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Fessart D, Robert J. [Mechanisms of cancer drug resistance]. Bull Cancer 2024; 111:37-50. [PMID: 37679207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite decades of research into the molecular mechanisms of cancer and the development of new treatments, drug resistance persists as a major problem. This is in part due to the heterogeneity of cancer, including the diversity of tumor cell lineage and cell plasticity, the spectrum of somatic mutations, the complexity of microenvironments, and immunosuppressive characteristic, then necessitating the use of many different therapeutic approaches. We summarize here the biological causes of resistance, thus offering new perspectives for tackle drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Fessart
- ARTiSt lab, Université de Bordeaux, Inserm U1312 BRIC, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Jacques Robert
- ARTiSt lab, Université de Bordeaux, Inserm U1312 BRIC, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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2
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Fuertes G, Del Valle‐Pérez B, Pastor J, Andrades E, Peña R, García de Herreros A, Duñach M. Noncanonical Wnt signaling promotes colon tumor growth, chemoresistance and tumor fibroblast activation. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e54895. [PMID: 36704936 PMCID: PMC10074097 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon tumors of the mesenchymal subtype have the lowest overall survival. Snail1 is essential for the acquisition of this phenotype, characterized by increased tumor stemness and invasion, and high resistance to chemotherapy. Here, we find that Snail1 expression in colon tumor cells is dependent on an autocrine noncanonical Wnt pathway. Accordingly, depletion of Ror2, the co-receptor for noncanonical Wnts such as Wnt5a, potently decreases Snail1 expression. Wnt5a, Ror2, and Snail1 participate in a self-stimulatory feedback loop since Wnt5a increases its own synthesis in a Ror2- and Snail1-dependent fashion. This Wnt5a/Ror2/Snail1 axis controls tumor invasion, chemoresistance, and formation of tumor spheres. It also stimulates TGFβ synthesis; consequently, tumor cells expressing Snail1 are more efficient in activating cancer-associated fibroblasts than the corresponding controls. Ror2 downmodulation or inhibition of the Wnt5a pathway decreases Snail1 expression in primary colon tumor cells and their ability to form tumors and liver metastases. Finally, the expression of SNAI1, ROR2, and WNT5A correlates in human colon and other tumors. These results identify inhibition of the noncanonical Wnt pathway as a putative colon tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Fuertes
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Beatriz Del Valle‐Pérez
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la VidaUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Javier Pastor
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Evelyn Andrades
- Departament de DermatologiaHospital del MarBarcelonaSpain
- Grup de Malalties Inflamatòries i Neoplàsiques DermatològiquesInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Raúl Peña
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Antonio García de Herreros
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la VidaUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Mireia Duñach
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
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Targeting Human Proteins for Antiviral Drug Discovery and Repurposing Efforts: A Focus on Protein Kinases. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020568. [PMID: 36851782 PMCID: PMC9966946 DOI: 10.3390/v15020568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great technological and medical advances in fighting viral diseases, new therapies for most of them are still lacking, and existing antivirals suffer from major limitations regarding drug resistance and a limited spectrum of activity. In fact, most approved antivirals are directly acting antiviral (DAA) drugs, which interfere with viral proteins and confer great selectivity towards their viral targets but suffer from resistance and limited spectrum. Nowadays, host-targeted antivirals (HTAs) are on the rise, in the drug discovery and development pipelines, in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry. These drugs target host proteins involved in the virus life cycle and are considered promising alternatives to DAAs due to their broader spectrum and lower potential for resistance. Herein, we discuss an important class of HTAs that modulate signal transduction pathways by targeting host kinases. Kinases are considered key enzymes that control virus-host interactions. We also provide a synopsis of the antiviral drug discovery and development pipeline detailing antiviral kinase targets, drug types, therapeutic classes for repurposed drugs, and top developing organizations. Furthermore, we detail the drug design and repurposing considerations, as well as the limitations and challenges, for kinase-targeted antivirals, including the choice of the binding sites, physicochemical properties, and drug combinations.
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Roles of TGF- β in cancer hallmarks and emerging onco-therapeutic design. Expert Rev Mol Med 2022; 24:e42. [PMID: 36345661 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2022.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a double-edged sword in cancer treatment because of its pivotal yet complex and roles played during cancer initiation/development. Current anti-cancer strategies involving TGF-β largely view TGF-β as an onco-therapeutic target that not only substantially hinders its full utilisation for cancer control, but also considerably restricts innovations in this field. Thereby, how to take advantages of therapeutically favourable properties of TGF-β for cancer management represents an interesting and less investigated problem. Here, by categorising cancer hallmarks into four critical transition events and one enabling characteristic controlling cancer initiation and progression, and delineating TGF-β complexities according to these cancer traits, we identify the suppressive role of TGF-β in tumour initiation and early-stage progression and its promotive functionalities in cancer metastasis as well as other cancer hallmarks. We also propose the feasibility and possible scenarios of combining cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) with onco-therapeutics utilising TGF-β for cancer control given the intrinsic properties of CAP against cancer hallmarks.
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5
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Sirtuins and Hypoxia in EMT Control. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060737. [PMID: 35745656 PMCID: PMC9228842 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a physiological process during embryogenesis, can become pathological in the presence of different driving forces. Reduced oxygen tension or hypoxia is one of these forces, triggering a large number of molecular pathways with aberrant EMT induction, resulting in cancer and fibrosis onset. Both hypoxia-induced factors, HIF-1α and HIF-2α, act as master transcription factors implicated in EMT. On the other hand, hypoxia-dependent HIF-independent EMT has also been described. Recently, a new class of seven proteins with deacylase activity, called sirtuins, have been implicated in the control of both hypoxia responses, HIF-1α and HIF-2α activation, as well as EMT induction. Intriguingly, different sirtuins have different effects on hypoxia and EMT, acting as either activators or inhibitors, depending on the tissue and cell type. Interestingly, sirtuins and HIF can be activated or inhibited with natural or synthetic molecules. Moreover, recent studies have shown that these natural or synthetic molecules can be better conveyed using nanoparticles, representing a valid strategy for EMT modulation. The following review, by detailing the aspects listed above, summarizes the interplay between hypoxia, sirtuins, and EMT, as well as the possible strategies to modulate them by using a nanoparticle-based approach.
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Hargest V, Bub T, Neale G, Schultz-Cherry S. Astrovirus-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via activated TGF-β increases viral replication. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1009716. [PMID: 35452499 PMCID: PMC9067694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human astroviruses (HAstV), positive sense single-stranded RNA viruses, are one of the leading causes of diarrhea worldwide. Despite their high prevalence, the cellular mechanisms of astrovirus pathogenesis remain ill-defined. Previous studies showed HAstV increased epithelial barrier permeability by causing a re-localization of the tight junction protein, occludin. In these studies, we demonstrate that HAstV replication induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), by upregulating the transcription of EMT-related genes within 8 hours post-infection (hpi), followed by the loss of cell-cell contacts and disruption of polarity by 24 hpi. While multiple classical HAstV serotypes, including clinical isolates, induce EMT, the non-classical genotype HAstV-VA1 and two strains of reovirus are incapable of inducing EMT. Unlike the re-localization of tight junction proteins, HAstV-induced EMT requires productive replication and is dependent transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activity. Finally, inhibiting TGF-β signaling and EMT reduces viral replication, highlighting its importance in the viral life cycle. This finding puts classical strains of HAstV-1 in an exclusive group of non-oncogenic viruses triggering EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Hargest
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Theresa Bub
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- Integrated Program of Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey Neale
- Hartwell Center for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Stacey Schultz-Cherry
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
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7
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Tsubakihara Y, Ohata Y, Okita Y, Younis S, Eriksson J, Sellin ME, Ren J, Ten Dijke P, Miyazono K, Hikita A, Imamura T, Kato M, Heldin CH, Moustakas A. TGFβ selects for pro-stemness over pro-invasive phenotypes during cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:2330-2354. [PMID: 35348275 PMCID: PMC9208077 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which correlates with stemness and invasiveness. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is induced by TGFβ withdrawal and correlates with metastatic colonization. Whether TGFβ promotes stemness and invasiveness simultaneously via EMT remains unclear. We established a breast cancer cell model expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the E-cadherin promoter. In 2D cultures, TGFβ induced EMT, generating RFPlow cells with a mesenchymal transcriptome, and regained RFP, with an epithelial transcriptome, after MET induced by TGFβ withdrawal. RFPlow cells generated robust mammospheres, with epithelio-mesenchymal cell surface features. Mammospheres that were forced to adhere generated migratory cells, devoid of RFP, a phenotype which was inhibited by a TGFβ receptor kinase inhibitor. Further stimulation of RFPlow mammospheres with TGFβ suppressed the generation of motile cells, but enhanced mammosphere growth. Accordingly, mammary fat-pad-transplanted mammospheres, in the absence of exogenous TGFβ treatment, established lung metastases with evident MET (RFPhigh cells). In contrast, TGFβ-treated mammospheres revealed high tumor-initiating capacity, but limited metastatic potential. Thus, the biological context of partial EMT and MET allows TGFβ to differentiate between pro-stemness and pro-invasive phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Tsubakihara
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden.,Dept. of Experimental Pathology and Transborder Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yae Ohata
