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Han R, Lu CH, Hu C, Dou YY, Kang J, Lin CY, Wu D, Jiang WL, Yin GQ, He Y. Brigatinib, a newly discovered AXL inhibitor, suppresses AXL-mediated acquired resistance to osimertinib in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:1264-1275. [PMID: 38438582 PMCID: PMC11130302 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01237-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In addition to the classical resistance mechanisms, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase AXL is a main mechanism of resistance to third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) osimertinib in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Developing an effective AXL inhibitor is important to sensitize osimertinib in clinical application. In this study we assessed the efficacy of brigatinib, a second-generation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-TKI, as a novel AXL inhibitor, in overcoming acquired resistance to osimertinib induced by AXL activation. We established an AXL-overexpression NSCLC cell line and conducted high-throughput screening of a small molecule chemical library containing 510 anti-tumor drugs. We found that brigatinib potently inhibited AXL expression, and that brigatinib (0.5 μM) significantly enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy of osimertinib (1 μM) in AXL-mediated osimertinib-resistant NSCLC cell lines in vitro. We demonstrated that brigatinib had a potential ability to bind AXL kinase protein and further inhibit its downstream pathways in NSCLC cell lines. Furthermore, we revealed that brigatinib might decrease AXL expression through increasing K48-linked ubiquitination of AXL and promoting AXL degradation in HCC827OR cells and PC-9OR cells. In AXL-high expression osimertinib-resistant PC-9OR and HCC827OR cells derived xenograft mouse models, administration of osimertinib (10 mg·kg-1·d-1) alone for 3 weeks had no effect, and administration of brigatinib (25 mg·kg-1·d-1) alone caused a minor inhibition on the tumor growth; whereas combination of osimertinib and brigatinib caused marked tumor shrinkages. We concluded that brigatinib may be a promising clinical strategy for enhancing osimertinib efficacy in AXL-mediated osimertinib-resistant NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Han
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Cong-Hua Lu
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Chen Hu
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Yuan-Yao Dou
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Jun Kang
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Cai-Yu Lin
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Wei-Ling Jiang
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Guo-Qing Yin
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Yong He
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
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Han Y, Tian X, Zhai J, Zhang Z. Clinical application of immunogenic cell death inducers in cancer immunotherapy: turning cold tumors hot. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1363121. [PMID: 38774648 PMCID: PMC11106383 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1363121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising cancer treatment option in recent years. In immune "hot" tumors, characterized by abundant immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy can improve patients' prognosis by activating the function of immune cells. By contrast, immune "cold" tumors are often less sensitive to immunotherapy owing to low immunogenicity of tumor cells, an immune inhibitory tumor microenvironment, and a series of immune-escape mechanisms. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a promising cellular process to facilitate the transformation of immune "cold" tumors to immune "hot" tumors by eliciting innate and adaptive immune responses through the release of (or exposure to) damage-related molecular patterns. Accumulating evidence suggests that various traditional therapies can induce ICD, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. In this review, we summarize the biological mechanisms and hallmarks of ICD and introduce some newly discovered and technologically innovative inducers that activate the immune system at the molecular level. Furthermore, we also discuss the clinical applications of combing ICD inducers with cancer immunotherapy. This review will provide valuable insights into the future development of ICD-related combination therapeutics and potential management for "cold" tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhenyong Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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3
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Pan H, Liu P, Zhao L, Pan Y, Mao M, Kroemer G, Kepp O. Immunogenic cell stress and death in the treatment of cancer. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 156:11-21. [PMID: 37977108 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The successful treatment of oncological malignancies which results in long-term disease control or the complete eradication of cancerous cells necessitates the onset of adaptive immune responses targeting tumor-specific antigens. Such desirable anticancer immunity can be triggered via the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) of cancer cells, thus converting malignant cells into an in situ vaccine that elicits T cell mediated adaptive immune responses and establishes durable immunological memory. The exploration of ICD for cancer treatment has been subject to extensive research. However, functional heterogeneity among ICD activating therapies in many cases requires specific co-medications to achieve full-blown efficacy. Here, we described the hallmarks of ICD and classify ICD activators into three distinct functional categories namely, according to their mode of action: (i) ICD inducers, which increase the immunogenicity of malignant cells, (ii) ICD sensitizers, which prime cellular circuitries for ICD induction by conventional cytotoxic agents, and (iii) ICD enhancers, which improve the perception of ICD signals by antigen presenting dendritic cells. Altogether, ICD induction, sensitization and enhancement offer the possibility to convert well-established conventional anticancer therapies into immunotherapeutic approaches that activate T cell-mediated anticancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Pan
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Peng Liu
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Liwei Zhao
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Yuhong Pan
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Misha Mao
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France; Department of Biology, Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEM, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Oliver Kepp
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France.
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Ma C, Zhang X, Mo X, Yu Y, Xiao Z, Wu J, Ding L, Lei C, Zhu Y, Zhang H. Xie-Bai-San increases NSCLC cells sensitivity to gefitinib by inhibiting Beclin-1 mediated autophagosome formation. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 125:155351. [PMID: 38232540 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autophagy, a cellular process involving lysosomal self-digestion, plays a crucial role in recycling biomolecules and degrading dysfunctional proteins and damaged organelles. However, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), cancer cells can exploit autophagy to survive metabolic stress and develop resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), which reduce treatment efficacies. Currently, most studies have found that late-stage autophagy inhibitors can hinder EGFR-TKIs resistance, while research on early-stage autophagy inhibitors is still limited. PURPOSE This study investigates the mechanism via which the Xie-Bai-San (XBS) formula enhances NSCLC cell sensitivity to gefitinib, revealing the relationship between XBS-induced cell death and the inhibition of autophagosome formation. METHODS Cell viability was assessed using CCK-8 and EdU assays, lentivirus transfection was utilized to generate PC9 cells harboring the PIK3CA E545K mutation (referred to as PC9-M), autophagic flux was monitored using mCherry-GFP-LC3 adenovirus. Protein expression and colocalization were observed through immunofluorescence staining. The interaction between Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 in PC9-GR and PC9-M cells was determined via co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay, cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and PI staining, and overall survival analysis of lung adenocarcinoma patients was conducted using the TCGA database. In vivo experiments included a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model with EGFR and PIK3CA mutations and subcutaneous mice xenografts of NSCLC cell lines (PC9 and PC9-GR). In addition, autophagic vesicles in mouse tumor tissues were observed via transmission electron microscopy analysis. RESULTS XBS effectively inhibits the proliferation of gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells and induces apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, XBS suppresses gefitinib-induced autophagic flux by inhibiting autophagy through the upregulation of p-mTOR and Bcl-2 and downregulation of Beclin-1. Additionally, XBS enhances the interaction between Bcl-2 and Beclin-1, and the overexpression of Beclin-1 promotes NSCLC cell proliferation and counteracts XBS-induced cell death, while XBS demonstrates minimal impact on autophagosome-lysosome fusion or lysosome function. CONCLUSION This study reveals a novel role for the XBS formula in impeding autophagy initiation and demonstrates its potential as a candidate drug to counteract autophagy-induced treatment resistance in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changju Ma
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Xin Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiaomin Mo
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yaya Yu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhenzhen Xiao
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Jingjing Wu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Lina Ding
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Chenjing Lei
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yanjuan Zhu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou, PR China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou, PR China.
| | - Haibo Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou, PR China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
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5
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Xie Y, Wu H, He Y, Liu L, Huang IB, Zhou L, Lin CY, Leung RWH, Loh JJ, Lee TKW, Ding J, Man K, Ma S, Tong M. Targeting AXL induces tumor-intrinsic immunogenic response in tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant liver cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:110. [PMID: 38310091 PMCID: PMC10838288 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06493-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy without effective therapeutic approaches. Here, we evaluate the tumor-intrinsic mechanisms that attenuate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) that is observed in patients with advanced HCC who progress on first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Upregulation of AXL observed in sorafenib- and lenvatinib-resistant HCCs is correlated with poor response towards TKI and ICI treatments. AXL upregulation protects sorafenib-resistant HCC cells from oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and accompanying immunogenic cell death through suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and STING-type I interferon pathways. Pharmacological inhibition of AXL abrogates the protective effect and re-sensitizes TKI-resistant HCC tumors to anti-PD-1 treatment. We suggest that targeting AXL in combination with anti-PD-1 may provide an alternative treatment scheme for HCC patients who progress on TKI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunong Xie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haofeng Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yimiao He
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Linglin Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ianto Bosheng Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Precision Medicine Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheuk-Yin Lin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rainbow Wing-Hei Leung
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jia-Jian Loh
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Terence Kin-Wah Lee
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jin Ding
- Clinical Cancer Institute, Center for Translational Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kwan Man
- Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stephanie Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Hong Kong University-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Man Tong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Zhao S, Ma Y, Liu L, Fang J, Ma H, Feng G, Xie B, Zeng S, Chang J, Ren J, Zhang Y, Xi N, Zhuang Y, Jiang Y, Zhang Q, Kang N, Zhang L, Zhao H. Ningetinib plus gefitinib in EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer with MET and AXL dysregulations: A phase 1b clinical trial and biomarker analysis. Lung Cancer 2024; 188:107468. [PMID: 38181454 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2024.107468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MET and AXL dysregulations are implicated in acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC. But consensus on the optimal definition for MET/AXL dysregulations in EGFR-mutant NSCLC is lacking. Here, we investigated the efficacy and tolerability of ningetinib (a MET/AXL inhibitor) plus gefitinib in EGFR-mutant NSCLC, and evaluated the clinical relevance of MET/AXL dysregulations by different definitions. METHODS Patients in this phase 1b dose-escalation/dose-expansion trial received ningetinib 30 mg/40 mg/60 mg plus gefitinib 250 mg once daily. Primary endpoints were tolerability (dose-escalation) and objective response rate (dose-expansion). MET/AXL status were analyzed using FISH and IHC. RESULTS Between March 2017 and January 2021, 108 patients were enrolled. The proportion of MET focal amplification, MET polysomy, MET overexpression, AXL amplification and AXL overexpression is 18.1 %, 5.6 %, 55.8 %, 8.1 % and 45.3 %, respectively. 6.8 % patients have concurrent MET amplification and AXL overexpression. ORR is 30.8 % for tumors with MET amplification, 0 % for MET polysomy, 24.1 % for MET overexpression, 20 % for AXL amplification and 27.6 % for AXL overexpression. For patients with concurrent MET amplification and AXL overexpression, ningetinib plus gefitinib provides an ORR of 80 %, DCR of 100 % and median PFS of 4.7 months. Tumors with higher MET copy number and AXL expression tend to have higher likelihood of response. Biomarker analyses show that MET focal amplification and overexpression are complementary in predicting clinical benefit from MET inhibition, while AXL dysregulations defined by an arbitrary level may dilute the efficacy of AXL blockade. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that combined blockade of MET, AXL and EGFR is a feasible strategy for a subset of EGFR-mutant NSCLC. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinadrugtrials.org.cn, CTR20160875.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxiang Ma
