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Abstract
Evidence implicating Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands (that together make up the 'Eph system') in cancer development and progression has been accumulating since the discovery of the first Eph receptor approximately 35 years ago. Advances in the past decade and a half have considerably increased the understanding of Eph receptor-ephrin signalling mechanisms in cancer and have uncovered intriguing new roles in cancer progression and drug resistance. This Review focuses mainly on these more recent developments. I provide an update on the different mechanisms of Eph receptor-ephrin-mediated cell-cell communication and cell autonomous signalling, as well as on the interplay of the Eph system with other signalling systems. I further discuss recent advances in elucidating how the Eph system controls tumour expansion, invasiveness and metastasis, supports cancer stem cells, and drives therapy resistance. In addition to functioning within cancer cells, the Eph system also mediates the reciprocal communication between cancer cells and cells of the tumour microenvironment. The involvement of the Eph system in tumour angiogenesis is well established, but recent findings also demonstrate roles in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. Lastly, I discuss strategies under evaluation for therapeutic targeting of Eph receptors-ephrins in cancer and conclude with an outlook on promising future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena B Pasquale
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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2
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VanderWeele DJ, Kocherginsky M, Munir S, Martone B, Sagar V, Morgans A, Stadler WM, Abdulkadir S, Hussain M. A Phase II Study of sEphB4-HSA in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Clin Genitourin Cancer 2022; 20:575-580. [PMID: 36210299 DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ephrin receptors and their membrane-localized ligands induce bidirectional signaling and facilitate tumor-stroma interactions. Blocking the EphB4-EphrinB2 pathway, which can be accomplished by soluble EphB4 conjugated to human serum albumin (sEphB4-HSA), promotes cell death in preclinical models of aggressive prostate cancer. We hypothesized that targeting the EphB4-EphrinB2 pathway may serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a single arm, phase II trial in patients with progressive mCRPC who had received no more than 3 prior therapies for mCRPC. sEphB4-HSA 1000 mg IV was administered every 2 weeks, extending to 3 weeks starting from cycle 7. The primary endpoint was confirmed prostate specific antigen (PSA) response rate. We employed a Simon 2-stage Minimax design with 15 patients in the first stage and 10 additional patients in the second stage. RESULTS Fourteen eligible patients enrolled in the study with median age of 73.5 years (range: 52-83) and median baseline PSA of 65.11 ng/mL (range: 7.77-2850 ng/mL). Most patients received 3 prior therapies for mCRPC. The median treatment duration with sEphB4-HSA was 6.5 weeks (range: 2-35 weeks). Three patients experienced a serious adverse event potentially related to therapy, including 1 patient with a grade 5 event (cerebral vascular accident) possibly related to the study drug. No patient had a confirmed PSA response, and the study was stopped for futility. Thirteen patients had PSA progression. The median time to PSA progression was 28 days (90% CI: 28-42 days), and median time to radiologic progression was 55 days (90% CI: 54-72 days). Of 3 patients with measurable disease, 2 had stable disease and one had progressive disease. CONCLUSION In patients with mCRPC who progressed on prior second generation AR-targeted therapy, sEphB4-HSA monotherapy had no discernable anti-tumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J VanderWeele
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Masha Kocherginsky
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Sabah Munir
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Brenda Martone
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Vinay Sagar
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Alicia Morgans
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Sarki Abdulkadir
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Maha Hussain
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
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Li C, Liu J, He D, Mao F, Rao X, Zhao Y, Lanman NA, Kazemian M, Farah E, Liu J, Ngule CM, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Kong Y, Li L, Wang C, Liu X. GSTM2 is a key molecular determinant of resistance to SG-ARIs. Oncogene 2022; 41:4498-4511. [PMID: 36038661 PMCID: PMC9986032 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02444-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) continues to threaten men's health, and treatment targeting the androgen receptor (AR) pathway is the major therapy for PCa patients. Several second-generation androgen receptor inhibitors (SG-ARIs), including enzalutamide (ENZ), apalutamide (APA) and darolutamide (DARO), have been developed to better block the activity of AR. Unavoidably, emergence of resistance to these novel drugs still persists. Herein, we identified glutathione S-transferase Mu 2 (GSTM2) as an important determinant in the acquisition of resistance to SG-ARIs. Elevated GSTM2 was detected in enzalutamide-resistant (ENZ-R) PCa, and overexpression of GSTM2 in naïve enzalutamide-sensitive (ENZ-S) cells effectively transformed them to ENZ-R PCa. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), the upstream transcription factor, was implicated in the overexpression of GSTM2 in ENZ-R cells. Mechanistically, GSTM2 antagonized the effect of ENZ by rescuing cells from oxidative stress-associated damage and activation of p38 MAPK pathway. Surprisingly, high GSTM2 levels also associated with cross-resistance to APA and DARO. Taking together, these results provide new insight to ameliorate resistance to SG-ARIs and improve treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaohao Li
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.,Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Daheng He
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.,Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Fengyi Mao
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Xiongjian Rao
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Nadia A Lanman
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Majid Kazemian
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Elia Farah
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jinghui Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Chrispus M Ngule
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Zhuangzhuang Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Yanquan Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Yifan Kong
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Lang Li
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Chi Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.,Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA. .,Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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Mao F, Kong Y, Liu J, Rao X, Li C, Donahue K, Zhang Y, Jones K, Zhang Q, Xu W, Liu X. Diptoindonesin G antagonizes AR signaling and enhances the efficacy of antiandrogen therapy in prostate cancer. Prostate 2022; 82:917-932. [PMID: 35322879 PMCID: PMC9035130 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway has been well demonstrated to play a crucial role in the development, progression, and drug resistance of prostate cancer. Although the current anti-androgen therapy could significantly benefit prostate cancer patients initially, the efficacy of the single drug usually lasts for a relatively short period, as drug resistance quickly emerges. METHODS We have performed an unbiased bioinformatics analysis using the RNA-seq results in 22Rv1 cells to identify the cell response toward Dip G treatment. The RNA-seq results were validated by qRT-PCR. Protein levels were detected by western blot or staining. Cell viability was measured by Aquabluer and colony formation assay. RESULTS Here, we identified that Diptoindonesin G (Dip G), a natural extracted compound, could promote the proteasome degradation of AR and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) through modulating the activation of CHIP E3 ligase. Administration of Dip G has shown a profound efficiency in the suppression of AR and PLK1, not only in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells but also in castration-resistant and enzalutamide-resistant cells in a CHIP-dependent manner. Through co-targeting the AR signaling, Dip G robustly improved the efficacy of HSP90 inhibitors and enzalutamide in both human prostate cancer cells and in vivo xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed that Dip G-mediated AR degradation would be a promising and valuable therapeutic strategy in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyi Mao
