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Ash SL, Orha R, Mole H, Dinesh-Kumar M, Lee SP, Turrell FK, Isacke CM. Targeting the activated microenvironment with endosialin (CD248)-directed CAR-T cells ablates perivascular cells to impair tumor growth and metastasis. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008608. [PMID: 38413223 PMCID: PMC10900351 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeting of solid cancers with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells is limited by the lack of suitable tumor-specific antigens and the immunosuppressive, desmoplastic tumor microenvironment that impedes CAR-T cell infiltration, activity and persistence. We hypothesized that targeting the endosialin (CD248) receptor, strongly expressed by tumor-associated pericytes and perivascular cancer-associated fibroblasts, would circumvent these challenges and offer an exciting antigen for CAR-T cell therapy due to the close proximity of target cells to the tumor vasculature, the limited endosialin expression in normal tissues and the lack of phenotype observed in endosialin knockout mice. METHODS We generated endosialin-directed E3K CAR-T cells from three immunocompetent mouse strains, BALB/c, FVB/N and C57BL/6. E3K CAR-T cell composition (CD4+/CD8+ ratio), activity in vitro against endosialin+ and endosialin- cells, and expansion and activity in vivo in syngeneic tumor models as well as in tumor-naive healthy and wounded mice and tumor-bearing endosialin knockout mice was assessed. RESULTS E3K CAR-T cells were active in vitro against both mouse and human endosialin+, but not endosialin-, cells. Adoptively transferred E3K CAR-T cells exhibited no activity in endosialin knockout mice, tumor-naive endosialin wildtype mice or in wound healing models, demonstrating an absence of off-target and on-target/off-tumor activity. By contrast, adoptive transfer of E3K CAR-T cells into BALB/c, FVB/N or C57BL/6 mice bearing syngeneic breast or lung cancer lines depleted target cells in the tumor stroma resulting in increased tumor necrosis, reduced tumor growth and a substantial impairment in metastatic outgrowth. CONCLUSIONS Together these data highlight endosialin as a viable antigen for CAR-T cell therapy and that targeting stromal cells closely associated with the tumor vasculature avoids CAR-T cells having to navigate the harsh immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Further, the ability of E3K CAR-T cells to recognize and target both mouse and human endosialin+ cells makes a humanized and optimized E3K CAR a promising candidate for clinical development applicable to a broad range of solid tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Ash
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Holly Mole
- University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | - Frances K Turrell
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Godinho-Pereira J, Vaz D, Figueira I, Aniceto-Romão J, Krizbai I, Malhó R, Rocha J, Carvalheiro MC, Simões S, Gaspar MM, Brito MA. Breast Cancer Brain Metastases: Implementation and Characterization of a Mouse Model Relying on Malignant Cells Inoculation in the Carotid Artery. Cells 2023; 12:2076. [PMID: 37626886 PMCID: PMC10453310 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) brain metastases (BCBM) is a severe condition frequently occurring in the triple-negative subtype. The study of BCBM pathogenesis and treatment has been hampered by the difficulty in establishing a reliable animal model that faithfully recapitulates the preferential formation of brain metastases. The injection of BC cells in the carotid artery of mice has been proposed but the procedure is challenging, with the metastatic pattern being scarcely characterized. In this work, we thoroughly describe an improved procedure, highlighting the tricks and challenges of the process, and providing a characterization of the brain and peripheral metastatic pattern at the cellular and molecular level. Triple-negative BC (4T1) cells were inoculated in the common carotid artery of BALB/c mice. Brains and peripheral organs were harvested at 7-14 days for the histological characterization of the metastases' pattern and the immunofluorescence analysis of specific markers. With our surgical procedure, both mouse death and procedure-associated weight loss were negligible. Brain metastases mostly occurred in the hippocampus, while sparse peripheral lesions were only detected in the lungs. Brain-colonizing BC cells presented proliferative (Ki-67) and epithelial (pan-cytokeratin and tomato lectin) features, which account for metastases' establishment. The presented surgical approach constitutes an important and reliable tool for BCBM studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Godinho-Pereira
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniela Vaz
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Figueira
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Farm-ID—Faculty of Pharmacy Research and Development Association, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Aniceto-Romão
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Istvan Krizbai
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), 6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, Str. Liviu Rebreanu 86, 310414 Arad, Romania
| | - Rui Malhó
- BioISI—Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1746-016 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - João Rocha
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Health Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Manuela Colla Carvalheiro
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Health Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sandra Simões