- Department of Clinical Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lianke Liu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Fang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haiqing Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Guosheng Feng
- Department of Oncology, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Bo Xie
- Department of Oncology, General Hospital of the PLA South Military Command, PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shan Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianhua Chang
- Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ning Xi
- Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd, Dongguan, China; Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | | | | | - Qi Zhang
- Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd, Dongguan, China
| | - Ning Kang
- Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd, Dongguan, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hongyun Zhao
- Department of Clinical Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
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Yang C, Ding Y, Mao Z, Wang W. Nanoplatform-Mediated Autophagy Regulation and Combined Anti-Tumor Therapy for Resistant Tumors. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:917-944. [PMID: 38293604 PMCID: PMC10826716 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s445578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The overall cancer incidence and death toll have been increasing worldwide. However, the conventional therapies have some obvious limitations, such as non-specific targeting, systemic toxic effects, especially the multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumors, in which, autophagy plays a vital role. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new treatments to reduce adverse reactions, improve the treatment efficacy and expand their therapeutic indications more effectively and accurately. Combination therapy based on autophagy regulators is a very feasible and important method to overcome tumor resistance and sensitize anti-tumor drugs. However, the less improved efficacy, more systemic toxicity and other problems limit its clinical application. Nanotechnology provides a good way to overcome this limitation. Co-delivery of autophagy regulators combined with anti-tumor drugs through nanoplatforms provides a good therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tumors, especially drug-resistant tumors. Notably, the nanomaterials with autophagy regulatory properties have broad therapeutic prospects as carrier platforms, especially in adjuvant therapy. However, further research is still necessary to overcome the difficulties such as the safety, biocompatibility, and side effects of nanomedicine. In addition, clinical research is also indispensable to confirm its application in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixia Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengwei Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weilin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
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8
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DeRyckere D, Huelse JM, Earp HS, Graham DK. TAM family kinases as therapeutic targets at the interface of cancer and immunity. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:755-779. [PMID: 37667010 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00813-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Novel treatment approaches are needed to overcome innate and acquired mechanisms of resistance to current anticancer therapies in cancer cells and the tumour immune microenvironment. The TAM (TYRO3, AXL and MERTK) family receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are potential therapeutic targets in a wide range of cancers. In cancer cells, TAM RTKs activate signalling pathways that promote cell survival, metastasis and resistance to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies. TAM RTKs also function in innate immune cells, contributing to various mechanisms that suppress antitumour immunity and promote resistance to immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, TAM antagonists provide an unprecedented opportunity for both direct and immune-mediated therapeutic activity provided by inhibition of a single target, and are likely to be particularly effective when used in combination with other cancer therapies. To exploit this potential, a variety of agents have been designed to selectively target TAM RTKs, many of which have now entered clinical testing. This Review provides an essential guide to the TAM RTKs for clinicians, including an overview of the rationale for therapeutic targeting of TAM RTKs in cancer cells and the tumour immune microenvironment, a description of the current preclinical and clinical experience with TAM inhibitors, and a perspective on strategies for continued development of TAM-targeted agents for oncology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah DeRyckere
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Paediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Justus M Huelse
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Paediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - H Shelton Earp
- Department of Medicine, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Douglas K Graham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Paediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Creixell M, Taylor SD, Gerritsen J, Bae SY, Jiang M, Augustin T, Loui M, Boixo C, Creixell P, White FM, Meyer AS. Dissecting signaling regulators driving AXL-mediated bypass resistance and associated phenotypes by phosphosite perturbations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.563266. [PMID: 37961516 PMCID: PMC10634689 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-targeted therapies are often effective but invariably limited by drug resistance. A major mechanism of acquired resistance involves "bypass" switching to alternative pathways driven by non-targeted RTKs that restore proliferation. One such RTK is AXL whose overexpression, frequently observed in bypass resistant tumors, drives both cell survival and associated malignant phenotypes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition and migration. However, the signaling molecules and pathways eliciting these responses have remained elusive. To explore these coordinated effects, we generated a panel of mutant lung adenocarcinoma PC9 cell lines in which each AXL intracellular tyrosine residue was mutated to phenylalanine. By integrating measurements of phosphorylation signaling and other phenotypic changes associated with resistance through multivariate modeling, we mapped signaling perturbations to specific resistant phenotypes. Our results suggest that AXL signaling can be summarized into two clusters associated with progressive disease and poor clinical outcomes in lung cancer patients. These clusters displayed favorable Abl1 and SFK motifs and their phosphorylation was consistently decreased by dasatinib. High-throughput kinase specificity profiling showed that AXL likely activates the SFK cluster through FAK1 which is known to complex with Src. Moreover, the SFK cluster overlapped with a previously established focal adhesion kinase (FAK1) signature conferring EMT-mediated erlotinib resistance in lung cancer cells. Finally, we show that downstream of this kinase signaling, AXL and YAP form a positive feedback loop that sustains drug tolerant persister cells. Altogether, this work demonstrates an approach for dissecting signaling regulators by which AXL drives erlotinib resistance-associated phenotypic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Creixell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Scott D. Taylor
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Jacqueline Gerritsen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA
| | - Song Yi Bae
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Mingxuan Jiang
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Augustin
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Loui
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Carmen Boixo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Pau Creixell
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, United Kingdom
| | - Forest M White
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA
| | - Aaron S Meyer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles
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10
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Song X, Lan Y, Zheng X, Zhu Q, Liao X, Liu K, Zhang W, Peng Q, Zhu Y, Zhao L, Chen X, Shu Y, Yang K, Hu J. Targeting drug-tolerant cells: A promising strategy for overcoming acquired drug resistance in cancer cells. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e342. [PMID: 37638338 PMCID: PMC10449058 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance remains the greatest challenge in improving outcomes for cancer patients who receive chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Surmounting evidence suggests that a subpopulation of cancer cells could escape intense selective drug treatment by entering a drug-tolerant state without genetic variations. These drug-tolerant cells (DTCs) are characterized with a slow proliferation rate and a reversible phenotype. They reside in the tumor region and may serve as a reservoir for resistant phenotypes. The survival of DTCs is regulated by epigenetic modifications, transcriptional regulation, mRNA translation remodeling, metabolic changes, antiapoptosis, interactions with the tumor microenvironment, and activation of signaling pathways. Thus, targeting the regulators of DTCs opens a new avenue for the treatment of therapy-resistant tumors. In this review, we first provide an overview of common characteristics of DTCs and the regulating networks in DTCs development. We also discuss the potential therapeutic opportunities to target DTCs. Last, we discuss the current challenges and prospects of the DTC-targeting approach to overcome acquired drug resistance. Reviewing the latest developments in DTC research could be essential in discovering of methods to eliminate DTCs, which may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing drug resistance in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohai Song
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yang Lan
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiuli Zheng
- Department of RadiologyHuaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC) and Critical Care MedicinePrecision Medicine Center, Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Qianyu Zhu
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xuliang Liao
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Kai Liu
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Weihan Zhang
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - QiangBo Peng
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yunfeng Zhu
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Linyong Zhao
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yang Shu
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jiankun Hu
- Department of General SurgeryGastric Cancer CenterLaboratory of Gastric CancerState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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11
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Yu S, Xiao H, Ma L, Zhang J, Zhang J. Reinforcing the immunogenic cell death to enhance cancer immunotherapy efficacy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188946. [PMID: 37385565 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Immunogenic cell death (ICD) has been a revolutionary modality in cancer treatment since it kills primary tumors and prevents recurrent malignancy simultaneously. ICD represents a particular form of cancer cell death accompanied by production of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that can be recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which enhances infiltration of effector T cells and potentiates antitumor immune responses. Various treatment methods can elicit ICD involving chemo- and radio-therapy, phototherapy and nanotechnology to efficiently convert dead cancer cells into vaccines and trigger the antigen-specific immune responses. Nevertheless, the efficacy of ICD-induced therapies is restrained due to low accumulation in the tumor sites and damage of normal tissues. Thus, researchers have been devoted to overcoming these problems with novel materials and strategies. In this review, current knowledge on different ICD modalities, various ICD inducers, development and application of novel ICD-inducing strategies are summarized. Moreover, the prospects and challenges are briefly outlined to provide reference for future design of novel immunotherapy based on ICD effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihui Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyang Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiawen Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiarong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Qin Y, Zhang H, Li Y, Xie T, Yan S, Wang J, Qu J, Ouyang F, Lv S, Guo Z, Wei H, Yu CY. Promotion of ICD via Nanotechnology. Macromol Biosci 2023; 23:e2300093. [PMID: 37114599 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy represents the most promising treatment strategy for cancer, but suffers from compromised therapeutic efficiency due to low immune activity of tumor cells and an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which significantly hampers the clinical translations of this treatment strategy. To promote immunotherapy with desired therapeutic efficiency, immunogenic cell death (ICD), a particular type of death capable of reshaping body's antitumor immune activity, has drawn considerable attention due to the potential to stimulate a potent immune response. Still, the potential of ICD effect remains unsatisfactory because of the intricate tumor microenvironment and multiple drawbacks of the used inducing agents. ICD has been thoroughly reviewed so far with a general classification of ICD as a kind of immunotherapy strategy and repeated discussion of the related mechanism. However, there are no published reviews, to the authors' knowledge, providing a systematic summarization on the enhancement of ICD via nanotechnology. For this purpose, this review first discusses the four stages of ICD according to the development mechanisms, followed by a comprehensive description on the use of nanotechnology to enhance ICD in the corresponding four stages. The challenges of ICD inducers and possible solutions are finally summarized for future ICD-based enhanced immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Qin
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Yunxian Li
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Ting Xie
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Shuang Yan
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Jun Qu
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Feijun Ouyang
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Shaoyang Lv
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Zifen Guo
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Hua Wei
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Cui-Yun Yu
- Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
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13
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Gadiyar V, Patel G, Chen J, Vigil D, Ji N, Campbell V, Sharma K, Shi Y, Weiss MM, Birge RB, Davra V. Targeted degradation of MERTK and other TAM receptor paralogs by heterobifunctional targeted protein degraders. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1135373. [PMID: 37545504 PMCID: PMC10397400 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1135373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
TAM receptors (TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK) comprise a family of homologous receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) that are expressed across a range of liquid and solid tumors where they contribute to both oncogenic signaling to promote tumor proliferation and survival, as well as expressed on myeloid and immune cells where they function to suppress host anti-tumor immunity. In recent years, several strategies have been employed to inhibit TAM kinases, most notably small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors and inhibitory neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block receptor dimerization. Targeted protein degraders (TPD) use the ubiquitin proteasome pathway to redirect E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and target specific proteins for degradation. Here we employ first-in-class TPDs specific for MERTK/TAMs that consist of a cereblon E3 ligase binder linked to a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting MERTK and/or AXL and TYRO3. A series of MERTK TPDs were designed and investigated for their capacity to selectively degrade MERTK chimeric receptors, reduce surface expression on primary efferocytic bone marrow-derived macrophages, and impact on functional reduction in efferocytosis (clearance of apoptotic cells). We demonstrate proof-of-concept and establish that TPDs can be tailored to either selectivity degrades MERTK or concurrently degrade multiple TAMs and modulate receptor expression in vitro and in vivo. This work demonstrates the utility of proteome editing, enabled by tool degraders developed here towards dissecting the therapeutically relevant pathway biology in preclinical models, and the ability for TPDs to degrade transmembrane proteins. These data also provide proof of concept that TPDs may serve as a viable therapeutic strategy for targeting MERTK and other TAMs and that this technology could be expanded to other therapeutically relevant transmembrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Gadiyar
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Center, Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Gopi Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Center, Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Jesse Chen
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Dominico Vigil
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Nan Ji
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Veronica Campbell
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Kirti Sharma
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Yatao Shi
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Matthew M. Weiss
- Department of Research and Development, Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Raymond B. Birge
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Center, Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Viralkumar Davra
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Center, Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
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14
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Tang Y, Zang H, Wen Q, Fan S. AXL in cancer: a modulator of drug resistance and therapeutic target. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:148. [PMID: 37328828 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02726-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AXL is a member of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK) receptor tyrosine kinases family (RTKs), and its abnormal expression has been linked to clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of cancer patients. There is mounting evidence supporting AXL's role in the occurrence and progression of cancer, as well as drug resistance and treatment tolerance. Recent studies revealed that reducing AXL expression can weaken cancer cells' drug resistance, indicating that AXL may be a promising target for anti-cancer drug treatment. This review aims to summarize the AXL's structure, the mechanisms regulating and activating it, and its expression pattern, especially in drug-resistant cancers. Additionally, we will discuss the diverse functions of AXL in mediating cancer drug resistance and the potential of AXL inhibitors in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoxiang Tang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Hongjing Zang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Qiuyuan Wen
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
| | - Songqing Fan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
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15
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Li P, Wang W, Wang S, Cao G, Pan T, Huang Y, Wan H, Zhang W, Huang Y, Jin H, Wang Z. PTPRC promoted CD8+ T cell mediated tumor immunity and drug sensitivity in breast cancer: based on pan-cancer analysis and artificial intelligence modeling of immunogenic cell death-based drug sensitivity stratification. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1145481. [PMID: 37388747 PMCID: PMC10302730 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1145481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a result of immune cell infiltration (ICI)-mediated cell death, which is also a novel acknowledgment to regulate cellular stressor-mediated cell death, including drug therapy and radiotherapy. Methods In this study, TCGA and GEO data cohorts were put into artificial intelligence (AI) to identify ICD subtypes, and in vitro experiments were performed. Results Gene expression, prognosis, tumor immunity, and drug sensitivity showed significance among ICD subgroups, Besides, a 14-gene-based AI model was able to represent the genome-based drug sensitivity prediction, which was further verified in clinical trials. Network analysis revealed that PTPRC was the pivotal gene in regulating drug sensitivity by regulating CD8+ T cell infiltration. Through in vitro experiments, intracellular down-regulation of PTPRC enhanced paclitaxel tolerance in triple breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. Meanwhile, the expression level of PTPRC was positively correlated with CD8+ T cell infiltration. Furthermore, the down-regulation of PTPRC increased the level of TNBC-derived PD-L1 and IL2. Discussion ICD-based subtype clustering of pan-cancer was helpful to evaluate chemotherapy sensitivity and immune cell infiltration, and PTPRC was a potential target to against drug resistance of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengping Li
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Xiaoshan Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, China
| | - Shaowen Wang
- Neuromedicine Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Guodong Cao
- The Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tonghe Pan
- The Department of Ningbo Eye Hospital, Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuqing Huang
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Xiaoshan Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Wan
- The Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Weijun Zhang
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Xiaoshan Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yate Huang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haigang Jin
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Xiaoshan Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Xiaoshan Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Jiang S, Cui Z, Zheng J, Wu Q, Yu H, You Y, Zheng C, Sun Y. Significance of Immunogenic Cell Death-Related Prognostic Gene Signature in Cervical Cancer Prognosis and Anti-Tumor Immunity. J Inflamm Res 2023; 16:2189-2207. [PMID: 37250106 PMCID: PMC10218566 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s410140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immunogenic cell death (ICD) can reshape the immune microenvironment of tumors. Driven by stressful pressure, by directly destroying tumor cells and activating the body's adaptive immunity, ICD acts as a modulator of cell death, enabling the body to generate an anti-tumor immune response that produces a more effective therapeutic effect, while tumor cells are driven to kill. Hence, this research aimed to find and evaluate ICD-related genetic signatures as cervical cancer (CC) prognostic factors. Methods Data of CC patients from the Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used as the basis to obtain immunogenic cell-death-related prognostic genes (IPGs) in patients with CC, using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Cox regression screening, and the IPGs scoring system was constructed to classify patients into high- and low-risk groups, with the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset as the validation group. Finally, the difference analysis of single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, tumor microenvironment (TME), immune cells, tumor mutational burden, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity between the high-risk and low-risk groups was investigated. Results A prognostic model with four IPGs (PDIA3, CASP8, IL1, and LY96) was developed, and it was found that the group of CC patients with a higher risk score of IPGs expression had a lower survival rate. Single and multifactor Cox regression analysis also showed that this risk score was a reliable predictor of overall survival. In comparison to the low-risk group, the high-risk group had lower TME scores and immune cell infiltration, and gene set variation analysis showed that immune-related pathways were more enriched in the high-risk group. Conclusion A risk model constructed from four IPGs can independently predict the prognosis of CC patients and recommend more appropriate immunotherapy strategies for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Jiang
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
- College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaolei Cui
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Zheng
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiaoling Wu
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haijuan Yu
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiqing You
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaoqiang Zheng
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Yuan Y, Guo Y, Guo ZW, Hao HF, Jiao YN, Deng XX, Han SY. Marsdenia tenacissima extract induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated immunogenic cell death in non-small cell lung cancer cells through targeting AXL. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 314:116620. [PMID: 37207882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Marsdenia Tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn. is a traditional Chinese medicine. Its standardized extract (MTE), with the trade name Xiao-Ai-Ping injection, is widely used for cancer treatment. The pharmacological effects of MTE-inducing cancer cell death have been primarily explored. However, whether MTE triggers tumor endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-associated immunogenic cell death (ICD) is unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY To determine the potential role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the anti-cancer effects of MTE, and uncover the possible mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated immunogenic cell death induced by MTE. MATERIAL AND METHODS The anti-tumor effects of MTE on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were examined through CCK-8 and wound healing assay. Network pharmacology analysis and RNA-sequencing (RNA seq) were performed to confirm the biological changes of NSCLCs after MTE treatment. Western blot, qRT-PCR, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay were used to explore the occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Immunogenic cell death-related markers were tested by ELISA and ATP release assay. Salubrinal was used to inhibit the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. SiRNA and bemcentinib (R428) were used to impede the function of AXL. AXL phosphorylation was regained by recombinant human Gas6 protein (rhGas6). The effects of MTE on endoplasmic reticulum stress and immunogenic cell death response were also proved in vivo. The AXL inhibiting compound in MTE was explored by molecular docking and confirmed by Western blot. RESULTS MTE inhibited cell viability and migration of PC-9 and H1975 cells. Enrichment analysis identified that differential genes after MTE treatment were significantly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum stress-related biological processes. MTE decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and increased ROS production. Meanwhile, endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins (ATF6, GRP-78, ATF4, XBP1s, and CHOP) and immunogenic cell death-related markers (ATP, HMGB1) were upregulated, and the AXL phosphorylation level was suppressed after MTE treatment. However, when salubrinal (an endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor) and MTE were co-treated cells, the inhibitory effects of MTE on PC-9 and H1975 cells were impaired. Importantly, inhibition of AXL expression or activity also promotes the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress and immunogenic cell death-related markers. Mechanistically, MTE induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and immunogenic cell death by suppressing AXL activity, and these effects were attenuated when AXL activity recovered. Moreover, MTE significantly increased the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related markers in LLC tumor-bearing mouse tumor tissues and plasma levels of ATP and HMGB1. Molecular docking illustrated that kaempferol has the strongest binding energy with AXL and suppresses AXL phosphorylation. CONCLUSION MTE induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated immunogenic cell death in NSCLC cells. The anti-tumor effects of MTE are dependent upon endoplasmic reticulum stress. MTE triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated immunogenic cell death by inhibiting AXL activity. Kaempferol is an active component that inhibits AXL activity in MTE. The present research revealed the role of AXL in regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and enriched the anti-tumor mechanisms of MTE. Moreover, kaempferol may be considered a novel AXL inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China.
| | - Yang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China
| | - Zheng-Wang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China
| | - Hui-Feng Hao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China
| | - Yan-Na Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China
| | - Xin-Xin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China
| | - Shu-Yan Han
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Peking University, Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, PR China.
