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Scattolin D, Maso AD, Ferro A, Frega S, Bonanno L, Guarneri V, Pasello G. The emerging role of Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) in predicting response to anticancer treatments: Focus on small cell lung cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 128:102768. [PMID: 38797062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a dismal prognosis. Many efforts have been made so far for identifying novel biomarkers for a personalized treatment for SCLC patients. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) is a protein differently expressed in many cancers and recently emerged as a new potential biomarker. Lower expression of SLFN11 correlates with a worse prognosis in SCLC and other tumors. SLFN11 has a role in tumorigenesis, inducing replication arrest in the presence of DNA damage through the block of the replication fork. SLFN11 interacts also with chromatin accessibility, proteotoxic stress and mammalian target of rapamycin signalling pathway. The expression of SLFN11 is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including promoter methylation, histone deacetylation, and the histone methylation. The downregulation of SLFN11 correlates with a worse response to topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, alkylating agents, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors in different cancer types. Some studies exploring strategies for overcoming drug resistance in tumors with low levels of SLFN11 showed promising results. One of these strategies includes the interaction with the Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related pathway, constitutively activated and leading to cell survival and tumor growth in the presence of low levels of SLFN11. Furthermore, the expression of SLFN11 is dynamic through time and different anticancer therapy and liquid biopsy seems to be an attractive tool for catching SLFN11 different expressions. Despite this, further investigations exploring SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker, its longitudinal changes, and new strategies to overcome drug resistances are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Scattolin
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Ferro
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Frega
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanno
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Pasello
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Raynaud CM, Ahmed EI, Jabeen A, Sanchez A, Sherif S, Carneiro-Lobo TC, Awad A, Awartani D, Naik A, Thomas R, Decock J, Zoppoli G, Bedongnetti D, Hendrickx WRL. Modulation of SLFN11 induces changes in DNA Damage response in breast cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:291. [PMID: 38001424 PMCID: PMC10668346 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03144-w] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) expression has been recently identified as a dominant genomic determinant of response to DNA damaging agents in numerous cancer types. Thus, several strategies aimed at increasing SLFN11 are explored to restore chemosensitivity of refractory cancers. In this study, we examined various approaches to elevate SLFN11 expression in breast cancer cellular models and confirmed a corresponding increase in chemosensitivity with using the most successful efficient one. As oncogenic transcriptomic downregulation is often driven by methylation of the promotor region, we explore the demethylation effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine), on the SLFN11 gene. Since SLFN11 has been reported as an interferon inducible gene, and interferon is secreted during an active anti-tumor immune response, we investigated the in vitro effect of IFN-γ on SLFN11 expression in breast cancer cell lines. As a secondary approach to pick up cross talk between immune cells and SLFN11 expression we used indirect co-culture of breast cancer cells with activated PBMCs and evaluated if this can drive SLFN11 upregulation. Finally, as a definitive and specific way to modulate SLFN11 expression we implemented SLFN11 dCas9 (dead CRISPR associated protein 9) systems to specifically increase or decrease SLFN11 expression. RESULTS After confirming the previously reported correlation between methylation of SLFN11 promoter and its expression across multiple cell lines, we showed in-vitro that decitabine and IFN-γ could increase moderately the expression of SLFN11 in both BT-549 and T47D cell lines. The use of a CRISPR-dCas9 UNISAM and KRAB system could increase or decrease SLFN11 expression significantly (up to fivefold), stably and specifically in BT-549 and T47D cancer cell lines. We then used the modified cell lines to quantify the alteration in chemo sensitivity of those cells to treatment with DNA Damaging Agents (DDAs) such as Cisplatin and Epirubicin or DNA Damage Response (DDRs) drugs like Olaparib. RNAseq was used to elucidate the mechanisms of action affected by the alteration in SLFN11 expression. In cell lines with robust SLFN11 promoter methylation such as MDA-MB-231, no SLFN11 expression could be induced by any approach. CONCLUSION To our knowledge this is the first report of the stable non-lethal increase of SLFN11 expression in a cancer cell line. Our results show that induction of SLFN11 expression can enhance DDA and DDR sensitivity in breast cancer cells and dCas9 systems may represent a novel approach to increase SLFN11 and achieve higher sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, improving outcome or decreasing required drug concentrations. SLFN11-targeting therapies might be explored pre-clinically to develop personalized approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eiman I Ahmed
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Jabeen
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Apryl Sanchez
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shimaa Sherif
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Amany Awad
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dina Awartani
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Adviti Naik
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Remy Thomas
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Gabriele Zoppoli
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genoa and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS per l'Oncologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Davide Bedongnetti
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genoa and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Oncology and Hematology, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Wouter R L Hendrickx
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar.
