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Padzińska-Pruszyńska IB, Akbar MW, Isbilen M, Górka E, Kucukkaraduman B, Canlı SD, Dedeoğlu E, Azizolli S, Cela I, Akcay AG, Hakanoglu H, Bodnar L, Cierniak S, Kozielec Z, Pruszyński JJ, Bittel M, Gure AO, Król M, Taciak B. Breast Cancer Plasticity after Chemotherapy Highlights the Need for Re-Evaluation of Subtyping in Residual Cancer and Metastatic Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6054. [PMID: 38892243 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
This research paper presents a novel approach to identifying biomarkers that can be used to prognosticate patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) eligible for neoadjuvant therapy. The study utilized survival and RNA sequencing data from a cohort of TNBC patients and identified 276 genes whose expression was related to survival in such patients. The gene expression data were then used to classify patients into two major groups based on the presence or absence of Wingless/Integrated-pathway (Wnt-pathway) and mesenchymal (Mes) markers (Wnt/Mes). Patients with a low expression of Wnt/Mes-related genes had a favorable outcome, with no deaths observed during follow-up, while patients with a high expression of Wnt/Mes genes had a higher mortality rate of 50% within 19 months. The identified gene list could be validated and potentially used to shape treatment options for TNBC patients eligible for neoadjuvant therapy providing valuable insights into the development of more effective treatments for TNBC. Our data also showed significant variation in gene expression profiles before and after chemotherapy, with most tumors switching to a more mesenchymal/stem cell-like profile. To verify this observation, we performed an in silico analysis to classify breast cancer tumors in Prediction Analysis of Microarray 50 (PAM50) molecular classes before treatment and after treatment using gene expression data. Our findings demonstrate that following drug intervention and metastasis, certain tumors undergo a transition to alternative subtypes, resulting in diminished therapeutic efficacy. This underscores the necessity for reevaluation of patients who have experienced relapse or metastasis post-chemotherapy, with a focus on molecular subtyping. Tailoring treatment strategies based on these refined subtypes is imperative to optimize therapeutic outcomes for affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Muhammad Waqas Akbar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Murat Isbilen
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Acibadem University, Istanbul 34752, Turkey
| | - Emilia Górka
- Center of Cellular Immunotherapies, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Baris Kucukkaraduman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Seçil Demirkol Canlı
- Molecular Pathology Application and Research Center, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Ege Dedeoğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Shila Azizolli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Isli Cela
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Abbas Guven Akcay
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Hasim Hakanoglu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Istanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul 34060, Turkey
| | - Lubomir Bodnar
- Department of Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy, St. John Paul II Mazovia Regional Hospital in Siedlce, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
| | - Szczepan Cierniak
- Department of Pathomorphology, Military Institute of Medicine, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zygmunt Kozielec
- Department of Pathomorphology, Warmian-Masurian Cancer Center of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration's Hospital, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland
- Department of Pathomorphology, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jacek Jerzy Pruszyński
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, School of Public Health, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-673 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Martyna Bittel
- Center of Cellular Immunotherapies, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Magdalena Król
- Center of Cellular Immunotherapies, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Taciak
- Center of Cellular Immunotherapies, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
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Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Is Not a Major Modulating Factor in the Cytotoxic Response to Natural Products in Cancer Cell Lines. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26195858. [PMID: 34641401 PMCID: PMC8512490 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous natural products exhibit antiproliferative activity against cancer cells by modulating various biological pathways. In this study, we investigated the potential use of eight natural compounds (apigenin, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, fisetin, forskolin, procyanidin B2, resveratrol, urolithin A) and two repurposed agents (fulvestrant and metformin) as chemotherapy enhancers and mesenchymal-to-epithelial (MET) inducers of cancer cells. Screening of these compounds in various colon, breast, and pancreatic cancer cell lines revealed anti-cancer activity for all compounds, with curcumin being the most effective among these in all cell lines. Although some of the natural products were able to induce MET in some cancer cell lines, the MET induction was not related to increased synergy with either 5-FU, irinotecan, gemcitabine, or gefitinib. When synergy was observed, for example with curcumin and irinotecan, this was unrelated to MET induction, as assessed by changes in E-cadherin and vimentin expression. Our results show that MET induction is compound and cell line specific, and that MET is not necessarily related to enhanced chemosensitivity.
