Cancer-specific PERK signaling drives invasion and metastasis through CREB3L1

Uncovering a Novel Role of ROR1 in the Epigenetic Regulation of Tumor Suppressor Gene CREB3L1 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

A characteristic of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the epigenetic regulation of tumor suppressor genes, leading to TNBC heterogeneity and treatment resistance in patients. TNBC exhibits high methylation rates, leading to the silencing of numerous tumor suppressor genes. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) have shown limited clinical efficacy in TNBC treatment. This study aims to uncover a target that could be used to reverse the epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes in TNBC. The Western blot analysis demonstrated that ROR1 knockdown, an oncofetal gene, reduced DNMT3A and DNMT3B protein expression in the TNBC cell lines MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806, as well as a non-malignant breast cell line, MCF10A. The reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) analysis identified differential methylation of CREB3L1 when ROR1 is knocked down in TNBC cell lines. CREB3L1 is a transcription factor that plays tumor-suppressive roles in TNBC and is commonly epigenetically silenced in patients. This study shows that ROR1 requires pSTAT3 activation to upregulate DNMT3A and DNMT3B expression to induce CREB3L1 epigenetic silencing in TNBC. ROR1 knockdown resulted in the re-expression of CREB3L1 in TNBC cells. The data provide evidence that ROR1 inhibition, in combination with DNMTis, could enhance patient outcomes as a therapeutic approach for TNBC.

ER stress and/or ER-phagy in drug resistance? Three coincidences are proof

Cancer is influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes factors such as pH, hypoxia, immune cells, and blood vessels. These factors affect cancer cell growth and behavior. The tumor microenvironment triggers adaptive responses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), and autophagy, posing a challenge to cancer treatment. The UPR aims to restore ER homeostasis by involving key regulators inositol-requiring enzyme-1(IRE1), PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). Additionally, ER-phagy, a selective form of autophagy, eliminates ER components under stress conditions. Understanding the interplay between hypoxia, ER stress, UPR, and autophagy in the tumor microenvironment is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies to overcome drug resistance. Targeting the components of the UPR and modulating ER-phagy could potentially improve the efficacy of existing cancer therapies. Future research should define the conditions under which ER stress responses and ER-phagy act as pro-survival versus pro-death mechanisms and develop precise methods to quantify ER-phagic flux in tumor cells.

The Role of ER Stress and the Unfolded Protein Response in Cancer

Dysregulation of protein synthesis, folding, and secretion leads to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, triggering the unfolded protein response (UPR). While the UPR is essential for cell survival under stress, its chronic activation in cancer cells supports tumorigenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance by enabling cellular adaptation to hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and oxidative stress. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of key UPR mediators - binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) - in cancer progression and therapy resistance. Furthermore, it discusses strategies to target UPR pathways, including small molecule inhibitors, gene therapies, natural compounds, and combination therapies, while it evaluates their preclinical and clinical relevance. Finally, it explores how modulating UPR signaling can overcome therapeutic resistance, improve immunotherapy outcomes, and reshape the tumor microenvironment. This review emphasizes the promise of UPR-targeted approaches in enhancing the efficacy of current cancer treatments and achieving better patient outcomes.

PERK-dependent reciprocal crosstalk between ER and non-centrosomal microtubules coordinates ER architecture and cell shape

The architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key determinant of its function. Its dynamics are linked to those of the cytoskeleton, but our understanding of how this coordination occurs and what its functional relevance is, limited. Here, we report that the unfolded protein response (UPRER) transducer EIF2AK3/PERK (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha kinase 3/protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase) is essential for acute-stress-induced peripheral redistribution and remodeling of the ER through eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) phosphorylation and translation initiation shutdown. PERK-mediated eIF2α phosphorylation can be bypassed by blocking polysome assembly, depleting microtubule (MT)-anchoring ER proteins such as p180/RRBP1 (ribosome-binding protein 1), or disrupting the MT cytoskeleton. Specific disruption of non-centrosomal MTs, but not centrosome depletion, rescues ER redistribution in PERK-deficient cells. Conversely, PERK deficiency stabilizes non-centrosomal MTs against proteasomal degradation, promoting polarized protrusiveness in epithelial cells and neuroblasts. Thus, PERK coordinates ER architecture and homeostasis with cell morphogenesis by coupling ER remodeling and non-centrosomal MT stability and dynamics.

Induction of mitochondrial damage via the CREB3L1/miR-34c/COX1 axis by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection facilitates pathogenicity

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a primary cause of viral diarrhea in neonatal piglets, leading to substantial economic losses in the swine industry globally. It primarily targets epithelial cells of the small intestine, compromising intestinal function and resulting in the death of affected animals. As mitochondria are essential for maintaining gut health, this study investigates the effects of PEDV infection on mitochondrial function in small intestinal epithelial cells and its subsequent impacts. Using small RNA sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization, dual luciferase reporter assay, gene overexpression, and silencing experiments, we investigated the mitochondrial structural and functional impairments induced by PEDV infection in jejunum epithelial cells of piglets and characterized the regulatory pattern of miRNAs in mitochondria of jejunum epithelial cells during PEDV infection. The results indicate that PEDV infection leads to the upregulation and mitochondrial localization of the nuclear-encoded microRNA, miR-34c, which in turn suppresses COX1 expression. The activation of the miR-34c/COX1 axis diminishes mitochondrial complex III, IV, and V activities, depletes ATP, lowers mitochondrial oxygen consumption, induces mitochondrial depolarization, increases the accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and stimulates mitophagy. Furthermore, we confirm that CREB3L1 acts as an upstream transcription factor regulating the miR-34c/COX1 axis during PEDV infection, modulating mitochondrial damage in the epithelial cells of the jejunum. These findings demonstrate for the first time that PEDV infection activates the miR-34c/COX1 axis via the transcription factor CREB3L1 and regulates the nuclear-mitochondrial communication and mitochondrial fate, providing a new perspective on the pathogenesis of PEDV.IMPORTANCEThis study reveals the mechanism by which the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) disrupts mitochondrial function in piglets, enhancing viral pathogenicity. By demonstrating how PEDV infection upregulates miR-34c, leading to COX1 suppression and subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction, the research highlights a novel aspect of viral manipulation of host cellular mechanisms. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the PEDV pathogenesis and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention, advancing efforts to mitigate the economic impact of PEDV on the swine industry.

ATF6α inhibits ΔNp63α expression to promote breast cancer metastasis by the GRP78-AKT1-FOXO3a signaling

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is increasingly recognized as a driver of cancer progression; however, the precise molecular mechanisms by which ER stress facilitates tumor metastasis remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that ER stress-activated ATF6α promotes breast cancer cell migration and metastasis by downregulating the expression of ΔNp63α, a key metastasis suppressor. Mechanistically, ATF6α reduces ΔNp63α expression through GRP78, which interacts with and activates AKT1. Activated AKT1 subsequently phosphorylates FOXO3a, leading to its degradation. Since FOXO3a directly transactivates ΔNp63α expression, its degradation results in reduced ΔNp63α levels. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockdown of AKT1 upregulates ΔNp63α in vitro and suppresses tumor metastasis in vivo. Clinical analyses reveal that TP63 and FOXO3a expression are significantly reduced in breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, whereas ATF6 and GRP78 expression are elevated. Moreover, low TP63 and high GRP78 expression are associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Collectively, these findings elucidate the pivotal role of the ATF6α-GRP78-AKT1-FOXO3a axis in chronic ER stress-mediated downregulation of ΔNp63α, establishing a molecular framework for targeting this pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy against breast cancer metastasis.

