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Ziki RA, Colnot S. Glutamine metabolism, a double agent combating or fuelling hepatocellular carcinoma. JHEP Rep 2024; 6:101077. [PMID: 38699532 PMCID: PMC11063524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2024.101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The reprogramming of glutamine metabolism is a key event in cancer more generally and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in particular. Glutamine consumption supplies tumours with ATP and metabolites through anaplerosis of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, while glutamine production can be enhanced by the overexpression of glutamine synthetase. In HCC, increased glutamine production is driven by activating mutations in the CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin. Increased glutamine synthesis or utilisation impacts tumour epigenetics, oxidative stress, autophagy, immunity and associated pathways, such as the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway. In this review, we will discuss studies which emphasise the pro-tumoral or tumour-suppressive effect of glutamine overproduction. It is clear that more comprehensive studies are needed as a foundation from which to develop suitable therapies targeting glutamine metabolic pathways, depending on the predicted pro- or anti-tumour role of dysregulated glutamine metabolism in distinct genetic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razan Abou Ziki
- INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers (CRC), Paris, F-75006, France
- Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, France
| | - Sabine Colnot
- INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers (CRC), Paris, F-75006, France
- Équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, France
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2
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Wen S, Lin X, Luo W, Pan Y, Liao F, Wang Z, Zhan B, Feng J, Huang H. Metabolic difference between patient-derived xenograft model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and corresponding primary tumor. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:485. [PMID: 38632504 PMCID: PMC11022326 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12193-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients-derived xenograft (PDX) model have been widely used for tumor biological and pathological studies. However, the metabolic similarity of PDX tumor to the primary cancer (PC) is still unknown. METHODS In present study, we established PDX model by engrafting primary tumor of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and then compared the tumor metabolomics of PC, the first generation of PDX tumor (PDXG1), and the third generation of PDX tumor (PDXG3) by using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Then, we assessed the differences in response to chemotherapy between PDXG1 and PDXG3 and corresponding metabolomic differences in drug-resistant tumor tissues. To evaluate the metabolomic similarity of PDX to PC, we also compared the metabolomic difference of cell-derived xenograft (CDX) vs. PC and PDX vs. PC. RESULTS After engraftment, PDXG1 tumor had a low level of lactate, pyruvate, citrate and multiple amino acids (AAs) compared with PC. Metabolite sets enrichment and metabolic pathway analyses implied that glycolysis metabolisms were suppressed in PDXG1 tumor, and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)-associated anaplerosis pathways, such as amino acids metabolisms, were enhanced. Then, after multiple passages of PDX, the altered glycolysis and TCA-associated anaplerosis pathways were partially recovered. Although no significant difference was observed in the response of PDXG1 and PDXG3 to chemotherapy, the difference in glycolysis and amino acids metabolism between PDXG1 and PDXG3 could still be maintained. In addition, the metabolomic difference between PC and CDX models were much larger than that of PDX model and PC, indicating that PDX model still retain more metabolic characteristics of primary tumor which is more suitable for tumor-associated metabolism research. CONCLUSIONS Compared with primary tumor, PDX models have obvious difference in metabolomic level. These findings can help us design in vivo tumor metabolomics research legitimately and analyze the underlying mechanism of tumor metabolic biology thoughtfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Wen
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xianchao Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Fei Liao
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhao Wang
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road, Siming District, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Bohan Zhan
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road, Siming District, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Jianghua Feng
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road, Siming District, 361005, Xiamen, China.
| | - Heguang Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 351001, Fuzhou, China.
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3
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Ren J, Ren B, Liu X, Cui M, Fang Y, Wang X, Zhou F, Gu M, Xiao R, Bai J, You L, Zhao Y. Crosstalk between metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming: A new perspective on pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216649. [PMID: 38311052 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant solid tumor with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. Thus, exploring the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of pancreatic cancer is critical for identifying targets for diagnosis and treatment. Two important hallmarks of cancer-metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming-are interconnected and closely linked to regulate one another, creating a complex interaction landscape that is implicated in tumorigenesis, invasive metastasis, and immune escape. For example, metabolites can be involved in the regulation of epigenetic enzymes as substrates or cofactors, and alterations in epigenetic modifications can in turn regulate the expression of metabolic enzymes. The crosstalk between metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming in pancreatic cancer has gained considerable attention. Here, we review the emerging data with a focus on the reciprocal regulation of metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming. We aim to highlight how these mechanisms could be applied to develop better therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Bo Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Ming Cui
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Feihan Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Minzhi Gu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Ruiling Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Jialu Bai
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
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Bae G, Berezhnoy G, Flores A, Cannet C, Schäfer H, Dahlke MH, Michl P, Löffler MW, Königsrainer A, Trautwein C. Quantitative Metabolomics and Lipoprotein Analysis of PDAC Patients Suggests Serum Marker Categories for Pancreatic Function, Pancreatectomy, Cancer Metabolism, and Systemic Disturbances. J Proteome Res 2024; 23:1249-1262. [PMID: 38407039 PMCID: PMC11003419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is difficult to diagnose in the early stages and lacks reliable biomarkers. The scope of this project was to establish quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to comprehensively study blood serum alterations in PDAC patients. Serum samples from 34 PDAC patients obtained before and after pancreatectomy as well as 83 age- and sex-matched control samples from healthy donors were analyzed with in vitro diagnostics research (IVDr) proton NMR spectroscopy at 600 MHz. Uni- and multivariate statistics were applied to identify significant biofluid alterations. We identified 29 significantly changed metabolites and 98 lipoproteins when comparing serum from healthy controls with those of PDAC patients. The most prominent features were assigned to (i) markers of pancreatic function (e.g., glucose and blood triglycerides), (ii) markers related to surgery (e.g., ketone bodies and blood cholesterols), (iii) PDAC-associated markers (e.g., amino acids and creatine), and (iv) markers for systemic disturbances in PDAC (e.g., gut metabolites DMG, TMAO, DMSO2, and liver lipoproteins). Quantitative serum NMR spectroscopy is suited as a diagnostic tool to investigate PDAC. Remarkably, 2-hydroxybutyrate (2-HB) as a previously suggested marker for insulin resistance was found in extraordinarily high levels only after pancreatectomy, suggesting this metabolite is the strongest marker for pancreatic loss of function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyuntae Bae
- Werner
Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical
Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Cluster
of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image-Guided and Functionally
Instructed Tumor Therapies’, University
of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Georgy Berezhnoy
- Werner
Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical
Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Alejandra Flores
- Werner
Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical
Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Claire Cannet
- Bruker
BioSpin GmbH & Co. KG, BioPharma and Applied Division, Ettlingen 76275, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schäfer
- Bruker
BioSpin GmbH & Co. KG, BioPharma and Applied Division, Ettlingen 76275, Germany
| | - Marc H. Dahlke
- Department
of General and Visceral Surgery, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Patrick Michl
- Dept
of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital
Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Markus W. Löffler
- Department
of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- German Cancer
Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner
Site Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Cluster
of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image-Guided and Functionally
Instructed Tumor Therapies’, University
of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Department
of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital
Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Alfred Königsrainer
- Department
of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- German Cancer
Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner
Site Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Cluster
of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image-Guided and Functionally
Instructed Tumor Therapies’, University
of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Christoph Trautwein
- Werner
Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical
Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Cluster
of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image-Guided and Functionally
Instructed Tumor Therapies’, University
of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- M3
Research Center for Malignome, Metabolome and Microbiome, Faculty of Medicine University Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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5
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Kim JH, Lee J, Im SS, Kim B, Kim EY, Min HJ, Heo J, Chang EJ, Choi KC, Shin DM, Son J. Glutamine-mediated epigenetic regulation of cFLIP underlies resistance to TRAIL in pancreatic cancer. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:1013-1026. [PMID: 38684915 PMCID: PMC11058808 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01231-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anticancer agent because it kills cancer cells while sparing normal cells. However, many cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), exhibit intrinsic or acquired resistance to TRAIL, and the molecular mechanisms underlying TRAIL resistance in cancers, particularly in PDAC, remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that glutamine (Gln) endows PDAC cells with resistance to TRAIL through KDM4C-mediated epigenetic regulation of cFLIP. Inhibition of glutaminolysis significantly reduced the cFLIP level, leading to TRAIL-mediated formation of death-inducing signaling complexes. Overexpression of cFLIP dramatically rescued PDAC cells from TRAIL/Gln deprivation-induced apoptosis. Alpha-Ketoglutarate (aKG) supplementation significantly reversed the decrease in the cFLIP level induced by glutaminolysis inhibition and rescued PDAC cells from TRAIL/Gln deprivation-induced apoptosis. Knockdown of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 2, which facilitates the conversion of oxaloacetate and glutamate into aspartate and aKG, decreased aKG production and the cFLIP level and activated TRAIL-induced apoptosis. AKG-mediated epigenetic regulation was necessary for maintaining a high level of cFLIP. Glutaminolysis inhibition increased the abundance of H3K9me3 in the cFLIP promoter, indicating that Gln-derived aKG production is important for Jumonji-domain histone demethylase (JHDM)-mediated cFLIP regulation. The JHDM KDM4C regulated cFLIP expression by binding to its promoter, and KDM4C knockdown sensitized PDAC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The present findings suggest that Gln-derived aKG production is required for KDM4C-mediated epigenetic regulation of cFLIP, which leads to resistance to TRAIL.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein/metabolism
- CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein/genetics
- TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/metabolism
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Glutamine/metabolism
- Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases/metabolism
- Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases/genetics
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Ketoglutaric Acids/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Aspartate Aminotransferase, Cytoplasmic/metabolism
- Aspartate Aminotransferase, Cytoplasmic/genetics
- Animals
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hye Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Jinyoung Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Se Seul Im
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Boyun Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Eun-Young Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Jin Min
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Jinbeom Heo
- Department of Cell and Genetic Engineering, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Eun-Ju Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Shin
- Department of Cell and Genetic Engineering, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Jaekyoung Son
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brain Korea 21 Project, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
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6
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Muranaka H, Akinsola R, Billet S, Pandol SJ, Hendifar AE, Bhowmick NA, Gong J. Glutamine Supplementation as an Anticancer Strategy: A Potential Therapeutic Alternative to the Convention. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1057. [PMID: 38473414 PMCID: PMC10930819 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Glutamine, a multifaceted nonessential/conditionally essential amino acid integral to cellular metabolism and immune function, holds pivotal importance in the landscape of cancer therapy. This review delves into the intricate dynamics surrounding both glutamine antagonism strategies and glutamine supplementation within the context of cancer treatment, emphasizing the critical role of glutamine metabolism in cancer progression and therapy. Glutamine antagonism, aiming to disrupt tumor growth by targeting critical metabolic pathways, is challenged by the adaptive nature of cancer cells and the complex metabolic microenvironment, potentially compromising its therapeutic efficacy. In contrast, glutamine supplementation supports immune function, improves gut integrity, alleviates treatment-related toxicities, and improves patient well-being. Moreover, recent studies highlighted its contributions to epigenetic regulation within cancer cells and its potential to bolster anti-cancer immune functions. However, glutamine implementation necessitates careful consideration of potential interactions with ongoing treatment regimens and the delicate equilibrium between supporting normal cellular function and promoting tumorigenesis. By critically assessing the implications of both glutamine antagonism strategies and glutamine supplementation, this review aims to offer comprehensive insights into potential therapeutic strategies targeting glutamine metabolism for effective cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Muranaka
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Rasaq Akinsola
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Sandrine Billet
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Stephen J. Pandol
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Andrew E. Hendifar
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Neil A. Bhowmick
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Research, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - Jun Gong
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (H.M.); (R.A.); (S.B.); (S.J.P.); (A.E.H.); (N.A.B.)
