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Strippoli R, Niayesh-Mehr R, Adelipour M, Khosravi A, Cordani M, Zarrabi A, Allameh A. Contribution of Autophagy to Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition Induction during Cancer Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:807. [PMID: 38398197 PMCID: PMC10886827 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040807] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a dedifferentiation process implicated in many physio-pathological conditions including tumor transformation. EMT is regulated by several extracellular mediators and under certain conditions it can be reversible. Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in which intracellular components such as protein/DNA aggregates and abnormal organelles are degraded in specific lysosomes. In cancer, autophagy plays a controversial role, acting in different conditions as both a tumor suppressor and a tumor-promoting mechanism. Experimental evidence shows that deep interrelations exist between EMT and autophagy-related pathways. Although this interplay has already been analyzed in previous studies, understanding mechanisms and the translational implications of autophagy/EMT need further study. The role of autophagy in EMT is not limited to morphological changes, but activation of autophagy could be important to DNA repair/damage system, cell adhesion molecules, and cell proliferation and differentiation processes. Based on this, both autophagy and EMT and related pathways are now considered as targets for cancer therapy. In this review article, the contribution of autophagy to EMT and progression of cancer is discussed. This article also describes the multiple connections between EMT and autophagy and their implication in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Strippoli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, I.R.C.C.S., 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Reyhaneh Niayesh-Mehr
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran P.O. Box 14115-331, Iran;
| | - Maryam Adelipour
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 61357-15794, Iran;
| | - Arezoo Khosravi
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Okan University, Istanbul 34959, Türkiye;
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul 34396, Türkiye;
- Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Abdolamir Allameh
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran P.O. Box 14115-331, Iran;
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Miao Y, Wang P, Huang J, Qi X, Liang Y, Zhao W, Wang H, Lyu J, Zhu H. Metabolomics, Transcriptome and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of the Metabolic Heterogeneity between Oral Cancer Stem Cells and Differentiated Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:237. [PMID: 38254728 PMCID: PMC10813553 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the distinct metabolic characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSC) may allow us to better cope with the clinical challenges associated with them. In this study, OSCC cell lines (CAL27 and HSC3) and multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) models were used to generate CSC-like cells. Quasi-targeted metabolomics and RNA sequencing were used to explore altered metabolites and metabolism-related genes. Pathview was used to display the metabolites and transcriptome data in a KEGG pathway. The single-cell RNA sequencing data of six patients with oral cancer were analyzed to characterize in vivo CSC metabolism. The results showed that 19 metabolites (phosphoethanolamine, carbamoylphosphate, etc.) were upregulated and 109 metabolites (2-aminooctanoic acid, 7-ketocholesterol, etc.) were downregulated in both MCTS cells. Integration pathway analysis revealed altered activity in energy production (glycolysis, citric cycle, fatty acid oxidation), macromolecular synthesis (purine/pyrimidine metabolism, glycerophospholipids metabolism) and redox control (glutathione metabolism). Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis confirmed altered glycolysis, glutathione and glycerophospholipid metabolism in in vivo CSC. We concluded that CSCs are metabolically inactive compared with differentiated cancer cells. Thus, oral CSCs may resist current metabolic-related drugs. Our result may be helpful in developing better therapeutic strategies against CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Miao
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310020, China;
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (P.W.); (H.Z.)
| | - Jinyan Huang
- Biomedical Big Data Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xin Qi
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (P.W.); (H.Z.)
| | - Yingjiqiong Liang
- Biomedical Big Data Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Wenquan Zhao
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (P.W.); (H.Z.)
| | - Huiming Wang
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310020, China;
| | - Jiong Lyu
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (P.W.); (H.Z.)
| | - Huiyong Zhu
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (P.W.); (H.Z.)
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Zhang Q, Wang F, Huang Y, Gao P, Wang N, Tian H, Chen A, Li Y, Wang F. PGD2/PTGDR2 Signal Affects the Viability, Invasion, Apoptosis, and Stemness of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells and Prevents the Progression of Gastric Cancer. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2024; 27:933-946. [PMID: 37526190 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230731103112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) has been shown to restrict the occurrence and development of multiple cancers; nevertheless, its underlying molecular mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The present study investigated the effect of PGD2 on the biological function of the enriched gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs), as well as its underlying molecular mechanism, to provide a theoretical basis and potential therapeutic drugs for gastric cancer (GC) treatment. METHODS The plasma PGD2 levels were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Silencing of lipocalin prostaglandin D synthetases (L-PTGDS) and prostaglandin D2 receptor 2 (PTGDR2) was carried out in GCSCs from SGC-7901 and HGC-27 cell lines. Cell Counting Kit-8, transwell, flow cytometry, and western blotting assays were used to determine cell viability, invasion, apoptosis, and stemness of GCSCs. In vivo xenograft models were used to assess tumor growth. RESULTS Clinically, it was found that the plasma PGD2 level decreased significantly in patients with GC. PGD2 suppressed viability, invasion, and stemness and increased the apoptosis of GCSCs. Downregulating L-PTGDS and PTGDR2 promoted viability, invasion, and stemness and reduced the apoptosis of GCSCs. Moreover, the inhibition of GCSCs induced by PGD2 was eliminated by downregulating the expression of PTGDR2. The results of in vivo experiments were consistent with those of in vitro experiments. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that PGD2 may be an important marker and potential therapeutic target in the clinical management of GC. L-PTGDS/PTGDR2 may be one of the critical targets for GC therapy. The PGD2/PTGDR2 signal affects the viability, invasion, apoptosis, and stemness of GCSCs and prevents the progression of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Feifan Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Bengbu Medical College Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Peiyao Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Na Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Hengjin Tian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Amin Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Yuyun Li
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Fengchao Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
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Fernandes Q, Therachiyil L, Khan AQ, Bedhiafi T, Korashy HM, Bhat AA, Uddin S. Shrinking the battlefield in cancer therapy: Nanotechnology against cancer stem cells. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 191:106586. [PMID: 37729956 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106586] [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: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, presenting a significant healthcare challenge owing to the limited efficacy of current treatments. The application of nanotechnology in cancer treatment leverages the unique optical, magnetic, and electrical attributes of nanomaterials to engineer innovative, targeted therapies. Specifically, manipulating nanomaterials allows for enhanced drug loading efficiency, improved bioavailability, and targeted delivery systems, reducing the non-specific cytotoxic effects characteristic of conventional chemotherapies. Furthermore, recent advances in nanotechnology have demonstrated encouraging results in specifically targeting CSCs, a key development considering the role of these cells in disease recurrence and resistance to treatment. Despite these breakthroughs, the clinical approval rates of nano-drugs have not kept pace with research advances, pointing to existing obstacles that must be addressed. In conclusion, nanotechnology presents a novel, powerful tool in the fight against cancer, particularly in targeting the elusive and treatment-resistant CSCs. This comprehensive review delves into the intricacies of nanotherapy, explicitly targeting cancer stem cells, their markers, and associated signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Queenie Fernandes
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Translational Cancer Research Facility, Hamad Medical Corporation, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, PO. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lubna Therachiyil
- Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Translational Research Institute, Doha 3050, Qatar; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Abdul Q Khan
- Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Translational Research Institute, Doha 3050, Qatar
| | - Takwa Bedhiafi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Hesham M Korashy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Ajaz A Bhat
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine in Diabetes, Obesity and Cancer Program, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Dermatology Institute, Doha 3050, Qatar; Laboratory of Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar; Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 22602, India.
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5
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Mai Y, Su J, Yang C, Xia C, Fu L. The strategies to cure cancer patients by eradicating cancer stem-like cells. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:171. [PMID: 37853413 PMCID: PMC10583358 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01867-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells, possess remarkable capability in proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation. Their presence is recognized as a crucial factor contributing to tumor progression and metastasis. CSCs have garnered significant attention as a therapeutic focus and an etiologic root of treatment-resistant cells. Increasing evidence indicated that specific biomarkers, aberrant activated pathways, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and immunoevasion are considered the culprits in the occurrence of CSCs and the maintenance of CSCs properties including multi-directional differentiation. Targeting CSC biomarkers, stemness-associated pathways, TME, immunoevasion and inducing CSCs differentiation improve CSCs eradication and, therefore, cancer treatment. This review comprehensively summarized these targeted therapies, along with their current status in clinical trials. By exploring and implementing strategies aimed at eradicating CSCs, researchers aim to improve cancer treatment outcomes and overcome the challenges posed by CSC-mediated therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yansui Mai
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiyan Su
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Chenglai Xia
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Liwu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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6
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León-Fuentes IM, Salgado-Gil MG, Novoa MS, Retamal MA. Connexins in Cancer, the Possible Role of Connexin46 as a Cancer Stem Cell-Determining Protein. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1460. [PMID: 37892142 PMCID: PMC10604234 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101460] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a widespread and incurable disease caused by genetic mutations, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation and metastasis. Connexins (Cx) are transmembrane proteins that facilitate intercellular communication via hemichannels and gap junction channels. Among them, Cx46 is found mostly in the eye lens. However, in pathological conditions, Cx46 has been observed in various types of cancers, such as glioblastoma, melanoma, and breast cancer. It has been demonstrated that elevated Cx46 levels in breast cancer contribute to cellular resistance to hypoxia, and it is an enhancer of cancer aggressiveness supporting a pro-tumoral role. Accordingly, Cx46 is associated with an increase in cancer stem cell phenotype. These cells display radio- and chemoresistance, high proliferative abilities, self-renewal, and differentiation capacities. This review aims to consolidate the knowledge of the relationship between Cx46, its role in forming hemichannels and gap junctions, and its connection with cancer and cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mauricio A. Retamal
- Programa de Comunicación Celular en Cáncer, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, República de Honduras 12740, Las Condes, Santiago 7610496, Chile; (I.M.L.-F.); (M.G.S.-G.); (M.S.N.)