Cell states and neighborhoods in distinct clinical stages of primary and metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly lethal cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract with rising incidence in western populations. To decipher EAC disease progression and therapeutic response, we performed multiomic analyses of a cohort of primary and metastatic EAC tumors, incorporating single-nuclei transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility sequencing, along with spatial profiling. We identified tumor microenvironmental features previously described to associate with therapy response. We identified five malignant cell programs, including undifferentiated, intermediate, differentiated, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and cycling programs, which were associated with differential epigenetic plasticity and clinical outcomes, and for which we inferred candidate transcription factor regulons. Furthermore, we revealed diverse spatial localizations of malignant cells expressing their associated transcriptional programs and predicted their significant interactions with microenvironmental cell types. We validated our findings in three external single-cell RNA-seq and three bulk RNA-seq studies. Altogether, our findings advance the understanding of EAC heterogeneity, disease progression, and therapeutic response.

PERK-Olating Through Cancer: A Brew of Cellular Decisions

The type I protein kinase PERK is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein that plays a multifaceted role in cancer development and progression, influencing tumor growth, metastasis, and cellular stress responses. The activation of PERK represents one of the three signaling pathways induced during the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is triggered, in particular, in tumor cells that constitutively experience various intracellular and extracellular stresses that impair protein folding within the ER. PERK activation can lead to both pro-survival and proapoptotic outcomes, depending on the cellular context and the extent of ER stress. It helps the reprogramming of the gene expression in cancer cells, thereby ensuring survival in the face of oncogenic stress, such as replicative stress and DNA damage, and also microenvironmental challenges, including hypoxia, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Consequently, PERK contributes to tumor initiation, transformation, adaptation to the microenvironment, and chemoresistance. However, sustained PERK activation in cells can also impair cell proliferation and promote apoptotic death by various interconnected processes, including mitochondrial dysfunction, translational inhibition, the accumulation of various cellular stresses, and the specific induction of multifunctional proapoptotic factors, such as CHOP. The dual role of PERK in promoting both tumor progression and suppression makes it a complex target for therapeutic interventions. A comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of PERK pathway activation and their impact is essential for the development of effective therapeutic strategies, particularly in diseases like cancer, where the ER stress response is deregulated in most, if not all, of the solid and liquid tumors. This article provides an overview of the knowledge acquired from the study of animal models of cancer and tumor cell lines cultured in vitro on PERK's intracellular functions and their impact on cancer cells and their microenvironment, thus highlighting potential new therapeutic avenues that could target this protein.

DNAJB1-PRKACA Fusion Drives Fibrolamellar Liver Cancer through Impaired SIK Signaling and CRTC2/p300-Mediated Transcriptional Reprogramming

SIGNIFICANCE

This work combines functional studies in model systems and examination of human tumor specimens to define a central oncogenic pathway driven by DNAJB1-PRKACA fusions in FLC. DNAJB1-PRKACA-mediated inactivation of the SIK stimulates CRTC2-p300-mediated transcription to drive tumor growth. The findings illuminate pathogenic mechanisms and inform therapeutic development.

Noncanonical UPR factor CREB3L2 drives immune evasion of triple-negative breast cancer through Hedgehog pathway modulation in T cells

The unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway is crucial for tumorigenesis, mainly by regulating cancer cell stress responses and survival. However, whether UPR factors facilitate cell-cell communication between cancer cells and immune cells to drive cancer progression remains unclear. We found that adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate response element-binding protein 3-like protein 2 (CREB3L2), a noncanonical UPR factor, is overexpressed and activated in triple-negative breast cancer, where its cleavage releases a C-terminal fragment that activates the Hedgehog pathway in neighboring CD8+ T cells. The enhanced Hedgehog pathway represses CD8+ T cell activation and inhibits its cytotoxic effects. Consequently, overexpression of CREB3L2 not only promotes tumor growth but also causes resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Inhibition of the Hedgehog pathway impedes the growth of CREB3L2-overexpressed tumors and sensitizes them to ICB therapy. In summary, we identified a previously unidentified mechanism by which the UPR pathway dictates cross-talk between cancer cells and immune cells, providing important anticancer therapeutic opportunities.

CREB3L1 facilitates pancreatic tumor progression and reprograms intratumoral tumor-associated macrophages to shape an immunotherapy-resistance microenvironment

BACKGROUND

To date, a growing body of evidence suggests that unfolded protein response (UPR) sensors play a vital role in carcinogenesis. However, it remains unclear whether they are involved in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and how they relate to clinical outcomes. This study aims to investigate the biological function and mechanism of how a novel UPR sensor, CREB3L1 works in PDAC and further evaluate its clinical application prospect.

METHODS

We tested UPR signaling including CREB3L1 in Thapsigargin-treated PDAC cells. Subsequently, we defined CREB3L1 expression and further analyzed its expression with clinical characteristics in PDAC. Then, we established gene-modified cells to determine whether CREB3L1 functions in cell proliferation and migration capacity. Besides, we constructed subcutaneously and orthotopically transplanted mice models to verify their progrowing function and pulmonary metastasis models to prove their proinvasion role. What's more, RNAseq, qPCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and multicolor flow cytometry experiments were used to explore the mechanism of how CREB3L1 worked in PDAC. Lastly, CREB3L1 expression correlation with PDAC immunotherapy outcome and immune cell signatures were explored in the patients with advanced PDAC who received PD-1 antibody therapy.

RESULTS

We first confirmed CREB3L1 could be induced by endoplasmic reticulum stressor and found its aberrant activation was associated with poorer overall survival in PDAC patients indicating the protumor function of the new UPR sensor. Functionally, we confirmed CREB3L1 contributing to PDAC malignant progression including growth and metastasis by multiple in in vitro and in vivo models. Mechanistically, CREB3L1 upregulated COL3A1 and promoted dense stroma formation for facilitating PDAC and knocking down COL3A1 disrupted CREB3L1 protumor function. Furthermore, CREB3L1-induced TAM polarization toward an M2 phenotype and reduced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Clinically, CREB3L1 correlated with immune cell signatures as well as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment response and outcome that CREB3L1aberrant activation indicated poorer efficacy and worse prognosis than the low in PDAC which might empower clinical decision.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, this study revealed CREB3L1 facilitated PDAC progression, shaped an immune exclude tumor microenvironment and distinguished therapy response and outcome of ICB therapy indicating CREB3L1 could be a promising novel molecular target and biomarker for PDAC treatment.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress induced autophagy in cancer and its potential interactions with apoptosis and ferroptosis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a dynamic organelle that is a site of the synthesis of proteins and lipids, contributing to the regulation of proteostasis, lipid metabolism, redox balance, and calcium storage/-dependent signaling events. The disruption of ER homeostasis due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER causes ER stress which activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) system through the activation of IRE1, PERK, and ATF6. Activation of UPR is observed in various cancers and therefore, its association with process of carcinogenesis has been of importance. Tumor cells effectively utilize the UPR system to overcome ER stress. Moreover, ER stress and autophagy are the stress response mechanisms operating together to maintain cellular homeostasis. In human cancers, ER stress-driven autophagy can function as either pro-survival or pro-death in a context-dependent manner. ER stress-mediated autophagy can have crosstalk with other types of cell death pathways including apoptosis and ferroptosis. In this connection, the present review has evaluated the role of ER stress in the regulation of autophagy-mediated tumorigenesis and its interactions with other cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and ferroptosis. We have also comprehensively discussed the effect of ER stress-mediated autophagy on cancer progression and chemotherapeutic resistance.

