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Xie X, Chauhan GB, Edupuganti R, Kogawa T, Park J, Tacam M, Tan AW, Mughees M, Vidhu F, Liu DD, Taliaferro JM, Pitner MK, Browning LS, Lee JH, Bertucci F, Shen Y, Wang J, Ueno NT, Krishnamurthy S, Hortobagyi GN, Tripathy D, Van Laere SJ, Bartholomeusz G, Dalby KN, Bartholomeusz C. Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase is Associated with Metastasis in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1078-1092. [PMID: 37377604 PMCID: PMC10281291 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has high relapse and metastasis rates and a high proportion of cancer stem-like cells (CSC), which possess self-renewal and tumor initiation capacity. MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase), a protein kinase of the Snf1/AMPK kinase family, is known to promote CSC maintenance and malignant transformation. However, the role of MELK in TNBC metastasis is unknown; we sought to address this in the current study. We found that MELK mRNA levels were higher in TNBC tumors [8.11 (3.79-10.95)] than in HR+HER2- tumors [6.54 (2.90-9.26)]; P < 0.001]. In univariate analysis, patients with breast cancer with high-MELK-expressing tumors had worse overall survival (P < 0.001) and distant metastasis-free survival (P < 0.01) than patients with low-MELK-expressing tumors. In a multicovariate Cox regression model, high MELK expression was associated with shorter overall survival after adjusting for other baseline risk factors. MELK knockdown using siRNA or MELK inhibition using the MELK inhibitor MELK-In-17 significantly reduced invasiveness, reversed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and reduced CSC self-renewal and maintenance in TNBC cells. Nude mice injected with CRISPR MELK-knockout MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited suppression of lung metastasis and improved overall survival compared with mice injected with control cells (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MELK-In-17 suppressed 4T1 tumor growth in syngeneic BALB/c mice (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that MELK supports metastasis by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the CSC phenotype in TNBC. Significance These findings indicate that MELK is a driver of aggressiveness and metastasis in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Gaurav B. Chauhan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ramakrishna Edupuganti
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Takahiro Kogawa
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jihyun Park
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Moises Tacam
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alex W. Tan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mohd Mughees
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Fnu Vidhu
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Diane D. Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Juliana M. Taliaferro
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Mary Kathryn Pitner
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Luke S. Browning
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Ju-Hyeon Lee
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - François Bertucci
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Research Cancer Center, INSERM U1068, CNRS U7258, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Yu Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Savitri Krishnamurthy
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gabriel N. Hortobagyi
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Debu Tripathy
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steven J. Van Laere
- Center for Oncological Research, Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Wilrijk
- Department Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geoffrey Bartholomeusz
- Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Chandra Bartholomeusz
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Szymański Ł, Lieto K, Zdanowski R, Lewicki S, Tassan JP, Kubiak JZ. Differential Effects of Overexpression of Wild Type and Kinase-Dead MELK in Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes, Potential Implications for Skin Wound Healing and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098089. [PMID: 37175795 PMCID: PMC10179274 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098089] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK) plays a significant role in cell cycle progression, mitosis, cell migration, cell renewal, gene expression, embryogenesis, proliferation, apoptosis, and spliceosome assembly. In addition, MELK is known to be overexpressed in multiple types of cancer and is associated with cancer proliferation. Tumorigenesis shares many similarities with wound healing, in which the rate of cell proliferation is a critical factor. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the involvement of MELK in the regulation of cell division in two cell types involved in this process, namely fibroblasts and keratinocytes. We examined how temporal overexpression of wild-type and kinase-dead MELK kinase variants affect the rate of proliferation, viability, cell cycle, and phosphorylation state of other kinases involved in these processes, such as ERK1/2, AKT1, MAPK9, p38, and p53. We explored if MELK could be used as a therapeutic stimulator of accelerated wound healing via increased proliferation. We observed that aberrant expression of MELK results in abnormal proliferation, altered cell cycle distribution, and decreased viability of the cells, which challenge the utility of MELK in accelerated wound healing. Our results indicate that, at least in healthy cells, any deviation from precisely controlled MELK expression is harmful to fibroblasts and keratinocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Szymański
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
| | - Krystyna Lieto
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
| | - Robert Zdanowski
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sławomir Lewicki
- Institute of Outcomes Research, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medical Academy, 03-411 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Medical Sciences and Health Sciences, Kazimierz Pulaski University of Technology and Humanities in Radom, 26-600 Radom, Poland
| | - Jean-Pierre Tassan
- Dynamics and Mechanics of Epithelia Group, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, University Rennes, UMR 6290, 35043 Rennes, France
| | - Jacek Z Kubiak
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
- Dynamics and Mechanics of Epithelia Group, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, University Rennes, UMR 6290, 35043 Rennes, France
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3
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Tang BF, Yan RC, Wang SW, Zeng ZC, Du SS. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase in tumor cell and tumor microenvironment: Emerging player and promising therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Lett 2023; 560:216126. [PMID: 36933780 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216126] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a member of the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) protein family, which is widely and highly expressed in multiple cancer types. Through direct and indirect interactions with other proteins, it mediates various cascades of signal transduction processes and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell survival, growth, invasion and migration and other biological functions. Interestingly, MELK also plays an important role in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, which can not only predict the responsiveness of immunotherapy, but also affect the function of immune cells to regulate tumor progression. In addition, more and more small molecule inhibitors have been developed for the target of MELK, which exert important anti-tumor effects and have achieved excellent results in a number of clinical trials. In this review, we outline the structural features, molecular biological functions, potential regulatory mechanisms and important roles of MELK in tumors and tumor microenvironment, as well as substances targeting MELK. Although many molecular mechanisms of MELK in the process of tumor regulation are still unknown, it is worth affirming that MELK is a potential tumor molecular therapeutic target, and its unique superiority and important role provide clues and confidence for subsequent basic research and scientific transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu-Fu Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruo-Chen Yan
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Si-Wei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao-Chong Zeng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Suo Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China.
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Ren L, Guo JS, Li YH, Dong G, Li XY. Structural classification of MELK inhibitors and prospects for the treatment of tumor resistance: A review. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113965. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Pereira BJA, Oba-Shinjo SM, Aguiar PHPD, Almeida AND, Paiva WDS, Marie SKN. Aquaporin-4 Expression in Meningioma Malignancy Progression. ARQUIVOS BRASILEIROS DE NEUROCIRURGIA: BRAZILIAN NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives The aim of the present study is to analyze if aquaporin-4 (AQP4) may also be a tumor progression marker for meningiomas.
Methods This is an immunohistochemistry study realized at the Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, state of São Paulo, Brazil: frozen meningioma samples from 81 patients (57 females and 24 males, age range from 22 to 81 years old, average 56.5 ± 14.1 years old), including 57 meningiomas World Health Organization (WHO) grade I (GI); 19 grade II (GII), and 5 grade III (GIII) were analyzed. The relative expression level of AQP4 was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), using the SYBR Green approach and for staining detection. Tissue sections were routinely processed and subjected to antigen retrieval.
Results The expression of AQP4 in meningioma samples ranged from 0 to 10.26, with a median of 0.001 in GI cases, of 0.008 in GII cases, and of 0.006 in GIII cases. Although not statistically significant (p = 0.942), GI meningiomas have a lower median AQP4 expression level than higher malignant grade cases.
Conclusion The AQP4 gene and protein expressions presented no association with meningioma malignant progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sueli M. Oba-Shinjo
- Department of Neurology, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular LIM15, Escola de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Henrique Pires de Aguiar
- Centro Universitário Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, Brazil
| | - Antonio Nogueira de Almeida
- Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- IPQ Functional Neurosurgery Division, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie
- Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Department of Neurology, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular LIM15, Escola de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Center for the Study of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Zeng J, Hua S, Liu J, Mungur R, He Y, Feng J. Identification of core genes as potential biomarkers for predicting progression and prognosis in glioblastoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:928407. [PMID: 36238156 PMCID: PMC9552700 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.928407] [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: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Glioblastoma is a common malignant neuroepithelial neoplasm with poor clinical outcomes and limited treatment options. It is extremely important to search and confirm diverse hub genes that are effective in the advance and prediction of glioblastoma. Methods: We analyzed GSE50161, GSE4290, and GSE68848, the three microarray datasets retrieved from the GEO database. GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using DAVID. The PPI network of the DEGs was analyzed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Hub genes were identified through the PPI network and a robust rank aggregation method. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Oncomine database were used to validate the hub genes. In addition, a survival curve analysis was conducted to verify the correlation between the expression of hub genes and patient prognosis. Human glioblastoma cells and normal cells were collected, and then RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence were conducted to validate the expression of the NDC80 gene. A cell proliferation assay was used to detect the proliferation of glioma cells. The effects of NDC80 expression on migration and invasion of GBM cell lines were evaluated by conducting scratch and transwell assays. Results: A total of 716 DEGs were common to all three microarray datasets, which included 188 upregulated DEGs and 528 downregulated DEGs. Furthermore, we found that among the common DEGs, 10 hub genes showed a high degree of connectivity. The expression of the 10 hub genes in TCGA and the Oncomine database was significantly overexpressed in glioblastoma compared with normal genes. Additionally, the survival analysis showed that the patients with low expression of six genes (BIR5C, CDC20, NDC80, CDK1, TOP2A, and MELK) had a significantly favorable prognosis (p < 0.01). We discovered that NDC80, which has been shown to be important in other cancers, also has an important role in malignant gliomas. The RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence results showed that the expression level of NDC80 was significantly higher in human glioblastoma cells than in normal cells. Moreover, we identified that NDC80 increased the proliferation and invasion abilities of human glioblastoma cells. Conclusion: The six genes identified here may be utilized to form a panel of disease progression and predictive biomarkers of glioblastoma for clinical purposes. NDC80, one of the six genes, was discovered to have a potentially important role in GBM, a finding that needs to be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Zeng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Zeng,
| | - Shushan Hua
- Department of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Rajneesh Mungur
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongsheng He
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiugeng Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Laurentino TDS, Soares RDS, Marie SKN, Oba-Shinjo SM. Correlation of Matrisome-Associatted Gene Expressions with LOX Family Members in Astrocytomas Stratified by IDH Mutation Status. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179507. [PMID: 36076905 PMCID: PMC9455728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cell infiltrative ability into surrounding brain tissue is a characteristic of diffusely infiltrative astrocytoma and is strongly associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Collagens are the most abundant ECM scaffolding proteins and contribute to matrix organization and stiffness. LOX family members, copper-dependent amine oxidases, participate in the collagen and elastin crosslinking that determine ECM tensile strength. Common IDH mutations in lower-grade gliomas (LGG) impact prognosis and have been associated with ECM stiffness. We analyzed the expression levels of LOX family members and matrisome-associated genes in astrocytoma stratified by malignancy grade and IDH mutation status. A progressive increase in expression of all five LOX family members according to malignancy grade was found. LOX, LOXL1, and LOXL3 expression correlated with matrisome gene expressions. LOXL1 correlations were detected in LGG with IDH mutation (IDHmut), LOXL3 correlations in LGG with IDH wild type (IDHwt) and strong LOX correlations in glioblastoma (GBM) were found. These increasing correlations may explain the increment of ECM stiffness and tumor aggressiveness from LGG-IDHmut and LGG-IDHwt through to GBM. The expression of the mechanosensitive transcription factor, β-catenin, also increased with malignancy grade and was correlated with LOXL1 and LOXL3 expression, suggesting involvement of this factor in the outside–in signaling pathway.