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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7
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Caputo C, Falco M, Grimaldi A, Lombardi A, Miceli CC, Cocule M, Montella M, Pompella L, Tirino G, Campione S, Tammaro C, Cossu A, Fenu Pintori G, Maioli M, Coradduzza D, Savarese G, Fico A, Ottaiano A, Conzo G, Tathode MS, Ciardiello F, Caraglia M, De Vita F, Misso G. Identification of Tissue miRNA Signatures for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:824. [PMID: 38398215 PMCID: PMC10887387 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract, is the most common pancreatic malignancy (90%) and the fourth highest cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Surgery intervention is currently the only strategy able to offer an advantage in terms of overall survival, but prognosis remains poor even for operated patients. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognostic stratification in clinical practice is urgently needed. In this work, we investigated deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in tissues from PDAC patients with high (G3) or low (G2) histological grade and with (N+) or without (N-) lymph node metastases. miRNA expression profiling was performed by a comprehensive PCR array and subsequent validation by RT-qPCR. The results showed a significant increase in miR-1-3p, miR-31-5p, and miR-205-5p expression in G3 compared to G2 patients (** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001; *** p < 0.001). miR-518d-3p upregulation and miR-215-5p downregulation were observed in N+ compared to N- patients. A statistical analysis performed using OncomiR program showed the significant involvement (p < 0.05) of two miRNAs (miR-31 and miR-205) in the histological grade of PDAC patients. Also, an expression analysis in PDAC patients showed that miR-31 and miR-205 had the highest expression at grade 3 compared with normal and other tumor grades. Overall, survival plots confirmed that the overexpression of miR-31 and miR-205 was significantly correlated with decreased survival in TCGA PDAC clinical samples. A KEGG pathway analysis showed that all three miRNAs are involved in the regulation of multiple pathways, including the Hippo signaling, adherens junction and microRNAs in cancer, along with several target genes. Based on in silico analysis and experimental validation, our study suggests the potential role of miR-1-3p, miR-31-5p, and miR-205-5p as useful clinical biomarkers and putative therapeutic targets in PDAC, which should be further investigated to determine the specific molecular processes affected by their aberrant expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Caputo
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Michela Falco
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
- Laboratory of Precision and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Genetic Research, Biogem Scarl, Contrada Camporeale, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Anna Grimaldi
- U.P. Cytometric and Mutational Diagnostics, AOU Policlinico, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Luciano Armanni 5, 83031 Naples, Italy;
| | - Angela Lombardi
- U.P. Cytometric and Mutational Diagnostics, AOU Policlinico, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Luciano Armanni 5, 83031 Naples, Italy;
| | - Chiara Carmen Miceli
- Department of Precision Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.M.); (M.C.); (L.P.); (G.T.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Mariateresa Cocule
- Department of Precision Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.M.); (M.C.); (L.P.); (G.T.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Marco Montella
- Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, UOC Pathological Anatomy, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Luciano Armanni 5, 83031 Naples, Italy;
| | - Luca Pompella
- Department of Precision Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.M.); (M.C.); (L.P.); (G.T.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Giuseppe Tirino
- Department of Precision Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.M.); (M.C.); (L.P.); (G.T.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Severo Campione
- Division of Anatomic Pathology, A.O.R.N. Antonio Cardarelli, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Chiara Tammaro
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Antonio Cossu
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Grazia Fenu Pintori
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.F.P.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Margherita Maioli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.F.P.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
- Center for Developmental Biology and Reprogramming (CEDEBIOR), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Donatella Coradduzza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.F.P.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Giovanni Savarese
- AMES Center, Centro Polidiagnostico Strumentale SRL, Via Padre Carmine Fico 24, 80013 Casalnuovo Di Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Antonio Fico
- AMES Center, Centro Polidiagnostico Strumentale SRL, Via Padre Carmine Fico 24, 80013 Casalnuovo Di Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Alessandro Ottaiano
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, SSD-Innovative Therapies for Abdominal Metastases, Istituto Nazionale Tumori di Napoli, IRCCS “G. Pascale”, National Cancer Institute, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Conzo
- Division of General, Oncological, Mini-Invasive and Obesity Surgery, University of Study of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Madhura S. Tathode
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Fortunato Ciardiello
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
- Laboratory of Precision and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Genetic Research, Biogem Scarl, Contrada Camporeale, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Ferdinando De Vita
- Department of Precision Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.M.); (M.C.); (L.P.); (G.T.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Gabriella Misso
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.C.); (M.F.); (C.T.); (M.S.T.); (F.C.); (M.C.)
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8
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Francescone R, Crawford HC, Vendramini-Costa DB. Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 17:737-743. [PMID: 38316215 PMCID: PMC10966284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Bearing a dismal 5-year survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging disease that features a unique fibroinflammatory tumor microenvironment. As major components of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts are still poorly understood and their contribution to the several hallmarks of PDAC, such as resistance to therapies, immunosuppression, and high incidence of metastasis, is likely underestimated. There have been encouraging advances in the understanding of these fascinating cells, but many controversies remain, leaving the field still actively exploring the full scope of their contributions in PDAC progression. Here we pose several important considerations regarding PDAC cancer-associated fibroblast functions. We posit that transcriptomic analyses be interpreted with caution, when aiming to uncover the functional contributions of these cells. Moreover, we propose that normalizing these functions, rather than eliminating them, will provide the opportunity to enhance therapeutic response. Finally, we propose that cancer-associated fibroblasts should not be studied in isolation, but in conjunction with its extracellular matrix, because their respective functions are coordinated and concordant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Francescone
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan.
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9
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Yu H, Gan D, Luo Z, Yang Q, An D, Zhang H, Hu Y, Ma Z, Zeng Q, Xu D, Ren H. α-Ketoglutarate improves cardiac insufficiency through NAD +-SIRT1 signaling-mediated mitophagy and ferroptosis in pressure overload-induced mice. Mol Med 2024; 30:15. [PMID: 38254035 PMCID: PMC10804789 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In heart failure (HF), mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic remodeling lead to a reduction in energy productivity and aggravate cardiomyocyte injury. Supplementation with α-ketoglutarate (AKG) alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with HF and improved cardiac insufficiency. However, the myocardial protective mechanism of AKG remains unclear. We verified the hypothesis that AKG improves mitochondrial function by upregulating NAD+ levels and activating silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) in cardiomyocytes. METHODS In vivo, 2% AKG was added to the drinking water of mice undergoing transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery. Echocardiography and biopsy were performed to evaluate cardiac function and pathological changes. Myocardial metabolomics was analyzed by liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) at 8 weeks after surgery. In vitro, the expression of SIRT1 or PINK1 proteins was inhibited by selective inhibitors and siRNA in cardiomyocytes stimulated with angiotensin II (AngII) and AKG. NAD+ levels were detected using an NAD test kit. Mitophagy and ferroptosis levels were evaluated by Western blotting, qPCR, JC-1 staining and lipid peroxidation analysis. RESULTS AKG supplementation after TAC surgery could alleviate myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and improve cardiac function in mice. Metabolites of the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) were increased, but the TCA cycle and fatty acid metabolism pathway could be inhibited in the myocardium of TAC mice after AKG supplementation. Decreased NAD+ levels and SIRT1 protein expression were observed in heart of mice and AngII-treated cardiomyocytes. After AKG treatment, these changes were reversed, and increased mitophagy, inhibited ferroptosis, and alleviated damage in cardiomyocytes were observed. When the expression of SIRT1 was inhibited by a selective inhibitor and siRNA, the protective effect of AKG was suppressed. CONCLUSION Supplementation with AKG can improve myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis and chronic cardiac insufficiency caused by pressure overload. By increasing the level of NAD+, the SIRT-PINK1 and SIRT1-GPX4 signaling pathways are activated to promote mitophagy and inhibit ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes, which ultimately alleviates cardiomyocyte damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Daojing Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zhen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Qilin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Dongqi An
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Yingchun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zhuang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Qingchun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Dingli Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China.
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China.
| | - Hao Ren
- Key Laboratory for Organ Failure Research, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China.
- Department of Rheumatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Northern Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China.
