1
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Foote JB, Mattox TE, Keeton AB, Chen X, Smith F, Berry KL, Holmes T, Wang J, Huang CH, Ward AB, Mitra AK, Ramirez-Alcantara V, Hardy C, Fleten KG, Flatmark K, Yoon KJ, Sarvesh S, Nagaraju GP, Maxuitenko Y, Valiyaveettil J, Carstens JL, Buchsbaum DJ, Yang J, Zhou G, Nurmemmedov E, Babic I, Gaponenko V, Abdelkarim H, Boyd MR, Gorman GS, Manne U, Bae S, El-Rayes BF, Piazza GA. A Novel Pan-RAS Inhibitor with a Unique Mechanism of Action Blocks Tumor Growth in Mouse Models of GI Cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.17.541233. [PMID: 38328254 PMCID: PMC10849544 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.17.541233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Here, we describe a novel pan-RAS inhibitor, ADT-007, that potently inhibited the growth of RAS mutant cancer cells irrespective of the RAS mutation or isozyme. RAS WT cancer cells with activated RAS from upstream mutations were equally sensitive. Conversely, cells from normal tissues or RAS WT cancer cells harboring downstream BRAF mutations were insensitive. Insensitivity to ADT-007 was attributed to low activated RAS levels and metabolic deactivation by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases expressed in normal cells but repressed in RAS mutant cancer cells. Cellular, biochemical, and biophysical experiments show ADT-007 binds nucleotide-free RAS to block GTP activation of RAS and MAPK/AKT signaling. Local administration of ADT-007 strongly inhibited tumor growth in syngeneic immune-competent and xenogeneic immune-deficient mouse models of colorectal and pancreatic cancer while activating innate and adaptive immunity in the tumor immune microenvironment. Oral administration of ADT-007 prodrug inhibited tumor growth, supporting further development of this novel class of pan-RAS inhibitors for treating RAS-driven cancers. SIGNIFICANCE ADT-007 is a 1 st -in-class pan-RAS inhibitor with ultra-high potency and unique selectivity for cancer cells with mutant or activated RAS capable of circumventing resistance and activating antitumor immunity. Further development of ADT-007 analogs or prodrugs with oral bioavailability as a generalizable monotherapy or combined with immunotherapy is warranted.
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Dakal TC, Dhabhai B, Pant A, Moar K, Chaudhary K, Yadav V, Ranga V, Sharma NK, Kumar A, Maurya PK, Maciaczyk J, Schmidt‐Wolf IGH, Sharma A. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes: functions and roles in cancers. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e582. [PMID: 38827026 PMCID: PMC11141506 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.582] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer, being the most formidable ailment, has had a profound impact on the human health. The disease is primarily associated with genetic mutations that impact oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). Recently, growing evidence have shown that X-linked TSGs have specific role in cancer progression and metastasis as well. Interestingly, our genome harbors around substantial portion of genes that function as tumor suppressors, and the X chromosome alone harbors a considerable number of TSGs. The scenario becomes even more compelling as X-linked TSGs are adaptive to key epigenetic processes such as X chromosome inactivation. Therefore, delineating the new paradigm related to X-linked TSGs, for instance, their crosstalk with autosome and involvement in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis becomes utmost importance. Considering this, herein, we present a comprehensive discussion of X-linked TSG dysregulation in various cancers as a consequence of genetic variations and epigenetic alterations. In addition, the dynamic role of X-linked TSGs in sex chromosome-autosome crosstalk in cancer genome remodeling is being explored thoroughly. Besides, the functional roles of ncRNAs, role of X-linked TSG in immunomodulation and in gender-based cancer disparities has also been highlighted. Overall, the focal idea of the present article is to recapitulate the findings on X-linked TSG regulation in the cancer landscape and to redefine their role toward improving cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tikam Chand Dakal
- Department of BiotechnologyGenome and Computational Biology LabMohanlal Sukhadia UniversityUdaipurRajasthanIndia
| | - Bhanupriya Dhabhai
- Department of BiotechnologyGenome and Computational Biology LabMohanlal Sukhadia UniversityUdaipurRajasthanIndia
| | - Anuja Pant
- Department of BiochemistryCentral University of HaryanaMahendergarhHaryanaIndia
| | - Kareena Moar
- Department of BiochemistryCentral University of HaryanaMahendergarhHaryanaIndia
| | - Kanika Chaudhary
- School of Life Sciences. Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNew DelhiIndia
| | - Vikas Yadav
- School of Life Sciences. Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNew DelhiIndia
| | - Vipin Ranga
- Dearptment of Agricultural BiotechnologyDBT‐NECAB, Assam Agricultural UniversityJorhatAssamIndia
| | | | - Abhishek Kumar
- Manipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia
- Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology ParkBangaloreIndia
| | - Pawan Kumar Maurya
- Department of BiochemistryCentral University of HaryanaMahendergarhHaryanaIndia
| | - Jarek Maciaczyk
- Department of Stereotactic and Functional NeurosurgeryUniversity Hospital of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Ingo G. H. Schmidt‐Wolf
- Department of Integrated OncologyCenter for Integrated Oncology (CIO)University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Amit Sharma
- Department of Stereotactic and Functional NeurosurgeryUniversity Hospital of BonnBonnGermany
- Department of Integrated OncologyCenter for Integrated Oncology (CIO)University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
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3
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Musiu C, Lupo F, Agostini A, Lionetto G, Bevere M, Paiella S, Carbone C, Corbo V, Ugel S, De Sanctis F. Cellular collusion: cracking the code of immunosuppression and chemo resistance in PDAC. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341079. [PMID: 38817612 PMCID: PMC11137177 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the efforts, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still highly lethal. Therapeutic challenges reside in late diagnosis and establishment of peculiar tumor microenvironment (TME) supporting tumor outgrowth. This stromal landscape is highly heterogeneous between patients and even in the same patient. The organization of functional sub-TME with different cellular compositions provides evolutive advantages and sustains therapeutic resistance. Tumor progressively establishes a TME that can suit its own needs, including proliferation, stemness and invasion. Cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells, the main non-neoplastic cellular TME components, follow soluble factors-mediated neoplastic instructions and synergize to promote chemoresistance and immune surveillance destruction. Unveiling heterotypic stromal-neoplastic interactions is thus pivotal to breaking this synergism and promoting the reprogramming of the TME toward an anti-tumor milieu, improving thus the efficacy of conventional and immune-based therapies. We underscore recent advances in the characterization of immune and fibroblast stromal components supporting or dampening pancreatic cancer progression, as well as novel multi-omic technologies improving the current knowledge of PDAC biology. Finally, we put into context how the clinic will translate the acquired knowledge to design new-generation clinical trials with the final aim of improving the outcome of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Musiu
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Lupo
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Agostini
- Medical Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Lionetto
- General and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Pancreas Institute, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Bevere
- ARC-Net Research Centre, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Salvatore Paiella
- General and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Pancreas Institute, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Corbo
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Ugel
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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4
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Wasko UN, Jiang J, Dalton TC, Curiel-Garcia A, Edwards AC, Wang Y, Lee B, Orlen M, Tian S, Stalnecker CA, Drizyte-Miller K, Menard M, Dilly J, Sastra SA, Palermo CF, Hasselluhn MC, Decker-Farrell AR, Chang S, Jiang L, Wei X, Yang YC, Helland C, Courtney H, Gindin Y, Muonio K, Zhao R, Kemp SB, Clendenin C, Sor R, Vostrejs WP, Hibshman PS, Amparo AM, Hennessey C, Rees MG, Ronan MM, Roth JA, Brodbeck J, Tomassoni L, Bakir B, Socci ND, Herring LE, Barker NK, Wang J, Cleary JM, Wolpin BM, Chabot JA, Kluger MD, Manji GA, Tsai KY, Sekulic M, Lagana SM, Califano A, Quintana E, Wang Z, Smith JAM, Holderfield M, Wildes D, Lowe SW, Badgley MA, Aguirre AJ, Vonderheide RH, Stanger BZ, Baslan T, Der CJ, Singh M, Olive KP. Tumour-selective activity of RAS-GTP inhibition in pancreatic cancer. Nature 2024; 629:927-936. [PMID: 38588697 PMCID: PMC11111406 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07379-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Broad-spectrum RAS inhibition has the potential to benefit roughly a quarter of human patients with cancer whose tumours are driven by RAS mutations1,2. RMC-7977 is a highly selective inhibitor of the active GTP-bound forms of KRAS, HRAS and NRAS, with affinity for both mutant and wild-type variants3. More than 90% of cases of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are driven by activating mutations in KRAS4. Here we assessed the therapeutic potential of RMC-7977 in a comprehensive range of PDAC models. We observed broad and pronounced anti-tumour activity across models following direct RAS inhibition at exposures that were well-tolerated in vivo. Pharmacological analyses revealed divergent responses to RMC-7977 in tumour versus normal tissues. Treated tumours exhibited waves of apoptosis along with sustained proliferative arrest, whereas normal tissues underwent only transient decreases in proliferation, with no evidence of apoptosis. In the autochthonous KPC mouse model, RMC-7977 treatment resulted in a profound extension of survival followed by on-treatment relapse. Analysis of relapsed tumours identified Myc copy number gain as a prevalent candidate resistance mechanism, which could be overcome by combinatorial TEAD inhibition in vitro. Together, these data establish a strong preclinical rationale for the use of broad-spectrum RAS-GTP inhibition in the setting of PDAC and identify a promising candidate combination therapeutic regimen to overcome monotherapy resistance.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Female
