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García-Gareta E, Calderón-Villalba A, Alamán-Díez P, Costa CG, Guerrero PE, Mur C, Flores AR, Jurjo NO, Sancho P, Pérez MÁ, García-Aznar JM. Physico-chemical characterization of the tumour microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151396. [PMID: 38359522 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151396] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive lethal malignancy that accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer diagnoses. Our research is focused on the physico-chemical properties of the tumour microenvironment (TME), including its tumoural extracellular matrix (tECM), as they may have an important impact on the success of cancer therapies. PDAC xenografts and their decellularized tECM offer a great material source for research in terms of biomimicry with the original human tumour. Our aim was to evaluate and quantify the physico-chemical properties of the PDAC TME. Both cellularized (native TME) and decellularized (tECM) patient-derived PDAC xenografts were analyzed. A factorial design of experiments identified an optimal combination of factors for effective xenograft decellularization. Our results provide a complete advance in our understanding of the PDAC TME and its corresponding stroma, showing that it presents an interconnected porous architecture with very low permeability and small pores due to the contractility of the cellular components. This fact provides a potential therapeutic strategy based on the therapeutic agent size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena García-Gareta
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; Division of Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Alejandro Calderón-Villalba
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Pilar Alamán-Díez
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Carlos Gracia Costa
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Pedro Enrique Guerrero
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Carlota Mur
- Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Ana Rueda Flores
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Nerea Olivera Jurjo
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - Patricia Sancho
- Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Pérez
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
| | - José Manuel García-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
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Alamán-Díez P, Borau C, Guerrero PE, Amaveda H, Mora M, Fraile JM, García-Gareta E, García-Aznar JM, Pérez MÁ. Collagen-Laponite Nanoclay Hydrogels for Tumor Spheroid Growth. Biomacromolecules 2023. [PMID: 37249509 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important regulatory role in the development and progression of tumoral tissue. Its functions and properties are crucial in determining tumor cell behavior such as invasion, migration, and malignancy development. Our study explores the role of collagen type I in cancer development and spread using engineered tumor models like multicellular spheroids grown in collagen-based hydrogels to simulate early tumor formation. We employ microfluidic techniques to test the hypothesis that (i) adding Laponite nanoclay to collagen hydrogels modifies mechanical and rheological properties and (ii) changing the stiffness of the collagen microenvironment affects tumor spheroid growth. Our findings support our theories and suggest the use of ECM components and engineered tumor models in cancer research, offering a biocompatible and biomimetic method to tailor the mechanical properties of conventional collagen hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Alamán-Díez
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
| | - Carlos Borau
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
| | - Pedro Enrique Guerrero
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
| | - Hippolyte Amaveda
- Aragon Institute of Nanoscience and Materials (INMA), University of Zaragoza & CSIC, Zaragoza, Aragon 50018, Spain
| | - Mario Mora
- Aragon Institute of Nanoscience and Materials (INMA), University of Zaragoza & CSIC, Zaragoza, Aragon 50018, Spain
| | - José María Fraile
- Institute of Chemical synthesis and Homogeneous Catalysis (ISQCH), University of Zaragoza & CSIC, Zaragoza, Aragon 50009, Spain
| | - Elena García-Gareta
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
- Division of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - José Manuel García-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Pérez
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) & Aragón Institute of Healthcare Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