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Zhang J, Lin H, Hou L, Xiao H, Gong X, Guo X, Cao X, Liu Z. Exploration of the breast ductal carcinoma in situ signature and its prognostic implications. Cancer Med 2022; 12:3758-3772. [PMID: 35880695 PMCID: PMC9939111 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the implementation of breast screening programs, the occurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as an early type of neoplasia has increased. Although the prognosis is promising, 20%-50% of DCIS patients will progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) if not treated. It is essential to look for promising biomarkers for predicting DCIS prognosis. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to explore the expression of genes that differed between DCIS and normal tissue in this investigation. Enrichment analysis was performed to characterize the biological role and intrinsic process pathway. The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Cancer Dataset was used to categorize the hub genes, and the results were confirmed using the Cytoscape plugin CytoHubba and MCODE. The prognostic ability of the core gene signature was determined through time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Kaplan-Meier survival curve, Oncomine databases, and UALCAN databases. In addition, the prognostic value of core genes was verified in proliferation assays. We identified 217 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the present study, with 101 upregulated and 138 downregulated genes. The top genes were obtained from the PPI network (protein-protein interaction). A unique six-gene signature (containing GAPDH, CDH2, BIRC5, NEK2, IDH2, and MELK) was developed for DCIS prognostic prediction. Centered on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, the ROC curve showed strong results in prognosis prediction. The six core gene signatures is often overexpressed in DCIS, with a weak prognosis. Furthermore, when breast cancer cells are transfected with small interfering RNAs, downregulation of core gene expression substantially inhibits cell proliferation, revealing a high potential for employing core genes in DCIS prognosis. In conclusion, the current investigation verified the six core genes signatures for prospective DCIS biomarkers, which may aid clinical decision-making for individual care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhang
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Hui Lin
- The First Department of Breast CancerTianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of EducationTianjinChina,Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical UniversityTaizhouChina
| | - Lei Hou
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Hui Xiao
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xilong Gong
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xuhui Guo
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xuchen Cao
- The First Department of Breast CancerTianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of EducationTianjinChina
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
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Maksoud S. The DNA Double-Strand Break Repair in Glioma: Molecular Players and Therapeutic Strategies. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:5326-5365. [PMID: 35696013 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02915-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gliomas are the most frequent type of tumor in the central nervous system, which exhibit properties that make their treatment difficult, such as cellular infiltration, heterogeneity, and the presence of stem-like cells responsible for tumor recurrence. The response of this type of tumor to chemoradiotherapy is poor, possibly due to a higher repair activity of the genetic material, among other causes. The DNA double-strand breaks are an important type of lesion to the genetic material, which have the potential to trigger processes of cell death or cause gene aberrations that could promote tumorigenesis. This review describes how the different cellular elements regulate the formation of DNA double-strand breaks and their repair in gliomas, discussing the therapeutic potential of the induction of this type of lesion and the suppression of its repair as a control mechanism of brain tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semer Maksoud
- Experimental Therapeutics and Molecular Imaging Unit, Department of Neurology, Neuro-Oncology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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10
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Liu J, He Y, Li C, Zhou R, Yuan Q, Hou J, Wu G. Increased KIAA0101 gene expression associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2022; 10:4009-4019. [PMID: 35116699 PMCID: PMC8797655 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-20-3064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background Breast cancer (BC) has long been a major death threat facing women worldwide. With the development of comprehensive treatment methods, the prognosis of BC was improved but still unsatisfactory. This study was aimed to identify the key genes in BC tumorigenesis and investigate potential prognostic predictors. Methods Differential expression genes were analyzed in TCGA BRCA dataset using Genevestigator software. The expression profile of target gene was explored, and the correlations between selected genes with important clinical parameters were evaluated as well. The prognostic values of target genes were also carried out through Kaplan-Meier plotter OncoLnc and BC gene-expression miner. Results KIAA0101 gene was selected for further analysis from the differential expression genes identified. At both mRNA and protein levels, the expression of KIAA0101 in BC was higher than that in normal tissues. Further analysis indicated that overexpression of KIAA0101 was significantly correlated with worse clinical outcome parameters. KIAA0101 was highly expressed in older patients, in the luminal group, and in patients with advanced stages. Moreover, BC patients with elevated KIAA0101 expression had worse overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Conclusions Taken together, KIAA0101 could be considered as a diagnostic biomarker or predictor for BC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang Liu
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yukun He
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chengxin Li
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qianqian Yuan
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinxuan Hou
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gaosong Wu
- Department of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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11
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Sun H, Ma H, Zhang H, Ji M. Up-regulation of MELK by E2F1 promotes the proliferation in cervical cancer cells. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:3875-3888. [PMID: 34671205 PMCID: PMC8495384 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.62517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a common gynecologic cancer and a frequent cause of death. In this study, we investigated the role of MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase) in cervical cancer. We found that HPV 18 E6/E7 promoted MELK expression by activating E2F1. MELK knockdown blocked cancer cells growth. Furthermore, we used MELK-8A to inhibit the kinase activity of MELK and caused the G2/M phase arrest of cancer cells. Under the treatment of inhibitors, Hela cells formed multipolar spindles and eventually underwent apoptosis. We also found that MELK is involved in protein translation and folding during cell division through the MELK interactome and the temporal proteomic analysis under inhibition with MELK-8A. Altogether, these results suggest that MELK may play a vital role in cancer cell proliferation and indicate a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhi Sun
- Department of Orthopaedics, Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital affiliated to Nantong University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210048, China
| | - Hongmei Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ma'anshan People's Hospital, Ma'anshan, Anhui, 243000, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, China
| | - Minjun Ji
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, China.,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, China
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12
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Liu LJ, Liao JM, Zhu F. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen clamp associated factor, a potential proto-oncogene with increased expression in malignant gastrointestinal tumors. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:1425-1439. [PMID: 34721775 PMCID: PMC8529917 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i10.1425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including malignancies in the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion, represent the leading cause of death worldwide due to the poor prognosis of most GI cancers. An investigation into the potential molecular targets of prediction, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in GI cancers is urgently required. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) clamp associated factor (PCLAF), which plays an essential role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation by binding to PCNA, is a potential molecular target of GI cancers as it contributes to a series of malignant properties, including tumorigenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, PCLAF is an underlying plasma prediction target in colorectal cancer and liver cancer. In addition to GI cancers, PCLAF is also involved in other types of cancers and autoimmune diseases. Several pivotal pathways, including the Rb/E2F pathway, NF-κB pathway, and p53-p21 cascade, are implicated in PCLAF-mediated diseases. PCLAF also contributes to some diseases through dysregulation of the p53 pathway, WNT signal pathway, MEK/ERK pathway, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal cascade. This review mainly describes in detail the role of PCLAF in physiological status and GI cancers. The signaling pathways involved in PCLAF are also summarized. Suppression of the interaction of PCLAF/PCNA or the expression of PCLAF might be potential biological therapeutic strategies for GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jian-Ming Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
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13
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Maniam S, Maniam S. Small Molecules Targeting Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189722. [PMID: 34575883 PMCID: PMC8465612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted chemotherapy has become the forefront for cancer treatment in recent years. The selective and specific features allow more effective treatment with reduced side effects. Most targeted therapies, which include small molecules, act on specific molecular targets that are altered in tumour cells, mainly in cancers such as breast, lung, colorectal, lymphoma and leukaemia. With the recent exponential progress in drug development, programmed cell death, which includes apoptosis and autophagy, has become a promising therapeutic target. The research in identifying effective small molecules that target compensatory mechanisms in tumour cells alleviates the emergence of drug resistance. Due to the heterogenous nature of breast cancer, various attempts were made to overcome chemoresistance. Amongst breast cancers, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is of particular interest due to its heterogeneous nature in response to chemotherapy. TNBC represents approximately 15% of all breast tumours, however, and still has a poor prognosis. Unlike other breast tumours, signature targets lack for TNBCs, causing high morbidity and mortality. This review highlights several small molecules with promising preclinical data that target autophagy and apoptosis to induce cell death in TNBC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subashani Maniam
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (S.M.); Tel.: +613-9925-5688 (S.M.); +60-397692322 (S.M.)
| | - Sandra Maniam
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (S.M.); Tel.: +613-9925-5688 (S.M.); +60-397692322 (S.M.)
