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Gazzillo A, Volponi C, Soldani C, Polidoro MA, Franceschini B, Lleo A, Bonavita E, Donadon M. Cellular Senescence in Liver Cancer: How Dying Cells Become "Zombie" Enemies. Biomedicines 2023; 12:26. [PMID: 38275386 PMCID: PMC10813254 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer represents the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. The heterogeneity of its tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major contributing factor of metastasis, relapse, and drug resistance. Regrettably, late diagnosis makes most liver cancer patients ineligible for surgery, and the frequent failure of non-surgical therapeutic options orientates clinical research to the investigation of new drugs. In this context, cellular senescence has been recently shown to play a pivotal role in the progression of chronic inflammatory liver diseases, ultimately leading to cancer. Moreover, the stem-like state triggered by senescence has been associated with the emergence of drug-resistant, aggressive tumor clones. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have emerged to investigate senescence-associated hepatocarcinogenesis and its derived therapies, leading to promising results. In this review, we intend to provide an overview of the recent evidence that unveils the role of cellular senescence in the most frequent forms of primary and metastatic liver cancer, focusing on the involvement of this mechanism in therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Gazzillo
- Cellular and Molecular Oncoimmunology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (A.G.); (C.V.); (E.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
| | - Camilla Volponi
- Cellular and Molecular Oncoimmunology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (A.G.); (C.V.); (E.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
| | - Cristiana Soldani
- Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.S.); (M.A.P.); (B.F.)
| | - Michela Anna Polidoro
- Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.S.); (M.A.P.); (B.F.)
| | - Barbara Franceschini
- Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.S.); (M.A.P.); (B.F.)
| | - Ana Lleo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
- Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.S.); (M.A.P.); (B.F.)
- Division of Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Eduardo Bonavita
- Cellular and Molecular Oncoimmunology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (A.G.); (C.V.); (E.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
| | - Matteo Donadon
- Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.S.); (M.A.P.); (B.F.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
- Department of General Surgery, University Maggiore Hospital della Carità, 28100 Novara, Italy
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Saleh T, Bloukh S, Hasan M, Al Shboul S. Therapy-induced senescence as a component of tumor biology: Evidence from clinical cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188994. [PMID: 37806641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Therapy-Induced Senescence (TIS) is an established response to anticancer therapy in a variety of cancer models. Ample evidence has characterized the triggers, hallmarks, and functional outcomes of TIS in preclinical studies; however, limited evidence delineates TIS in clinical cancer (human tumor samples). We examined the literature that investigated the induction of TIS in samples derived from human cancers and highlighted the major findings that suggested that TIS represents a main constituent of tumor biology. The most frequently utilized approach to identify TIS in human cancers was to investigate the protein expression of senescence-associated markers (such as cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, Ki67, DNA damage repair response markers, DEC1, and DcR1) via immunohistochemical techniques using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples and/or testing the upregulation of Senescence-Associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) in frozen sections of unfixed tumor samples. Collectively, and in studies where the extent of TIS was determined, TIS was detected in 31-66% of tumors exposed to various forms of chemotherapy. Moreover, TIS was not only limited to both malignant and non-malignant components of tumoral tissue but was also identified in samples of normal (non-transformed) tissue upon chemo- or radiotherapy exposure. Nevertheless, the available evidence continues to be limited and requires a more rigorous assessment of in vivo senescence based on novel approaches and more reliable molecular signatures. The accurate assessment of TIS will be beneficial for determining its relevant contribution to the overall outcome of cancer therapy and the potential translatability of senotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tareq Saleh
- Department of Pharmacology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13115, Jordan.
