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Rapanotti MC, Cugini E, Scioli MG, Cenci T, Anzillotti S, Puzzuoli M, Terrinoni A, Ferlosio A, De Luca A, Orlandi A. The Clinical Relevance of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Hallmarks: A Cut-Off-Based Approach in Healthy and Cancerous Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2025; 26:3617. [PMID: 40332096 PMCID: PMC12026647 DOI: 10.3390/ijms26083617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2025] [Revised: 04/01/2025] [Accepted: 04/08/2025] [Indexed: 05/08/2025] Open
Abstract
The atypical activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition represents one of the main mechanisms driving cancer cell dissemination. It enables epithelial cancer cells to detach from the primary tumor mass and gain survival advantages in the bloodstream, significantly contributing to the spread of circulating tumor cells. Notably, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is not a binary process but rather leads to the formation of a wide range of cell subpopulations characterized by the simultaneous expression of both epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Therefore, analyzing the modulation of EMT hallmarks during the conversion from healthy cells to metastatic cancer cells, which acquire stem mesenchymal characteristics, is of particular interest. This study investigates the expression of a panel of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes in healthy cells, primary and metastatic cancer cells, and in mesenchymal cell lines, derived from various tissues, including the lung, colon, pancreas, skin, and neuro-ectoderm, with the aim of identifying potential cut-off values for assessing cancer aggressiveness. Interestingly, we found that the expression levels of CDH1, which encodes the epithelial marker E-cadherin, CDH5, encoding vascular endothelial cadherin, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-transcription factor ZEB1, effectively distinguished primary from metastatic cancer cells. Additionally, our data suggest a tissue-specific signature in the modulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers during cancer progression. Overall, our results underscore the importance of investigating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as a tissue-specific process to identify the most suitable markers acting as potential indicators of disease aggressiveness and therapeutic responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Rapanotti
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Elisa Cugini
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Giovanna Scioli
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Tonia Cenci
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Silvia Anzillotti
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Martina Puzzuoli
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Alessandro Terrinoni
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Amedeo Ferlosio
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Anastasia De Luca
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Orlandi
- Anatomic Pathology, Department of Integrated Care Processes, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy (M.G.S.); (T.C.); (S.A.); (M.P.); (A.F.); (A.O.)
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Sun J, Dong M, Xiang X, Zhang S, Wen D. Notch signaling and targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216647. [PMID: 38301911 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216647] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway plays pivotal roles in cell proliferation, stemness and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The human Notch family consists of four receptors, namely Notch1, Notch2, Notch3, and Notch4. These receptors are transmembrane proteins that play crucial roles in various cellular processes. Notch1 mostly acts as a pro-carcinogenic factor in NSCLC but sometimes acts as a suppressor. Notch2 has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth and progression of NSCLC, whereas Notch3 facilitates these biological behaviors of NSCLC. The role of Notch4 in NSCLC has not been fully elucidated, but it is evident that Notch4 promotes tumor progression. At present, drugs targeting the Notch pathway are being explored for NSCLC therapy, a majority of which are already in the stage of preclinical research and clinical trials, with bright prospects in the clinical treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Sun
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, PR China
| | - Meichen Dong
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, PR China
| | - Xin Xiang
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, PR China
| | - Shubing Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, PR China.
| | - Doudou Wen
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, PR China.
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