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Radiation Treatment Timing and Dose Delivery: Effects on Bladder Cancer Cells in 3D in Vitro Culture. RADIATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/radiation2040025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
While radical cystectomy remains the primary treatment of choice for bladder cancer, increased evidence supports the use of bladder-preservation strategies based on adjuvant radiotherapy. This highlights the need for a better understanding of bladder cancer radiosensitivity to different types of treatment deliveries. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of treatment time, dose and fractionation on the number and sizes of grown three-dimensional (3D) bladder cancer spheres, and to assess the capacity of the linear-quadratic model in describing the response of cells cultured in 3D. 3D MatrigelTM-based cultures were employed to enrich for cancer stem cells (CSCs) from three human bladder cancer cell lines, RT4, T24 and UM-UC-3. Three single dose radiation treatments were performed at different time points after plating, and sphere number and sizes were assessed. Anti-CD44 immunofluorescence, clonogenic assay and anti-γH2AX staining were also performed to analyze the cell lines’ radiosensitivity. The radiosensitivity of spheres was dependent on the treatment timing after plating. Current linear quadratic dose fractionation models were shown to over-estimate radiosensitivity in 3D models. Our results showed the importance of treatment timing on the radio-response of bladder cancer spheres. We also demonstrated that bladder cancer spheres are more resistant to dose-fractionation than the estimation from the theoretical linear-quadratic model.
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Many Different LINE-1 Retroelements Are Activated in Bladder Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249433. [PMID: 33322422 PMCID: PMC7763009 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human genomes contain about 100,000 LINE-1 (L1) retroelements, of which more than 100 are intact. L1s are normally tightly controlled by epigenetic mechanisms, which often fail in cancer. In bladder urothelial carcinoma (UC), particularly, L1s become DNA-hypomethylated, expressed and contribute to genomic instability and tumor growth. It is, however, unknown which individual L1s are activated. Following RNA-immunoprecipitation with a L1-specific antibody, third generation nanopore sequencing detected transcripts of 90 individual elements in the VM-Cub-1 UC line with high overall L1 expression. In total, 10 L1s accounted for >60% of the reads. Analysis of five specific L1s by RT-qPCR revealed generally increased expression in UC tissues and cell lines over normal controls, but variable expression among tumor cell lines from bladder, prostate and testicular cancer. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated active histone marks at L1 sequences with increased expression in VM-Cub-1, but not in a different UC cell line with low L1 expression. We conclude that many L1 elements are epigenetically activated in bladder cancer in a varied pattern. Our findings indicate that expression of individual L1s is highly heterogeneous between and among cancer types.
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Bodgi L, Bahmad HF, Araji T, Al Choboq J, Bou-Gharios J, Cheaito K, Zeidan YH, Eid T, Geara F, Abou-Kheir W. Assessing Radiosensitivity of Bladder Cancer in vitro: A 2D vs. 3D Approach. Front Oncol 2019; 9:153. [PMID: 30941305 PMCID: PMC6433750 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among males worldwide. Current treatment strategies established for bladder cancer mainly consist of cystectomy yet advances in radiation therapy have pointed to the value of organ-preserving strategies in preserving patients' quality of life. Aim: To study and compare the radiosensitivity in two-dimension (2D) and physiologically-relevant three-dimension (3D) in vitro culture of three human bladder cancer cell lines, RT4, T24, and UM-UC-3. Materials and Methods: Clonogenic assay was performed to assess cells' radiosensitivity in 2D. Employing the 3D Matrigel™-based cultures to enrich for cancer stem cells (CSCs) allowed us to assess the survival of this subpopulation of cells via evaluating the number, i.e., sphere forming unit (SFU), and the sizes of cultured spheres, formed from cells exposed to different radiation doses compared to non-irradiated cells. Results: Irradiating cells with increasing radiation doses revealed highest survival rates with RT4 cells in 2D, followed by T24 and UM-UC-3. In 3D, however, UM-UC-3 cells were shown to be the most radio-resistant as evidenced by the number of spheres formed, yet they displayed the least efficient volume reduction/regression (VR), whilst the volume decreased significantly for both RT4 and T24 cells. Sphere VR and sphere ratio (SR) values were then plotted against each other demonstrating a linear correlation between volume and number with RT4 and UM-UC-3 cell lines, but not T24. Lastly, multiple regression model was employed to evaluate the possibility of obtaining a function combining both 3D parameters, SR and VR, with the surviving fraction (SF) in 2D, and showed a linear regression for T24 cells only, with a correlation coefficient of 0.97 for the combined parameters. Conclusion: We were able to radiobiologically characterize 3 human bladder cancer cell lines showing differential effects of radiation between 2D and 3D culture systems, paving the way for achieving better assessment of radiosensitivity of bladder cancer in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Bodgi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Tarek Araji