The UPRising connection between endoplasmic reticulum stress and the tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a dynamic network of cancer cells, stromal cells, immune mediators, and extracellular matrix components, crucial for cancer progression. Stress conditions such as oncogene activation, nutrient deprivation, and hypoxia disrupt the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), activating the unfolded protein response (UPR), the main adaptive mechanism to restore ER function. The UPR regulates cancer progression by engaging cell-autonomous and cell-non-autonomous mechanisms, reprogramming the stroma and promoting immune evasion, angiogenesis, and invasion. This review explores the role of UPR beyond cancer cells, focusing on how ER stress signaling reshapes the TME, supporting tumor growth. The therapeutic potential of targeting the UPR is also discussed.

Advancing thyroid disease research: The role and potential of zebrafish model

Thyroid disorders significantly affect human metabolism, cardiovascular function, skeletal health, and reproductive systems, presenting a complex challenge due to their multifactorial nature. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic approaches require appropriate models. Zebrafish, with their genetic tractability, short life cycle, and physiological relevance, have emerged as a valuable model for investigating thyroid diseases. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the zebrafish thyroid gland's structure and function, explores its application in modeling thyroid pathologies such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer, and discusses current limitations and possible improvements. Furthermore, it outlines future directions for zebrafish-based research, focusing on enhancing the model's relevance to human thyroid disease and its potential to expedite the development of clinical therapies.

Involvement of CREB3L1 in erythropoiesis induced by JAK2 exon 12 mutation

CREB3L1, a gene encoding the endoplasmic reticulum stress transducer, is specifically overexpressed in platelet RNA from patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). However, the pathophysiological roles of CREB3L1 overexpression remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to study CREB3L1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the red blood cells (RBCs) of patients with MPN and its role in erythrocytosis. Elevated expression of CREB3L1 was exclusively observed in the RBCs of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) harboring JAK2 exon 12 mutations, but not in those harboring JAK2 V617F mutation or control subjects. In erythropoiesis, CREB3L1 expression was sharply induced in erythroblasts of bone marrow cells collected from patients with JAK2 exon 12 mutation. This was also evident when erythropoiesis was induced in vitro using hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) with JAK2 exon 12 mutation. Interestingly, overexpression of CREB3L1 in RBCs was observed in patients with reactive erythrocytosis whose serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels exceeded 100 mIU/mL. Elevated CREB3L1 expression was also observed in the erythroblasts of a patient with acute erythroid leukemia. EPO-dependent induction of CREB3L1 was evident in erythroblasts differentiated from HSPCs in vitro, regardless of driver mutation status or MPN pathogenesis. These data strongly suggest that CREB3L1 overexpression in RBCs is associated with hyperactivation of the EPO receptor and its downstream molecule, JAK2. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown of CREB3L1 expression in HSPCs blocked erythroblast formation in vitro. These results suggest that CREB3L1 is required for erythropoiesis in the presence of JAK2 exon 12 mutation or high level of EPO, possibly by antagonizing cellular stress.

Enhancement of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer-Specific Induction of Cell Death by Silver Nanoparticles by Combined Treatment with Proteotoxic Stress Response Inhibitors

Metal nanoparticles have been tested for therapeutic and imaging applications in pre-clinical models of cancer, but fears of toxicity have limited their translation. An emerging concept in nanomedicine is to exploit the inherent drug-like properties of unmodified nanomaterials for cancer therapy. To be useful clinically, there must be a window between the toxicity of the nanomaterial to cancer and toxicity to normal cells. This necessitates identification of specific vulnerabilities in cancers that can be targeted using nanomaterials without inducing off-target toxicity. Previous studies point to proteotoxic stress as a driver of silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) toxicity. Two key cell stress responses involved in mitigating proteotoxicity are the heat shock response (HSR) and the integrated stress response (ISR). Here, we examine the role that these stress responses play in AgNP-induced cytotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and immortalized mammary epithelial cells. Furthermore, we investigate HSR and ISR inhibitors as potential drug partners to increase the anti-cancer efficacy of AgNPs without increasing off-target toxicity. We showed that AgNPs did not strongly induce the HSR at a transcriptional level, but instead decreased expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) at the protein level, possibly due to degradation in AgNP-treated TNBC cells. We further showed that the HSR inhibitor, KRIBB11, synergized with AgNPs in TNBC cells, but also increased off-target toxicity in immortalized mammary epithelial cells. In contrast, we found that salubrinal, a drug that can sustain pro-death ISR signaling, enhanced AgNP-induced cell death in TNBC cells without increasing toxicity in immortalized mammary epithelial cells. Subsequent co-culture studies demonstrated that AgNPs in combination with salubrinal selectively eliminated TNBCs without affecting immortalized mammary epithelial cells grown in the same well. Our findings provide additional support for proteotoxic stress as a mechanism by which AgNPs selectively kill TNBCs and will help guide future efforts to identify drug partners that would be beneficial for use with AgNPs for cancer therapy.

Stress granule formation enables anchorage-independence survival in cancer cells

Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic cytoplasmic structures assembled in response to various stress stimuli that enhance cell survival under adverse environmental conditions. Here we show that SGs contribute to breast cancer progression by enhancing the survival of cells subjected to anoikis stress. SG assembly is triggered by inhibition of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) or loss of adhesion signals. Combined proteomic analysis and functional studies reveal that SG formation enhances cancer cell proliferation, resistance to metabolic stress, anoikis resistance, and migration. Importantly, inhibiting SG formation promotes the sensitivity of cancer cells to FAK inhibitors being developed as cancer therapeutics. Furthermore, we identify the Rho-ROCK- PERK-eIF2α axis as a critical signaling pathway activated by loss of adhesion signals and inhibition of the FAK-mTOR-eIF4F complex in breast cancer cells. By triggering SG assembly and AKT activation in response to anoikis stress, PERK functions as an oncoprotein in breast cancer cells. Overall, our study highlights the significance of SG formation in breast cancer progression and suggests that therapeutic inhibition of SG assembly may reverse anoikis resistance in treatment-resistant cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Highlights

Either anoikis stress or loss of adhesion induce stress granule (SG) formationThe Rho-ROCK-PERK-eIF2α axis is a crucial signaling pathway triggered by the absence of adhesion signals, leading to the promotion of SG formation along with the inhibition of the FAK- AKT/mTOR-eIF4F complex under anoikis stress.PERK functions as an oncogene in breast cancer cells, initiating SG formation and activating AKT under anoikis stress.Inhibiting SG formation significantly enhances the sensitivity to Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) inhibitors, suggesting a potential for combined therapy to improve cancer treatment efficacy.

A novel mitochondrial function-associated programmed cell death-related prognostic signature for predicting the prognosis of early breast cancer

Purpose: To screen mitochondrial function-associated PCD-related biomarkers and construct a risk model for predicting the prognosis of early breast cancer. Methods: Data on gene expression levels and clinical information were obtained from the TCGA database, and GSE42568 and GSE58812 datasets were obtained from GEO database. The mitochondrial function-associated programmed cell death (PCD) related genes in early breast cancer were identified, then LASSO logistic regression, SVM-RFE, random forest (RF), and multiple Cox logistic regression analysis were employed to construct a prognostic risk model. Differences in immune infiltration, drug sensitivity, and immunotherapy response were evaluated between groups. Lastly, the qRT-PCR was employed to confirm the key genes. Results: Total 1,478 DEGs were screened between normal and early breast cancer groups, and these DEGs were involved in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, focal adhesion, and ECM-receptor interaction pathways. Then total 178 mitochondrial function-associated PCD related genes were obtained, followed by a four mitochondrial function-associated PCD related genes prognostic model and nomogram were built. In addition, total 2 immune checkpoint genes were lowly expressed in the high-risk group, including CD47 and LAG3, and the fraction of some immune cells in high- and low-risk groups had significant difference, such as macrophage, eosinophil, mast cell, etc., and the Top3 chemotherapeutics with significant differences were included FH535, MK.2206, and bicalutamide. Finally, the qRT-qPCR results shown that the CREB3L1, CAPG, SPINT1 and GRK3 mRNA expression were in line with the bioinformatics analysis results. Conclusion: Four mitochondrial function-associated PCD-related genes were identified, including CREB3L1, CAPG, SPINT1, and GRK3, and the prognostic risk model and nomogram were established for predicting the survival of early breast cancer patient. The chemotherapeutics, containing FH535, MK.2206, and bicalutamide, might be used for early breast cancer.