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7
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Liu M, Wei X, Wu C, Liu J, Wei Y, Wang X, Chen ML, Yang T, Wang JH. Single Cell Phenotypic Analysis for Cancer Stem Cell Identification by Dual-Isotope ICP-QMS. Anal Chem 2023; 95:14447-14454. [PMID: 37695163 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Single cell phenotypic analysis is significant for clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cancer. Accurate differentiation of cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations from a large number of cancer cells may become a cancer surveillance tool and provide important implications for the development of new CSC-targeted therapy strategies. Herein, we report a new approach based on dual-isotope inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) for single cell phenotypic analysis. High-throughput single cell sampling was achieved by a spiral channel microfluidic chip for cell focusing and alignment, and single cell analysis was performed with time-resolved ICP-QMS by identifying the highly specific probes. This enables the monitoring of two surface protein markers (EpCAM and MUC1) of three cell types, i.e., HeLa, MCF-7, and HepG2, at single cell level. The analysis of breast cancer stem cells further confirmed its capability in distinguishing rare cell phenotypes. The present study provides promising possibilities for adopting ICP-QMS in biomedical investigations in terms of cell typing, stemness identification of tumor cells, and cell heterogeneity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijun Liu
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Xing Wei
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Chengxin Wu
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Jinhui Liu
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Yujia Wei
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Xuesheng Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Ming-Li Chen
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Ting Yang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Jian-Hua Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Box 322, Shenyang 110819, China
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8
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Puiggalí J. Development of Responsive Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10371. [PMID: 37373517 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Great efforts are focused on the development of safe nano-carriers for the treatment of cancer in order to overcome some of the typical limitations of conventional therapies [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Puiggalí
- Departament de Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, EEBE, Av. Eduard Maristany 10-14, E-08019 Barcelona, Spain
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Sun R, Zhou X, Wang T, Liu Y, Wei L, Qiu Z, Qiu C, Jiang J. Novel insights into tumorigenesis and prognosis of endometrial cancer through systematic investigation and validation on mitophagy-related signature. Hum Cell 2023:10.1007/s13577-023-00920-8. [PMID: 37266867 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In-depth studies on the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer (EC) are critical because of the increasing global incidence of EC. Mitophagy, a mitochondrial quality control process, plays an important role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. This study aimed to develop a novel mitophagy-based signature to predict the tumorigenesis and prognosis of EC. Data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and 29 mitophagy-related genes were downloaded from the Pathway Unification Database. EC patients were classified into two risk groups based on the two-key- gene signature, TOMM40 and MFN1, which were constructed using Cox regression analysis. A better prognosis was noted in the low-risk group. The model was validated for four aspects: clinical features, mutation status, clinical therapeutic response, and immune cell infiltration status. Moreover, according to the contribution to the risk model, TOMM40 was selected for further in vitro experiments. The silencing of TOMM40 inhibited mitochondrial degradation; suppressed cell proliferation; induced cell apoptosis and G1 phase cell cycle arrest; inhibited migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition; and suppressed cell stemness. In conclusion, the mitophagy-related risk score provides a novel perspective for survival and drug selection during the individual treatment of EC patients. TOMM40 serves as an oncogene in EC and promotes tumor progression via a mitophagy-related pathway. Thus, TOMM40 is a potential therapeutic target in EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sun
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Lina Wei
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Ziyi Qiu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Chunping Qiu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Gynecologic Oncology Key Laboratory of Shandong Province, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
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10
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Dillman RO, Nistor GI, Keirstead HS. Autologous dendritic cells loaded with antigens from self-renewing autologous tumor cells as patient-specific therapeutic cancer vaccines. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023:2198467. [PMID: 37133853 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2198467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A promising personal immunotherapy is autologous dendritic cells (DC) loaded ex vivo with autologous tumor antigens (ATA) derived from self-renewing autologous cancer cells. DC-ATA are suspended in granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor at the time of each subcutaneous injection. Previously, irradiated autologous tumor cell vaccines have produced encouraging results in 150 cancer patients, but the DC-ATA vaccine demonstrated superiority in single-arm and randomized trials in metastatic melanoma. DC-ATA have been injected into more than 200 patients with melanoma, glioblastoma, and ovarian, hepatocellular, and renal cell cancers. Key observations include: [1] greater than 95% success rates for tumor cell cultures and monocyte collection for dendritic cell production; [2] injections are well-tolerated; [3] the immune response is rapid and includes primarily TH1/TH17 cellular responses; [4] efficacy has been suggested by delayed but durable complete tumor regressions in patients with measurable disease, by progression-free survival in glioblastoma, and by overall survival in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel I Nistor
- Research and Development, AIVITA Biomedical Inc, Irvine, CA, USA
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11
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Rohrer KA, Song H, Akbar A, Chen Y, Pramanik S, Wilder PJ, McIntyre EM, Chaturvedi NK, Bhakat KK, Rizzino A, Coulter DW, Ray S. STAT3 Inhibition Attenuates MYC Expression by Modulating Co-Activator Recruitment and Suppresses Medulloblastoma Tumor Growth by Augmenting Cisplatin Efficacy In Vivo. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082239. [PMID: 37190167 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082239] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
MB is a common childhood malignancy of the central nervous system, with significant morbidity and mortality. Among the four molecular subgroups, MYC-amplified Group 3 MB is the most aggressive type and has the worst prognosis due to therapy resistance. The present study aimed to investigate the role of activated STAT3 in promoting MB pathogenesis and chemoresistance via inducing the cancer hallmark MYC oncogene. Targeting STAT3 function either by inducible genetic knockdown (KD) or with a clinically relevant small molecule inhibitor reduced tumorigenic attributes in MB cells, including survival, proliferation, anti-apoptosis, migration, stemness and expression of MYC and its targets. STAT3 inhibition attenuates MYC expression by affecting recruitment of histone acetyltransferase p300, thereby reducing enrichment of H3K27 acetylation in the MYC promoter. Concomitantly, it also decreases the occupancy of the bromodomain containing protein-4 (BRD4) and phosphoSer2-RNA Pol II (pSer2-RNAPol II) on MYC, resulting in reduced transcription. Importantly, inhibition of STAT3 signaling significantly attenuated MB tumor growth in subcutaneous and intracranial orthotopic xenografts, increased the sensitivity of MB tumors to cisplatin, and improved the survival of mice bearing high-risk MYC-amplified tumors. Together, the results of our study demonstrate that targeting STAT3 may be a promising adjuvant therapy and chemo-sensitizer to augment treatment efficacy, reduce therapy-related toxicity and improve quality of life in high-risk pediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A Rohrer
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Heyu Song
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Anum Akbar
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Yingling Chen
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Suravi Pramanik
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Phillip J Wilder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Erin M McIntyre
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Nagendra K Chaturvedi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Kishor K Bhakat
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Angie Rizzino
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Don W Coulter
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Sutapa Ray
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology Division, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Child Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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Characterization of bone marrow heterogeneity in NK-AML (M4/M5) based on single-cell RNA sequencing. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:25. [PMID: 36879313 PMCID: PMC9987113 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00391-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (NK-AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy that contains a minor population of self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs), which complicate efforts to achieve long-term survival. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing to profile 39,288 cells from 6 bone marrow (BM) aspirates including 5 NK-AML (M4/M5) patients and 1 healthy donor. The single-cell transcriptome atlas and gene expression characteristics of each cell population in NK-AML (M4/M5) and healthy BM were obtained. In addition, we identified a distinct LSC-like cluster with possible biomarkers in NK-AML (M4/M5) and verified 6 genes using qRT‒PCR and bioinformatic analyses. In conclusion, we utilized single-cell technologies to provide an atlas of NK-AML (M4/M5) cell heterogeneity, composition, and biomarkers with implications for precision medicine and targeted therapies.
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Identification and gene expression profiling of human gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma stem cells. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:24. [PMID: 36750863 PMCID: PMC9906881 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01517-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma is a major subtype of pituitary adenoma in the sellar region, but it is rarely involved in the hypersecretion of hormones into blood; thus, it is commonly regarded as "non-functioning." Its tumorigenic mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify human gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma stem cells (hPASCs) and explore the underlying gene expression profiles. In addition, the potential candidate genes involved in the invasive properties of pituitary adenoma were examined. METHODS The hPASCs from 14 human gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma clinical samples were cultured and verified via immunohistochemistry. Genetic profiling of hPASCs and the matched tumor cells was performed through RNA-sequencing and subjected to enrichment analysis. By aligning the results with public databases, the candidate genes were screened and examined in invasive and non-invasive gonadotrophic pituitary adenomas using Real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The hPASCs were successfully isolated and cultured from gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma in vitro, which were identified as positive for generic stem cell markers (Sox2, Oct4, Nestin and CD133) via immunohistochemical staining. The hPASCs could differentiate into the tumor cells expressing follicle-stimulating hormone in the presence of fetal bovine serum in the culture medium. Through RNA-sequencing, 1352 differentially expressed genes were screened and identified significantly enriched in various gene ontologies and important pathways. The expression levels of ANXA2, PMAIP1, SPRY2, C2CD4A, APOD, FGF14 and FKBP10 were significantly upregulated while FNDC5 and MAP3K4 were downregulated in the invasive gonadotrophic pituitary adenomas compared to the non-invasive ones. CONCLUSION Genetic profiling of hPASCs may explain the tumorigenesis and invasiveness of gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma. ANXA2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of gonadotrophic pituitary adenoma.
