1
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Lenz G. Heterogeneity generating capacity in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167226. [PMID: 38734320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167226] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cells of multicellular organisms generate heterogeneity in a controlled and transient fashion during embryogenesis, which can be reactivated in pathologies such as cancer. Although genomic heterogeneity is an important part of tumorigenesis, continuous generation of phenotypic heterogeneity is central for the adaptation of cancer cells to the challenges of tumorigenesis and response to therapy. Here I discuss the capacity of generating heterogeneity, hereafter called cell hetness, in cancer cells both as the activation of hetness oncogenes and inactivation of hetness tumor suppressor genes, which increase the generation of heterogeneity, ultimately producing an increase in adaptability and cell fitness. Transcriptomic high hetness states in therapy-tolerant cell states denote its importance in cancer resistance to therapy. The definition of the concept of hetness will allow the understanding of its origins, its control during embryogenesis, its loss of control in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics and its active targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Lenz
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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2
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Mi Y, Dong M, Zuo X, Cao Q, Gu X, Mi H, Xiao F. Genome-wide identification and analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related RNA-binding proteins and alternative splicing in a human breast cancer cell line. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11753. [PMID: 38783078 PMCID: PMC11116388 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62681-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis and searching for new drug therapeutic targets are still the focuses of current research. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) may affect breast cancer metastasis by regulating alternative splicing (AS) during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We hypothesised that during EMT development in breast cancer cells, the expression level of RBPs and the gene AS pattern in the cell were significantly changed on a genome-wide scale. Using GEO database, this study identified differentially expressed RBPs and differential AS events at different stages of EMT in breast cancer cells. By establishing the correlation network of differential RBPs and differential AS events, we found that RBM47, PCBP3, FRG1, SRP72, RBMS3 and other RBPs may regulate the AS of ITGA6, ADGRE5, TNC, COL6A3 and other cell adhesion genes. By further analysing above EMT-related RBPs and AS in breast cancer tissues in TCGA, it was found that the expression levels of ADAT2, C2orf15, SRP72, PAICS, RBMS3, APOBEC3G, NOA1, ACO1 and the AS of TNC and COL6A3 were significantly correlated with the prognosis of breast cancer patients. The expression levels of all 8 RBPs were significantly different in breast cancer tissues without metastasis compared with normal breast tissues. Conclusively, eight RBPs such as RBMS3 and AS of TNC and COL6A3 could be used as predictors of breast cancer prognosis. These findings need to be further explored as possible targets for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Mi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Meilian Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zuo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Qinchen Cao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Xiaobin Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Hailong Mi
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fankai Xiao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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3
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van der Zalm AP, Dings MPG, Manoukian P, Boersma H, Janssen R, Bailey P, Koster J, Zwijnenburg D, Volckmann R, Bootsma S, Waasdorp C, van Mourik M, Blangé D, van den Ende T, Oyarce CI, Derks S, Creemers A, Ebbing EA, Hooijer GK, Meijer SL, van Berge Henegouwen MI, Medema JP, van Laarhoven HWM, Bijlsma MF. The pluripotency factor NANOG contributes to mesenchymal plasticity and is predictive for outcome in esophageal adenocarcinoma. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:89. [PMID: 38760583 PMCID: PMC11101480 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00512-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the advent of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), overall survival rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remain low. A readily induced mesenchymal transition of EAC cells contributes to resistance to CRT. METHODS In this study, we aimed to chart the heterogeneity in cell state transition after CRT and to identify its underpinnings. A panel of 12 esophageal cultures were treated with CRT and ranked by their relative epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. RNA-sequencing was performed on 100 pre-treatment biopsies. After RNA-sequencing, Ridge regression analysis was applied to correlate gene expression to ranked plasticity, and models were developed to predict mesenchymal transitions in patients. Plasticity score predictions of the three highest significant predictive models were projected on the pre-treatment biopsies and related to clinical outcome data. Motif enrichment analysis of the genes associated with all three models was performed. RESULTS This study reveals NANOG as the key associated transcription factor predicting mesenchymal plasticity in EAC. Expression of NANOG in pre-treatment biopsies is highly associated with poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation, the occurrence of recurrences, and median overall survival difference in EAC patients (>48 months). Perturbation of NANOG reduces plasticity and resensitizes cell lines, organoid cultures, and patient-derived in vivo grafts. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, NANOG is a key transcription factor in mesenchymal plasticity in EAC and a promising predictive marker for outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber P van der Zalm
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark P G Dings
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paul Manoukian
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hannah Boersma
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reimer Janssen
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Bailey
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jan Koster
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danny Zwijnenburg
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Volckmann
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Bootsma
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Waasdorp
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Monique van Mourik
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dionne Blangé
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tom van den Ende
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - César I Oyarce
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Derks
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Aafke Creemers
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva A Ebbing
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerrit K Hooijer
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sybren L Meijer
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark I van Berge Henegouwen
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Paul Medema
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hanneke W M van Laarhoven
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten F Bijlsma
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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4
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Wang R, Yan Z. Cancer spreading patterns based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1259953. [PMID: 38665432 PMCID: PMC11043583 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1259953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, underscoring the necessity to discern the rules and patterns of cancer cell spreading. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity contributes to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Despite establishing key determinants of cancer aggressiveness and metastatic ability, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism is unknown. We aimed to propose a classification system for cancer cells based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, focusing on hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Methods: We extensively reviewed the concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, specifically considering the hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Results: In this review and hypothesis article, based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, especially the hysteresis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, we proposed a classification of cancer cells, indicating that cancer cells with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity potential could be classified into four types: irreversible hysteresis, weak hysteresis, strong hysteresis, and hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. These four types of cancer cells had varied biology, spreading features, and prognoses. Discussion: Our results highlight that the proposed classification system offers insights into the diverse behaviors of cancer cells, providing implications for cancer aggressiveness and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhaopeng Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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5
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Sujit SJ, Aminu M, Karpinets TV, Chen P, Saad MB, Salehjahromi M, Boom JD, Qayati M, George JM, Allen H, Antonoff MB, Hong L, Hu X, Heeke S, Tran HT, Le X, Elamin YY, Altan M, Vokes NI, Sheshadri A, Lin J, Zhang J, Lu Y, Behrens C, Godoy MCB, Wu CC, Chang JY, Chung C, Jaffray DA, Wistuba II, Lee JJ, Vaporciyan AA, Gibbons DL, Heymach J, Zhang J, Cascone T, Wu J. Enhancing NSCLC recurrence prediction with PET/CT habitat imaging, ctDNA, and integrative radiogenomics-blood insights. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3152. [PMID: 38605064 PMCID: PMC11009351 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47512-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
While we recognize the prognostic importance of clinicopathological measures and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the independent contribution of quantitative image markers to prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains underexplored. In our multi-institutional study of 394 NSCLC patients, we utilize pre-treatment computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to establish a habitat imaging framework for assessing regional heterogeneity within individual tumors. This framework identifies three PET/CT subtypes, which maintain prognostic value after adjusting for clinicopathologic risk factors including tumor volume. Additionally, these subtypes complement ctDNA in predicting disease recurrence. Radiogenomics analysis unveil the molecular underpinnings of these imaging subtypes, highlighting downregulation in interferon alpha and gamma pathways in the high-risk subtype. In summary, our study demonstrates that these habitat imaging subtypes effectively stratify NSCLC patients based on their risk levels for disease recurrence after initial curative surgery or radiotherapy, providing valuable insights for personalized treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeba J Sujit
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Muhammad Aminu
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tatiana V Karpinets
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pingjun Chen
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maliazurina B Saad
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Morteza Salehjahromi
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John D Boom
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mohamed Qayati
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James M George
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Haley Allen
- Natural Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mara B Antonoff
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lingzhi Hong
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hai T Tran
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiuning Le
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yasir Y Elamin
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mehmet Altan
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natalie I Vokes
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ajay Sheshadri
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Julie Lin
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Lu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Myrna C B Godoy
- Department of Thoracic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carol C Wu
- Department of Thoracic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joe Y Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Caroline Chung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute of Data Science in Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David A Jaffray
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute of Data Science in Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J Jack Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ara A Vaporciyan
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Lung Cancer Genomics Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Lung Cancer Interception Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tina Cascone
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jia Wu
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Institute of Data Science in Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Cordani M, Strippoli R, Trionfetti F, Barzegar Behrooz A, Rumio C, Velasco G, Ghavami S, Marcucci F. Immune checkpoints between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and autophagy: A conflicting triangle. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216661. [PMID: 38309613 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory immune checkpoint (ICP) molecules are pivotal in inhibiting innate and acquired antitumor immune responses, a mechanism frequently exploited by cancer cells to evade host immunity. These evasion strategies contribute to the complexity of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. For this reason, ICP molecules have become targets for antitumor drugs, particularly monoclonal antibodies, collectively referred to as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), that counteract such cancer-associated immune suppression and restore antitumor immune responses. Over the last decade, however, it has become clear that tumor cell-associated ICPs can also induce tumor cell-intrinsic effects, in particular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy). Both of these processes have profound implications for cancer metastasis and drug responsiveness. This article reviews the positive or negative cross-talk that tumor cell-associated ICPs undergo with autophagy and EMT. We discuss that tumor cell-associated ICPs are upregulated in response to the same stimuli that induce EMT. Moreover, ICPs themselves, when overexpressed, become an EMT-inducing stimulus. As regards the cross-talk with autophagy, ICPs have been shown to either stimulate or inhibit autophagy, while autophagy itself can either up- or downregulate the expression of ICPs. This dynamic equilibrium also extends to the autophagy-apoptosis axis, further emphasizing the complexities of cellular responses. Eventually, we delve into the intricate balance between autophagy and apoptosis, elucidating its role in the broader interplay of cellular dynamics influenced by ICPs. In the final part of this article, we speculate about the driving forces underlying the contradictory outcomes of the reciprocal, inhibitory, or stimulatory effects between ICPs, EMT, and autophagy. A conclusive identification of these driving forces may allow to achieve improved antitumor effects when using combinations of ICIs and compounds acting on EMT and/or autophagy. Prospectively, this may translate into increased and/or broadened therapeutic efficacy compared to what is currently achieved with ICI-based clinical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raffaele Strippoli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L., Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense, 292, 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Trionfetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L., Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense, 292, 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Amir Barzegar Behrooz
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Cristiano Rumio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy
| | - Guillermo Velasco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, University of Technology in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland; Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Fabrizio Marcucci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.
