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Sala C, Tarozzi M, Simonetti G, Pazzaglia M, Cammarata FP, Russo G, Acquaviva R, Cirrone GAP, Petringa G, Catalano R, Elia VC, Fede F, Manti L, Castellani G, Remondini D, Zironi I. Impact on the Transcriptome of Proton Beam Irradiation Targeted at Healthy Cardiac Tissue of Mice. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1471. [PMID: 38672554 PMCID: PMC11048382 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081471] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Proton beam therapy is considered a step forward with respect to electromagnetic radiation, thanks to the reduction in the dose delivered. Among unwanted effects to healthy tissue, cardiovascular complications are a known long-term radiotherapy complication. The transcriptional response of cardiac tissue from xenografted BALB/c nude mice obtained at 3 and 10 days after proton irradiation covering both the tumor region and the underlying healthy tissue was analyzed as a function of dose and time. Three doses were used: 2 Gy, 6 Gy, and 9 Gy. The intermediate dose had caused the greatest impact at 3 days after irradiation: at 2 Gy, 219 genes were differently expressed, many of them represented by zinc finger proteins; at 6 Gy, there were 1109, with a predominance of genes involved in energy metabolism and responses to stimuli; and at 9 Gy, there were 105, mainly represented by zinc finger proteins and molecules involved in the regulation of cardiac function. After 10 days, no significant effects were detected, suggesting that cellular repair mechanisms had defused the potential alterations in gene expression. The nonlinear dose-response curve indicates a need to update the models built on photons to improve accuracy in health risk prediction. Our data also suggest a possible role for zinc finger protein genes as markers of proton therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Sala
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.S.); (G.C.)
| | - Martina Tarozzi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.S.); (G.C.)
| | - Giorgia Simonetti
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (G.S.)
| | - Martina Pazzaglia
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (G.S.)
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Council of Research (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy (G.R.)
- Laboratori Nazionali del SUD, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, (LNS-INFN), 95125 Catania, Italy (G.P.)
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Council of Research (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy (G.R.)
- Laboratori Nazionali del SUD, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, (LNS-INFN), 95125 Catania, Italy (G.P.)
| | - Rosaria Acquaviva
- Department of Drug Science, Section of Biochemistry, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | | | - Giada Petringa
- Laboratori Nazionali del SUD, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, (LNS-INFN), 95125 Catania, Italy (G.P.)
| | - Roberto Catalano
- Laboratori Nazionali del SUD, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, (LNS-INFN), 95125 Catania, Italy (G.P.)
| | - Valerio Cosimo Elia
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (V.C.E.); (F.F.); (L.M.)
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Napoli Section (INFN NA), 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Fede
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (V.C.E.); (F.F.); (L.M.)
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Napoli Section (INFN NA), 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manti
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (V.C.E.); (F.F.); (L.M.)
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Napoli Section (INFN NA), 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Gastone Castellani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.S.); (G.C.)
| | - Daniel Remondini
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Bologna Section (INFN BO), 40127 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” (DIFA), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Isabella Zironi
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Bologna Section (INFN BO), 40127 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” (DIFA), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
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2
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Cammarata FP, Torrisi F, Vicario N, Bravatà V, Stefano A, Salvatorelli L, D'Aprile S, Giustetto P, Forte GI, Minafra L, Calvaruso M, Richiusa S, Cirrone GAP, Petringa G, Broggi G, Cosentino S, Scopelliti F, Magro G, Porro D, Libra M, Ippolito M, Russo G, Parenti R, Cuttone G. Proton boron capture therapy (PBCT) induces cell death and mitophagy in a heterotopic glioblastoma model. Commun Biol 2023; 6:388. [PMID: 37031346 PMCID: PMC10082834 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04770-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite aggressive therapeutic regimens, glioblastoma (GBM) represents a deadly brain tumor with significant aggressiveness, radioresistance and chemoresistance, leading to dismal prognosis. Hypoxic microenvironment, which characterizes GBM, is associated with reduced therapeutic effectiveness. Moreover, current irradiation approaches are limited by uncertain tumor delineation and severe side effects that comprehensively lead to unsuccessful treatment and to a worsening of the quality of life of GBM patients. Proton beam offers the opportunity of reduced side effects and a depth-dose profile, which, unfortunately, are coupled with low relative biological effectiveness (RBE). The use of radiosensitizing agents, such as boron-containing molecules, enhances proton RBE and increases the effectiveness on proton beam-hit targets. We report a first preclinical evaluation of proton boron capture therapy (PBCT) in a preclinical model of GBM analyzed via μ-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (μPET-CT) assisted live imaging, finding a significant increased therapeutic effectiveness of PBCT versus proton coupled with an increased cell death and mitophagy. Our work supports PBCT and radiosensitizing agents as a scalable strategy to treat GBM exploiting ballistic advances of proton beam and increasing therapeutic effectiveness and quality of life in GBM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Torrisi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Nunzio Vicario
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Molecular Preclinical and Translational Imaging Research Center - IMPRonTe, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Alessandro Stefano
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Lucia Salvatorelli
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele" Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Simona D'Aprile
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Pierangela Giustetto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Marco Calvaruso
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Selene Richiusa
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | | | - Giada Petringa
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Broggi
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele" Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Fabrizio Scopelliti
- Radiopharmacy Laboratory Nuclear Medicine Department, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Gaetano Magro
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele" Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Danilo Porro
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Ippolito
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, IBFM-CNR, Cefalù, Italy.
