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Joseph SC, Eugin Simon S, Bohm MS, Kim M, Pye ME, Simmons BW, Graves DG, Thomas-Gooch SM, Tanveer UA, Holt JR, Ponnusamy S, Sipe LM, Hayes DN, Cook KL, Narayanan R, Pierre JF, Makowski L. FXR Agonism with Bile Acid Mimetic Reduces Pre-Clinical Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Burden. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1368. [PMID: 38611046 PMCID: PMC11011133 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Bariatric surgery is associated with improved outcomes for several cancers, including breast cancer (BC), although the mechanisms mediating this protection are unknown. We hypothesized that elevated bile acid pools detected after bariatric surgery may be factors that contribute to improved BC outcomes. Patients with greater expression of the bile acid receptor FXR displayed improved survival in specific aggressive BC subtypes. FXR is a nuclear hormone receptor activated by primary bile acids. Therefore, we posited that activating FXR using an established FDA-approved agonist would induce anticancer effects. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, we determined the anti-tumor potential of bile acid receptor agonism. Indeed, FXR agonism by the bile acid mimetic known commercially as Ocaliva ("OCA"), or Obeticholic acid (INT-747), significantly reduced BC progression and overall tumor burden in a pre-clinical model. The transcriptomic analysis of tumors in mice subjected to OCA treatment revealed differential gene expression patterns compared to vehicle controls. Notably, there was a significant down-regulation of the oncogenic transcription factor MAX (MYC-associated factor X), which interacts with the oncogene MYC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) further demonstrated a statistically significant downregulation of the Hallmark MYC-related gene set (MYC Target V1) following OCA treatment. In human and murine BC analyses in vitro, agonism of FXR significantly and dose-dependently inhibited proliferation, migration, and viability. In contrast, the synthetic agonism of another common bile acid receptor, the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor TGR5 (GPBAR1) which is mainly activated by secondary bile acids, failed to significantly alter cancer cell dynamics. In conclusion, agonism of FXR by primary bile acid memetic OCA yields potent anti-tumor effects potentially through inhibition of proliferation and migration and reduced cell viability. These findings suggest that FXR is a tumor suppressor gene with a high potential for use in personalized therapeutic strategies for individuals with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney C. Joseph
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Samson Eugin Simon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Margaret S. Bohm
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Minjeong Kim
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Madeline E. Pye
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Boston W. Simmons
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Dillon G. Graves
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Stacey M. Thomas-Gooch
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Ubaid A. Tanveer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Jeremiah R. Holt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Suriyan Ponnusamy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Laura M. Sipe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Mary Washinton, Fredericksburg, VI 22401, USA
| | - D. Neil Hayes
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- UTHSC Center for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Katherine L. Cook
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA;
| | - Ramesh Narayanan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- UTHSC Center for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Joseph F. Pierre
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Liza Makowski
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- UTHSC Center for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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Chaib M, Tanveer UA, Makowski L. Myeloid cells in the era of cancer immunotherapy: Top 3 unanswered questions. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 244:108370. [PMID: 36871784 PMCID: PMC10798582 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid cells are increasingly being recognized as central players orchestrating or suppressing antitumor immune responses. With the advent of high-resolution analytical methods such as single-cell technologies, we now appreciate the heterogeneity and complexity of the myeloid compartment in the context of cancer. Because of their highly plastic nature, targeting myeloid cells has shown promising results either as a monotherapy or in combination with immunotherapy in preclinical models and cancer patients. However, the complexity of myeloid cell cellular crosstalk and molecular networks contributes to our poor understanding of the different myeloid cell subsets in tumorigenesis, which makes targeting myeloid cells challenging. Here, we summarize varied myeloid cell subsets and their contribution to tumor progression with a main focus on mononuclear phagocytes. The top three unanswered questions challenging the field of myeloid cells and cancer in the era of cancer immunotherapy are addressed. Through these questions, we discuss how myeloid cell origin and identity influence their function and disease outcomes. Different therapeutic strategies used to target myeloid cells in cancer are also addressed. Finally, the durability of myeloid cell targeting is interrogated by examining the complexity of resultant compensatory cellular and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Chaib
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Ubaid A Tanveer
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, USA; Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Liza Makowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, USA; Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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