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Santhanam M, Kumar Pandey S, Shteinfer-Kuzmine A, Paul A, Abusiam N, Zalk R, Shoshan-Barmatz V. Interaction of SMAC with a survivin-derived peptide alters essential cancer hallmarks: Tumor growth, inflammation, and immunosuppression. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1934-1955. [PMID: 38582961 PMCID: PMC11184343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspase (SMAC), also known as direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding proteins with low pI (Diablo), is known as a pro-apoptotic mitochondrial protein released into the cytosol in response to apoptotic signals. We recently reported SMAC overexpression in cancers as essential for cell proliferation and tumor growth due to non-apoptotic functions, including phospholipid synthesis regulation. These functions may be associated with its interactions with partner proteins. Using a peptide array with 768 peptides derived from 11 selected SMAC-interacting proteins, we identified SMAC-interacting sequences. These SMAC-binding sequences were produced as cell-penetrating peptides targeted to the cytosol, mitochondria, or nucleus, inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in several cell lines. For in vivo study, a survivin/baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5)-derived peptide was selected, due to its overexpression in many cancers and its involvement in mitosis, apoptosis, autophagy, cell proliferation, inflammation, and immune responses, as a target for cancer therapy. Specifically, a SMAC-targeting survivin/BIRC5-derived peptide, given intratumorally or intravenously, strongly inhibited lung tumor growth, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and inflammation, induced apoptosis, and remodeled the tumor microenvironment. The peptide promoted tumor infiltration of CD-8+ cells and increased cell-intrinsic programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, resulting in cancer cell self-destruction and increased tumor cell death, preserving immune cells. Thus, targeting the interaction between the multifunctional proteins SMAC and survivin represents an innovative therapeutic cancer paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manikandan Santhanam
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel; The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Swaroop Kumar Pandey
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel; The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Anna Shteinfer-Kuzmine
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Avijit Paul
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Nur Abusiam
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Ran Zalk
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel
| | - Varda Shoshan-Barmatz
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel; The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 0084105, Israel.
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2
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Wang Q, Greene MI. Survivin as a Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Human Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1705. [PMID: 38730657 PMCID: PMC11083197 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Survivin was initially identified as a member of the inhibitor apoptosis (IAP) protein family and has been shown to play a critical role in the regulation of apoptosis. More recent studies showed that survivin is a component of the chromosome passenger complex and acts as an essential mediator of mitotic progression. Other potential functions of survivin, such as mitochondrial function and autophagy, have also been proposed. Survivin has emerged as an attractive target for cancer therapy because its overexpression has been found in most human cancers and is frequently associated with chemotherapy resistance, recurrence, and poor survival rates in cancer patients. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of how survivin mediates various aspects of malignant transformation and drug resistance, as well as the efforts that have been made to develop therapeutics targeting survivin for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Mark I. Greene
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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3
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Kondapuram SK, Ramachandran HK, Arya H, Coumar MS. Targeting survivin for cancer therapy: Strategies, small molecule inhibitors and vaccine based therapeutics in development. Life Sci 2023; 335:122260. [PMID: 37963509 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Survivin is a member of the family of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). It is involved in the normal mitotic process and acts as an anti-apoptotic molecule. While terminally differentiated normal tissues lack survivin, several human malignancies have significant protein levels. Resistance to chemotherapy and radiation in tumor cells is associated with survivin expression. Decreased tumor development, apoptosis, and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiation are all effects of downregulating survivin expression or activity. As a prospective cancer treatment, small molecules targeting the transcription and translation of survivin and molecules that can directly bind with the survivin are being explored both in pre-clinical and clinics. Pre-clinical investigations have found and demonstrated the effectiveness of several small-molecule survivin inhibitors. Unfortunately, these inhibitors have also been shown to have off-target effects, which could limit their clinical utility. In addition to small molecules, several survivin peptide vaccines are currently under development. These vaccines are designed to elicit a cytotoxic T-cell response against survivin, which could lead to the destruction of tumor cells expressing survivin. Some survivin-based vaccines are advancing through Phase II clinical studies. Overall, survivin is a promising cancer drug target. However, challenges still need to be addressed before the survivin targeted therapies can be widely used in the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sree Karani Kondapuram
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Hema Kasthuri Ramachandran
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Hemant Arya
- Institute for Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Systems Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Mohane Selvaraj Coumar
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605014, India.