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yukari Okita
- Dept. of Experimental Pathology and Transborder Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shady Younis
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden.,Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jens Eriksson
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mikael E Sellin
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jiang Ren
- Dept. of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Dept. of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kohei Miyazono
- Dept. of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Atsuhiko Hikita
- Div. of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Takeshi Imamura
- Dept. of Molecular Medicine for Pathogenesis, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Mitsuyasu Kato
- Dept. of Experimental Pathology and Transborder Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Carl-Henrik Heldin
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Dept. of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
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8
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Tobar LE, Farnsworth RH, Stacker SA. Brain Vascular Microenvironments in Cancer Metastasis. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030401. [PMID: 35327593 PMCID: PMC8945804 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary tumours, particularly from major solid organs, are able to disseminate into the blood and lymphatic system and spread to distant sites. These secondary metastases to other major organs are the most lethal aspect of cancer, accounting for the majority of cancer deaths. The brain is a frequent site of metastasis, and brain metastases are often fatal due to the critical role of the nervous system and the limited options for treatment, including surgery. This creates a need to further understand the complex cell and molecular biology associated with the establishment of brain metastasis, including the changes to the environment of the brain to enable the arrival and growth of tumour cells. Local changes in the vascular network, immune system and stromal components all have the potential to recruit and foster metastatic tumour cells. This review summarises our current understanding of brain vascular microenvironments, fluid circulation and drainage in the context of brain metastases, as well as commenting on current cutting-edge experimental approaches used to investigate changes in vascular environments and alterations in specialised subsets of blood and lymphatic vessel cells during cancer spread to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E. Tobar
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (L.E.T.); (R.H.F.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Rae H. Farnsworth
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (L.E.T.); (R.H.F.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Steven A. Stacker
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (L.E.T.); (R.H.F.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-3-8559-7106
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Xiang L, Gao Y, Chen S, Sun J, Wu J, Meng X. Therapeutic potential of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in lung cancer therapy. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 95:153727. [PMID: 34535372 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer associated mortalities. The current conventional chemotherapy remains the preferred treatment option for lung cancer, as surgical resection plays little role in the treatment of over 75% of lung cancer patients. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel potential therapeutic drugs or adjuvants with a high efficiency and safety against lung cancer. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a common Chinese medicinal herb that has been in use for more than 2000 years, has recently been shown to possess significant activities against lung cancer. However, current research progress on pharmacological effects and relevant molecular mechanisms of S. baicalensis in lung cancer therapy have not been systematically summarized. PURPOSE This review aimed at elucidating on the anti-lung cancer mechanisms and antitumor efficacies of S. baicalensis as well as its active ingredients, and providing a valuable reference for further investigation in this field. METHODS We used "Scutellaria baicalensis" or the name of the compound in S. baicalensis, in combination with "lung cancer" as key words to systematically search for relevant literature from the Web of Science and PubMed databases. Publications that investigated molecular mechanisms were the only ones selected for analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. RESULTS Fifty-four publications met the inclusion criteria for this study. Five anti-lung cancer mechanisms of S. baicalensis and its constituent components are discussed. These mechanisms include apoptosis induction, cell-cycle arrest, suppression of proliferation, blockade of invasion and metastasis, and overcoming drug-resistance. These compounds exhibited high antitumor efficacies and safety against lung cancer xenografts. CONCLUSION Studies should aim at elucidating on the anti-cancer mechanisms of S. baicalensis to achieve the ultimate goal of lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China; Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yue Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Shiyu Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jiayi Sun
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jiasi Wu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
| | - Xianli Meng
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Hussain SM, Kansal RG, Alvarez MA, Hollingsworth TJ, Elahi A, Miranda-Carboni G, Hendrick LE, Pingili AK, Albritton LM, Dickson PV, Deneve JL, Yakoub D, Hayes DN, Kurosu M, Shibata D, Makowski L, Glazer ES. Role of TGF-β in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression and PD-L1 expression. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2021; 44:673-687. [PMID: 33694102 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00594-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) pathway plays a paradoxical, context-dependent role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): a tumor-suppressive role in non-metastatic PDAC and a tumor-promotive role in metastatic PDAC. We hypothesize that non-SMAD-TGF-β signaling induces PDAC progression. METHODS We investigated the expression of non-SMAD-TGF-β signaling proteins (pMAPK14, PD-L1, pAkt and c-Myc) in patient-derived tissues, cell lines and an immunocompetent mouse model. Experimental models were complemented by comparing the signaling proteins in PDAC specimens from patients with various survival intervals. We manipulated models with TGF-β, gemcitabine (DNA synthesis inhibitor), galunisertib (TGF-β receptor inhibitor) and MK-2206 (Akt inhibitor) to investigate their effects on NF-κB, β-catenin, c-Myc and PD-L1 expression. PD-L1 expression was also investigated in cancer cells and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) in a mouse model. RESULTS We found that tumors from patients with aggressive PDAC had higher levels of the non-SMAD-TGF-β signaling proteins pMAPK14, PD-L1, pAkt and c-Myc. In PDAC cells with high baseline β-catenin expression, TGF-β increased β-catenin expression while gemcitabine increased PD-L1 expression. Gemcitabine plus galunisertib decreased c-Myc and NF-κB expression, but induced PD-L1 expression in some cancer models. In mice, gemcitabine plus galunisertib treatment decreased metastases (p = 0.018), whereas galunisertib increased PD-L1 expression (p < 0.0001). In the mice, liver metastases contained more TAMs compared to the primary pancreatic tumors (p = 0.001), and TGF-β increased TAM PD-L1 expression (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In PDAC, the non-SMAD-TGF-β signaling pathway leads to more aggressive phenotypes, TAM-induced immunosuppression and PD-L1 expression. The divergent effects of TGF-β ligand versus receptor inhibition in tumor cells versus TAMs may explain the TGF-β paradox. Further evaluation of each mechanism is expected to lead to the development of targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mazher Hussain
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Rita G Kansal
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Marcus A Alvarez
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - T J Hollingsworth
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Abul Elahi
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | | | - Leah E Hendrick
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | | | | | - Paxton V Dickson
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Jeremiah L Deneve
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Danny Yakoub
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - D Neil Hayes
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michio Kurosu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - David Shibata
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Liza Makowski
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Evan S Glazer
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
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11
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Hu L, Cheng X, Binder Z, Han Z, Yin Y, O'Rourke DM, Wang S, Feng Y, Weng C, Wu A, Lin Z. Molecular and Clinical Characterization of UBE2S in Glioma as a Biomarker for Poor Prognosis and Resistance to Chemo-Radiotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:640910. [PMID: 34123793 PMCID: PMC8190380 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.640910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common and lethal brain cancer globally. Clinically, this cancer has heterogenous molecular and clinical characteristics. Studies have shown that UBE2S is highly expressed in many cancers. But its expression profile in glioma, and the correlation with clinical outcomes is unknown. RNA sequencing data of glioma samples was downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 114 cases of glioma tissue samples (WHO grades II-IV) were used to conduct protein expression assays. The molecular and biological characteristics of UBE2S, and its prognostic value were analyzed. The results showed that high UBE2S expression was associated with a higher grade of glioma and PTEN mutations. In addition, UBE2S affected the degree of malignancy of glioma and the development of chemo-radiotherapy resistance. It was also found to be an independent predictor of worse survival of LGG patients. Furthermore, we identified five UBE2S ubiquitination sites and found that UBE2S was associated with Akt phosphorylation in malignant glioblastoma. The results also revealed that UBE2S expression was negatively correlated with 1p19q loss and IDH1 mutation; positively correlated with epidermal growth factor receptor amplification and PTEN mutation. This study demonstrates that UBE2S expression strongly correlates with glioma malignancy and resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. It is also a crucial biomarker of poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xingbo Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zev Binder
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Zhibin Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yibo Yin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Donald M O'Rourke
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sida Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yumeng Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Changjiang Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Anhua Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhiguo Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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12
