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Mistarz A, Winkler M, Battaglia S, Liu S, Hutson A, Rokita H, Gambotto A, Odunsi KO, Singh PK, McGray AR, Wang J, Kozbor D. Reprogramming the tumor microenvironment leverages CD8 + T cell responses to a shared tumor/self antigen in ovarian cancer. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 28:230-248. [PMID: 36875325 PMCID: PMC9982455 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor antigen-driven responses to weakly immunogenic self-antigens and neoantigens directly affect treatment efficacy following immunotherapy. Using orthotopically grown SV40 T antigen+ ovarian carcinoma in antigen-naive wild-type or TgMISIIR-TAg-Low transgenic mice expressing SV40 T antigen as a self-antigen, we investigated the impact of CXCR4-antagonist-armed oncolytic virotherapy on tumor progression and antitumor immunity. Immunostaining and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of the peritoneal tumor microenvironment of untreated tumors in syngeneic wild-type mice revealed the presence of SV40 T antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, a balanced M1/M2 transcriptomic signature of tumor-associated macrophages, and immunostimulatory cancer-associated fibroblasts. This contrasted with polarized M2 tumor-associated macrophages, immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts, and poor immune activation in TgMISIIR-TAg-Low mice. Intraperitoneal delivery of CXCR4-antagonist-armed oncolytic vaccinia virus led to nearly complete depletion of cancer-associated fibroblasts, M1 polarization of macrophages, and generation of SV40 T antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in transgenic mice. Cell depletion studies revealed that the therapeutic effect of armed oncolytic virotherapy was dependent primarily on CD8+ cells. These results demonstrate that targeting the interaction between immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts and macrophages in the tolerogenic tumor microenvironment by CXCR4-A-armed oncolytic virotherapy induces tumor/self-specific CD8+ T cell responses and consequently increases therapeutic efficacy in an immunocompetent ovarian cancer model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mistarz
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Marta Winkler
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Sebastiano Battaglia
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Alan Hutson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Hanna Rokita
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrea Gambotto
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Kunle O. Odunsi
- University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Prashant K. Singh
- Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - A.J. Robert McGray
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Jianmin Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Danuta Kozbor
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
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Sementino E, Kadariya Y, Cheung M, Menges CW, Tan Y, Kukuyan AM, Shrestha U, Karchugina S, Cai KQ, Peri S, Duncan JS, Chernoff J, Testa JR. Inactivation of p21-Activated Kinase 2 (Pak2) Inhibits the Development of Nf2-Deficient Tumors by Restricting Downstream Hedgehog and Wnt Signaling. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:699-711. [PMID: 35082167 PMCID: PMC9081258 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Because loss of the NF2 tumor suppressor gene results in p21-activated kinase (Pak) activation, PAK inhibitors hold promise for the treatment of NF2-deficient tumors. To test this possibility, we asked if loss of Pak2, a highly expressed group I PAK member, affects the development of malignant mesothelioma in Nf2;Cdkn2a-deficient (NC) mice and the growth properties of NC mesothelioma cells in culture. In vivo, deletion of Pak2 resulted in a markedly decreased incidence and delayed onset of both pleural and peritoneal malignant mesotheliomas in NC mice. In vitro, Pak2 deletion decreased malignant mesothelioma cell viability, migration, clonogenicity, and spheroid formation. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated downregulated expression of Hedgehog and Wnt pathway genes in NC;Pak2-/- mesothelioma cells versus NC;Pak2+/+ mesothelioma cells. Targeting of the Hedgehog signaling component Gli1 or its target gene Myc inhibited cell viability and spheroid formation in NC;P+/+ mesothelioma cells. Kinome profiling uncovered kinase changes indicative of EMT in NC;Pak2-/- mesothelioma cells, suggesting that Pak2-deficient malignant mesotheliomas can adapt by reprogramming their kinome in the absence of Pak activity. The identification of such compensatory pathways offers opportunities for rational combination therapies to circumvent resistance to anti-PAK drugs. IMPLICATIONS We provide evidence supporting a role for PAK inhibitors in treating NF2-deficient tumors. NF2-deficient tumors lacking Pak2 eventually adapt by kinome reprogramming, presenting opportunities for combination therapies to bypass anti-PAK drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Sementino
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yuwaraj Kadariya
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mitchell Cheung
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Craig W. Menges
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yinfei Tan
- Genomics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anna-Mariya Kukuyan
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ujjawal Shrestha
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sofiia Karchugina
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kathy Q. Cai
- Histopathology Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Suraj Peri
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - James S. Duncan
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joseph R. Testa
- Cancer Signaling and Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Joseph R. Testa, Ph.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 1911; Phone: (215) 728-2610; Fax: (215) 214-1619;
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3
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Modelling Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Mice: Classical and Emerging Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134806. [PMID: 32645943 PMCID: PMC7370285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer (HGSC) is the most aggressive subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer. The identification of germline and somatic mutations along with genomic information unveiled by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other studies has laid the foundation for establishing preclinical models with high fidelity to the molecular features of HGSC. Notwithstanding such progress, the field of HGSC research still lacks a model that is both robust and widely accessible. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements and utility of HGSC genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) to date. Further analysis and critique on alternative approaches to modelling HGSC considers technological advancements in somatic gene editing and modelling prototypic organs, capable of tumorigenesis, on a chip.
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Abstract
Engagement of activating receptor NKG2D to its ligand mediates natural killer (NK) cell activation and enhances cytotoxicity. NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are frequently expressed on the tumor cell surface. However, the expression patterns of different NKG2DLs vary between tumor cells. Downregulation of certain ligand enables the tumor cells to escape NK cell-mediated immunosurveillance. By generating tumor cell lines with high expression of NKG2D ligand MULT1, we aimed to explore the function of NKG2DLs diversity on the activation and regulation of NKG2D signaling pathway. NK cells were potently activated by the "acquired" MULT1 expression on MOVCAR 5009 cells. Further, the progression of the tumor was significantly inhibited in mice inoculated with MULT1-expressing MOVCAR 5009 cells. Also, the pulmonary metastasis of MULT1-expressing B16-F0 cells was also significantly reduced in vivo. Our results implied that "acquired" NKG2D ligands enhance antitumor responses of NK cells, providing insights for designing novel therapeutic strategies and drugs to enhance NK cell surveillance over malignances.
