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Kooshan Z, Cárdenas-Piedra L, Clements J, Batra J. Glycolysis, the sweet appetite of the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Lett 2024; 600:217156. [PMID: 39127341 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217156] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cells display an altered metabolic phenotype, characterised by increased glycolysis and lactate production, even in the presence of sufficient oxygen - a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. This metabolic reprogramming is a crucial adaptation that enables cancer cells to meet their elevated energy and biosynthetic demands. Importantly, the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining this metabolic shift in cancer cells. This review explores the intricate relationship between the tumor microenvironment and the Warburg effect, highlighting how communication within this niche regulates cancer cell metabolism and impacts tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. We discuss the potential of targeting the Warburg effect as a promising therapeutic strategy, with the aim of disrupting the metabolic advantage of cancer cells and enhancing our understanding of this complex interplay within the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Kooshan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Center for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lilibeth Cárdenas-Piedra
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Center for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Cell & Tissue Engineering Technologies, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Judith Clements
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Center for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jyotsna Batra
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Center for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Cell & Tissue Engineering Technologies, Brisbane, Australia.
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2
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Sun J, Liu J, Hou Y, Bao J, Wang T, Liu L, Zhang Y, Zhong R, Sun Z, Ye Y, Liu J. ZFP64 drives glycolysis-mediated stem cell-like properties and tumorigenesis in breast cancer. Biol Direct 2024; 19:83. [PMID: 39294751 PMCID: PMC11409756 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-024-00533-7] [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: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer (BC) is a great clinical challenge because of its aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Zinc Finger Protein 64 (ZFP64), as a transcriptional factor, is responsible for the development and progression of cancers. This study aims to investigate whether ZFP64 regulates stem cell-like properties and tumorigenesis in BC by the glycolytic pathway. RESULTS It was demonstrated that ZFP64 was overexpressed in BC specimens compared to adjacent normal tissues, and patients with high ZFP64 expression had shorter overall survival and disease-free survival. The analysis of the association of ZFP64 expression with clinicopathological characteristics showed that high ZFP64 expression is closely associated with N stage, TNM stage, and progesterone receptor status. Knockdown of ZFP64 suppressed the viability and colony formation capacity of BC cells by CCK8 and colony formation assays. The subcutaneous xenograft models revealed that ZFP64 knockdown reduced the volume of formatted tumors, and decreased Ki67 expression in tumors. The opposite effects on cell proliferation and tumorigenesis were demonstrated by ZFP64 overexpression. Furthermore, we suggested that the stem cell-like properties of BC cells were inhibited by ZFP64 depletion, as evidenced by the decreased size and number of formatted mammospheres, the downregulated expressions of OCT4, Nanog, and SOX2 proteins, as well as the reduced proportion of CD44+/CD24- subpopulations. Mechanistically, glycolysis was revealed to mediate the effect of ZFP64 using mRNA-seq analysis. Results showed that ZFP64 knockdown blocked the glycolytic process, as indicated by decreasing glycolytic metabolites, inhibiting glucose consumption, and reducing lactate and ATP production. As a transcription factor, we identified that ZFP64 was directly bound to the promoters of glycolysis-related genes (ALDOC, ENO2, HK2, and SPAG4), and induced the transcription of these genes by ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Blocking the glycolytic pathway by the inhibition of glycolytic enzymes ENO2/HK2 suppressed the high proliferation and stem cell-like properties of BC cells induced by ZFP64 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS These data support that ZFP64 promotes stem cell-like properties and tumorigenesis of BC by activating glycolysis in a transcriptional mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Sun
- Department of Thyroid Breast Surgery, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinquan Liu
- Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yudong Hou
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianheng Bao
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Teng Wang
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Longbi Liu
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yidan Zhang
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Zhong
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenxuan Sun
- Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Ye
- Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jintao Liu
- Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Liang Y, Ye F, Luo D, Long L, Wang Y, Jin Y, Wang L, Li Y, Han D, Chen B, Zhao W, Wang L, Yang Q. Exosomal circSIPA1L3-mediated intercellular communication contributes to glucose metabolic reprogramming and progression of triple negative breast cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:125. [PMID: 38849860 PMCID: PMC11161950 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02037-4] [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: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor, and metastasis remains the major cause of poor prognosis. Glucose metabolic reprogramming is one of the prominent hallmarks in cancer, providing nutrients and energy to support dramatically elevated tumor growth and metastasis. Nevertheless, the potential mechanistic links between glycolysis and breast cancer progression have not been thoroughly elucidated. METHODS RNA-seq analysis was used to identify glucose metabolism-related circRNAs. The expression of circSIPA1L3 in breast cancer tissues and serum was examined by qRT-PCR, and further assessed its diagnostic value. We also evaluated the prognostic potential of circSIPA1L3 by analyzing a cohort of 238 breast cancer patients. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments, transcriptomic analysis, and molecular biology experiments were conducted to explore the biological function and regulatory mechanism of circSIPA1L3. RESULTS Using RNA-seq analysis, circSIPA1L3 was identified as the critical mediator responsible for metabolic adaption upon energy stress. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments revealed that circSIPA1L3 exerted a stimulative effect on breast cancer progression and glycolysis, which could also be transported by exosomes and facilitated malignant behaviors among breast cancer cells. Significantly, the elevated lactate secretion caused by circSIPA1L3-mediated glycolysis enhancement promoted the recruitment of tumor associated macrophage and their tumor-promoting roles. Mechanistically, EIF4A3 induced the cyclization and cytoplasmic export of circSIPA1L3, which inhibited ubiquitin-mediated IGF2BP3 degradation through enhancing the UPS7-IGF2BP3 interaction. Furthermore, circSIPA1L3 increased mRNA stability of the lactate export carrier SLC16A1 and the glucose intake enhancer RAB11A through either strengthening their interaction with IGF2BP3 or sponging miR-665, leading to enhanced glycolytic metabolism. Clinically, elevated circSIPA1L3 expression indicated unfavorable prognosis base on the cohort of 238 breast cancer patients. Moreover, circSIPA1L3 was highly expressed in the serum of breast cancer patients and exhibited high diagnostic value for breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the oncogenic role of circSIPA1L3 through mediating glucose metabolism, which might serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Liang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Fangzhou Ye
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Li Long
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
- Department of Breast Surgery, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621000, P.R. China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Yuhan Jin
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Yaming Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Dianwen Han
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Bing Chen
- Biological Resource Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- Biological Resource Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Biological Resource Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Qifeng Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road No. 107, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China.
- Biological Resource Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China.
- Research Institute of Breast Cancer, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China.
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4
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Xu Y, Bai Z, Lan T, Fu C, Cheng P. CD44 and its implication in neoplastic diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e554. [PMID: 38783892 PMCID: PMC11112461 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
CD44, a nonkinase single span transmembrane glycoprotein, is a major cell surface receptor for many other extracellular matrix components as well as classic markers of cancer stem cells and immune cells. Through alternative splicing of CD44 gene, CD44 is divided into two isoforms, the standard isoform of CD44 (CD44s) and the variant isoform of CD44 (CD44v). Different isoforms of CD44 participate in regulating various signaling pathways, modulating cancer proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, with its aberrant expression and dysregulation contributing to tumor initiation and progression. However, CD44s and CD44v play overlapping or contradictory roles in tumor initiation and progression, which is not fully understood. Herein, we discuss the present understanding of the functional and structural roles of CD44 in the pathogenic mechanism of multiple cancers. The regulation functions of CD44 in cancers-associated signaling pathways is summarized. Moreover, we provide an overview of the anticancer therapeutic strategies that targeting CD44 and preclinical and clinical trials evaluating the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and drug-related toxicity about CD44-targeted therapies. This review provides up-to-date information about the roles of CD44 in neoplastic diseases, which may open new perspectives in the field of cancer treatment through targeting CD44.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Xu
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ziyi Bai
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Tianxia Lan
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Chenying Fu
- Laboratory of Aging and Geriatric Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ping Cheng
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
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Fan C, Xiong F, Zhang S, Gong Z, Liao Q, Li G, Guo C, Xiong W, Huang H, Zeng Z. Role of adhesion molecules in cancer and targeted therapy. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:940-957. [PMID: 38212458 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion molecules mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions and transmit mechanical and chemical signals among them. Various mechanisms deregulate adhesion molecules in cancer, enabling tumor cells to proliferate without restraint, invade through tissue boundaries, escape from immune surveillance, and survive in the tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have revealed that adhesion molecules also drive angiogenesis, reshape metabolism, and are involved in stem cell self-renewal. In this review, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of adhesion molecules in cancer and the tumor microenvironment, as well as the therapeutic strategies targeting adhesion molecules. These studies have implications for furthering our understanding of adhesion molecules in cancer and providing a paradigm for exploring novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Fang Xiong
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Zhaojian Gong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Qianjin Liao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Can Guo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China.