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania, Italy.
| | - Rosalba Parenti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
- Molecular Preclinical and Translational Imaging Research Center - IMPRonTe, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Cuttone
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania, Italy
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Benfante V, Stefano A, Ali M, Laudicella R, Arancio W, Cucchiara A, Caruso F, Cammarata FP, Coronnello C, Russo G, Miele M, Vieni A, Tuttolomondo A, Yezzi A, Comelli A. An Overview of In Vitro Assays of 64Cu-, 68Ga-, 125I-, and 99mTc-Labelled Radiopharmaceuticals Using Radiometric Counters in the Era of Radiotheranostics. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13071210. [PMID: 37046428 PMCID: PMC10093267 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13071210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Radionuclides are unstable isotopes that mainly emit alpha (α), beta (β) or gamma (γ) radiation through radiation decay. Therefore, they are used in the biomedical field to label biomolecules or drugs for diagnostic imaging applications, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and/or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A growing field of research is the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for use in cancer treatments. Preclinical studies are the gold standard for translational research. Specifically, in vitro radiopharmaceutical studies are based on the use of radiopharmaceuticals directly on cells. To date, radiometric β- and γ-counters are the only tools able to assess a preclinical in vitro assay with the aim of estimating uptake, retention, and release parameters, including time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity and kinetic parameters. This review has been designed for researchers, such as biologists and biotechnologists, who would like to approach the radiobiology field and conduct in vitro assays for cellular radioactivity evaluations using radiometric counters. To demonstrate the importance of in vitro radiopharmaceutical assays using radiometric counters with a view to radiogenomics, many studies based on 64Cu-, 68Ga-, 125I-, and 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have been revised and summarized in this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Benfante
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy
| | - Alessandro Stefano
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy
| | - Muhammad Ali
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Walter Arancio
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Cucchiara
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, IRCCS-ISMETT (Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies), Via Tricomi 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Caruso
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, IRCCS-ISMETT (Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies), Via Tricomi 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy
| | - Claudia Coronnello
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), 90015 Cefalù, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Monica Miele
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Vieni
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, IRCCS-ISMETT (Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies), Via Tricomi 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Tuttolomondo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anthony Yezzi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Albert Comelli
- Ri.MED Foundation, Via Bandiera 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy
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4
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Bláha P, Feoli C, Agosteo S, Calvaruso M, Cammarata FP, Catalano R, Ciocca M, Cirrone GAP, Conte V, Cuttone G, Facoetti A, Forte GI, Giuffrida L, Magro G, Margarone D, Minafra L, Petringa G, Pucci G, Ricciardi V, Rosa E, Russo G, Manti L. The Proton-Boron Reaction Increases the Radiobiological Effectiveness of Clinical Low- and High-Energy Proton Beams: Novel Experimental Evidence and Perspectives. Front Oncol 2021; 11:682647. [PMID: 34262867 PMCID: PMC8274279 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.682647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protontherapy is a rapidly expanding radiotherapy modality where accelerated proton beams are used to precisely deliver the dose to the tumor target but is generally considered ineffective against radioresistant tumors. Proton-Boron Capture Therapy (PBCT) is a novel approach aimed at enhancing proton biological effectiveness. PBCT exploits a nuclear fusion reaction between low-energy protons and 11B atoms, i.e. p+11B→ 3α (p-B), which is supposed to produce highly-DNA damaging α-particles exclusively across the tumor-conformed Spread-Out Bragg Peak (SOBP), without harming healthy tissues in the beam entrance channel. To confirm previous work on PBCT, here we report new in-vitro data obtained at the 62-MeV ocular melanoma-dedicated proton beamline of the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), Catania, Italy. For the first time, we also tested PBCT at the 250-MeV proton beamline used for deep-seated cancers at the Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO), Pavia, Italy. We used Sodium Mercaptododecaborate (BSH) as 11B carrier, DU145 prostate cancer cells to assess cell killing and non-cancer epithelial breast MCF-10A cells for quantifying chromosome aberrations (CAs) by FISH painting and DNA repair pathway protein expression by western blotting. Cells were exposed at various depths along the two clinical SOBPs. Compared to exposure in the absence of boron, proton irradiation in the presence of BSH significantly reduced DU145 clonogenic survival and increased both frequency and complexity of CAs in MCF-10A cells at the mid- and distal SOBP positions, but not at the beam entrance. BSH-mediated enhancement of DNA damage response was also found at mid-SOBP. These results corroborate PBCT as a strategy to render protontherapy amenable towards radiotherapy-resilient tumor. If coupled with emerging proton FLASH radiotherapy modalities, PBCT could thus widen the protontherapy therapeutic index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Bláha
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Feoli
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Agosteo
- Energy Department, Politecnico di Milano, and INFN, Sezione di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Calvaruso
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Mario Ciocca
