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Koutsougianni F, Alexopoulou D, Uvez A, Lamprianidou A, Sereti E, Tsimplouli C, Ilkay Armutak E, Dimas K. P90 ribosomal S6 kinases: A bona fide target for novel targeted anticancer therapies? Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115488. [PMID: 36889445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
The 90 kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) family of proteins is a group of highly conserved Ser/Thr kinases. They are downstream effectors of the Ras/ERK/MAPK signaling cascade. ERK1/2 activation directly results in the phosphorylation of RSKs, which further, through interaction with a variety of different downstream substrates, activate various signaling events. In this context, they have been shown to mediate diverse cellular processes like cell survival, growth, proliferation, EMT, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, increased expression of RSKs has also been demonstrated in various cancers, such as breast, prostate, and lung cancer. This review aims to present the most recent advances in the field of RSK signaling that have occurred, such as biological insights, function, and mechanisms associated with carcinogenesis. We additionally present and discuss the recent advances but also the limitations in the development of pharmacological inhibitors of RSKs, in the context of the use of these kinases as putative, more efficient targets for novel anticancer therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fani Koutsougianni
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Dimitra Alexopoulou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Ayca Uvez
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34500 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Andromachi Lamprianidou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Evangelia Sereti
- Dept of Translational Medicine, Medical Faculty, Lund University and Center for Molecular Pathology, Skäne University Hospital, Jan Waldenströms gata 59, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Chrisiida Tsimplouli
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Elif Ilkay Armutak
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34500 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Konstantinos Dimas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
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Magouliotis DE, Karamolegkou AP, Zotos PA, Tatsios E, Samara AA, Alexopoulou D, Koutsougianni F, Sakellaridis N, Zacharoulis D, Dimas K. Bioinformatic Analysis of the BCL-xL/BCL2L1 Interactome in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022; 58:medicina58111663. [PMID: 36422202 PMCID: PMC9698957 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58111663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to analyze the differential gene expression of BCL-xL/BCL2L and the associated genetic, molecular, and biologic functions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by employing advanced bioinformatics to investigate potential candidate genes implicated in the pathogenesis of PDAC. Materials and Methods: Bioinformatic techniques were employed to build the gene network of BCL-xL, to assess the translational profile of BCL-xL in PDAC, assess its role in predicting PDAC, and investigate the associated biologic functions and the regulating miRNA families. Results: Microarray data extracted from one dataset was incorporated, including 130 samples (PDAC: 69; Control: 61). In addition, the expression level of BCL-xL was higher in PDAC compared to control samples (p < 0.001). Furthermore, BCL-xL demonstrated excellent discrimination (AUC: 0.83 [95% Confidence Intervals: 0.76, 0.90]; p < 0.001) and calibration (R squared: 0.31) traits for PDAC. A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) demonstrated the molecular functions and miRNA families (hsa-miR-4804-5p, hsa-miR-4776-5p, hsa-miR-6770-3p, hsa-miR-3619-3p, and hsa-miR-7152-3p) related to BCL-xL. Conclusions: The current findings unveil the biological implications of BCL-xL in PDAC and the related molecular functions and miRNA families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Prokopis-Andreas Zotos
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Evangelos Tatsios
- Department of Surgery, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Athina A. Samara
- Department of Surgery, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Dimitra Alexopoulou
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Fani Koutsougianni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Nikos Sakellaridis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Konstantinos Dimas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-2413502803
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Magouliotis DE, Lafazanis K, Koutsougianni F, Sakellaridis N, Ioannou M, Zacharoulis D, Dimas K. Establishment of Patient-derived Orthotopic Xenografts (PDX) as Models for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. In Vivo 2022; 36:1114-1119. [PMID: 35478141 PMCID: PMC9087066 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. The purpose of the present study was to establish a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft model (PDOX) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), thus providing a tumor microenvironment resembling that of the human pancreas to identify novel potential biomarkers and treatment regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS PDAC tissue samples were received from 35 patients, following informed consent, and three mouse strains were implemented. RESULTS Successful PDOX engraftment was performed in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) and NOD/SCID gamma (NSG) mice. Nonetheless, we found a higher rate of successful engraftment and tumor growth in NSG compared to NOD/SCID mice, possibly owning to the different level of immunosuppression and more specifically of the natural killer cells presence. CONCLUSION Our suggested PDOX model represents a preclinical cancer research model with a high affinity for the patient's tumor microenvironment, thus enabling the acceleration of PDAC research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kostas Lafazanis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece
| | - Fani Koutsougianni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece
| | - Nikos Sakellaridis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece
| | - Maria Ioannou
- Department of Pathology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Konstantinos Dimas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece;
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Lambrianidou A, Koutsougianni F, Papapostolou I, Dimas K. Recent Advances on the Anticancer Properties of Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) and Its Major Constituents. Molecules 2020; 26:E86. [PMID: 33375488 PMCID: PMC7794691 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 and a sustained rise in its incidence in both developing and developed countries. According to the WHO, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. Despite the emergence of many pioneer therapeutic options for patients with cancer, their efficacy is still time-limited and noncurative. Thus, continuous intensive screening for superior and safer drugs is still ongoing and has resulted in the detection of the anticancer properties of several phytochemicals. Among the spices, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and its main constituents, crocin, crocetin, and safranal, have attracted the interest of the scientific community. Pharmacological experiments have established numerous beneficial properties for this brilliant reddish-orange dye derived from the flowers of a humble crocus family species. Studies in cultured human malignant cell lines and animal models have demonstrated the cancer prevention and antitumor activities of saffron and its main ingredients. This review provides an insight into the advances in research on the anticancer properties of saffron and its components, discussing preclinical data, clinical trials, and patents aiming to improve the pharmacological properties of saffron and its major ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Konstantinos Dimas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece; (A.L.); (F.K.); (I.P.)
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