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4
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Li Y, Song Y, Liang Y. AREL1 resists the apoptosis induced by TGF-β by inhibiting SMAC in vascular endothelial cells. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2023; 37:e23439. [PMID: 37522329 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells is an important feature of arteriosclerosis (AS). Here, we induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and investigated the role of antiapoptotic E3 ubiquitin ligase (AREL1) in the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. We proved that AREL1 is downregulated in TGF-β treated HUVECs. The overexpression of AREL1 inhibits the activation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 and attenuates cell apoptosis induced by TGF-β. According to the result of coimmunoprecipitation, AREL1 interacts with the proapoptotic proteins the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (SMAC) in TGF-β treated HUVECs. In addition, miR-320b inhibits the expression of AREL1, and the overexpression of AREL1 attenuates the apoptosis induced by miR-320b mimics in HUVECs. In conclusion, AREL1 is downregulated by miR-320b. AREL1 overexpression inhibits TGF-β induced apoptosis through downregulating SMAC in vascular endothelial cells. Our study explores pathogenesis regulation mechanism and new biological therapeutic targets for vascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- Department of Medicine, Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yunhong Song
- Department of Medicine, Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yulian Liang
- Department of Medicine, Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
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5
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Dasari S, Pathak N, Thomas A, Bitla S, Kumar R, Munirathinam G. Neferine Targets the Oncogenic Characteristics of Androgen-Dependent Prostate Cancer Cells via Inducing Reactive Oxygen Species. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14242. [PMID: 37762540 PMCID: PMC10532349 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Castration resistance poses a significant challenge in the management of advanced prostate cancer (PCa), with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or chemotherapy being the primary treatment options. However, these approaches often lead to significant side effects and the development of therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it is crucial to explore novel treatment options that can efficiently target PCa, improve patient survival, and enhance their quality of life. Neferine (Nef), a bioactive compound derived from plants, has emerged as a promising candidate for cancer treatment due to its ability to induce apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest. In this study, we investigated the potential anticancer effects of Nef in androgen receptor (AR)-positive LNCaP and VCaP cells, representative models of androgen-dependent PCa. Our findings demonstrate that Nef effectively inhibits cell growth, proliferation, and the tumorigenic potential of androgen-dependent PCa cells. Furthermore, Nef treatment resulted in the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to the activation of key markers of autophagy and apoptosis. These results suggest that Nef has the potential to target the oncogenic characteristics of androgen-dependent PCa cells by exploiting the potency of ROS and inducing autophagy and apoptosis in AR-positive PCa cells. These findings shed light on the therapeutic potential of Nef as a novel treatment option with reduced side effects for androgen-dependent prostate cancer. Further investigations are warranted to assess its efficacy and safety in preclinical and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Dasari
- School of Medicine, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA;
| | - Nishtha Pathak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61108, USA; (N.P.); (A.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Amy Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61108, USA; (N.P.); (A.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Shreeja Bitla
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61108, USA; (N.P.); (A.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Raj Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan 173234, Himachal Pradesh, India;
| | - Gnanasekar Munirathinam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61108, USA; (N.P.); (A.T.); (S.B.)
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6
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Survivin Small Molecules Inhibitors: Recent Advances and Challenges. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031376. [PMID: 36771042 PMCID: PMC9919791 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Survivin, as a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) family, acts as a suppressor of apoptosis and plays a central role in cell division. Survivin has been considered as an important cancer drug target because it is highly expressed in many types of human cancers, while it is effectively absent from terminally differentiated normal tissues. Moreover, survivin is involved in tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. Preclinically, downregulation of survivin expression or function reduced tumor growth induced apoptosis and sensitized tumor cells to radiation and chemotherapy in different human tumor models. This review highlights the role of survivin in promoting cellular proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis and summarizes the recent advances in and challenges of developing small-molecule survivin inhibitors.
