. Results: The results demonstrated that urinary NNMT expression was significantly (p<0.05) higher in BC patients. Moreover, a significant (p<0.05) inverse correlation was found between NNMT expression and histological grade. The ROC analysis revealed that a ΔCq of 13.3 was the best cutoff value, since it was associated with the highest combination of sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) value was 0.913 (p<0.05), indicating the excellent diagnostic accuracy of a urine-based NNMT test. Conclusions: Our data indicate that NNMT is a promising biomarker that could be used to support the early and noninvasive diagnosis of BC.
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Ramsden DB, Waring RH, Barlow DJ, Parsons RB. Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase in Health and Cancer. Int J Tryptophan Res 2017; 10:1178646917691739. [PMID: 35185340 PMCID: PMC8851132 DOI: 10.1177/1178646917691739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the roles of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase and its product 1-methyl nicotinamide have emerged from playing merely minor roles in phase 2 xenobiotic metabolism as actors in some of the most important scenes of human life. In this review, the structures of the gene, messenger RNA, and protein are discussed, together with the role of the enzyme in many of the common cancers that afflict people today.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Ramsden
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - David J Barlow
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Richard B Parsons
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, UK
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14
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Sartini D, Seta R, Pozzi V, Morganti S, Rubini C, Zizzi A, Tomasetti M, Santarelli L, Emanuelli M. Role of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in non-small cell lung cancer: in vitro effect of shRNA-mediated gene silencing on tumourigenicity. Biol Chem 2015; 396:225-34. [PMID: 25204218 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2014-0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed neoplasm, and represents the leading cause of tumour death worldwide. As patients are often diagnosed at a late stage, current therapeutic strategies have limited effectiveness and the prognosis remains poor. Successful treatment depends on early diagnosis and knowledge concerning molecular mechanisms underlying lung carcinogenesis. In the present study, we focused on nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which is overexpressed in several malignancies. First, we analysed NNMT expression in a cohort of 36 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, we examined NNMT expression levels in the human lung cancer cell line A549 by Real-Time PCR, Western blot and catalytic activity assay, and evaluated the effect of NNMT knockdown on cell proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth by MTT and soft agar colony formation assays, respectively. NSCLC displayed higher NNMT expression levels compared to both tumour-adjacent and surrounding tissue. Moreover, shRNA-mediated gene silencing of NNMT led to a significant inhibition of cell proliferation and colony formation ability on soft agar. Our results show that the downregulation of NNMT significantly reduced in vitro tumorigenicity of A549 cells and suggest that NNMT could represent an interesting molecular target for lung cancer therapy.
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Afify A, Huang EC, Jeong M, Urayama S. Immunoisolation of pancreatic epithelial cells from endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates with magnetic beads for downstream molecular application. Diagn Cytopathol 2015; 44:32-8. [DOI: 10.1002/dc.23383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Afify
- Division of Cytopathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; University of California, Davis; Sacramento California 95817
| | - Eric C. Huang
- Division of Cytopathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; University of California, Davis; Sacramento California 95817
| | - Matthew Jeong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine; University of California; Davis California
| | - Shiro Urayama
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine; University of California; Davis California
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Kwon Y, Song J, Lee H, Kim EY, Lee K, Lee SK, Kim S. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of Sulfonamide Analogues of Antofine and Cryptopleurine as Potent and Orally Active Antitumor Agents. J Med Chem 2015; 58:7749-62. [PMID: 26393416 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Due to their profound antiproliferative activity and unique mode of action, phenanthroindolizidine and phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids, represented by antofine and cryptopleurine, have attracted attention recently as potential therapeutic agents. We have designed, synthesized, and evaluated the methanesulfonamide analogues of these natural alkaloids with the hope of improving their druglikeness. The analogues showed enhanced growth inhibition of human cancer cells compared with the parent natural products. In particular, a methanesulfonamide analogue of cryptopleurine (5b) exhibited improved bioavailability and significant antitumor activity, which suggests that 5b is a promising new anticancer agent. Our studies suggest that the inhibition of cancer cell growth by 5b is associated with the induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest via nicotinamide N-methyltransferase-dependent JNK activation in Caki-1 renal cancer cells. In addition, compound 5b significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of Caki-1 cancer cells by modulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongseok Kwon
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Jayoung Song
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Honggu Lee
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Eun-Yeong Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Korea University , Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Kiho Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Korea University , Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Sang Kook Lee
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Sanghee Kim
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University , Seoul 151-742, Korea
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Bi HC, Pan YZ, Qiu JX, Krausz KW, Li F, Johnson CH, Jiang CT, Gonzalez FJ, Yu AM. N-methylnicotinamide and nicotinamide N-methyltransferase are associated with microRNA-1291-altered pancreatic carcinoma cell metabolome and suppressed tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis 2014; 35:2264-72. [PMID: 25115443 PMCID: PMC4178474 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgu174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell metabolome comprises abundant information that may be predictive of cell functions in response to epigenetic or genetic changes at different stages of cell proliferation and metastasis. An unbiased ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics study revealed a significantly altered metabolome for human pancreatic carcinoma PANC-1 cells with gain-of-function non-coding microRNA-1291 (miR-1291), which led to a lower migration and invasion capacity as well as suppressed tumorigenesis in a xenograft tumor mouse model. A number of metabolites, including N-methylnicotinamide, involved in nicotinamide metabolism, and l-carnitine, isobutyryl-carnitine and isovaleryl-carnitine, involved in fatty acid metabolism, were elevated in miR-1291-expressing PANC-1. Notably, N-methylnicotinamide was elevated to the greatest extent, and this was associated with a sharp increase in nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) mRNA level in miR-1291-expressing PANC-1 cells. In addition, expression of NNMT mRNA was inversely correlated with pancreatic tumor size in the xenograft mouse model. These results indicate that miR-1291-altered PANC-1 cell function is associated with the increase in N-methylnicotinamide level and NNMT expression, and in turn NNMT may be indicative of the extent of pancreatic carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chang Bi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China, Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yu-Zhuo Pan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, SUNY-Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA and
