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Hou Y, Wang H, Wu J, Guo H, Chen X. Dissecting the pleiotropic roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung cancer: From carcinogenesis toward therapy. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1566-1595. [PMID: 38284170 DOI: 10.1002/med.22018] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Lung cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The specific pulmonary structure to directly connect with ambient air makes it more susceptible to damage from airborne toxins. External oxidative stimuli and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in promoting lung carcinogenesis and development. The biological properties of higher ROS levels in tumor cells than in normal cells make them more sensitive and vulnerable to ROS injury. Therefore, the strategy of targeting ROS has been proposed for cancer therapy for decades. However, it is embarrassing that countless attempts at ROS-based therapies have had very limited success, and no FDA approval in the anticancer list was mechanistically based on ROS manipulation. Even compared with the untargetable proteins, such as transcription factors, ROS are more difficult to be targeted due to their chemical properties. Thus, the pleiotropic roles of ROS provide therapeutic potential for anticancer drug discovery, while a better dissection of the mechanistic action and signaling pathways is a prerequisite for future breakthroughs. This review discusses the critical roles of ROS in cancer carcinogenesis, ROS-inspired signaling pathways, and ROS-based treatment, exemplified by lung cancer. In particular, an eight considerations rule is proposed for ROS-targeting strategies and drug design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Heng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Research and Evaluation of Bioactive Molecules & College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiuping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
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2
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Lu W, Cui J, Wang W, Hu Q, Xue Y, Liu X, Gong T, Lu Y, Ma H, Yang X, Feng B, Wang Q, Zhang N, Xu Y, Liu M, Nussinov R, Cheng F, Ji H, Huang J. PPIA dictates NRF2 stability to promote lung cancer progression. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4703. [PMID: 38830868 PMCID: PMC11148020 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48364-4] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) hyperactivation has been established as an oncogenic driver in a variety of human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, despite massive efforts, no specific therapy is currently available to target NRF2 hyperactivation. Here, we identify peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) is required for NRF2 protein stability. Ablation of PPIA promotes NRF2 protein degradation and blocks NRF2-driven growth in NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, PPIA physically binds to NRF2 and blocks the access of ubiquitin/Kelch Like ECH Associated Protein 1 (KEAP1) to NRF2, thus preventing ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Our X-ray co-crystal structure reveals that PPIA directly interacts with a NRF2 interdomain linker via a trans-proline 174-harboring hydrophobic sequence. We further demonstrate that an FDA-approved drug, cyclosporin A (CsA), impairs the interaction of NRF2 with PPIA, inducing NRF2 ubiquitination and degradation. Interestingly, CsA interrupts glutamine metabolism mediated by the NRF2/KLF5/SLC1A5 pathway, consequently suppressing the growth of NRF2-hyperactivated NSCLC cells. CsA and a glutaminase inhibitor combination therapy significantly retard tumor progression in NSCLC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models with NRF2 hyperactivation. Our study demonstrates that targeting NRF2 protein stability is an actionable therapeutic approach to treat NRF2-hyperactivated NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqiang Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiayan Cui
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanyan Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Hu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Gong
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiping Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Ministry of Education, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Naixia Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yechun Xu
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyao Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA
| | - Hongbin Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jin Huang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
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3
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Konen JM, Wu H, Gibbons DL. Immune checkpoint blockade resistance in lung cancer: emerging mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:520-536. [PMID: 38744552 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.04.006] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy works by inhibiting suppressive checkpoints that become upregulated after T cell activation, like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4. While the initial FDA approvals of ICB have revolutionized cancer therapies and fueled a burgeoning immuno-oncology field, more recent clinical development of new agents has been slow. Here, focusing on lung cancer, we review the latest research uncovering tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic ICB resistance mechanisms as major hurdles to treatment efficacy and clinical progress. These include genomic and non-genomic tumor cell alterations, along with host and microenvironmental factors like the microbiome, metabolite accumulation, and hypoxia. Together, these factors can cooperate to promote immunosuppression and ICB resistance. Opportunities to prevent resistance are constantly evolving in this rapidly expanding field, with the goal of moving toward personalized immunotherapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Konen
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Haoyi Wu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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4
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Jebanesan DZP, Illangeswaran RSS, Rajamani BM, Vidhyadharan RT, Das S, Bijukumar NK, Balakrishnan B, Mathews V, Velayudhan SR, Balasubramanian P. Inhibition of NRF2 signaling overcomes acquired resistance to arsenic trioxide in FLT3-mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Ann Hematol 2024; 103:1919-1929. [PMID: 38630133 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-024-05742-8] [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: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
De novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplications (FLT3-ITD) have worse treatment outcomes. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has been reported to be effective in degrading the FLT3 protein in AML cell lines and sensitizing non-APL AML patient samples in-vitro. We have previously reported that primary cells from FLT3-ITD mutated AML patients were sensitive to ATO in-vitro compared to other non-M3 AML and molecular/pharmacological inhibition of NF-E2 related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of antioxidant response improved the chemosensitivity to ATO and daunorubicin even in non FLT3-ITD mutated cell lines and primary samples. We examined the effects of molecular/pharmacological suppression of NRF2 on acquired ATO resistance in the FLT3-ITD mutant AML cell line (MV4-11-ATO-R). ATO-R cells showed increased NRF2 expression, nuclear localization, and upregulation of bonafide NRF2 targets. Molecular inhibition of NRF2 in this resistant cell line improved ATO sensitivity in vitro. Digoxin treatment lowered p-AKT expression, abrogating nuclear NRF2 localization and sensitizing cells to ATO. However, digoxin and ATO did not sensitize non-ITD AML cell line THP1 with high NRF2 expression. Digoxin decreased leukemic burden and prolonged survival in MV4-11 ATO-R xenograft mice. We establish that altering NRF2 expression may reverse acquired ATO resistance in FLT3-ITD AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zechariah Paul Jebanesan
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | | | - Bharathi M Rajamani
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
| | | | - Saswati Das
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
| | - Nayanthara K Bijukumar
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
| | - Balaji Balakrishnan
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
- Department of Integrative Biology, School of BioSciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Vikram Mathews
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
| | - Shaji R Velayudhan
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India
- Adjunct Scientist, Centre for Stem Cell Research, A Unit of InStem Bengaluru, CMC Campus, Vellore, India
| | - Poonkuzhali Balasubramanian
- Department of Hematology, Christian Medical College Vellore-Ranipet Campus, Tamil Nadu, Vellore, 632517, India.
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Kim HK, Jeong H, Jeong MG, Won HY, Lee G, Bae SH, Nam M, Lee SH, Hwang GS, Hwang ES. TAZ deficiency impairs the autophagy-lysosomal pathway through NRF2 dysregulation and lysosomal dysfunction. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:2592-2606. [PMID: 38725855 PMCID: PMC11077375 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.88897] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) plays a key role in normal tissue homeostasis and tumorigenesis through interaction with several transcription factors. In particular, TAZ deficiency causes abnormal alveolarization and emphysema, and persistent TAZ overexpression contributes to lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting the possibility of a complex mechanism of TAZ function. Recent studies suggest that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), an antioxidant defense system, induces TAZ expression during tumorigenesis and that TAZ also activates the NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathway. We thus thought to elucidate the cross-regulation of TAZ and NRF2 and the underlying molecular mechanisms and functions. TAZ directly interacted with NRF2 through the N-terminal domain and suppressed the transcriptional activity of NRF2 by preventing NRF2 from binding to DNA. In addition, the return of NRF2 to basal levels after signaling was inhibited in TAZ deficiency, resulting in sustained nuclear NRF2 levels and aberrantly increased expression of NRF2 targets. TAZ deficiency failed to modulate optimal NRF2 signaling and concomitantly impaired lysosomal acidification and lysosomal enzyme function, accumulating the abnormal autophagy vesicles and reactive oxygen species and causing protein oxidation and cellular damage in the lungs. TAZ restoration to TAZ deficiency normalized dysregulated NRF2 signaling and aberrant lysosomal function and triggered the normal autophagy-lysosomal pathway. Therefore, TAZ is indispensable for the optimal regulation of NRF2-mediated autophagy-lysosomal pathways and for preventing pulmonary damage caused by oxidative stress and oxidized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Kyeong Kim
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Hana Jeong
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Mi Gyeong Jeong
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Hee Yeon Won
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Gibbeum Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Soo Han Bae
- College of Medicine, Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Miso Nam
- Integrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul 03759, Korea
| | - Sung Hoon Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Geum-Sook Hwang
- Integrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul 03759, Korea
| | - Eun Sook Hwang
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
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6
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Chen Y, Jiang Z, Zhang C, Zhang L, Chen H, Xiao N, Bai L, Liu H, Wan J. 5-Methylcytosine transferase NSUN2 drives NRF2-mediated ferroptosis resistance in non-small cell lung cancer. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:106793. [PMID: 38403250 PMCID: PMC11065752 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.106793] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) is an abundant chemical modification in mammalian RNAs and plays crucial roles in regulating vital physiological and pathological processes, especially in cancer. However, the dysregulation of m5C and its underlying mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. Here we identified that NSUN2, a key RNA m5C methyltransferase, is highly expressed in NSCLC tumor tissue. We found elevated NSUN2 expression levels strongly correlate with tumor grade and size, predicting poor outcomes for NSCLC patients. Furthermore, RNA-seq and subsequent confirmation studies revealed the antioxidant-promoting transcription factor NRF2 is a target of NSUN2, and depleting NSUN2 decreases the expression of NRF2 and increases the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to ferroptosis activators both in vitro and in vivo. Intriguingly, the methylated-RIP-qPCR assay results indicated that NRF2 mRNA has a higher m5C level when NSUN2 is overexpressed in NSCLC cells but shows no significant changes in the NSUN2 methyltransferase-deficient group. Mechanistically, we confirmed that NSUN2 upregulates the expression of NRF2 by enhancing the stability of NRF2 mRNA through the m5C modification within its 5'UTR region recognized by the specific m5C reader protein YBX1, rather than influencing its translation. In subsequent rescue experiments, we show knocking down NRF2 diminished the proliferation, migration, and ferroptosis tolerance mediated by NSUN2 overexpression. In conclusion, our study unveils a novel regulatory mechanism in which NSUN2 sustains NRF2 expression through an m5C-YBX1-axis, suggesting that targeting NSUN2 and its regulated ferroptosis pathway might offer promising therapeutic strategies for NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youming Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zuli Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Chenxing Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lindong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Huanxiang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Nan Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of General Surgery, Zhecheng People's Hospital, Shangqiu, Henan, China
| | - Hongyang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Junhu Wan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
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van de Haar J, Mankor JM, Hummelink K, Monkhorst K, Smit EF, Wessels LF, Cuppen E, Aerts JG, Voest EE. Combining Genomic Biomarkers to Guide Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1307-1318. [PMID: 38300729 PMCID: PMC10982639 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-4027] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The clinical value of STK11, KEAP1, and EGFR alterations for guiding immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial, as some patients with these proposed resistance biomarkers show durable ICB responses. More specific combinatorial biomarker approaches are urgently needed for this disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN To develop a combinatorial biomarker strategy with increased specificity for ICB unresponsiveness in NSCLC, we performed a comprehensive analysis of 254 patients with NSCLC treated with ligand programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade monotherapy, including a discovery cohort of 75 patients subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and an independent validation cohort of 169 patients subjected to tumor-normal large panel sequencing. The specificity of STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alterations for ICB unresponsiveness was assessed in the contexts of a low (<10 muts/Mb) or high (≥10 muts/Mb) tumor mutational burden (TMB). RESULTS In low TMB cases, STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alterations were highly specific biomarkers for ICB resistance, with 0/15 (0.0%) and 1/34 (2.9%) biomarker-positive patients showing treatment benefit in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. This contrasted with high TMB cases, where 11/13 (85%) and 15/34 (44%) patients with at least one STK11/KEAP1/EGFR alteration showed durable treatment benefit in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. These findings were supported by analyses of progression-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS The unexpected ICB responses in patients carrying resistance biomarkers in STK11, KEAP1, and EGFR were almost exclusively observed in patients with a high TMB. Considering these alterations in context, the TMB offered a highly specific combinatorial biomarker strategy for limiting overtreatment in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris van de Haar
