1
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Valsalakumari R, Pandya AD, Prasmickaite L, Kvalvaag A, Myrann AG, Åslund AKO, Kjos MS, Fontecha-Cuenca C, Haroon HB, Ribeiro ARS, Horejs-Hoeck J, Moghimi SM, Mørch Ý, Skotland T, Sandvig K, Mælandsmo GM, Iversen TG. Preclinical Efficacy of Cabazitaxel Loaded Poly(2-alkyl cyanoacrylate) Nanoparticle Variants. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:3009-3029. [PMID: 38562610 PMCID: PMC10982070 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s450283] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Biodegradable poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) (PACA) nanoparticles (NPs) are receiving increasing attention in anti-cancer nanomedicine development not only for targeted cancer chemotherapy, but also for modulation of the tumor microenvironment. We previously reported promising results with cabazitaxel (CBZ) loaded poly(2-ethylbutyl cyanoacrylate) NPs (PEBCA-CBZ NPs) in a patient derived xenograft (PDX) model of triple-negative breast cancer, and this was associated with a decrease in M2 macrophages. The present study aims at comparing two endotoxin-free PACA NP variants (PEBCA and poly(2-ethylhexyl cyanoacrylate); PEHCA), loaded with CBZ and test whether conjugation with folate would improve their effect. Methods Cytotoxicity assays and cellular uptake of NPs by flow cytometry were performed in different breast cancer cells. Biodistribution and efficacy studies were performed in PDX models of breast cancer. Tumor associated immune cells were analyzed by multiparametric flow cytometry. Results In vitro studies showed similar NP-induced cytotoxicity patterns despite difference in early NP internalization. On intravenous injection, the liver cleared the majority of NPs. Efficacy studies in the HBCx39 PDX model demonstrated an enhanced effect of drug-loaded PEBCA variants compared with free drug and PEHCA NPs. Furthermore, the folate conjugated PEBCA variant did not show any enhanced effects compared with the unconjugated counterpart which might be due to unfavorable orientation of folate on the NPs. Finally, analyses of the immune cell populations in tumors revealed that treatment with drug loaded PEBCA variants affected the myeloid cells, especially macrophages, contributing to an inflammatory, immune activated tumor microenvironment. Conclusion We report for the first time, comparative efficacy of PEBCA and PEHCA NP variants in triple negative breast cancer models and show that CBZ-loaded PEBCA NPs exhibit a combined effect on tumor cells and on the tumor associated myeloid compartment, which may boost the anti-tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remya Valsalakumari
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Abhilash D Pandya
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Audun Kvalvaag
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Anne Grethe Myrann
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Andreas K O Åslund
- Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, SINTEF AS, Trondheim, 7034, Norway
| | | | - Cristina Fontecha-Cuenca
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Hajira B Haroon
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Ana R S Ribeiro
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Jutta Horejs-Hoeck
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - S Moein Moghimi
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- Colorado Center for Nanomedicine and Nanosafety, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ýrr Mørch
- Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, SINTEF AS, Trondheim, 7034, Norway
| | - Tore Skotland
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
| | - Kirsten Sandvig
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Tore Geir Iversen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0379, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0379, Norway
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2
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Ghannoum S, Fantini D, Zahoor M, Reiterer V, Phuyal S, Leoncio Netto W, Sørensen Ø, Iyer A, Sengupta D, Prasmickaite L, Mælandsmo GM, Köhn-Luque A, Farhan H. A combined experimental-computational approach uncovers a role for the Golgi matrix protein Giantin in breast cancer progression. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010995. [PMID: 37068117 PMCID: PMC10159355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010995] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of how speed and persistence of cell migration affects the growth rate and size of tumors remains incomplete. To address this, we developed a mathematical model wherein cells migrate in two-dimensional space, divide, die or intravasate into the vasculature. Exploring a wide range of speed and persistence combinations, we find that tumor growth positively correlates with increasing speed and higher persistence. As a biologically relevant example, we focused on Golgi fragmentation, a phenomenon often linked to alterations of cell migration. Golgi fragmentation was induced by depletion of Giantin, a Golgi matrix protein, the downregulation of which correlates with poor patient survival. Applying the experimentally obtained migration and invasion traits of Giantin depleted breast cancer cells to our mathematical model, we predict that loss of Giantin increases the number of intravasating cells. This prediction was validated, by showing that circulating tumor cells express significantly less Giantin than primary tumor cells. Altogether, our computational model identifies cell migration traits that regulate tumor progression and uncovers a role of Giantin in breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Ghannoum
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Damiano Fantini
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Zahoor
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Veronika Reiterer
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Santosh Phuyal
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Waldir Leoncio Netto
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Sørensen
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arvind Iyer
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Debarka Sengupta
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, India
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, India
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Alvaro Köhn-Luque
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hesso Farhan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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3
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Pettersen S, Øy GF, Egeland EV, Juell S, Engebråten O, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Breast cancer patient-derived explant cultures recapitulate in vivo drug responses. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1040665. [PMID: 36910663 PMCID: PMC9992973 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1040665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Assessment of drug sensitivity in tumor tissue ex vivo may significantly contribute to functional diagnostics to guide personalized treatment of cancer. Tumor organoid- and explant-cultures have become attractive tools towards this goal, although culturing conditions for breast cancer (BC) tissue have been among the most challenging to develop. Validation of possibilities to detect concordant responses in individual tumors and their respective cultures ex vivo is still needed. Here we employed BC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with distinct drug sensitivity, to evaluate different conditions for tissue dissociation, culturing and monitoring of treatment efficacy ex vivo, aiming to recapitulate the in vivo drug responses. The common challenge of discriminating between tumor and normal cells in the cultured tissue was also addressed. Following conventional enzymatic dissociation of BC tissue, the tumor cells stayed within the non-disrupted tissue fragments, while the single cells represented mostly normal host cells. By culturing such fragments as explants, viable tumor tissue could be maintained and treated ex vivo, providing representative indications on efficacy of the tested treatment. Thus, drug sensitivity profiles, including acquired chemoresistance seen in the PDXs, were recapitulated in the respective explants. To detect the concordant responses, however, the effect monitoring had to be harmonized with the characteristics of the cultured tissue. In conclusion, we present the feasibility of BC explants ex vivo to capture differences in drug sensitivity of individual tumors. The established protocols will aid in setting up an analogous platform for BC patient biopsies with the aim to facilitate functional precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solveig Pettersen
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Geir Frode Øy
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Valen Egeland
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Juell
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav Engebråten
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Insitute for Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø/the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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4
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Barkovskaya A, Goodwin CM, Seip K, Hilmarsdottir B, Pettersen S, Stalnecker C, Engebraaten O, Briem E, Der CJ, Moestue SA, Gudjonsson T, Maelandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Detection of phenotype-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities in breast cells using a CRISPR loss-of-function screen. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:2026-2045. [PMID: 33759347 PMCID: PMC8333781 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular phenotype plasticity between the epithelial and mesenchymal states has been linked to metastasis and heterogeneous responses to cancer therapy, and remains a challenge for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we used isogenic human breast epithelial cell lines, D492 and D492M, representing the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, respectively. We employed a CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen targeting a 2240-gene 'druggable genome' to identify phenotype-specific vulnerabilities. Cells with the epithelial phenotype were more vulnerable to the loss of genes related to EGFR-RAS-MAPK signaling, while the mesenchymal-like cells had increased sensitivity to knockout of G2 -M cell cycle regulators. Furthermore, we discovered knockouts that sensitize to the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the chemotherapeutic drug fluorouracil in a phenotype-specific manner. Specifically, loss of EGFR and fatty acid synthase (FASN) increased the effectiveness of the drugs in the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, respectively. These phenotype-associated genetic vulnerabilities were confirmed using targeted inhibitors of EGFR (gefitinib), G2 -M transition (STLC), and FASN (Fasnall). In conclusion, a CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen enables the identification of phenotype-specific genetic vulnerabilities that can pinpoint actionable targets and promising therapeutic combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Barkovskaya
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Craig M Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kotryna Seip
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bylgja Hilmarsdottir
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Biomedical Center, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Department of Pathology, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Solveig Pettersen
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Clint Stalnecker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olav Engebraaten
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.,Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Eirikur Briem
- Biomedical Center, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Channing J Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Siver A Moestue
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| | - Thorarinn Gudjonsson
- Biomedical Center, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Department of Laboratory Hematology, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Gunhild M Maelandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical Biology, The Arctic University of Norway - University of Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Seip K, Jørgensen K, Haselager MV, Albrecht M, Haugen MH, Egeland EV, Lucarelli P, Engebraaten O, Sauter T, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Stroma-induced phenotypic plasticity offers phenotype-specific targeting to improve melanoma treatment. Cancer Lett 2018; 439:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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6
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Prasmickaite L, Tenstad EM, Pettersen S, Jabeen S, Egeland EV, Nord S, Pandya A, Haugen MH, Kristensen VN, Børresen-Dale AL, Engebråten O, Maelandsmo GM. Basal-like breast cancer engages tumor-supportive macrophages via secreted factors induced by extracellular S100A4. Mol Oncol 2018; 12:1540-1558. [PMID: 29741811 PMCID: PMC6120223 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) may influence both cancer progression and therapeutic response. In breast cancer, particularly in the aggressive triple‐negative/basal‐like subgroup, patient outcome is strongly associated with the tumor's inflammatory profile. Tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are among the most abundant immune cells in the TME, shown to be linked to poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of the metastasis‐ and inflammation‐associated microenvironmental factor S100A4 on breast cancer cells (BCCs) of different subtypes and explored their further interactions with myeloid cells. We demonstrated that extracellular S100A4 activates BCCs, particularly the basal‐like subtype, to elevate secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. The secreted factors promoted conversion of monocytes to TAM‐like cells that exhibited protumorigenic activities: stimulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition, proliferation, chemoresistance, and motility in cancer cells. In conclusion, we have shown that extracellular S100A4 instigates a tumor‐supportive microenvironment, involving a network of cytokines and TAM‐like cells, which was particularly characteristic for basal‐like BCCs and potentiated their aggressive properties. The S100A4–BCC–TAM interaction cascade could be an important contributor to the aggressive behavior of this subtype and should be further explored for therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Ellen M Tenstad
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Solveig Pettersen
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Shakila Jabeen
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind V Egeland
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Silje Nord
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Abhilash Pandya
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Mads H Haugen
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Vessela N Kristensen
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.,Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | | | - Olav Engebråten
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.,Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Gunhild M Maelandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT/The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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7
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Prasmickaite L, Tenstad EM, Egeland EV, Pettersen S, Jabeen S, Nord S, Haugen MH, Juell S, Øyjord T, Engebråten O, Mælandsmo GM. Abstract 114: Basal-like breast cancer engages tumor-supportive macrophages via cytokines triggered by extracellular S100A4. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-114] [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
Recently the biological and therapeutic perspective on cancer has evolved from focusing on tumor cells only, to include the complex impact of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME appears to have a strong influence on both tumor progression and response to treatment. In breast cancer, and in particular the triple-negative subgroup, patient outcome together with the therapeutic response are strongly linked to the tumor's inflammatory profile: presence of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes and their regulatory cytokine. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are among the most abundant immune cells in the TME, and expression of such cells has been strongly correlated with both poor outcome and development of resistance.