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Joelle Al Choboq
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Jolie Bou-Gharios
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Katia Cheaito
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Youssef H Zeidan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Toufic Eid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Fady Geara
- Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Wassim Abou-Kheir
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Jaguva Vasudevan AA, Kreimer U, Schulz WA, Krikoni A, Schumann GG, Häussinger D, Münk C, Goering W. APOBEC3B Activity Is Prevalent in Urothelial Carcinoma Cells and Only Slightly Affected by LINE-1 Expression. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2088. [PMID: 30233553 PMCID: PMC6132077 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common mutational signature in urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common type of urinary bladder cancer is assumed to be caused by the misdirected activity of APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases, especially A3A or A3B, which are known to normally restrict the propagation of exogenous viruses and endogenous retroelements such as LINE-1 (L1). The involvement of A3 proteins in urothelial carcinogenesis is unexpected because, to date, UC is thought to be caused by chemical carcinogens rather than viral activity. Therefore, we explored the relationship between A3 expression and L1 activity, which is generally upregulated in UC. We found that UC cell lines highly express A3B and in some cases A3G, but not A3A, and exhibit corresponding cytidine deamination activity in vitro. While we observed evidence suggesting that L1 expression has a weak positive effect on A3B and A3G expression and A3B promoter activity, neither efficient siRNA-mediated knockdown nor overexpression of functional L1 elements affected catalytic activity of A3 proteins consistently. However, L1 knockdown diminished proliferation of a UC cell line exhibiting robust endogenous L1 expression, but had little impact on a cell line with low L1 expression levels. Our results indicate that UC cells express A3B at levels exceeding A3A levels by far, making A3B the prime candidate for causing genomic mutations. Our data provide evidence that L1 activation constitutes only a minor and negligible factor involved in induction or upregulation of endogenous A3 expression in UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Ayyappan Jaguva Vasudevan
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ulrike Kreimer
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Schulz
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Aikaterini Krikoni
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gerald G Schumann
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Dieter Häussinger
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carsten Münk
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Goering
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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5
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Hatina J, Parmar HS, Kripnerova M, Hepburn A, Heer R. Urothelial Carcinoma Stem Cells: Current Concepts, Controversies, and Methods. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1655:121-136. [PMID: 28889382 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7234-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells are defined as a self-renewing and self-protecting subpopulation of cancer cells able to differentiate into morphologically and functionally diverse cancer cells with a limited lifespan. To purify cancer stem cells, two basic approaches can be applied, the marker-based approach employing various more of less-specific cell surface marker molecules and a marker-free approach largely based on various self-protection mechanisms. Within the context of urothelial carcinoma, both methods could find use. The cell surface markers have been mainly derived from the urothelial basal cell, a probable cell of origin of muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, with CD14, CD44, CD90, and 67LR representing successful examples of this strategy. The marker-free approaches involve side population sorting, for which a detailed protocol is provided, as well as the Aldefluor assay, which rely on a specific overexpression of efflux pumps or the detoxification enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, respectively, in stem cells. These assays have been applied to both non-muscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer samples and cell lines. Urothelial carcinoma stem cells feature a pronounced heterogeneity as to their molecular stemness mechanisms. Several aspects of urothelial cancer stem cell biology could enter translational development rather soon, e.g., a specific CD44+-derived gene expression signature able to identify non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients with a high risk of progression, or deciphering a mechanism responsible for repopulating activity of urothelial carcinoma stem cells within the context of therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Hatina
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Institute of Biology, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic.