| | - Jing-Xin Qiu
- Department of Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Kristopher W Krausz
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fei Li
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Caroline H Johnson
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chang-Tao Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Frank J Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ai-Ming Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, SUNY-Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA and
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Xie X, Yu H, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Li G, Ruan Z, Li F, Wang X, Liu H, Zhang J. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase enhances the capacity of tumorigenesis associated with the promotion of cell cycle progression in human colorectal cancer cells. Arch Biochem Biophys 2014; 564:52-66. [PMID: 25201588 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2014.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme involved in the biotransformation and detoxification of many drugs and xenobiotic compounds, has been found to be overexpressed in several malignancies, including colorectal cancer. However, the biological function of NNMT and the related mechanisms in colorectal cancer have not been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of NNMT on tumorigenesis by overexpressing NNMT in the human colorectal cancer cells line SW480 which lacks constitutive NNMT expression, and downregulating NNMT expression in HT-29 cells, which exhibit high endogenous expression of NNMT. We found that NNMT significantly accelerates cell proliferation, enhances colony formation in vitro and tumorigenicity in mice; it also inhibits apoptosis, promotes cell cycle progression, increases ATP and 1-methylnicotinamide level and decreases ROS level. We also showed that 1-methylnicotinamide accelerates cell growth, inhibits apoptosis, promotes cell cycle progression, attenuates ROS production and increases ATP level. Our results indicate that NNMT enhances the capacity of tumorigenesis associated with the inhibition of cell apoptosis and the promotion of cell cycle progression in human colorectal cancer cells and the 1-methylnicotinamide increased by NNMT mediates the cellular effects of NNMT in cells. NNMT may play a vital role in energy balance and ROS induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyou Xie
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Haitao Yu
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yanzhong Wang
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yanwen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Guiling Li
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Zhi Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Fengying Li
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Xiuhong Wang
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Huixing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
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19
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Zhang J, Wang Y, Li G, Yu H, Xie X. Down-regulation of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells via the mitochondria-mediated pathway. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89202. [PMID: 24558488 PMCID: PMC3928407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) has been found involved in cell proliferation of several malignancies. However, the functional role of NNMT in breast cancer has not been elucidated. In the present study, we showed that NNMT was selectively expressed in some breast cancer cell lines, down-regulation of NNMT expression in Bcap-37 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines by NNMT shRNA significantly inhibited cell growth in vitro, decreased tumorigenicity in mice and induced apoptosis. The silencing reciprocal effect of NNMT was confirmed by over-expressing NNMT in the MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell lines which lack constitutive expression of NNMT. In addition, down-regulation of NNMT expression resulted in reducing expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, up-regulation of Bax, Puma, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, increasing reactive oxygen species production and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and decreasing the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2. These data suggest that down-regulation of NNMT induces apoptosis via the mitochondria-mediated pathway in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanzhong Wang
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guiling Li
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Yu
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinyou Xie
- Clinical Laboratory, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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20
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Sartini D, Muzzonigro G, Milanese G, Pozzi V, Vici A, Morganti S, Rossi V, Mazzucchelli R, Montironi R, Emanuelli M. Upregulation of tissue and urinary nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in bladder cancer: potential for the development of a urine-based diagnostic test. Cell Biochem Biophys 2013; 65:473-83. [PMID: 23097023 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-012-9451-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Carcinoma of the bladder is one of the most common urologic malignancies occurring worldwide. Diagnosis and monitoring of bladder urothelial carcinoma (UC) are based on cystoscopy and urinary cytology. However, these diagnostic methods still have some limitations, mainly related to invasive nature and lack of sensitivity. New reliable and non-invasive biomarkers for bladder cancer detection are therefore required. To explore the involvement of enzymes of drug metabolism in bladder cancer, in the present study, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of tumor and normal looking tissues obtained from the same patient by cDNA macroarray. The enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) was identified as a highly expressed gene in bladder cancer. RT-PCR, Real-Time PCR, Western blot analysis, and catalytic activity assay, performed on a large cohort of patients with bladder UC, confirmed NNMT upregulation. NNMT mRNA and protein levels were also determined in urine specimens obtained from patients with bladder UC and healthy subjects. We found that NNMT expression levels were significantly higher in patients with bladder tumor compared to controls that showed very low or undetectable amounts of NNMT transcript and protein. Our results indicate that a marked NNMT increase is a peculiar feature of bladder UC and suggest the potential suitability of urine NNMT expression levels determination for early and non-invasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sartini
