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Li T, Liu L, Li L, Yao X, Hu X, Cheng J, Chen Z, Guo J, Li R, Ge C, Lin MCM, Yao H. HGFK1 Enhances the Anti-Tumor Effects of Angiogenesis Inhibitors via Inhibition of CD90+ CSCs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:645. [PMID: 38794215 PMCID: PMC11125149 DOI: 10.3390/ph17050645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of anti-angiogenesis agents with immune-checkpoint inhibitors is a promising treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, therapeutic resistance caused by cancer stem cells present in tumor microenvironments remains to be overcome. In this study, we report for the first time that the Kringle 1 domain of human hepatocyte growth-factor α chain (HGFK1), a previously described anti-angiogenesis peptide, repressed the sub-population of CD90+ cancer stem cells (CSCs) and promoted their differentiation and chemotherapy sensitivity mainly through downregulation of pre-Met protein expression and inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. Furthermore, we showed that the i.p. injection of PH1 (a tumor-targeted and biodegradable co-polymer), medicated plasmids encoding Endostatin (pEndo), HGFK1 genes (pEndo), and a combination of 50% pEndo + 50% pHGFK1 all significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged the survival of the HCC-bearing mice. Importantly, the combined treatment produced a potent synergistic effect, with 25% of the mice showing the complete clearance of the tumor via a reduction in the microvessel density (MVD) and the number of CD90+ CSCs in the tumor tissues. These results suggest for the first time that HGFK1 inhibits the CSCs of HCC. Furthermore, the combination of two broad-spectrum anti-angiogenic factors, Endo and HGFK1, is the optimal strategy for the development of effective anti-HCC drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Li
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Ling Liu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, China
| | - Li Li
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Xiaoxuan Yao
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Xiaoyuan Hu
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Jiaxing Cheng
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Zhenpu Chen
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Jiyin Guo
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Ruilei Li
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Chunlei Ge
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
| | - Hong Yao
- Cancer Biotherapy Center & Cancer Research Institute, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650106, China; (T.L.)
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, China
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Yang Y, Li W, Yang H, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Xu F, Hao Y, Cao W, Du G, Wang J. Research progress on the regulatory mechanisms of FOXC1 expression in cancers and its role in drug resistance. Gene 2024; 897:148079. [PMID: 38101711 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor is an important member of the FOX family. After initially being identified in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with significant oncogenic function, FOXC1 was subsequently demonstrated to be involved in the development of more than 16 types of cancers. In recent years, increasing studies have focused on the deregulatory mechanisms of FOXC1 expression and revealed that FOXC1 expression was regulated at multiple levels including transcriptional regulation, post-transcription regulation and post-translational modification. Moreover, dysregulation of FOXC1 is also implicated in drug resistance in various types of cancer, especially in breast cancer, which further emphasizes the translational and clinical significance of FOXC1 as a therapeutic target in cancer treatment. This review summarizes recent findings on mechanisms of FOXC1 dysregulation in cancers and its role in chemoresistance, which will help to better understand the oncogenic role of FOXC1, overcome FOXC1-mediated drug resistance and develop targeted therapy for FOXC1 in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wan Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Hong Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yizhi Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Sen Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Fang Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yue Hao
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wanxin Cao
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Guanhua Du
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jinhua Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Drug Screen, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
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Abd El-Salam MA, Troulis MJ, Pan CX, Rao RA. Unlocking the potential of organoids in cancer treatment and translational research: An application of cytologic techniques. Cancer Cytopathol 2024; 132:96-102. [PMID: 37843532 DOI: 10.1002/cncy.22769] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoid models hold promise for advancing clinical cancer research, including diagnosis and personalized and precision medicine approaches, and cytology, in particular, plays a pivotal role in this process. These three-dimensional multicellular structures are heterogeneous, potentially maintain the cancer phenotype, and conserve the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic patterns of the parental tumors. To ensure that only tumor tissue is used for organoid development, cytologic validation is necessary before initiating the process of organoid generation. Here, we explore the technology of tumor organoids and discuss the fundamental application of cytology as a simple and cost-effective approach toward organoid development. We also underscore the potential application of organoid development in drug efficacy studies for lung cancer and head and neck tumors. Additionally, we stress the importance of using fine-needle aspiration to generate tumoroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Abd El-Salam
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine Barcelona, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, Egypt
| | - Maria J Troulis
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chong-Xian Pan
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rema A Rao
- Division of Cytology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Waseem M, Wang BD. Organoids: An Emerging Precision Medicine Model for Prostate Cancer Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1093. [PMID: 38256166 PMCID: PMC10816550 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021093] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) has been known as the most prevalent cancer disease and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in men almost all over the globe. There is an urgent need for establishment of PCa models that can recapitulate the progress of genomic landscapes and molecular alterations during development and progression of this disease. Notably, several organoid models have been developed for assessing the complex interaction between PCa and its surrounding microenvironment. In recent years, PCa organoids have been emerged as powerful in vitro 3D model systems that recapitulate the molecular features (such as genomic/epigenomic changes and tumor microenvironment) of PCa metastatic tumors. In addition, application of organoid technology in mechanistic studies (i.e., for understanding cellular/subcellular and molecular alterations) and translational medicine has been recognized as a promising approach for facilitating the development of potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize the application of PCa organoids in the high-throughput screening and establishment of relevant xenografts for developing novel therapeutics for metastatic, castration resistant, and neuroendocrine PCa. These organoid-based studies are expected to expand our knowledge from basic research to clinical applications for PCa diseases. Furthermore, we also highlight the optimization of PCa cultures and establishment of promising 3D organoid models for in vitro and in vivo investigations, ultimately facilitating mechanistic studies and development of novel clinical diagnosis/prognosis and therapies for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Waseem
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853, USA;
| | - Bi-Dar Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853, USA;
- Hormone Related Cancers Program, University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Tzeng YDT, Hsiao JH, Tseng LM, Hou MF, Li CJ. Breast cancer organoids derived from patients: A platform for tailored drug screening. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115803. [PMID: 37709150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115803] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer stands as the most prevalent and heterogeneous malignancy affecting women globally, posing a substantial health concern. Enhanced comprehension of tumor pathology and the development of novel therapeutics are pivotal for advancing breast cancer treatment. Contemporary breast cancer investigation heavily leans on in vivo models and conventional cell culture techniques. Nonetheless, these approaches often encounter high failure rates in clinical trials due to species disparities and tissue structure variations. To address this, three-dimensional cultivation of organoids, resembling organ-like structures, has emerged as a promising alternative. Organoids represent innovative in vitro models that mirror in vivo tissue microenvironments. They retain the original tumor's diversity and facilitate the expansion of tumor samples from diverse origins, facilitating the representation of varying tumor stages. Optimized breast cancer organoid models, under precise culture conditions, offer benefits including convenient sample acquisition, abbreviated cultivation durations, and genetic stability. These attributes ensure a faithful replication of in vivo traits of breast cancer cells. As intricate cellular entities boasting spatial arrangements, breast cancer organoid models harbor substantial potential in precision medicine, organ transplantation, modeling intricate diseases, gene therapy, and drug innovation. This review delivers an overview of organoid culture techniques and outlines future prospects for organoid modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Dun Tony Tzeng
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hu Hsiao
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Municipal Minsheng Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Ming Tseng
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Feng Hou
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Jung Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan; Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
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