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Health Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Manuela Gaspar
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Health Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Alexandra Brito
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.G.-P.); (D.V.); (I.F.); (J.A.-R.); (J.R.); (M.C.C.); (S.S.); (M.M.G.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
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Farahani MK, Gharibshahian M, Rezvani A, Vaez A. Breast cancer brain metastasis: from etiology to state-of-the-art modeling. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:41. [PMID: 37386445 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00352-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, breast carcinoma is the most common form of malignancy and the main cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. The metastasis of cancer cells from the primary tumor site to other organs in the body, notably the lungs, bones, brain, and liver, is what causes breast cancer to ultimately be fatal. Brain metastases occur in as many as 30% of patients with advanced breast cancer, and the 1-year survival rate of these patients is around 20%. Many researchers have focused on brain metastasis, but due to its complexities, many aspects of this process are still relatively unclear. To develop and test novel therapies for this fatal condition, pre-clinical models are required that can mimic the biological processes involved in breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). The application of many breakthroughs in the area of tissue engineering has resulted in the development of scaffold or matrix-based culture methods that more accurately imitate the original extracellular matrix (ECM) of metastatic tumors. Furthermore, specific cell lines are now being used to create three-dimensional (3D) cultures that can be used to model metastasis. These 3D cultures satisfy the requirement for in vitro methodologies that allow for a more accurate investigation of the molecular pathways as well as a more in-depth examination of the effects of the medication being tested. In this review, we talk about the latest advances in modeling BCBM using cell lines, animals, and tissue engineering methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maliheh Gharibshahian
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Alireza Rezvani
- Hematology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Vaez
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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Han M, Guo Y, Li Y, Zeng Q, Zhu W, Jiang J. SMURF2 facilitates ubiquitin-mediated degradation of ID2 to attenuate lung cancer cell proliferation. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:3324-3340. [PMID: 37497010 PMCID: PMC10367561 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.80979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
SMAD-specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (SMURF2) functions as either a tumor promoter or tumor suppressor in several tumors. However, the detailed effect of SMURF2 on non-small cell lung cancer has not been fully understood. In this study, SMURF2 expression and its diagnostic value were analyzed. Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), proximity ligation assay (PLA), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and nude mice tumor-bearing model were applied to further clarify the role of SMURF2 in lung cancer. SMURF2 expression was reduced in the tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC and high SMURF2 expression was significantly correlated with favorable outcomes. Furthermore, the overexpression of SMURF2 significantly inhibited lung cancer cell progression. Mechanistically, SMURF2 interacted with inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (ID2), subsequently promoting the poly-ubiquitination and degradation of ID2 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Downregulated ID2 in lung cells dissociates endogenous transcription factor E2A, a positive regulator of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, and finally induces G1/S arrest in lung cancer cells. This study revealed that the manipulation of ID2 via SMURF2 may control tumor progression and contribute to the development of novel targeted antitumor drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jianli Jiang
- ✉ Corresponding author: Jianli Jiang, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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Bassey-Archibong BI, Rajendra Chokshi C, Aghaei N, Kieliszek AM, Tatari N, McKenna D, Singh M, Kalpana Subapanditha M, Parmar A, Mobilio D, Savage N, Lam F, Tokar T, Provias J, Lu Y, Chafe SC, Swanton C, Hynds RE, Venugopal C, Singh SK. An HLA-G/SPAG9/STAT3 axis promotes brain metastases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2205247120. [PMID: 36780531 PMCID: PMC9974476 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205247120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BM) are the most common brain neoplasm in adults. Current BM therapies still offer limited efficacy and reduced survival outcomes, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the disease. Herein, we analyzed the transcriptional profile of brain metastasis initiating cells (BMICs) at two distinct stages of the brain metastatic cascade-the "premetastatic" or early stage when they first colonize the brain and the established macrometastatic stage. RNA sequencing was used to obtain the transcriptional profiles of premetastatic and macrometastatic (non-premetastatic) lung, breast, and melanoma BMICs. We identified that lung, breast, and melanoma premetastatic BMICs share a common transcriptomic signature that is distinct from their non-premetastatic counterparts. Importantly, we show that premetastatic BMICs exhibit increased expression of HLA-G, which we further demonstrate functions in an HLA-G/SPAG9/STAT3 axis to promote the establishment of brain metastatic lesions. Our findings suggest that unraveling the molecular landscape of premetastatic BMICs allows for the identification of clinically relevant targets that can possibly inform the development of preventive and/or more efficacious BM therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chirayu Rajendra Chokshi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nikoo Aghaei