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10
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Rangel Rivera GO, Dwyer CJ, Knochelmann HM, Smith AS, Aksoy BA, Cole AC, Wyatt MM, Kumaresan S, Thaxton JE, Lesinski GB, Paulos CM. Progressively Enhancing Stemness of Adoptively Transferred T Cells with PI3Kδ Blockade Improves Metabolism and Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Res 2024; 84:69-83. [PMID: 37801615 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Generating stem-like memory T cells (TSCM) is a potential strategy to improve adoptive immunotherapy. Elucidating optimal ways to modulate signaling pathways that enrich TSCM properties could identify approaches to achieve this goal. We discovered herein that blocking the PI3Kδ pathway pharmaceutically to varying degrees can generate T cells with increasingly heightened stemness properties, based on the progressive enrichment of the transcription factors Tcf1 and Lef1. T cells with enhanced stemness features exhibited metabolic plasticity, marked by improved mitochondrial function and glucose uptake after tumor recognition. Conversely, T cells with low or medium stemness were less metabolically dynamic, vulnerable to antigen-induced cell death, and expressed more inhibitory checkpoint receptors. Only T-cell receptor-specific or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-specific T cells with high stemness persisted in vivo and mounted protective immunity to tumors. Likewise, the strongest level of PI3Kδ blockade in vitro generated human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and CAR T cells with elevated stemness properties, in turn bolstering their capacity to regress human solid tumors. The stemness level of T cells in vitro was important, ultimately impacting their efficacy in mice bearing three distinct solid tumors. Lef1 and Tcf1 sustained antitumor protection by donor high CD8+ TSCM or CD4+ Th17SCM, as deletion of either one compromised the therapeutic efficacy. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of strategic modulation of PI3Kδ signaling in T cells to induce stemness and lasting protective responses to solid tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Elevating T-cell stemness by progressively blocking PI3Kδ signaling during ex vivo manufacturing of adoptive cell therapies alters metabolic and functional properties to enhance antitumor immunity dependent on Tcf1 and Lef1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo O Rangel Rivera
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Connor J Dwyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Hannah M Knochelmann
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Aubrey S Smith
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Bülent Arman Aksoy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Anna C Cole
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Megan M Wyatt
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Soundharya Kumaresan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jessica E Thaxton
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Immunotherapy Program, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Gregory B Lesinski
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Chrystal M Paulos
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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11
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Kalaany NY. Glutamine analogs for pancreatic cancer therapy. Nat Cancer 2024; 5:2-4. [PMID: 38291252 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00678-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Nada Y Kalaany
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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Encarnación-Rosado J, Sohn ASW, Biancur DE, Lin EY, Osorio-Vasquez V, Rodrick T, González-Baerga D, Zhao E, Yokoyama Y, Simeone DM, Jones DR, Parker SJ, Wild R, Kimmelman AC. Targeting pancreatic cancer metabolic dependencies through glutamine antagonism. Nat Cancer 2024; 5:85-99. [PMID: 37814010 PMCID: PMC10824664 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00647-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells use glutamine (Gln) to support proliferation and redox balance. Early attempts to inhibit Gln metabolism using glutaminase inhibitors resulted in rapid metabolic reprogramming and therapeutic resistance. Here, we demonstrated that treating PDAC cells with a Gln antagonist, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), led to a metabolic crisis in vitro. In addition, we observed a profound decrease in tumor growth in several in vivo models using sirpiglenastat (DRP-104), a pro-drug version of DON that was designed to circumvent DON-associated toxicity. We found that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling is increased as a compensatory mechanism. Combinatorial treatment with DRP-104 and trametinib led to a significant increase in survival in a syngeneic model of PDAC. These proof-of-concept studies suggested that broadly targeting Gln metabolism could provide a therapeutic avenue for PDAC. The combination with an ERK signaling pathway inhibitor could further improve the therapeutic outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Encarnación-Rosado
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Albert S W Sohn
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Douglas E Biancur
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elaine Y Lin
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Osorio-Vasquez
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tori Rodrick
- Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diana González-Baerga
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ende Zhao
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Diane M Simeone
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Drew R Jones
- Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seth J Parker
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert Wild
- Dracen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alec C Kimmelman
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Recouvreux MV, Grenier SF, Zhang Y, Esparza E, Lambies G, Galapate CM, Maganti S, Duong-Polk K, Bhullar D, Naeem R, Scott DA, Lowy AM, Tiriac H, Commisso C. Glutamine mimicry suppresses tumor progression through asparagine metabolism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Nat Cancer 2024; 5:100-113. [PMID: 37814011 PMCID: PMC10956382 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00649-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), glutamine is a critical nutrient that drives a wide array of metabolic and biosynthetic processes that support tumor growth. Here, we elucidate how 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), a glutamine antagonist that broadly inhibits glutamine metabolism, blocks PDAC tumor growth and metastasis. We find that DON significantly reduces asparagine production by inhibiting asparagine synthetase (ASNS), and that the effects of DON are rescued by asparagine. As a metabolic adaptation, PDAC cells upregulate ASNS expression in response to DON, and we show that ASNS levels are inversely correlated with DON efficacy. We also show that L-asparaginase (ASNase) synergizes with DON to affect the viability of PDAC cells, and that DON and ASNase combination therapy has a significant impact on metastasis. These results shed light on the mechanisms that drive the effects of glutamine mimicry and point to the utility of cotargeting adaptive responses to control PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Victoria Recouvreux
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shea F Grenier
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yijuan Zhang
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edgar Esparza
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Surgical Sciences, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Guillem Lambies
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cheska Marie Galapate
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Swetha Maganti
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karen Duong-Polk
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Deepika Bhullar
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Razia Naeem
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - David A Scott
- Cancer Metabolism Core Resource, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew M Lowy
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hervé Tiriac
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Surgical Sciences, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cosimo Commisso
- Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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14
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Yuan J, Fu Y, Liu Y. Identification of hub genes and drug candidates for NF2-related vestibular schwannoma by bioinformatics tools. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e36696. [PMID: 38115252 PMCID: PMC10727542 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related vestibular schwannoma (NF2-VS) is a rare genetic disorder that results in bilateral acoustic neuromas. However, the exact pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear. This study aims to use bioinformatics analyses to identify potential hub genes and therapeutic. We retrieved the mRNA expression profiles (GSE108524 and GSE141801) of NF2-VS from the database, and selected the leading 25% genes with the most variance across samples for weighted correlation network analysis. Subsequently, we conducted gene ontology term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling network enrichment analyses. The STRING database was employed for protein-protein interaction (PPI) axis construction. The mRNA-miRNA modulatory network was generated via the miRTarBase database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified via the R package "limma" in both datasets, and hub genes were screened via intersection of common DEGs, candidate hub genes from the PPI axis, and candidate hub genes from the key module. Finally, common DEGs were uploaded onto the connectivity map database to determine drug candidates. Based on our observations, the blue module exhibited the most significant relation to NF2-VS, and it included the NF2 gene. Using enrichment analysis, we demonstrated that the blue modules were intricately linked to modulations of cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, junction, and actin skeleton. Overall, 356 common DEGs were screened in both datasets, and 33 genes carrying a degree > 15 were chosen as candidate hub genes in the PPI axis. Subsequently, 4 genes, namely, GLUL, CAV1, MYH11, and CCND1 were recognized as real hub genes. In addition, 10 drugs with enrichment scores < -0.7 were identified as drug candidates. Our conclusions offered a novel insight into the potential underlying mechanisms behind NF2-VS. These findings may facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiasheng Yuan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yanpeng Fu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuehui Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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15
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Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is central to malignant transformation and cancer cell growth. How tumours use nutrients and the relative rates of reprogrammed pathways are areas of intense investigation. Tumour metabolism is determined by a complex and incompletely defined combination of factors intrinsic and extrinsic to cancer cells. This complexity increases the value of assessing cancer metabolism in disease-relevant microenvironments, including in patients with cancer. Stable-isotope tracing is an informative, versatile method for probing tumour metabolism in vivo. It has been used extensively in preclinical models of cancer and, with increasing frequency, in patients with cancer. In this Review, we describe approaches for using in vivo isotope tracing to define fuel preferences and pathway engagement in tumours, along with some of the principles that have emerged from this work. Stable-isotope infusions reported so far have revealed that in humans, tumours use a diverse set of nutrients to supply central metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid synthesis. Emerging data suggest that some activities detected by stable-isotope tracing correlate with poor clinical outcomes and may drive cancer progression. We also discuss current challenges in isotope tracing, including comparisons of in vivo and in vitro models, and opportunities for future discovery in tumour metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline R Bartman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Brandon Faubert
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Children's Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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16
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Jiang J, Hu Y, Fang D, Luo J. Glutamine synthetase and hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2023; 47:102248. [PMID: 37979911 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2023.102248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an enzyme that converts ammonia and glutamate to glutamine using adenosine triphosphate. GS is expressed in the brain, kidney, and liver tissues under normal physiological conditions. GS is involved in abnormal lipid metabolism of the liver by catalyzing de novo synthesis of glutamine, thereby inducing liver inflammation. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseases (MASLD), such as Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Metabolic Associated Steato Hepatitis, are considered risk factors for HCC. GS may also be involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through other signaling pathways, including the rapamycin (mTOR) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways. Furthermore, the correct combination of HSP70, GPC3, and GS can improve the accuracy and precision of HCC diagnosis. However, the prognostic value of GS in different HCC populations remains controversial. The expression of GS affects the sensitivity of HCC cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, immunotherapy has been approved for the treatment of advanced HCC. This article delves into the development and application of GS in HCC, laying a theoretical foundation for the subsequent exploration of GS as a potential target for treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghua Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321000, China
| | - Yiting Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital, Zhejiang Shuren University, Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dazhang Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321000, China
| | - JianSheng Luo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321000, China.