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7
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Rodriguez-Tirado C, Sosa MS. How much do we know about the metastatic process? Clin Exp Metastasis 2024:10.1007/s10585-023-10248-0. [PMID: 38520475 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10248-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cells can leave their primary sites and travel through the circulation to distant sites, where they lodge as disseminated cancer cells (DCCs), even during the early and asymptomatic stages of tumor progression. In experimental models and clinical samples, DCCs can be detected in a non-proliferative state, defined as cellular dormancy. This state can persist for extended periods until DCCs reawaken, usually in response to niche-derived reactivation signals. Therefore, their clinical detection in sites like lymph nodes and bone marrow is linked to poor survival. Current cancer therapy designs are based on the biology of the primary tumor and do not target the biology of the dormant DCC population and thus fail to eradicate the initial or subsequent waves of metastasis. In this brief review, we discuss the current methods for detecting DCCs and highlight new strategies that aim to target DCCs that constitute minimal residual disease to reduce or prevent metastasis formation. Furthermore, we present current evidence on the relevance of DCCs derived from early stages of tumor progression in metastatic disease and describe the animal models available for their study. We also discuss our current understanding of the dissemination mechanisms utilized by genetically less- and more-advanced cancer cells, which include the functional analysis of intermediate or hybrid states of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Finally, we raise some intriguing questions regarding the clinical impact of studying the crosstalk between evolutionary waves of DCCs and the initiation of metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Rodriguez-Tirado
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute/Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Maria Soledad Sosa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute/Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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8
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BV H, Jolly MK. Proneural-mesenchymal antagonism dominates the patterns of phenotypic heterogeneity in glioblastoma. iScience 2024; 27:109184. [PMID: 38433919 PMCID: PMC10905000 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109184] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The aggressive nature of glioblastoma (GBM) - one of the deadliest forms of brain tumors - is majorly attributed to underlying phenotypic heterogeneity. Early attempts to classify this heterogeneity at a transcriptomic level in TCGA GBM cohort proposed the existence of four distinct molecular subtypes: Proneural, Neural, Classical, and Mesenchymal. Further, a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of primary tumors also reported similar four subtypes mimicking neurodevelopmental lineages. However, it remains unclear whether these four subtypes identified via bulk and single-cell transcriptomics are mutually exclusive or not. Here, we perform pairwise correlations among individual genes and gene signatures corresponding to these proposed subtypes and show that the subtypes are not distinctly mutually antagonistic in either TCGA or scRNA-seq data. We observed that the proneural (or neural progenitor-like)-mesenchymal axis is the most prominent antagonistic pair, with the other two subtypes lying on this spectrum. These results are reinforced through a meta-analysis of over 100 single-cell and bulk transcriptomic datasets as well as in terms of functional association with metabolic switching, cell cycle, and immune evasion pathways. Finally, this proneural-mesenchymal antagonistic trend percolates to the association of relevant transcription factors with patient survival. These results suggest rethinking GBM phenotypic characterization for more effective therapeutic targeting efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshavardhan BV
- IISc Mathematics Initiative, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
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9
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Bose A, Datta S, Mandal R, Ray U, Dhar R. Increased heterogeneity in expression of genes associated with cancer progression and drug resistance. Transl Oncol 2024; 41:101879. [PMID: 38262110 PMCID: PMC10832509 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101879] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fluctuations in the number of regulatory molecules and differences in timings of molecular events can generate variation in gene expression among genetically identical cells in the same environmental condition. This variation, termed as expression noise, can create differences in metabolic state and cellular functions, leading to phenotypic heterogeneity. Expression noise and phenotypic heterogeneity have been recognized as important contributors to intra-tumor heterogeneity, and have been associated with cancer growth, progression, and therapy resistance. However, how expression noise changes with cancer progression in actual cancer patients has remained poorly explored. Such an analysis, through identification of genes with increasing expression noise, can provide valuable insights into generation of intra-tumor heterogeneity, and could have important implications for understanding immune-suppression, drug tolerance and therapy resistance. In this work, we performed a genome-wide identification of changes in gene expression noise with cancer progression using single-cell RNA-seq data of lung adenocarcinoma patients at different stages of cancer. We identified 37 genes in epithelial cells that showed an increasing noise trend with cancer progression, many of which were also associated with cancer growth, EMT and therapy resistance. We found that expression of several of these genes was positively associated with expression of mitochondrial genes, suggesting an important role of mitochondria in generation of heterogeneity. In addition, we uncovered substantial differences in sample-specific noise profiles which could have implications for personalized prognosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Bose
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India
| | - Subhasis Datta
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India
| | - Rakesh Mandal
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India
| | - Upasana Ray
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India
| | - Riddhiman Dhar
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India.
