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Tokizaki S, Podyma‐Inoue KA, Matsumoto T, Takahashi K, Kobayashi M, Ibi H, Uchida S, Iwabuchi S, Harada H, Hashimoto S, Miyazono K, Shirouzu M, Watabe T. Inhibition of transforming growth factor-β signals suppresses tumor formation by regulation of tumor microenvironment networks. Cancer Sci 2024; 115:211-226. [PMID: 37972575 PMCID: PMC10823284 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16006] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of cancer cells surrounded by stromal components including tumor vessels. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) promotes tumor progression by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells and stimulating tumor angiogenesis in the tumor stroma. We previously developed an Fc chimeric TGF-β receptor containing both TGF-β type I (TβRI) and type II (TβRII) receptors (TβRI-TβRII-Fc), which trapped all TGF-β isoforms and suppressed tumor growth. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this action have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we showed that the recombinant TβRI-TβRII-Fc protein effectively suppressed in vitro EMT of oral cancer cells and in vivo tumor growth in a human oral cancer cell xenograft mouse model. Tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis were suppressed in tumors treated with TβRI-TβRII-Fc. Molecular profiling of human cancer cells and mouse stroma revealed that K-Ras signaling and angiogenesis were suppressed. Administration of TβRI-TβRII-Fc protein decreased the expression of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and epiregulin (EREG) in the TME of oral cancer tumor xenografts. HB-EGF increased proliferation of human oral cancer cells and mouse endothelial cells by activating ERK1/2 phosphorylation. HB-EGF also promoted oral cancer cell-derived tumor formation by enhancing cancer cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. In addition, increased expressions of IL-1β and EREG in oral cancer cells significantly enhanced tumor formation. These results suggest that TGF-β signaling in the TME controls cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis by activating HB-EGF/IL-1β/EREG pathways and that TβRI-TβRII-Fc protein is a promising tool for targeting the TME networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiori Tokizaki
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
| | - Katarzyna A. Podyma‐Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
| | | | - Kazuki Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
- Institute of Industrial ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Miho Kobayashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
| | - Haruka Ibi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
| | - Shizuka Uchida
- Center for RNA Medicine, Department of Clinical MedicineAalborg UniversityCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Sadahiro Iwabuchi
- Department of Molecular PathophysiologyWakayama Medical UniversityWakayamaJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Harada
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
| | - Shinichi Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular PathophysiologyWakayama Medical UniversityWakayamaJapan
| | - Kohei Miyazono
- Department of Applied Pathology, Graduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical SciencesYokohamaJapan
| | | | - Tetsuro Watabe
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesTokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)TokyoJapan
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TGFBR1*6A as a modifier of breast cancer risk and progression: advances and future prospects. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:84. [PMID: 35853889 PMCID: PMC9296458 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00446-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that germline mutations in certain genes influence cancer susceptibility, tumor evolution, as well as clinical outcomes. Identification of a disease-causing genetic variant enables testing and diagnosis of at-risk individuals. For breast cancer, several genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, and CHEK2 act as high- to moderate-penetrance cancer susceptibility genes. Genotyping of these genes informs genetic risk assessment and counseling, as well as treatment and management decisions in the case of high-penetrance genes. TGFBR1*6A (rs11466445) is a common variant of the TGF-β receptor type I (TGFBR1) that has a global minor allelic frequency (MAF) of 0.051 according to the 1000 Genomes Project Consortium. It is emerging as a high frequency, low penetrance tumor susceptibility allele associated with increased cancer risk among several cancer types. The TGFBR1*6A allele has been associated with increased breast cancer risk in women, OR 1.15 (95% CI 1.01–1.31). Functionally, TGFBR1*6A promotes breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the regulation of the ERK pathway and Rho-GTP activation. This review discusses current findings on the genetic, functional, and mechanistic associations between TGFBR1*6A and breast cancer risk and proposes future directions as it relates to genetic association studies and mechanisms of action for tumor growth, metastasis, and immune suppression.
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Ungefroren H, Thürling I, Färber B, Kowalke T, Fischer T, De Assis LVM, Braun R, Castven D, Oster H, Konukiewitz B, Wellner UF, Lehnert H, Marquardt JU. The Quasimesenchymal Pancreatic Ductal Epithelial Cell Line PANC-1-A Useful Model to Study Clonal Heterogeneity and EMT Subtype Shifting. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092057. [PMID: 35565186 PMCID: PMC9101310 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Malignant tumors often escape therapy due to clonal propagation of a subfraction of drug-resistant cancer cells. The underlying phenomenon of intratumoral heterogeneity is driven by epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involving the developmental programs, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells are converted to invasive mesenchymal cells, and the reverse process, mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), which allows for metastatic outgrowth at distant sites. For therapeutic targeting of EMP, a better understanding of this process is required; however, cellular models with which to study EMP in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are scarce. Using single-cell clonal analysis, we have found the PDAC cell line, PANC-1, to consist of cells with different E/M phenotypes and functional attributes. Parental PANC-1 cultures could be induced in vitro to shift towards either a more mesenchymal or a more epithelial phenotype, and this bidirectional shift was controlled by the small GTPases RAC1 and RAC1b, together identifying PANC-1 cells as a useful model with which to study EMP. Abstract Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is an intrinsic feature of malignant tumors that eventually allows a subfraction of resistant cancer cells to clonally evolve and cause therapy failure or relapse. ITH, cellular plasticity and tumor progression are driven by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse process, MET. During these developmental programs, epithelial (E) cells are successively converted to invasive mesenchymal (M) cells, or back to E cells, by passing through a series of intermediate E/M states, a phenomenon termed E–M plasticity (EMP). The induction of MET has clinical potential as it can block the initial EMT stages that favor tumor cell dissemination, while its inhibition can curb metastatic outgrowth at distant sites. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), cellular models with which to study EMP or MET induction are scarce. Here, we have generated single cell-derived clonal cultures of the quasimesenchymal PDAC-derived cell line, PANC-1, and found that these differ strongly with respect to cell morphology and EMT marker expression, allowing for their tentative classification as E, E/M or M. Interestingly, the different EMT phenotypes were found to segregate with differences in tumorigenic potential in vitro, as measured by colony forming and invasive activities, and in circadian clock function. Moreover, the individual clones the phenotypes of which remained stable upon prolonged culture also responded differently to treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 in regard to regulation of growth and individual TGFβ target genes, and to culture conditions that favour ductal-to-endocrine transdifferentiation as a more direct measure for cellular plasticity. Of note, stimulation with TGFβ1 induced a shift in parental PANC-1 cultures towards a more extreme M and invasive phenotype, while exposing the cells to a combination of the proinflammatory cytokines IFNγ, IL1β and TNFα (IIT) elicited a shift towards a more E and less invasive phenotype resembling a MET-like process. Finally, we show that the actions of TGFβ1 and IIT both converge on regulating the ratio of the small GTPase RAC1 and its splice isoform, RAC1b. Our data provide strong evidence for dynamic EMT–MET transitions and qualify this cell line as a useful model with which to study EMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Ungefroren
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
- Correspondence:
| | - Isabel Thürling
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Benedikt Färber
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Tanja Kowalke
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Tanja Fischer
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Leonardo Vinícius Monteiro De Assis
- Institute for Neurobiology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (L.V.M.D.A.); (H.O.)
| | - Rüdiger Braun
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Darko Castven
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute for Neurobiology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (L.V.M.D.A.); (H.O.)
| | - Björn Konukiewitz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Ulrich Friedrich Wellner
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | | | - Jens-Uwe Marquardt
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
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Liu YY, Liu HY, Yu TJ, Lu Q, Zhang FL, Liu GY, Shao ZM, Li DQ. O-GlcNAcylation of MORC2 at threonine 556 by OGT couples TGF-β signaling to breast cancer progression. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:861-873. [PMID: 34974534 PMCID: PMC8991186 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MORC family CW-type zinc finger 2 (MORC2) is a newly identified chromatin-remodeling enzyme involved in DNA damage response and gene transcription, and its dysregulation has been linked with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, neurodevelopmental disorder, and cancer. Despite its functional importance, how MORC2 is regulated remains enigmatic. Here, we report that MORC2 is O-GlcNAcylated by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) at threonine 556. Mutation of this site or pharmacological inhibition of OGT impairs MORC2-mediated breast cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and lung colonization in vivo. Moreover, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induces MORC2 O-GlcNAcylation through enhancing the stability of glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (GFAT), the rate-limiting enzyme for producing the sugar donor for OGT. O-GlcNAcylated MORC2 is required for transcriptional activation of TGF-β1 target genes connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAIL). In support of these observations, knockdown of GFAT, SNAIL or CTGF compromises TGF-β1-induced, MORC2 O-GlcNAcylation-mediated breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Clinically, high expression of OGT, MORC2, SNAIL, and CTGF in breast tumors is associated with poor patient prognosis. Collectively, these findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanistic role for MORC2 O-GlcNAcylation in breast cancer progression and provide evidence for targeting MORC2-dependent breast cancer through blocking its O-GlcNAcylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Ying Liu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Hong-Yi Liu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Tian-Jian Yu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Qin Lu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Fang-Lin Zhang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Guang-Yu Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhi-Ming Shao
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Da-Qiang Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Su J, Chen D, Ruan Y, Tian Y, Lv K, Zhou X, Ying D, Lu Y. LncRNA MBNL1-AS1 represses gastric cancer progression via the TGF-β pathway by modulating miR-424-5p/Smad7 axis. Bioengineered 2022; 13:6978-6995. [PMID: 35311623 PMCID: PMC9278977 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2037921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies over the past decades have implicated lncRNAs in promoting the development, migration and invasion of gastric cancer (GC). However, the role and mechanism of lncRNA MBNL1-AS1 in GC promotion are poorly understood. In this research, qRT-PCR showed that MBNL1-AS1 was down-regulated in GC tissues and cells. Cell experiments and the animal study demonstrated that MBNL1-AS1 knockdown accelerated GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, thus restraining cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, overexpression of MBNL1-AS1 repressed GC cell promotion. Bioinformatics analysis confirmed that MBNL1-AS1 binds to miR-424-5p via negative modulation. Rescue experiments showed that decreased miR-424-5p level inhibited GC cell promotion by silencing MBNL1-AS1. Furthermore, Smad7 was identified as a target of miR-424-5p that could reverse the promotion of GC cell growth mediated by miR-424-5p. Western blot results proved that MBNL1-AS1 affected TGF-β/SMAD pathways by regulating the miR-424-5p/Smad7 axis. Collectively, MBNL1-AS1 restrained GC growth via the miR-424-5p/Smad7 axis and thus could be a promising target for GC therapy. These findings illustrate that lncRNA MBNL1-AS1, as a tumor suppressor gene, participates in GC progression by regulating miR-424-5p/Smad7 axis, thus activating TGF-β/EMT pathways. The evidence may provide a potential marker for GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiewen Su
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Dawei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Yi Ruan
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Yuan Tian
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Kaiji Lv
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Xinhua Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Dongjian Ying
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Yeting Lu
- Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, PR China
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Shi N, Wang Z, Zhu H, Liu W, Zhao M, Jiang X, Zhao J, Ren C, Zhang Y, Luo L. Research progress on drugs targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway in fibrotic diseases. Immunol Res 2022; 70:276-288. [PMID: 35147920 PMCID: PMC9197809 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-022-09267-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tissue fibrosis is a key factor leading to disability and death worldwide; however, thus far, there are no approved treatments for fibrosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a major pro-fibrotic cytokine, which is expected to become a target in the treatment of fibrosis; however, since TGF-β has a wide range of biological functions involving a variety of biological processes in the body, a slight change in TGF-β may have a systematic effect. Indiscriminate inhibition of TGF-β can lead to adverse reactions, which can affect the efficacy of treatment. Therefore, it has become very important to explore how both the TGF-β signaling pathway is inhibited and the safe and efficient TGF-β small molecule inhibitors or neutralizing antibodies are designed in the treatment of fibrotic diseases. In this review, we mainly discuss the key role of the TGF-β signaling pathway in fibrotic diseases, as well as the development of fibrotic drugs in recent years, and explore potential targets in the treatment of fibrotic diseases in order to guide subsequent drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhihong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping Road #27, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Hecheng Zhu
- Changsha Kexin Cancer Hospital, Changsha, 410205, Hunan, China
| | - Weidong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Changsha Kexin Cancer Hospital, Changsha, 410205, Hunan, China
| | - Xingjun Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jin Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Caiping Ren
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Medical Center, General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
| | - Longlong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping Road #27, Beijing, 100850, China.
