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Ai J, Wörmann SM, Görgülü K, Vallespinos M, Zagorac S, Alcala S, Wu N, Kabacaoglu D, Berninger A, Navarro D, Kaya-Aksoy E, Ruess DA, Ciecielski KJ, Kowalska M, Demir IE, Ceyhan GO, Heid I, Braren R, Riemann M, Schreiner S, Hofmann S, Kutschke M, Jastroch M, Slotta-Huspenina J, Muckenhuber A, Schlitter AM, Schmid RM, Steiger K, Diakopoulos KN, Lesina M, Sainz B, Algül H. Bcl3 Couples Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment With Pancreatic Cancer Molecular Subtypes. Gastroenterology 2021; 161:318-332.e9. [PMID: 33819482 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.051] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The existence of different subtypes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and their correlation with patient outcome have shifted the emphasis on patient classification for better decision-making algorithms and personalized therapy. The contribution of mechanisms regulating the cancer stem cell (CSC) population in different subtypes remains unknown. METHODS Using RNA-seq, we identified B-cell CLL/lymphoma 3 (BCL3), an atypical nf-κb signaling member, as differing in pancreatic CSCs. To determine the biological consequences of BCL3 silencing in vivo and in vitro, we generated bcl3-deficient preclinical mouse models as well as murine cell lines and correlated our findings with human cell lines, PDX models, and 2 independent patient cohorts. We assessed the correlation of bcl3 expression pattern with clinical parameters and subtypes. RESULTS Bcl3 was significantly down-regulated in human CSCs. Recapitulating this phenotype in preclinical mouse models of PDAC via BCL3 genetic knockout enhanced tumor burden, metastasis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and reduced overall survival. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses, together with oxygen consumption, sphere formation, and tumorigenicity assays, all indicated that BCL3 loss resulted in CSC compartment expansion promoting cellular dedifferentiation. Overexpression of BCL3 in human PDXs diminished tumor growth by significantly reducing the CSC population and promoting differentiation. Human PDACs with low BCL3 expression correlated with increased metastasis, and BCL3-negative tumors correlated with lower survival and nonclassical subtypes. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that bcl3 impacts pancreatic carcinogenesis by restraining CSC expansion and by curtailing an aggressive and metastatic tumor burden in PDAC across species. Levels of BCL3 expression are a useful stratification marker for predicting subtype characterization in PDAC, thereby allowing for personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyu Ai
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja M Wörmann
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Ahmed Cancer Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kıvanç Görgülü
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Mireia Vallespinos
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sladjana Zagorac
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Department of Surgery and Cancer, Division of Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Alcala
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nan Wu
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Derya Kabacaoglu
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandra Berninger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Diego Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ezgi Kaya-Aksoy
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Dietrich A Ruess
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Center for Surgery, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katrin J Ciecielski
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlena Kowalska
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Güralp O Ceyhan
- Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Heid
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar der, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Rickmer Braren
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar der, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marc Riemann
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sabrina Schreiner
- Institute for Virology, Technical University of Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Samuel Hofmann
- Institute for Virology, Technical University of Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maria Kutschke
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, The Arrhenius Laboratories F3, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Jastroch
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, The Arrhenius Laboratories F3, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julia Slotta-Huspenina
- Institute for Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; MTBio-Biobank of Technische Universität München and University Hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Muckenhuber
- Institute for Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; MTBio-Biobank of Technische Universität München and University Hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Roland M Schmid
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute for Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Kalliope N Diakopoulos
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marina Lesina
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Hana Algül
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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Görgülü K, Diakopoulos KN, Kaya-Aksoy E, Ciecielski KJ, Ai J, Lesina M, Algül H. The Role of Autophagy in Pancreatic Cancer: From Bench to the Dark Bedside. Cells 2020; 9:E1063. [PMID: 32344698 PMCID: PMC7226443 DOI: 10.3390/cells9041063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancer types urgently requiring effective therapeutic strategies. Autophagy occurs in several compartments of pancreatic cancer tissue including cancer cells, cancer associated fibroblasts, and immune cells where it can be subjected to a multitude of stimulatory and inhibitory signals fine-tuning its activity. Therefore, the effects of autophagy on pancreatic carcinogenesis and progression differ in a stage and context dependent manner. In the initiation stage autophagy hinders development of preneoplastic lesions; in the progression stage however, autophagy promotes tumor growth. This double-edged action of autophagy makes it a hard therapeutic target. Indeed, autophagy inhibitors have not yet shown survival improvements in clinical trials, indicating a need for better evaluation of existing results and smarter targeting techniques. Clearly, the role of autophagy in pancreatic cancer is complex and many aspects have to be considered when moving from the bench to the bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kıvanç Görgülü
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
| | - Kalliope N. Diakopoulos
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
| | - Ezgi Kaya-Aksoy
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
| | - Katrin J. Ciecielski
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
| | - Jiaoyu Ai
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Marina Lesina
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
| | - Hana Algül
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.N.D.); (E.K.-A.); (K.J.C.); (J.A.); (M.L.)