In this study we explored the effect of the pro-metastatic, inflammation-associated, TME factor S100A4 on breast cancer cells (BCCs) of different subtypes, and their further interactions with inflammatory cells. We show that S100A4 activates BCCs, stimulating secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which, in turn, promotes monocyte conversion into TAM-like cells. This was in particular prominent for cytokines secreted from basal-like BCCs. The TAM-like cells possess pro-tumorigenic activities, including increased resistance and ability to migrate. In conclusion, we demonstrate that S100A4 instigate an inflammatory microenvironment, involving a network of cytokines and TAMs, which is particularly pronounced in basal-like BC and could facilitate aggressive phenotypes of this subtype.
Citation Format: Lina Prasmickaite, Ellen M. Tenstad, Eivind Valen Egeland, Solveig Pettersen, Shakila Jabeen, Silje Nord, Mads Haugland Haugen, Siri Juell, Tove Øyjord, Olav Engebråten, Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo. Basal-like breast cancer engages tumor-supportive macrophages via cytokines triggered by extracellular S100A4 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 114.
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Eng MS, Kaur J, Prasmickaite L, Engesæter BØ, Weyergang A, Skarpen E, Berg K, Rosenblum MG, Mælandsmo GM, Høgset A, Ferrone S, Selbo PK. Enhanced targeting of triple-negative breast carcinoma and malignant melanoma by photochemical internalization of CSPG4-targeting immunotoxins. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2018; 17:539-551. [PMID: 29565434 PMCID: PMC8728892 DOI: 10.1039/c7pp00358g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and malignant melanoma are highly aggressive cancers that widely express the cell surface chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4/NG2). CSPG4 plays an important role in tumor cell growth and survival and promotes chemo- and radiotherapy resistance, suggesting that CSPG4 is an attractive target in cancer therapy. In the present work, we applied the drug delivery technology photochemical internalization (PCI) in combination with the novel CSPG4-targeting immunotoxin 225.28-saporin as an efficient and specific strategy to kill aggressive TNBC and amelanotic melanoma cells. Light-activation of the clinically relevant photosensitizer TPCS2a (fimaporfin) and 225.28-saporin was found to act in a synergistic manner, and was superior to both PCI of saporin and PCI-no-drug (TPCS2a + light only) in three TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435 and SUM149) and two BRAFV600E mutated malignant melanoma cell lines (Melmet 1 and Melmet 5). The cytotoxic effect was highly dependent on the light dose and expression of CSPG4 since no enhanced cytotoxicity of PCI of 225.28-saporin compared to PCI of saporin was observed in the CSPG4-negative MCF-7 cells. The PCI of a smaller, and clinically relevant CSPG4-targeting toxin (scFvMEL-rGel) validated the CSPG4-targeting concept in vitro and induced a strong inhibition of tumor growth in the amelanotic melanoma xenograft A-375 model. In conclusion, the combination of the drug delivery technology PCI and CSPG4-targeting immunotoxins is an efficient, specific and light-controlled strategy for the elimination of aggressive cells of TNBC and malignant melanoma origin. This study lays the foundation for further preclinical evaluation of PCI in combination with CSPG4-targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Eng
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - J Kaur
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - L Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - B Ø Engesæter
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - A Weyergang
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - E Skarpen
- Department of Core Facilities, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - K Berg
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - M G Rosenblum
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G M Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - S Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P K Selbo
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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9
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Seip K, Haselager MV, Jørgensen K, Albrecht M, Haugen MH, Egeland EV, Lucarelli P, Sauter T, Engebraaten O, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Abstract 4329: Targetable nodes in fibroblast-supported melanoma cells that show resistance to BRAF inhibitors. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-4329] [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
Metastatic melanoma is notorious for the ability to change its phenotype in response to signals from the microenvironment, which might influence how melanoma responds to therapy. We have disclosed an association between fibroblast-induced phenotypic alterations in melanoma and resistance to the mutated BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib (BRAFi). This signifies the need to find other targets than BRAF to eliminate stroma-influenced melanoma cells. To approach this challenge, we performed proteomic analysis and cancer drug sensitivity screening, comparing fibroblast-supported versus non-supported melanoma cells. We showed that the effect of fibroblasts was critically dependent on cell-cell proximity, where melanoma cells get trapped in a fibronectin network, produced by adjacent fibroblasts. In such environment, melanoma cells down-regulate melanocytic programs (MITF-driven), gain mesenchymal features (AXL, PDGFR, fibronectin) and activate stress/inflammatory-response signaling pathways (JNK and STAT3). Altogether, this indicates fibroblast-induced melanoma transition to a de-differentiated, mesenchymal-like, pro-inflammatory phenotype. Melanoma cells with such phenotype were less responsive to BRAF/MAPK inhibitors and a number of other targeted drugs. However, they showed enhanced sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors and, particularly, an inhibitor of GSK3b, stimulating Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Further, we employed flow cytometry to measure the levels of Ki67 and pS6 in single melanoma cells upon different conditions/treatments. Such analysis allowed discrimination of cell subpopulations representing a proliferative and a quiescent cellular state, and nicely reflected the influence of the tested drugs in the presence or absence of fibroblasts. We observed a subpopulation of proliferative pS6high/Ki67high melanoma cells, which remained after treatment with BRAFi if fibroblasts were present. This, fibroblast-protected BRAFi-resistant cell subpopulation, could be reduced/eliminated by PI3K or GSK3b inhibitors, verifying PI3K/GSK3 as potential targets in fibroblast-rich tumors. Currently, we are using mass cytometry (CyTOF) to further characterize cell subpopulations with respect to multiple markers related to cell signaling and immune interactions. Preliminary results indicate that not only signaling protein levels, but also levels of immunoregulatory proteins are altered in melanoma cells that get support from the fibroblasts. In conclusion, we demonstrate fibroblast-induced melanoma switching to a mesenchymal-like pro-inflammatory phenotype, which favors melanoma resistance to BRAF inhibitors, but sensitizes to inhibitors of PI3K/mTOR-associated signaling. CyTOF-analysis of complex tumor-stroma cell systems is used to search for additional strategies to target stroma-supported melanoma cells, either at the level of signaling, or immune interactions.
Citation Format: Kotryna Seip, Marco V. Haselager, Kjetil Jørgensen, Marco Albrecht, Mads H. Haugen, Eivind Valen Egeland, Philippe Lucarelli, Thomas Sauter, Olav Engebraaten, Gunhild M. Mælandsmo, Lina Prasmickaite. Targetable nodes in fibroblast-supported melanoma cells that show resistance to BRAF inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4329. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4329
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotryna Seip
- 1Oslo University Hospital Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Fleten KG, Flørenes VA, Prasmickaite L, Hill O, Sykora J, Mælandsmo GM, Engesæter B. hvTRA, a novel TRAIL receptor agonist, induces apoptosis and sustained growth retardation in melanoma. Cell Death Discov 2016; 2:16081. [PMID: 28028438 PMCID: PMC5149582 DOI: 10.1038/cddiscovery.2016.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, new treatment options for malignant melanoma patients have enhanced the overall survival for selected patients. Despite new hope, most melanoma patients still relapse with drug-resistant tumors or experience intrinsic resistance to the therapy. Therefore, novel treatment modalities beneficial for subgroups of patients are needed. TRAIL receptor agonists have been suggested as promising candidates for use in cancer treatment as they preferentially induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Unfortunately, the first generation of TRAIL receptor agonists showed poor clinical efficacy. hvTRA is a second-generation TRAIL receptor agonist with improved composition giving increased potency, and in the present study, we showed hvTRA-induced activation of apoptosis leading to an efficient and sustained reduction in melanoma cell growth in cell lines and xenograft models. Furthermore, the potential of hvTRA in a clinical setting was demonstrated by showing efficacy on tumor cells harvested from melanoma patients with lymph node metastasis in an ex vivo drug sensitivity assay. Inhibition of mutated BRAF has been shown to regulate proteins in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, making the cells more susceptible for apoptosis induction. In an attempt to increase the efficacy of hvTRA, combination treatment with the mutated BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib was investigated. A synergistic effect by the combination was observed for several cell lines in vitro, and an initial cytotoxic effect was observed in vivo. Unfortunately, the initial increased reduction in tumor growth compared with hvTRA mono treatment was not sustained, and this was related to downregulation of the DR5 level by vemurafenib. Altogether, the presented data imply that hvTRA efficiently induce apoptosis and growth delay in melanoma models and patient material, and the potential of this TRAIL receptor agonist should be further evaluated for treatment of subgroups of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karianne G Fleten
- Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo, Norway
| | - Vivi Ann Flørenes
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo, Norway
| | - Oliver Hill
- Apogenix GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jaromir Sykora
- Apogenix GmbH, Im Neuenheimer Feld , Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunhild M Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Birgit Engesæter
- Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo, Norway
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Barkovskaya A, Prasmickaite L, Mills IG, Mælandsmo GM, Moestue SA, Itkonen HM. Abstract 3737: Inhibition of O-GlcNAc transferase in tamoxifen resistant breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-3737] [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
O-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine transferase (OGT) is an enzyme that catalyzes addition of the O-GlcNAc modification to a wide range of intracellular proteins. The O-GlcNAc modification is a product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, which requires glucose and glutamine as substrates. Uptake of both of these nutrients is often up-regulated in cancer, which in turn leads to an increase in the total protein O-GlcNAcylation. Increased OGT expression has also been reported in most cancer types, including the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, breast cancer. Many of the breast cancers rely on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) for proliferation and have shown a strong response to the ERα inhibition, most commonly achieved by treatment with tamoxifen. However, while efficient, prolonged exposure to tamoxifen commonly causes resistance and relapse of the disease. It is therefore vital to uncover mechanisms which contribute to the resistance in order to develop adequate treatment strategy for these patients.