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14
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Xia C, Xu X, Ding Y, Yu C, Qiao J, Liu P. Abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated protein enhances cell invasion through Wnt/β-catenin-dependent regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer cells. J Thorac Dis 2021; 13:2460-2474. [PMID: 34012593 PMCID: PMC8107535 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-21-566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer worldwide, invasion and metastasis are still the bottleneck in the clinical setting. More diagnostic markers and drug targets need to be clarified. Therefore, we screened abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated protein (ASPM) as our candidate gene, which is associated with the poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to understand the roles of ASPM in cell invasion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datamining was used to identify ASPM. Transwell invasion assay, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western blot analysis were performed to discover the molecular functions of ASPM. Overexpression and small interfering mediated knockdown techniques have been used to study the cell invasion hallmarks of cancer. Results ASPM stood out among all the candidate genes from GEO datamining. ASPM in lung cancer tissues has been associated with poor overall survival rate. The protein levels of ASPM has been validated using lung cancer patients’ tissues, which upregulation of ASPM expression has been found in lung cancer patients. Silencing of ASPM decreased the cell invasion reflected by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers: downregulation of vimentin and upregulation of E-cadherin. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2/9 protein levels were also affected upon transient knockdown of ASPM. Furthermore, the suppression of ASPM markedly inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in vitro. The ectopic expression of ASPM had the opposite effect. The inhibition of β-catenin in ASPM-overexpressing lung cancer cells reduced the expression of EMT markers. The inhibitory effects on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were attenuated in cancer cells when ASPM was silenced. These findings demonstrated that the silencing of ASPM strongly reduced cell invasion in lung cancer. Conclusions ASPM promoted NSCLC invasion through EMT and by affecting the MMP family of proteins. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway played an indispensable role in the ASPM-mediated NSCLC EMT-invasion cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwei Xia
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiyan Ding
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cunjun Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianbing Qiao
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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15
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Lopes MB, Martins EP, Vinga S, Costa BM. The Role of Network Science in Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1045. [PMID: 33801334 PMCID: PMC7958335 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Network science has long been recognized as a well-established discipline across many biological domains. In the particular case of cancer genomics, network discovery is challenged by the multitude of available high-dimensional heterogeneous views of data. Glioblastoma (GBM) is an example of such a complex and heterogeneous disease that can be tackled by network science. Identifying the architecture of molecular GBM networks is essential to understanding the information flow and better informing drug development and pre-clinical studies. Here, we review network-based strategies that have been used in the study of GBM, along with the available software implementations for reproducibility and further testing on newly coming datasets. Promising results have been obtained from both bulk and single-cell GBM data, placing network discovery at the forefront of developing a molecularly-informed-based personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta B. Lopes
- Center for Mathematics and Applications (CMA), FCT, UNL, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- NOVA Laboratory for Computer Science and Informatics (NOVA LINCS), FCT, UNL, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Eduarda P. Martins
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (E.P.M.); (B.M.C.)
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057/4805-017 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Susana Vinga
- INESC-ID, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal;
- IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Bruno M. Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (E.P.M.); (B.M.C.)
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057/4805-017 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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16
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Mohamed EA, Ismail NSM, Hagras M, Refaat H. Medicinal attributes of pyridine scaffold as anticancer targeting agents. FUTURE JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s43094-020-00165-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The heterocyclic compounds particularly pyridine displayed clinical and biological implementation. Pyridine scaffolds have been detected in most relevant drug molecules that included pyridine provided a great possibility for treatment.
Main text
Pyridine-containing compounds have increasing importance for medicinal application as antiviral, anticholinesterase activities, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anticancer. This has generated concern among researchers in synthesising a variety of pyridine derivatives.
Conclusion
This review focuses on different pyridine targets as anticancer and their pharmacophoric elements controlling its activity.
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17
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Moretti IF, Lerario AM, Trombetta-Lima M, Sola PR, da Silva Soares R, Oba-Shinjo SM, Marie SKN. Late p65 nuclear translocation in glioblastoma cells indicates non-canonical TLR4 signaling and activation of DNA repair genes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1333. [PMID: 33446690 PMCID: PMC7809124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79356-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive brain primary malignancy. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has a dual role in cell fate, promoting cell survival or death depending on the context. Here, we analyzed TLR4 expression in different grades of astrocytoma, and observed increased expression in tumors, mainly in GBM, compared to non-neoplastic brain tissue. TLR4 role was investigated in U87MG, a GBM mesenchymal subtype cell line, upon LPS stimulation. p65 nuclear translocation was observed in late phase, suggesting TLR4-non-canonical pathway activation. In fact, components of ripoptosome and inflammasome cascades were upregulated and they were significantly correlated in GBMs of the TCGA-RNASeq dataset. Moreover, an increased apoptotic rate was observed when the GBM-derived U87MG cells were co-treated with LPS and Temozolomide (TMZ) in comparison to TMZ alone. Increased TLR4 immunostaining was detected in nuclei of U87MG cells 12 h after LPS treatment, concomitant to activation of DNA repair genes. Time-dependent increased RAD51, FEN1 and UNG expression levels were confirmed after LPS stimulation, which may contribute to tumor cell fitness. Moreover, the combined treatment with the RAD51 inhibitor, Amuvatinib in combination with, TMZ after LPS stimulation reduced tumor cell viability more than with each treatment alone. In conclusion, our results suggest that stimulation of TLR4 combined with pharmacological inhibition of the DNA repair pathway may be an alternative treatment for GBM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabele F Moretti
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Antonio M Lerario
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marina Trombetta-Lima
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paula R Sola
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roseli da Silva Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sueli M Oba-Shinjo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Suely K N Marie
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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18
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Discovery of a new molecule inducing melanoma cell death: dual AMPK/MELK targeting for novel melanoma therapies. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:64. [PMID: 33431809 PMCID: PMC7801734 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03344-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the search of biguanide-derived molecules against melanoma, we have discovered and developed a series of bioactive products and identified the promising new compound CRO15. This molecule exerted anti-melanoma effects on cells lines and cells isolated from patients including the ones derived from tumors resistant to BRAF inhibitors. Moreover, CRO15 was able to decrease viability of cells lines from a broad range of cancer types. This compound acts by two distinct mechanisms. First by activating the AMPK pathway induced by a mitochondrial disorder. Second by inhibition of MELK kinase activity, which induces cell cycle arrest and activation of DNA damage repair pathways by p53 and REDD1 activation. All of these mechanisms activate autophagic and apoptotic processes resulting in melanoma cell death. The strong efficacy of CRO15 to reduce the growth of melanoma xenograft sensitive or resistant to BRAF inhibitors opens interesting perspective.
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19
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Cabral de Carvalho Corrêa D, Dias Oliveira I, Mascaro Cordeiro B, Silva FA, de Seixas Alves MT, Saba-Silva N, Capellano AM, Dastoli P, Cavalheiro S, Caminada de Toledo SR. Abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated (ASPM) gene expression in posterior fossa brain tumors of childhood and adolescence. Childs Nerv Syst 2021; 37:137-145. [PMID: 32591873 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-04740-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In neurogenesis, ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated) gene is expressed mainly in the ventricular zone of posterior fossa and is the major determinant in the cerebral cortex. Besides its role in embryonic development, ASPM overexpression promotes tumor growth, including central nervous system (CNS) tumors. This study aims to investigate ASPM expression levels in most frequent posterior fossa brain tumors of childhood and adolescence: medulloblastoma (MB), ependymoma (EPN), and astrocytoma (AS), correlating them with clinicopathological characteristics and tumor solid portion size. METHODS Quantitative reverse transcription (qRT-PCR) is used to quantify ASPM mRNA levels in 80 pre-treatment tumor samples: 28 MB, 22 EPN, and 30 AS. The tumor solid portion size was determined by IOP-GRAACC Diagnostic Imaging Center. We correlated these findings with clinicopathological characteristics and tumor solid portion size. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that ASPM gene was overexpressed in MB (p = 0.007) and EPN (p = 0.0260) samples. ASPM high expression was significantly associated to MB samples from patients with worse overall survival (p = 0.0123) and death due to disease progression (p = 0.0039). Interestingly, two patients with AS progressed toward higher grade showed ASPM overexpression (p = 0.0046). No correlation was found between the tumor solid portion size and ASPM expression levels in MB (p = 0.1154 and r = - 0.4825) and EPN (p = 0.1108 and r = - 0.3495) samples. CONCLUSION Taking in account that ASPM gene has several functions to support cell proliferation, as mitotic defects and premature differentiation, we suggest that its overexpression, presumably, plays a critical role in disease progression of posterior fossa brain tumors of childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Cabral de Carvalho Corrêa
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Morphology and Genetics, Division of Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Indhira Dias Oliveira
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bruna Mascaro Cordeiro
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Frederico Adolfo Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Imaging Diagnosis, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa de Seixas Alves
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Pathology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nasjla Saba-Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andrea Maria Capellano
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Dastoli
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Cavalheiro
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Neurology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia Regina Caminada de Toledo
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology Institute-GRAACC, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. .,Department of Morphology and Genetics, Division of Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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20
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Urbanavičiūtė R, Skauminas K, Skiriutė D. The Evaluation of AREG, MMP-2, CHI3L1, GFAP, and OPN Serum Combined Value in Astrocytic Glioma Patients' Diagnosis and Prognosis. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110872. [PMID: 33227903 PMCID: PMC7699177 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliomas account for approximately 70% of primary brain tumors in adults. Of all gliomas, grade IV astrocytoma, also called glioblastoma, has the poorest overall survival, with <5% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. Due to the aggressiveness, lethal nature, and impaired surgical accessibility of the tumor, early diagnosis of the tumor and, in addition, prediction of the patient's survival time are important. We hypothesize that combining the protein level values of highly recognizable glioblastoma serum biomarkers could help to achieve higher specificity and sensitivity in predicting glioma patient outcome as compared to single markers. The aim of this study was to select the most promising astrocytoma patient overall survival prediction variables from five secretory proteins-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1), osteopontin (OPN), and amphiregulin (AREG)-combining them with routinely used tumor markers to create a Patient Survival Score calculation tool. The study group consisted of 70 astrocytoma patients and 31 healthy controls. We demonstrated that integrating serum CHI3L1 and OPN protein level values and tumor isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 IDH1 mutational status into one parameter could predict low-grade astrocytoma patients' two-year survival with 93.8% accuracy.