- Humans
- Mice
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Disease Models, Animal
- DNA Copy Number Variations
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Genes, myc
- Guanosine Triphosphate/metabolism
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/antagonists & inhibitors
- Treatment Outcome
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Mutation
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula N Wasko
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Tanner C Dalton
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alvaro Curiel-Garcia
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Cole Edwards
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Bianca Lee
- Revolution Medicines, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Margo Orlen
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sha Tian
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clint A Stalnecker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristina Drizyte-Miller
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Julien Dilly
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen A Sastra
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carmine F Palermo
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marie C Hasselluhn
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda R Decker-Farrell
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Xing Wei
- Revolution Medicines, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Yu C Yang
- Revolution Medicines, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Samantha B Kemp
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cynthia Clendenin
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rina Sor
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William P Vostrejs
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Priya S Hibshman
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amber M Amparo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Connor Hennessey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew G Rees
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lorenzo Tomassoni
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Basil Bakir
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas D Socci
- Bioinformatics Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura E Herring
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Natalie K Barker
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Junning Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James M Cleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian M Wolpin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John A Chabot
- Department of Surgery, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael D Kluger
- Department of Surgery, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gulam A Manji
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth Y Tsai
- Department of Pathology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Miroslav Sekulic
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen M Lagana
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- J. P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott W Lowe
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael A Badgley
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert H Vonderheide
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timour Baslan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Channing J Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Kenneth P Olive
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Liou GY, Byrd CJ, Storz P, Messex JK. Cytokine CCL9 Mediates Oncogenic KRAS-Induced Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia by Promoting Reactive Oxygen Species and Metalloproteinases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4726. [PMID: 38731942 PMCID: PMC11083758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can originate from acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). Pancreatic acini harboring oncogenic Kras mutations are transdifferentiated to a duct-like phenotype that further progresses to become pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) lesions, giving rise to PDAC. Although ADM formation is frequently observed in KrasG12D transgenic mouse models of PDAC, the exact mechanisms of how oncogenic KrasG12D regulates this process remain an enigma. Herein, we revealed a new downstream target of oncogenic Kras, cytokine CCL9, during ADM formation. Higher levels of CCL9 and its receptors, CCR1 and CCR3, were detected in ADM regions of the pancreas in p48cre:KrasG12D mice and human PDAC patients. Knockdown of CCL9 in KrasG12D-expressed pancreatic acini reduced KrasG12D-induced ADM in a 3D organoid culture system. Moreover, exogenously added recombinant CCL9 and overexpression of CCL9 in primary pancreatic acini induced pancreatic ADM. We also showed that, functioning as a downstream target of KrasG12D, CCL9 promoted pancreatic ADM through upregulation of the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2. Blockade of MMPs via its generic inhibitor GM6001 or knockdown of specific MMP such as MMP14 and MMP3 decreased CCL9-induced pancreatic ADM. In p48cre:KrasG12D transgenic mice, blockade of CCL9 through its specific neutralizing antibody attenuated pancreatic ADM structures and PanIN lesion formation. Furthermore, it also diminished infiltrating macrophages and expression of MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2 in the ADM areas. Altogether, our results provide novel mechanistic insight into how oncogenic Kras enhances pancreatic ADM through its new downstream target molecule, CCL9, to initiate PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geou-Yarh Liou
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Crystal J. Byrd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Peter Storz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Justin K. Messex
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
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6
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Cheng C, Hu J, Mannan R, Bhattacharyya R, Rossiter NJ, Magnuson B, Wisniewski JP, Zheng Y, Xiao L, Li C, Awad D, He T, Bao Y, Zhang Y, Cao X, Wang Z, Mehra R, Morlacchi P, Sahai V, di Magliano MP, Shah YM, Ding K, Qiao Y, Lyssiotis CA, Chinnaiyan AM. Targeting PIKfyve-driven lipid homeostasis as a metabolic vulnerability in pancreatic cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.18.585580. [PMID: 38562800 PMCID: PMC10983929 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) subsists in a nutrient-deregulated microenvironment, making it particularly susceptible to treatments that interfere with cancer metabolism12. For example, PDAC utilizes and is dependent on high levels of autophagy and other lysosomal processes3-5. Although targeting these pathways has shown potential in preclinical studies, progress has been hampered by the challenge of identifying and characterizing favorable targets for drug development6. Here, we characterize PIKfyve, a lipid kinase integral to lysosomal functioning7, as a novel and targetable vulnerability in PDAC. In human patient and murine PDAC samples, we discovered that PIKFYVE is overexpressed in PDAC cells compared to adjacent normal cells. Employing a genetically engineered mouse model, we established the essential role of PIKfyve in PDAC progression. Further, through comprehensive metabolic analyses, we found that PIKfyve inhibition obligated PDAC to upregulate de novo lipid synthesis, a relationship previously undescribed. PIKfyve inhibition triggered a distinct lipogenic gene expression and metabolic program, creating a dependency on de novo lipid metabolism pathways, by upregulating genes such as FASN and ACACA. In PDAC, the KRAS-MAPK signaling pathway is a primary driver of de novo lipid synthesis, specifically enhancing FASN and ACACA levels. Accordingly, the simultaneous targeting of PIKfyve and KRAS-MAPK resulted in the elimination of tumor burden in a syngeneic orthotopic model and tumor regression in a xenograft model of PDAC. Taken together, these studies suggest that disrupting lipid metabolism through PIKfyve inhibition induces synthetic lethality in conjunction with KRAS-MAPK-directed therapies for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb Cheng
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jing Hu
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, PRC
| | - Rahul Mannan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rupam Bhattacharyya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas J Rossiter
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brian Magnuson
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jasmine P Wisniewski
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yang Zheng
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lanbo Xiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chungen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PRC
| | - Dominik Awad