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Ranieri 65, 60131, Ancona, Italy
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21
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RNA-mediated gene silencing of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase is associated with decreased tumorigenicity in human oral carcinoma cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71272. [PMID: 23990942 PMCID: PMC3749215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral cancer. Despite progress in the treatment of OSCC, overall survival has not improved substantially in the last three decades. Therefore, identification of reliable biomarkers becomes essential to develop effective anti-cancer therapy. In this study, we focused on the enzyme Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which plays a fundamental role in the biotransformation of many xenobiotics. Although several tumors have been associated with abnormal NNMT expression, its role in cancer cell metabolism remains largely unknown. In this report, 7 human oral cancer cell lines were examined for NNMT expression by Real-Time PCR, Western blot and HPLC-based catalytic assay. Subsequently, we evaluated the in vitro effect of shRNA-mediated silencing of NNMT on cell proliferation. In vivo tumorigenicity of oral cancer cells with stable knockdown of NNMT was assayed by using xenograft models. High expression levels of NNMT were found in PE/CA PJ-15 cells, in keeping with the results of Western blot and catalytic activity assay. PE/CA PJ-15 cell line was stably transfected with shRNA plasmids against NNMT and analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and soft agar Assays. Transfected and control cells were injected into athymic mice in order to evaluate the effect of NNMT silencing on tumor growth. NNMT downregulation resulted in decreased cell proliferation and colony formation ability on soft agar. In athymic mice, NNMT silencing induced a marked reduction in tumour volume. Our results show that the downregulation of NNMT expression in human oral carcinoma cells significantly inhibits cell growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. All these experimental data seem to suggest that NNMT plays a critical role in the proliferation and tumorigenic capacity of oral cancer cells, and its inhibition could represent a potential molecular approach to the treatment of oral carcinoma.
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Win KT, Lee SW, Huang HY, Lin LC, Lin CY, Hsing CH, Chen LT, Li CF. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase overexpression is associated with Akt phosphorylation and indicates worse prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Tumour Biol 2013; 34:3923-31. [PMID: 23838801 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-013-0980-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is overexpressed in many human cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Akt (also known as protein kinase B) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase, serving as a downstream effector of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway. NNMT was first identified as a differentially upregulated gene in nasopharyngeal cancer tissues through data mining from published transcriptomic databases. Since no prior study has attempted to evaluate the clinical significance of NNMT or phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) expression in nasopharyngeal cancer, this study explores their expression in a large cohort of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. The study included 124 nasopharyngeal cancer patients who were free of distant metastasis at initial diagnosis. Pathological slides were reviewed and clinical findings collected. We evaluated the expression of NNMT and pAkt immunohistochemically, stratified them into two groups (high and low expression) and examined the correlation with disease-specific survival (DSS), metastasis-free survival (MeFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and various clinicopathological factors. NNMT expression was significantly positively associated with pAkt expression. The high expression of both markers was significantly associated with an increment of tumor stage (p = 0.006 and p = 0.006, respectively). High expression of NNMT correlated significantly with a more aggressive clinical course and a significantly shorter DSS. Furthermore, NNMT expression and pAkt expression were strongly predictive of MeFS (p = 0.008; p = 0.0063) and LRFS (p = 0.005; p = 0.0125). In multivariate analysis, high expression of NNMT remained as a robust prognosticator for both end points evaluated. It independently portended inferior DSS (p = 0.02, HR = 1.976) and worse MeFS (p = 0.029, HR = 2.022) after tumor stage (p = 0.033, HR = 2.150; p = 0.028, HR = 2.942, for DSS and LRFS, respectively). We found NNMT positively correlated with pAkt expression and was independent adverse prognosticators of patient survival. NNMT therefore has potential utility as an indicator for prognosis, predicting treatment response to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and even as a therapeutic target in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khin Than Win
- Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, 901 Chunghwa Road, Yung Kang Dist., Tainan County, 710, Taiwan
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Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in pancreatic juice: pathobiologic implications in diagnosing benign and malignant disease of the pancreas. Pancreas 2013; 42:494-501. [PMID: 23146921 PMCID: PMC3578014 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0b013e31826a8597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pancreatic diseases pose significant diagnostic challenge as signs and symptoms often overlap. We investigated the potential of pancreatic juice neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) to aid in the diagnosis of patients with symptoms suggestive of pancreatic diseases. METHODS A total of 105 chronic pancreatitis (CP), pancreatic cancer (PC), and nonpancreatic nonhealthy (patients with symptoms mimicking pancreatic disease but found to be free of any pancreatic disease) patients underwent endoscopic pancreatic juice collection after secretin stimulation. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and MIC-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas CA19-9 was measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, MIC-1, and CA19-9 were significantly elevated in the pancreatic juice of patients with CP and patients with PC as compared with nonpancreatic nonhealthy controls (P ≤ 0.034). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin seemed most promising in differentiating diseased versus nondiseased pancreata (areas under the curve, 0.88-0.91), whereas MIC-1 was found to be higher in patients with PC than in patients with CP (P = 0.043). Interestingly, MIC-1 levels in diabetic patients with PC were higher than in nondiabetic patients with PC (P = 0.030) and diabetic patients with CP (P = 0.087). Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 showed the least ability to distinguish patient groups (areas under the curve, 0.61-0.76). CONCLUSIONS Pancreatic juice neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin shows potential utility in establishing pancreatic etiology in the context of nonspecific symptoms, whereas MIC-1 may aid in differentiating PC from CP.