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21
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McDonald IM, Graves LM. Enigmatic MELK: The controversy surrounding its complex role in cancer. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8195-8203. [PMID: 32350113 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.013433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ser/Thr protein kinase MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase) has been considered an attractive therapeutic target for managing cancer since 2005. Studies using expression analysis have indicated that MELK expression is higher in numerous cancer cells and tissues than in their normal, nonneoplastic counterparts. Further, RNAi-mediated MELK depletion impairs proliferation of multiple cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and these growth defects can be rescued with exogenous WT MELK, but not kinase-dead MELK complementation. Pharmacological MELK inhibition with OTS167 (alternatively called OTSSP167) and NVS-MELK8a, among other small molecules, also impairs cancer cell growth. These collective results led to MELK being classified as essential for cancer proliferation. More recently, in 2017, the proliferation of TNBC and other cancer cell lines was reported to be unaffected by genetic CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MELK deletion, calling into question the essentiality of this kinase in cancer. To date, the requirement of MELK in cancer remains controversial, and mechanisms underlying the disparate growth effects observed with RNAi, pharmacological inhibition, and CRISPR remain unclear. Our objective with this review is to highlight the evidence on both sides of this controversy, to provide commentary on the purported requirement of MELK in cancer, and to emphasize the need for continued elucidation of the functions of MELK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lee M Graves
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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22
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Zhang Z, Sun C, Li C, Jiao X, Griffin BB, Dongol S, Wu H, Zhang C, Cao W, Dong R, Yang X, Zhang Q, Kong B. Upregulated MELK Leads to Doxorubicin Chemoresistance and M2 Macrophage Polarization via the miR-34a/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:453. [PMID: 32391256 PMCID: PMC7188922 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with few therapeutic options. Chemoresistance prevails as a major hurdle in treating this malignancy, yet the mechanism of chemoresistance remains largely unclear. In this study, we certified MELK as a poor prognostic marker through bioinformatic analysis of the GEO database. Cellular experiments in vitro revealed that MELK played an essential role in ULMS cells' chemoresistance and that a high expression of MELK could lead to doxorubicin resistance. mRNA profiling uncovered the pathways that MELK was involved in which led to doxorubicin resistance. MELK was found to affect ULMS cells' chemoresistance through an anti-apoptotic mechanism via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. miRNA profiling also revealed that upregulated MELK could induce the decrease of miRNA-34a (regulated by JAK2/STAT3 pathway). We detected that MELK overexpression could induce M2 macrophage polarization via the miR-34a/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, contributing to doxorubicin chemoresistance in the tumor microenvironment. OTSSP167, a MELK inhibitor, may increase ULMS sensitivity to doxorubicin. Our investigation could propose novel targets for early diagnosis and precision therapy in ULMS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Chenggong Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Chengcheng Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Xinlin Jiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Brannan B Griffin
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Samina Dongol
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Chenyi Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Wenyu Cao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Ruifen Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Xingsheng Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Beihua Kong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
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Chen P, Wang J, Wang X, Chen X, Li C, Tan T. Cloning, tissue distribution, expression pattern, and function of porcine maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:239. [PMID: 32309386 PMCID: PMC7154462 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2020.03.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is an atypical member of the snf1/AMPK family of serine-threonine kinases, involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, embryogenesis, cancer treatment resistance, and RNA processing. MELK is highly expressed in human cancers and is associated with more aggressive forms of astrocytoma, glioblastoma, breast cancer, and melanoma to date, no information about porcine MELK (pMELK) has been reported. Methods In this study, the pMELK coding sequence was cloned from swine spleen and characterized. We also quantitatively determined the expression of MELK in 11 tissues isolated from a piglet and determined its subcellular localization when expressed in swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVEC) as a fusion protein. Moreover, we report the functional characterization of pMELK protein concerning its role in apoptosis. Results Sequencing analysis showed that full-length of pMELK is 2,072 bp with 17 exons, encoding 655 amino acids, including an S-TKc conserved domain. Comparison of pMELK with ten other mammalian species of their orthologous sequences showed >91% homology and an evolutionary distance <0.05, demonstrating that MELK is highly conserved in evolution. Relative quantification of MELK expression in 11 tissue samples isolated from 30-day-old piglets showed MELK expression in all tested organs and the highest expression in the superficial inguinal lymph node. Constructed a plasmid named pEGFP-MELK, and the fusion protein GFP-MELK was successfully expressed in SUVECs. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the subcellular distribution of the fusion protein GFP-MELK was limited to the cytoplasm. About function, Flow cytometry analysis showed that overexpression of GFP-pMELK in SUVEC cells enhances staurosporine (STS)—induced apoptosis, but not significantly different. The pMELK protein also was found to interact with porcine BCL-G and transient transfection of the recombinant plasmid pCMV-HA-pMELK into SUVEC cells stably expressing GFP-pBCL-G protein inhibited pBCL-G -induced apoptosis significantly. Conclusions The present study provided useful information on pMELK basic details and function in apoptosis offer a potential new molecular model for disease interventions and disease related to human MELK and BCL-G.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyuan Chen
- Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Jiaqiang Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xingye Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chunling Li
- Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Taichang Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
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Xu Q, Ge Q, Zhou Y, Yang B, Yang Q, Jiang S, Jiang R, Ai Z, Zhang Z, Teng Y. MELK promotes Endometrial carcinoma progression via activating mTOR signaling pathway. EBioMedicine 2020; 51:102609. [PMID: 31915116 PMCID: PMC7000338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies among women. Maternal embryonic leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) is upregulated in a variety of human tumors, where it contributes to malignant phenotype and correlates with a poor prognosis. However, the biological function of MELK in EC progression remains largely unknown. Methods We explored the MELK expression in EC using TCGA and GEO databases and verified it using clinical samples by IHC methods. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, cell cycle assay, wound healing assay and subcutaneous xenograft mouse model were generated to estimate the functions of MELK and its inhibitor OTSSP167. qRT-PCR, western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were performed to uncover the underlying mechanism concerning MELK during the progression of EC. Findings MELK was significantly elevated in patients with EC, and high expression of MELK was associated with serous EC, high histological grade, advanced clinical stage and reduced overall survival and disease-free survival. MELK knockdown decreased the ability of cell proliferation and migration in vitro and subcutaneous tumorigenesis in vivo. In addition, high expression of MELK could be regulated by transcription factor E2F1. Moreover, we found that MELK had a direct interaction with MLST8 and then activated mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathway for EC progression. Furthermore, OTSSP167, an effective inhibitor, could inhibit cell proliferation driven by MELK in vivo and vitro assays. Interpretation We have explored the crucial role of the E2F1/MELK/mTORC1/2 axis in the progression of EC, which could be served as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of EC. Funding This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No:81672565), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant NO:17ZR1421400 to Dr. Zhihong Ai) and the fundamental research funds for central universities (No: 22120180595).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyang Xu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Qiulin Ge
- Centre of assisted reproduction, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, PR China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Bikang Yang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Qin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Shuheng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Rongzhen Jiang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Zhihong Ai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Yincheng Teng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
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25
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Chen Y, Zhang W, Kadier A, Zhang H, Yao X. MicroRNA-769-5p suppresses cell growth and migration via targeting NUSAP1 in bladder cancer. J Clin Lab Anal 2020; 34:e23193. [PMID: 31901150 PMCID: PMC7246360 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) has been identified to be strongly implicated in the carcinogenesis of cervical carcinoma, breast cancer, and liver cancer, and shows a high expression level in bladder cancer, indicating that NUSAP1 might be a potent target for cancer treatment. Using bioinformatics methods, we found that NUSAP1 was a putative target of miR-769-5p. Here, we aimed to explore whether miR-769-5p is involved in bladder cancer progression via targeting NUSAP1. METHODS MiR-769-5p expression patterns in bladder cancer tissues and cells were detected by RT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier was used to determine the clinical effects of miR-769-5p expression levels on the overall survival of bladder cancer patients. Bioinformatics methods were used to predict the binding sites between miR-769-5p and NUSAP1, which was verified by the luciferase gene reporter assay. CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing and transwell chamber experiments were performed to test cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion capacities. RESULTS miR-769-5p was lowly expressed in bladder cancer tissues and cells, which was closely associated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of miR-769-5p induced significant repressions in cell growth, migration, and invasion and caused an obvious increase in cell apoptosis, whereas these tendencies were reversed when NUSAP1 was upregulated. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that miR-769-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in bladder cancer via targeting NUSAP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Chen
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wentao Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aimaitiaji Kadier
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haimin Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xudong Yao
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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26