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3
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Gao A, Bai P, Zhang M, Yao Y, Herman JG, Guo M. RASSF1A promotes ATM signaling and RASSF1A methylation is a synthetic lethal marker for ATR inhibitors. Epigenomics 2023; 15:1205-1220. [PMID: 38093706 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: The mechanism of RASSF1A in DNA damage repair remains to be further clarified for applying to synthetic lethal strategy. Materials & methods: Eight esophageal cancer cell lines, 181 cases of esophageal dysplasia and 1066 cases of primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were employed. Methylation-specific PCR, the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, immunoprecipitation assay and a xenograft mouse model were used. Results: RASSF1A was methylated in 2.21% of esophageal dysplasia and 11.73% of ESCC. RASSF1A was also involved in DNA damage repair through activating Hippo signaling. Loss of RASSF1A expression sensitized esophageal cancer cell lines to ataxia telangiectasia mutated and rad3-related (ATR) inhibitor (VE-822) both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: RASSF1A methylation is a synthetic lethal marker for ATR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiai Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Panpan Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Henan Advanced Technology Research Institute, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Meiying Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Yuanxin Yao
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - James G Herman
- The Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Mingzhou Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, 100853, China
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Wang M, Xie C. DNA Damage Repair and Current Therapeutic Approaches in Gastric Cancer: A Comprehensive Review. Front Genet 2022; 13:931866. [PMID: 36035159 PMCID: PMC9412963 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.931866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA in cells is frequently damaged by endogenous and exogenous agents. However, comprehensive mechanisms to combat and repair DNA damage have evolved to ensure genomic stability and integrity. Improper DNA damage repair may result in various diseases, including some types of tumors and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, DNA damage repair mechanisms have been proposed as novel antitumor drug targets. To date, numerous drugs targeting DNA damage mechanisms have been developed. For example, PARP inhibitors that elicit synthetic lethality are widely used in individualized cancer therapies. In this review, we describe the latent DNA damage repair mechanisms in gastric cancer, the types of DNA damage that can contribute to the development of gastric cancer, and new therapeutic approaches for gastric cancer that target DNA damage repair pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chuan Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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DNA Methylation Biomarkers for Prediction of Response to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: Where Do We Stand? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122918. [PMID: 35740584 PMCID: PMC9221086 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Platinum-based agents are one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs for various types of cancer. However, one of the main challenges in the application of platinum drugs is resistance, which is currently being widely investigated. Epigenetic DNA methylation-based biomarkers are promising to aid in the selection of patients, helping to foresee their platinum therapy response in advance. These biomarkers enable minimally invasive patient sample collection, short analysis, and good sensitivity. Hence, improved methodologies for the detection and quantification of DNA methylation biomarkers will facilitate their use in the choice of an optimal treatment strategy. Abstract Platinum-based chemotherapy is routinely used for the treatment of several cancers. Despite all the advances made in cancer research regarding this therapy and its mechanisms of action, tumor resistance remains a major concern, limiting its effectiveness. DNA methylation-based biomarkers may assist in the selection of patients that may benefit (or not) from this type of treatment and provide new targets to circumvent platinum chemoresistance, namely, through demethylating agents. We performed a systematic search of studies on biomarkers that might be predictive of platinum-based chemotherapy resistance, including in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical models and clinical studies using patient samples. DNA methylation biomarkers predictive of response to platinum remain mostly unexplored but seem promising in assisting clinicians in the generation of more personalized follow-up and treatment strategies. Improved methodologies for their detection and quantification, including non-invasively in liquid biopsies, are additional attractive features that can bring these biomarkers into clinical practice, fostering precision medicine.
