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Iegiani G, Ferraro A, Pallavicini G, Di Cunto F. The impact of TP53 activation and apoptosis in primary hereditary microcephaly. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1220010. [PMID: 37457016 PMCID: PMC10338886 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1220010] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a constellation of disorders that share significant brain size reduction and mild to moderate intellectual disability, which may be accompanied by a large variety of more invalidating clinical signs. Extensive neural progenitor cells (NPC) proliferation and differentiation are essential to determine brain final size. Accordingly, the 30 MCPH loci mapped so far (MCPH1-MCPH30) encode for proteins involved in microtubule and spindle organization, centriole biogenesis, nuclear envelope, DNA replication and repair, underscoring that a wide variety of cellular processes is required for sustaining NPC expansion during development. Current models propose that altered balance between symmetric and asymmetric division, as well as premature differentiation, are the main mechanisms leading to MCPH. Although studies of cellular alterations in microcephaly models have constantly shown the co-existence of high DNA damage and apoptosis levels, these mechanisms are less considered as primary factors. In this review we highlight how the molecular and cellular events produced by mutation of the majority of MCPH genes may converge on apoptotic death of NPCs and neurons, via TP53 activation. We propose that these mechanisms should be more carefully considered in the alterations of the sophisticated equilibrium between proliferation, differentiation and death produced by MCPH gene mutations. In consideration of the potential druggability of cell apoptotic pathways, a better understanding of their role in MCPH may significantly facilitate the development of translational approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Iegiani
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Ferraro
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Pallavicini
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Di Cunto
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
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Pallavicini G, Iegiani G, Parolisi R, Ferraro A, Garello F, Bitonto V, Terreno E, Gai M, Di Cunto F. Lestaurtinib inhibits Citron kinase activity and medulloblastoma growth through induction of DNA damage, apoptosis and cytokinesis failure. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1202585. [PMID: 37404750 PMCID: PMC10315473 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1202585] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, is currently treated with surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy, which is accompanied by severe side effects, raising the need for innovative therapies. Disruption of the microcephaly-related gene Citron kinase (CITK) impairs the expansion of xenograft models as well as spontaneous MB arising in transgenic mice. No specific CITK inhibitors are available. Methods Lestaurtinib, a Staurosporine derivative also known as CEP-701, inhibits CITK with IC50 of 90 nM. We therefore tested the biological effects of this molecule on different MB cell lines, as well as in vivo, injecting the drug in MBs arising in SmoA1 transgenic mice. Results Similar to CITK knockdown, treatment of MB cells with 100 nM Lestaurtinib reduces phospho-INCENP levels at the midbody and leads to late cytokinesis failure. Moreover, Lestaurtinib impairs cell proliferation through CITK-sensitive mechanisms. These phenotypes are accompanied by accumulation of DNA double strand breaks, cell cycle block and TP53 superfamily activation in vitro and in vivo. Lestaurtinib treatment reduces tumor growth and increases mice survival. Discussion Our data indicate that Lestaurtinib produces in MB cells poly-pharmacological effects extending beyond the inhibition of its validated targets, supporting the possibility of repositioning this drug for MB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Pallavicini
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Iegiani
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Roberta Parolisi
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Ferraro
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Garello
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Valeria Bitonto
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Enzo Terreno
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Gai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Di Cunto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Iegiani G, Di Cunto F, Pallavicini G. Inhibiting microcephaly genes as alternative to microtubule targeting agents to treat brain tumors. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:956. [PMID: 34663805 PMCID: PMC8523548 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04259-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) and gliomas are the most frequent high-grade brain tumors (HGBT) in children and adulthood, respectively. The general treatment for these tumors consists in surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite the improvement in patient survival, these therapies are only partially effective, and many patients still die. In the last decades, microtubules have emerged as interesting molecular targets for HGBT, as various microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) have been developed and tested pre-clinically and clinically with encouraging results. Nevertheless, these treatments produce relevant side effects since they target microtubules in normal as well as in cancerous cells. A possible strategy to overcome this toxicity could be to target proteins that control microtubule dynamics but are required by HGBT cells much more than in normal cell types. The genes mutated in primary hereditary microcephaly (MCPH) are ubiquitously expressed in proliferating cells, but under normal conditions are selectively required during brain development, in neural progenitors. There is evidence that MB and glioma cells share molecular profiles with progenitors of cerebellar granules and of cortical radial glia cells, in which MCPH gene functions are fundamental. Moreover, several studies indicate that MCPH genes are required for HGBT expansion. Among the 25 known MCPH genes, we focus this review on KNL1, ASPM, CENPE, CITK and KIF14, which have been found to control microtubule stability during cell division. We summarize the current knowledge about the molecular basis of their interaction with microtubules. Moreover, we will discuss data that suggest these genes are promising candidates as HGBT-specific targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Iegiani
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043, Orbassano, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Di Cunto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043, Orbassano, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Pallavicini
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043, Orbassano, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy.