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Zhang H, Wei P, Lv W, Han X, Yang J, Qin S, Zhang Y. MELK is Upregulated in Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Promotes Disease Progression by Phosphorylating PRAS40. Cell Transplant 2019; 28:37S-50S. [PMID: 31813279 PMCID: PMC7016465 DOI: 10.1177/0963689719890860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. However, stage IV ccRCC is generally incurable and its molecular mechanism has not yet been fully clarified. In this study, in order to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between stage IV and stage I ccRCC specimens, we initially analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE73731). We found that maternal and embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is upregulated in stage IV ccRCC samples and that upregulation of MELK is significantly correlated with advanced disease status. Furthermore, both loss and gain-of-function assays strengthen the evidence that MELK enforces the malignant phenotype of ccRCC cells through over-activating the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Mechanistically, we verified that the oncogenic effect of MELK occurs through phosphorylating PRAS40, an inhibitory subunit of mTORC1, and through disrupting the interaction between PRAS40 and raptor. In summary, these results elucidate the important role of MELK in the progression of ccRCC and indicate that MELK may be a novel regulator of ccRCC progression by over-activating the mTORC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Pengtao Wei
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Wenwei Lv
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Xingtao Han
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Jinhui Yang
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Shuaifeng Qin
- Urology Department, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Wang R, Chen Y, Yang B, Yu S, Zhao X, Zhang C, Hao C, Zhao D, Cheng M. Design, synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling of novel 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives as potential anti-tumor agents. Bioorg Chem 2019; 94:103474. [PMID: 31859010 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A class of 3-substituted 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro biological activities against maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK). Among these derivatives, the optimized compound 16h exhibited potent enzyme inhibition (IC50 = 32 nM) and excellent anti-proliferative effect with IC50 values from 0.109 μM to 0.245 μM on A549, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. The results of flow cytometry indicated that 16h promoted apoptosis of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner and effectively arrested A549 cells in the G0/G1 phase. Further investigation indicated that compound 16h potently suppressed the migration of A549 cells, had moderate stability in rat liver microsomes and showed moderate inhibitory activity against various subtypes of human cytochrome P450. However, compound 16h is a multi-target kinase inhibitor and recently several studies reported MELK expression is not required for cancer growth, suggesting that compound 16h suppressed the proliferation and migration of cancer cells should through an off-target mechanism. Collectively, compound 16h has the potential to serve as a new lead compound for further anticancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yixuan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Bowen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Sijia Yu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiangxin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Cai Zhang
- The School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutical, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Chenzhou Hao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dongmei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
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Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase is a novel target for diffuse large B cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. Blood Cancer J 2019; 9:87. [PMID: 31740676 PMCID: PMC6861269 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-019-0249-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are among the most aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) plays a role in cancer cell cycle progression and is associated with poor prognosis in several cancer cell types. In this study, the role of MELK in DLBCL and MCL and the therapeutic potential of MELK targeting is evaluated. MELK is highly expressed in DLBCL and MCL patient samples, correlating with a worse clinical outcome in DLBCL. Targeting MELK, using the small molecule OTSSP167, impaired cell growth and survival and induced caspase-mediated apoptosis in the lymphoma cells. Western blot analysis revealed that MELK targeting decreased the phosphorylation of FOXM1 and the protein levels of EZH2 and several mitotic regulators, such as Cdc25B, cyclin B1, Plk-1, and Aurora kinases. In addition, OTSSP167 also sensitized the lymphoma cells to the clinically relevant Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax by strongly reducing Mcl1 levels. Finally, OTSSP167 treatment of A20-inoculated mice resulted in a significant prolonged survival. In conclusion, targeting MELK with OTSSP167 induced strong anti-lymphoma activity both in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that MELK could be a potential new target in these aggressive B cell malignancies.
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29
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Rembacz KP, Zrubek KM, Golik P, Michalik K, Bogusz J, Wladyka B, Romanowska M, Dubin G. Crystal structure of Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) in complex with dorsomorphin (Compound C). Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 671:1-7. [PMID: 31108049 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) is overexpressed in various tumors which has been convincingly linked to tumor cell survival. As such, MELK became an interesting target for pharmacological intervention. In this study we present the crystal structure of MELK in complex with dorsomorphin, an inhibitor of VEGFR and AMPK. By defining the mechanistic details of ligand recognition we identify a key residue (Cys89) at the hinge region of MELK responsible for positioning of the ligand at the catalytic pocket. This conclusion is supported by kinetic characterization of Cys89 mutants which show decreased affinity towards both ATP and dorsomorphin. The detailed binding mode of dorsomorphin characterized in this study defines a minimal requirement for MELK ligands, a valuable information for future rational design of inhibitors based on entirely new scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof P Rembacz
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Karol M Zrubek
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Golik
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Jozefina Bogusz
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Benedykt Wladyka
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Romanowska
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Dubin
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387, Krakow, Poland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland.
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A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of UBE2C in Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092228. [PMID: 31067633 PMCID: PMC6539744 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination is one of the main post-translational modification of proteins. It plays key roles in a broad range of cellular functions, including protein degradation, protein interactions, and subcellular location. In the ubiquitination system, different proteins are involved and their dysregulation can lead to various human diseases, including cancers. By using data available from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases, we here show that the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, E2C (UBE2C), is overexpressed in all 27 cancers we investigated. UBE2C expression is significantly higher in late-stage tumors, which might indicate its involvement in tumor progression and invasion. This study also revealed that patients with higher UBE2C levels showed a shorter overall survival (OS) time and worse OS prognosis. Moreover, our data show that UBE2C higher-expression leads to worse disease-free survival prognosis (DFS), indicating that UBE2C overexpression correlates with poor clinical outcomes. We also identified genes with positive correlations with UBE2C in several cancers. We found a number of poorly studied genes (family with sequence similarity 72-member D, FAM72D; meiotic nuclear divisions 1, MND1; mitochondrial fission regulator 2, MTFR2; and POC1 centriolar protein A, POC1A) whose expression correlates with UBE2C. These genes might be considered as new targets for cancers therapies since they showed overexpression in several cancers and correlate with worse OS prognosis.
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31
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Wang Y, Ju L, Xiao F, Liu H, Luo X, Chen L, Lu Z, Bian Z. Downregulation of nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 expression suppresses liver cancer cell function. Exp Ther Med 2019; 17:2969-2978. [PMID: 30936967 PMCID: PMC6434240 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.7314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the role of nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1 (NuSAP1) in human liver cancer. NuSAP1 expression was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent tissues. The expression of NuSAP1 gene was detected by RT-qPCR in liver cancer cell lines. Expression information for NuSAP1 was determined using the UALCAN and Oncomine databases. The Kaplan-Meier plotter and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases were used to obtain overall survival data for liver cancer. Liver cancer cell lines HepG2 and Huh-7 were transfected with lentiviral particles to silence the endogenous NuSAP1 gene expression. RT-qPCR and western blotting were performed to confirm the silencing efficiency. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to estimate the effects of NuSAP1 silencing on HepG2 and Huh-7 cell proliferation. Cell cycle and apoptosis analyses were performed using flow cytometry. Cell invasion was assessed using the Transwell assay with microscopy imaging. The results revealed that the NuSAP1 expression levels in HCC tissues were significantly increased compared with the adjacent tissues. The survival time of patients with HCC with a high NuSAP1 expression was markedly decreased compared with that of patients with HCC with a low expression level of NuSAP1. Functional studies revealed that NuSAP1 silencing significantly reduced HepG2 and Huh-7 cell proliferation and invasion. Increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase were observed following NuSAP1 knockdown. NuSAP1 silencing significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of DNA methyltransferase but not glioma-associated oncogene. NuSAP1 contributed to liver cancer development by reducing apoptosis and promoting cell cycle progression. The abnormal expression level of NuSAP1 may serve a role in promoting liver cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- Nantong Institute of Liver Disease, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226006, P.R. China
| | - Linling Ju
- Nantong Institute of Liver Disease, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226006, P.R. China
| | - Feng Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226000, P.R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200233, P.R. China
| | - Xi Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226000, P.R. China
| | - Lin Chen
- Nantong Institute of Liver Disease, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226006, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Department of Liver Disease, Wuxi Fifth People's Hospital, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214013, P.R. China
| | - Zhaolian Bian
- Nantong Institute of Liver Disease, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226006, P.R. China
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Boutard N, Sabiniarz A, Czerwińska K, Jarosz M, Cierpich A, Kolasińska E, Wiklik K, Gluza K, Commandeur C, Buda A, Stasiowska A, Bobowska A, Galek M, Fabritius CH, Bugaj M, Palacz E, Mazan A, Zarębski A, Krawczyńska K, Żurawska M, Zawadzki P, Milik M, Węgrzyn P, Dobrzańska M, Brzózka K, Kowalczyk P. 5-Keto-3-cyano-2,4-diaminothiophenes as selective maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 29:607-613. [PMID: 30626559 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.12.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is involved in several key cellular processes and displays increased levels of expression in numerous cancer classes (colon, breast, brain, ovary, prostate and lung). Although no selective MELK inhibitors have yet been approved, increasing evidence suggest that inhibition of MELK would constitute a promising approach for cancer therapy. A weak high-throughput screening hit (17, IC50 ≈ 5 μM) with lead-like properties was optimized for MELK inhibition. The early identification of a plausible binding mode by molecular modeling offered guidance in the choice of modifications towards compound 52 which displayed a 98 nM IC50. A good selectivity profile was achieved for a representative member of the series (29) in a 486 protein kinase panel. Future elaboration of 52 has the potential to deliver compounds for further development with chemotherapeutic aims.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anna Cierpich