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Zhang R, Zhang X, Zhang W, Cui W, Xiao Y, Liu L, Zhi S, Feng X, Liu X, Shen Y, Chai J, Hao J. Sohlh2 Regulates the Stemness and Differentiation of Colon Cancer Stem Cells by Downregulating LncRNA-H19 Transcription. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:115-126. [PMID: 36287177 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Colon cancer stem cells (CSC) are tumor-initiating cells that drive tumorigenesis and progression through self-renewal and various differentiation potency. Therefore, the identification of factors critical for colon CSC function is vital for the development of therapies. Sohlh2 belongs to the superfamily of bhlh transcription factors and serves as a tumor suppressor in several tumors. The role of Sohlh2 in CSCs remains unknown. Here we demonstrated that Sohlh2 was related to the inhibition of LncRNA-H19/miR-141/β-catenin signaling and led to the consequent suppression of colon CSC stemness and the promotion of colon CSC differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, Sohlh2 could directly bind to the promoter of LncRNA-H19 and repress its transcription activity. LncRNA-H19 mediated the effects of Sohlh2 on colon CSC stemness and differentiation. Clinically, we observed a significant inverse correlation between Sohlh2 and LncRNA-H19, β-catenin, Lgr5, CD133 expression levels, and positive correlation between Sohlh2 and MUC2, TFF2 expression in colon cancer tissues. Collectively, our findings suggest an important role of the Sohlh2/LncRNA-H19/miR-141/β-catenin pathway in regulating colon CSC stemness and differentiation, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for colon cancer. IMPLICATIONS This study identifies that Sohlh2 directly manipulates LncRNA-H19 transcription and suppresses the β-catenin signaling pathway and the Sohlh2/LncRNA-H19/miR-141/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an essential role in the stemness of colon CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Wenfang Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Linyi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Weiwei Cui
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Yunling Xiao
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Sujuan Zhi
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoning Feng
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Xuyue Liu
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Chai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Shandong, China
| | - Jing Hao
- Key Laboratory of The Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong, China
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Lin TC, Wang KH, Chuang KH, Kao AP, Kuo TC. Oct-4 induces cisplatin resistance and tumor stem cell-like properties in endometrial carcinoma cells. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2023; 62:16-21. [PMID: 36720532 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2022.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research has suggested that tumor-initiating tumor stem cells are derived from normal stem cells and that tumor cells undergo progressive de-differentiation to achieve a stem cell-like state. Tumor stem cells are characterized by high proliferation ability, high plasticity, expression of multi-drug resistance proteins, and the ability to seed new tumors. Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct-4) and its activation targets are overexpressed in the tumor stem cells of various types of tumors, and this expression is associated with the pathogenesis, development, and poor prognosis of tumors. The primary objective of this study was to test if a stably transfected with Oct-4 gene cell line, RL95-2/Oct-4, has the characteristics of tumor stem cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human endometrial carcinoma cells (RL95-2) were transfected with a plasmid carrying genes for Oct-4 and green fluorescent protein (GFP). The stably transfected cells, RL95-2/Oct-4, were selected using G418 and observed to express the GFP reporter gene under the control of the Oct-4 promoter. GFP expression levels of RL95-2/Oct-4 cells were measured using flow cytometry. The proliferation potential of cells was determined according to cumulative population doubling and colony-formation efficiency. Gene expression was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS RL95-2/Oct-4 cells not only exhibited increased expression of the three most important stem cell genes, Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox2, but also had increased expression of the endometrial tumor stem cell genes CD133 and ALDH1. Furthermore, enhanced expression of these genes in the RL95-2/Oct-4 cells was associated with higher colony-forming ability and growth rate than in parental RL95-2 cells. We also observed that cisplatin induced less cell death in RL95-2/Oct-4 cells than in RL95-2 cells, indicating that RL95-2/Oct-4 cells were more resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. CONCLUSION The study findings contribute to investigate the effects of Oct-4 on tumor stem cell origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta-Chin Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Hung Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Kuo-Hsiang Chuang
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - An-Pei Kao
- Stemforce Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Cheng Kuo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
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Modulation of Spheroid Forming Capacity and TRAIL Sensitivity by KLF4 and Nanog in Gastric Cancer Cells. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 45:233-248. [PMID: 36661504 PMCID: PMC9857986 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of pluripotency factors, and their associations with clinicopathological parameters and drug response have been described in various cancers, including gastric cancer. This study investigated the association of pluripotency factor expression with the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer patients, as well as changes in the expression of these factors upon the stem cell-enriching spheroid culture of gastric cancer cells, regulation of sphere-forming capacity, and response to cisplatin and TRAIL treatments by Nanog and KLF4. Nanog expression was significantly associated with the emergence of a new tumor and a worse prognosis in gastric cancer patients. The expression of the pluripotency factors varied among six gastric cancer cells. KLF4 and Nanog were expressed high in SNU-601, whereas SOX2 was expressed high in SNU-484. The expression of KLF4 and SOX2 was increased upon the spheroid culture of SNU-601 (KLF4/Nanog-high) and SNU-638 (KLF4/Nanog-low). The spheroid culture of them enhanced TRAIL-induced viability reduction, which was accompanied by the upregulation of death receptors, DR4 and DR5. Knockdown and overexpression of Nanog in SNU-601 and SNU-638, respectively, did not affect spheroid-forming capacity, however, its expression was inversely correlated with DR4/DR5 expression and TRAIL sensitivity. In contrast, KLF4 overexpression in SNU-638 increased spheroid formation, susceptibility to cisplatin and TRAIL treatments, and DR4/DR5 expression, while the opposite was found in KLF4-silenced SNU-601. KLF4 is supposed to play a critical role in DR4/DR5 expression and responses to TRAIL and cisplatin, whereas Nanog is only implicated in the former events only. Direct regulation of death receptor expression and TRAIL response by KLF4 and Nanog have not been well documented previously, and the regulatory mechanism behind the process remains to be elucidated.
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17
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Therachiyil L, Hussein OJ, Uddin S, Korashy HM. Regulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in cancer and cancer stem cells of gynecological malignancies: An update on signaling pathways. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1186-1202. [PMID: 36252938 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Gynecological malignancies are a female type of cancers that affects the reproductive system. Cancer metastasis or recurrence mediated by cellular invasiveness occurs at advanced stages of cancer progression. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) enrichment in tumors leads to chemoresistance, which results in cancer mortality. Exposure to environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is associated with an increased the risk of CSC enrichment in gynecological cancers. One of the important pathways that mediates the metabolism and bioactivation of these environmental chemicals is the transcription factor, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The present review explores the molecular mechanisms regulating the crosstalk and interaction of the AhR with cancer-related signaling pathways, such as apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immune checkpoints, and G-protein-coupled receptors in several gynecological malignancies such as ovarian, uterine, endometrial, and cervical cancers. The review also discusses the potential of targeting the AhR pathway as a novel chemotherapy for gynecological cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Therachiyil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Ola J Hussein
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Hesham M Korashy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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Establishment and characterization of chemotherapy-enriched sphere-forming cells with stemness phenotypes as a new cell line (BAG 50) of gastric carcinoma. MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (NORTHWOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 39:201. [PMID: 36175578 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is a malignancy with a high mortality rate worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of tumor cells that possess the tumor-initiating ability, self-renewal capacity, and high resistance to conventional therapies. Due to the diversity and complexity of human tumors, new cell lines are urgently needed to supply clinically and physiologically relevant cancer models. Here, we report establishing a novel cell line (BAG50) with stemness properties. Chemotherapy-enriched sphere-forming cells with CSC properties isolated from a patient with GC were cultured in a serum-containing medium and passaged for up to 51 passages. The colony-forming ability and tumor-forming capacity of BAG50 cells were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. mRNA upregulation of stemness-related transcriptional factors using real-time PCR as well as expression of CSC markers using flow cytometry was investigated. Finally, STR profiling and chromosome studies were performed. BAG50 cells formed floating spheroid colonies in a serum-free medium. Subcutaneous injection of these cells generated xenograft tumors in nude mice. Pluripotency markers (SOX-2, OCT4, and Cripto-1) in them were upregulated compared with normal gastric cells. The majority of them expressed CSC markers of CD44, CD54, and EpCAM, and stemness marker of oct-4. STR profiling showed a unique DNA fingerprint. Karyotype also demonstrated multiple aneuploidies and chromosomal translocations. We suggested that the highly tumorigenic BAG50 cell line with stem cell-like phenotypes may provide a valuable in vitro tool to support new diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers as well as the development of more effective treatment strategies.
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Identification of EZH2 as Cancer Stem Cell Marker in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and the Anti-Tumor Effect of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG). Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174200. [PMID: 36077742 PMCID: PMC9454898 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174200] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer stem cells (CSCs) refer to a group of undifferentiated heterogeneous tumor cells, defined as capable of self-renewal, differentiation, and may be linked to therapeutic resistance and tumor relapse. The development of novel therapeutic strategies to target CSCs and the identification of typical CSC markers are essential to improve therapy efficacy and prevent tumor relapse. Our study identifies CSC markers in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and explores a potential treatment strategy and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms. Abstract The aim of the study was to develop a new therapeutic strategy to target cancer stem cells (CSCs) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and to identify typical CSC markers to improve therapy effectiveness. It was found that the corrected-mRNA expression-based stemness index was upregulated in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) tissues compared to non-tumor tissue and increased with higher tumor stage and grade. EZH2 was identified as a CSC marker and prognosis factor for KIRC patients. The expression of EZH2 was associated with several activated tumor-infiltrating immune cells. High expression of EZH2 was enriched in immune-related pathways, low expression was related to several metabolic pathways. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) was identified as the most potent suppressor of EZH2, was able to inhibit viability, migration, and invasion, and to increase the apoptosis rate of ccRCC CSCs. KIF11, VEGF, and MMP2 were identified as predictive EGCG target genes, suggesting a potential mechanism of how EZH2 might regulate invasiveness and migration. The percentages of FoxP3+ Treg cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ccRCC patients decreased significantly when cultured with spheres pretreated with EGCG plus sunitinib compared to spheres without treatment. Our findings provide new insights into the treatment options of ccRCC based on targeting CSCs.