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17
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Linder SJ, Bernasocchi T, Martínez-Pastor B, Sullivan KD, Galbraith MD, Lewis CA, Ferrer CM, Boon R, Silveira GG, Cho HM, Vidoudez C, Shroff S, Oliveira-Costa JP, Ross KN, Massri R, Matoba Y, Kim E, Rueda BR, Stott SL, Gottlieb E, Espinosa JM, Mostoslavsky R. Inhibition of the proline metabolism rate-limiting enzyme P5CS allows proliferation of glutamine-restricted cancer cells. Nat Metab 2023; 5:2131-2147. [PMID: 37957387 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Glutamine is a critical metabolite for rapidly proliferating cells as it is used for the synthesis of key metabolites necessary for cell growth and proliferation. Glutamine metabolism has been proposed as a therapeutic target in cancer and several chemical inhibitors are in development or in clinical trials. How cells subsist when glutamine is limiting is poorly understood. Here, using an unbiased screen, we identify ALDH18A1, which encodes P5CS, the rate-limiting enzyme in the proline biosynthetic pathway, as a gene that cells can downregulate in response to glutamine starvation. Notably, P5CS downregulation promotes de novo glutamine synthesis, highlighting a previously unrecognized metabolic plasticity of cancer cells. The glutamate conserved from reducing proline synthesis allows cells to produce the key metabolites necessary for cell survival and proliferation under glutamine-restricted conditions. Our findings reveal an adaptive pathway that cancer cells acquire under nutrient stress, identifying proline biosynthesis as a previously unrecognized major consumer of glutamate, a pathway that could be exploited for developing effective metabolism-driven anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Linder
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tiziano Bernasocchi
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Bárbara Martínez-Pastor
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kelly D Sullivan
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Matthew D Galbraith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Caroline A Lewis
- The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina M Ferrer
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruben Boon
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Galapagos de Wittelaan, Mechelen, Belgium
| | - Giorgia G Silveira
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hyo Min Cho
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Stuti Shroff
- Department of Pathology, The Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao P Oliveira-Costa
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth N Ross
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rami Massri
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yusuke Matoba
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eugene Kim
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bo R Rueda
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shannon L Stott
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, The Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eyal Gottlieb
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joaquin M Espinosa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Raul Mostoslavsky
- The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
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18
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Muranaka H, Billet S, Cruz-Hernández C, Ten Hoeve J, Gonzales G, Elmadbouh O, Zhang L, Smith B, Tighiouart M, You S, Edderkaoui M, Hendifar A, Pandol S, Gong J, Bhowmick N. Supraphysiological glutamine as a means of depleting intracellular amino acids to enhance pancreatic cancer chemosensitivity. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3647514. [PMID: 38076821 PMCID: PMC10705710 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3647514/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Limited efficacy of systemic therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients contributes to high mortality. Cancer cells develop strategies to secure nutrients in nutrient-deprived conditions and chemotherapy treatment. Despite the dependency of PDAC on glutamine (Gln) for growth and survival, strategies designed to suppress Gln metabolism have limited effects. Here, we demonstrated that supraphysiological concentrations of glutamine (SPG) could produce paradoxical responses leading to tumor growth inhibition alone and in combination with chemotherapy. Integrated metabolic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that the growth inhibitory effect of SPG was the result of a decrease in intracellular amino acid and nucleotide pools. Mechanistically, disruption of the sodium gradient, plasma membrane depolarization, and competitive inhibition of amino acid transport mediated amino acid deprivation. Among standard chemotherapies given to PDAC patients, gemcitabine treatment resulted in a significant enrichment of amino acid and nucleoside pools, exposing a metabolic vulnerability to SPG-induced metabolic alterations. Further analysis highlighted a superior anticancer effect of D-glutamine, a non-metabolizable enantiomer of the L-glutamine, by suppressing both amino acid uptake and glutaminolysis, in gemcitabine-treated preclinical models with no apparent toxicity. Our study suggests supraphysiological glutamine could be a means of inhibiting amino acid uptake and nucleotide biosynthesis, potentiating gemcitabine sensitivity in PDAC.
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19
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Ren LL, Mao T, Meng P, Zhang L, Wei HY, Tian ZB. Glutamine addiction and therapeutic strategies in pancreatic cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:1852-1863. [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i11.1852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal diseases worldwide owing to its late diagnosis, early metastasis, and poor prognosis. Because current therapeutic options are limited, there is an urgent need to investigate novel targeted treatment strategies. Pancreatic cancer faces significant metabolic challenges, principally hypoxia and nutrient deprivation, due to specific microenvironmental constraints, including an extensive desmoplastic stromal reaction. Pancreatic cancer cells have been shown to rewire their metabolism and energy production networks to support rapid survival and proliferation. Increased glucose uptake and glycolytic pathway activity during this process have been extensively described. However, growing evidence suggests that pancreatic cancer cells are glutamine addicted. As a nitrogen source, glutamine directly (or indirectly via glutamate conversion) contributes to many anabolic processes in pancreatic cancer, including amino acids, nucleobases, and hexosamine biosynthesis. It also plays an important role in redox homeostasis, and when converted to α-ketoglutarate, glutamine serves as an energy and anaplerotic carbon source, replenishing the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of glutamine metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic cancer, focusing on potential therapeutic approaches targeting glutamine metabolism in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Ren
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Tao Mao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Pin Meng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Hong-Yun Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zi-Bin Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
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20
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Le Minh G, Esquea EM, Young RG, Huang J, Reginato MJ. On a sugar high: Role of O-GlcNAcylation in cancer. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105344. [PMID: 37838167 PMCID: PMC10641670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression have led to the development of novel therapeutic targeting strategies. Aberrant glycosylation patterns and their implication in cancer have gained increasing attention as potential targets due to the critical role of glycosylation in regulating tumor-specific pathways that contribute to cancer cell survival, proliferation, and progression. A special type of glycosylation that has been gaining momentum in cancer research is the modification of nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitochondrial proteins, termed O-GlcNAcylation. This protein modification is catalyzed by an enzyme called O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), which uses the final product of the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP) to connect altered nutrient availability to changes in cellular signaling that contribute to multiple aspects of tumor progression. Both O-GlcNAc and its enzyme OGT are highly elevated in cancer and fulfill the crucial role in regulating many hallmarks of cancer. In this review, we present and discuss the latest findings elucidating the involvement of OGT and O-GlcNAc in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giang Le Minh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily M Esquea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Riley G Young
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessie Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mauricio J Reginato
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Translational Cellular Oncology Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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21
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Anastasi F, Botto A, Immordino B, Giovannetti E, McDonnell LA. Proteomics analysis of circulating small extracellular vesicles: Focus on the contribution of EVs to tumor metabolism. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2023; 73:3-19. [PMID: 37652834 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The term small extracellular vesicle (sEV) is a comprehensive term that includes any type of cell-derived, membrane-delimited particle that has a diameter < 200 nm, and which includes exosomes and smaller microvesicles. sEVs transfer bioactive molecules between cells and are crucial for cellular homeostasis and particularly during tumor development, where sEVs provide important contributions to the formation of the premetastic niche and to their altered metabolism. sEVs are thus legitimate targets for intervention and have also gained increasing interest as an easily accessible source of biomarkers because they can be rapidly isolated from serum/plasma and their molecular cargo provides information on their cell-of origin. To target sEVs that are specific for a given cell/disease it is essential to identify EV surface proteins that are characteristic of that cell/disease. Mass-spectrometry based proteomics is widely used for the identification and quantification of sEV proteins. The methods used for isolating the sEVs, preparing the sEV sample for proteomics analysis, and mass spectrometry analysis, can have a strong influence on the results and requires careful consideration. This review provides an overview of the approaches used for sEV proteomics and discusses the inherent compromises regarding EV purity versus depth of coverage. Additionally, it discusses the practical applications of the methods to unravel the involvement of sEVs in regulating the metabolism of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The metabolic reprogramming in PDAC includes enhanced glycolysis, elevated glutamine metabolism, alterations in lipid metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction and hypoxia, all of which are crucial in promoting tumor cell growth. A thorough understanding of these metabolic adaptations is imperative for the development of targeted therapies to exploit PDAC's vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Anastasi
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy; National Enterprise for NanoScience and NanoTechnology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Asia Botto
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy; Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Benoit Immordino
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy; Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy; Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Liam A McDonnell
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy.