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Yu C, Niu X, Du Y, Chen Y, Liu X, Xu L, Iwakura Y, Ma X, Li Y, Yao Z, Deng W. IL-17A promotes fatty acid uptake through the IL-17A/IL-17RA/p-STAT3/FABP4 axis to fuel ovarian cancer growth in an adipocyte-rich microenvironment. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2019; 69:115-126. [PMID: 31802182 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Pro-inflammatory cytokines are crucial mediators of cancer development, representing potential targets for cancer therapy. The molecular mechanism of a vital pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-17A, in cancer progression and its potential use in therapy through influencing fatty acid (FA) metabolism, especially FA uptake of cancer cells, remains unknown. In the present study, we used IL-17A and ovarian cancer (OvCa), a representative of both obesity-related and inflammation-related cancers, to explore the interactions among IL-17A, cancer cells and adipocytes (which can provide FAs). We found that in the presence of palmitic acid (PA), IL-17A could directly increase the cellular uptake of PA, leading to the proliferation of OvCa cells via the IL-17A/IL-17RA/p-STAT3/FABP4 axis rather than via CD36. Moreover, in vivo experiments using an orthotopic implantation model in IL-17A-deficient mice demonstrated that endogenous IL-17A could fuel OvCa growth and metastasis with increased expression of FABP4 and p-STAT3. Furthermore, analysis of clinical specimens supported the above findings. Our data not only provide useful insights into the clinical intervention of the growth and metastasis of the tumors (such as OvCa) that are prone to growth and metastasis in an adipocyte-rich microenvironment (ARM) but also provides new insights into the roles of IL-17A in tumor progression and immunomodulatory therapy of OvCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Yu
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xiulong Niu
- Department of Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disease in the Security Environment, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin, 300162, China
| | - Yongrui Du
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics, Tianjin, 300100, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xiaomei Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Lingling Xu
- Office of the Hospital Ethics Committee, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Yoichiro Iwakura
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, 125-8585, Japan
| | - Xiaoxia Ma
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Zhi Yao
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Weimin Deng
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Key Laboratory of Diseases and Microenvironment of Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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Fukui S, Nagasaka K, Miyagawa Y, Kikuchi-Koike R, Kawata Y, Kanda R, Ichinose T, Sugihara T, Hiraike H, Wada-Hiraike O, Sasajima Y, Ayabe T. The proteasome deubiquitinase inhibitor bAP15 downregulates TGF-β/Smad signaling and induces apoptosis via UCHL5 inhibition in ovarian cancer. Oncotarget 2019; 10:5932-5948. [PMID: 31666925 PMCID: PMC6800272 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proteins. As an alternative to the proteasome itself, recent research has focused on methods to modulate the regulation of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) upstream of the proteasome, identifying DUBs as novel therapeutic targets in breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers, along with multiple myeloma. bAP15, an inhibitor of the 19S proteasome DUBs UCHL5 and USP14, results in cell growth inhibition in several human cancers; however, the mechanism remains poorly understood in ovarian cancer. Here, we found that aberrant UCHL5 expression predicted shorter progression-free survival (PFS) in a cohort of 1435 patients with ovarian cancer described in the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. The subgroup of patients with TP53 mutations was significantly more likely to exhibit poor PFS (p <0.001). Moreover, we found bAP15 could suppress TP53-mutant ovarian cancer cell survival by regulating TGF-β signaling through inhibiting UCHL5 expression and dephosphorylating Smad2, consequently inducing apoptosis. bAP15 (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) also exerted significant anti-tumor effect on nude mice bearing subcutaneous SKOV3 xenografts. As activated TGF-β signaling is involved in ovarian cancer progression, these findings suggest that UCHL5 inhibition offers potential opportunities for a novel targeted therapy against TGF-β-activated ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiho Fukui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Kazunori Nagasaka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Yuko Miyagawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Ryoko Kikuchi-Koike
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Kawata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
| | - Ranka Kanda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ichinose
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Takeru Sugihara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Haruko Hiraike
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Osamu Wada-Hiraike
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
| | - Yuko Sasajima
- Department of Pathology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Takuya Ayabe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
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7
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Halbur C, Choudhury N, Chen M, Kim JH, Chung EJ. siRNA-Conjugated Nanoparticles to Treat Ovarian Cancer. SLAS Technol 2019; 24:137-150. [PMID: 30616494 DOI: 10.1177/2472630318816668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the fifth-most lethal cancer among women due to a lack of early detection and late-stage treatment options, and it is responsible for more than 14,000 deaths each year in the United States. Recently, there have been advances in RNA interference therapy, specifically with small interfering RNA (siRNA), to reduce tumor burden for ovarian cancer via gene down-regulation. However, delivery of siRNA poses its own challenges, as siRNA is unstable in circulation, is unable to be effectively internalized by cells, and may cause toxicity in off-target sites. To address such challenges, nanoparticle carriers have emerged as delivery platforms for the biocompatible, targeted delivery of siRNA-based therapies. Several preclinical studies have shown the promising effects of siRNA therapy to reduce chemotherapy resistance and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. This review evaluates the recent advances, clinical applications, and future potential of nanoparticle-mediated delivery of siRNA therapeutics to target genes implicated in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Halbur
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Niharika Choudhury
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Chen
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jun Hyuk Kim
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,2 Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,3 Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,4 Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,5 Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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8
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Aithal A, Rauth S, Kshirsagar P, Shah A, Lakshmanan I, Junker WM, Jain M, Ponnusamy MP, Batra SK. MUC16 as a novel target for cancer therapy. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2018; 22:675-686. [PMID: 29999426 PMCID: PMC6300140 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2018.1498845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION MUC16 is overexpressed in multiple cancers and plays an important role in tumorigenicity and acquired resistance to therapy. Area covered: In this review, we describe the role of MUC16 under normal physiological conditions and during tumorigenesis. First, we provide a summary of research on MUC16 from its discovery as CA125 to present anti-MUC16 therapy trials that are currently in the initial phases of clinical testing. Finally, we discuss the reasons for the limited effectiveness of these therapies and discuss the direction and focus of future research. Expert opinion: Apart from its protective role in normal physiology, MUC16 contributes to disease progression and metastasis in several malignancies. Due to its aberrant overexpression, it is a promising target for diagnosis and therapy. Cleavage and shedding of its extracellular domain is the major barrier for efficient targeting of MUC16-expressing cancers. Concerted efforts should be undertaken to target the noncleaved cell surface retained portion of MUC16. Such efforts should be accompanied by basic research to understand MUC16 cleavage and decipher the functioning of MUC16 cytoplasmic tail. While previous efforts to activate anti-MUC16 immune response using anti-CA125 idiotype antibodies have met with limited success, ideification of neo-antigenic epitopes in MUC16 that correlate with improved survival have raised raised hopes for developing MUC16-targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Aithal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Sanchita Rauth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Prakash Kshirsagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Ashu Shah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Imayavaramban Lakshmanan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Wade M. Junker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Moorthy P. Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Surinder K. Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