| | - Hamendra Singh Parmar
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Institute of Biology, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Kripnerova
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Institute of Biology, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Anastasia Hepburn
- Solid Tumour Target Discovery Laboratory, Newcastle Cancer Centre, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Rakesh Heer
- Solid Tumour Target Discovery Laboratory, Newcastle Cancer Centre, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
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6
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Naipal KAT, Verkaik NS, Sánchez H, van Deurzen CHM, den Bakker MA, Hoeijmakers JHJ, Kanaar R, Vreeswijk MPG, Jager A, van Gent DC. Tumor slice culture system to assess drug response of primary breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:78. [PMID: 26860465 PMCID: PMC4748539 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2119-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high incidence of breast cancer has sparked the development of novel targeted and personalized therapies. Personalization of cancer treatment requires reliable prediction of chemotherapy responses in individual patients. Effective selection can prevent unnecessary treatment that would mainly result in the unwanted side effects of the therapy. This selection can be facilitated by characterization of individual tumors using robust and specific functional assays, which requires development of powerful ex vivo culture systems and procedures to analyze the response to treatment. METHODS We optimized culture methods for primary breast tumor samples that allowed propagation of tissue ex vivo. We combined several tissue culture strategies, including defined tissue slicing technology, growth medium optimization and use of a rotating platform to increase nutrient exchange. RESULTS We could maintain tissue cultures for at least 7 days without losing tissue morphology, viability or cell proliferation. We also developed methods to determine the cytotoxic response of individual tumors to the chemotherapeutic treatment FAC (5-FU, Adriamycin [Doxorubicin] and Cyclophosphamide). Using this tool we designated tumors as sensitive or resistant and distinguished a clinically proven resistant tumor from other tumors. CONCLUSION This method defines conditions that allow ex vivo testing of individual tumor responses to anti-cancer drugs and therefore might improve personalization of breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishan A T Naipal
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Nicole S Verkaik
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Humberto Sánchez
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Carolien H M van Deurzen
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Michael A den Bakker
- Department of Pathology, Maasstad Hospital, Maasstadweg 21, Rotterdam, 3079 DZ, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan H J Hoeijmakers
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Roland Kanaar
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Maaike P G Vreeswijk
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC, The Netherlands.
| | - Agnes Jager
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
| | - Dik C van Gent
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands.
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7
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Earl J, Rico D, Carrillo-de-Santa-Pau E, Rodríguez-Santiago B, Méndez-Pertuz M, Auer H, Gómez G, Grossman HB, Pisano DG, Schulz WA, Pérez-Jurado LA, Carrato A, Theodorescu D, Chanock S, Valencia A, Real FX. The UBC-40 Urothelial Bladder Cancer cell line index: a genomic resource for functional studies. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:403. [PMID: 25997541 PMCID: PMC4470036 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urothelial bladder cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Cancer cell lines are useful tools for its study. This is a comprehensive genomic characterization of 40 urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) cell lines including information on origin, mutation status of genes implicated in bladder cancer (FGFR3, PIK3CA, TP53, and RAS), copy number alterations assessed using high density SNP arrays, uniparental disomy (UPD) events, and gene expression. RESULTS Based on gene mutation patterns and genomic changes we identify lines representative of the FGFR3-driven tumor pathway and of the TP53/RB tumor suppressor-driven pathway. High-density array copy number analysis identified significant focal gains (1q32, 5p13.1-12, 7q11, and 7q33) and losses (i.e. 6p22.1) in regions altered in tumors but not previously described as affected in bladder cell lines. We also identify new evidence for frequent regions of UPD, often coinciding with regions reported to be lost in tumors. Previously undescribed chromosome X losses found in UBC lines also point to potential tumor suppressor genes. Cell lines representative of the FGFR3-driven pathway showed a lower number of UPD events. CONCLUSIONS Overall, there is a predominance of more aggressive tumor subtypes among the cell lines. We provide a cell line classification that establishes their relatedness to the major molecularly-defined bladder tumor subtypes. The compiled information should serve as a useful reference to the bladder cancer research community and should help to select cell lines appropriate for the functional analysis of bladder cancer genes, for example those being identified through massive parallel sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Earl
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, F BBVA Cancer Cell Biology Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain. .,Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Daniel Rico
- Structural Computational Biology Group, Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Enrique Carrillo-de-Santa-Pau
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, F BBVA Cancer Cell Biology Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Benjamín Rodríguez-Santiago
- Quantitative Genomic Medicine Laboratory, qGenomics, Barcelona, Spain. .,Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Marinela Méndez-Pertuz
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, F BBVA Cancer Cell Biology Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Herbert Auer
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gonzalo Gómez
- Bioinformatics Unit, Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - David G Pisano
- Bioinformatics Unit, Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Wolfgang A Schulz
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Luis A Pérez-Jurado
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alfredo Carrato
- Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Dan Theodorescu
- University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, 80045, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Stephen Chanock
- Translational Genomics Laboratory, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA.