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Garg M. Emerging roles of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in invasion-metastasis cascade and therapy resistance. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2022; 41:131-145. [PMID: 34978017 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-10003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Strong association of cancer incidence and its progression with mortality highlights the need to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive tumor cells to rapidly progress to metastatic disease and therapy resistance. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) emerged as a key regulator of metastatic outgrowth. It allows neoplastic epithelial cells to delaminate from their neighbors either individually or collectively, traverse the extracellular matrix (ECM) barrier, enter into the circulation, and establish distal metastases. Plasticity between epithelial and mesenchymal states and the existence of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotypes are increasingly being reported in different tumor contexts. Small subset of cancer cells with stemness called cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit plasticity, possess high tumorigenic potential, and contribute to high degree of tumoral heterogeneity. EMP characterized by the presence of dynamic intermediate states is reported to be influenced by (epi)genomic reprograming, growth factor signaling, inflammation, and low oxygen generated by tumor stromal microenvironment. EMP alters the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of tumor cells/CSCs, disrupts tissue homeostasis, induces the reprogramming of angiogenic and immune recognition functions, and renders tumor cells to survive hostile microenvironments and resist therapy. The present review summarizes the roles of EMP in tumor invasion and metastasis and provides an update on therapeutic strategies to target the metastatic and refractory cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minal Garg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signalling controls multiple cell fate decisions during development and tissue homeostasis; hence, dysregulation of this pathway can drive several diseases, including cancer. Here we discuss the influence that TGFβ exerts on the composition and behaviour of different cell populations present in the tumour immune microenvironment, and the context-dependent functions of this cytokine in suppressing or promoting cancer. During homeostasis, TGFβ controls inflammatory responses triggered by exposure to the outside milieu in barrier tissues. Lack of TGFβ exacerbates inflammation, leading to tissue damage and cellular transformation. In contrast, as tumours progress, they leverage TGFβ to drive an unrestrained wound-healing programme in cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as to suppress the adaptive immune system and the innate immune system. In consonance with this key role in reprogramming the tumour microenvironment, emerging data demonstrate that TGFβ-inhibitory therapies can restore cancer immunity. Indeed, this approach can synergize with other immunotherapies - including immune checkpoint blockade - to unleash robust antitumour immune responses in preclinical cancer models. Despite initial challenges in clinical translation, these findings have sparked the development of multiple therapeutic strategies that inhibit the TGFβ pathway, many of which are currently in clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele V F Tauriello
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Elena Sancho
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Batlle
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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Balazova L, Balaz M, Horvath C, Horváth Á, Moser C, Kovanicova Z, Ghosh A, Ghoshdastider U, Efthymiou V, Kiehlmann E, Sun W, Dong H, Ding L, Amri EZ, Nuutila P, Virtanen KA, Niemi T, Ukropcova B, Ukropec J, Pelczar P, Lamla T, Hamilton B, Neubauer H, Wolfrum C. GPR180 is a component of TGFβ signalling that promotes thermogenic adipocyte function and mediates the metabolic effects of the adipocyte-secreted factor CTHRC1. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7144. [PMID: 34880217 PMCID: PMC8655035 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27442-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes is considered as a strategy to improve metabolic control. Here, we identify GPR180 as a receptor regulating brown and beige adipocyte function and whole-body glucose homeostasis, whose expression in humans is associated with improved metabolic control. We demonstrate that GPR180 is not a GPCR but a component of the TGFβ signalling pathway and regulates the activity of the TGFβ receptor complex through SMAD3 phosphorylation. In addition, using genetic and pharmacological tools, we provide evidence that GPR180 is required to manifest Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) action to regulate brown and beige adipocyte activity and glucose homeostasis. In this work, we show that CTHRC1/GPR180 signalling integrates into the TGFβ signalling as an alternative axis to fine-tune and achieve low-grade activation of the pathway to prevent pathophysiological response while contributing to control of glucose and energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Balazova
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Miroslav Balaz
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Carla Horvath
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Áron Horváth
- Biomechanics Laboratory, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biomechanics, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Moser
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Zuzana Kovanicova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Adhideb Ghosh
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Functional Genomics Centre Zurich, ETH Zurich/ University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Umesh Ghoshdastider
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Vissarion Efthymiou
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Elke Kiehlmann
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Wenfei Sun
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Hua Dong
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Lianggong Ding
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ez-Zoubir Amri
- Université Côte d'Azur, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Inserm, iBV, 06107, Nice, France
| | - Pirjo Nuutila
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Tarja Niemi
- Department of Surgery, Turku University Hospital, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Barbara Ukropcova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 81108, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Ukropec
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Pawel Pelczar
- Center for Transgenic Models, University of Basel, 3350, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thorsten Lamla
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Bradford Hamilton
- Cardiometabolic Diseases Research Department, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH and Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Heike Neubauer
- Cardiometabolic Diseases Research Department, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH and Co. KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Christian Wolfrum
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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10
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Trivedi T, Pagnotti GM, Guise TA, Mohammad KS. The Role of TGF-β in Bone Metastases. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11111643. [PMID: 34827641 PMCID: PMC8615596 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Complications associated with advanced cancer are a major clinical challenge and, if associated with bone metastases, worsen the prognosis and compromise the survival of the patients. Breast and prostate cancer cells exhibit a high propensity to metastasize to bone. The bone microenvironment is unique, providing fertile soil for cancer cell propagation, while mineralized bone matrices store potent growth factors and cytokines. Biologically active transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), one of the most abundant growth factors, is released following tumor-induced osteoclastic bone resorption. TGF-β promotes tumor cell secretion of factors that accelerate bone loss and fuel tumor cells to colonize. Thus, TGF-β is critical for driving the feed-forward vicious cycle of tumor growth in bone. Further, TGF-β promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increasing cell invasiveness, angiogenesis, and metastatic progression. Emerging evidence shows TGF-β suppresses immune responses, enabling opportunistic cancer cells to escape immune checkpoints and promote bone metastases. Blocking TGF-β signaling pathways could disrupt the vicious cycle, revert EMT, and enhance immune response. However, TGF-β’s dual role as both tumor suppressor and enhancer presents a significant challenge in developing therapeutics that target TGF-β signaling. This review presents TGF-β’s role in cancer progression and bone metastases, while highlighting current perspectives on the therapeutic potential of targeting TGF-β pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trupti Trivedi
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Gabriel M. Pagnotti
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Theresa A. Guise
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Khalid S. Mohammad
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +966-546810335
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11
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Vafaizadeh V, Buechel D, Rubinstein N, Kalathur RKR, Bazzani L, Saxena M, Valenta T, Hausmann G, Cantù C, Basler K, Christofori G. The interactions of Bcl9/Bcl9L with β-catenin and Pygopus promote breast cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis. Oncogene 2021; 40:6195-6209. [PMID: 34545187 PMCID: PMC8553620 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an established regulator of cellular state and its critical contributions to tumor initiation, malignant tumor progression and metastasis formation have been demonstrated in various cancer types. Here, we investigated how the binding of β-catenin to the transcriptional coactivators B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (Bcl9) and Bcl9-Like (Bcl9L) affected mammary gland carcinogenesis in the MMTV-PyMT transgenic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer. Conditional knockout of both Bcl9 and Bcl9L resulted into tumor cell death. In contrast, disrupting the interaction of Bcl9/Bcl9L with β-catenin, either by deletion of their HD2 domains or by a point mutation in the N-terminal domain of β-catenin (D164A), diminished primary tumor growth and tumor cell proliferation and reduced tumor cell invasion and lung metastasis. In comparison, the disruption of HD1 domain-mediated binding of Bcl9/Bcl9L to Pygopus had only moderate effects. Interestingly, interfering with the β-catenin-Bcl9/Bcl9L-Pygo chain of adapters only partially impaired the transcriptional response of mammary tumor cells to Wnt3a and TGFβ treatments. Together, the results indicate that Bcl9/Bcl9L modulate but are not critically required for canonical Wnt signaling in its contribution to breast cancer growth and malignant progression, a notion consistent with the “just-right” hypothesis of Wnt-driven tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vida Vafaizadeh
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - David Buechel
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Rubinstein
- Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ravi K R Kalathur
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lorenzo Bazzani
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Meera Saxena
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tomas Valenta
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - George Hausmann
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Cantù
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Konrad Basler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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12