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Agata Monika Kieliszek
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nazanin Tatari
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Dillon McKenna
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mohini Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | - Arun Parmar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Daniel Mobilio
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Neil Savage
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Fred Lam
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tomas Tokar
- Osteoarthritis Research Program, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
- Data Science Discovery Centre for Chronic Diseases, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - John Provias
- Department of Anatomical Pathology (Neuropathology), Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Yu Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | - Charles Swanton
- The Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Edward Hynds
- The Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Chitra Venugopal
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sheila Kumari Singh
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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Boettger MK. What 'translating science' can learn from 'translating languages'. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103313. [PMID: 35787479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important steps in drug discovery is the translation of preclinical data to humans. However, the term 'translation' has numerous connotations and, often, different stakeholders literally speak different languages. Learning from many years of experience and new concepts in language translation could increase the success rate in translating biomedical research. Beyond being bilingual, this includes applying the concept of functional equivalence, the main characteristic of a good translation. Given that function is defined by the source language text, starting with the patient has advantages over the classical bench-to-bedside approach. Good translators need transfer competence, including knowledge of the limitations of translation. As with languages, computer-assisted translation(-al research) could support increasing functional equivalence and, thus, translation success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Boettger
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals, Research & Early Development Precision Medicine (RED preMED), Translational Clinical Sciences, Experimental Medicine, Aprather Weg 18a, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany; Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Institute of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
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7
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Loss of E-cadherin leads to Id2-dependent inhibition of cell cycle progression in metastatic lobular breast cancer. Oncogene 2022; 41:2932-2944. [PMID: 35437308 PMCID: PMC9122823 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02314-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) is characterized by proliferative indolence and long-term latency relapses. This study aimed to identify how disseminating ILC cells control the balance between quiescence and cell cycle re-entry. In the absence of anchorage, ILC cells undergo a sustained cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 while maintaining viability. From the genes that are upregulated in anchorage independent ILC cells, we selected Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (Id2), a mediator of cell cycle progression. Using loss-of-function experiments, we demonstrate that Id2 is essential for anchorage independent survival (anoikis resistance) in vitro and lung colonization in mice. Importantly, we find that under anchorage independent conditions, E-cadherin loss promotes expression of Id2 in multiple mouse and (organotypic) human models of ILC, an event that is caused by a direct p120-catenin/Kaiso-dependent transcriptional de-repression of the canonical Kaiso binding sequence TCCTGCNA. Conversely, stable inducible restoration of E-cadherin expression in the ILC cell line SUM44PE inhibits Id2 expression and anoikis resistance. We show evidence that Id2 accumulates in the cytosol, where it induces a sustained and CDK4/6-dependent G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through interaction with hypo-phosphorylated Rb. Finally, we find that Id2 is indeed enriched in ILC when compared to other breast cancers, and confirm cytosolic Id2 protein expression in primary ILC samples. In sum, we have linked mutational inactivation of E-cadherin to direct inhibition of cell cycle progression. Our work indicates that loss of E-cadherin and subsequent expression of Id2 drive indolence and dissemination of ILC. As such, E-cadherin and Id2 are promising candidates to stratify low and intermediate grade invasive breast cancers for the use of clinical cell cycle intervention drugs.
