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Jin Y, Chen P, Zhou H, Mu G, Wu S, Zha Z, Ma B, Han C, Chiu ML. Developing transcriptomic biomarkers for TAVO412 utilizing next generation sequencing analyses of preclinical tumor models. Front Immunol 2025; 16:1505868. [PMID: 39995668 PMCID: PMC11847686 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1505868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2025] [Indexed: 02/26/2025] Open
Abstract
Introduction TAVO412, a multi-specific antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), is undergoing clinical development for the treatment of solid tumors. TAVO412 has multiple mechanisms of action for tumor growth inhibition that include shutting down the EGFR, c-Met, and VEGF signaling pathways, having enhanced Fc effector functions, addressing drug resistance that can be mediated by the crosstalk amongst these three targets, as well as inhibiting angiogenesis. TAVO412 demonstrated strong in vivo tumor growth inhibition in 23 cell-line derived xenograft (CDX) models representing diverse cancer types, as well as in 9 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) lung tumor models. Methods Using preclinical CDX data, we established transcriptomic biomarkers based on gene expression profiles that were correlated with anti-tumor response or distinguished between responders and non-responders. Together with specific driver mutation that associated with efficacy and the targets of TAVO412, a set of 21-gene biomarker was identified to predict the efficacy. A biomarker predictor was formulated based on the Linear Prediction Score (LPS) to estimate the probability of patients or tumor model response to TAVO412 treatment. Results This efficacy predictor for TAVO412 demonstrated 78% accuracy in the CDX training models. The biomarker model was further validated in the PDX data set and resulted in comparable accuracy. Conclusions In implementing precision medicine by leveraging preclinical model data, a predictive transcriptomic biomarker empowered by next-generation sequencing was identified that could optimize the selection of patients that may benefit most from TAVO412 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jin
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huajun Zhou
- Global Center for Data Science and Bioinformatics, Crown Bioscience Inc., Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guangmao Mu
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Simin Wu
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhengxia Zha
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Ma
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao Han
- Research & Development, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Mark L. Chiu
- Research & Development Department, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Research & Development, Tavotek Biotherapeutics, Spring House, PA, United States
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2
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Shen C, Fan X, Mao Y, Jiang J. Amphiregulin in lung diseases: A review. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37292. [PMID: 38394508 PMCID: PMC10883632 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amphiregulin is a member of the EGFR family, which is involved in many physiological and pathological processes through its binding with EGFR. Studies have found that amphiregulin plays an important role in the occurrence and development of lung diseases. This paper mainly reviews the structure and function of amphiregulin and focuses on the important role of amphiregulin in lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Shen
- Department of Pediatrics, Linping Branch, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Fan
- Department of Pediatrics, Linping Branch, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yueyan Mao
- Department of Pediatrics, Linping Branch, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junsheng Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, Linping Branch, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Zhao X, Richardson DR. The role of the NDRG1 in the pathogenesis and treatment of breast cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188871. [PMID: 36841367 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women. This disease is heterogeneous, with clinical subtypes being estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) positive, having human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression, or being triple-negative for ER-α, progesterone receptor, and HER2 (TNBC). The ER-α positive and HER2 overexpressing tumors can be treated with agents targeting these proteins, including tamoxifen and pertuzumab, respectively. Despite these treatments, resistance and metastasis are problematic, while TNBC is challenging to treat due to the lack of suitable targets. Many studies examining BC and other tumors indicate a role for N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1) as a metastasis suppressor. The ability of NDRG1 to inhibit metastasis is due, in part, to the inhibition of the initial step in metastasis, namely the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Paradoxically, there are also reports of NDRG1 playing a pro-oncogenic role in BC pathogenesis. The oncogenic effects of NDRG1 in BC have been reported to relate to lipid metabolism or the mTOR signaling pathway. The molecular mechanism(s) of how NDRG1 regulates the activity of multiple signaling pathways remains unclear. Therapeutic strategies that up-regulate NDRG1 have been developed and include agents of the di-2-pyridylketone thiosemicarbazone class. These compounds target oncogenic drivers in BC cells, suppressing the expression of multiple key hormone receptors including ER-α, progesterone receptor, androgen receptor, and prolactin receptor, and can also overcome tamoxifen resistance. Considering the varying role of NDRG1 in BC pathogenesis, further studies are required to examine what subset of BC patients would benefit from pharmacopeia that up-regulate NDRG1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhao
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Des R Richardson
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia; Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
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4