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Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Promising Results for Targeted Anti-cancer Therapy. Cell Biochem Biophys 2013; 67:865-73. [DOI: 10.1007/s12013-013-9574-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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25
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Corbo V, Tortora G, Scarpa A. Molecular pathology of pancreatic cancer: from bench-to-bedside translation. Curr Drug Targets 2012; 13:744-52. [PMID: 22458520 PMCID: PMC3419918 DOI: 10.2174/138945012800564103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2010] [Revised: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (referred here as pancreatic cancer) is a lethal disease with the worst prognosis among all solid tumors. Surgical resection represents the only hope for cure but it is possible only in patients that present with local disease (about 20% of cases). Whether dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer is a result of late diagnosis or early dissemination to distant organ is still a debate. Moreover, this disease shows an intrinsic chemotherapeutic resistance that has been mainly ascribed to the presence of a dense stromal reaction that significantly impairs drugs delivery. Clinical management of pancreatic cancer patients relies on few molecular markers (e.g., the diagnostic marker CA19-9) that, however, present several limitations to their use. The clinical usefulness of somatic alterations in well-characterized genes (such as KRAS and TP53), whose detection is technically feasible in different biological samples, has been extensively investigated leading to inconsistent results. Furthermore, none of the candidate molecular markers identified in recent years has shown an appropriate clinical performance and therefore none is routinely used. This depicts a scenario where the identification of novel and effective clinical biomarkers is mandatory. Very recent genome-wide comprehensive studies have shed light on the high degree of genetic complexity and heterogeneity of the pancreatic cancers. Although far from being introduced into the clinical settings, results from those studies are expected to change definitively the perspective through which we look at the clinical management of pancreatic cancer patients towards a personalized cancer medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Corbo
- ARC-NET Research Centre, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy
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26
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Klymiuk I, Kenner L, Adler T, Busch DH, Boersma A, Irmler M, Gailus-Durner V, Fuchs H, Leitner N, Müller M, Kühn R, Schlederer M, Treise I, de Angelis MH, Beckers J. In vivo functional requirement of the mouse Ifitm1 gene for germ cell development, interferon mediated immune response and somitogenesis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44609. [PMID: 23115618 PMCID: PMC3480353 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian Interferon induced transmembrane protein 1 (Ifitm1) gene was originally identified as a member of a gene family highly inducible by type I and type II interferons. Based on expression analyses, it was suggested to be required for normal primordial germ cell migration. The knockdown of Ifitm1 in mouse embryos provided evidence for a role in somitogenesis. We generated the first targeted knockin allele of the Ifitm1 gene to systematically reassess all inferred functions. Sperm motility and the fertility of male and female mutant mice are as in wild type littermates. Embryonic somites and the adult vertebral column appear normal in homozygous Ifitm1 knockout mice, demonstrating that Ifitm1 is not essential for normal segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm. Proportions of leucocyte subsets, including granulocytes, monocytes, B-cells, T-cells, NK-cells, and NKT-cells, are unchanged in mutant mice. Based on a normal immune response to Listeria monocytogenes infection, there is no evidence for a dysfunction in downstream IFNγ signaling in Ifitm1 mutant mice. Expression from the Ifitm1 locus from E8.5 to E14.5 is highly dynamic. In contrast, in adult mice, Ifitm1 expression is highly restricted and strong in the bronchial epithelium. Intriguingly, IFITM1 is highly overexpressed in tumor epithelia cells of human squamous cell carcinomas and in adenocarcinomas of NSCLC patients. These analyses underline the general importance of targeted in vivo studies for the functional annotation of the mammalian genome. The first comprehensive description of the Ifitm1 expression pattern provides a rational basis for the further examination of Ifitm1 gene functions. Based on our data, the fact that IFITM1 can function as a negative regulator of cell proliferation, and because the gene maps to chromosome band 11p15.5, previously associated with NSCLC, it is likely that IFITM1 in man has a key role in tumor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg Klymiuk
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (IK); (JB)
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research and Institute for Clinical Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thure Adler
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Auke Boersma
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science and Biomodels Austria, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Irmler
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Valérie Gailus-Durner
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Fuchs
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Nicole Leitner
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathias Müller
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralf Kühn
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schlederer
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irina Treise
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
- Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
- * E-mail: (IK); (JB)