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22
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Ensink E, Jordan T, Medeiros HCD, Thurston G, Pardal A, Yu L, Lunt SY. Pyruvate Kinase Activity Regulates Cystine Starvation Induced Ferroptosis through Malic Enzyme 1 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. bioRxiv 2023:2023.09.15.557984. [PMID: 37745559 PMCID: PMC10516027 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.15.557984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with high mortality and limited efficacious therapeutic options. PDAC cells undergo metabolic alterations to survive within a nutrient-depleted tumor microenvironment. One critical metabolic shift in PDAC cells occurs through altered isoform expression of the glycolytic enzyme, pyruvate kinase (PK). Pancreatic cancer cells preferentially upregulate pyruvate kinase muscle isoform 2 isoform (PKM2). PKM2 expression reprograms many metabolic pathways, but little is known about its impact on cystine metabolism. Cystine metabolism is critical for supporting survival through its role in defense against ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by unchecked lipid peroxidation. To improve our understanding of the role of PKM2 in cystine metabolism and ferroptosis in PDAC, we generated PKM2 knockout (KO) human PDAC cells. Fascinatingly, PKM2KO cells demonstrate a remarkable resistance to cystine starvation mediated ferroptosis. This resistance to ferroptosis is caused by decreased PK activity, rather than an isoform-specific effect. We further utilized stable isotope tracing to evaluate the impact of glucose and glutamine reprogramming in PKM2KO cells. PKM2KO cells depend on glutamine metabolism to support antioxidant defenses against lipid peroxidation, primarily by increased glutamine flux through the malate aspartate shuttle and utilization of ME1 to produce NADPH. Ferroptosis can be synergistically induced by the combination of PKM2 activation and inhibition of the cystine/glutamate antiporter in vitro. Proof-of-concept in vivo experiments demonstrate the efficacy of this mechanism as a novel treatment strategy for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Ensink
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Genetics and Genome Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Tessa Jordan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Hyllana C D Medeiros
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Galloway Thurston
- College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Anmol Pardal
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sophia Y. Lunt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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23
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Peng S, Wang Z, Tang P, Wang S, Huang Y, Xie Q, Wang Y, Tan X, Tang T, Yan X, Xu J, Lan W, Wang L, Zhang D, Wang B, Pan T, Qin J, Jiang J, Liu Q. PHF8-GLUL axis in lipid deposition and tumor growth of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadf3566. [PMID: 37531433 PMCID: PMC10396305 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
For clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), lipid deposition plays important roles in the development, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid deposition in ccRCC remain largely unknown. By conducting an unbiased CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we identified the epigenetic regulator plant homeodomain finger protein 8 (PHF8) as an important regulator in ccRCC lipid deposition. Moreover, PHF8 is regulated by von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)/hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) axis and essential for VHL deficiency-induced lipid deposition. PHF8 transcriptionally up-regulates glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL), which promotes the lipid deposition and ccRCC progression. Mechanistically, by forming a complex with c-MYC, PHF8 up-regulates TEA domain transcription factor 1 (TEAD1) in a histone demethylation-dependent manner. Subsequently, TEAD1 up-regulates GLUL transcriptionally. Pharmacological inhibition of GLUL by l-methionine sulfoximine not only repressed ccRCC lipid deposition and tumor growth but also enhanced the anticancer effects of everolimus. Thus, the PHF8-GLUL axis represents a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Peng
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Ze Wang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Peng Tang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Yiqiang Huang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Qiubo Xie
- Department of Urology, Chinese PLA General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yapeng Wang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Xintao Tan
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Tang Tang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Xuzhi Yan
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Weihua Lan
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Luofu Wang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Dianzheng Zhang
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology & Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Tiejun Pan
- Department of Urology, Chinese PLA General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Jun Qin
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Qiuli Liu
- Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
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Peter RM, Sarwar MS, Mostafa SZ, Wang Y, Su X, Kong AN. Histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat regulates metabolic reprogramming in killing KRAS-mutant human lung cancer cells. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:1136-1146. [PMID: 37144836 PMCID: PMC10524423 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) oncogene, found in 20%-25% of lung cancer patients, potentially regulates metabolic reprogramming and redox status during tumorigenesis. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been investigated for treating KRAS-mutant lung cancer. In the current study, we investigate the effect of HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) belinostat at clinically relevant concentration on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and mitochondrial metabolism for the treatment of KRAS-mutant human lung cancer. LC-MS metabolomic study of belinostat on mitochondrial metabolism was performed in G12C KRAS-mutant H358 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Furthermore, l-methionine (methyl-13 C) isotope tracer was used to explore the effect of belinostat on one-carbon metabolism. Bioinformatic analyses of metabolomic data were performed to identify the pattern of significantly regulated metabolites. To study the effect of belinostat on redox signaling ARE-NRF2 pathway, luciferase reporter activity assay was done in stably transfected HepG2-C8 cells (containing pARE-TI-luciferase construct), followed by qPCR analysis of NRF2 and its target gene in H358 cells, which was further confirmed in G12S KRAS-mutant A549 cells. Metabolomic study reveals significantly altered metabolites related to redox homeostasis, including tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites (citrate, aconitate, fumarate, malate, and α-ketoglutarate); urea cycle metabolites (Arginine, ornithine, argino-succinate, aspartate, and fumarate); and antioxidative glutathione metabolism pathway (GSH/GSSG and NAD/NADH ratio) after belinostat treatment. 13 C stable isotope labeling data indicates potential role of belinostat in creatine biosynthesis via methylation of guanidinoacetate. Moreover, belinostat downregulated the expression of NRF2 and its target gene NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), indicating anticancer effect of belinostat is mediated, potentially via Nrf2-regulated glutathione pathway. Another HDACi panobinostat also showed potential anticancer effect in both H358 and A549 cells via Nrf2 pathway. In summary, belinostat is effective in killing KRAS-mutant human lung cancer cells by regulating mitochondrial metabolism which could be used as biomarkers for preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Mary Peter
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Science, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Md. Shahid Sarwar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sarah Z. Mostafa
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yujue Wang
- Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Ah-Ng Kong
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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25
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Ai C, Sun X, Xiao S, Guo L, Shang M, Shi D, Meng D, Zhao Y, Wang X, Li J. CAFs targeted ultrasound-responsive nanodroplets loaded V9302 and GLULsiRNA to inhibit melanoma growth via glutamine metabolic reprogramming and tumor microenvironment remodeling. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:214. [PMID: 37420266 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01979-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite rapid advances in metabolic therapies over the past decade, their efficacy in melanoma has been modest, largely due to the interaction between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells to promote cancer growth. Altering the tumor microenvironment (TME) is challenging and elusive. CAFs is critical for glutamine deprivation survival in melanoma. In this research, we assembled a CAFs-targeted, controlled-release nanodroplets for the combined delivery of the amino acid transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5) inhibitor V9302 and GLULsiRNA (siGLUL). The application of ultrasound-targeted microbubble disruption (UTMD) allows for rapid release of V9302 and siGLUL, jointly breaking the glutamine metabolism interaction between CAFs and cancer cells on one hand, on the other hand, blocking activated CAFs and reducing the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate drug penetration. In addition, ultrasound stimulation made siGLUL more accessible to tumor cells and CAFs, downregulating GLUL expression in both cell types. FH-V9302-siGLUL-NDs also serve as contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging agents for tumor imaging. Our study developed and reported FH-NDs as nanocarriers for V9302 and siGLUL, demonstrating that FH-V9302-siGLUL-NDs have potential bright future applications for integrated diagnostic therapy. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Ai
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Shan Xiao
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Lu Guo
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Mengmeng Shang
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Dandan Shi
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Dong Meng
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Yading Zhao
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
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26
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Lin YC, Hou YC, Wang HC, Shan YS. New insights into the role of adipocytes in pancreatic cancer progression: paving the way towards novel therapeutic targets. Theranostics 2023; 13:3925-3942. [PMID: 37554282 PMCID: PMC10405844 DOI: 10.7150/thno.82911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies across the world, which is due to delayed diagnosis and resistance to current therapies. The interactions between pancreatic tumor cells and their tumor microenvironment (TME) allow cancer cells to escape from anti-cancer therapies, leading to difficulties in treating PC. With endocrine function and lipid storage capacity, adipose tissue can maintain energy homeostasis. Direct or indirect interaction between adipocytes and PC cells leads to adipocyte dysfunction characterized by morphological change, fat loss, abnormal adipokine secretion, and fibroblast-like transformation. Various adipokines released from dysfunctional adipocytes have been reported to promote proliferation, invasion, metastasis, stemness, and chemoresistance of PC cells via different mechanisms. Additional lipid outflow from adipocytes can be taken into the TME and thus alter the metabolism in PC cells and surrounding stromal cells. Besides, the trans-differentiation potential enables adipocytes to turn into various cell types, which may give rise to an inflammatory response as well as extracellular matrix reorganization to modulate tumor burden. Understanding the molecular basis behind the protumor functions of adipocytes in PC may offer new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Lin
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chin Hou
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Medicine Research Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Chen Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Medical Imaging Center, Innovation Headquarter, National Cheng Kung University; Tainan 704, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Shen Shan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
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27
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Zhang L, Chen Y, Zhou Z, Wang Z, Fu L, Zhang L, Xu C, Loor JJ, Wang G, Zhang T, Dong X. Vitamin C injection improves antioxidant stress capacity through regulating blood metabolism in post-transit yak. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10233. [PMID: 37353533 PMCID: PMC10290073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36779-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Transportation stress is one of the most serious issues in the management of yak. Previous studies have demonstrated that transport stress is caused by a pro-oxidant state in the animal resulting from an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant status. In this context, vitamin C has the ability to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis and alleviate oxidative stress. Although this effect of vitamin C is useful in pigs, goats and cattle, the effect of vitamin C on the mitigation of transport stress in yaks is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to better assess the metabolic changes induced by the action of vitamin C in yaks under transportation stress, and whether these changes can influence antioxidant status. After the yaks arrived at the farm, control or baseline blood samples were collected immediately through the jugular vein (VC_CON). Then, 100 mg/kg VC was injected intramuscularly, and blood samples were collected on the 10th day before feeding in the morning (VC). Relative to the control group, the VC injection group had higher levels of VC. Compared with VC_CON, VC injection significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the blood concentrations of ALT, AST, T-Bil, D-Bil, IDBIL, UREA, CRP and LDH. However, VC injection led to greater (P < 0.05) AST/ALT and CREA-S relative to VC_CON. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in GGT, ALP, TBA, TP, ALBII, GLO, A/G, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, GLU and L-lactate between VC_CON and VC. The injection of VC led to greater (P < 0.05) concentration of MDA, but did not alter (P > 0.05) the serum concentrations of LPO and ROS. The injection of VC led to greater (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of POD, CAT and GSH-PX. In contrast, lower (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of SOD, POD and TPX were observed in VC relative to VC_CON. No difference (P > 0.05) in GSH, GSH-ST and GR was observed between VC_CON and VC. Compared with the control group, metabolomics using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry identified 156 differential metabolites with P < 0.05 and a variable importance in projection (VIP) score > 1.5 in the VC injection group. The injection of VC resulted in significant changes to the intracellular amino acid metabolism of glutathione, glutamate, cysteine, methionine, glycine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, alanine and aspartate. Overall, our study indicated that VC injections were able to modulate antioxidant levels by affecting metabolism to resist oxidative stress generated during transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang, 402460, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Ziyao Zhou
- Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang, 402460, China
- The Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhiyu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lin Fu
- Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang, 402460, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Tibet Leowuqi Animal Husbandry Station, Changdu Tibet, 855600, China
| | - Changhui Xu
- Tibet Leowuqi Animal Husbandry Station, Changdu Tibet, 855600, China
| | - Juan J Loor
- Mammalian NutriPhysioGenomics, Department of Animal Sciences and Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61801, USA
| | - Gaofu Wang
- Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang, 402460, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Xianwen Dong
- Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Rongchang, 402460, China.