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tongchen He
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PRC
| | - Yi Bao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xuhong Cao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PRC
| | - Rohit Mehra
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Vaibhav Sahai
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yatrik M Shah
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ke Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PRC
| | - Yuanyuan Qiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Arul M Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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7
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Santofimia-Castaño P, Fraunhoffer N, Liu X, Bessone IF, di Magliano MP, Audebert S, Camoin L, Estaras M, Brenière M, Modesti M, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Soubeyran P, Neira JL, Iovanna J. Targeting NUPR1-dependent stress granules formation to induce synthetic lethality in Kras G12D-driven tumors. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:475-505. [PMID: 38360999 PMCID: PMC10940650 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00032-2] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
We find that NUPR1, a stress-associated intrinsically disordered protein, induced droplet formation via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). NUPR1-driven LLPS was crucial for the creation of NUPR1-dependent stress granules (SGs) in pancreatic cancer cells since genetic or pharmacological inhibition by ZZW-115 of NUPR1 activity impeded SGs formation. The KrasG12D mutation induced oncogenic stress, NUPR1 overexpression, and promoted SGs development. Notably, enforced NUPR1 expression induced SGs formation independently of mutated KrasG12D. Mechanistically, KrasG12D expression strengthened sensitivity to NUPR1 inactivation, inducing cell death, activating caspase 3 and releasing LDH. Remarkably, ZZW-115-mediated SG-formation inhibition hampered the development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) in Pdx1-cre;LSL-KrasG12D (KC) mice. ZZW-115-treatment of KC mice triggered caspase 3 activation, DNA fragmentation, and formation of the apoptotic bodies, leading to cell death, specifically in KrasG12D-expressing cells. We further demonstrated that, in developed PanINs, short-term ZZW-115 treatment prevented NUPR1-associated SGs presence. Lastly, a four-week ZZW-115 treatment significantly reduced the number and size of PanINs in KC mice. This study proposes that targeting NUPR1-dependent SGs formation could be a therapeutic approach to induce cell death in KrasG12D-dependent tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Santofimia-Castaño
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France.
| | - Nicolas Fraunhoffer
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Facultad de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Xi Liu
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Ivan Fernandez Bessone
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | | | - Stephane Audebert
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Luc Camoin
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Matias Estaras
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Manon Brenière
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Mauro Modesti
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Philippe Soubeyran
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Jose Luis Neira
- IDIBE, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Edificio Torregaitán, Avda. del Ferrocarril s/n, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain
- Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France.
- Equipe Labellisée La Ligue, 2022, Marseille, France.
- Hospital de Alta Complejidad El Cruce, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- University Arturo Jauretche, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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8
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Di Giorgio E, Choudhary H, Ferino A, Cortolezzis Y, Dalla E, D’Este F, Comelli M, Rapozzi V, Xodo LE. Suppression of the KRAS- NRF2 axis shifts arginine into the phosphocreatine energy system in pancreatic cancer cells. iScience 2023; 26:108566. [PMID: 38144458 PMCID: PMC10746371 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), the KRASG12D-NRF2 axis controls cellular functions such as redox homeostasis and metabolism. Disruption of this axis through suppression of NRF2 leads to profound reprogramming of metabolism. Unbiased transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that PDAC cells with disrupted KRASG12D-NRF2 signaling (NRF2-/- cells) shift from aerobic glycolysis to metabolic pathways fed by amino acids. Metabolome, RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed a blockade of the urea cycle, making NRF2-/- cells dependent on exogenous arginine for survival. Arginine is channeled into anabolic pathways, including the synthesis of phosphocreatine, which generates an energy buffer essential for cell growth. A similar switch was observed in tumor clones that had survived FOLFIRINOX therapy or blockade of KRAS signaling. Inhibition of the creatine pathway with cyclocreatine reduced both ATP and invasion rate in 3D spheroids from NRF2-deficient PDAC cells. Our study provides basis for the rational development of combination therapies for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eros Di Giorgio
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Himanshi Choudhary
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Annalisa Ferino
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Ylenia Cortolezzis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Emiliano Dalla
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Francesca D’Este
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Marina Comelli
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Valentina Rapozzi
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Luigi E. Xodo
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biochemistry, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
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9
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Wasko UN, Jiang J, Curiel-Garcia A, Wang Y, Lee B, Orlen M, Drizyte-Miller K, Menard M, Dilly J, Sastra SA, Palermo CF, Dalton T, Hasselluhn MC, Decker-Farrell AR, Chang S, Jiang L, Wei X, Yang YC, Helland C, Courtney H, Gindin Y, Zhao R, Kemp SB, Clendenin C, Sor R, Vostrejs W, Amparo AA, Hibshman PS, Rees MG, Ronan MM, Roth JA, Bakir B, Badgley MA, Chabot JA, Kluger MD, Manji GA, Quintana E, Wang Z, Smith JAM, Holderfield M, Wildes D, Aguirre AJ, Der CJ, Vonderheide RH, Stanger BZ, Singh M, Olive KP. Tumor-selective effects of active RAS inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.03.569791. [PMID: 38105998 PMCID: PMC10723304 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Broad-spectrum RAS inhibition holds the potential to benefit roughly a quarter of human cancer patients whose tumors are driven by RAS mutations. However, the impact of inhibiting RAS functions in normal tissues is not known. RMC-7977 is a highly selective inhibitor of the active (GTP-bound) forms of KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS, with affinity for both mutant and wild type (WT) variants. As >90% of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases are driven by activating mutations in KRAS, we assessed the therapeutic potential of RMC-7977 in a comprehensive range of PDAC models, including human and murine cell lines, human patient-derived organoids, human PDAC explants, subcutaneous and orthotopic cell-line or patient derived xenografts, syngeneic allografts, and genetically engineered mouse models. We observed broad and pronounced anti-tumor activity across these models following direct RAS inhibition at doses and concentrations that were well-tolerated in vivo. Pharmacological analyses revealed divergent responses to RMC-7977 in tumor versus normal tissues. Treated tumors exhibited waves of apoptosis along with sustained proliferative arrest whereas normal tissues underwent only transient decreases in proliferation, with no evidence of apoptosis. Together, these data establish a strong preclinical rationale for the use of broad-spectrum RAS inhibition in the setting of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula N. Wasko
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Alvaro Curiel-Garcia
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Bianca Lee
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, CA
| | - Margo Orlen
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Kristina Drizyte-Miller
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Julien Dilly
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Stephen A. Sastra
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Carmine F. Palermo
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Tanner Dalton
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Marie C. Hasselluhn
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Amanda R. Decker-Farrell
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Xing Wei
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, CA
| | - Yu C. Yang
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, CA
| | | | | | | | | | - Samantha B. Kemp
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Cynthia Clendenin
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center
| | - Rina Sor
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center
| | - Will Vostrejs
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
| | - Amber A. Amparo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Priya S. Hibshman
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Basil Bakir
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael A. Badgley
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - John A. Chabot
- Department of Surgery, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael D. Kluger