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joanne M. Mankor
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Karlijn Hummelink
- Department of Pathology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kim Monkhorst
- Department of Pathology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Egbert F. Smit
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lodewyk F.A. Wessels
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Faculty of EEMCS, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin Cuppen
- Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Hartwig Medical Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joachim G.J.V. Aerts
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Emile E. Voest
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Personalized Cancer Treatment, the Netherlands
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8
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Pillai R, LeBoeuf SE, Hao Y, New C, Blum JLE, Rashidfarrokhi A, Huang SM, Bahamon C, Wu WL, Karadal-Ferrena B, Herrera A, Ivanova E, Cross M, Bossowski JP, Ding H, Hayashi M, Rajalingam S, Karakousi T, Sayin VI, Khanna KM, Wong KK, Wild R, Tsirigos A, Poirier JT, Rudin CM, Davidson SM, Koralov SB, Papagiannakopoulos T. Glutamine antagonist DRP-104 suppresses tumor growth and enhances response to checkpoint blockade in KEAP1 mutant lung cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9859. [PMID: 38536921 PMCID: PMC10971495 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in KEAP1 frequently occur in lung cancer and are associated with poor prognosis and resistance to standard of care treatment, highlighting the need for the development of targeted therapies. We previously showed that KEAP1 mutant tumors consume glutamine to support the metabolic rewiring associated with NRF2-dependent antioxidant production. Here, using preclinical patient-derived xenograft models and antigenic orthotopic lung cancer models, we show that the glutamine antagonist prodrug DRP-104 impairs the growth of KEAP1 mutant tumors. We find that DRP-104 suppresses KEAP1 mutant tumors by inhibiting glutamine-dependent nucleotide synthesis and promoting antitumor T cell responses. Using multimodal single-cell sequencing and ex vivo functional assays, we demonstrate that DRP-104 reverses T cell exhaustion, decreases Tregs, and enhances the function of CD4 and CD8 T cells, culminating in an improved response to anti-PD1 therapy. Our preclinical findings provide compelling evidence that DRP-104, currently in clinical trials, offers a promising therapeutic approach for treating patients with KEAP1 mutant lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Pillai
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sarah E. LeBoeuf
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yuan Hao
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Connie New
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jenna L. E. Blum
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ali Rashidfarrokhi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Shih Ming Huang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Christian Bahamon
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Warren L. Wu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Burcu Karadal-Ferrena
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Alberto Herrera
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ellie Ivanova
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michael Cross
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jozef P. Bossowski
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hongyu Ding
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Makiko Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sahith Rajalingam
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Triantafyllia Karakousi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Volkan I. Sayin
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kamal M. Khanna
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Robert Wild
- Dracen Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - John T. Poirier
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10655, USA
| | - Shawn M. Davidson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Sergei B. Koralov
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Thales Papagiannakopoulos
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
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9
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Li J, Shi D, Li S, Shi X, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Wang G, Zhang C, Xia T, Piao HL, Liu HX. KEAP1 promotes anti-tumor immunity by inhibiting PD-L1 expression in NSCLC. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:175. [PMID: 38413563 PMCID: PMC10899596 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06563-3] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become a prominent first-line cancer treatment strategy. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the expression of PD-L1 induces an immuno-suppressive effect to protect cancer cells from immune elimination, which designates PD-L1 as an important target for immunotherapy. However, little is known about the regulation mechanism and the function of PD-L1 in lung cancer. In this study, we have discovered that KEAP1 serves as an E3 ligase to promote PD-L1 ubiquitination and degradation. We found that overexpression of KEAP1 suppressed tumor growth and promoted cytotoxic T-cell activation in vivo. These results indicate the important role of KEAP1 in anti-cancer immunity. Moreover, the combination of elevated KEAP1 expression with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy resulted in a synergistic effect on both tumor growth and cytotoxic T-cell activation. Additionally, we found that the expressions of KEAP1 and PD-L1 were associated with NSCLC prognosis. In summary, our findings shed light on the mechanism of PD-L1 degradation and how NSCLC immune escape through KEAP1-PD-L1 signaling. Our results also suggest that KEAP1 agonist might be a potential clinical drug to boost anti-tumor immunity and improve immunotherapies in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghan Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Daiwang Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Siyi Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xiang Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Gebang Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Chenlei Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
| | - Hai-Long Piao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China.
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
| | - Hong-Xu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China.
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10
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Deen AJ, Adinolfi S, Härkönen J, Patinen T, Liu X, Laitinen T, Takabe P, Kainulainen K, Pasonen-Seppänen S, Gawriyski LM, Arasu UT, Selvarajan I, Mäkinen P, Laitinen H, Kansanen E, Kaikkonen MU, Poso A, Varjosalo M, Levonen AL. Oncogenic KEAP1 mutations activate TRAF2-NFκB signaling to prevent apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Redox Biol 2024; 69:103031. [PMID: 38184997 PMCID: PMC10808971 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103031] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) - Nuclear factor erythroid 2 -related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway is the major transcriptional stress response system in cells against oxidative and electrophilic stress. NRF2 is frequently constitutively active in many cancers, rendering the cells resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy. Loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in the repressor protein KEAP1 are common in non-small cell lung cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma. While the mutations can occur throughout the gene, they are enriched in certain areas, indicating that these may have unique functional importance. In this study, we show that in the GSEA analysis of TCGA lung adenocarcinoma RNA-seq data, the KEAP1 mutations in R320 and R470 were associated with enhanced Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα) - Nuclear Factor kappa subunit B (NFκB) signaling as well as MYC and MTORC1 pathways. To address the functional role of these hotspot mutations, affinity purification and mass spectrometry (AP-MS) analysis of wild type (wt) KEAP1 and its mutation forms, R320Q and R470C were employed to interrogate differences in the protein interactome. We identified TNF receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2) as a putative protein interaction partner. Both mutant KEAP1 forms showed increased interaction with TRAF2 and other anti-apoptotic proteins, suggesting that apoptosis signalling could be affected by the protein interactions. A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells overexpressing mutant KEAP1 showed high TRAF2-mediated NFκB activity and increased protection against apoptosis, XIAP being one of the key proteins involved in anti-apoptotic signalling. To conclude, KEAP1 R320Q and R470C and its interaction with TRAF2 leads to activation of NFκB pathway, thereby protecting against apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashik Jawahar Deen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Simone Adinolfi
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Jouni Härkönen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland; Department of Pathology, Hospital Nova of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, 40620, Finland
| | - Tommi Patinen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Tuomo Laitinen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Piia Takabe
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Kirsi Kainulainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | | | - Lisa M Gawriyski
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Uma Thanigai Arasu
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Ilakya Selvarajan
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Petri Mäkinen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Hanna Laitinen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Emilia Kansanen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland; Science Service Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Minna U Kaikkonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Antti Poso
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland; Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Levonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland.
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11
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Karagiannis D, Wu W, Li A, Hayashi M, Chen X, Yip M, Mangipudy V, Xu X, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Soto-Feliciano YM, Ye J, Papagiannakopoulos T, Lu C. Metabolic reprogramming by histone deacetylase inhibition preferentially targets NRF2-activated tumors. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113629. [PMID: 38165806 PMCID: PMC10853943 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113629] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The interplay between metabolism and chromatin signaling is implicated in cancer progression. However, whether and how metabolic reprogramming in tumors generates chromatin vulnerabilities remain unclear. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumors frequently harbor aberrant activation of the NRF2 antioxidant pathway, which drives aggressive and chemo-resistant disease. Using a chromatin-focused CRISPR screen, we report that NRF2 activation sensitizes LUAD cells to genetic and chemical inhibition of class I histone deacetylases (HDACs). This association is observed across cultured cells, mouse models, and patient-derived xenografts. Integrative epigenomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analysis demonstrates that HDAC inhibition causes widespread redistribution of H4ac and its reader protein, which transcriptionally downregulates metabolic enzymes. This results in reduced flux into amino acid metabolism and de novo nucleotide synthesis pathways that are preferentially required for the survival of NRF2-active cancer cells. Together, our findings suggest NRF2 activation as a potential biomarker for effective repurposing of HDAC inhibitors to treat solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Karagiannis
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Warren Wu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Albert Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Makiko Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michaela Yip
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Vaibhav Mangipudy
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xinjing Xu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Francisco J Sánchez-Rivera
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yadira M Soto-Feliciano
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jiangbin Ye
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thales Papagiannakopoulos
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter NYU Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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12
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Glorieux C, Enríquez C, González C, Aguirre-Martínez G, Buc Calderon P. The Multifaceted Roles of NRF2 in Cancer: Friend or Foe? Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:70. [PMID: 38247494 PMCID: PMC10812565 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13010070] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Physiological concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play vital roles in various normal cellular processes, whereas excessive ROS generation is central to disease pathogenesis. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a critical transcription factor that regulates the cellular antioxidant systems in response to oxidative stress by governing the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes that shield cells from diverse oxidative alterations. NRF2 and its negative regulator Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) have been the focus of numerous investigations in elucidating whether NRF2 suppresses tumor promotion or conversely exerts pro-oncogenic effects. NRF2 has been found to participate in various pathological processes, including dysregulated cell proliferation, metabolic remodeling, and resistance to apoptosis. Herein, this review article will examine the intriguing role of phase separation in activating the NRF2 transcriptional activity and explore the NRF2 dual impacts on tumor immunology, cancer stem cells, metastasis, and long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs). Taken together, this review aims to discuss the NRF2 multifaceted roles in both cancer prevention and promotion while also addressing the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations associated with modulating NRF2 therapeutically in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Glorieux
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Cinthya Enríquez
- Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile; (C.E.); (C.G.); (G.A.-M.)
- Programa de Magister en Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile
| | - Constanza González
- Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile; (C.E.); (C.G.); (G.A.-M.)
| | - Gabriela Aguirre-Martínez
- Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile; (C.E.); (C.G.); (G.A.-M.)
- Instituto de Química Medicinal, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile
| | - Pedro Buc Calderon
- Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile; (C.E.); (C.G.); (G.A.-M.)