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Kvokačková B, Remšík J, Jolly MK, Souček K. Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mediated by Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2188. [PMID: 34063254 PMCID: PMC8125677 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast carcinoma known for its unusually aggressive behavior and poor clinical outcome. Besides the lack of molecular targets for therapy and profound intratumoral heterogeneity, the relatively quick overt metastatic spread remains a major obstacle in effective clinical management. The metastatic colonization of distant sites by primary tumor cells is affected by the microenvironment, epigenetic state of particular subclones, and numerous other factors. One of the most prominent processes contributing to the intratumoral heterogeneity is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionarily conserved developmental program frequently hijacked by tumor cells, strengthening their motile and invasive features. In response to various intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, malignant cells can revert the EMT state through the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), a process that is believed to be critical for the establishment of macrometastasis at secondary sites. Notably, cancer cells rarely undergo complete EMT and rather exist in a continuum of E/M intermediate states, preserving high levels of plasticity, as demonstrated in primary tumors and, ultimately, in circulating tumor cells, representing a simplified element of the metastatic cascade. In this review, we focus on cellular drivers underlying EMT/MET phenotypic plasticity and its detrimental consequences in the context of TNBC cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Kvokačková
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic;
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ján Remšík
- Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Karel Souček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic;
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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13
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Kilinc AN, Han S, Barrett LA, Anandasivam N, Nelson CM. Integrin-linked kinase tunes cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions to regulate the switch between apoptosis and EMT downstream of TGFβ1. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:402-412. [PMID: 33405954 PMCID: PMC8098849 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-02-0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a morphogenetic process that endows epithelial cells with migratory and invasive potential. Mechanical and chemical signals from the tumor microenvironment can activate the EMT program, thereby permitting cancer cells to invade the surrounding stroma and disseminate to distant organs. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) is a potent inducer of EMT that can also induce apoptosis depending on the microenvironmental context. In particular, stiff microenvironments promote EMT while softer ones promote apoptosis. Here, we investigated the molecular signaling downstream of matrix stiffness that regulates the phenotypic switch in response to TGFβ1 and uncovered a critical role for integrin-linked kinase (ILK). Specifically, depleting ILK from mammary epithelial cells precludes their ability to sense the stiffness of their microenvironment. In response to treatment with TGFβ1, ILK-depleted cells undergo apoptosis on both soft and stiff substrata. We found that knockdown of ILK decreases focal adhesions and increases cell–cell adhesions, thus shifting the balance from cell–matrix to cell–cell adhesion. High cell–matrix adhesion promotes EMT whereas high cell–cell adhesion promotes apoptosis downstream of TGFβ1. These results highlight an important role for ILK in controlling cell phenotype by regulating adhesive connections to the local microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Nihan Kilinc
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Siyang Han
- Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Lena A Barrett
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Niroshan Anandasivam
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Celeste M Nelson
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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14
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Zhang X, Yang H. Research Progress on Long Non-coding RNAs and Drug Resistance of Breast Cancer. Clin Breast Cancer 2020; 20:275-282. [PMID: 32414649 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer, as the foremost cause of women's death in the world, is highly metastatic and mutable. Resistance to drugs for chemotherapies, endocrine therapies, and targeted therapies is an important factor that impacts the prognosis of breast cancer. Long non-coding ribonucleic acids (LncRNAs) are crucial regulators of intracellular gene expressions. Some researchers have suggested that expression level of several types of LncRNAs were closely related to the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. LncRNAs significantly impact biological processes such as drug transport, detoxication, apoptosis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and autophagy by regulating intracellular signaling pathways such as multi-drug resistance gene 1 (MDR1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), BRCA1/2, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). This paper will summarize research progress on correlations between LncRNA and drug resistance of breast cancer. It will particularly expound molecular mechanisms through which LncRNAs regulate drug resistance of breast cancer. It will further discuss the feasibility as molecular markers for forecasting drug resistance of breast cancer and may be becoming new targets for treating breast cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiping Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hongjian Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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15
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Identifying Therapies to Combat Epithelial Mesenchymal Plasticity-Associated Chemoresistance to Conventional Breast Cancer Therapies Using An shRNA Library Screen. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051123. [PMID: 32365878 PMCID: PMC7281530 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease for which the commonly used chemotherapeutic agents primarily include the anthracyclines (doxorubicin, epirubicin), microtubule inhibitors (paclitaxel, docetaxel, eribulin), and alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide). While these drugs can be highly effective, metastatic tumours are frequently refractory to treatment or become resistant upon tumour relapse. METHODS We undertook a cell polarity/epithelial mesenchymal plasticity (EMP)-enriched short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screen in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells to identify factors underpinning heterogeneous responses to three chemotherapeutic agents used clinically in breast cancer: Doxorubicin, docetaxel, and eribulin. shRNA-transduced cells were treated for 6 weeks with the EC10 of each drug, and shRNA representation assessed by deep sequencing. We first identified candidate genes with depleted shRNA, implying that their silencing could promote a response. Using the Broad Institute's Connectivity Map (CMap), we identified partner inhibitors targeting the identified gene families that may induce cell death in combination with doxorubicin, and tested them with all three drug treatments. RESULTS In total, 259 shRNAs were depleted with doxorubicin treatment (at p < 0.01), 66 with docetaxel, and 25 with eribulin. Twenty-four depleted hairpins overlapped between doxorubicin and docetaxel, and shRNAs for TGFB2, RUNX1, CCDC80, and HYOU1 were depleted across all the three drug treatments. Inhibitors of MDM/TP53, TGFBR, and FGFR were identified by CMap as the top pharmaceutical perturbagens and we validated the combinatorial benefits of the TGFBR inhibitor (SB525334) and MDM inhibitor (RITA) with doxorubicin treatment, and also observed synergy between the inhibitor SB525334 and eribulin in MDA-MB-468 cells. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, a cell polarity/EMP-enriched shRNA library screen identified relevant gene products that could be targeted alongside current chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of invasive BC.
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16
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Bhatia S, Wang P, Toh A, Thompson EW. New Insights Into the Role of Phenotypic Plasticity and EMT in Driving Cancer Progression. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:71. [PMID: 32391381 PMCID: PMC7190792 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells demonstrate substantial plasticity in their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) can be characterized into dynamic intermediate states and can be orchestrated by many factors, either intercellularly via epigenetic reprograming, or extracellularly via growth factors, inflammation and/or hypoxia generated by the tumor stromal microenvironment. EMP has the capability to alter phenotype and produce heterogeneity, and thus by changing the whole cancer landscape can attenuate oncogenic signaling networks, invoke anti-apoptotic features, defend against chemotherapeutics and reprogram angiogenic and immune recognition functions. We discuss here the role of phenotypic plasticity in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis and provide an update of the modalities utilized for the molecular characterization of the EMT states and attributes of cellular behavior, including cellular metabolism, in the context of EMP. We also summarize recent findings in dynamic EMP studies that provide new insights into the phenotypic plasticity of EMP flux in cancer and propose therapeutic strategies to impede the metastatic outgrowth of phenotypically heterogeneous tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugandha Bhatia
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peiyu Wang
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Alan Toh
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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17
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Augustine TN, Pather K, Mak D, Klonaros D, Xulu K, Dix-Peek T, Duarte R, van der Spuy WJ. Ex vivo interaction between blood components and hormone-dependent breast cancer cells induces alterations associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and thrombosis. Ultrastruct Pathol 2020; 44:262-272. [PMID: 32252581 DOI: 10.1080/01913123.2020.1749197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of breast cancer is steadily increasing with metastasis and thromboembolic complications identified as the most common causes of death. The acquisition of an aggressive phenotype by hormone-dependent breast cancers is mediated by Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF-β1) expression and is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and, potentially, increased propensity for thrombosis. We investigated this phenomenon by assessing the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and whole blood (WB) on parameters of EMT and hypercoagulation in vitro. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were cultured under standard conditions, followed by co-culture with PRP or WB. Cells were processed for real-time PCR (TGF-β1 and vimentin), electron microscopy or immunocytochemistry (TGF-β1). Micrographs were qualitatively assessed, and real-time PCR data analyzed with PAST Statistical Software. The addition of blood components heightened TGF-β1 immunolocalization and significantly increased corresponding gene expression. Both PRP and WB significantly increased vimentin expression and induced a shape change from a typical epithelial phenotype to a spindle-shape morphology, indicative of EMT. Fibrin fiber, network and plaque formation indicated a hypercoagulatory environment. The results thus show that in preparation for hematogenous metastasis, hormone-dependent breast cancer cells assume an aggressive phenotype associated with EMT, simultaneously increasing the propensity for the formation of thrombo-emboli.