- Department of Surgery, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Gulam A. Manji
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrew J. Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Channing J. Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert H. Vonderheide
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center
| | | | - Kenneth P. Olive
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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10
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Li J, D’Amico S, Kirillov V, Petrenko O, Reich NC. Oncogenic dependency plays a dominant role in the immune response to cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308635120. [PMID: 37782788 PMCID: PMC10576078 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308635120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest human malignancies. Advanced PDAC is considered incurable. Nearly 90% of pancreatic cancers are caused by oncogenic KRAS mutations. The mechanisms of primary or acquired resistance to KRAS inhibition are currently unknown. Here, we propose that oncogenic dependency, rather than KRAS mutation per se, plays a dominant role in the immune response to cancer, including late-stage PDAC. Classifying tumor samples according to KRAS activity scores allows accurate prediction of tumor immune composition and therapy response. Dual RAS/MAPK pathway blockade combining KRAS and MEK inhibitors is more effective than the selective KRAS inhibitor alone in attenuating MAPK activation and unblocking the influx of T cells into the tumor. Lowering KRAS activity in established tumors promotes immune infiltration, but with a limited antitumor effect, whereas combining KRAS/MEK inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade achieves durable regression in preclinical models. The results are directly applicable to stratifying human PDAC based on KRAS dependency values and immune cell composition to improve therapeutic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Li
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
| | - Stephen D’Amico
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
| | - Varvara Kirillov
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
| | - Oleksi Petrenko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
| | - Nancy C. Reich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
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11
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Gutierrez-Ruiz OL, Johnson KM, Krueger EW, Nooren RE, Cruz-Reyes N, Heppelmann CJ, Hogenson TL, Fernandez-Zapico ME, McNiven MA, Razidlo GL. Ectopic expression of DOCK8 regulates lysosome-mediated pancreatic tumor cell invasion. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113042. [PMID: 37651233 PMCID: PMC10591794 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amplified lysosome activity is a hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) orchestrated by oncogenic KRAS that mediates tumor growth and metastasis, though the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. Using comparative proteomics, we found that oncogenic KRAS significantly enriches levels of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) on lysosomes. Surprisingly, DOCK8 is aberrantly expressed in a subset of PDAC, where it promotes cell invasion in vitro and in vivo. DOCK8 associates with lysosomes and regulates lysosomal morphology and motility, with loss of DOCK8 leading to increased lysosome size. DOCK8 promotes actin polymerization at the surface of lysosomes while also increasing the proteolytic activity of the lysosomal protease cathepsin B. Critically, depletion of DOCK8 significantly reduces cathepsin-dependent extracellular matrix degradation and impairs the invasive capacity of PDAC cells. These findings implicate ectopic expression of DOCK8 as a key driver of KRAS-driven lysosomal regulation and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar L Gutierrez-Ruiz
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Katherine M Johnson
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Eugene W Krueger
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Roseanne E Nooren
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Nicole Cruz-Reyes
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Tara L Hogenson
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Mark A McNiven
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Gina L Razidlo
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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12
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Chen Z, Chen M, Fu Y, Zhang J. The KRAS signaling pathway's impact on the characteristics of pancreatic cancer cells. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154603. [PMID: 37356222 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is classified as a cancer with high metastasis so that its mortality rate is high and most of the patients could not survive longer than 5 years. RAS signaling participate in cellular processes, so it has a key role in PDAC.RAS activation is associated via three different signaling pathway including somatic oncogenic point mutations in KRAS, upstream signaling like EGFR, oncogenic activation of the downstream B-RAF molecule. Several targeted therapies have been developed against kinase effectors particularly those in the MAPK and PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/mTOR signaling pathways and several inhibitors are undergoing clinical studies at the moment. However, because it is highly metastatic and frequently diagnosed at advanced disease stages, pancreatic cancer continues to be a challenging cancer to treat. This article will explore therapeutic approaches that focus on oncogenic KRAS signaling in pancreatic cancer and provide an updated synopsis of our knowledge of how mutant KRAS function in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZhangXing Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Success Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
| | - Meiyan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Success Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China.
| | - Yuka Fu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Success Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Success Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, China
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13
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Zhang J, Li X, Lu Y, Wang G, Ma Y. Anoikis-Related Gene Signature for Prognostication of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Multi-Omics Exploration and Verification Study. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3146. [PMID: 37370756 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Anoikis, a form of apoptosis that occurs due to detachment of cells from the extracellular matrix, has been linked to the development of cancer in several studies. However, its role in pancreatic cancer remains incompletely understood. In this study, we utilized univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses to establish a prognostic model for pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on anoikis-related genes in the TCGA database. Additionally, we performed univariate and multifactorial Cox analyses of protein expression results for TCGA pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We further explored the difference in immune infiltration between the high-risk and low-risk groups and verified the expression of the screened genes using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Our findings indicate that numerous anoikis-related genes are linked to pancreatic adenocarcinoma prognosis. We identified seven prognostic genes (MET, DYNLL2, CDK1, TNFSF10, PIP5K1C, MSLN, GKN1) and validated that their related proteins, such as EGFR and MMP2, have a significant impact on the prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Based on clustering analyses of the seven prognostic genes, patients could be classified into three distinct categories, for which somatic mutations varied significantly across the groups. High-risk and low-risk groups also exhibited significant differences in immune infiltration. All genes were found to be highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines (ASPC-1, CFPAC-1) as compared to a normal pancreatic cell line (HPDE). Based on the seven anoikis-related genes, we formulated a robust prognostic model with high predictive accuracy. We also identified the significant impact of KRAS, P53, and CDKN2A mutations on the prognosis of this fatal disease. Therefore, our study highlights the crucial role of anoikis in the development of the pancreatic adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Xuesong Li
- Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Guowen Wang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Ying Ma
- Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
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14
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Halbrook CJ, Lyssiotis CA, Pasca di Magliano M, Maitra A. Pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges. Cell 2023; 186:1729-1754. [PMID: 37059070 PMCID: PMC10182830 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 167.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers. Significant efforts have largely defined major genetic factors driving PDAC pathogenesis and progression. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a complex microenvironment that orchestrates metabolic alterations and supports a milieu of interactions among various cell types within this niche. In this review, we highlight the foundational studies that have driven our understanding of these processes. We further discuss the recent technological advances that continue to expand our understanding of PDAC complexity. We posit that the clinical translation of these research endeavors will enhance the currently dismal survival rate of this recalcitrant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA.