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Singh P, Jenkins LM, Horst B, Alers V, Pradhan S, Kaur P, Srivastava T, Hempel N, Győrffy B, Broude EV, Lee NY, Mythreye K. Inhibin Is a Novel Paracrine Factor for Tumor Angiogenesis and Metastasis. Cancer Res 2018. [PMID: 29535220 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-2316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Inhibin is a heterodimeric TGFβ family ligand that is expressed in many cancers and is a selective biomarker for ovarian cancers; however, its tumor-specific functions remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the α subunit of inhibin (INHA), which is critical for the functionality of dimeric inhibin A/B, correlates with microvessel density in human ovarian tissues and is predictive of poor clinical outcomes in multiple cancers. We demonstrate that inhibin-regulated angiogenesis is necessary for metastasis. Although inhibin had no direct impact on tumor cell signaling, both tumor cell-derived and recombinant inhibin elicit a strong paracrine response from endothelial cells by triggering SMAD1/5 activation and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo Inhibin-induced angiogenesis was abrogated via anti-inhibin α antibodies. The endothelial-specific TGFβ receptor complex comprising ALK1 and endoglin was a crucial mediator of inhibin signaling, offering a molecular mechanism for inhibin-mediated angiogenesis. These results are the first to define a role for inhibin in tumor metastasis and vascularization and offer an antibody-based approach for targeting inhibin therapeutically.Significance: Inhibin is a predictor of poor patient survival in multiple cancers and is a potential target for antiangiogenic therapies. Cancer Res; 78(11); 2978-89. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Laura M Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Victoria Alers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Shrikant Pradhan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Prabhjot Kaur
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, India
| | | | - Nadine Hempel
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- MTA TTK Lendület Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, and Semmelweis University 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eugenia V Broude
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Nam Y Lee
- Division of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. .,Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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Assessment of the antitumor potential of Bithionol in vivo using a xenograft model of ovarian cancer. Anticancer Drugs 2017; 27:547-59. [PMID: 27058706 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In terms of the concept of 'drug repurposing', we focused on pharmaceutical-grade Bithionol (BT) as a therapeutic agent against ovarian cancer. Our recent in-vitro study provides preclinical data suggesting a potential therapeutic role for BT against recurrent ovarian cancer. BT was shown to cause cell death by caspases-mediated apoptosis. The present preliminary study further explores the antitumor potential of pharmaceutical-grade BT in an in-vivo xenograft model of human ovarian cancer. Nude Foxn1 mice bearing SKOV-3 human ovarian tumor xenografts were treated with titrated doses of BT and the therapeutic efficacy of pharmaceutical BT was determined using bioluminescence imaging. BT-induced changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by Ki-67 immunochemical staining and TUNEL assay. The effect of BT on autotaxin levels in serum, ascitic fluid, and tumor tissue was assessed by colorimetric and western blot techniques. BT treatment did not show antitumor potential or enhanced survival time at any of the doses tested. No apparent signs of toxicity were observed with any of the doses tested. Immunohistological analysis of tumor sections did not indicate a significant decrease in cellular proliferation (Ki-67 assay). An increase in apoptosis (by TUNEL assay) was observed in all BT-treated mice compared with vehicle-treated mice. Although BT did not show significant antitumor activity in the present study, the ability of BT to induce apoptosis still makes it a promising therapeutic agent. Further confirmatory and optimization studies are essential to enhance the therapeutic effects of BT.
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11
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Semenova G, Stepanova DS, Dubyk C, Handorf E, Deyev SM, Lazar AJ, Chernoff J. Targeting group I p21-activated kinases to control malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor growth and metastasis. Oncogene 2017; 36:5421-5431. [PMID: 28534510 PMCID: PMC5608634 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are devastating sarcomas for which no effective medical therapies are available. Over 50% of MPSNTs are associated with mutations in NF1 tumor suppressor gene, resulting in activation of Ras and its effectors, including the Raf/Mek/Erk and PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling cascades, and also the WNT/β-catenin pathway. As Group I p21-activated kinases (Group I Paks, PAK1/2/3) have been shown to modulate Ras-driven oncogenesis, we asked if these enzymes might regulate signaling in MPNSTs. In this study we found a strong positive correlation between the activity of PAK1/2/3 and the stage of human MPNSTs. We determined that reducing Group I Pak activity diminished MPNST cell proliferation and motility, and that these effects were not accompanied by significant blockade of the Raf/Mek/Erk pathway, but rather by reductions in Akt and β-catenin activity. Using the small molecule PAK1/2/3 inhibitor Frax1036 and the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD0325901, we showed that the combination of these two agents synergistically inhibited MPNST cell growth in vitro and dramatically decreased local and metastatic MPNST growth in animal models. Taken together, these data provide new insights into MPNST signaling deregulation and suggest that co-targeting of PAK1/2/3 and MEK1/2 may be effective in the treatment of patients with MPNSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Semenova
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Dina S. Stepanova
- Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Cara Dubyk
- Biosample Repository, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth Handorf
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sergey M. Deyev
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
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12
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Do TV, Hirst J, Hyter S, Roby KF, Godwin AK. Aurora A kinase regulates non-homologous end-joining and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase function in ovarian carcinoma cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:50376-50392. [PMID: 28881569 PMCID: PMC5584138 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed at late stages when cancer has spread beyond the ovary and patients ultimately succumb to the development of drug-resistant disease. There is an urgent and unmet need to develop therapeutic strategies that effectively treat ovarian cancer and this requires a better understanding of signaling pathways important for ovarian cancer progression. Aurora A kinase (AURKA) plays an important role in ovarian cancer progression by mediating mitosis and chromosomal instability. In the current study, we investigated the role of AURKA in regulating the DNA damage response and DNA repair in ovarian carcinoma cells. We discovered that AURKA modulated the expression and activity of PARP, a crucial mediator of DNA repair that is a target of therapeutic interest for the treatment of ovarian and other cancers. Further, specific inhibition of AURKA activity with the small molecule inhibitor, alisertib, stimulated the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway by elevating DNA-PKcs activity, a catalytic subunit required for double-strand break (DSB) repair, as well as decreased the expression of PARP and BRCA1/2, which are required for high-fidelity homologous recombination-based DNA repair. Further, AURKA inhibition stimulates error-prone NHEJ repair of DNA double-strand breaks with incompatible ends. Consistent with in vitro findings, alisertib treatment increased phosphorylated DNA-PKcs(pDNA-PKcsT2609) and decreased PARP levels in vivo. Collectively, these results reveal new non-mitotic functions for AURKA in the regulation of DNA repair, which may inform of new therapeutic targets and strategies for treating ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Vy Do