| | - Alfonso Valencia
- Structural Computational Biology Group, Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Francisco X Real
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, F BBVA Cancer Cell Biology Programme, CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre), Madrid, Spain. .,Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. .,Cancer Cell Biology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Greife A, Knievel J, Ribarska T, Niegisch G, Schulz WA. Concomitant downregulation of the imprinted genes DLK1 and MEG3 at 14q32.2 by epigenetic mechanisms in urothelial carcinoma. Clin Epigenetics 2014; 6:29. [PMID: 25741387 PMCID: PMC4348104 DOI: 10.1186/1868-7083-6-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The two oppositely imprinted and expressed genes, DLK1 and MEG3, are located in the same gene cluster at 14q32. Previous studies in bladder cancer have suggested that tumor suppressor genes are located in this region, but these have not been identified. Results We observed that both DLK1 and MEG3 are frequently silenced in urothelial cancer tissues and cell lines. The concomitant downregulation of the two genes is difficult to explain by known mechanisms for inactivating imprinted genes, namely deletion of active alleles or epitype switching. Indeed, quantitative PCR revealed more frequent copy number gains than losses in the gene cluster that were, moreover, consistent within each sample, excluding gene losses as the cause of downregulation. Instead, we observed distinctive epigenetic alterations at the three regions controlling DLK1 and MEG3 expression, namely the DLK1 promoter; the intergenic (IG) and MEG3 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing revealed novel patterns of DNA methylation in tumor cells, which were distinct from that of either paternal allele. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated loss of active and gain of repressive histone modifications at all regulatory sequences. Conclusions Our data support the idea that the main cause of the prevalent downregulation of DLK1 and MEG3 in urothelial carcinoma is epigenetic silencing across the 14q32 imprinted gene cluster, resulting in the unusual concomitant inactivation of oppositely expressed and imprinted genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1868-7083-6-29) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Greife
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Judith Knievel
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Teodora Ribarska
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Günter Niegisch
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Schulz
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225 Germany
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Knievel J, Schulz WA, Greife A, Hader C, Lübke T, Schmitz I, Albers P, Niegisch G. Multiple mechanisms mediate resistance to sorafenib in urothelial cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2014; 15:20500-17. [PMID: 25387078 PMCID: PMC4264180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms151120500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and epigenetic changes in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling render urothelial cancer a potential target for tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. However, clinical trials of several TKIs failed to prove efficacy. In this context, we investigated changes in MAPK signaling activity, downstream apoptotic regulators and changes in cell cycle distribution in different urothelial cancer cell lines (UCCs) upon treatment with the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib. None of the classical sorafenib targets (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1/-receptor 2, VEGFR1/-R2; platelet-derived growth factor receptor α/-receptor β, PDGFR-α/-β; c-KIT) was expressed at significant levels leaving RAF proteins as its likely molecular target. Low sorafenib concentrations paradoxically increased cell viability, whereas higher concentrations induced G1 arrest and eventually apoptosis. MAPK signaling remained partly active after sorafenib treatment, especially in T24 cells with an oncogenic HRAS mutation. AKT phosphorylation was increased, suggesting compensatory activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Sorafenib regularly down regulated the anti-apoptotic myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) protein, but combinatorial treatment with ABT-737 targeting other B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins did not result in synergistic effects. In summary, efficacy of sorafenib in urothelial cancer cell lines appears hampered by limited effects on MAPK signaling, crosstalk with further cancer pathways and an anti-apoptotic state of UCCs. These observations may account for the lack of efficacy of sorafenib in clinical trials and should be considered more broadly in the development of signaling pathway inhibitors for drug therapy in urothelial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Knievel
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang A Schulz
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
| | - Annemarie Greife
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
| | - Christiane Hader
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
| | - Tobias Lübke
- Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Inhoffenstr. 7, Braunschweig D-38124, Germany.
| | - Ingo Schmitz
- Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Inhoffenstr. 7, Braunschweig D-38124, Germany.
| | - Peter Albers
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
| | - Günter Niegisch
- Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany.
