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Collier AB, Viswanadhapalli S, Gopalam R, Lee TK, Kassees K, Parra K, Sharma G, Reese TC, Liu X, Yang X, Ebrahimi B, Pratap UP, Mahajan M, Arnold WC, Baker A, Chen CY, Elmore ST, Subbarayalu P, Sareddy GR, Valente PT, Kost ER, Ahn JM, Vadlamudi RK. Novel LIPA-Targeted Therapy for Treating Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:500. [PMID: 38339252 PMCID: PMC10854701 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030500] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the most lethal form of gynecologic cancer, and the tumor heterogeneities at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels fuel tumor resistance to standard therapies and pose a substantial clinical challenge. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the heightened basal endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) observed in OCa represents an exploitable vulnerability and may overcome tumor heterogeneity. Our recent studies identified LIPA as a novel target to induce ERS in cancer cells using the small molecule ERX-41. However, the role of LIPA and theutility of ERX-41 to treat OCa remain unknown. Expression analysis using the TNMplot web tool, TCGA data sets, and immunohistochemistry analysis using a tumor tissue array showed that LIPA is highly expressed in OCa tissues, compared to normal tissues. ERX-41 treatment significantly reduced the cell viability and colony formation ability and promoted the apoptosis of OCa cells. Mechanistic studies revealed a robust and consistent induction of ERS markers, including CHOP, elF2α, PERK, and ATF4, upon ERX-41 treatment. In xenograft and PDX studies, ERX-41 treatment resulted in a significant reduction in tumor growth. Collectively, our results suggest that ERX-41 is a novel therapeutic agent that targets the LIPA with a unique mechanism of ERS induction, which could be exploited to treat heterogeneity in OCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia B. Collier
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Rahul Gopalam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Tae-Kyung Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (T.-K.L.); (K.K.); (C.-Y.C.); (S.T.E.); (J.-M.A.)
| | - Kara Kassees
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (T.-K.L.); (K.K.); (C.-Y.C.); (S.T.E.); (J.-M.A.)
| | - Karla Parra
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (K.P.); (G.S.); (T.C.R.); (X.L.)
| | - Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (K.P.); (G.S.); (T.C.R.); (X.L.)
| | - Tanner C. Reese
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (K.P.); (G.S.); (T.C.R.); (X.L.)
| | - Xihui Liu
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (K.P.); (G.S.); (T.C.R.); (X.L.)
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Megharani Mahajan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - William C. Arnold
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Adriana Baker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Chia-Yuan Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (T.-K.L.); (K.K.); (C.-Y.C.); (S.T.E.); (J.-M.A.)
| | - Scott Terry Elmore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (T.-K.L.); (K.K.); (C.-Y.C.); (S.T.E.); (J.-M.A.)
| | - Panneerdoss Subbarayalu
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Philip T. Valente
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Edward R. Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
| | - Jung-Mo Ahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (T.-K.L.); (K.K.); (C.-Y.C.); (S.T.E.); (J.-M.A.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.B.C.); (S.V.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (B.E.); (U.P.P.); (M.M.); (W.C.A.); (A.B.); (G.R.S.); (P.T.V.); (E.R.K.)
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Spencer N, Rodriguez Sanchez AL, Gopalam R, Subbarayalu P, Medina DM, Yang X, Ramirez P, Randolph L, Aller EJ, Santhamma B, Rao MK, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Kost ER, Vadlamudi RK, Viswanadhapalli S. The LIFR Inhibitor EC359 Effectively Targets Type II Endometrial Cancer by Blocking LIF/LIFR Oncogenic Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17426. [PMID: 38139260 PMCID: PMC10744027 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417426] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (ECa) is the most common female gynecologic cancer. When comparing the two histological subtypes of endometrial cancer, Type II tumors are biologically more aggressive and have a worse prognosis than Type I tumors. Current treatments for Type II tumors are ineffective, and new targeted therapies are urgently needed. LIFR and its ligand, LIF, have been shown to play a critical role in the progression of multiple solid cancers and therapy resistance. The role of LIF/LIFR in the progression of Type II ECa, on the other hand, is unknown. We investigated the role of LIF/LIFR signaling in Type II ECa and tested the efficacy of EC359, a novel small-molecule LIFR inhibitor, against Type II ECa. The analysis of tumor databases has uncovered a correlation between diminished survival rates and increased expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), suggesting a potential connection between altered LIF expression and unfavorable overall survival in Type II ECa. The results obtained from cell viability and colony formation assays demonstrated a significant decrease in the growth of Type II ECa LIFR knockdown cells in comparison to vector control cells. Furthermore, in both primary and established Type II ECa cells, pharmacological inhibition of the LIF/LIFR axis with EC359 markedly decreased cell viability, long-term cell survival, and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Additionally, EC359 treatment reduced the activation of pathways driven by LIF/LIFR, such as AKT, mTOR, and STAT3. Tumor progression was markedly inhibited by EC359 treatment in two different patient-derived xenograft models in vivo and patient-derived organoids ex vivo. Collectively, these results suggest LIFR inhibitor EC359 as a possible new small-molecule therapeutics for the management of Type II ECa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Spencer
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Alondra Lee Rodriguez Sanchez
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Rahul Gopalam
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Panneerdoss Subbarayalu
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (P.S.); (D.M.M.); (M.K.R.)
| | - Daisy M. Medina
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (P.S.); (D.M.M.); (M.K.R.)
| | - Xue Yang
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Paulina Ramirez
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Lois Randolph
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Emily Jean Aller
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | | | - Manjeet K. Rao
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (P.S.); (D.M.M.); (M.K.R.)
| | - Rajeshwar Rao Tekmal
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | | | - Edward R. Kost
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.S.); (A.L.R.S.); (R.G.); (X.Y.); (P.R.); (L.R.); (E.J.A.); (R.R.T.); (E.R.K.); (R.K.V.)
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Pratap UP, Tidwell M, Balinda HU, Clanton NA, Yang X, Viswanadhapalli S, Sareddy GR, Liang D, Xie H, Chen Y, Lai Z, Tekmal RR, McHardy SF, Brenner AJ, Vadlamudi RK. Preclinical Development of Brain Permeable ERβ Agonist for the Treatment of Glioblastoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:1248-1260. [PMID: 37493258 PMCID: PMC10811744 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0031] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive type of adult brain tumors with low 5-year overall survival rates. Epidemiologic data suggest that estrogen may decrease brain tumor growth, and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) has been demonstrated to exert antitumor functions in GBM. The lack of potent, selective, and brain permeable ERβ agonist to promote its antitumor action is limiting the therapeutic promise of ERβ. In this study, we discovered that Indanone and tetralone-keto or hydroxyl oximes are a new class of ERβ agonists. Because of its high activity in ERβ reporter assays, specific binding to ERβ in polar screen assays, and potent growth inhibitory activity in GBM cells, CIDD-0149897 was discovered as a possible hit by screening a library of compounds. CIDD-0149897 is more selective for ERβ than ERα (40-fold). Treatment with CIDD-0149897 markedly reduced GBM cell viability with an IC50 of ∼7 to 15 μmol/L, while having little to no effect on ERβ-KO cells and normal human astrocytes. Further, CIDD-0149897 treatment enhanced expression of known ERβ target genes and promoted apoptosis in established and patient-derived GSC models. Pharmacokinetic studies confirmed that CIDD-0149897 has systemic exposure, and good bioavailability in the brain. Mice tolerated daily intraperitoneal treatment of CIDD-0149897 (50 mg/kg) with a 7-day repeat dosage with no toxicity. In addition, CIDD-0149897 treatment significantly decreased tumor growth in U251 xenograft model and extended the survival of orthotopic GBM tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, these findings pointed to CIDD-0149897 as a new class of ERβ agonist, offering patients with GBM a potential means of improving survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Michael Tidwell
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas San Antonio, TX
| | - Henriette U. Balinda
- Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Nicholas A. Clanton
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas San Antonio, TX
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, P. R. China
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Dong Liang
- College of Pharmacy, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
| | - Huan Xie
- College of Pharmacy, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
| | - Rajeshwar R. Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Stanton F. McHardy
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas San Antonio, TX
| | - Andrew J. Brenner
- Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio TX 78229
- Audie L. Murphy South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas
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Venkata PP, Jayamohan S, He Y, Alejo S, Johnson JD, Palacios BE, Pratap UP, Chen Y, Liu Z, Zou Y, Lai Z, Suzuki T, Viswanadhapalli S, Weintraub ST, Palakurthi S, Valente PT, Tekmal RR, Kost ER, Vadlamudi RK, Sareddy GR. Pharmacological inhibition of KDM1A/LSD1 enhances estrogen receptor beta-mediated tumor suppression in ovarian cancer. Cancer Lett 2023; 575:216383. [PMID: 37714256 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216383] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the most lethal gynecologic cancer. Emerging data indicates that estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) functions as a tumor suppressor in OCa. Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A) is an epigenetic modifier that acts as a coregulator for steroid hormone receptors. However, it remain unknown if KDM1A interacts with ERβ and regulates its expression/functions in OCa. Analysis of TCGA data sets indicated KDM1A and ERβ expression showed an inverse relationship in OCa. Knockout (KO), knockdown (KD), or inhibition of KDM1A increased ERβ isoform 1 expression in established and patient-derived OCa cells. Further, KDM1A interacts with and functions as a corepressor of ERβ, and its inhibition enhances ERβ target gene expression via alterations of histone methylation marks at their promoters. Importantly, KDM1A-KO or -KD enhanced the efficacy of ERβ agonist LY500307, and the combination of KDM1A inhibitor (KDM1Ai) NCD38 with ERβ agonist synergistically reduced the cell viability, colony formation, and invasion of OCa cells. RNA-seq and DIA mass spectrometry analyses showed that KDM1A-KO resulted in enhanced ERβ signaling and that genes altered by KDM1A-KO and ERβ agonist were related to apoptosis, cell cycle, and EMT. Moreover, combination treatment significantly reduced the tumor growth in OCa orthotopic, syngeneic, and patient-derived xenograft models and proliferation in patient-derived explant models. Our results demonstrate that KDM1A regulates ERβ expression/functions, and its inhibition improves ERβ mediated tumor suppression. Overall, our findings suggest that KDM1Ai and ERβ agonist combination therapy is a promising strategy for OCa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sridharan Jayamohan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yi He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China
| | - Salvador Alejo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Jessica D Johnson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Bridgitte E Palacios
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yihong Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, PR China
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Takayoshi Suzuki
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Susan T Weintraub
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Srinath Palakurthi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Philip T Valente
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Edward R Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Audie L. Murphy South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Yang X, Liu Z, Tang W, Pratap UP, Collier AB, Altwegg KA, Gopalam R, Li X, Yuan Y, Zhou D, Lai Z, Chen Y, Sareddy GR, Valente PT, Kost ER, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK. PELP1 inhibition by SMIP34 reduces endometrial cancer progression via attenuation of ribosomal biogenesis. Mol Oncol 2023. [PMID: 37853941 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13539] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial carcinoma (ECa) is the fourth most common cancer among women. The oncogene PELP1 is frequently overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including ECa. We recently generated SMIP34, a small-molecule inhibitor of PELP1 that suppresses PELP1 oncogenic signaling. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of SMIP34 in treating ECa. Treatment of established and primary patient-derived ECa cells with SMIP34 resulted in a significant reduction of cell viability, colony formation ability, and induction of apoptosis. RNA-seq analyses showed that SMIP34-regulated genes were negatively correlated with ribosome biogenesis and eukaryotic translation pathways. Mechanistic studies showed that the Rix complex, which is essential for ribosomal biogenesis, is disrupted upon SMIP34 binding to PELP1. Biochemical assays confirmed that SMIP34 reduced ribosomal biogenesis and new protein synthesis. Further, SMIP34 enhanced the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors in reducing viability of ECa cells. SMIP34 is also effective in reducing cell viability in ECa organoids in vitro and explants ex vivo. Importantly, SMIP34 treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the growth of ECa xenografts. Collectively, these findings underscore the potential of SMIP34 in treating ECa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alexia B Collier
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rahul Gopalam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yaxia Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daohong Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Department of Population Sciences, and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Department of Population Sciences, and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Philip T Valente
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Edward R Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, TX, USA
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, USA
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6
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Hung CN, Chen M, DeArmond DT, Chiu CHL, Limboy CA, Tan X, Kusi M, Chou CW, Lin LL, Zhang Z, Wang CM, Chen CL, Mitsuya K, Osmulski PA, Gaczynska ME, Kirma NB, Vadlamudi RK, Gibbons DL, Warner S, Brenner AJ, Mahadevan D, Michalek JE, Huang THM, Taverna JA. AXL-initiated paracrine activation of pSTAT3 enhances mesenchymal and vasculogenic supportive features of tumor-associated macrophages. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113067. [PMID: 37659081 PMCID: PMC10577802 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113067] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are integral to the development of complex tumor microenvironments (TMEs) and can execute disparate cellular programs in response to extracellular cues. However, upstream signaling processes underpinning this phenotypic plasticity remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that concordant AXL-STAT3 signaling in TAMs is triggered by lung cancer cells or cancer-associated fibroblasts in the cytokine milieu. This paracrine action drives TAM differentiation toward a tumor-promoting "M2-like" phenotype with upregulation of CD163 and putative mesenchymal markers, contributing to TAM heterogeneity and diverse cellular functions. One of the upregulated markers, CD44, mediated by AXL-IL-11-pSTAT3 signaling cascade, enhances macrophage ability to interact with endothelial cells and facilitate formation of primitive vascular networks. We also found that AXL-STAT3 inhibition can impede the recruitment of TAMs in a xenograft mouse model, thereby suppressing tumor growth. These findings suggest the potential application of AXL-STAT3-related markers to quantitatively assess metastatic potential and inform therapeutic strategies in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Nung Hung
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Meizhen Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daniel T DeArmond
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Cheryl H-L Chiu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Catherine A Limboy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Xi Tan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Meena Kusi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chih-Wei Chou
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Li-Ling Lin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chiou-Miin Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chun-Liang Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Office of Nursing Research & Scholarship, School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kohzoh Mitsuya
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Pawel A Osmulski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Maria E Gaczynska
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Nameer B Kirma
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic, Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Brenner
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daruka Mahadevan
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Joel E Michalek
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Tim H-M Huang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Josephine A Taverna
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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7
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Altwegg KA, Pratap UP, Liu Z, Liu J, Sanchez JR, Yang X, Ebrahimi B, Panneerdoss DM, Li X, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Rao MK, Vadlamudi RK. Targeting PELP1 oncogenic signaling in TNBC with the small molecule inhibitor SMIP34. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 200:151-162. [PMID: 37199805 PMCID: PMC10224866 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-06958-4] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Oncogenic PELP1 is frequently overexpressed in TNBC, and it has been demonstrated that PELP1 signaling is essential for TNBC progression. The therapeutic utility of targeting PELP1 in TNBC, however, remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of SMIP34, a recently developed PELP1 inhibitor for the treatment of TNBC. METHODS To ascertain the impact of SMIP34 treatment, we used seven different TNBC models for testing cell viability, colony formation, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle analysis. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to determine the mechanistic insights of SMIP34 action. Using xenograft and PDX tumors, the ability of SMIP34 in suppressing proliferation was examined both ex vivo and in vivo. RESULTS TNBC cells' viability, colony formation, and invasiveness were all decreased by SMIP34 in in vitro cell-based assays, while apoptosis was increased. SMIP34 treatment promoted the degradation of PELP1 through the proteasome pathway. RT-qPCR analyses confirmed that SMIP34 treatment downregulated PELP1 target genes. Further, SMIP34 treatment substantially downregulated PELP1 mediated extranuclear signaling including ERK, mTOR, S6 and 4EBP1. Mechanistic studies confirmed downregulation of PELP1 mediated ribosomal biogenesis functions including downregulation of cMyc and Rix complex proteins LAS1L, TEX-10, and SENP3. The proliferation of TNBC tumor tissues was decreased in explant experiments by SMIP34. Additionally, SMIP34 treatment markedly decreased tumor progression in both TNBC xenograft and PDX models. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings from in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models show that SMIP34 may be a useful therapeutic agent for inhibiting PELP1 signaling in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - John R Sanchez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Durga Meenakshi Panneerdoss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet K Rao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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8
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Subbarayalu P, Yadav P, Timilsina S, Medina D, Baxi K, Hromas R, Vadlamudi RK, Chen Y, Sung P, Rao MK. The RNA Demethylase ALKBH5 Maintains Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis by Regulating UPR, Autophagy, and Mitochondrial Function. Cells 2023; 12:1283. [PMID: 37174684 PMCID: PMC10177234 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091283] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells maintain cellular fitness by employing well-coordinated and evolutionarily conserved processes that negotiate stress induced by internal or external environments. These processes include the unfolded protein response, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of unfolded proteins and altered mitochondrial functions that together constitute the ER stress response. Here, we show that the RNA demethylase ALKBH5 regulates the crosstalk among these processes to maintain normal ER function. We demonstrate that ALKBH5 regulates ER homeostasis by controlling the expression of ER lipid raft associated 1 (ERLIN1), which binds to the activated inositol 1, 4, 5,-triphosphate receptor and facilitates its degradation via ERAD to maintain the calcium flux between the ER and mitochondria. Using functional studies and electron microscopy, we show that ALKBH5-ERLIN-IP3R-dependent calcium signaling modulates the activity of AMP kinase, and consequently, mitochondrial biogenesis. Thus, these findings reveal that ALKBH5 serves an important role in maintaining ER homeostasis and cellular fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panneerdoss Subbarayalu
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Pooja Yadav
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Santosh Timilsina
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Daisy Medina
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Robert Hromas
- Department of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Patrick Sung
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet K. Rao
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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9
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Wang J, Pratap UP, Lu Y, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK, Brann DW. Development and Characterization of Inducible Astrocyte-Specific Aromatase Knockout Mice. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12040621. [PMID: 37106821 PMCID: PMC10135694 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040621] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
17β-estradiol (E2) is produced in the brain as a neurosteroid, in addition to being an endocrine signal in the periphery. The current animal models for studying brain-derived E2 include global and conditional non-inducible knockout mouse models. The aim of this study was to develop a tamoxifen (TMX)-inducible astrocyte-specific aromatase knockout mouse line (GFAP-ARO-iKO mice) to specifically deplete the E2 synthesis enzymes and aromatase in astrocytes after their development in adult mice. The characterization of the GFAP-ARO-iKO mice revealed a specific and robust depletion in the aromatase expressions of their astrocytes and a significant decrease in their hippocampal E2 levels after a GCI. The GFAP-ARO-iKO animals were alive and fertile and had a normal general brain anatomy, with a normal astrocyte shape, intensity, and distribution. In the hippocampus, after a GCI, the GFAP-ARO-iKO animals showed a major deficiency in their reactive astrogliosis, a dramatically increased neuronal loss, and increased microglial activation. These findings indicate that astrocyte-derived E2 (ADE2) regulates the ischemic induction of reactive astrogliosis and microglial activation and is neuroprotective in the ischemic brain. The GFAP-ARO-iKO mouse models thus provide an important new model to help elucidate the roles and functions of ADE2 in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Darrell W Brann
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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10
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Collier AB, Viswanadhapalli S, Lee TK, Kassees K, Parra K, Sharma G, Reese T, Hsieh M, Liu X, Yang X, Ebrahimi B, Pratap UP, Gopalam R, Chen CY, Elmore ST, Sareddy GR, Kost ER, Ahn JM, Raj GV, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 3986: Novel LIPA targeted therapy for treating ovarian cancer. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers in the United States. Currently approved therapies have improved OCa survival for clinically localized disease, however, the majority (~90%) of patients with high-grade serous OCa (HGSOC) experience relapse with incurable metastases. There is a dire need for new therapeutic approaches. We hypothesized that the high basal endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in OCa represents a critical and targetable vulnerability and may overcome the tumor heterogeneity. The objective of this project is to exploit increased ERS in ovarian cancer cells by engaging the novel target LIPA using the unique compound ERX-41.