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28
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Dai W, Zong WX. Glutamine synthetase: a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma? J Mol Cell Biol 2023; 15:mjad007. [PMID: 36737414 PMCID: PMC10251431 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Dai
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wei-Xing Zong
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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29
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Moldovan OL, Sandulea A, Lungu IA, Gâz ȘA, Rusu A. Identification of Some Glutamic Acid Derivatives with Biological Potential by Computational Methods. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104123. [PMID: 37241864 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid involved in multiple metabolic pathways. Of high importance is its relationship with glutamine, an essential fuel for cancer cell development. Compounds that can modify glutamine or glutamic acid behaviour in cancer cells have resulted in attractive anticancer therapeutic alternatives. Based on this idea, we theoretically formulated 123 glutamic acid derivatives using Biovia Draw. Suitable candidates for our research were selected among them. For this, online platforms and programs were used to describe specific properties and their behaviour in the human organism. Nine compounds proved to have suitable or easy to optimise properties. The selected compounds showed cytotoxicity against breast adenocarcinoma, lung cancer cell lines, colon carcinoma, and T cells from acute leukaemia. Compound 2Ba5 exhibited the lowest toxicity, and derivative 4Db6 exhibited the most intense bioactivity. Molecular docking studies were also performed. The binding site of the 4Db6 compound in the glutamine synthetase structure was determined, with the D subunit and cluster 1 being the most promising. In conclusion, glutamic acid is an amino acid that can be manipulated very easily. Therefore, molecules derived from its structure have great potential to become innovative drugs, and further research on these will be conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Octavia-Laura Moldovan
- Medicine and Pharmacy Doctoral School, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Alexandra Sandulea
- Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Ioana-Andreea Lungu
- Medicine and Pharmacy Doctoral School, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Șerban Andrei Gâz
- Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Aura Rusu
- Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
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30
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Ogunleye AO, Nimmakayala RK, Batra SK, Ponnusamy MP. Metabolic Rewiring and Stemness: A Critical Attribute of Pancreatic Cancer Progression. Stem Cells 2023; 41:417-430. [PMID: 36869789 PMCID: PMC10183971 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive diseases with a poor 5-year survival rate. PDAC cells rely on various metabolic pathways to fuel their unlimited proliferation and metastasis. Reprogramming glucose, fatty acid, amino acid, and nucleic acid metabolisms contributes to PDAC cell growth. Cancer stem cells are the primary cell types that play a critical role in the progression and aggressiveness of PDAC. Emerging studies indicate that the cancer stem cells in PDAC tumors are heterogeneous and show specific metabolic dependencies. In addition, understanding specific metabolic signatures and factors that regulate these metabolic alterations in the cancer stem cells of PDAC paves the way for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of PDAC metabolism by specifically exploring the metabolic dependencies of cancer stem cells. We also review the current knowledge of targeting these metabolic factors that regulate CSC maintenance and PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayoola O Ogunleye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Rama Krishna Nimmakayala
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Moorthy P Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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31
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Lengauer F, Geisslinger F, Gabriel A, von Schwarzenberg K, Vollmar AM, Bartel K. A metabolic shift toward glycolysis enables cancer cells to maintain survival upon concomitant glutamine deprivation and V-ATPase inhibition. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1124678. [PMID: 37255933 PMCID: PMC10225586 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1124678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely known that most cancer cells display an increased reliance on glutaminolysis to sustain proliferation and survival. Combining glutamine deprivation with additional anti-cancer therapies is an intensively investigated approach to increase therapeutic effectiveness. In this study, we examined a combination of glutamine deprivation by starvation or pharmacological tools, with the anti-cancer agent archazolid, an inhibitor of the lysosomal V-ATPase. We show that glutamine deprivation leads to lysosomal acidification and induction of pro-survival autophagy, which could be prevented by archazolid. Surprisingly, a combination of glutamine deprivation with archazolid did not lead to synergistic induction of cell death or reduction in proliferation. Investigating the underlying mechanisms revealed elevated expression and activity of amino acid transporters SLC1A5, SLC38A1 upon starvation, whereas archazolid had no additional effect. Furthermore, we found that the export of lysosomal glutamine derived from exogenous sources plays no role in the phenotype as knock-down of SLC38A7, the lysosomal glutamine exporter, could not increase V-ATPase inhibition-induced cell death or reduce proliferation. Analysis of the cellular metabolic phenotype revealed that glutamine deprivation led to a significant increase in glycolytic activity, indicated by an elevated glycolytic capacity and reserve, when V-ATPase function was inhibited concomitantly. This was confirmed by increased glutamine uptake, augmented lactate production, and an increase in hexokinase activity. Our study, therefore, provides evidence, that glutamine deprivation induces autophagy, which can be prevented by simultaneous inhibition of V-ATPase function. However, this does not lead to a therapeutic benefit, as cells are able to circumvent cell death and growth inhibition by a metabolic shift toward glycolysis.
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Blachier J, Cleret A, Guerin N, Gil C, Fanjat JM, Tavernier F, Vidault L, Gallix F, Rama N, Rossignol R, Piedrahita D, Andrivon A, Châlons-Cottavoz M, Aguera K, Gay F, Horand F, Laperrousaz B. L-asparaginase anti-tumor activity in pancreatic cancer is dependent on its glutaminase activity and resistance is mediated by glutamine synthetase. Exp Cell Res 2023; 426:113568. [PMID: 36967104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
l-Asparaginase is a cornerstone of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy since lymphoblasts lack asparagine synthetase (ASNS) and rely on extracellular asparagine availability for survival. Resistance mechanisms are associated with increased ASNS expression in ALL. However, the association between ASNS and l-Asparaginase efficacy in solid tumors remains unclear, thus limiting clinical development. Interestingly, l-Asparaginase also has a glutaminase co-activity that is crucial in pancreatic cancer where KRAS mutations activate glutamine metabolism. By developing l-Asparaginase-resistant pancreatic cancer cells and using OMICS approaches, we identified glutamine synthetase (GS) as a marker of resistance to l-Asparaginase. GS is the only enzyme able to synthesize glutamine, and its expression also correlates with l-Asparaginase efficacy in 27 human cell lines from 11 cancer indications. Finally, we further demonstrated that GS inhibition prevents cancer cell adaptation to l-Asparaginase-induced glutamine starvation. These findings could pave the way to the development of promising drug combinations to overcome l-Asparaginase resistance.
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Halbrook CJ, Lyssiotis CA, Pasca di Magliano M, Maitra A. Pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges. Cell 2023; 186:1729-1754. [PMID: 37059070 PMCID: PMC10182830 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 144.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers. Significant efforts have largely defined major genetic factors driving PDAC pathogenesis and progression. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a complex microenvironment that orchestrates metabolic alterations and supports a milieu of interactions among various cell types within this niche. In this review, we highlight the foundational studies that have driven our understanding of these processes. We further discuss the recent technological advances that continue to expand our understanding of PDAC complexity. We posit that the clinical translation of these research endeavors will enhance the currently dismal survival rate of this recalcitrant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA.
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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34
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Fu S, Xu S, Zhang S. The role of amino acid metabolism alterations in pancreatic cancer: From mechanism to application. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188893. [PMID: 37015314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing in both developed and developing Nations. In recent years, various research evidence suggested that reprogrammed metabolism may play a key role in pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis and development. Therefore, it has great potential as a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic target. Amino acid metabolism is deregulated in pancreatic cancer, and changes in amino acid metabolism can affect cancer cell status, systemic metabolism in malignant tumor patients and mistakenly involved in different biological processes including stemness, proliferation and growth, invasion and migration, redox state maintenance, autophagy, apoptosis and even tumor microenvironment interaction. Generally, the above effects are achieved through two pathways, energy metabolism and signal transduction. This review aims to highlight the current research progress on the abnormal alterations of amino acids metabolism in pancreatic cancer, how they affect tumorigenesis and development of pancreatic cancer and the application prospects of them as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenao Fu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China; Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Shaokang Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China; Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, 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.
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35
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Wang H, Chen Y, Zhao W, Liu H, Tu H, Xia Z, Wang R, Tang J, Zhu C, Li R, Liu X, Gu P. A Five Glutamine-Associated Signature Predicts Prognosis of Prostate Cancer and Links Glutamine Metabolism with Tumor Microenvironment. J Clin Med 2023; 12:2243. [PMID: 36983244 PMCID: PMC10056698 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamine has been recognized as an important amino acid that provide a variety of intermediate products to fuel biosynthesis. Glutamine metabolism participates in the progression of the tumor via various mechanisms. However, glutamine-metabolism-associated signatures and its significance in prostate cancer are still unclear. In this current study, we identified five genes associated with glutamine metabolism by univariate and Lasso regression analysis and constructed a model to predict the biochemical recurrence free survival (BCRFS) of PCa. Further validation of the prognostic risk model demonstrated a good efficacy in predicting the BCRFS in PCa patients. Interestingly, based on the CIBERSORTx, ssGSEA and ESTIMATE algorithms predictions, we noticed a distinct immune cell infiltration and immune pathway pattern in the prediction of the two risk groups stratified by the risk model. Drug sensitivity prediction revealed that patients in the high-risk group were more suitable for chemotherapy. Last but not least, glutamine deprivation significantly inhibited cell growth in GLUL or ASNS knock down prostate cancer cell lines. Therefore, we proposed a novel prognostic model by using glutamine metabolism genes for PCa patients and identified potential mechanism of PCa progression through glutamine-related tumor microenvironment remodeling.