Here, we have investigated the effect of targeting OGT in an isogenic pair of ERα-positive tamoxifen-sensitive MCF7 and tamoxifen-resistant TAMR breast cancer cell lines. OGT inhibition decreased viability and triggered cell death in both cell lines. These responses were associated with over 50% reduction in ERα expression in both MCF7 and TAMR cells. Reduced O-GlcNAcylation has previously been reported to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), which promotes cell death. Targeting OGT resulted in a strong increase of CHOP expression, which appeared more prominent in the TAMR cells. Finally, targeting OGT induced a very pronounced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in the TAMR cells, while the MCF7 cell lined showed a very modest response.
Taken together, these results indicate that targeting OGT leads to a differential response in the tamoxifen-sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells. Currently, we are using an expanded panel of tamoxifen-resistant cell lines to perform expression microarrays, metabolic flux assays and DNA damage response analysis in order to uncover the cause of the differential response to OGT targeting. This may help us identify potential therapeutic combinations that might be suitable for treatment of tamoxifen-resistant cancers.
Citation Format: Anna Barkovskaya, Lina Prasmickaite, Ian G. Mills, Gunhild M. Mælandsmo, Siver A. Moestue, Harri M. Itkonen. Inhibition of O-GlcNAc transferase in tamoxifen resistant breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3737.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ian G. Mills
- 2Center for Molecular Medicine Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Siver A. Moestue
- 3NTNU, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Trondheim, Norway
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Seip K, Fleten KG, Barkovskaya A, Nygaard V, Haugen MH, Engesæter BØ, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Abstract 927: Fibroblast-induced switching to the invasive phenotype and PI3K-mTOR signaling protects melanoma cells from BRAF inhibitors. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-927] [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
Phenotypic heterogeneity of cancer cells can reason diversity in therapy responses within the same tumor, which might influence the overall efficacy of the treatment. Tumor stroma is an important contributor to intratumoral heterogeneity and can play a significant modulatory role in therapy response/resistance. Through studies on biological mechanisms of stroma-promoted resistance, novel targets could be identified for combination therapies aimed to eradicate both stroma-dependent and independent counterparts of the tumor.
In this study we explore how the efficacy of the BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) vemurafenib, a targeted agent commonly used against BRAF-mutant malignant melanoma, is modulated by stromal cells. By using multiple co-culture systems and experimental metastasis models, we showed that in the presence of lung fibroblasts, adjacent melanoma cells respond poorly to BRAFi. The protective influence of stroma was associated with stroma-induced changes in the melanoma cell phenotype, which was mapped by global gene expression and proteome analysis. We revealed that under the influence of fibroblasts, melanoma cells underwent a phenotype transition to the invasive, mesenchymal-like state characterized by down-regulation of melanocytic markers (MITF and its targets), up-regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)/RTK-linked signaling (like AXL or PDGFR activating down-stream PI3K) and elevation of extracellular-matrix fibronectin. We propose that these alterations allow melanoma cells to utilize alternative signaling pathways, like RTK-PI3K-mTOR instead of BRAF-driven MAPK, which reduces sensitivity to BRAFi. This scenario is further supported by the observations that: i) upon BRAFi treatment, stroma-protected melanoma maintained high levels of phospho-ribosomal protein S6 (pS6), a mTOR effector protein; ii) inhibition of mTOR or the upstream pathway PI3K together with BRAF eradicated pS6high subpopulations and enhanced the anti-proliferative effect in stroma-interacting melanoma; iii) the benefit of mTOR and BRAF co-inhibition was also seen in early-stage lung metastases in vivo.
In conclusion, our findings signify the importance of stromal cells, specifically lung fibroblasts, in regulating melanoma cell phenotype and signaling, which impairs response to BRAFi. The stroma-induced invasive phenotype determinants that facilitate RTK-PI3K-mTOR signaling (e.g. AXL, PDGFR or fibronectin-binding integrins) could represent potential targets for overcoming stroma-mediated resistance to BRAFi. Currently, we are testing BRAFi in combination with several novel inhibitors of the identified RTKs and performing a cancer drug sensitivity screen to reveal the most effective drug combinations against stroma-interacting melanoma cells.
Citation Format: Kotryna Seip, Karianne Giller Fleten, Anna Barkovskaya, Vigdis Nygaard, Mads Haugen Haugen, Birgit Øvstebø Engesæter, Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo, Lina Prasmickaite. Fibroblast-induced switching to the invasive phenotype and PI3K-mTOR signaling protects melanoma cells from BRAF inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 927.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotryna Seip
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karianne Giller Fleten
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Barkovskaya
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vigdis Nygaard
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mads Haugen Haugen
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Øvstebø Engesæter
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Seip K, Fleten KG, Barkovskaya A, Nygaard V, Haugen MH, Engesæter BØ, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Fibroblast-induced switching to the mesenchymal-like phenotype and PI3K/mTOR signaling protects melanoma cells from BRAF inhibitors. Oncotarget 2016; 7:19997-20015. [PMID: 26918352 PMCID: PMC4991434 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge on how tumor-associated stroma influences efficacy of anti-cancer therapy just started to emerge. Here we show that lung fibroblasts reduce melanoma sensitivity to the BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) vemurafenib only if the two cell types are in close proximity. In the presence of fibroblasts, the adjacent melanoma cells acquire de-differentiated mesenchymal-like phenotype. Upon treatment with BRAFi, such melanoma cells maintain high levels of phospho ribosomal protein S6 (pS6), i.e. active mTOR signaling, which is suppressed in the BRAFi sensitive cells without stromal contacts. Inhibitors of PI3K/mTOR in combination with BRAFi eradicate pS6high cell subpopulations and potentiate anti-cancer effects in melanoma protected by the fibroblasts. mTOR and BRAF co-inhibition also delayed the development of early-stage lung metastases in vivo. In conclusion, we demonstrate that upon influence from fibroblasts, melanoma cells undergo a phenotype switch to the mesenchymal state, which can support PI3K/mTOR signaling. The lost sensitivity to BRAFi in such cells can be overcome by co-targeting PI3K/mTOR. This knowledge could be explored for designing BRAFi combination therapies aiming to eliminate both stroma-protected and non-protected counterparts of metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotryna Seip
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karianne G. Fleten
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Barkovskaya
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vigdis Nygaard
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mads H. Haugen
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Ø. Engesæter
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild M. Mælandsmo
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Breast Cancer Research, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Dept. Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Dept. Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Evensen L, Johansen PL, Koster G, Zhu K, Herfindal L, Speth M, Fenaroli F, Hildahl J, Bagherifam S, Tulotta C, Prasmickaite L, Mælandsmo GM, Snaar-Jagalska E, Griffiths G. Zebrafish as a model system for characterization of nanoparticles against cancer. Nanoscale 2016; 8:862-77. [PMID: 26648525 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07289a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic nanoparticles (NPs) have great potential to deliver drugs against human diseases. Encapsulation of drugs in NPs protects them from being metabolized, while they are delivered specifically to a target site, thereby reducing toxicity and other side-effects. However, non-specific tissue accumulation of NPs, for example in macrophages, especially in the spleen and liver is a general problem with many NPs being developed for cancer therapy. To address the problem of non-specific tissue accumulation of NPs we describe the development of the zebrafish embryo as a transparent vertebrate system for characterization of NPs against cancer. We show that injection of human cancer cells results in tumor-like structures, and that subsequently injected fluorescent NPs, either made of polystyrene or liposomes can be imaged in real-time. NP biodistribution and general in vivo properties can be easily monitored in embryos having selective fluorescent labeling of specific tissues. We demonstrate in vitro, by using optical tweezer micromanipulation, microscopy and flow cytometry that polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating of NPs decreases the level of adhesion of NPs to macrophages, and also to cancer cells. In vivo in zebrafish embryos, PEG coating resulted in longer NP circulation times, decreased macrophage uptake, and reduced adhesion to the endothelium. Importantly, liposomes were observed to accumulate passively and selectively in tumor-like structures comprised of human cancer cells. These results show that zebrafish embryo is a powerful system for microscopy-based screening of NPs on the route to preclinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Evensen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Patrick L Johansen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gerbrand Koster
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Kaizheng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Sem Sælands vei 26, 0371, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Herfindal
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies Vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin Speth
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Federico Fenaroli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jon Hildahl
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Shahla Bagherifam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Sem Sælands vei 26, 0371, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claudia Tulotta
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumour Biology, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild M Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumour Biology, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ewa Snaar-Jagalska
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gareth Griffiths
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway.
