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Leichtle F, Betzler AC, Eizenberger C, Lesakova K, Ezić J, Drees R, Greve J, Schuler PJ, Laban S, Hoffmann TK, Cordes N, Lavitrano M, Grassilli E, Brunner C. Influence of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Processes and Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) Enrichment in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13133. [PMID: 37685940 PMCID: PMC10487612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713133] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Constitutively active kinases play a crucial role in carcinogenesis, and their inhibition is a common target for molecular tumor therapy. We recently discovered the expression of two oncogenic isoforms of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), Btk-p80 and BTK-p65. However, the precise role of BTK in HNSCC remains unclear. Analyses of a tissue microarray containing benign and malignant as well as inflammatory tissue samples of the head and neck region revealed the preferential expression of BTK-p80 in malignant tissue, whereas BTK-p65 expression was confirmed in over 80% of analyzed metastatic head and neck tumor cases. Therefore, processes associated with metastasis, like cancer stem cell (CSC) enrichment and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which in turn depend on an appropriate cytokine milieu, were analyzed. Treatment of HNSCC-derived cell lines cultured under 3D conditions with the BTK inhibitor AVL-292 caused reduced sphere formation, which was accompanied by reduced numbers of ALDH1A1+ CSCs as well as biological changes associated with the EMT. Moreover, we observed reduced NF-κB expression as well as altered NF-κB dependent pro-tumorigenic and EMT-associated cytokine release of IL-6, IFNγ, and TNFα when BTK activity was dampened. Therefore, an autocrine regulation of the oncogenic BTK-dependent process in HNSCC can be suggested, with BTK inhibition expected to be an effective treatment option for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Leichtle
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Annika C. Betzler
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
- Core Facility Immune Monitoring, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Carlotta Eizenberger
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Kristina Lesakova
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Jasmin Ezić
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Robert Drees
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Jens Greve
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Patrick J. Schuler
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Simon Laban
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Thomas K. Hoffmann
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Nils Cordes
- OncoRay–National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marialuisa Lavitrano
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Emanuela Grassilli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Cornelia Brunner
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany (J.E.); (P.J.S.)
- Core Facility Immune Monitoring, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Betzler AC, Strobel H, Abou Kors T, Ezić J, Lesakova K, Pscheid R, Azoitei N, Sporleder J, Staufenberg AR, Drees R, Weissinger SE, Greve J, Doescher J, Theodoraki MN, Schuler PJ, Laban S, Kibe T, Kishida M, Kishida S, Idel C, Hoffmann TK, Lavitrano M, Grassilli E, Brunner C. BTK Isoforms p80 and p65 Are Expressed in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) and Involved in Tumor Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15010310. [PMID: 36612306 PMCID: PMC9818583 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe the expression of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines as well as in primary HNSCC samples. BTK is a kinase initially thought to be expressed exclusively in cells of hematopoietic origin. Apart from the 77 kDa BTK isoform expressed in immune cells, particularly in B cells, we identified the 80 kDa and 65 kDa BTK isoforms in HNSCC, recently described as oncogenic. Importantly, we revealed that both isoforms are products of the same mRNA. By investigating the mechanism regulating oncogenic BTK-p80/p65 expression in HNSSC versus healthy or benign tissues, our data suggests that the epigenetic process of methylation might be responsible for the initiation of BTK-p80/p65 expression in HNSCC. Our findings demonstrate that chemical or genetic abrogation of BTK activity leads to inhibition of tumor progression in terms of proliferation and vascularization in vitro and in vivo. These observations were associated with cell cycle arrest and increased apoptosis and autophagy. Together, these data indicate BTK-p80 and BTK-p65 as novel HNSCC-associated oncogenes. Owing to the fact that abundant BTK expression is a characteristic feature of primary and metastatic HNSCC, targeting BTK activity appears as a promising therapeutic option for HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika C. Betzler
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hannah Strobel
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Tsima Abou Kors
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmin Ezić
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kristina Lesakova
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ronja Pscheid
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ninel Azoitei
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Johanna Sporleder
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Robert Drees
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jens Greve
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Doescher
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Patrick J. Schuler
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Laban
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Toshiro Kibe
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
| | - Michiko Kishida
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
| | - Shosei Kishida
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
| | - Christian Idel
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, University of Luebeck, Campus Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Thomas K. Hoffmann
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Marialuisa Lavitrano
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Emanuela Grassilli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Cornelia Brunner
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-731-500-59714; Fax: +49-731-500-59565
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