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | - Anna Buda
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | | | | | - Mariusz Galek
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Marta Bugaj
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | - Edyta Palacz
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrzej Mazan
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | - Mariusz Milik
- Selvita S.A, Bobrzyńskiego, 14, 30-338 Kraków, Poland
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33
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Zhang X, Pan Y, Fu H, Zhang J. Nucleolar and Spindle Associated Protein 1 (NUSAP1) Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Enhances Susceptibility to Epirubicin In Invasive Breast Cancer Cells by Regulating Cyclin D Kinase (CDK1) and DLGAP5 Expression. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:8553-8564. [PMID: 30476929 PMCID: PMC6278864 DOI: 10.12659/msm.910364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of IBC were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) chip data: GSE21422 and GSE21974. Network analysis of the DEGs and IBC-related genes was performed in STRING database to find the core gene. Thus, this study aimed to determine the role of NUSAP1 in invasive breast cancer (IBC) and to investigate its effect on drug susceptibility to epirubicin (E-ADM). Material/Methods The mRNA expression of NUSAP1 was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). The protein expression was detected by Western blotting. Cell growth and growth cycle were detected by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell migration and invasion were tested by Transwell assay. Results Through use of gene network analysis, we found that NUSAP1 interacts with IBC-related genes. NUSAP1 presented high expression in IBC tissue samples and MCF-7 cells. NUSAP1 overexpression promoted the growth, migration, and invasion of MCF-7 cells. While NUSAP1 gene silencing downregulated the expression of genes associated with cell cycle progression in G2/M phase, cyclin D kinase (CDK1) and DLGAP5 arrested cells in G2/M phase and significantly inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of MCF-7 cells. si-NUSAP1 increased the susceptibility of MCF-7 cells to E-ADM-induced apoptosis. Conclusions Our study provides evidence that downregulation of NUSAP1 can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of IBC cells by regulating CDK1 and DLGAP5 expression and enhances the drug susceptibility to E-ADM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (mainland)
| | - Yuliang Pan
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (mainland)
| | - Huiqun Fu
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (mainland)
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (mainland)
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34
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Liu Z, Guan C, Lu C, Liu Y, Ni R, Xiao M, Bian Z. High NUSAP1 expression predicts poor prognosis in colon cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2018; 214:968-973. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2018.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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35
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Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Zhang Y, Kar A, Razzaghi R, Xu M, Gowan K, Raeburn CD, Albuja-Cruz M, Jones KL, Somerset H, Fishbein L, Leong S, Wierman ME. Elucidating the Role of the Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase in Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Endocrinology 2018; 159:2532-2544. [PMID: 29790920 PMCID: PMC6669820 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer with a 5-year survival rate <35%. Mortality remains high due to lack of targeted therapies. Using bioinformatic analyses, we identified maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) as 4.1-fold overexpressed in ACC compared with normal adrenal samples. High MELK expression in human tumors correlated with shorter survival and with increased expression of genes involved in cell division and growth. We investigated the functional effects of MELK inhibition using newly developed ACC cell lines with variable MELK expression, CU-ACC1 and CU-ACC2, compared with H295R cells. In vitro treatment with the MELK inhibitor, OTSSP167, resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in rates of cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell survival, with relative sensitivity of each ACC cell line based upon the level of MELK overexpression. To confirm a MELK-specific antitumorigenic effect, MELK was inhibited in H295R cells via multiple short hairpin RNAs. MELK silencing resulted in 1.9-fold decrease in proliferation, and 3- to 10-fold decrease in colony formation in soft agar and clonogenicity assays, respectively. In addition, although MELK silencing had no effect on survival in normoxia, exposure to a hypoxia resulted in a sixfold and eightfold increase in apoptosis as assessed by caspase-3 activation and TUNEL, respectively. Together these data suggest that MELK is a modulator of tumor cell growth and survival in a hypoxic microenvironment in adrenal cancer cells and support future investigation of its role as a therapeutic kinase target in patients with ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Research Service Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
| | - Yu Zhang
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Adwitiya Kar
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Raud Razzaghi
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Mei Xu
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Katherine Gowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | | | - Maria Albuja-Cruz
- Department of Surgery, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Hilary Somerset
- Department of Pathology, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Lauren Fishbein
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Research Service Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
| | - Stephen Leong
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Margaret E Wierman
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Research Service Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
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36
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Moretti IF, Franco DG, de Almeida Galatro TF, Oba-Shinjo SM, Marie SKN. Plasmatic membrane toll-like receptor expressions in human astrocytomas. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199211. [PMID: 29912993 PMCID: PMC6005538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the first to identify disturbances in the immune system, recognizing pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Since the inflammation process plays an important role in several diseases, TLRs have been considered potential therapeutic targets, including treatment for cancer. However, TLRs’ role in cancer remains ambiguous. This study aims to analyze the expression levels of plasmatic cell membrane TLRs (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR6) in human astrocytomas the most prevalent tumors of CNS different grades (II-IV). We demonstrated that TLR expressions were higher in astrocytoma samples compared to non-neoplastic brain tissue. The gene and protein expressions were observed in GBM cell lines U87MG and A172, proving their presence in the tumor cells. Associated expressions between the known heterodimers TLR1-TLR2 were found in all astrocytoma grades. In GBMs, the mesenchymal subtype showed higher levels of TLR expressions in relation to classical and proneural subtypes. A strong association of TLRs with the activation of cell cycle process and signaling through canonical, inflammasome and ripoptosome pathways was observed by in silico analysis, further highlighting TLRs as interesting targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabele Fattori Moretti
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM 15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| | - Daiane Gil Franco
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM 15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil
| | - Thais Fernanda de Almeida Galatro
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM 15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil
| | - Sueli Mieko Oba-Shinjo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM 15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil
| | - Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LIM 15), Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil
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37
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Gong X, Chen Z, Han Q, Chen C, Jing L, Liu Y, Zhao L, Yao X, Sun X. Sanguinarine triggers intrinsic apoptosis to suppress colorectal cancer growth through disassociation between STRAP and MELK. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:578. [PMID: 29783958 PMCID: PMC5963096 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4463-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies showed sanguinarine induced apoptosis in CRC cells but did not define the underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this work was to determine the in vivo and in vitro effects of sanguinarine on CRC tumors and to elucidate the mechanism in regulating the intrinsic apoptosis. Methods Cell viability of CRC cell lines treated with sanguinarine was measured by MTT assay. Apoptotic cells stained with Annexin V and 7-AAD were detected by flow cytometry. Mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed by JC-1 and DCFH-DA staining, respectively. The in vitro kinase activity of MELK was analyzed by using HTRF® KinEASE™-STK kit. The expression of proteins were determined using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorecence were used to study the interaction between STRAP and MELK. The anti-neoplastic effect of sanguinarine was observed in vivo in an orthotopic CRC model. Results Sanguinarine decreased the tumor size in a dose-dependent manner in orthotopical colorectal carcinomas through intrinsic apoptosis pathway in BALB/c-nu mice. It significantly increased cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP in implanted colorectal tissues. Sanguinarine increased mitochondrial ROS and triggered mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization in multiple colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. NAC pretreatment lowered ROS level and downregulated apoptosis induced by sanguinarine. The intrinsic apoptosis induced by sanguinarine was Bax-dependent. The elevated expression and association between serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein (STRAP) and maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) were observed in Bax positive cells but not in Bax negative cells. Sanguinarine dephosphorylated STRAP and MELK and disrupted the association between them in HCT116 and SW480 cells. The expression and association between STRAP and MELK were also attenuated by sanguinarine in the tumor tissues. Importantly, we found that STRAP and MELK were overexpressed and highly phosphorylated in colorectal adenocarcinomas and their expression were significantly correlated with tumor stages. Furthermore, the expression of MELK, but not STRAP, was associated with lymph node metastasis. Conclusions Sanguinarine dephosphorelates STRAP and MELK and disassociates the interaction between them to trigger intrinsic apoptosis. Overexpression of STRAP and MELK may be markers of CRC and their disassociation may be a determinant of therapeutic efficacy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4463-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianling Gong
- The key laboratory of molecular biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510515), China.,School of pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, Dongguan, (523808), China
| | - Zhihong Chen
- School of pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, Dongguan, (523808), China
| | - Qinrui Han
- The key laboratory of molecular biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510515), China
| | - Chunhui Chen
- The key laboratory of molecular biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510515), China
| | - Linlin Jing
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510315), China
| | - Yawei Liu
- Nanfang hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, (510515), China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Nanfang hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, (510515), China
| | - Xueqing Yao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, (510120), China.
| | - Xuegang Sun
- The key laboratory of molecular biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510515), China. .,Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, (510315), China.