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Xiao H, Li X, Li B, Yang S, Qin J, Han S, Ren J, Shuai X. Nanodrug Inducing Autophagy Inhibition and Mitochondria Dysfunction for Potentiating Tumor Photo-Immunotherapy. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2300280. [PMID: 37060227 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer immunotherapy is hampered by the poor tumor immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a liposome nanodrug co-encapsulating doxycycline hydrochloride (Doxy) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) to simultaneously induce autophagy inhibition and mitochondria dysfunction for potentiating tumor photo-immunotherapy is developed. Under near infrared laser irradiation, Ce6 generates cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elicits robust photodynamic therapy (PDT)-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) for immunosuppressive TME remodeling. In addition, Doxy induced mitochondria dysfunction, which increases ROS generation and enhances PDT to exert more potent killing effect and more powerful ICD. Meanwhile, Doxy increases MHC-I expression on tumor cells surface by efficient autophagy inhibition, leading to more efficient antigen presentation and CTLs recognition to increase tumor immunogenicity. The nanodrugs elicit remarkable antitumor therapy by combining Ce6-mediated PDT and Doxy-induced autophagy inhibition and mitochondria dysfunction. The developed nanodrugs represent a highly efficient strategy for improving cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xiao
- Department of Medical Ultrasonic, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
- Nanomedicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Bo Li
- Nanomedicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Shuguang Yang
- PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jingya Qin
- Department of Medical Ultrasonic, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Shisong Han
- Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Medical Ultrasonic, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Xintao Shuai
- Nanomedicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
- PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
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19
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Belyaeva E, Loginova N, Schroeder BA, Goldlust IS, Acharya A, Kumar S, Timashev P, Ulasov I. The spectrum of cell death in sarcoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 162:114683. [PMID: 37031493 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The balance between cell death and cell survival is a highly coordinated process by which cells break down and remove unnecessary or harmful materials in a controlled, highly regulated, and compartmentalized manner. Cell exposure to various stresses, such as oxygen starvation, a lack of nutrients, or exposure to radiation, can initiate autophagy. Autophagy is a carefully orchestrated process with multiple steps, each regulated by specific genes and proteins. Autophagy proteins impact cellular maintenance and cell fate in response to stress, and targeting this process is one of the most promising methods of anti-tumor therapy. It is currently not fully understood how autophagy affects different types of tumor cells, which makes it challenging to predict outcomes when this process is manipulated. In this review, we will explore the mechanisms of autophagy and investigate it as a potential and promising therapeutic target for aggressive sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Belyaeva
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Nina Loginova
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Brett A Schroeder
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Ian S Goldlust
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Arbind Acharya
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Peter Timashev
- World-Class Research Centre "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Ilya Ulasov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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Unraveling the Impact of Intratumoral Heterogeneity on EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Resistance in EGFR-Mutated NSCLC. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044126. [PMID: 36835536 PMCID: PMC9964908 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for treating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been a game changer in lung cancer therapy. However, patients often develop resistance to the drugs within a few years. Despite numerous studies that have explored resistance mechanisms, particularly in regards to collateral signal pathway activation, the underlying biology of resistance remains largely unknown. This review focuses on the resistance mechanisms of EGFR-mutated NSCLC from the standpoint of intratumoral heterogeneity, as the biological mechanisms behind resistance are diverse and largely unclear. There exist various subclonal tumor populations in an individual tumor. For lung cancer patients, drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cell populations may have a pivotal role in accelerating the evolution of tumor resistance to treatment through neutral selection. Cancer cells undergo various changes to adapt to the new tumor microenvironment caused by drug exposure. DTP cells may play a crucial role in this adaptation and may be fundamental in mechanisms of resistance. Intratumoral heterogeneity may also be precipitated by DNA gains and losses through chromosomal instability, and the role of extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) may play an important role. Significantly, ecDNA can increase oncogene copy number alterations and enhance intratumoral heterogeneity more effectively than chromosomal instability. Additionally, advances in comprehensive genomic profiling have given us insights into various mutations and concurrent genetic alterations other than EGFR mutations, inducing primary resistance in the context of tumor heterogeneity. Understanding the mechanisms of resistance is clinically crucial since these molecular interlayers in cancer-resistance mechanisms may help to devise novel and individualized anticancer therapeutic approaches.
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21
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Kashefizadeh A, Kazemizadeh H. Immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducers in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): current knowledge and future perspective. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:316-322. [PMID: 36180811 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02949-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rising every year all around the world. The interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial factor in determining the development of human neoplasms. Organellar and cellular stress are induced during immunogenic cell death (ICD), a particularly functional response pattern. ICD is a separate but poorly characterized entity caused by various cancer treatments. The induction of ICD has the potential to change TME and the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and the coupling of ICD-inducers and other therapeutic approaches can have a synergistic role in boosting anticancer impacts. The purpose of this study is to review the studies in the field of NSCLC using ICD-inducers as a treatment strategy or as a combination therapy. This review provide for researches a better view of what has been done so far and the challenges they face in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Kashefizadeh
- Department of Pulmonology, Shahid Labbafinejad Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Kazemizadeh
- Advanced Thoracic Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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22
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Xu J, Xiong Y, Xu Z, Xing H, Zhou L, Zhang X. From targeted therapy to a novel way: Immunogenic cell death in lung cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1102550. [PMID: 36619616 PMCID: PMC9816397 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1102550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most incident malignancies and a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Common tumorigenic drivers of LC mainly include genetic alterations of EGFR, ALK, KRAS, BRAF, ROS1, and MET. Small inhibitory molecules and antibodies selectively targeting these alterations or/and their downstream signaling pathways have been approved for treatment of LC. Unfortunately, following initial positive responses to these targeted therapies, a large number of patients show dismal prognosis due to the occurrence of resistance mechanisms, such as novel mutations of these genes and activation of alternative signaling pathways. Over the past decade, it has become clear that there is no possible cure for LC unless potent antitumor immune responses are induced by therapeutic intervention. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a newly emerged concept, a form of regulated cell death that is sufficient to activate adaptive immune responses against tumor cells. It transforms dying cancer cells into a therapeutic vaccine and stimulates long-lasting protective antitumor immunity. In this review, we discuss the key targetable genetic aberrations and the underlying mechanism of ICD in LC. Various agents inducing ICD are summarized and the possibility of harnessing ICD in LC immunotherapy is further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Xu
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yiyi Xiong
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhou Xu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hongquan Xing
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lingyun Zhou
- International Education College, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China,*Correspondence: Lingyun Zhou,
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Xinyi Zhang,
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23
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Rahman MA, Engelsen AST, Sarowar S, Bindesbøll C, Birkeland E, Goplen D, Lotsberg ML, Knappskog S, Simonsen A, Chekenya M. Bortezomib abrogates temozolomide-induced autophagic flux through an ATG5 dependent pathway. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1022191. [PMID: 36619857 PMCID: PMC9814514 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1022191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) is invariably resistant to temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. Inhibiting the proteasomal pathway is an emerging strategy to accumulate damaged proteins and inhibit their lysosomal degradation. We hypothesized that pre-treatment of glioblastoma with bortezomib (BTZ) might sensitize glioblastoma to temozolomide by abolishing autophagy survival signals to augment DNA damage and apoptosis. Methods: P3 patient-derived glioblastoma cells, as well as the tumour cell lines U87, HF66, A172, and T98G were investigated for clonogenic survival after single or combined treatment with temozolomide and bortezomib in vitro. We investigated the requirement of functional autophagy machinery by utilizing pharmacological inhibitors or CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (KO) of autophagy-related genes -5 and -7 (ATG5 and ATG7) in glioblastoma cells and monitored changes in autophagic flux after temozolomide and/or bortezomib treatments. P3 wild-type and P3 ATG5-/- (ATG5 KO) cells were implanted orthotopically into NOD-SCID mice to assess the efficacy of bortezomib and temozolomide combination therapy with and without functional autophagy machinery. Results: The chemo-resistant glioblastoma cells increased autophagic flux during temozolomide treatment as indicated by increased degradation of long-lived proteins, diminished expression of autophagy markers LC3A/B-II and p62 (SQSTM1), increased co-localisation of LC3A/B-II with STX17, augmented and no induction of apoptosis. In contrast, bortezomib treatment abrogated autophagic flux indicated by the accumulation of LC3A/B-II and p62 (SQSTM1) positive autophagosomes that did not fuse with lysosomes and thus reduced the degradation of long-lived proteins. Bortezomib synergistically enhanced temozolomide efficacy by attenuating cell proliferation, increased DNA double-strand breaks, and apoptosis in an autophagy-dependent manner. Abolishing autophagy in ATG5 KOs reversed the bortezomib-induced toxicity, rescued glioblastoma cell death and reduced animal survival. Discussion: We conclude that bortezomib abrogates temozolomide induced autophagy flux through an ATG5 dependent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohummad Aminur Rahman
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway,Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway,*Correspondence: Mohummad Aminur Rahman,
| | - Agnete S. T. Engelsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway,Department of Clinical Medicine and Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Shahin Sarowar
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Christian Bindesbøll
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Even Birkeland
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Dorota Goplen
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maria L. Lotsberg
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway,Department of Clinical Medicine and Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Stian Knappskog
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway,Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anne Simonsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martha Chekenya
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Xie D, Wang Q, Wu G. Research progress in inducing immunogenic cell death of tumor cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1017400. [PMID: 36466838 PMCID: PMC9712455 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1017400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a regulated cell death (RCD) pathway. In response to physical and chemical signals, tumor cells activate specific signaling pathways that stimulate stress responses in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and expose damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which promote antitumor immune responses. As a result, the tumor microenvironment is altered, and many tumor cells are killed. The ICD response in tumor cells requires inducers. These inducers can be from different sources and contribute to the development of the ICD either indirectly or directly. The combination of ICD inducers with other tumor treatments further enhances the immune response in tumor cells, and more tumor cells are killed; however, it also produces side effects of varying severity. New induction methods based on nanotechnology improve the antitumor ability and significantly reduces side effects because they can target tumor cells precisely. In this review, we introduce the characteristics and mechanisms of ICD responses in tumor cells and the DAMPs associated with ICD responses, summarize the current methods of inducing ICD response in tumor cells in five distinct categories: chemical sources, physical sources, pathogenic sources, combination therapies, and innovative therapies. At the same time, we introduce the limitations of current ICD inducers and make a summary of the use of ICD responses in clinical trials. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future of ICD inducer development and provide some constructive suggestions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qifei Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Guangzhen Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
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25
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Protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in malignant tumors: molecular mechanisms and future perspective. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:329. [PMID: 36115852 PMCID: PMC9482625 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01168-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractProtein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are a class of proteins with tyrosine kinase activity that phosphorylate tyrosine residues of critical molecules in signaling pathways. Their basal function is essential for maintaining normal cell growth and differentiation. However, aberrant activation of PTKs caused by various factors can deviate cell function from the expected trajectory to an abnormal growth state, leading to carcinogenesis. Inhibiting the aberrant PTK function could inhibit tumor growth. Therefore, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), target-specific inhibitors of PTKs, have been used in treating malignant tumors and play a significant role in targeted therapy of cancer. Currently, drug resistance is the main reason for limiting TKIs efficacy of cancer. The increasing studies indicated that tumor microenvironment, cell death resistance, tumor metabolism, epigenetic modification and abnormal metabolism of TKIs were deeply involved in tumor development and TKI resistance, besides the abnormal activation of PTK-related signaling pathways involved in gene mutations. Accordingly, it is of great significance to study the underlying mechanisms of TKIs resistance and find solutions to reverse TKIs resistance for improving TKIs efficacy of cancer. Herein, we reviewed the drug resistance mechanisms of TKIs and the potential approaches to overcome TKI resistance, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for improving the efficacy of TKIs.