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10
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Glancy E, Choy N, Eckersley-Maslin MA. Bivalent chromatin: a developmental balancing act tipped in cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:217-229. [PMID: 38385532 PMCID: PMC10903468 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Bivalent chromatin is defined by the co-occurrence of otherwise opposing H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications and is typically located at unmethylated promoters of lowly transcribed genes. In embryonic stem cells, bivalent chromatin has been proposed to poise developmental genes for future activation, silencing or stable repression upon lineage commitment. Normally, bivalent chromatin is kept in tight balance in cells, in part through the activity of the MLL/COMPASS-like and Polycomb repressive complexes that deposit the H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications, respectively, but also emerging novel regulators including DPPA2/4, QSER1, BEND3, TET1 and METTL14. In cancers, both the deregulation of existing domains and the creation of de novo bivalent states is associated with either the activation or silencing of transcriptional programmes. This may facilitate diverse aspects of cancer pathology including epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity, chemoresistance and immune evasion. Here, we review current methods for detecting bivalent chromatin and discuss the factors involved in the formation and fine-tuning of bivalent domains. Finally, we examine how the deregulation of chromatin bivalency in the context of cancer could facilitate and/or reflect cancer cell adaptation. We propose a model in which bivalent chromatin represents a dynamic balance between otherwise opposing states, where the underlying DNA sequence is primed for the future activation or repression. Shifting this balance in any direction disrupts the tight equilibrium and tips cells into an altered epigenetic and phenotypic space, facilitating both developmental and cancer processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Glancy
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Natalie Choy
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Melanie A. Eckersley-Maslin
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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11
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Ocadiz-Ruiz R, Decker JT, Griffin K, Tan ZM, Domala NK, Jeruss JS, Shea LD. Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines Differentially Modulate Signaling from Distant Microenvironments, Which Reflects Their Metastatic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:796. [PMID: 38398186 PMCID: PMC10887178 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the stage at which the prognosis substantially decreases for many types of cancer. The ability of tumor cells to metastasize is dependent upon the characteristics of the tumor cells, and the conditioning of distant tissues that support colonization by metastatic cells. In this report, we investigated the systemic alterations in distant tissues caused by multiple human breast cancer cell lines and the impact of these alterations on the tumor cell phenotype. We observed that the niche within the lung, a common metastatic site, was significantly altered by MDA-MB-231, MCF7, and T47 tumors, and that the lung microenvironment stimulated, to differing extents, an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), reducing proliferation, increasing transendothelial migration and senescence, with no significant impact on cell death. We also investigated the ability of an implantable scaffold, which supports the formation of a distant tissue, to serve as a surrogate for the lung to identify systemic alterations. The scaffolds are conditioned by the primary tumor similarly to the lung for each tumor type, evidenced by promoting a pro-EMT profile. Collectively, we demonstrate that metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancers condition distant tissues, with distinct effects on tumor cell responses, and that a surrogate tissue can distinguish the metastatic potential of human breast cancer cell lines in an accessible site that avoids biopsy of a vital organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Ocadiz-Ruiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
| | - Joseph T. Decker
- Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kate Griffin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
| | - Zoey M. Tan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
| | - Nishant K. Domala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
| | - Jacqueline S. Jeruss
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lonnie D. Shea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (R.O.-R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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12
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Lin S, He C, Song L, Sun L, Zhao R, Min W, Zhao Y. Exosomal lncCRLA is predictive for the evolvement and development of lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 582:216588. [PMID: 38097132 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216588] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma, the most common histological subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, exhibits heterogeneity that enables adaptability, limits therapeutic success, and remains incompletely understood. Our team uncovers that lncRNA related to chemotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma (lncCRLA) is preferentially expressed in lung adenocarcinoma cells with the mesenchymal phenotype. lncCRLA can not enhance chemotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma due to its binding to RIPK1 in exosomes, which is released into intercellular media and transferred by exosomes from mesenchymal-like to epithelial-like cells. However, plasmatic lncCRLA corresponding to tissue lncCRLA functions as a preferred biomarker to reflect the response to chemotherapy and disease progression of lung adenocarcinoma. Through single-cell sequencing, RNA-Mutect technique and spatial transcriptomics, a handful of hybrid EMT cells with elevated lncCRLA are characterized as the origin of lung adenocarcinoma, which are indiscriminated from hybrid EMT cells by the in-depth sequencing. Plasmatic lncCRLA is properly predictive for the preinvasive lesion of lung adenocarcinoma that would evolve to invasive lesion. That notion is confirmed by a brand-new transgenic mouse model in which EMT is tracked by Cre and Dre system. Dasatinib is potential to hinder the spontaneous progression from preinvasive to invasive lesion of lung adenocarcinoma. Together, plasmatic lncCRLA is defined as a brand-new circulating biomarker to predict the occurrence and evolvement of lung adenocarcinoma, a light for early detection of lung adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Lin
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Chenyang He
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Lingqin Song
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Liangzhang Sun
- Thoracic Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Renyang Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Weili Min
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710004, PR China.
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13
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Sinha S, Farfel A, Luker KE, Parker BA, Yeung KT, Luker GD, Ghosh P. Growth signaling autonomy in circulating tumor cells aids metastatic seeding. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae014. [PMID: 38312224 PMCID: PMC10833458 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Self-sufficiency (autonomy) in growth signaling, the earliest recognized hallmark of cancer, is fueled by the tumor cell's ability to "secrete-and-sense" growth factors (GFs); this translates into cell survival and proliferation that is self-sustained by autocrine/paracrine secretion. A Golgi-localized circuitry comprised of two GTPase switches has recently been implicated in the orchestration of growth signaling autonomy. Using breast cancer cells that are either endowed or impaired (by gene editing) in their ability to assemble the circuitry for growth signaling autonomy, here we define the transcriptome, proteome, and phenome of such an autonomous state, and unravel its role during cancer progression. We show that autonomy is associated with enhanced molecular programs for stemness, proliferation, and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Autonomy is both necessary and sufficient for anchorage-independent GF-restricted proliferation and resistance to anticancer drugs and is required for metastatic progression. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies show that autonomy is associated, with a surprising degree of specificity, with self-sustained epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/ErbB signaling. Derivation of a gene expression signature for autonomy revealed that growth signaling autonomy is uniquely induced in circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the harshest phase in the life of tumor cells when it is deprived of biologically available epidermal growth factor (EGF). We also show that autonomy in CTCs tracks therapeutic response and prognosticates outcome. These data support a role for growth signaling autonomy in multiple processes essential for the blood-borne dissemination of human breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saptarshi Sinha
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alex Farfel
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Kathryn E Luker
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Barbara A Parker
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kay T Yeung
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
- Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Pradipta Ghosh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
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14
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Mehta A, Stanger BZ. Lineage Plasticity: The New Cancer Hallmark on the Block. Cancer Res 2024; 84:184-191. [PMID: 37963209 PMCID: PMC10841583 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity refers to the ability of cells to adopt a spectrum of states or phenotypes. In cancer, it is a critical contributor to tumor initiation, progression, invasiveness, and therapy resistance, and it has recently been recognized as an emerging cancer hallmark. Plasticity can occur as a result of cell-intrinsic factors (e.g., genetic, transcriptional, or epigenetic fluctuations), or through cell-extrinsic cues (e.g., signaling from components of the tumor microenvironment or selective pressure from therapy). Over the past decade, technological advances, analysis of patient samples, and studies in mouse model systems have led to a deeper understanding of how such plastic states come about. In this review, we discuss: (i) the definition of plasticity; (ii) methods to measure and quantify plasticity; (iii) the clinical relevance of plasticity; and (iv) therapeutic hypotheses to modulate plasticity in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnav Mehta
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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15
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Biswas A, Sahoo S, Riedlinger GM, Ghodoussipour S, Jolly MK, De S. Transcriptional state dynamics lead to heterogeneity and adaptive tumor evolution in urothelial bladder carcinoma. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1292. [PMID: 38129585 PMCID: PMC10739805 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05668-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Intra-tumor heterogeneity contributes to treatment failure and poor survival in urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC). Analyzing transcriptome from a UBC cohort, we report that intra-tumor transcriptomic heterogeneity indicates co-existence of tumor cells in epithelial and mesenchymal-like transcriptional states and bi-directional transition between them occurs within and between tumor subclones. We model spontaneous and reversible transition between these partially heritable states in cell lines and characterize their population dynamics. SMAD3, KLF4 and PPARG emerge as key regulatory markers of the transcriptional dynamics. Nutrient limitation, as in the core of large tumors, and radiation treatment perturb the dynamics, initially selecting for a transiently resistant phenotype and then reconstituting heterogeneity and growth potential, driving adaptive evolution. Dominance of transcriptional states with low PPARG expression indicates an aggressive phenotype in UBC patients. We propose that phenotypic plasticity and dynamic, non-genetic intra-tumor heterogeneity modulate both the trajectory of disease progression and adaptive treatment response in UBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antara Biswas
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | | | - Gregory M Riedlinger
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Saum Ghodoussipour
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | | | - Subhajyoti De
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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16
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Imodoye SO, Adedokun KA. EMT-induced immune evasion: connecting the dots from mechanisms to therapy. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:4265-4287. [PMID: 37966552 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01229-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic program crucial for organismal development and tissue regeneration. Unfortunately, this program is often hijacked by epithelial tumors to facilitate metastasis. Beyond its role in cancer spread, EMT increases cancer cell survival by activating stem cell programs and bypassing apoptotic programs. Importantly, the capacity of EMT to enforce tumor progression by altering the tumor cell phenotype without triggering immune responses opens the intriguing possibility of a mechanistic link between EMT-driven cancers and immune evasion. Indeed, EMT has been acknowledged as a of driver immune evasion, but the mechanisms are still evolving. Here, we review recent insights into the influence of EMT on tumor immune evasion. Specifically, we focus on the mechanistic roles of EMT in immune escape as the basis that may provide a platform for innovative therapeutic approaches in advanced tumors. We summarize promising therapeutic approaches currently in clinical trials and trending preclinical studies aimed at reinvigorating the tumor microenvironment to create immune-permissive conditions that facilitates immune-mediated tumor clearance. We anticipate that this will assist researchers and pharmaceutical companies in understanding how EMT compromises the immune response, potentially paving the way for effective cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sikiru O Imodoye
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
| | - Kamoru A Adedokun
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
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17
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Fonseca Teixeira A, Wu S, Luwor R, Zhu HJ. A New Era of Integration between Multiomics and Spatio-Temporal Analysis for the Translation of EMT towards Clinical Applications in Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:2740. [PMID: 38067168 PMCID: PMC10706093 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial to metastasis by increasing cancer cell migration and invasion. At the cellular level, EMT-related morphological and functional changes are well established. At the molecular level, critical signaling pathways able to drive EMT have been described. Yet, the translation of EMT into efficient diagnostic methods and anti-metastatic therapies is still missing. This highlights a gap in our understanding of the precise mechanisms governing EMT. Here, we discuss evidence suggesting that overcoming this limitation requires the integration of multiple omics, a hitherto neglected strategy in the EMT field. More specifically, this work summarizes results that were independently obtained through epigenomics/transcriptomics while comprehensively reviewing the achievements of proteomics in cancer research. Additionally, we prospect gains to be obtained by applying spatio-temporal multiomics in the investigation of EMT-driven metastasis. Along with the development of more sensitive technologies, the integration of currently available omics, and a look at dynamic alterations that regulate EMT at the subcellular level will lead to a deeper understanding of this process. Further, considering the significance of EMT to cancer progression, this integrative strategy may enable the development of new and improved biomarkers and therapeutics capable of increasing the survival and quality of life of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adilson Fonseca Teixeira
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia (S.W.); (R.L.)