- Medical Physics Unit & Research Department, Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) & INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Conte
- Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), INFN, Legnaro, Italy
| | | | - Angelica Facoetti
- Medical Physics Unit & Research Department, Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) & INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Giuffrida
- Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI)-Beamlines Center, Institute of Physics (FZU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Giuseppe Magro
- Medical Physics Unit & Research Department, Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) & INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniele Margarone
- Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI)-Beamlines Center, Institute of Physics (FZU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy
| | - Giada Petringa
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy.,Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI)-Beamlines Center, Institute of Physics (FZU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Gaia Pucci
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STeBiCeF), Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valerio Ricciardi
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Napoli, Naples, Italy.,Department of Mathematics & Physics, Università L. Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Enrico Rosa
- Radiation Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Physics "E. Pancini", Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy.,Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), INFN, Catania, Italy.,The Sicilian Center of Nuclear Physics and the Structure of Matter (CSFNSM), Catania, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manti
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Napoli, Naples, Italy.,Radiation Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Physics "E. Pancini", Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
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5
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Pisciotta P, Costantino A, Cammarata FP, Torrisi F, Calabrese G, Marchese V, Cirrone GAP, Petringa G, Forte GI, Minafra L, Bravatà V, Gulisano M, Scopelliti F, Tommasino F, Scifoni E, Cuttone G, Ippolito M, Parenti R, Russo G. Evaluation of proton beam radiation-induced skin injury in a murine model using a clinical SOBP. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233258. [PMID: 32442228 PMCID: PMC7244158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to characterize the skin deterministic damage due to the effect of proton beam irradiation in mice occurred during a long-term observational experiment. This study was initially defined to evaluate the insurgence of myelopathy irradiating spinal cords with the distal part of a Spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP). To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted highlighting high grades of skin injury at the dose used in this paper. Nevertheless these effects occurred. In this regard, the experimental evidence of significant insurgence of skin injury induced by protons using a SOBP configuration will be shown. Skin damages were classified into six scores (from 0 to 5) according to the severity of the injuries and correlated to ED50 (i.e. the radiation dose at which 50% of animals show a specific score) at 40 days post-irradiation (d.p.i.). The effects of radiation on the overall animal wellbeing have been also monitored and the severity of radiation-induced skin injuries was observed and quantified up to 40 d.p.i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Pisciotta
- Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
| | - Angelita Costantino
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
- * E-mail: (FPC); (RP)
| | - Filippo Torrisi
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanna Calabrese
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina Marchese
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Centre for Advanced Preclinical in vivo Research (CAPiR), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Giada Petringa
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Massimo Gulisano
- Laboratory of Synthetic and Systems Biology, Drug Science Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Molecular Preclinical and Translational Imaging Research Center (IMPRonTe), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Scopelliti
- Radiopharmacy Laboratory Nuclear Medicine Department, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Tommasino
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Povo, Italy
- Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA), National Institute for Nuclear Physics, INFN, Povo, Italy
| | - Emanuele Scifoni
- Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA), National Institute for Nuclear Physics, INFN, Povo, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cuttone
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Ippolito
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosalba Parenti
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Centre for Advanced Preclinical in vivo Research (CAPiR), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Molecular Preclinical and Translational Imaging Research Center (IMPRonTe), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- * E-mail: (FPC); (RP)
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù (PA), Italy
- National Laboratory of South, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN), Catania, Italy
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6
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Bravatà V, Cammarata FP, Minafra L, Musso R, Pucci G, Spada M, Fazio I, Russo G, Forte GI. Gene Expression Profiles Induced by High-dose Ionizing Radiation in MDA-MB-231 Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cell Line. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2019; 16:257-266. [PMID: 31243106 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Radiation therapy (RT) represents a therapeutic option in breast cancer (BC). Even if a great number of BC patients receive RT, not all of them report benefits, due to radioresistance that gets activated through several factors, such as the hormone receptor status. Herein, we analyzed the gene expression profiles (GEP) induced by RT in triple-negative BC (TNBC) MDA-MB-231, to study signalling networks involved in radioresistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS GEP of MDA-MB-231 BC cells treated with a high dose of radiation, went through cDNA microarray analysis. In addition, to examine the cellular effects induced by RT, analyses of morphology and clonogenic evaluation were also conducted. RESULTS A descriptive report of GEP and pathways induced by IR is reported from our microarray data. Moreover, the MDA-MB-231 Radioresistent Cell Fraction (RCF) selected, included specific molecules able to drive radioresistance. CONCLUSION In summary, our data highlight, the RT response of TNBC MDA-MB-231 cell line at a transcriptional level, in terms of activating radioresistance in these cells, as a model of late-stage BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bravatà