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10
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Greife A, Jankowiak S, Steinbring J, Nikpour P, Niegisch G, Hoffmann MJ, Schulz WA. Canonical Notch signalling is inactive in urothelial carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:628. [PMID: 25167871 PMCID: PMC4242495 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Notch signalling regulates cell fate in most tissues, promoting precursor cell proliferation in some, but differentiation in others. Accordingly, downregulation or overactivity variously contributes to cancer development. So far, little is known about Notch pathway activity and function in the normal urothelium and in urothelial carcinoma (UC). We have therefore investigated expression of Notch pathway components in UC tissues and cell lines and studied the function of one receptor, NOTCH1, in detail. METHODS Expression of canonical Notch pathway components were studied in UC and normal bladder tissues by immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR and in UC cell lines and normal cultured urothelial cells by qRT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Pathway activity was measured by reporter gene assays. Its influence on cell proliferation was investigated by γ-secretase inhibition. Effects of NOTCH1 restoration were followed by measuring cell cycle distribution, proliferation, clonogenicity and nuclear morphology. RESULTS NOTCH1 and its ligand, DLL1, were expressed at plasma membranes and in the cytoplasm of cells in the upper normal urothelium layer, but became downregulated in UC tissues, especially in high-stage tumours. In addition, the proteins were often delocalized intracellularly. According differences were observed in UC cell lines compared to normal urothelial cells. Canonical Notch pathway activity in reporter assays was repressed in UC cell lines compared to normal cells and a mammary carcinoma cell line, but was induced by transfected NOTCH1. Inhibitors of Notch signalling acting at the γ-secretase step did not affect UC cell proliferation at concentrations efficacious against a cell line with known Notch activity. Surprisingly, overexpression of NOTCH1 into UC cell lines did not significantly affect short-term cell proliferation, but induced nuclear abnormalities and diminished clonogenicity. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that canonical Notch signalling is suppressed in urothelial carcinoma mainly through downregulation of NOTCH1. These findings can be explained by proposing that canonical Notch signalling may promote differentiation in the urothelium, like in many squamous epithelia, and its suppression may therefore be advantageous for tumour progression. As an important corollary, inhibition of canonical Notch signalling is unlikely to be efficacious and might be counter-productive in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Wolfgang A Schulz
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Glycan-targeted drug delivery for intravesical therapy: in the footsteps of uropathogenic bacteria. Ther Deliv 2014; 5:537-53. [DOI: 10.4155/tde.14.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The human urothelium belongs to the most efficient biobarriers, and represents a highly rewarding but challenging target for local drug administration. Inadequate urothelial bioavailability is a major obstacle for successful treatment of bladder cancer and other diseases, yet little research has addressed the development of advanced delivery concepts for the intravesical route. A prominent example of how to overcome the urothelial barrier by means of specific biorecognition is the efficient cytoinvasion of UPEC bacteria, mediated by the mannose-targeted lectin domain FimH. Similar mechanisms of non-bacterial origin may be exploited for enhancing drug uptake from the bladder cavity. This review covers the current status in the development of lectin-based delivery strategies for the urinary tract. Different concepts for preparing and optimizing carbohydrate-targeted delivery systems are presented, along with important design parameters, benefits and shortcomings. Bioconjugate- and nano-/microparticle-based systems are discussed in further detail with regard to their performance in preclinical testing.