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Knier NN, Pellizzari S, Zhou J, Foster PJ, Parsyan A. Preclinical Models of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030667. [PMID: 35327469 PMCID: PMC8945440 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030667] [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: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide. Brain metastases confer extremely poor prognosis due to a lack of understanding of their specific biology, unique physiologic and anatomic features of the brain, and limited treatment strategies. A major roadblock in advancing the treatment of breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) is the scarcity of representative experimental preclinical models. Current models are predominantly based on the use of animal xenograft models with immortalized breast cancer cell lines that poorly capture the disease’s heterogeneity. Recent years have witnessed the development of patient-derived in vitro and in vivo breast cancer culturing systems that more closely recapitulate the biology from individual patients. These advances led to the development of modern patient-tissue-based experimental models for BCBM. The success of preclinical models is also based on the imaging technologies used to detect metastases. Advances in animal brain imaging, including cellular MRI and multimodality imaging, allow sensitive and specific detection of brain metastases and monitoring treatment responses. These imaging technologies, together with novel translational breast cancer models based on patient-derived cancer tissues, represent a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of brain metastases biology and develop novel treatment approaches. This review discusses the state-of-the-art knowledge in preclinical models of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha N. Knier
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (N.N.K.); (P.J.F.)
- Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Sierra Pellizzari
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
| | - Jiangbing Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Paula J. Foster
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (N.N.K.); (P.J.F.)
- Imaging Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Armen Parsyan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
- London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Science Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-519-646-4831; Fax: +1-519-646-6327
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Dahn ML, Walsh HR, Dean CA, Giacomantonio MA, Fernando W, Murphy JP, Walker OL, Wasson MCD, Gujar S, Pinto DM, Marcato P. Metabolite profiling reveals a connection between aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A3 and GABA metabolism in breast cancer metastasis. Metabolomics 2022; 18:9. [PMID: 34989902 PMCID: PMC8739322 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-021-01864-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A3 (ALDH1A3) is a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker and in breast cancer it is associated with triple-negative/basal-like subtypes and aggressive disease. Studies on the mechanisms of ALDH1A3 in cancer have primarily focused on gene expression changes induced by the enzyme; however, its effects on metabolism have thus far been unstudied and may reveal novel mechanisms of pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE Determine how ALDH1A3 alters the metabolite profile in breast cancer cells and assess potential impacts. METHOD Triple-negative MDA-MB-231 tumors and cells with manipulated ALDH1A3 levels were assessed by HPLC-MS metabolomics and metabolite data was integrated with transcriptome data. Mice harboring MDA-MB-231 tumors with or without altered ALDH1A3 expression were treated with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or placebo. Effects on tumor growth, and lungs and brain metastasis were quantified by staining of fixed thin sections and quantitative PCR. Breast cancer patient datasets from TCGA, METABRIC and GEO were used to assess the co-expression of GABA pathway genes with ALDH1A3. RESULTS Integrated metabolomic and transcriptome data identified GABA metabolism as a primary dysregulated pathway in ALDH1A3 expressing breast tumors. Both ALDH1A3 and GABA treatment enhanced metastasis. Patient dataset analyses revealed expression association between ALDH1A3 and GABA pathway genes and corresponding increased risk of metastasis. CONCLUSION This study revealed a novel pathway affected by ALDH1A3, GABA metabolism. Like ALDH1A3 expression, GABA treatment promotes metastasis. Given the clinical use of GABA mimics to relieve chemotherapy-induced peripheral nerve pain, further study of the effects of GABA in breast cancer progression is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Dahn
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Hayley R Walsh
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Cheryl A Dean
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | | | - J Patrick Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
| | - Olivia L Walker
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Shashi Gujar
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Devanand M Pinto
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Paola Marcato