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Rosa Musso
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Gaia Pucci
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | | | - Ivan Fazio
- Casa di Cura Macchiarella, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
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Minafra L, Porcino N, Bravatà V, Gaglio D, Bonanomi M, Amore E, Cammarata FP, Russo G, Militello C, Savoca G, Baglio M, Abbate B, Iacoviello G, Evangelista G, Gilardi MC, Bondì ML, Forte GI. Radiosensitizing effect of curcumin-loaded lipid nanoparticles in breast cancer cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11134. [PMID: 31366901 PMCID: PMC6668411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In breast cancer (BC) care, radiotherapy is considered an efficient treatment, prescribed both for controlling localized tumors or as a therapeutic option in case of inoperable, incompletely resected or recurrent tumors. However, approximately 90% of BC-related deaths are due to the metastatic tumor progression. Then, it is strongly desirable to improve tumor radiosensitivity using molecules with synergistic action. The main aim of this study is to develop curcumin-loaded solid nanoparticles (Cur-SLN) in order to increase curcumin bioavailability and to evaluate their radiosensitizing ability in comparison to free curcumin (free-Cur), by using an in vitro approach on BC cell lines. In addition, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles, induced by Cur-SLN treatments, highlighted networks involved in this radiosensitization ability. The non tumorigenic MCF10A and the tumorigenic MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 BC cell lines were used. Curcumin-loaded solid nanoparticles were prepared using ethanolic precipitation and the loading capacity was evaluated by UV spectrophotometer analysis. Cell survival after treatments was evaluated by clonogenic assay. Dose–response curves were generated testing three concentrations of free-Cur and Cur-SLN in combination with increasing doses of IR (2–9 Gy). IC50 value and Dose Modifying Factor (DMF) was measured to quantify the sensitivity to curcumin and to combined treatments. A multi-“omic” approach was used to explain the Cur-SLN radiosensitizer effect by microarray and metobolomic analysis. We have shown the efficacy of the Cur-SLN formulation as radiosensitizer on three BC cell lines. The DMFs values, calculated at the isoeffect of SF = 50%, showed that the Luminal A MCF7 resulted sensitive to the combined treatments using increasing concentration of vehicled curcumin Cur-SLN (DMF: 1,78 with 10 µM Cur-SLN.) Instead, triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells were more sensitive to free-Cur, although these cells also receive a radiosensitization effect by combination with Cur-SLN (DMF: 1.38 with 10 µM Cur-SLN). The Cur-SLN radiosensitizing function, evaluated by transcriptomic and metabolomic approach, revealed anti-oxidant and anti-tumor effects. Curcumin loaded- SLN can be suggested in future preclinical and clinical studies to test its concomitant use during radiotherapy treatments with the double implications of being a radiosensitizing molecule against cancer cells, with a protective role against IR side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Minafra
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Nunziatina Porcino
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy.
| | - Daniela Gaglio
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Marcella Bonanomi
- SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Erika Amore
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMN-CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Carmelo Militello
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Gaetano Savoca
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Margherita Baglio
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
| | - Boris Abbate
- Medical Physics Department, ARNAS-Civico Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Bondì
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMN-CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, (PA), Italy
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Bravatà V, Minafra L, Cammarata FP, Pisciotta P, Lamia D, Marchese V, Petringa G, Manti L, Cirrone GA, Gilardi MC, Cuttone G, Forte GI, Russo G. Gene expression profiling of breast cancer cell lines treated with proton and electron radiations. Br J Radiol 2018; 91:20170934. [PMID: 29888960 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20170934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Technological advances in radiation therapy are evolving with the use of hadrons, such as protons, indicated for tumors where conventional radiotherapy does not give significant advantages or for tumors located in sensitive regions, which need the maximum of dose-saving of the surrounding healthy tissues. The genomic response to conventional and non-conventional linear energy transfer exposure is a poor investigated topic and became an issue of radiobiological interest. The aim of this work was to analyze and compare molecular responses in term of gene expression profiles, induced by electron and proton irradiation in breast cancer cell lines. METHODS We studied the gene expression profiling differences by cDNA microarray activated in response to electron and proton irradiation with different linear energy transfer values, among three breast cell lines (the tumorigenic MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 and the non-tumorigenic MCF10A), exposed to the same sublethal dose of 9 Gy. RESULTS Gene expression profiling pathway analyses showed the activation of different signaling and molecular networks in a cell line and radiation type-dependent manner. MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were found to induce factors and pathways involved in the immunological process control. CONCLUSION Here, we describe in a detailed way the gene expression profiling and pathways activated after electron and proton irradiation in breast cancer cells. Summarizing, although specific pathways are activated in a radiation type-dependent manner, each cell line activates overall similar molecular networks in response to both these two types of ionizing radiation. Advances in knowledge: In the era of personalized medicine and breast cancer target-directed intervention, we trust that this study could drive radiation therapy towards personalized treatments, evaluating possible combined treatments, based on the molecular characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bravatà