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Jeff Hirst
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Stephen Hyter
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Katherine F. Roby
- Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Andrew K. Godwin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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13
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Orzechowska BU, Jędryka M, Zwolińska K, Matkowski R. VSV based virotherapy in ovarian cancer: the past, the present and …future? J Cancer 2017; 8:2369-2383. [PMID: 28819441 PMCID: PMC5560156 DOI: 10.7150/jca.19473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The standard approach to treating patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) after primary debulking surgery remains taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy. Despite treatment with this strategy, the vast majority of patients relapse and develop drug-resistant metastatic disease that may be driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer initiating cells (CICs). Oncolytic viruses circumvent typical drug-resistance mechanisms, therefore they may provide a safe and effective alternative treatment for chemotherapy-resistant CSCs/CICs. Among oncolytic viruses vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has demonstrated oncolysis and preferential replication in cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding existing knowledge on biology of the ovarian cancer and the role of ovarian CSCs (OCSCs) in tumor dissemination and chemoresistance. In addition we also present an overview of recent advances in ovarian cancer therapies with oncolytic viruses (OV). We focus particularly on key genetic or immune response pathways involved in tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer which facilitate oncolytic activity of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). We highlight the prospects of targeting OCSCs with VSV. The importance of testing an emerging ovarian cancer animal models and ovarian cancer cell culture conditions influencing oncolytic efficacy of VSV is also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Urszula Orzechowska
- Laboratory of Virology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Jędryka
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Gynaecological Oncology, Chemotherapy and Department of Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Plac Hirszfelda 12, 53-413 Wrocław, Poland
- Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, Wroclaw, Plac Hirszfelda 12, 53-413 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zwolińska
- Laboratory of Virology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Matkowski
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Gynaecological Oncology, Chemotherapy and Department of Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Plac Hirszfelda 12, 53-413 Wrocław, Poland
- Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, Wroclaw, Plac Hirszfelda 12, 53-413 Wrocław, Poland
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14
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Canese R, Mezzanzanica D, Bagnoli M, Indraccolo S, Canevari S, Podo F, Iorio E. In vivo Magnetic Resonance Metabolic and Morphofunctional Fingerprints in Experimental Models of Human Ovarian Cancer. Front Oncol 2016; 6:164. [PMID: 27446810 PMCID: PMC4923069 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2016.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the gynecological malignancy with the highest death rate, characterized by frequent relapse and onset of drug resistance. Disease diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up could benefit from application of molecular imaging approaches, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), able to monitor metabolic and functional alterations and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we overview the quantitative alterations that occur during either orthotopic or subcutaneous growth of preclinical EOC models. A common feature of (1)H MR spectra is the presence of a prominent peak due to total choline-containing metabolites (tCho), together with other metabolic alterations and MRI-detected morphofunctional patterns specific for different phenotypes. The tCho signal, already present at early stages of tumor growth, and changes of diffusion-weighted MRI parameters could serve as markers of malignancy and/or tumor response to therapy. The identification by MRS and MRI of biochemical and physiopathological fingerprints of EOC disease in preclinical models can represent a basis for further developments of non-invasive MR approaches in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Canese
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Delia Mezzanzanica
- Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Bagnoli
- Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Indraccolo
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, IOV – Istituto Oncologico Veneto – I.R.C.C.S, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvana Canevari
- Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Franca Podo
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Egidio Iorio
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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15
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Gomez-Roman N, McGregor F, Wheate NJ, Plumb JA. Cucurbit [7] uril encapsulated cisplatin overcomes resistance to cisplatin induced by Rab25 overexpression in an intraperitoneal ovarian cancer model. J Ovarian Res 2015; 8:62. [PMID: 26384969 PMCID: PMC4575495 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-015-0189-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer is the most fatal of gynaecological malignancies, usually detected at a late stage with intraperitoneal dissemination. Appropriate preclinical models are needed that recapitulate both the histopathological and molecular features of human ovarian cancer for drug-efficacy analysis. Methods Longitudinal studies comparing cisplatin performance either alone or in a novel cisplatin-based delivery-system, cucurbit[7]uril-encapsulated cisplatin (cisplatin@CB[7]) were performed on subcutaneous (s.c.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) xenografts using the human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 stably expressing the small GTPase Rab25, which allows A2780 intraperitoneal growth; and luciferase, to allow tumour load measurement by non-invasive bioluminescent imaging. Results Rab25 expression induced cisplatin resistance compared to the parental cell line as assessed by the MTT assay in vitro. These findings did not translate in vivo, where cisplatin resistance was determined by the microenvironment. Subcutaneous xenografts of either parental A2780 or cisplatin-resistant Rab25-expressing A2780 cells presented similar responses to cisplatin treatment. In contrast, increased cisplatin resistance was only detected in i.p. tumours. Treatment of the cisplatin-resistant i.p. model with the novel cisplatin@CB[7] delivery system resulted in a substantial reduction of i.p. tumour load and increased necrosis. Conclusions Poor clinical performance of novel chemotherapeutics might reflect inappropriate preclinical models. Here we present an ovarian i.p. model that recapitulates the histopathological and chemoresistant features of the clinical disease. In addition, we demonstrate that the novel cisplatin-delivery system, cisplatin@CB[7] may have utility in the treatment of drug-resistant ovarian human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natividad Gomez-Roman
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Translational Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, G61 1QH, , Scotland, UK.
| | - Fiona McGregor
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Translational Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, G61 1QH, , Scotland, UK.
| | - Nial J Wheate
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Jane A Plumb
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Translational Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, G61 1QH, , Scotland, UK.