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38
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Gordon CA, Gong X, Ganesh D, Brooks JD. NUSAP1 promotes invasion and metastasis of prostate cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 8:29935-29950. [PMID: 28404898 PMCID: PMC5444715 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously identified nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) as a prognostic biomarker in early stage prostate cancer. To better understand the role of NUSAP1 in prostate cancer progression, we tested the effects of increased and decreased NUSAP1 expression in cell lines, in vivo models, and patient samples. NUSAP1 promotes invasion, migration, and metastasis, possibly by modulating family with sequence similarity 101 member B (FAM101B), a transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) signaling effector involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our findings provide insights into the importance of NUSAP1 in prostate cancer progression and provide a rationale for further study of NUSAP1 function, regulation, and clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Gordon
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Xue Gong
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Durga Ganesh
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - James D Brooks
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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39
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Jurmeister S, Ramos-Montoya A, Sandi C, Pértega-Gomes N, Wadhwa K, Lamb AD, Dunning MJ, Attig J, Carroll JS, Fryer LG, Felisbino SL, Neal DE. Identification of potential therapeutic targets in prostate cancer through a cross-species approach. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 10:e8274. [PMID: 29437778 PMCID: PMC5840539 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201708274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models of cancer can be used to filter genome-wide expression datasets generated from human tumours and to identify gene expression alterations that are functionally important to cancer development and progression. In this study, we have generated RNAseq data from tumours arising in two established mouse models of prostate cancer, PB-Cre/PtenloxP/loxP and p53loxP/loxPRbloxP/loxP, and integrated this with published human prostate cancer expression data to pinpoint cancer-associated gene expression changes that are conserved between the two species. To identify potential therapeutic targets, we then filtered this information for genes that are either known or predicted to be druggable. Using this approach, we revealed a functional role for the kinase MELK as a driver and potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer. We found that MELK expression was required for cell survival, affected the expression of genes associated with prostate cancer progression and was associated with biochemical recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jurmeister
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Chiranjeevi Sandi
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nelma Pértega-Gomes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karan Wadhwa
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alastair D Lamb
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Urology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark J Dunning
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jan Attig
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jason S Carroll
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lee Gd Fryer
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sérgio L Felisbino
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - David E Neal
- Uro-oncology Research Group, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Urology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
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40
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Settleman J, Sawyers CL, Hunter T. Challenges in validating candidate therapeutic targets in cancer. eLife 2018; 7:e32402. [PMID: 29417929 PMCID: PMC5805407 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 30 published articles have suggested that a protein kinase called MELK is an attractive therapeutic target in human cancer, but three recent reports describe compelling evidence that it is not. These reports highlight the caveats associated with some of the research tools that are commonly used to validate candidate therapeutic targets in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tony Hunter
- Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
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41
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Zhou S, Li GB, Luo L, Zhong L, Chen K, Li H, Jiang XJ, Fu Q, Long X, Bao JK. Structure-based discovery of new maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase inhibitors. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 16:1489-1495. [PMID: 29411820 DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02344h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The new MELK inhibitor16showed no inhibitory effect on cancer growth, but can suppress the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, a key kinase in regulating cancer cell migration and invasion.
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42
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Guan S, Lu J, Zhao Y, Yu Y, Li H, Chen Z, Shi Z, Liang H, Wang M, Guo K, Chen X, Sun W, Bieerkehazhi S, Xu X, Sun S, Agarwal S, Yang J. MELK is a novel therapeutic target in high-risk neuroblastoma. Oncotarget 2017; 9:2591-2602. [PMID: 29416794 PMCID: PMC5788662 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is known to modulate intracellular signaling and control cellular processes. However, the role of MELK in oncogenesis is not well defined. In this study, using two microarray datasets of neuroblastoma (NB) patients, we identified that MELK expression is significantly correlated to poor overall survival, unfavorable prognosis, and high-risk status. We found that MELK is a direct transcription target of MYCN and MYC in NB, and MYCN increases MELK expression via direct promoter binding. Interestingly, knockdown of MELK expression significantly reduced the phosphorylation of target protein Retinoblastoma (pRb) and inhibited NB cell growth. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of MELK activity by small-molecule inhibitor OTSSP167 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, anchorage-independent colony formation, blocked cell cycle progression, and induced apoptosis in different NB cell lines including a drug-resistant cell line. Additionally, OTSSP167 suppressed NB tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Overall, our data suggest that MELK is a novel therapeutic target for NB and its inhibitor OTSSP167 is a promising drug for further clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Guan
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.,Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jiaxiong Lu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yanling Zhao
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yang Yu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Zhenghu Chen
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhongcheng Shi
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Haoqian Liang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mopei Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Tumor Chemotherapy and Radiation Sickness, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kevin Guo
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiangmei Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wenjing Sun
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Shayahati Bieerkehazhi
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xin Xu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Surong Sun
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
| | - Saurabh Agarwal
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianhua Yang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Bolomsky A, Heusschen R, Schlangen K, Stangelberger K, Muller J, Schreiner W, Zojer N, Caers J, Ludwig H. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase is a novel target for proliferation-associated high-risk myeloma. Haematologica 2017; 103:325-335. [PMID: 29122991 PMCID: PMC5792277 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2017.172973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of high-risk patients is a major challenge in multiple myeloma. This is especially true for patients assigned to the gene expression profiling-defined proliferation subgroup. Although recent efforts have identified some key players of proliferative myeloma, genetic interactions and players that can be targeted with clinically effective drugs have to be identified in order to overcome the poor prognosis of these patients. We therefore examined maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) for its implications in hyper-proliferative myeloma and analyzed the activity of the MELK inhibitor OTSSP167 both in vitro and in vivoMELK was found to be significantly overexpressed in the proliferative subgroup of myeloma. This finding translated into poor overall survival in patients with high vs low MELK expression. Enrichment analysis of upregulated genes in myeloma cells of MELKhigh patients confirmed the strong implications in myeloma cell proliferation. Targeting MELK with OTSSP167 impaired the growth and survival of myeloma cells, thereby affecting central survival factors such as MCL-1 and IRF4 This activity was also observed in the 5TGM.1 murine model of myeloma. OTSSP167 reduced bone marrow infiltration and serum paraprotein levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we revealed a strong link between MELK and other proliferation-associated high-risk genes (PLK-1, EZH2, FOXM1, DEPDC1) and MELK inhibition also impaired the expression of those genes. We therefore conclude that MELK is an essential component of a proliferative gene signature and that pharmacological inhibition of MELK represents an attractive novel approach to overcome the poor prognosis of high-risk patients with a proliferative expression pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Bolomsky
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Department of Medicine I, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roy Heusschen
- Laboratory of Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Karin Schlangen
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Section for Biosimulation and Bioinformatics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria and
| | - Kathrin Stangelberger
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Department of Medicine I, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Wolfgang Schreiner
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Section for Biosimulation and Bioinformatics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria and
| | - Niklas Zojer
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Department of Medicine I, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jo Caers
- Laboratory of Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Belgium .,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University and CHU of Liège, Belgium
| | - Heinz Ludwig
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Department of Medicine I, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
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Huang HT, Seo HS, Zhang T, Wang Y, Jiang B, Li Q, Buckley DL, Nabet B, Roberts JM, Paulk J, Dastjerdi S, Winter GE, McLauchlan H, Moran J, Bradner JE, Eck MJ, Dhe-Paganon S, Zhao JJ, Gray NS. MELK is not necessary for the proliferation of basal-like breast cancer cells. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28926338 PMCID: PMC5605198 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Thorough preclinical target validation is essential for the success of drug discovery efforts. In this study, we combined chemical and genetic perturbants, including the development of a novel selective maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) inhibitor HTH-01-091, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MELK knockout, a novel chemical-induced protein degradation strategy, RNA interference and CRISPR interference to validate MELK as a therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancers (BBC). In common culture conditions, we found that small molecule inhibition, genetic deletion, or acute depletion of MELK did not significantly affect cellular growth. This discrepancy to previous findings illuminated selectivity issues of the widely used MELK inhibitor OTSSP167, and potential off-target effects of MELK-targeting short hairpins. The different genetic and chemical tools developed here allow for the identification and validation of any causal roles MELK may play in cancer biology, which will be required to guide future MELK drug discovery efforts. Furthermore, our study provides a general framework for preclinical target validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tsang Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Hyuk-Soo Seo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Yubao Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Baishan Jiang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Dennis L Buckley
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Behnam Nabet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Justin M Roberts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Joshiawa Paulk
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Shiva Dastjerdi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Georg E Winter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Hilary McLauchlan
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Moran
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - James E Bradner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Michael J Eck