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7
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Pandey SK, Shteinfer-Kuzmine A, Chalifa-Caspi V, Shoshan-Barmatz V. Non-apoptotic activity of the mitochondrial protein SMAC/Diablo in lung cancer: Novel target to disrupt survival, inflammation, and immunosuppression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:992260. [PMID: 36185255 PMCID: PMC9515501 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.992260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial SMAC/Diablo induces apoptosis by binding the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), thereby activating caspases and, subsequently, apoptosis. Previously, we found that despite its pro-apoptotic activity, SMAC/Diablo is overexpressed in cancer, and demonstrated that in cancer it possesses new essential and non-apoptotic functions that are associated with regulating phospholipid synthesis including modulating mitochondrial phosphatidylserine decarboxylase activity. Here, we demonstrate additional functions for SMAC/Diablo associated with inflammation and immunity. CRISPR/Cas9 SMAC/Diablo-depleted A549 lung cancer cells displayed inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Proteomics analysis of these cells revealed altered expression of proteins associated with lipids synthesis and signaling, vesicular transport and trafficking, metabolism, epigenetics, the extracellular matrix, cell signaling, and neutrophil-mediated immunity. SMAC-KO A549 cell-showed inhibited tumor growth and proliferation and activated apoptosis. The small SMAC-depleted “tumor” showed a morphology of alveoli-like structures, reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and altered tumor microenvironment. The SMAC-lacking tumor showed reduced expression of inflammation-related proteins such as NF-kB and TNF-α, and of the PD-L1, associated with immune system suppression. These results suggest that SMAC is involved in multiple processes that are essential for tumor growth and progression. Thus, targeting SMAC’s non-canonical function is a potential strategy to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaroop Kumar Pandey
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Anna Shteinfer-Kuzmine
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Vered Chalifa-Caspi
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Varda Shoshan-Barmatz
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- *Correspondence: Varda Shoshan-Barmatz,
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8
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Zhang Z, Xiang S, Cui R, Peng H, Mridul R, Xiang M. ILP-2: A New Bane and Therapeutic Target for Human Cancers. Front Oncol 2022; 12:922596. [PMID: 35814477 PMCID: PMC9260022 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.922596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitor of apoptosis protein-related-like protein-2 (ILP-2), also known as BIRC-8, is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAPs) family, which mainly encodes the negative regulator of apoptosis. It is selectively overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and can help tumor cells evade apoptosis, promote tumor cell growth, increase tumor cell aggressiveness, and appears to be involved in tumor cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Several studies have shown that downregulation of ILP-2 expression increases apoptosis, inhibits metastasis, reduces cell growth potential, and sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, ILP-2 inhibits apoptosis in a unique manner; it does not directly inhibit the activity of caspases but induces apoptosis by cooperating with other apoptosis-related proteins. Here, we review the current understanding of the various roles of ILP-2 in the apoptotic cascade and explore the use of interfering ILP-2, and the combination of related anti-tumor agents, as a novel strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiliang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
| | - Siqi Xiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
| | - Ruxia Cui
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
| | - Hang Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
| | - Roy Mridul
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
| | - Mingjun Xiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- The State Ethnic Committee's Key Laboratory of Clinical Engineering Laboratory of Xiangxi Miao Pediatric Tuina, Jishou University, Jishou, China
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9
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Cianciosi D, Forbes-Hernández TY, Regolo L, Alvarez-Suarez JM, Quinzi D, Sargenti A, Bai W, Tian L, Giampieri F, Battino M. Manuka honey in combination with 5-Fluorouracil decreases physical parameters of colonspheres enriched with cancer stem-like cells and reduces their resistance to apoptosis. Food Chem 2021; 374:131753. [PMID: 34883427 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present work was to evaluate the in vitro effect of Manuka honey and its combination with 5-Fu, the most common drug used in the treatment of colon cancer, on the morphological and physical parameters of colonspheres enriched with cancer stem-like cells deriving from HCT-116 colon adenocarcinoma cell line and on the apoptosis rate. Manuka honey, alone and more in combination with 5-Fu, reduced the weight, the diameter and mass density of the spheroids and induced apoptosis through the downregulation of many apoptosis inhibitors, including IAPs (Livin, Survivin, XIAP), IGFs (IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-IR) and HSPs (HSP-27, HSP-60 and HSP-70). These results led to a reduction in the survival ability of cancer stem-like cells, as well as to a chemosensitizing effect of honey towards 5-Fu, considering that apoptosis resistance is one of the main causes of cancer stem-like cells chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila Cianciosi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Regolo
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy
| | - José M Alvarez-Suarez
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Alimentos. Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías. Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador 170157, Ecuador; Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, 170157, Ecuador; King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Denise Quinzi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy
| | - Azzurra Sargenti
- CellDynamics isrl, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Weibin Bai
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Center of Food Safety Molecular Rapid Detection, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Lingmin Tian
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Center of Food Safety Molecular Rapid Detection, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Francesca Giampieri
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Research Group on Food, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander 39011, Spain.