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AXL inhibitors selected by molecular docking: Option for reducing SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells. ACTA PHARMACEUTICA (ZAGREB, CROATIA) 2022; 72:329-343. [PMID: 36651539 DOI: 10.2478/acph-2022-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and the benefit from vaccines is still insufficient since COVID-19 continues to be dia g-nosed in vaccinated individuals. It is, therefore, necessary to propose specific pharmacological treatments against COVID-19. A new therapeutic target on the human cellular membrane is AXL (anexelekto), proposed as an independent pathway by which interaction with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 allows the virus to enter the cell, without the participation of ACE2. AXL serves as another gate through which SARS-CoV-2 can enter cells. Therefore, any stage of COVID-19 could be ameliorated by hindering the interaction between AXL and SARS-CoV-2. This study proposes ten compounds (1-10), selected by mole-cu lar docking and using a library of nearly 500,000 compounds, to develop a new drug that will decrease the interaction of AXL with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. These compounds have a specific potential site of interaction with AXL, between Glu59, His61, Glu70 and Ser74 amino acids. This site is necessary for the interaction of AXL with the S protein. With this, we propose to develop a new adjuvant treatment against COVID-19.
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Hong J, Maacha S, Pidkovka N, Bates A, Salaria SN, Washington MK, Belkhiri A. AXL Promotes Metformin-Induced Apoptosis Through Mediation of Autophagy by Activating ROS-AMPK-ULK1 Signaling in Human Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:903874. [PMID: 35936716 PMCID: PMC9354051 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.903874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AXL receptor tyrosine kinase promotes an invasive phenotype and chemotherapy resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). AXL has been implicated in the regulation of autophagy, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Herein, we investigate the mechanistic role of AXL in autophagy as well as metformin-induced effects on the growth and survival of EAC. We demonstrate that AXL mediates autophagic flux through activation of AMPK-ULK1 signaling in a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent mechanism by glucose starvation. AXL positively regulates basal cellular ROS levels without significantly affecting mitochondrial ROS production in EAC cells. Pharmacological inhibition of cellular ROS using Trolox abrogates glucose starvation-induced AMPK signaling and autophagy. We demonstrate that AXL expression is required for metformin-induced apoptosis in EAC cells in vitro. The apoptosis induction by metformin is markedly attenuated by inhibition of autophagy through genetic silencing of Beclin1 or ATG7 autophagy mediators, thereby confirming the requirement of intact autophagy for enhancing metformin-induced apoptosis in EAC cells. Our data indicate that metformin-induced autophagy displays a pro-apoptotic function in EAC cells. We show that the metformin-induced suppression of tumor growth in vivo is highly dependent on AXL expression in a tumor xenograft mouse model of EAC. We demonstrate that AXL promotes metformin-induced apoptosis through activation of autophagy in EAC. AXL may be a valuable biomarker to identify tumors that are sensitive to metformin. Therefore, AXL expression could inform the selection of patients for future clinical trials to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of metformin in EAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Selma Maacha
- Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nataliya Pidkovka
- Department of Health Science, South College, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Andreia Bates
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Safia N. Salaria
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Mary K. Washington
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Abbes Belkhiri
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Abbes Belkhiri,
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Early Steps of Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112613. [PMID: 35681591 PMCID: PMC9179469 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Patients with lung cancer benefit from more effective treatments, such as targeted therapies, and the overall survival has increased in the past decade. However, the efficacy of targeted therapies is limited due to the emergence of resistance. Growing evidence suggests that resistances may arise from a small population of drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells. Understanding the mechanisms underlying DTP survival is therefore crucial to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of resistance. Herein, we propose an overview of the current scientific knowledge about the characterisation of DTP, and summarise the new therapeutic strategies that are tested to target these cells. Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women worldwide. Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective therapies for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring EGFR-activating mutations, but are not curative due to the inevitable emergence of resistances. Recent in vitro studies suggest that resistance to EGFR-TKI may arise from a small population of drug-tolerant persister cells (DTP) through non-genetic reprogramming, by entering a reversible slow-to-non-proliferative state, before developing genetically derived resistances. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms governing the dynamics of the drug-tolerant state is therefore a priority to provide sustainable therapeutic solutions for patients. An increasing number of molecular mechanisms underlying DTP survival are being described, such as chromatin and epigenetic remodelling, the reactivation of anti-apoptotic/survival pathways, metabolic reprogramming, and interactions with their micro-environment. Here, we review and discuss the existing proposed mechanisms involved in the DTP state. We describe their biological features, molecular mechanisms of tolerance, and the therapeutic strategies that are tested to target the DTP.
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Engelsen AST, Lotsberg ML, Abou Khouzam R, Thiery JP, Lorens JB, Chouaib S, Terry S. Dissecting the Role of AXL in Cancer Immune Escape and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition. Front Immunol 2022; 13:869676. [PMID: 35572601 PMCID: PMC9092944 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.869676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development and implementation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) in clinical oncology have significantly improved the survival of a subset of cancer patients with metastatic disease previously considered uniformly lethal. However, the low response rates and the low number of patients with durable clinical responses remain major concerns and underscore the limited understanding of mechanisms regulating anti-tumor immunity and tumor immune resistance. There is an urgent unmet need for novel approaches to enhance the efficacy of ICI in the clinic, and for predictive tools that can accurately predict ICI responders based on the composition of their tumor microenvironment. The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) AXL has been associated with poor prognosis in numerous malignancies and the emergence of therapy resistance. AXL is a member of the TYRO3-AXL-MERTK (TAM) kinase family. Upon binding to its ligand GAS6, AXL regulates cell signaling cascades and cellular communication between various components of the tumor microenvironment, including cancer cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells. Converging evidence points to AXL as an attractive molecular target to overcome therapy resistance and immunosuppression, supported by the potential of AXL inhibitors to improve ICI efficacy. Here, we review the current literature on the prominent role of AXL in regulating cancer progression, with particular attention to its effects on anti-tumor immune response and resistance to ICI. We discuss future directions with the aim to understand better the complex role of AXL and TAM receptors in cancer and the potential value of this knowledge and targeted inhibition for the benefit of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnete S. T. Engelsen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maria L. Lotsberg
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Raefa Abou Khouzam
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jean-Paul Thiery
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Inserm, UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Villejuif, France
| | - James B. Lorens
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Salem Chouaib
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Inserm, UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Villejuif, France
- Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Faculty of Medicine, University Paris Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Stéphane Terry
- Inserm, UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Villejuif, France
- Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Faculty of Medicine, University Paris Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Research Department, Inovarion, Paris, France
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Lotsberg ML, Røsland GV, Rayford AJ, Dyrstad SE, Ekanger CT, Lu N, Frantz K, Stuhr LEB, Ditzel HJ, Thiery JP, Akslen LA, Lorens JB, Engelsen AST. Intrinsic Differences in Spatiotemporal Organization and Stromal Cell Interactions Between Isogenic Lung Cancer Cells of Epithelial and Mesenchymal Phenotypes Revealed by High-Dimensional Single-Cell Analysis of Heterotypic 3D Spheroid Models. Front Oncol 2022; 12:818437. [PMID: 35530312 PMCID: PMC9076321 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.818437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of inadequate preclinical models remains a limitation for cancer drug development and is a primary contributor to anti-cancer drug failures in clinical trials. Heterotypic multicellular spheroids are three-dimensional (3D) spherical structures generated by self-assembly from aggregates of two or more cell types. Compared to traditional monolayer cell culture models, the organization of cells into a 3D tissue-like structure favors relevant physiological conditions with chemical and physical gradients as well as cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions that recapitulate many of the hallmarks of cancer in situ. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are prevalent in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet various mechanisms of acquired resistance, including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), limit the clinical benefit of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFRi). Improved preclinical models that incorporate the complexity induced by epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) are urgently needed to advance new therapeutics for clinical NSCLC management. This study was designed to provide a thorough characterization of multicellular spheroids of isogenic cancer cells of various phenotypes and demonstrate proof-of-principle for the applicability of the presented spheroid model to evaluate the impact of cancer cell phenotype in drug screening experiments through high-dimensional and spatially resolved imaging mass cytometry (IMC) analyses. First, we developed and characterized 3D homotypic and heterotypic spheroid models comprising EGFRi-sensitive or EGFRi-resistant NSCLC cells. We observed that the degree of EMT correlated with the spheroid generation efficiency in monocultures. In-depth characterization of the multicellular heterotypic spheroids using immunohistochemistry and high-dimensional single-cell analyses by IMC revealed intrinsic differences between epithelial and mesenchymal-like cancer cells with respect to self-sorting, spatiotemporal organization, and stromal cell interactions when co-cultured with fibroblasts. While the carcinoma cells harboring an epithelial phenotype self-organized into a barrier sheet surrounding the fibroblasts, mesenchymal-like carcinoma cells localized to the central hypoxic and collagen-rich areas of the compact heterotypic spheroids. Further, deep-learning-based single-cell segmentation of IMC images and application of dimensionality reduction algorithms allowed a detailed visualization and multiparametric analysis of marker expression across the different cell subsets. We observed a high level of heterogeneity in the expression of EMT markers in both the carcinoma cell populations and the fibroblasts. Our study supports further application of these models in pre-clinical drug testing combined with complementary high-dimensional single-cell analyses, which in turn can advance our understanding of the impact of cancer-stroma interactions and epithelial phenotypic plasticity on innate and acquired therapy resistance in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L. Lotsberg
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gro V. Røsland
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Austin J. Rayford
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- BerGenBio, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sissel E. Dyrstad
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Camilla T. Ekanger
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ning Lu
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kirstine Frantz
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Linda E. B. Stuhr
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Henrik J. Ditzel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, UMR 1186, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Lars A. Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Section for Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - James B. Lorens
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Agnete S. T. Engelsen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- *Correspondence: Agnete S. T. Engelsen,
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Le Naour J, Sztupinszki Z, Carbonnier V, Casiraghi O, Marty V, Galluzzi L, Szallasi Z, Kroemer G, Vacchelli E. A loss-of-function polymorphism in ATG16L1 compromises therapeutic outcome in head and neck carcinoma patients. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2059878. [PMID: 35481288 PMCID: PMC9037530 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2059878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The anticancer immune response is shaped by immunogenic cell stress and death pathways. Thus, cancer cells can release danger-associated molecular patterns that act on pattern recognition receptors expressed by dendritic cells and their precursors to elicit an antitumor immune response. Here, we investigated the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes affecting this cancer-immunity dialogue in the context of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We observed that homozygosity for a loss-of-function SNP (rs2241880, leading to the substitution of a threonine residue in position 300 by an alanine) affecting autophagy related 16 like 1 (ATG16L1) is coupled to poor progression-free survival in platinum-treated HNSCC patients. This result was obtained on a cohort of patients enrolled at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and was validated on an independent cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Homozygosity in rs2241880 is well known to predispose to Crohn’s disease, and epidemiological associations between Crohn’s disease and HNSCC have been reported at the levels of cancer incidence and prognosis. We speculate that rs2241880 might be partially responsible for this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Naour
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris Sud, Paris Saclay, Faculty of Medicine Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Zsofia Sztupinszki
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vincent Carbonnier
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris Sud, Paris Saclay, Faculty of Medicine Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Odile Casiraghi
- Department of Head and Neck Surgical and Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | - Virginie Marty
- Experimental and Translational Pathology Platform (PETRA), AMMICa Inserm US23/UMS CNRS3655, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP), Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEMAP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Pôle de Biologie, Paris, France
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Erika Vacchelli
- Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
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AXL inhibition improves BRAF-targeted treatment in melanoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5076. [PMID: 35332208 PMCID: PMC8948193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09078-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
More than half of metastatic melanoma patients receiving standard therapy fail to achieve a long-term survival due to primary and/or acquired resistance. Tumor cell ability to switch from epithelial to a more aggressive mesenchymal phenotype, attributed with AXLhigh molecular profile in melanoma, has been recently linked to such event, limiting treatment efficacy. In the current study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of the AXL inhibitor (AXLi) BGB324 alone or in combination with the clinically relevant BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) vemurafenib. Firstly, AXL was shown to be expressed in majority of melanoma lymph node metastases. When treated ex vivo, the largest reduction in cell viability was observed when the two drugs were combined. In addition, a therapeutic benefit of adding AXLi to the BRAF-targeted therapy was observed in pre-clinical AXLhigh melanoma models in vitro and in vivo. When searching for mechanistic insights, AXLi was found to potentiate BRAFi-induced apoptosis, stimulate ferroptosis and inhibit autophagy. Altogether, our findings propose AXLi as a promising treatment in combination with standard therapy to improve therapeutic outcome in metastatic melanoma.