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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15
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Agrawal R, Natarajan KN. Oncogenic signaling pathways in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 159:251-283. [PMID: 37268398 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common (∼90% cases) pancreatic neoplasm and one of the most lethal cancer among all malignances. PDAC harbor aberrant oncogenic signaling that may result from the multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations such as the mutation in driver genes (KRAS, CDKN2A, p53), genomic amplification of regulatory genes (MYC, IGF2BP2, ROIK3), deregulation of chromatin-modifying proteins (HDAC, WDR5) among others. A key event is the formation of Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PanIN) that often results from the activating mutation in KRAS. Mutated KRAS can direct a variety of signaling pathways and modulate downstream targets including MYC, which play an important role in cancer progression. In this review, we discuss recent literature shedding light on the origins of PDAC from the perspective of major oncogenic signaling pathways. We highlight how MYC directly and indirectly, with cooperation with KRAS, affect epigenetic reprogramming and metastasis. Additionally, we summarize the recent findings from single cell genomic approaches that highlight heterogeneity in PDAC and tumor microenvironment, and provide molecular avenues for PDAC treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Agrawal
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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16
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Kemp SB, Cheng N, Markosyan N, Sor R, Kim IK, Hallin J, Shoush J, Quinones L, Brown NV, Bassett JB, Joshi N, Yuan S, Smith M, Vostrejs WP, Perez-Vale KZ, Kahn B, Mo F, Donahue TR, Radu CG, Clendenin C, Christensen JG, Vonderheide RH, Stanger BZ. Efficacy of a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of KrasG12D in Immunocompetent Models of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:298-311. [PMID: 36472553 PMCID: PMC9900321 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-1066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the KRAS oncogene are found in more than 90% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with Gly-to-Asp mutations (KRASG12D) being the most common. Here, we tested the efficacy of a small-molecule KRASG12D inhibitor, MRTX1133, in implantable and autochthonous PDAC models with an intact immune system. In vitro studies validated the specificity and potency of MRTX1133. In vivo, MRTX1133 prompted deep tumor regressions in all models tested, including complete or near-complete remissions after 14 days. Concomitant with tumor cell apoptosis and proliferative arrest, drug treatment led to marked shifts in the tumor microenvironment (TME), including changes in fibroblasts, matrix, and macrophages. T cells were necessary for MRTX1133's full antitumor effect, and T-cell depletion accelerated tumor regrowth after therapy. These results validate the specificity, potency, and efficacy of MRTX1133 in immunocompetent KRASG12D-mutant PDAC models, providing a rationale for clinical testing and a platform for further investigation of combination therapies. SIGNIFICANCE Pharmacologic inhibition of KRASG12D in pancreatic cancer models with an intact immune system stimulates specific, potent, and durable tumor regressions. In the absence of overt toxicity, these results suggest that this and similar inhibitors should be tested as potential, high-impact novel therapies for patients with PDAC. See related commentary by Redding and Grabocka, p. 260. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 247.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B. Kemp
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Noah Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nune Markosyan
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rina Sor
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Il-Kyu Kim
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jill Hallin
- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California
| | - Jason Shoush
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Liz Quinones
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Natalie V. Brown
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jared B. Bassett
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nikhil Joshi
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Salina Yuan
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Molly Smith
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - William P. Vostrejs
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kia Z. Perez-Vale
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Benjamin Kahn
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Feiyan Mo
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy R. Donahue
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Caius G. Radu
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Cynthia Clendenin
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Robert H. Vonderheide
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Cancer Center and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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17
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Liu Y, Azizian NG, Sullivan DK, Li Y. mTOR inhibition attenuates chemosensitivity through the induction of chemotherapy resistant persisters. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7047. [PMID: 36396656 PMCID: PMC9671908 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34890-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy can eradicate a majority of cancer cells. However, a small population of tumor cells often survives drug treatments through genetic and/or non-genetic mechanisms, leading to tumor recurrence. Here we report a reversible chemoresistance phenotype regulated by the mTOR pathway. Through a genome-wide CRISPR knockout library screen in pancreatic cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents, we have identified the mTOR pathway as a prominent determinant of chemosensitivity. Pharmacological suppression of mTOR activity in cancer cells from diverse tissue origins leads to the persistence of a reversibly resistant population, which is otherwise eliminated by chemotherapeutic agents. Conversely, activation of the mTOR pathway increases chemosensitivity in vitro and in vivo and predicts better survival among various human cancers. Persister cells display a senescence phenotype. Inhibition of mTOR does not induce cellular senescence per se, but rather promotes the survival of senescent cells through regulation of autophagy and G2/M cell cycle arrest, as revealed by a small-molecule chemical library screen. Thus, mTOR plays a causal yet paradoxical role in regulating chemotherapeutic response; inhibition of the mTOR pathway, while suppressing tumor expansion, facilitates the development of a reversible drug-tolerant senescence state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhui Liu
- grid.63368.380000 0004 0445 0041Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030 USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Nancy G. Azizian
- grid.63368.380000 0004 0445 0041Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030 USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Delaney K. Sullivan
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Yulin Li
- grid.63368.380000 0004 0445 0041Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030 USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065 USA
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18
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Davidson C, Taggart D, Sims AH, Lonergan DW, Canel M, Serrels A. FAK promotes stromal PD-L2 expression associated with poor survival in pancreatic cancer. Br J Cancer 2022; 127:1893-1905. [PMID: 36138073 PMCID: PMC9643373 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01966-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most lethal cancers, with less than 8% of patients surviving 5 years following diagnosis. The last 40 years have seen only small incremental improvements in treatment options, highlighting the continued need to better define the cellular and molecular pathways contributing to therapy response and patient prognosis. METHODS We combined CRISPR, shRNA and flow cytometry with mechanistic experiments using a KrasG12Dp53R172H mouse model of pancreatic cancer and analysis of publicly available human PDAC transcriptomic datasets. RESULTS Here, we identify that expression of the immune checkpoint, Programmed Death Ligand 2 (PD-L2), is associated with poor prognosis, tumour grade, clinical stage and molecular subtype in patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We further show that PD-L2 is predominantly expressed in the stroma and, using an orthotopic murine model of PDAC, identify cancer cell-intrinsic Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) signalling as a regulator of PD-L2 stromal expression. Mechanistically, we find that FAK regulates interleukin-6, which can act in concert with interleukin-4 secreted by CD4 T-cells to drive elevated expression of PD-L2 on tumour-associated macrophages, dendritic cells and endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify further complex heterocellular signalling networks contributing to FAK-mediated immune suppression in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Davidson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Hospital for Small Animals, The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, UK
| | - David Taggart
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew H Sims
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David W Lonergan
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marta Canel
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alan Serrels
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Edinburgh Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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19
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Mello AM, Ngodup T, Lee Y, Donahue KL, Li J, Rao A, Carpenter ES, Crawford HC, Pasca di Magliano M, Lee KE. Hypoxia promotes an inflammatory phenotype of fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer. Oncogenesis 2022; 11:56. [PMID: 36109493 PMCID: PMC9478137 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-022-00434-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extensive fibroinflammatory stroma and often experiences conditions of insufficient oxygen availability or hypoxia. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are a predominant and heterogeneous population of stromal cells within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. Here, we uncover a previously unrecognized role for hypoxia in driving an inflammatory phenotype in PDAC CAFs. We identify hypoxia as a strong inducer of tumor IL1ɑ expression, which is required for inflammatory CAF (iCAF) formation. Notably, iCAFs preferentially reside in hypoxic regions of PDAC. Our data implicate hypoxia as a critical regulator of CAF heterogeneity in PDAC.