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16
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Salaün M, Peng J, Hensley HH, Roder N, Flieder DB, Houlle-Crépin S, Abramovici-Roels O, Sabourin JC, Thiberville L, Clapper ML. MMP-13 In-Vivo Molecular Imaging Reveals Early Expression in Lung Adenocarcinoma. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132960. [PMID: 26193700 PMCID: PMC4508003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are overexpressed in lung cancer and may serve as potential targets for the development of bioactivable probes for molecular imaging. Objective To characterize and monitor the activity of MMPs during the progression of lung adenocarcinoma. Methods K-rasLSL-G12D mice were imaged serially during the development of adenocarcinomas using fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) and a probe specific for MMP-2, -3, -9 and -13. Lung tumors were identified using FMT and MRI co-registration, and the probe concentration in each tumor was assessed at each time-point. The expression of Mmp2, -3, -9, -13 was quantified by qRT-PCR using RNA isolated from microdissected tumor cells. Immunohistochemical staining of overexpressed MMPs in animals was assessed on human lung tumors. Results In mice, 7 adenomas and 5 adenocarcinomas showed an increase in fluorescent signal on successive FMT scans, starting between weeks 4 and 8. qRT-PCR assays revealed significant overexpression of only Mmp-13 in mice lung tumors. In human tumors, a high MMP-13 immunostaining index was found in tumor cells from invasive lesions (24/27), but in none of the non-invasive (0/4) (p=0.001). Conclusion MMP-13 is detected in early pulmonary invasive adenocarcinomas and may be a potential target for molecular imaging of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Salaün
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Laboratoire Quant.I.F - LITIS, EA 4108, Rouen University, Rouen, France; Clinique Pneumologique & CIC INSERM U1404, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Jing Peng
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Harvey H Hensley
- Biological Imaging Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Navid Roder
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Douglas B Flieder
- Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Luc Thiberville
- Laboratoire Quant.I.F - LITIS, EA 4108, Rouen University, Rouen, France; Clinique Pneumologique & CIC INSERM U1404, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Margie L Clapper
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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17
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Gritsina G, Xiao F, O'Brien SW, Gabbasov R, Maglaty MA, Xu RH, Thapa RJ, Zhou Y, Nicolas E, Litwin S, Balachandran S, Sigal LJ, Huszar D, Connolly DC. Targeted Blockade of JAK/STAT3 Signaling Inhibits Ovarian Carcinoma Growth. Mol Cancer Ther 2015; 14:1035-47. [PMID: 25646015 PMCID: PMC4394029 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-14-0800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian carcinoma is the fifth leading cause of death among women in the United States. Persistent activation of STAT3 is frequently detected in ovarian carcinoma. STAT3 is activated by Janus family kinases (JAK) via cytokine receptors, growth factor receptor, and non-growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. Activation of STAT3 mediates tumor cell proliferation, survival, motility, invasion, and angiogenesis, and recent work demonstrates that STAT3 activation suppresses antitumor immune responses and supports tumor-promoting inflammation. We hypothesized that therapeutic targeting of the JAK/STAT3 pathway would inhibit tumor growth by direct effects on ovarian carcinoma cells and by inhibition of cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). To test this, we evaluated the effects of a small-molecule JAK inhibitor, AZD1480, on cell viability, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion of ovarian carcinoma cells in vitro. We then evaluated the effects of AZD1480 on in vivo tumor growth and progression, gene expression, tumor-associated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, and immune cell populations in a transgenic mouse model of ovarian carcinoma. AZD1480 treatment inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and DNA binding, and migration and adhesion of cultured ovarian carcinoma cells and ovarian tumor growth rate, volume, and ascites production in mice. In addition, drug treatment led to altered gene expression, decreased tumor-associated MMP activity, and fewer suppressor T cells in the peritoneal TME of tumor-bearing mice than control mice. Taken together, our results show pharmacologic inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway leads to disruption of functions essential for ovarian tumor growth and progression and represents a promising therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Gritsina
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Fang Xiao
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shane W O'Brien
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rashid Gabbasov
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Marisa A Maglaty
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ren-Huan Xu
- Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Roshan J Thapa
- Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Samuel Litwin
- Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Siddharth Balachandran
- Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Luis J Sigal
- Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Denise C Connolly
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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18
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Engineered microenvironments provide new insights into ovarian and prostate cancer progression and drug responses. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2014; 79-80:193-213. [PMID: 24969478 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tissue engineering technologies, which have originally been designed to reconstitute damaged tissue structure and function, can mimic not only tissue regeneration processes but also cancer development and progression. Bioengineered approaches allow cell biologists to develop sophisticated experimentally and physiologically relevant cancer models to recapitulate the complexity of the disease seen in patients. Tissue engineering tools enable three-dimensionality based on the design of biomaterials and scaffolds that re-create the geometry, chemistry, function and signalling milieu of the native tumour microenvironment. Three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments, including cell-derived matrices, biomaterial-based cell culture models and integrated co-cultures with engineered stromal components, are powerful tools to study dynamic processes like proteolytic functions associated with cancer progression, metastasis and resistance to therapeutics. In this review, we discuss how biomimetic strategies can reproduce a humanised niche for human cancer cells, such as peritoneal or bone-like microenvironments, addressing specific aspects of ovarian and prostate cancer progression and therapy response.