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Chen L, Li S. Incorporating cell hierarchy to decipher the functional diversity of single cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e9. [PMID: 36373664 PMCID: PMC9881154 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells possess functional diversity hierarchically. However, most single-cell analyses neglect the nested structures while detecting and visualizing the functional diversity. Here, we incorporate cell hierarchy to study functional diversity at subpopulation, club (i.e., sub-subpopulation), and cell layers. Accordingly, we implement a package, SEAT, to construct cell hierarchies utilizing structure entropy by minimizing the global uncertainty in cell-cell graphs. With cell hierarchies, SEAT deciphers functional diversity in 36 datasets covering scRNA, scDNA, scATAC, and scRNA-scATAC multiome. First, SEAT finds optimal cell subpopulations with high clustering accuracy. It identifies cell types or fates from omics profiles and boosts accuracy from 0.34 to 1. Second, SEAT detects insightful functional diversity among cell clubs. The hierarchy of breast cancer cells reveals that the specific tumor cell club drives AREG-EGFT signaling. We identify a dense co-accessibility network of cis-regulatory elements specified by one cell club in GM12878. Third, the cell order from the hierarchy infers periodic pseudo-time of cells, improving accuracy from 0.79 to 0.89. Moreover, we incorporate cell hierarchy layers as prior knowledge to refine nonlinear dimension reduction, enabling us to visualize hierarchical cell layouts in low-dimensional space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxi Chen
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuai Cheng Li
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, Guangdong, China
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5
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Can EGFR be a therapeutic target in breast cancer? Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188789. [PMID: 36064121 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly expressed in certain cancer types and is involved in regulating the biological characteristics of cancer progression, including proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. Various medicines targeting EGFR have been developed and approved for several cancer types, such as lung and colon cancer. To date, however, EGFR inhibitors have not achieved satisfactory clinical results in breast cancer, which continues to be the most serious malignant tumor type in females. Therefore, clarifying the underlying mechanisms related to the ineffectiveness of EGFR inhibitors in breast cancer and developing new EGFR-targeted strategies (e.g., combination therapy) remain critical challenges. Various studies have demonstrated aberrant expression and maintenance of EGFR levels in breast cancer. In this review, we summarize the regulatory mechanisms underlying EGFR protein expression in breast cancer cells, including EGFR mutations, amplification, endocytic dysfunction, recycling acceleration, and degradation disorders. We also discuss potential therapeutic strategies that act directly or indirectly on EGFR, including reducing EGFR protein expression, treating the target protein to mediate precise clearance, and inhibiting non-EGFR signaling pathways. This review should provide new therapeutic perspectives for breast cancer patients with high EGFR expression.
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Patel JR, Thangavelu P, Terrell RM, Israel B, Sarkar AB, Davidson AM, Zhang K, Khupse R, Tilghman SL. A Novel Allosteric Inhibitor Targets PLK1 in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Biomolecules 2022; 12:531. [PMID: 35454120 PMCID: PMC9024838 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
While Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitors have shown promise in clinical settings for treating triple-negative breast cancer tumors and other solid tumors, they are limited by their ability to bind non-selectively to the ATP kinase domain. Therefore, we sought to develop a PLK1 allosteric inhibitor targeting the PLK1 T-loop (a switch responsible for activation) and evaluate its effects in triple-negative breast cancer cells. A novel compound, RK-10, was developed based on an in silico model, and its effects on specificity, viability, migration, and cell cycle regulation in MCF-10A and MDA-MB 231 cells were evaluated. When MDA-MB 231 cells were treated with 0−50 µg/mL RK-10, phospho-PLK1 (Thr-210) was decreased in cells cultured adherently and cells cultured as mammospheres. RK-10 significantly inhibited viability after 24 h; however, by 48 h, 25−50 µM RK-10 caused >50% reduction. RK-10 attenuated wound healing by up to 99.7% and caused S and G2/M cell cycle arrest, which was associated with increased p21 expression. We developed a novel allosteric inhibitor which mediates anti-proliferative and anti-migratory properties through targeting phospho-PLK1 (Thr-210) in mammospheres and causing S phase and G2/M cell cycle arrest. Further development of PLK1 allosteric inhibitors may be a promising approach for TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jankiben R. Patel
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institutes of Public Health, Florida A&M University, 1415 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; (J.R.P.); (R.M.T.); (B.I.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Prasad Thangavelu
- College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, 1000 N Main St., Findlay, OH 45840, USA; (P.T.); (A.B.S.)
| | - Renee M. Terrell
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institutes of Public Health, Florida A&M University, 1415 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; (J.R.P.); (R.M.T.); (B.I.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Bridg’ette Israel
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institutes of Public Health, Florida A&M University, 1415 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; (J.R.P.); (R.M.T.); (B.I.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Arindam Basu Sarkar
- College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, 1000 N Main St., Findlay, OH 45840, USA; (P.T.); (A.B.S.)
| | - A. Michael Davidson
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institutes of Public Health, Florida A&M University, 1415 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; (J.R.P.); (R.M.T.); (B.I.); (A.M.D.)
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA 70125, USA;
| | - Rahul Khupse
- College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, 1000 N Main St., Findlay, OH 45840, USA; (P.T.); (A.B.S.)
| | - Syreeta L. Tilghman
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institutes of Public Health, Florida A&M University, 1415 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA; (J.R.P.); (R.M.T.); (B.I.); (A.M.D.)