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Kodama S, Podyma-Inoue KΑ, Uchihashi T, Kurioka K, Takahashi H, Sugauchi A, Takahashi K, Inubushi T, Kogo M, Tanaka S, Watabe T. Progression of melanoma is suppressed by targeting all transforming growth factor‑β isoforms with an Fc chimeric receptor. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:197. [PMID: 34296292 PMCID: PMC8317165 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive type of cancer originating from the skin that arises from neoplastic changes in melanocytes. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a pleiotropic cytokine and is known to contribute to melanoma progression by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program and creating an environment that favors tumor progression. There are three TGF-β isoforms, TGF-β1, TGF-β2 and TGF-β3, all of which engage in pro-tumorigenic activities by activating SMAD signaling pathways. All TGF-β isoforms activate signaling pathways by binding to their TGF-β type I (TβRI) and type II (TβRII) receptors. Thus, effective targeting of all TGF-β isoforms is of great importance. In the present study, chimeric proteins comprising the extracellular domains of TβRI and/or TβRII fused with the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin (IgG) were validated in the melanoma context. The Fc chimeric receptor comprising both TβRI and TβRII (TβRI-TβRII-Fc) effectively trapped all TGF-β isoforms. Conversely, TβRII-Fc chimeric receptor, that comprises TβRII only, was able to interact with TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 isoforms, but not with TGF-β2, which is a poor prognostic factor for melanoma patients. Accordingly, it was revealed that TβRI-TβRII-Fc chimeric receptor suppressed the EMT program in melanoma cells in vitro induced by any of the three TGF-β isoforms, as revealed by decreased expression of mesenchymal markers. Conversely, TβRII-Fc chimeric receptor inhibited the EMT program induced by TGF-β1 and TGF-β3. In addition, it was established that tumor growth in subcutaneous mouse melanoma was inhibited by TβRI-TβRII-Fc chimeric receptor indicating that Fc chimeric receptor could be applied to modify the tumor microenvironment (TME) of melanoma. Therefore, designing of Fc chimeric receptors targeting TGF-β signals that affect various components of the TME may result in the development of effective anti-melanoma agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Kodama
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Katarzyna Α Podyma-Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo, Tokyo 113‑8549, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Uchihashi
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Kyoko Kurioka
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Hitomi Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo, Tokyo 113‑8549, Japan
| | - Akinari Sugauchi
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo, Tokyo 113‑8549, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Inubushi
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Mikihiko Kogo
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Susumu Tanaka
- The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565‑0871, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Watabe
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo, Tokyo 113‑8549, Japan
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13
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Regua AT, Arrigo A, Doheny D, Wong GL, Lo HW. Transgenic mouse models of breast cancer. Cancer Lett 2021; 516:73-83. [PMID: 34090924 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic breast cancer mouse models are critical tools for preclinical studies of human breast cancer. Genetic editing of the murine mammary gland allows for modeling of abnormal genetic events frequently found in human breast cancers. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of breast cancer employ tissue-specific genetic manipulation for tumorigenic induction within the mammary tissue. Under the transcriptional control of mammary-specific promoters, transgenic mouse models can simulate spontaneous mammary tumorigenesis by expressing one or more putative oncogenes, such as MYC, HRAS, and PIK3CA. Alternatively, the Cre-Lox system allows for tissue-specific deletion of tumor suppressors, such as p53, Rb1, and Brca1, or specific knock-in of putative oncogenes. Thus, GEMMs can be designed to implement one or more genetic events to induce mammary tumorigenesis. Features of GEMMs, such as age of transgene expression, breeding quality, tumor latency, histopathological characteristics, and propensity for local and distant metastasis, are variable and strain-dependent. This review aims to summarize currently available transgenic breast cancer mouse models that undergo spontaneous mammary tumorigenesis upon genetic manipulation, their varying characteristics, and their individual genetic manipulations that model aberrant signaling events observed in human breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina T Regua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Austin Arrigo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Daniel Doheny
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Grace L Wong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Hui-Wen Lo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Breast Cancer Center of Excellence, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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14
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Atovaquone Suppresses Triple-Negative Breast Tumor Growth by Reducing Immune-Suppressive Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105150. [PMID: 34068008 PMCID: PMC8152242 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A major contributing factor in triple-negative breast cancer progression is its ability to evade immune surveillance. One mechanism for this immunosuppression is through ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19), which facilitates myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) recruitment in tumors, which generate cytokines TGF-β and IL-10 and induce regulatory T cells (Tregs), all of which are immunosuppressive and enhance tumor progression. Hence, enhancing the immune system in breast tumors could be a strategy for anticancer therapeutics. The present study evaluated the immune response of atovaquone, an antiprotozoal drug, in three independent breast-tumor models. Our results demonstrated that oral administration of atovaquone reduced HCC1806, CI66 and 4T1 paclitaxel-resistant (4T1-PR) breast-tumor growth by 45%, 70% and 42%, respectively. MDSCs, TGF-β, IL-10 and Tregs of blood and tumors were analyzed from all of these in vivo models. Our results demonstrated that atovaquone treatment in mice bearing HCC1806 tumors reduced MDSCs from tumor and blood by 70% and 30%, respectively. We also observed a 25% reduction in tumor MDSCs in atovaquone-treated mice bearing CI66 and 4T1-PR tumors. In addition, a decrease in TGF-β and IL-10 in tumor lysates was observed in atovaquone-treated mice with a reduction in tumor Tregs. Moreover, a significant reduction in the expression of RPS19 was found in tumors treated with atovaquone.
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15
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Kim BG, Malek E, Choi SH, Ignatz-Hoover JJ, Driscoll JJ. Novel therapies emerging in oncology to target the TGF-β pathway. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:55. [PMID: 33823905 PMCID: PMC8022551 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01053-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The TGF-β signaling pathway governs key cellular processes under physiologic conditions and is deregulated in many pathologies, including cancer. TGF-β is a multifunctional cytokine that acts in a cell- and context-dependent manner as a tumor promoter or tumor suppressor. As a tumor promoter, the TGF-β pathway enhances cell proliferation, migratory invasion, metastatic spread within the tumor microenvironment and suppresses immunosurveillance. Collectively, the pleiotropic nature of TGF-β signaling contributes to drug resistance, tumor escape and undermines clinical response to therapy. Based upon a wealth of preclinical studies, the TGF-β pathway has been pharmacologically targeted using small molecule inhibitors, TGF-β-directed chimeric monoclonal antibodies, ligand traps, antisense oligonucleotides and vaccines that have been now evaluated in clinical trials. Here, we have assessed the safety and efficacy of TGF-β pathway antagonists from multiple drug classes that have been evaluated in completed and ongoing trials. We highlight Vactosertib, a highly potent small molecule TGF-β type 1 receptor kinase inhibitor that is well-tolerated with an acceptable safety profile that has shown efficacy against multiple types of cancer. The TGF-β ligand traps Bintrafusp alfa (a bifunctional conjugate that binds TGF-β and PD-L1), AVID200 (a computationally designed trap of TGF-β receptor ectodomains fused to an Fc domain) and Luspatercept (a recombinant fusion that links the activin receptor IIb to IgG) offer new ways to fight difficult-to-treat cancers. While TGF-β pathway antagonists are rapidly emerging as highly promising, safe and effective anticancer agents, significant challenges remain. Minimizing the unintentional inhibition of tumor-suppressing activity and inflammatory effects with the desired restraint on tumor-promoting activities has impeded the clinical development of TGF-β pathway antagonists. A better understanding of the mechanistic details of the TGF-β pathway should lead to more effective TGF-β antagonists and uncover biomarkers that better stratify patient selection, improve patient responses and further the clinical development of TGF-β antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Gyu Kim
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ehsan Malek
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Adult Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplant Section, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sung Hee Choi
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - James J Ignatz-Hoover
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Adult Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplant Section, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - James J Driscoll
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Adult Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplant Section, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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16
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VCAM-1-targeted and PPARδ-agonist-loaded nanomicelles enhanced suppressing effects on apoptosis and migration of oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:222727. [PMID: 32314783 PMCID: PMC7218220 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20200559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Nanomicelles (NMs) have been widely used for various biomedical applications due to its unique physiochemical properties. The present study aims to investigate the effects of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1)-targeted and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) agonist (GW0742)-loaded NMs on apoptosis and migration in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs). Methods: The GW0742-loaded NMs (M-GW) and VCAM-1-targeted NMs loaded with GW0742 (TM-GW) were prepared, and then the morphologies and the size distribution of M-GM and TM-GM were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. In vitro drug release assay of M-GM and TM-GM were performed as well. Next, HAVSMCs were cultured in medium containing ox-LDL to mimic atherosclerotic environment, and the effects of free GW0742, M-GM and TM-GM on endocytosis, cell migration and apoptosis, as well as the expression of VCAM-1, and proteins associated with migration and apoptosis were measured in HAVSMCs treated with ox-LDL. Results: M-GM and TM-GM were successfully prepared. VCAM-1 was overexpressed in HAVSMCs treated with ox-LDL, and TM-GM had a strong targeting ability to HAVSMCs treated with ox-LDL compared with M-GM. In addition, compared with free GW0742, both M-GM and TM-GM significantly diminished cell apoptosis and migration in HAVSMCs treated with ox-LDL. Conclusions: TM-GM had a superior suppressing effect on apoptosis and migration of ox-LDL-induced HAVSMCs.