- Instituto de Química Medicinal, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, Chile
- Research Group in Metabolism and Nutrition, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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13
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Duan J, Zhang Y, Chen R, Liang L, Huo Y, Lu S, Zhao J, Hu C, Sun Y, Yang K, Chen M, Yu Y, Ying J, Huang R, Ma X, Leaw S, Bai F, Shen Z, Cai S, Gao D, Wang J, Wang Z. Tumor-immune microenvironment and NRF2 associate with clinical efficacy of PD-1 blockade combined with chemotherapy in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101302. [PMID: 38052215 PMCID: PMC10772345 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101302] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
The RATIONALE-307 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03594747) demonstrates prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) with first-line tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC; N = 360). Here we describe an immune-related gene expression signature (GES), composed of genes involved in both innate and adaptive immunity, that appears to differentiate tislelizumab plus chemotherapy PFS benefit versus chemotherapy. In contrast, a tislelizumab plus chemotherapy PFS benefit is observed regardless of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression or tumor mutational burden (TMB). Genetic analysis reveals that NRF2 pathway activation is enriched in PD-L1positive and TMBhigh patients. NRF2 pathway activation is negatively associated with PFS, which affects efficacy outcomes associated with PD-L1 and TMB status, impairing their predictive potential. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that NRF2 directly mediates PD-L1 constitutive expression independent of adaptive PD-L1 regulation in LUSC. In summary, the GES is an immune signature that might identify LUSC patients likely to benefit from first-line tislelizumab plus chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianchun Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100022, China
| | - Ran Chen
- Center for Clinical Research and Translational Medicine, Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China; Department of General Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
| | - Liang Liang
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100022, China
| | - Yi Huo
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100022, China
| | - Shun Lu
- Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education, Beijing), Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- Oncology Department, The Second Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yuping Sun
- Oncology Department, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Kunyu Yang
- Union Hospital, Cancer Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Mingwei Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Jianming Ying
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ruiqi Huang
- BeiGene (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Xiaopeng Ma
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100022, China
| | | | - Fan Bai
- BeiGene (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Zhirong Shen
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100022, China
| | - Shangli Cai
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Daming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Zhijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
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14
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Di Giorgio E, Choudhary H, Ferino A, Cortolezzis Y, Dalla E, D’Este F, Comelli M, Rapozzi V, Xodo LE. Suppression of the KRAS- NRF2 axis shifts arginine into the phosphocreatine energy system in pancreatic cancer cells. iScience 2023; 26:108566. [PMID: 38144458 PMCID: PMC10746371 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108566] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), the KRASG12D-NRF2 axis controls cellular functions such as redox homeostasis and metabolism. Disruption of this axis through suppression of NRF2 leads to profound reprogramming of metabolism. Unbiased transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that PDAC cells with disrupted KRASG12D-NRF2 signaling (NRF2-/- cells) shift from aerobic glycolysis to metabolic pathways fed by amino acids. Metabolome, RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed a blockade of the urea cycle, making NRF2-/- cells dependent on exogenous arginine for survival. Arginine is channeled into anabolic pathways, including the synthesis of phosphocreatine, which generates an energy buffer essential for cell growth. A similar switch was observed in tumor clones that had survived FOLFIRINOX therapy or blockade of KRAS signaling. Inhibition of the creatine pathway with cyclocreatine reduced both ATP and invasion rate in 3D spheroids from NRF2-deficient PDAC cells. Our study provides basis for the rational development of combination therapies for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eros Di Giorgio
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Himanshi Choudhary
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Annalisa Ferino
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Ylenia Cortolezzis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Emiliano Dalla
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Francesca D’Este
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Marina Comelli
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Valentina Rapozzi
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Luigi E. Xodo
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
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15
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Yang Z. Nrf2 in cancer: An insufficiently explored and controversial research area. Dig Liver Dis 2023; 55:1774. [PMID: 37673767 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2023.08.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Yang
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, PR China.
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16
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Pellini B, Madison RW, Childress MA, Miller ST, Gjoerup O, Cheng J, Huang RS, Krainock M, Gupta P, Zou W, Shames DS, Moshkevich S, Ballinger M, Liu MC, Young A, Srivastava MK, Oxnard GR, Socinski MA. Circulating Tumor DNA Monitoring on Chemo-immunotherapy for Risk Stratification in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:4596-4605. [PMID: 37702716 PMCID: PMC10643998 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemoimmunotherapy (chemoIO) is a prevalent first-line treatment for advanced driver-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with maintenance therapy given after induction. However, there is significant clinical variability in the duration, dosing, and timing of maintenance therapy after induction chemoIO. We used circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring to inform outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving chemoIO. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN This retrospective study included 221 patients from a phase III trial of atezolizumab+carboplatin+nab-paclitaxel versus carboplatin+nab-paclitaxel in squamous NSCLC (IMpower131). ctDNA monitoring used the FoundationOne Tracker involving comprehensive genomic profiling of pretreatment tumor tissue, variant selection using an algorithm to exclude nontumor variants, and multiplex PCR of up to 16 variants to detect and quantify ctDNA. RESULTS ctDNA was detected (ctDNA+) in 96% of pretreatment samples (median, 93 mean tumor molecules/mL), and similar ctDNA dynamics were noted across treatment arms during chemoIO. ctDNA decrease from baseline to C4D1 was associated with improved outcomes across multiple cutoffs for patients treated with chemoIO. When including patients with missing plasma or ctDNA- at baseline, patients with ctDNA- at C4D1 (clearance), had more favorable progression-free survival (median 8.8 vs. 3.5 months; HR, 0.32;0.20-0.52) and OS (median not reached vs. 8.9 months; HR, 0.22; 0.12-0.39) from C4D1 than ctDNA+ patients. CONCLUSIONS ctDNA monitoring during induction chemoIO can inform treatment outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC. Importantly, monitoring remains feasible and informative for patients missing baseline ctDNA. ctDNA testing during induction chemoIO identifies patients at higher risk for disease progression and may inform patient selection for novel personalized maintenance or second-line treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Pellini
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | | | | | | | - Ole Gjoerup
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jason Cheng
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | | | | | | | - Wei Zou
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Amanda Young
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
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17
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Baird L, Yamamoto M. Immunoediting of KEAP1-NRF2 mutant tumours is required to circumvent NRF2-mediated immune surveillance. Redox Biol 2023; 67:102904. [PMID: 37839356 PMCID: PMC10590843 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102904] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In human cancer, activating mutations in the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway are frequently observed, and positively selected for, as they confer the cytoprotective functions of the transcription factor NRF2 on the cancer cells. This results in the development of aggressive tumours which are resistant to treatment with chemotherapeutic compounds. Recent clinical developments have also revealed that NRF2-activated cancers are similarly resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs. As the mechanism of action of these immune modulating therapies is tangential to the classical cytoprotective function of NRF2, it is unclear how aberrant NRF2 activity could impact the anti-cancer functionality of the immune system. In this context, we found that in human cancer, NRF2-activated cells are highly immunoedited, which allows the cancer cells to escape immune surveillance and develop into malignant tumours. This immunoediting takes the form of reduced antigen presentation by the MHC-I complex, coupled with reduced expression of activating ligands for NK cells. Together, these modifications to the immunogenicity of NRF2-activated cancers inhibit immune effector cell infiltration and engagement, and contribute to the formation of the immunologically cold tumour microenvironment which is a characteristic feature of NRF2-activated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Baird
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tohoku University, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan; Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine (INGEM), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Masayuki Yamamoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tohoku University, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan; Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine (INGEM), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
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18
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Lim TKH, Skoulidis F, Kerr KM, Ahn MJ, Kapp JR, Soares FA, Yatabe Y. KRAS G12C in advanced NSCLC: Prevalence, co-mutations, and testing. Lung Cancer 2023; 184:107293. [PMID: 37683526 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2023.107293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
KRAS is the most commonly mutated oncogene in advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Western countries. Of the various KRAS mutants, KRAS G12C is the most common variant (~40%), representing 10-13% of advanced non-squamous NSCLC. Recent regulatory approvals of the KRASG12C-selective inhibitors sotorasib and adagrasib for patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC harboring KRASG12C have transformed KRAS into a druggable target. In this review, we explore the evolving role of KRAS from a prognostic to a predictive biomarker in advanced NSCLC, discussing KRAS G12C biology, real-world prevalence, clinical relevance of co-mutations, and approaches to molecular testing. Real-world evidence demonstrates significant geographic differences in KRAS G12C prevalence (8.9-19.5% in the US, 9.3-18.4% in Europe, 6.9-9.0% in Latin America, and 1.4-4.3% in Asia) in advanced NSCLC. Additionally, the body of clinical data pertaining to KRAS G12C co-mutations such as STK11, KEAP1, and TP53 is increasing. In real-world evidence, KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC was associated with STK11, KEAP1, and TP53 co-mutations in 10.3-28.0%, 6.3-23.0%, and 17.8-50.0% of patients, respectively. Whilst sotorasib and adagrasib are currently approved for use in the second-line setting and beyond for patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC, testing and reporting of the KRAS G12C variant should be included in routine biomarker testing prior to first-line therapy. KRAS G12C test results should be clearly documented in patients' health records for actionability at progression. Where available, next-generation sequencing is recommended to facilitate simultaneous testing of potentially actionable biomarkers in a single run to conserve tissue. Results from molecular testing should inform clinical decisions in treating patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ferdinandos Skoulidis
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Keith M Kerr
- Department of Pathology, Aberdeen University Medical School and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Myung-Ju Ahn
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Fernando A Soares
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), São Paulo, Brazil; Faculty of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yasushi Yatabe
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
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19
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Liu M, Sun S, Meng Y, Wang L, Liu H, Shi W, Zhang Q, Xu W, Sun B, Xu J. Benzophenanthridine Alkaloid Chelerythrine Elicits Necroptosis of Gastric Cancer Cells via Selective Conjugation at the Redox Hyperreactive C-Terminal Sec 498 Residue of Cytosolic Selenoprotein Thioredoxin Reductase. Molecules 2023; 28:6842. [PMID: 37836684 PMCID: PMC10574601 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28196842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) with low-weight molecules is emerging as a high-efficacy anti-cancer strategy in chemotherapy. Sanguinarine has been reported to inhibit the activity of TXNRD1, indicating that benzophenanthridine alkaloid is a fascinating chemical entity in the field of TXNRD1 inhibitors. In this study, the inhibition of three benzophenanthridine alkaloids, including chelerythrine, sanguinarine, and nitidine, on recombinant TXNRD1 was investigated, and their anti-cancer mechanisms were revealed using three gastric cancer cell lines. Chelerythrine and sanguinarine are more potent inhibitors of TXNRD1 than nitidine, and the inhibitory effects take place in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Site-directed mutagenesis of TXNRD1 and in vitro inhibition analysis proved that chelerythrine or sanguinarine is primarily bound to the Sec498 residue of the enzyme, but the neighboring Cys497 and remaining N-terminal redox-active cysteines could also be modified after the conjugation of Sec498. With high similarity to sanguinarine, chelerythrine exhibited cytotoxic effects on multiple gastric cancer cell lines and suppressed the proliferation of tumor spheroids derived from NCI-N87 cells. Chelerythrine elevated cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, the ROS induced by chelerythrine could be completely suppressed by the addition of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), and the same is true for sanguinarine. Notably, Nec-1, an RIPK1 inhibitor, rescued the chelerythrine-induced rapid cell death, indicating that chelerythrine triggers necroptosis in gastric cancer cells. Taken together, this study demonstrates that chelerythrine is a novel inhibitor of TXNRD1 by targeting Sec498 and possessing high anti-tumor properties on multiple gastric cancer cell lines by eliciting necroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Shibo Sun
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Yao Meng
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Haowen Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Wuyang Shi
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Qiuyu Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Weiping Xu
- School of Ocean Science and Technology (OST), Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
| | - Bingbing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering (CE), Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jianqiang Xu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS), Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221, China
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20
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Bai X, Shao J, Duan T, Liu X, Wang M, Li X, You Q, Zhang Z, Pan J. Exo-miR-1290-induced by COX-2 overexpression promotes cancer-associated fibroblasts activation and tumor progression by CUL3-Nrf2 pathway in lung adenocarcinoma. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:242. [PMID: 37723559 PMCID: PMC10506250 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01268-0] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critically involved in tumor progression by maintaining extracellular mesenchyma (ECM) production and improving tumor development. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been proved to promote ECM formation and tumor progression. However, the mechanisms of COX-2 mediated CAFs activation have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we conducted this study to identify the effects and mechanisms of COX-2 underlying CAFs activation by tumor-derived exosomal miRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. METHODS As measures of CAFs activation, the expressions of fibroblasts activated protein-1 (FAP-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), the main CAFs markers, were detected by Western blotting and Immunohistochemistry. And the expression of Fibronectin (FN1) was used to analyze ECM production by CAFs. The exosomes were extracted by ultracentrifugation and exo-miRNAs were detected by qRT-PCR. Herein, we further elucidated the implicated mechanisms using online prediction software, luciferase reporter assays, co-immunoprecipitation, and experimental animal models. RESULTS In vivo, a positive correlation was observed between the COX-2 expression levels in parenchyma and α-SMA/FN1 expression levels in mesenchyma in LUAD. However, PGE2, one of major product of COX-2, did not affect CAFs activation directly. COX-2 overexpression increased exo-miR-1290 expression, which promoted CAFs activation. Furthermore, Cullin3 (CUL3), a potential target of miR-1290, was found to suppress COX-2/exo-miR-1290-mediated CAFs activation and ECM production, consequently impeding tumor progression. CUL3 is identified to induce the Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (NFE2L2, Nrf2) ubiquitination and degradation, while exo-miR-1290 can prevent Nrf2 ubiquitination and increase its protein stability by targeting CUL3. Additionally, we identified that Nrf2 is direcctly bound with promoters of FAP-1 and FN1, which enhanced CAFs activation by promoting FAP-1 and FN1 transcription. CONCLUSIONS Our data identify a new CAFs activation mechanism by exosomes derived from cancer cells that overexpress COX-2. Specifically, COX-2/exo-miR-1290/CUL3 is suggested as a novel signaling pathway for mediating CAFs activation and tumor progression in LUAD. Consequently, this finding suggests a novel strategy for cancer treatment that may tackle tumor progression in the future. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Bai
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Jiaofang Shao
- Department of Bioinformatics, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Tinghong Duan
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Xuanya Li
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China
| | - Qiang You
- Department of Biotherapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, 101Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211166, P.R. China.