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Yin YP, Ma LY, Cao GZ, Hua JH, Lv XT, Lin WC. FK228 potentiates topotecan activity against small cell lung cancer cells via induction of SLFN11. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021; 43:2119-2127. [PMID: 34893686 PMCID: PMC9343610 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00817-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The response rate of topotecan, as a second-line chemotherapeutic drug for small cell lung cancer, is ~20%. DNA/RNA helicase SLFN11 (schlafen family member 11), a member of the Schlafen (SLFN) family, is a crucial determinant of response to many DNA damaging agents, expression of SLFN11 tends to augment the antitumor effects of the commonly used DNA-targeting agents. In the present study we investigated how SLFN11 expression regulated the sensitivity of small cell lung cancer to topotecan. We showed that SLFN11 expression levels were positively associated with the sensitivity to topotecan in a panel of seven SCLC cell lines. Topotecan treatment induced different patterns of the DNA response network in SCLC cells: DNA damage response (DDR) was more prominently activated in SLFN11-deficient SCLC cell line H82 than in SLFN11-plentiful SCLC cell line DMS273, whereas topotecan induced significant accumulation of p-Chk1, p-RPA2 and Rad51 in H82 cells, but not in DMS273 cells. We unraveled that SLFN11 expression was highly negatively correlated to the methylation of the SLFN11 promoter. HDAC inhibitors FK228 and SAHA dose-dependently increased SLFN11 expression through suppressing DNA methylation at the SLFN11 promoter, thereby sensitizing SCLC cells to topotecan. Finally, we assessed the methylation status of the SLFN11 promoter in 27 SCLC clinical specimens, and found that most of the clinical samples (24/27) showed DNA methylation at the SLFN11 promoter. In conclusion, it is feasible to combine topotecan with FK228 to improve the response rate of topotecan in SCLC patients.
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Liu Y, Zhang Z, Fu S, Wang S, Cheng X, Lei K, Li Z, Sun T, Ma M. Study of Clinical Predictive Value and Immune Characterization of SLFN11 in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:6741-6754. [PMID: 34675634 PMCID: PMC8521339 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s336823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SLFN11 has been found to regulate the development and progression of a variety of cancers and is associated with drug therapy, while its role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate SLFN11 expression in ccRCC patients and its correlations with clinicopathological and immunological features. Methods Gene profiles of ccRCC and the clinicopathological information of patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. Microarrays from the GEO database were used as a validation set for SLFN11 expression, which was experimentally verified in renal cancer cell lines by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); protein expression and methylation levels were obtained from the HPA database and the UALCAN database. ROC curves, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox analysis were used to assess the diagnostic and predictive value of SLFN11 in ccRCC. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks for SLFN11 were obtained from the STRING website, and the TISIDB and TIMER 2.0 databases were used to study the relationship between SLFN11 and immune infiltration in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Results SLFN11 was significantly overexpressed in ccRCC tissues and renal cancer cell lines, which may be closely related to its hypermethylation status (P < 0.001). SLFN11 was positively correlated with a highly aggressive disease state, with the ROC curve showing an AUC value of 0.910 for SLFN11 in diagnosing ccRCC, and Kaplan–Meier and Cox analyses also revealed that upregulation of SLFN11 predicted a poor prognosis for ccRCC patients (P < 0.05). In addition, enrichment analysis showed that SLFN11 was closely associated with immune-related signalling pathways, and further exploration comprehensively demonstrated strong positive correlations with tumour immune lymphocytes, immune checkpoint genes, chemokines and chemokine receptors. Conclusion Overall, our data analysis shows that SLFN11 is a strong diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ccRCC and is also associated with immune infiltration in the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifu Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengqiang Fu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Cheng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kunyang Lei
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilong Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Sun
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Ma
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China