- Huagene Institute, Kecheng Science and Technology Park, Pukou District, Nanjing 211800, China
| | - Siqi Wu
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia (S.W.); (R.L.)
- Huagene Institute, Kecheng Science and Technology Park, Pukou District, Nanjing 211800, China
| | - Rodney Luwor
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia (S.W.); (R.L.)
- Huagene Institute, Kecheng Science and Technology Park, Pukou District, Nanjing 211800, China
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia
- Health, Innovation and Transformation Centre, Federation University, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia
| | - Hong-Jian Zhu
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia (S.W.); (R.L.)
- Huagene Institute, Kecheng Science and Technology Park, Pukou District, Nanjing 211800, China
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18
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Cunha A, Silva PMA, Sarmento B, Queirós O. Targeting Glucose Metabolism in Cancer Cells as an Approach to Overcoming Drug Resistance. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2610. [PMID: 38004589 PMCID: PMC10675572 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The "Warburg effect" consists of a metabolic shift in energy production from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. The continuous activation of glycolysis in cancer cells causes rapid energy production and an increase in lactate, leading to the acidification of the tumour microenvironment, chemo- and radioresistance, as well as poor patient survival. Nevertheless, the mitochondrial metabolism can be also involved in aggressive cancer characteristics. The metabolic differences between cancer and normal tissues can be considered the Achilles heel of cancer, offering a strategy for new therapies. One of the main causes of treatment resistance consists of the increased expression of efflux pumps, and multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins, which are able to export chemotherapeutics out of the cell. Cells expressing MDR proteins require ATP to mediate the efflux of their drug substrates. Thus, inhibition of the main energy-producing pathways in cancer cells, not only induces cancer cell death per se, but also overcomes multidrug resistance. Given that most anticancer drugs do not have the ability to distinguish normal cells from cancer cells, a number of drug delivery systems have been developed. These nanodrug delivery systems provide flexible and effective methods to overcome MDR by facilitating cellular uptake, increasing drug accumulation, reducing drug efflux, improving targeted drug delivery, co-administering synergistic agents, and increasing the half-life of drugs in circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cunha
- UNIPRO—Oral Pathology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU (IUCS—CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; (A.C.); (P.M.A.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Patrícia M. A. Silva
- UNIPRO—Oral Pathology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU (IUCS—CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; (A.C.); (P.M.A.S.); (B.S.)
- 1H—TOXRUN—One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU (IUCS—CESPU), 3810-193 Gandra, Portugal
| | - Bruno Sarmento
- UNIPRO—Oral Pathology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU (IUCS—CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; (A.C.); (P.M.A.S.); (B.S.)
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- INEB—Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Odília Queirós
- UNIPRO—Oral Pathology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU (IUCS—CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; (A.C.); (P.M.A.S.); (B.S.)
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19
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Young CM, Beziaud L, Dessen P, Madurga Alonso A, Santamaria-Martínez A, Huelsken J. Metabolic dependencies of metastasis-initiating cells in female breast cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7076. [PMID: 37925484 PMCID: PMC10625534 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42748-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that enable cancer cells to metastasize is essential in preventing cancer progression. Here we examine the metabolic adaptations of metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) in female breast cancer and how those shape their metastatic phenotype. We find that endogenous MICs depend on the oxidative tricarboxylic acid cycle and fatty acid usage. Sorting tumor cells based upon solely mitochondrial membrane potential or lipid storage is sufficient at identifying MICs. We further identify that mitochondrially-generated citrate is exported to the cytoplasm to yield acetyl-CoA, and this is crucial to maintaining heightened levels of H3K27ac in MICs. Blocking acetyl-CoA generating pathways or H3K27ac-specific epigenetic writers and readers reduces expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal related genes, MIC frequency, and metastatic potential. Exogenous supplementation of a short chain carboxylic acid, acetate, increases MIC frequency and metastasis. In patient cohorts, we observe that higher expression of oxidative phosphorylation related genes is associated with reduced distant relapse-free survival. These data demonstrate that MICs specifically and precisely alter their metabolism to efficiently colonize distant organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Megan Young
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Rue du Bugnon 25A, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Beziaud
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Rue du Bugnon 25A, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Dessen
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Rue du Bugnon 25A, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Angela Madurga Alonso
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Rue du Bugnon 25A, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Albert Santamaria-Martínez
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Joerg Huelsken
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Rue du Bugnon 25A, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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20
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Shyam S, Ramu S, Sehgal M, Jolly MK. A systems-level analysis of the mutually antagonistic roles of RKIP and BACH1 in dynamics of cancer cell plasticity. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230389. [PMID: 37963558 PMCID: PMC10645512 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important axis of phenotypic plasticity-a hallmark of cancer metastasis. Raf kinase-B inhibitor protein (RKIP) and BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) are reported to influence EMT. In breast cancer, they act antagonistically, but the exact nature of their roles in mediating EMT and associated other axes of plasticity remains unclear. Here, analysing transcriptomic data, we reveal their antagonistic trends in a pan-cancer manner in terms of association with EMT, metabolic reprogramming and immune evasion via PD-L1. Next, we developed and simulated a mechanism-based gene regulatory network that captures how RKIP and BACH1 engage in feedback loops with drivers of EMT and stemness. We found that RKIP and BACH1 belong to two antagonistic 'teams' of players-while BACH1 belonged to the one driving pro-EMT, stem-like and therapy-resistant cell states, RKIP belonged to the one enabling pro-epithelial, less stem-like and therapy-sensitive phenotypes. Finally, we observed that low RKIP levels and upregulated BACH1 levels associated with worse clinical outcomes in many cancer types. Together, our systems-level analysis indicates that the emergent dynamics of underlying regulatory network enable the antagonistic patterns of RKIP and BACH1 with various axes of cancer cell plasticity, and with patient survival data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Shyam
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Manas Sehgal
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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21
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Bhatia S, Gunter JH, Burgess JT, Adams MN, O'Byrne K, Thompson EW, Duijf PH. Stochastic epithelial-mesenchymal transitions diversify non-cancerous lung cell behaviours. Transl Oncol 2023; 37:101760. [PMID: 37611490 PMCID: PMC10466920 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101760] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a hallmark of cancer. By enabling cells to shift between different morphological and functional states, EMP promotes invasion, metastasis and therapy resistance. We report that near-diploid non-cancerous human epithelial lung cells spontaneously shift along the EMP spectrum without genetic changes. Strikingly, more than half of single cell-derived clones adopt a mesenchymal morphology. We independently characterise epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like clones. Mesenchymal clones lose epithelial markers, display larger cell aspect ratios and lower motility, with mostly unaltered proliferation rates. Stemness marker expression and metabolic rewiring diverge independently of phenotypes. In 3D culture, more epithelial clones become mesenchymal-like. Thus, non-cancerous epithelial cells may acquire cancer metastasis-associated features prior to genetic alterations and cancerous transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugandha Bhatia
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia.