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Bettum IJ, Gorad SS, Barkovskaya A, Pettersen S, Moestue SA, Vasiliauskaite K, Tenstad E, Øyjord T, Risa Ø, Nygaard V, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Metabolic reprogramming supports the invasive phenotype in malignant melanoma. Cancer Lett 2015; 366:71-83. [PMID: 26095603 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [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: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Invasiveness is a hallmark of aggressive cancer like malignant melanoma, and factors involved in acquisition or maintenance of an invasive phenotype are attractive targets for therapy. We investigated melanoma phenotype modulation induced by the metastasis-promoting microenvironmental protein S100A4, focusing on the relationship between enhanced cellular motility, dedifferentiation and metabolic changes. In poorly motile, well-differentiated Melmet 5 cells, S100A4 stimulated migration, invasion and simultaneously down-regulated differentiation genes and modulated expression of metabolism genes. Metabolic studies confirmed suppressed mitochondrial respiration and activated glycolytic flux in the S100A4 stimulated cells, indicating a metabolic switch toward aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. Reversal of the glycolytic switch by dichloracetate induced apoptosis and reduced cell growth, particularly in the S100A4 stimulated cells. This implies that cells with stimulated invasiveness get survival benefit from the glycolytic switch and, therefore, become more vulnerable to glycolysis inhibition. In conclusion, our data indicate that transition to the invasive phenotype in melanoma involves dedifferentiation and metabolic reprogramming from mitochondrial oxidation to glycolysis, which facilitates survival of the invasive cancer cells. Therapeutic strategies targeting the metabolic reprogramming may therefore be effective against the invasive phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid J Bettum
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Saurabh S Gorad
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anna Barkovskaya
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Solveig Pettersen
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siver A Moestue
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kotryna Vasiliauskaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ellen Tenstad
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Center for Breast Cancer Research, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tove Øyjord
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Risa
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vigdis Nygaard
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild M Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Center for Breast Cancer Research, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Prasmickaite L, Berge G, Bettum IJ, Aamdal S, Hansson J, Bastholt L, Øijordsbakken M, Boye K, Mælandsmo GM. Evaluation of serum osteopontin level and gene polymorphism as biomarkers: analyses from the Nordic Adjuvant Interferon alpha Melanoma trial. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2015; 64:769-76. [PMID: 25832001 PMCID: PMC11029450 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-015-1686-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is highly aggressive cancer with poor prognosis and few therapeutic options. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) has been tested as adjuvant immunotherapy in high-risk melanoma patients in a number of studies, but its beneficial role is controversial. Although IFN-α treatment can prolong relapse-free survival, the effect on overall survival is not significant. However, a small subset of patients benefits from the treatment, signifying the need for biomarkers able to identify a responding subgroup. Here we evaluated whether serum osteopontin (OPN) could function as a biomarker identifying patients with poor prognosis that might benefit from IFN-α. The choice of osteopontin was based on the knowledge about the dual role of this protein in cancer and immune response, an apparent association between OPN and IFN signaling and a prognostic value of OPN in multiple other tumor types. Serum samples from 275 high-risk melanoma patients enrolled in the Nordic Adjuvant IFN Melanoma trial were analyzed for circulating OPN concentrations and OPN promoter polymorphisms in position -443. The potential relation between serum OPN levels, the genotypes and survival in non-treated patients and patients receiving adjuvant IFN-α was investigated. Although slightly better survival was observed in the treated patients that had high levels of OPN, the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, serum OPN (its level or the genotype) cannot distinguish melanoma patients with poor prognosis, or patients that might benefit from adjuvant treatment with IFN-α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Division of Cancer, Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0310, Montebello, Oslo, Norway,
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Nygaard V, Prasmickaite L, Vasiliauskaite K, Clancy T, Hovig E. Abstract 4876: Characterization of malignant melanoma growth triggered by the brain microenvironment in experimental metastasis models. Cancer Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2014-4876] [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
The brain offers a unique microenvironment to which malignant melanoma frequently spreads leading to dismal prognosis for the patients. The molecular determinants that promote melanoma brain metastases however, remain largely unknown. Here, we show an experimental strategy utilizing two species of immune-compromised animals in a metastasis model to generate in vivo-cultivated metastatic tissues along with their corresponding host tissues in order to identify molecular events associated with brain metastases. The study was based on the melanoma cell lines, Melmet 1 and Melmet 5 with opposing phenotypes (invasive/proliferative, respectively) in the in vitro setting and distinct metastatic patterns in vivo, where Melmet 1 showed a preference to the brain. Transcriptional changes in the melanoma cells, as induced by the brain-microenvironment in both host species, revealed the opportunistic nature of melanoma in this context. We detected transitioning from the invasive phenotype to the proliferative phenotype, as the brain metastases passed from early to late growth phase. Of significance, we identified a brain-adaptive phenotype with synaptic characteristics and where glutamate signaling and Ca2+-dependent effectors played a central role. The brain-adaptive phenotype was more prominent in the earlier metastatic growth phases compared to a later phase. Analysis of host tissue uncovered a cooperative inflammatory microenvironment formed by activated host cells. Altogether, this suggests that acquisition of the brain-adaptive phenotype in a permissive environment might be critical for the establishment of metastatic growth in the brain microenvironment and further, targeting glutamate signaling may represent a therapeutic approach in brain metastasis. Global network modeling and functional annotation analysis revealed that several of the central molecular factors and pathways mediating melanoma brain metastasis in this study, are also central to other pathological diseases, in particular neurodegenerative diseases. The identification of essential molecular networks that operate to promote the brain-adaptive phenotype is of clinical relevance, as they represent leads to urgently needed therapeutic targets.
Citation Format: Vigdis Nygaard, Lina Prasmickaite, Kotryna Vasiliauskaite, Trevor Clancy, Eivind Hovig. Characterization of malignant melanoma growth triggered by the brain microenvironment in experimental metastasis models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4876. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4876
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigdis Nygaard
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kotryna Vasiliauskaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trevor Clancy
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Hovig
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Bettum IJ, Vasiliauskaite K, Nygaard V, Clancy T, Pettersen SJ, Tenstad E, Mælandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Metastasis-associated protein S100A4 induces a network of inflammatory cytokines that activate stromal cells to acquire pro-tumorigenic properties. Cancer Lett 2014; 344:28-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2013.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Nygaard V, Prasmickaite L, Vasiliauskaite K, Clancy T, Hovig E. Melanoma brain colonization involves the emergence of a brain-adaptive phenotype. Oncoscience 2014; 1:82-94. [PMID: 25593989 PMCID: PMC4295759 DOI: 10.18632/oncoscience.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain offers a unique microenvironment that plays an important role in the establishment and progression of metastasis. However, the molecular determinants that promote development of melanoma brain metastases are largely unknown. Utilizing two species of immune-compromised animals, with in vivo cultivated metastatic tissues along with their corresponding host tissues in a metastasis model, we here identify molecular events associated with melanoma brain metastases. We find that the transcriptional changes in the melanoma cells, as induced by the brain-microenvironment in both host species, reveal the opportunistic nature of melanoma in this biological context in rewiring the molecular framework of key molecular players with their associated biological processes. Specifically, we identify the existence of a neuron-like melanoma phenotype, which includes synaptic characteristics and a neurotransmission-like circuit involving glutamate. Regulation of gene transcription and neuron-like plasticity by Ca(2+)-dependent signaling appear to occur through glutamate receptor activation. The brain-adaptive phenotype was found as more prominent in the early metastatic growth phases compared to a later phase, emphasizing a temporal requirement of critical events in the successful colonization of the brain. Analysis of the host tissue uncovered a cooperative inflammatory microenvironment formed by activated host cells that permitted melanoma growth at the expense of the host organism. Combined experimental and computational approaches clearly highlighted genes and signaling pathways being shared with neurodegenerative diseases. Importantly, the identification of essential molecular networks that operate to promote the brain-adaptive phenotype is of clinical relevance, as they represent leads to urgently needed therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigdis Nygaard
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0310, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0310, Norway
| | - Kotryna Vasiliauskaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0310, Norway
| | - Trevor Clancy
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0310, Norway
| | - Eivind Hovig
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 0310, Norway
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Nygaard V, Prasmickaite L, Vasiliauskaite K, Clancy T, Hovig E. Abstract C31: Characterization of malignant melanoma growth triggered by the brain microenvironment in experimental metastasis models. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.fbcr13-c31] [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
Melanomas are particularly renowned for their plasticity in response to microenvironmental signals. The brain offers a unique microenvironment to which malignant melanoma frequently spreads leading to dismal prognosis for the patients. The aim of our study was to reveal characteristics of metastatic growth of melanoma in the brain by in vivo imaging, cellular characterization and molecular approaches. The study was based on experimental metastasis models in vivo established from the melanoma cell lines, Melmet 1 and Melmet 5 with opposing phenotypes (invasive/proliferative, respectively) in the in vitro setting and distinct metastatic patterns in vivo. Gene expression profiling of brain metastatic cells isolated from different growth phases revealed the dynamic and opportunistic nature of melanoma in this context. We detected transitioning from the invasive phenotype to the proliferative phenotype, as the brain metastases passed from early to late growth phase. We also identified the existence of a neuron-like phenotype which included synaptic characteristics and a neurotransmission-like circuit involving glutamate receptors. This brain-adaptive phenotype was more prominent in the earlier metastatic growth phases compared to a later phase. To uncover microenvironmental factors that could play a role in melanoma cell colonization of the brain, we analyzed gene expression in host stroma. Genes implicated in immune-/inflammatory-responses were up-regulated and cellular characterization of metastatic brain tissue revealed the emergence and accumulation of cells of bone-marrow origin like microglia (F4/80+, CD11b+) that correlated with “active growth” phase initiation. Altogether, this suggests that acquisition of the brain-adaptive phenotype in a cooperative inflammatory environment might be critical for the establishment of metastatic growth in the brain microenvironment. Global network modeling and functional annotation analysis revealed that several of the central molecular factors and pathways mediating melanoma brain metastasis in this study, are also central to other pathological diseases, in particular neurodegenerative diseases. The identification of essential molecular networks that operate to promote the brain-adaptive phenotype is of clinical relevance, as they represent leads to urgently needed therapeutic targets.