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Affiliation(s)
- T N Augustine
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - K Pather
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - D Mak
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - D Klonaros
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - K Xulu
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - T Dix-Peek
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - R Duarte
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - W J van der Spuy
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, South Africa
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18
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Wang X, Chen S, Shen T, Lu H, Xiao D, Zhao M, Yao Y, Li X, Zhang G, Zhou X, Jiang X, Cheng Z. Trichostatin A reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and attenuates invasion and migration in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Exp Ther Med 2020; 19:1687-1694. [PMID: 32104221 PMCID: PMC7027139 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.8422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality in women, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) serves an indispensable role in the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. As a representative of classical histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), trichostatin A (TSA) has been demonstrated to reverse EMT in certain types of non-tumor cells and tumor cells. In the present study, the invasive and migratory abilities of MCF-7 cells were examined following treatment with TSA. TSA-induced changes in the expression of an epithelial biomarker epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), a mesenchymal biomarker (vimentin), and a transcription factor [zinc finger protein SNAI2 (SLUG)] were also investigated. Transwell invasion and migration assays, and wound healing assays, revealed that the invasive and migratory abilities of MCF-7 cells were suppressed significantly upon treatment with TSA. Treatment with TSA led to an increased expression level of E-cadherin, and decreased expression of vimentin and, in MCF-7 cells. The overexpression of SLUG decreased the expression level of E-cadherin, but increased vimentin expression, and upon treatment with TSA, these effects were reversed. Additionally, SLUG knockdown also led to upregulation of E-cadherin expression, downregulation of vimentin expression, and suppression of the invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that TSA is able to reverse EMT via suppressing SLUG and attenuate the invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells in vitro, thereby providing a potential avenue for chemotherapeutic intervention in the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiong Wang
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Shirong Chen
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Taipeng Shen
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Hao Lu
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Dingqiong Xiao
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Meng Zhao
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yutang Yao
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xiuli Li
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xing Zhou
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Jiang
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Zhuzhong Cheng
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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19
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Baldacchino S, Grech G. Somatic copy number aberrations in metastatic patients: The promise of liquid biopsies. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 60:302-310. [PMID: 31891778 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The metastatic process involves measurable cellular changes that confer migratory potential, proliferative advantage and the ability to colonise a distinct microenvironment. Accumulation of aberrations and clonal evolution add complexity to patient management and the assessment of the therapeutic sensitivity profile of malignancies. Liquid biopsy presents a repeatable and minimally invasive assessment tool to detect early metastasis, characterise tumour phenotype and detect minimal residual disease. The promise of liquid biopsies is to inform patient management and therapeutic decisions in a timely manner. Clinical translation requires robust methodologies with high sensitivity and tumour specificity. This can be achieved through technological advances but also through novel biologically informed approaches that harness existing knowledge on tumorigenesis. Here we present a review of copy number variations as potential biomarkers for early detection of metastatic potential and outline a biomarker validation process in the context of liquid biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Baldacchino
- Applied Biotech Ltd, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta, Malta.
| | - Godfrey Grech
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta, Malta
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20
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Huang W, Wu Y, Cheng D, He Z. Mechanism of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition inhibited by miR‑203 in non‑small cell lung cancer. Oncol Rep 2019; 43:437-446. [PMID: 31894278 PMCID: PMC6967097 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether miR-203 can inhibit transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the migration and invasion ability of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by targeting SMAD3. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-203, SMAD3 mRNA and protein in NSCLC tissues were examined, as well as their corresponding paracancerous samples. The miR-203 mimics and miR-203 inhibitor were transfected into the H226 cell line. RT-qPCR was used to assess the expression levels of E-cadherin, Snail, N-cadherin and vimentin mRNA, and western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of p-SMAD2, SMAD2, p-SMAD3, SMAD3 and SMAD4. The cell migration and invasion abilities were detected by Transwell assays. The target site of SMAD3 was predicted by the combined action between miR-203 and dual luciferase. The results revealed that the RNA levels of miR-203, compared with paracancerous tissues, were decreased in NSCLC tissues, while SMAD3 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated, and miR-203 inhibited SMAD3 expression. Induction of TGF-β led to decreased E-cadherin mRNA levels, upregulation of Snail, N-cadherin and vimentin mRNA levels (P<0.05), and significant increase in cell migration and invasion, whereas transfection of miR-203 mimics reversed the aforementioned results (P<0.05). Conversely, miR-203 inhibitor could further aggravate the aforementioned results (P<0.05). Western blot results revealed that transfection of miR-203 mimics significantly reduced the protein expression of SMAD3 and p-SMAD3 (P<0.05). Furthermore, the results of the Dual-Luciferase assay revealed that miR-203 inhibited SMAD3 expression by interacting with specific regions of its 3′-UTR. Overall, a novel mechanism is revealed, in which, miR-203 can inhibit SMAD3 by interacting with specific regions of the 3′-UTR of SMAD3, thereby restraining TGF-β-induced EMT progression and migration and invasion of NSCLC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weicong Huang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Yuanbo Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Dezhi Cheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Zhifeng He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
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21
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Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Immunity and Cancer. Immunity 2019; 50:924-940. [PMID: 30995507 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1274] [Impact Index Per Article: 254.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a crucial enforcer of immune homeostasis and tolerance, inhibiting the expansion and function of many components of the immune system. Perturbations in TGF-β signaling underlie inflammatory diseases and promote tumor emergence. TGF-β is also central to immune suppression within the tumor microenvironment, and recent studies have revealed roles in tumor immune evasion and poor responses to cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present an overview of the complex biology of the TGF-β family and its context-dependent nature. Then, focusing on cancer, we discuss the roles of TGF-β signaling in distinct immune cell types and how this knowledge is being leveraged to unleash the immune system against the tumor.
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22
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Tiwari A, Swamynathan S, Alexander N, Gnalian J, Tian S, Kinchington PR, Swamynathan SK. KLF4 Regulates Corneal Epithelial Cell Cycle Progression by Suppressing Canonical TGF-β Signaling and Upregulating CDK Inhibitors P16 and P27. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 60:731-740. [PMID: 30786277 PMCID: PMC6383833 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-26423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) promotes corneal epithelial (CE) cell fate while suppressing mesenchymal properties. TGF-β plays a crucial role in cell differentiation and development, and if dysregulated, it induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As KLF4 and TGF-β regulate each other in a context-dependent manner, we evaluated the role of the crosstalk between KLF4 and TGF-β-signaling in CE homeostasis. Methods We used spatiotemporally regulated ablation of Klf4 within the adult mouse CE in ternary transgenic Klf4Δ/ΔCE (Klf4LoxP/LoxP/ Krt12rtTA/rtTA/ Tet-O-Cre) mice and short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown or lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of KLF4 in human corneal limbal epithelial (HCLE) cells to evaluate the crosstalk between KLF4 and TGF-β-signaling components. Expression of TGF-β signaling components and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors was quantified by quantitative PCR, immunoblots, and/or immunofluorescent staining. Results CE-specific ablation of Klf4 resulted in (1) upregulation of TGF-β1, -β2, -βR1, and -βR2; (2) downregulation of inhibitory Smad7; (3) hyperphosphorylation of Smad2/3; (4) elevated nuclear localization of phospho-Smad2/3 and Smad4; and (5) downregulation of CDK inhibitors p16 and p27. Consistently, shRNA-mediated knockdown of KLF4 in HCLE cells resulted in upregulation of TGF-β1 and -β2, hyperphosphorylation and nuclear localization of SMAD2/3, downregulation of SMAD7, and elevated SMAD4 nuclear localization. Furthermore, overexpression of KLF4 in HCLE cells resulted in downregulation of TGF-β1, -βR1, and -βR2 and upregulation of SMAD7, p16, and p27. Conclusions Collectively, these results demonstrate that KLF4 regulates CE cell cycle progression by suppressing canonical TGF-β signaling and overcomes the undesirable concomitant decrease in TGF-β–dependent CDK inhibitors p16 and p27 expression by directly upregulating them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Tiwari
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Sudha Swamynathan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Nicholas Alexander
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - John Gnalian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shenghe Tian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Paul R Kinchington
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shivalingappa K Swamynathan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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23
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Has2 natural antisense RNA and Hmga2 promote Has2 expression during TGFβ-induced EMT in breast cancer. Matrix Biol 2019; 80:29-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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24
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ZEB1 insufficiency causes corneal endothelial cell state transition and altered cellular processing. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218279. [PMID: 31194824 PMCID: PMC6564028 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The zinc finger e-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) transcription factor is a master regulator of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and of the reverse mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) processes. ZEB1 plays an integral role in mediating cell state transitions during cell lineage specification, wound healing and disease. EMT/MET are characterized by distinct changes in molecular and cellular phenotype that are generally context-independent. Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD), associated with ZEB1 insufficiency, provides a new biological context in which to understand and evaluate the classic EMT/MET paradigm. PPCD is characterized by a cadherin-switch and transition to an epithelial-like transcriptomic and cellular phenotype, which we study in a cell-based model of PPCD generated using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated ZEB1 knockout in corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs). Transcriptomic and functional studies support the hypothesis that CEnC undergo a MET-like transition in PPCD, termed endothelial to epithelial transition (EnET), and lead to the conclusion that EnET may be considered a corollary to the classic EMT/MET paradigm.