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Abstract
To antagonize tumor-derived TGFβ contemporaneously to anticancer immunotherapy, we genetically engineered a fusion protein coupling IL-2 and the ectodomain of TGFβ receptor II (Fusion of Interleukin-2 and Soluble TGFβ receptor – a.k.a. FIST). FIST possesses intriguing gain-of-function properties and induces potent activation of IL2-receptor expressing cells and inhibits tumor-derived angiogenesis. Thus FIST constitutes a first-in-class biological that couples anti-angiogenesis to an immune antitumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Penafuerte
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre; McGill University; Montreal, QC Canada
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18
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Ungefroren H. Autocrine TGF-β in Cancer: Review of the Literature and Caveats in Experimental Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:977. [PMID: 33478130 PMCID: PMC7835898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autocrine signaling is defined as the production and secretion of an extracellular mediator by a cell followed by the binding of that mediator to receptors on the same cell to initiate signaling. Autocrine stimulation often operates in autocrine loops, a type of interaction, in which a cell produces a mediator, for which it has receptors, that upon activation promotes expression of the same mediator, allowing the cell to repeatedly autostimulate itself (positive feedback) or balance its expression via regulation of a second factor that provides negative feedback. Autocrine signaling loops with positive or negative feedback are an important feature in cancer, where they enable context-dependent cell signaling in the regulation of growth, survival, and cell motility. A growth factor that is intimately involved in tumor development and progression and often produced by the cancer cells in an autocrine manner is transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). This review surveys the many observations of autocrine TGF-β signaling in tumor biology, including data from cell culture and animal models as well as from patients. We also provide the reader with a critical discussion on the various experimental approaches employed to identify and prove the involvement of autocrine TGF-β in a given cellular response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Ungefroren
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany;
- Clinic for General Surgery, Visceral, Thoracic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
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19
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Yu J, Deng H, Xu Z. Targeting macrophage priming by polyphyllin VII triggers anti-tumor immunity via STING-governed cytotoxic T-cell infiltration in lung cancer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21360. [PMID: 33288772 PMCID: PMC7721813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77800-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) controlled innate immune pathway is essential for host defense against pathogenic infection and effective anti-tumor adaptive immunity initiation. Although macrophages transformed across diverse phenotypes play crucial roles in anti-tumor immune response, events determining this transformation and the host-intrinsic role of STING in this process remain controversial. Here we report how STING signaling acts as a key switch to dominate the gene expression patterns of macrophage transformation for promoting priming and releasing immunosuppression. Furthermore, polyphyllin VII, a potential STING agonist, exerts anti-tumor efficacy upon macrophages priming and subsequent cytotoxic T lymphocytes intratumoral infiltration. Meanwhile, the simultaneous PD-L1 amplification on macrophages in response to PP VII is also ruled by STING, thus PP VII may benefit immune-checkpoint blockade therapy for combining. Moreover, PP VII suppresses carcinogenesis upon restraining the immunosuppressed macrophage transformation. This is due to the boosted STING that negatively regulates a STAT3 propagated crosstalk between immune cells and tumor cells. Overall, PP VII-stimulated STING in macrophages provides a paradigm for anti-tumor, and if possible, anti-infection immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglu Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Longhua Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Haibin Deng
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Longhua Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Zhenye Xu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Longhua Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
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20
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Liu Y, Zhang S, Yu T, Zhang F, Yang F, Huang Y, Ma D, Liu G, Shao Z, Li D. Pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 9 acts as both a transcriptional target and a regulator of the canonical TGF-β/Smad signaling to drive breast cancer progression. Clin Transl Med 2020; 10:e245. [PMID: 33377651 PMCID: PMC7733318 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 9 (PSG9) is a placental glycoprotein essential for the maintenance of normal gestation in mammals. Bioinformatics analysis of multiple publicly available datasets revealed aberrant PSG9 expression in breast tumors, but its functional and mechanistic role in breast cancer remains unexplored. Here, we report that PSG9 expression levels were elevated in tumor tissues and plasma specimens from breast cancer patients, and were associated with poor prognosis. Gain- or loss-of-function studies demonstrated that PSG9 promoted breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasionin vitro, and enhanced tumor growth and lung colonization in vivo. Mechanistically, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) transcriptionally activated PSG9 expression through enhancing the enrichment of Smad3 and Smad4 onto PSG9 promoter regions containing two putative Smad-binding elements (SBEs). Mutation of both SBEs in the PSG9 promoter, or knockdown of TGF-β receptor 1 (TGFBR1), TGFBR2, Smad3, or Smad4 impaired the ability of TGF-β1 to induce PSG9 expression. Consequently, PSG9 contributed to TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Moreover, PSG9 enhanced the stability of Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4 proteins by blocking their proteasomal degradation, and regulated the expression of TGF-β1 target genes involved in EMT and breast cancer progression, thus further amplifying the canonical TGF-β/Smad signaling in breast cancer cells. Collectively, these findings establish PSG9 as a novel player in breast cancer progressionvia hijacking the canonical TGF-β/Smad signaling, and identify PSG9 as a potential plasma biomarker for the early detection of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying‐Ying Liu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Sa Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Tian‐Jian Yu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Fang‐Lin Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Fan Yang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yan‐Ni Huang
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Guang‐Yu Liu
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Zhi‐Ming Shao
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast CancerShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Da‐Qiang Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical EpigeneticsInternational Co‐laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and MetabolismMinistry of Science and TechnologyInstitutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Cancer InstituteShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast CancerShanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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21
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Zonneville J, Colligan S, Grant S, Miller A, Wallace P, Abrams SI, Bakin AV. Blockade of p38 kinase impedes the mobilization of protumorigenic myeloid populations to impact breast cancer metastasis. Int J Cancer 2020; 147:2279-2292. [PMID: 32452014 PMCID: PMC7484223 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have limited therapeutic options and novel treatments are critically needed. Prior research implicates tumor-induced mobilization of myeloid cell populations in metastatic progression, as well as being an unfavorable outcome in MBC; however, the underlying mechanisms for these relationships remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence for a novel mechanism by which p38 promotes metastasis. Using triple-negative breast cancer models, we showed that a selective inhibitor of p38 (p38i) significantly reduced tumor growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis. Importantly, p38i decreased the accumulation of myeloid populations, namely, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). p38 controlled the expression of tumor-derived chemokines/cytokines that facilitated the recruitment of protumor myeloid populations. Depletion of MDSCs was accompanied by reduced TAM infiltration and phenocopied the antimetastatic effects of p38i. Reciprocally, p38i increased tumor infiltration by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the CD163+ /CD8+ expression ratio inversely correlated with metastasis-free survival in breast cancer, suggesting that targeting p38 may improve clinical outcomes. Overall, our study highlights a previously unknown p38-driven pathway as a therapeutic target in MBC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic/metabolism
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- Carcinogenesis/drug effects
- Carcinogenesis/metabolism
- Carcinogenesis/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Chemokines/metabolism
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Female
- Humans
- Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Lung Neoplasms/metabolism
- MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects
- Macrophages/drug effects
- Macrophages/metabolism
- Macrophages/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, SCID
- Mice, Transgenic
- Myeloid Cells/drug effects
- Myeloid Cells/metabolism
- Myeloid Cells/pathology
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/drug effects
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/metabolism
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/pathology
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/drug therapy
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/pathology
- Receptors, Cell Surface/metabolism
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Zonneville
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | - Sean Colligan
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | - Sydney Grant
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | | | - Paul Wallace
- Department of Flow & Image Cytometry, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | - Scott I. Abrams
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | - Andrei V. Bakin
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14263
- Sechenov Medical University, Moscow, Russia 119991
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22
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NK Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer: Evaluating Recognition Strategies and Overcoming Limitations. Transplant Cell Ther 2020; 27:21-35. [PMID: 33007496 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, the primary effector cells of the innate immune system, utilize multiple strategies to recognize tumor cells by (1) detecting the presence of activating receptor ligands, which are often upregulated in cancer; (2) targeting cells that have a loss of major histocompatibility complex (MHC); and (3) binding to antibodies that bind to tumor-specific antigens on the tumor cell surface. All these strategies have been successfully harnessed in adoptive NK cell immunotherapies targeting cancer. In this review, we review the applications of NK cell therapies across different tumor types. Similar to other forms of immunotherapy, tumor-induced immune escape and immune suppression can limit NK cell therapies' efficacy. Therefore, we also discuss how these limitations can be overcome by conferring NK cells with the ability to redirect their tumor-targeting capabilities and survive the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we also discuss how future iterations can benefit from combination therapies with other immunotherapeutic agents.
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23
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Teixeira AF, Ten Dijke P, Zhu HJ. On-Target Anti-TGF-β Therapies Are Not Succeeding in Clinical Cancer Treatments: What Are Remaining Challenges? Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:605. [PMID: 32733895 PMCID: PMC7360684 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of death for cancer patients. During cancer progression, the initial detachment of cells from the primary tumor and the later colonization of a secondary organ are characterized as limiting steps for metastasis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are opposite dynamic multistep processes that enable these critical events in metastasis by altering the phenotype of cancer cells and improving their ability to migrate, invade and seed at distant organs. Among the molecular pathways that promote tumorigenesis in late-stage cancers, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is described as an EMT master inducer by controlling different genes and proteins related to cytoskeleton assembly, cell-cell attachment and extracellular matrix remodeling. Still, despite the successful outcomes of different TGF-β pharmacological inhibitors in cell culture (in vitro) and animal models (in vivo), results in cancer clinical trials are poor or inconsistent at least, highlighting the existence of crucial components in human cancers that have not been properly explored. Here we review most recent findings to provide perspectives bridging the gap between on-target anti-TGF-β therapies in vitro and in pre-clinical models and the poor clinical outcomes in treating cancer patients. Specifically, we focus on (i) the dual roles of TGF-β signaling in cancer metastasis; (ii) dynamic signaling; (iii) functional differences of TGF-β free in solution vs. in exosomes; (iv) the regulatory effects of tumor microenvironment (TME) – particularly by cancer-associated fibroblasts – on TGF-β signaling pathway. Clearly identifying and establishing those missing links may provide strategies to revitalize and clinically improve the efficacy of TGF-β targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adilson Fonseca Teixeira
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hong-Jian Zhu
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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24
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Takahashi K, Akatsu Y, Podyma-Inoue KA, Matsumoto T, Takahashi H, Yoshimatsu Y, Koinuma D, Shirouzu M, Miyazono K, Watabe T. Targeting all transforming growth factor-β isoforms with an Fc chimeric receptor impairs tumor growth and angiogenesis of oral squamous cell cancer. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:12559-12572. [PMID: 32631954 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor progression is governed by various growth factors and cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Among these, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is secreted by various cell types residing in the TME and promotes tumor progression by inducing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells and tumor angiogenesis. TGF-β comprises three isoforms, TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3, and transduces intracellular signals via TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI) and TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII). For the purpose of designing ligand traps that reduce oncogenic signaling in the TME, chimeric proteins comprising the ligand-interacting ectodomains of receptors fused with the Fc portion of immunoglobulin are often used. For example, chimeric soluble TβRII (TβRII-Fc) has been developed as an effective therapeutic strategy for targeting TGF-β ligands, but several lines of evidence indicate that TβRII-Fc more effectively traps TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 than TGF-β2, whose expression is elevated in multiple cancer types. In the present study, we developed a chimeric TGF-β receptor containing both TβRI and TβRII (TβRI-TβRII-Fc) and found that TβRI-TβRII-Fc trapped all TGF-β isoforms, leading to inhibition of both the TGF-β signal and TGF-β-induced EMT of oral cancer cells, whereas TβRII-Fc failed to trap TGF-β2. Furthermore, we found that TβRI-TβRII-Fc suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis more effectively than TβRII-Fc in a subcutaneous xenograft model of oral cancer cells with high TGF-β expression. These results suggest that TβRI-TβRII-Fc may be a promising tool for targeting all TGF-β isoforms in the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Akatsu