| | - Jennifer H Gunter
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland (APCRC-Q), Queensland University of Technology, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia
| | - Joshua T Burgess
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark N Adams
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Kenneth O'Byrne
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Pascal Hg Duijf
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Centre for Cancer Biology, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide SA, 5001, Australia; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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22
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Jain P, Pillai M, Duddu AS, Somarelli JA, Goyal Y, Jolly MK. Dynamical hallmarks of cancer: Phenotypic switching in melanoma and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:48-63. [PMID: 37788736 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.09.007] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity was recently incorporated as a hallmark of cancer. This plasticity can manifest along many interconnected axes, such as stemness and differentiation, drug-sensitive and drug-resistant states, and between epithelial and mesenchymal cell-states. Despite growing acceptance for phenotypic plasticity as a hallmark of cancer, the dynamics of this process remains poorly understood. In particular, the knowledge necessary for a predictive understanding of how individual cancer cells and populations of cells dynamically switch their phenotypes in response to the intensity and/or duration of their current and past environmental stimuli remains far from complete. Here, we present recent investigations of phenotypic plasticity from a systems-level perspective using two exemplars: epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in carcinomas and phenotypic switching in melanoma. We highlight how an integrated computational-experimental approach has helped unravel insights into specific dynamical hallmarks of phenotypic plasticity in different cancers to address the following questions: a) how many distinct cell-states or phenotypes exist?; b) how reversible are transitions among these cell-states, and what factors control the extent of reversibility?; and c) how might cell-cell communication be able to alter rates of cell-state switching and enable diverse patterns of phenotypic heterogeneity? Understanding these dynamic features of phenotypic plasticity may be a key component in shifting the paradigm of cancer treatment from reactionary to a more predictive, proactive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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23
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Ockfen E, Filali L, Pereira Fernandes D, Hoffmann C, Thomas C. Actin cytoskeleton remodeling at the cancer cell side of the immunological synapse: good, bad, or both? Front Immunol 2023; 14:1276602. [PMID: 37869010 PMCID: PMC10585106 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1276602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic lymphocytes (CLs), specifically cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, are indispensable guardians of the immune system and orchestrate the recognition and elimination of cancer cells. Upon encountering a cancer cell, CLs establish a specialized cellular junction, known as the immunological synapse that stands as a pivotal determinant for effective cell killing. Extensive research has focused on the presynaptic side of the immunological synapse and elucidated the multiple functions of the CL actin cytoskeleton in synapse formation, organization, regulatory signaling, and lytic activity. In contrast, the postsynaptic (cancer cell) counterpart has remained relatively unexplored. Nevertheless, both indirect and direct evidence has begun to illuminate the significant and profound consequences of cytoskeletal changes within cancer cells on the outcome of the lytic immunological synapse. Here, we explore the understudied role of the cancer cell actin cytoskeleton in modulating the immune response within the immunological synapse. We shed light on the intricate interplay between actin dynamics and the evasion mechanisms employed by cancer cells, thus providing potential routes for future research and envisioning therapeutic interventions targeting the postsynaptic side of the immunological synapse in the realm of cancer immunotherapy. This review article highlights the importance of actin dynamics within the immunological synapse between cytotoxic lymphocytes and cancer cells focusing on the less-explored postsynaptic side of the synapse. It presents emerging evidence that actin dynamics in cancer cells can critically influence the outcome of cytotoxic lymphocyte interactions with cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Ockfen
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Liza Filali
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Diogo Pereira Fernandes
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Céline Hoffmann
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Clément Thomas
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
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24
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Khan SU, Fatima K, Malik F, Kalkavan H, Wani A. Cancer metastasis: Molecular mechanisms and clinical perspectives. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 250:108522. [PMID: 37661054 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108522] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic progression combined with non-responsiveness towards systemic therapy often shapes the course of disease for cancer patients and commonly determines its lethal outcome. The complex molecular events that promote metastasis are a combination of both, the acquired pro-metastatic properties of cancer cells and a metastasis-permissive or -supportive tumor micro-environment (TME). Yet, dissemination is a challenging process for cancer cells that requires a series of events to enable cancer cell survival and growth. Metastatic cancer cells have to initially detach themselves from primary tumors, overcome the challenges of their intravasal journey and colonize distant sites that are suited for their metastases. The implicated obstacles including anoikis and immune surveillance, can be overcome by intricate intra- and extracellular signaling pathways, which we will summarize and discuss in this review. Further, emerging modulators of metastasis, like the immune-microenvironment, microbiome, sublethal cell death engagement, or the nervous system will be integrated into the existing working model of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Ullah Khan
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Kaneez Fatima
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (ASIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Fayaz Malik
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (ASIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
| | - Halime Kalkavan
- Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Abubakar Wani
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, Memphis, TN 38105, United States.