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Bergholtz H, Carter JM, Cesano A, Cheang MCU, Church SE, Divakar P, Fuhrman CA, Goel S, Gong J, Guerriero JL, Hoang ML, Hwang ES, Kuasne H, Lee J, Liang Y, Mittendorf EA, Perez J, Prat A, Pusztai L, Reeves JW, Riazalhosseini Y, Richer JK, Sahin Ö, Sato H, Schlam I, Sørlie T, Stover DG, Swain SM, Swarbrick A, Thompson EA, Tolaney SM, Warren SE, On Behalf Of The GeoMx Breast Cancer Consortium. Best Practices for Spatial Profiling for Breast Cancer Research with the GeoMx ® Digital Spatial Profiler. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4456. [PMID: 34503266 PMCID: PMC8431590 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease with variability in tumor cells and in the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the molecular diversity in breast cancer is critical for improving prediction of therapeutic response and prognostication. High-plex spatial profiling of tumors enables characterization of heterogeneity in the breast TME, which can holistically illuminate the biology of tumor growth, dissemination and, ultimately, response to therapy. The GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) enables researchers to spatially resolve and quantify proteins and RNA transcripts from tissue sections. The platform is compatible with both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and frozen tissues. RNA profiling was developed at the whole transcriptome level for human and mouse samples and protein profiling of 100-plex for human samples. Tissue can be optically segmented for analysis of regions of interest or cell populations to study biology-directed tissue characterization. The GeoMx Breast Cancer Consortium (GBCC) is composed of breast cancer researchers who are developing innovative approaches for spatial profiling to accelerate biomarker discovery. Here, the GBCC presents best practices for GeoMx profiling to promote the collection of high-quality data, optimization of data analysis and integration of datasets to advance collaboration and meta-analyses. Although the capabilities of the platform are presented in the context of breast cancer research, they can be generalized to a variety of other tumor types that are characterized by high heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Bergholtz
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jodi M Carter
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Maggie Chon U Cheang
- ICR Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | | | | | | | - Shom Goel
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jingjing Gong
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guerriero
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - E Shelley Hwang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hellen Kuasne
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jinho Lee
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Yan Liang
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jessica Perez
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Aleix Prat
- Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lajos Pusztai
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Yasser Riazalhosseini
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- McGill University Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Özgür Sahin
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Hiromi Sato
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ilana Schlam
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
- Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Therese Sørlie
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel G Stover
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sandra M Swain
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- MedStar Health, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Alexander Swarbrick
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - E Aubrey Thompson
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Sara M Tolaney
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Reye G, Huang X, Britt KL, Meinert C, Blick T, Xu Y, Momot KI, Lloyd T, Northey JJ, Thompson EW, Hugo HJ. RASSF1A Suppression as a Potential Regulator of Mechano-Pathobiology Associated with Mammographic Density in BRCA Mutation Carriers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133251. [PMID: 34209669 PMCID: PMC8269117 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
High mammographic density (MD) increases breast cancer (BC) risk and creates a stiff tissue environment. BC risk is also increased in BRCA1/2 gene mutation carriers, which may be in part due to genetic disruption of the tumour suppressor gene Ras association domain family member 1 (RASSF1A), a gene that is also directly regulated by tissue stiffness. High MD combined with BRCA1/2 mutations further increase breast cancer risk, yet BRCA1/2 mutations alone or in combination do not increase MD. The molecular basis for this additive effect therefore remains unclear. We studied the interplay between MD, stiffness, and BRCA1/2 mutation status in human mammary tissue obtained after prophylactic mastectomy from women at risk of developing BC. Our results demonstrate that RASSF1A expression increased in MCF10DCIS.com cell cultures with matrix stiffness up until ranges corresponding with BiRADs 4 stiffnesses (~16 kPa), but decreased in higher stiffnesses approaching malignancy levels (>50 kPa). Similarly, higher RASSF1A protein was seen in these cells when co-cultivated with high MD tissue in murine biochambers. Conversely, local stiffness, as measured by collagen I versus III abundance, repressed RASSF1A protein expression in BRCA1, but not BRCA2 gene mutated tissues; regional density as measured radiographically repressed RASSF1A in both BRCA1/2 mutated tissues. The combinatory effect of high MD and BRCA mutations on breast cancer risk may be due to RASSF1A gene repression in regions of increased tissue stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Reye
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (G.R.); (X.H.); (T.B.); (E.W.T.)
- Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Xuan Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (G.R.); (X.H.); (T.B.); (E.W.T.)
- Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kara L. Britt
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
| | - Christoph Meinert
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia;
- Gelomics Pty. Ltd., Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Tony Blick
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (G.R.); (X.H.); (T.B.); (E.W.T.)
- Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Yannan Xu
- Central Analytical Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Konstantin I. Momot
- Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Thomas Lloyd
- Department of Radiology, The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woollongabba, QLD 4102, Australia;
| | - Jason J. Northey
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Erik W. Thompson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (G.R.); (X.H.); (T.B.); (E.W.T.)
- Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Honor J. Hugo
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (G.R.); (X.H.); (T.B.); (E.W.T.)
- Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Birtinya, QLD 4575, Australia
- Correspondence:
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, Biswas K, Jolly MK. A Computational Systems Biology Approach Identifies SLUG as a Mediator of Partial Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:689-702. [PMID: 33567424 DOI: 10.1159/000512520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity comprises reversible transitions among epithelial, hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) and mesenchymal phenotypes, and underlies various aspects of aggressive tumor progression such as metastasis, therapy resistance, and immune evasion. The process of cells attaining one or more hybrid E/M phenotypes is termed as partial epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Cells in hybrid E/M phenotype(s) can be more aggressive than those in either fully epithelial or mesenchymal state. Thus, identifying regulators of hybrid E/M phenotypes is essential to decipher the rheostats of phenotypic plasticity and consequent accelerators of metastasis. Here, using a computational systems biology approach, we demonstrate that SLUG (SNAIL2) - an EMT-inducing transcription factor - can inhibit cells from undergoing a complete EMT and thus stabilize them in hybrid E/M phenotype(s). It expands the parametric range enabling the existence of a hybrid E/M phenotype, thereby behaving as a phenotypic stability factor. Our simulations suggest that this specific property of SLUG emerges from the topology of the regulatory network it forms with other key regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Clinical data suggest that SLUG associates with worse patient prognosis across multiple carcinomas. Together, our results indicate that SLUG can stabilize hybrid E/M phenotype(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur R Subbalakshmi
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Kuheli Biswas
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India,
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Emami Nejad A, Najafgholian S, Rostami A, Sistani A, Shojaeifar S, Esparvarinha M, Nedaeinia R, Haghjooy Javanmard S, Taherian M, Ahmadlou M, Salehi R, Sadeghi B, Manian M. The role of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and development of cancer stem cell: a novel approach to developing treatment. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:62. [PMID: 33472628 PMCID: PMC7816485 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01719-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 89.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors, and develops because of the rapid growth of the tumor that outstrips the oxygen supply, and impaired blood flow due to the formation of abnormal blood vessels supplying the tumor. It has been reported that tumor hypoxia can: activate angiogenesis, thereby enhancing invasiveness and risk of metastasis; increase survival of tumor, as well as suppress anti-tumor immunity and hamper the therapeutic response. Hypoxia mediates these effects by several potential mechanisms: altering gene expression, the activation of oncogenes, inactivation of suppressor genes, reducing genomic stability and clonal selection. We have reviewed the effects of hypoxia on tumor biology and the possible strategiesto manage the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), highlighting the potential use of cancer stem cells in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Emami Nejad
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O.Box 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran
| | - Simin Najafgholian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine , Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Rostami
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Amiralmomenin Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Sistani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine Valiasr Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Samaneh Shojaeifar
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery , Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak, Iran
| | - Mojgan Esparvarinha
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine , Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Nedaeinia
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Marjan Taherian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Ahmadlou
- Sciences Medical of University Arak, Hospital Amiralmomenin, Center Development Research Clinical, Arak, Iran
| | - Rasoul Salehi
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Bahman Sadeghi
- Department of Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, 3848176341, Iran.
| | - Mostafa Manian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Science Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Imam Khomeini Campus, Farhikhtegan Bld., Shahid J'afari St., Kermanshah, 3848176341, Iran.
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7
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Trailblazing perspectives on targeting breast cancer stem cells. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 223:107800. [PMID: 33421449 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting women's health worldwide. The recurrence and metastasis of BCa have made it a long-standing challenge to achieve remission-persistent or disease-undetectable clinical outcomes. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and generate heterogeneous tumor bulk. The existence of CSCs has been found to be vital in the initiation, metastasis, therapy resistance, and recurrence of tumors across cancer types. Because CSCs grow slowly in their dormant state, they are insensitive to conventional chemotherapies; however, when CSCs emerge from their dormant state and become clinically evident, they usually acquire genetic traits that make them resistant to existing therapies. Moreover, CSCs also show evidence of acquired drug resistance in synchrony with tumor relapses. The concept of CSCs provides a new treatment strategy for BCa. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in research on breast CSCs and their association with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), plasticity of tumor cells, tumor microenvironment (TME), T-cell modulatory protein PD-L1, and non-coding RNAs. On the basis that CSCs are associated with multiple dysregulated biological processes, we envisage that increased understanding of disease sub-classification, selected combination of conventional treatment, molecular aberration directed therapy, immunotherapy, and CSC targeting/sensitizing strategy might improve the treatment outcome of patients with advanced BCa. We also discuss novel perspectives on new drugs and therapeutics purposing the potent and selective expunging of CSCs.