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Biomedicine Group, Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, and Pharmaceutical Group, Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katarzyna A Podyma-Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hitomi Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yoshimatsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Daizo Koinuma
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kohei Miyazono
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Watabe
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
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25
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Xu W, Yang Y, Hu Z, Head M, Mangold KA, Sullivan M, Wang E, Saha P, Gulukota K, Helseth DL, Guise T, Prabhkar BS, Kaul K, Schreiber H, Seth P. LyP-1-Modified Oncolytic Adenoviruses Targeting Transforming Growth Factor β Inhibit Tumor Growth and Metastases and Augment Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Breast Cancer Mouse Models. Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:863-880. [PMID: 32394753 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here the development of oncolytic adenoviruses (Ads) that have reduced toxicity, enhanced tumor tropism, produce strong antitumor response, and can overcome resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in breast cancer. We have shown that LyP-1 receptor (p32) is highly expressed on the surface of breast cancer cells and tumors from cancer patients, and that increased stromal expression of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFβ-1) is associated with triple-negative breast cancer. Therefore, we constructed oncolytic Ads, AdLyp.sT and mHAdLyp.sT, in which the p32-binding LyP-1 peptide was genetically inserted into the adenoviral fiber protein. Both AdLyp.sT and mHAdLyp.sT express sTGFβRIIFc, a TGFβ decoy that can inhibit TGFβ pathways. mHAdLyp.sT is an Ad5/48 chimeric hexon virus in which hypervariable regions (HVRs 1-7) of Ad5 are replaced with the corresponding Ad48 HVRs. AdLyp.sT and mHAdLyp.sT exhibited better binding, replication, and produced higher sTGFβRIIFc protein levels in breast cancer cell lines compared with Ad.sT or mHAd.sT control viruses without LyP-1 peptide modification. Systemic delivery of mHAdLyp.sT in mice resulted in reduced hepatic/systemic toxicity compared with Ad.sT and AdLyp.sT. Intravenous delivery of AdLyp.sT and mHAdLyp.sT elicited a strong antitumor response in a human MDA-MB-231 bone metastasis model in mice, as indicated by bioluminescence imaging, radiographic tumor burden, serum TRACP 5b and calcium, and body weight analyses. Furthermore, intratumoral delivery of AdLyp.sT in 4T1 model in immunocompetent mice inhibited tumor growth and metastases, and augmented anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Based on these studies, we believe that AdLyp.sT and mHAdLyp.sT can be developed as potential targeted immunotherapy agents for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Xu
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, NorthShore Research Institute, An Affiliate of the University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Yuefeng Yang
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, NorthShore Research Institute, An Affiliate of the University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Experimental Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive System Tumors of Zhejiang Province, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, P.R. China
| | - Zebin Hu
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, NorthShore Research Institute, An Affiliate of the University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Maria Head
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
| | | | | | - Edward Wang
- Biostatistics and Clinical Research Informatics, Department of Surgery
| | | | - Kamalakar Gulukota
- Center for Personalized Medicine; NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Donald L Helseth
- Center for Personalized Medicine; NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Theresa Guise
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Bellur S Prabhkar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Karen Kaul
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Prem Seth
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, NorthShore Research Institute, An Affiliate of the University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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26
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Qiao Y, Wang Z, Tan F, Chen J, Lin J, Yang J, Li H, Wang X, Sali A, Zhang L, Zhong G. Enhancer Reprogramming within Pre-existing Topologically Associated Domains Promotes TGF-β-Induced EMT and Cancer Metastasis. Mol Ther 2020; 28:2083-2095. [PMID: 32526202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling-triggered epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is associated with tumor stemness, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. However, the epigenomic basis for TGF-β-induced EMT remains largely unknown. Here we reveal that HDAC1-mediated global histone deacetylation and the gain of specific histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac)-marked enhancers are essential for the TGF-β-induced EMT process. Enhancers gained upon TGF-β treatment are linked to gene activation of EMT markers and cancer metastasis. Notably, dynamic enhancer gain or loss mainly occurs within pre-existing topologically associated domains (TADs) in epithelial cells, with minimal three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture reorganization. Through motif enrichment analysis of enhancers that are lost or gained upon TGF-β stimulation, we identify FOXA2 as a key factor to activate epithelial-specific enhancer activity, and we also find that TEAD4 forms a complex with SMAD2/3 to mediate TGF-β signaling-triggered mesenchymal enhancer reprogramming. Together, our results implicate that key transcription-factor (TF)-mediated enhancer reprogramming modulates the developmental transition in TGF-β signaling-associated cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunbo Qiao
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Zejian Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fangzhi Tan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jianxiang Lin
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jie Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hui Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiongjun Wang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Andrej Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Liye Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Guisheng Zhong
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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27
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Tang X, Li G, Su F, Cai Y, Shi L, Meng Y, Liu Z, Sun J, Wang M, Qian M, Wang Z, Xu X, Cheng YX, Zhu WG, Liu B. HDAC8 cooperates with SMAD3/4 complex to suppress SIRT7 and promote cell survival and migration. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:2912-2923. [PMID: 31970414 PMCID: PMC7102950 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
NAD+-dependent SIRT7 deacylase plays essential roles in ribosome biogenesis, stress response, genome integrity, metabolism and aging, while how it is transcriptionally regulated is still largely unclear. TGF-β signaling is highly conserved in multicellular organisms, regulating cell growth, cancer stemness, migration and invasion. Here, we demonstrate that histone deacetylase HDAC8 forms complex with SMAD3/4 heterotrimer and occupies SIRT7 promoter, wherein it deacetylates H4 and thus suppresses SIRT7 transcription. Treatment with HDAC8 inhibitor compromises TGF-β signaling via SIRT7-SMAD4 axis and consequently, inhibits lung metastasis and improves chemotherapy efficacy in breast cancer. Our data establish a regulatory feedback loop of TGF-β signaling, wherein HDAC8 as a novel cofactor of SMAD3/4 complex, transcriptionally suppresses SIRT7 via local chromatin remodeling and thus further activates TGF-β signaling. Targeting HDAC8 exhibits therapeutic potential for TGF-β signaling related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Tang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guo Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fengting Su
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yanlin Cai
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuan Meng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zuojun Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Minxian Qian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zimei Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Carson International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xingzhi Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Carson International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yong-Xian Cheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei-Guo Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Carson International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Baohua Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systemic Aging and Intervention, National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (Shenzhen), Medical Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Carson International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518055, China
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28
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Das SK, Maji S, Wechman SL, Bhoopathi P, Pradhan AK, Talukdar S, Sarkar D, Landry J, Guo C, Wang XY, Cavenee WK, Emdad L, Fisher PB. MDA-9/Syntenin (SDCBP): Novel gene and therapeutic target for cancer metastasis. Pharmacol Res 2020; 155:104695. [PMID: 32061839 PMCID: PMC7551653 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The primary cause of cancer-related death from solid tumors is metastasis. While unraveling the mechanisms of this complicated process continues, our ability to effectively target and treat it to decrease patient morbidity and mortality remains disappointing. Early detection of metastatic lesions and approaches to treat metastases (both pharmacological and genetic) are of prime importance to obstruct this process clinically. Metastasis is complex involving both genetic and epigenetic changes in the constantly evolving tumor cell. Moreover, many discrete steps have been identified in metastatic spread, including invasion, intravasation, angiogenesis, attachment at a distant site (secondary seeding), extravasation and micrometastasis and tumor dormancy development. Here, we provide an overview of the metastatic process and highlight a unique pro-metastatic gene, melanoma differentiation associated gene-9/Syntenin (MDA-9/Syntenin) also called syndecan binding protein (SDCBP), which is a major contributor to the majority of independent metastatic events. MDA-9 expression is elevated in a wide range of carcinomas and other cancers, including melanoma, glioblastoma multiforme and neuroblastoma, suggesting that it may provide an appropriate target to intervene in metastasis. Pre-clinical studies confirm that inhibiting MDA-9 either genetically or pharmacologically profoundly suppresses metastasis. An additional benefit to blocking MDA-9 in metastatic cells is sensitization of these cells to a second therapeutic agent, which converts anti-invasion effects to tumor cytocidal effects. Continued mechanistic and therapeutic insights hold promise to advance development of truly effective therapies for metastasis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swadesh K Das
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Santanu Maji
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Stephen L Wechman
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Praveen Bhoopathi
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Anjan K Pradhan
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sarmistha Talukdar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Devanand Sarkar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Joseph Landry
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Chunqing Guo
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xiang-Yang Wang
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Webster K Cavenee
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Luni Emdad
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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29
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Han J, Shen X. Long noncoding RNAs in osteosarcoma via various signaling pathways. J Clin Lab Anal 2020; 34:e23317. [PMID: 32249459 PMCID: PMC7307344 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is one of the most commonly seen bone malignancies with high incidence rate in both children and adults. Although the regulatory network of osteosarcoma has been greatly concerned for years, the mechanisms regarding its oncogenesis and development are still not clear. Recent discoveries have revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in the development, progression, and invasion of osteosarcoma. Deregulated expression of lncRNAs has been found to participate in the regulation of various signaling transduction pathways in osteosarcoma. This review summarized roles of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis, development, and potential therapeutic of osteosarcoma via different signaling pathways. For examples, MALAT1, CCAT2, FER1L4, LOXL1‐AS1, OIP5‐AS1, PVT1, DBH‐AS1, and AWPPH regulate PI3K/Akt signaling; AWPPH and BE503655 regulate Wnt/β‐catenin signaling; NKILA and XIST regulate NF‐κB signaling; MEG3 and SNHG12 regulate Notch signaling; FOXD2‐AS1 and LINK‐A regulate HIF‐1α signaling; GClnc1 and HOTAIR regulate P53 signaling; ZFAS1, H19, and MALAT1 regulate MAPK, Hedgehog and Rac1/JNK signaling, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaohan Shen
- Ningbo Diagnostic Pathology Center (Shanghai Cancer Center Ningbo Pathology Center), Ningbo, China.,Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, China
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30
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Li DD, Deng L, Hu SY, Zhang FL, Li DQ. SH3BGRL2 exerts a dual function in breast cancer growth and metastasis and is regulated by TGF-β1. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:1238-1254. [PMID: 32368399 PMCID: PMC7191107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
SH3 domain-binding glutamic acid-rich-like protein 2 (SH3BGRL2) is a poorly defined member of the SH3BGR gene family with potential roles in cell differentiation and tissue development. Here, we report for the first time that SH3BGRL2 exerts a dual function in breast tumor growth and metastasis. SH3BGRL2 was downregulated in a subset of primary breast tumors, and suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Strikingly, SH3BGRL2 enhanced breast cancer cell migratory, invasive, and lung metastatic capacity. Mechanistic investigations revealed that SH3BGRL2 interacted with and transcriptionally repressed spectrin alpha, non-erythrocytic 1 (SPTAN1) and spectrin beta, non-erythrocytic 1 (SPTBN1), two important cytoskeletal proteins. Functional rescue assays further demonstrated that depletion of SH3BGRL2 reduced breast cancer cell invasive potential, which was partially rescued by knockdown of SPTAN1 and SPTBN1 using specific small interfering RNA. Moreover, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) transcriptionally activated SH3BGRL2 expression in breast cancer cells through the canonical TGF-β receptor-Smad pathway. Collectively, these results establish a dual function of SH3BGRL2 in breast cancer growth and metastasis and uncover SH3BGRL2 as a downstream target of the TGF-β1 signaling pathway in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dou-Dou Li
- Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
| | - Ling Deng
- Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
| | - Shu-Yuan Hu
- Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
| | - Fang-Lin Zhang
- Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
| | - Da-Qiang Li
- Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, China
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31
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Yu SJ, Greten TF. Deciphering and Reversing Immunosuppressive Cells in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF LIVER CANCER 2020; 20:1-16. [PMID: 37383056 PMCID: PMC10035699 DOI: 10.17998/jlc.20.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been partially successful. However, most HCC patients do not respond to immunotherapy. HCC has been shown to induce several immune suppressor mechanisms in patients. These suppressor mechanisms include involvement of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T-cells, functionally impaired dendritic cells (DCs), neutrophils, monocytes, and tumor associated macrophages. The accumulation of immunosuppressive cells may lead to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment as well as the dense fibrotic stroma which may contribute to immune tolerance. Our laboratory has been investigating different cellular mechanisms of immune suppression in HCC patients. In vitro as well as in vivo studies have demonstrated that abrogation of the suppressor cells enhances or unmasks tumor-specific antitumor immune responses. Two or three effective systemic therapies including ICIs and/or molecular targeted therapies and the addition of innovative combination therapies targeting immune suppressor cells may lead to increased immune recognition with a greater tumor response. We reviewed the literature for the latest research on immune suppressor cells in HCC, and here we provide a comprehensive summary of the recent studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jong Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tim F. Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
- NCI CCR Liver Cancer Program, Bethesda, USA
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32
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Huynh LK, Hipolito CJ, ten Dijke P. A Perspective on the Development of TGF-β Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9110743. [PMID: 31744193 PMCID: PMC6921009 DOI: 10.3390/biom9110743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a secreted multifunctional cytokine that signals via plasma membrane TGF-β type I and type II receptors and intercellular SMAD transcriptional effectors. Aberrant inter- and intracellular TGF-β signaling can contribute to cancer progression. In normal cells and early stages of cancer, TGF-β can stimulate epithelial growth arrest and elicit a tumor suppressor function. However, in late stages of cancer, when the cytostatic effects of TGF-β in cancer cells are blocked, TGF-β signaling can act as tumor promoter by its ability to stimulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells, by stimulating angiogenesis, and by promoting evasion of immune responses. In this review, we will discuss the rationale and challenges of targeting TGF-β signaling in cancer and summarize the clinical status of TGF-β signaling inhibitors that interfere with TGF−β bioavailability, TGF-β/receptor interaction, or TGF-β receptor kinase function. Moreover, we will discuss targeting of TGF-β signaling modulators and downstream effectors as well as alternative approaches by using promising technologies that may lead to entirely new classes of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linh Khanh Huynh
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan;
| | - Christopher John Hipolito
- Cancer Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan;
- Peptide Core Facility, Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Peter ten Dijke
- Cancer Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan;
- Oncode Institute and Cell Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-71-526-9271; Fax: +31-71-526-8270
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33
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Shirvani-Farsani Z, Behmanesh M. RNAi-mediated knockdown of VDR surprisingly suppresses cell growth in Jurkat T and U87-MG cells. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02837. [PMID: 31763486 PMCID: PMC6861732 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear receptor for 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3. VDR is expressed in many types of cells and involved in different biological processes such as immunity and inflammation. In addition, the role for VDR has been indicated in different diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, we investigated the effects of VDR knockdown on growth, apoptosis, cell cycle, and some inflammatory gene expressions in Jurkat and U87-MG cell lines. The cell lines were transfected with plasmids encoding short hairpin RNA specific to VDR mRNA. Next, growth, apoptosis, and cell cycle were evaluated using MTT assay and annexin VDR along with flowcytometry. Then the mRNA expression of some genes was determined by real-time PCR at 24 h and 48 h after transfection. The cell growth and apoptosis of VDR-shRNA transfected Jurkat T cells and U87-MG cells were surprisingly changed compared with those in control cells. The expression of IL-10, NF-KB, TGF-β1, TGF-β R I, and TGF-β R II in two cell lines transfected with VDR-shRNA was significantly changed compared to control cells. VDR showed a new unexpected function to control cell growth in vitro. In addition, while VDR knocking down in two different cell lines of U87-MG and Jurkat cells had different effects on NF-kB and TGF-beta expression levels, its effects on cell growth and apoptosis were similar. This may suggest that these two different cell lines can show similar anti-proliferative effects by different downstream signalling pathways. Therefore, these data may be useful to design novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods for diseases such as MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Shirvani-Farsani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Mehrdad Behmanesh
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran
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34
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Yang Y, Yang HH, Tang B, Wu AML, Flanders KC, Moshkovich N, Weinberg DS, Welsh MA, Weng J, Ochoa HJ, Hu TY, Herrmann MA, Chen J, Edmondson EF, Simpson RM, Liu F, Liu H, Lee MP, Wakefield LM. The Outcome of TGFβ Antagonism in Metastatic Breast Cancer Models In Vivo Reflects a Complex Balance between Tumor-Suppressive and Proprogression Activities of TGFβ. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 26:643-656. [PMID: 31582516 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-2370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE TGFβs are overexpressed in many advanced cancers and promote cancer progression through mechanisms that include suppression of immunosurveillance. Multiple strategies to antagonize the TGFβ pathway are in early-phase oncology trials. However, TGFβs also have tumor-suppressive activities early in tumorigenesis, and the extent to which these might be retained in advanced disease has not been fully explored. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN A panel of 12 immunocompetent mouse allograft models of metastatic breast cancer was tested for the effect of neutralizing anti-TGFβ antibodies on lung metastatic burden. Extensive correlative biology analyses were performed to assess potential predictive biomarkers and probe underlying mechanisms. RESULTS Heterogeneous responses to anti-TGFβ treatment were observed, with 5 of 12 models (42%) showing suppression of metastasis, 4 of 12 (33%) showing no response, and 3 of 12 (25%) showing an undesirable stimulation (up to 9-fold) of metastasis. Inhibition of metastasis was immune-dependent, whereas stimulation of metastasis was immune-independent and targeted the tumor cell compartment, potentially affecting the cancer stem cell. Thus, the integrated outcome of TGFβ antagonism depends on a complex balance between enhancing effective antitumor immunity and disrupting persistent tumor-suppressive effects of TGFβ on the tumor cell. Applying transcriptomic signatures derived from treatment-naïve mouse primary tumors to human breast cancer datasets suggested that patients with breast cancer with high-grade, estrogen receptor-negative disease are most likely to benefit from anti-TGFβ therapy. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to dogma, tumor-suppressive responses to TGFβ are retained in some advanced metastatic tumors. Safe deployment of TGFβ antagonists in the clinic will require good predictive biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yang
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Howard H Yang
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Binwu Tang
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Alex Man Lai Wu
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kathleen C Flanders
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nellie Moshkovich
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Douglas S Weinberg
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michael A Welsh
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jia Weng
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Humberto J Ochoa
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tiffany Y Hu
- Collaborative Protein Technology Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michelle A Herrmann
- Collaborative Protein Technology Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jinqiu Chen
- Collaborative Protein Technology Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elijah F Edmondson
- Pathology Histotechnology Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - R Mark Simpson
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Fang Liu
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Huaitian Liu
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Maxwell P Lee
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lalage M Wakefield
- Lab of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
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35
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Singh S, Chakrabarti R. Consequences of EMT-Driven Changes in the Immune Microenvironment of Breast Cancer and Therapeutic Response of Cancer Cells. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8050642. [PMID: 31075939 PMCID: PMC6572359 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8050642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process through which epithelial cells lose their epithelial characteristics and cell–cell contact, thus increasing their invasive potential. In addition to its well-known roles in embryonic development, wound healing, and regeneration, EMT plays an important role in tumor progression and metastatic invasion. In breast cancer, EMT both increases the migratory capacity and invasive potential of tumor cells, and initiates protumorigenic alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In particular, recent evidence has linked increased expression of EMT markers such as TWIST1 and MMPs in breast tumors with increased immune infiltration in the TME. These immune cells then provide cues that promote immune evasion by tumor cells, which is associated with enhanced tumor progression and metastasis. In the current review, we will summarize the current knowledge of the role of EMT in the biology of different subtypes of breast cancer. We will further explore the correlation between genetic switches leading to EMT and EMT-induced alterations within the TME that drive tumor growth and metastasis, as well as their possible effect on therapeutic response in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snahlata Singh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Rumela Chakrabarti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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36
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Wells A, Clark A, Bradshaw A, Ma B, Edington H. The great escape: How metastases of melanoma, and other carcinomas, avoid elimination. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019; 243:1245-1255. [PMID: 30764707 DOI: 10.1177/1535370218820287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPACT STATEMENT Cancers kill mainly because metastatic disease is resistant to systemic therapies. It was hoped that newer targeted and immunomodulatory interventions could overcome these issues. However, recent findings point to a generalized resistance to elimination imparted by both cancer-intrinsic and -extrinsic changes to provide survival advantages to the disseminated tumor cells. Here, we present a novel conceptual framework for the microenvironmental inputs and changes that contribute to this generalized therapeutic resistance. In addition we address the issues of experimental systems in terms of studying this phenomenon with their advantages and limitations. This is meant to spur studies into this critical aspect of tumor progression that directly leads to cancer mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Wells
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,2 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,3 Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA.,4 McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,5 Hillman Cancer Centers of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Amanda Clark
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Andrew Bradshaw
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,3 Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA
| | - Bo Ma
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,3 Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA.,5 Hillman Cancer Centers of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Howard Edington
- 6 Department of Surgery, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
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37
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Downregulation of TRAIL-Receptor 1 Increases TGFβ Type II Receptor Expression and TGFβ Signalling Via MicroRNA-370-3p in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10110399. [PMID: 30366420 PMCID: PMC6267290 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10110399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of perturbations in signalling pathways resulting in an apoptosis-insensitive phenotype is largely responsible for the desperate prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Accumulating evidence suggests that the death receptors TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 play important roles in PDAC biology by acting as either tumour suppressors through induction of cell death or tumour promoters through induction of pro-inflammatory signalling, invasion and metastasis. TRAIL-R2 can also associate with nuclear proteins and alter the maturation of micro RNAs (miRs). By genome-wide miR profiling and quantitative PCR analyses we now demonstrate that knockdown of TRAIL-R1 in PDAC cells decreased the level of mature miR-370 and led to an increased abundance of the type II receptor for transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). Transfection of cells with an artificial miR-370-3p decreased the levels of TGFβ-RII. We further show that transient expression of the miR-370 mimic decreased TGFβ1-induced expression of SERPINE1 encoding plasminogen activator-inhibitor 1 and partially relieved TGFβ1-induced growth inhibition. Moreover, stable TRAIL-R1 knockdown in Colo357 cells increased TGFβ1-induced SERPINE1 expression and this effect was partially reversed by transient expression of the miR-370 mimic. Finally, after transient knockdown of TRAIL-R1 in Panc1 cells there was a tendency towards enhanced activation of Smad2 and JNK1/2 signalling by exogenous TGFβ1. Taken together, our study reveals that TRAIL-R1 through regulation of miR-370 can decrease the sensitivity of PDAC cells to TGFβ and therefore represents a potential tumour suppressor in late-stage PDAC.