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Rm 11C1, 5850 College Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
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Singh M, Dahal A, Brastianos PK. Preclinical Solid Tumor Models to Study Novel Therapeutics in Brain Metastases. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e284. [PMID: 34762346 PMCID: PMC8597918 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.284] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Metastases are the most common malignancy of the adult central nervous system and are becoming an increasingly troubling problem in oncology largely due to the lack of successful therapeutic options. The limited selection of treatments is a result of the currently poor understanding of the biological mechanisms of metastatic development, which in turn is difficult to achieve because of limited preclinical models that can accurately represent the clinical progression of metastasis. Described in this article are in vitro and in vivo model systems that are used to enhance the understanding of metastasis and to identify new therapies for the treatment of brain metastasis. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohini Singh
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ashish Dahal
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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11
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Kui L, Kong Q, Yang X, Pan Y, Xu Z, Wang S, Chen J, Wei K, Zhou X, Yang X, Wu T, Mastan A, Liu Y, Miao J. High-Throughput In Vitro Gene Expression Profile to Screen of Natural Herbals for Breast Cancer Treatment. Front Oncol 2021; 11:684351. [PMID: 34490085 PMCID: PMC8418118 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.684351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Some therapeutic drugs and approaches could cause side effects and weaken the immune system. The combination of conventional therapies and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) significantly improves treatment efficacy in breast cancer. However, the chemical composition and underlying anti-tumor mechanisms of TCM still need to be investigated. The primary aim of this study is to provide unique insights to screen the natural components for breast cancer therapy using high-throughput transcriptome analysis. Differentially expressed genes were identified based on two conditions: single samples and groups were classified according to their pharmaceutical effect. Subsequently, the sample treated with E. cochinchinensis Lour. generated the most significant DEGs set, including 1,459 DEGs, 805 upregulated and 654 downregulated. Similarly, group 3 treatment contained the most DEGs (414 DEGs, 311 upregulated and 103 downregulated). KEGG pathway analyses showed five significant pathways associated with the inflammatory and metastasis processes in cancer, which include the TNF, IL−17, NF-kappa B, MAPK signaling pathways, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. Samples were classified into 13 groups based on their pharmaceutical effects. The results of the KEGG pathway analyses remained consistent with signal samples; group 3 presents a high significance. A total of 21 genes were significantly regulated in these five pathways, interestingly, IL6, TNFAIP3, and BRIC3 were enriched on at least two pathways, seven genes (FOSL1, S100A9, CXCL12, ID2, PRS6KA3, AREG, and DUSP6) have been reported as the target biomarkers and even the diagnostic tools in cancer therapy. In addition, weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify 18 modules. Among them, blue and thistle2 were the most relevant modules. A total of 26 hub genes in blue and thistle2 modules were identified as the hub genes. In conclusion, we screened out three new TCM (R. communis L., E. cochinchinensis Lour., and B. fruticosa) that have the potential to develop natural drugs for breast cancer therapy, and obtained the therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Kui
- Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Qinghua Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaonan Yang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Resource Intelligent Creation, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, China
| | - Yunbing Pan
- Nowbio Biotechnology Company, Kunming, China
| | - Zetan Xu
- Nowbio Biotechnology Company, Kunming, China
| | | | - Jian Chen
- International Genome Center, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kunhua Wei
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Resource Intelligent Creation, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Resource Intelligent Creation, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, China
| | - Xingzhi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Tingqin Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anthati Mastan
- Research Center, Microbial Technology Laboratory, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Bangalore, India
| | - Yao Liu
- Baoji High-tech Hospital , Baoji, China
| | - Jianhua Miao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, Nanning, China.,School of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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12