METHODS: The utility of ERX-41 as a new therapy was evaluated using MTT and CellTiter-Glo Cell Viability Assays. We used multiple established and patient derived OCa cell lines. The effect of ERX-41 on the Cell viability of patient-derived organoids (PDO) was measured using CellTiter-Glo 3D Assay. Long term effects of ERX-41 on cell survival were measured using colony formation assays. Apoptosis was measured using Annexin V and Caspase-Glo® 3/7 Assays. Cell cycle analysis was analyzed by Flow Cytometry. Mechanistic studies were done using LIPA knockout (KO) cells, RT-qPCR, and western blotting. Status of LIPA in OCa was determined using TNMplot database. In vivo efficacy of ERX-41 was tested using both cell line derived (CDX) and patient derived (PDXs) xenografts.
RESULTS: TNM plot results showed that LIPA is highly expressed in OCa tumors compared to normal tissues and LIPA expression correlated with clinical grade. Kaplan-Meier plotter analyses of TCGA data revealed that LIPA expression is negatively correlated with overall survival in OCa patients. MTT and CellTitre-Glo assay results showed that ERX-41 significantly reduced the cell viability of both established and primary OCa cells, and PDO’s with an IC50 of ~500nM. ERX-41 treatment also significantly reduced the cell survival, increased S-phase arrest, and promoted apoptosis of OCa cells. A time course study revealed a robust and consistent induction of ERS markers (CHOP and sXBP1) in OCa cells by ERX-41 within 4h. Western blotting analyses also confirmed increased expression of ERS markers including CHOP, elF2α, PERK, and ATF4 upon ERX-41 treatment confirming that ERX-41 induces ERS. In xenograft studies, ERX-41 treatment resulted in ~66% reduction of tumor volume measured by Xenogen-IVIS. Further, in studies using PDX tumors, treatment with ERX-41 resulted in a significant reduction (~60%) of tumor volume and tumor weight.
CONCLUSION: Collectively, our results suggest that ERX-41 is a novel therapeutic agent that targets the LIPA with a unique mechanism of action and implicate ERX-41 binding to LIPA induces ER stress, and apoptosis of OCa cells. Further molecular characterization of how ERX-41 binding to LIPA induces ER stress in OCa cells is ongoing.
Citation Format: Alexia B. Collier, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Tae-Kyung Lee, Kara Kassees, Karla Parra, Gaurav Sharma, Tanner Reese, Michael Hsieh, Xihui Liu, Xue Yang, Behnam Ebrahimi, Uday P. Pratap, Rahul Gopalam, Chia Yuan Chen, Scott Terry Elmore, Gangadhara Reddy Sareddy, Edward R. Kost, Jung-Mo Ahn, Ganesh V. Raj, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Novel LIPA targeted therapy for treating ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3986.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xihui Liu
- 3UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Xue Yang
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Rahul Gopalam
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | - Edward R. Kost
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Randolph L, Sanchez AR, Blankenship L, Pratap UP, Yang X, Panneerdoss DM, Konda S, Santhamma B, Sareddy GR, Rao MK, Kost ER, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK, Viswanadhapalli S. Abstract 3408: The role of obesity in promoting the LIF/LIFR signaling in triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer (BC) that accounts for a disproportionate amount of BC mortality. The relationship(s) between obesity and the TNBC is crucial because the obesity prevalence in the USA is on the rise. Obese patients are generally diagnosed with large primary tumors, more lymph node metastases, and obesity effects on tumor microenvironment (TME) are suspected to accelerate the development of TNBC, but the exact mechanism(s) by which this occurs remain unknown. The goal of this study is to investigate the hypothesis that obesity enhances leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) oncogenic signaling in TNBC and to test the utility of LIFR inhibitor in blocking obesity driven progression of TNBC.
Methods: Established TNBC cell lines were co-cultured with human primary adipocytes, incubated with adipocyte conditioned media, or exposed to high glucose (HG), then treated with the LIFR inhibitor EC359. Cell viability, colony formation, and invasion assays were used to analyze the impact of obesity on TNBC cells and to test utility of EC359. RT-qPCR, Western blotting, reporter gene assays, and RNA-seq analyses were used in the mechanistic studies. Xenografts and patient-derived organoid (PDO) models were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the EC359.
Results: The cell proliferation and invasion of TNBC cells were accelerated by adipocyte conditioned media or when exposed to HG. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analysis revealed a correlation between elevated LIFR expression and downstream LIFR signaling, including STAT3, as well as the subsequent activation of STAT3 target genes. The cell viability, colony formation, and invasion of TNBC cells under HG and adipose conditions were all markedly decreased after treatment with LIFR inhibitor EC359. Results from Western blotting demonstrated that co-culture with adipocytes or incubation with HG dramatically increased LIFR downstream signaling in TNBC model cells, and that this signaling is effectively suppressed by EC359 therapy. In addition, administration of EC359 prevented organoid proliferation that was mediated by the adipose conditioned media. Importantly, co-implantation of adipocytes greatly increased the growth of the TNBC xenograft tumor; however, therapy with EC359 significantly reduced the growth of TNBC caused by adipocyte co-implantation.
Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest that obesity conditions promote the activation of LIF/LIFR pathway, which in turn enhances TNBC cell proliferation. The LIFR inhibitor EC359 may be employed as a new therapeutic drug to treat obesity driven TNBC and LIF/LIFR axis represents a potential therapeutic target for obesity driven TNBC.
Citation Format: Lois Randolph, Alondra Rodriguez Sanchez, Logan Blankenship, Uday P. Pratap, Xue Yang, Durga Meenakshi Panneerdoss, Swapna Konda, Bindu Santhamma, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Manjeet K. Rao, Edward R. Kost, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Hareesh B. Nair, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli. The role of obesity in promoting the LIF/LIFR signaling in triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3408.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lois Randolph
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Xue Yang
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Manjeet K. Rao
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Edward R. Kost
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Ebrahimi B, Viswanadhapalli S, Pratap UP, Gopalam R, Yang X, Santhamma B, Konda S, Li X, Yan H, Sareddy GR, Xu Z, Kost ER, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 4966: Targeting LIF/LIFR autocrine loops with EC359 in ovarian cancer: A novel LIFR targeted therapy. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Of all gynecologic cancers, ovarian cancer (OCa) has the highest mortality rates. Nearly 90% of patients who receive standard surgical and cytotoxic treatment experience disease recurrence. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor LIFR are implicated in the progression of several cancers. A knowledge gap exists on whether LIF/LIFR plays a role in the evolution of OCa. We recently developed EC359, a first-in-class LIFR inhibitor. Here, we examined whether autocrine loops of LIF/LIFR contribute to OCa progression and tested the utility of EC359 as a potential targeted therapy.
Methods: Eighteen different OCa model cells, both established and primary, were used to profile the expression of LIF and LIFR. Cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, and reporter assays were used to assess EC359 impact on OCa cells. Mechanistic studies were carried out using RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analysis. Using cell-based xenografts, syngeneic xenografts, patient derived organoids (PDO), and patient derived xenograft (PDX) models, the effectiveness of LIFR inhibitor EC359 as a targeted therapy was examined.
Results: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (KMplot) revealed increased expression of LIF and LIFR was linked to poor progression-free survival in OCa patients. The levels of LIF and LIFR were considerably greater in OCa chemotherapy non-responders than responders. We validated the existence of LIF/LIFR autocrine signaling using 18 distinct OCa cells. Treatment with the LIFR inhibitor EC359 dramatically decreased OCa cell viability, cell survival and increased apoptosis, with an IC50 of 5 to 50 nM. The activation of STAT3, mTOR, AKT, and p42/44 MAPKs as well as other downstream LIFR signaling was markedly decreased by EC359 treatment. Treatment with EC359 also decreased the stemness of OCa cells, slowed PDO development, and sensitized chemotherapy-resistant OCa cells to chemotherapy. One of the significant pathways elevated by EC359, according to RNA-seq data, is the regulation of apoptosis. In six different cell-based xenografts and PDX tumors, we demonstrated that the EC359 at 5mg/kg dose significantly reduced the OCa xenograft growth. In comparison to the vehicle control, the tumor volume was significantly reduced by EC359 treatment of murine ID8 xenografts in C57BL6 mice. Our findings indicated that EC359 had both intrinsic and extrinsic effects on tumors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with a significant M1 polarity (CD11b+Gr1-CD68high/phosphoSTAT1+/cMAF-) and robust tumor infiltration by (CD45+) leukocytes were enhanced with EC359 therapy of ID8 xenograft tumors. Importantly, normal T, B, and other immune cells in the blood demonstrated that EC359 had no effect on immune cell homeostasis.
Conclusions: Together, our findings support the existence of LIF/LIFR autocrine loops, and EC359 is a viable treatment option for OCa.
Citation Format: Behnam Ebrahimi, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Uday P. Pratap, Rahul Gopalam, Xue Yang, Bindhu Santhamma, Swapna Konda, Xiaonan Li, Hui Yan, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Zhenming Xu, Edward R. Kost, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Hareesh B. Nair, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Targeting LIF/LIFR autocrine loops with EC359 in ovarian cancer: A novel LIFR targeted therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4966.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Rahul Gopalam
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Xue Yang
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Xiaonan Li
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Hui Yan
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Zhenming Xu
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Edward R. Kost
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Venkata PP, Jayamohan S, He Y, Alejo S, Johnson JD, Pratap UP, Viswanadhapalli S, Weintraub S, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK, Kost E, Sareddy GR. Abstract 3081: KDM1A/LSD1 inhibition enhances estrogen receptor beta mediated tumor suppression in ovarian cancer. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers. Recent studies suggest that OCa cells express estrogen receptor beta (ERb), which functions as a tumor suppressor. However, ERb expression decreases during tumor progression and under the selection pressure of chemotherapy; this decrease occurs via epigenetic mechanisms and is inversely correlated with OCa progression. Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A/LSD1), an epigenetic modifier, is highly overexpressed in OCa. However, it is not known if KDM1A regulates ERb expression and its corresponding tumor suppressor functions. In this study, we explored the hypotheses that KDM1A inhibits ERb expression and function and that ERb-mediated tumor suppression in OCa is enhanced by KDM1A inhibition.
Methods: Transduction of KDM1A-specific shRNA or gRNA was used to generate KDM1A knockdown (KD) or knockout (KO) cells, respectively. Cell viability, survival, apoptosis, and invasion assays were used to determine the impact of KDM1A knockdown or inhibitor therapy on ERb agonist response in established and patient-derived OCa cells. Mechanistic studies were conducted using RNA-seq, discovery proteomics, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), proximity ligation, ERE-Luc reporter, RT-qPCR, and western blot analysis. The efficacy of the combination of KDM1A inhibitor and ERb agonist therapy was investigated using patient-derived explant (PDeX) models. In vivo efficacy of KDM1A inhibitor and ERb agonist was determined using orthotopic OCa and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) murine models.