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Guerrero PE, Duran A, Ortiz MR, Castro E, Garcia-Velasco A, Llop E, Peracaula R. Microfibril associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is a carrier of the tumor associated carbohydrate sialyl-Lewis x (sLe x) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. J Proteomics 2020; 231:104004. [PMID: 33038510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.104004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Late diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the reasons of its low 5-year survival rate and it is due to its unspecific symptoms during the first stages of the disease and the lack of reliable serological markers. Since PDA shows an altered glycan expression, here we have focused on finding novel potential biomarkers, namely glycoproteins that express the tumor associated carbohydrate structure sialyl-Lewis x (sLex), which is described in PDA. Through a glycoproteomic approach, we have analyzed target proteins containing sLex from PDA tissues by 2DE and immunodetection techniques, and have identified by mass spectrometry the protein MFAP4 as a carrier of sLex in PDA. MFAP4 showed a higher expression in PDA tissues compared with pancreatic control tissues. In addition, the colocalization of sLex over MFAP4 was found only in PDA and not in control pancreatic tissues. The analysis of MFAP4 expression in PDA cell lines and their secretome, in combination with immunohistochemistry of pancreatic tissues, revealed that MFAP4 was not produced by PDA cells, but it was found in the pancreatic extracellular matrix. The specificity of MFAP4 glycoform containing sLex in PDA tissues shows its relevance as a potential PDA biomarker. SIGNIFICANCE: Despite advances in the field of cancer research, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) lacks of a specific and sensitive biomarker for its early detection, when curative resection is still possible before metastases arise. Thus, efforts to discover new PDA biomarkers represent the first line in the fight against the increase of its incidence reported in recent years. Glycan alterations on glycoconjugates, such as glycoproteins have emerged as a rich source for the identification of novel cancer markers. In the present work, we aimed to shed light on novel biomarkers based on altered glycosylation in PDA, in particular those glycoproteins of PDA tissues carrying the tumor carbohydrate antigen sialyl-Lewis x (sLex). Through a glycoproteomic approach, we have shown that the glycoprotein MFAP4 carries sLex in PDA tissues and not in control pancreatic tissues. MFAP4 is found in the extracellular matrix in PDA and although its role in cancer progression is unclear, its sLex glycoform could be a potential biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Enrique Guerrero
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Adrià Duran
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Maria Rosa Ortiz
- Pathology Department, Josep Trueta University Hospital, 17007 Girona, Spain
| | - Ernesto Castro
- Hepato-biliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Josep Trueta University Hospital, 17007 Girona, Spain
| | | | - Esther Llop
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain..
| | - Rosa Peracaula
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain..
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Guerrero PE, Miró L, Wong BS, Massaguer A, Martínez-Bosch N, de Llorens R, Navarro P, Konstantopoulos K, Llop E, Peracaula R. Knockdown of α2,3-Sialyltransferases Impairs Pancreatic Cancer Cell Migration, Invasion and E-selectin-Dependent Adhesion. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176239. [PMID: 32872308 PMCID: PMC7503936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant sialylation is frequently found in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). α2,3-Sialyltransferases (α2,3-STs) ST3GAL3 and ST3GAL4 are overexpressed in PDA tissues and are responsible for increased biosynthesis of sialyl-Lewis (sLe) antigens, which play an important role in metastasis. This study addresses the effect of α2,3-STs knockdown on the migratory and invasive phenotype of PDA cells, and on E-selectin-dependent adhesion. Characterization of the cell sialome, the α2,3-STs and fucosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of sLe antigens, using a panel of human PDA cells showed differences in the levels of sialylated determinants and α2,3-STs expression, reflecting their phenotypic heterogeneity. Knockdown of ST3GAL3 and ST3GAL4 in BxPC-3 and Capan-1 cells, which expressed moderate to high levels of sLe antigens and α2,3-STs, led to a significant reduction in sLex and in most cases in sLea, with slight increases in the α2,6-sialic acid content. Moreover, ST3GAL3 and ST3GAL4 downregulation resulted in a significant decrease in cell migration and invasion. Binding and rolling to E-selectin, which represent key steps in metastasis, were also markedly impaired in the α2,3-STs knockdown cells. Our results indicate that inhibition of ST3GAL3 and ST3GAL4 may be a novel strategy to block PDA metastasis, which is one of the reasons for its dismal prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Enrique Guerrero
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
| | - Laura Miró
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
| | - Bin S. Wong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (B.S.W.); (K.K.)
| | - Anna Massaguer
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
| | - Neus Martínez-Bosch
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Unidad Asociada IIBB-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.M.-B.); (P.N.)
| | - Rafael de Llorens
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
| | - Pilar Navarro
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Unidad Asociada IIBB-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.M.-B.); (P.N.)
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB)-CSIC, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (B.S.W.); (K.K.)
| | - Esther Llop
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
- Correspondence: (E.L.); (R.P.); Tel.: +972-418370 (R.P.); Fax: +972-41-82-41 (R.P.)
| | - Rosa Peracaula
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.E.G.); (L.M.); (A.M.); (R.d.L.)