NCI 159456 PERK Inhibitor as a Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer: An In Vitro Study

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the most common histological type of lung cancer, characterized by a five-year survival rate of 15% and poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates a prominent role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)-dependent pathway of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the pathogenesis of NSCLC. Increased expression of downstream targets of PERK was observed in various subtypes of NSCLC, and it was associated with a more aggressive phenotype, high risk of recurrence, and poor prognosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the biological effect of the selective PERK inhibitor NCI 159456 on A549 NSCLC cells and Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts (HPF) in vitro. Treatment of both normal and ER-stressed A549 cells with NCI 159456 resulted in a significant increase in the mRNA expression level of pro-apoptotic genes like activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), DNA damage inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), and BCL2 Associated X, Apoptosis Regulator (BAX) as well as a decreased level of the anti-apoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity analyses revealed that NCI 159456 significantly decreased viability and increased DNA damage in A549 cells under normal and ER stress conditions. Caspase-3 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assays demonstrated that NCI 159456 significantly induced apoptosis and increased the ROS level in normal and ER-stressed A549 cells. Importantly, treatment with the inhibitor did not affect substantially normal HPF cells at any used concentration. The results indicate that PERK inhibitors could potentially be applied as a targeted therapy for NSCLC.

Impact of Obesity-Related Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress on Cancer and Associated Molecular Targets

Obesity, characterized by excessive body fat, is closely linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Inflammatory pathways like c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) worsen insulin resistance, impacting insulin signaling. Moreover, ER stress plays a substantial role in cancer, influencing tumor cell survival and growth by releasing factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The unfolded protein response (UPR) is pivotal in this process, offering both pro-survival and apoptotic pathways. This review offers an extensive exploration of the sophisticated connection between ER stress provoked by obesity and its role in both the onset and advancement of cancer. It delves into the intricate interplay between oncogenic signaling and the pathways associated with ER stress in individuals who are obese. Furthermore, this review sheds light on potential therapeutic strategies aimed at managing ER stress induced by obesity, with a focus on addressing cancer initiation and progression. The potential to alleviate ER stress through therapeutic interventions, which may encompass the use of small molecules, FDA-approved medications, and gene therapy, holds great promise. A more in-depth examination of pathways such as UPR, ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD), autophagy, and epigenetic regulation has the potential to uncover innovative therapeutic approaches and the identification of predictive biomarkers.

Decoding contextual crosstalk: revealing distinct interactions between non-coding RNAs and unfolded protein response in breast cancer

Breast cancer is significantly influenced by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, impacting both its initiation and progression. When cells experience an accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins, they activate the unfolded protein response (UPR) to restore cellular balance. In breast cancer, the UPR is frequently triggered due to challenging conditions within tumors. The UPR has a dual impact on breast cancer. On one hand, it can contribute to tumor growth by enhancing cell survival and resistance to programmed cell death in unfavorable environments. On the other hand, prolonged and severe ER stress can trigger cell death mechanisms, limiting tumor progression. Furthermore, ER stress has been linked to the regulation of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in breast cancer cells. These ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play essential roles in cancer development by influencing gene expression and cellular processes. An improved understanding of how ER stress and ncRNAs interact in breast cancer can potentially lead to new treatment approaches. Modifying specific ncRNAs involved in the ER stress response might interfere with cancer cell survival and induce cell death. Additionally, focusing on UPR-associated proteins that interact with ncRNAs could offer novel therapeutic possibilities. Therefore, this review provides a concise overview of the interconnection between ER stress and ncRNAs in breast cancer, elucidating the nuanced effects of the UPR on cell fate and emphasizing the regulatory roles of ncRNAs in breast cancer progression.

Sublethal engagement of apoptotic pathways in residual cancer

Cytotoxic chemo-, radio-, and targeted therapies frequently elicit apoptotic cancer cell death. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is a critical, regulated step in this apoptotic pathway. The residual cancer cells that survive treatment serve as the seeds of eventual relapse and are often functionally characterized by their transient tolerance of multiple therapeutic treatments. New studies suggest that, in these cells, a sublethal degree of MOMP, reflective of incomplete apoptotic commitment, is widely observed. Here, we review recent evidence that this sublethal MOMP drives the aggressive features of residual cancer cells while templating a host of unique vulnerabilities, highlighting how failed apoptosis may counterintuitively enable new therapeutic strategies to target residual disease (RD).

Targeting the key players of phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells by phytochemicals

Plasticity of phenotypic traits refers to an organism's ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. As a result, the response may alter an organism's physiological state, morphology, behavior, and phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity in cancer cells describes the considerable ability of cancer cells to transform phenotypes through non-genetic molecular signaling activities that promote therapy evasion and tumor metastasis via amplifying cancer heterogeneity. As a result of metastable phenotypic state transitions, cancer cells can tolerate chemotherapy or develop transient adaptive resistance. Therefore, new findings have paved the road in identifying factors and agents that inhibit or suppress phenotypic plasticity. It has also investigated novel multitargeted agents that may promise new effective strategies in cancer treatment. Despite the efficiency of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, drug toxicity, development of resistance, and high-cost limit their use in cancer therapy. Recent research has shown that small molecules derived from natural sources are capable of suppressing cancer by focusing on the plasticity of phenotypic responses. This systematic, comprehensive, and critical review analyzes the current state of knowledge regarding the ability of phytocompounds to target phenotypic plasticity at both preclinical and clinical levels. Current challenges/pitfalls, limitations, and future perspectives are also discussed.

KIF26B and CREB3L1 Derived from Immunoscore Could Inhibit the Progression of Ovarian Cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer (OV) is characteristic of high incidence rate and fatality rate in the malignant tumors of female reproductive system. Researches on pathogenesis and therapeutic targets for OV need to be continued. This study mainly analyzed the immune-related pathogenesis and discovered the key immunotherapy targets for OV.

Methods

WGCNA was used for excavating hub gene modules and hub genes related to the immunity of OV. Enrichment analysis was aimed to analyze the related pathways of hub gene modules. Biological experiments were used for exploring the effect of hub genes on SKOV3 cells.

Results

We identified two hub gene modules related to the immunoscore of OV and found that these genes in the modules were related to the extracellular matrix and viral infections. At the same time, we also discovered six hub genes related to the immunity of OV. Among them, KIF26B and CREB3L1 can affect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SKOV3 cells by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusions

The local infection or inflammation of ovarian may affect the immunity of OV. KIF26B and CREB3L1 are expected to be potential targets for the immunotherapy of OV.

cAMP-PKA/EPAC signaling and cancer: the interplay in tumor microenvironment

Cancer is a complex disease resulting from abnormal cell growth that is induced by a number of genetic and environmental factors. The tumor microenvironment (TME), which involves extracellular matrix, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), tumor-infiltrating immune cells and angiogenesis, plays a critical role in tumor progression. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger that has pleiotropic effects on the TME. The downstream effectors of cAMP include cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC) and ion channels. While cAMP can activate PKA or EPAC and promote cancer cell growth, it can also inhibit cell proliferation and survival in context- and cancer type-dependent manner. Tumor-associated stromal cells, such as CAF and immune cells, can release cytokines and growth factors that either stimulate or inhibit cAMP production within the TME. Recent studies have shown that targeting cAMP signaling in the TME has therapeutic benefits in cancer. Small-molecule agents that inhibit adenylate cyclase and PKA have been shown to inhibit tumor growth. In addition, cAMP-elevating agents, such as forskolin, can not only induce cancer cell death, but also directly inhibit cell proliferation in some cancer types. In this review, we summarize current understanding of cAMP signaling in cancer biology and immunology and discuss the basis for its context-dependent dual role in oncogenesis. Understanding the precise mechanisms by which cAMP and the TME interact in cancer will be critical for the development of effective therapies. Future studies aimed at investigating the cAMP-cancer axis and its regulation in the TME may provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis and lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