Results: Analysis of TCGA datasets revealed a negative correlation between ERb and KDM1A expression in OCa patients. ChIP experiments showed that KDM1A is enriched at the ERb 0N promoter and that KDM1A KD, KO, or inhibition specifically upregulates the expression of ERb isoform 1. Co-IP and proximity ligation assays demonstrated that KDM1A interacts with ERb. Combining the ERb agonist LY500307 with KDM1A inhibitor NCD38 decreased the cell viability, survival, and invasion of both established and patient-derived primary OCa cells while increasing apoptosis. KDM1A KD- or inhibition potentiated the efficacy of ERb agonist in inducing ERb target gene expression via altered histone methylation marks. RNA-seq and proteomic analysis demonstrated that KDM1A KO and ERb agonist treatment increased the expression of apoptotic genes and downregulated cell cycle, EMT, and DNA repair genes. Importantly, combination therapy significantly reduced OCa cell proliferation in PDeX models and reduced in vivo tumor growth in orthotopic and PDX models.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that KDM1A inhibition enhances ERb expression and tumor suppressive functions, suggesting that combination therapy of a KDM1A inhibitor and ERb agonist may be a promising therapeutic option for treating OCa.
Citation Format: Prabhakar P. Venkata, Sridharan Jayamohan, Yi He, Salvador Alejo, Jessica D. Johnson, Uday P. Pratap, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Susan Weintraub, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Edward Kost, Gangadhara R. Sareddy. KDM1A/LSD1 inhibition enhances estrogen receptor beta mediated tumor suppression in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3081.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yi He
- 1University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Edward Kost
- 1University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX
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Viswanadhapalli S, Lee TK, Kassees K, Sharma G, Gopalam R, Parra K, Reese T, Hsieh M, Pratap UP, Yang X, Ebrahimi B, Chen CY, Elmore ST, Cervantes C, Xu Z, Kost E, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Ann JM, Raj GV, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 4813: ERX-208 as a novel therapeutic for treating ovarian cancer by enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers in the United States. Despite initial response to chemotherapy, most OCa patients become chemo resistant and progress to metastatic disease. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the high basal level of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in OCa represents a critical vulnerability and drugs that further aggravate this already engaged system in OCa may exhaust its protective features and contribute to apoptosis induction. The objective of this proposal is to identify a hit compound that enhances ERS in OCa and to conduct mechanistic studies.
Methods: We synthesized a small library of >200 chemically distinct oligobenzamide analogs with maintenance of the chemical backbone but altered R groups of ERX-11. We performed the primary screening of this library to evaluate the induction of mRNA levels of two canonical ERS/UPR (unfolded protein response) genes- sXBP1 and CHOP. Biological activity of ERX-208 was validated using multiple OCa cells. Mechanistic studies were conducted using CRISPR/Cas9 KO, Western blotting, reporter gene assays, IHC and RNA-seq analysis. PK (pharmacokinetics) and toxicity studies were done using C57BL/6 mice. Cell line-derived xenografts (CDXs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), patient-derived explants (PDEs), and patient-derived organoids (PDO) were used for preclinical evaluation.
Results: From a screen of a curated ERX-11 derived oligobenzamide library, we identified a hit compound, ERX-208 that potently (IC50~100nM) induces ERS/UPR and apoptosis in multiple OCa cells in vitro. CRISPR KO screen identified the lysosomal acid lipase A (LIPA) protein as the critical target of ERX-208. LIPA KO abrogates response to ERX-208, while reconstitution of LIPA restores ERX-208 response. The time course studies showed a robust and consistent induction (>15-fold CHOP, and >10-fold sXBP1) by ERX-208 treatment within 24h. We confirmed induction of classic UPR components peIF2α, CHOP and LC3B using Western blotting in multiple OCa cells. Functionally, ERX-208 causes growth inhibition of OCa cells, as noted by MTT cell viability assays using 15 OCa cells with an IC50 of ~50-100nM. The activity of ERX-208 is distinct among oligobenzamides as ERX-11 has limited/no activity against OCa cells. RNA-seq analysis confirmed that ERX-208 induces significant ERS, UPR, and apoptosis. Further, ERX-208 reduced the growth of OCa PDO’s in vitro, PDEs ex vivo and CDXs and PDXs in vivo. ERX-208 treatment did not show any signs of toxicity and body weight of mice was not affected. IHC analyses showed increased activation of ERS/UPR markers such as GRP78, p-PERK and decreased proliferation measured by Ki67.
Conclusions: Collectively, our results demonstrated the utility of ERX-208 and will establish a novel therapeutic paradigm in OCa that overcomes tumor heterogeneity by targeting LIPA and enhancing ERS leading to apoptosis.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Tae-Kyung Lee, Kara Kassees, Gaurav Sharma, Rahul Gopalam, Karla Parra, Tanner Reese, Michael Hsieh, Uday P. Pratap, Xue Yang, Behnam Ebrahimi, Chia Yuan Chen, Scott Terry Elmore, Christian Cervantes, Zhenming Xu, Edward Kost, Gangadhara Reddy Sareddy, Rajeshwar Rao Tekmal, Jung-Mo Ann, Ganesh V. Raj, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. ERX-208 as a novel therapeutic for treating ovarian cancer by enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4813.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rahul Gopalam
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Xue Yang
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhenming Xu
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Edward Kost
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Viswanadhapalli S, Liu X, Pratap U, Sareddy GR, Weintraub ST, Raj GV, Ahn JM, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract P6-10-14: Lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) as a novel therapeutic vulnerability for treating TNBC. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs22-p6-10-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: TNBCs have the highest mortality rate among all BC subtypes. There is thus an urgent and unmet need for effective targeted therapies in TNBC. Recently we, identified a novel agent ERX-41 that showed good efficacy in treating TNBC in preclinical mouse models, however, its molecular action remain unknown. In this study, we identified LIPA as novel molecular target of ERX-41. Methods: We have used CRISPR knockout pooled library and multiple TNBC models for identifying molecular target of ERX-41. Mechanistic studies were performed using LIPA mutants, RNA-seq, Turbo-ID mapping, Mass spectrometry, Immunoprecipitation, and Western blotting. The in vivo efficacy of ERX-41 was examined using four different patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. We evaluated LIPA protein expression in TNBC using tissue microarray (TMA). Results: To identify the molecular target of ERX-41, we performed an unbiased CRISPR–Cas9 knockout (KO) screen in MDA-MB-231 cells and the results identified LIPA as a top hit. KO of LIPA alone (which encodes lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) abrogated cytotoxic response to ERX-41. Cellular thermal shift assays confirmed that ERX-41 binds to LAL. In silico modelling and mutational studies confirmed that ERX-41 interacts with LAL through residues in its LXXLL domain and that ERX-41 ability to induce ER stress and cell death in TNBC is independent of the lipase activity of LAL. Unbiased RNA-seq studies with and without ERX-41 in parental and LIPA KO SUM-159 cells revealed induction of genes involved in ER stress and UPR response by ERX-41 in parental SUM-159 cells but not in cells with LIPA KO. Ultrastructural studies using live-cell confocal microscopy show that LIPA KO abrogated ER morphological changes at 2 and 4 h after ERX-41 treatment. Further, subcellular localization studies showed LIPA localizes to endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Unbiased proteomic approaches (TurboID and DIA mass spec) identified a core set of proteins that were both LAL binders and affected by ERX-41 treatment. GO analyses of LAL binding proteins confirmed their involvement in protein folding. Tumor micro array (TMA) analyses confirmed that >80% of primary TNBC tumors had significant and detectable LAL protein expression in contrast, normal breast tissue had lower LAL expression. ERX-41 (10 mg/kg body weight) decreased growth of four distinct TNBC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) in vivo. Conclusions: Our results identified a new molecular target (LAL) for ERX-41 and novel mechanism of action (disruption of protein folding and induction of ER stress) that may have utility in treating patients with TNBC.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Xihui Liu, Uday Pratap, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Susan T. Weintraub, Ganesh V. Raj, Jung-Mo Ahn, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) as a novel therapeutic vulnerability for treating TNBC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-10-14.
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Blankenship L, Pratap UP, Yang X, Liu Z, Altwegg KA, Santhamma B, Ramasamy K, Konda S, Chen Y, Lai Z, Zheng S, Sareddy GR, Valente PT, Kost ER, Nair HB, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK, Viswanadhapalli S. Inhibition of LIFR Blocks Adiposity-Driven Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14215400. [PMID: 36358818 PMCID: PMC9657203 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this study, we utilized global RNA-seq to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which obese conditions promote progression of endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC). Our results suggest that obese conditions upregulate LIF/LIFR signaling, and EEC tumors collected from obese patients have high levels of LIF. Mechanistic studies suggest that LIF/LIFR signaling plays an important role in obesity-driven EEC progression and the LIFR inhibitor, EC359, has the potential to suppress the tumor progression driven by increased adiposity found in obese patients. Abstract Endometrial cancer (EC) is the fourth most common cancer in women, and half of the endometrioid EC (EEC) cases are attributable to obesity. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of obesity-driven EEC remain(s) unclear. In this study, we examined whether LIF signaling plays a role in the obesity-driven progression of EEC. RNA-seq analysis of EEC cells stimulated by adipose conditioned medium (ADP-CM) showed upregulation of LIF/LIFR-mediated signaling pathways including JAK/STAT and interleukin pathways. Immunohistochemistry analysis of normal and EEC tissues collected from obese patients revealed that LIF expression is upregulated in EEC tissues compared to the normal endometrium. Treatment of both primary and established EEC cells with ADP-CM increased the expression of LIF and its receptor LIFR and enhanced proliferation of EEC cells. Treatment of EEC cells with the LIFR inhibitor EC359 abolished ADP-CM induced colony formation andcell viability and decreased growth of EEC organoids. Mechanistic studies using Western blotting, RT-qPCR and reporter assays confirmed that ADP-CM activated LIF/LIFR downstream signaling, which can be effectively attenuated by the addition of EC359. In xenograft assays, co-implantation of adipocytes significantly enhanced EEC xenograft tumor growth. Further, treatment with EC359 significantly attenuated adipocyte-induced EEC progression in vivo. Collectively, our data support the premise that LIF/LIFR signaling plays an important role in obesity-driven EEC progression and the LIFR inhibitor EC359 has the potential to suppress adipocyte-driven tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Blankenship
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Kristin A. Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Kumaraguruparan Ramasamy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Philip T. Valente
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Edward R. Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Rajeshwar R. Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Correspondence: (R.K.V.); (S.V.); Tel.: +1-(210)-567-4921 (R.K.V.); +1-(210)-567-6244 (S.V.)
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Correspondence: (R.K.V.); (S.V.); Tel.: +1-(210)-567-4921 (R.K.V.); +1-(210)-567-6244 (S.V.)
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Altwegg KA, Viswanadhapalli S, Mann M, Chakravarty D, Krishnan SR, Liu Z, Liu J, Pratap UP, Ebrahimi B, Sanchez JR, Li X, Ma S, Park BH, Santhamma B, Chen Y, Lai Z, Raj GV, Yuan Y, Zhou D, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, McHardy SF, Huang THM, Rao MK, Vankayalapati H, Vadlamudi RK. A first-in-class inhibitor of ER coregulator PELP1 targets ER+ breast cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3830-3844. [PMID: 35950923 PMCID: PMC9588738 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Most patients with estrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancers (ER+ BC) initially respond to treatment but eventually develop therapy resistance with disease progression. Overexpression of oncogenic ER coregulators, including proline, glutamic acid, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), are implicated in BC progression. The lack of small molecules that inhibits PELP1 represents a major knowledge gap. Here, using a yeast-two-hybrid screen, we identified novel peptide inhibitors of PELP1 (PIPs). Biochemical assays demonstrated that one of these peptides, PIP1, directly interacted with PELP1 to block PELP1 oncogenic functions. Computational modeling of PIP1 revealed key residues contributing to its activity and facilitated the development of a small molecule inhibitor of PELP1, SMIP34, and further analyses confirmed that SMIP34 directly bound to PELP1. In BC cells, SMIP34 reduced cell growth in a PELP1-dependent manner. SMIP34 inhibited proliferation of not only wild-type (WT) but also mutant (MT) ER+ and therapy-resistant (TR) BC cells, in part by inducing PELP1 degradation via the proteasome pathway. RNA-seq analyses showed that SMIP34 treatment altered the expression of genes associated with estrogen response, cell cycle, and apoptosis pathways. In cell line-derived and patient-derived xenografts of both WT- and MT- ER+ BC models, SMIP34 reduced proliferation and significantly suppressed tumor progression. Collectively, these results demonstrate SMIP34 as a first-in-class inhibitor of oncogenic PELP1 signaling in advanced BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin A Altwegg
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Zexuan Liu
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Junhao Liu
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Uday P Pratap
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | - John R Sanchez
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Xiaonan Li
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Shihong Ma
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ben H Park
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | | - Yidong Chen
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
| | - Zhao Lai
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Ganesh V Raj
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Yaxia Yuan
- University of Florida, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Daohong Zhou
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Stanton F McHardy
- The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States
| | - Tim Hui-Ming Huang
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Manjeet K Rao
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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18
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Viswanadhapalli S, Dileep KV, Zhang KY, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK. Targeting LIF/LIFR signaling in cancer. Genes Dis 2022; 9:973-980. [PMID: 35685476 PMCID: PMC9170604 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and its receptor (LIFR), are commonly over-expressed in many solid cancers and recent studies have implicated LIF/LIFR axis as a promising clinical target for cancer therapy. LIF/LIFR activate oncogenic signaling pathways including JAK/STAT3 as immediate effectors and MAPK, AKT, mTOR further downstream. LIF/LIFR signaling plays a key role in tumor growth, progression, metastasis, stemness and therapy resistance. Many solid cancers show overexpression of LIF and autocrine stimulation of the LIF/LIFR axis; these are associated with a poorer relapse-free survival. LIF/LIFR signaling also plays a role in modulating multiple immune cell types present in tumor micro environment (TME). Recently, two targeted agents that target LIF (humanized anti-LIF antibody, MSC-1) and LIFR inhibitor (EC359) were under development. Both agents showed effectivity in preclinical models and clinical trials using MSC-1 antibody are in progress. This article reviews the significance of LIF/LIFR pathways and inhibitors that disrupt this process for the treatment of cancer.