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Lee O, Bosland MC, Wang M, Shidfar A, Hosseini O, Xuei X, Patel P, Schipma MJ, Helenowski I, Kim JJ, Clare SE, Khan SA. Selective progesterone receptor blockade prevents BRCA1-associated mouse mammary tumors through modulation of epithelial and stromal genes. Cancer Lett 2021; 520:255-266. [PMID: 34329741 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological approaches to breast cancer risk-reduction for BRCA1 mutation carriers would provide an alternative to mastectomy. BRCA1-deficiency dysregulates progesterone signaling, promoting tumorigenesis. Selective progesterone receptor (PR) modulators (SPRMs) are therefore candidate prevention agents. However, their efficacy varies in different BRCA1-deficient mouse models. We examined chemopreventive efficacy of telapristone acetate (TPA), ulipristal acetate (UPA) and mifepristone (MFP) in mice with a conditional knockout of the Brca1 C-terminal domain. The SPRMs displayed a spectrum of efficacy: UPA was most effective, TPA less, and MFP ineffective. Compared to no-treatment controls, UPA reduced tumorigenesis (p = 0.04), and increased tumor latency (p = 0.03). In benign mammary glands, UPA decreased Ki67 (p < 0.001) and increased PR expression (p < 0.0001). RNA sequencing analysis revealed distinct gene expression in response to UPA and MFP. UPA downregulated glycolysis and extracellular matrix-inflammation genes (Fn1, Ptgs2, Tgfb2, Tgfb3) whereas MFP downregulated claudin genes and upregulated amino acid metabolism and inflammation genes. The anti-glucocorticoid effects of MFP appeared not to be tumor-protective, while altering estrogen receptor signaling and NF-kB activation. Our study points to an important role of epithelial PR and its paracrine action on the microenvironment in BRCA1-deficient mammary tumorigenesis, and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oukseub Lee
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Maarten C Bosland
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Minhua Wang
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ali Shidfar
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Omid Hosseini
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xuei
- The Center for Medical Genomics, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Priyam Patel
- Quantitative Data Science Core, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew J Schipma
- Quantitative Data Science Core, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Irene Helenowski
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J Julie Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Susan E Clare
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seema A Khan
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Hachim MY, Elemam NM, Ramakrishnan RK, Salameh L, Olivenstein R, Hachim IY, Venkatachalam T, Mahboub B, Al Heialy S, Halwani R, Hamid Q, Hamoudi R. Blood and Salivary Amphiregulin Levels as Biomarkers for Asthma. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:561866. [PMID: 33195308 PMCID: PMC7659399 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.561866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Background: Amphiregulin (AREG) expression in asthmatic airways and sputum was shown to increase and correlate with asthma. However, no studies were carried out to evaluate the AREG level in blood and saliva of asthmatic patients. Objective: To measure circulating AREG mRNA and protein concentrations in blood, saliva, and bronchial biopsies samples from asthmatic patients. Methods: Plasma and Saliva AREG protein concentrations were measured using ELISA while PBMCs, and Saliva mRNA expression was measured by RT qPCR in non-severe, and severe asthmatic patients compared to healthy controls. Primary asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells and fibroblasts were assessed for AREG mRNA expression and released soluble AREG in their conditioned media. Tissue expression of AREG was evaluated using immunohistochemistry of bronchial biopsies from asthmatic patients and healthy controls. Publicly available transcriptomic databases were explored for the global transcriptomic profile of bronchial epithelium, and PBMCs were explored for AREG expression in asthmatic vs. healthy controls. Results: Asthmatic patients had higher AREG protein levels in blood and saliva compared to control subjects. Higher mRNA expression in saliva and primary bronchial epithelial cells plus higher AREG immunoreactivity in bronchial biopsies were also observed. Both blood and saliva AREG levels showed positive correlations with allergic rhinitis status, atopy status, eczema status, plasma periostin, neutrophilia, Montelukast sodium use, ACT score, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC. In silico analysis showed that severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium with high AREG gene expression is associated with higher neutrophils infiltration. Conclusion: AREG levels measured in a minimally invasive blood sample and a non-invasive saliva sample are higher in non-allergic severe asthma. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS This is the first report to show the higher level of AREG levels in blood and saliva of non-allergic severe asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha Mousaad Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laila Salameh
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Ibrahim Yaseen Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Thenmozhi Venkatachalam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL, London, United Kingdom
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Holmes FA, Levin MK, Cao Y, Balasubramanian S, Ross JS, Krekow L, McIntyre K, Osborne C, Espina V, Liotta L, O’Shaughnessy J. Comutation of PIK3CA and TP53 in Residual Disease After Preoperative Anti-HER2 Therapy in ERBB2 (HER2)-Amplified Early Breast Cancer. JCO Precis Oncol 2019; 3:1-26. [DOI: 10.1200/po.18.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify proteomic and genomic alterations in residual disease (RD) for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) after preoperative trastuzumab (H), lapatinib (L), or both (H+L) in combination with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with stage II/III HER2+ BC (n = 100) were randomly assigned to preoperative treatment with H versus L 1,250mg versus H+L (L: 750 to 1,000 mg) plus 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide, followed by weekly paclitaxel. After receiving institutional review board–approved informed consent, targeted next-generation sequencing was performed on 20 patients’ formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tumors to characterize genomic alterations across 287 cancer-related genes. Reverse phase protein array (RPPA) analysis was performed on both the baseline biopsy and RD specimens, when available. RESULTS Two of 20 RD tissues were HER2 negative per next-generation sequencing; one sample had insufficient tissue. Of six pretreatment biopsy specimens, four were comutated with TP53 and PIK3CA. Of 17 HER2+ RD, seven specimens (41%) had PIK3CA mutations always comutated with TP53, and four (24%) also had concurrent CDK12 amplification. Overall, CDK12 amplification was observed in eight of the 17 (47%) HER2+ RD specimens. A total of 12 RD specimens (71%) had TP53 mutations. Although prevalence of individual TP53 and PIK3CA mutations was only modestly higher than published estimates for those in HER2+ primary BCs (55% and 32% for TP53 and PIK3CA, respectively), prevalence of these as comutations appeared higher (41%), compared with less than 10% in several series. On RPPA analysis of the RD tissue with comutations, the strongest Spearman ρ correlations were limited to EGFR and phospho-AKT (ρ, 0.999; P = .019) and phospho-mTOR and phospho-S6 ribosomal protein (ρ, 0.994; P = .048). CONCLUSION HER2-amplified RD tissue after preoperative H, L, or H+L plus chemotherapy was enriched for PIK3CA and TP53 comutations, and the RD tissue demonstrated activation of EGFR/AKT/mTOR signaling on RPPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frankie Ann Holmes