The Regulatory Network of CREB3L1 and Its Roles in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

CREB3 subfamily belongs to the bZIP transcription factor family and comprises five members. Normally they are located on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and proteolytically activated through RIP (regulated intramembrane proteolysis) on Golgi apparatus to liberate the N-terminus to serve as transcription factors. CREB3L1 acting as one of them transcriptionally regulates the expressions of target genes and exhibits distinct functions from the other members of CREB3 family in eukaryotes. Physiologically, CREB3L1 involves in the regulation of bone morphogenesis, neurogenesis, neuroendocrine, secretory cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. Pathologically, CREB3L1 implicates in the modulation of osteogenesis imperfecta, low grade fibro myxoid sarcoma (LGFMS), sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF), glioma, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and tissue fibrosis. This review summarizes the upstream and downstream regulatory network of CREB3L1 and thoroughly presents our current understanding of CREB3L1 research progress in both physiological and pathological conditions with special focus on the novel findings of CREB3L1 in cancers.

A PERK-Specific Inhibitor Blocks Metastatic Progression by Limiting Integrated Stress Response-Dependent Survival of Quiescent Cancer Cells

PURPOSE

The integrated stress response (ISR) kinase PERK serves as a survival factor for both proliferative and dormant cancer cells. We aim to validate PERK inhibition as a new strategy to specifically eliminate solitary disseminated cancer cells (DCC) in secondary sites that eventually reawake and originate metastasis.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

A novel clinical-grade PERK inhibitor (HC4) was tested in mouse syngeneic and PDX models that present quiescent/dormant DCCs or growth-arrested cancer cells in micro-metastatic lesions that upregulate ISR.

RESULTS

HC4 significantly blocks metastasis, by killing quiescent/slow-cycling ISRhigh, but not proliferative ISRlow DCCs. HC4 blocked expansion of established micro-metastasis that contained ISRhigh slow-cycling cells. Single-cell gene expression profiling and imaging revealed that a significant proportion of solitary DCCs in lungs were indeed dormant and displayed an unresolved ER stress as revealed by high expression of a PERK-regulated signature. In human breast cancer metastasis biopsies, GADD34 expression (PERK-regulated gene) and quiescence were positively correlated. HC4 effectively eradicated dormant bone marrow DCCs, which usually persist after rounds of therapies. Importantly, treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors (to force a quiescent state) followed by HC4 further reduced metastatic burden. In HNSCC and HER2+ cancers HC4 caused cell death in dormant DCCs. In HER2+ tumors, PERK inhibition caused killing by reducing HER2 activity because of sub-optimal HER2 trafficking and phosphorylation in response to EGF.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data identify PERK as a unique vulnerability in quiescent or slow-cycling ISRhigh DCCs. The use of PERK inhibitors may allow targeting of pre-existing or therapy-induced growth arrested "persister" cells that escape anti-proliferative therapies.

C5a-C5aR1 induces endoplasmic reticulum stress to accelerate vascular calcification via PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CREB3L1 pathway

AIMS

Vascular calcification (VC) predicts the morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular diseases. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) osteogenic transdifferentiation is the crucial pathological basis for VC. To date, the molecular pathogenesis is still largely unclear. Notably, C5a-C5aR1 contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, and its closely related to physiological bone mineralization which is similar to VSMCs osteogenic transdifferentiation. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of C5a-C5aR1 in VC remain unexplored.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A cross-sectional clinical study was utilized to examine the association between C5a and VC. Chronic kidney diseases mice and calcifying VSMCs models were established to investigate the effect of C5a-C5aR1 in VC, evaluated by changes in calcium deposition and osteogenic markers. The cross-sectional study identified that high level of C5a was associated with increased risk of VC. C5a dose-responsively accelerated VSMCs osteogenic transdifferentiation accompanying with increased the expression of C5aR1. Meanwhile, the antagonists of C5aR1, PMX 53, reduced calcium deposition, and osteogenic transdifferentiation both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, C5a-C5aR1 induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and then activated PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 pathway to accelerated VSMCs osteogenic transdifferentiation. In addition, cAMP-response element-binding protein 3-like 1 (CREB3L1) was a key downstream mediator of PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 pathway which accelerated VSMCs osteogenic transdifferentiation by promoting the expression of COL1α1.

CONCLUSIONS

High level of C5a was associated with increased risk of VC, and it accelerated VC by activating the receptor C5aR1. PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CREB3L1 pathway of ER stress was activated by C5a-C5aR1, hence promoting VSMCs osteogenic transdifferentiation. Targeting C5 or C5aR1 may be an appealing therapeutic target for VC.

Analysis of a new therapeutic target and construction of a prognostic model for breast cancer based on ferroptosis genes

Breast cancer, which is the most common malignant tumor among women worldwide and an important cause of death in women. The existing prognostic model for patients with breast cancer is not accurate as breast cancer is resistant to commonly used antitumor drugs. Ferroptosis is a novel mechanism of programmed cell death that depends on iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Various studies have confirmed the role of ferroptosis in tumor regulation and ferroptosis is now considered to play an important role in breast cancer development. At present, the association between breast cancer prognosis and ferroptosis-related gene expression remains unclear. Further exploration of this research area may optimize the evaluation and prediction of prognosis of patients with breast cancer and finding of new therapeutic targets. In this study, clinical factors and the expression of multiple genes were evaluated in breast cancer samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database database. Eleven prognostication-related genes (TP63, IFNG, MT3, ANO6, FLT3, PTGS2, SLC1A4, JUN, SLC7A5, CHAC1, and TF) were identified from differentially expressed genes to construct a survival prediction model, which showed a good prediction ability. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that immune-related pathways were the primary pathways. ssGSEA analysis showed significant differences in the distribution of certain immune-related cell subsets, such as CD8+T cells and B cells, and in the expression of multiple immune genes, including type II IFN response and APC coinhibition. In addition, 10 immune targets related to ferroptosis in breast cancer were found: CD276, CD80, HHLA2, LILRA2, NCR3LG1, NECTIN3, PVR, SLAMF9,TNFSF4, and BTN1A1. Using TCGA, new ferroptosis genes related to breast cancer prognosis were identified, a new reliable and accurate prognosis model was developed, and 10 new potential therapeutic targets different from the traditional targeted drugs were identified to provide a reference for improving the poor prognosis of patients with breast cancer.

Regulatory mechanisms of the cAMP-responsive element binding protein 3 (CREB3) family in cancers

The CREB3 family of proteins, encompassing CREB3 and its four homologs (CREB3L1, CREB3L2, CREB3L3, and CREB3L4), exerts pivotal control over cellular protein metabolism in response to unfolded protein reactions. Under conditions of endoplasmic reticulum stress, activation of the CREB3 family occurs through regulated intramembrane proteolysis within the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Perturbations in the function and expression of the CREB3 family have been closely associated with the development of diverse diseases, with a particular emphasis on cancer. Recent investigations have shed light on the indispensable role played by CREB3 family members in modulating the onset and progression of various human cancers. This comprehensive review endeavors to provide an in-depth examination of the involvement of CREB3 family members in distinct human cancer types, accentuating their significance in the pathogenesis of cancer and the manifestation of malignant phenotypes.