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Key Words
- AKT, protein kinase B
- HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2
- JAK, Janus kinase
- LIF
- LIF receptor, (LIFR)
- LIFR
- LIFR inhibitor
- STAT3
- Targeted therapy
- breast cancer, (BCa)
- cancer stem cells, (CSCs)
- cardiotrophin 1, (CTF1)
- ciliary neurotrophic factor, (CNTF)
- colorectal cancer, (CRC)
- endometrial cancer, (ECa)
- humanized Anti-LIF antibody, (MSC-1)
- leukemia inhibitory factor, (LIF)
- mammalian target of rapamycin, (mTOR)
- mitogen activated protein kinase, (MAPK)
- oncostatin M, (OSM)
- ovarian cancer, (OCa)
- pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, (PDAC)
- programmed death-ligand 1, (PD-L1)
- prostate cancer, (PCa)
- signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, (STAT3)
- triple negative breast cancer, (TNBC)
- tumor micro environment, (TME)
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Affiliation(s)
- Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Kalarickal V. Dileep
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kam Y.J. Zhang
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | | | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Altwegg KA, Mann M, Chakravarty D, Liu Z, Liu J, Pratap UP, Ebrahimi B, Sanchez JR, Park BH, Vankayalapati H, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 648: A novel small molecule targeting oncogenic PELP1 demonstrates anti-tumor activity in wild-type and mutant ER-positive breast cancer. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A significant proportion of estrogen receptor positive breast cancers (ER+BC) will initially respond to treatment, but many eventually develop therapy resistance (TR-BC), and progress to incurable metastases. Oncogenic ER coregulators overexpressed in BC can contribute to constitutive, ligand-independent and ligand-dependent signaling which drives growth, resistance to therapy and metastasis. Proline-, glutamic acid, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), is a known coregulator that plays a critical role in ER oncogenic functions. Its expression is deregulated in BC and is a prognostic indicator of poor BC survival. The lack of a small molecule inhibitor that directly targets PELP1 represents a major knowledge gap. Therefore, we conducted a large scale peptide library screening and identified novel Peptide Inhibitor of PELP1 (PIP1). We demonstrated that PIP1 directly interacts with PELP1, promotes its degradation and has the potential to block PELP1 oncogenic functions in vitro. Using innovative peptidomimetic technology, we modeled PIP1 and synthesized several derivatives as Small Molecule Inhibitors of PELP1 (SMIPs). Using MTT assay and multiple BC cell lines, we identified a lead compound, SMIP34 with an IC50 of 5-10µM and with minimal effect on human mammary epithelial cells. SMIP34 in vitro activity was assessed by colony formation and Matrigel invasion assays. Knockdown of PELP1 using shRNA in BC cells significantly reduced SMIP34 activity, indicating target specificity. Further, MST and biotin-SMIP34 pulldown confirmed direct binding of SMIP34 to PELP1. Using ER+WT, mtER (mutant ER), and TR-BC cell lines we demonstrated that SMIP34 exhibits antiproliferative effects and reduces invasiveness. Mechanistic studies using Western blot analysis confirmed that SMIP34 binding to PELP1 contributes to its degradation via the proteasome pathway. Thus MG132 treatment attenuated SMIP34 mediated degradation. RTqPCR analyses confirmed SMIP34 treatment reduced expression of PELP1 target genes. RNAseq analyses showed SMIP34 treatment altered the expression of genes associated with Estrogen response, Cell cycle and Apoptosis pathways. Cell cycle analyses revealed SMIP34 treatment promoted S phase arrest of BC cell lines. Using ER+WT, mtER, and PDX tumor tissues ex vivo, we demonstrated that SMIP34 significantly decreased tumor proliferation as measured by Ki67 staining. Further, SMIP34 (20mg/kg/IP) treatment in vivo significantly reduced tumor progression in mouse models of ER+WT, mtER, and mtER patient-derived xenograft BC. Our results using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models showcase SMIP34 as a first-in-class inhibitor of oncogenic PELP1 signaling and may serve as a potential therapeutic molecule for treating ER+, mtER, and TR-BC. Supported by NIH 1F31CA257298 (KA) and VA I01BX004545 (RV).
Citation Format: Kristin Ann Altwegg, Monica Mann, Dimple Chakravarty, Zexuan Liu, Junhao Liu, Uday P. Pratap, Behnam Ebrahimi, John R. Sanchez, Ben H. Park, Hariprasad Vankayalapati, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. A novel small molecule targeting oncogenic PELP1 demonstrates anti-tumor activity in wild-type and mutant ER-positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 648.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ben H. Park
- 2Vanderbilt University Ingraham Cancer Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | | | | | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- 4Audie L. Murphy South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX
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20
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He Y, Alejo S, Venkata PP, Johnson JD, Loeffel I, Martel JA, Pratap UP, Viswanadhapalli S, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK, Kost E, Sareddy GR. Abstract 891: Therapeutic targeting of ovarian cancer stem cells using estrogen receptor beta agonist. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Ovarian cancer (OCa) is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Emerging studies suggest that ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) contribute to tumor relapse and chemotherapy resistance. Recent studies demonstrate that OCa cells express estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), which functions as a tumor suppressor. However, the status of ERβ expression in OCSCs and the therapeutic utility of ERβ agonist LY500307 for targeting OCSCs remain unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that OCSCs express ERβ and that treatment with ERβ agonist reduces stemness and promotes apoptosis of OCSCs.
Methods: We isolated subpopulations of OCSCs from SKOV3, A2780, and patient-derived ascites cells using ALDEFLUOR kit and examined the expression of ERβ in OCSCs using RT-qPCR. The effect of ERβ agonist LY500307 on OCSCs was examined utilizing cell viability, cell cycle, sphere formation, self-renewal, and apoptosis assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis. The efficacy of LY500307 on the tumor-initiating capacity of OCSCs was determined via in vivo limiting dilution assay studies using orthotopic intrabursal xenograft murine models.
Results: RT-qPCR assay showed that ERβ, particularly ERβ isoform 1, is highly expressed in OCSCs compared to non-OCSCs. ERβ agonist LY500307 significantly reduced the viability of OCSCs compared to non-OCSCs. Treatment of OCSCs with LY500307 significantly reduced the sphere formation and self-renewal of OCSCs. Further, LY500307 treatment resulted in G2/M cell cycle arrest and promoted the apoptosis of OCSCs. Mechanistic studies using RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that ERβ agonist treatment resulted in the modulation of pathways related to cell cycle and apoptosis. Western blots and RT-qPCR assays confirmed the upregulation of genes involved in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, such as FDXR and CDKN1A. Importantly, treatment of LY500307 significantly attenuated the tumor-initiating capacity of OCSCs in orthotopically implanted OCa murine models.
Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that ERβ agonist LY500307 is highly efficacious in reducing the stemness and promoting apoptosis of OCSCs and may serve as a novel therapeutic agent in treating OCa
Citation Format: Yi He, Salvador Alejo, Prabhakar P. Venkata, Jessica D. Johnson, Ilanna Loeffel, Julie Ann Martel, Uday P. Pratap, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Edward Kost, Gangadhara R. Sareddy. Therapeutic targeting of ovarian cancer stem cells using estrogen receptor beta agonist [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 891.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi He
- 1University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Salvador Alejo
- 1University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Ilanna Loeffel
- 1University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | - Edward Kost
- 1University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Kornepati AV, Boyd JT, Murray CE, Saifetiarova J, de la Peña Avalos B, Rogers CM, Bai H, Padron AS, Liao Y, Ontiveros C, Svatek RS, Hromas R, Li R, Hu Y, Conejo-Garcia JR, Vadlamudi RK, Zhao W, Dray E, Sung P, Curiel TJ. Tumor Intrinsic PD-L1 Promotes DNA Repair in Distinct Cancers and Suppresses PARP Inhibitor-Induced Synthetic Lethality. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2156-2170. [PMID: 35247877 PMCID: PMC9987177 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-2076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BRCA1-mediated homologous recombination is an important DNA repair mechanism that is the target of FDA-approved PARP inhibitors, yet details of BRCA1-mediated functions remain to be fully elucidated. Similarly, immune checkpoint molecules are targets of FDA-approved cancer immunotherapies, but the biological and mechanistic consequences of their application are incompletely understood. We show here that the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1 regulates homologous recombination in cancer cells by promoting BRCA1 nuclear foci formation and DNA end resection. Genetic depletion of tumor PD-L1 reduced homologous recombination, increased nonhomologous end joining, and elicited synthetic lethality to PARP inhibitors olaparib and talazoparib in vitro in some, but not all, BRCA1 wild-type tumor cells. In vivo, genetic depletion of tumor PD-L1 rendered olaparib-resistant tumors sensitive to olaparib. In contrast, anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade neither enhanced olaparib synthetic lethality nor improved its efficacy in vitro or in wild-type mice. Tumor PD-L1 did not alter expression of BRCA1 or its cofactor BARD1 but instead coimmunoprecipitated with BARD1 and increased BRCA1 nuclear accumulation. Tumor PD-L1 depletion enhanced tumor CCL5 expression and TANK-binding kinase 1 activation in vitro, similar to known immune-potentiating effects of PARP inhibitors. Collectively, these data define immune-dependent and immune-independent effects of PARP inhibitor treatment and genetic tumor PD-L1 depletion. Moreover, they implicate a tumor cell-intrinsic, immune checkpoint-independent function of PD-L1 in cancer cell BRCA1-mediated DNA damage repair with translational potential, including as a treatment response biomarker. SIGNIFICANCE PD-L1 upregulates BRCA1-mediated homologous recombination, and PD-L1-deficient tumors exhibit BRCAness by manifesting synthetic lethality in response to PARP inhibitors, revealing an exploitable therapeutic vulnerability and a candidate treatment response biomarker. See related commentary by Hanks, p. 2069.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand V.R Kornepati
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Jacob T. Boyd
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Clare E. Murray
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | | | - Cody M. Rogers
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Haiyan Bai
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Alvaro S. Padron
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Yiji Liao
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Carlos Ontiveros
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Robert S. Svatek
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Robert Hromas
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- UT Health Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Yanfen Hu
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | | | - Weixing Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Eloïse Dray
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Patrick Sung
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Tyler J. Curiel
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- UT Health Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, Texas
- to whom correspondence should addressed, STRF MC 8252, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229. Phone: 210-562-4083; Fax: 210-450-1234, Corresponding author contact information: Tyler Curiel, MD, MPH, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive MC 8252, San Antonio, TX 78229, Telephone: 210-288-6446 33 Fax: 210-562-4084
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22
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Lu Y, Wang J, Tang F, Pratap UP, Sareddy GR, Dhandapani KM, Capuano A, Arvanitakis Z, Vadlamudi RK, Brann DW. Regulation and Role of Neuron-Derived Hemoglobin in the Mouse Hippocampus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5360. [PMID: 35628182 PMCID: PMC9140924 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105360] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemoglobin (Hb) is the oxygen transport protein in erythrocytes. In blood, Hb is a tetramer consisting of two Hb-alpha (Hb-α) chains and two Hb-beta (Hb-β) chains. A number of studies have also shown that Hb-α is also expressed in neurons in both the rodent and human brain. In the current study, we examined for age-related regulation of neuronal Hb-α and hypoxia in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of intact male and female mice. In addition, to confirm the role and functions of neuronal Hb-α, we also utilized lentivirus CRISPR interference-based Hb-α knockdown (Hb-α CRISPRi KD) in the non-ischemic and ischemic mouse hippocampus and examined the effect on neuronal oxygenation, as well as induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream pro-apoptotic factors, PUMA and NOXA, and on neuronal survival and neurodegeneration. The results of the study revealed an age-related decrease in neuronal Hb-α levels and correlated increase in hypoxia in the hippocampus and cortex of intact male and female mice. Sex differences were observed with males having higher neuronal Hb-α levels than females in all brain regions at all ages. In vivo Hb-α CRISPRi KD in the mouse hippocampus resulted in increased hypoxia and elevated levels of HIF-1α, PUMA and NOXA in the non-ischemic and ischemic mouse hippocampus, effects that were correlated with a significant decrease in neuronal survival and increased neurodegeneration. As a whole, these findings indicate that neuronal Hb-α decreases with age in mice and has an important role in regulating neuronal oxygenation and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (Y.L.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (J.W.); (F.T.)
| | - Fulei Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (J.W.); (F.T.)
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (U.P.P.); (G.R.S.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (U.P.P.); (G.R.S.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Krishnan M. Dhandapani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (Y.L.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Ana Capuano
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (A.C.); (Z.A.)
| | - Zoe Arvanitakis
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (A.C.); (Z.A.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (U.P.P.); (G.R.S.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Darrell W. Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (J.W.); (F.T.)
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23
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Liu Z, Liu J, Ebrahimi B, Pratap UP, He Y, Altwegg KA, Tang W, Li X, Lai Z, Chen Y, Shen L, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Tekmal RR, Rao MK, Vadlamudi RK. SETDB1 interactions with PELP1 contributes to breast cancer endocrine therapy resistance. Breast Cancer Res 2022; 24:26. [PMID: 35395812 PMCID: PMC8991965 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-022-01520-4] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methyltransferase SETDB1 is highly expressed in breast cancer (BC), however, the mechanisms by which SETDB1 promotes BC progression to endocrine therapy resistance remains elusive. In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which SETDB1 contribute to BC endocrine therapy resistance. Methods We utilized therapy sensitive (MCF7 and ZR75), therapy resistant (MCF7-TamR, MCF7-FR, MCF7-PELP1cyto, MCF7-SETDB1) estrogen receptor alpha positive (ER+)BC models and conducted in vitro cell viability, colony formation, 3-dimensional cell growth assays to investigate the role of SETDB1 in endocrine resistance. RNA-seq of parental and SETDB1 knock down ER+ BC cells was used to identify unique pathways. SETDB1 interaction with PELP1 was identified by yeast-two hybrid screen and confirmed by immunoprecipitation and GST-pull down assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using Western blotting, reporter gene assays, RT-qPCR, and in vitro methylation assays. Xenograft assays were used to establish the role of PELP1 in SETDB1 mediated BC progression. Results RNA-seq analyses showed that SETDB1 regulates expression of a subset of estrogen receptor (ER) and Akt target genes that contribute to endocrine therapy resistance. Importantly, using yeast-two hybrid screen, we identified ER coregulator PELP1 as a novel interacting protein of SETDB1. Biochemical analyses confirmed SETDB1 and PELP1 interactions in multiple BC cells. Mechanistic studies confirmed that PELP1 is necessary for SETDB1 mediated Akt methylation and phosphorylation. Further, SETDB1 overexpression promotes tamoxifen resistance in BC cells, and PELP1 knockdown abolished these effects. Using xenograft model, we provided genetic evidence that PELP1 is essential for SETDB1 mediated BC progression in vivo. Analyses of TCGA datasets revealed SETDB1 expression is positively correlated with PELP1 expression in ER+ BC patients. Conclusions This study suggests that the PELP1/SETDB1 axis play an important role in aberrant Akt activation and serves as a novel target for treating endocrine therapy resistance in breast cancer. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-022-01520-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zexuan Liu
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhao Liu
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Yi He
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kristin A Altwegg
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.,Dept of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Liangfang Shen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet K Rao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Division of Reproductive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7836, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA. .,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA. .,Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Abstract
The paradigm of surface-expressed programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1) signalling to immune cell programmed death 1 (PD1) to inhibit antitumour immunity has helped to develop effective and revolutionary immunotherapies using antibodies blocking these cell-extrinsic interactions. The recent discovery of cancer cell-intrinsic PDL1 signals has broadened understanding of pathologic tumour PDL1 signal consequences that now includes control of tumour growth and survival pathways, stemness, immune effects, DNA damage responses and gene expression regulation. Many such effects are PD1-independent. These insights demonstrate that the prevailing cell-extrinsic PDL1 signalling paradigm is useful, but incomplete in important respects. This Perspective discusses historical and recent advances in understanding cancer cell-intrinsic PDL1 signals, mechanisms for signal controls and important immunopathologic consequences including resistance to cytotoxic agents, targeted small molecules and immunotherapies. Cancer cell-intrinsic PDL1 signals present novel drug discovery targets and also have potential as reliable treatment response biomarkers. Cancer cell-intrinsic PD1 signals and cell-intrinsic PDL1 signals in non-cancer cells are discussed briefly, as are PDL1 signals from soluble and vesicle-bound PDL1 and PDL1 isoforms. We conclude with suggestions for addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities in this rapidly developing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand V R Kornepati
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Tyler J Curiel
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand V R Kornepati
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Tyler J Curiel
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Viswanadhapalli S, Pratap UP, Ebrahimi B, Blankenship L, Joshi J, Liu Z, Altwegg KA, Li X, Sareddy GR, Santhamma B, Konda S, Rao M, Kost E, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract P5-10-01: Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor inhibition reduces obesity driven progression of triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs21-p5-10-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: The obesity epidemic is rapidly increasing in the USA and obese women are at a higher likelihood of developing triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Several studies implicated the importance of the breast microenvironment on the aggressive cancer biology especially obese microenvironment. However, the underlying mechanism(s) by which obesity contributes to the progression of TNBC remains unclear. The objective of this study is to test a novel concept that obesity upregulates leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) oncogenic signaling in TNBC and test whether LIFR inhibition blocks TNBC progression. Methods: Established TNBC cell lines were co-cultured with human primary adipocytes or incubated with adipocyte conditioned medium or with high glucose (HG) followed by treatment with LIFR inhibitor EC359. The effect of adiposity on TNBC cells was determined using cell viability, colony formation, and invasion assays. Mechanistic studies were performed using CRISPR/Cas9 KO of LIFR, Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and reporter gene assays. Utility of LIFR inhibitor EC359 was tested using xenografts, and patient derived organoid (PDO) models. Results: Treatment of TNBC cells with adipose conditions or HG increased the proliferation and invasion of TNBC cells. Western blot and RT-qPCR analyses confirmed that increased expression of LIFR correlated with enhanced downstream LIFR signaling such as STAT3 and subsequent activation of STAT3 target genes. CRISPR KO of LIFR or treatment of TNBC cells with EC359 significantly reduced the cell viability, colony formation and invasion under adipose conditions. Western blotting results showed that co-culture with adipocytes significantly enhanced LIFR downstream signaling in TNBC model cells and is effectively blocked by LIFR KO or EC359 treatment. Further, EC359 treatment blocked the adipose environment mediated growth of organoids. Importantly, co-implantation of adipocytes significantly enhanced TNBC xenograft tumor growth, however treatment with EC359 significantly attenuated adipocyte induced TNBC progression. Conclusions: Collectively, these results suggest that adiposity contributes to increased TNBC cell growth via upregulation of the LIF/LIFR pathway. The LIF/LIFR axis represents a potential therapeutic target for adiposity driven TNBC and the LIFR inhibitor EC359 could be used as a new therapeutic agent to treat obesity associated TNBC.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Uday P Pratap, Behnam Ebrahimi, Logan Blankenship, Jaitri Joshi, Zexuan Liu, Kristin A Altwegg, Xiaonan Li, Gangadhara R Sareddy, Bindu Santhamma, Swapna Konda, Manjeet Rao, Edward Kost, Rajeshwar R Tekmal, Hareesh B Nair, Ratna K Vadlamudi. Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor inhibition reduces obesity driven progression of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-10-01.