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Li D, Park Y, Hemati H, Liu X. Cell aggregation activates small GTPase Rac1 and induces CD44 cleavage by maintaining lipid raft integrity. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105377. [PMID: 37866630 PMCID: PMC10692920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid rafts are highly ordered membrane domains that are enriched in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids and serve as major platforms for signal transduction. Cell detachment from the extracellular matrix (ECM) triggers lipid raft disruption and anoikis, which is a barrier for cancer cells to metastasize. Compared to single circulating tumor cells (CTCs), our recent studies have demonstrated that CD44-mediatd cell aggregation enhances the stemness, survival and metastatic ability of aggregated cells. Here, we investigated whether and how lipid rafts are involved in CD44-mediated cell aggregation. We found that cell detachment, which mimics the condition when tumor cells detach from the ECM to metastasize, induced lipid raft disruption in single cells, but lipid raft integrity was maintained in aggregated cells. We further found that lipid raft integrity in aggregated cells was required for Rac1 activation to prevent anoikis. In addition, CD44 and γ-secretase coexisted at lipid rafts in aggregated cells, which promoted CD44 cleavage and generated CD44 intracellular domain (CD44 ICD) to enhance stemness of aggregated cells. Consequently, lipid raft disruption inhibited Rac1 activation, CD44 ICD generation, and metastasis. Our findings reveal two new pathways regulated by CD44-mediated cell aggregation via maintaining lipid raft integrity. These findings also suggest that targeting cell aggregation-mediated pathways could be a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent CTC cluster-initiated metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Li
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Younhee Park
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hami Hemati
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
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7
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Hu KF, Shu CW, Lee CH, Tseng CJ, Chou YH, Liu PF. Comparative clinical significance and biological roles of PFKFB family members in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:257. [PMID: 37919747 PMCID: PMC10621127 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03110-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer cells promote glycolysis, which supports rapid cell growth and proliferation. Phosphofructokinase-fructose bisphosphatases (PFKFBs), a family of bidirectional glycolytic enzymes, play key roles in the regulation of glycolysis in many types of cancer. However, their roles in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common type of oral cancer, are still unknown. METHODS We compared the gene expression levels of PFKFB family members and analyzed their clinical significance in oral cancer patients, whose clinical data were obtained the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Moreover, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, assays for cell viability, cell cycle, cell migration and viability of cell spheroid were performed in scramble and PFKFB-silenced cells. RESULTS We discovered that PFKFB3 expression in tumor tissues was slightly higher than that in tumor adjacent normal tissues but that PFKFB4 expression was significantly higher in the tumor tissues of oral cancer patients. High PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 expression had different effects on the prognosis of oral cancer patients with different clinicopathological outcomes. Our data showed that PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 play different roles; PFKFB3 is involved in cell viability, G2/M cell cycle progression, invasion, and migration, whereas PFKFB4 is involved in the drug resistance and cancer stemness of OSCC cells. Furthermore, oral cancer patients with co-expressions of PFKFB3/cell cycle or EMT markers and PFKFB4/stemness markers had poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 play different biological roles in OSCC cells, which implying that they might be potential prognostic biomarkers for OSCC patients with certain clinicopathological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Fang Hu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
- Department of Dentistry, Division of Periodontics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Shu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Jiunn Tseng
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813414, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsiang Chou
- Department of Dentistry, Division of Periodontics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
- School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Feng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
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Skandalis SS. CD44 Intracellular Domain: A Long Tale of a Short Tail. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5041. [PMID: 37894408 PMCID: PMC10605500 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44 is a single-chain transmembrane receptor that exists in multiple forms due to alternative mRNA splicing and post-translational modifications. CD44 is the main cell surface receptor of hyaluronan as well as other extracellular matrix molecules, cytokines, and growth factors that play important roles in physiological processes (such as hematopoiesis and lymphocyte homing) and the progression of various diseases, the predominant one being cancer. Currently, CD44 is an established cancer stem cell marker in several tumors, implying a central functional role in tumor biology. The present review aims to highlight the contribution of the CD44 short cytoplasmic tail, which is devoid of any enzymatic activity, in the extraordinary functional diversity of the receptor. The interactions of CD44 with cytoskeletal proteins through specific structural motifs within its intracellular domain drives cytoskeleton rearrangements and affects the distribution of organelles and transport of molecules. Moreover, the CD44 intracellular domain specifically interacts with various cytoplasmic effectors regulating cell-trafficking machinery, signal transduction pathways, the transcriptome, and vital cell metabolic pathways. Understanding the cell type- and context-specificity of these interactions may unravel the high complexity of CD44 functions and lead to novel improved therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyros S Skandalis
- Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Res. Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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Inoue A, Ohnishi T, Nishikawa M, Ohtsuka Y, Kusakabe K, Yano H, Tanaka J, Kunieda T. A Narrative Review on CD44's Role in Glioblastoma Invasion, Proliferation, and Tumor Recurrence. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4898. [PMID: 37835592 PMCID: PMC10572085 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194898] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High invasiveness is a characteristic of glioblastoma (GBM), making radical resection almost impossible, and thus, resulting in a tumor with inevitable recurrence. GBM recurrence may be caused by glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) that survive many kinds of therapy. GSCs with high expression levels of CD44 are highly invasive and resistant to radio-chemotherapy. CD44 is a multifunctional molecule that promotes the invasion and proliferation of tumor cells via various signaling pathways. Among these, paired pathways reciprocally activate invasion and proliferation under different hypoxic conditions. Severe hypoxia (0.5-2.5% O2) upregulates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, which then activates target genes, including CD44, TGF-β, and cMET, all of which are related to tumor migration and invasion. In contrast, moderate hypoxia (2.5-5% O2) upregulates HIF-2α, which activates target genes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGFR2, cMYC, and cyclin D1. All these genes are related to tumor proliferation. Oxygen environments around GBM can change before and after tumor resection. Before resection, the oxygen concentration at the tumor periphery is severely hypoxic. In the reparative stage after resection, the resection cavity shows moderate hypoxia. These observations suggest that upregulated CD44 under severe hypoxia may promote the migration and invasion of tumor cells. Conversely, when tumor resection leads to moderate hypoxia, upregulated HIF-2α activates HIF-2α target genes. The phenotypic transition regulated by CD44, leading to a dichotomy between invasion and proliferation according to hypoxic conditions, may play a crucial role in GBM recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Inoue
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Takanori Ohnishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Advanced Brain Disease Center, Washoukai Sadamoto Hospital, 1-6-1 Takehara, Matsuyama 790-0052, Ehime, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nishikawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Yoshihiro Ohtsuka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Kosuke Kusakabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Hajime Yano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicene, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (H.Y.); (J.T.)
| | - Junya Tanaka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicene, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (H.Y.); (J.T.)
| | - Takeharu Kunieda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan; (M.N.); (Y.O.); (K.K.); (T.K.)
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10
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Qi C, Xiong XZ. Value of peripheral blood circulating tumor cell detection in the diagnosis of thoracic diseases and the prediction of severity. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:2331-2339. [PMID: 36929453 PMCID: PMC10543157 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01022-3] [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: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection, as a noninvasive liquid biopsy method, has been used in the diagnosis, prognostic indication, and monitoring of a variety of cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether CTC detection could be used in the early diagnosis and prediction of severity of thoracic diseases. We enrolled 168 thoracic disease patients, all of whom underwent pathological biopsy. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) measurement was also performed in 146 patients. There were 131 cases of malignant thoracic diseases and 37 cases of benign lesions. We detected CTCs in a 5 ml peripheral blood sample with the CTCBiopsy® system and analyzed the value of CTC count for predicting disease severity. Of 131 patients with a diagnosis of thoracic malignancy, CTCs were found in blood samples from 122 patients. However, only 2 out of 37 patients with benign thoracic disease had no detectable CTCs. There was no significant correlation between CTC count and benign and malignant lesions (P = 0.986). However, among 131 patients who had been diagnosed with malignant lesions, 33 had lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis. The presence of CTCs was significantly correlated with metastasis (P = 0.016 OR = 1.14). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.625 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.519 to 0.730 P = 0.032). In addition, with stage IA1 as the cutoff, all patients were further divided into an early-stage group and a late-stage group. CTC count was significantly correlated with disease progression (P = 0.031 OR = 1.11), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.599 (95% CI, 0.506-0.692 P = 0.47). The sensitivity and specificity of CTC detection for the diagnosis of disease stage were 72.3% and 45.5%, respectively. In addition, the cutoff of 2.5 CTCs was the same when predicting disease metastasis and staging. Furthermore, the combination of CTC count, demographic characteristics and tumor markers had better predictive significance for disease staging. CTC count can effectively indicate the stages and metastasis of thoracic diseases, but it cannot differentiate benign and malignant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Qi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China
| | - Xian-Zhi Xiong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
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11
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Gu X, Dai X, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Dong L, Gao C, Wang F. Differential roles of highly expressed PFKFB4 in colon adenocarcinoma patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16284. [PMID: 37770581 PMCID: PMC10539362 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43619-4] [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] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a common malignant tumor, and the role of the protein PFKFB4 in glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways is crucial. Researchers investigated the clinical significance of PFKFB4 in COAD by studying its expression in 79 tissue samples using immunohistochemistry. We found that PFKFB4 expression was significantly higher in COAD patients, particularly in the sigmoid colon. Interestingly, high PFKFB4 expression was associated with both improved overall survival (OS) and worse progression-free survival (PPS) in COAD patients. Further analysis revealed that genes associated with PFKFB4 were linked to various metabolic pathways, including amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glucose metabolism, and inflammatory response. PFKFB4 expression also showed correlations with the infiltration of different immune cell types in COAD patients, such as CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, active mast cells, and resting NK cells. Overall, the relationship between PFKFB4 expression and the prognosis of COAD is complex and diverse, possibly playing different roles at different stages of the disease. Moreover, its mechanism might involve interactions with various metabolic pathways and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential role of PFKFB4 as a biomarker or therapeutic target in COAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Gu
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Xingchen Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yongli Huang
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yuhuan Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Lintao Dong
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Chanchan Gao
- Department of Oncology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
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12
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Ji H, Kong L, Wang Y, Hou Z, Kong W, Qi J, Jin Y. CD44 expression is correlated with osteosarcoma cell progression and immune infiltration and affects the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. J Bone Oncol 2023; 41:100487. [PMID: 37287706 PMCID: PMC10242553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2023.100487] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44 is associated with a variety of human diseases and plays a potential role in tumorigenesis, however, the mechanism of its role in osteosarcoma remains unclear. We analyzed the expression of CD44 in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and genotype-tissue expression pan-cancer data and found that it was highly expressed in most tumors, including sarcoma. The expression of CD44 in osteosarcoma cell lines was higher than that in human osteoblast cell line in the results of the Western blot and Immunohistochemical staining assay. The results of colony formation assay and CCK 8 showed that CD44 improved the proliferation capacity of osteosarcoma cells, transwell assay and wound healing assay showed that CD44 improved the migration capacity of osteosarcoma cells. Further studies revealed that CD44 exerts its influence on the biological behavior of osteosarcoma cells through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Since CD44 may be involved in the immune response, we analyzed the correlation between CD44 expression and immune cell infiltration in TCGA database using the previous cluster analyzer R software package, TIMER2.0 database and, GEPIA2 database, and found its involvement in the immune infiltration of osteosarcoma. Therefore, we believe that CD44 could be a potential target for the treatment of osteosarcoma patients and may be a candidate biomarker for immune infiltration-related prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hairu Ji
- Department of Pathology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Lingwei Kong
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Zhiping Hou
- Department of Pathology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Wei Kong
- Department of Pathology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Jiemin Qi
- Department of Pathology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Yu Jin
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, China
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13
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Parnigoni A, Moretto P, Viola M, Karousou E, Passi A, Vigetti D. Effects of Hyaluronan on Breast Cancer Aggressiveness. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3813. [PMID: 37568628 PMCID: PMC10417239 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer cells is critical for determining tumor aggressiveness and targeting therapies. The presence of such receptors allows for the use of antagonists that effectively reduce breast cancer growth and dissemination. However, the absence of such receptors in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) reduces the possibility of targeted therapy, making these tumors very aggressive with a poor outcome. Cancers are not solely composed of tumor cells, but also include several types of infiltrating cells, such as fibroblasts, macrophages, and other immune cells that have critical functions in regulating cancer cell behaviors. In addition to these cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) has become an important player in many aspects of breast cancer biology, including cell growth, motility, metabolism, and chemoresistance. Hyaluronan (HA) is a key ECM component that promotes cell proliferation and migration in several malignancies. Notably, HA accumulation in the tumor stroma is a negative prognostic factor in breast cancer. HA metabolism depends on the fine balance between HA synthesis by HA synthases and degradation yielded by hyaluronidases. All the different cell types present in the tumor can release HA in the ECM, and in this review, we will describe the role of HA and HA metabolism in different breast cancer subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Davide Vigetti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.P.); (P.M.); (M.V.); (E.K.); (A.P.)