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De Maria Marchiano R, Di Sante G, Piro G, Carbone C, Tortora G, Boldrini L, Pietragalla A, Daniele G, Tredicine M, Cesario A, Valentini V, Gallo D, Babini G, D’Oria M, Scambia G. Translational Research in the Era of Precision Medicine: Where We Are and Where We Will Go. J Pers Med 2021; 11:216. [PMID: 33803592 PMCID: PMC8002976 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of Precision Medicine has globally revolutionized the approach of translational research suggesting a patient-centric vision with therapeutic choices driven by the identification of specific predictive biomarkers of response to avoid ineffective therapies and reduce adverse effects. The spread of "multi-omics" analysis and the use of sensors, together with the ability to acquire clinical, behavioral, and environmental information on a large scale, will allow the digitization of the state of health or disease of each person, and the creation of a global health management system capable of generating real-time knowledge and new opportunities for prevention and therapy in the individual person (high-definition medicine). Real world data-based translational applications represent a promising alternative to the traditional evidence-based medicine (EBM) approaches that are based on the use of randomized clinical trials to test the selected hypothesis. Multi-modality data integration is necessary for example in precision oncology where an Avatar interface allows several simulations in order to define the best therapeutic scheme for each cancer patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero De Maria Marchiano
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy or (R.D.M.M.); (M.T.)
- Scientific Direction, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.D.); or (G.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy or (R.D.M.M.); (M.T.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Geny Piro
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Tortora
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of Oncology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Boldrini
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Hematology, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pietragalla
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Daniele
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Tredicine
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy or (R.D.M.M.); (M.T.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Alfredo Cesario
- Scientific Direction, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.D.); or (G.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Vincenzo Valentini
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Hematology, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Institute of di Radiology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Gallo
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Babini
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marika D’Oria
- Scientific Direction, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.D.); or (G.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Scientific Direction, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.D.); or (G.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); or (G.T.); (L.B.); (A.P.); (G.D.); or (V.V.); or (D.G.); (G.B.)
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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13
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Subia B, Dahiya UR, Mishra S, Ayache J, Casquillas GV, Caballero D, Reis RL, Kundu SC. Breast tumor-on-chip models: From disease modeling to personalized drug screening. J Control Release 2021; 331:103-120. [PMID: 33417986 PMCID: PMC8172385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.12.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide being the most common cancer among women. Despite the significant progress obtained during the past years in the understanding of breast cancer pathophysiology, women continue to die from it. Novel tools and technologies are needed to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and to better understand the molecular and cellular players involved in the progression of this disease. Typical methods employed by the pharmaceutical industry and laboratories to investigate breast cancer etiology and evaluate the efficiency of new therapeutic compounds are still based on traditional tissue culture flasks and animal models, which have certain limitations. Recently, tumor-on-chip technology emerged as a new generation of in vitro disease model to investigate the physiopathology of tumors and predict the efficiency of drugs in a native-like microenvironment. These microfluidic systems reproduce the functional units and composition of human organs and tissues, and importantly, the rheological properties of the native scenario, enabling precise control over fluid flow or local gradients. Herein, we review the most recent works related to breast tumor-on-chip for disease modeling and drug screening applications. Finally, we critically discuss the future applications of this emerging technology in breast cancer therapeutics and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bano Subia
- Elvesys Microfluidics Innovation Centre, Paris 75011, France..
| | | | - Sarita Mishra
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India..
| | - Jessica Ayache
- Elvesys Microfluidics Innovation Centre, Paris 75011, France..