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Li H, Liu Z, Liu L, Zhang H, Han C, Girard L, Park H, Zhang A, Dong C, Ye J, Rayford A, Peyton M, Li X, Avila K, Cao X, Hu S, Alam MM, Akbay EA, Solis LM, Behrens C, Hernandez-Ruiz S, Lu W, Wistuba I, Heymach JV, Chisamore M, Micklem D, Gabra H, Gausdal G, Lorens JB, Li B, Fu YX, Minna JD, Brekken RA. AXL targeting restores PD-1 blockade sensitivity of STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLC through expansion of TCF1 + CD8 T cells. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100554. [PMID: 35492873 PMCID: PMC9040166 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in STK11/LKB1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with poor patient responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), and introduction of a Stk11/Lkb1 (L) mutation into murine lung adenocarcinomas driven by mutant Kras and Trp53 loss (KP) resulted in an ICB refractory syngeneic KPL tumor. Mechanistically this occurred because KPL mutant NSCLCs lacked TCF1-expressing CD8 T cells, a phenotype recapitulated in human STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLCs. Systemic inhibition of Axl results in increased type I interferon secretion from dendritic cells that expanded tumor-associated TCF1+PD-1+CD8 T cells, restoring therapeutic response to PD-1 ICB in KPL tumors. This was observed in syngeneic immunocompetent mouse models and in humanized mice bearing STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLC human tumor xenografts. NSCLC-affected individuals with identified STK11/LKB1 mutations receiving bemcentinib and pembrolizumab demonstrated objective clinical response to combination therapy. We conclude that AXL is a critical targetable driver of immune suppression in STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyu Li
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhida Liu
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Longchao Liu
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Hongyi Zhang
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chuanhui Han
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Luc Girard
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hyunsil Park
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
| | - Anli Zhang
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Chunbo Dong
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Jianfeng Ye
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Austin Rayford
- BerGenBio ASA, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Norwegian Centre of Excellence, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Michael Peyton
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Li
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Kimberley Avila
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
| | - Xuezhi Cao
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Shuiqing Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Md Maksudul Alam
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Esra A. Akbay
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
| | - Luisa M. Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sharia Hernandez-Ruiz
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John V. Heymach
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - James B. Lorens
- Department of Biomedicine, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Norwegian Centre of Excellence, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Bo Li
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Immunology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9072, USA
- Department of Immunology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - John D. Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rolf A. Brekken
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-8593, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Zdżalik-Bielecka D, Kozik K, Poświata A, Jastrzębski K, Jakubik M, Miączyńska M. Bemcentinib and Gilteritinib Inhibit Cell Growth and Impair the Endo-Lysosomal and Autophagy Systems in an AXL-Independent Manner. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:446-455. [PMID: 34782372 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase from the TAM (TYRO3 AXL and MER) subfamily, and its ligand growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) are implicated in pathogenesis of a wide array of cancers, acquisition of resistance to diverse anticancer therapies and cellular entry of viruses. The continuous development of AXL inhibitors for treatment of patients with cancer and COVID-19 underscores the need to better characterize the cellular effects of AXL targeting. In the present study, we compared the cellular phenotypes of CRISPR-Cas9-induced depletion of AXL and its pharmacological inhibition with bemcentinib, LDC1267 and gilteritinib. Specifically, we evaluated GAS6-AXL signaling, cell viability and invasion, the endo-lysosomal system and autophagy in glioblastoma cells. We showed that depletion of AXL but not of TYRO3 inhibited GAS6-induced phosphorylation of downstream signaling effectors, AKT and ERK1/2, indicating that AXL is a primary receptor for GAS6. AXL was also specifically required for GAS6-dependent increase in cell viability but was dispensable for viability of cells grown without exogenous addition of GAS6. Furthermore, we revealed that LDC1267 is the most potent and specific inhibitor of AXL activation among the tested compounds. Finally, we found that, in contrast to AXL depletion and its inhibition with LDC1267, cell treatment with bemcentinib and gilteritinib impaired the endo-lysosomal and autophagy systems in an AXL-independent manner. IMPLICATIONS Altogether, our findings are of high clinical importance as we discovered that two clinically advanced AXL inhibitors, bemcentinib and gilteritinib, may display AXL-independent cellular effects and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Zdżalik-Bielecka
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kamila Kozik
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Poświata
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kamil Jastrzębski
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Jakubik
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Miączyńska
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
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Sabarwal A, Wedel J, Liu K, Zurakowski D, Chakraborty S, Flynn E, Briscoe DM, Balan M, Pal S. A Combination therapy using an mTOR inhibitor and Honokiol effectively induces autophagy through the modulation of AXL and Rubicon in renal cancer cells and restricts renal tumor growth following organ transplantation. Carcinogenesis 2021; 43:360-370. [PMID: 34965300 PMCID: PMC9118982 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgab126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of cancer, including renal cancer, is a major problem in immunosuppressed patients. The mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin (RAPA) is used as an immunosuppressive agent in patients with organ transplants and other immunological disorders; and it also has antitumorigenic potential. However, long-term use of RAPA causes reactivation of Akt, and ultimately leads to enhanced tumor growth. Honokiol (HNK) is a natural compound, which possesses both anti-inflammatory and antitumorigenic properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of a novel combination therapy using RAPA + HNK on allograft survival and post-transplantation renal tumor growth. We observed that it effectively modulated the expression of some key regulatory molecules (like Carabin, an endogenous Ras inhibitor; and Rubicon, a negative regulator of autophagy) that play important roles in tumor cell growth and survival. This combination induced toxic autophagy and apoptosis to promote cancer cell death; and was associated with a reduced expression of the tumor-promoting receptor tyrosine kinase AXL. Finally, we utilized a novel murine model to examine the effect of RAPA + HNK on post-transplantation renal tumor growth. The combination treatment prolonged the allograft survival and significantly inhibited post-transplantation tumor growth. It was associated with reduced tumor expression of Rubicon and the cytoprotective/antioxidant heme oxygenase-1 to overcome therapeutic resistance. It also downregulated the coinhibitory programmed death-1 ligand, which plays major role(s) in the immune escape of tumor cells. Together, this combination treatment has a great potential to restrict renal tumor growth in transplant recipients as well as other immunosuppressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Sabarwal
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Johannes Wedel
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kaifeng Liu
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David Zurakowski
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Samik Chakraborty
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Evelyn Flynn
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David M Briscoe
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Transplant Research Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Murugabaskar Balan
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Soumitro Pal
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed. Division of Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel: +1 617 919 2989; Fax: +1 617 730 0365;
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Scirocchi F, Napoletano C, Pace A, Rahimi Koshkaki H, Di Filippo A, Zizzari IG, Nuti M, Rughetti A. Immunogenic Cell Death and Immunomodulatory Effects of Cabozantinib. Front Oncol 2021; 11:755433. [PMID: 34745989 PMCID: PMC8564482 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.755433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cabozantinib (XL-184) is a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) involved in oncogenesis and angiogenesis. It is currently the standard therapy for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Combination of Cabozantinib with immunotherapy is now a standard treatment in metastatic renal cancer, and its efficacy is being tested in ongoing clinical trial in prostate cancer patients. Here, we report that Cabozantinib may exert an immunostimulatory role by inducing immunogenic stress of prostate cancer cells and directly modulating dendritic cells (DCs). Cabozantinib treatment arrested the cell cycle and triggered immunogenic cell death (ICD) in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Cabozantinib had a direct effect on DCs by the down-modulation of β-catenin and change in migratory and costimulatory phenotype of the DCs. These results may suggest possible immunomodulatory effects induced by Cabozantinib that could be exploited to optimize patient-tailored immunotherapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Napoletano
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Aurelia Rughetti
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Chen S, Wang W, Tan HY, Lu Y, Li Z, Qu Y, Wang N, Wang D. Role of Autophagy in the Maintenance of Stemness in Adult Stem Cells: A Disease-Relevant Mechanism of Action. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:715200. [PMID: 34414192 PMCID: PMC8369482 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.715200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is an intracellular scavenging mechanism induced to eliminate damaged, denatured, or senescent macromolecular substances and organelles in the body. The regulation of autophagy plays essential roles in the processes of cellular homeostasis and senescence. Dysregulated autophagy is a common feature of several human diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. The initiation and development of these disorders have been shown to be associated with the maintenance of disease-specific stem cell compartments. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the role of autophagy in the maintenance of stemness. Specifically, we focus on the intersection between autophagy and adult stem cells in the initiation and progression of specific diseases. Accordingly, this review highlights the role of autophagy in stemness maintenance from the perspective of disease-associated mechanisms, which may be fundamental to our understanding of the pathogeneses of human diseases and the development of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wenqi Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hor-Yue Tan
- Centre for Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuanjun Lu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhiping Li
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yidi Qu
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Di Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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38
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Leonce C, Saintigny P, Ortiz-Cuaran S. Cell-intrinsic mechanisms of drug tolerance to systemic therapies in cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:11-29. [PMID: 34389691 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In cancer patients with metastatic disease, the rate of complete tumor response to systemic therapies is low, and residual lesions persist in the majority of patients due to early molecular adaptation in cancer cells. A growing body of evidence suggests that a subpopulation of drug-tolerant « persister » cells - a reversible phenotype characterized by reduced drug sensitivity and decreased cell proliferation - maintains residual disease and may serve as a reservoir for resistant phenotypes. The survival of these residual tumor cells can be caused by reactivation of specific signaling pathways, phenotypic plasticity (i.e., transdifferentiation), epigenetic or metabolic reprogramming, downregulation of apoptosis as well as transcriptional remodeling. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that enable adaptive survival in drug-tolerant cells. We describe the main characteristics and dynamic nature of this persistent state, and highlight the current therapeutic strategies that may be used to interfere with the establishment of drug-tolerant cells, as an alternative to improve objective response to systemic therapies and delay the emergence of resistance to improve long-term survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Leonce
- Univ Lyon, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon
| | - Pierre Saintigny