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Cui Y, Zhao M, Yang Y, Xu R, Tong L, Liang J, Zhang X, Sun Y, Fan Y. Reversal of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Inhibition of Tumor Stemness of Breast Cancer Cells Through Advanced Combined Chemotherapy. Acta Biomater 2022; 152:380-392. [PMID: 36028199 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in drug-resistant tumor cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) stimulate tumor metastasis and recurrence. Here, a promising combined chemotherapeutic strategy of salinomycin (SL) and doxorubicin (DOX) with specific inhibition of tumor stemness by a targeted co-delivery nanosystem was developed to overcome this abnormal progression. This strategy could be benefit drugs to effectively penetrate and infiltrate into spheres of 3D-cultured breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). The expression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related genes (β-catenin, LRP6, LEF1, and TCF12) and target genes (Cyclin D1, Cmyc, and Fibronectin) as well as CSC stemness-related genes (Oct4, Nanog, and Hes1) was downregulated by redox-sensitive co-delivery micelles decorated with oligohyaluronic acid as the active targeting moiety. The changes in EMT-associated gene expression (E-cadherin and Vimentin) in vitro showed that the EMT process was also effectively inverted. This strategy achieved a strong inhibitory effect on solid tumor growth and an effective reduction in the risk of tumor metastasis in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice in vivo and effectively alleviated splenomegaly caused by the malignant tumor. Immunohistochemical staining analysis of E-cadherin, Vimentin, and β-catenin confirmed that the inversion of the EMT was also achieved in solid tumors. These results highlight the potential of SL and DOX combined chemotherapeutic strategy for eliminating breast carcinoma. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cancer stem cells (CSCs), as an important part of tumor heterogeneity, can survive against conventional chemotherapy and initiate tumorigenesis, recurrence, and metastasis. Moreover, non-CSCs can convert into the CSC state through the abnormal Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is closely related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Here, redox-degradable binary drug-loaded micelles (PPH/DOX+SL) were designed to target CSCs and overcome drug resistance of breast cancer cells. The combined chemotherapy of salinomycin (SL) and doxorubicin (DOX) reversed drug resistance, while the PPH/DOX+SL micelles enhanced the intracellular accumulation and drug penetration of BCSC spheres. The introduction of SL downregulated the expression of tumor stemness genes and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related genes and inverted the EMT process. PPH/DOX+SL continuously inhibited tumor growth and invasion in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yani Cui
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Mingda Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Yuedi Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Ruiling Xu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Lei Tong
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Jie Liang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; Sichuan Testing Centre for Biomaterials and Medical Devices, No.29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, China
| | - Xingdong Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China
| | - Yong Sun
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China.
| | - Yujiang Fan
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China; College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, P.R.China.
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Zheng WJ, Wang PX, Sun YF, Cheng JW, Zhong YC, Xu Y, Guo W, Hu B, Zhou J, Fan J, Chen X, Yang XR. Uncovering the Heterogeneity and Clinical Relevance of Circulating Tumor-Initiating Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using an Integrated Immunomagnetic-Microfluidic Platform. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:36425-36437. [PMID: 35917454 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor-initiating cells (CTICs) with stem cell-like properties play pivotal roles in tumor metastasis and recurrence. However, little is known about the biology and clinical relevance of CTICs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we investigated the molecular heterogeneity and clinical relevance of CTICs in HCC using a novel integrated immunomagnetic-microfluidic platform (iMAC). We constructed the iMAC and evaluated its ability to detect CTICs using a series of spiked cell experiments. A four-channel microfluidic chip was applied to investigate the composition of CTICs in patients with primary and recurrent HCC utilizing microbeads labeled with one of four stem-related markers: epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), CD133, CD90, and CD24. The dynamic changes of these four CTIC subsets were serially monitored during treatment courses. Finally, single-cell RNA profiling was used to reveal the molecular characteristics of the four CTIC subsets. The iMAC platform detected significantly more EpCAM+ CTICs in the blood samples from 33 HCC patients than the FDA-approved CellSearch system (0.92 ± 0.94 vs 0.23 ± 0.36, P < 0.001). The number of EpCAM+ CTICs (≥0.75/mL) detected by iMAC was a predictor of early recurrence (P = 0.007). The distinct stem-related markers' expression of CTICs could distinguish primary HCC, recurrent HCC, and TACE-resistant HCC. Single-cell transcriptional profiling proved the heterogeneity among individual CTICs and separated the four CTIC subsets into distinct phenotypes. Dissecting the heterogeneity of CTICs using the iMAC represents a novel and informative method for accurate CTIC detection and characterization. This innovative technology will enable more indepth cancer biology research and clinical cancer management than is currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jing Zheng
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Shenzhen University, 1098 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P. R. China
| | - Peng-Xiang Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yun-Fan Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Wen Cheng
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Chen Zhong
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Xin-Rong Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
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22
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Guo K, Duan J, Lu J, Xiao L, Han L, Zeng S, Tang X, Li W, Huang L, Zhang Y. TNF-α-inducing protein of Helicobacter pylori promotes EMT and cancer stem-like cells properties via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer cells. Pathog Dis 2022; 80:6626024. [PMID: 35776950 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftac025] [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: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-α-inducing protein (Tipα) is a newly identified toxin, which promotes the inflammation and carcinogenesis caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). However, its mechanism of pathogenesis is still unclear. To investigate the carcinogenic mechanisms of Tipα, SGC7901 cells and SGC7901-derived cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) were stimulated by recombinant Tipα protein with or without Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor XAV939. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), CSCs markers, and downstream target genes of this signaling pathway. The cell migration ability was measured by wound healing assay and transwell assay. Our results indicated that Tipα promoted CSC properties of SGC7901 spheroids, including increased expression of CSC specific surface markers CD44, Oct4, Nanog, and an increased capacity for self-renewal. Tipα activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in both SGC7901 cells or CSCs. Furthermore, Tipα induced the EMT and increased the expressions of downstream target genes of this signaling, including c-myc, cyclin D1, and CD44. However, XAV939 pretreatment inhibited Tipα-induced EMT and CSC properties in SGC7901 cells or CSCs. These results suggest that Tipα promotes EMT and CSC-like properties in gastric cancer cells through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby accelerating the progression of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyun Guo
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Duan
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Jingwen Lu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Lingqiao Xiao
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Liang Han
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Shasha Zeng
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Xin Tang
- School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Lijun Huang
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control; Hunan Province Innovative Training Base for Postgraduates, University of South China and Nanyue Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
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23
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Yu L, Xu Y, Pu Z, Kang H, Li M, Sessler JL, Kim JS. Photocatalytic Superoxide Radical Generator that Induces Pyroptosis in Cancer Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:11326-11337. [PMID: 35708298 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c03256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pyroptosis, a newly characterized form of immunogenic cell death, is attracting increasing attention as a promising approach to cancer immunotherapy. However, biocompatible strategies to activate pyroptosis remain rare. Here, we show that a photocatalytic superoxide radical (O2-•) generator, NI-TA, triggers pyroptosis in cancer cells. NI-TA was designed to take advantage of an intramolecular triplet-ground state splitting energy modulation approach. Detailed studies revealed that the pyroptosis triggered by NI-TA under conditions of photoexcitation proceeds through a caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) pathway rather than via canonical processes involving caspase-1/gasdermin-D (GSDMD). NI-TA was found to function via a partial-O2-recycling mode of action and to trigger cell pyroptosis and provide for effective cancer cell ablation even under conditions of hypoxia (≤2% O2). In the case of T47D 3D multicellular spheroids, good antitumor efficiency and stemness inhibition are achieved. This work highlights how photocatalytic chemistry may be leveraged to develop effective pyroptosis-inducing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Yunjie Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Zhongji Pu
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311200, China
| | - Heemin Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Mingle Li
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jonathan L Sessler
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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24
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Cisplatin-Resistant CD44+ Lung Cancer Cells Are Sensitive to Auger Electrons. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137131. [PMID: 35806135 PMCID: PMC9266901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are resistant to conventional therapy and present a major clinical challenge since they are responsible for the relapse of many cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Hence, future successful therapy should also eradicate CSCs. Auger electrons have demonstrated promising therapeutic potential and can induce DNA damage while sparing surrounding cells. Here, we sort primary patient-derived NSCLC cells based on their expression of the CSC-marker CD44 and investigate the effects of cisplatin and a thymidine analog (deoxyuridine) labeled with an Auger electron emitter (125I). We show that the CD44+ populations are more resistant to cisplatin than the CD44− populations. Interestingly, incubation with the thymidine analog 5-[125I]iodo-2′-deoxyuridine ([125I]I-UdR) induces equal DNA damage, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in the CD44− and CD44+ populations. Our results suggest that Auger electron emitters can also eradicate resistant lung cancer CD44+ populations.
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25
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Utilizing Carbon Ions to Treat Medulloblastomas that Exhibit Chromothripsis. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40778-022-00213-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Novel radiation therapies with accelerated charged particles such as protons and carbon ions have shown encouraging results in oncology. We present recent applications as well as benefits and risks associated with their use.
Recent Findings
We discuss the use of carbon ion radiotherapy to treat a specific type of aggressive pediatric brain tumors, namely medulloblastomas with chromothripsis. Potential reasons for the resistance to conventional treatment, such as the presence of cancer stem cells with unique properties, are highlighted. Finally, advantages of particle radiation alone and in combination with other therapies to overcome resistance are featured.
Summary
Provided that future preclinical studies confirm the evidence of high effectiveness, favorable toxicity profiles, and no increased risk of secondary malignancy, carbon ion therapy may offer a promising tool in pediatric (neuro)oncology and beyond.