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy
| | - Pietro Pisciotta
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy.,2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy.,3 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania , Catania , Italy
| | - Debora Lamia
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy
| | - Valentina Marchese
- 2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy
| | - Giada Petringa
- 2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manti
- 4 Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, I-80126 Naples , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ap Cirrone
- 2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy.,5 Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy
| | - Giacomo Cuttone
- 2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- 1 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) , Cefalù , Italy.,2 National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS , Catania , Italy
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9
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Bravatà V, Cava C, Minafra L, Cammarata FP, Russo G, Gilardi MC, Castiglioni I, Forte GI. Radiation-Induced Gene Expression Changes in High and Low Grade Breast Cancer Cell Types. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E1084. [PMID: 29617354 PMCID: PMC5979377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19041084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is extensive scientific evidence that radiation therapy (RT) is a crucial treatment, either alone or in combination with other treatment modalities, for many types of cancer, including breast cancer (BC). BC is a heterogeneous disease at both clinical and molecular levels, presenting distinct subtypes linked to the hormone receptor (HR) status and associated with different clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the molecular changes induced by high doses of ionizing radiation (IR) on immortalized and primary BC cell lines grouped according to Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), estrogen, and progesterone receptors, to study how HR status influences the radiation response. Our genomic approach using in vitro and ex-vivo models (e.g., primary cells) is a necessary first step for a translational study to describe the common driven radio-resistance features associated with HR status. This information will eventually allow clinicians to prescribe more personalized total doses or associated targeted therapies for specific tumor subtypes, thus enhancing cancer radio-sensitivity. METHODS Nontumorigenic (MCF10A) and BC (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) immortalized cell lines, as well as healthy (HMEC) and BC (BCpc7 and BCpcEMT) primary cultures, were divided into low grade, high grade, and healthy groups according to their HR status. At 24 h post-treatment, the gene expression profiles induced by two doses of IR treatment with 9 and 23 Gy were analyzed by cDNA microarray technology to select and compare the differential gene and pathway expressions among the experimental groups. RESULTS We present a descriptive report of the substantial alterations in gene expression levels and pathways after IR treatment in both immortalized and primary cell cultures. Overall, the IR-induced gene expression profiles and pathways appear to be cell-line dependent. The data suggest that some specific gene and pathway signatures seem to be linked to HR status. CONCLUSIONS Genomic biomarkers and gene-signatures of specific tumor subtypes, selected according to their HR status and molecular features, could facilitate personalized biological-driven RT treatment planning alone and in combination with targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
| | - Claudia Cava
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 20090 Segrate (Mi), Italy .
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 20090 Segrate (Mi), Italy .
| | - Isabella Castiglioni
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 20090 Segrate (Mi), Italy .
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 90015 Cefalù (Pa), Italy.
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Militello C, Rundo L, Conti V, Minafra L, Cammarata FP, Mauri G, Gilardi MC, Porcino N. Area-based cell colony surviving fraction evaluation: A novel fully automatic approach using general-purpose acquisition hardware. Comput Biol Med 2017; 89:454-465. [PMID: 28886482 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current methodology for the Surviving Fraction (SF) measurement in clonogenic assay, which is a technique to study the anti-proliferative effect of treatments on cell cultures, involves manual counting of cell colony forming units. This procedure is operator-dependent and error-prone. Moreover, the identification of the exact colony number is often not feasible due to the high growth rate leading to the adjacent colony merging. As a matter of fact, conventional assessment does not deal with the colony size, which is generally correlated with the delivered radiation dose or the administered cytotoxic agent. METHOD Considering that the Area Covered by Colony (ACC) is proportional to the colony number and size as well as to the growth rate, we propose a novel fully automatic approach exploiting Circle Hough Transform, to automatically detect the wells in the plate, and local adaptive thresholding, which calculates the percentage of ACC for the SF quantification. This measurement relies just on this covering percentage and does not consider the colony number, preventing inconsistencies due to intra- and inter-operator variability. RESULTS To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed approach, we compared the SFs obtained by our automatic ACC-based method against the conventional counting procedure. The achieved results (r = 0.9791 and r = 0.9682 on MCF7 and MCF10A cells, respectively) showed values highly correlated with the measurements using the traditional approach based on colony number alone. CONCLUSIONS The proposed computer-assisted methodology could be integrated in laboratory practice as an expert system for the SF evaluation in clonogenic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Militello
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy.