| | | | - David Caballero
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs-Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Barco, Guimarãaes 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4805-017, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Rui L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs-Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Barco, Guimarãaes 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4805-017, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Subhas C Kundu
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs-Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Barco, Guimarãaes 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4805-017, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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14
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Masmudi-Martín M, Zhu L, Sanchez-Navarro M, Priego N, Casanova-Acebes M, Ruiz-Rodado V, Giralt E, Valiente M. Brain metastasis models: What should we aim to achieve better treatments? Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 169:79-99. [PMID: 33321154 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Brain metastasis is emerging as a unique entity in oncology based on its particular biology and, consequently, the pharmacological approaches that should be considered. We discuss the current state of modelling this specific progression of cancer and how these experimental models have been used to test multiple pharmacologic strategies over the years. In spite of pre-clinical evidences demonstrating brain metastasis vulnerabilities, many clinical trials have excluded patients with brain metastasis. Fortunately, this trend is getting to an end given the increasing importance of secondary brain tumors in the clinic and a better knowledge of the underlying biology. We discuss emerging trends and unsolved issues that will shape how we will study experimental brain metastasis in the years to come.
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15
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Onaciu A, Munteanu R, Munteanu VC, Gulei D, Raduly L, Feder RI, Pirlog R, Atanasov AG, Korban SS, Irimie A, Berindan-Neagoe I. Spontaneous and Induced Animal Models for Cancer Research. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:E660. [PMID: 32878340 PMCID: PMC7555044 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the complexity of the current framework in oncology, the relevance of animal models in biomedical research is critical in light of the capacity to produce valuable data with clinical translation. The laboratory mouse is the most common animal model used in cancer research due to its high adaptation to different environments, genetic variability, and physiological similarities with humans. Beginning with spontaneous mutations arising in mice colonies that allow for pursuing studies of specific pathological conditions, this area of in vivo research has significantly evolved, now capable of generating humanized mice models encompassing the human immune system in biological correlation with human tumor xenografts. Moreover, the era of genetic engineering, especially of the hijacking CRISPR/Cas9 technique, offers powerful tools in designing and developing various mouse strains. Within this article, we will cover the principal mouse models used in oncology research, beginning with behavioral science of animals vs. humans, and continuing on with genetically engineered mice, microsurgical-induced cancer models, and avatar mouse models for personalized cancer therapy. Moreover, the area of spontaneous large animal models for cancer research will be briefly presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Onaciu
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Raluca Munteanu
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Vlad Cristian Munteanu
- Department of Urology, The Oncology Institute “Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Diana Gulei
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Lajos Raduly
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
| | - Richard-Ionut Feder
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Radu Pirlog
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
- Department of Morphological Sciences, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Atanas G. Atanasov
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23 Acad. G. Bonchev str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Schuyler S. Korban
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- 11th Department of Surgical Oncology and Gynaecological Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, 34–36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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16
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Izraely S, Witz IP. Site-specific metastasis: A cooperation between cancer cells and the metastatic microenvironment. Int J Cancer 2020; 148:1308-1322. [PMID: 32761606 PMCID: PMC7891572 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The conclusion derived from the information provided in this review is that disseminating tumor cells (DTC) collaborate with the microenvironment of a future metastatic organ site in the establishment of organ‐specific metastasis. We review the basic principles of site‐specific metastasis and the contribution of the cross talk between DTC and the microenvironment of metastatic sites (metastatic microenvironment [MME]) to the establishment of the organ‐specific premetastatic niche; the targeted migration of DTC to the endothelium of the future organ‐specific metastasis; the transmigration of DTC to this site and the seeding and colonization of DTC in their future MME. We also discuss the role played by DTC‐MME interactions on tumor dormancy and on the differential response of tumor cells residing in different MMEs to antitumor therapy. Finally, we summarize some studies dealing with the effects of the MME on a unique site‐specific metastasis—brain metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Izraely