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Sirano Dhe-Paganon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Jean J Zhao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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Wu X, Xu B, Yang C, Wang W, Zhong D, Zhao Z, He L, Hu Y, Jiang L, Li J, Song L, Zhang W. Nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1 promotes the aggressiveness of astrocytoma by activating the Hedgehog signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2017; 36:127. [PMID: 28899410 PMCID: PMC5596921 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-017-0597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognosis of human astrocytoma is poor, and the molecular alterations underlying its pathogenesis still needed to be elucidated. Nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) was observed in several types of cancers, but its role in astrocytoma remained unknown. METHODS The expression of NUSAP1 in astrocytoma cell lines and tissues were measured with western blotting and Real-Time PCR. Two hundred and twenty-one astrocytoma tissue samples were analyzed by immunochemistry to demonstrate the correlation between the NUSAP1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, colony formation, transwell matrix penetration assay, wound healing assay and anchorage-independent growth assay were used to investigate the biological effect of NUSAP1 in astrocytoma. An intracranial brain xenograft tumor model was used to confirm the oncogenic role of NUSAP1 in human astrocytoma. Luciferase reporter assay was used to investigate the effect of NUSAP1 on Hedgehog signaling pathway. RESULTS NUSAP1 was markedly overexpressed in astrocytoma cell lines and tissues compared with normal astrocytes and brain tissues. NUSAP1 was found to be overexpressed in 152 of 221 (68.78%) astrocytoma tissues, and was significantly correlated to poor survival. Further, ectopic expression or knockdown of NUSAP1 significantly promoted or inhibited, respectively, the invasive ability of astrocytoma cells. Moreover, intracranial xenografts of astrocytoma cells engineered to express NUSAP1 were highly invasive compared with the parental cells. With regard to its molecular mechanism, upregulation of NUSAP1 in astrocytoma cells promoted the nuclear translocation of GLI family zinc finger 1 (GLI1) and upregulated the downstream genes of the Hedgehog pathway. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that NUSAP1 contributes to the progression of astrocytoma by enhancing tumor cell invasiveness via activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, and that NUSAP1 might be a potential prognostic biomarker as well as a target in astrocytoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianqiu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China and Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Benke Xu
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School of Yangtzeu University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Dequan Zhong
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Zhan Zhao
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Longshuang He
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yuanjun Hu
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Lili Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libing Song
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China and Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Neurosurgical Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutics University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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46
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Pitner MK, Taliaferro JM, Dalby KN, Bartholomeusz C. MELK: a potential novel therapeutic target for TNBC and other aggressive malignancies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:849-859. [PMID: 28764577 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1363183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is an unmet need in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients for targeted therapies. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a promising target for inhibition based on the abundance of correlative and functional data supporting its role in various cancer types. Areas covered: This review endeavors to outline the role of MELK in cancer. Studies covering a range of biological functions including proliferation, apoptosis, cancer stem cell phenotypes, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and therapy resistance are discussed here in order to understand the potential of MELK as a clinically significant target for TNBC patients. Expert opinion: Targeting MELK may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity in TNBC and other cancers. Despite the abundance of correlative data, there is still much we do not know. There are a lack of potent, specific inhibitors against MELK, as well as an insufficient understanding of MELK's downstream substrates. Addressing these issues is the first step toward identifying a patient population that could benefit from MELK inhibition in combination with other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kathryn Pitner
- a Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology , The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston , TX , USA
| | - Juliana M Taliaferro
- b Division of Medicinal Chemistry , The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Kevin N Dalby
- b Division of Medicinal Chemistry , The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Chandra Bartholomeusz
- a Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology , The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston , TX , USA
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47
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Liu H, Sun Q, Sun Y, Zhang J, Yuan H, Pang S, Qi X, Wang H, Zhang M, Zhang H, Yu C, Gu C. MELK and EZH2 Cooperate to Regulate Medulloblastoma Cancer Stem-like Cell Proliferation and Differentiation. Mol Cancer Res 2017; 15:1275-1286. [PMID: 28536141 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Although accumulated research has suggested that cancer stem-like cells play a key role in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis, the specific molecular mechanism regarding proliferation remains elusive. Here, we reported more abundant expression of maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK) and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in medulloblastoma stem-like cells than in neural stem cells and the interaction between the two proteins could mediate the self-renewal of sonic hedgehog subtype medulloblastoma. In human medulloblastoma, extensive nodularity and large-cell/anaplastic subgroups differed according to the staining levels of MELK and EZH2 from the other two subgroups. The proportion of MELK- or EZH2-positive staining status could be considered as a potential indicator for survival. Mechanistically, MELK bound to and phosphorylated EZH2, and its methylation was induced by EZH2 in medulloblastoma, which could regulate the proliferation of cancer stem-like cells. In xenografts, loss of MELK or EZH2 attenuated medulloblastoma stem-like cell-derived tumor growth and promoted differentiation. These findings indicate that MELK-induced phosphorylation and EZH2-mediated methylation in MELK/EZH2 pathway are essential for medulloblastoma stem-like cell-derived tumor proliferation, thereby identifying a potential therapeutic strategy for these patients.Implications: This study demonstrates that the interaction occurring between MELK and EZH2 promotes self-proliferation and stemness, thus representing an attractive therapeutic target and potential candidate for diagnosis of medulloblastoma. Mol Cancer Res; 15(9); 1275-86. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Qianwen Sun
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Youliang Sun
- School of Basic Medical Science, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Junping Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hongyu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | | | - Xueling Qi
- Department of Pathology, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Haoran Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Mingshan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Chunjiang Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China.
| | - Chunyu Gu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China.
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Lin A, Giuliano CJ, Sayles NM, Sheltzer JM. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis invalidates a putative cancer dependency targeted in on-going clinical trials. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28337968 PMCID: PMC5365317 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) has been reported to be a genetic dependency in several cancer types. MELK RNAi and small-molecule inhibitors of MELK block the proliferation of various cancer cell lines, and MELK knockdown has been described as particularly effective against the highly-aggressive basal/triple-negative subtype of breast cancer. Based on these preclinical results, the MELK inhibitor OTS167 is currently being tested as a novel chemotherapy agent in several clinical trials. Here, we report that mutagenizing MELK with CRISPR/Cas9 has no effect on the fitness of basal breast cancer cell lines or cell lines from six other cancer types. Cells that harbor null mutations in MELK exhibit wild-type doubling times, cytokinesis, and anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, MELK-knockout lines remain sensitive to OTS167, suggesting that this drug blocks cell division through an off-target mechanism. In total, our results undermine the rationale for a series of current clinical trials and provide an experimental approach for the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in preclinical target validation that can be broadly applied. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24179.001 Like a person who is dependent on coffee to be productive, cancer cells are dependent on the products of certain genes in order to dominate their environment and grow. Cancer cells will stop growing and die when the activity of these gene products is blocked. These genes are known as cancer dependencies or “addictions”. As a result, researchers are constantly looking for cancer dependencies and developing drugs to block their activity. It was previously believed that a gene called MELK was an addiction in certain types of breast cancer. In fact, pharmaceutical companies had developed a drug to block the activity of MELK, and this drug is currently being tested in human patients. However, Lin, Giuliano et al. have now taken a second look at the role of MELK in breast cancer, and have come to a different conclusion. Using a gene editing technology called CRISPR/Cas9, Lin, Giuliano et al. removed MELK activity from several cancer cell lines. This did not stop cancer cells from multiplying, suggesting that MELK is not actually a cancer addiction. Additionally, when breast cancer cells that do not produce MELK were exposed to the drug that is supposed to block MELK activity, the drug still stopped cell growth. Since the drug works when MELK is not present in the cell, the drug must be binding to other proteins. This suggests that MELK is not the actual target of the drug. Lin, Giuliano et al. suggest that, in the future, CRISPR/Cas9 technology could be used to better identify cancer dependencies and drug targets before cancer drugs are given to human patients. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24179.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Lin
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States.,Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, United States
| | - Christopher J Giuliano
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States.,Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, United States
| | - Nicole M Sayles
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States
| | - Jason M Sheltzer
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States
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Zhou D, Springer MZ, Xu D, Liu D, Hudmon A, Macleod KF, Meroueh SO. Small molecules inhibit STAT3 activation, autophagy, and cancer cell anchorage-independent growth. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 25:2995-3005. [PMID: 28438385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lack the signature targets of other breast tumors, such as HER2, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. These aggressive basal-like tumors are driven by a complex array of signaling pathways that are activated by multiple driver mutations. Here we report the discovery of 6 (KIN-281), a small molecule that inhibits multiple kinases including maternal leucine zipper kinase (MELK) and the non-receptor tyrosine kinase bone marrow X-linked (BMX) with single-digit micromolar IC50s. Several derivatives of 6 were synthesized to gain insight into the binding mode of the compound to the ATP binding pocket. Compound 6 was tested for its effect on anchorage-dependent and independent growth of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. The effect of 6 on BMX prompted us to evaluate its effect on STAT3 phosphorylation and DNA binding. The compound's inhibition of cell growth led to measurements of survivin, Bcl-XL, p21WAF1/CIP1, and cyclin A2 levels. Finally, LC3B-II levels were quantified following treatment of cells with 6 to determine whether the compound affected autophagy, a process that is known to be activated by STAT3. Compound 6 provides a starting point for the development of small molecules with polypharmacology that can suppress TNBC growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghui Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Maya Z Springer
- The Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, United States
| | - David Xu
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States; Department of BioHealth Informatics, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, United States
| | - Degang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Andy Hudmon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Kay F Macleod
- The Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, United States
| | - Samy O Meroueh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, United States.
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50
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Serum amyloid A1 is upregulated in human glioblastoma. J Neurooncol 2017; 132:383-391. [PMID: 28283801 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-017-2386-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is a sensitive acute phase reactant primarily produced by the liver in response to acute inflammation. We have recently shown that SAA affects proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioblastoma cell lines, which suggest its participation in the malignant process. Consistently, levels of SAA have been used as a non-invasive biomarker for the prognosis of many cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate SAA serum levels and expression of SAA genes in human astrocytomas tissues. Serum and tissue samples were obtained from patients with astrocytoma grades I to III and glioblastoma (GBM or grade IV). Levels of circulating SAA were significantly higher in the serum of patients with AGII-IV when compared to non-neoplastic samples derived from non-neoplastic patients (NN) (p > 0.0001). Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) of 148 astrocytomas samples (grades I-IV) showed that SAA1 mRNA was significantly higher in GBM when compared to AGI-III and NN samples (p < 0.0001). Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed cytoplasmic positivity for SAA in GBM. There was no correlation of SAA1 with clinical end-point of overall survival among GBM patients. However, it was found a positive correlation between SAA1 and genes involved in tumor progression, such as: HIF1A (r = 0.50; p < 0.00001), CD163 (r = 0.52; p < 0.00001), CXCR4 (r = 0.42; p < 0.00001) and CXCR7 (r = 0.33; p = 0.002). In conclusions, we show that astrocytoma patients have increased levels of serum SAA and SAA1 is expressed and secreted in GBM, and its co-expression with tumor-related genes supports its involvement in GBM angiogenesis and progression.
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