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26
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Kilmister EJ, Tan ST. Insights Into Vascular Anomalies, Cancer, and Fibroproliferative Conditions: The Role of Stem Cells and the Renin-Angiotensin System. Front Surg 2022; 9:868187. [PMID: 35574555 PMCID: PMC9091963 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.868187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells exhibiting embryonic stem cell (ESC) characteristics have been demonstrated in vascular anomalies (VAs), cancer, and fibroproliferative conditions, which are commonly managed by plastic surgeons and remain largely unsolved. The efficacy of the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus, and targeted therapies that block the Ras/BRAF/MEK/ERK1/2 and PI3KCA/AKT/mTOR pathways in many types of cancer and VAs, further supports the critical role of ESC-like cells in the pathogenesis of these conditions. ESC-like cells in VAs, cancer, and fibroproliferative conditions express components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) – a homeostatic endocrine signaling cascade that regulates cells with ESC characteristics. ESC-like cells are influenced by the Ras/BRAF/MEK/ERK1/2 and PI3KCA/AKT/mTOR pathways, which directly regulate cellular proliferation and stemness, and interact with the RAS at multiple points. Gain-of-function mutations affecting these pathways have been identified in many types of cancer and VAs, that have been treated with targeted therapies with some success. In cancer, the RAS promotes tumor progression, treatment resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. The RAS modulates cellular invasion, migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. It also indirectly regulates ESC-like cells via its direct influence on the tissue microenvironment and by its interaction with the immune system. In vitro studies show that RAS inhibition suppresses the hallmarks of cancer in different experimental models. Numerous epidemiological studies show a reduced incidence of cancer and improved survival outcomes in patients taking RAS inhibitors, although some studies have shown no such effect. The discovery of ESC-like cells that express RAS components in infantile hemangioma (IH) underscores the paradigm shift in the understanding of its programmed biologic behavior and accelerated involution induced by β-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The findings of SOX18 inhibition by R-propranolol suggests the possibility of targeting ESC-like cells in IH without β-adrenergic blockade, and its associated side effects. This article provides an overview of the current knowledge of ESC-like cells and the RAS in VAs, cancer, and fibroproliferative conditions. It also highlights new lines of research and potential novel therapeutic approaches for these unsolved problems in plastic surgery, by targeting the ESC-like cells through manipulation of the RAS, its bypass loops and converging signaling pathways using existing low-cost, commonly available, and safe oral medications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swee T. Tan
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington, New Zealand
- Wellington Regional Plastic, Maxillofacial & Burns Unit, Hutt Hospital, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Swee T. Tan
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27
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Mohammadi A, Khanbabaei H, Zandi F, Ahmadi A, Haftcheshmeh SM, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. Curcumin: A therapeutic strategy for targeting the Helicobacter pylori-related diseases. Microb Pathog 2022; 166:105552. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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28
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Bagheri V, Esmaeili SA, Gholamin M, Abbaszadegan MR. Rapid Isolation of Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cancer Stem Cells as a Target for Autologous Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 20:e3045. [PMID: 36337066 PMCID: PMC9583826 DOI: 10.30498/ijb.2021.284841.3045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignancy cause associated with a high death rate in the world. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a rare immortal subpopulation of cells within tumors with characteristics of the ability to self-renew, initiate tumor, and differentiate into defined progenies as well as and high resistance to conventional therapies. Objectives Despite the use of surgery and chemotherapy for GC therapy, there are no efficient therapeutic protocols for it to date. Therefore, rapid isolation of CSCs in order to therapeutic targets, especially immunotherapy is very important. Materials and Methods Cancerous cell suspension isolated from patients with GC was cultured in the serum-free medium containing EGF, bFGF, LIF, and heparin under non-adherent culture conditions to generate spheres. Expression of mRNA level stemness transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, SALL4, and Cripto-1), CD44 variable isoforms (CD44s, CD44v3, CD44v6, CD44V8-10) of spheroid-forming single cells compared with gastric normal tissue cells using real time PCR and molecules of CD44, CD54, and EpCAM as gastric CSC markers, and stemness factor Oct4 using flow cytometry, as well as tumorgenicity using subcutaneous injection of sphere-forming cells to nude mice were investigated. Results Few cancerous cells isolated from patients with GC were able to generate three-dimensional spheroid colonies in the serum-free medium containing EGF, bFGF, LIF, and heparin under non-adherent culture conditions, and form xenograft tumors in immunodeficient nude mice after subcutaneous injection. Spheroid-forming single cells upregulated stemness transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, SALL4, and Cripto-1 that are associated with pluripotency and self-renewal and CD44 isoforms (CD44s, CD44v3, CD44v6, CD44V8-10) compared with gastric normal tissue cells. Finally, molecules of CD44, CD54, and EpCAM as gastric CSC markers and stemness factor Oct4 were expressed in sphere-forming cells. Conclusion We suggested that the sphere formation and tumorigenicity assays are two procedures, leading to the rapid isolation of cancer cells with certain stem-like properties in order to target CSCs using autologous dendritic cell therapy, especially in patients with advanced disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Bagheri
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Seyed-Alireza Esmaeili
- Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ,
Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mehran Gholamin
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Abbaszadegan
- Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ,
Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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29
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Pashirzad M, Sathyapalan T, Sheikh A, Kesharwani P, Sahebkar A. Cancer stem cells: An overview of the pathophysiological and prognostic roles in colorectal cancer. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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30
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Heme Oxygenase-1 Has a Greater Effect on Melanoma Stem Cell Properties Than the Expression of Melanoma-Initiating Cell Markers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073596. [PMID: 35408953 PMCID: PMC8998882 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma-initiating cells (MICs) contribute to the tumorigenicity and heterogeneity of melanoma. MICs are identified by surface and functional markers and have been shown to display cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. However, the existence of MICs that follow the hierarchical CSC model has been questioned by studies showing that single unselected melanoma cells are highly tumorigenic in xenotransplantation assays. Herein, we characterize cells expressing MIC markers (CD20, CD24, CD133, Sca-1, ABCB1, ABCB5, ALDHhigh) in the B16-F10 murine melanoma cell line. We use flow cytometric phenotyping, single-cell sorting followed by in vitro clonogenic assays, and syngeneic in vivo serial transplantation assays to demonstrate that the expression of MIC markers does not select CSC-like cells in this cell line. Previously, our group showed that heme-degrading enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can be upregulated in melanoma and increase its aggressiveness. Here, we show that HO-1 activity is important for non-adherent growth of melanoma and HO-1 overexpression enhances the vasculogenic mimicry potential, which can be considered protumorigenic activity. However, HO-1 overexpression decreases clone formation in vitro and serial tumor initiation in vivo. Thus, HO-1 plays a dual role in melanoma, improving the progression of growing tumors but reducing the risk of melanoma initiation.
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31
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Zou W, Zhang Y, Bai G, Zhuang J, Wei L, Wang Z, Sun M, Wang J. siRNA-induced CD44 knockdown suppresses the proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer stem cells through inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:1969-1978. [PMID: 35229451 PMCID: PMC8980945 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CD44 has shown prognostic values and promising therapeutic potential in multiple human cancers; however, the effects of CD44 silencing on biological behaviors of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have not been fully understood in colorectal cancer. To examine the contribution of siRNA‐induced knockdown of CD44 to the biological features of colorectal CSCs, colorectal CSCs HCT116‐CSCs were generated, and CD44 was knocked down in HCT116‐CSCs using siRNA. The proliferation, migration and invasion of HCT116‐CSCs were measured, and apoptosis and cell‐cycle analyses were performed. The sensitivity of HCT116‐CSCs to oxaliplatin was tested, and xenograft tumor growth assay was performed to examine the role of CD44 in HCT116‐CSCs tumorigenesis in vivo. In addition, the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin and vimentin was quantified. siRNA‐induced knockdown of CD44 was found to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion, induce apoptosis, promote cell‐cycle arrest at the G1/G0 phase and increase the sensitivity of HCT116‐CSCs to oxaliplatin in HCT116‐CSCs, and knockdown of CD44 suppressed in vivo tumorigenesis and intrapulmonary metastasis of HCT116‐CSCs. Moreover, silencing CD44 resulted in EMT inhibition. Our findings demonstrate that siRNA‐induced CD44 knockdown suppresses the proliferation, invasion and in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis of colorectal CSCs by inhibiting EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Zou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- The Second Department of Surgery, Xiamen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen City, China
| | - Guangfu Bai
- Department of Emergency, Wuxi Huishan District People's Hospital, Wuxi City, China
| | - Jialu Zhuang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Lin Wei
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Zishu Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Meiqun Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
| | - Junbin Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu City, China
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32
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Farshidfar F, Rhrissorrakrai K, Levovitz C, Peng C, Knight J, Bacchiocchi A, Su J, Yin M, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Clune J, Olino K, Parida L, Nikolaus J, Zhang M, Zhao S, Wang Y, Huang G, Wan M, Li X, Cao J, Yan Q, Chen X, Newman AM, Halaban R. Integrative molecular and clinical profiling of acral melanoma links focal amplification of 22q11.21 to metastasis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:898. [PMID: 35197475 PMCID: PMC8866401 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28566-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acral melanoma, the most common melanoma subtype among non-White individuals, is associated with poor prognosis. However, its key molecular drivers remain obscure. Here, we perform integrative genomic and clinical profiling of acral melanomas from 104 patients treated in North America (n = 37) or China (n = 67). We find that recurrent, late-arising focal amplifications of cytoband 22q11.21 are a leading determinant of inferior survival, strongly associated with metastasis, and linked to downregulation of immunomodulatory genes associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade. Unexpectedly, LZTR1 - a known tumor suppressor in other cancers - is a key candidate oncogene in this cytoband. Silencing of LZTR1 in melanoma cell lines causes apoptotic cell death independent of major hotspot mutations or melanoma subtypes. Conversely, overexpression of LZTR1 in normal human melanocytes initiates processes associated with metastasis, including anchorage-independent growth, formation of spheroids, and an increase in MAPK and SRC activities. Our results provide insights into the etiology of acral melanoma and implicate LZTR1 as a key tumor promoter and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Farshidfar