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14
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Zhang W, Huang Q, Kang Y, Li H, Tan G. Which Factors Influence Healthy Aging? A Lesson from the Longevity Village of Bama in China. Aging Dis 2023; 14:825-839. [PMID: 37191421 PMCID: PMC10187713 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2022.1108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing aging population is associated with increasing incidences of aging-related diseases and socioeconomic burdens. Hence, research into healthy longevity and aging is urgently needed. Longevity is an important phenomenon in healthy aging. The present review summarizes the characteristics of longevity in the elderly population in Bama, China, where the proportion of centenarians is 5.7-fold greater than the international standard. We examined the impact of genetic and environmental factors on longevity from multiple perspectives. We proposed that the phenomenon of longevity in this region is of high value for future investigations in healthy aging and aging-related disease and may provide guidance for fostering the establishment and maintenance of a healthy aging society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neuroscience and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Brain Function and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- China-ASEAN Research Center for Innovation and Development in Brain Science, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Qingyun Huang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neuroscience and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Brain Function and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- China-ASEAN Research Center for Innovation and Development in Brain Science, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Yongxin Kang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neuroscience and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Brain Function and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Medical BioResource Development and Application Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- China-ASEAN Research Center for Innovation and Development in Brain Science, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neuroscience and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Brain Function and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Medical BioResource Development and Application Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- China-ASEAN Research Center for Innovation and Development in Brain Science, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Guohe Tan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neuroscience and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Brain Function and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Medical BioResource Development and Application Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
- China-ASEAN Research Center for Innovation and Development in Brain Science, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
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15
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Chen S, Tao Y, Wang Q, Ren J, Jing Y, Huang J, Zhang L, Li R. Glucose induced-AKT/mTOR activation accelerates glycolysis and promotes cell survival in acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Res 2023; 128:107059. [PMID: 36989577 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2023.107059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Multiple studies have demonstrated that excessive glucose utilization is a common feature of cancer cells to support malignant phenotype. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is recognized as a heterogeneous disorder of hematopoietic stem cells characterized by altered glucose metabolism. However, the role of glucose metabolic dysfunction in AML development remains obscure. In this study, glucose and 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) treatment were applied to analyze the relationship between glucose metabolism and cell survival. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry (FCM) assays were used to examine the cell viability and apoptosis rate. Glucose consumption and lactate production were measured to assess the glucose metabolism pathway. The results demonstrated that abnormally increased glucose effectively promoted proliferation of leukemic cells and inhibited cell apoptosis, while 2-DG ameliorated leukemic phenotypes. Importantly, glucose exposure induced active glycolysis by increasing glucose consumption and lactate production. Furthermore, the levels of key glycolysis-related genes glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) were upregulated. Mechanistic investigations revealed that AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was activated in glucose condition. In conclusion, our findings indicate that glucose induced-AKT/mTOR activation plays a growth-promoting role in AML, highlighting that inhibition of glycolysis would be a vital adjuvant therapy strategy for AML.
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16
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Nandi SK, Chatterjee N, Roychowdhury T, Pradhan A, Moiz S, Manna K, Sarkar DK, Dhar P, Dutta A, Mukhopadhyay S, Bhattacharya R. Kaempferol with Verapamil impeded panoramic chemoevasion pathways in breast cancer through ROS overproduction and disruption of lysosomal biogenesis. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 113:154689. [PMID: 36921428 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reactive oxygen species (ROS) at low level promotes cell survival through lysosome induced autophagy induction. Glucose stress induced acidosis, hypoxia, ROS, upregulates markers related to cancer stemness and multidrug resistance. Also, lysosomal upregulation is proposed to be one of the important indicators of cell survival under ROS induced stress. Studies supported that, stimulation of Lysosome-TFEB-Ca2+ cascade has important role in induction of chemoresistance and survival of cancerous cells. PURPOSE To observe the effect of synergistic drug combination, Kaempferol and Verapamil on markers regulating chemoevasion, tumor stemness & acidosis as well as lysosome upregulation pathways, under low as well as high glucose conditions. HYPOTHESIS Based on our earlier observation as well as previous reports, we hypothesized, our drug combination Kaempferol with Verapamil could attenuate markers related to chemoevasion, tumor stemness & acidosis as well as lysosome-TFEB-Ca2+ pathway, all of which have indispensable association and role in chemoresistance. METHODS RNA and protein expression of candidate genes, along with ROS production and Ca2+ concentrations were measured in ex vivo models in altered glucose conditions upon treatment with KV. Also, computational approaches were utilized to hypothesize the mechanism of action of the drug combination. PCR, IHC, western blotting and molecular docking approaches were used in this study. RESULTS The overproduction of ROS by our candidate drugs KV, downregulated the chemoresistance and tumor acidosis markers along with ATP1B1 and resulted in lysosomal disruption with reduction of Ca2+ release, diminishing TFEB expression under low glucose condition. An anomalous outcome was observed in high glucose conditions. We also observed KV promoted the overproduction of ROS levels thereby inducing autophagy-mediated cell death through the upregulation of LC3-II and p62 in low glucose conditions. The ex vivo studies also corroborate with in silico study that exhibited the parallel outcome. CONCLUSION Our ex-vivo and in-silico studies revealed that our candidate drug combination KV, could effectively target several pathways regulating chemoresistance, that were not hitherto studied in the same experimental setup and thus may be endorsed for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Kumar Nandi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 3081 Nayabad, Kolkata-700094, India
| | - Niloy Chatterjee
- Centre for Research in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, JD 2, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700 098, West Bengal, India
| | - Tanaya Roychowdhury
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Ayan Pradhan
- Department of General Surgery, Institute of Post graduate Medical Education &Research and SSKM Hospital, 244B AJC Bose Road Kolkata-700020, India
| | - Sumaiya Moiz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 3081 Nayabad, Kolkata-700094, India
| | - Krishnendu Manna
- Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, 741235, India
| | - Diptendra Kumar Sarkar
- Department of General Surgery, Institute of Post graduate Medical Education &Research and SSKM Hospital, 244B AJC Bose Road Kolkata-700020, India
| | - Pubali Dhar
- Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Food and Nutrition division, University of Calcutta, 20B Judges Court Road. Kolkata 700027, West Bengal, India
| | - Amitava Dutta
- Department of Pathology, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 3081 Nayabad, Kolkata-700094
| | - Soma Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Molecular Biology, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 3081 Nayabad, Kolkata-700094, India
| | - Rittwika Bhattacharya
- Department of Molecular Biology, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 3081 Nayabad, Kolkata-700094, India.
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17
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Alizadeh J, Kavoosi M, Singh N, Lorzadeh S, Ravandi A, Kidane B, Ahmed N, Mraiche F, Mowat MR, Ghavami S. Regulation of Autophagy via Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2195. [PMID: 37190124 PMCID: PMC10136996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic changes are an important component of tumor cell progression. Tumor cells adapt to environmental stresses via changes to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Autophagy, a physiological process in mammalian cells that digests damaged organelles and misfolded proteins via lysosomal degradation, is closely associated with metabolism in mammalian cells, acting as a meter of cellular ATP levels. In this review, we discuss the changes in glycolytic and lipid biosynthetic pathways in mammalian cells and their impact on carcinogenesis via the autophagy pathway. In addition, we discuss the impact of these metabolic pathways on autophagy in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Alizadeh
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada (S.L.)
| | - Mahboubeh Kavoosi
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada (S.L.)
| | - Navjit Singh
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada (S.L.)
| | - Shahrokh Lorzadeh
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada (S.L.)
| | - Amir Ravandi
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Albrechtsen Research Centre, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada;
| | - Biniam Kidane
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Health Sciences Centre, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 6C5, Canada;
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada; (N.A.)
| | - Naseer Ahmed
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada; (N.A.)
- Department of Radiology, Section of Radiation Oncology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Fatima Mraiche
- College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar;
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Michael R. Mowat
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada; (N.A.)
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada (S.L.)
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, Academia of Silesia, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- Biology of Breathing Theme, Children Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada
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18
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Nong S, Han X, Xiang Y, Qian Y, Wei Y, Zhang T, Tian K, Shen K, Yang J, Ma X. Metabolic reprogramming in cancer: Mechanisms and therapeutics. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e218. [PMID: 36994237 PMCID: PMC10041388 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation require altered metabolic processes to maintain this characteristic. Metabolic reprogramming is a process mediated by various factors, including oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, changes in growth factors, and tumor-host cell interactions, which help to meet the needs of cancer cell anabolism and promote tumor development. Metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells is dynamically variable, depending on the tumor type and microenvironment, and reprogramming involves multiple metabolic pathways. These metabolic pathways have complex mechanisms and involve the coordination of various signaling molecules, proteins, and enzymes, which increases the resistance of tumor cells to traditional antitumor therapies. With the development of cancer therapies, metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as a new therapeutic target for metabolic changes in tumor cells. Therefore, understanding how multiple metabolic pathways in cancer cells change can provide a reference for the development of new therapies for tumor treatment. Here, we systemically reviewed the metabolic changes and their alteration factors, together with the current tumor regulation treatments and other possible treatments that are still under investigation. Continuous efforts are needed to further explore the mechanism of cancer metabolism reprogramming and corresponding metabolic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Nong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Xiaoyue Han
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yu Xiang
- Department of BiotherapyCancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yuran Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yuhao Wei
- Department of Clinical MedicineWest China School of MedicineWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Tingyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Keyue Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Kai Shen
- Department of OncologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Xuelei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologyWest China School of StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Department of Biotherapy and Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyCancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
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19
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Jian FX, Bao PX, Li WF, Cui YH, Hong HG. Negative regulation of CD44st by miR-138-5p affects the invasive ability of breast cancer cells and patient prognosis after breast cancer surgery. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:269. [PMID: 36964570 PMCID: PMC10037889 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10738-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate how the negative regulation of CD44st by miR-138-5p affects the invasive ability of breast cancer cell lines and prognosis in postoperative breast cancer patients. METHODS RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, and western blot assays were used to detect the expression of CD44s, CD44v6, and CD44st at both mRNA and protein levels. The expression of miR-138-5p in breast cancer cell lines was also evaluated. The binding ability of miR-138-5p to CD44st was determined via a dual-luciferase assay. The CD44 protein expression in breast cancer tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry. A Transwell assay was used to detect the invasive ability of tumor cells. The correlation between CD44st and miR-138-5p mRNA expression in breast cancer tissues was evaluated using qRT-PCR, and the relationship between clinicopathological features was statistically analyzed. RESULTS CD44s and CD44v6 were highly expressed in MDAMB-231 cell line, while CD44st was highly expressed in MCF-7/Adr and Skbr-3 cells. None of the CD44 isoforms were expressed in MCF-7 cells. The miR-138-5p was highly expressed in MCF-7 cells, but not in MCF-7/Adr, Skbr-3, and MDAMB-231 cells. The dual-luciferase assay suggested that miR-138-5p could bind to wild-type CD44st 3'-UTR, miR-138-5p overexpression significantly inhibited the expression level of CD44 protein in MCF-7/Adr cells, and miR-138-5p + CD44st (3'-UTR)-treated MCF-7/Adr and Skbr-3 cells were significantly less invasive than those in the control group (P < 0.05). RT-PCR results for 80 postoperative breast cancer patients showed that the mRNA expression rate for CD44st was higher in cancer tissues than in paracancerous tissues, and the expression rate of miR-138-5p was higher in paracancerous tissues than in cancerous tissues (P < 0.01). In cancer tissues, CD44st was negatively correlated with miR-138-5p expression, with correlation coefficient r = -0.76 (Pearson's correlation), coefficient of determination R2 = 0.573, F = 106.89, and P < 0.001. The median overall survival value for patients in the low miR-138-5p expression group was 40.39 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 35.59-45.18 months] and 56.30 months (95% CI: 54.38-58.21 months) for patients in the high-expression group, with a log rank (Mantel-Cox) of 13.120, one degree of freedom, and P < 0.001. CONCLUSION In breast cancer cell lines, miR-138-5p negatively regulated expression of CD44st and affected the invasive ability of tumor cells and patient prognosis after breast cancer surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Xin Jian
- Department of Oncology, Gaochun Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, No.41, Hailian East Road, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Xiao Bao
- Department of Oncology, Gaochun Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Yan Hai Cui
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, No.41, Hailian East Road, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hang Guan Hong
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, No.41, Hailian East Road, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu, China.