| | - Maurizio Battino
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy; Research Group on Food, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander 39011, Spain; International Joint Research Laboratory of Intelligent Agriculture and Agri-products Processing, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
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10
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Systematic Analysis of the Transcriptome Profiles and Co-Expression Networks of Tumour Endothelial Cells Identifies Several Tumour-Associated Modules and Potential Therapeutic Targets in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081768. [PMID: 33917186 PMCID: PMC8067977 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death, with tumour associated liver endothelial cells being thought to be major drivers in HCC progression. This study aims to compare the gene expression profiles of tumour endothelial cells from the liver with endothelial cells from non-tumour liver tissue, to identify perturbed biologic functions, co-expression modules, and potentially drugable hub genes that could give rise to novel therapeutic targets and strategies. Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) showed that cell growth-related pathways were upregulated, whereas apoptosis induction, immune and inflammatory-related pathways were downregulated in tumour endothelial cells. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified several modules strongly associated to tumour endothelial cells or angiogenic activated endothelial cells with high endoglin (ENG) expression. In tumour cells, upregulated modules were associated with cell growth, cell proliferation, and DNA-replication, whereas downregulated modules were involved in immune functions, particularly complement activation. In ENG+ cells, upregulated modules were associated with cell adhesion and endothelial functions. One downregulated module was associated with immune system-related functions. Querying the STRING database revealed known functional-interaction networks underlying the modules. Several possible hub genes were identified, of which some (for example FEN1, BIRC5, NEK2, CDKN3, and TTK) are potentially druggable as determined by querying the Drug Gene Interaction database. In summary, our study provides a detailed picture of the transcriptomic differences between tumour and non-tumour endothelium in the liver on a co-expression network level, indicates several potential therapeutic targets and presents an analysis workflow that can be easily adapted to other projects.
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11
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Park SH, Shin I, Kim YH, Shin I. Mitochondrial Cl --Selective Fluorescent Probe for Biological Applications. Anal Chem 2020; 92:12116-12119. [PMID: 32829639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Herein we describe the development of the first mitochondrial Cl--selective fluorescent probe, Mito-MQAE, and its applications in biological systems. Fluorescence of Mito-MQAE is insensitive to pH over the physiological pH range and is quenched by Cl- with a Stern-Volmer quenching constant of 201 M-1 at pH 7.0. The results of cell studies using Mito-MQAE show that substances with the ability to disrupt mitochondrial membranes cause increases in the mitochondrial Cl- concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hyun Park
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Insu Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Hyun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Injae Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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12
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Huang YH, Yeh CT. Functional Compartmentalization of HSP60-Survivin Interaction between Mitochondria and Cytosol in Cancer Cells. Cells 2019; 9:cells9010023. [PMID: 31861751 PMCID: PMC7016642 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and survivin reside in both the cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments under physiological conditions. They can form HSP60-survivin complexes through protein–protein interactions. Their expression levels in cancer tissues are positively correlated and higher expression of either protein is associated with poor clinical prognosis. The subcellular location of HSP60-survivin complex in either the cytosol or mitochondria is cell type-dependent, while the biological significance of HSP60-survivin interaction remains elusive. Current knowledge indicates that the function of HSP60 partly rests on where HSP60-survivin interaction takes place. HSP60 has a pro-survival function when binding to survivin in the mitochondria through interacting with other factors such as CCAR2 and p53. In response to cell death signals, mitochondrial survivin functions through preventing procaspase activation. Degradation of cytosolic survivin leads to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and aberrant mitosis processes. On the other hand, HSP60 release from mitochondria to cytosol upon death stimuli might exert a pro-death function, either through stabilizing Bax, enhancing procaspase-3 activation, or increasing protein ubiquitination. Combining the knowledge of mitochondrial HSP60-survivin complex function, cytosolic survivin degradation effect, and pro-death function upon mitochondria release of HSP60, a hypothetical scenario for HSP60-survivin shuttling upon death stimuli is proposed.
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13
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Li F, Aljahdali I, Ling X. Cancer therapeutics using survivin BIRC5 as a target: what can we do after over two decades of study? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:368. [PMID: 31439015 PMCID: PMC6704566 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Survivin (also named BIRC5) is a well-known cancer therapeutic target. Since its discovery more than two decades ago, the use of survivin as a target for cancer therapeutics has remained a central goal of survivin studies in the cancer field. Many studies have provided intriguing insight into survivin's functional role in cancers, thus providing promise for survivin as a cancer therapeutic target. Despite this, moving survivin-targeting agents into and through the clinic remains a challenge. In order to address this challenge, we may need to rethink current strategies in order to develop a new mindset for targeting survivin. In this Review, we will first summarize the current survivin mechanistic studies, and then review the status of survivin cancer therapeutics, which is classified into five categories: (i) survivin-partner protein interaction inhibitors, (ii) survivin homodimerization inhibitors, (iii) survivin gene transcription inhibitors, (iv) survivin mRNA inhibitors and (v) survivin immunotherapy. We will then provide our opinions on cancer therapeutics using survivin as a target, with the goal of stimulating discussion that might facilitate translational research for discovering improved strategies and/or more effective anticancer agents that target survivin for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi Li
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA. .,Developmental Therapeutics Program, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA.
| | - Ieman Aljahdali
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA.,Department of Cellular & Molecular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA
| | - Xiang Ling
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA.,Canget BioTekpharma LLC, Buffalo, New York, USA
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