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Cong Peng
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - James Knight
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | | | - Juan Su
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mingzhu Yin
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mario Sznol
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stephan Ariyan
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James Clune
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kelly Olino
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Joerg Nikolaus
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Meiling Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Dermatologic Surgery Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Gang Huang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Miaojian Wan
- Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianan Li
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jian Cao
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Qin Yan
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Aaron M Newman
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Ruth Halaban
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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33
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Arjmand B, Hamidpour SK, Alavi-Moghadam S, Yavari H, Shahbazbadr A, Tavirani MR, Gilany K, Larijani B. Molecular Docking as a Therapeutic Approach for Targeting Cancer Stem Cell Metabolic Processes. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:768556. [PMID: 35264950 PMCID: PMC8899123 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.768556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulation of cells which have been demonstrated in a variety of cancer models and involved in cancer initiation, progression, and development. Indeed, CSCs which seem to form a small percentage of tumor cells, display resembling characteristics to natural stem cells such as self-renewal, survival, differentiation, proliferation, and quiescence. Moreover, they have some characteristics that eventually can demonstrate the heterogeneity of cancer cells and tumor progression. On the other hand, another aspect of CSCs that has been recognized as a central concern facing cancer patients is resistance to mainstays of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation. Owing to these details and the stated stemness capabilities, these immature progenitors of cancerous cells can constantly persist after different therapies and cause tumor regrowth or metastasis. Further, in both normal development and malignancy, cellular metabolism and stemness are intricately linked and CSCs dominant metabolic phenotype changes across tumor entities, patients, and tumor subclones. Hence, CSCs can be determined as one of the factors that correlate to the failure of common therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. In this context, researchers are searching out new alternative or complementary therapies such as targeted methods to fight against cancer. Molecular docking is one of the computational modeling methods that has a new promise in cancer cell targeting through drug designing and discovering programs. In a simple definition, molecular docking methods are used to determine the metabolic interaction between two molecules and find the best orientation of a ligand to its molecular target with minimal free energy in the formation of a stable complex. As a comprehensive approach, this computational drug design method can be thought more cost-effective and time-saving compare to other conventional methods in cancer treatment. In addition, increasing productivity and quality in pharmaceutical research can be another advantage of this molecular modeling method. Therefore, in recent years, it can be concluded that molecular docking can be considered as one of the novel strategies at the forefront of the cancer battle via targeting cancer stem cell metabolic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Arjmand
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Babak Arjmand, ; Bagher Larijani,
| | - Shayesteh Kokabi Hamidpour
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Alavi-Moghadam
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hanieh Yavari
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ainaz Shahbazbadr
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Kambiz Gilany
- Integrative Oncology Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Babak Arjmand, ; Bagher Larijani,
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Tan X, Mi T, Zhang Z, Jin L, Wang Z, Wu X, Wang J, Li M, Zhanghuang C, He D. Multiple transcriptome analysis of Piwil2-induced cancer stem cells, including piRNAs, mRNAs and miRNAs reveals the mechanism of tumorigenesis and development. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:6885-6898. [PMID: 35182325 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stem cells play important roles in the process of tumorigenesis. Our research group obtained cancer stem cell-like cells named Piwil2-iCSCs by reprogramming human preputial fibroblasts (FBs) with the PIWIL2 gene, but the mechanism of Piwil2-iCSCs is still unclear. METHODS We sequenced the piRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs of Piwil2-iCSCs and FBs, and analyzed the differences. Gene Ontology (GO) and, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed on the differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs. In addition, we analyzed the variable shear events and fusion genes in the Piwil2-iCSCs. Target gene prediction and functional enrichment analysis were performed for the DE miRNAs. RESULTS A total of 1119 DE mRNAs, 220 DE piRNAs, and 440 DE miRNAs were obtained between the Piwil2-iCSCs and FBs. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the genes with upregulated expression were mainly involved in DNA repair, mismatch repair, base excision repair, and nucleotide excision repair. Genes with downregulated expression were mainly involved in the TGF-β receptor signaling pathway, senescence and autophagy in cancer. More frequent shear events occurred in Piwil2-iCSCs and FBs, especially in intron retention (IR) events. We also identified three fusion genes MCM3AP-C21orf58, LRRFIP2-CAV3 and TMEM184B-DMC1. Enrichment analysis of DE miRNAs showed that they were associated with apoptosis, the TGF-β signaling pathway, and the stem cell regulatory signaling pathway. In particular, target gene prediction of the top three miRNAs with upregulated expression showed that they targeted SMAD, GREM1 and other genes to participate in the regulation of TGF-β and other pathways. CONCLUSION PIWIL2-induced cancer stem cells have significantly altered levels of miRNAs, piRNAs and mRNAs.TGF-β, autophagy, apoptosis and other pathways may play an important role in stem cell development. The occurrence of alternative splicing and fusion genes may be related to the occurrence of cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Tan
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Mi
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxia Zhang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Liming Jin
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhang Wang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinkui Wang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Mujie Li
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenghao Zhanghuang
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei He
- Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China. .,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China. .,China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical; National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, 400014, People's Republic of China.
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35
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Evaluation of hydroalcoholic extract effects of Ferula assa-foetida on expression change of EMT and CD44-related genes in gastric cancer stem cell. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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36
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Shahoumi LA. Oral Cancer Stem Cells: Therapeutic Implications and Challenges. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2022; 2:685236. [PMID: 35048028 PMCID: PMC8757826 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2021.685236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is currently one of the 10 most common malignancies worldwide, characterized by a biologically highly diverse group of tumors with non-specific biomarkers and poor prognosis. The incidence rate of HNSCC varies widely throughout the world, with an evident prevalence in developing countries such as those in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. Tumor relapse and metastasis following traditional treatment remain major clinical problems in oral cancer management. Current evidence suggests that therapeutic resistance and metastasis of cancer are mainly driven by a unique subpopulation of tumor cells, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs), or cancer-initiating cells (CICs), which are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal, maintenance of stemness and increased tumorigenicity. Thus, more understanding of the molecular mechanisms of CSCs and their behavior may help in developing effective therapeutic interventions that inhibit tumor growth and progression. This review provides an overview of the main signaling cascades in CSCs that drive tumor repropagation and metastasis in oral cancer, with a focus on squamous cell carcinoma. Other oral non-SCC tumors, including melanoma and malignant salivary gland tumors, will also be considered. In addition, this review discusses some of the CSC-targeted therapeutic strategies that have been employed to combat disease progression, and the challenges of targeting CSCs, with the aim of improving the clinical outcomes for patients with oral malignancies. Targeting of CSCs in head and neck cancer (HNC) represents a promising approach to improve disease outcome. Some CSC-targeted therapies have already been proven to be successful in pre-clinical studies and they are now being tested in clinical trials, mainly in combination with conventional treatment regimens. However, some studies revealed that CSCs may not be the only players that control disease relapse and progression of HNC. Further, clinical research studying a combination of therapies targeted against head and neck CSCs may provide significant advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linah A Shahoumi
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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37
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Tumor radioresistance caused by radiation-induced changes of stem-like cell content and sub-lethal damage repair capability. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1056. [PMID: 35058559 PMCID: PMC8776741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05172-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) within solid tumors exhibit radioresistance, leading to recurrence and distant metastasis after radiotherapy. To experimentally study the characteristics of CSCs, radioresistant cell lines were successfully established using fractionated X-ray irradiation. The fundamental characteristics of CSCs in vitro have been previously reported; however, the relationship between CSC and acquired radioresistance remains uncertain. To efficiently study this relationship, we performed both in vitro experiments and theoretical analysis using a cell-killing model. Four types of human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines, non-radioresistant cell lines (SAS and HSC2), and radioresistant cell lines (SAS-R and HSC2-R), were used to measure the surviving fraction after single-dose irradiation, split-dose irradiation, and multi-fractionated irradiation. The SAS-R and HSC2-R cell lines were more positive for one of the CSC marker aldehyde dehydrogenase activity than the corresponding non-radioresistant cell lines. The theoretical model analysis showed that changes in both the experimental-based ALDH (+) fractions and DNA repair efficiency of ALDH (-) fractions (i.e., sub-lethal damage repair) are required to reproduce the measured cell survival data of non-radioresistant and radioresistant cell lines. These results suggest that the enhanced cell recovery in SAS-R and HSC2-R is important when predicting tumor control probability in radiotherapy to require a long dose-delivery time; in other words, intensity-modulated radiation therapy is ideal. This work provides a precise understanding of the mechanism of radioresistance, which is induced after irradiation of cancer cells.