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25
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Hua H, Zou S, Ma Z, Guo W, Fong CY, Khoo BL. A deformability-based biochip for precise label-free stratification of metastatic subtypes using deep learning. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:120. [PMID: 37780810 PMCID: PMC10539402 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00577-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Cellular deformability is a promising biomarker for evaluating the physiological state of cells in medical applications. Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful technique for measuring cellular deformability. However, existing microfluidic-based assays for measuring cellular deformability rely heavily on image analysis, which can limit their scalability for high-throughput applications. Here, we develop a parallel constriction-based microfluidic flow cytometry device and an integrated computational framework (ATMQcD). The ATMQcD framework includes automatic training set generation, multiple object tracking, segmentation, and cellular deformability quantification. The system was validated using cancer cell lines of varying metastatic potential, achieving a classification accuracy of 92.4% for invasiveness assessment and stratifying cancer cells before and after hypoxia treatment. The ATMQcD system also demonstrated excellent performance in distinguishing cancer cells from leukocytes (accuracy = 89.5%). We developed a mechanical model based on power-law rheology to quantify stiffness, which was fitted with measured data directly. The model evaluated metastatic potentials for multiple cancer types and mixed cell populations, even under real-world clinical conditions. Our study presents a highly robust and transferable computational framework for multiobject tracking and deformation measurement tasks in microfluidics. We believe that this platform has the potential to pave the way for high-throughput analysis in clinical applications, providing a powerful tool for evaluating cellular deformability and assessing the physiological state of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojun Hua
- City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Shangjie Zou
- City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China
- Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Zhiqiang Ma
- Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Wang Guo
- City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China
- Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Ching Yin Fong
- City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China
| | - Bee Luan Khoo
- City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China
- Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, 999077 China
- City University of Hong Kong Futian-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057 China
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26
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Guo L, Mohanty A, Singhal S, Srivastava S, Nam A, Warden C, Ramisetty S, Yuan YC, Cho H, Wu X, Li A, Vohra M, Saladi SV, Wheeler D, Arvanitis L, Massarelli E, Kulkarni P, Zeng Y, Salgia R. Targeting ITGB4/SOX2-driven lung cancer stem cells using proteasome inhibitors. iScience 2023; 26:107302. [PMID: 37554452 PMCID: PMC10405066 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107302] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the role of integrin β4 (ITGB4) and stemness-associated factor SOX2 in platinum resistance in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). The expression of SOX2 and ITGB4 is found to be high in all LUSC subtypes, but the impact of ITGB4 expression on overall patient survival varies by subtype. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) isolated from LUSC patients were found to be resistant to cisplatin, but knocking down ITGB4 or SOX2 sensitized them to cisplatin. Carfilzomib (CFZ) synergized with cisplatin and suppressed CSC growth by inhibiting ITGB4 and SOX2 expression. Additionally, CFZ was found to inhibit SOX2 expression epigenetically by inhibiting histone acetylation at the SOX2 promoter site. CFZ also suppressed the growth of SOX2-dependent small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The study highlights the unique function of CFZ as a transcriptional suppressor of SOX2, independent of its proteasome inhibitory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Guo
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Respirology Medicine Centre of Fujian Province, Quanzhou, China
| | - Atish Mohanty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Sharad Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Saumya Srivastava
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Arin Nam
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Charles Warden
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Sravani Ramisetty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yate-Ching Yuan
- Divison of Translational Bioinformatics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Hyejin Cho
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Xiwei Wu
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Aimin Li
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Manik Vohra
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Srinivas Vinod Saladi
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Deric Wheeler
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Leonidas Arvanitis
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Erminia Massarelli
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yiming Zeng
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Respirology Medicine Centre of Fujian Province, Quanzhou, China
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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27
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Qin L, Zhang D, Liu S, Liu Q, Liu M, Huang B. Dissecting the molecular trajectory of fibroblast reprogramming to chemically induced mammary epithelial cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1194070. [PMID: 37601103 PMCID: PMC10433763 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1194070] [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: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The plasticity of cell identity allows cellular reprogramming that manipulates the lineage of cells to generate the target cell types, bringing new avenues for disease modeling and autologous tailored cell therapy. Previously, we had already successfully established a technical platform for inducing fibroblast reprogramming to chemically induced mammary epithelial cells (CiMECs) by small-molecule compounds. However, exactly how the molecular mechanism driving the lineage conversion remains unknown. Methods: We employ the RNA-sequencing technology to investigate the transcriptome event during the reprogramming process and reveal the molecular mechanisms for the fate acquisition of mammary lineage. Results: The multi-step reprogramming process first overcomes multiple barriers, including the inhibition of mesenchymal characteristics, pro-inflammatory and cell death signals, and then enters an intermediate plastic state. Subsequently, the hormone and mammary development genes were rapidly activated, leading to the acquisition of the mammary program together with upregulation of the milk protein synthesis signal. Moreover, the gene network analyses reveal the potential relationship between the TGF-β signaling pathway to mammary lineage activation, and the changes in the expression of these genes may play important roles in coordinating the reprogramming process. Conclusion: Together, these findings provide critical insights into the molecular route and mechanism triggered by small-molecule compounds that induce fibroblast reprogramming into the fate of mammary epithelial cells, and they also laid a foundation for the subsequent research on the development and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells and lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangshan Qin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Siyi Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Quanhui Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Mingxing Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Ben Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
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28
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Rapanotti MC, Cugini E, Campione E, Di Raimondo C, Costanza G, Rossi P, Ferlosio A, Bernardini S, Orlandi A, De Luca A, Bianchi L. Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature in Circulating Melanoma Cells: Biological and Clinical Relevance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11792. [PMID: 37511550 PMCID: PMC10380315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411792] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The most promising method for monitoring patients with minimal morbidity is the detection of circulating melanoma cells (CMCs). We have shown that CD45-CD146+ABCB5+ CMCs identify a rare primitive stem/mesenchymal CMCs population associated with disease progression. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) confers cancer cells a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype promoting metastatization. Thus, we investigated the potential clinical value of the EMT gene signature of these primitive CMCs. A reliable quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) protocol was settled up using tumor cell lines RNA dilutions. Afterwards, immune-magnetically isolated CMCs from advanced melanoma patients, at onset and at the first checkpoint (following immune or targeted therapy), were tested for the level of EMT hallmarks and EMT transcription factor genes. Despite the small cohort of patients, we obtained promising results. Indeed, we observed a deep gene rewiring of the EMT investigated genes: in particular we found that the EMT gene signature of isolated CMCs correlated with patients' clinical outcomes. In conclusion, We established a reliable qRT-PCR protocol with high sensitivity and specificity to characterize the gene expression of isolated CMCs. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence demonstrating the impact of immune or targeted therapies on EMT hallmark gene expressions in CMCs from advanced melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Rapanotti
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Cugini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Campione
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cosimo Di Raimondo
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetana Costanza
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Rossi
- Surgery Division, Department of Surgery Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Amedeo Ferlosio
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Orlandi
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Anastasia De Luca
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Bianchi
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Kulkarni P, Salgia R, Rangarajan G. Intrinsically disordered proteins and conformational noise: The hypothesis a decade later. iScience 2023; 26:107109. [PMID: 37408690 PMCID: PMC10319216 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107109] [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] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of individual genotypes to produce different phenotypes in response to environmental perturbations. We previously postulated how conformational noise emanating from conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) which is distinct from transcriptional noise, can contribute to phenotypic switching by rewiring the cellular protein interaction network. Since most transcription factors are IDPs, we posited that conformational noise is an integral component of transcriptional noise implying that IDPs may amplify total noise in the system either stochastically or in response to environmental changes. Here, we review progress in elucidating the details of the hypothesis. We highlight empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis, discuss conceptual advances that underscore its fundamental importance and implications, and identify areas for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Govindan Rangarajan
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Center for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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30
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Yoodee S, Thongboonkerd V. Epigenetic regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition during cancer development. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 380:1-61. [PMID: 37657856 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays essential roles in promoting malignant transformation of epithelial cells, leading to cancer progression and metastasis. During EMT-induced cancer development, a wide variety of genes are dramatically modified, especially down-regulation of epithelial-related genes and up-regulation of mesenchymal-related genes. Expression of other EMT-related genes is also modified during the carcinogenic process. Especially, epigenetic modifications are observed in the EMT-related genes, indicating their involvement in cancer development. Mechanically, epigenetic modifications of histone, DNA, mRNA and non-coding RNA stably change the EMT-related gene expression at transcription and translation levels. Herein, we summarize current knowledge on epigenetic regulatory mechanisms observed in EMT process relate to cancer development in humans. The better understanding of epigenetic regulation of EMT during cancer development may lead to improvement of drug design and preventive strategies in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunisa Yoodee
- Medical Proteomics Unit, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Visith Thongboonkerd
- Medical Proteomics Unit, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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31
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Brown BA, Lazzara MJ. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals microenvironment context-specific routes for epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreas cancer cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542969. [PMID: 37398348 PMCID: PMC10312528 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
In the PDAC tumor microenvironment, multiple factors initiate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that occurs heterogeneously among transformed ductal cells, but it is unclear if different drivers promote EMT through common or distinct signaling pathways. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to identify the transcriptional basis for EMT in pancreas cancer cells in response to hypoxia or EMT-inducing growth factors. Using clustering and gene set enrichment analysis, we find EMT gene expression patterns that are unique to the hypoxia or growth factor conditions or that are common between them. Among the inferences from the analysis, we find that the FAT1 cell adhesion protein is enriched in epithelial cells and suppresses EMT. Further, the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is preferentially expressed in hypoxic mesenchymal cells in a manner correlating with YAP nuclear localization, which is suppressed by FAT1 expression. AXL inhibition prevents EMT in response to hypoxia but not growth factors. Relationships between FAT1 or AXL expression with EMT were confirmed through analysis of patient tumor scRNA-seq data. Further exploration of inferences from this unique dataset will reveal additional microenvironment context-specific signaling pathways for EMT that may represent novel drug targets for PDAC combination therapies.