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Zhang R, Pan X, Huang Z, Weber GF, Zhang G. Osteopontin enhances the expression and activity of MMP-2 via the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23831. [PMID: 21909361 PMCID: PMC3166084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2011] [Accepted: 07/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Osteopontin, SDF-1α, and MMP-2 are important secreted molecules involved in the pathophysiology of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study investigates the effect of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis on expression and activity of MMP-2 induced by osteopontin. Methods The expression of CXCR4, SDF-1α, MMP-2 and their associated cellular signaling cascades, involving Akt and MAP Kinases, were determined by Western blotting. The activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assayed by gel zymography. The role of the osteopontin receptors integrin αvβ3 and CD44v6 was evaluated using neutralizing antibodies. We also established CXCR4-deficient SMMC7721 cell lines by transfection with miRNA-CXCR4 plasmids and determined cell invasion activity in a transwell assay. Results In comparison with untreated cells, recombinant human osteopontin (rhOPN) up-regulated CXCR4, SDF-1α, and MMP-2 expression about 5-, 4-, and 6-fold on the protein levels through binding to integrin αvβ3 and CD44v6 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells (SMMC7721 and HepG2). Inhibition of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis down-regulated the rhOPN-induced MMP-2 expression and activity. rhOPN also activated Akt, p38 and JNK. Down-regulation of CXCR4 decreased the rhOPN-induced invasion in SMMC7721 cells. Conclusion These results indicate that rhOPN up-regulates MMP-2 through the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis, mediated by binding to integrin αvβ3 and CD44v6 and activating the PI-3K/Akt and JNK pathways in HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells. Therefore, the osteopontin-SDF-1α/CXCR4-MMP-2 system may be a new therapeutic target for treating HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rihua Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaolin Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zuhu Huang
- Department of Infection Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Georg F. Weber
- University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, College of Pharmacy, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Guoxin Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Pancreatic cancer stem-like cells are described by membrane expression of CD24, CD44 and ESA (epithelial-specific antigen) and their capacity to grow as spheres in a serum-free medium containing well-defined growth factors. The capacity of a panel of four pancreatic cancer cell lines (PANC-1, CFPAC-1, PancTu-1 and PSN-1) to form spheres was tested. All cell lines with the exception of PancTu-1 developed spheres. Phenotypically, the sphere-growing cells showed an increased in vitro invasion capability. Both gene and protein expressions of markers of metastases [CXCR4 (CXC chemokine receptor 4), OPN (osteopontin) and CD44v6] and components of active hedgehog pathway signalling were assessed. Spheres clearly demonstrated increased expression of the above-mentioned markers when compared with their adherent counterpart. With the aim of identifying a minimum set of markers able to separate cells that have the capacity to form spheres from those incapable of forming spheres, a PCA (principal component analysis) of the multidimensional dataset was performed. Although PCA of the ‘accepted’ stemness genes was unable to separate sphere-forming from sphere-incapable cell lines, the addition of the ‘aggressiveness’ marker CD44v6 allowed a clear differentiation. Moreover, inoculation of the spheres and the adherent cells in vivo confirmed the superior aggressiveness (proliferation and metastasis) of the spheres over the adherent cells. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the sphere-growing cell population is not only composed of cells displaying classical stem membrane markers but also needs CD44v6-positive cells to successfully form spheres. Our results also emphasize the potential therapeutic importance of pathways such as CXCR4 and hedgehog for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Inhibiting Proliferation in KB Cancer Cells by RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase Expression. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2011; 24:69-77. [DOI: 10.1177/039463201102400109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The enzyme Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyzes the methylation of nicotinamide and other pyridines, playing a pivotal role in the biotransformation and detoxification of many drugs and xenobiotic compounds. Several tumours have been associated with abnormal NNMT expression, however its role in tumour development remains largely unknown. In this study we investigated expression levels of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in a cancer cell line and we evaluated the effect of shRNA-mediated silencing of NNMT on cell proliferation. Cancer cells were examined for NNMT expression by semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. A HPLC-based catalytic assay was performed to assess enzyme activity. Cells were transfected with four shRNA plasmids against NNMT and control cells were treated with transfection reagent only (mock). The efficiency of gene silencing was detected by Real-Time PCR and Western blot analysis. MTT cell proliferation assay and the soft agar colony formation assay were then applied to investigate the functional changes in cancerous cell. NNMT mRNA was detected in cancer cells, showing a very high expression level. In keeping with the results of RT-PCR analysis, the protein level and NNMT enzyme activity were particularly high in KB cells. ShRNA vectors targeted against NNMT efficiently suppressed gene expression, showing inhibition observed at both the mRNA and protein levels. Down-regulation of NNMT significantly inhibited cell proliferation and decreased colony formation ability on soft agar. The present data support the hypothesis that the enzyme plays a role in tumour expansion and its inhibition could represent a possible molecular approach to the treatment of cancer.