| | - Sarah Bloukh
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Mira Hasan
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, USA
| | - Sofian Al Shboul
- Department of Pharmacology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13115, Jordan
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Yamashita H, Tourna A, Akita M, Itoh T, Chokshi S, Ajiki T, Fukumoto T, Youngson NA, Zen Y. Epigenetic upregulation of TET2 is an independent poor prognostic factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Virchows Arch 2021; 480:1077-1085. [PMID: 34905094 PMCID: PMC9033729 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-021-03251-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in IDH1/2 and the epigenetic silencing of TET2 occur in leukaemia or glioma in a mutually exclusive manner. Although intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) may harbour IDH1/2 mutations, the contribution of TET2 to carcinogenesis remains unknown. In the present study, the expression and promoter methylation of TET2 were investigated in iCCA. The expression of TET2 was assessed in 52 cases of iCCA (small-duct type, n = 33; large-duct type, n = 19) by quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and a sequencing-based methylation assay, and its relationships with clinicopathological features and alterations in cancer-related genes (e.g., KRAS and IDH1) were investigated. In contrast to non-neoplastic bile ducts, which were negative for TET2 on IHC, 42 cases (81%) of iCCA showed the nuclear overexpression of TET2. Based on IHC scores (area × intensity), these cases were classified as TET2-high (n = 25) and TET2-low (n = 27). The histological type, tumour size, lymph node metastasis and frequency of mutations in cancer-related genes did not significantly differ between the two groups. Overall and recurrence-free survival were significantly worse in patients with TET2-high iCCA than in those with TET2-low iCCA. A multivariate analysis identified the high expression of TET2 as an independent prognostic factor (HR = 2.94; p = 0.007). The degree of methylation at two promoter CpG sites was significantly less in TET2-high iCCA than in TET2-low iCCA or non-cancer tissue. In conclusion, in contrast to other IDH-related neoplasms, TET2 overexpression is common in iCCA of both subtypes, and its high expression, potentially induced by promoter hypomethylation, is an independent poor prognostic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Yamashita
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK.,King's College London, London, UK.,Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK.,Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | | | - Masayuki Akita
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoo Itoh
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shilpa Chokshi
- Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK
| | - Tetsuo Ajiki
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takumi Fukumoto
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Neil A Youngson
- Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK. .,Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK. .,School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Yoh Zen
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK. .,King's College London, London, UK.
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Patel NH, Bloukh S, Alwohosh E, Alhesa A, Saleh T, Gewirtz DA. Autophagy and senescence in cancer therapy. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 150:1-74. [PMID: 33858594 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Tumor cells can undergo diverse responses to cancer therapy. While apoptosis represents the most desirable outcome, tumor cells can alternatively undergo autophagy and senescence. Both autophagy and senescence have the potential to make complex contributions to tumor cell survival via both cell autonomous and cell non-autonomous pathways. The induction of autophagy and senescence in tumor cells, preclinically and clinically, either individually or concomitantly, has generated interest in the utilization of autophagy modulating and senolytic therapies to target autophagy and senescence, respectively. This chapter summarizes the current evidence for the promotion of autophagy and senescence as fundamental responses to cancer therapy and discusses the complexity of their functional contributions to cell survival and disease outcomes. We also highlight current modalities designed to exploit autophagy and senescence in efforts to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipa H Patel
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Cancer Center, Goodwin Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Sarah Bloukh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Enas Alwohosh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Ahmad Alhesa
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Tareq Saleh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - David A Gewirtz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Cancer Center, Goodwin Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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Armartmuntree N, Jusakul A, Sakonsinsiri C, Loilome W, Pinlaor S, Ungarreevittaya P, Yong CH, Techasen A, Imtawil K, Kraiklang R, Suwannakul N, Kaewlert W, Chaiprasert T, Thanan R, Murata M. Promoter hypermethylation of early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) is associated with cholangiocarcinoma progression. J Cancer 2021; 12:2673-2686. [PMID: 33854627 PMCID: PMC8040704 DOI: 10.7150/jca.52378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA hypermethylation in a promoter region causes gene silencing via epigenetic changes. We have previously reported that early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) was down-regulated