- Department of Medical Oncology, Univ Lyon, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon. Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Léon Bérard
| | - Sandra Ortiz-Cuaran
- Univ Lyon, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon
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Zaman A, Bivona TG. Targeting AXL in NSCLC. LUNG CANCER (AUCKLAND, N.Z.) 2021; 12:67-79. [PMID: 34408519 PMCID: PMC8364399 DOI: 10.2147/lctt.s305484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
State-of-the-art cancer precision medicine approaches involve targeted inactivation of chemically and immunologically addressable vulnerabilities that often yield impressive initial anti-tumor responses in patients. Nonetheless, these responses are overshadowed by therapy resistance that follows. AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase with bona fide oncogenic capacity, has been associated with the emergence of resistance in an array of cancers with varying pathophysiology and cellular origins, including in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Here in this review, we summarize AXL biology during normal homeostasis, oncogenic development and therapy resistance with a focus on NSCLC. In the context of NSCLC therapy resistance, we delineate AXL's role in mediating resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) deployed against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as well as other notable oncogenes and to chemotherapeutics. We also discuss the current understanding of AXL's role in mediating cell-biological variables that function as important modifiers of therapy resistance such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), the tumor microenvironment and tumor heterogeneity. We also catalog and discuss a set of effective pharmacologic tools that are emerging to strategically perturb AXL mediated resistance programs in NSCLC. Finally, we enumerate ongoing and future exciting precision medicine approaches targeting AXL as well as challenges in this regard. We highlight that a holistic understanding of AXL biology in NSCLC may allow us to predict and improve targeted therapeutic strategies, such as through polytherapy approaches, potentially against a broad spectrum of NSCLC sub-types to forestall tumor evolution and drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubhishek Zaman
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trever G Bivona
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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40
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Mikubo M, Inoue Y, Liu G, Tsao MS. Mechanism of Drug Tolerant Persister Cancer Cells: The Landscape and Clinical Implication for Therapy. J Thorac Oncol 2021; 16:1798-1809. [PMID: 34352380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A minor population of cancer cells may evade cell death from chemotherapy and targeted therapy by entering a reversible slow proliferation state known as the drug tolerant persister (DTP) state. This DTP state can allow cancer cells to survive drug therapy long enough for additional mechanisms of acquired drug resistance to develop. Thus, cancer persistence is a major obstacle to curing cancers, where insight into the biology of DTP cells and therapeutic strategies targeting this mechanism can have considerable clinical implications. There is emerging evidence that DTP cells adapt to new environments through epigenomic modification, transcriptomic regulation, flexible energy metabolism, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we review and discuss the various proposed mechanisms of cancer persister cells and the molecular features underlying the DTP state, with insights into the potential therapeutic strategies to conquer DTP cells and prevent cancer recurrence or therapeutic failures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Mikubo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yoshiaki Inoue
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geoffrey Liu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ming-Sound Tsao
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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41
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Yan T, Ma G, Wang K, Liu W, Zhong W, Du J. The Immune Heterogeneity Between Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on lncRNA Model. Front Immunol 2021; 12:547333. [PMID: 34394068 PMCID: PMC8358782 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.547333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are both classified as major forms of non-small cell lung cancer, but differences in clinical prognoses and molecular mechanisms are remarkable. Recent studies have supported the importance of understanding immune status in that it influences clinical outcomes of cancer, and immunotherapies based on the theory of “immune editing” have had notable clinical success. Our study aimed to identify specific long non-coding (lnc) RNAs that control key immune-related genes and to use them to construct risk models for AD and SCC. Risk scores were used to separate patients into high- and low-risk groups, and we validated the prognostic significance of both risk scores with our own cohorts. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis suggested that the immune responses of patients in the AD high-risk group and the SCC low-risk group tended to be weakened. Evaluation of immune infiltration revealed that the degree of infiltration of dendritic cells is of particular importance in AD. In addition, prediction of responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments, based on the T Cell Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion and immunophenoscore models, indicated that deterioration of the immune microenvironment is due mainly to T cell exclusion in AD patients and T cell dysfunction in SCC patients and that high-risk patients with SCC might benefit from ICI treatment. The prediction of downstream targets via The Cancer Proteome Atlas and RNA-seq analyses of a transfected lung cancer cell line indicated that the lncRNA LINC00996 is a potential therapeutic target in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yan
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guoyuan Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weidong Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weiqing Zhong
- Department of Radiology, The Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Jiajun Du
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Zhang H, Yi JK, Huang H, Park S, Kwon W, Kim E, Jang S, Kim SY, Choi SK, Yoon D, Kim SH, Liu K, Dong Z, Ryoo ZY, Kim MO. 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rh2 inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth by suppressing the Axl signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. J Ginseng Res 2021; 46:396-407. [PMID: 35600769 PMCID: PMC9120647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high morbidity and mortality worldwide. 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2) is a natural compound extracted from ginseng, which exhibits anticancer effects in many cancer types. In this study, we demonstrated the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of G-Rh2 in CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell cycle, and western blot assays were performed to evaluate the effect of G-Rh2 on CRC cells. In vitro pull-down assay was used to verify the interaction between G-Rh2 and Axl. Transfection and infection experiments were used to explore the function of Axl in CRC cells. CRC xenograft models were used to further investigate the effect of Axl knockdown and G-Rh2 on tumor growth in vivo. Results G-Rh2 significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induced apoptosis and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in CRC cell lines. G-Rh2 directly binds to Axl and inhibits the Axl signaling pathway in CRC cells. Knockdown of Axl suppressed the growth, migration and invasion ability of CRC cells in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo, whereas overexpression of Axl promoted the growth, migration, and invasion ability of CRC cells. Moreover, G-Rh2 significantly suppressed CRC xenograft tumor growth by inhibiting Axl signaling with no obvious toxicity to nude mice. Conclusion Our results indicate that G-Rh2 exerts anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo by suppressing the Axl signaling pathway. G-Rh2 is a promising candidate for CRC prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Zhang
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Koo Yi
- Gyeongbuk Livestock Research Institute, Yeongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hai Huang
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sijun Park
- School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Wookbong Kwon
- Division of Biotechnology, DGIST, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Eungyung Kim
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyoung Jang
- School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Yong Kim
- School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-kyoon Choi
- Division of Biotechnology, DGIST, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Core Protein Resources Center, DGIST, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Duhak Yoon
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hyun Kim
- Department of Bio-Medical Analysis, Korea Polytechnic College, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kangdong Liu
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zigang Dong
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zae Young Ryoo
- School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author.
| | - Myoung Ok Kim
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author. Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, ITRD, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Gyeongsangbukdo, 37224, Republic of Korea.
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Yeon M, Kim Y, Pathak D, Kwon E, Kim DY, Jeong MS, Jung HS, Jeoung D. The CAGE-MiR-181b-5p-S1PR1 Axis Regulates Anticancer Drug Resistance and Autophagy in Gastric Cancer Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:666387. [PMID: 34113619 PMCID: PMC8185229 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.666387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated gene (CAGE), a cancer/testis antigen, has been known to promote anticancer drug resistance. Since the underlying mechanisms of CAGE-promoted anticancer drug resistance are poorly understood, we established Anticancer drug-resistant gastric cancer cells (AGSR) to better elucidate possible mechanisms. AGSR showed an increased expression level of CAGE and autophagic flux compared with anticancer drug-sensitive parental gastric cancer cells (AGS cells). AGSR cells showed higher invasion potential, growth rate, tumor spheroid formation, and angiogenic potential than AGS cells. CAGE exerted effects on the response to anticancer drugs and autophagic flux. CAGE was shown to bind to Beclin1, a mediator of autophagy. Overexpression of CAGE increased autophagic flux and invasion potential but inhibited the cleavage of PARP in response to anticancer drugs in CAGE CRISPR–Cas9 cell lines. TargetScan analysis was utilized to predict the binding of miR-302b-5p to the promoter sequences of CAGE, and the results show that miR-302b-5p directly regulated CAGE expression as illustrated by luciferase activity. MiR-302b-5p regulated autophagic flux and the response to anticancer drugs. CAGE was shown to bind the promoter sequences of miR-302b-5p. The culture medium of AGSR cells increased CAGE expression and autophagic flux in AGS cells. ImmunoEM showed CAGE was present in the exosomes of AGSR cells; exosomes of AGSR cells and human recombinant CAGE protein increased CAGE expression, autophagic flux, and resistance to anticancer drugs in AGS cells. MicroRNA array revealed miR-181b-5p as a potential negative regulator of CAGE. MiR-181b-5p inhibitor increased the expression of CAGE and autophagic flux in addition to preventing anticancer drugs from cleaving poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in AGS cells. TargetScan analysis predicted sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (SIPR1) as a potential target for miR-181b-5p. CAGE showed binding to the promoter sequences of S1PR1. The downregulation or inhibition of S1PR1 led to decreased autophagic flux but enhanced the sensitivity to anticancer drugs in AGSR cells. This study presents a novel role of the CAGE–miR-181b-5p–S1PR1 axis in anticancer drug resistance and autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjeong Yeon
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Youngmi Kim
- Institute of New Frontier Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Deepak Pathak
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Eunju Kwon
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Dong Young Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Myeong Seon Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea.,Chuncheon Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Hyun Suk Jung
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Dooil Jeoung
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
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Having an Old Friend for Dinner: The Interplay between Apoptotic Cells and Efferocytes. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051265. [PMID: 34065321 PMCID: PMC8161178 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis, the programmed and intentional death of senescent, damaged, or otherwise superfluous cells, is the natural end-point for most cells within multicellular organisms. Apoptotic cells are not inherently damaging, but if left unattended, they can lyse through secondary necrosis. The resulting release of intracellular contents drives inflammation in the surrounding tissue and can lead to autoimmunity. These negative consequences of secondary necrosis are avoided by efferocytosis—the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells. Efferocytosis is a product of both apoptotic cells and efferocyte mechanisms, which cooperate to ensure the rapid and complete removal of apoptotic cells. Herein, we review the processes used by apoptotic cells to ensure their timely removal, and the receptors, signaling, and cellular processes used by efferocytes for efferocytosis, with a focus on the receptors and signaling driving this process.