| | - Leonardo Rundo
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy; Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemistica e Comunicazione (DISCo), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Conti
- Facoltà di Ingegneria e Architettura, Università degli Studi di Enna Kore, Enna, Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Mauri
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemistica e Comunicazione (DISCo), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy
| | - Nunziatina Porcino
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, PA, Italy
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11
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Bravatà V, Minafra L, Forte GI, Cammarata FP, Russo G, Di Maggio FM, Augello G, Lio D, Gilardi MC. Cytokine profile of breast cell lines after different radiation doses. Int J Radiat Biol 2017; 93:1217-1226. [PMID: 28763256 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1362504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ionizing radiation (IR) treatment activates inflammatory processes causing the release of a great amount of molecules able to affect the cell survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the cytokine signature of conditioned medium produced by non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A, as well as MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, after single high doses of IR in order to understand their role in high radiation response. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a cytokine profile of irradiated conditioned media of MCF10A, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines treated with 9 or 23 Gy, by Luminex and ELISA analyses. RESULTS Overall, our results show that both 9 Gy and 23 Gy of IR induce the release within the first 72 h of cytokines and growth factors potentially able to influence the tumor outcome, with a dose-independent and cell-line dependent signature. Moreover, our results show that the cell-senescence phenomenon does not correlate with the amount of 'senescence-associated secretory phenotype' (SASP) molecules released in media. Thus, additional mechanisms are probably involved in this process. CONCLUSIONS These data open the possibility to evaluate cytokine profile as useful marker in modulating the personalized radiotherapy in breast cancer care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bravatà
- a Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM)-CNR , Cefalù ( PA ), Italy.,b Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies , University of Palermo , Palermo , Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- a Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM)-CNR , Cefalù ( PA ), Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- a Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM)-CNR , Cefalù ( PA ), Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Russo
- a Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM)-CNR , Cefalù ( PA ), Italy
| | - Federica Maria Di Maggio
- b Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies , University of Palermo , Palermo , Italy
| | - Giuseppa Augello
- c Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology 'A. Monroy' (IBIM)-CNR , Palermo , Italy
| | - Domenico Lio
- b Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies , University of Palermo , Palermo , Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- a Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM)-CNR , Cefalù ( PA ), Italy.,d Department of Health Sciences , Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy.,e Nuclear Medicine , San Raffaele Scientific Institute , Milan , Italy
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12
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Forte GI, Minafra L, Bravatà V, Cammarata FP, Lamia D, Pisciotta P, Cirrone GAP, Cuttone G, Gilardi MC, Russo G. Radiogenomics: the utility in patient selection. Transl Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.21037/tcr.2017.06.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Cirincione R, Di Maggio FM, Forte GI, Minafra L, Bravatà V, Castiglia L, Cavalieri V, Borasi G, Russo G, Lio D, Messa C, Gilardi MC, Cammarata FP. High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound- and Radiation Therapy-Induced Immuno-Modulation: Comparison and Potential Opportunities. Ultrasound Med Biol 2017; 43:398-411. [PMID: 27780661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2016.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has emerged as a new and promising non-invasive and non-ionizing ablative technique for the treatment of localized solid tumors. Extensive pre-clinical and clinical studies have evidenced that, in addition to direct destruction of the primary tumor, HIFU-thermoablation may elicit long-term systemic host anti-tumor immunity. In particular, an important consequence of HIFU treatment includes the release of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), the secretion of immuno-suppressing factors by cancer cells and the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. Radiation therapy (RT) is the main treatment modality used for many types of tumors and about 50% of all cancer patients receive RT, often used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. It is well known that RT can modulate anti-tumor immune responses, modifying micro-environment and stimulating inflammatory factors that can greatly affect cell invasion, bystander effects, radiation tissue complications (such as fibrosis), genomic instability and thus, intrinsic cellular radio-sensitivity. To date, various combined therapeutic strategies (such as immuno-therapy) have been performed in order to enhance RT success in treating locally advanced and recurrent tumors. Recent works suggested the combined use of HIFU and RT treatments to increase the tumor cell radio-sensitivity, in order to synergize the effects reaching the maximum results with minimal doses of ionizing radiation (IR). Here, we highlight the opposite immuno-modulation roles of RT and HIFU, providing scientific reasons to test, by experimental approaches, the use of HIFU immune-stimulatory capacity to improve tumor radio-sensitivity, to reduce the RT induced inflammatory response and to decrease the dose-correlated side effects in normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Federica Maria Di Maggio
- IBFM CNR, Cefalù, Palermo, Italy; Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | - Valentina Bravatà
- IBFM CNR, Cefalù, Palermo, Italy; Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Cavalieri
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | - Domenico Lio
- Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Cristina Messa