Citation Format: Vigdis Nygaard, Lina Prasmickaite, Kotryna Vasiliauskaite, Trevor Clancy, Eivind Hovig. Characterization of malignant melanoma growth triggered by the brain microenvironment in experimental metastasis models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr C31.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigdis Nygaard
- Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kotryna Vasiliauskaite
- Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trevor Clancy
- Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Hovig
- Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Bettum IJ, Vasiliauskaite K, Pettersen SJ, Malandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L. Abstract B16: Extracellular S100A4 as an inducer of a cytokine network that mediates tumor-stroma crosstalk: Potential implications for metastases. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.tim2013-b16] [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
Among soluble factors that appear to be of high importance for metastasis progression are chemokines from the S100 family. One such factor is S100A4, a small calcium binding protein linked to metastasis and poor prognosis in several cancer types. The protein is expressed in and secreted from not only tumor cells, but also various stroma cells, suggesting that S100A4 might be an important factor in the tumor microenvironment. Recently we have revealed that in vivo S100A4-positive stroma cells are tightly associated with the metastatic nodules in the brain and lungs, suggesting the role of S100A4 in facilitating metastatic growth in these microenvironments. How S100A4 executes its metastasis-promoting functions is however not fully elucidated. Here we hypothesize that the extracellular S100A4 can trigger a cytokine network that mediates the tumor-stroma crosstalk and thereby facilitates metastases progression in malignant melanoma. We have shown that extracellular S100A4 stimulates melanoma cells to secrete various cytokines and growth factors, including IL-8, IL-6, CXCL2, sICAM-1 and VEGF, molecules playing a role in cancer progression and angiogenesis in particular. Since cytokines can act in a paracrine manner, they can mediate interactions between tumor cells and stroma cells. Thus, we have shown that conditioned medium from melanoma cells treated with extracellular S100A4 modulates the angiogenic functions of endothelial cells making them more migratory and more proned to make vascular-like networks in vitro. Among factors induced by S100A4 were also pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with macrophage recruitment and/or activation. Currently we are investigating whether the S100A4-triggered cytokines modulate the properties of macrophages making them support tumor cells. Altogether, our results indicate a potential role of S100A4 in stimulating tumor-stoma crosstalk which might mimic the formation of a metastatic niche-like milieu facilitating metastases.
Citation Format: Ingrid J. Bettum, Kotryna Vasiliauskaite, Solveig J. Pettersen, Gunhild M. Malandsmo, Lina Prasmickaite. Extracellular S100A4 as an inducer of a cytokine network that mediates tumor-stroma crosstalk: Potential implications for metastases. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid J. Bettum
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kotryna Vasiliauskaite
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Solveig J. Pettersen
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild M. Malandsmo
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Prasmickaite L, Nygaard V, Kristian A, Høifødt HK, Fodstad Ø, Hovig E, Mælandsmo GM. Abstract 5226: In vivo imaging and molecular characterization of site-specific growth of malignant melanoma: a study of melanoma metastasis in experimental animal models. Cancer Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2011-5226] [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
Metastatic melanoma is a very aggressive and fatal disease in need of novel therapeutic targets. Melanomas are notorious for the ability to disseminate to almost any organ. The ability to develop metastases at distant sites is not only a function of intrinsic properties of the malignant cells themselves, but is also influenced by a wide range of factors in the host microenvironment. Understanding of the biological role of the microenvironment in the establishment of metastases and identifying implicated factors, might uncover novel potential targets for anti-metastatic therapy. The aim of our study was to reveal characteristics of metastatic growth of melanoma in different anatomical sites in animal models through in vivo imaging and molecular approaches.
We have developed experimental metastasis models in nude mice based on intracardial (left ventricle) injection of the melanoma cell lines Melmet 1 and Melmet 5, established from two metastatic melanoma patients with different clinical presentations. A follow-up of melanoma cell migration and micro/macrometastases formation assessed by molecular and functional imaging in vivo (IVIS and PET), indicated that Melmet 5 could establish metastases in multiple organs (including brain, lung, lymph nodes, kidney, bone), while Melmet 1 displayed a more consistent preference for the brain. Flow cytometric analysis of metastatic organs, specifically brain and lungs, revealed the recruitment of bone marrow derived cells, identified as CD11b+/Gr-1+ myeloid cells and CD11b+/F4/80+ macrophages. These cell subpopulations have been linked to the formation of a (pre)metastatic niche, and we are presently investigating their contribution to the metastatic growth of melanoma. Further, we performed a comparative microarray study to investigate differential gene expression with respect to organ-specific environments. Specifically, we identified a set of genes altered in immunoselected melanoma cells purified from brain tissue. Among these genes were receptors involved in glutamate signaling, indicating metabolic changes associated with metastatic colonization of the brain. Furthermore, after separation of tumor cells, the remaining host brain tissue was also analyzed by gene expression profiling in order to reveal molecular changes induced in the stroma compartment by metastases. Compared to non-diseased brain, we found altered expression of genes implicated in biological activities such as immune defense, evasion of apoptosis and cell adhesion and migration. Based on the results obtained, we are currently performing functional studies on candidate genes to elucidate their role in metastatic growth of melanoma. Targeting focal points of communication between metastatic tumor cells and the host in distinct microenvironments may represent an anti-metastatic therapeutic strategy.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5226. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5226
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vigdis Nygaard
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexander Kristian
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hanne Kleppe Høifødt
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Fodstad
- 2Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Hovig
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- 1Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo, Norway
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Bøe S, Prasmickaite L, Engesæter B, Hovig E. Light-directed delivery of nucleic acids. Methods Mol Biol 2011; 764:107-121. [PMID: 21748636 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-188-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A major barrier within the field of non-viral gene therapy toward therapeutic strategies, e.g., tumor therapy, has been lack of appropriate specific delivery strategies to the intended target tissues or cells. In this chapter, we describe a protocol for light-directed delivery of nucleic acids through the use of photochemical internalization (PCI) technology. PCI is based on a photosensitizing compound that localizes to endocytic membranes. Upon illumination, the photosensitizing compound induces damage to the endocytic membranes, resulting in release of endocytosed material, i.e., nucleic acids into cytosol. The main benefit of the strategy described is the possibility for site-specific delivery of nucleic acids to a place of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigurd Bøe
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, N-0310, Norway.
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Prasmickaite L, Engesaeter BØ, Skrbo N, Hellenes T, Kristian A, Oliver NK, Suo Z, Maelandsmo GM. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity does not select for cells with enhanced aggressive properties in malignant melanoma. PLoS One 2010; 5:e10731. [PMID: 20505780 PMCID: PMC2874003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malignant melanoma is an exceptionally aggressive, drug-resistant and heterogeneous cancer. Recently it has been shown that melanoma cells with high clonogenic and tumourigenic abilities are common, but markers distinguishing such cells from cells lacking these abilities have not been identified. There is therefore no definite evidence that an exclusive cell subpopulation, i.e. cancer stem cells (CSC), exists in malignant melanoma. Rather, it is suggested that multiple cell populations are implicated in initiation and progression of the disease, making it of importance to identify subpopulations with elevated aggressive properties. Methods and Findings In several other cancer forms, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH), which plays a role in stem cell biology and resistance, is a valuable functional marker for identification of cells that show enhanced aggressiveness and drug-resistance. Furthermore, the presence of ALDH+ cells is linked to poor clinical prognosis in these cancers. By analyzing cell cultures, xenografts and patient biopsies, we showed that aggressive melanoma harboured a large, distinguishable ALDH+ subpopulation. In vivo, ALDH+ cells gave rise to ALDH− cells, while the opposite conversion was rare, indicating a higher abilities of ALDH+ cells to reestablish tumour heterogeneity with respect to the ALDH phenotype. However, both ALDH+ and ALDH− cells demonstrated similarly high abilities for clone formation in vitro and tumour initiation in vivo. Furthermore, both subpopulations showed similar sensitivity to the anti-melanoma drugs, dacarbazine and lexatumumab. Conclusions These findings suggest that ALDH does not distinguish tumour-initiating and/or therapy-resistant cells, implying that the ALDH phenotype is not associated with more-aggressive subpopulations in malignant melanoma, and arguing against ALDH as a “universal” marker. Besides, it was shown that the ability to reestablish tumour heterogeneity is not necessarily linked to the more aggressive phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumour Biology, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
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Prasmickaite L, Engesæter B, Skrbo N, Oliver NK, Engebråten O, Suo Z, Aamdal S, Fodstad Ø, Mælandsmo GM. Abstract 4304: Malignant melanoma cells with aggressive properties are common and not distinguishable by proposed markers for cancer stem cells. Cancer Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am10-4304] [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
In malignant melanoma, conflicting results have been reported regarding the presence of exclusive cells with enhanced aggressive properties, so called cancer stem cells (CSC), raising a doubt whether melanoma follows a CSC model and is hierarchically organized. By characterizing melanoma cells from short-term cell cultures, xenografts and patient biopsies, we aim to collect further evidence either to: i) support the existence of distinct CSC-like subpopulations, or ii) strengthen a notion about the common presence of cells demonstrating aggressive behavior and lack of cellular hierarchy in melanoma. By using individual-cell assays, we have shown that a large fraction (up to 60 %) of random single melanoma cells display high clonogenicity and self-renewal i.e. properties associated with tumorigenic potential. In search for a marker for such clonogenic/tumorigenic cells, we found that melanomas often harbor a large distinct subpopulation with elevated activity of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH), a proposed marker for CSC-like cells in some hierarchically organized cancers. Interestingly, ALDH activity in melanoma patient biopsies seemed to correlate to the expression of melanoma-associated-antigen, HMW-MAA, which is linked to tumor progression. Furthermore, in vivo ALDH+ melanoma cells could convert to ALDH−, while the opposite conversion was rare, indicating a certain “cellular hierarchy” with respect to the ALDH phenotype. However, comparison of ALDH+ and ALDH− cells revealed that both subpopulations are highly clonogenic, tumorigenic and resistant to drugs proposed for melanoma therapy, DTIC and HGS-ETR2. This suggests that in malignant melanoma, ALDH, likewise earlier investigated “surface markers” of CSCs, does not distinguish cells with enhanced biological aggressiveness. In conclusion, melanoma cells exhibiting properties linked to aggressive phenotype are common and not restricted to subpopulations expressing proposed “CSC markers”, which contradicts the traditional view of CSCs.
Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4304.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Birgit Engesæter
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nirma Skrbo
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nina K. Oliver
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav Engebråten
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Zhenhe Suo
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Steinar Aamdal
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Fodstad
- 1Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Prasmickaite L, Skrbo N, Høifødt HK, Suo Z, Engebråten O, Gullestad HP, Aamdal S, Fodstad Ø, Maelandsmo GM. Human malignant melanoma harbours a large fraction of highly clonogenic cells that do not express markers associated with cancer stem cells. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2010; 23:449-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00690.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Berg K, Weyergang A, Prasmickaite L, Bonsted A, Høgset A, Strand MTR, Wagner E, Selbo PK. Photochemical internalization (PCI): a technology for drug delivery. Methods Mol Biol 2010; 635:133-45. [PMID: 20552345 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-697-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The utilization of macromolecules in therapy of cancer and other diseases is becoming increasingly relevant. Recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have made it possible to improve targeting and design of cytotoxic agents, DNA complexes, and other macromolecules for clinical applications. To achieve the expected biological effect of these macromolecules, in many cases, internalization to the cell cytosol is crucial. At an intracellular level, the most fundamental obstruction for cytosolic release of the therapeutic molecule is the membrane-barrier of the endocytic vesicles. Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a novel technology for release of endocytosed macromolecules into the cytosol. The technology is based on the use of photosensitizers located in endocytic vesicles that upon activation by light induces a release of macromolecules from their compartmentalization in endocytic vesicles. PCI has been shown to potentiate the biological activity of a large variety of macromolecules and other molecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), gene-encoding plasmids, adenovirus, oligonucleotides, and the chemotherapeutic bleomycin. PCI has also been shown to enhance the treatment effect of targeted therapeutic macromolecules. The present protocol describes PCI of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted protein toxin (Cetuximab-saporin) linked via streptavidin-biotin for screening of targeted toxins as well as PCI of nonviral polyplex-based gene therapy. Although describing in detail PCI of targeted protein toxins and DNA polyplexes, the methodology presented in these protocols are also applicable for PCI of other gene therapy vectors (e.g., viral vectors), peptide nucleic acids (PNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), polymers, nanoparticles, and some chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Berg
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, Norway
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Rappa G, Mercapide J, Anzanello F, Prasmickaite L, Xi Y, Ju J, Fodstad O, Lorico A. Growth of cancer cell lines under stem cell-like conditions has the potential to unveil therapeutic targets. Exp Cell Res 2008; 314:2110-22. [PMID: 18423605 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2008.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2007] [Revised: 03/07/2008] [Accepted: 03/10/2008] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Malignant tumors comprise a small proportion of cancer-initiating cells (CIC), capable of sustaining tumor formation and growth. CIC are the main potential target for anticancer therapy. However, the identification of molecular therapeutic targets in CIC isolated from primary tumors is an extremely difficult task. Here, we show that after years of passaging under differentiating conditions, glioblastoma, mammary carcinoma, and melanoma cell lines contained a fraction of cells capable of forming spheroids upon in vitro growth under stem cell-like conditions. We found an increased expression of surface markers associated with the stem cell phenotype and of oncogenes in cell lines and clones cultured as spheroids vs. adherent cultures. Also, spheroid-forming cells displayed increased tumorigenicity and an altered pattern of chemosensitivity. Interestingly, also from single retrovirally marked clones, it was possible to isolate cells able to grow as spheroids and associated with increased tumorigenicity. Our findings indicate that short-term selection and propagation of CIC as spheroid cultures from established cancer cell lines, coupled with gene expression profiling, represents a suitable tool to study and therapeutically target CIC: the notion of which genes have been down-regulated during growth under differentiating conditions will help find CIC-associated therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germana Rappa
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, 307 N. University Boulevard, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
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Berg K, Folini M, Prasmickaite L, Selbo P, Bonsted A, Engesaeter B, Zaffaroni N, Weyergang A, Dietzea A, Maelandsmo G, Wagner E, Norum OJ, Hogset A. Photochemical Internalization: A New Tool for Drug Delivery. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2007; 8:362-72. [DOI: 10.2174/138920107783018354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Lillehammer T, Engesaeter BO, Prasmickaite L, Maelandsmo GM, Fodstad O, Engebraaten O. Combined treatment with Ad-hTRAIL and DTIC or SAHA is associated with increased mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human melanoma cell lines. J Gene Med 2007; 9:440-51. [PMID: 17410615 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.1036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, dacarbazine (DTIC) is the only approved systemic treatment for metastatic malignant melanoma. However, the modest treatment effect encourages studies on novel therapeutic molecules, delivery systems and combination therapies. Full-length TRAIL, delivered from an adenoviral vector (Ad-hTRAIL), was studied in combination with DTIC or the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) in human melanoma cell lines. METHODS The cytotoxic potential of the combination treatments was assessed by cell viability measurements and CalcuSyn analysis. Involvement of apoptosis was analyzed by TUNEL staining, mitochondrial membrane potential measurements, and activation and expression levels of caspases and other mediators of apoptosis. RESULTS Ad-hTRAIL in combination with DTIC or SAHA resulted in additive or synergistic growth inhibition compared to each treatment used as single agent. Both combinations augmented apoptosis, which was mediated through the death receptor (DR) pathway by enhanced activation of caspase-8, and through increased loss of mitochondrial integrity. Provoked cleavage of Bid, which bridges the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways, and downregulation of the anti-apoptotic mediators Bcl-X(L), Mcl-1 and XIAP (but not Bcl-2) were critical contributing factors. Increased levels of DR4 and DR5 were not a common underlying mechanism as DTIC did not affect the levels of either of the receptors. However, SAHA-induced expression of DR4 may have reduced the TRAIL resistance in the SKMEL-28 cell line. CONCLUSION Administration of Ad-hTRAIL in combination with DTIC or SAHA enhances apoptosis in human melanoma cell lines, and suggests that the therapeutic potential of such treatment strategies should be further evaluated for possible clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine Lillehammer
- Department of Tumor Biology, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
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Berg K, Høgset A, Prasmickaite L, Weyergang A, Bonsted A, Dietze A, Lou PJ, Bown S, Norum OJ, Møllergård HMT, Selbo PK. Photochemical internalization (PCI): A novel technology for activation of endocytosed therapeutic agents. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mla.2006.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Prasmickaite L, Cekaite L, Hellum M, Hovig E, Høgset A, Berg K. Transcriptome changes in a colon adenocarcinoma cell line in response to photochemical treatment as used in photochemical internalisation (PCI). FEBS Lett 2006; 580:5739-46. [PMID: 17007842 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2006] [Accepted: 09/15/2006] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology liberates endocytosed macromolecules like transgenes from endocytic vesicles in response to photochemical treatment. Thereby PCI improves gene transfection and is suggested for use in gene therapy. It has been proposed that PCI might also stimulate transcription of internalised transgenes, especially if they are controlled by photochemically inducible promoters (transcriptional targeting). In order to identify inducible promoters, and to evaluate the treatments influence on cellular transcriptional activity, the effect of the photochemical treatment as used in PCI (with the photosensitizer disulfonated meso-tetraphenylporphin followed by illumination) on gene transcription in WiDr adenocarcinoma cells was evaluated using microarrays. The expression of 390 genes were identified significantly changed (89% were up-regulated), of which genes associated with DNA binding and transcriptional functions were the most represented. This may be important for the expression of a photochemically internalised transgene under a specific promoter control. Real-time PCR verified photochemical up-regulation of the HSP family genes, as well as down-regulation of EGR-1 at 2-10h post-treatment, suggesting that the HSP (particularly HSP70), in addition to the microarray-identified metallothioneins, but not the EGR-1 promoters, could be relevant promoter candidates for transcriptional targeting via PCI. The resulting overview of gene expression changes in WiDr cells exposed to the PCI-relevant photochemical treatment also provide a basis for the design of new PCI-based strategies with respect of transcriptional targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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Bonsted A, Engesaeter BØ, Høgset A, Maelandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L, D'Oliveira C, Hennink WE, van Steenis JH, Berg K. Photochemically enhanced transduction of polymer-complexed adenovirus targeted to the epidermal growth factor receptor. J Gene Med 2006; 8:286-97. [PMID: 16342300 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of methods for specific delivery of genes into target tissues is an important issue for the further progress of gene therapy. Biological and physical targeting techniques may be combined to redirect gene therapy vectors to specific cells and enhance gene transfer. METHODS The polymer poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (pDMAEMA) was conjugated with avidin or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and complexed with adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). Targeting of polymer-coated Ad5 to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was accomplished by the binding of biotin-EGF to pDMAEMA-avidin. A photochemical treatment procedure using photosensitizer and light was applied to increase transduction with EGFR-targeted viral complexes. RESULTS pDMAEMA-avidin efficiently enhanced transduction through unspecific viral uptake into cells, while pDMAEMA-PEG provided charge shielding of the complexes and increased the specificity to EGFR when biotin-EGF ligands were used. Transduction of PEG-containing, EGFR-targeted viral complexes was inhibited by 66% in coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR)-deficient RD cells and by 47% in CAR-expressing DU 145 cells in receptor antibody experiments. The photochemical treatment had a substantial effect on transduction, enhancing the percentage of reporter gene positive cells from 20% to 75% of the total viable RD cell population and from 10% to 70% in DU 145 cells. CONCLUSION Photochemical treatment of cells infected with targeted viral vectors exhibiting a neutral surface charge is a potent method for enhancing transgene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Bonsted