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Sun C, Sun Y, Zhang E. Long non-coding RNA SNHG20 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell migration and invasion by upregulating TGF-β1. Exp Ther Med 2018; 16:4967-4974. [PMID: 30546404 PMCID: PMC6257038 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Small nucleolar RNA host gene 20 (SNHG20) has been reported to serve roles in several types of malignancies, while its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains unknown. In the present study, tumor tissues and adjacent healthy tissues of patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, as well as blood samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and heathy controls were collected, and expression levels of SNHG20 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic curve and survival curve analyses were performed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic values of SNHG20 expression for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, respectively. Associations between serum expression levels of SNHG20 and clinical data of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were analyzed using χ2 test. A SNHG20 expression vector was constructed and transfected into nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell assays. Expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was detected by western blotting. Results indicated that the expression level of SNHG20 increased in cancer tissues compared with healthy tissues of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Serum level of SNHG20 increased in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared with healthy controls. Significant association was identified between serum levels of SNHG20 and distant tumor metastasis. Serum SNHG20 could serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Overexpression of SNHG20 promoted nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell migration and invasion, and promoted the expression of TGF-β1. TGF-β1 inhibitor reduced the effects of SNHG20 overexpression on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell migration and invasion, and exhibited no significant effect on SNHG20 expression. Therefore, the results of the present study indicated that lncRNA SNHG20 could promote the migration and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by upregulating TGF-β1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caibo Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Second Municipal Hospital of Wei Hai Affiliated to Qing Dao University, Weihai, Shandong 264200, P.R. China
| | - Yuning Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Second Municipal Hospital of Wei Hai Affiliated to Qing Dao University, Weihai, Shandong 264200, P.R. China
| | - Endong Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Second Municipal Hospital of Wei Hai Affiliated to Qing Dao University, Weihai, Shandong 264200, P.R. China
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Poltavets V, Kochetkova M, Pitson SM, Samuel MS. The Role of the Extracellular Matrix and Its Molecular and Cellular Regulators in Cancer Cell Plasticity. Front Oncol 2018; 8:431. [PMID: 30356678 PMCID: PMC6189298 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The microenvironment encompasses all components of a tumor other than the cancer cells themselves. It is highly heterogenous, comprising a cellular component that includes immune cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and endothelial cells, and a non-cellular component, which is a meshwork of polymeric proteins and accessory molecules, termed the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM provides both a biochemical and biomechanical context within which cancer cells exist. Cancer progression is dependent on the ability of cancer cells to traverse the ECM barrier, access the circulation and establish distal metastases. Communication between cancer cells and the microenvironment is therefore an important aspect of tumor progression. Significant progress has been made in identifying the molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to subvert the immune component of the microenvironment to facilitate tumor growth and spread. While much less is known about how the tumor cells adapt to changes in the ECM nor indeed how they influence ECM structure and composition, the importance of the ECM to cancer progression is now well established. Plasticity refers to the ability of cancer cells to modify their physiological characteristics, permitting them to survive hostile microenvironments and resist therapy. Examples include the acquisition of stemness characteristics and the epithelial-mesenchymal and mesenchymal-epithelial transitions. There is emerging evidence that the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the ECM influence cancer cell plasticity and vice versa. Outstanding challenges for the field remain the identification of the cellular mechanisms by which cancer cells establish tumor-promoting ECM characteristics and delineating the key molecular mechanisms underlying ECM-induced cancer cell plasticity. Here we summarize the current state of understanding about the relationships between cancer cells and the main stromal cell types of the microenvironment that determine ECM characteristics, and the key molecular pathways that govern this three-way interaction to regulate cancer cell plasticity. We postulate that a comprehensive understanding of this dynamic system will be required to fully exploit opportunities for targeting the ECM regulators of cancer cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Poltavets
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Marina Kochetkova
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stuart M Pitson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael S Samuel
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Wang M, Jia M, Yuan K. MicroRNA-663b promotes cell proliferation and epithelial mesenchymal transition by directly targeting SMAD7 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Exp Ther Med 2018; 16:3129-3134. [PMID: 30250517 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) serve important roles in the development of various types of human cancer, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In the present study, the expression levels of miR-663b in NPC were investigated and its role and underlying mechanisms were examined. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to assess miR-663b expression levels in NPC tissues and C666-1 cells. TargetScan was applied to predict the putative targets of miR-663b and the dual luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the predictions. To investigate the role of miR-663b in NPC, the NPC C666-1 cell line was transfected with miR-663b mimics, miR-663b inhibitors or negative control. The Cell Counting kit-8 assay was performed for cell proliferation detection and western blot analysis was applied to determine the expression levels of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins. Results indicated that when compared with the adjacent normal tissues and the normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells, miR-663b expression levels were significantly upregulated in the NPC tissues and the NPC cells (P<0.01). Notably, SMAD7 is a target gene of miR-663b and may be inhibited by miR-663b. Results indicated that NPC cell proliferation was significantly promoted by miR-663b mimics and significantly inhibited by miR-663b inhibitors (P<0.05 and P<0.01). In addition, the results indicated that, when compared with the negative control group the expression levels of E-cadherin were significantly decreased, whereas the expression levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were significantly increased in the cells of the miR-663b mimics group (P<0.05 and P<0.01). However, cells in the miR-663b inhibitors group exhibited the opposite effects. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that miR-663b functions as a tumor promoter in NPC via promoting NPC cell proliferation and EMT by directly targeting SMAD7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Wang
- Department of ENT, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei 430014, P.R. China
| | - Min Jia
- Department of ENT, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei 430014, P.R. China
| | - Kun Yuan
- Department of ENT, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei 430014, P.R. China
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Yang R, Liang J, Xu GX, Ding LM, Huang HM, Su QZ, Yan J, Li YC. Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B inhibits migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and impairs TGF-β/Smad2/3 expression. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:7730-7738. [PMID: 29849800 PMCID: PMC5962863 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in females worldwide and evidence suggests that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection may be implicated in the progress of breast cancer. HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) is the most abundant envelope protein and serves an important role in host cell entry. The present study aimed to clarify the role of HCMV gB in breast cancer cells. A HCMV gB construct (UL55) was generated and stable vUL55 gene lentivirus-transfected MDA-MB-231 cells were established. Subsequently, the effect of HCMV gB on the apoptosis and proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells was measured by flow cytometry and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Furthermore, whether HCMV gB may modulate MDA-MB-231 cell migration was examined using Transwell and cell scratch assays. In addition, alterations in HCMV gB-modulated protein levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and Mothers against decapentaplegic homologs 2/3 (Smad2/3) were detected using western blot analysis. The results indicated that UL55 cDNA was stably transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells, and that HCMV gB protein was stably expressed. No significant differences in cell apoptosis and proliferation between transfected (231-GB-OE) and negative control (231-NC) cells were observed, while the rate of cell migration was significantly decreased in the 231-GB-OE cells compared with the 231-NC cells. Additionally, the expression level of TGF-β and phosphorylation level of Smad2/3 were also decreased in 231-GB-OE cells compared with the 231-NC cells. Although certain previous studies indicated that HCMV infection was associated with breast carcinogenesis, the results of the present study indicate that the envelope protein HCMV gB exhibits no effect on cell apoptosis and proliferation, but inhibits breast cancer cell migration. This may be due to downregulated TGF-β/Smad signaling. Taken together, these studies may assist in developing anti-TGF-β agents that contribute to tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Jie Liang
- Institute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany
| | - Guo-Xiong Xu
- Center Laboratory, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Liu-Mei Ding
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Mei Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Qi-Zhu Su
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Chun Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
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Tang H, Massi D, Hemmings BA, Mandalà M, Hu Z, Wicki A, Xue G. AKT-ions with a TWIST between EMT and MET. Oncotarget 2018; 7:62767-62777. [PMID: 27623213 PMCID: PMC5308764 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Twist is an important regulator of cranial suture during embryogenesis. Closure of the neural tube is achieved via Twist-triggered cellular transition from an epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized by a remarkable increase in cell motility. In the absence of Twist activity, EMT and associated phenotypic changes in cell morphology and motility can also be induced, albeit moderately, by other transcription factor families, including Snail and Zeb. Aberrant EMT triggered by Twist in human mammary tumour cells was first reported to drive metastasis to the lung in a metastatic breast cancer model. Subsequent analysis of many types of carcinoma demonstrated overexpression of these unique EMT transcription factors, which statistically correlated with worse outcome, indicating their potential as biomarkers in the clinic. However, the mechanisms underlying their activation remain unclear. Interestingly, increasing evidence indicates they are selectively activated by distinct intracellular kinases, thereby acting as downstream effectors facilitating transduction of cytoplasmic signals into nucleus and reprogramming EMT and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) transcription to control cell plasticity. Understanding these relationships and emerging data indicating differential phosphorylation of Twist leads to complex and even paradoxical functionalities, will be vital to unlocking their potential in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniela Massi
- Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Brian A Hemmings
- Department of Mechanisms of Cancer, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mario Mandalà
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Zhengqiang Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Andreas Wicki
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gongda Xue
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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43
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Yousefi M, Nosrati R, Salmaninejad A, Dehghani S, Shahryari A, Saberi A. Organ-specific metastasis of breast cancer: molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying lung metastasis. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2018; 41:123-140. [PMID: 29568985 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-018-0376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in women and the second cause of cancer-related mortality world-wide. The majority of BC-related deaths is due to metastasis. Bone, lung, brain and liver are the primary target sites of BC metastasis. The clinical implications and mechanisms underlying bone metastasis have been reviewed before. Given the fact that BC lung metastasis (BCLM) usually produces symptoms only after the lungs have been vastly occupied with metastatic tumor masses, it is of paramount importance for diagnostic and prognostic, as well as therapeutic purposes to comprehend the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying BCLM. Here, we review current insights into the organ-specificity of BC metastasis, including the role of cancer stem cells in triggering BC spread, the traveling of tumor cells in the blood stream and their migration across endothelial barriers, their adaptation to the lung microenvironment and the initiation of metastatic colonization within the lung. CONCLUSIONS Detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying BCLM will shed a new light on the identification of novel molecular targets to impede daunting pulmonary metastases in patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meysam Yousefi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rahim Nosrati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Arash Salmaninejad
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sadegh Dehghani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Alireza Shahryari
- Stem Cell Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Alihossein Saberi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