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25
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Yu Z, Xu Q, Wang G, Rowe M, Driskell C, Xie Q, Wu M, Jia D. DNA topoisomerase IIα and RAD21 cohesin complex component are predicted as potential therapeutic targets in bladder cancer. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:518-528. [PMID: 31289523 PMCID: PMC6539755 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is essentially a genetic disease. Accumulated gene mutations accelerate genome instability, which eventually leads to uncontrollable growth of the tumor. Bladder cancer is the most common form of urinary tract cancer. This form of cancer has a poor prognosis due to its clinical heterogeneity and molecular diversity. Despite recent scientific advances, the knowledge and treatment of bladder cancer still lags behind that of other types of solid tumor. In the present study, available large data portals and other studies were used to obtain clinically relevant information, and the data were systematically processed to decipher the genes associated with bladder cancer. Genes associated with the survival time of patients with bladder cancer were successfully identified. The genes were enriched in common biological processes and pathways, and upregulated in tumor samples from patients. Among the top genes identified as associated with good or poor survival in bladder cancer, DNA topoisomerase IIα (TOP2α) and RAD21 cohesin complex component (RAD21) were also increased in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. Therefore, TOP2α and RAD21 could be used as potential therapeutic targets in bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiling Yu
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The People's Hospital of Yichun City, Yichun, Jiangxi 336000, P.R. China
| | - Qiuping Xu
- Morphism Institute, Seattle, WA 98117, USA
| | - Guixue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P.R. China
| | - Molly Rowe
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Cameron Driskell
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Qian Xie
- Morphism Institute, Seattle, WA 98117, USA
| | - Minhong Wu
- Department of Urinary Surgery, The People's Hospital of Yichun City, Yichun, Jiangxi 336000, P.R. China
| | - Dongyu Jia
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P.R. China.,Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
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26
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Katsuno Y, Meyer DS, Zhang Z, Shokat KM, Akhurst RJ, Miyazono K, Derynck R. Chronic TGF-β exposure drives stabilized EMT, tumor stemness, and cancer drug resistance with vulnerability to bitopic mTOR inhibition. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/570/eaau8544. [PMID: 30808819 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aau8544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Tumors comprise cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their heterogeneous progeny within a stromal microenvironment. In response to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), epithelial and carcinoma cells undergo a partial or complete epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which contributes to cancer progression. This process is seen as reversible because cells revert to an epithelial phenotype upon TGF-β removal. However, we found that prolonged TGF-β exposure, mimicking the state of in vivo carcinomas, promotes stable EMT in mammary epithelial and carcinoma cells, in contrast to the reversible EMT induced by a shorter exposure. The stabilized EMT was accompanied by stably enhanced stem cell generation and anticancer drug resistance. Furthermore, prolonged TGF-β exposure enhanced mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. A bitopic mTOR inhibitor repressed CSC generation, anchorage independence, cell survival, and chemoresistance and efficiently inhibited tumorigenesis in mice. These results reveal a role for mTOR in the stabilization of stemness and drug resistance of breast cancer cells and position mTOR inhibition as a treatment strategy to target CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Katsuno
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Dominique Stephan Meyer
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ziyang Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kevan M Shokat
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Rosemary J Akhurst
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Anatomy, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kohei Miyazono
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Rik Derynck
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. .,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Anatomy, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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27
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Zhang L, Shen ZY, Wang K, Li W, Shi JM, Osoro EK, Ullah N, Zhou Y, Ji SR. C-reactive protein exacerbates epithelial-mesenchymal transition through Wnt/β-catenin and ERK signaling in streptozocin-induced diabetic nephropathy. FASEB J 2019; 33:6551-6563. [PMID: 30794428 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801865rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported the pathogenic role of C-reactive protein (CRP) during diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in human CRP transgenic and Crp-/- mice. However, because humans and mice have inverse acute phase expression patterns of CRP and serum amyloid P component, this could lead to the inaccurate evaluation of CRP function with the above-mentioned CRP transgenic mouse. But different from mice, rats have the same acute phase protein expression pattern as human, which might avoid this problem and be a better choice for CRP function studies. To dispel this doubt and accurately define the role of CRP during diabetic nephropathy, we created the first Crp-/- rat model, which we treated with streptozocin to induce DKD for in vivo studies. Moreover, an established cell line (human kidney 2) was used to further investigate the pathologic mechanisms of CRP. We found that CRP promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through Wnt/β-catenin and ERK1/2 signaling, which are dependent on CRP binding to FcγRII on apoptotic cells. By promoting EMT, CRP was demonstrated to accelerate the development of DKD. We thus present convincing evidence demonstrating CRP as a therapeutic target for DKD treatment.-Zhang, L., Shen, Z.-Y., Wang, K., Li, W., Shi, J.-M., Osoro, E. K., Ullah, N., Zhou, Y., Ji, S.-R. C-reactive protein exacerbates epithelial-mesenchymal transition through Wnt/β-catenin and ERK signaling in streptozocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhi-Yuan Shen
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing-Ming Shi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang, China
| | - Ezra Kombo Osoro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Naeem Ullah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shang-Rong Ji
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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28
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Lu C, Sidoli S, Kulej K, Ross K, Wu CH, Garcia BA. Coordination between TGF-β cellular signaling and epigenetic regulation during epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:11. [PMID: 30736855 PMCID: PMC6368739 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0256-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in cancer propagation. It can be orchestrated by the activation of multiple signaling pathways, which have been found to be highly coordinated with many epigenetic regulators. Although the mechanism of EMT has been studied over decades, cross talk between signaling and epigenetic regulation is not fully understood. RESULTS Here, we present a time-resolved multi-omics strategy, which featured the identification of the correlation between protein changes (proteome), signaling pathways (phosphoproteome) and chromatin modulation (histone modifications) dynamics during TGF-β-induced EMT. Our data revealed that Erk signaling was activated in 5-min stimulation and structural proteins involved in cytoskeleton rearrangement were regulated after 1-day treatment, constituting a detailed map of systematic changes. The comprehensive profiling of histone post-translational modifications identified H3K27me3 as the most significantly up-regulated mark. We thus speculated and confirmed that a combined inhibition of Erk signaling and Ezh2 (H3K27me3 methyltransferase) was more effective in blocking EMT progress than individual inhibitions. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our data provided a more detailed map of cross talk between signaling pathway and chromatin regulation comparing to previous EMT studies. Our findings point to a promising therapeutic strategy for EMT-related diseases by combining Erk inhibitor (singling pathway) and Ezh2 inhibitor (epigenetic regulation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Lu
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kulej
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Division of Cancer Pathobiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Karen Ross
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19711, USA
| | - Cathy H Wu
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19711, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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29
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Kolliopoulos C, Raja E, Razmara M, Heldin P, Heldin CH, Moustakas A, van der Heide LP. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) induces NUAK kinase expression to fine-tune its signaling output. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:4119-4136. [PMID: 30622137 PMCID: PMC6422081 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
TGFβ signaling via SMAD proteins and protein kinase pathways up- or down-regulates the expression of many genes and thus affects physiological processes, such as differentiation, migration, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis, during developmental or adult tissue homeostasis. We here report that NUAK family kinase 1 (NUAK1) and NUAK2 are two TGFβ target genes. NUAK1/2 belong to the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family, whose members control central and protein metabolism, polarity, and overall cellular homeostasis. We found that TGFβ-mediated transcriptional induction of NUAK1 and NUAK2 requires SMAD family members 2, 3, and 4 (SMAD2/3/4) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities, which provided immediate and early signals for the transient expression of these two kinases. Genomic mapping identified an enhancer element within the first intron of the NUAK2 gene that can recruit SMAD proteins, which, when cloned, could confer induction by TGFβ. Furthermore, NUAK2 formed protein complexes with SMAD3 and the TGFβ type I receptor. Functionally, NUAK1 suppressed and NUAK2 induced TGFβ signaling. This was evident during TGFβ-induced epithelial cytostasis, mesenchymal differentiation, and myofibroblast contractility, in which NUAK1 or NUAK2 silencing enhanced or inhibited these responses, respectively. In conclusion, we have identified a bifurcating loop during TGFβ signaling, whereby transcriptional induction of NUAK1 serves as a negative checkpoint and NUAK2 induction positively contributes to signaling and terminal differentiation responses to TGFβ activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantinos Kolliopoulos
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden and.,the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erna Raja
- the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Masoud Razmara
- the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paraskevi Heldin
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden and.,the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carl-Henrik Heldin
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden and.,the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden and .,the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars P van der Heide
- the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 595 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
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30