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Liu Z, Altwegg KA, Liu J, Weintraub ST, Chen Y, Lai Z, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK. Global Genomic and Proteomic Analysis Identified Critical Pathways Modulated by Proto-Oncogene PELP1 in TNBC. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040930. [PMID: 35205680 PMCID: PMC8924758 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The proto-oncogene PELP1 is commonly overexpressed in many cancers including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this study, we utilized global proteomic and RNA-seq approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which PELP1 contributes to the progression of TNBC. Global quantitative proteome analysis revealed that the oncogenic activities of PELP1 involve regulation of the expression of ribosomal proteins, as well as ribosomal regulatory complexes. RNA-seq studies discovered that PELP1 modulates the functions of c-Myc in TNBC, which is a known regulator of ribosomal proteins. Furthermore, TCGA-TNBC data confirmed PELP1 has high expression in TNBC, and this pattern exhibited a positive correlation with c-Myc and regulators of ribosomal proteins. Collectively, our studies suggest that PELP1 contributes to TNBC progression by modulation of ribosome biogenesis pathways. Abstract The PELP1 oncogene is commonly overexpressed in many cancers, including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the mechanisms by which PELP1 contributes to TNBC progression are not well understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, we generated CRISPR-Cas9 mediated PELP1 knockout TNBC cell lines, and alterations in the proteome were examined using global data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS). Further mechanistic studies utilized shRNA knockdown, Western blotting, and RNA-seq approaches. TCGA data sets were utilized for determining the status of PELP1 in TNBC patient tumors and for examining its correlation with ribosomal proteins. Global DIA-MS studies revealed that 127 proteins are upregulated while 220 proteins are downregulated upon PELP1-KO. Bioinformatic analyses suggested that the oncogenic activities of PELP1 involve regulation of expression of ribosomal proteins and ribosomal complexes. RNA-seq studies further suggested PELP1 modulates the functions of transcription factor c-Myc in TNBC. TCGA data confirmed PELP1 has high expression in TNBC patient tumors, and this high expression pattern correlates with c-Myc, a regulator of ribosomal proteins. Collectively, our global approach studies suggest that PELP1 contributes to TNBC progression by modulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, and ribosome biogenesis pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Kristin A. Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Mays Cancer Canter, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Junhao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Susan T. Weintraub
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Y.C.); (Z.L.)
- Department of Population Health Sciences, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Y.C.); (Z.L.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Mays Cancer Canter, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Mays Cancer Canter, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Correspondence: (S.V.); (R.K.V.); Tel.: +1-(210)-567-6244 (S.V.); +1-(210)-567-4921 (R.K.V.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.L.); (K.A.A.); (J.L.); (G.R.S.)
- Mays Cancer Canter, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Correspondence: (S.V.); (R.K.V.); Tel.: +1-(210)-567-6244 (S.V.); +1-(210)-567-4921 (R.K.V.)
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Brann DW, Lu Y, Wang J, Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Zhang Q, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Neuron-Derived Estrogen-A Key Neuromodulator in Synaptic Function and Memory. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413242. [PMID: 34948039 PMCID: PMC8706511 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to being a steroid hormone, 17β-estradiol (E2) is also a neurosteroid produced in neurons in various regions of the brain of many species, including humans. Neuron-derived E2 (NDE2) is synthesized from androgen precursors via the action of the biosynthetic enzyme aromatase, which is located at synapses and in presynaptic terminals in neurons in both the male and female brain. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting a key role for NDE2 as a neuromodulator that regulates synaptic plasticity and memory. Evidence supporting an important neuromodulatory role of NDE2 in the brain has come from studies using aromatase inhibitors, aromatase overexpression in neurons, global aromatase knockout mice, and the recent development of conditional forebrain neuron-specific knockout mice. Collectively, these studies demonstrate a key role of NDE2 in the regulation of synapse and spine density, efficacy of excitatory synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation, and regulation of hippocampal-dependent recognition memory, spatial reference memory, and contextual fear memory. NDE2 is suggested to achieve these effects through estrogen receptor-mediated regulation of rapid kinase signaling and CREB-BDNF signaling pathways, which regulate actin remodeling, as well as transcription, translation, and transport of synaptic proteins critical for synaptic plasticity and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell W. Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA;
| | - Rajeshwar R. Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (G.R.S.); (U.P.P.); (R.R.T.); (R.K.V.)
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Brann DW, Lu Y, Wang J, Zhang Q, Thakkar R, Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Brain-derived estrogen and neural function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:793-817. [PMID: 34823913 PMCID: PMC8816863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although classically known as an endocrine signal produced by the ovary, 17β-estradiol (E2) is also a neurosteroid produced in neurons and astrocytes in the brain of many different species. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the localization, regulation, sex differences, and physiological/pathological roles of brain-derived E2 (BDE2). Much of what we know regarding the functional roles of BDE2 has come from studies using specific inhibitors of the E2 synthesis enzyme, aromatase, as well as the recent development of conditional forebrain neuron-specific and astrocyte-specific aromatase knockout mouse models. The evidence from these studies support a critical role for neuron-derived E2 (NDE2) in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, memory, socio-sexual behavior, sexual differentiation, reproduction, injury-induced reactive gliosis, and neuroprotection. Furthermore, we review evidence that astrocyte-derived E2 (ADE2) is induced following brain injury/ischemia, and plays a key role in reactive gliosis, neuroprotection, and cognitive preservation. Finally, we conclude by discussing the key controversies and challenges in this area, as well as potential future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell W Brann
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
| | - Yujiao Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Roshni Thakkar
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health, San Antoio TX, 78229, USA; Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Li M, Viswanadhapalli S, Santhamma B, Pratap UP, Luo Y, Liu J, Altwegg KA, Tang W, Liu Z, Li X, Ebrahimi B, Yan H, Zou Y, Konda S, Sareddy GR, Xu Z, Chen Y, Rao MK, Brenner AJ, Kaklamani VG, Tekmal RR, Ahmed G, Raj GV, Nickisch KJ, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK. LIFR inhibition enhances the therapeutic efficacy of HDAC inhibitors in triple negative breast cancer. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1235. [PMID: 34716410 PMCID: PMC8556368 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02741-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are identified as novel therapeutic agents, however, recent clinical studies suggested that they are marginally effective in treating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we show that first-in-class Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor (LIFRα) inhibitor EC359 could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of HDACi against TNBC. We observed that both targeted knockdown of LIFR with CRISPR or treatment with EC359 enhanced the potency of four different HDACi in reducing cell viability, cell survival, and enhanced apoptosis compared to monotherapy in TNBC cells. RNA-seq studies demonstrated oncogenic/survival signaling pathways activated by HDACi were attenuated by the EC359 + HDACi therapy. Importantly, combination therapy potently inhibited the growth of TNBC patient derived explants, cell derived xenografts and patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that targeted inhibition of LIFR can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of HDACi in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | | | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yiliao Luo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Junhao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, 410008, P.R. China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Hui Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zhenming Xu
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet K Rao
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Andrew J Brenner
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Virginia G Kaklamani
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Ganesh V Raj
- Departments of Urology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | | | | | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most ubiquitous cancer in women. Approximately 70–80% of BC diagnoses are positive for estrogen receptor (ER) alpha (ERα). The steroid hormone estrogen [17β-estradiol (E2)] plays a vital role both in the initiation and progression of BC. The E2-ERα mediated actions involve genomic signaling and non-genomic signaling. The specificity and magnitude of ERα signaling are mediated by interactions between ERα and several coregulator proteins called coactivators or corepressors. Alterations in the levels of coregulators are common during BC progression and they enhance ligand-dependent and ligand-independent ERα signaling which drives BC growth, progression, and endocrine therapy resistance. Many ERα coregulator proteins function as scaffolding proteins and some have intrinsic or associated enzymatic activities, thus the targeting of coregulators for blocking BC progression is a challenging task. Emerging data from in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that targeting coregulators to inhibit BC progression to therapy resistance is feasible. This review explores the current state of ERα coregulator signaling and the utility of targeting the ERα coregulator axis in treating advanced BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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32
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Tang W, Ramasamy K, Pillai SMA, Santhamma B, Konda S, Pitta Venkata P, Blankenship L, Liu J, Liu Z, Altwegg KA, Ebrahimi B, Pratap UP, Li X, Valente PT, Kost E, Sareddy GR, Vadlamudi RK, Nair HB, Tekmal RR, Viswanadhapalli S. LIF/LIFR oncogenic signaling is a novel therapeutic target in endometrial cancer. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:216. [PMID: 34400617 PMCID: PMC8367961 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00603-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is the fourth most common cancer in women. Advanced-stage EC has limited treatment options with a poor prognosis. There is an unmet need for the identification of actionable drivers for the development of targeted therapies in EC. Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) and its ligand LIF play a major role in cancer progression, metastasis, stemness, and therapy resistance. However, little is known about the functional significance of the LIF/LIFR axis in EC progression. In this study using endometrial tumor tissue arrays, we identified that expression of LIF, LIFR is upregulated in EC. Knockout of LIFR using CRISPR/Cas9 in two different EC cells resulted in a significant reduction of their cell viability and cell survival. In vivo studies demonstrated that LIFR-KO significantly reduced EC xenograft tumor growth. Treatment of established and primary patient-derived EC cells with a novel LIFR inhibitor, EC359 resulted in the reduction of cell viability with an IC50 in the range of 20-100 nM and induction of apoptosis. Further, treatment with EC359 reduced the spheroid formation of EC cancer stem cells and reduced the levels of cancer stem cell markers SOX2, OCT4, NANOG, and Axin2. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that EC359 treatment attenuated the activation of LIF-LIFR driven pathways, including STAT3 and AKT/mTOR signaling in EC cells. Importantly, EC359 treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the growth of EC patient-derived explants ex vivo, EC cell line-derived xenografts, and patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Collectively, our work revealed the oncogenic potential of the LIF/LIFR axis in EC and support the utility of LIFR inhibitor, EC359, as a novel targeted therapy for EC via the inhibition of LIF/LIFR oncogenic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 210028, Nanjing, China
| | - Kumaraguruparan Ramasamy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Sureshkumar M A Pillai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | | | - Prabhakar Pitta Venkata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Logan Blankenship
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Junhao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Philip T Valente
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Edward Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Yue X, Wu F, Wang J, Kim K, Santhamma B, Dileep KV, Zhang KYJ, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK, Ahmed G, Feng Z, Nickisch K, Hu W. EC330, a small-molecule compound, is a potential novel inhibitor of LIF signaling. J Mol Cell Biol 2021; 12:477-480. [PMID: 32221559 PMCID: PMC7333478 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjaa008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xuetian Yue
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Fangnan Wu
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Jianming Wang
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Kaitlin Kim
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | | | - Kalarickal V Dileep
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kam Y J Zhang
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstertrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstertrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Zhaohui Feng
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | | | - Wenwei Hu
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
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Tang W, Ramasamy K, Pillai SM, Santhamma B, Konda S, Vekata PP, Blankenship L, Liu J, Liu Z, Altwegg KA, Ebrahimi B, Pratap UP, Li X, Kost E, Sareddy GR, Vadlamudi RK, Nair HB, Tekmal RR, Viswanadhapalli S. Abstract 1253: Therapeutic targeting of endometrial cancer with novel LIFR inhibitor EC359. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-1253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the fourth most common cancer in women. Approximately 80% of EC belong to the endometroid-EC subtype and are driven by estrogen signaling. Advanced-stage EC has limited treatment options with poor prognosis. There is an urgent need for the identification of actionable drivers as new targets for treating advance stage EC. Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) and its ligand LIF plays a major role in cancer progression, metastasis, stemness, and therapy resistance. Published and our preliminary data suggest a critical role of the LIF-LIFR signaling axis in EC progression. The objective of this study is to test the utility of targeting the LIF/LIFR axis using a novel LIFR inhibitor, EC359.
Methods: We used multiple established and primary EC cells to test the utility LIFR inhibitor, EC359 in treating EC. CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to generate LIFR KO EC cells. In vitro activity was tested using Cell-Titer Glo, MTT, invasion, and apoptosis assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using Western blot, reporter gene assays, and RNA-seq analysis. EC cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived explant (PDEX) models were used for preclinical evaluation and toxicity.
Results: EC359 treatment of seven EC cells showed anti-proliferative effects in MTT cell viability assays with an IC50 of 25-100 nM. Further, EC359 treatment reduced invasiveness, stemness, and promoted apoptosis of EC cells. The activity of EC359 is dependent on LIF/LIFR expression in EC cells. CRISPR mediated knockout of LIFR significantly abolished EC359 activity. In vivo xenograft studies using Ishikawa-vector or LIFR-KO cells demonstrated that LIFR-KO significantly reduced EC tumor growth, and tumor weights. Further, EC359 treatment attenuated the activation of LIF/LIFR driven pathways, including STAT3, AKT-mTOR signaling. Mechanistic studies using RNA-seq revealed that EC359 significantly upregulated 213 genes and down regulated 126 genes. Pathway analyses of differential genes revealed enrichment in the apoptotic pathways upon EC359 treatment. EC359 (5mg/kg body weight) treatment significantly reduced CDX tumor progression and reduced proliferation in PDEX models.
Conclusions: Collectively, these data support EC359 as a novel targeted therapy for EC by inhibiting LIF/LIFR oncogenic signaling pathway.