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19
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Do TV, Xiao F, Bickel LE, Klein-Szanto AJ, Pathak HB, Hua X, Howe C, O’Brien S, Maglaty M, Ecsedy JA, Litwin S, Golemis EA, Schilder RJ, Godwin AK, Connolly DC. Aurora kinase A mediates epithelial ovarian cancer cell migration and adhesion. Oncogene 2014; 33:539-49. [PMID: 23334327 PMCID: PMC3640671 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Aurora kinase A (AURKA) localizes to centrosomes and mitotic spindles where it mediates mitotic progression and chromosomal stability. Overexpression of AURKA is common in cancer, resulting in acquisition of alternate non-mitotic functions. In the current study, we identified a novel role for AURKA in regulating ovarian cancer cell dissemination and evaluated the efficacy of an AURKA-selective small molecule inhibitor, alisertib (MLN8237), as a single agent and combined with paclitaxel using an orthotopic xenograft model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Ovarian carcinoma cell lines were used to evaluate the effects of AURKA inhibition and overexpression on migration and adhesion. Pharmacological or RNA interference-mediated inhibition of AURKA significantly reduced ovarian carcinoma cell migration and adhesion and the activation-associated phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal regulatory protein SRC at tyrosine 416 (pSRC(Y416)). Conversely, enforced expression of AURKA resulted in increased migration, adhesion and activation of SRC in cultured cells. In vivo tumor growth and dissemination were inhibited by alisertib treatment as a single agent. Moreover, combination of alisertib with paclitaxel, an agent commonly used in treatment of EOC, resulted in more potent inhibition of tumor growth and dissemination compared with either drug alone. Taken together, these findings support a role for AURKA in EOC dissemination by regulating migration and adhesion. They also point to the potential utility of combining AURKA inhibitors with taxanes as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of EOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Vy Do
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Fang Xiao
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Laura E. Bickel
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Harsh B. Pathak
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Xiang Hua
- Transgenic Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Caitlin Howe
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Shane O’Brien
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Marisa Maglaty
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jeffrey A. Ecsedy
- Department of Translational Medicine, Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA
| | - Samuel Litwin
- Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Erica A. Golemis
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Russell J. Schilder
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Gynecologic Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Andrew K. Godwin
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Denise C. Connolly
- Women’s Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
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20
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Ricci F, Broggini M, Damia G. Revisiting ovarian cancer preclinical models: Implications for a better management of the disease. Cancer Treat Rev 2013; 39:561-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2013.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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21
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Ma C, Yin G, Yan D, He X, Zhang L, Wei Y, Huang Z. A novel peptide specifically targeting ovarian cancer identified by in vivo
phage display. J Pept Sci 2013; 19:730-6. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chuying Ma
- College of Materials Science and Engineering; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Guangfu Yin
- College of Materials Science and Engineering; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Danhong Yan
- Chien-Shiung Institute of Technology; Taicang 215411 China
| | - Xueling He
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610041 China
| | - Li Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Yan Wei
- College of Materials Science and Engineering; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Zhongbing Huang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering; Sichuan University; Chengdu 610065 China
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22
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Liu H, Xiao F, Serebriiskii IG, O’Brien SW, Maglaty MA, Astsaturov I, Litwin S, Martin LP, Proia DA, Golemis EA, Connolly DC. Network analysis identifies an HSP90-central hub susceptible in ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2013; 19:5053-67. [PMID: 23900136 PMCID: PMC3778161 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-13-1115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is usually detected at an advanced stage and is frequently lethal. Although many patients respond to initial surgery and standard chemotherapy consisting of a platinum-based agent and a taxane, most experience recurrence and eventually treatment-resistant disease. Although there have been numerous efforts to apply protein-targeted agents in EOC, these studies have so far documented little efficacy. Our goal was to identify broadly susceptible signaling proteins or pathways in EOC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN As a new approach, we conducted data-mining meta-analyses integrating results from multiple siRNA screens to identify gene targets that showed significant inhibition of cell growth. On the basis of this meta-analysis, we established that many genes with such activity were clients of the protein chaperone HSP90. We therefore assessed ganetespib, a clinically promising second-generation small-molecule HSP90 inhibitor, for activity against EOC, both as a single agent and in combination with cytotoxic and targeted therapeutic agents. RESULTS Ganetespib significantly reduced cell growth, induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro, inhibited growth of orthotopic xenografts and spontaneous ovarian tumors in transgenic mice in vivo, and inhibited expression and activation of numerous proteins linked to EOC progression. Importantly, paclitaxel significantly potentiated ganetespib activity in cultured cells and tumors. Moreover, combined treatment of cells with ganetespib and siRNAs or small molecules inhibiting genes identified in the meta-analysis in several cases resulted in enhanced activity. CONCLUSION These results strongly support investigation of ganetespib, a single-targeted agent with effects on numerous proteins and pathways, in augmenting standard EOC therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Liu
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fang Xiao
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ilya G. Serebriiskii
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shane W. O’Brien
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marisa A. Maglaty
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Igor Astsaturov
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samuel Litwin
- Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lainie P. Martin
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Erica A. Golemis
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Denise C. Connolly
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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23
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Ward KK, Tancioni I, Lawson C, Miller NL, Jean C, Chen XL, Uryu S, Kim J, Tarin D, Stupack DG, Plaxe SC, Schlaepfer DD. Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity prevents anchorage-independent ovarian carcinoma cell growth and tumor progression. Clin Exp Metastasis 2013; 30:579-94. [PMID: 23275034 PMCID: PMC3622195 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-012-9562-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Recurrence and spread of ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of death for women in the United States. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase located on chromosome 8q24.3 (gene is Ptk2), a site commonly amplified in serous ovarian cancer. Elevated FAK mRNA levels in serous ovarian carcinoma are associated with decreased (logrank P = 0.0007, hazard ratio 1.43) patient overall survival, but how FAK functions in tumor progression remains undefined. We have isolated aggressive ovarian carcinoma cells termed ID8-IP after intraperitoneal (IP) growth of murine ID8 cells in C57Bl6 mice. Upon orthotopic implantation within the peri-ovarian bursa space, ID8-IP cells exhibit greater tumor growth, local and distant metastasis, and elevated numbers of ascites-associated cells compared to parental ID8 cells. ID8-IP cells exhibit enhanced growth under non-adherent conditions with elevated FAK and c-Src tyrosine kinase activation compared to parental ID8 cells. In vitro, the small molecule FAK inhibitor (Pfizer, PF562,271, PF-271) at 0.1 uM selectively prevented anchorage-independent ID8-IP cell growth with the inhibition of FAK tyrosine (Y)397 but not c-Src Y416 phosphorylation. Oral PF-271 administration (30 mg/kg, twice daily) blocked FAK but not c-Src tyrosine phosphorylation in ID8-IP tumors. This was associated with decreased tumor size, prevention of peritoneal metastasis, reduced tumor-associated endothelial cell number, and increased tumor cell-associated apoptosis. FAK knockdown and re-expression assays showed that FAK activity selectively promoted anchorage-independent ID8-IP cell survival. These results support the continued evaluation of FAK inhibitors as a promising clinical treatment for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy K. Ward
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Isabelle Tancioni
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Christine Lawson
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Nichol L.G. Miller
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Christine Jean
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Xiao Lei Chen
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Sean Uryu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Josephine Kim
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - David Tarin
- Department of Pathology, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Dwayne G. Stupack
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Steven C. Plaxe
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - David D. Schlaepfer
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093
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24
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Abstract
Syngeneic and transgenic mouse models are important tools for the study of the biology of cancer. While syngeneic mouse models are generated through the implantation in host animals of tumor cells from genetically and immunologically compatible donors, transgenic mouse models are engineered to express genetic material with oncogenic properties in predetermined location. We have developed a syngeneic mouse model of ovarian cancer permitting in vivo imaging in immunocompetent recipients by implanting ovaries with fluorescently labeled cancer cells that derived from a spontaneous ovarian tumor developing in a transgenic mouse model. Tumor cells were retrovirally transduced with a far-red fluorescent protein. This animal model combines the advantages of syngeneic and transgenic mouse models as it permits to both monitor tumor growth by in vivo imaging and to analyze the tumor microenvironment of an immunocompetent host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Nunez-Cruz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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25
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Garson K, Gamwell LF, Pitre EM, Vanderhyden BC. Technical challenges and limitations of current mouse models of ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2012. [PMID: 23190474 PMCID: PMC3537528 DOI: 10.1186/1757-2215-5-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of genetically engineered models (GEM) of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been very successful, with well validated models representing high grade and low grade serous adenocarcinomas and endometrioid carcinoma (EC). Most of these models were developed using technologies intended to target the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), the cell type long believed to be the origin of EOC. More recent evidence has highlighted what is likely a more prevalent role of the secretory cell of the fallopian tube in the ontogeny of EOC, however none of the GEM of EOC have demonstrated successful targeting of this important cell type. The precise technologies exploited to develop the existing GEM of EOC are varied and carry with them advantages and disadvantages. The use of tissue specific promoters to model disease has been very successful, but the lack of any truly specific OSE or oviductal secretory cell promoters makes the outcomes of these models quite unpredictable. Effecting genetic change by the administration of adenoviral vectors expressing Cre recombinase may alleviate the perceived need for tissue specific promoters, however the efficiencies of infection of different cell types is subject to numerous biological parameters that may lead to preferential targeting of certain cell populations. One important future avenue of GEM of EOC is the evaluation of the role of genetic modifiers. We have found that genetic background can lead to contrasting phenotypes in one model of ovarian cancer, and data from other laboratories have also hinted that the exact genetic background of the model may influence the resulting phenotype. The different genetic backgrounds may modify the biology of the tumors in a manner that will be relevant to human disease, but they may also be modifying parameters which impact the response of the host to the technologies employed to develop the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Garson
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada.