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Isaac P Witz
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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17
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Gumpinger AC, Lage K, Horn H, Borgwardt K. Prediction of cancer driver genes through network-based moment propagation of mutation scores. Bioinformatics 2020; 36:i508-i515. [PMID: 32657361 PMCID: PMC7355253 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the genetics underlying cancer development and progression is a central goal of biomedical research. Its accomplishment promises key mechanistic, diagnostic and therapeutic insights. One major step in this direction is the identification of genes that drive the emergence of tumors upon mutation. Recent advances in the field of computational biology have shown the potential of combining genetic summary statistics that represent the mutational burden in genes with biological networks, such as protein-protein interaction networks, to identify cancer driver genes. Those approaches superimpose the summary statistics on the nodes in the network, followed by an unsupervised propagation of the node scores through the network. However, this unsupervised setting does not leverage any knowledge on well-established cancer genes, a potentially valuable resource to improve the identification of novel cancer drivers. RESULTS We develop a novel node embedding that enables classification of cancer driver genes in a supervised setting. The embedding combines a representation of the mutation score distribution in a node's local neighborhood with network propagation. We leverage the knowledge of well-established cancer driver genes to define a positive class, resulting in a partially labeled dataset, and develop a cross-validation scheme to enable supervised prediction. The proposed node embedding followed by a supervised classification improves the predictive performance compared with baseline methods and yields a set of promising genes that constitute candidates for further biological validation. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Code available at https://github.com/BorgwardtLab/MoProEmbeddings. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja C Gumpinger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Machine Learning and Computational Biology Lab, ETH Zürich, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Kasper Lage
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Heiko Horn
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Karsten Borgwardt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Machine Learning and Computational Biology Lab, ETH Zürich, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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18
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Expression of Annexin A2 Promotes Cancer Progression in Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancers. Cells 2020; 9:cells9071582. [PMID: 32629869 PMCID: PMC7407301 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
When breast cancer progresses to a metastatic stage, survival rates decline rapidly and it is considered incurable. Thus, deciphering the critical mechanisms of metastasis is of vital importance to develop new treatment options. We hypothesize that studying the proteins that are newly synthesized during the metastatic processes of migration and invasion will greatly enhance our understanding of breast cancer progression. We conducted a mass spectrometry screen following bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging to elucidate changes in the nascent proteome that occur during epidermal growth factor stimulation in migrating and invading cells. Annexin A2 was identified in this screen and subsequent examination of breast cancer cell lines revealed that Annexin A2 is specifically upregulated in estrogen receptor negative (ER-) cell lines. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown showed that Annexin A2 expression promotes the proliferation, wound healing and directional migration of breast cancer cells. In patients, Annexin A2 expression is increased in ER- breast cancer subtypes. Additionally, high Annexin A2 expression confers a higher probability of distant metastasis specifically for ER- patients. This work establishes a pivotal role of Annexin A2 in breast cancer progression and identifies Annexin A2 as a potential therapeutic target for the more aggressive and harder to treat ER- subtype.
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19
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Canonical BMP Signaling Executes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Downstream of SNAIL1. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12041019. [PMID: 32326239 PMCID: PMC7226241 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12041019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal process in development and disease. In carcinogenesis, various signaling pathways are known to trigger EMT by inducing the expression of EMT transcription factors (EMT-TFs) like SNAIL1, ultimately promoting invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. However, how EMT is executed downstream of EMT-TFs is incompletely understood. Here, using human colorectal cancer (CRC) and mammary cell line models of EMT, we demonstrate that SNAIL1 critically relies on bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling for EMT execution. This activity requires the transcription factor SMAD4 common to BMP/TGFβ pathways, but is TGFβ signaling-independent. Further, we define a signature of BMP-dependent genes in the EMT-transcriptome, which orchestrate EMT-induced invasiveness, and are found to be regulated in human CRC transcriptomes and in developmental EMT processes. Collectively, our findings substantially augment the knowledge of mechanistic routes whereby EMT can be effectuated, which is relevant for the conceptual understanding and therapeutic targeting of EMT processes.
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