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20
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Ulanja MB, Moody AE, Beutler BD, Antwi-Amoabeng D, Rahman GA, Alese OB. Early-onset pancreatic cancer: a review of molecular mechanisms, management, and survival. Oncotarget 2022; 13:828-841. [PMID: 35720978 PMCID: PMC9200435 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early-onset pancreatic cancer (EOPC) - defined as pancreatic cancer diagnosed before the age of 50 years - is associated with a poor prognosis as compared to later-onset pancreatic cancer (LOPC). Emerging evidence suggests that EOPC may exhibit a genetic signature and tumor biology that is distinct from that of LOPC. We review genetic mutations that are more prevalent in EOPC relative to LOPC and discuss the potential impact of these mutations on treatment and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using PubMed and Medline, the following terms were searched and relevant citations assessed: "early onset pancreatic cancer," "late onset pancreatic cancer," "pancreatic cancer," "pancreatic cancer genes," and "pancreatic cancer targeted therapy." RESULTS Mutations in CDKN2, FOXC2, and SMAD4 are significantly more common in EOPC as compared to LOPC. In addition, limited data suggest that PI3KCA mutations are more frequently observed in EOPC as compared to LOPC. KRAS mutations are relatively rare in EOPC. CONCLUSIONS Genetic mutations associated with EOPC are distinct from those of LOPC. The preponderance of the evidence suggest that poor outcomes in EOPC are related both to advanced stage of presentation and unique tumor biology. The molecular and genetic features of EOPC warrant further investigation in order to optimize management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B. Ulanja
- Christus Ochsner Saint Patrick Hospital, Lake Charles, LA 70601, USA
| | - Alastair E. Moody
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Bryce D. Beutler
- Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | | | - Ganiyu A. Rahman
- Department of Surgery, University of Cape Coast, School of Medical Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Olatunji B. Alese
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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21
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Roman M, Hwang E, Sweet-Cordero EA. Synthetic Vulnerabilities in the KRAS Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122837. [PMID: 35740503 PMCID: PMC9221492 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Kristen Rat Sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) are among the most frequent gain-of-function genetic alterations in human cancer. Most KRAS-driven cancers depend on its sustained expression and signaling. Despite spectacular recent success in the development of inhibitors targeting specific KRAS alleles, the discovery and utilization of effective directed therapies for KRAS-mutant cancers remains a major unmet need. One potential approach is the identification of KRAS-specific synthetic lethal vulnerabilities. For example, while KRAS-driven oncogenesis requires the activation of a number of signaling pathways, it also triggers stress response pathways in cancer cells that could potentially be targeted for therapeutic benefit. This review will discuss how the latest advances in functional genomics and the development of more refined models have demonstrated the existence of molecular pathways that can be exploited to uncover synthetic lethal interactions with a promising future as potential clinical treatments in KRAS-mutant cancers.
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22
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Velez-Delgado A, Donahue KL, Brown KL, Du W, Irizarry-Negron V, Menjivar RE, Lasse Opsahl EL, Steele NG, The S, Lazarus J, Sirihorachai VR, Yan W, Kemp SB, Kerk SA, Bollampally M, Yang S, Scales MK, Avritt FR, Lima F, Lyssiotis CA, Rao A, Crawford HC, Bednar F, Frankel TL, Allen BL, Zhang Y, Pasca di Magliano M. Extrinsic KRAS Signaling Shapes the Pancreatic Microenvironment Through Fibroblast Reprogramming. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 13:1673-1699. [PMID: 35245687 PMCID: PMC9046274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Oncogenic Kirsten Rat Sarcoma virus (KRAS) is the hallmark mutation of human pancreatic cancer and a driver of tumorigenesis in genetically engineered mouse models of the disease. Although the tumor cell-intrinsic effects of oncogenic Kras expression have been widely studied, its role in regulating the extensive pancreatic tumor microenvironment is less understood. METHODS Using a genetically engineered mouse model of inducible and reversible oncogenic Kras expression and a combination of approaches that include mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing we studied the effect of oncogenic KRAS in the tumor microenvironment. RESULTS We have discovered that non-cell autonomous (ie, extrinsic) oncogenic KRAS signaling reprograms pancreatic fibroblasts, activating an inflammatory gene expression program. As a result, fibroblasts become a hub of extracellular signaling, and the main source of cytokines mediating the polarization of protumorigenic macrophages while also preventing tissue repair. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides fundamental knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the formation of the fibroinflammatory stroma in pancreatic cancer and highlights stromal pathways with the potential to be exploited therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Wenting Du
- Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | | | - Nina G Steele
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Stephanie The
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Wei Yan
- Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Samantha B Kemp
- Molecular and Cellular Pathology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Sion Yang
- Life Sciences and Arts College, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Michael K Scales
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Cancer Biology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Arvind Rao
- Cancer Biology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michigan Institute of Data Science, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Cancer Biology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Filip Bednar
- Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Timothy L Frankel
- Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Benjamin L Allen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Cancer Biology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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23
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Palanivel C, Chaudhary N, Seshacharyulu P, Cox JL, Yan Y, Batra SK, Ouellette MM. The GSK3 kinase and LZTR1 protein regulate the stability of Ras family proteins and the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Neoplasia 2022; 25:28-40. [PMID: 35114566 PMCID: PMC8814762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ras family proteins are membrane-bound GTPases that control proliferation, survival, and motility. Many forms of cancers are driven by the acquisition of somatic mutations in a RAS gene. In pancreatic cancer (PC), more than 90% of tumors carry an activating mutation in KRAS. Mutations in components of the Ras signaling pathway can also be the cause of RASopathies, a group of developmental disorders. In a subset of RASopathies, the causal mutations are in the LZTR1 protein, a substrate adaptor for E3 ubiquitin ligases that promote the degradation of Ras proteins. Here, we show that the function of LZTR1 is regulated by the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). In PC cells, inhibiting or silencing GSK3 led to a decline in the level of Ras proteins, including both wild type Ras proteins and the oncogenic Kras protein. This decline was accompanied by a 3-fold decrease in the half-life of Ras proteins and was blocked by the inhibition of the proteasome or the knockdown of LZTR1. Irrespective of the mutational status of KRAS, the decline in Ras proteins was observed and accompanied by a loss of cell proliferation. This loss of proliferation was blocked by the knockdown of LZTR1 and could be recapitulated by the silencing of either KRAS or GSK3. These results reveal a novel GSK3-regulated LZTR1-dependent mechanism that controls the stability of Ras proteins and proliferation of PC cells. The significance of this novel pathway to Ras signaling and its contribution to the therapeutic properties of GSK3 inhibitors are both discussed.