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Pallavicini G, Gai M, Iegiani G, Berto GE, Adrait A, Couté Y, Di Cunto F. Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome protein KIF1BP is a CITK interactor implicated in cytokinesis. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:jcs250902. [PMID: 34100550 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.250902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Goldberg-Shprintzen disease (GOSHS) is a rare microcephaly syndrome accompanied by intellectual disability, dysmorphic facial features, peripheral neuropathy and Hirschsprung disease. It is associated with recessive mutations in the gene encoding kinesin family member 1-binding protein (KIF1BP, also known as KIFBP). The encoded protein regulates axon microtubules dynamics, kinesin attachment and mitochondrial biogenesis, but it is not clear how its loss could lead to microcephaly. We identified KIF1BP in the interactome of citron kinase (CITK, also known as CIT), a protein produced by the primary hereditary microcephaly 17 (MCPH17) gene. KIF1BP and CITK interact under physiological conditions in mitotic cells. Similar to CITK, KIF1BP is enriched at the midbody ring and is required for cytokinesis. The association between KIF1BP and CITK can be influenced by CITK activity, and the two proteins may antagonize each other for their midbody localization. KIF1BP knockdown decreases microtubule stability, increases KIF23 midbody levels and impairs midbody localization of KIF14, as well as of chromosome passenger complex. These data indicate that KIF1BP is a CITK interactor involved in midbody maturation and abscission, and suggest that cytokinesis failure may contribute to the microcephaly phenotype observed in GOSHS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Pallavicini
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin 10123, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
| | - Marta Gai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
| | - Giorgia Iegiani
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin 10123, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
| | - Gaia Elena Berto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin 10123, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
| | - Annie Adrait
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble (IRIG), Laboratoire Biologie à Grande Echelle (BGE), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Yohann Couté
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble (IRIG), Laboratoire Biologie à Grande Echelle (BGE), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Ferdinando Di Cunto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin 10123, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, Turin 10126, Italy
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Iegiani G, Gai M, Di Cunto F, Pallavicini G. CENPE Inhibition Leads to Mitotic Catastrophe and DNA Damage in Medulloblastoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13051028. [PMID: 33804489 PMCID: PMC7957796 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most frequent brain tumor in children. The standard treatment consists in surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These therapies are only partially effective, since many patients still die and those who survive suffer from neurological and endocrine disorders. Therefore, more effective therapies are needed. CENPE is a gene critical for normal proliferation and survival of neural progenitors. Since there is evidence that MB cells are very similar to neural progenitors, we hypothesized that CENPE could be an effective target for MB treatment. In MB cell lines, CENPE depletion induced defects in division and resulted in cell death. To consolidate CENPE as a target for MB treatment, we tested GSK923295, a specific inhibitor already in clinical trials for other cancer types. GSK923295 induced effects similar to CENPE depletion at low nM levels, supporting the idea that CENPE’s inhibition could be a viable strategy for MB treatment. Abstract Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most frequent brain tumor in children. The standard treatment consists in surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These therapies are only partially effective since many patients still die and those who survive suffer from neurological and endocrine disorders. Therefore, more effective therapies are needed. Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare disorder caused by mutations in 25 different genes. Centromere-associated protein E (CENPE) heterozygous mutations cause the MCPH13 syndrome. As for other MCPH genes, CENPE is required for normal proliferation and survival of neural progenitors. Since there is evidence that MB shares many molecular features with neural progenitors, we hypothesized that CENPE could be an effective target for MB treatment. In ONS-76 and DAOY cells, CENPE knockdown induced mitotic defects and apoptosis. Moreover, CENPE depletion induced endogenous DNA damage accumulation, activating TP53 or TP73 as well as cell death signaling pathways. To consolidate CENPE as a target for MB treatment, we tested GSK923295, an allosteric inhibitor already in clinical trial for other cancer types. GSK923295, induced effects similar to CENPE depletion with higher penetrance, at low nM levels, suggesting that CENPE’s inhibition could be a therapeutic strategy for MB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Iegiani
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Gai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Ferdinando Di Cunto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.D.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Gianmarco Pallavicini
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.D.C.); (G.P.)
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Rackov G, Iegiani G, Uribe D, Quezada C, Belda-Iniesta C, Escobedo-Lucea C, Silva A, Puig P, González-Rumayor V, Ayuso-Sacido Á. Potential Therapeutic Effects of the Neural Stem Cell-Targeting Antibody Nilo1 in Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1665. [PMID: 32974206 PMCID: PMC7468525 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01665] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most devastating and least treatable brain tumor with median survival <15 months and extremely high recurrence rates. Promising results of immune checkpoint blockade obtained from pre-clinical studies in mice did not translate to clinic, and new strategies are urgently needed, particularly those targeting GBM stem cells (GSCs) that are held responsible for drug resistance and tumor recurrence. Patient-derived GSC cultures are critical for finding effective brain tumor therapies. Here, we investigated the ability of the recently described monoclonal antibody Nilo1 to specifically recognize GSCs isolated from GBM surgical samples. We employed five patient-derived GSC cultures with different stemness marker expression and differentiation potential, able to recapitulate original tumors when xenotransplanted in vivo. To answer whether Nilo1 has any functional effects in patient-derived GSCs lines, we treated the cells with Nilo1 in vitro and analyzed cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, sphere formation, as well as the expression of stem vs. differentiation markers. All tested GSCs stained positively for Nilo1, and the ability of Nilo1 to recognize GSCs strongly relied on their stem-like phenotype. Our results showed that a subset of patient-derived GSCs were sensitive to Nilo1 treatment. In three GSC lines Nilo1 triggered differentiation accompanied by the induction of p21. Most strikingly, in one GSC line Nilo1 completely abrogated self-renewal and led to Bax-associated apoptosis. Our data suggest that Nilo1 targets a molecule functionally relevant for stemness maintenance and pinpoint Nilo1 as a novel antibody-based therapeutical strategy to be used either alone or in combination with cytotoxic drugs for GSC targeting. Further pre-clinical studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of GSC-specific Nilo1 targeting in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gorjana Rackov
- IMDEA Nanoscience, Madrid, Spain.,Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain
| | - Giorgia Iegiani
- Istitute of Applied Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Uribe
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Claudia Quezada
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Carmen Escobedo-Lucea
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Augusto Silva
- Market Access Department, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Ángel Ayuso-Sacido
- IMDEA Nanoscience, Madrid, Spain.,Brain Tumor Laboratory, Fundación Vithas, Hospitales Vithas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biosanitarias, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain.,Formerly, Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, Spain
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