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Wang S, Liu Y, Li S, Chen Y, Liu Y, Yan J, Wu J, Li J, Wang L, Xiang R, Shi Y, Qin X, Yang S. COMMD3-Mediated Endosomal Trafficking of HER2 Inhibits the Progression of Ovarian Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:199-213. [PMID: 36445330 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The dysregulated endocytic traffic of oncogenic receptors, such as the EGFR family especially HER2, contributes to the uncontrolled activation of the downstream oncogenic signaling and progression of various carcinomas, including 90% of ovarian carcinoma. However, the key regulators in the intracellular trafficking of HER2 and their impacts for cancer progression remain largely unknown. In this study, through a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening for key genes affecting the peritoneal disseminated metastasis of ovarian carcinoma, we identified a member of COMMD family, that is, COMMD3, as a key regulator in the endosomal trafficking of HER2. In the patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), the expression of COMMD3 is dramatically decreased in the peritoneal disseminated ovarian carcinoma cells comparing with that in the primary ovarian carcinoma cells. COMMD3 greatly inhibits the proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HGSOC cells, and dramatically suppresses the tumor growth, the formation of malignant ascites, and the peritoneal dissemination of cancer cells in the orthotopic murine model of HGSOC. Further transcriptome analysis reveals that silencing COMMD3 boosts the activation of HER2 downstream signaling. As a component in the Retriever-associated COMMD/CCDC22/CCDC93 complex responsible for the recognition and recycling of membrane receptors, COMMD3 physically interacts with HER2 for directing it to the slow recycling pathway, leading to the attenuated downstream tumor-promoting signaling. IMPLICATIONS Collectively, this study reveals a novel HER2 inactivation mechanism with a high value for the clinic diagnosis of new ovarian carcinoma types and the design of new therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqing Wang
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuxin Liu
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Siyu Li
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanan Chen
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanhua Liu
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Yan
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiayi Wu
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jia Li
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Longlong Wang
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Rong Xiang
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Shi
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuan Qin
- Department of Thyroid and Neck Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuang Yang
- The School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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Li D, Park Y, Hemati H, Liu X. Cell aggregation prevents anoikis and induces CD44 cleavage by maintaining lipid raft integrity to promote triple negative breast cancer metastasis. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2535728. [PMID: 36824757 PMCID: PMC9949249 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2535728/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, and metastasis is the major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is urgent to discover novel therapeutic targets and develop effective treatments for this lethal disease. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are considered "seeds of metastasis". Compared to single CTCs, our previous studies have demonstrated that CD44 homophilic interaction mediates CTC aggregation to enhance the stemness, survival and metastatic ability of aggregated cells. Importantly, the presence of CD44+ CTC clusters correlates with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Here, we further investigated the underlying mechanism of how CD44-mediated cell aggregation promotes TNBC metastasis. We found that cell detachment, which mimics the condition when tumor cells detach from the extracellular matrix (ECM) to metastasize, induces lipid raft disruption in single cells, but lipid rafts integrity is maintained in aggregated cells. We further found that lipid rafts integrity in aggregated cells is required for Rac1 activation to prevent anoikis. In addition, CD44 and γ-secretase coexisted at lipid rafts in aggregated cells, which promotes CD44 cleavage and generates CD44 intracellular domain (CD44 ICD) to enhance stemness. Consequently, lipid rafts disruption inhibited Rac1 activation, CD44 ICD generation and metastasis. These data reveal a new mechanism of cell aggregation-mediated TNBC metastasis via maintaining lipid raft integrity after cell detachment. The finding provides a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent CTC cluster-initiated metastasis by disrupting lipid raft integrity and its-mediated downstream pathways.
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Zhang Y, Ai P, Chen SZ, Lei SY. Sulforaphane suppresses skin squamous cell carcinoma cells proliferation through miR-199a-5p/Sirt1/CD44ICD signaling pathway. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2023; 45:52-60. [PMID: 35947042 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2022.2112221] [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: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aimed to explore the impact of sulforaphane on the growth of sSCC cells, and the activation of miR-199a-5p/Sirt1 and CD44ICD signaling pathways. METHODS Cell viability, count, apoptosis, and invasion assays were performed in the sSCC cell line (SCC-13) in which miR-199a-5p was over-expressed or under-expressed. The expression levels of miR-199a-5p, Sirt1 and CD44ICD mRNA were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS Sulforaphane significantly inhibited the cell growth and invasion of SCC-13 cells, and dramatically induced cell apoptosis. Additionally, sulforaphane also greatly increased miR-199a-5p expression and suppressed Sirt1 and CD44ICD mRNA levels. Moreover, miR-199a-5p overexpression considerably down-regulated the expressions of Sirt1 and CD44ICD mRNA, and promoted the ability of sulforaphane to represses cell growth and invasion, and to induce cell apoptosis. However, miR-199a-5p underexpression has the opposite effects. CONCLUSIONS Sulforaphane appears to inhibit sCC progression by impacting its growth and invasion ability, and regulates miR-199a-5p/Sirt1 and CD44ICD signaling pathways, and may be utilized to develop a curative approach for sSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, PR China
| | - Ping Ai
- Department of Dermatology, Minda Hospital of Hubei Minzu University, Enshi, PR China
| | - Shang-Zhou Chen
- Department of Dermatology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, PR China
| | - Shu-Ying Lei
- Department of Dermatology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, PR China
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Kang X, Chen J, Hou JF. HSP90 facilitates stemness and enhances glycolysis in glioma cells. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:420. [DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02924-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Glioma is one of the most commonly occurring malignant brain cancers with high recurrence and mortality. Glioma stem cells (SCs) are a rare sub-group of glioma cells that play a critical role in tumor progression. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is known to promote the stemness of glioma SCs. Here, we investigated the role of HSP90 in glioma SC metabolism, to reveal its potential as a novel therapeutic target.
Methods
Self-renewal assays were used to assess stemness. Cell migration, invasion and viability were measured using Transwell and CCK-8 assays, respectively. Tumor growth was evaluated in xenograft nude mouse models. The expression of known markers of stemness including CD44, A2B5, Oct4, Nestin, Lgr5, Sox2, CD24 were assessed by western blotting. HSP90 expression was assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Glucose consumption, lactic acid production and ATP levels were measured using commercially available kits. Extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) were measured using the Seahorse XFe/XF analyzer.
Results
HSP90 was upregulated in spheroid cells compared to parental cells. HSP90 facilitated the characteristics of SCs through enhancing self-renewal capacity, glucose consumption, lactic acid production, total ATP, ECAR and glycolysis. 2-DG, an inhibitor of glycolysis, reduced HSP90 expression and inhibited the stemness of glioma cells.
Conclusions
We show that HSP90 accelerates stemness and enhances glycolysis in glioma cells. Inhibition of glycolysis with 2DG prevented stemness. This reveals new roles for HSP90 during glioma progression and highlights this protein as a potential target for much-needed anti-glioma therapeutics.
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Correlation of Glucose Metabolism with Cancer and Intervention with Traditional Chinese Medicine. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:2192654. [PMID: 36276846 PMCID: PMC9586738 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2192654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease with several distinct characteristics, referred to as “cancer markers” one of which is metabolic reprogramming, which is a common feature that drives cancer progression. Over the last ten years, researchers have focused on the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in cancer. In cancer, the oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathway is converted into the glycolytic pathway in order to meet the growth requirements of cancer cells, thereby creating a microenvironment that promotes cancer progression. The precise mechanism of glucose metabolism in cancer cells is still unknown, but it is thought to involve the aberrant levels of metabolic enzymes, the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the activation of tumor-promoting signaling pathways. It is suggested that glucose metabolism is strongly linked to cancer progression because it provides energy to cancer cells and interferes with antitumor drug pharmacodynamics. Therefore, it is critical to unravel the mechanism of glucose metabolism in tumors in order to gain a better understanding of tumorigenesis and to lay the groundwork for future research into the identification of novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multiple targets, multiple components, and less toxic side effects and has unique advantages in tumor treatment. In recent years, researchers have found that a variety of Chinese medicine monomers and compound recipes play an antitumor role by interfering with the reprogramming of tumor metabolism. The underlying mechanisms of metabolism reprogramming of tumor cells and the role of TCM in regulating glucose metabolism are reviewed in this study, so as to provide a new idea for antitumor research in Chinese medicine.