- Texas Oncology, Houston, TX
- US Oncology McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX
| | | | - Ying Cao
- Valley Medical Oncology Consultants, Pleasanton, CA
| | | | - Jeffrey S. Ross
- Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA
| | - Lea Krekow
- US Oncology McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX
- Texas Oncology, Bedford, TX
| | - Kristi McIntyre
- US Oncology McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX
- Texas Oncology, Dallas, TX
| | - Cynthia Osborne
- US Oncology McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX
- Texas Oncology, Dallas, TX
| | | | | | - Joyce O’Shaughnessy
- US Oncology McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
- Texas Oncology, Dallas, TX
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10
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Giordano A, Liu Y, Armeson K, Park Y, Ridinger M, Erlander M, Reuben J, Britten C, Kappler C, Yeh E, Ethier S. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) inhibition synergizes with taxanes in triple negative breast cancer. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224420. [PMID: 31751384 PMCID: PMC6872222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within triple negative breast cancer, several molecular subtypes have been identified, underlying the heterogeneity of such an aggressive disease. The basal-like subtype is characterized by mutations in the TP53 gene, and is associated with a low pathologic complete response rate following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In a genome-scale short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screen of breast cancer cells, polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) was a frequent and strong hit in the basal breast cancer cell lines indicating its importance for growth and survival of these breast cancer cells. Plk1 regulates progression of cells through the G2-M phase of the cell cycle. We assessed the activity of two ATP-competitive Plk1 inhibitors, GSK461364 and onvansertib, alone and with a taxane in a set of triple negative breast cancer cell lines and in vivo. GSK461364 showed synergism with docetaxel in SUM149 (Combination Index 0.70) and SUM159 (CI, 0.62). GSK461364 in combination with docetaxel decreased the clonogenic potential (interaction test for SUM149 and SUM159, p<0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) and the tumorsphere formation of SUM149 and SUM159 (interaction test, p = 0.01 and p< 0.001). In the SUM159 xenograft model, onvansertib plus paclitaxel significantly decreased tumor volume compared to single agent paclitaxel (p<0.0001). Inhibition of Plk1 in combination with taxanes shows promising results in a subset of triple negative breast cancer intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy. Onvansertib showed significant tumor volume shrinkage when combined with paclitaxel in vivo and should be considered in clinical trials for the treatment of triple negative cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Giordano
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yueying Liu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kent Armeson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yeonhee Park
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Maya Ridinger
- Trovagene Oncology, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Mark Erlander
- Trovagene Oncology, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - James Reuben
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Britten
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christiana Kappler
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Yeh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indianapolis, United States of America
| | - Stephen Ethier
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
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11
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Arif E, Solanki AK, Srivastava P, Rahman B, Fitzgibbon WR, Deng P, Budisavljevic MN, Baicu CF, Zile MR, Megyesi J, Janech MG, Kwon SH, Collier J, Schnellmann RG, Nihalani D. Mitochondrial biogenesis induced by the β2-adrenergic receptor agonist formoterol accelerates podocyte recovery from glomerular injury. Kidney Int 2019; 96:656-673. [PMID: 31262488 PMCID: PMC6708766 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2019.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Podocytes have limited ability to recover from injury. Here, we demonstrate that increased mitochondrial biogenesis, to meet the metabolic and energy demand of a cell, accelerates podocyte recovery from injury. Analysis of events induced during podocyte injury and recovery showed marked upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), a transcriptional co-activator of mitochondrial biogenesis, and key components of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. To evaluate our hypothesis that increasing mitochondrial biogenesis enhanced podocyte recovery from injury, we treated injured podocytes with formoterol, a potent, specific, and long-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist that induces mitochondrial biogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Formoterol increased mitochondrial biogenesis and restored mitochondrial morphology and the injury-induced changes to the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in podocytes. Importantly, β2-adrenergic receptors were found to be present on podocyte membranes. Their knockdown attenuated formoterol-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. To determine the potential clinical relevance of these findings, mouse models of acute nephrotoxic serum nephritis and chronic (Adriamycin [doxorubicin]) glomerulopathy were used. Mice were treated with formoterol post-injury when glomerular dysfunction was established. Strikingly, formoterol accelerated the recovery of glomerular function by reducing proteinuria and ameliorating kidney pathology. Furthermore, formoterol treatment reduced cellular apoptosis and increased the expression of the mitochondrial biogenesis marker PGC-1α and multiple electron transport chain proteins. Thus, our results support β2-adrenergic receptors as novel therapeutic targets and formoterol as a therapeutic compound for treating podocytopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehtesham Arif
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ashish K Solanki
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Pankaj Srivastava
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Bushra Rahman
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Wayne R Fitzgibbon
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Peifeng Deng
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Milos N Budisavljevic
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Catalin F Baicu
- Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael R Zile
- Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Judit Megyesi
- John C McClelland VA Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | | | - Sang-Ho Kwon