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Görgülü K, Diakopoulos KN, Ai J, Schoeps B, Kabacaoglu D, Karpathaki AF, Ciecielski KJ, Kaya-Aksoy E, Ruess DA, Berninger A, Kowalska M, Stevanovic M, Wörmann SM, Wartmann T, Zhao Y, Halangk W, Voronina S, Tepikin A, Schlitter AM, Steiger K, Artati A, Adamski J, Aichler M, Walch A, Jastroch M, Hartleben G, Mantzoros CS, Weichert W, Schmid RM, Herzig S, Krüger A, Sainz B, Lesina M, Algül H. Levels of the Autophagy-Related 5 Protein Affect Progression and Metastasis of Pancreatic Tumors in Mice. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:203-217.e20. [PMID: 30296435 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) undergo autophagy, but its effects vary with tumor stage and genetic factors. We investigated the consequences of varying levels of the autophagy related 5 (Atg5) protein on pancreatic tumor formation and progression. METHODS We generated mice that express oncogenic Kras in primary pancreatic cancer cells and have homozygous disruption of Atg5 (A5;Kras) or heterozygous disruption of Atg5 (A5+/-;Kras), and compared them with mice with only oncogenic Kras (controls). Pancreata were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry. Primary tumor cells were isolated and used to perform transcriptome, metabolome, intracellular calcium, extracellular cathepsin activity, and cell migration and invasion analyses. The cells were injected into wild-type littermates, and orthotopic tumor growth and metastasis were monitored. Atg5 was knocked down in pancreatic cancer cell lines using small hairpin RNAs; cell migration and invasion were measured, and cells were injected into wild-type littermates. PDAC samples were obtained from independent cohorts of patients and protein levels were measured on immunoblot and immunohistochemistry; we tested the correlation of protein levels with metastasis and patient survival times. RESULTS A5+/-;Kras mice, with reduced Atg5 levels, developed more tumors and metastases, than control mice, whereas A5;Kras mice did not develop any tumors. Cultured A5+/-;Kras primary tumor cells were resistant to induction and inhibition of autophagy, had altered mitochondrial morphology, compromised mitochondrial function, changes in intracellular Ca2+ oscillations, and increased activity of extracellular cathepsin L and D. The tumors that formed in A5+/-;Kras mice contained greater numbers of type 2 macrophages than control mice, and primary A5+/-;Kras tumor cells had up-regulated expression of cytokines that regulate macrophage chemoattraction and differentiation into M2 macrophage. Knockdown of Atg5 in pancreatic cancer cell lines increased their migratory and invasive capabilities, and formation of metastases following injection into mice. In human PDAC samples, lower levels of ATG5 associated with tumor metastasis and shorter survival time. CONCLUSIONS In mice that express oncogenic Kras in pancreatic cells, heterozygous disruption of Atg5 and reduced protein levels promotes tumor development, whereas homozygous disruption of Atg5 blocks tumorigenesis. Therapeutic strategies to alter autophagy in PDAC should consider the effects of ATG5 levels to avoid the expansion of resistant and highly aggressive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kivanc Görgülü
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Kalliope N Diakopoulos
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jiaoyu Ai
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schoeps
- Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Derya Kabacaoglu
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Angeliki-Faidra Karpathaki
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Katrin J Ciecielski
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ezgi Kaya-Aksoy
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Dietrich A Ruess
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandra Berninger
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlena Kowalska
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marija Stevanovic
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja M Wörmann
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Wartmann
- Klinik für Chirurgie Bereich Experimentelle Operative Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Yue Zhao
- Klinik für Chirurgie Bereich Experimentelle Operative Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Walter Halangk
- Klinik für Chirurgie Bereich Experimentelle Operative Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Svetlana Voronina
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alexey Tepikin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anna Melissa Schlitter
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany and German Cancer Consortium, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany and German Cancer Consortium, Munich, Germany; Comparative Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Artati
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Centre, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jerzy Adamski
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Centre, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany; Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Genetik, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Michaela Aichler
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Axel Walch
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Jastroch
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center and German Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Götz Hartleben
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christos S Mantzoros
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany and German Cancer Consortium, Munich, Germany
| | - Roland M Schmid
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan Herzig
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Achim Krüger
- Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Lesina
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Hana Algül
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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