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet HF, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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Dietze A, Selbo PK, Prasmickaite L, Weyergang A, Bonsted A, Engesaeter B, Hogset A, Berg K. Photochemical Internalization (PCI): A New Modality for Light Activation of Endocytosed Therapeuticals. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 2006; 25:521-36. [PMID: 16566739 DOI: 10.1615/jenvironpatholtoxicoloncol.v25.i1-2.330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a new technology, where certain photosensitizing substances (photosensitizers) are used to improve the utilization of macromolecules for cancer therapy, in a site-specific manner. Degradation of macromolecules in endocytic vesicles after uptake by endocytosis is a major intracellular barrier for the therapeutic application of molecules having intracellular targets of action. PCI is based on the light activation of photosensitizers specifically located in the membrane of endocytic vesicles inducing the rupture of this membrane upon illumination. Thereby endocytosed molecules can be released to reach their target of action before being degraded in lysosomes. This has been shown to enhance the biological activity of a large variety of macromolecules and other molecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), immunotoxins, gene-encoding plasmids, adenovirus, peptidenucleic acids, and the chemotherapeuticum bleomycin. In several cases up to a 100-fold increase in biological activity has been observed. This article reviews the background and present status of PCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dietze
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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Prasmickaite L, Hellum M, Kaalhus O, Høgset A, Wagner E, Berg K. Photochemical Internalization of Transgenes Controlled by the Heat-shock Protein 70 Promoter. Photochem Photobiol 2006; 82:809-16. [PMID: 16420102 DOI: 10.1562/2005-11-07-ra-731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a targeting technique that facilitates endosomal escape of macromolecules, such as transgenes, in response to photochemical treatment with endosome/lysosome-localized photosensitizers, such as disulfonated meso-tetraphenylporphine (TPPS(2a)). In gene therapy this leads to enhanced transgene expression. Moreover, photochemical treatment generally activates transcription of stress-response genes, such as heat-shock proteins (HSPs), via stimulation of corresponding promoters. Therefore, we used HSP70 (HSPp; a promoter from the HSP family gene) and investigated whether the PCI stimulus could also activate HSPp and thereby stimulate transcription (expression) of the HSPp-controlled transgene internalized via PCI. Using human colorectal carcinoma and hepatoma cell lines in vitro, we showed that TPPS(2a)-based photochemical treatment enhances expression of cellular HSP70, which correlated with a photochemically enhanced expression (approximately 2-fold, at PCI-optimal doses) of the HSPp-controlled transgene integrated in the genome. Furthermore, PCI enhanced expression of the HSPp-controlled episomal transgene delivered as a plasmid. However, in plasmid-based transfection, PCI-mediated enhancement with HSPp did not exceed the enhancement achieved with the constitutive active CMV promoter. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the PCI-relevant treatment initiates HSP70 response and that the HSP70 promoter can be used in combination with PCI, leading to PCI-enhanced expression of the HSPp-controlled transgene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Berg K, Selbo PK, Weyergang A, Dietze A, Prasmickaite L, Bonsted A, Engesaeter BØ, Angell-Petersen E, Warloe T, Frandsen N, Høgset A. Porphyrin-related photosensitizers for cancer imaging and therapeutic applications. J Microsc 2005; 218:133-47. [PMID: 15857375 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2005.01471.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A photosensitizer is defined as a chemical entity, which upon absorption of light induces a chemical or physical alteration of another chemical entity. Some photosensitizers are utilized therapeutically such as in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and for diagnosis of cancer (fluorescence diagnosis, FD). PDT is approved for several cancer indications and FD has recently been approved for diagnosis of bladder cancer. The photosensitizers used are in most cases based on the porphyrin structure. These photosensitizers generally accumulate in cancer tissues to a higher extent than in the surrounding tissues and their fluorescing properties may be utilized for cancer detection. The photosensitizers may be chemically synthesized or induced endogenously by an intermediate in heme synthesis, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) or 5-ALA esters. The therapeutic effect is based on the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon activation of the photosensitizer by light. Singlet oxygen is assumed to be the most important ROS for the therapeutic outcome. The fluorescing properties of the photosensitizers can be used to evaluate their intracellular localization and treatment effects. Some photosensitizers localize intracellularly in endocytic vesicles and upon light exposure induce a release of the contents of these vesicles, including externally added macromolecules, into the cytosol. This is the basis for a novel method for macromolecule activation, named photochemical internalization (PCI). PCI has been shown to potentiate the biological activity of a large variety of macromolecules and other molecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including type I ribosome-inactivating proteins, immunotoxins, gene-encoding plasmids, adenovirus, peptide-nucleic acids and the chemotherapeutic drug bleomycin. The background and present status of PDT, FD and PCI are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Berg
- Department of Radiation Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Abstract
This article reviews a novel technology, named photochemical internalisation (PCI), for light-directed delivery of transgenes. Most gene therapy vectors are taken into the cell by endocytosis and, hence, are located in the endocytic vesicles. Although viral vectors have developed the means to escape from these vesicles, poor endosomal release is one of the major obstacles for non-viral vectors. PCI is a technology that allows liberation of the entrapped vectors carrying a gene in response to illumination. The method is based on chemical compounds (photosensitisers) that localise specifically in the membranes of endocytic vesicles and, following activation by light, induce the rupture of the vesicular membranes. The released transgenes can further be transferred to the nucleus, transcribed and translated. As gene liberation depends on light, enhancement of gene expression is achieved only at illuminated regions. PCI substantially improves gene transfer in vitro not only with non-viral gene vectors, but, surprisingly, also with adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses. This article will review the background for the PCI technology and its role for gene delivery using both non-viral and viral vectors. Some aspects of the potential of PCI for site-specific gene delivery in therapeutic situations will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Radiation Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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39
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Prasmickaite L, Høgset A, Olsen VM, Kaalhus O, Mikalsen SO, Berg K. Photochemically enhanced gene transfection increases the cytotoxicity of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene combined with ganciclovir. Cancer Gene Ther 2005; 11:514-23. [PMID: 15118758 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cgt.7700720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tumor targeting is an important issue in cancer gene therapy. We have developed a gene transfection method, based on light-inducible photochemical internalization (PCI) of a transgene, to improve gene delivery and expression selectively in illuminated areas, for example, in tumors. In the present work, we demonstrate that PCI improved the nonviral vector polyethylenimine (PEI)-mediated transfection of a therapeutic gene, the 'suicide' gene encoding herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk). In U87MG glioblastoma cells in vitro, the photochemical treatment stimulated expression of the HSVtk transgene, and, consequently, enhanced cell killing by the subsequent treatment with the prodrug ganciclovir (GCV). When relatively low doses of DNA (1 microg/ml) and the PEI vector (N/P 4) were used, HSVtk gene transfection followed by the GCV treatment did not have an effect on cell survival unless the photochemical treatment was performed, which potentiated the cytotoxicity to 90%. These findings indicate that photochemical transfection allows: (i) selective enhancement in gene expression and gene-mediated biological effects (cell killing by the Hsvtk/GCV approach) in response to illumination; (ii) the use of low, suboptimal for the nonviral transfection methods without PCI, doses of both DNA and the vector, which may be relevant and advantageous for therapeutic gene transfer in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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40
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Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted DNA polyplexes, containing polyethylenimine (PEI) conjugated with EGF protein as cell-binding ligand for endocytosis and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for masking the polyplex surface charge, mediated a 3- to 30-fold higher luciferase gene expression in HUH7, HepG2 and A431 cell transfections than analogous untargeted PEG-PEI polyplexes. Transfection levels can be further enhanced by treatment of cells with amphiphilic photosensitizers followed by illumination. In this process photosensitizers localized in membranes of endocytic vesicles are activated by light, resulting in the destruction of endocytic membrane structures and releasing co-endocytosed polyplexes into the cell cytosol. Photochemical enhanced gene expression was observed in all cell lines, with the magnitude of enhancement depending on the particular PEI polyplex formulation and cell line, ranging between 2- and 600-fold. Importantly, improved gene transfer retained EGF receptor specificity, as demonstrated by comparison with ligand-free polyplexes and by receptor antibody or ligand competition experiments. These results suggest that this combined procedure enables a dual mode of targeting polyplexes: biological targeting via EGFR interaction, combined with physical targeting with light to direct a photochemical delivery of therapeutic genes to a desired location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kloeckner
- Pharmaceutical Biology-Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Butenandtstr. 5-13, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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41
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Berg K, Selbo PK, Prasmickaite L, Høgset A. Photochemical drug and gene delivery. Curr Opin Mol Ther 2004; 6:279-87. [PMID: 15264430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The utilization of macromolecules in the therapy of cancer and other diseases is becoming increasingly relevant. Recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have made it possible to improve the targeting and design of cytotoxic agents or DNA complexes for clinical applications. In many cases, to achieve the desired biological effect of these macromolecules, internalization to the cell cytosol is crucial. Although new delivery systems have improved the cellular uptake of macromolecules, tissue penetration, cellular uptake and efficient transfer of the molecules into the cytosol of target cells are still fundamental obstacles. At an intracellular level, the greatest obstruction for cytosolic release of the therapeutic molecule is the membrane barrier of endocytic vesicles. Photochemical activation and delivery of drugs and genes are novel technologies to overcome these obstacles. The background theory to these technologies is described in this review and recent data in this field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Berg
- Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Biophysics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo 3, Norway.