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Justin Collier
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Rick G Schnellmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA; Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
| | - Deepak Nihalani
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
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12
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He J, McLaughlin RP, van der Noord V, Foekens JA, Martens JWM, van Westen G, Zhang Y, van de Water B. Multi-targeted kinase inhibition alleviates mTOR inhibitor resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2019; 178:263-274. [PMID: 31388935 PMCID: PMC6797661 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-019-05380-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Owing to its genetic heterogeneity and acquired resistance, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not responsive to single-targeted therapy, causing disproportional cancer-related death worldwide. Combined targeted therapy strategies to block interactive oncogenic signaling networks are being explored for effective treatment of the refractory TNBC subtype. Methods A broad kinase inhibitor screen was applied to profile the proliferative responses of TNBC cells, revealing resistance of TNBC cells to inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). A systematic drug combination screen was subsequently performed to identify that AEE788, an inhibitor targeting multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) EGFR/HER2 and VEGFR, synergizes with selective mTOR inhibitor rapamycin as well as its analogs (rapalogs) temsirolimus and everolimus to inhibit TNBC cell proliferation. Results The combination treatment with AEE788 and rapalog effectively inhibits phosphorylation of mTOR and 4EBP1, relieves mTOR inhibition-mediated upregulation of cyclin D1, and maintains suppression of AKT and ERK signaling, thereby sensitizing TNBC cells to the rapalogs. siRNA validation of cheminformatics-based predicted AEE788 targets has further revealed the mTOR interactive RPS6K members (RPS6KA3, RPS6KA6, RPS6KB1, and RPS6KL1) as synthetic lethal targets for rapalog combination treatment. Conclusions mTOR signaling is highly activated in TNBC tumors. As single rapalog treatment is insufficient to block mTOR signaling in rapalog-resistant TNBC cells, our results thus provide a potential multi-kinase inhibitor combinatorial strategy to overcome mTOR-targeted therapy resistance in TNBC cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10549-019-05380-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichao He
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ronan P McLaughlin
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vera van der Noord
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - John A Foekens
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Genomic Netherlands, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John W M Martens
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Genomic Netherlands, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard van Westen
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Yinghui Zhang
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bob van de Water
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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13
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AhR controls redox homeostasis and shapes the tumor microenvironment in BRCA1-associated breast cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3604-3613. [PMID: 30733286 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1815126116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells have higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) than normal cells, due to genetic and metabolic alterations. An emerging scenario is that cancer cells increase ROS to activate protumorigenic signaling while activating antioxidant pathways to maintain redox homeostasis. Here we show that, in basal-like and BRCA1-related breast cancer (BC), ROS levels correlate with the expression and activity of the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Mechanistically, ROS triggers AhR nuclear accumulation and activation to promote the transcription of both antioxidant enzymes and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). In a mouse model of BRCA1-related BC, cancer-associated AhR and AREG control tumor growth and production of chemokines to attract monocytes and activate proangiogenic function of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, the expression of these chemokines as well as infiltration of monocyte-lineage cells (monocyte and macrophages) positively correlated with ROS levels in basal-like BC. These data support the existence of a coordinated link between cancer-intrinsic ROS regulation and the features of tumor microenvironment. Therapeutically, chemical inhibition of AhR activity sensitizes human BC models to Erlotinib, a selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, suggesting a promising combinatorial anticancer effect of AhR and EGFR pathway inhibition. Thus, AhR represents an attractive target to inhibit redox homeostasis and modulate the tumor promoting microenvironment of basal-like and BRCA1-associated BC.
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14
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NOTCH3 inactivation increases triple negative breast cancer sensitivity to gefitinib by promoting EGFR tyrosine dephosphorylation and its intracellular arrest. Oncogenesis 2018; 7:42. [PMID: 29795369 PMCID: PMC5968025 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-018-0051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch dysregulation has been implicated in numerous tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is the breast cancer subtype with the worst clinical outcome. However, the importance of individual receptors in TNBC and their specific mechanism of action remain to be elucidated, even if recent findings suggested a specific role of activated-Notch3 in a subset of TNBCs. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in TNBCs but the use of anti-EGFR agents (including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, TKIs) has not been approved for the treatment of these patients, as clinical trials have shown disappointing results. Resistance to EGFR blockers is commonly reported. Here we show that Notch3-specific inhibition increases TNBC sensitivity to the TKI-gefitinib in TNBC-resistant cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Notch3 is able to regulate the activated EGFR membrane localization into lipid rafts microdomains, as Notch3 inhibition, such as rafts depletion, induces the EGFR internalization and its intracellular arrest, without involving receptor degradation. Interestingly, these events are associated with the EGFR tyrosine dephosphorylation at Y1173 residue (but not at Y1068) by the protein tyrosine phosphatase H1 (PTPH1), thus suggesting its possible involvement in the observed Notch3-dependent TNBC sensitivity response to gefitinib. Consistent with this notion, a nuclear localization defect of phospho-EGFR is observed after combined blockade of EGFR and Notch3, which results in a decreased TNBC cell survival. Notably, we observed a significant correlation between EGFR and NOTCH3 expression levels by in silico gene expression and immunohistochemical analysis of human TNBC primary samples. Our findings strongly suggest that combined therapies of TKI-gefitinib with Notch3-specific suppression may be exploited as a drug combination advantage in TNBC treatment.