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Mora Y, Reyes ME, Zanella L, Mora B, Buchegger K, Ili C, Brebi P. Resistance to platinum-based cancer drugs: a special focus on epigenetic mechanisms. Pharmacogenomics 2021; 22:777-790. [PMID: 34281355 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2021-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoresistance is a significant clinical challenge, limiting the drug response in cancer. Several mechanisms associated with drug resistance have been characterized, and the role of epigenetics in generating resistance to platinum-based drugs has been clarified. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, long noncoding RNA, and microRNA affect the expression of genes implicated in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of drugs, and other non-ADME genes that encode enzymes involved in the processes of cell proliferation, DNA repair, apoptosis and signal transduction key in the development of chemoresistance in cancer, specifically in platinum-based drugs. This review summarizes current discoveries in epigenetic regulation implicated in platinum drug resistance in cancer and the main clinical trials based on epigenetic therapy, evaluating their potential synergy with platinum-based drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuselin Mora
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile
| | - María Elena Reyes
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile.,Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomas, Santiago, 8370003, Chile
| | - Louise Zanella
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile
| | - Bárbara Mora
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, 4810101, Chile
| | - Kurt Buchegger
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile.,Departamento Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4811230, Chile
| | - Carmen Ili
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile
| | - Priscilla Brebi
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Scientific & Technological Bioresource Nucleus- Center for Excellence in Translational Medicine (BIOREN-CEMT), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, 4810296, Chile
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Takashima T, Taniyama D, Sakamoto N, Yasumoto M, Asai R, Hattori T, Honma R, Thang PQ, Ukai S, Maruyama R, Harada K, Kuraoka K, Tanabe K, Sasaki AT, Ohdan H, Morii E, Murai J, Yasui W. Schlafen 11 predicts response to platinum-based chemotherapy in gastric cancers. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:65-77. [PMID: 33785877 PMCID: PMC8257722 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01364-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although unresectable or recurrent gastric cancers (GC) are frequently treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, response to treatment remains unpredictable. Because Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) is recently identified as a critical determinant of platinum sensitivity, we investigated the potential clinical utility of SLFN11 in the treatment of GC. METHODS We analysed the correlation between SLFN11 expression and overall survival in 169 GC patients by our established immunohistochemical approach. The impact of SLFN11 expression on the response to platinum and transition of SLFN11 expression upon long-term treatment with platinum were examined using GC cell lines and organoids. RESULTS GC patients with high-SLFN11 expression exhibited significantly better survival than those with low-SLFN11 expression, and the significance increased when we selected patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Knockout of SLFN11 and reactivation of SLFN11 in GC cells conferred resistance and sensitivity to platinum, respectively. In GC cells and organoids, long-term treatment with oxaliplatin suppressed SLFN11 expression while imparting drug resistance. The acquired resistance to oxaliplatin was reversed by reactivation of SLFN11 with epigenetic modifying drugs. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report revealing definitive clinical implications of SLFN11 in the treatment of GC patients and providing novel strategies for the drug selection based on SLFN11 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Takashima
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Daiki Taniyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Maika Yasumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Asai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takuya Hattori
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ririno Honma
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Pham Quoc Thang
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shoichi Ukai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryota Maruyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Harada
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kuraoka
- Institute for Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Tanabe
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Atsuo T Sasaki
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohdan
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Eiichi Morii
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan.