Citation Format: Weiwei Tang, Kumaraguruparan Ramasamy, Sureshkumar M. Pillai, Bindu Santhamma, Swapna Konda, Prabhakar P. Vekata, Logan Blankenship, Junhao Liu, Zexuan Liu, Kristin A. Altwegg, Behnam Ebrahimi, Uday P. Pratap, Xiaonan Li, Edward Kost, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Hareesh B. Nair, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli. Therapeutic targeting of endometrial cancer with novel LIFR inhibitor EC359 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1253.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Tang
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Junhao Liu
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Zexuan Liu
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Uday P. Pratap
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Xiaonan Li
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Edward Kost
- 1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Viswanadhapalli S, Liu X, Ma SH, Lee TK, Li M, Tang W, Liu J, Li X, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Ahn JM, Vadlamudi RK, Raj GV. Abstract 1237: Preclinical evaluation of ERX-41 in triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have a more aggressive clinical course, with a higher propensity to metastasize and a worse outcome due to a lack of effective therapies and significant intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity. Development of novel therapeutic strategies represents a clear unmet need. We have developed a first-in-class compound, an oligobenzamide, ERX-41, that has anti-proliferative activity against all six molecular subtypes of TNBC.
Methods: In vitro activity of ERX-41 on TNBC cell lines was tested using CellTiter glo, MTT, and apoptosis assays. Efficacy of ERX-41 was tested using TNBC patient derived explants (PDEs) ex vivo, cell line-derived xenografts (CDXs), and patient derived xenografts (PDX) in vivo. To examine the mechanism, we conducted mass spec analyses using total lysates of TNBC cells treated with vehicle or ERX-41.
Results: ERX-41 demonstrated potent activity in both blocking proliferation and inducing apoptosis in 30 distinct cell line models of TNBC, (representing all six molecular subtypes of TNBC), with an IC50 that ranges from 50-250nM. Incubation of ERX-41 with PDEs from primary TNBC patient tumors ex vivo caused a significant reduction in proliferation indices, as measured by Ki67 staining. ERX-41 also decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in explants from TNBC CDX and PDX tumors cultured ex vivo. Oral administration of ERX-41 (10 mg/kg/daily) was shown to be non-toxic and dramatically limited the growth of CDX tumors derived from MDA-MB-231, SUM-159 or D2A1 syngeneic tumors. Importantly, ERX-41 treatment also significantly reduced tumor progression in four TNBC PDX (PDX-1, PDX-89, PDX-96 and PDX-98) models compared to the vehicle treated control group. Our ultrastructural and molecular studies indicate that ERX-41 induces significant endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress within TNBC cells but not in primary epithelial cells. Global mass spectrometry studies indicated that ERX-41 treatment resulted in the alteration [down regulation (265 proteins) or upregulation (218 proteins)] of 483 proteins out of ~4000 proteins quantified with two or more peptides. Reactome pathway analysis indicated that the top pathways modulated by ERX-41 included Intra-Golgi and retrograde Golgi-to-ER traffic, membrane trafficking and TP53 mediated apoptosis. ER stress induced by ERX-41 blocks de novo protein synthesis, and triggers ER-assisted degradation (ERAD) pathways, causing TNBC apoptotic cell death.
Conclusions: ERX-41 is orally bioavailable, non-toxic, and demonstrated activity in primary PDEs, CDXs and PDXs. The ability of ERX-41 to induce ER stress and apoptotic cell death in multiple types of TNBC suggests that this drug targets a fundamental weakness in TNBC cells (the high basal level of ER stress) and can effectively overcome the heterogeneity of TNBC. These studies strongly support the further clinical translation of ERX-41.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Xihui Liu, Shi-Hong Ma, Tae-Kyung Lee, Mengxing Li, Weiwei Tang, Junhao Liu, Xiaonan Li, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Rajeshwar Rao Tekmal, Jung-Mo Ahn, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Ganesh V. Raj. Preclinical evaluation of ERX-41 in triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1237.
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Liu Z, Liu J, Tang W, Pratap UP, Altwegg KA, Ebrahimi B, Li X, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 733: Significance of PELP1/SETDB1 axis in endocrine therapy resistance. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND: PELP1 is commonly overexpressed in breast cancer (BCa) and is implicated in endocrine therapy resistance. However, the mechanism by which PELP1 contributes to therapy resistance remains elusive. Our ongoing studies using yeast two hybrid screen identified histone methyltransferase SETDB1 as a novel interactor of PELP1. The objective of this study is to determine the significance of PELP1 interaction with SETDB1 in BCa endocrine therapy resistance.
METHODS: We used two ER+ BCa cell lines (MCF7 and ZR75) and three endocrine therapy resistant cell lines (Tamoxifen resistant MCF7-TamR, Fulvestrant resistant MCF7-FR, Tamoxifen resistant MCF7-PELP1-cyto). Additional BCa models with stable overexpression and under expression of SETDB1 and PELP1 (MCF7-SETDB1-PELP1shRNA, ZR75-SETDB1-PELP1shRNA, ZR75-SETDB1, MCF7-SETDB1, MCF7-TamR-SETDB1shRNA, MCF7-FR-SETDB1shRNA) were generated using lentiviral transduction. Functional significance of cross-talk was tested using MTT, soft agar, and colony formation assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, and RT-qPCR.
RESULTS: Analyses of TCGA databases showed that SETDB1 expression is positively correlated with PELP1 expression in ER+ BCa (r=0.30, p<0.0001). Immunoprecipitation assays using multiple ER+ BCa cell lysates confirmed the interaction of SETDB1 with PELP1. Using ER+ BCa models with overexpression of SETDB1 or knockdown, we provided evidence that SETDB1 plays an important role in the proliferation of BCa cells. PELP1 knockdown attenuated SETDB1 mediated BCa cells proliferation. SETDB1 upregulation contributed to tamoxifen resistance, while PELP1 knockdown re-sensitized cells to tamoxifen therapy. Further, endocrine therapy resistant model cells (MCF7-TamR, MCF7-FR, MCF7-PELP1-cyto) showed increased expression of SETDB1, and its knockdown sensitized them to endocrine therapy. Mechanistic studies revealed that PELP1 is needed for SETDB1 mediated Akt phosphorylation and activation of its downstream targets such as S6, and Cyclin D1.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of study suggest that the PELP1/SETDB1 interactions contribute to endocrine therapy resistance via aberrant activation of Akt signaling. Targeting PELP1/SETDB1 axis could represent a new therapeutic avenue to mitigate endocrine resistance. Supported by VA grant I01BX004545 (R.K. Vadlamudi)
Citation Format: Zexuan Liu, Junhao Liu, Weiwei Tang, Uday P. Pratap, Kristin A. Altwegg, Behnam Ebrahimi, Xiaonan Li, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Significance of PELP1/SETDB1 axis in endocrine therapy resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 733.
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Altwegg KA, Viswanadhapalli S, Liu J, Liu Z, Pratap UP, Vankayalapati H, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 1333: Evaluation of a novel PELP1 inhibitor for treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-1333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is composed of distinct molecular subtypes, such as ER+ BC and triple negative BC (TNBC). Development of novel effective therapies for patients with TNBC remains the highest unmet need in patient treatment and survivorship. PELP1 plays an essential role in several pathways including hormonal signaling, cell cycle progression, ribosomal biogenesis, and DNA damage response. PELP1 expression is an independent prognostic predictor of shorter BC-specific survival and an independent prognostic factor for predicting poor survivorship in TNBC patients. Recently, we generated a small molecule inhibitor of PELP1 (SMIP34) that binds and inhibits PELP1 oncogenic signaling. The objective of this study is to test the utility of SMIP34 as a novel therapeutic for treating TNBC.
Methods: We have selected seven TNBC model cell lines (BT549, MDA-MB-453, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, SUM-159, HCC1806, and HCC1937) and one human mammary epithelial (HMEC) cell line in this study. In vitro activity was assessed using Cell Titer Glo, MTT, colony formation, and matrigel invasion assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using Western blot, reporter gene assays, and RNA-seq. Xenograft tumor-derived explant (XDEX) assays and patient-derived tumor explant (PDEX) assays were used for preclinical evaluation.
Results: Using a panel of BC model cell lines, we found that SMIP34 treatment reduced cell viability with an IC50 of 3-8µM with no activity in HMEC cells. Knockdown of PELP1 using shRNA in BC cells significantly reduced SMIP34 activity, confirming its target specificity. We confirmed the physical interaction of SMIP34 to PELP1 using biotin-SMIP34 and MST assays. SMIP34 treatment significantly reduced the invasiveness and colony formation of TNBC cell lines. Mechanistic studies using Western blot analysis confirmed that SMIP34 binding to PELP1 contributes to its degradation. Further, RTqPCR analyses confirmed SMIP34 treatment reduced expression of PELP1 target genes. Western analyses confirmed SMIP34 treatment significantly reduced known PELP1 downstream signaling. Mechanistic studies using global RNA-seq identified that SMIP34 treatment alters known PELP1 modulated pathways (ribosomal biogenesis). Using MDA-MB-231 xenograft and PDX tumor tissues in explant assays, we demonstrated that SMIP34 significantly decreased tumor proliferation as measured by Ki67 staining. Accordingly, in xenograft models, SMIP34 (20mg/kg/IP) treatment resulted in a significant reduction in tumor volume compared to vehicle control.
Conclusion: Our results using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies demonstrated that the PELP1 inhibitor SMIP34 has therapeutic efficacy against TNBC. Supported by CPRIT Predoctoral Fellowship CPRIT RTA; RP170345 (K.A. Altwegg) and VA grant I01BX004545 (R.K.V)
Citation Format: Kristin A. Altwegg, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Junhao Liu, Zexuan Liu, Uday P. Pratap, Hariprasad Vankayalapati, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Evaluation of a novel PELP1 inhibitor for treatment of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1333.
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Gruslova A, McClellan B, Balinda HU, Viswanadhapalli S, Alers V, Sareddy GR, Huang T, Garcia M, deGraffenried L, Vadlamudi RK, Brenner AJ. FASN inhibition as a potential treatment for endocrine-resistant breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 187:375-386. [PMID: 33893909 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06231-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The majority of breast cancers are estrogen receptor (ERα) positive making endocrine therapy a mainstay for these patients. Unfortunately, resistance to endocrine therapy is a common occurrence. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a key enzyme in lipid biosynthesis and its expression is commensurate with tumor grade and resistance to numerous therapies. METHODS The effect of the FASN inhibitor TVB-3166 on ERα expression and cell growth was characterized in tamoxifen-resistant cell lines, xenografts, and patient explants. Subcellular localization of ERα was assessed using subcellular fractionations. Palmitoylation and ubiquitination of ERα were assessed by immunoprecipitation. ERα and p-eIF2α protein levels were analyzed by Western blotting after treatment with TVB-3166 with or without the addition of palmitate or BAPTA. RESULTS TVB-3166 treatment leads to a marked inhibition of proliferation in tamoxifen-resistant cells compared to the parental cells. Additionally, TVB-3166 significantly inhibited tamoxifen-resistant breast tumor growth in mice and decreased proliferation of primary tumor explants compared to untreated controls. FASN inhibition significantly reduced ERα levels most prominently in endocrine-resistant cells and altered its subcellular localization. Furthermore, we showed that the reduction of ERα expression upon TVB-3166 treatment is mediated through the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. CONCLUSION Our preclinical data provide evidence that FASN inhibition by TVB-3166 presents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of endocrine-resistant breast cancer. Further clinical development of FASN inhibitors for endocrine-resistant breast cancer should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Victoria Alers
- UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Tim Huang
- UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Michael Garcia
- UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Andrew J Brenner
- UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- South Texas Research Facility, University of Texas Health San Antonio, STRF 2.208.58403 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Liu J, Liu Z, Li M, Tang W, Pratap UP, Luo Y, Altwegg KA, Li X, Zou Y, Zhu H, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Vadlamudi RK. Interaction of transcription factor AP-2 gamma with proto-oncogene PELP1 promotes tumorigenesis by enhancing RET signaling. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:1146-1161. [PMID: 33269540 PMCID: PMC8024722 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant proportion of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) initially responds to endocrine therapy but eventually evolves into therapy-resistant BC. Transcription factor AP-2 gamma (TFAP2C) is a known regulator of ER activity, and high expression of TFAP2C is associated with a decreased response to endocrine therapies. PELP1 is a nuclear receptor coregulator, commonly overexpressed in BC, and its levels are correlated with poorer survival. In this study, we identified PELP1 as a novel interacting protein of TFAP2C. RNA-seq analysis of PELP1 knockdown BC cells followed by transcription factor motif prediction pointed to TFAP2C being enriched in PELP1-regulated genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that the TFAP2C-PELP1 axis induced a subset of common genes. Reporter gene assays confirmed PELP1 functions as a coactivator of TFAP2C. Mechanistic studies showed that PELP1-mediated changes in histone methylation contributed to increased expression of the TFAP2C target gene RET. Furthermore, the TFAP2C-PELP1 axis promoted the activation of the RET signaling pathway, which contributed to downstream activation of AKT and ERK pathways in ER+ BC cells. Concomitantly, knockdown of PELP1 attenuated these effects mediated by TFAP2C. Overexpression of TFAP2C contributed to increased cell proliferation and therapy resistance in ER+ BC models, while knockdown of PELP1 mitigated these effects. Utilizing ZR75-TFAP2C xenografts with or without PELP1 knockdown, we provided genetic evidence that endogenous PELP1 is essential for TFAP2C-driven BC progression in vivo. Collectively, our studies demonstrated that PELP1 plays a critical role in TFAP2C transcriptional and tumorigenic functions in BC and blocking the PELP1-TFAP2C axis could have utility for treating therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Liu
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityHunanChina
| | - Zexuan Liu
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityHunanChina
| | - Mengxing Li
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Respiratory MedicineXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityHunanChina
| | - Weiwei Tang
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyAffiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineChina
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Yiliao Luo
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- Department of General SurgeryXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityHunanChina
| | - Kristin A. Altwegg
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center‐ MD Anderson Cancer CenterUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Xiaonan Li
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research InstituteUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityHunanChina
| | - Gangadhara R. Sareddy
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center‐ MD Anderson Cancer CenterUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center‐ MD Anderson Cancer CenterUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
| | - Ratna K. Vadlamudi
- UT Health San Antonio Long School of MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
- UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center‐ MD Anderson Cancer CenterUT Health San AntonioTXUSA
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Altwegg KA, Viswanadhapalli S, Liu J, Liu Z, Pratap UP, Ebrahimi B, Vankayalapati H, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract PS17-15: Targeting the PELP1 axis for treating ESR1 mutant driven breast cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs20-ps17-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Mutations in ESR1 genes (30-40% frequency) play an important role in acquired endocrine therapy resistance and metastases. The most commonly observed are two ESR1 LBD mutations, D538G andY537S. These mutant ERα (MT) proteins have high constitutive transcriptional activity leading to therapy resistance. Furthermore, the ability of the constitutively active mutants to interact with coregulators is associated with the promotion of tumor growth. Proline, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), an oncogenic coregulator of ERα, plays a critical role in ERα signaling, and its dysregulated expression is a prognostic indicator for poorer breast cancer (BCa) survival. The objective of this study was to test the utility of Small Molecule Inhibitor of PELP1 (SMIP34) for treating ESR1 mutant (MT-ER) driven BCa. Methods: Four BCa models that express either ESR1 mutation D538G or Y537S and their respective wild-typeERα (WT-ER) controls were used to test the utility of targeting the PELP1 axis using PELP1-specific shRNA orSMIP34. Celltiter Glo, MTT, colony formation, and Boyden chamber invasion assays were used to test the efficacy of SMIP34. Western blot, RNA-Seq, and reporter gene assays were utilized to uncover the mechanistic insights. Pre-clinical evaluation was performed using MT-ER expressing xenograft explant (XDEX) and patient-derived explant (PDEX) assays. Results: BCa model cells expressing MT-ER showed increased cell proliferation, whilst PELP1 knock-down significantly reduced their proliferation. Immunoprecipitation results confirmed that PELP1 constitutively associates with MT-ER. PELP1 knock-down or treatment with PELP1 inhibitor SMIP34 significantly reduced proliferation of the four MT-ER models with an IC50 of 3-5μM. PELP1 knock-down or SMIP34 treatment significantly reduced the constitutive ERE reporter activity observed in MT-ER models. RTqPCR assays confirmed the downregulation of MT-ER target genes in PELP1 knock-down and SMIP34 treated cells. Furthermore, PELP1 knock-down or SMIP34 treatment significantly reduced the invasiveness and colony formation of MT-ER BCa models. Mechanistic studies using Western blot revealed that SMIP34 contributes to PELP1 degradation by its direct binding to PELP1. SMIP34 significantly decreased proliferation of MT-ER BCa cells in XDEX andPDEX assays, as measured by Ki67 staining. Conclusion: Our results suggest that PELP1 associates with MT-ER and targeting the PELP1 axis with SMIP34will have therapeutic utility in treating MT-ER driven BCa. Supported by CPRIT Predoctoral Fellowship CPRIT RTA; RP170345 (K.A. Altwegg) and VA grant I01BX004545(R.K.V)
Citation Format: Kristin A Altwegg, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Junhao Liu, Zexuan Liu, Uday P. Pratap, Benham Ebrahimi, Hariprasad Vankayalapati, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Targeting the PELP1 axis for treating ESR1 mutant driven breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS17-15.