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Berg K, Prasmickaite L, Selbo PK, Hellum M, Bonsted A, Høgset A. Photochemical internalization (PCI)--a novel technology for release of macromolecules from endocytic vesicles. Oftalmologia 2004; 56:67-71. [PMID: 12886687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The utilisation of macromolecules in therapy of cancer and other diseases is becoming increasingly relevant. Recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have made it possible to improve targeting and design of cytotoxic agents or DNA complexes for clinical applications. To achieve the expected biological effect of these macromolecules in many cases internalization to the cell cytosol is crucial. A number of different methods for internalization of membrane impermeable molecules has been established, including electroporation, liposome fusion, antibodies/targeting ligands as protein carriers and the utilisation of various types of vectors such as cationic polymers and viruses, for gene therapy. Although new delivery systems have improved the cellular uptake of macromolecules, tissue penetration, cellular uptake and efficient transfer of the molecules into the cytosol of the target cell are still fundamental obstacles. At an intracellular level, the most fundamental obstruction for cytosolic release of the therapeutic molecule is the membrane-barrier of the endocytic vesicles. Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a novel technology for release of endocytosed macromolecules into the cytosol. The technology is based on the use of photosensitizers located in endocytic vesicles that upon activation by light induce a release of macromolecules from their compartmentalization in endocytic vesicles. PCI has been shown to potentiate the biological activity of a large variety of macromolecules and other molecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including proteins, peptides, and DNA delivered as a complex with cationic polymers or incorporated in adenovirus. The basis as well as the utilization of this technology will be briefly reviewed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Berg
- Department of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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43
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Abstract
This article reviews a novel technology, named photochemical internalisation (PCI), for light-induced delivery of genes, proteins and many other classes of therapeutic molecules. Degradation of macromolecules in endocytic vesicles after uptake by endocytosis is a major intracellular barrier for the therapeutic application of macromolecules having intracellular targets of action. PCI is based upon the light activation of a drug (a photosensitizer) specifically locating in the membrane of endocytic vesicle inducing the rupture of this membrane upon illumination. Thereby endocytosed molecules can be released to reach their target of action before being degraded in lysosomes. The fact that this effect is induced by illumination means that the biological activity of the molecules can be activated at specific sites in the body, simply by illuminating the relevant region. We have used the PCI strategy to obtain light-induced delivery of a variety of molecules, including proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, genes and low molecular weight drugs. In several cases, a >100-fold increase in biological activity has been observed.
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Bonsted A, Engesaeter BØ, Høgset A, Maelandsmo GM, Prasmickaite L, Kaalhus O, Berg K. Transgene expression is increased by photochemically mediated transduction of polycation-complexed adenoviruses. Gene Ther 2004; 11:152-60. [PMID: 14712299 DOI: 10.1038/sj.gt.3302166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Poor efficiency of adenoviral gene transfer to target cells is a major limitation to adenoviral gene therapy. Inefficient gene transfer occurs in the absence of coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor (CAR) on the cell surface, and can be overcome by enhancing viral entry with cationic molecules. Recombinant adenovirus (Ad) noncovalently complexed with polycations imply a lack of transduction specificity. Therefore, we have investigated the potential of a novel light-specific treatment, named photochemical internalization (PCI), to enhance gene delivery of adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) complexed with the cationic agents poly-L-lysine (PLL) and SuperFect trade mark. Cell lines differing in their receptiveness to Ad5 were infected with amounts of virus transducing about 2% of the cells by conventional Ad infection. The combination of polycations and photochemical treatment enabled a substantial increase in reporter gene expression, resulting in up to 75% positive cells. The effect was most prominent in cell lines expressing moderate to low levels of CAR. Furthermore, we show that PCI enables proper gene delivery of fiberless Ad5 at viral concentrations and infection times where transduction of photochemically untreated cells was negligible, both in the absence and presence of PLL. Thus, we conclude that the photochemically induced transduction by adenoviral vectors complexed with polycations present an opportunity to obtain high cell-infectivity levels with low viral doses, also without the fiber-CAR interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bonsted
- Department of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Norway
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45
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Folini M, Berg K, Millo E, Villa R, Prasmickaite L, Daidone MG, Benatti U, Zaffaroni N. Photochemical internalization of a peptide nucleic acid targeting the catalytic subunit of human telomerase. Cancer Res 2003; 63:3490-4. [PMID: 12839932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Because peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are poorly taken up by mammalian cells, strategies need to be developed for their intracellular delivery. In the present study, we demonstrated the possibility to efficiently release a naked PNA targeting the catalytic component of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT-PNA) into the cytoplasm of DU145 prostate cancer cells through the photochemical internalization approach. After light exposure, cells treated with the hTERT-PNA and photosensitizer TPPS(2a) showed a marked inhibition of telomerase activity and a reduced cell survival, which was not observed after treatment with hTERT-PNA alone. Moreover, in a direct comparison, photochemical internalization technology proved to be more efficient to internalize the hTERT-PNA than an HIV-Tat protein-based approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Folini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Høgset A, Prasmickaite L, Engesaeter BO, Hellum M, Selbo PK, Olsen VM, Maelandsmo GM, Berg K. Light directed gene transfer by photochemical internalisation. Curr Gene Ther 2003; 3:89-112. [PMID: 12653404 DOI: 10.2174/1566523034578438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Numerous gene therapy vectors, both viral and non-viral, are taken into the cell by endocytosis, and for efficient gene delivery the therapeutic genes carried by such vectors have to escape from endocytic vesicles so that the genes can further be translocated to the nucleus. Since endosomal escape is often an inefficient process, release of the transgene from endosomes represents one of the most important barriers for gene transfer by many such vectors. To improve endosomal escape we have developed a new technology, named photochemical internalisation (PCI). In this technology photochemical reactions are initiated by photosensitising compounds localised in endocytic vesicles, inducing rupture of these vesicles upon light exposure. The technology constitutes an efficient light-inducible gene transfer method in vitro, where light-induced increases in transfection or viral transduction of more than 100 and 30 times can be observed, respectively. The method can potentially be developed into a site-specific method for gene delivery in vivo. This article will review the background for the PCI technology, and several aspects of PCI induced gene delivery with synthetic and viral vectors will be discussed. Among these are: (i) The efficiency of the technology with different gene therapy vectors; (ii) use of PCI with targeted vectors; (iii) the timing of DNA delivery relative to the photochemical treatment. The prospects of using the technology for site-specific gene delivery in vivo will be thoroughly discussed, with special emphasis on the possibilities for clinical use. In this context our in vivo experience with the PCI technology as well as the clinical experience with photodynamic therapy will be treated, as this is highly relevant for the clinical use of PCI-mediated gene delivery. The use of photochemical treatments as a tool for understanding the more general mechanisms of transfection will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Høgset
- PCI Biotech AS, Hoffsvn. 48, N-0377 Oslo, Norway.
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Hellum M, Høgset A, Engesaeter BO, Prasmickaite L, Stokke T, Wheeler C, Berg K. Photochemically enhanced gene delivery with cationic lipid formulations. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2003; 2:407-11. [PMID: 12760539 DOI: 10.1039/b211880g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Entrapment and degradation of transfecting DNA in endocytic vesicles often hampers the use of lipidic vectors for gene delivery purposes. Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a technology for achieving light-induced release of DNA trapped inside these vesicles, and therefore represents a way of overcoming the endocytic membrane barrier and improving gene transfer. The technology is based on utilising photosensitizers which localise in the membranes of endocytic vesicles, causing photochemical damages that rupture the vesicles upon illumination. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of PCI on transfection mediated by the cationic lipid N-(2-aminoethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(tetradecyloxy)-1-propanaminium bromide (betaAE-DMRIE), with or without the helper lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE). It was shown that PCI has no effect on betaAE-DMRIE mediated transfection, whereas it significantly enhances transfection mediated by the combination of betaAE-DMRIE and DOPE. The effect of PCI was highly dependent on the timing of illumination relative to the time of DNA delivery, both regarding the sequence of, and the time between, these two treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Hellum
- Dept. of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radiumhospital, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway
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48
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Høgset A, Prasmickaite L, Hellum M, Engesaeter BO, Olsen VM, Tjelle TE, Wheeler CJ, Berg K. Photochemical transfection: a technology for efficient light-directed gene delivery. Somat Cell Mol Genet 2002; 27:97-113. [PMID: 12774944 DOI: 10.1023/a:1022979806314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Most synthetic gene delivery vectors are taken up in the cell by endocytosis, and inefficient escape of the transgene from endocytic vesicles often is a major barrier for gene transfer by such vectors. To improve endosomal release we have developed a new technology, named photochemical internalization (PCI). PCI is based on photochemical reactions initiated by photosensitizing compounds localized in endocytic vesicles, inducing rupture of these vesicles upon light exposure. PCI constitutes an efficient light-inducible gene transfer method in vitro, which potentially can be developed into a site-specific method for gene delivery in in vivo gene therapy. In this paper the principle behind the PCI technology and the effect of PCI on transfection with different synthetic gene delivery vectors are reviewed. PCI treatment by the photosensitizer aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcS2a) strongly improves transfection mediated by cationic polymers (e.g., poly-L-lysine and polyethylenimine), while the effect on transfection with cationic lipids is more variable. The timing of the light treatment relative to the transfection period was also important, indicating that release of the DNA from early endosomes is important for the outcome of PCI-induced transfection. The possibilities of using PCI as a technology for efficient, site-specific gene delivery in in vivo gene therapy is discussed.
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Abstract
The efficiency of gene transfection mediated by nonviral vectors is limited because of nonoptimal intracellular trafficking of transfecting DNA. Most nonviral vectors deliver transfecting DNA into a cell through endocytosis. However, poor escape from endocytic vesicles and inefficient transport of DNA into the nucleus often limits a success of gene transfection. Photochemical transfection is a new method, based on light-induced permeabilisation of endocytic vesicles, liberating transfecting DNA into the cytosol, concurrently increasing the chances for DNA to enter the nucleus. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the cell cycle for the efficiency of photochemical transfection. It was demonstrated that in asynchronous human colon carcinoma HCT 116 cells photochemical treatment increased the transfection mediated by the nonviral vectors, the cationic polypeptide polylysine and the cationic lipid N-(2-aminoethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(tetradecyloxy)-1-propanaminium bromide/dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (beta AE-DMRIE/DOPE), by 30- and 2.5-fold, respectively. In aphidicolin-synchronised cells, photochemical transfection mediated by polylysine was dependent on the cell cycle: transfection level was 4-fold higher when illumination, inducing photochemical reactions, was performed during the G2/M phase as compared to the G1/early-S phase. The cell cycle influence on photochemical transfection mediated by beta AE-DMRIE/DOPE was very low: only 20% difference between G2/M and the G1/S phase was observed. We suggest that transgenes, photochemically liberated close/during mitosis, perhaps have the highest opportunity to enter the nucleus and be expressed. However, the dependence of photochemical transfection on the cell cycle might be partially disguised by various factors induced by photochemical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Biophysics, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
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