A mechanistic insight into the potential anti-cancerous property of Nigella sativa on breast cancer through micro-RNA regulation: An in vitro & in vivo study

Cancer continues to threat mortal alongside scientific community with burgeoning grasp. Most efforts directed to tame Cancer such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, all came at a cost of severe side effects. The plant derived bioactive compounds on the other hand carries an inevitable advantage of being safer, bioavailable & less toxic compared to contemporary chemotherapeutics. Our strategic approach employed solvent extraction of Black Seed Oil (BSO) to highlight the orchestrated use of its oil soluble phytochemicals - Thymoquinone, Carvacrol & Trans-Anethole when used in cohort. These anti-cancer agents in unbelievably modest amounts present in BSO shows better potential to delineate migratory properties in breast cancer cells as compared to when treated individually. BSO was also observed to have apoptotic calibre when investigated in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. We performed chemical characterization of the individual phytochemical as well as the oil in-whole to demonstrate the bioactive oil-soluble entities present in whole extract. BSO was observed to have significant anti-cancerous properties in cumulative proportion that is reportedly higher than the individual three components. Besides, this study also reports micro-RNA regulation on BSO administration, thereby playing a pivotal role in breast cancer alleviation. Thus, synergistic action of the integrants serves better combat force against breast cancer in the form of whole extract, hence aiming at a more lucrative paradigm while significantly regulating microRNAs associated with breast cancer migration and apoptosis.

Spatial transcriptomics reveals distinct and conserved tumor core and edge architectures that predict survival and targeted therapy response

The spatial organization of the tumor microenvironment has a profound impact on biology and therapy response. Here, we perform an integrative single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis on HPV-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to comprehensively characterize malignant cells in tumor core (TC) and leading edge (LE) transcriptional architectures. We show that the TC and LE are characterized by unique transcriptional profiles, neighboring cellular compositions, and ligand-receptor interactions. We demonstrate that the gene expression profile associated with the LE is conserved across different cancers while the TC is tissue specific, highlighting common mechanisms underlying tumor progression and invasion. Additionally, we find our LE gene signature is associated with worse clinical outcomes while TC gene signature is associated with improved prognosis across multiple cancer types. Finally, using an in silico modeling approach, we describe spatially-regulated patterns of cell development in OSCC that are predictably associated with drug response. Our work provides pan-cancer insights into TC and LE biology and interactive spatial atlases ( http://www.pboselab.ca/spatial_OSCC/ ; http://www.pboselab.ca/dynamo_OSCC/ ) that can be foundational for developing novel targeted therapies.

High-throughput characterization of HLA-E-presented CD94/NKG2x ligands reveals peptides which modulate NK cell activation

HLA-E is a non-classical class I MHC protein involved in innate and adaptive immune recognition. While recent studies have shown HLA-E can present diverse peptides to NK cells and T cells, the HLA-E repertoire recognized by CD94/NKG2x has remained poorly defined, with only a limited number of peptide ligands identified. Here we screen a yeast-displayed peptide library in the context of HLA-E to identify 500 high-confidence unique peptides that bind both HLA-E and CD94/NKG2A or CD94/NKG2C. Utilizing the sequences identified via yeast display selections, we train prediction algorithms and identify human and cytomegalovirus (CMV) proteome-derived, HLA-E-presented peptides capable of binding and signaling through both CD94/NKG2A and CD94/NKG2C. In addition, we identify peptides which selectively activate NKG2C+ NK cells. Taken together, characterization of the HLA-E-binding peptide repertoire and identification of NK activity-modulating peptides present opportunities for studies of NK cell regulation in health and disease, in addition to vaccine and therapeutic design.

The PERK pathway: beneficial or detrimental for neurodegenerative diseases and tumor growth and cancer

Protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK) is one of the three major sensors in the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR is involved in the modulation of protein synthesis as an adaptive response. Prolonged PERK activity correlates with the development of diseases and the attenuation of disease severity. Thus, the current debate focuses on the role of the PERK signaling pathway either in accelerating or preventing diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, myelin disorders, and tumor growth and cancer. In this review, we examine the current findings on the PERK signaling pathway and whether it is beneficial or detrimental for the above-mentioned disorders.

Characterization of starvation response-related genes for predicting prognosis in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BRCA) cells typically exist in nutrient-deficient microenvironments and quickly adapt to states with fluctuating nutrient levels. The tumor microenvironment of starvation is intensely related to metabolism and the malignant progression of BRCA. However, the potential molecular mechanism has not been thoroughly scrutinized. As a result, this study aimed to dissect the prognostic implications of mRNAs involved in the starvation response and construct a signature for forecasting the outcomes of BRCA. In this research, we investigated how starvation could affect BRCA cells' propensities for invasion and migration. The effects of autophagy and glucose metabolism mediated by starved stimulation were examined through transwell assays, western blot, and the detection of glucose concentration. A starvation response-related gene (SRRG) signature was ultimately generated by integrated analysis. The risk score was recognized as an independent risk indicator. The nomogram and calibration curves revealed that the model had excellent prediction accuracy. Functional enrichment analysis indicated this signature was significantly enriched in metabolic-related pathways and energy stress-related biological processes. Furthermore, phosphorylated protein expression of the model core gene EIF2AK3 increased after the stimulus of starvation, and EIF2AK3 may play an essential role in the progression of BRCA in the starved microenvironment. To sum up, we constructed and validated a novel SRRG signature that could accurately predict outcomes and may be developed as a therapeutic target for the precise treatment of BRCA.

A negative feedback loop between KLF9 and the EMT program dictates metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Metastasis is the primary cause of death of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while the mechanism underlying this severe disease remains largely unclear. The Kruppel-like factor (KLF) family is one of the largest transcription factor families that control multiple physiologic and pathologic processes by governing the cellular transcriptome. To identify metastatic regulators of HCC, we conducted gene expression profiling on the MHCC97 cell series, a set of subclones of the original MHCC97 that was established by in vivo metastasis selection therefore harbouring differential metastatic capacities. We found that the expression of KLF9, a member of the KLF family, was dramatically repressed in the metastatic progeny clone of the MHCC97 cells. Functional studies revealed overexpression of KLF9 suppressed HCC migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo, while knockdown of KLF9 was sufficient to promote cell migration and metastasis accordingly. Mechanistically, we found the expression of KLF9 can reverse the pro-metastatic epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program via direct binding to the promoter regions of essential mesenchymal genes, thus repressing their expression. Interestingly, we further revealed that KLF9 was, in turn, directly suppressed by a mesenchymal transcription factor Slug, suggesting an intriguing negative feedback loop between KLF9 and the EMT program. Using clinical samples, we found that KLF9 was not only downregulated in HCC tissue compared to its normal counterparts but also further reduced in the HCC samples of whom had developed metastatic lesions. Together, we established a critical transcription factor that represses HCC metastasis, which is clinically and mechanically significant in HCC therapies.

Pharmacological inhibition of neuropeptide Y receptors Y1 and Y5 reduces hypoxic breast cancer migration, proliferation, and signaling

BACKGROUND

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an abundant neurohormone in human breast carcinomas that acts on a class of G-protein coupled receptors, of which NPY1R and NPY5R are the most highly expressed. This abundance is exploited for cancer imaging, but there is interest in pharmacological inhibition of the NPYRs to interrogate their functional relevance in breast cancer. We previously reported that NPY1R and NPY5R mRNA abundance is increased by hypoxia inducible factors, which sensitizes these receptors to NPY stimulation leading to enhanced migration and proliferation.