in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) tissues and related to tumor progression. Thus, we hypothesized that the DNA hypermethylation of EBF1 promoter would suppress EBF1 expression in CCA and induce its progression. In this study, the DNA methylation status of EBF1 and mRNA expression levels were analyzed in CCA and normal bile duct (NBD) tissues using a publicly available database of genome-wide association data. The results showed that the DNA methylation of EBF1 promoter region was significantly increased in CCA tissues compared with those of NBD. The degree of methylation was negatively correlated with EBF1 mRNA expression levels. Using methylation-specific PCR technique, the DNA methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region were investigated in CCA tissues (n=72). CCA patients with high methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region in the tumor tissues (54/72) had a poor prognosis. Higher methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region have shown in all CCA cell lines than that of an immortal cholangiocyte cell line (MMNK1). Upon treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-dC, increased EBF1 expression levels and reduced DNA methylation rates were observed in CCA cells. Moreover, restoration of EBF1 expression in CCA cells led to inhibition of cell growth, migration and invasion. In addition, RNA sequencing analysis suggested that EBF1 is involved in suppression of numerous pathways in cancer. Taken together, DNA hypermethylation in the EBF1 promoter region suppresses EBF1 expression and induces CCA progression with aggressive clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Napat Armartmuntree
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Apinya Jusakul
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Chadamas Sakonsinsiri
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Watcharin Loilome
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Somchai Pinlaor
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Piti Ungarreevittaya
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Chern Han Yong
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Center Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anchalee Techasen
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Kanokwan Imtawil
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | | | - Nattawan Suwannakul
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Waleeporn Kaewlert
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Timpika Chaiprasert
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Raynoo Thanan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Mariko Murata
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie 514-8507, Japan
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Saleh T, Bloukh S, Carpenter VJ, Alwohoush E, Bakeer J, Darwish S, Azab B, Gewirtz DA. Therapy-Induced Senescence: An "Old" Friend Becomes the Enemy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12040822. [PMID: 32235364 PMCID: PMC7226427 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
For the past two decades, cellular senescence has been recognized as a central component of the tumor cell response to chemotherapy and radiation. Traditionally, this form of senescence, termed Therapy-Induced Senescence (TIS), was linked to extensive nuclear damage precipitated by classical genotoxic chemotherapy. However, a number of other forms of therapy have also been shown to induce senescence in tumor cells independently of direct genomic damage. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive summary of both conventional and targeted anticancer therapeutics that have been shown to induce senescence in vitro and in vivo. Still, the utility of promoting senescence as a therapeutic endpoint remains under debate. Since senescence represents a durable form of growth arrest, it might be argued that senescence is a desirable outcome of cancer therapy. However, accumulating evidence suggesting that cells have the capacity to escape from TIS would support an alternative conclusion, that senescence provides an avenue whereby tumor cells can evade the potentially lethal action of anticancer drugs, allowing the cells to enter a temporary state of dormancy that eventually facilitates disease recurrence, often in a more aggressive state. Furthermore, TIS is now strongly connected to tumor cell remodeling, potentially to tumor dormancy, acquiring more ominous malignant phenotypes and accounts for several untoward adverse effects of cancer therapy. Here, we argue that senescence represents a barrier to effective anticancer treatment, and discuss the emerging efforts to identify and exploit agents with senolytic properties as a strategy for elimination of the persistent residual surviving tumor cell population, with the goal of mitigating the tumor-promoting influence of the senescent cells and to thereby reduce the likelihood of cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tareq Saleh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, Jordan; (T.S.); (S.D.)
| | - Sarah Bloukh
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (S.B.); (E.A.); (J.B.); (B.A.)
| | - Valerie J. Carpenter
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA;
| | - Enas Alwohoush
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (S.B.); (E.A.); (J.B.); (B.A.)
| | - Jomana Bakeer
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (S.B.); (E.A.); (J.B.); (B.A.)
| | - Sarah Darwish
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, Jordan; (T.S.); (S.D.)
| | - Belal Azab
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (S.B.); (E.A.); (J.B.); (B.A.)
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - David A. Gewirtz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA;
- Correspondence:
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