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Samec M, Mazurakova A, Lucansky V, Koklesova L, Pecova R, Pec M, Golubnitschaja O, Al-Ishaq RK, Caprnda M, Gaspar L, Prosecky R, Gazdikova K, Adamek M, Büsselberg D, Kruzliak P, Kubatka P. Flavonoids attenuate cancer metabolism by modulating Lipid metabolism, amino acids, ketone bodies and redox state mediated by Nrf2. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 949:175655. [PMID: 36921709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells is a common hallmark of malignant transformation. The preference for aerobic glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation in tumors is a well-studied phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Importantly, metabolic transformation of cancer cells also involves alterations in signaling cascades contributing to lipid metabolism, amino acid flux and synthesis, and utilization of ketone bodies. Also, redox regulation interacts with metabolic reprogramming during malignant transformation. Flavonoids, widely distributed phytochemicals in plants, exert various beneficial effects on human health through modulating molecular cascades altered in the pathological cancer phenotype. Recent evidence has identified numerous flavonoids as modulators of critical components of cancer metabolism and associated pathways interacting with metabolic cascades such as redox balance. Flavonoids affect lipid metabolism by regulating fatty acid synthase, redox balance by modulating nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activity, or amino acid flux and synthesis by phosphoglycerate mutase 1. Here, we discuss recent preclinical evidence evaluating the impact of flavonoids on cancer metabolism, focusing on lipid and amino acid metabolic cascades, redox balance, and ketone bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Samec
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Alena Mazurakova
- Department of Anatomy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Vincent Lucansky
- Biomedical Centre Martin, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Lenka Koklesova
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, 036 01, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Renata Pecova
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Martin Pec
- Department of Medical Biology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Olga Golubnitschaja
- Predictive, Preventive, Personalised (3P) Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Martin Caprnda
- 1(st) Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ludovit Gaspar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Robert Prosecky
- 2(nd) Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne´s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katarina Gazdikova
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of General Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Mariusz Adamek
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | | | - Peter Kruzliak
- 2(nd) Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne´s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Peter Kubatka
- Department of Medical Biology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia.
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Park SJ, Yoo HC, Ahn E, Luo E, Kim Y, Sung Y, Yu YC, Kim K, Min DS, Lee HS, Hwang GS, Ahn T, Choi J, Bang S, Han JM. Enhanced Glutaminolysis Drives Hypoxia-Induced Chemoresistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Res 2023; 83:735-752. [PMID: 36594876 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits severe hypoxia, which is associated with chemoresistance and worse patient outcome. It has been reported that hypoxia induces metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells. However, it is not well known whether metabolic reprogramming contributes to hypoxia. Here, we established that increased glutamine catabolism is a fundamental mechanism inducing hypoxia, and thus chemoresistance, in PDAC cells. An extracellular matrix component-based in vitro three-dimensional cell printing model with patient-derived PDAC cells that recapitulate the hypoxic status in PDAC tumors showed that chemoresistant PDAC cells exhibit markedly enhanced glutamine catabolism compared with chemoresponsive PDAC cells. The augmented glutamine metabolic flux increased the oxygen consumption rate via mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), promoting hypoxia and hypoxia-induced chemoresistance. Targeting glutaminolysis relieved hypoxia and improved chemotherapy efficacy in vitro and in vivo. This work suggests that targeting the glutaminolysis-OXPHOS-hypoxia axis is a novel therapeutic target for treating patients with chemoresistant PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE Increased glutaminolysis induces hypoxia via oxidative phosphorylation-mediated oxygen consumption and drives chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer, revealing a potential therapeutic strategy of combining glutaminolysis inhibition and chemotherapy to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Joon Park
- Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated OMICS for Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hee Chan Yoo
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Eunyong Ahn
- Integrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Enzhi Luo
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Yeabeen Kim
- Department of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Yulseung Sung
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Ya Chun Yu
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Kibum Kim
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Do Sik Min
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Hee Seung Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Geum-Sook Hwang
- Integrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - TaeJin Ahn
- Department of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Junjeong Choi
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Seungmin Bang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung Min Han
- Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated OMICS for Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
- POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
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Villar VH, Allega MF, Deshmukh R, Ackermann T, Nakasone MA, Vande Voorde J, Drake TM, Oetjen J, Bloom A, Nixon C, Müller M, May S, Tan EH, Vereecke L, Jans M, Blancke G, Murphy DJ, Huang DT, Lewis DY, Bird TG, Sansom OJ, Blyth K, Sumpton D, Tardito S. Hepatic glutamine synthetase controls N 5-methylglutamine in homeostasis and cancer. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:292-300. [PMID: 36280791 PMCID: PMC9974483 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01154-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glutamine synthetase (GS) activity is conserved from prokaryotes to humans, where the ATP-dependent production of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia is essential for neurotransmission and ammonia detoxification. Here, we show that mammalian GS uses glutamate and methylamine to produce a methylated glutamine analog, N5-methylglutamine. Untargeted metabolomics revealed that liver-specific GS deletion and its pharmacological inhibition in mice suppress hepatic and circulating levels of N5-methylglutamine. This alternative activity of GS was confirmed in human recombinant enzyme and cells, where a pathogenic mutation in the active site (R324C) promoted the synthesis of N5-methylglutamine over glutamine. N5-methylglutamine is detected in the circulation, and its levels are sustained by the microbiome, as demonstrated by using germ-free mice. Finally, we show that urine levels of N5-methylglutamine correlate with tumor burden and GS expression in a β-catenin-driven model of liver cancer, highlighting the translational potential of this uncharacterized metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H Villar
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Maria Francesca Allega
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ruhi Deshmukh
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Tobias Ackermann
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mark A Nakasone
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Thomas M Drake
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Clinical Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Algernon Bloom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Colin Nixon
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Miryam Müller
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Stephanie May
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ee Hong Tan
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lars Vereecke
- Host-Microbiota Interaction Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maude Jans
- Host-Microbiota Interaction Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gillian Blancke
- Host-Microbiota Interaction Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel J Murphy
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Danny T Huang
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David Y Lewis
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Thomas G Bird
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David Sumpton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK
| | - Saverio Tardito
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, UK.
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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39
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Liu H, Zhang H, Liu X, Guo W, Liu Q, Chen L, Pang J, Liu X, Li R, Tong WM, Wu H, Dai M, Liang Z. Pancreatic stellate cells exploit Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7-mediated glutamine metabolism to promote pancreatic cancer cells growth. Cancer Lett 2023; 555:216040. [PMID: 36565920 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are crucial for metabolism and disease progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, detailed mechanisms of PSCs in glutamine (Gln) metabolism and tumor-stromal metabolic interactions have not been well clarified. Here we showed that tumor tissues displayed Gln deficiency in orthotopic PDAC models. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed metabolic heterogeneity in PDAC, with significantly higher expression of Gln catabolism pathway in stromal cells. Significantly higher glutamine synthetase (GS) protein expression was further validated in human tissues and cells. Elevated GS levels in tumor and stroma were independently prognostic of poorer prognosis in PDAC patients. Gln secreted by PSCs increased basal oxygen consumption rate in PCCs. Depletion of GS in PSCs significantly decreased PCCs proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, activation of Wnt signaling induced directly binding of β-catenin/TCF7 complex to GS promoter region and upregulated GS expression. Rescue experiments testified that GS overexpression recovered β-catenin knockdown-mediated function on Gln synthesis and tumor-promoting ability of PSCs. Overall, these findings identify the Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7/GS-mediated growth-promoting effect of PSCs and provide new insights into stromal Gln metabolism, which may offer novel therapeutic strategies for PDAC.
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40
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Liu C, Deng S, Xiao Z, Lu R, Cheng H, Feng J, Shen X, Ni Q, Wu W, Yu X, Luo G. Glutamine is a substrate for glycosylation and CA19-9 biosynthesis through hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in pancreatic cancer. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:20. [PMID: 36797531 PMCID: PMC9935803 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00628-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is the most widely used biomarker for pancreatic cancer. Since CA19-9 closely correlates with patient outcome and tumor stage in pancreatic cancer, the deciphering of CA19-9 biosynthesis provides a potential clue for treatment. METHODS Concentration of amino acids was detected by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Metabolic flux of glutamine was examined by isotope tracing untargeted metabolomics. Label-free quantitative N-glycosylation proteomics was used to examine N-glycosylation alterations. RESULTS Among all amino acids, glutamine was higher in CA19-9-high pancreatic cancers (> 37 U/mL, 66 cases) than in CA19-9-normal clinical specimens (≤ 37 U/mL, 37 cases). The glutamine concentration in clinical specimens was positively correlated with liver metastasis or lymphovascular invasion. Glutamine blockade using diazooxonorleucine suppressed pancreatic cancer growth and intraperitoneal and lymphatic metastasis. Glutamine promotes O-GlcNAcylation, protein glycosylation, and CA19-9 biosynthesis through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) levels correlated with the glutamine influx through hexosamine biosynthetic pathway and supported CA19-9 biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS Glutamine is a substrate for CA19-9 biosynthesis in pancreatic cancer. Glutamine blockade may be a potential therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shengming Deng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhiwen Xiao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Renquan Lu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - He Cheng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jingjing Feng
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xuxia Shen
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Quanxing Ni
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weiding Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Guopei Luo
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270,Dong'An Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Moran-Alvarez A, Gonzalez-Menendez P, Mayo JC, Sainz RM. Reflections on the Biology of Cell Culture Models: Living on the Edge of Oxidative Metabolism in Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36769044 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, the study of cell metabolism is a hot topic in cancer research. Many studies have used 2D conventional cell cultures for their simplicity and the facility to infer mechanisms. However, the limitations of bidimensional cell cultures to recreate architecture, mechanics, and cell communication between tumor cells and their environment, have forced the development of other more realistic in vitro methodologies. Therefore, the explosion of 3D culture techniques and the necessity to reduce animal experimentation to a minimum has attracted the attention of researchers in the field of cancer metabolism. Here, we revise the limitations of actual culture models and discuss the utility of several 3D culture techniques to resolve those limitations.