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26
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Hensley HH, Roder NA, O'Brien SW, Bickel LE, Xiao F, Litwin S, Connolly DC. Combined in vivo molecular and anatomic imaging for detection of ovarian carcinoma-associated protease activity and integrin expression in mice. Neoplasia 2012; 14:451-62. [PMID: 22787427 PMCID: PMC3394188 DOI: 10.1596/neo.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Most patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) experience drug-resistant disease recurrence. Identification of new treatments is a high priority, and preclinical studies in mouse models of EOC may expedite this goal. We previously developed methods for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for tumor detection and quantification in a transgenic mouse model of EOC. The goal of this study was to determine whether three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) and fluorescent molecular imaging probes could be effectively used for in vivo detection of ovarian tumors and response to therapy. Ovarian tumor-bearing TgMISIIR-TAg mice injected with fluorescent probes were subjected to MRI and FMT. Tumor-specific probe retention was identified in vivo by alignment of the 3D data sets, confirmed by ex vivo fluorescent imaging and correlated with histopathologic findings. Mice were treated with standard chemotherapy, and changes in fluorescent probe binding were detected by MRI and FMT. Ovarian tumors were detected using probes specific for cathepsin proteases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and integrin α(v)β(3). Cathepsin and integrin α(v)β(3) probe activation and retention correlated strongly with tumor volume. MMP probe activation was readily detected in tumors but correlated less strongly with tumor volume. Tumor regression associated with response to therapy was detected and quantified by serial MRI and FMT. These results demonstrate the feasibility and sensitivity of FMT for detection and quantification of tumor-associated biologic targets in ovarian tumors and support the translational utility of molecular imaging to assess functional response to therapy in mouse models of EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvey H Hensley
- Biological Imaging Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
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27
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Tang HY, Beer LA, Chang-Wong T, Hammond R, Gimotty P, Coukos G, Speicher DW. A xenograft mouse model coupled with in-depth plasma proteome analysis facilitates identification of novel serum biomarkers for human ovarian cancer. J Proteome Res 2011; 11:678-91. [PMID: 22032327 DOI: 10.1021/pr200603h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteomics discovery of novel cancer serum biomarkers is hindered by the great complexity of serum, patient-to-patient variability, and triggering by the tumor of an acute-phase inflammatory reaction. This host response alters many serum protein levels in cancer patients, but these changes have low specificity as they can be triggered by diverse causes. We addressed these hurdles by utilizing a xenograft mouse model coupled with an in-depth 4-D protein profiling method to identify human proteins in the mouse serum. This strategy ensures that identified putative biomarkers are shed by the tumor, and detection of low-abundance proteins shed by the tumor is enhanced because the mouse blood volume is more than a thousand times smaller than that of a human. Using TOV-112D ovarian tumors, more than 200 human proteins were identified in the mouse serum, including novel candidate biomarkers and proteins previously reported to be elevated in either ovarian tumors or the blood of ovarian cancer patients. Subsequent quantitation of selected putative biomarkers in human sera using label-free multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry (MS) showed that chloride intracellular channel 1, the mature form of cathepsin D, and peroxiredoxin 6 were elevated significantly in sera from ovarian carcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yao Tang
- Center for Systems and Computational Biology and Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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28
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Wu R, Hu TC, Rehemtulla A, Fearon ER, Cho KR. Preclinical testing of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling inhibitors in a mouse model of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2011; 17:7359-72. [PMID: 21903772 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-11-1388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of ovarian cancer that closely recapitulate their human tumor counterparts may be invaluable tools for preclinical testing of novel therapeutics. We studied murine ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas (OEA) arising from conditional dysregulation of canonical WNT and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway signaling to investigate their response to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs and mTOR or AKT inhibitors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN OEAs were induced by injection of adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase (AdCre) into the ovarian bursae of Apc(flox/flox); Pten(flox/flox) mice. Tumor-bearing mice or murine OEA-derived cell lines were treated with cisplatin and paclitaxel, mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, or AKT inhibitors API-2 or perifosine. Treatment effects were monitored in vivo by tumor volume and bioluminescence imaging, in vitro by WST-1 proliferation assays, and in OEA tissues and cells by immunoblotting and immunostaining for levels and phosphorylation status of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway components. RESULTS Murine OEAs developed within 3 weeks of AdCre injection and were not preceded by endometriosis. OEAs responded to cisplatin + paclitaxel, rapamycin, and AKT inhibitors in vivo. In vitro studies showed that response to mTOR and AKT inhibitors, but not conventional cytotoxic drugs, was dependent on the status of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. AKT inhibition in APC(-)/Pten(-) tumor cells resulted in compensatory upregulation of ERK signaling. CONCLUSIONS The studies show the utility of this GEM model of ovarian cancer for preclinical testing of novel PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling inhibitors and provide evidence for compensatory signaling, suggesting that multiple rather than single agent targeted therapy will be more efficacious for treating ovarian cancers with activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Wu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA
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29