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32
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Subhadarshini S, Markus J, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Dynamics of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity: What Have Single-Cell Investigations Elucidated So Far? ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:11665-11673. [PMID: 37033874 PMCID: PMC10077445 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a key driver of cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance, through which cancer cells can reversibly and dynamically alter their molecular and functional traits along the epithelial-mesenchymal spectrum. While cells in the epithelial phenotype are usually tightly adherent, less metastatic, and drug-sensitive, those in the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and/or mesenchymal state are more invasive, migratory, drug-resistant, and immune-evasive. Single-cell studies have emerged as a powerful tool in gaining new insights into the dynamics of EMP across various cancer types. Here, we review many recent studies that employ single-cell analysis techniques to better understand the dynamics of EMP in cancer both in vitro and in vivo. These single-cell studies have underlined the plurality of trajectories cells can traverse during EMP and the consequent heterogeneity of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes seen at both preclinical and clinical levels. They also demonstrate how diverse EMP trajectories may exhibit hysteretic behavior and how the rate of such cell-state transitions depends on the genetic/epigenetic background of recipient cells, as well as the dose and/or duration of EMP-inducing growth factors. Finally, we discuss the relationship between EMP and patient survival across many cancer types. We also present a next set of questions related to EMP that could benefit much from single-cell observations and pave the way to better tackle phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel Markus
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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33
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Lee J, Roh JL. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity: Implications for Ferroptosis Vulnerability and Cancer Therapy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 185:103964. [PMID: 36931615 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.103964] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers polarized to a mesenchymal or poorly differentiated state can often evade cell death induced by conventional therapies. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition is involved in lipid metabolism and increases polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in cancer cells, contributing to chemo- and radio-resistance. Altered metabolism in cancer enables invasion and metastasis but is prone to lipid peroxidation under oxidative stress. Cancers with mesenchymal rather than epithelial signatures are highly vulnerable to ferroptosis. Therapy-resistant persister cancer cells show a high mesenchymal cell state and dependence on the lipid peroxidase pathway, which can respond more sensitively to ferroptosis inducers. Cancer cells may survive under specific metabolic and oxidative stress conditions, and targeting this unique defense system can selectively kill only cancer cells. Therefore, this article summarizes the core regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis in cancer, the relationship between ferroptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, and the implications of epithelial-mesenchymal transition for ferroptosis-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewang Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, General Graduate School, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Lyel Roh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, General Graduate School, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
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34
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, Manjunatha P, Goyal S, Kasiviswanathan VA, Mahesh Y, Ramu S, McMullen I, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. The ELF3 transcription factor is associated with an epithelial phenotype and represses epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:17. [PMID: 36864480 PMCID: PMC9983220 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involves bidirectional transitions between epithelial, mesenchymal and multiple intermediary hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. While the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its associated transcription factors are well-characterised, the transcription factors that promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and stabilise hybrid E/M phenotypes are less well understood. RESULTS Here, we analyse multiple publicly-available transcriptomic datasets at bulk and single-cell level and pinpoint ELF3 as a factor that is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype and is inhibited during EMT. Using mechanism-based mathematical modelling, we also show that ELF3 inhibits the progression of EMT. This behaviour was also observed in the presence of an EMT inducing factor WT1. Our model predicts that the MET induction capacity of ELF3 is stronger than that of KLF4, but weaker than that of GRHL2. Finally, we show that ELF3 levels correlates with worse patient survival in a subset of solid tumour types. CONCLUSION ELF3 is shown to be inhibited during EMT progression and is also found to inhibit the progression of complete EMT suggesting that ELF3 may be able to counteract EMT induction, including in the presence of EMT-inducing factors, such as WT1. The analysis of patient survival data indicates that the prognostic capacity of ELF3 is specific to cell-of-origin or lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Prakruthi Manjunatha
- grid.444321.40000 0004 0501 2828Department of Medical Electronics, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, 560054 Bangalore, India
| | - Shaurya Goyal
- grid.429017.90000 0001 0153 2859Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, 721302 Kharagpur, India
| | - Vignesh A Kasiviswanathan
- grid.512757.30000 0004 1761 9897Department of Biotechnology, JSS Science and Technology University, 570006 Mysore, India
| | - Yeshwanth Mahesh
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- grid.419655.a0000 0001 0008 3668Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, 506004 Warangal, India
| | - Isabelle McMullen
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA ,grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012, Bangalore, India.
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35
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Tomasik B, Bieńkowski M, Górska Z, Gutowska K, Kumięga P, Jassem J, Duchnowska R. Molecular aspects of brain metastases in breast cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 114:102521. [PMID: 36736124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102521] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Brain metastases (BM) are a common and devastating manifestation of breast cancer (BC). BM are particularly frequent in the HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer phenotypes and usually occur following the metastatic spread to extracranial sites. Several genes mediating BM and biomarkers predicting their risk in BC have been reported in the past decade. These findings have advanced the understanding of BM pathobiology and paved the way for developing new therapeutic strategies but they still warrant a thorough clinical validation. Hence, a better understanding of the mechanistic aspects of BM and delineating the interactions of tumor cells with the brain microenvironment are of utmost importance. This review discusses the molecular basis of the metastatic cascade: the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer, and tumor microenvironment interaction and intravasation, priming of the metastatic niche in the brain, and survival in the new site. We also outline the postulated mechanisms of BC cells' brain tropism. Finally, we discuss advances in the field of biomarkers (both tissue-based and liquid-based) that predict BM from BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Tomasik
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 17 Smoluchowskiego St., 80-214 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Michał Bieńkowski
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 17 Smoluchowskiego St., 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Zuzanna Górska
- Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, 128 Szaserów St., 04-141 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Klaudia Gutowska
- Department of Internal Diseases and Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Paulina Kumięga
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jacek Jassem
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 17 Smoluchowskiego St., 80-214 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Renata Duchnowska
- Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, 128 Szaserów St., 04-141 Warsaw, Poland.
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36
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Mohamed GA, Mahmood S, Ognjenovic NB, Lee MK, Wilkins OM, Christensen BC, Muller KE, Pattabiraman DR. Lineage plasticity enables low-ER luminal tumors to evolve and gain basal-like traits. Breast Cancer Res 2023; 25:23. [PMID: 36859337 PMCID: PMC9979432 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-023-01621-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Stratifying breast cancer into specific molecular or histologic subtypes aids in therapeutic decision-making and predicting outcomes; however, these subtypes may not be as distinct as previously thought. Patients with luminal-like, estrogen receptor (ER)-expressing tumors have better prognosis than patients with more aggressive, triple-negative or basal-like tumors. There is, however, a subset of luminal-like tumors that express lower levels of ER, which exhibit more basal-like features. We have found that breast tumors expressing lower levels of ER, traditionally considered to be luminal-like, represent a distinct subset of breast cancer characterized by the emergence of basal-like features. Lineage tracing of low-ER tumors in the MMTV-PyMT mouse mammary tumor model revealed that basal marker-expressing cells arose from normal luminal epithelial cells, suggesting that luminal-to-basal plasticity is responsible for the evolution and emergence of basal-like characteristics. This plasticity allows tumor cells to gain a new lumino-basal phenotype, thus leading to intratumoral lumino-basal heterogeneity. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed SOX10 as a potential driver for this plasticity, which is known among breast tumors to be almost exclusively expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and was also found to be highly expressed in low-ER tumors. These findings suggest that basal-like tumors may result from the evolutionary progression of luminal tumors with low ER expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadisti Aisha Mohamed
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Sundis Mahmood
- Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Nevena B Ognjenovic
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Min Kyung Lee
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Owen M Wilkins
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Brock C Christensen
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Kristen E Muller
- Department of Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
| | - Diwakar R Pattabiraman
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
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37
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Chakraborti S, Karmakar A, Guha R, Ngan C, Kumar Das R, Whitaker N. Induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in HPV16 E6/E7 oncogene transfected C33A cell line. Tissue Cell 2023; 82:102041. [PMID: 36827821 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2023.102041] [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: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