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Tang SW, Yang TC, Lin WC, Chang WH, Wang CC, Lai MK, Lin JY. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase induces cellular invasion through activating matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells. Carcinogenesis 2010; 32:138-45. [PMID: 21045016 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgq225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) was recently identified as one clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)-associated gene by analyzing full-length complementary DNA-enriched libraries of ccRCC tissues. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential role of NNMT in cellular invasion. A strong NNMT expression is accompanied with a high invasive activity in ccRCC cell lines, and small interfering RNA-mediated NNMT knockdown effectively suppressed the invasive capacity of ccRCC cells, whereas NNMT overexpression markedly enhanced that of human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. A positive correlation between the expression of NNMT and matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 was found in ccRCC cell lines and clinical tissues. The treatment of blocking antibody or inhibitor specific to MMP-2 significantly suppressed NNMT-dependent cellular invasion in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, SP-1-binding region of MMP-2 promoter was found to be essential in NNMT-induced MMP-2 expression. The specific inhibitors of PI3K/Akt signaling markedly decreased the binding of SP1 to MMP-2 promoter as shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We also demonstrated that PI3K/Akt pathway plays a role in NNMT-dependent cellular invasion and MMP-2 activation. Moreover, short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of NNMT expression efficiently inhibited the growth and metastasis of ccRCC cells in non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Taken together, the present study suggests that NNMT has a crucial role in cellular invasion via activating PI3K/Akt/SP1/MMP-2 pathway in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai-Wen Tang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Chakraborty S, Baine MJ, Sasson AR, Batra SK. Current status of molecular markers for early detection of sporadic pancreatic cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2010; 1815:44-64. [PMID: 20888394 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2010] [Revised: 09/23/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal malignancy with near 100% mortality. This is in part due to the fact that most patients present with metastatic or locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Significantly, in nearly 95% of PC patients there is neither an associated family history of PC nor of diseases known to be associated with an increased risk of PC. These groups of patients who comprise the bulk of PC cases are termed as "sporadic PC" in contrast to the familial PC cases that comprise only about 5% of all PCs. Given the insidious onset of the malignancy and its extreme resistance to chemo and radiotherapy, an abundance of research in recent years has focused on identifying biomarkers for the early detection of PC, specifically aiming at the sporadic PC cohort. However, while several studies have established that asymptomatic individuals with a positive family history of PC and those with certain heritable syndromes are candidates for PC screening, the role of screening in identifying sporadic PC is still an unsettled question. The present review attempts to assess this critical question by investigating the recent advances made in molecular markers with potential use in the early diagnosis of sporadic PC - the largest cohort of PC cases worldwide. It also outlines a novel yet simple risk factor based stratification system that could be potentially employed by clinicians to identify those individuals who are at an elevated risk for the development of sporadic PC and therefore candidates for screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhankar Chakraborty
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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32
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Nonogaki K, Itoh A, Kawashima H, Ohno E, Ishikawa T, Matsubara H, Itoh Y, Nakamura Y, Nakamura M, Miyahara R, Ohmiya N, Ishigami M, Katano Y, Goto H, Hirooka Y. A preliminary result of three-dimensional microarray technology to gene analysis with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration specimens and pancreatic juices. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2010; 29:36. [PMID: 20416107 PMCID: PMC2867810 DOI: 10.1186/1756-9966-29-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Analysis of gene expression and gene mutation may add information to be different from ordinary pathological tissue diagnosis. Since samples obtained endoscopically are very small, it is desired that more sensitive technology is developed for gene analysis. We investigated whether gene expression and gene mutation analysis by newly developed ultra-sensitive three-dimensional (3D) microarray is possible using small amount samples from endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) specimens and pancreatic juices. Methods Small amount samples from 17 EUS-FNA specimens and 16 pancreatic juices were obtained. After nucleic acid extraction, the samples were amplified with labeling and analyzed by the 3D microarray. Results The analyzable rate with the microarray was 46% (6/13) in EUS-FNA specimens of RNAlater® storage, and RNA degradations were observed in all the samples of frozen storage. In pancreatic juices, the analyzable rate was 67% (4/6) in frozen storage samples and 20% (2/10) in RNAlater® storage. EUS-FNA specimens were classified into cancer and non-cancer by gene expression analysis and K-ras codon 12 mutations were also detected using the 3D microarray. Conclusions Gene analysis from small amount samples obtained endoscopically was possible by newly developed 3D microarray technology. High quality RNA from EUS-FNA samples were obtained and remained in good condition only using RNA stabilizer. In contrast, high quality RNA from pancreatic juice samples were obtained only in frozen storage without RNA stabilizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Nonogaki
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 4668550, Japan