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Tsubakihara Y, Moustakas A. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis under the Control of Transforming Growth Factor β. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113672. [PMID: 30463358 PMCID: PMC6274739 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis of tumor cells from primary sites of malignancy to neighboring stromal tissue or distant localities entails in several instances, but not in every case, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT weakens the strong adhesion forces between differentiated epithelial cells so that carcinoma cells can achieve solitary or collective motility, which makes the EMT an intuitive mechanism for the initiation of tumor metastasis. EMT initiates after primary oncogenic events lead to secondary secretion of cytokines. The interaction between tumor-secreted cytokines and oncogenic stimuli facilitates EMT progression. A classic case of this mechanism is the cooperation between oncogenic Ras and the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). The power of TGFβ to mediate EMT during metastasis depends on versatile signaling crosstalk and on the regulation of successive waves of expression of many other cytokines and the progressive remodeling of the extracellular matrix that facilitates motility through basement membranes. Since metastasis involves many organs in the body, whereas EMT affects carcinoma cell differentiation locally, it has frequently been debated whether EMT truly contributes to metastasis. Despite controversies, studies of circulating tumor cells, studies of acquired chemoresistance by metastatic cells, and several (but not all) metastatic animal models, support a link between EMT and metastasis, with TGFβ, often being a common denominator in this link. This article aims at discussing mechanistic cases where TGFβ signaling and EMT facilitate tumor cell dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Tsubakihara
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 595, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 595, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
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31
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Xu GL, Shen J, Xu YH, Wang WS, Ni CF. ROR1 is highly expressed in circulating tumor cells and promotes invasion of pancreatic cancer. Mol Med Rep 2018; 18:5087-5094. [PMID: 30272313 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.9500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PaC) is an aggressive malignancy, which is associated with high levels of metastasis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which may be considered a functional biomarker and promising treatment strategy for metastasis, are associated with the prognosis and progression of various metastatic cancers, including PaC. Receptor tyrosine kinase‑like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) expression contributes to cell metastasis and poor clinical outcomes in malignant tumors. The present study aimed to explore the function of ROR1 in PaC CTCs. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to examine the expression of ROR1, E‑cadherin and N‑cadherin. Cell proliferative and invasive ability was assessed by MTT and Transwell assays, respectively. The results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of ROR1 were augmented in PaC tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of ROR1 were higher in CTCs compared with in peripheral blood cells, and ROR1 was more highly expressed in CTCs than in cells. Notably, CTCs exhibited a markedly greater proliferative and invasive capacity than PANC‑1 and SW‑1990 cells, whereas knockdown of endogenous ROR1 by small interfering RNA led to suppression of the invasion of CTCs. In addition, it was revealed that the mechanism underlying the effects of ROR1 on PaC CTC metastasis may involve the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition process. In conclusion, ROR1 may be considered a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of PaC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Li Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Hua Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Wan-Sheng Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Cai-Fang Ni
- Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
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32
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Luan M, Chang J, Pan W, Chen Y, Li N, Tang B. Simultaneous Fluorescence Visualization of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Apoptosis Processes in Tumor Cells for Evaluating the Impact of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition on Drug Efficacy. Anal Chem 2018; 90:10951-10957. [PMID: 30152682 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process plays a pivotal role in acquiring invasive and metastatic properties and has been recognized as a crucial driver of epithelial-derived tumor malignancies. It is necessary to determine the role of EMT in promoting or suppressing carcinoma progression through investigating the relationship between EMT and apoptosis. We designed a multicolor fluorescent nanoprobe for simultaneously imaging the epithelial biomarker E-cadherin mRNA, the mesenchymal marker vimentin mRNA, and the apoptotic marker caspase-3. EMT and apoptosis progresses could be visually detected, which were used to study the effect of EMT on apoptosis and further assess the influence of EMT on drug efficacy in different cancer cells. We believe the designed nanoprobe can offer a new strategy for visualizing EMT and apoptosis in tumor cells and will be a promising tool to investigate the efficiency of drugs targeting EMT-related therapies in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Luan
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jinjie Chang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Pan
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
| | - Na Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Tang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University , Jinan 250014 , People's Republic of China
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33
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Wu DM, Deng SH, Liu T, Han R, Zhang T, Xu Y. TGF-β-mediated exosomal lnc-MMP2-2 regulates migration and invasion of lung cancer cells to the vasculature by promoting MMP2 expression. Cancer Med 2018; 7:5118-5129. [PMID: 30256540 PMCID: PMC6198203 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies indicated that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-mediated exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells; however, whether and how TGF-β-mediated exosomal long noncoding (lnc) RNAs regulate migration and invasion of lung cancer cells remains unclear. Here, coculture experiments showed that TGF-β pretreatment increased the migration and invasion potential of lung cancer cells and TGF-β pretreated A549 cells increases vascular permeability. Furthermore, we found that TGF-β-mediated exosomes, as carriers of intercellular communication, regulated lung cancer invasion, and vascular permeability. Transcriptional analysis also revealed that lnc-MMP2-2 was highly enriched in TGF-β-mediated exosomes and might function by increasing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 through its enhancer activity, with ectopic expression and silencing of lnc-MMP2-2 affecting lung cancer invasion and vascular permeability. Additionally, lnc-MMP2-2 and MMP2 expression was assessed semiquantitatively, and tissue-specific correlations between lnc-MMP2-2 and MMP2 expression were evaluated. These results suggested that exosomal lnc-MMP2-2 might regulate the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells into the vasculature by promoting MMP2 expression, suggesting this lncRNA as a novel therapeutic target and predictive marker of tumor metastasis in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Ming Wu
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Shi-Hua Deng
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Teng Liu
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Han
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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34
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Caja L, Dituri F, Mancarella S, Caballero-Diaz D, Moustakas A, Giannelli G, Fabregat I. TGF-β and the Tissue Microenvironment: Relevance in Fibrosis and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018. [PMID: 29701666 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051294.pmid:29701666;pmcid:pmc5983604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a cytokine essential for the induction of the fibrotic response and for the activation of the cancer stroma. Strong evidence suggests that a strong cross-talk exists among TGF-β and the tissue extracellular matrix components. TGF-β is stored in the matrix as part of a large latent complex bound to the latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP) and matrix binding of latent TGF-β complexes, which is required for an adequate TGF-β function. Once TGF-β is activated, it regulates extracellular matrix remodelling and promotes a fibroblast to myofibroblast transition, which is essential in fibrotic processes. This cytokine also acts on other cell types present in the fibrotic and tumour microenvironment, such as epithelial, endothelial cells or macrophages and it contributes to the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. Furthermore, TGF-β exerts anti-tumour activity by inhibiting the host tumour immunosurveillance. Aim of this review is to update how TGF-β and the tissue microenvironment cooperate to promote the pleiotropic actions that regulate cell responses of different cell types, essential for the development of fibrosis and tumour progression. We discuss recent evidences suggesting the use of TGF-β chemical inhibitors as a new line of defence against fibrotic disorders or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Caja
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Francesco Dituri
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Serena Mancarella
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Daniel Caballero-Diaz
- TGF-β and Cancer Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet, 199, 08908 Barcelona, Spain.
- Oncology Program, CIBEREHD, National Biomedical Research Institute on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Isabel Fabregat
- TGF-β and Cancer Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet, 199, 08908 Barcelona, Spain.
- Oncology Program, CIBEREHD, National Biomedical Research Institute on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet, 08907 Barcelona, Spain.
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35
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Caja L, Dituri F, Mancarella S, Caballero-Diaz D, Moustakas A, Giannelli G, Fabregat I. TGF-β and the Tissue Microenvironment: Relevance in Fibrosis and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051294. [PMID: 29701666 PMCID: PMC5983604 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a cytokine essential for the induction of the fibrotic response and for the activation of the cancer stroma. Strong evidence suggests that a strong cross-talk exists among TGF-β and the tissue extracellular matrix components. TGF-β is stored in the matrix as part of a large latent complex bound to the latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP) and matrix binding of latent TGF-β complexes, which is required for an adequate TGF-β function. Once TGF-β is activated, it regulates extracellular matrix remodelling and promotes a fibroblast to myofibroblast transition, which is essential in fibrotic processes. This cytokine also acts on other cell types present in the fibrotic and tumour microenvironment, such as epithelial, endothelial cells or macrophages and it contributes to the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. Furthermore, TGF-β exerts anti-tumour activity by inhibiting the host tumour immunosurveillance. Aim of this review is to update how TGF-β and the tissue microenvironment cooperate to promote the pleiotropic actions that regulate cell responses of different cell types, essential for the development of fibrosis and tumour progression. We discuss recent evidences suggesting the use of TGF-β chemical inhibitors as a new line of defence against fibrotic disorders or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Caja
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Francesco Dituri
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Serena Mancarella
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Daniel Caballero-Diaz
- TGF-β and Cancer Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet, 199, 08908 Barcelona, Spain.
- Oncology Program, CIBEREHD, National Biomedical Research Institute on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- National Institute of Gastroenterology, "S. de Bellis" Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy.
| | - Isabel Fabregat
- TGF-β and Cancer Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet, 199, 08908 Barcelona, Spain.
- Oncology Program, CIBEREHD, National Biomedical Research Institute on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet, 08907 Barcelona, Spain.