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38
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Xie Q, Zhao S, Liu W, Cui Y, Li F, Li Z, Guo T, Yu W, Guo W, Deng W, Gu C. YBX1 Enhances Metastasis and Stemness by Transcriptionally Regulating MUC1 in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 11:702491. [PMID: 34976785 PMCID: PMC8714800 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.702491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal expression of the transcription factor Y-box-binding protein-1 (YBX1) is associated with the proliferation, migration, aggressiveness, and stem-like properties of various cancers. These characteristics contribute to the tumorigenesis and metastasis of cancer. We found that the expression levels of Mucin-1 (MUC1) and YBX1 were positively correlated in lung adenocarcinoma cells and lung adenocarcinoma tissue. Our retrospective cohort study of 176 lung adenocarcinoma patients after surgery showed that low expression of both YBX1 and MUC1 was an independent predictor of the prognosis and recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. In lung adenocarcinoma cells, the silencing/overexpression of YBX1 caused a simultaneous change in MUC1, and MUC1 overexpression partially reversed the decreased tumor cell migration, aggressiveness, and stemness caused by YBX1 silencing. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assays proved that MUC1 was the downstream target of YBX1 and that YBX1 bound to the -1480~-1476 position in the promoter region of MUC1 to regulate its transcription. Furthermore, in mouse xenograft models and a lung cancer metastasis model, MUC1, which is downstream of YBX1, partially reversed the decreased number and size of tumors caused by YBX1 silencing. In conclusion, our findings indicated a novel mechanism by which YBX1 promotes the stemness and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma by targeting MUC1 and provided a combination approach for diagnosis different from traditional single tumor biomarkers to predict patient prognosis and provide clinical treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xie
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Shilei Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Wenzhi Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yanwei Cui
- Zhongshan Hospital, Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Fengzhou Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhuoshi Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Tao Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Wendan Yu
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Wuguo Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chundong Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Lung Cancer Diagnosis, and Treatment Center of Dalian, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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39
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Autophagy regulates the cancer stem cell phenotype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through the noncanonical FOXO3/SOX2 axis. Oncogene 2022; 41:634-646. [PMID: 34795388 PMCID: PMC8799462 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02115-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is an essential catabolic process that orchestrates cellular homeostasis and plays dual roles in tumor promotion and suppression. However, the mechanism by which autophagy affects the self-renewal of cancer stem cells (CSCs) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether autophagy activation contributes to CSC properties of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The results showed that the autophagy level and CSC properties of HNSCC cells were elevated in response to several adverse conditions, including treatment with cisplatin, starvation, and hypoxia. Pretreatment with autophagy inhibitors, such as 3-MA and chloroquine, diminished the CSC properties acquired under adverse conditions. In addition, the isolated CSCs were endowed with stronger autophagic activity than non-CSCs, and the CSC properties were dampened when autophagy was inhibited either by 3-MA, chloroquine, or Beclin1 knockdown. Notably, the tumor-initiating activity of CSCs was decreased upon knocking down Beclin1. Further study revealed that FOXO3, a substrate for autophagy, was enriched in the nucleus of cells with lower autophagy levels. Nuclear FOXO3 directly bound to the promoter region of SOX2 and negatively regulated its transcriptional activity. Overexpression of FOXO3 decreased the expression of SOX2 and thereby impaired the CSC phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings suggest that the activation of autophagy is essential for the acquisition of CSC properties in adverse conditions and the self-renewal of CSCs. We clarify the role of autophagy in regulating the CSC phenotype and demonstrate that the noncanonical FOXO3/SOX2 axis is the intrinsic regulatory mechanism.
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40
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Bahmad HF, Daher D, Aljamal AA, Elajami MK, Oh KS, Alvarez Moreno JC, Delgado R, Suarez R, Zaldivar A, Azimi R, Castellano A, Sackstein R, Poppiti RJ. Repurposing of Anticancer Stem Cell Drugs in Brain Tumors. J Histochem Cytochem 2021; 69:749-773. [PMID: 34165342 PMCID: PMC8647630 DOI: 10.1369/00221554211025482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors in adults may be infrequent when compared with other cancer etiologies, but they remain one of the deadliest with bleak survival rates. Current treatment modalities encompass surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, increasing resistance rates are being witnessed, and this has been attributed, in part, to cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a subpopulation of cancer cells that reside within the tumor bulk and have the capacity for self-renewal and can differentiate and proliferate into multiple cell lineages. Studying those CSCs enables an increasing understanding of carcinogenesis, and targeting CSCs may overcome existing treatment resistance. One approach to weaponize new drugs is to target these CSCs through drug repurposing which entails using drugs, which are Food and Drug Administration-approved and safe for one defined disease, for a new indication. This approach serves to save both time and money that would otherwise be spent in designing a totally new therapy. In this review, we will illustrate drug repurposing strategies that have been used in brain tumors and then further elaborate on how these approaches, specifically those that target the resident CSCs, can help take the field of drug repurposing to a new level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham F. Bahmad
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Darine Daher
- Faculty of Medicine, American University of
Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Abed A. Aljamal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai
Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
| | - Mohamad K. Elajami
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai
Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
| | - Kei Shing Oh
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Ruben Delgado
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Richard Suarez
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Ana Zaldivar
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Roshanak Azimi
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Amilcar Castellano
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Robert Sackstein
- Department of Translational Medicine,
Translational Glycobiology Institute, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine,
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Robert J. Poppiti
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
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41
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Kilmister EJ, Tan ST. The Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System in the Cancer Stem Cell Niche. J Histochem Cytochem 2021; 69:835-847. [PMID: 34165363 PMCID: PMC8647629 DOI: 10.1369/00221554211026295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive metastasis, treatment resistance, and tumor recurrence. CSCs reside within a niche, an anatomically distinct site within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that consists of malignant and non-malignant cells, including immune cells. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a critical regulator of stem cells and key developmental processes, plays a vital role in the TME. Non-malignant cells within the CSC niche and stem cell signaling pathways such as the Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch pathways influence CSCs. Components of the RAS and cathepsins B and D that constitute bypass loops of the RAS are expressed on CSCs in many cancer types. There is extensive in vitro and in vivo evidence showing that RAS inhibition reduces tumor growth, cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. However, there is inconsistent epidemiological data on the effect of RAS inhibitors on cancer incidence and survival outcomes, attributed to different patient characteristics and methodologies used between studies. Further mechanistic studies are warranted to investigate the precise effects of the RAS on CSCs directly and/or the CSC niche. Targeting the RAS, its bypass loops, and convergent signaling pathways participating in the TME and other key stem cell pathways that regulate CSCs may be a novel approach to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swee T. Tan
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington,
New Zealand
- Wellington Regional Plastic, Maxillofacial and
Burns Unit, Hutt Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand
- Department of Surgery, The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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42
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Potential Role of GST- π in Lung Cancer Stem Cell Cisplatin Resistance. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:9142364. [PMID: 34840986 PMCID: PMC8626171 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9142364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumorigenesis, chemoresistance, and metastasis. Chemoresistance is a major challenge in the management of lung cancer. Glutathione-sulphur-transferase-π (GST-π) plays an important role in the origin and development of various types of cancer by regulating the cellular redox balance. Recent investigations have demonstrated that GST-π is associated with the chemoresistance of lung CSCs (LCSCs). However, the mechanism of GST-π in lung cancer, particularly in LCSCs, remains unclear. The present study is aimed at exploring the potential role of GST-π in stemness and cisplatin (DDP) resistance of LCSCs. Materials and methods. In the present study, lung cancer cell spheres were established using the A549 cell line, which according to our previous research, was confirmed to exhibit characteristics of stem cells. Next, GST-π protein expression, apoptosis percentage, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration in A549 adherent cells and A549 cell spheres were analyzed by western blotting and flow cytometry, respectively. Finally, DDP resistance, ROS concentration, and GST-π expression in LCSCs were analyzed following the interference with GST-π using DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulphoximine and N-acetylcysteine. Results The results revealed that GST-π was highly expressed in A549 cell spheres compared with A549 adherent cells and was associated with a decreased intracellular ROS concentration (both P < 0.05). Regulating GST-π protein expression could alter DDP resistance of LCSCs by influencing ROS. Conclusion These results suggested that GST-π may be important for LCSC drug resistance by downregulating ROS levels. These findings may contribute to the development of new adjuvant therapeutic strategies for lung cancer.
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Acuña RA, Varas-Godoy M, Herrera-Sepulveda D, Retamal MA. Connexin46 Expression Enhances Cancer Stem Cell and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Characteristics of Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12604. [PMID: 34830485 PMCID: PMC8624448 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexins (Cxs) are a family of proteins that form two different types of ion channels: hemichannels and gap junction channels. These channels participate in cellular communication, enabling them to share information and act as a synchronized syncytium. This cellular communication has been considered a strong tumor suppressor, but it is now recognized that some type of Cxs can be pro-tumorigenic. For example, Cx46 expression is increased in human breast cancer samples and correlates with cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics in human glioma. Thus, we explored whether Cx46 and glioma cells, can set up CSC and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties in a breast cancer cell line. To this end, we transfected MCF-7 cells with Cx46 attached to a green fluorescent protein (Cx46GFP), and we determined how its expression orchestrates both the gene-expression and functional changes associated with CSC and EMT. We observed that Cx46GFP increased Sox2, Nanog, and OCT4 mRNA levels associated with a high capacity to form monoclonal colonies and tumorspheres. Similarly, Cx46GFP increased the mRNA levels of n-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail and Zeb1 to a higher migratory and invasive capacity. Furthermore, Cx46GFP transfected in MCF-7 cells induced the release of higher amounts of VEGF, which promoted angiogenesis in HUVEC cells. We demonstrated for the first time that Cx46 modulates CSC and EMT properties in breast cancer cells and thus could be relevant in the design of future cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo A. Acuña
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7780272, Chile
| | - Manuel Varas-Godoy
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastian, Santiago 7510157, Chile;
| | - Diego Herrera-Sepulveda
- Carrera de Medicina Universidad del Desarrollo, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7780272, Chile;
| | - Mauricio A. Retamal
- Centro de Fisiología Celular e Integrativa, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7780272, Chile
- Programa de Comunicación Celular en Cáncer, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7780272, Chile
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Cao J, Bhatnagar S, Wang J, Qi X, Prabha S, Panyam J. Cancer stem cells and strategies for targeted drug delivery. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2021; 11:1779-1805. [PMID: 33095384 PMCID: PMC8062588 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-020-00863-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small proportion of cancer cells with high tumorigenic activity, self-renewal ability, and multilineage differentiation potential. Standard anti-tumor therapies including conventional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and molecularly targeted therapies are not effective against CSCs, and often lead to enrichment of CSCs that can result in tumor relapse. Therefore, it is hypothesized that targeting CSCs is key to increasing the efficacy of cancer therapies. In this review, CSC properties including CSC markers, their role in tumor growth, invasiveness, metastasis, and drug resistance, as well as CSC microenvironment are discussed. Further, CSC-targeted strategies including the use of targeted drug delivery systems are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Shubhmita Bhatnagar