| | - Jinshun Pan
- Department of Biotherapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, P.R. China.
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21
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Tanaka I, Koyama J, Itoigawa H, Hayai S, Morise M. Metabolic barriers in non-small cell lung cancer with LKB1 and/or KEAP1 mutations for immunotherapeutic strategies. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1249237. [PMID: 37675220 PMCID: PMC10477992 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1249237] [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] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely considered the standard initial treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) when there are no targetable driver oncogenic alternations. NSCLC tumors that have two alterations in tumor suppressor genes, such as liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and/or Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), have been found to exhibit reduced responsiveness to these therapeutic strategies, as revealed by multiomics analyses identifying immunosuppressed phenotypes. Recent advancements in various biological approaches have gradually unveiled the molecular mechanisms underlying intrinsic reprogrammed metabolism in tumor cells, which contribute to the evasion of immune responses by the tumor. Notably, metabolic alterations in glycolysis and glutaminolysis have a significant impact on tumor aggressiveness and the remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. Since glucose and glutamine are essential for the proliferation and activation of effector T cells, heightened consumption of these nutrients by tumor cells results in immunosuppression and resistance to ICI therapies. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the clinical efficacies of current therapeutic strategies against NSCLC harboring LKB1 and/or KEAP1 mutations, along with the metabolic alterations in glycolysis and glutaminolysis observed in these cancer cells. Furthermore, ongoing trials targeting these metabolic alterations are discussed as potential approaches to overcome the extremely poor prognosis associated with this type of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichidai Tanaka
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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22
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Negrao MV, Araujo HA, Lamberti G, Cooper AJ, Akhave NS, Zhou T, Delasos L, Hicks JK, Aldea M, Minuti G, Hines J, Aredo JV, Dennis MJ, Chakrabarti T, Scott SC, Bironzo P, Scheffler M, Christopoulos P, Stenzinger A, Riess JW, Kim SY, Goldberg SB, Li M, Wang Q, Qing Y, Ni Y, Do MT, Lee R, Ricciuti B, Alessi JV, Wang J, Resuli B, Landi L, Tseng SC, Nishino M, Digumarthy SR, Rinsurongkawong W, kawong VR, Vaporciyan AA, Blumenschein GR, Zhang J, Owen DH, Blakely CM, Mountzios G, Shu CA, Bestvina CM, Garassino MC, Marrone KA, Gray JE, Patel SP, Cummings AL, Wakelee HA, Wolf J, Scagliotti GV, Cappuzzo F, Barlesi F, Patil PD, Drusbosky L, Gibbons DL, Meric-Bernstam F, Lee JJ, Heymach JV, Hong DS, Heist RS, Awad MM, Skoulidis F. Comutations and KRASG12C Inhibitor Efficacy in Advanced NSCLC. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:1556-1571. [PMID: 37068173 PMCID: PMC11024958 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-1420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Molecular modifiers of KRASG12C inhibitor (KRASG12Ci) efficacy in advanced KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC are poorly defined. In a large unbiased clinicogenomic analysis of 424 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we identified and validated coalterations in KEAP1, SMARCA4, and CDKN2A as major independent determinants of inferior clinical outcomes with KRASG12Ci monotherapy. Collectively, comutations in these three tumor suppressor genes segregated patients into distinct prognostic subgroups and captured ∼50% of those with early disease progression (progression-free survival ≤3 months) with KRASG12Ci. Pathway-level integration of less prevalent coalterations in functionally related genes nominated PI3K/AKT/MTOR pathway and additional baseline RAS gene alterations, including amplifications, as candidate drivers of inferior outcomes with KRASG12Ci, and revealed a possible association between defective DNA damage response/repair and improved KRASG12Ci efficacy. Our findings propose a framework for patient stratification and clinical outcome prediction in KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC that can inform rational selection and appropriate tailoring of emerging combination therapies. SIGNIFICANCE In this work, we identify co-occurring genomic alterations in KEAP1, SMARCA4, and CDKN2A as independent determinants of poor clinical outcomes with KRASG12Ci monotherapy in advanced NSCLC, and we propose a framework for patient stratification and treatment personalization based on the comutational status of individual tumors. See related commentary by Heng et al., p. 1513. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1501.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V. Negrao
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Haniel A. Araujo
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Giuseppe Lamberti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Neal S. Akhave
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Teng Zhou
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Lukas Delasos
- Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - J. Kevin Hicks
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Mihaela Aldea
- Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | | | - Jacobi Hines
- University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Michael J. Dennis
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Turja Chakrabarti
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Susan C. Scott
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Paolo Bironzo
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Matthias Scheffler
- Department for Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Köln-Bonn, University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Petros Christopoulos
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Thoraxklinik and National Center for Tumor Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital
| | | | - Jonathan W. Riess
- University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - So Yeon Kim
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Mingjia Li
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University - James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yun Qing
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ying Ni
- Center for Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Minh Truong Do
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Richard Lee
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Biagio Ricciuti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao Victor Alessi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Blerina Resuli
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Regina Elena”, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenza Landi
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Regina Elena”, Rome, Italy
| | - Shu-Chi Tseng
- Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Subba R. Digumarthy
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Waree Rinsurongkawong
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Vadeerat Rinsurong kawong
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Ara A. Vaporciyan
- Department Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - George R. Blumenschein
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Dwight H. Owen
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University - James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Collin M. Blakely
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Giannis Mountzios
- Fourth Department of Medical Oncology and Clinical Trials Unit, Henry Dunant Hospital Center, Greece
| | - Catherine A. Shu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Kristen A. Marrone
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jhanelle E. Gray
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Sandip Pravin Patel
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Amy L. Cummings
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Juergen Wolf
- Department for Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Köln-Bonn, University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Fabrice Barlesi
- Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Don L. Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Funda Meric-Bernstam
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - J. Jack Lee
- Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - John V. Heymach
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - David S. Hong
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Mark M. Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ferdinandos Skoulidis
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
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23
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Cheung AHK, Wong KY, Liu X, Ji F, Hui CHL, Zhang Y, Kwan JSH, Chen B, Dong Y, Lung RWM, Yu J, Lo KW, Wong CC, Kang W, To KF. MLK4 promotes glucose metabolism in lung adenocarcinoma through CREB-mediated activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and is regulated by KLF5. Oncogenesis 2023; 12:35. [PMID: 37407566 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-023-00478-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MLK4, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) family, has been implicated in cancer progression. However, its role in lung adenocarcinoma has not been characterized. Here, we showed that MLK4 was overexpressed in a significant subset of lung adenocarcinoma, associated with a worse prognosis, and exerted an oncogenic function in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analyses of clinical datasets identified phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) as a novel target of MLK4. We validated that MLK4 regulated PCK1 expression at transcriptional level, by phosphorylating the transcription factor CREB, which in turn mediated PCK1 expression. We further demonstrated that PCK1 is an oncogenic factor in lung adenocarcinoma. Given the importance of PCK1 in the regulation of cellular metabolism, we next deciphered the metabolic effects of MLK4. Metabolic and mass spectrometry analyses showed that MLK4 knockdown led to significant reduction of glycolysis and decreased levels of glycolytic pathway metabolites including phosphoenolpyruvate and lactate. Finally, the promoter analysis of MLK4 unravelled a binding site of transcription factor KLF5, which in turn, positively regulated MLK4 expression in lung adenocarcinoma. In summary, we have revealed a KLF5-MLK4-PCK1 signalling pathway involved in lung tumorigenesis and established an unusual link between MAP3K signalling and cancer metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin Ho-Kwan Cheung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Kit-Yee Wong
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Fenfen Ji
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chris Ho-Lam Hui
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Johnny Sheung-Him Kwan
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Bonan Chen
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yujuan Dong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Raymond Wai-Ming Lung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwok Wai Lo
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Chi Chun Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Ka-Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
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Boiarsky D, Lydon CA, Chambers ES, Sholl LM, Nishino M, Skoulidis F, Heymach JV, Luo J, Awad MA, Janne PA, Van Allen EM, Barbie DA, Vokes NI. Molecular markers of metastatic disease in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Ann Oncol 2023; 34:589-604. [PMID: 37121400 PMCID: PMC10425882 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2023.04.514] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies characterized the association of molecular alterations with treatment-specific outcomes in KRAS-mutant (KRASMUT) lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Less is known about the prognostic role of molecular alterations and their associations with metastatic disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed clinicogenomic data from 1817 patients with KRASMUT LUAD sequenced at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Patients with metastatic (M1) and nonmetastatic (M0) disease were compared. Transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were investigated to characterize the biology of differential associations with clinical outcomes. Organ-specific metastasis was associated with overall survival (OS). RESULTS KEAP1 (DFCI: OR = 2.3, q = 0.04; MSKCC: OR = 2.2, q = 0.00027) and SMARCA4 mutations (DFCI: OR = 2.5, q = 0.06; MSKCC: OR = 2.6, q = 0.0021) were enriched in M1 versus M0 tumors. On integrative modeling, NRF2 activation was the genomic feature most associated with OS. KEAP1 mutations were enriched in M1 versus M0 tumors independent of STK11 status (KEAP1MUT/STK11WT: DFCI OR = 3.0, P = 0.0064; MSKCC OR = 2.0, P = 0.041; KEAP1MUT/STK11MUT: DFCI OR = 2.3, P = 0.0063; MSKCC OR = 2.5, P = 3.6 × 10-05); STK11 mutations without KEAP1 loss were not associated with stage (KEAP1WT/STK11MUT: DFCI OR = 0.97, P = 1.0; MSKCC OR = 1.2, P = 0.33) or outcome. KEAP1/KRAS-mutated tumors with and without STK11 mutations exhibited high functional STK11 loss. The negative effects of KEAP1 were compounded in the presence of bone (HR = 2.3, P = 4.4 × 10-14) and negated in the presence of lymph node metastasis (HR = 1.0, P = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS Mutations in KEAP1 and SMARCA4, but not STK11, were associated with metastatic disease and poor OS. Functional STK11 loss, however, may contribute to poor outcomes in KEAP1MUT tumors. Integrating molecular data with clinical and metastatic-site annotations can more accurately risk stratify patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Boiarsky
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston
| | - C A Lydon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - E S Chambers
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - L M Sholl
- Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics, Brigham & Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - M Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
| | - F Skoulidis
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - J V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - J Luo
- Department of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - M A Awad
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - P A Janne
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - E M Van Allen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston; Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge; Center for Cancer Precision Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - D A Barbie
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