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Raj GV, Viswanadhapalli S, Parra K, Ma S, Lee TK, Liu X, Kassees K, Tang W, Liu J, Liu Z, Pratap UP, Ebrahimi B, Tekmal RR, Ann JM, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract PS17-09: Development of a potent mutant-ESR1 targeted agent, ERX-245, for treating metastatic therapy-resistant breast cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs20-ps17-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: ESR1 mutations are acquired following ERα targeted therapies and are a major determinant of therapy-resistance. These ESR1 mutations maintain ESR1 signaling, albeit in a ligand-independent manner. Effective drugs targeting these mutant (MT) ERα proteins represent a significant unmet clinical need. We had previously shown that ERX-11, an ESR1-coregulator binding inhibitor, could block the function of these MT ERα proteins. In this study, we sought to leverage recently published structures of MT ERα to develop more potent analogues of ERX-11. Methods: Virtual screening of >250,000 derivatives of ERX-11 was performed with simulated docking on the MT ERα to identify and design analogues of ERX-11. Several hundred analogues were synthesized and tested in vitro using multiple BC model cells that express wild type (WT) ESR1 or mutant (MT) ESR1 (Y537S or D538G). Mechanistic studies were performed using RNA-Seq, Western blotting, qRT-PCR and reporter gene assays. The in vivo efficacy of the most potent ERX-11 analogue ERX-245 was examined using xenograft, PDX and metastatic models of MT-ER driven BC. Results: From our virtual and functional screen, we identified an ERX-11 analogue, ERX-245 as the most potent hit to target MT-ERα. Docking studies modeled a better fit of ERX-245 into the ligand binding domain of both the Y537S and D538G MT-ERα. ERX-245 potently reduced (IC50 ~250 nM) the cell viability of both WT-ERα and MT-ERα driven BC cells but not ERα negative BC cells. ERX-245 significantly reduced the growth (colony formation, clonogenic and mammosphere assays) of MT-ERα BC cells. ERX-245 exhibited synergistic activity in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors. In distinction to classic SERDs like fulvestrant (which degrade ERα with in 4h), ERX-245 treatment decreased MT-ERα protein levels over 24 hours. PK studies indicated that ERX-245 is more polar and has better solubility and pharmacokinetic properties than ERX-11. ERX-245 reduced tumor growth of subcutaneous xenograft and PDX models driven by MT-ERα as well as the proliferation of xenograft derived MT-ERα explant models. ERX-245 significantly reduced the invasive capability of MT-ERα BC cells in vitro and inhibited both the metastatic capability and growth of metastatic tumors derived from MT-ERα BC cells injected by intracardiac or intratibial routes. Conclusions: Taken together, these results indicate that ERX-245 is a potent and pharmacologically translatable analog of ERX-11, with activity against both primary and metastatic tumors driven by MT-ERα.
Citation Format: Ganesh V Raj, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Karla Parra, Shihong Ma, Tae-Kyung Lee, Xihui Liu, Kara Kassees, Weiwei Tang, Junhao Liu, Zexuan Liu, Uday P Pratap, Behnam Ebrahimi, Rajeshwar Rao Tekmal, Jung-Mo Ann, Ratna K Vadlamudi. Development of a potent mutant-ESR1 targeted agent, ERX-245, for treating metastatic therapy-resistant breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS17-09.
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Sareddy GR, Pratap UP, Venkata PP, Zhou M, Alejo S, Viswanadhapalli S, Tekmal RR, Brenner AJ, Vadlamudi RK. Activation of estrogen receptor beta signaling reduces stemness of glioma stem cells. Stem Cells 2021; 39:536-550. [PMID: 33470499 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadliest tumor of the central nervous system. GBM has poor prognosis and glioma stem cells (GSCs) are implicated in tumor initiation and therapy resistance. Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is expressed in GBM and exhibit tumor suppressive function. However, the role of ERβ in GSCs and the therapeutic potential of ERβ agonists on GSCs remain largely unknown. Here, we examined whether ERβ modulates GSCs stemness and tested the utility of two ERβ selective agonists (LY500307 and Liquiritigenin) to reduce the stemness of GSCs. The efficacy of ERβ agonists was examined on GSCs isolated from established and patient derived GBMs. Our results suggested that knockout of ERβ increased the proportion of CD133+ and SSEA+ positive GSCs and overexpression of ERβ reduced the proportion of GSCs in GBM cells. Overexpression of ERβ or treatment with ERβ agonists significantly inhibited the GSCs cell viability, neurosphere formation, self-renewal ability, induced the apoptosis and reduced expression of stemness markers in GSCs. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that ERβ agonist modulate pathways related to stemness, differentiation and apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that ERβ overexpression or agonist treatment reduced glutamate receptor signaling pathway and induced apoptotic pathways. In orthotopic models, ERβ overexpression or ERβ agonists treatment significantly reduced the GSCs mediated tumor growth and improved the mice overall survival. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that ERβ overexpression decreased SOX2 and GRM3 expression and increased expression of GFAP in tumors. These results suggest that ERβ activation could be a promising therapeutic strategy to eradicate GSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Prabhakar Pitta Venkata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Mei Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha Shi, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Salvador Alejo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew J Brenner
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Pratap UP, Sareddy GR, Liu Z, Venkata PP, Liu J, Tang W, Altwegg KA, Ebrahimi B, Li X, Tekmal RR, Viswanadhapalli S, McHardy S, Brenner AJ, Vadlamudi RK. Histone deacetylase inhibitors enhance estrogen receptor beta expression and augment agonist-mediated tumor suppression in glioblastoma. Neurooncol Adv 2021; 3:vdab099. [PMID: 34485908 PMCID: PMC8412056 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most lethal primary brain tumors. Estrogen receptor β (ESR2/ERβ) function as a tumor suppressor in GBM, however, ERβ expression is commonly suppressed during glioma progression. In this study, we examined whether drugs that reverse epigenetic modifications will enhance ERβ expression and augment ERβ agonist-mediated tumor suppression. METHODS We tested the utility of epigenetic drugs which act as an inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs), histone methylases, and BET enzymes. Mechanistic studies utilized RT-qPCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and western blotting. Cell viability, apoptosis, colony formation, and invasion were measured using in vitro assays. An orthotopic GBM model was used to test the efficacy of in vivo. RESULTS Of all inhibitors tested, HDACi (panobinostat and romidepsin) showed the potential to increase the expression of ERβ in GBM cells. Treatment with HDACi uniquely upregulated ERβ isoform 1 expression that functions as a tumor suppressor but not ERβ isoform 5 that drives oncogenic functions. Further, combination therapy of HDACi with the ERβ agonist, LY500307, potently reduced cell viability, invasion, colony formation, and enhanced apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that HDACi induced ERβ is functional, as it enhanced ERβ reporter activities and ERβ target genes expression. ChIP analysis confirmed alterations in the histone acetylation at the ERβ and its target gene promoters. In orthotopic GBM model, combination therapy of panobinostat and LY500307 enhanced survival of tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the combination therapy of HDACi and LY500307 provides therapeutic utility in overcoming the suppression of ERβ expression that commonly occurs in GBM progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Zexuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Prabhakar Pitta Venkata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Junhao Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Kristin A Altwegg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Stanton McHardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew J Brenner
- Hematology & Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Pratap UP, Sareddy GR, Viswanadhapalli S, Tang W, Venkata PP, Liu J, Tekmal RR, Brenner A, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 4377: HDAC inhibitors enhance ESR2 expression and augment response to ESR2 agonist therapy. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common and lethal primary brain tumors that have dismal survival rates. The estrogen receptor β (ESR2) functions as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma (GBM). However, ESR2 expression is commonly suppressed during glioma progression with low expression in higher grades. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that aberrant epigenetic changes may contribute to loss of expression of the ESR2 and drugs that reverse these modifications will enhance ESR2 agonist-mediated tumor suppression by upregulating ESR2 expression.
Methods: We tested utility of epigenetic drugs currently in clinical trials which acts as inhibitor of HDAC (Belinostat, Givinostat, panobinostat, romidepsin), DNMT (Decitabine), histone methylases (BIX-01294) and Bet enzymes (I-BET151) in upregulating ESR2 using both established and primary GBM models. The effect of combination therapy of HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs) along ESR2 agonist was evaluated using cell viability, colony formation, Caspase 3/7, TUNEL, and neurosphere formation assays. Mechanistic studies were performed using Western blot, qRT-PCR, ChIP and ERE reporter assays. The efficacy of combination therapy in vivo was examined using orthotopic models of GBM and mouse survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.
Results: Of all inhibitors tested, only two HDACis (panobinostat and romidepsin) showed the potential to increase the expression of ESR2 in established GBM model cells (U87 and U251). Upregulation of ESR2 by HDACi was also validated using primary GBM cells. Treatment with panobinostat or romidepsin uniquely upregulated ESR2 isoform-1 expression that functions as a tumor suppressor but not the ERS2 isoform-5 that drives oncogenic functions. Further, combination therapy of panobinostat with ESR2 agonist LY500307 synergistically reduced cell viability, colony formation and enhanced apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that panobinostat induced ESR2 is functional, as it enhanced ESR2 mediated ERE-, SP1-, AP1- reporter activities and ESR target genes involved in apoptosis. ChIP analysis confirmed alteration in the histone acetylation in the ESR2 promoter region. In orthotopic GBM models, combination therapy of panobinostat and LY500307 enhanced survival of tumor-bearing mice.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination therapy of HDACIs and LY500307 provides therapeutic utility in overcoming the suppression of ESR2 expression that commonly occurs in GBM progression. Supported by NIH grant CA178499 (RKV)
Citation Format: Uday P. Pratap, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Weiwei Tang, Prabhakar Pitta Venkata, Junhao Liu, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Andrew Brenner, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. HDAC inhibitors enhance ESR2 expression and augment response to ESR2 agonist therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4377.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday P. Pratap
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Weiwei Tang
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Junhao Liu
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Andrew Brenner
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Altwegg KA, Viswanadhapalli S, Mann M, Pratap UP, Li M, Liu J, Luo Y, Sareddy GR, Vankayalapati H, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 6403: Characterization of small molecule inhibitors of PELP1 for treating advanced breast cancer. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-6403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in American women. BC is composed of distinct molecular subtypes, such as ER positive BC (ER+) and triple negative BC (TNBC). Development of novel effective therapies for patients with therapy resistant BC (TR-BC) and TNBC remains the highest unmet need in patient treatment and survivorship. Proline, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1) plays a critical role in multiple nuclear receptor functions leading to TR-BC and TNBC progression. PELP1 expression is dysregulated in BC, is a prognostic indicator of poorer BC survival, and its deregulation contributes to TR-BC. The objective of this study is characterization of a small molecule inhibitor of PELP1 (SMIP34) as novel therapeutic for treating advanced BC.
Methods: Yeast two-hybrid screening was used to identify PELP1 Inhibitory Peptide 1 (PIP1). Direct binding of PIP1 to PELP1 was confirmed using biotin pull-down assays and inhibition of BC proliferation confirmed using MTT assays. Hit-Ligand interaction site with PIP1 hot spot residues based on 3D alignment and morphology was used to generate a library of small chemical molecules that function as peptidomimetics of PIP1. In vitro activity was assessed using CellTiter Glo, MTT, colony formation and matrigel invasion assays in multiple BC models. Mechanistic studies were conducted using Western blot, and reporter gene assays. Xenograft and patient derived explant (PDEX) assays were used for preclinical evaluation.
Results: Screening utilizing MTT assays lead to the selection of SMIP34 as an inhibitor of PELP1. SMIP34 treatment reduced cell viability at an IC50 of 3-10µM in a panel of BC cells. Additionally, SMIP34 showed no activity in human mammary epithelial cells. Knockdown of PELP1 in BC cells significantly reduced the SMIP34 activity, confirming target specificity. Furthermore, SMIP34 treatment significantly reduced the invasiveness and colony formation of TR-BC and TNBC cells. Mechanistic studies using Western blot analysis confirmed that SMIP34 binding to PELP1 contributes to its degradation. In combination studies, SMIP34 displayed synergy and enhanced the efficacy of current chemotherapeutics Cisplatin and Paclitaxel. In PDEX assays, SMIP34 significantly decreased tumor proliferation as measured by Ki67 staining. In xenograft models, SMIP34 (10mg/kg/s.c.) treatment resulted in significant reduction in tumor volume compared to vehicle control. Furthermore, overall mouse body weight in both control and SMIP34 treated groups were similar, suggesting no overt signs of toxicity.
Conclusion: We have developed a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of PELP1 (SMIP34) displaying therapeutic efficacy against TR-BC and TNBC in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo.
Supported by CPRIT Predoctoral Fellowship CPRIT RTA; RP170345 (K.A. Altwegg) and VA grant I01BX004545 (R.K.V)
Citation Format: Kristin Ann Altwegg, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Monica Mann, Uday P. Pratap, Mengxing Li, Junhao Liu, Yiliao Luo, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Hariprasad Vankayalapati, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Characterization of small molecule inhibitors of PELP1 for treating advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6403.
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Viswanadhapalli S, Li M, Santhamma B, Pratap UP, Luo Y, Liu J, Altwegg KA, Li X, Gulzar A, Yan H, Xu Z, Brenner A, Sareddy GR, Rao MK, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Nickisch KJ, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 562: Novel combination therapy for treating TNBC using LIFR and HDAC Inhibitors. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies and represents a disproportional share of the breast cancer (BC) mortality rate. TNBC exhibits autocrine stimulation of the LIF/LIFR axis and overexpression of LIF is associated with poorer relapse-free survival in BC patients. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are emerging as promising multifunctional agents in TNBC to elicit cytotoxic actions. Recent studies have shown that cancer cells elicit feedback activation of leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) which in turn curtails response to HDACIs. We developed a first-in-class inhibitor of LIFR, EC359 that directly interacts with LIFR and effectively blocks LIFR downstream signaling. The objective of this study is to examine the therapeutic efficacy of combination therapy using preclinical and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models.