| | - Wataru Yasui
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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SLFN11 promotes CDT1 degradation by CUL4 in response to replicative DNA damage, while its absence leads to synthetic lethality with ATR/CHK1 inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015654118. [PMID: 33536335 PMCID: PMC8017720 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015654118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) inactivation in ∼50% of cancer cells confers broad chemoresistance. To identify therapeutic targets and underlying molecular mechanisms for overcoming chemoresistance, we performed an unbiased genome-wide RNAi screen in SLFN11-WT and -knockout (KO) cells. We found that inactivation of Ataxia Telangiectasia- and Rad3-related (ATR), CHK1, BRCA2, and RPA1 overcome chemoresistance to camptothecin (CPT) in SLFN11-KO cells. Accordingly, we validate that clinical inhibitors of ATR (M4344 and M6620) and CHK1 (SRA737) resensitize SLFN11-KO cells to topotecan, indotecan, etoposide, cisplatin, and talazoparib. We uncover that ATR inhibition significantly increases mitotic defects along with increased CDT1 phosphorylation, which destabilizes kinetochore-microtubule attachments in SLFN11-KO cells. We also reveal a chemoresistance mechanism by which CDT1 degradation is retarded, eventually inducing replication reactivation under DNA damage in SLFN11-KO cells. In contrast, in SLFN11-expressing cells, SLFN11 promotes the degradation of CDT1 in response to CPT by binding to DDB1 of CUL4CDT2 E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with replication forks. We show that the C terminus and ATPase domain of SLFN11 are required for DDB1 binding and CDT1 degradation. Furthermore, we identify a therapy-relevant ATPase mutant (E669K) of the SLFN11 gene in human TCGA and show that the mutant contributes to chemoresistance and retarded CDT1 degradation. Taken together, our study reveals new chemotherapeutic insights on how targeting the ATR pathway overcomes chemoresistance of SLFN11-deficient cancers. It also demonstrates that SLFN11 irreversibly arrests replication by degrading CDT1 through the DDB1-CUL4CDT2 ubiquitin ligase.
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Ashrafizadeh M, Zarrabi A, Orouei S, Kiavash Hushmandi, Hakimi A, Amirhossein Zabolian, Daneshi S, Samarghandian S, Baradaran B, Najafi M. MicroRNA-mediated autophagy regulation in cancer therapy: The role in chemoresistance/chemosensitivity. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 892:173660. [PMID: 33310181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Chemoresistance has doubled the effort needed to reach an effective treatment for cancer. Now, scientists should consider molecular pathways and mechanisms involved in chemoresistance to overcome cancer. Autophagy is a "self-digestion" mechanism in which potentially toxic and aged organelles and macromolecules are degraded. Increasing evidence has shown that autophagy possesses dual role in cancer cells (onco-suppressor or oncogene). So, it is vital to identify its role in cancer progression and malignancy. MicroRNAs (miRs) are epigenetic factors capable of modulation of autophagy in cancer cells. In the current review, we emphasize on the relationship between miRs and autophagy in cancer chemotherapy. Besides, we discuss upstream mediators of miR/autophagy axis in cancer chemotherapy including long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, Nrf2 c-Myc, and HIF-1α. At the final section, we provide a discussion about how anti-tumor compounds affect miR/autophagy axis in ensuring chemosensitivity. These topics are described in this review to show how autophagy inhibition/induction can lead to chemosensitivity/chemoresistance, and miRs are considered as key players in these discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sima Orouei
- Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology & Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Hakimi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Zabolian
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Salman Daneshi
- Department of Public Health, School of Health, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Masoud Najafi
- Medical Technology Research Center, Institute of Health Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Gao A, Guo M. Epigenetic based synthetic lethal strategies in human cancers. Biomark Res 2020; 8:44. [PMID: 32974031 PMCID: PMC7493427 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-020-00224-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, it is recognized that loss of DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways is an early and frequent event in tumorigenesis, occurring in 40-50% of many cancer types. The basis of synthetic lethality in cancer therapy is DDR deficient cancers dependent on backup DNA repair pathways. In cancer, the concept of synthetic lethality has been extended to pairs of genes, in which inactivation of one by deletion or mutation and pharmacological inhibition of the other leads to death of cancer cells whereas normal cells are spared the effect of the drug. The paradigm study is to induce cell death by inhibiting PARP in BRCA1/2 defective cells. Since the successful application of PARP inhibitor, a growing number of developed DDR inhibitors are ongoing in preclinical and clinical testing, including ATM, ATR, CHK1/2 and WEE1 inhibitors. Combination of PARP inhibitors and other DDR inhibitors, or combination of multiple components of the same pathway may have great potential synthetic lethality efficiency. As epigenetics joins Knudson’s two hit theory, silencing of DDR genes by aberrant epigenetic changes provide new opportunities for synthetic lethal therapy in cancer. Understanding the causative epigenetic changes of loss-of-function has led to the development of novel therapeutic agents in cancer. DDR and related genes were found frequently methylated in human cancers, including BRCA1/2, MGMT, WRN, MLH1, CHFR, P16 and APC. Both genetic and epigenetic alterations may serve as synthetic lethal therapeutic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiai Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, #28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853 China