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Cell adhesion molecule CD44v10 promotes stem-like properties in triple-negative breast cancer cells via glucose transporter GLUT1-mediated glycolysis. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102588. [PMID: 36243113 PMCID: PMC9647553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell adhesion molecule CD44v8-10 is associated with tumor ste0mness and malignancy; however, whether CD44v10 alone confers these properties is unknown. Here, we demonstrated that CD44v10 promotes stemness and chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) individually. Next, we identified that genes differentially expressed in response to ectopic expression of CD44v10 are mostly related to glycolysis. Further, we showed that CD44v10 upregulates glucose transporter 1 to facilitate glycolysis by activating the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. This glycolytic reprogramming induced by CD44v10 contributes to the stem-like properties of TNBC cells and confers resistance to paclitaxel treatment. Notably, we determined that the knockdown of glucose transporter 1 could attenuate the enhanced effects of CD44v10 on glycolysis, stemness, and paclitaxel resistance. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the function of CD44v10 in TNBCs and suggest that targeting CD44v10 may contribute to future clinical therapy.
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Sun J, Jin R. PFKFB4 modulated by miR-195-5p can boost the malignant progression of cervical cancer cells. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 73:128916. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Wu Y, Zhang L, Bao Y, Wan B, Shu D, Luo T, He Z. Loss of PFKFB4 induces cell cycle arrest and glucose metabolism inhibition by inactivating MEK/ERK/c-Myc pathway in cervical cancer cells. J OBSTET GYNAECOL 2022; 42:2399-2405. [PMID: 35659173 DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2022.2062225] [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: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) was reported to be necessary for tumour growth in several cancers. However, the function of PFKFB4 in cervical cancer has not been clearly elucidated. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to detect the expression of PFKFB4 in cervical cancer and the association with survival prognosis. The effect of PFKFB4 on cervical cancer cells growth, cycle, invasion, migration and glucose metabolism was investigated by loss-of-function approaches in vitro. The association between PFKFB4 and MEK/ERK/c-Myc pathway was identified by western blot assay. We found that PFKFB4 was highly expressed in cervical cancer samples and its overexpression led to a poor prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Knock down of PFKFB4 reduced cell growth, blocked cell cycle, inhibited cell invasion and migration, and blocked glucose metabolism in cervical cancer cells. Our findings afforded a theoretical basis for further research on the treatment of cervical cancer based on the control of PFKFB4 expression. Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? PFKFB4 was overexpressed in several kinds of cancers and its requirement for tumour growth has been confirmed in cancers such as glioma and breast cancer. However, the function of PFKFB4 in cervical cancer cells has not been clearly elucidated. A bioinformatics study showed that PFKFB4 was a member of a six-gene signature associated with glycolysis to predict the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer. However, the relationship between PFKFB4 and glucose metabolism in cervical cancer has not been revealed.What do the results of this study add? Our results showed that PFKFB4 was highly expressed in cervical cancer samples and its overexpression led to a poor prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Moreover, the administration of si-PFKFB4 significantly reduced cell growth ability, blocked cell cycle, restrained the mobility and suppressed the glucose metabolism in cervical cancer cells partially by inactivating MEK/ERK/c-Myc pathway.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our findings afforded a theoretical basis for further research on the treatment of cervical cancer based on the control of PFKFB4 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wu
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Li Zhang
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yiming Bao
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Biao Wan
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Dan Shu
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Tingting Luo
- Gynecology, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Zengli He
- Obstetrics, Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
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Wang W, Wang B. KDM3A-mediated SP1 activates PFKFB4 transcription to promote aerobic glycolysis in osteosarcoma and augment tumor development. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:562. [PMID: 35590288 PMCID: PMC9118730 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09636-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lysine-specific histone demethylase 3A (KDM3A) is a potent histone modifier that is frequently implicated in the progression of several malignancies. However, its role in aerobic glycolysis of osteosarcoma (OS) remains unclear. METHODS KDM3A expression in OS tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry, and that in acquired OS cells was determined by RT-qPCR and western blot assays. KDM3A was silenced in OS cells to examine cellular behaviors and the aerobic glycolysis. Stably transfected cells were injected into nude mice for in vivo experiments. The downstream targets of KDM3A were predicted by bioinformatics systems and validated by ChIP-qPCR. Rescue experiments of SP1 and PFKFB4 were performed to examine their roles in the KDM3A-mediated events. RESULTS KDM3A was highly expressed in OS tissues and cells. Knockdown of KDM3A weakened OS cell growth and metastasis in vivo and in vitro, and it suppressed the aerobic glycolysis in OS cells. KDM3A enhanced the transcription of SP1 by demethylating H3K9me2 on its promoter. Restoration of SP1 rescued growth and metastasis of OS cells and recovered the glycolytic flux in cells suppressed by knockdown of KDM3A. SP1 bound to the PFKFB4 promoter to activate its transcription and expression. PFKFB4 expression in OS cells was suppressed by KDM3A silencing but increased after SP1 restoration. Overexpression of PFKFB4 significantly promoted OS cell growth and metastasis as well as the glycolytic flux in cells. CONCLUSION This paper elucidates that upregulation of PFKFB4 mediated by the KDM3A-SP1 axis promotes aerobic glycolysis in OS and augments tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 36, Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, P.R. China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 36, Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, P.R. China.
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Guo L, Ke H, Zhang H, Zou L, Yang Q, Lu X, Zhao L, Jiao B. TDP43 promotes stemness of breast cancer stem cells through CD44 variant splicing isoforms. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:428. [PMID: 35504883 PMCID: PMC9065105 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04867-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a promising clinical target for cancer treatment at the post-transcriptional level. We previously identified a unique AS profile in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is regulated by the splicing regulator TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP43), thus indicating the crucial role of TDP43 in heterogeneous TNBC. Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), a widely recognized marker for breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), is extensively spliced into CD44 variant AS isoforms (CD44v) during the development of breast cancer. At present, however, the regulatory mechanism of CD44v is not fully understood. In the current study, we found that loss of TDP43 inhibits BCSC stemness by reducing the abundance of CD44v. In addition, serine-arginine-rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3), another splicing factor and partner of TDP43, acts as an upstream regulator of TDP43 to maintain CD44v isoforms and thereafter BCSC stemness. Mechanistically, SRSF3 stabilizes the mRNA of TDP43 by inhibiting nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). These findings illustrate the important role of complicated regulatory networks formed by splicing factors in TNBC progression, thus providing potential therapeutic targets from an AS perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Guo
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 China
| | - Hao Ke
- grid.260463.50000 0001 2182 8825Human Aging Research Institute (HARI) and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031 Jiangxi China
| | - Honglei Zhang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Center for Scientific Research, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500 Yunnan China
| | - Li Zou
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China
| | - Qin Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China
| | - Xuemei Lu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China
| | - Limin Zhao
- grid.260463.50000 0001 2182 8825Human Aging Research Institute (HARI) and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031 Jiangxi China
| | - Baowei Jiao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China
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Weng X, Maxwell-Warburton S, Hasib A, Ma L, Kang L. The membrane receptor CD44: novel insights into metabolism. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2022; 33:318-332. [PMID: 35249813 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
CD44, a cell-surface glycoprotein, has long been studied as a cancer molecule due to its essential role in physiological activities in normal cells and pathological activities in cancer cells, such as cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration; angiogenesis; inflammation; and cytoskeleton rearrangement. Yet, recent evidence suggests a role of CD44 in metabolism, especially insulin resistance in obesity and diabetes. In line with the current concept of fibroinflammation in obesity and insulin resistance, CD44 as the main receptor of the extracellular matrix component, hyaluronan (HA), has been shown to regulate diet-induced insulin resistance in muscle and other insulin-sensitive tissues. In this review, we integrate current evidence for a role of CD44 in regulating glucose and lipid homeostasis and speculate about its involvement in the pathogenesis of chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. We summarize the current development of CD44-targeted therapies and discuss its potential for the use in treating metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Weng
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | | | - Annie Hasib
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lifeng Ma
- School of Medicine, Xizang Minzhu University, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
| | - Li Kang
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
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Wang G, Ding B, Sun L, Guo J, Wang S, Li W, Zhang Y, Lv J, Qiu W. Construction and Validation of a Necroptosis-Related Signature Associated With the Immune Microenvironment in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:859544. [PMID: 35480307 PMCID: PMC9037783 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.859544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is a widespread and often deadly neoplasm. There is increasing evidence that necroptosis mediates numerous tumor-associated behaviors, as well as the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, suggesting its use as a biomarker for tumor prognosis. Methods: Data on mRNA expression and necroptosis regulators were acquired from the TCGA and KEGG databases, respectively. Clinical liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) patient data and information on the expression of necroptosis regulators were processed by unsupervised cluster analysis was performed on LIHC patients together with necroptotic regulator expression and, differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (DENRGs) were identified by comparing the two clusters. A signature based on eight DENRGs was constructed and verified through independent data sets, and its relationship with the tumor microenvironment was investigated. Results: Unsupervised cluster analysis demonstrated inherent immune differences among LIHC patients. In all, 1,516 DENRGs were obtained by comparison between the two clusters. In the training set, the final eight genes obtained by univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression were utilized for constructing the signature. The survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve achieved satisfactory results in both sets. The high-risk group was characterized by greater immune infiltration and poor prognosis. The results of survival analysis based on the expression of eight DENRGs further confirmed the signature. Conclusion: We established and validated a risk signature based on eight DERNGs related to the tumor microenvironment. This provides a possible explanation for the different clinical effects of immunotherapy and provides a novel perspective for predicting tumor prognosis in LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongjun Wang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Baoning Ding
- School of Statistics, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China
| | | | - Jing Guo
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shasha Wang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenqian Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Wensheng Qiu, Jing Lv,
| | - Wensheng Qiu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Wensheng Qiu, Jing Lv,
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Tumor Cell Glycolysis—At the Crossroad of Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Autophagy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11061041. [PMID: 35326492 PMCID: PMC8947107 DOI: 10.3390/cells11061041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Upregulation of glycolysis, induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy), are phenotypic changes that occur in tumor cells, in response to similar stimuli, either tumor cell-autonomous or from the tumor microenvironment. Available evidence, herein reviewed, suggests that glycolysis can play a causative role in the induction of EMT and autophagy in tumor cells. Thus, glycolysis has been shown to induce EMT and either induce or inhibit autophagy. Glycolysis-induced autophagy occurs both in the presence (glucose starvation) or absence (glucose sufficiency) of metabolic stress. In order to explain these, in part, contradictory experimental observations, we propose that in the presence of stimuli, tumor cells respond by upregulating glycolysis, which will then induce EMT and inhibit autophagy. In the presence of stimuli and glucose starvation, upregulated glycolysis leads to adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and autophagy induction. In the presence of stimuli and glucose sufficiency, upregulated glycolytic enzymes (e.g., aldolase or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) or decreased levels of glycolytic metabolites (e.g., dihydroxyacetone phosphate) may mimic a situation of metabolic stress (herein referred to as “pseudostarvation”), leading, directly or indirectly, to AMPK activation and autophagy induction. We also discuss possible mechanisms, whereby glycolysis can induce a mixed mesenchymal/autophagic phenotype in tumor cells. Subsequently, we address unresolved problems in this field and possible therapeutic consequences.