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42
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Zhang Z, Zhang H, Liao X, Tsai HI. KRAS mutation: The booster of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma transformation and progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1147676. [PMID: 37152291 PMCID: PMC10157181 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1147676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. It has a poor response to conventional therapy and has an extremely poor 5-year survival rate. PDAC is driven by multiple oncogene mutations, with the highest mutation frequency being observed in KRAS. The KRAS protein, which binds to GTP, has phosphokinase activity, which further activates downstream effectors. KRAS mutation contributes to cancer cell proliferation, metabolic reprogramming, immune escape, and therapy resistance in PDAC, acting as a critical driver of the disease. Thus, KRAS mutation is positively associated with poorer prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients. This review focus on the KRAS mutation patterns in PDAC, and further emphases its role in signal transduction, metabolic reprogramming, therapy resistance and prognosis, hoping to provide KRAS target therapy strategies for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zining Zhang
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xiang Liao
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang Liao, ; Hsiang-i Tsai,
| | - Hsiang-i Tsai
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang Liao, ; Hsiang-i Tsai,
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43
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Wang W, Tian X, Yan L, Guan X, Dong B, Zhao M, Liu D, Wu J, Hao C. Identification of the γ-glutamyl cycle as a novel therapeutic target and 5-oxoproline as a new biomarker for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Ann Med 2023; 55:2242247. [PMID: 37544888 PMCID: PMC10405758 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2242247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignant solid tumours, and abnormal metabolic reprogramming in the tumour microenvironment is regarded as an important contributor to its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES As there is an urgency to identify new targets based on the metabolic features that are highly refractory to PDAC treatment, this study aimed to identify suitable therapeutic targets for PDAC. METHODS In this study, gene set enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed on 163 PDAC tissue samples and 165 normal pancreatic tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases to identify alterations in critical metabolites that may contribute to PDAC pathogenesis. Furthermore, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed to identify significant metabolic pathways between 24 pairs of tumour and adjacent non-tumour tissues and between serum samples from PDAC patients and healthy donors. RESULTS Fifty-one tissue metabolites and 26 serum metabolites were altered in PDAC. Among them, those in the γ-glutamyl cycle were the most substantially changed, and 5-oxoproline was the biomarker of PDAC with the most significantly decreased levels. CONCLUSIONS The γ-glutamyl cycle and 5-oxoproline might be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Wang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of International Medical Services (IMS), Beijing Tiantan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuyun Tian
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Yan
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoya Guan
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bin Dong
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Central Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Zhao
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Daoning Liu
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chunyi Hao
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery/Sarcoma Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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44
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Dai W, Shen J, Yan J, Bott AJ, Maimouni S, Daguplo HQ, Wang Y, Khayati K, Guo JY, Zhang L, Wang Y, Valvezan A, Ding WX, Chen X, Su X, Gao S, Zong WX. Glutamine synthetase limits β-catenin-mutated liver cancer growth by maintaining nitrogen homeostasis and suppressing mTORC1. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:161408. [PMID: 36256480 PMCID: PMC9754002 DOI: 10.1172/jci161408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes de novo synthesis of glutamine that facilitates cancer cell growth. In the liver, GS functions next to the urea cycle to remove ammonia waste. As a dysregulated urea cycle is implicated in cancer development, the impact of GS's ammonia clearance function has not been explored in cancer. Here, we show that oncogenic activation of β-catenin (encoded by CTNNB1) led to a decreased urea cycle and elevated ammonia waste burden. While β-catenin induced the expression of GS, which is thought to be cancer promoting, surprisingly, genetic ablation of hepatic GS accelerated the onset of liver tumors in several mouse models that involved β-catenin activation. Mechanistically, GS ablation exacerbated hyperammonemia and facilitated the production of glutamate-derived nonessential amino acids, which subsequently stimulated mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of mTORC1 and glutamic transaminases suppressed tumorigenesis facilitated by GS ablation. While patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, especially those with CTNNB1 mutations, have an overall defective urea cycle and increased expression of GS, there exists a subset of patients with low GS expression that is associated with mTORC1 hyperactivation. Therefore, GS-mediated ammonia clearance serves as a tumor-suppressing mechanism in livers that harbor β-catenin activation mutations and a compromised urea cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Dai
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jianliang Shen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Junrong Yan
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Alex J. Bott
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sara Maimouni
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Heineken Q. Daguplo
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yujue Wang
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Khoosheh Khayati
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jessie Yanxiang Guo
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Lanjing Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yongbo Wang
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Alexander Valvezan
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Wen-Xing Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shenglan Gao
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Xing Zong
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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45
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Wang D, Wan X. Progress in research on the role of amino acid metabolic reprogramming in tumour therapy: A review. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113923. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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46
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Hashimoto A, Handa H, Hata S, Hashimoto S. Orchestration of mesenchymal plasticity and immune evasiveness via rewiring of the metabolic program in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1005566. [PMID: 36408139 PMCID: PMC9669439 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1005566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most fatal cancer in humans, due to its difficulty of early detection and its high metastatic ability. The occurrence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in preinvasive pancreatic lesions has been implicated in the early dissemination, drug resistance, and cancer stemness of PDAC. PDAC cells also have a reprogrammed metabolism, regulated by driver mutation-mediated pathways, a desmoplastic tumor microenvironment (TME), and interactions with stromal cells, including pancreatic stellate cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune cells. Such metabolic reprogramming and its functional metabolites lead to enhanced mesenchymal plasticity, and creates an acidic and immunosuppressive TME, resulting in the augmentation of protumor immunity via cancer-associated inflammation. In this review, we summarize our recent understanding of how PDAC cells acquire and augment mesenchymal features via metabolic and immunological changes during tumor progression, and how mesenchymal malignancies induce metabolic network rewiring and facilitate an immune evasive TME. In addition, we also present our recent findings on the interesting relevance of the small G protein ADP-ribosylation factor 6-based signaling pathway driven by KRAS/TP53 mutations, inflammatory amplification signals mediated by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 and RNA-binding protein ARID5A on PDAC metabolic reprogramming and immune evasion, and finally discuss potential therapeutic strategies for the quasi-mesenchymal subtype of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Biology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Ari Hashimoto, ; Shigeru Hashimoto,
| | - Haruka Handa
- Department of Molecular Biology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Soichiro Hata
- Department of Molecular Biology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shigeru Hashimoto
- Division of Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Ari Hashimoto, ; Shigeru Hashimoto,
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47
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Abstract
Mutations in guanosine triphosphatase KRAS are common in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. The constitutive activity of mutant KRAS and its downstream signaling pathways induces metabolic rewiring in tumor cells that can promote resistance to existing therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the metabolic pathways that are altered in response to treatment and those that can, in turn, alter treatment efficacy, as well as the role of metabolism in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in dictating the therapeutic response in KRAS-driven cancers. We highlight metabolic targets that may provide clinical opportunities to overcome therapeutic resistance and improve survival in patients with these aggressive cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Y Moss
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Christopher McCann
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Emma M Kerr
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE Northern Ireland, UK
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48
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Evan T, Wang VMY, Behrens A. The roles of intratumour heterogeneity in the biology and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:4686-4695. [PMID: 36088504 PMCID: PMC9568427 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) has become an important focus of cancer research in recent years. ITH describes the cellular variation that enables tumour evolution, including tumour progression, metastasis and resistance to treatment. The selection and expansion of genetically distinct treatment-resistant cancer cell clones provides one explanation for treatment failure. However, tumour cell variation need not be genetically encoded. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in particular, the complex tumour microenvironment as well as crosstalk between tumour and stromal cells result in exceptionally variable tumour cell phenotypes that are also highly adaptable. In this review we discuss four different types of phenotypic heterogeneity within PDAC, from morphological to metabolic heterogeneity. We suggest that these different types of ITH are not independent, but, rather, can inform one another. Lastly, we highlight recent findings that suggest how therapeutic efforts may halt PDAC progression by constraining cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore Evan
- Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | | | - Axel Behrens
- Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- CRUK Convergence Science Centre, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
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49
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Roth HE, Powers R. Meta-Analysis Reveals Both the Promises and the Challenges of Clinical Metabolomics. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3992. [PMID: 36010984 PMCID: PMC9406125 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical metabolomics is a rapidly expanding field focused on identifying molecular biomarkers to aid in the efficient diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Variations in study design, metabolomics methodologies, and investigator protocols raise serious concerns about the accuracy and reproducibility of these potential biomarkers. The explosive growth of the field has led to the recent availability of numerous replicate clinical studies, which permits an evaluation of the consistency of biomarkers identified across multiple metabolomics projects. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death and has the lowest five-year survival rate primarily due to the lack of an early diagnosis and the limited treatment options. Accordingly, PDAC has been a popular target of clinical metabolomics studies. We compiled 24 PDAC metabolomics studies from the scientific literature for a detailed meta-analysis. A consistent identification across these multiple studies allowed for the validation of potential clinical biomarkers of PDAC while also highlighting variations in study protocols that may explain poor reproducibility. Our meta-analysis identified 10 metabolites that may serve as PDAC biomarkers and warrant further investigation. However, 87% of the 655 metabolites identified as potential biomarkers were identified in single studies. Differences in cohort size and demographics, p-value choice, fold-change significance, sample type, handling and storage, data collection, and analysis were all factors that likely contributed to this apparently large false positive rate. Our meta-analysis demonstrated the need for consistent experimental design and normalized practices to accurately leverage clinical metabolomics data for reliable and reproducible biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi E. Roth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0304, USA
| | - Robert Powers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0304, USA
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0304, USA
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50
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Ali A, Chianese U, Papulino C, Toraldo A, Abakar MEA, Passaro E, Cennamo R, Del Gaudio N, Altucci L, Benedetti R. Metabolic Pathways as a Novel Landscape in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3799. [PMID: 35954462 PMCID: PMC9367608 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism plays a fundamental role in both human physiology and pathology, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and other tumors. Anabolic and catabolic processes do not only have energetic implications but are tightly associated with other cellular activities, such as DNA duplication, redox reactions, and cell homeostasis. PDAC displays a marked metabolic phenotype and the observed reduction in tumor growth induced by calorie restriction with in vivo models supports the crucial role of metabolism in this cancer type. The aggressiveness of PDAC might, therefore, be reduced by interventions on bioenergetic circuits. In this review, we describe the main metabolic mechanisms involved in PDAC growth and the biological features that may favor its onset and progression within an immunometabolic context. We also discuss the need to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical practice in order to offer alternative therapeutic approaches for PDAC patients in the more immediate future.
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