- Correspondence: (E.L.); (R.P.); Tel.: +972-418370 (R.P.); Fax: +972-41-82-41 (R.P.)
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Martínez-Bosch N, Guerrero PE, Moreno M, José A, Iglesias M, Munné-Collado J, Anta H, Gibert J, Orozco CA, Vinaixa J, Fillat C, Viñals F, Navarro P. The pancreatic niche inhibits the effectiveness of sunitinib treatment of pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:48265-48279. [PMID: 27374084 PMCID: PMC5217016 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) are ineffective, making this the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths. Sunitinib is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of tyrosine kinase receptors mostly known for its anti-angiogenic effects. We tested the therapeutic effects of sunitinib in pancreatic cancer using the Ela-myc transgenic mouse model. We showed that Ela-myc pancreatic tumors express PDGFR and VEGFR in blood vessels and epithelial cells, rendering these tumors sensitive to sunitinib by more than only its anti-angiogenic activity. However, sunitinib treatment of Ela-myc mice with either early or advanced tumor progression had no impact on either survival or tumor burden. Further histopathological characterization of these tumors did not reveal differences in necrosis, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, apoptosis or proliferation. In stark contrast, in vitro sunitinib treatment of Ela-myc– derived cell lines showed high sensitivity to the drug, with increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation. Correspondingly, subcutaneous tumors generated from these cell lines completely regressed in vivo after sunitinib treatments. These data point at the pancreatic tumor microenvironment as the most likely barrier preventing sunitinib treatment efficiency in vivo. Combined treatments with drugs that disrupt tumor fibrosis may enhance sunitinib therapeutic effectiveness in pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mireia Moreno
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anabel José
- Biomedical Research Institute August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Iglesias
- Pathology Service, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Héctor Anta
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Gibert
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Judith Vinaixa
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Fillat
- Biomedical Research Institute August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Viñals
- Catalan Institute of Oncology-IDIBELL, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Navarro
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
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Llop E, Ferrer-Batallé M, Barrabés S, Guerrero PE, Ramírez M, Saldova R, Rudd PM, Aleixandre RN, Comet J, de Llorens R, Peracaula R. Erratum: Improvement of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis by Detecting PSA Glycosylation-Specific Changes: Erratum. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:746-748. [PMID: 29344303 PMCID: PMC5771090 DOI: 10.7150/thno.23906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Llop E, Ferrer-Batallé M, Barrabés S, Guerrero PE, Ramírez M, Saldova R, Rudd PM, Aleixandre RN, Comet J, de Llorens R, Peracaula R. Improvement of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis by Detecting PSA Glycosylation-Specific Changes. Am J Cancer Res 2016; 6:1190-204. [PMID: 27279911 PMCID: PMC4893645 DOI: 10.7150/thno.15226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
New markers based on PSA isoforms have recently been developed to improve prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. However, novel approaches are still required to differentiate aggressive from non-aggressive PCa to improve decision making for patients. PSA glycoforms have been shown to be differentially expressed in PCa. In particular, changes in the extent of core fucosylation and sialylation of PSA N-glycans in PCa patients compared to healthy controls or BPH patients have been reported. The objective of this study was to determine these specific glycan structures in serum PSA to analyze their potential value as markers for discriminating between BPH and PCa of different aggressiveness. In the present work, we have established two methodologies to analyze the core fucosylation and the sialic acid linkage of PSA N-glycans in serum samples from BPH (29) and PCa (44) patients with different degrees of aggressiveness. We detected a significant decrease in the core fucose and an increase in the α2,3-sialic acid percentage of PSA in high-risk PCa that differentiated BPH and low-risk PCa from high-risk PCa patients. In particular, a cut-off value of 0.86 of the PSA core fucose ratio, could distinguish high-risk PCa patients from BPH with 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity, with an AUC of 0.94. In the case of the α2,3-sialic acid percentage of PSA, the cut-off value of 30% discriminated between high-risk PCa and the group of BPH, low-, and intermediate-risk PCa with a sensitivity and specificity of 85.7% and 95.5%, respectively, with an AUC of 0.97. The latter marker exhibited high performance in differentiating between aggressive and non-aggressive PCa and has the potential for translational application in the clinic.
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