Methods: We tested utility of combination therapy using multiple HDACIs that are currently in clinical trails along with EC359. The effect of combination therapy was evaluated using MTT, invasion, colony formation, and Caspase3/7 assays. Mechanistic studies were performed using Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and STAT3 reporter assays. The efficacy of combination therapy in vivo was examined using xenograft, PDX, and patient-derived explant (PDEx) models.
Results: Immunohistochemical analyses of breast tumors using tissue microarrays revealed significant expression of LIFR in TNBC tissues. Treatment of TNBC model cells with four different HDACIs increased the expression of LIFR. LIFR inhibitor EC359 at nM concentration is additive to HDACIs in reducing cell viability. Knockdown of LIFR or treatment with EC359 significantly enhanced the efficacy of HDACIs in reducing the cell viability, colony formation ability, and invasiveness as well as promoted apoptosis compared to monotherapy in TNBC model cells. On the contrary, treatment with STAT3 inhibitor requires µM concentrations to reduce the cell viability of TNBC cells and is not additive to HDACIs. Mechanistic studies utilizing STAT3 reporter gene assays and biochemical studies using multiple TNBC model cells exhibited activation of the LIFR signaling pathway upon HDACIs treatment but was attenuated by EC359 therapy. Treatment of human TNBC utilizing PDEx assays showed that EC359 enhanced the ability of HDACIs to decrease proliferation (Ki-67 positivity) compared to monotherapy. Using TNBC xenografts and PDX models, we demonstrated that EC359 treatment enhanced the ability of HDACIs to reduce in vivo tumor growth compared to monotherapy.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination therapy of HDACIs and EC359 provides therapeutic utility in overcoming the limitation of feedback activation of LIFR observed in the treatment of HDACIs in treating TNBC. Supported by DOD BCRP grant W81XWH-18-1-0016 (R.K. Vadlamudi; K.J. Nickisch)
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Mengxing Li, Bindu Santhamma, Uday P. Pratap, Yiliao Luo, Junhao Liu, Kristin A. Altwegg, Xiaonan Li, Ahmed Gulzar, Hui Yan, Zhenming Xu, Andrew Brenner, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Manjeet K. Rao, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Hareesh B. Nair, Klaus J. Nickisch, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Novel combination therapy for treating TNBC using LIFR and HDAC Inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 562.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Yan
- 1UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Viswanadhapalli S, Ma S, Lee TK, Liu X, Kassees K, Pratap UP, Liu J, Tang W, Tekmal RR, Ahn JM, Raj GV, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 5676: Preclinical evaluation of estrogen receptor coregulator binding inhibitor ERX-245 in breast cancer. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-5676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in American women. Majority of BC (70%) is estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) positive and these tumors initially respond to ER-targeted therapy, however, acquired therapy-resistance limit the utility of ERα-targeted therapy using aromatase inhibitors and antiestrogens. Importantly, both therapy-sensitive and therapy-resistant tumors retain ESR1 signaling, via interaction with critical oncogenic coregulator proteins. We recently developed a small organic molecule, ESR1 coregulator binding inhibitor ERX-11. The objective of this study is to develop better analogues of ERX-11 using medicinal chemistry approaches.
Methods: Virtual screening of a quarter million compounds and medicinal chemistry approaches were used to design new analogues of ERX-11 and identified ERX-245 as potent analogue. Effect of ERX-245 was evaluated in vitro using multiple BC models that express wild type (WT) ERα (MCF-7, ZR-75) and BC models with acquired resistance (MCF-7-Tam, MCF-7-LTLT). Mechanistic studies were performed using RNA-Seq, Western blotting, qRT-PCR and reporter gene assays. The in vivo efficacy of ERX-245 was examined using xenograft, and xenograft-derived explant (XDEx) models.
Results: We initially performed an intensive virtual screening of a quarter million compounds and selected several candidates that showed strong binding energy to ERα. We then designed and developed several analogues of ERX-11 using modeled structural interactions. Using this approach, we identified ERX-245 as a potential lead compound for interaction with ERα. Like the parental ERX-11, ERX-245 significantly reduced the cell viability of both WT and therapy-resistant BC cells with an IC50 of 300-500 nM with minimal activity in ER-negative models such as TNBC cells. In long-term colony formation assays, ERX-245 significantly reduced the colony formation ability of both ER-WT and therapy-resistant BC cells. In ERE reporter assays, ERX-245 significantly reduced the estrogen-mediated reporter activity. ERX-245 significantly reduced the invasion of endocrine-resistant BC cells. RNA sequencing revealed unique pathways blocked by ERX-245. PK studies indicated that ERX-245 is more polar and has better solubility and pharmacokinetic properties compared to ERX-11. Treatment of ERX-245 decreased the proliferation and increased apoptosis (TUNEL staining) in xenograft derived explant (XDEx) models. ERX-245 also showed potent activity against WT-ERα and therapy-resistant xenograft models.
Conclusions: Collectively, these results suggest that the ERX-11 analogue ERX-245 has potential to therapeutically target endocrine therapy resistant BC.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Shihong Ma, Tae Kyung Lee, Xihui Liu, Kara Kassees, Uday P. Pratap, Junhao Liu, Weiwei Tang, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Jung-Mo Ahn, Ganesh V. Raj, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. Preclinical evaluation of estrogen receptor coregulator binding inhibitor ERX-245 in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5676.
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Liu J, Viswanadhapalli S, Li M, Pratap UP, Tang W, Liu Z, Luo Y, Altwegg KA, Li X, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract 4371: PELP1-TFAP2C crosstalk promotes endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-4371] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: A significant proportion of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) initially respond to antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors but become therapy resistant-BC. Development of effective therapies for endocrine therapy resistant BC represent the highest unmet need. PELP1 is a nuclear receptor coregulator, commonly overexpressed in BC, contributes to therapy resistance and correlate with poor survival. TFAP2C (transcription factor AP-2 gamma) is a known regulator of ER activity and high expression of TFAP2C is associated with a decreased response to Fulvestrant. The objective of this study is to examine the significance of PELP1-TFAP2C crosstalk in the development of breast cancer therapy resistance.
Methods: We used yeast two-hybrid screen to identify PELP1 interacting transcription factors. Interaction of PELP1 and TFAP2C was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and GST pull down assays. Functional significance of the cross talk was tested using CellTiter-Glo, MTT and colony formation assays in the presence or absence of endocrine therapy. Mechanistic studies were conducted using shRNA, overexpression, Western blotting, reporter gene assays, RT-qPCR, ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis. Biological significance of PELP1 and TFAP2C in endocrine therapy resistance was examined using overexpression and under expression models of PELP1 and TFAP2C in multiple BC models including MCF7 and ZR75.
Results: Yeast based screening of a mammary gland cDNA expression library using PELP1 as the bait identified TFAP2C as a novel interacting protein of PELP1. Immunoprecipitation assays using multiple BC cell lysates confirmed the interaction of PELP1 with TFAP2C. Using various deletions of PELP1, and by using GST pull down assays, we identified N-terminal 400-600aa region of PELP1 as the major interaction site for TFAP2C. Using RNA-seq of PELP1 knockdown BC model cells, we predicted TFAP2C as an enriched transcription factor in PELP1 regulated genes. The GSEA results from RNA-seq showed TFAP2C and PELP1 induce a subset of common genes. Reporter gene assays confirmed that PELP1 functions as a coactivator of TFAP2C. Mechanistic studies showed that TFAP2C activates both AKT and ERK pathways in ER+ cell lines, while knock down of PELP1 attenuated these effects. Overexpression of TFAP2C contributed to increased cell proliferation and endocrine therapy resistance in MCF7 and ZR75 models, while knock down of PELP1 attenuated these effects. Utilizing ZR75-TFAP2C xenograft models with WT PELP1 or PELP1 knock down, we provided genetic evidence that endogenous PELP1 is essential for TFAP2C drive n breast cancer progression in vivo.
Conclusions: Collectively, our studies demonstrated that PELP1 functions as a coactivator of TFAP2C in modulating a set of ER target genes, TFAP2C functions as a transcription factor of PELP1 regulated genes and blocking the PELP1-TFAP2C axis could have therapeutic utility for treating therapy resistance. Supported by VA grant I01BX004545 (R.K. Vadlamudi)
Citation Format: Junhao Liu, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Mengxing Li, Uday P. Pratap, Weiwei Tang, Zexuan Liu, Yiliao Luo, Kristin A. Altwegg, Xiaonan Li, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Rajeshwar R. Tekmal, Ratna K. Vadlamudi. PELP1-TFAP2C crosstalk promotes endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4371.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Liu
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Mengxing Li
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Uday P. Pratap
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Weiwei Tang
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Zexuan Liu
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Yiliao Luo
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Xiaonan Li
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Liu J, Viswanadhapalli S, Li M, Pratap UP, Luo Y, Altwegg KA, Li X, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract P6-04-14: The role of PELP1-TFAP2C crosstalk in mediating endocrine-therapy-resistance in breast cancer. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs19-p6-04-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: A significant proportion of estrogen receptor (ER) positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) initially respond to endocrine therapies, such as antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors. However, ER+ BC can build up resistance to treatment progressing into therapy resistant-BC (TR-BC). Development of effective therapeutics for endocrine-therapy-resistant BC represents a significant unmet need in BC treatment options. Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1) is oncogenic nuclear receptor coregulator, commonly overexpressed in BC. PELP1 overexpression is correlated with poorer patient survival and is associated with development of TR-BC. TFAP2C (AP2Gamma) is a known regulator of ER activity. In addition, high expression of TFAP2C is associated with a decreased response to the steroidal antiestrogen, Fulvestrant. However, it remains unknown whether PELP1 and TFAP2C crosstalk and if the PELP1/TFAP2C axis behaves synergistically to contribute to the development of therapy resistance in TR-BC. Methods: To gain insight into PELP1 signaling mechanisms, we used yeast two-hybrid screen to identify proteins that interact with PELP1. The interaction between PELP1 and TFAP2C was confirmed by immunoprecipitation using both endogenous and GFP tagged proteins. GST fusions of various domains of PELP1 were used to identify the TFAP2C interacting domain. Functional significance of the crosstalk was tested using Celltiter Glo, MTT, apoptosis, and invasion assays. Mechanistic studies were conducted using shRNA, overexpression, Western Blot, reporter gene assays, RT-qPCR, ChIP and RNA-Seq analysis. Biological significance of PELP1 and TFAP2C in endocrine-therapy-resistance was examined using overexpression and under-expression models of PELP1 and TFAP2C in multiple ER+ BC and TR-BC model cells (MCF-7, ZR-75, T-47D, MCF-7-TamR, MCF7-LTLT and ZR75-ERMT537S. Results: Screening of a mammary gland cDNA expression library using PELP1 as the bait identified TFAP2C as a novel interacting protein of PELP1. Immunoprecipitation assays utilizing multiple BC cell lysates confirmed interaction of PELP1 with TFAP2C. We also confirmed PELP1 and TFAP2C interactions using GFP and GST epitope tagged proteins. Using GST fusion of various domains of PELP1, we identified the PELP1 N-terminal domain (aa 400-600) as the major interaction site for TFAP2C. Using PELP1 knockdown BC model cell lines with RNA-Seq analysis, we identified a set of genes regulated by PELP1. The GSEA results from the RNA-Seq data predicted TFAP2C as an enriched transcription factor in a subset of PELP1 regulated genes. RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that PELP1 is needed for optimal regulation of the ER and associated ER target genes by TFAP2C. Reporter gene assays confirmed that PELP1 functions as a coregulator of TFAP2C. Overexpression of TFAP2C contributed to endocrine-therapy-resistance in BC model cells, while knockdown of PELP1 abolished TFAP2C mediated therapy resistance. Conclusions: Collectively, our studies identified PELP1 functions as a coregulator of TFAP2C in modulating ER target genes. TFAP2C functions as a transcription factor of PELP1 regulated genes and blocking the PELP1-TFAP2C axis will have therapeutic utility for treating TR-BC
Citation Format: Junhao Liu, Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Mengxing Li, Uday P Pratap, Yiliao Luo, Kristin A Altwegg, Xiaonan Li, Gangadhara R Sareddy, Rajeshwar R Tekmal, Ratna K Vadlamudi. The role of PELP1-TFAP2C crosstalk in mediating endocrine-therapy-resistance in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-04-14.
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Viswanadhapalli S, Li M, Santhamma B, Pratap UP, Luo Y, Liu J, Altwegg KA, Li X, Yan H, Xu Z, Brenner A, Sareddy GR, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Nickisch KJ, Vadlamudi RK. Abstract P3-11-08: Targeting LIFR enhances the activity of HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs19-p3-11-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease. TNBC lacks targeted therapies and represents a disproportional share of the breast cancer (BC) mortality rate. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are emerging as promising multifunctional agents in TNBC to elicit cytotoxic actions. Recent studies have shown that cancer cells elucidate feedback activation of leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) which in turn curtails response to HDACIs. We developed a first-in-class inhibitor of LIFR, EC359 that directly interacts with LIFR and effectively blocks LIFR downstream signaling. Here, we examined whether the novel LIFR inhibitor, EC359, has the ability to counteract negative effects of LIFR signaling to enhance HDACIs therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of TNBC.
Methods: We tested multiple HDACIs currently in clinical trials including vorinostat, panobinostat, romidepsin, and givinostat using multiple TNBC models. The effect of combination therapy of HDACIs and EC359 on TNBC cell viability and invasion was examined using MTT assays and matrigel invasion assays respectively. The efficacy of combination therapy on cell survival and apoptosis was determined using clonogenic assays and Caspase 3/7 assays, respectively. Mechanistic studies were performed using Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and reporter gene assays. The efficacy of combination therapy in vivo was examined using Xenograft, patient-derived xenograft (PDX), and patient-derived explant (PDEX) models.
Results: We demonstrated that the treatment of TNBC models with HDACIs increased the expression of LIFR. Immunohistochemistry analyses of breast tumors using tissue microarrays revealed significant expression of LIFR in TNBC samples. Knockdown of LIFR or treatment with a small molecule inhibitor of LIFR (EC359) significantly enhanced the efficacy of HDACIs in reducing cell viability, colony formation ability, and invasiveness as well as promoted apoptosis compared to monotherapy of HDACIs or EC359 in TNBC cell lines. Mechanistic studies, reporter gene assays and biochemical studies using multiple TNBC models exhibited activation of the LIFR signaling pathway upon HDACIs treatment but was attenuated by EC359+HDACI combination therapy. Treatment of human breast tumors utilizing PDEX assays showed that EC359 enhanced the ability of HDACIs to decrease the proliferation (Ki-67 positivity) compared to monotherapy. Furthermore, using TNBC xenografts and PDX models, we demonstrated that EC359 treatment enhanced the ability of HDACIs to reduce in vivo tumor growth compared to monotherapy.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination therapy of HDACIs and EC359 provides greater therapeutic efficacy than monotherapy. In addition, treatment with EC359 can overcome the feedback activation of LIFR currently observed in the treatment of TNBC with HDACIs.
Citation Format: Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli, Mengxing Li, Bindu Santhamma, Uday P Pratap, Yiliao Luo, Junhao Liu, Kristin A Altwegg, Xiaonan Li, Hui Yan, Zhenming Xu, Andrew Brenner, Gangadhara R Sareddy, Rajeshwar R Tekmal, Hareesh B Nair, Klaus J Nickisch, Ratna K Vadlamudi. Targeting LIFR enhances the activity of HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-11-08.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Yan
- 1UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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