- IBFM CNR, Cefalù, Palermo, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine Center, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- IBFM CNR, Cefalù, Palermo, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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14
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Minafra L, Bravatà V, Russo G, Forte GI, Cammarata FP, Ripamonti M, Candiano G, Cervello M, Giallongo A, Perconti G, Messa C, Gilardi MC. Gene Expression Profiling of MCF10A Breast Epithelial Cells Exposed to IOERT. Anticancer Res 2015; 35:3223-3234. [PMID: 26026082] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) is a therapeutic approach that delivers a single high dose of ionizing radiation (IR) directly to the tumor bed during cancer surgery. The main goal of IOERT is to counteract tumor growth by acting on residual cancer cells as well as to preserve healthy surrounding tissue from the side-effects of radiation therapy. The radiobiology of the healthy tissue response to IR is a topic of interest which may contribute to avoiding impairment of normal tissue and organ function and to reducing the risks of secondary cancer. The purpose of the study was to highlight cell and gene expression responses following IOERT treatment in the human non-tumorigenic MCF10A cell line in order to find new potential biomarkers of radiosensitivity/radioresistance. MATERIAL AND METHODS Gene-expression profiling of MCF10A cells treated with 9 and 23 Gy doses (IOERT boost and exclusive treatment, respectively), was performed by whole-genome cDNA microarrays. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription (qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence and immunoblot experiments were carried out to validate candidate IOERT biomarkers. Clonogenic tests and morphological evaluations to examine cellular effects induced by radiation were also conducted. RESULTS The study revealed a dose-dependent gene-expression profile and specific key genes that may be proposed as novel markers of radiosensitivity. Our results show consistent differences in non-tumorigenic cell tolerance and in the molecular response of MCF10A cells to different IOERTs. In particular, after 9 Gy of exposure, the selection of a radioresistant cell fraction was observed. CONCLUSION The possibility of clarifying the molecular strategies adopted by cells in choosing between death or survival after IR-induced damage opens-up new avenues for the selection of a proper personalized therapy schedule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Minafra
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Marilena Ripamonti
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Giuliana Candiano
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy
| | - Melchiorre Cervello
- Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology "Alberto Monroy"-National Research Council (IBIM-CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Agata Giallongo
- Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology "Alberto Monroy"-National Research Council (IBIM-CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Perconti
- Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology "Alberto Monroy"-National Research Council (IBIM-CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Cristina Messa
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy Nuclear Medicine Center, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù, Italy Nuclear Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Pucci M, Bravatà V, Forte GI, Cammarata FP, Messa C, Gilardi MC, Minafra L. Caveolin-1, breast cancer and ionizing radiation. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2015; 12:143-152. [PMID: 25977173] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) recovery has increased in recent years thanks to efforts of Omics-based research in this field. However, despite the important results obtained, BC remains a complex multifactorial pathology that is difficult to treat appropriately. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), the basic constituent protein of specialized plasma membrane invaginations called caveolae, is emerging as a potential therapeutic biomarker in BC. This factor may modulate BC response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In addition, recent reports describe the key role of CAV1 during cell response to oxidative stress. The aim of the present review was to describe the biological roles of CAV1 in BC considering its contrasting dual functions as an oncogene and as a tumor suppressor. In addition, we report on how CAV1 may contribute to tumor cell response to ionizing radiation treatment. Finally, new roles of CAV1 in BC both on epithelium and stroma may be useful as prognostic indicators for patient treatment and help clinicians in the selection of the best personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzia Pucci
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Cammarata
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy
| | - Cristina Messa
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy Nuclear Medicine Center, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy Nuclear Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR) -LATO, Cefalù (PA), Italy
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Di Maggio FM, Minafra L, Forte GI, Cammarata FP, Lio D, Messa C, Gilardi MC, Bravatà V. Portrait of inflammatory response to ionizing radiation treatment. J Inflamm (Lond) 2015; 12:14. [PMID: 25705130 PMCID: PMC4336767 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-015-0058-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) activates both pro-and anti-proliferative signal pathways producing an imbalance in cell fate decision. IR is able to regulate several genes and factors involved in cell-cycle progression, survival and/or cell death, DNA repair and inflammation modulating an intracellular radiation-dependent response. Radiation therapy can modulate anti-tumour immune responses, modifying tumour and its microenvironment. In this review, we report how IR could stimulate inflammatory factors to affect cell fate via multiple pathways, describing their roles on gene expression regulation, fibrosis and invasive processes. Understanding the complex relationship between IR, inflammation and immune responses in cancer, opens up new avenues for radiation research and therapy in order to optimize and personalize radiation therapy treatment for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Maria Di Maggio
- />Department of Pathobiology and Medical and Forensic Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
| | - Luigi Minafra
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
| | - Giusi Irma Forte
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
| | | | - Domenico Lio
- />Department of Pathobiology and Medical and Forensic Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Cristina Messa
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