| | - N I Vokes
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
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25
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Pillai R, LeBoeuf SE, Hao Y, New C, Blum JLE, Rashidfarrokhi A, Huang SM, Bahamon C, Wu WL, Karadal-Ferrena B, Herrera A, Ivanova E, Cross M, Bossowski JP, Ding H, Hayashi M, Rajalingam S, Karakousi T, Sayin VI, Khanna KM, Wong KK, Wild R, Tsirigos A, Poirier JT, Rudin CM, Davidson SM, Koralov SB, Papagiannakopoulos T. Glutamine antagonist DRP-104 suppresses tumor growth and enhances response to checkpoint blockade in KEAP1 mutant lung cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546750. [PMID: 37425844 PMCID: PMC10327154 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in KEAP1 frequently occur in lung cancer and are associated with resistance to standard of care treatment, highlighting the need for the development of targeted therapies. We have previously shown that KEAP1 mutant tumors have increased glutamine consumption to support the metabolic rewiring associated with NRF2 activation. Here, using patient-derived xenograft models and antigenic orthotopic lung cancer models, we show that the novel glutamine antagonist DRP-104 impairs the growth of KEAP1 mutant tumors. We find that DRP-104 suppresses KEAP1 mutant tumor growth by inhibiting glutamine-dependent nucleotide synthesis and promoting anti-tumor CD4 and CD8 T cell responses. Using multimodal single-cell sequencing and ex vivo functional assays, we discover that DRP-104 reverses T cell exhaustion and enhances the function of CD4 and CD8 T cells culminating in an improved response to anti-PD1 therapy. Our pre-clinical findings provide compelling evidence that DRP-104, currently in phase 1 clinical trials, offers a promising therapeutic approach for treating patients with KEAP1 mutant lung cancer. Furthermore, we demonstrate that by combining DRP-104 with checkpoint inhibition, we can achieve suppression of tumor intrinsic metabolism and augmentation of anti-tumor T cell responses.
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26
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Dy GK, Govindan R, Velcheti V, Falchook GS, Italiano A, Wolf J, Sacher AG, Takahashi T, Ramalingam SS, Dooms C, Kim DW, Addeo A, Desai J, Schuler M, Tomasini P, Hong DS, Lito P, Tran Q, Jones S, Anderson A, Hindoyan A, Snyder W, Skoulidis F, Li BT. Long-Term Outcomes and Molecular Correlates of Sotorasib Efficacy in Patients With Pretreated KRAS G12C-Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: 2-Year Analysis of CodeBreaK 100. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:3311-3317. [PMID: 37098232 PMCID: PMC10414711 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.In the longest follow-up, to our knowledge, for a KRASG12C inhibitor, we assessed the long-term efficacy, safety, and biomarkers of sotorasib in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the CodeBreaK 100 clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03600883). This multicenter, single-group, open-label phase I/phase II trial enrolled 174 patients with KRAS G12C-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after progression on prior therapies. Patients (N = 174) received sotorasib 960 mg once daily with the primary end points for phase I of safety and tolerability and for phase II of objective response rate (ORR). Sotorasib produced an ORR of 41%, median duration of response of 12.3 months, progression-free survival (PFS) of 6.3 months, overall survival (OS) of 12.5 months, and 2-year OS rate of 33%. Long-term clinical benefit (PFS ≥ 12 months) was observed in 40 (23%) patients across PD-L1 expression levels, in a proportion of patients with somatic STK11 and/or KEAP1 alterations, and was associated with lower baseline circulating tumor DNA levels. Sotorasib was well tolerated, with few late-onset treatment-related toxicities, none of which led to treatment discontinuation. These results demonstrate the long-term benefit of sotorasib, including in subgroups with poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace K. Dy
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Ramaswamy Govindan
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | | | | | | | - Jürgen Wolf
- Center for Integrated Oncology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Dong-Wan Kim
- Seoul National University College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Alfredo Addeo
- Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Jayesh Desai
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Martin Schuler
- West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Pascale Tomasini
- Multidisciplinary Oncology and Therapeutic Innovations Department, Aix Marseille University, APHM, INSERM, NCRS, CRCM, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - David S. Hong
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Piro Lito
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bob T. Li
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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27
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DeBlasi JM, Falzone A, Caldwell S, Prieto-Farigua N, Prigge JR, Schmidt EE, Chio IIC, Karreth FA, DeNicola GM. Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation and Progression. Cancer Res 2023; 83:1953-1967. [PMID: 37062029 PMCID: PMC10267679 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the KEAP1-NRF2 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2) pathway occur in up to a third of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases and often confer resistance to therapy and poor outcomes. Here, we developed murine alleles of the KEAP1 and NRF2 mutations found in human NSCLC and comprehensively interrogated their impact on tumor initiation and progression. Chronic NRF2 stabilization by Keap1 or Nrf2 mutation was not sufficient to induce tumorigenesis, even in the absence of tumor suppressors, p53 or LKB1. When combined with KrasG12D/+, constitutive NRF2 activation promoted lung tumor initiation and early progression of hyperplasia to low-grade tumors but impaired their progression to advanced-grade tumors, which was reversed by NRF2 deletion. Finally, NRF2 overexpression in KEAP1 mutant human NSCLC cell lines was detrimental to cell proliferation, viability, and anchorage-independent colony formation. Collectively, these results establish the context-dependence and activity threshold for NRF2 during the lung tumorigenic process. SIGNIFICANCE Stabilization of the transcription factor NRF2 promotes oncogene-driven tumor initiation but blocks tumor progression, indicating distinct, threshold-dependent effects of the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway in different stages of lung tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine M. DeBlasi
- Department of Metabolism & Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Aimee Falzone
- Department of Metabolism & Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Samantha Caldwell
- Department of Metabolism & Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Nicolas Prieto-Farigua
- Department of Metabolism & Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Justin R. Prigge
- Microbiology & Cell Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
| | - Edward E. Schmidt
- Microbiology & Cell Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
| | - Iok In Christine Chio
- Department of Genetics and Development, Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Florian A. Karreth
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Gina M. DeNicola
- Department of Metabolism & Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
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28
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Li S, de Camargo Correia GS, Wang J, Manochakian R, Zhao Y, Lou Y. Emerging Targeted Therapies in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112899. [PMID: 37296863 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and is still incurable for most patients at the advanced stage. Targeted therapy is an effective treatment that has significantly improved survival in NSCLC patients with actionable mutations. However, therapy resistance occurs widely among patients leading to disease progression. In addition, many oncogenic driver mutations in NSCLC still lack targeted agents. New drugs are being developed and tested in clinical trials to overcome these challenges. This review aims to summarize emerging targeted therapy that have been conducted or initiated through first-in-human clinical trials in the past year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenduo Li
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Jing Wang
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Rami Manochakian
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yanyan Lou
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
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29
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Guo MZ, Marrone KA, Spira A, Rosner S. Adagrasib: a novel inhibitor for KRASG12C-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer. Future Oncol 2023. [PMID: 37133216 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2022-1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adagrasib is a recently US FDA-approved novel KRASG12C targeted therapy with clinical efficacy in patients with advanced, pretreated KRASG12C-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer. KRYSTAL-I reported an objective response rate of 42.9% with median duration of response of 8.5 months. Treatment-related adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal and occurred in 97.4% of patients, with grade 3+ treatment-related adverse events occurring in 44.8% of patients. This review details the preclinical and clinical data for adagrasib in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. We also outline practical clinical administration guidelines for this novel therapy, including management of toxicities. Finally, we discuss the implications of resistance mechanisms, summarize other KRASG12C inhibitors currently in development and outline future directions for adagrasib-based combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Z Guo
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristen A Marrone
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexander Spira
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute, Fairfax, VA, USA
- US Oncology Research, The Woodlands, TX, USA
- NEXT Oncology, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Samuel Rosner
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
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30
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Härkönen J, Pölönen P, Deen AJ, Selvarajan I, Teppo HR, Dimova EY, Kietzmann T, Ahtiainen M, Väyrynen JP, Väyrynen SA, Elomaa H, Tynkkynen N, Eklund T, Kuopio T, Talvitie EM, Taimen P, Kallajoki M, Kaikkonen MU, Heinäniemi M, Levonen AL. A pan-cancer analysis shows immunoevasive characteristics in NRF2 hyperactive squamous malignancies. Redox Biol 2023; 61:102644. [PMID: 36867945 PMCID: PMC10011429 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The NRF2 pathway is frequently activated in various cancer types, yet a comprehensive analysis of its effects across different malignancies is currently lacking. We developed a NRF2 activity metric and utilized it to conduct a pan-cancer analysis of oncogenic NRF2 signaling. We identified an immunoevasive phenotype where high NRF2 activity is associated with low interferon-gamma (IFNγ), HLA-I expression and T cell and macrophage infiltration in squamous malignancies of the lung, head and neck area, cervix and esophagus. Squamous NRF2 overactive tumors comprise a molecular phenotype with SOX2/TP63 amplification, TP53 mutation and CDKN2A loss. These immune cold NRF2 hyperactive diseases are associated with upregulation of immunomodulatory NAMPT, WNT5A, SPP1, SLC7A11, SLC2A1 and PD-L1. Based on our functional genomics analyses, these genes represent candidate NRF2 targets, suggesting direct modulation of the tumor immune milieu. Single-cell mRNA data shows that cancer cells of this subtype exhibit decreased expression of IFNγ responsive ligands, and increased expression of immunosuppressive ligands NAMPT, SPP1 and WNT5A that mediate signaling in intercellular crosstalk. In addition, we discovered that the negative relationship of NRF2 and immune cells are explained by stromal populations of lung squamous cell carcinoma, and this effect spans multiple squamous malignancies based on our molecular subtyping and deconvolution data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jouni Härkönen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland; Department of Pathology, Hospital Nova of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, 40620, Finland
| | - Petri Pölönen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland; Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland
| | - Ashik Jawahar Deen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland
| | - Ilakya Selvarajan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland
| | - Hanna-Riikka Teppo
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90220, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, 90570, Finland; Department of Pathology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, 90220, Finland
| | - Elitsa Y Dimova
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu and Biocenter Oulu, Oulu, 90570, Finland
| | - Thomas Kietzmann
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu and Biocenter Oulu, Oulu, 90570, Finland
| | - Maarit Ahtiainen
- Department of Education and Research, Hospital Nova of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, 40620, Finland
| | - Juha P Väyrynen
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90220, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, 90570, Finland; Department of Pathology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, 90220, Finland
| | - Sara A Väyrynen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, 90220, Finland
| | - Hanna Elomaa
- Department of Education and Research, Hospital Nova of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, 40620, Finland; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40100, Finland
| | - Niko Tynkkynen
- Gerontology Research Center (GEREC), Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - Tiia Eklund
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40100, Finland
| | - Teijo Kuopio
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Nova of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, 40620, Finland; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 40100, Finland
| | - Eva-Maria Talvitie
- Department of Genomics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Pekka Taimen
- Institute of Biomedicine and FICAN West Cancer Centre, University of Turku, Turku, 20520, Finland; Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, 20521, Finland
| | - Markku Kallajoki
- Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, 20521, Finland
| | - Minna U Kaikkonen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland
| | - Merja Heinäniemi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Levonen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70210, Finland.