This study focuses on the induction of EMT by HPV16 in the C33A cell line. Expression of β-catenin, EMT-transcription factors (EMT-TFs), and c-myc in the nuclei of HPV16 E6/E7 oncogene transfected and non-transfected C33A cells were investigated through immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. Microphotographs of β-catenin, c-myc, and DAPI-stained nuclei were processed and analyzed by Python and ImageJ respectively. Microphotographs of immunocytochemically stained transfected and control cells were then processed and analyzed with the help of ImageJ and Python programming. The intensity and the integrated density of β-catenin were computed at the cell membrane area as well as the cytoplasmic area along with the integrated density of c-myc and Renyi entropy of DAPI-stained nuclei was quantified by ImageJ software. Python programming was implemented to determine the total percentage of white pixels depicting the presence of β-catenin in the cytoplasmic area of cells. The signal of β-catenin at the cytoplasmic area was found significantly higher in transfected samples which implies the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. The expression of the c-myc protein was found significantly higher in transfected cells along with significantly higher nuclear entropy. RT-PCR result shows two folds of up-regulation of EMT-TFs Snail1, Twist1, and Zeb2 and down-regulation of Snail2 and Twist2. The study concludes that HPV16 E6/E7 oncogene can induce EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourangshu Chakraborti
- Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Aparajita Karmakar
- Department of Data Science, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Riana Guha
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Christopher Ngan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Raunak Kumar Das
- Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Noel Whitaker
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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38
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Jain P, Corbo S, Mohammad K, Sahoo S, Ranganathan S, George JT, Levine H, Taube J, Toneff M, Jolly MK. Epigenetic memory acquired during long-term EMT induction governs the recovery to the epithelial state. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220627. [PMID: 36628532 PMCID: PMC9832289 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are critical during embryonic development, wound healing and cancer metastasis. While phenotypic changes during short-term EMT induction are reversible, long-term EMT induction has been often associated with irreversibility. Here, we show that phenotypic changes seen in MCF10A cells upon long-term EMT induction by TGFβ need not be irreversible, but have relatively longer time scales of reversibility than those seen in short-term induction. Next, using a phenomenological mathematical model to account for the chromatin-mediated epigenetic silencing of the miR-200 family by ZEB family, we highlight how the epigenetic memory gained during long-term EMT induction can slow the recovery to the epithelial state post-TGFβ withdrawal. Our results suggest that epigenetic modifiers can govern the extent and time scale of EMT reversibility and advise caution against labelling phenotypic changes seen in long-term EMT induction as 'irreversible'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Sophia Corbo
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Kulsoom Mohammad
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | | | - Jason T. George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 76798, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Departments of Physics and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph Taube
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Michael Toneff
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
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39
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Zhang L, Chen W, Liu S, Chen C. Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:552-570. [PMID: 36632469 PMCID: PMC9830502 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.76187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential roles of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) in tumor initiation and recurrence have been recognized for many decades. Due to their strong capacity for self-renewal and differentiation, BCSCs are the major reasons for poor clinical outcomes and low therapeutic response. Several hypotheses on the origin of cancer stem cells have been proposed, including critical gene mutations in stem cells, dedifferentiation of somatic cells, and cell plasticity remodeling by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment, including cellular components and cytokines, modulates the self-renewal and therapeutic resistance of BCSCs. Small molecules, antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells targeting BCSCs have been developed, and their applications in combination with conventional therapies are undergoing clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the features of BCSCs, emphasize the major factors and tumor environment that regulate the stemness of BCSCs, and discuss potential BCSC-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering; Cancer Institutes; Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai; The Shanghai paracrine Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; The International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology; Shanghai Medical College; Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenmin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650201, China.,Kunming College of Life Sciences, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Suling Liu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering; Cancer Institutes; Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai; The Shanghai paracrine Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology; The International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology; Shanghai Medical College; Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Ceshi Chen, E-mail: or Suling Liu, E-mail:
| | - Ceshi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650201, China.,Academy of Biomedical Engineering, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.,The Third Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650118, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Ceshi Chen, E-mail: or Suling Liu, E-mail:
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40
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Bordeleau F, Brownell D, Chabaud S, Huot ME, Bolduc S. Recreating heterogeneity of bladder cancer microenvironment to study its recurrences and progression. Stem Cell Investig 2023; 10:5. [PMID: 36909249 PMCID: PMC9995704 DOI: 10.21037/sci-2023-004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- François Bordeleau
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - David Brownell
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Stephane Chabaud
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marc-Etienne Huot
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Stephane Bolduc
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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41
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Cui K, Wang X, Han C, Liu S, Hu Y. Mechanism of Human Cytomegalovirus-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Glioma Cells via the Upregulation of RIP2 Expression. Biol Pharm Bull 2023; 46:1506-1511. [PMID: 37914353 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00256] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in glioma cells; however, its underlying action mechanism remain ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the effects of receptor-interacting protein 2 (RIP2) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB on EMT in HCMV-infected glioma LN-18 cells. Wound healing and invasion assays were used to evaluate the migration and invasion of cells. Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to determine the protein expression levels. We found that HCMV induced enhanced migration and invasion of LN-18 cells, activation of the RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway, downregulation of epithelial cell marker (E-cadherin) expression, and upregulation of mesenchymal cell marker (N-cadherin and vimentin) expression. Moreover, inhibition of RIP2 or NF-κB inhibited the induction of HCMV in LN-18 cells. Therefore, HCMV induces EMT in glioma cells by promoting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway via the upregulation of RIP2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Cui
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Xiaoliang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - ChengXi Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Shuo Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Yuhua Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University
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42
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Canciello A, Cerveró-Varona A, Peserico A, Mauro A, Russo V, Morrione A, Giordano A, Barboni B. "In medio stat virtus": Insights into hybrid E/M phenotype attitudes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1038841. [PMID: 36467417 PMCID: PMC9715750 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1038841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) refers to the ability of cells to dynamically interconvert between epithelial (E) and mesenchymal (M) phenotypes, thus generating an array of hybrid E/M intermediates with mixed E and M features. Recent findings have demonstrated how these hybrid E/M rather than fully M cells play key roles in most of physiological and pathological processes involving EMT. To this regard, the onset of hybrid E/M state coincides with the highest stemness gene expression and is involved in differentiation of either normal and cancer stem cells. Moreover, hybrid E/M cells are responsible for wound healing and create a favorable immunosuppressive environment for tissue regeneration. Nevertheless, hybrid state is responsible of metastatic process and of the increasing of survival, apoptosis and therapy resistance in cancer cells. The present review aims to describe the main features and the emerging concepts regulating EMP and the formation of E/M hybrid intermediates by describing differences and similarities between cancer and normal hybrid stem cells. In particular, the comprehension of hybrid E/M cells biology will surely advance our understanding of their features and how they could be exploited to improve tissue regeneration and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Canciello
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Adrián Cerveró-Varona
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessia Peserico
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Annunziata Mauro
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Valentina Russo
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Andrea Morrione
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Barbara Barboni
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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43
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Hashemi M, Arani HZ, Orouei S, Fallah S, Ghorbani A, Khaledabadi M, Kakavand A, Tavakolpournegari A, Saebfar H, Heidari H, Salimimoghadam S, Entezari M, Taheriazam A, Hushmandi K. EMT mechanism in breast cancer metastasis and drug resistance: Revisiting molecular interactions and biological functions. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113774. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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44
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Stochastic population dynamics of cancer stemness and adaptive response to therapies. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:387-398. [PMID: 36073715 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity can exist along multiple axes: Cancer stem cells (CSCs)/non-CSCs, drug-sensitive/drug-tolerant states, and a spectrum of epithelial-hybrid-mesenchymal phenotypes. Further, these diverse cell-states can switch reversibly among one another, thereby posing a major challenge to therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, understanding the origins of phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity remains an active area of investigation. While genomic components (mutations, chromosomal instability) driving heterogeneity have been well-studied, recent reports highlight the role of non-genetic mechanisms in enabling both phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity. Here, we discuss various processes underlying phenotypic plasticity such as stochastic gene expression, chromatin reprogramming, asymmetric cell division and the presence of multiple stable gene expression patterns ('attractors'). These processes can facilitate a dynamically evolving cell population such that a subpopulation of (drug-tolerant) cells can survive lethal drug exposure and recapitulate population heterogeneity on drug withdrawal, leading to relapse. These drug-tolerant cells can be both pre-existing and also induced by the drug itself through cell-state reprogramming. The dynamics of cell-state transitions both in absence and presence of the drug can be quantified through mathematical models. Such a dynamical systems approach to elucidating patterns of intratumoral heterogeneity by integrating longitudinal experimental data with mathematical models can help design effective combinatorial and/or sequential therapies for better clinical outcomes.
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