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David CJ, Massagué J. Contextual determinants of TGFβ action in development, immunity and cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2018; 19:419-435. [PMID: 29643418 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 504] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Few cell signals match the impact of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family in metazoan biology. TGFβ cytokines regulate cell fate decisions during development, tissue homeostasis and regeneration, and are major players in tumorigenesis, fibrotic disorders, immune malfunctions and various congenital diseases. The effects of the TGFβ family are mediated by a combinatorial set of ligands and receptors and by a common set of receptor-activated mothers against decapentaplegic homologue (SMAD) transcription factors, yet the effects can differ dramatically depending on the cell type and the conditions. Recent progress has illuminated a model of TGFβ action in which SMADs bind genome-wide in partnership with lineage-determining transcription factors and additionally integrate inputs from other pathways and the chromatin to trigger specific cellular responses. These new insights clarify the operating logic of the TGFβ pathway in physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J David
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joan Massagué
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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37
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James CC, Zeitz MJ, Calhoun PJ, Lamouille S, Smyth JW. Altered translation initiation of Gja1 limits gap junction formation during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:797-808. [PMID: 29467255 PMCID: PMC5905293 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-06-0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is activated during development, wound healing, and pathologies including fibrosis and cancer metastasis. Hallmarks of EMT are remodeling of intercellular junctions and adhesion proteins, including gap junctions. The GJA1 mRNA transcript encoding the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) has been demonstrated to undergo internal translation initiation, yielding truncated isoforms that modulate gap junctions. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is central to translation regulation and is activated during EMT, leading us to hypothesize that altered translation initiation would contribute to gap junction loss. Using TGF-β-induced EMT as a model, we find reductions in Cx43 gap junctions despite increased transcription and stabilization of Cx43 protein. Biochemical experiments reveal suppression of the internally translated Cx43 isoform, GJA1-20k in a Smad3 and ERK-dependent manner. Ectopic expression of GJA1-20k does not halt EMT, but is sufficient to rescue gap junction formation. GJA1-20k localizes to the Golgi apparatus, and using superresolution localization microscopy we find retention of GJA1-43k at the Golgi in mesenchymal cells lacking GJA1-20k. NativePAGE demonstrates that levels of GJA1-20k regulate GJA1-43k hexamer oligomerization, a limiting step in Cx43 trafficking. These findings reveal alterations in translation initiation as an unexplored mechanism by which the cell regulates Cx43 gap junction formation during EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carissa C James
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Michael J Zeitz
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016
| | - Patrick J Calhoun
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016.,Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Samy Lamouille
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016
| | - James W Smyth
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016.,Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Tang H, Massi D, Hemmings BA, Mandalà M, Hu Z, Wicki A, Xue G. AKT-ions with a TWIST between EMT and MET. Oncotarget 2018; 7:62767-62777. [PMID: 27623213 PMCID: PMC5308764 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Twist is an important regulator of cranial suture during embryogenesis. Closure of the neural tube is achieved via Twist-triggered cellular transition from an epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized by a remarkable increase in cell motility. In the absence of Twist activity, EMT and associated phenotypic changes in cell morphology and motility can also be induced, albeit moderately, by other transcription factor families, including Snail and Zeb. Aberrant EMT triggered by Twist in human mammary tumour cells was first reported to drive metastasis to the lung in a metastatic breast cancer model. Subsequent analysis of many types of carcinoma demonstrated overexpression of these unique EMT transcription factors, which statistically correlated with worse outcome, indicating their potential as biomarkers in the clinic. However, the mechanisms underlying their activation remain unclear. Interestingly, increasing evidence indicates they are selectively activated by distinct intracellular kinases, thereby acting as downstream effectors facilitating transduction of cytoplasmic signals into nucleus and reprogramming EMT and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) transcription to control cell plasticity. Understanding these relationships and emerging data indicating differential phosphorylation of Twist leads to complex and even paradoxical functionalities, will be vital to unlocking their potential in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniela Massi
- Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Brian A Hemmings
- Department of Mechanisms of Cancer, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mario Mandalà
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Zhengqiang Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Andreas Wicki
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gongda Xue
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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39
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TGF-β Family Signaling in Ductal Differentiation and Branching Morphogenesis. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:cshperspect.a031997. [PMID: 28289061 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a031997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cells contribute to the development of various vital organs by generating tubular and/or glandular architectures. The fully developed forms of ductal organs depend on processes of branching morphogenesis, whereby frequency, total number, and complexity of the branching tissue define the final architecture in the organ. Some ductal tissues, like the mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation, disintegrate and regenerate through periodic cycles. Differentiation of branched epithelia is driven by antagonistic actions of parallel growth factor systems that mediate epithelial-mesenchymal communication. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family members and their extracellular antagonists are prominently involved in both normal and disease-associated (e.g., malignant or fibrotic) ductal tissue patterning. Here, we discuss collective knowledge that permeates the roles of TGF-β family members in the control of the ductal tissues in the vertebrate body.
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40
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Deng YR, Liu WB, Lian ZX, Li X, Hou X. Sorafenib inhibits macrophage-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:38292-38305. [PMID: 27203677 PMCID: PMC5122390 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages, crucial components of the microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma, hamper anti-cancer immune responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sorafenib on the formation of the tumor microenvironment, especially the relationship between polarized macrophages and hepatocytes. Macrophage infiltration was reduced in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with sorafenib. In vitro, sorafenib abolished polarized macrophage-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells but not normal hepatocytes. Moreover, sorafenib attenuated HGF secretion in polarized macrophages, and decreased plasma HGF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Additionally, sorafenib abolished the polarized macrophage-induced activation of the HGF receptor Met in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Our findings suggest that sorafenib inhibits polarized macrophage-induced EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the HGF-Met signaling pathway. These results contribute to our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that underlie the protective effects of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ru Deng
- Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wen-Bin Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xingsheng Li
- Department of Gerontology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
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41
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Transforming Growth Factor β-Induced Proliferative Arrest Mediated by TRIM26-Dependent TAF7 Degradation and Its Antagonism by MYC. Mol Cell Biol 2018; 38:MCB.00449-17. [PMID: 29203640 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00449-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognition of gene promoters by RNA polymerase II is mediated by general transcription factor IID (TFIID), which has been thought to be a static complex and to play a passive role in the regulation of gene expression under the instruction of gene-specific transcription factors. Here we show that transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) induced degradation of the TFIID subunit TAF7 in cultured mouse mammary epithelial cells and that this effect was required for proliferative arrest in response to TGF-β stimulation. TGF-β stimulated transcription of the gene for the ubiquitin ligase TRIM26, which was shown to ubiquitylate TAF7 and thereby to target it for proteasomal degradation. Sustained exposure of cells to TGF-β resulted in recovery from proliferative arrest in association with amplification of the Myc proto-oncogene, with MYC inhibiting TRIM26 induction by TGF-β. Our data thus show that TFIID is not simply a general mediator of transcription but contributes to the regulation of transcription in response to cell stimulation, playing a key role in the cytostatic function of TGF-β.
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42
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Hong B, Zhang J, Yang W. Activation of the LKB1‑SIK1 signaling pathway inhibits the TGF‑β‑mediated epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and apoptosis resistance of ovarian carcinoma cells. Mol Med Rep 2018; 17:2837-2844. [PMID: 29257268 PMCID: PMC5783501 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.8229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most common and lethal type of gynecological malignancy, due to its invasiveness. The present study aimed to analyze the molecular mechanism underlying chemoresistance in ovarian carcinoma cells, which may lead to local migration toward adjacent tissues and long‑distance metastasis to other organs. A total of 12 patients with ovarian fibroma were used to evaluate chemoresistance and chemosensitivity. The sensitivity and resistance of ovarian carcinoma cells was measured using apoptosis analysis, morphological observation, survival rate analysis, immunohistochemistry and immunostaining. The mechanism underlying the interaction between the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and liver kinase B1 (LKB1)‑salt‑inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) signaling pathways was additionally investigated in ovarian carcinoma. The results of the present study demonstrated that ovarian carcinoma cells isolated from patients exhibited apoptosis resistance. Inhibition of TGF‑β expression led to an inhibition of growth, migration and invasion, in addition to a promotion of apoptosis, in ovarian carcinoma cells treated with paclitaxel. Studies have indicated that the LKB1‑SIK1 signaling pathway may be suppressed in ovarian carcinoma cells compared with normal ovarian cells, leading to activation of the EMT signaling pathway. The results of the present study demonstrated that upregulation of LKB1 promoted SIK1 expression and markedly suppressed the growth and aggressiveness of ovarian cancer cells. Upregulation of LKB1 additionally promoted apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells. In addition, the results of the present study demonstrated that the knockdown of LKB1 further promoted the expression of transforming growth factor‑β and EMT, which downregulated the chemosensitivity of ovarian carcinoma cells. Additionally, overexpression of LKB1 in ovarian carcinoma cells increased chemosensitivity, resulting in a significant inhibition of migration and invasion. The present findings indicated that the enhancement of LKB1‑SIK1 suppressed the growth and aggressiveness of ovarian carcinoma cells isolated from clinical patients, which subsequently contributed to an inhibition of metastatic potential. In conclusion, targeting the LKB1‑SIK1 signaling pathway to inhibit EMT may provide potential therapeutic benefits in ovarian carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hong
- Department of Gynecology, Haidian Maternal and Child Healthcare Center, Beijing 320010, P.R. China
| | - Jianmei Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, Haidian Maternal and Child Healthcare Center, Beijing 320010, P.R. China
| | - Wenlan Yang
- Department of Gynecology, Haidian Maternal and Child Healthcare Center, Beijing 320010, P.R. China