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31
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Karagiannis D, Wu W, Li A, Hayashi M, Chen X, Yip M, Mangipudy V, Xu X, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Soto-Feliciano YM, Ye J, Papagiannakopoulos T, Lu C. Metabolic Reprogramming by Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Selectively Targets NRF2-activated tumors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.24.538118. [PMID: 37162970 PMCID: PMC10168258 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.24.538118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Interplay between metabolism and chromatin signaling have been implicated in cancer initiation and progression. However, whether and how metabolic reprogramming in tumors generates specific epigenetic vulnerabilities remain unclear. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumors frequently harbor mutations that cause aberrant activation of the NRF2 antioxidant pathway and drive aggressive and chemo-resistant disease. We performed a chromatin-focused CRISPR screen and report that NRF2 activation sensitized LUAD cells to genetic and chemical inhibition of class I histone deacetylases (HDAC). This association was consistently observed across cultured cells, syngeneic mouse models and patient-derived xenografts. HDAC inhibition causes widespread increases in histone H4 acetylation (H4ac) at intergenic regions, but also drives re-targeting of H4ac reader protein BRD4 away from promoters with high H4ac levels and transcriptional downregulation of corresponding genes. Integrative epigenomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis demonstrates that these chromatin changes are associated with reduced flux into amino acid metabolism and de novo nucleotide synthesis pathways that are preferentially required for the survival of NRF2-active cancer cells. Together, our findings suggest that metabolic alterations such as NRF2 activation could serve as biomarkers for effective repurposing of HDAC inhibitors to treat solid tumors.
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32
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Occhiuto CJ, Moerland JA, Leal AS, Gallo KA, Liby KT. The Multi-Faceted Consequences of NRF2 Activation throughout Carcinogenesis. Mol Cells 2023; 46:176-186. [PMID: 36994476 PMCID: PMC10070161 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2023.2191] [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] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxidative balance of a cell is maintained by the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway. This cytoprotective pathway detoxifies reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics. The role of the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway as pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic throughout stages of carcinogenesis (including initiation, promotion, progression, and metastasis) is complex. This mini review focuses on key studies describing how the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway affects cancer at different phases. The data compiled suggest that the roles of KEAP1/NRF2 in cancer are highly dependent on context; specifically, the model used (carcinogen-induced vs genetic), the tumor type, and the stage of cancer. Moreover, emerging data suggests that KEAP1/NRF2 is also important for regulating the tumor microenvironment and how its effects are amplified either by epigenetics or in response to co-occurring mutations. Further elucidation of the complexity of this pathway is needed in order to develop novel pharmacological tools and drugs to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Occhiuto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jessica A. Moerland
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ana S. Leal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kathleen A. Gallo
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Karen T. Liby
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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33
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Feng J, Read OJ, Dinkova-Kostova AT. Nrf2 in TIME: The Emerging Role of Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment. Mol Cells 2023; 46:142-152. [PMID: 36927604 PMCID: PMC10070167 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2023.2183] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mediates the cellular antioxidant response, allowing adaptation and survival under conditions of oxidative, electrophilic and inflammatory stress, and has a role in metabolism, inflammation and immunity. Activation of Nrf2 provides broad and long-lasting cytoprotection, and is often hijacked by cancer cells, allowing their survival under unfavorable conditions. Moreover, Nrf2 activation in established human tumors is associated with resistance to chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapies. In addition to cancer cells, Nrf2 activation can also occur in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and facilitate an anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Several cancer cell-derived metabolites, such as itaconate, L-kynurenine, lactic acid and hyaluronic acid, play an important role in modulating the TIME and tumor-TAMs crosstalk, and have been shown to activate Nrf2. The effects of Nrf2 in TIME are context-depended, and involve multiple mechanisms, including suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increased expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and kynureninase, accelerated catabolism of cytotoxic labile heme, and facilitating the metabolic adaptation of TAMs. This understanding presents both challenges and opportunities for strategic targeting of Nrf2 in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Feng
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Oliver J. Read
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Liang C, Yi K, Zhou X, Li X, Zhong C, Cao H, Xie C, Zhu J. Destruction of the cellular antioxidant pool contributes to resveratrol-induced senescence and apoptosis in lung cancer. Phytother Res 2023. [PMID: 36866538 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Resveratrol (RES) has various pharmacological bioactivities and its anticancer effects in lung cancer have been proven. However, the underlying mechanisms of action of RES in lung cancer remain unclear. This study focused on Nrf2-mediated antioxidant systems in RES-treated lung cancer cells. A549 and H1299 cells were treated with various concentrations of RES at different times. RES decreased cell viability, inhibited cell proliferation, and increased the number of senescent and apoptotic cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, RES-induced lung cancer cell arrest at the G1 phase was accompanied by changes in apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase 3). Furthermore, RES induced a senescent phenotype along with changes in senescence-related markers (senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, p21, and p-γH2AX). More importantly, with prolonged exposure time and increased exposure concentration, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) continuously accumulated, resulting in a decrease in Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant response elements, including CAT, HO-1, NQO1, and SOD1. Meanwhile, RES-induced ROS accumulation and cell apoptosis were reversed by N-acetyl-l-cysteine treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that RES disturb lung cancer cellular homeostasis by destroying the intracellular antioxidant pool to increase ROS production. Our findings provide a new perspective on RES intervention in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Liang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kefan Yi
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xu Zhou
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoting Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Caiyun Zhong
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Cancer Research Division, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunfeng Xie
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianyun Zhu
- Department of Laboratory, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
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He X, Zhou Y, Chen W, Zhao X, Duan L, Zhou H, Li M, Yu Y, Zhao J, Guo Y, Gu H, Jiang Y, Dong Z, Liu K. Repurposed pizotifen malate targeting NRF2 exhibits anti-tumor activity through inducing ferroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene 2023; 42:1209-1223. [PMID: 36841865 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02636-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Targeted therapy attempts are needed to enhance esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients' overall survival and satisfaction of life. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), as a high-confidence cancer driver gene, controls the antioxidant response, metabolic balance and redox homeostasis in cancer and is regarded as a potent molecular target for cancer treatment. Here, we attempted to find a new NRF2 inhibitor and study the underlying molecular mechanism in ESCC. We found that up-regulated NRF2 protein was negatively correlated with patient prognosis and promoted tumor proliferation in ESCC. Moreover, Pizotifen malate (PZM), a FDA-approved medication, bound to the Neh1 domain of NRF2 and prevented NRF2 protein binding to the ARE motif of target genes, suppressing transcription activity of NRF2. PZM treatment suppressed tumor development in ESCC PDX model by inducing ferroptosis via down-regulating the transcription of GPX4, GCLC, ME1 and G6PD. Our study illustrates that the over expression of NRF2 indicates poor prognosis and promotes tumor proliferation in ESCC. PZM, as a novel NRF2 inhibitor, inhibits the tumor growth by inducing ferroptosis and elucidates a potent NRF2-based therapy strategy for patients with ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu He
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Yubing Zhou
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Wenjing Chen
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Xiaokun Zhao
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Lina Duan
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Mingzhu Li
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Yin Yu
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Jimin Zhao
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.,Cancer Chemoprevention International Collaboration Laboratory, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Yaping Guo
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Huihui Gu
- Basic Medicine Sciences Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Yanan Jiang
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
| | - Zigang Dong
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,Cancer Chemoprevention International Collaboration Laboratory, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
| | - Kangdong Liu
- The Pathophysiology Department, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,Cancer Chemoprevention International Collaboration Laboratory, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China. .,Basic Medicine Sciences Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
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Liu C, Deng J, Wang S, Ren L. Hypoxia promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells via regulating the NRF2/miR‑27a/BUB1 pathway. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:510-522. [PMID: 36309619 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Lung cancer (LC) is the most common malignancy in the world. It is well that hypoxia is common in lung cancer, which contributes to lung cancer progression and metastasis [1]. miRNA-27a as a repressor factor is a lowly expression within non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the molecular mechanism between miR-27a and hypoxia in lung cancer progression remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore hypoxia promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells via regulating the NRF2/miR‑27a/BUB1 pathway. METHODS We detect the expression of miR-27a after exposure to hypoxia conditions in lung cancer cells via qPCR. Using MTT assay and colony assay to assess the ability of proliferation in lung cancer cells under hypoxia or transfect miR-27a mimics. The capability of migration and invasion was evaluated by wound healing assay and Boyden-chamber assay. The mRNA and protein expression of EMT markers was respectively detected by qPCR and western blot. We detected NRF2 occupancy at the miR-27a promoter by ChIP-Seq analysis. Meanwhile, the luciferase assay verified BUB1 as a direct target of miR-27a. RESULTS We found hypoxia promotes lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by inhibiting the miR-27a expression. miR-27a mimics significantly reduced the promotion effect of hypoxia on the invasion and proliferation of lung cancer cells. NRF2 as regulating the oxidation/anti-oxidation factor was activated under hypoxia conditions. The activation of NRF2 repressed miR-27a expression. On the contrary, the inhibitory effect of hypoxia on miR-27a was reversed when the NFE2L2 gene was silenced. Ectopic expression of NRF2 inhibited miR-27a expression under normoxia. We further validated BUB1 as a direct target of the miR-27a by luciferase assay. CONCLUSION Hypoxia promotes invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of Lung cancer cells by regulating the NRF2/miR-27a/BUB1 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfeng Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,Inflammation and Allergy Diseases Research Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Jun Deng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,Inflammation and Allergy Diseases Research Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Songping Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,Inflammation and Allergy Diseases Research Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Ren