| | - Mingzhou Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, #28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853 China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Research, Zhengzhou University, 40 Daxue Road, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China.,State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, #28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853 China
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Hu Y, Guo M. Synthetic lethality strategies: Beyond BRCA1/2 mutations in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:3111-3121. [PMID: 32639661 PMCID: PMC7469842 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are often characterized by abnormalities in DNA damage response including defects in cell cycle checkpoints and/or DNA repair. Synthetic lethality between DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways has provided a paradigm for cancer therapy by targeting DDR. The successful example is that cancer cells with BRCA1/2 mutations are sensitized to poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Beyond the narrow scope of defects in the BRCA pathway, "BRCAness" provides more opportunities for synthetic lethality strategy. In human pancreatic cancer, frequent mutations were found in cell cycle and DDR genes, including P16, P73, APC, MLH1, ATM, PALB2, and MGMT. Combined DDR inhibitors and chemotherapeutic agents are under preclinical or clinical trials. Promoter region methylation was found frequently in cell cycle and DDR genes. Epigenetics joins the Knudson's "hit" theory and "BRCAness." Aberrant epigenetic changes in cell cycle or DDR regulators may serve as a new avenue for synthetic lethality strategy in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mingzhou Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.,Henan Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Research, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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Wang L, Zhang L, Shi W. Effect of knockdown of long-chain noncoding RNA KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 on growth and cisplatin sensitivity of HGC-27 cells. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2020; 28:210-216. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v28.i6.210] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) had become one of the malignant tumors that threaten the safety of human life. At present, the molecular mechanism of the occurrence and development of GC has not been fully elucidated. The regulatory role of long-chain noncoding RNAs in these processes has not yet been elucidated.
AIM To investigate the effect of KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) on the proliferation, invasion, migration, and cisplatin sensitivity of HGC-27 cells.
METHODS HCN-27 cells transfected with KCNQ1OT1-siRNA were used as a KCNQ1OT1-siRNA group, HGC-27 cells transfected with negative control siRNA were used as an NC-siRNA group, and normally cultured cells were used as a control group. After treatment of cells in the KCNQ1OT1-siRNA group and NC-siRNA group with cisplatin, cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Transwell assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot were used to detect KCNQ1OT1 expression level, cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, cycle distribution, and the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and multidrug resistance associated protein 1 (MRP1), respectively.
RESULTS Compared with the control group, there was no significant change in the indexes in the NC-siRNA group (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group or NC-siRNA group, the expression level of KCNQ1OT1, the percentages of cells in S phase and G2/M phase, the ability of cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and the expression levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin in cells of the KCNQ1OT1-siRNA group were significantly reduced, while the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase was significantly reduced (P > 0.05). Compared with the NC-siRNA group, the protein levels of P-gp and MRP1 in the KCNQ1OT1-siRNA group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), and the IC50 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION KCNQ1OT1 knockdown can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HGC-27 cells and enhance their sensitivity to cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin 300450, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Pharmacology Group, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China
| | - Wei Shi
- Pharmacology Group, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China
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