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Renin angiotensin system genes are biomarkers for personalized treatment of acute myeloid leukemia with Doxorubicin as well as etoposide. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242497. [PMID: 33237942 PMCID: PMC7688131 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of various treatment protocols, response to therapy in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains largely unpredictable. Transcriptomic profiling studies have thus far revealed the presence of molecular subtypes of AML that are not accounted for by standard clinical parameters or by routinely used biomarkers. Such molecular subtypes of AML are predicted to vary in response to chemotherapy or targeted therapy. The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is an important group of proteins that play a critical role in regulating blood pressure, vascular resistance and fluid/electrolyte balance. RAS pathway genes are also known to be present locally in tissues such as the bone marrow, where they play an important role in leukemic hematopoiesis. In this study, we asked if the RAS genes could be utilized to predict drug responses in patients with AML. We show that the combined in silico analysis of up to five RAS genes can reliably predict sensitivity to Doxorubicin as well as Etoposide in AML. The same genes could also predict sensitivity to Doxorubicin when tested in vitro. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of TNF-alpha and type-I IFN response genes among sensitive, and TGF-beta and fibronectin related genes in resistant cancer cells. However, this does not seem to reflect an epithelial to mesenchymal transition per se. We also identified that RAS genes can stratify patients with AML into subtypes with distinct prognosis. Together, our results demonstrate that genes present in RAS are biomarkers for drug sensitivity and the prognostication of AML.
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Wang WJ, Wang H, Wang MS, Huang YQ, Ma YY, Qi J, Shi JP, Li W. Assessing the prognostic value of stemness-related genes in breast cancer patients. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18325. [PMID: 33110086 PMCID: PMC7591576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73164-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is currently one of the deadliest tumors worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small group of tumor cells with self-renewal and differentiation abilities and high treatment resistance. One of the reasons for treatment failures is the inability to completely eliminate tumor stem cells. By using the edgeR package, we identified stemness-related differentially expressed genes in GSE69280. Via Lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis, survival genes were screened out to construct a prognostic model. Via nomograms and ROC curves, we verified the accuracy of the prognostic model. We selected 4 genes (PSMB9, CXCL13, NPR3, and CDKN2C) to establish a prognostic model from TCGA data and a validation model from GSE24450 data. We found that the low-risk score group had better OS than the high-risk score group, whether using TCGA or GSE24450 data. A prognostic model including four stemness-related genes was constructed in our study to determine targets of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and improve the treatment effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jie Wang
- Department of Radio-Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 26 Daoqian Street, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Oncology, Jining Tumor Hospital, Jining, 272000, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng-Sen Wang
- Department of Oncology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, 272011, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue-Qing Huang
- Department of General Practice, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Yuan Ma
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Qi
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Ping Shi
- Department of Radio-Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 26 Daoqian Street, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Ribatti D, Tamma R, Annese T. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer: A Historical Overview. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100773. [PMID: 32334405 PMCID: PMC7182759 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 405] [Impact Index Per Article: 101.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), the acquisition of mesenchymal features from epithelial cells, occur during some biological processes and are classified into three types: the first type occurs during embryonic development, the second type is associated with adult tissue regeneration, and the third type occurs in cancer progression. EMT occurring during embryonic development in gastrulation, renal development, and the origin and fate of the neural crest is a highly regulated process, while EMT occurring during tumor progression is highly deregulated. EMT allows the solid tumors to become more malignant, increasing their invasiveness and metastatic activity. Secondary tumors frequently maintain the typical histologic characteristics of the primary tumor. These histologic features connecting the secondary metastatic tumors to the primary is due to a process called mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). MET has been demonstrated in different mesenchymal tumors and is the expression of the reversibility of EMT. EMT modulation could constitute an approach to avoid metastasis. Some of the targeted small molecules utilized as antiproliferative agents have revealed to inhibit EMT initiation or maintenance because EMT is regulated through signaling pathways for which these molecules have been designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy.
| | - Roberto Tamma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Annese
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
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