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Jiawei Wang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Xueyong Qi
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Swayam Prabha
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Cancer Research & Molecular Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Jayanth Panyam
- College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
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Oe M, Miki K, Ueda Y, Mori Y, Okamoto A, Funakoshi Y, Minami H, Ohe K. Deep-Red/Near-Infrared Turn-On Fluorescence Probes for Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A1 in Cancer Stem Cells. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3320-3329. [PMID: 34445866 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c01136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence supports that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for cancer proliferation, metastasis, and therapy resistance; therefore, an effective strategy to identify and isolate CSCs is required urgently. Because of their low invasiveness and high signal/noise ratio, "turn-on" fluorescence probes working in the deep-red/near-infrared (DR/NIR) region are one of the most attractive yet undeveloped tools for CSC detection. Herein, we report DR/NIR turn-on fluorescence probes, CS5-A and CS7-A, targeted to aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 as an intracellular CSC marker. In contrast to the conventional "always-on" green-fluorescent ALDEFLUOR, we succeeded in generating high-contrast (signal/noise ratio > 8.3) and wash-free in vitro CSC imaging with the DR probe C5S-A. This probe can facilitate CSC isolation with minimal contamination by autofluorescence from other tissues through fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Furthermore, the NIR absorbance/emission and turn-on properties of C7S-A allow simple and rapid CSC detection in vivo within 15 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Oe
- Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Koji Miki
- Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Ueda
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yasuo Mori
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Aoi Okamoto
- Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Hospital and Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yohei Funakoshi
- Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Hospital and Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
- Division of Medical Oncology/Hematology, Department of Medicine, Kobe University Hospital and Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Hironobu Minami
- Division of Medical Oncology/Hematology, Department of Medicine, Kobe University Hospital and Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
- Cancer Center, Kobe University Hospital, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Kouichi Ohe
- Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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Lin D, Chen X, Liu Y, Lin Z, Luo Y, Fu M, Yang N, Liu D, Cao J. Microgel Single-Cell Culture Arrays on a Microfluidic Chip for Selective Expansion and Recovery of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells. Anal Chem 2021; 93:12628-12638. [PMID: 34495647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare and lack definite biomarkers, necessitating new methods for a robust expansion. Here, we developed a microfluidic single-cell culture (SCC) approach for expanding and recovering colorectal CSCs from both cell lines and tumor tissues. By incorporating alginate hydrogels with droplet microfluidics, a high-density microgel array can be formed on a microfluidic chip that allows for single-cell encapsulation and nonadhesive culture. The SCC approach takes advantage of the self-renewal property of stem cells, as only the CSCs can survive in the SCC and form tumorspheres. Consecutive imaging confirmed the formation of single-cell-derived tumorspheres, mainly from a population of small-sized cells. Through on-chip decapsulation of the alginate microgel, ∼6000 live cells can be recovered in a single run, which is sufficient for most biological assays. The recovered cells were verified to have the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of CSCs. Furthermore, multiple CSC-specific targets were identified by comparing the transcriptomics of the CSCs with the primary cancer cells. To summarize, the microgel SCC array offers a label-free approach to obtain sufficient quantities of CSCs and thus is potentially useful for understanding cancer biology and developing personalized CSC-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongguo Lin
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Microfluidic Chip Medical Diagnosis, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhun Lin
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yanzhang Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Mingpeng Fu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Na Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Dayu Liu
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Microfluidic Chip Medical Diagnosis, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Jie Cao
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology, 1, Panfu Road, Guangzhou 510180, China
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Chen ZQ, Yuan T, Jiang H, Yang YY, Wang L, Fu RM, Luo SQ, Zhang T, Wu ZY, Wen KM. MicroRNA‑8063 targets heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein AB to inhibit the self‑renewal of colorectal cancer stem cells via the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:219. [PMID: 34396427 PMCID: PMC8377466 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8170] [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: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a major cause of therapeutic failure in a variety of cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying mechanisms that regulate the self-renewal of colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) remain unclear. Our previous study utilized CRCSCs and their parent cells; through gene microarray screening and bioinformatics analysis, we hypothesized that microRNA (miR)-8063 may bind to, and regulate the expression of, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein AB (hnRNPAB) to facilitate the regulation of CRCSC self-renewal. The aim of the present study was to confirm this conjecture through relevant experiments. The results indicated that compared with that in parent cells, miR-8063 expression was significantly downregulated in CRCSCs, while hnRNPAB expression was increased. Furthermore, hnRNPAB was identified as a direct target of miR-8063 using a dual-Luciferase assay. Overexpression of hnRNPAB promoted the acquisition of CSC characteristics in CRC cells (increased colony formation ability, enhanced tumorigenicity, and upregulated expression of CSC markers), as well as the upregulation of key proteins (Wnt3a, Wnt5a and β-catenin) in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Similarly, after silencing miR-8063 in CRC cells, the characteristics of CSC were altered, and the expression of hnRNPAB protein was promoted. However, post overexpression of miR-8063 in CRCSCs, the self-renewal ability of CSCs was weakened with the downregulation of hnRNPAB protein, Wnt3a, Wnt5a and β-catenin. These results suggest that as a tumor suppressor, miR-8063 is involved in regulating the self-renewal of CRCSCs, where loss of miR-8063 expression weakens its inhibition on hnRNPAB, which leads to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling to promote the self-renewal of CRCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Quan Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Tao Yuan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Hang Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Rui-Min Fu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Qiang Luo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Zhen-Yu Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Kun-Ming Wen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
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Chen Y, Liang W, Liu K, Shang Z. FOXD1 promotes EMT and cell stemness of oral squamous cell carcinoma by transcriptional activation of SNAI2. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:154. [PMID: 34348789 PMCID: PMC8335989 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00671-9] [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: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell stemness are implicated in the initiation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Revealing the intrinsic regulatory mechanism may provide effective therapeutic targets for OSCC. Results In this study, we found that Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) was upregulated in OSCC compared with normal samples. Patients with a higher FOXD1 expression had a poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that FOXD1 expression was related to the clinical stage and relapse status of OSCC patients. When FOXD1 expression was knocked down in CAL27 and SCC25 cells, the migration, invasion, colony formation, sphere formation, and proliferation abilities decreased. Moreover, EMT and stemness-related markers changed remarkably, which indicated that the EMT process and cell stemness were inhibited. Conversely, overexpression of FOXD1 promoted EMT and cell stemness. Further study demonstrated that FOXD1 could bind to the promoter region and activate the transcription of SNAI2. In turn, the elevated SNAI2 affected EMT and cell stemness. An in vivo study showed that FOXD1-overexpressing CAL27 cells possessed a stronger tumorigenic ability. Conclusions Our findings revealed a novel mechanism in regulating EMT and cell stemness and proposed FOXD1 as a potential marker for the diagnosis and treatment of OSCC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-021-00671-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chen
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology, Hubei Province and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine (Wuhan University), Ministry of Education (Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM), Wuhan, China
| | - Weilian Liang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology, Hubei Province and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine (Wuhan University), Ministry of Education (Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM), Wuhan, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Zhengjun Shang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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Abballe L, Miele E. Epigenetic modulators for brain cancer stem cells: Implications for anticancer treatment. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:670-684. [PMID: 34367473 PMCID: PMC8316861 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i7.670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary malignant brain tumors are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children, with a dismal prognosis despite multimodal therapeutic approaches. In the last years, a specific subpopulation of cells within the tumor bulk, named cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells, have been identified in brain tumors as responsible for cancer growth and disease progression. Stemness features of tumor cells strongly affect treatment response, leading to the escape from conventional therapeutic approaches and subsequently causing tumor relapse. Recent research efforts have focused at identifying new therapeutic strategies capable of specifically targeting CSCs in cancers by taking into consideration their complex nature. Aberrant epigenetic machinery plays a key role in the genesis and progression of brain tumors as well as inducing CSC reprogramming and preserving CSC characteristics. Thus, reverting the cancer epigenome can be considered a promising therapeutic strategy. Three main epigenetic mechanisms have been described: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA, particularly microRNAs. Each of these mechanisms has been proven to be targetable by chemical compounds, known as epigenetic-based drugs or epidrugs, that specifically target epigenetic marks. We review here recent advances in the study of epigenetic modulators promoting and sustaining brain tumor stem-like cells. We focus on their potential role in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Abballe
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Cellular and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy
| | - Evelina Miele
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Cellular and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy.
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Han YS, Yi EY, Jegal ME, Kim YJ. Cancer Stem-Like Phenotype of Mitochondria Dysfunctional Hep3B Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line. Cells 2021; 10:1608. [PMID: 34198967 PMCID: PMC8307994 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are major organelles that play various roles in cells, and mitochondrial dysfunction is the main cause of numerous diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction also occurs in many cancer cells, and these changes are known to affect malignancy. The mitochondria of normal embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exist in an undifferentiated state and do not function properly. We hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells caused by the depletion of mitochondrial DNA might be similar to the mitochondrial state of ESCs. We generated mitochondria dysfunctional (ρ0) cells from the Hep3B hepatocellular carcinoma cell line and tested whether these ρ0 cells show cancer stem-like properties, such as self-renewal, chemotherapy resistance, and angiogenesis. Compared with Hep3B cells, the characteristics of each cancer stem-like cell were increased in Hep3B/ρ0 cells. The Hep3B/ρ0 cells formed a continuous and large sphere from a single cell. Additionally, the Hep3B/ρ0 cells showed resistance to the anticancer drug doxorubicin because of the increased expression of ATP-binding cassette Subfamily B Member 1. The Hep3B/ρ0 conditioned medium induced more and thicker blood vessels and increased the mobility and invasiveness of the blood vessel cells. Therefore, our data suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction can transform cancer cells into cancer stem-like cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Seon Han
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (Y.-S.H.); (E.-Y.Y.); (M.-E.J.)
| | - Eui-Yeun Yi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (Y.-S.H.); (E.-Y.Y.); (M.-E.J.)
| | - Myeong-Eun Jegal
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (Y.-S.H.); (E.-Y.Y.); (M.-E.J.)
| | - Yung-Jin Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; (Y.-S.H.); (E.-Y.Y.); (M.-E.J.)
- Korea Nanobiotechnology Center, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
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