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Amaro A, Angelini G, Mirisola V, Esposito AI, Reverberi D, Matis S, Maffei M, Giaretti W, Viale M, Gangemi R, Emionite L, Astigiano S, Cilli M, Bachmeier BE, Killian PH, Albini A, Pfeffer U. A highly invasive subpopulation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells shows accelerated growth, differential chemoresistance, features of apocrine tumors and reduced tumorigenicity in vivo. Oncotarget 2018; 7:68803-68820. [PMID: 27626697 PMCID: PMC5356591 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of an invasive phenotype is a prerequisite for metastasization, yet it is not clear whether or to which extent the invasive phenotype is linked to other features characteristic of metastatic cells. We selected an invasive subpopulation from the triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, performing repeated cycles of preparative assays of invasion through Matrigel covered membranes. The invasive sub-population of MDA-MB-231 cells exhibits stronger migratory capacity as compared to parental cells confirming the highly invasive potential of the selected cell line. Prolonged cultivation of these cells did not abolish the invasive phenotype. ArrayCGH, DNA index quantification and karyotype analyses confirmed a common genetic origin of the parental and invasive subpopulations and revealed discrete structural differences of the invasive subpopulation including increased ploidy and the absence of a characteristic amplification of chromosome 5p14.1-15.33. Gene expression analyses showed a drastically altered expression profile including features of apocrine breast cancers and of invasion related matrix-metalloproteases and cytokines. The invasive cells showed accelerated proliferation, increased apoptosis, and an altered pattern of chemo-sensitivity with lower IC50 values for drugs affecting the mitotic apparatus. However, the invasive cell population is significantly less tumorigenic in orthotopic mouse xenografts suggesting that the acquisition of the invasive capacity and the achievement of metastatic growth potential are distinct events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Amaro
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Giovanna Angelini
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Mirisola
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessia Isabella Esposito
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Daniele Reverberi
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Serena Matis
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Massimo Maffei
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Walter Giaretti
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Viale
- Biotherapy, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Rosaria Gangemi
- Biotherapy, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Emionite
- Animal Facility, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Simonetta Astigiano
- Immunology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Cilli
- Animal Facility, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
| | - Beatrice E Bachmeier
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter H Killian
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Adriana Albini
- Scientific and Technology Park, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Ulrich Pfeffer
- Molecular Pathology, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy
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Martinez AF, McCachren SS, Lee M, Murphy HA, Zhu C, Crouch BT, Martin HL, Erkanli A, Rajaram N, Ashcraft KA, Fontanella AN, Dewhirst MW, Ramanujam N. Metaboloptics: Visualization of the tumor functional landscape via metabolic and vascular imaging. Sci Rep 2018. [PMID: 29520098 PMCID: PMC5843602 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22480-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cancers adeptly modulate metabolism to thrive in fluctuating oxygen conditions; however, current tools fail to image metabolic and vascular endpoints at spatial resolutions needed to visualize these adaptations in vivo. We demonstrate a high-resolution intravital microscopy technique to quantify glucose uptake, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and SO2 to characterize the in vivo phentoypes of three distinct murine breast cancer lines. Tetramethyl rhodamine, ethyl ester (TMRE) was thoroughly validated to report on MMP in normal and tumor-bearing mice. Imaging MMP or glucose uptake together with vascular endpoints revealed that metastatic 4T1 tumors maintained increased glucose uptake across all SO2 (“Warburg effect”), and also showed increased MMP relative to normal tissue. Non-metastatic 67NR and 4T07 tumor lines both displayed increased MMP, but comparable glucose uptake, relative to normal tissue. The 4T1 peritumoral areas also showed a significant glycolytic shift relative to the tumor regions. During a hypoxic stress test, 4T1 tumors showed significant increases in MMP with corresponding significant drops in SO2, indicative of intensified mitochondrial metabolism. Conversely, 4T07 and 67NR tumors shifted toward glycolysis during hypoxia. Our findings underscore the importance of imaging metabolic endpoints within the context of a living microenvironment to gain insight into a tumor’s adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F Martinez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | | | - Marianne Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Helen A Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Caigang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian T Crouch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hannah L Martin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alaattin Erkanli
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Nirmala Ramanujam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Zhou C, Li J, Lin L, Shu R, Dong B, Cao D, Li Q, Wang Z. A targeted transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) blocker, TTB, inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Oncotarget 2018; 9:23102-23113. [PMID: 29796175 PMCID: PMC5955403 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) promotes cancer growth in late stage cancers. To inhibit the TGF-β pathway, we investigated a tumor-targeting TGF-β receptor blocker, TTB, and its role in tumor progress. The targeted TTB comprised of the extracellular domain of the TGF-β receptor II, the endoglin domain of TGF-β receptor III, and the human immuno-globin IgG1 constant fragment (Fc). To enhance tumor microenvironment targeting, a RGD peptide was fused at the N-terminal of TTB. The targeted TTB exhibited potent TGF-β neutralization activities, and inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion as well as colony formation. In xenograft models, the TTB had potent tumor inhibition activities. The TTB also attenuated the TGF-β1-induced Smad2 phosphorylation and epithelial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT), and suppressed breast cancer metastasis. Thus, the TTB is an effective TGF-β blocker with a potential for blocking excessive TGF-β induced pathogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhua Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,Center for Cellular & Structural Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,Center for Cellular & Structural Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Limin Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,Center for Cellular & Structural Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Rui Shu
- Ying Rui Inc., Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510009, China
| | - Bin Dong
- School of Biosciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510009, China
| | - Donglin Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, China
| | - Qing Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,Center for Cellular & Structural Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,Center for Cellular & Structural Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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Phenotypic and Functional Properties of Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory T Cells. Mediators Inflamm 2017; 2017:5458178. [PMID: 29463952 PMCID: PMC5804416 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5458178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells maintain immune homeostasis by suppressing excessive immune responses. Treg cells induce tolerance against self- and foreign antigens, thus preventing autoimmunity, allergy, graft rejection, and fetus rejection during pregnancy. However, Treg cells also infiltrate into tumors and inhibit antitumor immune responses, thus inhibiting anticancer therapy. Depleting whole Treg cell populations in the body to enhance anticancer treatments will produce deleterious autoimmune diseases. Therefore, understanding the precise nature of tumor-infiltrating Treg cells is essential for effectively targeting Treg cells in tumors. This review summarizes recent results relating to Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment, with particular emphasis on their accumulation, phenotypic, and functional properties, and targeting to enhance the efficacy of anticancer treatment.
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48
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Velloso FJ, Bianco AFR, Farias JO, Torres NEC, Ferruzo PYM, Anschau V, Jesus-Ferreira HC, Chang THT, Sogayar MC, Zerbini LF, Correa RG. The crossroads of breast cancer progression: insights into the modulation of major signaling pathways. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:5491-5524. [PMID: 29200866 PMCID: PMC5701508 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s142154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the disease with highest public health impact in developed countries. Particularly, breast cancer has the highest incidence in women worldwide and the fifth highest mortality in the globe, imposing a significant social and economic burden to society. The disease has a complex heterogeneous etiology, being associated with several risk factors that range from lifestyle to age and family history. Breast cancer is usually classified according to the site of tumor occurrence and gene expression profiling. Although mutations in a few key genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are associated with high breast cancer risk, the large majority of breast cancer cases are related to mutated genes of low penetrance, which are frequently altered in the whole population. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of breast cancer, including the several deregulated genes and related pathways linked to this pathology, is essential to ensure advances in early tumor detection and prevention. In this review, we outline key cellular pathways whose deregulation has been associated with breast cancer, leading to alterations in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the delicate hormonal balance of breast tissue cells. Therefore, here we describe some potential breast cancer-related nodes and signaling concepts linked to the disease, which can be positively translated into novel therapeutic approaches and predictive biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Valesca Anschau
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ted Hung-Tse Chang
- Cancer Genomics Group, International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Luiz F Zerbini
- Cancer Genomics Group, International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ricardo G Correa
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Lu Z, Tang Y, Luo J, Zhang S, Zhou X, Fu L. Advances in targeting the transforming growth factor β1 signaling pathway in lung cancer radiotherapy. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:5681-5687. [PMID: 29113195 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer was demonstrated to be the most lethal type of malignant tumor amongst humans in the global cancer statistics of 2012. As one of the primary treatments, radiotherapy has been reported to induce remission in, and even cure, patients with lung cancer. However, the side effects of radiotherapy may prove lethal in certain patients. In past decades, the transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) signaling pathway has been revealed to serve multiple functions in the control of lung cancer progression and the radiotherapy response. In mammals, this signaling pathway is initiated through activation of the TGFB1 receptor complex, which signals via cytoplasmic SMAD proteins or other downstream signaling pathways. Multiple studies have demonstrated that TGFB1 serves important functions in lung cancer radiotherapy. The present study summarized and reviewed recent progress in elucidating the function of the TGFB1 signaling pathway in predicting radiation pneumonitis, as well as current strategies for targeting the TGFB1 signaling pathway in lung cancer radiotherapy, which may provide potential targets for lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Yiting Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Judong Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Shuyu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Biology, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China
| | - Xifa Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213001, P.R. China
| | - Lei Fu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, P.R. China
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50
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Dai X, Fang M, Li S, Yan Y, Zhong Y, Du B. miR-21 is involved in transforming growth factor β1-induced chemoresistance and invasion by targeting PTEN in breast cancer. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:6929-6936. [PMID: 29151919 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) has been associated with poor outcomes in patients with breast cancer. However, the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of TGF-β1 in breast cancer remain unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the effects of components of the TGF-β/microRNA (miR-)21/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) signaling axis in breast cancer. TGF-β1 was identified to upregulate the expression of miR-21, and miR-21 was demonstrated to be significantly upregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with benign proliferative breast disease. In addition, the expression of miR-21 was significantly associated with increased TGF-β1 and clinical characteristics in patients, including tumor grade and lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). Furthermore, in the breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, TGF-β1 was revealed to induce the expression of miR-21 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The results of the present study additionally demonstrated that increased miR-21, in response to TGF-β1 signaling, was associated with tumor invasion and chemoresistance in vitro. In addition, suppression of PTEN was mediated by TGF-β1-induced expression of miR-21 in breast cancer cells and using a miR-21 inhibitor revitalized the expression of PTEN. The results of the present study explored the functions of TGF-β1-stimulated expression of miR-21 to suppress the PTEN axis, which promotes breast cancer progression and chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Dai
- Department of Pathology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Mao Fang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510436, P.R. China
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of Pathology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Yongrong Yan
- Department of Pathology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Bin Du
- Department of Pathology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China.,Division of Clinic Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
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