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Zou W, Zhang Y, Bai G, Zhuang J, Wei L, Wang Z, Sun M, Wang J. siRNA-induced CD44 knockdown suppresses the proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer stem cells through inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:1969-1978. [PMID: 35229451 PMCID: PMC8980945 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17221] [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: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CD44 has shown prognostic values and promising therapeutic potential in multiple human cancers; however, the effects of CD44 silencing on biological behaviors of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have not been fully understood in colorectal cancer. To examine the contribution of siRNA‐induced knockdown of CD44 to the biological features of colorectal CSCs, colorectal CSCs HCT116‐CSCs were generated, and CD44 was knocked down in HCT116‐CSCs using siRNA. The proliferation, migration and invasion of HCT116‐CSCs were measured, and apoptosis and cell‐cycle analyses were performed. The sensitivity of HCT116‐CSCs to oxaliplatin was tested, and xenograft tumor growth assay was performed to examine the role of CD44 in HCT116‐CSCs tumorigenesis in vivo. In addition, the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin and vimentin was quantified. siRNA‐induced knockdown of CD44 was found to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion, induce apoptosis, promote cell‐cycle arrest at the G1/G0 phase and increase the sensitivity of HCT116‐CSCs to oxaliplatin in HCT116‐CSCs, and knockdown of CD44 suppressed in vivo tumorigenesis and intrapulmonary metastasis of HCT116‐CSCs. Moreover, silencing CD44 resulted in EMT inhibition. Our findings demonstrate that siRNA‐induced CD44 knockdown suppresses the proliferation, invasion and in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis of colorectal CSCs by inhibiting EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Zou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- The Second Department of Surgery, Xiamen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen City, China
| | - Guangfu Bai
- Department of Emergency, Wuxi Huishan District People's Hospital, Wuxi City, China
| | - Jialu Zhuang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Lin Wei
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Zishu Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Meiqun Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Junbin Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
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Bishnupuri KS, Sainathan SK, Ciorba MA, Houchen CW, Dieckgraefe BK. Reg4 Interacts with CD44 to Regulate Proliferation and Stemness of Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:387-399. [PMID: 34753802 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Regenerating Gene 4 (Reg4) is highly upregulated in gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies including colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Numerous studies demonstrated an association between higher Reg4 expression and tumor aggressiveness, intrinsic resistance to apoptotic death, and poor outcomes from GI malignancies. However, the precise receptor and underlying signaling mechanism have remained unknown. Although we previously reported a Reg4-mediated induction of EGFR activity in colorectal cancer cells, a direct interaction between Reg4 and EGFR was not observed. This study is focused on identifying the cell surface binding partner of Reg4 and dissecting its role in colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer growth and stem cell survival. In vitro models of human colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer were used to evaluate the results. Results of this study find: (i) Reg4 interacts with CD44, a transmembrane protein expressed by a population of colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer cells; (ii) Reg4 activates regulated intramembrane proteolysis of CD44 resulting in γ-secretase-mediated cleavage and release of the CD44 intracytoplasmic domain (CD44ICD) that functions as a transcriptional activator of D-type cyclins involved in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation and Klf4 and Sox2 expression involved in regulating pluripotency of cancer stem cells; and (iii) Reg4 significantly increases colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and their clonogenic potential in stem cell assays. IMPLICATIONS These results suggest that pro-proliferative and pro-stemness effects of Reg4 are mediated through γ-secretase-mediated CD44/CD44ICD signaling, hence strategies to disrupt Reg4-CD44-γ-secretase-CD44ICD signaling axis may increase cancer cell susceptibility to chemo- and radiotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar S Bishnupuri
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Veteran Affair St Louis Health Care System, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Satheesh K Sainathan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Matthew A Ciorba
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Courtney W Houchen
- Section of Digestive Disease and Nutrition, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Brian K Dieckgraefe
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Veteran Affair St Louis Health Care System, St Louis, Missouri
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Wu M, Ou-yang DJ, Wei B, Chen P, Shi QM, Tan HL, Huang BQ, Liu M, Qin ZE, Li N, Hu HY, Huang P, Chang S. A Prognostic Model of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Based on Up-Regulated Glycolysis-Related Genes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:775278. [PMID: 35528004 PMCID: PMC9072639 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.775278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify reliable prognostic biomarkers for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) based on glycolysis-related genes (GRGs), and to construct a glycolysis-related gene model for predicting the prognosis of DTC patients. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the transcriptomic profiles and clinical parameters of 838 thyroid cancer patients from 6 public datasets. Single factor Cox proportional risk regression analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) were applied to screen genes related to prognosis based on 2528 GRGs. Then, an optimal prognostic model was developed as well as evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and ROC curves. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanisms in different risk subgroups were also explored via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pan-Cancer study. RESULTS The glycolysis risk score (GRS) outperformed conventional clinicopathological features for recurrence-free survival prediction. The GRS model identified four candidate genes (ADM, MKI67, CD44 and TYMS), and an accurate predictive model of relapse in DTC patients was established that was highly correlated with prognosis (AUC of 0.767). In vitro assays revealed that high expression of those genes increased DTC cancer cell viability and invasion. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these signature GRGs are involved in remodelling the tumour microenvironment, which has been demonstrated in pan-cancers. Finally, we generated an integrated decision tree and nomogram based on the GRS model and clinicopathological features to optimize risk stratification (AUC of the composite model was 0.815). CONCLUSIONS The GRG signature-based predictive model may help clinicians provide a prognosis for DTC patients with a high risk of recurrence after surgery and provide further personalized treatment to decrease the chance of relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Deng-jie Ou-yang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Pei Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qi-man Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hai-long Tan
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo-qiang Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mian Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zi-en Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui-yu Hu
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Huang, ; Shi Chang,
| | - Shi Chang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Thyroid Disease in Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Thyroid and Related Diseases Treatment Technology, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Huang, ; Shi Chang,
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Li D, Tang J, Gao R, Lan J, Shen W, Liu Y, Chen Y, Sun H, Yan J, Nie Y, Luo N. PFKFB4 promotes angiogenesis via IL-6/STAT5A/P-STAT5 signaling in breast cancer. J Cancer 2022; 13:212-224. [PMID: 34976184 PMCID: PMC8692682 DOI: 10.7150/jca.66773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has become the most newly-diagnosed cancer and the 5th leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The 5-year survival rate of breast cancer is about 90%. However, the 5-year survival rate drops to <30% when metastasis to distant sites occurs. The blood vessel formation (i.e., angiogenesis) plays a crucial role during the metastatic process. In this study, we investigated the role of PFKFB4 in angiogenesis of breast cancer. Employing in vitro HUVEC tube formation or in vivo orthotopic mouse model, and gene editing or specific small inhibitors strategy, and utilizing qPCR, western blot, ELISA, or immunofluorescent/immunohistochemistry staining methods, we found the following: 1) PFKFB4 upregulates IL-6 expression via NF-κB signaling in breast cancer cells; 2) PFKFB4-induced lactate secretion contributes to NF-κB activation in breast cancer cells; 3) IL-6 elicits angiogenesis via STAT5A/P-STAT5 in HUVEC; 4) 5-MPN (a specific PFKFB4 inhibitor) suppresses angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest a potential strategy whereby 5-MPN may lead to an improved therapeutic outcome for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jiaping Tang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ruifang Gao
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- Tianjin Institute of Medical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tianjin 300131, China
| | - Jinxin Lan
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Wenzhi Shen
- Department of Pathology and Institute of Precision Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining 272067, China
| | - Yanhua Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumour Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yanan Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumour Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- Experimental Center of Operations, Chinese People's Armed Police Force Command College, Tianjin 300250, China
| | - Jie Yan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumour Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yongwei Nie
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Na Luo
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumour Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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Feng C, Li Y, Li K, Lyu Y, Zhu W, Jiang H, Wen H. PFKFB4 is overexpressed in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma promoting pentose phosphate pathway that mediates Sunitinib resistance. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:308. [PMID: 34593007 PMCID: PMC8482632 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kinases play critical role in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We aim to exploit novel kinase that is both protumorigenic and drugable in ccRCC. METHODS Reproduction of public datasets with validation using microarray was performed to identify candidate gene. Functionality was studied using multi-omics with validation in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS 6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase/Fructose-2,6-Biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) was differentially expressed showing significantly higher expression in tumor than in normal kidney. PFKFB4 overexpression was associated with advanced tumor grade, stage and worsened prognosis. PFKFB4-knockdown significantly impaired fitness in cell proliferation, migration and wound healing. Despite being recurrently deleted on 3p, PFKFN4 mRNA remained actively transcribed by HIF1α. Metabolomics showed overexpressed PFKFB4 showed enriched metabolites in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Phosphoproteomics and immunoprecipitation showed PFKFB4 also phosphorylated NCOA3 which interacted with FBP1 to counteract overactive PPP flux, forming a regulatory loop. PFKFB4-knockdown overcame resistance to Sunitinib in vitro and in vivo both in xenograft and tail-vein injection murine models. CONCLUSION We concluded PFKFB4 was associated with PPP activity and the fine-tuning of which was mediated by its phosphorylation of NCOA3. Targeting PFKFB4 held promise to combat resistance to Sunitinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Feng
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Kunping Li
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yinfeng Lyu
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Wenhui Zhu
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Haowen Jiang
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Hui Wen
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Rd, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
- Institute of Urology, Fudan University, 200040 Shanghai, PR China
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Glycolysis-related gene expression profiling serves as a novel prognosis risk predictor for human hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18875. [PMID: 34556750 PMCID: PMC8460833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98381-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic pattern reconstruction is an important factor in tumor progression. Metabolism of tumor cells is characterized by abnormal increase in anaerobic glycolysis, regardless of high oxygen concentration, resulting in a significant accumulation of energy from glucose sources. These changes promotes rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth, which is further referenced a process known as the Warburg effect. The current study reconstructed the metabolic pattern in progression of cancer to identify genetic changes specific in cancer cells. A total of 12 common types of solid tumors were included in the current study. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to analyze 9 glycolysis-related gene sets, which are implicated in the glycolysis process. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent prognostic variables for construction of a nomogram based on clinicopathological characteristics and a glycolysis-related gene prognostic index (GRGPI). The prognostic model based on glycolysis genes showed high area under the curve (AUC) in LIHC (Liver hepatocellular carcinoma). The findings of the current study showed that 8 genes (AURKA, CDK1, CENPA, DEPDC1, HMMR, KIF20A, PFKFB4, STMN1) were correlated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Further analysis showed that the prediction model accurately distinguished between high- and low-risk cancer patients among patients in different clusters in LIHC. A nomogram with a well-fitted calibration curve based on gene expression profiles and clinical characteristics showed good discrimination based on internal and external cohorts. These findings indicate that changes in expression level of metabolic genes implicated in glycolysis can contribute to reconstruction of tumor-related microenvironment.