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Vanlandewijck M, Dadras MS, Lomnytska M, Mahzabin T, Lee Miller M, Busch C, Brunak S, Heldin CH, Moustakas A. The protein kinase SIK downregulates the polarity protein Par3. Oncotarget 2018; 9:5716-5735. [PMID: 29464029 PMCID: PMC5814169 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The multifunctional cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) controls homeostasis and disease during embryonic and adult life. TGFβ alters epithelial cell differentiation by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which involves downregulation of several cell-cell junctional constituents. Little is understood about the mechanism of tight junction disassembly by TGFβ. We found that one of the newly identified gene targets of TGFβ, encoding the serine/threonine kinase salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK), controls tight junction dynamics. We provide bioinformatic and biochemical evidence that SIK can potentially phosphorylate the polarity complex protein Par3, an established regulator of tight junction assembly. SIK associates with Par3, and induces degradation of Par3 that can be prevented by proteasomal and lysosomal inhibition or by mutation of Ser885, a putative phosphorylation site on Par3. Functionally, this mechanism impacts on tight junction downregulation. Furthermore, SIK contributes to the loss of epithelial polarity and examination of advanced and invasive human cancers of diverse origin displayed high levels of SIK expression and a corresponding low expression of Par3 protein. High SIK mRNA expression also correlates with lower chance for survival in various carcinomas. In specific human breast cancer samples, aneuploidy of tumor cells best correlated with cytoplasmic SIK distribution, and SIK expression correlated with TGFβ/Smad signaling activity and low or undetectable expression of Par3. Our model suggests that SIK can act directly on the polarity protein Par3 to regulate tight junction assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vanlandewijck
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Integrated Cardio Metabolic Center, Novum, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mahsa Shahidi Dadras
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marta Lomnytska
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Biomics Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Uppsala Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tanzila Mahzabin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Martin Lee Miller
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Center, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christer Busch
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Søren Brunak
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carl-Henrik Heldin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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44
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Bae GY, Hong SK, Park JR, Kwon OS, Kim KT, Koo J, Oh E, Cha HJ. Chronic TGFβ stimulation promotes the metastatic potential of lung cancer cells by Snail protein stabilization through integrin β3-Akt-GSK3β signaling. Oncotarget 2018; 7:25366-76. [PMID: 27015122 PMCID: PMC5041910 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic exposure to TGFβ, a frequent occurrence for tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment, confers more aggressive phenotypes on cancer cells by promoting their invasion and migration while at the same time increasing their resistance to the growth-inhibitory effect of TGFβ. In this study, a transdifferentiated (TD) A549 cell model, established by chronically exposing A549 cells to TGFβ, showed highly invasive phenotypes in conjunction with attenuation of Smad-dependent signaling. We show that Snail protein, the mRNA expression of which strongly correlates with a poor prognosis in lung cancer patients, was highly stable in TD cells after TGFβ stimulation. The increased protein stability of Snail in TD cells correlated with elevated inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β, resulting from the high Akt activity. Notably, integrin β3, whose expression was markedly increased upon sustained exposure to TGFβ, was responsible for the high Akt activity as well as the increased Snail protein stability in TD cells. Consistently, clinical database analysis on lung cancer patients revealed a negative correlation between overall survival and integrin β3 mRNA levels. Therefore, we suggest that the integrin β3-Akt-GSK3β signaling axis plays an important role in non-canonical TGFβ signaling, determining the invasive properties of tumor cells chronically exposed to TGFβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gab-Yong Bae
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Ki Hong
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Rak Park
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ok-Seon Kwon
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun-Tae Kim
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - JaeHyung Koo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ensel Oh
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics and Molecular Pathology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuk-Jin Cha
- College of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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45
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Kahata K, Dadras MS, Moustakas A. TGF-β Family Signaling in Epithelial Differentiation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:cshperspect.a022194. [PMID: 28246184 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epithelia exist in the animal body since the onset of embryonic development; they generate tissue barriers and specify organs and glands. Through epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), epithelia generate mesenchymal cells that form new tissues and promote healing or disease manifestation when epithelial homeostasis is challenged physiologically or pathologically. Transforming growth factor-βs (TGF-βs), activins, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and growth and differentiation factors (GDFs) have been implicated in the regulation of epithelial differentiation. These TGF-β family ligands are expressed and secreted at sites where the epithelium interacts with the mesenchyme and provide paracrine queues from the mesenchyme to the neighboring epithelium, helping the specification of differentiated epithelial cell types within an organ. TGF-β ligands signal via Smads and cooperating kinase pathways and control the expression or activities of key transcription factors that promote either epithelial differentiation or mesenchymal transitions. In this review, we discuss evidence that illustrates how TGF-β family ligands contribute to epithelial differentiation and induce mesenchymal transitions, by focusing on the embryonic ectoderm and tissues that form the external mammalian body lining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Kahata
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mahsa Shahidi Dadras
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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Liu S, Su L, Mu X, Shi Y, Zhang A, Ge X. Apatinib inhibits macrophage-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition in lung cancer. RSC Adv 2018; 8:21451-21459. [PMID: 35539916 PMCID: PMC9080926 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra01231h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is one of the main treatment approaches for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliang Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- China
| | - Lingfei Su
- Department of Radiotherapy
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- P. R. China
| | - Xuri Mu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- China
| | - Yubo Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- China
| | - Aifeng Zhang
- Department of Outpatient
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- China
| | - Xingping Ge
- Department of Radiotherapy
- Yantaishan Hospital
- Yantai
- P. R. China
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Song J, Shi W. The concomitant apoptosis and EMT underlie the fundamental functions of TGF-β. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2018; 50:91-97. [PMID: 29069287 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmx117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
TGF-β's multipotent cellular effects and their relations are critical for TGF-β's pathophysiological functions. However, these effects may appear to be paradoxical in understanding TGF-β's functions. Apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are two fundamental events that are deeply linked to various physiological and disease-related processes. These two major cellular fates are subtly regulated and can be potently stimulated by TGF-β, which profoundly contribute to the biological roles of TGF-β. Moreover, these two events are also indirectly and directly correlated with TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition and are relevant to the current understanding of the roles of TGF-β in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Although TGF-β-induced apoptosis and EMT can be singly independent cellular events, they can also be mutually exclusive but interrelated concomitant events in various cases. Thus, the modulation of apoptosis and EMT is essential for the seemingly paradoxical functions of TGF-β. However, the concomitant effect of TGF-β on apoptosis and EMT, the balance and regulated alterations of them are still been ignored or underestimated. This review focuses on the TGF-β-induced concomitant apoptosis and EMT. We aim to provide an insight in understanding their significance, balance, and modulation in TGF-β-mediated biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Weiwei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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48
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Chen H, Chen Q, Jiang CM, Shi GY, Sui BW, Zhang W, Yang LZ, Li ZY, Liu L, Su YM, Zhao WC, Sun HQ, Li ZZ, Fu Z. Triptolide suppresses paraquat induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting TGFB1-dependent epithelial mesenchymal transition. Toxicol Lett 2017; 284:1-9. [PMID: 29195901 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and tumor are highly similar to abnormal cell proliferation that damages the body. This malignant cell evolution in a stressful environment closely resembles that of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As a popular EMT-inducing factor, TGFβ plays an important role in the progression of multiple diseases. However, the drugs that target TGFB1 are limited. In this study, we found that triptolide (TPL), a Chinese medicine extract, exerts an anti-lung fibrosis effect by inhibiting the EMT of lung epithelial cells. In addition, triptolide directly binds to TGFβ and subsequently increase E-cadherin expression and decrease vimentin expression. In in vivo studies, TPL improves the survival state and inhibits lung fibrosis in mice. In summary, this study revealed the potential therapeutic effect of paraquat induced TPL in lung fibrosis by regulating TGFβ-dependent EMT progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China; China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Stem Cell Therapy, China; Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Qun Chen
- Department of Laboratory, The People's Hospital of Acheng District, Harbin, China
| | - Chun-Ming Jiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China
| | | | - Bo-Wen Sui
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Li-Zhen Yang
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Zhu-Ying Li
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Li Liu
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Yu-Ming Su
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University Of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Wen-Cheng Zhao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Hong-Qiang Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China
| | | | - Zhou Fu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China; China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Stem Cell Therapy, China.
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49
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Lu Z, Tang Y, Luo J, Zhang S, Zhou X, Fu L. Advances in targeting the transforming growth factor β1 signaling pathway in lung cancer radiotherapy. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:5681-5687. [PMID: 29113195 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer was demonstrated to be the most lethal type of malignant tumor amongst humans in the global cancer statistics of 2012. As one of the primary treatments, radiotherapy has been reported to induce remission in, and even cure, patients with lung cancer. However, the side effects of radiotherapy may prove lethal in certain patients. In past decades, the transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) signaling pathway has been revealed to serve multiple functions in the control of lung cancer progression and the radiotherapy response. In mammals, this signaling pathway is initiated through activation of the TGFB1 receptor complex, which signals via cytoplasmic SMAD proteins or other downstream signaling pathways. Multiple studies have demonstrated that TGFB1 serves important functions in lung cancer radiotherapy. The present study summarized and reviewed recent progress in elucidating the function of the TGFB1 signaling pathway in predicting radiation pneumonitis, as well as current strategies for targeting the TGFB1 signaling pathway in lung cancer radiotherapy, which may provide potential targets for lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Yiting Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Judong Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Shuyu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Biology, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China
| | - Xifa Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Lei Fu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, P.R. China
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50
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Pei Z, Fu W, Wang G. A natural product toosendanin inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor growth in pancreatic cancer via deactivating Akt/mTOR signaling. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 493:455-460. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.08.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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