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24
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Liu L, Kshirsagar PG, Gautam SK, Gulati M, Wafa EI, Christiansen JC, White BM, Mallapragada SK, Wannemuehler MJ, Kumar S, Solheim JC, Batra SK, Salem AK, Narasimhan B, Jain M. Nanocarriers for pancreatic cancer imaging, treatments, and immunotherapies. Theranostics 2022; 12:1030-1060. [PMID: 35154473 PMCID: PMC8771545 DOI: 10.7150/thno.64805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic and immunosuppressive. Delivery and distribution of drugs within pancreatic tumors are compromised due to intrinsic physical and biochemical stresses that lead to increased interstitial fluid pressure, vascular compression, and hypoxia. Immunotherapy-based approaches, including therapeutic vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibition, CAR-T cell therapy, and adoptive T cell therapies, are challenged by an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Together, extensive fibrosis and immunosuppression present major challenges to developing treatments for pancreatic cancer. In this context, nanoparticles have been extensively studied as delivery platforms and adjuvants for cancer and other disease therapies. Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of multiple nanocarrier-based formulations that not only improve drug delivery but also enhance immunotherapy-based approaches for pancreatic cancer. This review discusses and critically analyzes the novel nanoscale strategies that have been used for drug delivery and immunomodulation to improve treatment efficacy, including newly emerging immunotherapy-based approaches. This review also presents important perspectives on future research directions that will guide the rational design of novel and robust nanoscale platforms to treat pancreatic tumors, particularly with respect to targeted therapies and immunotherapies. These insights will inform the next generation of clinical treatments to help patients manage this debilitating disease and enhance survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luman Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Prakash G. Kshirsagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Shailendra K. Gautam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Mansi Gulati
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Emad I. Wafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - John C. Christiansen
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Brianna M. White
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Surya K. Mallapragada
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Michael J. Wannemuehler
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Sushil Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Joyce C. Solheim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Surinder K. Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
| | - Aliasger K. Salem
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Balaji Narasimhan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
- Nanovaccine Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
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25
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Hu HF, Ye Z, Qin Y, Xu XW, Yu XJ, Zhuo QF, Ji SR. Mutations in key driver genes of pancreatic cancer: molecularly targeted therapies and other clinical implications. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021; 42:1725-1741. [PMID: 33574569 PMCID: PMC8563973 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-020-00584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers, with a minimal difference between its incidence rate and mortality rate. Advances in oncology over the past several decades have dramatically improved the overall survival of patients with multiple cancers due to the implementation of new techniques in early diagnosis, therapeutic drugs, and personalized therapy. However, pancreatic cancers remain recalcitrant, with a 5-year relative survival rate of <9%. The lack of measures for early diagnosis, strong resistance to chemotherapy, ineffective adjuvant chemotherapy and the unavailability of molecularly targeted therapy are responsible for the high mortality rate of this notorious disease. Genetically, PDAC progresses as a complex result of the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressors. Although next-generation sequencing has identified numerous new genetic alterations, their clinical implications remain unknown. Classically, oncogenic mutations in genes such as KRAS and loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressors, such as TP53, CDNK2A, DPC4/SMAD4, and BRCA2, are frequently observed in PDAC. Currently, research on these key driver genes is still the main focus. Therefore, studies assessing the functions of these genes and their potential clinical implications are of paramount importance. In this review, we summarize the biological function of key driver genes and pharmaceutical targets in PDAC. In addition, we conclude the results of molecularly targeted therapies in clinical trials and discuss how to utilize these genetic alterations in further clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-feng Hu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Zeng Ye
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Yi Qin
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Xiao-wu Xu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Xian-jun Yu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Qi-feng Zhuo
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Shun-rong Ji
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
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Mathison AJ, Kerketta R, de Assuncao TM, Leverence E, Zeighami A, Urrutia G, Stodola TJ, di Magliano MP, Iovanna JL, Zimmermann MT, Lomberk G, Urrutia R. Kras G12D induces changes in chromatin territories that differentially impact early nuclear reprogramming in pancreatic cells. Genome Biol 2021; 22:289. [PMID: 34649604 PMCID: PMC8518179 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02498-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma initiation is most frequently caused by Kras mutations. RESULTS Here, we apply biological, biochemical, and network biology methods to validate GEMM-derived cell models using inducible KrasG12D expression. We describe the time-dependent, chromatin remodeling program that impacts function during early oncogenic signaling. We find that the KrasG12D-induced transcriptional response is dominated by downregulated expression concordant with layers of epigenetic events. More open chromatin characterizes the ATAC-seq profile associated with a smaller group of upregulated genes and epigenetic marks. RRBS demonstrates that promoter hypermethylation does not account for the silencing of the extensive gene promoter network. Moreover, ChIP-Seq reveals that heterochromatin reorganization plays little role in this early transcriptional program. Notably, both gene activation and silencing primarily depend on the marking of genes with a combination of H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K36me3. Indeed, integrated modeling of all these datasets shows that KrasG12D regulates its transcriptional program primarily through unique super-enhancers and enhancers, and marking specific gene promoters and bodies. We also report chromatin remodeling across genomic areas that, although not contributing directly to cis-gene transcription, are likely important for KrasG12D functions. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we report a comprehensive, time-dependent, and coordinated early epigenomic program for KrasG12D in pancreatic cells, which is mechanistically relevant to understanding chromatin remodeling events underlying transcriptional outcomes needed for the function of this oncogene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela J Mathison
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Romica Kerketta
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Elise Leverence
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Atefeh Zeighami
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Guillermo Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Timothy J Stodola
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Juan L Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Michael T Zimmermann
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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27
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Obesity and Pancreatic Cancer: Insight into Mechanisms. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205067. [PMID: 34680216 PMCID: PMC8534007 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Obesity is recognized as a chronic progressive disease and risk factor for many human diseases. The high and increasing number of obese people may underlie the expected increase in pancreatic cancer cases in the United States. There are several pathways discussed that link obesity with pancreatic cancer. Adipose tissue and adipose tissue-released factors may thereby play an important role. This review discusses selected mechanisms that may accelerate pancreatic cancer development in obesity. Abstract The prevalence of obesity in adults and children has dramatically increased over the past decades. Obesity has been declared a chronic progressive disease and is a risk factor for a number of metabolic, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases. There is clear epidemiologic and preclinical evidence that obesity is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Among various potential mechanisms linking obesity with pancreatic cancer, the adipose tissue and obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation play a central role. The current review discusses selected topics and mechanisms that attracted recent interest and that may underlie the promoting effects of obesity in pancreatic cancer. These topics include the impact of obesity on KRAS activity, the role of visceral adipose tissue, intrapancreatic fat, adipose tissue inflammation, and adipokines on pancreatic cancer development. Current research on lipocalin-2, fibroblast growth factor 21, and Wnt5a is discussed. Furthermore, the significance of obesity-associated insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia and obesity-induced gut dysbiosis with metabolic endotoxemia is reviewed. Given the central role that is occupied by the adipose tissue in obesity-promoted pancreatic cancer development, preventive and interceptive strategies should be aimed at attenuating obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation and/or at targeting specific molecules that mechanistically link adipose tissue with pancreatic cancer in obese patients.
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28
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RAS specific protease induces irreversible growth arrest via p27 in several KRAS mutant colorectal cancer cell lines. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17925. [PMID: 34504197 PMCID: PMC8429734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97422-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras-specific proteases to degrade RAS within cancer cells are under active development as an innovative strategy to treat tumorigenesis. The naturally occurring biological toxin effector called RAS/RAP1-specific endopeptidase (RRSP) is known to cleave all RAS within a cell, including HRAS, KRAS, NRAS and mutant KRAS G13D. Yet, our understanding of the mechanisms by which RRSP drives growth inhibition are unknown. Here, we demonstrate, using isogenic mouse fibroblasts expressing a single isoform of RAS or mutant KRAS, that RRSP equally inactivates all isoforms of RAS as well as the major oncogenic KRAS mutants. To investigate how RAS processing might lead to varying outcomes in cell fate within cancer cells, we tested RRSP against four colorectal cancer cell lines with a range of cell fates. While cell lines highly susceptible to RRSP (HCT116 and SW1463) undergo apoptosis, RRSP treatment of GP5d and SW620 cells induces G1 cell cycle arrest. In some cell lines, growth effects were dictated by rescued expression of the tumor suppressor protein p27 (Kip1). The ability of RRSP to irreversibly inhibit cancer cell growth highlights the antitumor potential of RRSP, and further warrants investigation as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic.
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Abstract
Although pancreatic cancer remains to be a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many industrialized countries, there have been major advances in research over the past two decades that provided a detailed insight into the molecular and developmental processes that govern the genesis of this highly malignant tumor type. There is a continuous need for the development and analysis of preclinical and genetically engineered pancreatic cancer models to study the biological significance of new molecular targets that are identified using various genome-wide approaches and to better understand the mechanisms by which they contribute to pancreatic cancer onset and progression. Following an introduction into the etiology of pancreatic cancer, the molecular subtypes, and key signaling pathways, this review provides an overview of the broad spectrum of models for pancreatic cancer research. In addition to conventional and patient-derived xenografting, this review highlights major milestones in the development of chemical carcinogen-induced and genetically engineered animal models to study pancreatic cancer. Particular emphasis was placed on selected research findings of ligand-controlled tumor models and current efforts to develop genetically engineered strains to gain insight into the biological functions of genes at defined developmental stages during cancer initiation and metastatic progression.