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Changes in histone deacetylase (HDAC) expression patterns and activity of HDAC inhibitors in urothelial cancers. Urol Oncol 2013; 31:1770-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2012.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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13
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Kreimer U, Schulz WA, Koch A, Niegisch G, Goering W. HERV-K and LINE-1 DNA Methylation and Reexpression in Urothelial Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2013; 3:255. [PMID: 24133654 PMCID: PMC3783855 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in DNA methylation frequently accompany cancer development. One prominent change is an apparently genome-wide decrease in methylcytosine that is often ascribed to DNA hypomethylation at retroelements comprising nearly half the genome. DNA hypomethylation may allow reactivation of retroelements, enabling retrotransposition, and causing gene expression disturbances favoring tumor development. However, neither the extent of hypomethylation nor of retroelement reactivation are precisely known. We therefore assessed DNA methylation and expression of three major classes of retroelements (LINE-1, HERV-K, and AluY) in human urinary bladder cancer tissues and cell lines by pyrosequencing and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, respectively. We found substantial global LINE-1 DNA hypomethylation in bladder cancer going along with a shift toward full-length LINE-1 expression. Thus, pronounced differences in LINE-1 expression were observed, which may be promoted, among others, by LINE-1 hypomethylation. Significant DNA hypomethylation was found at the HERV-K_22q11.23 proviral long terminal repeat (LTR) in bladder cancer tissues but without reactivation of its expression. DNA methylation of HERVK17, essentially absent from normal urothelial cells, was elevated in cell lines from invasive bladder cancers. Accordingly, the faint expression of HERVK17 in normal urothelial cells disappeared in such cancer cell lines. Of 16 additional HERV-Ks, expression of 7 could be detected in the bladder, albeit generally at low levels. Unlike in prostate cancers, none of these showed significant expression changes in bladder cancer. In contrast, expression of the AluYb8 but not of the AluYa5 family was significantly increased in bladder cancer tissues. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a remarkable specificity of changes in expression and DNA methylation of retroelements in bladder cancer with a significantly different pattern from that in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Kreimer
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University , Düsseldorf , Germany
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14
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Involvement of Heregulin/HER3 in the Primary Culture of Human Urothelial Cancer. J Urol 2013; 190:302-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.12.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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15
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Koch A, Hatina J, Rieder H, Seifert HH, Huckenbeck W, Jankowiak F, Florl AR, Stoehr R, Schulz WA. Discovery of TP53 splice variants in two novel papillary urothelial cancer cell lines. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2012; 35:243-57. [PMID: 22669776 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-012-0082-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Using a novel cell culture technique, we established two new cell lines, BC44 and BC61, from papillary urothelial carcinoma and analyzed them for genetic changes typical of this tumor type. METHODS AND RESULTS Karyotyping revealed aneuploid karyotypes with loss of chromosome 9 and rearranged chromosome 5p. Molecular analysis showed CDKN2A deletions but wild-type PIK3CA. BC61 contained a G372C FGFR3 mutation. TP53 was not mutated in either cell line and BC61 expressed normal full-length protein. In contrast, BC44 exclusively expressed cytoplasmic and nuclear p53Δ40 and 133 isoforms from the alternative promoter P2 as revealed by Western blotting, immunocytochemistry and PCR. The only discernible difference in TP53 in BC44 was homozygosity for the deletion allele of the rs17878362 polymorphism in the P2 promoter. Expression of p53 isoforms was also detected in a few other urothelial carcinoma cell lines and tumor cultures and in 4 out of 28 carcinoma tissues. CONCLUSION In urothelial cancers, TP53 is typically inactivated by mutations in one allele and loss of the wildtype allele and more frequently in invasive compared to papillary carcinomas. We show that some urothelial carcinomas may predominantly or exclusively express isoforms which are not detected by commonly used antibodies to epitopes located in the p53 TA amino-terminal region. Expression of these isoforms may constitute a further mode of p53 inactivation in urothelial carcinoma. Our findings raise the question to which extent this mechanism may compromise wildtype p53 function in papillary tumors in particular, where point mutations in the gene are rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Koch