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Hua Y, Gao L, Li X. Comprehensive Analysis of Metabolic Genes in Breast Cancer Based on Multi-Omics Data. Pathol Oncol Res 2021; 27:1609789. [PMID: 34408553 PMCID: PMC8366497 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2021.1609789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Background: Reprogramming of cell metabolism is one of the most important hallmarks of breast cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze metabolic genes in the initiation, progression, and prognosis of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) in breast cancer were downloaded including RNA-seq, copy number variation, mutation, and DNA methylation. A gene co-expression network was constructed by the weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) package in R. Association of metabolic genes with tumor-related immune cells and clinical parameters were also investigated. Results: We summarized 3,620 metabolic genes and observed mutations in 2,964 genes, of which the most frequently mutated were PIK3CA (51%), TNN (26%), and KMT2C (15%). Four genes (AKT1, ERBB2, KMT2C, and USP34) were associated with survival of breast cancer. Significant association was detected in the tumor mutation burden (TMB) of metabolic genes with T stage (p = 0.045) and N stage (p = 0.004). Copy number variations were significantly associated with recurrence and prognosis of breast cancer. The co-expression network for differentially expressed metabolic genes by WGCNA suggested that the modules were associated with glycerophospholipid, arachidonic acid, carbon, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pyrimidine/purine metabolism. Glycerophospholipid metabolism correlated with most of the immune cells, while arachidonic acid metabolism demonstrated a significant correlation with endothelial cells. Methylation and miRNA jointly regulated 14 metabolic genes while mutation and methylation jointly regulated PIK3R1. Conclusion: Based on multi-omics data of somatic mutation, copy number variation, mRNA expression, miRNA expression, and DNA methylation, we identified a series of differentially expressed metabolic genes. Metabolic genes are associated with tumor-related immune cells and clinical parameters, which might be therapy targets in future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hua
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lihong Gao
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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PFKFB4 Overexpression Facilitates Proliferation by Promoting the G1/S Transition and Is Associated with a Poor Prognosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2021; 2021:8824589. [PMID: 34211613 PMCID: PMC8211511 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8824589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphate-4 (PFKFB4) is a key factor that plays an important role in tumorigenesis. However, its role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression needs to be further validated. We investigated whether PFKFB4 is directly involved in the oncogenic signaling networks of TNBC. Methods First, we assessed the expression level of PFKFB4 in tumor tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry and evaluated its prognostic value. Next, the effect of PFKFB4 on TNBC cell growth and associated mechanisms were investigated. Finally, the results were further verified in vivo. Results We found that PFKFB4 overexpression was associated with an unfavorable prognosis in TNBC patients. PFKFB4 was overexpressed in TNBC cell lines in hypoxic environments, and its overexpression promoted tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. Further analyses demonstrated that the possible mechanism might be that PFKFB4 overexpression facilitates TNBC progression by enhancing the G1/S phase transition by increasing the protein level of CDK6 and phosphorylation of Rb. Conclusions These data suggest that PFKFB4 plays significant roles in the tumorigenesis and development of TNBC.
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Truong TH, Benner EA, Hagen KM, Temiz NA, Kerkvliet CP, Wang Y, Cortes-Sanchez E, Yang CH, Trousdell MC, Pengo T, Guillen KP, Welm BE, Dos Santos CO, Telang S, Lange CA, Ostrander JH. PELP1/SRC-3-dependent regulation of metabolic PFKFB kinases drives therapy resistant ER + breast cancer. Oncogene 2021; 40:4384-4397. [PMID: 34103681 PMCID: PMC8238912 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01871-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Recurrence of metastatic breast cancer stemming from acquired endocrine and chemotherapy resistance remains a health burden for women with luminal (ER+) breast cancer. Disseminated ER+ tumor cells can remain viable but quiescent for years to decades. Contributing factors to metastatic spread include the maintenance and expansion of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). Breast CSCs frequently exist as a minority population in therapy resistant tumors. In this study, we show that cytoplasmic complexes composed of steroid receptor (SR) co-activators, PELP1 and SRC-3, modulate breast CSC expansion through upregulation of the HIF-activated metabolic target genes PFKFB3 and PFKFB4. Seahorse metabolic assays demonstrated that cytoplasmic PELP1 influences cellular metabolism by increasing both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. PELP1 interacts with PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 proteins, and inhibition of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 kinase activity blocks PELP1-induced tumorspheres and protein-protein interactions with SRC-3. PFKFB4 knockdown inhibited in vivo emergence of circulating tumor cell (CTC) populations in mammary intraductal (MIND) models. Application of PFKFB inhibitors in combination with ER targeted therapies blocked tumorsphere formation in multiple models of advanced breast cancer including tamoxifen (TamR) and paclitaxel (TaxR) resistant models, murine tumor cells, and ER+ patient-derived organoids (PDxO). Together, our data suggest that PELP1, SRC-3, and PFKFBs cooperate to drive ER+ tumor cell populations that include CSCs and CTCs. Identifying non-ER pharmacological targets offers a useful approach to blocking metastatic escape from standard of care ER/estrogen (E2)-targeted strategies to overcome endocrine and chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu H Truong
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Kyla M Hagen
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nuri A Temiz
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Institute for Health Informatics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Ying Wang
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Emilio Cortes-Sanchez
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Yang
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Thomas Pengo
- University of Minnesota Informatics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Katrin P Guillen
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bryan E Welm
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Sucheta Telang
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine (Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology), University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Carol A Lange
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Julie H Ostrander
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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42
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Shen C, Ding L, Mo H, Liu R, Xu Q, Tu K. Long noncoding RNA FIRRE contributes to the proliferation and glycolysis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by enhancing PFKFB4 expression. J Cancer 2021; 12:4099-4108. [PMID: 34093813 PMCID: PMC8176253 DOI: 10.7150/jca.58097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports show that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) FIRRE contributes to the proliferation, apoptosis resistance, and invasion of colorectal cancer and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, the biological function of FIRRE in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. Here, we disclosed that the FIRRE level was frequently increased in HCC compared to nontumor tissues. Compared with normal liver cells, we also confirmed the upregulated level of FIRRE in HCC cells. Notably, the FIRRE high expression was related to malignant clinical features, including advanced TNM stage and tumor size ≥5 cm, and conferred to worse survival of HCC. Functionally, FIRRE knockdown repressed the proliferation and glycolysis of HCCLM3 cells. Overexpression of FIRRE strengthened Huh7 cell proliferation and glycolysis. Notably, FIRRE positively regulated the glycolic enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) expression in HCC cells. PFKFB4 was highly expressed and positively associated with FIRRE level in HCC tissues. The upregulated expression of PFKFB4 was associated with high tumor grade and advanced TNM stage. TCGA data revealed that the PFKFB4 high expression indicated a poor prognosis of HCC. Mechanistically, modulating FIRRE level did not affect the stability of PFKFB4 mRNA. FIRRE was mainly distributed in HCC cells' nucleus and promoted PFKFB4 transcription and expression via cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB). PFKFB4 could abolish the effects of FIRRE knockdown on HCC cell proliferation and glycolysis. To conclude, the highly expressed FIRRE facilitated HCC cell proliferation and glycolysis by enhancing CREB-mediated PFKFB4 transcription and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunyi Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Lu Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Huanye Mo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Runkun Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Qiuran Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Kangsheng Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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Apatinib suppresses lung cancer stem-like cells by complex interplay between β-catenin signaling and mitochondrial ROS accumulation. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:102. [PMID: 33980809 PMCID: PMC8115647 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00480-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a critical role in the development of lung cancer, which is also important in the generation and maintenance of lung cancer stem cell (CSC). CSCs have unique capabilities to resist anticancer therapy, seed recurrent tumors, and disseminate to and colonize distant tissues. Apatinib, a small-molecule VEGFR2-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, shows highly efficient antitumor activity in heavily treated, chemoresistant, and metastatic lung cancer. We speculated that inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and targeting lung CSCs could be one of the anti-tumor mechanisms of apatinib. In the present study we demonstrated that apatinib repressed lung CSC-like traits by hindering sphere formation ability, lung CSC-related marker expression and decreasing chemoresistance derived stemness. Mechanistically, apatinib exerted its anti-CSC effects by inhibiting β-catenin and its downstream targets. Moreover, apatinib induced the production of reactive oxyen species (ROS), which participated in the inhibitory effects of apatinib on lung CSCs. It was found that β-catenin regulated apatinib-induced production of ROS. Inhibition or promotion of ROS production with N-acetyl-L-cysteine or H2O2 not only upregulated or downregulated β-catenin expression, but also prevented or promoted DNA damage, rescued or impeded sphere formation, respectively. Collectively, our findings reveal that apatinib directly inhibits β-catenin signaling and promotes ROS generation to suppress lung CSC-like characteristics. A clearer understanding of the anti-cancer mechanisms of apatinib is required for its better application in combating advanced and refractory/recurrent lung cancer when combined with conventional chemotherapy.
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Kotowski K, Rosik J, Machaj F, Supplitt S, Wiczew D, Jabłońska K, Wiechec E, Ghavami S, Dzięgiel P. Role of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 in Cancer: Genetic Basis, Impact on Disease Development/Progression, and Potential as Therapeutic Targets. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:909. [PMID: 33671514 PMCID: PMC7926708 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycolysis is a crucial metabolic process in rapidly proliferating cells such as cancer cells. Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) is a key rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis. Its efficiency is allosterically regulated by numerous substances occurring in the cytoplasm. However, the most potent regulator of PFK-1 is fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-BP), the level of which is strongly associated with 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase activity (PFK-2/FBPase-2, PFKFB). PFK-2/FBPase-2 is a bifunctional enzyme responsible for F-2,6-BP synthesis and degradation. Four isozymes of PFKFB (PFKFB1, PFKFB2, PFKFB3, and PFKFB4) have been identified. Alterations in the levels of all PFK-2/FBPase-2 isozymes have been reported in different diseases. However, most recent studies have focused on an increased expression of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 in cancer tissues and their role in carcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on all PFKFB genes and protein structures, and emphasize important differences between the isoenzymes, which likely affect their kinase/phosphatase activities. The main focus is on the latest reports in this field of cancer research, and in particular the impact of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 on tumor progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, and autophagy. We also present the most recent achievements in the development of new drugs targeting these isozymes. Finally, we discuss potential combination therapies using PFKFB3 inhibitors, which may represent important future cancer treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Kotowski
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland; (K.K.); (K.J.)
| | - Jakub Rosik
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland; (J.R.); (F.M.)
| | - Filip Machaj
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland; (J.R.); (F.M.)
| | - Stanisław Supplitt
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Daniel Wiczew
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland;
- Laboratoire de physique et chimie théoriques, Université de Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Karolina Jabłońska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland; (K.K.); (K.J.)
| | - Emilia Wiechec
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Division of Cell Biology, Linköping University, Region Östergötland, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology in Linköping, Anesthetics, Operations and Specialty Surgery Center, Region Östergötland, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
- Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Piotr Dzięgiel
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland; (K.K.); (K.J.)