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Bitler BG, Nicodemus JP, Li H, Cai Q, Wu H, Hua X, Li T, Birrer MJ, Godwin AK, Cairns P, Zhang R. Wnt5a suppresses epithelial ovarian cancer by promoting cellular senescence. Cancer Res 2011; 71:6184-94. [PMID: 21816908 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-1341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutics for this disease. Cellular senescence is an important tumor suppression mechanism that has recently been suggested as a novel mechanism to target for developing cancer therapeutics. Wnt5a is a noncanonical Wnt ligand that plays a context-dependent role in human cancers. Here, we investigate the role of Wnt5a in regulating senescence of EOC cells. We show that Wnt5a is expressed at significantly lower levels in human EOC cell lines and in primary human EOCs (n = 130) compared with either normal ovarian surface epithelium (n = 31; P = 0.039) or fallopian tube epithelium (n = 28; P < 0.001). Notably, a lower level of Wnt5a expression correlates with tumor stage (P = 0.003) and predicts shorter overall survival in EOC patients (P = 0.003). Significantly, restoration of Wnt5a expression inhibits the proliferation of human EOC cells both in vitro and in vivo in an orthotopic EOC mouse model. Mechanistically, Wnt5a antagonizes canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and induces cellular senescence by activating the histone repressor A/promyelocytic leukemia senescence pathway. In summary, we show that loss of Wnt5a predicts poor outcome in EOC patients and Wnt5a suppresses the growth of EOC cells by triggering cellular senescence. We suggest that strategies to drive senescence in EOC cells by reconstituting Wnt5a signaling may offer an effective new strategy for EOC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G Bitler
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
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30
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Quinn BA, Xiao F, Bickel L, Martin L, Hua X, Klein-Szanto A, Connolly DC. Development of a syngeneic mouse model of epithelial ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2010; 3:24. [PMID: 20958993 PMCID: PMC2974672 DOI: 10.1186/1757-2215-3-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 10/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most cases of ovarian cancer are epithelial in origin and diagnosed at advanced stage when the cancer is widely disseminated in the peritoneal cavity. The objective of this study was to establish an immunocompetent syngeneic mouse model of disseminated epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) to facilitate laboratory-based studies of ovarian tumor biology and preclinical therapeutic strategies. METHODS Individual lines of TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic mice were phenotypically characterized and backcrossed to inbred C57BL/6 mice. In addition to a previously described line of EOC-prone mice, two lines (TgMISIIR-TAg-Low) were isolated that express the oncogenic transgene, but have little or no susceptibility to tumor development. Independent murine ovarian carcinoma (MOVCAR) cell lines were established from the ascites of tumor-bearing C57BL/6 TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic mice, characterized and tested for engraftment in the following recipient mice: 1) severe immunocompromised immunodeficient (SCID), 2) wild type C57BL/6, 3) oophorectomized tumor-prone C57BL/6 TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic and 4) non-tumor prone C57BL/6 TgMISIIR-TAg-Low transgenic. Lastly, MOVCAR cells transduced with a luciferase reporter were implanted in TgMISIIR-TAg-Low mice and in vivo tumor growth monitored by non-invasive optical imaging. RESULTS Engraftment of MOVCAR cells by i.p. injection resulted in the development of disseminated peritoneal carcinomatosis in SCID, but not wild type C57BL/6 mice. Oophorectomized tumor-prone TgMISIIR-TAg mice developed peritoneal carcinomas with high frequency, rendering them unsuitable as allograft recipients. Orthotopic or pseudo-orthotopic implantation of MOVCAR cells in TgMISIIR-TAg-Low mice resulted in the development of disseminated peritoneal tumors, frequently accompanied by the production of malignant ascites. Tumors arising in the engrafted mice bore histopathological resemblance to human high-grade serous EOC and exhibited a similar pattern of peritoneal disease spread. CONCLUSIONS A syngeneic mouse model of human EOC was created by pseudo-orthotopic and orthotopic implantation of MOVCAR cells in a susceptible inbred transgenic host. This immunocompetent syngeneic mouse model presents a flexible system that can be used to study the consequences of altered gene expression (e.g., by ectopic expression or RNA interference strategies) in an established MOVCAR tumor cell line within the ovarian tumor microenvironment and for the development and analysis of preclinical therapeutic agents including EOC vaccines and immunotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget A Quinn
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine 1220 E. Broad Street Room 7003 Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Fang Xiao
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
| | - Laura Bickel
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
| | - Lainie Martin
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
| | - Xiang Hua
- Transgenic Facility Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
| | - Andres Klein-Szanto
- Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
| | - Denise C Connolly
- Women's Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA
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31
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Quinn BA, Brake T, Hua X, Baxter-Jones K, Litwin S, Ellenson LH, Connolly DC. Induction of ovarian leiomyosarcomas in mice by conditional inactivation of Brca1 and p53. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8404. [PMID: 20046879 PMCID: PMC2796165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately one out of every ten cases of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is inherited. The majority of inherited cases of EOC result from mutations in the breast cancer associated gene 1 (BRCA1). In addition to mutation of BRCA1, mutation of the p53 gene is often found in patients with inherited breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the role of loss of function of BRCA1 and p53 in ovarian cancer development using mouse models with conditionally expressed alleles of Brca1 and/or p53. Our results show that ovary-specific Cre-recombinase-mediated conditional inactivation of both Brca1(LoxP/LoxP) and p53(LoxP/LoxP) resulted in ovarian or reproductive tract tumor formation in 54% of mice, whereas conditional inactivation of either allele alone infrequently resulted in tumors (< or =5% of mice). In mice with conditionally inactivated Brca1(LoxP/LoxP) and p53(LoxP/LoxP), ovarian tumors arose after long latency with the majority exhibiting histological features consistent with high grade leiomyosarcomas lacking expression of epithelial, follicular or lymphocyte markers. In addition, tumors with conditional inactivation of both Brca1(LoxP/LoxP) and p53(LoxP/LoxP) exhibited greater genomic instability compared to an ovarian tumor with inactivation of only p53(LoxP/LoxP). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Although conditional inactivation of both Brca1 and p53 results in ovarian tumorigenesis, our results suggest that additional genetic alterations or alternative methods for targeting epithelial cells of the ovary or fallopian tube for conditional inactivation of Brca1 and p53 are required for the development of a mouse model of Brca1-associated inherited EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget A. Quinn
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tiffany Brake
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xiang Hua
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Samuel Litwin
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lora Hedrick Ellenson
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weil Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Denise C. Connolly
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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