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Xu D, Sun D, Wang W, Peng X, Zhan Z, Ji Y, Shen Y, Geng M, Ai J, Duan W. Discovery of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potent Axl inhibitors: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 220:113497. [PMID: 33957388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Axl has emerged as an attractive target for cancer therapy due to its strong correlation with tumor growth, metastasis, poor survival, and drug resistance. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) investigation of a series of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as new Axl inhibitors. Among them, the most promising compound 13b showed high enzymatic and cellular Axl potencies. Furthermore, 13b possessed preferable pharmacokinetic properties and displayed promising therapeutic effect in BaF3/TEL-Axl xenograft tumor model. Compound 13b may serve as a lead compound for new antitumor drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Deqiao Sun
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xia Peng
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhengsheng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yinchun Ji
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yanyan Shen
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jing Ai
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Xiangshan Branch Lane, Xihu District, Hangzhou, 330106, China.
| | - Wenhu Duan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Mirzaei S, Hushmandi K, Zabolian A, Saleki H, Torabi SMR, Ranjbar A, SeyedSaleh S, Sharifzadeh SO, Khan H, Ashrafizadeh M, Zarrabi A, Ahn KS. Elucidating Role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Cisplatin Chemotherapy: A Focus on Molecular Pathways and Possible Therapeutic Strategies. Molecules 2021; 26:2382. [PMID: 33921908 PMCID: PMC8073650 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The failure of chemotherapy is a major challenge nowadays, and in order to ensure effective treatment of cancer patients, it is of great importance to reveal the molecular pathways and mechanisms involved in chemoresistance. Cisplatin (CP) is a platinum-containing drug with anti-tumor activity against different cancers in both pre-clinical and clinical studies. However, drug resistance has restricted its potential in the treatment of cancer patients. CP can promote levels of free radicals, particularly reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce cell death. Due to the double-edged sword role of ROS in cancer as a pro-survival or pro-death mechanism, ROS can result in CP resistance. In the present review, association of ROS with CP sensitivity/resistance is discussed, and in particular, how molecular pathways, both upstream and downstream targets, can affect the response of cancer cells to CP chemotherapy. Furthermore, anti-tumor compounds, such as curcumin, emodin, chloroquine that regulate ROS and related molecular pathways in increasing CP sensitivity are described. Nanoparticles can provide co-delivery of CP with anti-tumor agents and by mediating photodynamic therapy, and induce ROS overgeneration to trigger CP sensitivity. Genetic tools, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) can down-regulate molecular pathways such as HIF-1α and Nrf2 to promote ROS levels, leading to CP sensitivity. Considering the relationship between ROS and CP chemotherapy, and translating these findings to clinic can pave the way for effective treatment of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417466191, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Zabolian
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Hossein Saleki
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Reza Torabi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Adnan Ranjbar
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - SeyedHesam SeyedSaleh
- Student Research Committee, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Seyed Omid Sharifzadeh
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Haroon Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Orta Mahalle, Üniversite Caddesi No. 27, Orhanlı, Tuzla, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Kwang-Seok Ahn
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
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Chemotherapy confers a conserved secondary tolerance to EGFR inhibition via AXL-mediated signaling bypass. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8016. [PMID: 33850249 PMCID: PMC8044124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87599-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance remains the major culprit of therapy failure in disseminated cancers. Simultaneous resistance to multiple, chemically different drugs feeds this failure resulting in cancer relapse. Here, we investigate co-resistance signatures shared between antimitotic drugs (AMDs) and inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to probe mechanisms of secondary resistance. We map co-resistance ranks in multiple drug pairs and identified a more widespread occurrence of co-resistance to the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) gefitinib in hundreds of cancer cell lines resistant to at least 11 AMDs. By surveying different parameters of genomic alterations, we find that the two RTKs EGFR and AXL displayed similar alteration and expression signatures. Using acquired paclitaxel and epothilone B resistance as first-line AMD failure models, we show that a stable collateral resistance to gefitinib can be relayed by entering a dynamic, drug-tolerant persister state where AXL acts as bypass signal. Delayed AXL degradation rendered this persistence to become stably resistant. We probed this degradation process using a new EGFR-TKI candidate YD and demonstrated that AXL bypass-driven collateral resistance can be suppressed pharmacologically. The findings emphasize that AXL bypass track is employed by chemoresistant cancer cells upon EGFR inhibition to enter a persister state and evolve resistance to EGFR-TKIs.
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Jiang T, Chen X, Ren X, Yang JM, Cheng Y. Emerging role of autophagy in anti-tumor immunity: Implications for the modulation of immunotherapy resistance. Drug Resist Updat 2021; 56:100752. [PMID: 33765484 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2021.100752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapies such as CAR-T cell transfer and antibody-targeted therapy have produced promising clinical outcomes in patients with advanced and metastatic cancer that are resistant to conventional therapies. However, with increasing use of cancer immunotherapy in clinical treatment, multiple therapy-resistance mechanisms have gradually emerged. The tumor microenvironment (TME), an integral component of cancer, can significantly influence the therapeutic response. Thus, it is worth exploring the potential of TME in modulating therapy resistance, in the hope to devise novel strategies to reinforcing anti-cancer treatments such as immunotherapy. As a crucial recycling process in the complex TME, the role of autophagy in tumor immunity has been increasingly appreciated. Firstly, autophagy in tumor cells can affect their immune response through modulating MHC-I-antigen complexes, thus modulating immunogenic tumor cell death, changing functions of immune cells via secretory autophagy, reducing the NK- and CTL-mediated cell lysis and degradation of immune checkpoint proteins. Secondly, autophagy is critical for the differentiation, maturation and survival of immune cells in the TME and can significantly affect the immune function of these cells, thereby regulating the anti-tumor immune response. Thirdly, alteration of autophagic activity in stromal cells, especially in fibroblasts, can reconstruct the three-dimensional stromal environment and metabolic reprogramming in the TME. A number of studies have demonstrated that optimal induction or inhibition of autophagy may lead to effective therapeutic regimens when combined with immunotherapy. This review discusses the important roles of autophagy in tumor cells, immune cells and stromal cells in the context of tumor immunity, and the potential of combining the autophagy-based therapy with immunotherapy as novel therapeutic approaches against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Xisha Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Xingcong Ren
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Jin-Ming Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
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Resistance to BET inhibitors in lung adenocarcinoma is mediated by casein kinase phosphorylation of BRD4. Oncogenesis 2021; 10:27. [PMID: 33712563 PMCID: PMC7955060 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-021-00316-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting the epigenome to modulate gene expression programs driving cancer development has emerged as an exciting avenue for therapeutic intervention. Pharmacological inhibition of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of chromatin adapter proteins has proven effective in this regard, suppressing growth of diverse cancer types mainly through downregulation of the c-MYC oncogene, and its downstream transcriptional program. While initially effective, resistance to BET inhibitors (BETi) typically occurs through mechanisms that reactivate MYC expression. We have previously shown that lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is inhibited by JQ1 through suppression of FOSL1, suggesting that the epigenetic landscape of tumor cells from different origins and differentiation states influences BETi response. Here, we assessed how these differences affect mechanisms of BETi resistance through the establishment of isogenic pairs of JQ1 sensitive and resistant LAC cell lines. We found that resistance to JQ1 in LAC occurs independent of FOSL1 while MYC levels remain unchanged between resistant cells and their JQ1-treated parental counterparts. Furthermore, while epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is observed upon resistance, TGF-β induced EMT did not confer resistance in JQ1 sensitive LAC lines, suggesting this is a consequence, rather than a driver of BETi resistance in our model systems. Importantly, siRNA knockdown demonstrated that JQ1 resistant cell lines are still dependent on BRD4 expression for survival and we found that phosphorylation of BRD4 is elevated in resistant LACs, identifying casein kinase 2 (CK2) as a candidate protein mediating this effect. Inhibition of CK2, as well as downstream transcriptional targets of phosphorylated BRD4—including AXL and activators of the PI3K pathway—synergize with JQ1 to inhibit BETi resistant LAC. Overall, this demonstrates that the mechanism of resistance to BETi varies depending on cancer type, with LAC cells developing JQ1 resistance independent of MYC regulation, and identifying CK2 phosphorylation of BRD4 as a potential target to overcome resistance in this cancer.
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Aehnlich P, Powell RM, Peeters MJW, Rahbech A, thor Straten P. TAM Receptor Inhibition-Implications for Cancer and the Immune System. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061195. [PMID: 33801886 PMCID: PMC7998716 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary TAM receptors are a family of receptor tyrosine kinases, comprising Tyro3, Axl and MerTK. Their primary role is in digestion of dying cells by macrophages without alarming the immune system. TAM receptors are also expressed by cancer cells in which signaling is oncogenic, and for this reason there is growing interest and research into TAM inhibition. This approach to cancer treatment may, however, come into conflict with beneficial and costimulatory TAM receptor signaling in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. The aim of this review is to explore in detail the effects of TAM receptor inhibition on cancer cells and immune cells, and how the ramifications of this inhibition may affect cancer treatment in humans. Abstract Tyro3, Axl and MerTK (TAM) receptors are receptor tyrosine kinases which play important roles in efferocytosis and in the balancing of immune responses and inflammation. TAM receptor activation is induced upon binding of the ligands protein S (Pros1) or growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) which act as bridging molecules for binding of phosphatidyl serine (PtdSer) exposed on apoptotic cell membranes. Upon clearance of apoptotic cell material, TAM receptor activation on innate cells suppresses proinflammatory functions, thereby ensuring the immunologically silent removal of apoptotic material in the absence of deleterious immune responses. However, in T cells, MerTK signaling is costimulatory and promotes activation and functional output of the cell. MerTK and Axl are also aberrantly expressed in a range of both hematological and solid tumor malignancies, including breast, lung, melanoma and acute myeloid leukemia, where they have a role in oncogenic signaling. Consequently, TAM receptors are being investigated as therapeutic targets using small molecule inhibitors and have already demonstrated efficacy in mouse tumor models. Thus, inhibition of TAM signaling in cancer cells could have therapeutic value but given the opposing roles of TAM signaling in innate cells and T cells, TAM inhibition could also jeopardize anticancer immune responses. This conflict is discussed in this review, describing the effects of TAM inhibition on cancer cells as well as immune cells, while also examining the intricate interplay of cancer and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Aehnlich
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark; (M.J.W.P.); (A.R.)
- Correspondence: (P.A.); (R.M.P.); (P.t.S.)
| | - Richard Morgan Powell
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark; (M.J.W.P.); (A.R.)
- Correspondence: (P.A.); (R.M.P.); (P.t.S.)
| | - Marlies J. W. Peeters
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark; (M.J.W.P.); (A.R.)
| | - Anne Rahbech
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark; (M.J.W.P.); (A.R.)
| | - Per thor Straten
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark; (M.J.W.P.); (A.R.)
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Correspondence: (P.A.); (R.M.P.); (P.t.S.)
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