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Taiping Str. 25, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
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Zhou Y, Chen Y, Shi Y, Wu L, Tan Y, Li T, Chen Y, Xia J, Hu R. FAM117B promotes gastric cancer growth and drug resistance by targeting the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:158705. [PMID: 36719368 PMCID: PMC9888386 DOI: 10.1172/jci158705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer often shows malignant growth and insensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs due to the regulation of complex molecular mechanisms, which results in poor prognosis for patients. However, the relevant molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we reported that family with sequence similarity 117, member B (FAM117B), promoted the growth of gastric cancer cells and reduced the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. Mechanistically, FAM117B competed with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) for Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) binding, reduced the ubiquitination degradation of NRF2, and activated the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. Moreover, FAM117B-induced growth and chemoresistance of gastric cancer cells were NRF2 dependent. We found that FAM117B and NRF2 protein levels were highly expressed in tumor tissues of patients with gastric cancer and their co-overexpression represented an independent factor for poor prognosis. Collectively, our findings reveal that FAM117B is involved in promoting gastric cancer growth and drug resistance, and it could be exploited as a cancer therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yaxin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongwei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Leyin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingying Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yigang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiazeng Xia
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Rong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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Moerland JA, Leal AS, Lockwood B, Demireva EY, Xie H, Krieger-Burke T, Liby KT. The Triterpenoid CDDO-Methyl Ester Redirects Macrophage Polarization and Reduces Lung Tumor Burden in a Nrf2-Dependent Manner. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:116. [PMID: 36670978 PMCID: PMC9854457 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The NRF2/KEAP1 pathway protects healthy cells from malignant transformation and maintains cellular homeostasis. Up to 30% of human lung tumors gain constitutive NRF2 activity which contributes to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance, but the effects of NRF2 activation in immune cells within the tumor microenvironment are underexplored. Macrophages can promote cancer progression or regression depending on context, and NRF2 activation affects macrophage activity. The NRF2 activator CDDO-Methyl ester (CDDO-Me or bardoxolone methyl) reprogrammed Nrf2 wild-type (WT) tumor-educated bone marrow-derived macrophages (TE-BMDMs) from a tumor-promoting to a tumor-inhibiting phenotype, marked by an increase in M1 markers TNFα, IL-6, and MHC-II and a decrease in the tumor-promoting factors VEGF, CCL2, and CD206. No changes were observed in Nrf2 knockout (KO) TE-BMDMs. CDDO-Me decreased tumor burden (p < 0.001) and improved pathological grade (p < 0.05) in WT but not Nrf2 KO A/J mice. Tumor burden in Nrf2 KO mice was 4.6-fold higher (p < 0.001) than in WT mice, irrespective of treatment. CDDO-Me increased the number of lung-infiltrating macrophages in WT mice but lowered CD206 expression in these cells (p < 0.0001). In summary, Nrf2 KO exacerbates lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice, and CDDO-Me promotes an Nrf2-dependent, anti-cancer macrophage phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Moerland
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ana S. Leal
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Beth Lockwood
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Elena Y. Demireva
- Transgenic and Genome Editing Facility, Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Huirong Xie
- Transgenic and Genome Editing Facility, Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | | | - Karen T. Liby
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Wang Q, Liu Z, Tang S, Wu Z. Morphine suppresses the immune function of lung cancer by up-regulating MAEL expression. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2022; 23:92. [PMID: 36476246 PMCID: PMC9730686 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-022-00632-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with cancer rely on morphine for analgesia, while studies have indicated morphine can induce immunosuppression in cancer. Therefore, investigating the immunosuppressive roles and molecular mechanism of morphine on lung cancer progression is imperative. METHODS Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of morphine to lung cancer cells. The percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was detected by flow cytometry. In addition, Maelstrom (MAEL), Nrf2, and PTEN were determined by western blot and RT-qPCR. Immune factors programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-2 were determined by western blot and ELISA assay. RESULTS Morphine increased the levels of PD-L1, TGF-β, and IL-10, while decreased IL-2 level. Morphine enhanced MAEL expression in A549 cells and H460 cells. Morphine up-regulated Nrf2 and down-regulated PTEN, and morphine-induced MAEL up-regulation was reversed by PTEN. However, MAEL silencing inhibited the enhanced effects of morphine on cell viability and proliferation of A549 cells. Furthermore, morphine treatment reduced the LDH release and the percentage of CD8+ T cells, and increased the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells and tumor weight. Meanwhile, MAEL silencing reversed the effects of morphine on immune factors (PD-L1, TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-2), the percentage of CD8+ T cells, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSION Morphine activated MAEL in lung cancer cells by Nrf2/PTEN pathway and regulated the immune factors, thereby promoting tumor immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qichao Wang
- grid.411634.50000 0004 0632 4559Department of Oncology II, Dalian Fifth People’s Hospital, No. 890, Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian City, 116021 Liaoning Province China
| | - Zhenfu Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zaozhuang Hospital of Zaozhuang Mining Group, No. 188, Shengli Road, Zaozhuang City, 277100 Shandong Province China
| | - Shuhong Tang
- grid.411634.50000 0004 0632 4559Department of Oncology II, Dalian Fifth People’s Hospital, No. 890, Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian City, 116021 Liaoning Province China
| | - Zhen Wu
- grid.452582.cDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No.12, Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang City, 050000 Hebei Province China
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Lau SCM, Pan Y, Velcheti V, Wong KK. Squamous cell lung cancer: Current landscape and future therapeutic options. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1279-1293. [PMID: 36270277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Squamous cell lung cancers (lung squamous cell carcinomas [LUSCs]) are associated with high mortality and a lack of therapies specific to this disease. Although recurrent molecular aberrations are present in LUSCs, efforts to develop targeted therapies against receptor tyrosine kinases, signaling transduction, and cell cycle checkpoints in LUSCs were met with significant challenges. The present therapeutic landscape focuses on epigenetic therapies to modulate the expression of lineage-dependent survival pathways and undruggable oncogenes. Another important therapeutic approach is to exploit metabolic vulnerabilities unique to LUSCs. These novel therapies may synergize with immune checkpoint inhibitors in the right therapeutic context. For example, the recognition that alterations in KEAP1-NFE2L2 in LUSCs affected antitumor immune responses created unique opportunities for targeted, metabolic, and immune combinations. This article provides a perspective on how lessons learned from the past influence the current therapeutic landscape and opportunities for future drug development for LUSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally C M Lau
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laura & Issac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yuanwang Pan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laura & Issac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Vamsidhar Velcheti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laura & Issac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kwok Kin Wong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Laura & Issac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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41
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Anticancer natural products targeting immune checkpoint protein network. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1008-1032. [PMID: 34838956 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Normal cells express surface proteins that bind to immune checkpoint proteins on immune cells to turn them off, whereby the immune system does not attack normal healthy cells. Cancer cells can also utilize this same protective mechanism by expressing surface proteins that can interact with checkpoint proteins on immune cells to overcome the immune surveillance. Immunotherapy is making the best use of the body's own immune system to reinforce anti-tumor responses. The most generally used immunotherapy is the control of immune checkpoints including the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated molecule 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell deathreceptor 1 (PD-1), or programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1). In spite of the clinical effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the overall response rate still remains low. Therefore, there have been considerable efforts in searching for alternative immune checkpoint proteins that may work as new therapeutic targets for treatment of cancer. Recent studies have identified several additional novel immune checkpoint targets, including lymphocyte activation gene-3, T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3, T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif domain, V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation, B7 homolog 3 protein, B and T cell lymphocyte attenuator, and inducible T cell COStimulator. Natural compounds, especially those present in medicinal or dietary plants, have been investigated for their anti-tumor effects in various in vitro and in vivo models. Some phytochemicals exert anti-tumor activities based on immunoregulatioby blocking interaction between proteins involved in immune checkpoint signal transduction or regulating their expression/activity. Recently, synergistic anti-cancer effects of diverse phytochemicals with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody drugs have been continuously reported. Considering an increasing attention to noteworthy therapeutic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the cancer therapy, this review focuses on regulatory effects of selected phytochemicals on immune checkpoint protein network and their combinational effectiveness with immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting tumor cells.
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[Progress of NRF2 Signaling Pathway in Promoting Proliferation
of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer]. ZHONGGUO FEI AI ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF LUNG CANCER 2022; 25:735-741. [PMID: 36167459 PMCID: PMC9619341 DOI: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2022.102.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The morbidity and mortality of lung cancer ranks among the top cancers in the world. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the main pathological type of lung cancer, with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. The nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway is highly mutated and activated in NSCLC, and promotes the malignant progression of lung cancer through various mechanisms. NRF2-targeted therapy will provide new treatment strategies for patients with NSCLC. This article will review the basic structure and response pathways of the NRF2 pathway, the mechanism of NRF2 regulating lung cancer cell proliferation, and the research and development progress of NRF2 inhibitors.