- Urologische Klinik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Specific protein and miRNA patterns characterise tumour-associated fibroblasts in bladder cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2010; 137:751-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00432-010-0932-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Dokun OY, Florl AR, Seifert HH, Wolff I, Schulz WA. Relationship of SNCG, S100A4, S100A9 and LCN2 gene expression and DNA methylation in bladder cancer. Int J Cancer 2009; 123:2798-807. [PMID: 18803290 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Microarray analysis of paired cultures of normal and cancerous urothelial cells revealed differences in cytokeratin and adhesion gene expression. Normal cells expressed autocrine growth factor genes more strongly whereas carcinoma cells were distinguished by concomitant expression of urothelial and epidermal differentiation markers. Expression of SNCG, S100A9 and LCN2 was also enhanced. In other cancers, overexpression of SNCG, LCN2 and S100A4 has been ascribed to DNA hypomethylation. We therefore investigated expression and methylation of SNCG, S100A4, S100A9 and LCN2 in urothelial cancer cell lines and tissues. SNCG and S100A4 were overexpressed in some cancer tissues and cell lines, but downregulated in others, whereas LCN2 and S100A9 were upregulated in few cancer cell lines, but regularly in tissues. Normal and cancerous urothelial cells expressing SNCG lacked promoter methylation. SNCG downregulation was associated with hypermethylation and could be reversed by the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. S100A4 methylation at regulatory intronic sites and in the promoter region was lowest in leukocytes and fibroblasts, and denser in urothelial cells. Gene expression responded to 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. LCN2 promoter methylation was variable and even less consistently related to expression. The S100A9 promoter was partially methylated in nonexpressing cells, but 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine had no effect. Our data indicate that SNCG methylation is cell type-specific and the gene is hypermethylated in some urothelial cancers. S100A4, S100A9 and LCN2 are genes with moderate CpG-density that show a less stringent relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression. Therefore, changes in methylation of these genes in cancer should be interpreted cautiously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olusola Y Dokun
- Department of Urology, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany
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Hatina J, Huckenbeck W, Rieder H, Seifert HH, Schulz WA. [Bladder carcinoma cell lines as models of the pathobiology of bladder cancer. Review of the literature and establishment of a new progression series]. Urologe A 2008; 47:724-34. [PMID: 18398596 DOI: 10.1007/s00120-008-1687-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour cell lines represent valuable preclinical models to decipher underlying biology and identify potential therapy targets and pharmacologically useful compounds. Approximately 50 human bladder cancer cell lines have been established to date, mainly from invasive and metastatic tumours. Two of these, namely T24 and 253J, were experimentally further developed into progression series. These models have provided important insights into later tumour progression events and metastatic dissemination. Only a few cell lines are available as models of non-invasive papillary bladder cancer and no progression series have yet been established. MATERIAL AND METHODS During the course of establishing a doxorubicin-resistant variant cell line of the human papillary bladder carcinoma cell line BFTC-905, a unique cell colony was identified, apparently involving cells with divergent growth patterns. Subsequent subculturing yielded three daughter cell lines, BFTC-905-compact, BFTC-905-diffuse und BFTC-905-diffuse M. Their fundamental characterization included basic cell morphology, cell membrane expression of E-Cadherin, karyotype analysis, invasion and colony forming capacity in soft agar. The clonal origin of the newly established daughter cell lines was assessed by means of molecular genetic methods. RESULTS We could identify important differences in multiple transformation related traits among the cell lines of the BFTC-905 progression series. Both diffuse cell lines (BFTC-905-diffuse und BFTC-905-diffuse M) differed from the BFTC-905-compact cell line by growing in a less organized,"diffuse" manner, which involved colonies of cells exhibiting apparently normal cell-to-cell adhesion as well as individual cells outside of them. This diminution of the cell-to-cell adhesion was accompanied by a corresponding decrease of membranous E-Cadherin. The BFTC-905-diffuse M cell line displayed a dramatic increase in the overall chromosome number, resulting in a hypertetraploid karyotype. At the same time, this cell line, as the only one in the progression series, acquired the ability to grow independent of anchorage in soft agar. All three cell lines remained noninvasive. Allelic distribution of highly polymorphic DNA-markers in the cell lines of the BFTC-905 progression series provided unequivocal evidence of their common origin. CONCLUSION The newly established BFTC-905 progression series manifests two aspects of the early progression of non-invasive bladder carcinoma, not exhibited by any other progression series published so far, namely dynamic changes in the expression of E-Cadherin and a complex karyotypic evolution. It may thus contribute important insights into further understanding of the pathobiology of bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hatina
- Forschungslabor der Urologischen Klinik, Universitätsklinikum, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Chromosomal instability in bladder cancer. Arch Toxicol 2008; 82:173-82. [PMID: 18253719 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-008-0280-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2007] [Accepted: 01/09/2008] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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