METHODS/RESULTS

Here, we measured the effects of NPY1R and NPY5R antagonists in normoxia and hypoxia on migration, proliferation, invasion, and signaling in 2D and 3D models of breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF7. Antagonizing NPY1R and/or NPY5R in hypoxia compared to normoxia more greatly reduced MAPK signaling, cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion, and spheroid growth and invasion. The estrogen receptor positive MCF7 cells were significantly less invasive in 3D spheres when NPY5R was specifically inhibited. There were some discrepancies in the responses of each cell line to the isoform-specific antagonists and oxygen availability, therefore further investigations are required to dissect the intricacies of NPYR signaling dynamics. In human breast tumor tissue, we show via immunofluorescence that NPY5R protein levels and colocalization with hypoxia correlate with advanced cancer, and NPY1R protein correlates with adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Antagonizing the NPYRs has been implicated as a treatment for a wide variety of diseases. Therefore, these antagonists may aid in the development of novel cancer therapeutics and patient-based treatment plans.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has very poor prognosis in advanced stages. Discovery and application of therapies targeting specific oncogenic driver mutations has greatly improved overall survival. However, targeted therapies are limited in their efficacy due to resistance mutations that may arise with long term use. Proteolysis targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are a promising approach to combating resistance mutations. PROTACs commandeer innate ubiquitination machinery to degrade oncogenic proteins. Here we review the PROTACs that have been developed for targeting common EGFR, KRAS, and ALK mutations.

Stress Granules in Cancer

The capacity of cells to organize complex biochemical reactions in intracellular space is a fundamental organizational principle of life. Key to this organization is the compartmentalization of the cytoplasm into distinct organelles, which is frequently achieved through intracellular membranes. Recent evidence, however, has added a new layer of flexibility to cellular compartmentalization. As such, in response to specific stimuli, liquid-liquid phase separations can lead to the rapid rearrangements of the cytoplasm to form membraneless organelles. Stress granules (SGs) are one such type of organelle that form specifically when cells are faced with stress stimuli, to aid cells in coping with stress. Inherently, altered SG formation has been linked to the pathogenesis of diseases associated with stress and inflammatory conditions, including cancer. Exciting discoveries have indicated an intimate link between SGs and tumorigenesis. Several pro-tumorigenic signaling molecules including the RAS oncogene, mTOR, and histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) have been shown to upregulate SG formation. Based on these studies, SGs have emerged as structures that can integrate oncogenic signaling and tumor-associated stress stimuli to enhance cancer cell fitness. In addition, growing evidence over the past decade suggests that SGs function not only to regulate the switch between survival and cell death, but also contribute to cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Although much remains to be learned about the role of SGs in tumorigenesis, these studies highlight SGs as a key regulatory hub in cancer and a promising therapeutic target.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway: the unsung hero in breast cancer management

Tumor cells always have the need to produce an increased amount of proteins in the cells. This elevated amount of proteins increases the pressure on the organelles of the cell such as the endoplasmic reticulum and compels it to increase its protein folding efficiency. However, it is by a matter of fact, that the amount of proteins synthesized outweighs the protein folding capacity of the ER which in turn switches on the UPR pathway by activating the three major molecular sensors and other signaling cascades, which helps in cell survival instead of instant death. However, if this pathway is active for a prolonged period of time the tumor cells heads toward apoptosis. Again, interestingly this is not the same as in case of non- tumorogenic cells. This exhibit a straight natural pathway for tumor cells-specific destruction which has a great implication in today's world where hormone therapies and chemo-therapies are non-effective for various types of breast cancer, a major type being Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Thus a detailed elucidation of the molecular involvement of the UPR pathway in breast cancer may open new avenues for management and attract novel chemotherapeutic targets providing better hopes to patients worldwide.

The endoplasmic reticulum stress response in prostate cancer

In order to proliferate in unfavourable conditions, cancer cells can take advantage of the naturally occurring endoplasmic reticulum-associated unfolded protein response (UPR) via three highly conserved signalling arms: IRE1α, PERK and ATF6. All three arms of the UPR have key roles in every step of tumour progression: from cancer initiation to tumour growth, invasion, metastasis and resistance to therapy. At present, no cure for metastatic prostate cancer exists, as targeting the androgen receptor eventually results in treatment resistance. New research has uncovered an important role for the UPR in prostate cancer tumorigenesis and crosstalk between the UPR and androgen receptor signalling pathways. With an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which cancer cells exploit the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, targetable points of vulnerability can be uncovered.

Decoding endoplasmic reticulum stress signals in cancer cells and antitumor immunity

The tumor microenvironment (TME) provokes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in malignant cells and infiltrating immune populations. Sensing and responding to ER stress is coordinated by the unfolded protein response (UPR), an integrated signaling pathway governed by three ER stress sensors: activating transcription factor (ATF6), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and protein kinase R (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK). Persistent UPR activation modulates malignant progression, tumor growth, metastasis, and protective antitumor immunity. Hence, therapies targeting ER stress signaling can be harnessed to elicit direct tumor killing and concomitant anticancer immunity. We highlight recent findings on the role of the ER stress responses in onco-immunology, with an emphasis on genetic vulnerabilities that render tumors highly sensitive to therapeutic UPR modulation.

CREB3L1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma by remodeling the tumor microenvironment

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an extremely malignant type of endocrine cancer frequently accompanied by extrathyroidal extension or metastasis through mechanisms that remain elusive. We screened for the CREB3 transcription-factor family in a large cohort, consisting of four microarray datasets. This revealed that CREB3L1 was specifically up regulated in ATC tissues and negatively associated with overall survival of patients with thyroid cancer. Consistently, high expression of CREB3L1 was negatively correlated with progression-free survival in an independent cohort. CREB3L1 knockdown dramatically attenuated invasion of ATC cells, whereas overexpression of CREB3L1 facilitated the invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cells. Loss of CREB3L1 inhibited metastasis and tumor growth of ATC xenografts in zebrafish and nude mouse model. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that CREB3L1 expression gradually increased during the neoplastic progression of a thyroid follicular epithelial cell to an ATC cell, accompanied by the activation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling. CREB3L1 knockdown significantly decreased the expression of collagen subtypes in ATC cells and the fibrillar collagen in xenografts. Due to the loss of CREB3L1, ATC cells were unable to activate alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). After CREB3L1 knockdown, the presence of CAFs inhibited the growth of ATC spheroids and the metastasis of ATC cells. Further cytokine array screening showed that ATC cells activated α-SMA-positive CAFs through CREB3L1-mediated IL-1α production. Moreover, KPNA2 mediated the nuclear translocation of CREB3L1, thus allowing it to activate downstream ECM signaling. These results demonstrate that CREB3L1 maintains the CAF-like property of ATC cells by activating the ECM signaling, which remodels the tumor stromal microenvironment and drives the malignancy of ATC.

The "Yin and Yang" of Unfolded Protein Response in Cancer and Immunogenic Cell Death

Physiological and pathological burdens that perturb endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis activate the unfolded protein response (UPR), a conserved cytosol-to-nucleus signaling pathway that aims to reinstate the vital biosynthetic and secretory capacity of the ER. Disrupted ER homeostasis, causing maladaptive UPR signaling, is an emerging trait of cancer cells. Maladaptive UPR sustains oncogene-driven reprogramming of proteostasis and metabolism and fosters proinflammatory pathways promoting tissue repair and protumorigenic immune responses. However, when cancer cells are exposed to conditions causing irreparable ER homeostasis, such as those elicited by anticancer therapies, the UPR switches from a survival to a cell death program. This lethal ER stress response can elicit immunogenic cell death (ICD), a form of cell death with proinflammatory traits favoring antitumor immune responses. How UPR-driven pathways transit from a protective to a killing modality with favorable immunogenic and proinflammatory output remains unresolved. Here, we discuss key aspects of the functional dichotomy of UPR in cancer cells and how this signal can be harnessed for therapeutic benefit in the context of ICD, especially from the aspect of inflammation aroused by the UPR.