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Yifan Kong
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Jinghui Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Xiongjian Rao
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Chaohao Li
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Kristine Donahue
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Yanquan Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Katelyn Jones
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Qiongsi Zhang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Wei Xu
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA. Tel: (859) 562-2006;
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Mechanisms of Resistance to Second-Generation Antiandrogen Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Actual Knowledge and Perspectives. Med Sci (Basel) 2022; 10:medsci10020025. [PMID: 35645241 PMCID: PMC9149952 DOI: 10.3390/medsci10020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer therapy for locally advanced and metastatic diseases includes androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Second-generation antiandrogens have a role in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Nevertheless, some patients do not respond to this therapy, and eventually all the patients became resistant. This is due to modifications to intracellular signaling pathways, genomic alteration, cytokines production, metabolic switches, constitutional receptor activation, overexpression of some proteins, and regulation of gene expression. The aim of this review is to define the most important mechanisms that drive this resistance and the newest discoveries in this field, specifically for enzalutamide and abiraterone, with potential implications for future therapeutic targets. Furthermore, apalutamide and darolutamide share some resistance mechanisms with abiraterone and enzalutamide and could be useful in some resistance settings.
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Wang Y, Chen J, Wu Z, Ding W, Gao S, Gao Y, Xu C. Mechanisms of enzalutamide resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer and therapeutic strategies to overcome it. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:239-261. [PMID: 33150960 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men and androgen deprivation therapy is the first-line therapy. However, most cases will eventually develop castration-resistant prostate cancer after androgen deprivation therapy treatment. Enzalutamide is a second-generation androgen receptor antagonist approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Unfortunately, patients receiving enzalutamide treatment will ultimately develop resistance via various complicated mechanisms. This review examines the emerging information on these resistance mechanisms, including androgen receptor-related signalling pathways, glucocorticoid receptor-related pathways and metabolic effects. Notably, lineage plasticity and phenotype switching, gene polymorphisms and the relationship between microRNAs and drug resistance are addressed. Furthermore, potential therapeutic strategies for enzalutamide-resistant castration-resistant prostate cancer treatment are suggested, which can help discover more effective and specific regimens to overcome enzalutamide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Management, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiyuan Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Management, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengjie Wu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weihong Ding
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shen Gao
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Management, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanliang Xu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Neuber C, Tröster A, Löser R, Belter B, Schwalbe H, Pietzsch J. The Pyrazolo[3,4- d]pyrimidine-Based Kinase Inhibitor NVP-BHG712: Effects of Regioisomers on Tumor Growth, Perfusion, and Hypoxia in EphB4-Positive A375 Melanoma Xenografts. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215115. [PMID: 33153234 PMCID: PMC7662635 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, EphB4 was demonstrated to be a positive regulator of A375-melanoma growth but a negative regulator of tumor vascularization and perfusion. To distinguish between EphB4 forward and ephrinB2 reverse signaling, we used the commercially available EphB4 kinase inhibitor NVP-BHG712 (NVP), which was later identified as its regioisomer NVPiso. Since there have been reported significant differences between the inhibition profiles of NVP and NVPiso, we compared the influence of NVP and NVPiso on tumor characteristics under the same experimental conditions. Despite the different inhibitory profiles of NVP and NVPiso, the comparative study conducted here showed the same EphB4-induced effects in vivo as in the previous investigation. This confirmed the conclusion that EphB4-ephrinB2 reverse signaling is responsible for increased tumor growth as well as decreased tumor vascularization and perfusion. These results are further substantiated by microarrays showing differences between mock-transfected and EphB4-transfected (A375-EphB4) cells with respect to at least 9 angiogenesis-related proteins. Decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiotensin 1 (Ang-1), and protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), together with the increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and transforming growth factor beta-2 (TGF-β2), is consistent with the impaired vascularization of A375-EphB4 xenografts. Functional overexpression of EphB4 in A375-EphB4 cells was confirmed by activation of a variety of signaling pathways, including the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), rat sarcoma virus/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma/mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (Ras/Raf/MEK), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NFkB) pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Neuber
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department Radiopharmaceutical and Chemical Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (C.N.); (R.L.); (B.B.)
| | - Alix Tröster
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt a. M., Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (A.T.); (H.S.)
| | - Reik Löser
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department Radiopharmaceutical and Chemical Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (C.N.); (R.L.); (B.B.)
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Birgit Belter
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department Radiopharmaceutical and Chemical Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (C.N.); (R.L.); (B.B.)
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt a. M., Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (A.T.); (H.S.)
| | - Jens Pietzsch
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department Radiopharmaceutical and Chemical Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (C.N.); (R.L.); (B.B.)
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-351-260-2622
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