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Zhang S, Sui M, Zhang Z, Su Y. Brusatol From Brucea javanica Suppresses Arsenic Trioxide-Induced PD-L1 Upregulation Through Inhibition of NRF2 in Leukemia Cells. Nat Prod Commun 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x221132699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of programed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is associated with poor prognosis in leukemia. Moreover, antitumor pharmaceuticals have been shown to induce immunoresistance, leading to reduced efficacy. Previous studies have indicated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) promotes immune evasion by inducing PD-L1 expression in solid tumors; however, little is known about its role in leukemia. A proportion of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were resistant to ATO therapy. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of ATO on the expression of PD-L1 in leukemia cells and the underlying mechanism mediated through the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor (NRF2) protein. Brusatol, extracted from Brucea javanica, was selected as a unique NRF2 inhibitor, and we evaluated the possibility of using a regimen combining ATO/Brusatol in leukemia therapy. Promyelocytic NB4 and lymphocytic Jurkat cells were treated with ATO and brusatol either alone or in combination. We found that ATO significantly upregulated the expression of PD-L1 in NB4 and Jurkat cells at both the protein and mRNA levels compared with its expression in the untreated cell group. Mechanistically, ATO increased nuclear NRF2 expression and the extent of NRF2 binding to the PD-L1 promoter. Pharmacological inhibition of NRF2 by brusatol significantly blocked this effect, thereby reducing ATO-induced PD-L1 expression. In addition, the combination of brusatol and ATO showed stronger cytotoxicity than ATO alone indicated by cell counting kit-8 assay. Therefore, brusatol may further enhance the antileukemia effect of ATO not only by inhibiting ATO-induced PD-L1 expression but also by enhancing ATO-induced cytotoxicity. Our study provides a rationale for the clinical application of ATO/brusatol combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunji Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Meijuan Sui
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cell Transplantation, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cell Transplantation, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Su
- First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
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Cooper AJ, Muzikansky A, Lennerz J, Narinesingh F, Mino-Kenudson M, Hung YP, Piotrowska Z, Dagogo-Jack I, Sequist LV, Gainor JF, Lin JJ, Heist RS. Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Outcomes for Patients With KRAS G12D-Mutant NSCLC. JTO Clin Res Rep 2022; 3:100390. [PMID: 36118132 PMCID: PMC9471201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2022.100390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Co-occurring mutations in KRAS-mutant NSCLC are associated with discrete biological properties and modulate therapeutic susceptibilities. As G12D-specific inhibitors are expected to enter the clinic, we sought to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with KRAS G12D-mutant NSCLC. Methods This was a retrospective single-institution study. Patients with NSCLC and KRAS G12D mutations detected by the Massachusetts General Hospital SNaPshot next-generation sequencing assay were identified. Clinical and pathologic characteristics were collected by chart review. Results A total of 107 patients with KRAS G12D-mutant NSCLC were identified. Most patients were former smokers (80, 74.8%) and had tumors with adenocarcinoma pathologic subtype (93, 86.9%). Among 56 patients evaluated for programmed death-ligand 1 expression, tumor proportion score was less than 50% in 43 (76.8%). Concomitant mutations were identified in STK11 (17 of 107, 15.9%), KEAP1 (10 of 58, 17.2%), TP53 (36 of 107, 33.6%), and SMARCA4 (11 of 107, 10.3%). Among 57 patients treated with first-line therapy, patients with STK11 co-mutations had shorter progression-free survival (1.2 mo, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6–2.9 versus 4.1 mo, 95% CI: 2.5–6.0, p = 0.0235) and overall survival (4.3 mo, 95% CI: 1.2–10.6 versus 17.9 mo, 95% CI: 8.6–31.1, p = 0.0018) compared with wild type. Patients with KEAP1 co-mutations had shorter overall survival (4.6 mo, 95% CI: 1.2–10.6 versus 17.9 mo, 95% CI: 7.1–30.1, p = 0.0125) than those without. TP53 co-mutations exerted no influence on survival. Conclusions Co-occurring mutations were common in patients with KRAS G12D-mutant NSCLC. STK11 and KEAP1 co-mutations were associated with worse clinical outcomes, whereas co-occurring TP53 did not affect survival.
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Farooq H, Bien H, Chang V, Becker D, Park YH, Bates S. Loss of function STK11 alterations and poor outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer: Literature and case series of US Veterans. Semin Oncol 2022; 49:S0093-7754(22)00048-3. [PMID: 35831213 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that STK11 alterations, frequently found in non-small-cell lung cancers, may be prognostic and/or predictive of response to therapy, particularly immunotherapy. STK11 affects multiple important cellular pathways, and mutations lead to tumor growth by creating an immunosuppressive and altered metabolic environment through changes in AMPK, STING, and vascular endothelial growth factor pathways. We illustrate the questions surrounding STK11 genomic alteration in NSCLC with a case series comprising six United States Veterans from a single institution. We discuss the history of STK11, review studies on its clinical impact, and describe putative mechanisms of how loss of STK11 might engender resistance to immunotherapy or other therapies. While the exact impact of STK11 alteration in non-small-cell lung cancer remain to be fully elucidated, future research and ongoing clinical trials will help us better understand its role in cancer development and devise more effective treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafsa Farooq
- Section of Hematology and Oncology, VA Northport Medical Center, Northport, NY; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY.
| | - Harold Bien
- Section of Hematology and Oncology, VA Northport Medical Center, Northport, NY; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Victor Chang
- Section of Hematology Oncology, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
| | - Daniel Becker
- Section of Hematology Oncology, New York Harbor Health Care System, New York, NY; Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Yeun-Hee Park
- Section of Hematology Oncology, James J Peters VAMC, Bronx, NY; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - Susan Bates
- Section of Hematology Oncology, James J Peters VAMC, Bronx, NY; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
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46
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Reactive Oxygen Species Bridge the Gap between Chronic Inflammation and Tumor Development. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:2606928. [PMID: 35799889 PMCID: PMC9256443 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2606928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
According to numerous animal studies, adverse environmental stimuli, including physical, chemical, and biological factors, can cause low-grade chronic inflammation and subsequent tumor development. Human epidemiological evidence has confirmed the close relationship between chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms driving the development of persistent inflammation toward tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we assess the potential role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and associated mechanisms in modulating inflammation-induced tumorigenesis. Recent reports have emphasized the cross-talk between oxidative stress and inflammation in many pathological processes. Exposure to carcinogenic environmental hazards may lead to oxidative damage, which further stimulates the infiltration of various types of inflammatory cells. In turn, increased cytokine and chemokine release from inflammatory cells promotes ROS production in chronic lesions, even in the absence of hazardous stimuli. Moreover, ROS not only cause DNA damage but also participate in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis by modulating several transcription factors and signaling pathways. We summarize how changes in the redox state can trigger the development of chronic inflammatory lesions into tumors. Generally, cancer cells require an appropriate inflammatory microenvironment to support their growth, spread, and metastasis, and ROS may provide the necessary catalyst for inflammation-driven cancer. In conclusion, ROS bridge the gap between chronic inflammation and tumor development; therefore, targeting ROS and inflammation represents a new avenue for the prevention and treatment of cancer.
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Best SA, Gubser PM, Sethumadhavan S, Kersbergen A, Negrón Abril YL, Goldford J, Sellers K, Abeysekera W, Garnham AL, McDonald JA, Weeden CE, Anderson D, Pirman D, Roddy TP, Creek DJ, Kallies A, Kingsbury G, Sutherland KD. Glutaminase inhibition impairs CD8 T cell activation in STK11-/Lkb1-deficient lung cancer. Cell Metab 2022; 34:874-887.e6. [PMID: 35504291 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) contains a rich source of nutrients that sustains cell growth and facilitate tumor development. Glucose and glutamine in the TME are essential for the development and activation of effector T cells that exert antitumor function. Immunotherapy unleashes T cell antitumor function, and although many solid tumors respond well, a significant proportion of patients do not benefit. In patients with KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, KEAP1 and STK11/Lkb1 co-mutations are associated with impaired response to immunotherapy. To investigate the metabolic and immune microenvironment of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, we generated murine models that reflect the KEAP1 and STK11/Lkb1 mutational landscape in these patients. Here, we show increased glutamate abundance in the Lkb1-deficient TME associated with CD8 T cell activation in response to anti-PD1. Combination treatment with the glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 inhibited clonal expansion and activation of CD8 T cells. Thus, glutaminase inhibition negatively impacts CD8 T cells activated by anti-PD1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Best
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Patrick M Gubser
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Ariena Kersbergen
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Waruni Abeysekera
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexandra L Garnham
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jackson A McDonald
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Clare E Weeden
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Personalised Oncology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dovile Anderson
- Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Darren J Creek
- Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Axel Kallies
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Kate D Sutherland
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Zhao F, Tian H, Liu X, Guan Y, Zhu Y, Ren P, Zhang J, Dong Y, Fu L. Homeobox A1 Facilitates Immune Escape and Alleviates Oxidative Stress in Lung Adenocarcinoma. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:4102666. [PMID: 35633885 PMCID: PMC9136634 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4102666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Objective Recent studies have demonstrated that homeobox A1 (HOXA1) is upregulated in lung cancer due to RNA modifications (N6-methyladenosine), but the specific function of HOXA1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains indistinct. Herein, we investigated the role of HOXA1 in LUAD biology. Methods This study presented pancancer analysis of associations of HOXA1 with prognosis, TMB, and immune checkpoints. The expression of HOXA1 was detected in LUAD and normal tissues with immunohistochemistry and western blot. Through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, HOXA1-derived gene model was conducted in LUAD. Correlations of HOXA1 with immune cell infiltrations, immune checkpoints, HLAs, and chemotherapeutic sensitivity were evaluated. Colony formation, proliferation, and migration of LUAD cells with si-HOXA1 transfection were investigated, and the effects of HOXA1 on T cell exhaustion were assessed in vitro. Results HOXA1 expression was a risk factor of overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval of LUAD. HOXA1 exhibited prominent associations with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and HLAs. HOXA1-derived gene signature reliably and independently predicted LUAD outcomes. Also, high-risk cases presented increased sensitivity to cisplatin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, and etoposide. HOXA1 knockdown exhibited an inhibitory effect on proliferation and migration abilities of LUAD cells. Silencing HOXA1 weakened the expression of antioxidative stress markers Nrf2/HO-1 and T cell exhaustion marker CD155 in LUAD cells. Moreover, LUAD cells with HOXA1 knockdown enhanced the CD8+ T cell response. Conclusion Our data support the oncogenic function and prognostic significance of HOXA1 that facilitates immune escape and alleviates oxidative stress of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
| | - Hui Tian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012 Shandong, China
| | - Xinchao Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012 Shandong, China
| | - Yuanxiazi Guan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Affiliated Hospital of Heze Medical College, Heze, 274008 Shandong, China
| | - Peng Ren
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012 Shandong, China
| | - Jianbo Zhang
- Departments of Pathology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
| | - Yinjun Dong
- Department of Thoracic surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
| | - Lei Fu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117 Shandong, China
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Abstract
AbstractSestrin2 is a conserved antioxidant, metabolism regulator, and downstream of P53. Sestrin2 can suppress oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby preventing the development and progression of cancer. However, Sestrin2 attenuates severe oxidative stress by activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thereby enhancing cancer cells survival and chemoresistance. Sestrin2 inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells. Attenuation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and augmentation of autophagy hinders cancer development but can either expedite or impede cancer progression under specific conditions. Furthermore, Sestrin2 can vigorously inhibit oncogenic signaling pathways through downregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α). Conversely, Sestrin2 decreases the cytotoxic activity of T cells and natural killer cells which helps tumor cells immune evasion. Sestrin2 can enhance tumor cells viability in stress conditions such as glucose or glutamine deficiency. Cancer cells can also upregulate Sestrin2 during chemotherapy or radiotherapy to attenuate severe oxidative stress and ER stress, augment autophagy and resist the treatment. Recent studies unveiled that Sestrin2 is involved in the development and progression of several types of human cancer. The effect of Sestrin2 may differ depending on the type of tumor, for instance, several studies revealed that Sestrin2 protects against colorectal cancer, whereas results are controversial regarding lung cancer. Furthermore, Sestrin2 expression correlates with metastasis and survival in several types of human cancer such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Targeted therapy for Sestrin2 or regulation of its expression by new techniques such as non-coding RNAs delivery and vector systems may improve cancer chemotherapy and overcome chemoresistance, metastasis and immune evasion that should be investigated by future trials.
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50
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Li HS, Liu CM, Wang Y. Limited role of KRAS mutation in guiding immunotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Future Oncol 2022; 18:2433-2443. [PMID: 35440164 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2021-1488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of sotorasib (AMG-510) and adagrasib (MRTX-849) has resolved the problem of non-availability of drugs for patients with KRASG12C-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer. However, more research is required before these drugs can be introduced as a first-line treatment for those patients, and there are no available drugs for other non-G12C-mutated patients so far; therefore, immunotherapy remains the optimal first-line treatment in this situation. The role of KRAS in affecting the response to immunotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this review was to summarize the impact of KRAS mutations, a highly heterogeneous group, on immunotherapy to provide clinicians and researchers with relevant information that can help guide decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Shuai Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
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