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15
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Kim EM, Jung CH, Song JY, Park JK, Um HD. Pro-apoptotic Bax promotes mesenchymal-epithelial transition by binding to respiratory complex-I and antagonizing the malignant actions of pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins. Cancer Lett 2018; 424:127-135. [PMID: 29596889 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The plasticity of solid tumors between the epithelial and mesenchymal states critically influences their malignant progression and metastasis. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which supports cancer cell invasion and metastasis, is promoted by pro-survival members (e.g., Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL) of the Bcl-2 protein family, which are well-known key apoptosis regulators. We found that Bcl-w, another pro-survival member, promotes EMT by increasing respiratory complex-I activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. In contrast, pro-apoptotic Bax facilitates mesenchymal-epithelial transition by binding to complex-I, which inhibits complex-I-induced ROS production. Functional antagonism between pro-survival and pro-apoptotic proteins in regulating tumor plasticity was directly confirmed by co-expressing Bax with Bcl-w or Bcl-XL. Therefore, the balance between the functionally opposing Bcl-2 proteins appears to be a critical determinant of cancer cell phenotypes. We further showed that sub-lethal doses of γ-radiation induced EMT by increasing Bcl-XL and Bcl-w levels and complex-I activity. We propose that Bcl-2 proteins and complex-I are potential targets for preventing tumor progression and the malignant actions of radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Mi Kim
- Division of Applied Radiation Bioscience, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chan-Hun Jung
- Division of Applied Radiation Bioscience, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jie-Young Song
- Division of Applied Radiation Bioscience, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong Kuk Park
- Division of Applied Radiation Bioscience, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hong-Duck Um
- Division of Applied Radiation Bioscience, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea.
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16
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Guest ST, Kratche ZR, Irish JC, Wilson RC, Haddad R, Gray JW, Garrett-Mayer E, Ethier SP. Functional oncogene signatures guide rationally designed combination therapies to synergistically induce breast cancer cell death. Oncotarget 2017; 7:36138-36153. [PMID: 27153554 PMCID: PMC5094989 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical first step in the personalized approach to cancer treatment is the identification of activated oncogenes that drive each tumor. The Identification of driver oncogenes on a patient-by-patient basis is complicated by the complexity of the cancer genome and the fact that a particular genetic alteration may serve as a driver event only in a subset of tumors that harbor it. In this study, we set out to identify the complete set of functional oncogenes in a small panel of breast cancer cell lines. The cell lines in this panel were chosen because they each contain a known receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) oncogene. To identify additional drivers, we integrated functional genetic screens with copy number and mutation analysis, and cancer genome knowledge databases. The resulting functional oncogene signatures were able to predict responsiveness of cell lines to targeted inhibitors. However, as single agents, these drugs had little effect on clonogenic potential. By contrast, treatment with drug combinations that targeted multiple oncogenes in the signatures, even at very low doses, resulted in the induction of apoptosis and striking synergistic effects on clonogenicity. In particular, targeting a driver oncogene that mediates AKT phosphorylation in combination with targeting the anti-apoptotic BCL2L1 protein had profound effects on cell viability. Importantly, because the synergistic induction of cell death was achieved using low levels of each individual drug, it suggests that a therapeutic strategy based on this approach could avoid the toxicities that have been associated with the combined use of multiple-targeted agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Guest
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary R Kratche
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan C Irish
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ramsi Haddad
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Joe W Gray
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer
- Department of Public Health Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen P Ethier
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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17
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Speyer CL, Bukhsh MA, Jafry WS, Sexton RE, Bandyopadhyay S, Gorski DH. Riluzole synergizes with paclitaxel to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2017; 166:407-419. [PMID: 28780701 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-017-4435-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE One in eight women will develop breast cancer, 15-20% of whom will have triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer with no current targeted therapy. We have demonstrated that riluzole, an FDA-approved drug for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inhibits growth of TNBC. In this study, we explore potential synergism between riluzole and paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat TNBC, in regulating TNBC proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. METHODS TNBC cells were treated with paclitaxel and/or riluzole and synergistic effects on cell proliferation were quantified via MTT assay and CompuSyn analysis. Apoptosis was observed morphologically and by measuring cleaved PARP/caspase three products. Microarray analysis was performed using MDA-MB-231 cells to examine cell cycle genes regulated by riluzole and any enhanced effects on paclitaxel-mediated cell cycle arrest, determined by FACS analysis. These results were confirmed in vivo using a MDA-MB-231 xenograft model. RESULTS Strong enhanced or synergistic effects of riluzole on paclitaxel regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis was demonstrated in all TNBC cells tested as well as in the xenograft model. The MDA-MB-231, SUM149, and SUM229 cells, which are resistant to paclitaxel treatment, demonstrated the strongest synergistic or enhanced effect. Key protein kinases were shown to be upregulated in this study by riluzole as well as downstream cell cycle genes regulated by these kinases. CONCLUSIONS All TNBC cells tested responded synergistically to riluzole and paclitaxel strongly suggesting the usefulness of this combinatorial treatment strategy in TNBC, especially for patients whose tumors are relatively resistant to paclitaxel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia L Speyer
- Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R St., Mailcode: HW08AO, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.,Tumor Microenvironment Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Miriam A Bukhsh
- Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, 2200 N. Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Waris S Jafry
- Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R St., Mailcode: HW08AO, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Rachael E Sexton
- Michigan State University, 426 Auditorium Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Sudeshna Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - David H Gorski
- Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R St., Mailcode: HW08AO, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA. .,Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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18
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Frequent inactivation of MCC/CTNNBIP1 and overexpression of phospho-beta-catenin(Y654) are associated with breast carcinoma: Clinical and prognostic significance. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2016; 1862:1472-84. [PMID: 27208794 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional activation of β-catenin is a hallmark of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. The MCC (Mutated in colorectal cancers) and CTNNBIP1 (catenin, beta interacting protein 1) are two candidate genes which inhibit the transcriptional activity of nuclear β-catenin. The importance of MCC and CTNNBIP1 in breast cancer (BC) development has not yet been studied in detail. For this reason, in present study, the alterations (deletion/methylation/mutation/expression) of MCC and CTNNBIP1 were analyzed in BC of Indian patients (N=120) followed by expression/mutation analysis of β-catenin. Then transcriptional activity of β-catenin was checked by expression analysis of its target genes (EGFR, C-MYC and CCND1) in the same set of samples. Frequent methylation (44-45%) than deletion (20-32%) with overall alterations of 52-55% was observed in MCC/CTNNBIP1 in the BC samples. The alterations of MCC/CTNNBIP1 showed significant correlation with increased nuclear β-catenin/p-β-catenin(Y654) expression. Also, a significant correlation was seen between nuclear β-catenin expression and overexpression of its target genes like EGFR, MYC and CCND1 in the BC samples (P<0.0001). An upregulation of MCC and CTNNBIP1 expression by 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines lead to downregulation of β-catenin and its target genes. The expression of nuclear p-β-catenin(Y654), EGFR, MYC and CCND1 were significantly high in TNBC (Triple negative BC) and Her2+ compared to Luminal A/B+ subtypes. The TNBC patients in stage III/IV having reduced expression of MCC in the tumors showed poor prognosis. Thus, our data suggests that inactivation of MCC/CTNNBIP1 could be an important event in activation of β-catenin mediated transcription of target genes in BC.
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19
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Amphiregulin in Cancer: New Insights for Translational Medicine. Trends Cancer 2016; 2:111-113. [PMID: 28741529 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Although there is a large body of literature regarding amphiregulin (AREG) in human cancer, most knowledge focuses on its cell-autonomous functions in epithelial malignancies. Recent studies revealed that AREG is also present in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and contributes to therapeutic resistance. We discuss emerging concepts of AREG tumor biology and highlight their implications for translational medicine.
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20
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Dai K, Huang L, Sun X, Yang L, Gong Z. Hepatic CD206-positive macrophages express amphiregulin to promote the immunosuppressive activity of regulatory T cells in HBV infection. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:1071-1080. [PMID: 26216935 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.4a0415-152r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus is a major cause of chronic liver inflammation worldwide. Innate and adaptive immune responses work together to restrain or eliminate hepatitis B virus in the liver. Compromised or failed adaptive immune response results in persistent virus replication and spread. How to promote antiviral immunity is a research focus for hepatitis B virus prevention and therapy. In this study, we investigated the role of macrophages in the regulation of antiviral immunity. We found that F4/80(+)CD206(+)CD80(lo/+) macrophages were a particular hepatic macrophage subset that expressed amphiregulin in our mouse hepatitis B virus infection model. CD206(+) macrophage-derived amphiregulin promoted the immunosuppressive activity of intrahepatic regulatory T cells, demonstrated by higher expression of CTLA-4, ICOS, and CD39, as well as stronger inhibition of antiviral function of CD8(+) T cells. Amphiregulin-neutralizing antibody diminished the effect of CD206(+) macrophages on regulatory T cells. In addition, we found that CD206(+) macrophage-derived amphiregulin activated mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in regulatory T cells, and this mammalian target of rapamycin activation was essential for promotion of regulatory T cell activity by CD206(+) macrophages. Adoptive transfer of CD206(+) macrophages into hepatitis B virus-infected mice increased cytoplasmic hepatitis B virus DNA in hepatocytes and also increased serum hepatitis B surface antigen. The antiviral activity of CD8(+) T cells was decreased after macrophage transfer. Therefore, our research indicated that amphiregulin produced by CD206(+) macrophages plays an important role in modulating regulatory T cell function and subsequently restrains the antiviral activity of CD8(+) T cells. Our study offers new insights into the immunomodulation in hepatitis B virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Dai
- *Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and Department of Cardiology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Huang
- *Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and Department of Cardiology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaomei Sun
- *Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and Department of Cardiology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Lihua Yang
- *Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and Department of Cardiology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Zuojiong Gong
- *Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and Department of Cardiology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
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21
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Perspectives on Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Regulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Ligand-Mediated Mechanisms of Receptor Regulation and Potential for Clinical Targeting. Adv Cancer Res 2015; 127:253-81. [PMID: 26093903 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are no effective targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) indicating a critical unmet need for breast cancer patients. Tumors that fall into the triple-negative category of breast cancers do not respond to the targeted therapies currently approved for breast cancer treatment, such as endocrine therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors) or human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) inhibitors (trastuzumab, lapatinib), because these tumors lack the most common breast cancer markers: estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2. While many patients with TNBC respond to chemotherapy, subsets of patients fare poorly and relapse very quickly. Studies indicate that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overrepresented in TNBC (>50%), suggesting EGFR could be used as a biomarker and target in breast cancer. While it is clear that this growth factor receptor plays an integral role in TNBC, little is known about the mechanisms of sustained EGFR activation and how to target this protein despite availability of EGFR-targeted inhibitors, suggesting that our understanding of EGFR deregulation in TNBC is incomplete.