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Zhang L, Farrell JJ, Zhou H, Elashoff D, Akin D, Park NH, Chia D, Wong DT. Salivary transcriptomic biomarkers for detection of resectable pancreatic cancer. Gastroenterology 2010; 138:949-57.e1-7. [PMID: 19931263 PMCID: PMC2831159 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2009] [Revised: 10/26/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Lack of detection technology for early pancreatic cancer invariably leads to a typical clinical presentation of incurable disease at initial diagnosis. New strategies and biomarkers for early detection are sorely needed. In this study, we have conducted a prospective sample collection and retrospective blinded validation to evaluate the performance and translational utilities of salivary transcriptomic biomarkers for the noninvasive detection of resectable pancreatic cancer. METHODS The Affymetrix HG U133 Plus 2.0 Array (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) was used to profile transcriptomes and discover altered gene expression in saliva supernatant. Biomarkers discovered from the microarray study were subjected to clinical validation using an independent sample set of 30 pancreatic cancer patients, 30 chronic pancreatitis patients, and 30 healthy controls. RESULTS Twelve messenger RNA biomarkers were discovered and validated. The logistic regression model with the combination of 4 messenger RNA biomarkers (KRAS, MBD3L2, ACRV1, and DPM1) could differentiate pancreatic cancer patients from noncancer subjects (chronic pancreatitis and healthy control), yielding a receiver operating characteristic plot, area under the curve value of 0.971 with 90.0% sensitivity and 95.0% specificity. CONCLUSIONS The salivary biomarkers possess discriminatory power for the detection of resectable pancreatic cancer, with high specificity and sensitivity. This report provides the proof of concept of salivary biomarkers for the noninvasive detection of a systemic cancer and paves the way for prediction model validation study followed by pivotal clinical validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - James J. Farrell
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Hui Zhou
- School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - David Elashoff
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - David Akin
- School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - No-Hee Park
- School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, Division of Hematology & Oncology, David Geffen School of medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - David Chia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - David T. Wong
- School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, Division of Head and Neck Surgery/Otolaryngology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Serum levels of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in patients with lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2009; 135:1223-9. [PMID: 19242722 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-009-0563-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2008] [Accepted: 02/09/2009] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine if nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is useful as a biomarker of lung cancer (stages I-III). METHODS We established an ELISA system for NNMT. We determined the levels of NNMT and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in sera of 113 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing surgery and sera of 50 non-neoplastic lung disease patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and of 24 healthy donors. RESULTS The serum levels of NNMT were significantly higher in lung cancer patients than in COPD patients and healthy donors. The relationship between the specificity and sensitivity of NNMT and CEA measurements for the detection of lung cancer was analyzed by means of receiver-operating characteristic curves. The corresponding areas under the curves were 0.703 for NNMT and 0.621 for CEA, indicating slightly better sensitivity of NNMT. With 90% specificity, the sensitivities of NNMT and CEA as lung cancer markers were 25 and 24%, respectively. There was no significant correlation between NNMT and CEA. Therefore, the sensitivity of NSCLC detection at 90% specificity increased from 25 to 32% when NNMT was used in combination with CEA. CONCLUSION The NNMT serum level may have significance in the early detection of NSCLC patients.
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Melnikov AA, Scholtens D, Talamonti MS, Bentrem DJ, Levenson VV. Methylation profile of circulating plasma DNA in patients with pancreatic cancer. J Surg Oncol 2009; 99:119-22. [PMID: 19065635 DOI: 10.1002/jso.21208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Detection of pancreatic cancer by blood-based test may improve outcomes. We sought to establish the feasibility of a blood-based detection of pancreatic cancer through multiplexed array-mediated analysis of DNA methylation. METHODS Methylation was assessed in each plasma sample using a panel of 56 frequently methylated genes. Methylation profiles in patients with ductal cell adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (n = 30) and healthy gender and age-matched controls (n = 30) were compared. Methylation was determined as described previously; a composite biomarker was developed for classification of cancer and normal samples. Sensitivity and specificity of the biomarker were estimated using 25 rounds of fivefold cross-validation. RESULTS Five promoters were consistently selected for the classifier during cross-validation and comprised the final composite biomarker Five-fold cross-validation results indicate 76% sensitivity and 59% specificity of the biomarker, which included promoters of CCND2, SOCS1, THBS1, PLAU, and VHL. CONCLUSION Differential methylation profiling of plasma DNA can detect ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with significant accuracy and should be explored further. While additional improvement of biomarkers is necessary, the blood-based biomarker may be already useful as a first-line detection tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoliy A Melnikov
- Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Wang Z, Ma Q, Liu Q, Yu H, Zhao L, Shen S, Yao J. Blockade of SDF-1/CXCR4 signalling inhibits pancreatic cancer progression in vitro via inactivation of canonical Wnt pathway. Br J Cancer 2008; 99:1695-703. [PMID: 19002187 PMCID: PMC2584946 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2008] [Revised: 08/12/2008] [Accepted: 09/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-pancreatic metastasis is a difficult problem for surgical intervention in pancreatic cancer. CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) was considered to have an important role in this process. We hypothesized it may contribute to the pancreatic cancer progression through influencing canonical Wnt pathway. The purpose of this study was to examine the functional role of CXCR4 in the progression of pancreatic cancers and explore the possible mechanism. To this end, the relation between CXCR4 and clinical characteristics was analysed. shRNA against CXCR4 was applied to disrupt the SDF-1/CXCR4 signal transduction pathways in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Our results showed that overall survival in the case of patients positive for CXCR4 expression was significantly lower than that in the case of patients negative for CXCR4 expression. Notably, in vitro studies we observed that the abrogation of CXCR4 could obviously influence the pancreatic cancer cell phenotype including cell proliferation, colony formation, cell invasion and also inhibit the TOPflash activity. In addition, Wnt target genes and mesenchymal markers such as Vimentin and Slug were also inhibited in CXCR4 knockdown cells. Collectively, these data reported here demonstrate CXCR4 could modulate the canonical Wnt pathway and perhaps be a promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Q Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Q Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - H Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - L Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - S Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - J Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed an explosion in our understanding of pancreatic cancer, and it is now clear that pancreatic cancer is a disease of inherited (germ-line) and somatic gene mutations. The genes mutated in pancreatic cancer include KRAS2, p16/CDKN2A, TP53, and SMAD4/DPC4, and these are accompanied by a substantial compendium of genomic and transcriptomic alterations that facilitate cell cycle deregulation, cell survival, invasion, and metastases. Pancreatic cancers do not arise de novo, and three distinct precursor lesions have been identified. Experimental models of pancreatic cancer have been developed in genetically engineered mice, which recapitulate the multistep progression of the cognate human disease. Although the putative cell of origin for pancreatic cancer remains elusive, minor populations of cells with stem-like properties have been identified that appear responsible for tumor initiation, metastases, and resistance of pancreatic cancer to conventional therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Maitra
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
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Sartini D, Santarelli A, Rossi V, Goteri G, Rubini C, Ciavarella D, Lo Muzio L, Emanuelli M. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase upregulation inversely correlates with lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Med 2007. [PMID: 17622326 DOI: 10.2119/2007-00035.sartini] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated expression levels of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme involved in the biotransformation of many drugs and xenobiotic compounds, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Measurements were performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR in tumor and matched adjacent healthy tissue. Interestingly, NNMT was up-regulated in most of the favorable OSCCs, while no marked NNMT expression alterations between tumor and normal mucosa were detected in most of the unfavorable OSCCs. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses also were performed and the relationship between tumor characteristics and NNMT levels in OSCC were studied to evaluate the effectiveness of NNMT as a prognostic marker in the squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. In summary, the present study suggests that NNMT may have potential as a biomarker and a therapeutic target for OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sartini
- Institute of Biochemical Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Stat3 up-regulates expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in human cancer cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2007; 134:551-9. [PMID: 17922140 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-007-0318-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2007] [Accepted: 09/18/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To discover new molecular targets for cancer therapy and diagnosis, we surveyed signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (Stat3)-regulated genes, because constitutive activation of Stat3 is associated with a wide variety of human malignancies. METHODS We investigated the Stat3-regulated genes in 293 cells with cDNA microarray analysis and found that Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) was induced on stimulation of the cells with leukemia inhibitory factor. We examined the expression of NNMT in several types of cancer cells by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. To examine the role of Stat3, Hep-G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells were transfected with NNMT promoter-luciferase reporter construct together with conditionally active Stat3 (Stat3ER) or dominant-negative Stat3 expression vector and NNMT promoter activity was determined. The expression of NNMT and activated Stat3 in 88 colon cancer tissues and 17 normal colon tissues was examined with immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS In Hep-G2 cells and SW480 colon cancer cells, NNMT expression increased on stimulation of the cells with interleukin 6. NNMT promoter activity in Hep-G2 cells was dependent on the activation of Stat3. MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells and HT29 colon cancer cells expressed constitutively a high level of NNMT. Treatment of these cells with Stat3 siRNA or curcumin, which inhibited Stat3 phosphorylation, resulted in reduction of the NNMT level. We found a correlation between the expression of NNMT and activated Stat3 (P<0.001) in the colon cancer tissues. CONCLUSION NNMT is a novel Stat3-regulated gene. Its expression is enhanced with the activation of Stat3 in colon cancer tissues. NNMT may be a potential candidate for a tumor marker of various kinds of cancers.
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Sartini D, Santarelli A, Rossi V, Goteri G, Rubini C, Ciavarella D, Muzio LL, Emanuelli M. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase upregulation inversely correlates with lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. MOLECULAR MEDICINE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2007; 13:415-21. [PMID: 17622326 PMCID: PMC1952675 DOI: 10.2119/2007–00035.sartini] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2007] [Accepted: 05/29/2007] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We investigated expression levels of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme involved in the biotransformation of many drugs and xenobiotic compounds, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Measurements were performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR in tumor and matched adjacent healthy tissue. Interestingly, NNMT was up-regulated in most of the favorable OSCCs, while no marked NNMT expression alterations between tumor and normal mucosa were detected in most of the unfavorable OSCCs. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses also were performed and the relationship between tumor characteristics and NNMT levels in OSCC were studied to evaluate the effectiveness of NNMT as a prognostic marker in the squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. In summary, the present study suggests that NNMT may have potential as a biomarker and a therapeutic target for OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sartini
- Institute of Biochemical Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Santarelli
- Institute of Dentistry and Stomatological Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Valentina Rossi
- Institute of Biochemical Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Gaia Goteri
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Corrado Rubini
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Lo Muzio
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Monica Emanuelli
- Institute of Biochemical Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Monica Emanuelli, Istituto di Biotecnologie Biochimiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Ranieri 69, 60131 Ancona, Italy. Phone: + 39 071 2204681; Fax: + 39 071 36751; E-mail:
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