- Department of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University School of Physical Education, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
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Bi L, Ren Y, Feng M, Meng P, Wang Q, Chen W, Jiao Q, Wang Y, Du L, Zhou F, Jiang Y, Chen F, Wang C, Tang B, Wang Y. HDAC11 Regulates Glycolysis through the LKB1/AMPK Signaling Pathway to Maintain Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stemness. Cancer Res 2021; 81:2015-2028. [PMID: 33602787 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contains a subset of cancer stem cells (CSC) that cause tumor recurrence, metastasis, and chemical resistance. Histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) mediates diverse immune functions and metabolism, yet little is known about its role in HCC CSCs. In this study, we report that HDAC11 is highly expressed in HCC and is closely related to disease prognosis. Depletion of HDAC11 in a conditional knockout mouse model reduced hepatocellular tumorigenesis and prolonged survival. Loss of HDAC11 increased transcription of LKB1 by promoting histone acetylation in its promoter region, thereby activating the AMPK signaling pathway and inhibiting the glycolysis pathway, which in turn leads to the suppression of cancer stemness and HCC progression. Furthermore, HDAC11 overexpression reduced HCC sensitivity to sorafenib. Collectively, these data propose HDAC11 as a new target for combination therapy in patients with kinase-resistant HCC. SIGNIFICANCE: This study finds that HDAC11 suppresses LKB1 expression in HCC to promote cancer stemness, progression, and sorafenib resistance, suggesting the potential of targeting HDAC11 to treat HCC and overcome kinase inhibitor resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Bi
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yidan Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Maoxiao Feng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Peng Meng
- Burning Rock Biotech, International Biotech Island, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weiping Chen
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinlian Jiao
- Shandong Quality Inspection Center for Medical Devices, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yuli Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Lutao Du
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Fuqiong Zhou
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yucui Jiang
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feiyan Chen
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chuanxin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China. .,Department of Health Sciences, Hiroshima Shudo University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yunshan Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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Wang F, Wu X, Li Y, Cao X, Zhang C, Gao Y. PFKFB4 as a promising biomarker to predict a poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:296. [PMID: 33732372 PMCID: PMC7905623 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Previous studies have reported that phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) functions as an oncoprotein in various types of cancer. However, the association between PFKFB4 and GC remains unclear. The present study analyzed the expression levels of PFKFB4 in 148 GC tissue samples, including 46 tumor tissues with matched adjacent normal tissues, using immunohistochemistry, compared the expression levels of PFKFB4 between GC and adjacent normal tissues, and determined the association between PFKFB4 expression levels and patient clinicopathological characteristics. In addition, survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter database to evaluate the association between PFKFB4 expression and GC prognosis. The results revealed that PFKFB4 expression was upregulated in GC tissues compared with in adjacent normal tissues. PFKFB4 expression was associated with patient age, tumor size, pathological tumor (pT) stage and tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage, and upregulated expression levels of PFKFB4 were observed in tumor tissues from patients <65 years old (compared with that in patients ≥65 years old), as well as patients with a larger tumor size and an advanced stage (pT and pTNM stage) disease. In addition, KM survival analysis demonstrated that patients with low PFKFB4 expression had a significantly improved overall survival (OS), first progression survival and post-progression survival times compared with those with high PFKFB4 expression. Furthermore, PFKFB4 expression was negatively associated with OS time in patients with late pT and pTNM stage disease. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the upregulated PFKFB4 expression in GC tissues may serve as a biomarker for a more advanced disease and a poor prognosis in patients with GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoting Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Yajun Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Xiangmei Cao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Cao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Yujing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
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Sninsky JA, Bishnupuri KS, González I, Trikalinos NA, Chen L, Dieckgraefe BK. Reg4 and its downstream transcriptional activator CD44ICD in stage II and III colorectal cancer. Oncotarget 2021; 12:278-291. [PMID: 33659040 PMCID: PMC7899555 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27896] [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: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Reg4 is highly expressed in gastrointestinal malignancies and acts as a mitogenic and pro-invasive factor. Our recent works suggest that Reg4 binds with CD44 and induces its proteolytic cleavage to release intra-cytoplasmic domain of CD44 (CD44ICD). The goal of this study is to demonstrate clinical significance of the Reg4-CD44/CD44ICD pathway in stage II/III colon cancer and its association with clinical parameters of aggression. We constructed a tissue microarray (TMA) of 93 stage II/III matched colon adenocarcinoma patients, 23 with recurrent disease. The TMA was immunohistochemically stained for Reg4, CD44, and CD44ICD proteins and analyzed to identify associations with tumor characteristics, recurrence and overall survival. The TMA data analysis showed a significant correlation between Reg4 and CD44 (r2 = 0.23, P = 0.028), CD44 and CD44ICD (r2 = 0.36, p = 0.0004), and Reg4 and CD44ICD (r2 = 0.45, p ≤ 0.0001). Reg4 expression was associated with larger tumor size (r2 = 0.23, p = 0.026). Although, no association was observed between Reg4, CD44, or CD44ICD expression and disease recurrence, Reg4-positive patients had a median survival of 4 years vs. 7 years for Reg4-negative patients (p = 0.04) in patients who recurred. Inhibition of the Reg4-CD44/CD44ICD pathway may be a future therapeutic target for colon cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared A Sninsky
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kumar S Bishnupuri
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Iván González
- Division of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nikolaos A Trikalinos
- Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ling Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Brian K Dieckgraefe
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Zheng Q, Zhang M, Zhou F, Zhang L, Meng X. The Breast Cancer Stem Cells Traits and Drug Resistance. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:599965. [PMID: 33584277 PMCID: PMC7876385 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.599965] [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] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is a major challenge in breast cancer (BC) treatment at present. Accumulating studies indicate that breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are responsible for the BC drugs resistance, causing relapse and metastasis in BC patients. Thus, BCSCs elimination could reverse drug resistance and improve drug efficacy to benefit BC patients. Consequently, mastering the knowledge on the proliferation, resistance mechanisms, and separation of BCSCs in BC therapy is extremely helpful for BCSCs-targeted therapeutic strategies. Herein, we summarize the principal BCSCs surface markers and signaling pathways, and list the BCSCs-related drug resistance mechanisms in chemotherapy (CT), endocrine therapy (ET), and targeted therapy (TT), and display therapeutic strategies for targeting BCSCs to reverse drug resistance in BC. Even more importantly, more attention should be paid to studies on BCSC-targeted strategies to overcome the drug resistant dilemma of clinical therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Zheng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengdi Zhang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fangfang Zhou
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Long Zhang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuli Meng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
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49
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Medrano-González PA, Rivera-Ramírez O, Montaño LF, Rendón-Huerta EP. Proteolytic Processing of CD44 and Its Implications in Cancer. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:6667735. [PMID: 33505471 PMCID: PMC7811561 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6667735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in several healthy and tumor tissues. Modifications in its structure contribute differently to the activity of this molecule. One modification that has provoked interest is the consecutive cleavage of the CD44 extracellular ectodomain by enzymes that belong mainly to the family of metalloproteases. This process releases biologically active substrates, via alternative splice forms of CD44, that generate CD44v3 or v6 isoforms which participate in the transcriptional regulation of genes and proteins associated to signaling pathways involved in the development of cancer. These include the protooncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (c-Src)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), the epithelial growth factor receptor, the estrogen receptor, Wnt/βcatenin, or Hippo signaling pathways all of which are associated to cell proliferation, differentiation, or cancer progression. Whereas CD44 still remains as a very useful prognostic cell marker in different pathologies, the main topic is that the generation of CD44 intracellular fragments assists the regulation of transcriptional proteins involved in the cell cycle, cell metabolism, and most importantly, the regulation of some stem cell-associated markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Anhel Medrano-González
- Lab. Inmunobiología, Depto. Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edif. D, 1 piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico, Mexico
| | - Osmar Rivera-Ramírez
- Lab. Inmunobiología, Depto. Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Luis Felipe Montaño
- Lab. Inmunobiología, Depto. Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Erika P. Rendón-Huerta
- Lab. Inmunobiología, Depto. Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico, Mexico
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50
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Shen W, Zhang X, Tang J, Zhang Z, Du R, Luo D, Liu X, Xia Y, Li Y, Wang S, Yan S, Yang W, Xiang R, Luo N, Luo Y, Li J. CCL16 maintains stem cell-like properties in breast cancer by activating CCR2/GSK3β/β-catenin/OCT4 axis. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:2297-2317. [PMID: 33500726 PMCID: PMC7797668 DOI: 10.7150/thno.51000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Considerable evidence suggests that breast cancer metastasis and recurrence occur due to emergence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In our previous study, we designed a high-throughput siRNA screening platform that identifies inflammation genes involved in the regulation of cancer cell stemness. We reported that CCL16 protein decreases OCT4 expression and reduces the ALDH+ subpopulation. However, the mechanism by which CCL16 maintains stem cell-like properties remains unclear. Methods: Tissue microarrays were used to evaluate CCL16 expression. Cancer stemness assays were performed in CCL16 knockdown and overexpressing cells in vitro and in a xenograft model in vivo. Human phosphokinase array, immunofluorescence and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to explore the underlying mechanism. Results: We report that CCL16 was overexpressed in breast tumors and significantly correlated with clinical progression. We found that silencing CCL16 in MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells diminished CSC properties including ALDH+ subpopulation, side population, chemo-resistance, and sphere formation. Furthermore, mice bearing CCL16-silenced MDA-MB-231 xenografts had lower tumorigenic frequency and developed smaller tumors. Exploration of the underlying mechanism found that CCL16 selects CCR2 to activate p-AKT/GSK3β signaling and facilitate β-catenin nuclear translocation. Further, CCL16 binds to the OCT4 promoter and promotes OCT4 expression. In addition, shRNAs targeting CCR2 and XAV939 targeting β-catenin abolished CCL16-mediated cancer stemness. Upstream, IL10 mediates STAT3 activation, which binds to the CCL16 promoter and enhances its expression. The STAT3-targeted inhibitor Stattic suppressed CCL16 expression in vitro and restrained tumor progression in vivo. Conclusions: We identified a potential CSC regulator and suggest a novel mechanism for how CCL16 governs cancer cell stemness. We propose that CCL16 could be an effective target for breast cancer therapy.
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