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22
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Young CD, Zimmerman LJ, Hoshino D, Formisano L, Hanker AB, Gatza ML, Morrison MM, Moore PD, Whitwell CA, Dave B, Stricker T, Bhola NE, Silva GO, Patel P, Brantley-Sieders DM, Levin M, Horiates M, Palma NA, Wang K, Stephens PJ, Perou CM, Weaver AM, O'Shaughnessy JA, Chang JC, Park BH, Liebler DC, Cook RS, Arteaga CL. Activating PIK3CA Mutations Induce an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)/Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK) Paracrine Signaling Axis in Basal-like Breast Cancer. Mol Cell Proteomics 2015; 14:1959-76. [PMID: 25953087 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m115.049783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in PIK3CA, the gene encoding the p110α catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) have been shown to transform human mammary epithelial cells (MECs). These mutations are present in all breast cancer subtypes, including basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we identified 72 protein expression changes in human basal-like MECs with knock-in E545K or H1047R PIK3CA mutations versus isogenic MECs with wild-type PIK3CA. Several of these were secreted proteins, cell surface receptors or ECM interacting molecules and were required for growth of PIK3CA mutant cells as well as adjacent cells with wild-type PIK3CA. The proteins identified by MS were enriched among human BLBC cell lines and pointed to a PI3K-dependent amphiregulin/EGFR/ERK signaling axis that is activated in BLBC. Proteins induced by PIK3CA mutations correlated with EGFR signaling and reduced relapse-free survival in BLBC. Treatment with EGFR inhibitors reduced growth of PIK3CA mutant BLBC cell lines and murine mammary tumors driven by a PIK3CA mutant transgene, all together suggesting that PIK3CA mutations promote tumor growth in part by inducing protein changes that activate EGFR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa J Zimmerman
- §Biochemistry, ‡‡Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | | | | | - Michael L Gatza
- ¶¶Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Genetics; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | | | - Corbin A Whitwell
- ‡‡Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | - Thomas Stricker
- ‖Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology; **Breast Cancer Research Program; Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | - Grace O Silva
- ¶¶Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Genetics; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | | | - Maren Levin
- Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas
| | | | | | - Kai Wang
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Charles M Perou
- ¶¶Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Genetics; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | - Joyce A O'Shaughnessy
- Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas; Texas Oncology, US Oncology, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Ben Ho Park
- ‖‖The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniel C Liebler
- §Biochemistry, ‡‡Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Rebecca S Cook
- ¶Cancer Biology, **Breast Cancer Research Program; Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Carlos L Arteaga
- From the Departments of ‡Medicine, ¶Cancer Biology, **Breast Cancer Research Program; Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee;
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Kappler CS, Guest ST, Irish JC, Garrett-Mayer E, Kratche Z, Wilson RC, Ethier SP. Oncogenic signaling in amphiregulin and EGFR-expressing PTEN-null human breast cancer. Mol Oncol 2014; 9:527-43. [PMID: 25454348 PMCID: PMC4304881 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A subset of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and loss of PTEN, and patients with these determinants have a poor prognosis. We used cell line models of EGFR‐positive/PTEN null TNBC to elucidate the signaling networks that drive the malignant features of these cells and cause resistance to EGFR inhibitors. In these cells, amphiregulin (AREG)‐mediated activation of EGFR results in up‐regulation of fibronectin (FN1), which is known to be a mediator of invasive capacity via interaction with integrin β1. EGFR activity in this PTEN null background also results in Wnt/beta‐catenin signaling and activation of NF‐κB. In addition, AKT is constitutively phosphorylated in these cells and is resistant to gefitinib. Expression profiling demonstrated that AREG‐activated EGFR regulates gene expression differently than EGF‐activated EGFR, and functional analysis via genome‐scale shRNA screening identified a set of genes, including PLK1 and BIRC5, that are essential for survival of SUM‐149 cells, but are uncoupled from EGFR signaling. Thus, our results demonstrate that in cells with constitutive EGFR activation and PTEN loss, critical survival genes are uncoupled from regulation by EGFR, which likely mediates resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Activation of EGFR by AREG alters signaling and gene expression compared to EGF. Activation of EGFR by AREG reduces mTORC1 pathway expression and phosphorylation. EGF‐positive, PTEN‐null TNBC cells are poised for Wnt/beta‐catenin signaling. Wnt/beta‐catenin activity occurs in a subset of cells and is enhanced in mammospheres. Regulation of growth/survival genes is uncoupled from EGFR in PTEN‐null TNBC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana S Kappler
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
| | - Stephen T Guest
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jonathan C Irish
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer
- Department of Public Health Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Zachary Kratche
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Stephen P Ethier
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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