Pan-cancer analysis of CREB3L1 as biomarker in the prediction of prognosis and immunotherapeutic efficacy

Background: CAMP response element binding protein 3-like 1 (CREB3L1) has been indicated as a critical biomarker and can modulate multifaced behaviors of tumor cells in diverse cancers. However, a systematic assessment of CREB3L1 in pan-cancer is of absence, and the predictive value of CREB3L1 in cancer prognosis, the tumor immune microenvironment and the efficacy of immunotherapy remains unexplored.

Methods: CREB3L1 expression in 33 different cancer types was investigated using RNAseq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The characteristics of CREB3L1 alternations were illustrated in cBioPortal database. The prognostic and clinicopathological value of CREB3L1 was analyzed through clinical data downloaded from the TCGA database. The potential role of CREB3L1 in the tumor immune microenvironment was illustrated by utilizing CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms, and TISIDB online database. The associations between CREB3L1 expression and tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) were assessed by spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Furthermore, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the potential biological functions and downstream pathways of CREB3L1 in different human cancers. The correlations of CREB3L1 expression with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors efficacy and drug sensitivity were also investigated.

Results: The expression of CREB3L1 was abnormally high or low in several different cancer types, and was also strictly associated with the prognosis of cancer patients. CREB3L1 expression levels have a strong relationship with infiltrating immune cells, including regulatory T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, B naïve cells, dendritic cells and mast cells. CREB3L1 expression was also correlated with the expression of multiple immune-related biomolecules, TMB, and MSI in several cancers. Moreover, CREB3L1 had promising applications in predicting the immunotherapeutic benefits and drug sensitivity in cancer management.

Conclusions: Our results highlight the value of CREB3L1 as a predictive biomarker for the prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy in multiple cancers, and CREB3L1 seems to play key roles in the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting the role of CREB3L1 as a promising biomarker for predicting the prognosis and immune-related signatures in diverse cancers.

Reduced CREB3L1 expression in triple negative and luminal a breast cancer cells contributes to enhanced cell migration, anchorage-independent growth and metastasis

Women with metastatic breast cancer have a disheartening 5-year survival rate of only 28%. CREB3L1 (cAMP-responsive element binding protein 3 like 1) is a metastasis suppressor that functions as a transcription factor, and in an estrogen-dependent model of rat breast cancer, it repressed the expression of genes that promote breast cancer progression and metastasis. In this report, we set out to determine the expression level of CREB3L1 across different human breast cancer subtypes and determine whether CREB3L1 functions as a metastasis suppressor, particularly in triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). CREB3L1 expression was generally increased in luminal A, luminal B and HER2 breast cancers, but significantly reduced in a high proportion (75%) of TNBCs. Two luminal A (HCC1428, T47D) and two basal TNBC (HCC1806, HCC70) CREB3L1-deficient breast cancer cell lines were characterized as compared to their corresponding HA-CREB3L1-expressing counterparts. HA-CREB3L1 expression significantly reduced both cell migration and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar but had no impact on cell proliferation rates as compared to the CREB3L1-deficient parental cell lines. Restoration of CREB3L1 expression in HCC1806 cells was also sufficient to reduce mammary fat pad tumor formation and lung metastases in mouse xenograft models of breast cancer as compared to the parental HCC1806 cells. These results strongly support a metastasis suppressor role for CREB3L1 in human luminal A and TNBCs. Further, the ability to identify the subset of luminal A (7%) and TNBCs (75%) that are CREB3L1-deficient provides opportunities to stratify patients that would benefit from additional treatments to treat their more metastatic disease.

Transcription factor Creb3l1 maintains proteostasis in neuroendocrine cells

OBJECTIVES

Dynamic changes to neuropeptide hormone synthesis and secretion by hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells is essential to ensure metabolic homeostasis. The specialised molecular mechanisms that allow neuroendocrine cells to synthesise and secrete vast quantities of neuropeptides remain ill defined. The objective of this study was to identify novel genes and pathways controlled by transcription factor and endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor Creb3l1 which is robustly activated in hypothalamic magnocellular neurones in response to increased demand for protein synthesis.

METHODS

We adopted a multiomic strategy to investigate specific roles of Creb3l1 in rat magnocellular neurones. We first performed chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by genome sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify Creb3l1 genomic targets and then integrated this data with RNA sequencing data from physiologically stimulated and Creb3l1 knockdown magnocellular neurones.

RESULTS

The data converged on Creb3l1 targets that code for ribosomal proteins and endoplasmic reticulum proteins crucial for the maintenance of cellular proteostasis. We validated genes that compose the PERK arm of the unfolded protein response pathway including Eif2ak3, Eif2s1, Atf4 and Ddit3 as direct Creb3l1 targets. Importantly, knockdown of Creb3l1 in the hypothalamus led to a dramatic depletion in neuropeptide synthesis and secretion. The physiological outcomes from studies of paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei Creb3l1 knockdown animals were changes to food and water consumption.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our data identify Creb3l1 as a comprehensive controller of the PERK signalling pathway in magnocellular neurones in response to physiological stimulation. The broad regulation of neuropeptide synthesis and secretion by Creb3l1 presents a new therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases.

ATF6 prevents DNA damage and cell death in colon cancer cells undergoing ER stress

Colon cancer represents one of the most common and aggressive cancers in its advanced state. Among the most innovative anti-cancer approaches, the manipulation of UPR is a promising one, effective also against cancers carrying dysfunctional p53. Interestingly, it is emerging that UPR cross-talks with DDR and that targeting the interplay between these two adaptive responses may be exploited to overcome the resistance to the single DDR- and UPR-targeting treatments. Previous studies have highlighted the role of IRE1 alpha and PERK UPR sensors on DDR, while the impact of ATF6 on this process remains under-investigated. This study shows for the first time that ATF6 sustains the expression level of BRCA-1 and protects colon cancer cells from the cytotoxic effect of ER stressors DPE and Thapsigargin. At molecular level, ATF6 activates mTOR to sustain the expression of HSP90, of which BRCA-1 is a client protein. Therefore, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of ATF6 promoted BRCA-1 degradation and increased DNA damage and cell death, particularly in combination with Adriamycin. All together this study suggests that targeting ATF6 may not only potentiate the cytotoxic effect of drugs triggering ER stress but may render colon cancer cells more sensitive to Adriamycin and possibly to other DNA damaging agents used to treat colon cancer.

Construction and Validation of a UPR-Associated Gene Prognostic Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Our study is aimed at constructing and validating a UPR-associated gene signature to predict HNSCC prognosis. We obtained 544 samples of RNA sequencing data and clinical characteristics from TCGA database and randomly grouped the samples into training and testing cohorts (1 : 1 ratio). After identifying 14 UPR-associated genes with LASSO and univariate Cox regression analysis, HNSCC samples were categorized into low-risk (LR) and high-risk (HR) subgroups depending on the risk score. Our analyses indicated that low-risk patients had a much better prognosis in the training and testing cohorts. To predict the HNSCC prognosis with the 14 UPR-associated gene signatures, we incorporated the UPR gene risk score, N stage, M stage, and age into a nomogram model. We further explored the sensitivity to anticancer drugs by using the IC50 analysis in two subgroups from the Cancer Genome Project database. The outcomes showed that the AKT inhibitor III and sorafenib were sensitive anticancer drugs in HR and LR patients, respectively. The immune cell infiltration analysis and GSEA provided strong evidence for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of UPR-associated genes affecting HNSCC. In conclusion, the UPR-associated gene risk score, N stage, M stage, and age can serve as a robust model for predicting prognosis and can improve decision-making at the individual patient level.