- />Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- />Nuclear Medicine Center, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gilardi
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
- />Department of Health Sciences, Tecnomed Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- />Nuclear Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bravatà
- />IBFM CNR – LATO, Contrada Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, Cefalù, PA Italy
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17
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Minafra L, Bravatà V, Forte GI, Cammarata FP, Gilardi MC, Messa C. Gene expression profiling of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in primary breast cancer cell culture. Anticancer Res 2014; 34:2173-2183. [PMID: 24778019] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process co-opted by cancer cells to invade and form metastases. In the present study we analyzed gene expression profiles of primary breast cancer cells in culture in order to highlight genes related to EMT. MATERIALS AND METHODS Microarray expression analysis of primary cells isolated from a specimen of a patient with an infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast was performed. Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses validated microarray gene expression trends. RESULTS Thirty-six candidate genes were selected and used to generate a molecular network displaying the tight relationship among them. The most significant Gene Ontology biological processes characterizing this network were involved in cell migration and motility. CONCLUSION Our data revealed the involvement of new genes which displayed tight relationships among them, suggesting a molecular network in which they could contribute to control of EMT in breast cancer. This study may offer a basis for understanding complex mechanisms which regulate breast cancer progression and for designing individualized anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Minafra
- Contrada Pietrapollastra-Pisciotto, 90015-Cefalù, PA, Italy. ,
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18
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Palorini R, Cammarata FP, Balestrieri C, Monestiroli A, Vasso M, Gelfi C, Alberghina L, Chiaradonna F. Erratum: Glucose starvation induces cell death in K-ras-transformed cells by interfering with the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway and activating the unfolded protein response. Cell Death Dis 2013. [PMCID: PMC3847305 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Palorini R, Cammarata FP, Cammarata F, Balestrieri C, Monestiroli A, Vasso M, Gelfi C, Alberghina L, Chiaradonna F. Glucose starvation induces cell death in K-ras-transformed cells by interfering with the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway and activating the unfolded protein response. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e732. [PMID: 23868065 PMCID: PMC3730427 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells, which use more glucose than normal cells and accumulate extracellular lactate even under normoxic conditions (Warburg effect), have been reported to undergo cell death under glucose deprivation, whereas normal cells remain viable. As it may be relevant to exploit the molecular mechanisms underlying this biological response to achieve new cancer therapies, in this paper we sought to identify them by using transcriptome and proteome analysis applied to an established glucose-addicted cellular model of transformation, namely, murine NIH-3T3 fibroblasts harboring an oncogenic K-RAS gene, compared with parental cells. Noteworthy is that the analyses performed in high- and low-glucose cultures indicate that reduction of glucose availability induces, especially in transformed cells, a significant increase in the expression of several unfolded protein response (UPR) hallmark genes. We show that this response is strictly associated with transformed cell death, given that its attenuation, by reducing protein translation or by increasing cell protein folding capacity, preserves the survival of transformed cells. Such an effect is also observed by inhibiting c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, a pro-apoptotic signaling mediator set downstream of UPR. Strikingly, addition of N-acetyl-𝒟-glucosamine, a specific substrate for the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), to glucose-depleted cells completely prevents transformed cell death, stressing the important role of glucose in HBP fuelling to ensure UPR attenuation and increased cell survival. Interestingly, these results have been fully recognized in a human model of breast cancer, MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, we show that glucose deprivation, leading to harmful accumulation of unfolded proteins in consequence of a reduction of protein glycosylation, induces a UPR-dependent cell death mechanism. These findings may open the way for new therapeutic strategies to specifically kill glycolytic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Palorini
- SYSBIO, Centre of Systems Biology, Milano 20126, Italy
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Abstract
HER2/neu amplification/overexpression is the only somatic mutation widely considered to be a marker of disease outcome and response to treatment in breast cancer. Pathologists have made large efforts to achieve accuracy in characterizing HER2/neu status. The introduction of transtuzumab contributed to development of additional measures to identify sensitive and resistant subclasses of HER2/neu-positive tumors. In this article, we describe the latest advances in HER2/neu status diagnostic assessment and the most relevant research emerging from "Omics" (genomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) studies on HER2/neu-positive breast cancer. A large quantity of biomarkers from different studies highlighted HER2/neu-positive specific proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis mechanisms, as well as immunological and metabolic behavior. Major driver genes of tumor progression have had a candidate status (GRB7, MYC, CCND1, EGFR, etc.), even though the main role for HER2/neu is largely recognized. Nonetheless, existing omics data and HER2/neu-positive molecular profiles seem to suggest that few proteogenomic alterations in HER2, EGFR, and PI3K networks could significantly affect the effectiveness of transtuzumab. The systematic search of molecular alterations in and across these pathways can help to select the most appropriate drug for a given patient based on in-depth understanding of complexity in tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bravatà
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council (CNR), Cefalù Unit, Cefalù, Italy
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