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30
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Bannoura SF, Uddin MH, Nagasaka M, Fazili F, Al-Hallak MN, Philip PA, El-Rayes B, Azmi AS. Targeting KRAS in pancreatic cancer: new drugs on the horizon. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:819-835. [PMID: 34499267 PMCID: PMC8556325 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-09990-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS) is a master oncogene involved in cellular proliferation and survival and is the most commonly mutated oncogene in all cancers. Activating KRAS mutations are present in over 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases and are implicated in tumor initiation and progression. Although KRAS is a critical oncogene, and therefore an important therapeutic target, its therapeutic inhibition has been very challenging, and only recently specific mutant KRAS inhibitors have been discovered. In this review, we discuss the activation of KRAS signaling and the role of mutant KRAS in PDAC development. KRAS has long been considered undruggable, and many drug discovery efforts which focused on indirect targeting have been unsuccessful. We discuss the various efforts for therapeutic targeting of KRAS. Further, we explore the reasons behind these obstacles, novel successful approaches to target mutant KRAS including G12C mutation as well as the mechanisms of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar F Bannoura
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Md Hafiz Uddin
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Misako Nagasaka
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCI Health, Orange, CA, 92868, USA
| | - Farzeen Fazili
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Mohammed Najeeb Al-Hallak
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Philip A Philip
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Bassel El-Rayes
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Asfar S Azmi
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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31
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Kemp SB, Carpenter ES, Steele NG, Donahue KL, Nwosu ZC, Pacheco A, Velez-Delgado A, Menjivar RE, Lima F, The S, Espinoza CE, Brown K, Long D, Lyssiotis CA, Rao A, Zhang Y, Pasca di Magliano M, Crawford HC. Apolipoprotein E Promotes Immune Suppression in Pancreatic Cancer through NF-κB-Mediated Production of CXCL1. Cancer Res 2021; 81:4305-4318. [PMID: 34049975 PMCID: PMC8445065 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with few effective therapeutic options. PDAC is characterized by an extensive fibroinflammatory stroma that includes abundant infiltrating immune cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are prevalent within the stroma and are key drivers of immunosuppression. TAMs in human and murine PDAC are characterized by elevated expression of apolipoprotein E (ApoE), an apolipoprotein that mediates cholesterol metabolism and has known roles in cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease but no known role in PDAC. We report here that ApoE is also elevated in peripheral blood monocytes in PDAC patients, and plasma ApoE protein levels stratify patient survival. Orthotopic implantation of mouse PDAC cells into syngeneic wild-type or in ApoE-/- mice showed reduced tumor growth in ApoE-/- mice. Histologic and mass cytometric (CyTOF) analysis of these tumors showed an increase in CD8+ T cells in tumors in ApoE-/- mice. Mechanistically, ApoE induced pancreatic tumor cell expression of Cxcl1 and Cxcl5, known immunosuppressive factors, through LDL receptor and NF-κB signaling. Taken together, this study reveals a novel immunosuppressive role of ApoE in the PDAC microenvironment. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that elevated apolipoprotein E in PDAC mediates immune suppression and high serum apolipoprotein E levels correlate with poor patient survival.See related commentary by Sherman, p. 4186.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B Kemp
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Eileen S Carpenter
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Nina G Steele
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Katelyn L Donahue
- Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Zeribe C Nwosu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Amanda Pacheco
- Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ashley Velez-Delgado
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rosa E Menjivar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Fatima Lima
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Stephanie The
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Kristee Brown
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Daniel Long
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Arvind Rao
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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32
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Xia T, Chen XY, Zhang YN. MicroRNAs as biomarkers and perspectives in the therapy of pancreatic cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:4191-4203. [PMID: 34324119 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is considered as one of the most aggressive tumor types, representing over 45,750 mortality cases annually in the USA solely. The aggressive nature and late identification of pancreatic cancer, combined with the restrictions of existing chemotherapeutics, present the mandatory need for the advancement of novel treatment systems. Ongoing reports have shown an important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the initiation, migration, and metastasis of malignancies. Besides, abnormal transcriptional levels of miRNAs have regularly been related with etiopathogenesis of pancreatic malignancy, underlining the conceivable utilization of miRNAs in the management of pancreatic disease patients. In this review article, we give a concise outline of molecular pathways involved in etiopathogenesis of pancreatic cancer patients as well as miRNA implications in pancreatic cancer patients. Ensuing sections describe the involvement of miRNAs in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of pancreatic cancer patients. The involvement of miRNAs in the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancers was also discussed. End area portrays the substance of survey with future headings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xia
- Department of Gastrointestinal-Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yi Chen
- Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, No. 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - You-Ni Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tiantai People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province (Tiantai Branch of Zhejiang People's Hospital), Kangning Middle Road, Shifeng Street, Tiantai County, Taizhou, 317200, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
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33
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Kemp SB, Steele NG, Carpenter ES, Donahue KL, Bushnell GG, Morris AH, The S, Orbach SM, Sirihorachai VR, Nwosu ZC, Espinoza C, Lima F, Brown K, Girgis AA, Gunchick V, Zhang Y, Lyssiotis CA, Frankel TL, Bednar F, Rao A, Sahai V, Shea LD, Crawford HC, Pasca di Magliano M. Pancreatic cancer is marked by complement-high blood monocytes and tumor-associated macrophages. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000935. [PMID: 33782087 PMCID: PMC8091600 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is accompanied by reprogramming of the local microenvironment, but changes at distal sites are poorly understood. We implanted biomaterial scaffolds, which act as an artificial premetastatic niche, into immunocompetent tumor-bearing and control mice, and identified a unique tumor-specific gene expression signature that includes high expression of C1qa, C1qb, Trem2, and Chil3 Single-cell RNA sequencing mapped these genes to two distinct macrophage populations in the scaffolds, one marked by elevated C1qa, C1qb, and Trem2, the other with high Chil3, Ly6c2 and Plac8 In mice, expression of these genes in the corresponding populations was elevated in tumor-associated macrophages compared with macrophages in the normal pancreas. We then analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing from patient samples, and determined expression of C1QA, C1QB, and TREM2 is elevated in human macrophages in primary tumors and liver metastases. Single-cell sequencing analysis of patient blood revealed a substantial enrichment of the same gene signature in monocytes. Taken together, our study identifies two distinct tumor-associated macrophage and monocyte populations that reflects systemic immune changes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B Kemp
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nina G Steele
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eileen S Carpenter
- Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Grace G Bushnell
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Aaron H Morris
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stephanie The
- Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sophia M Orbach
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Zeribe C Nwosu
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Fatima Lima
- Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Valerie Gunchick
- Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Timothy L Frankel
- Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Filip Bednar
- Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Arvind Rao
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Vaibhav Sahai
- Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lonnie D Shea
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Feuerecker B, Biechl P, Veltkamp C, Saur D, Eisenreich W. Metabolic Response of Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells under Treatment with Dichloroacetate. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11060350. [PMID: 34070873 PMCID: PMC8228235 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11060350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In modern oncology, the analysis and evaluation of treatment response are still challenging. Hence, we used a 13C-guided approach to study the impacts of the small molecule dichloroacetate (DCA) upon the metabolic response of pancreatic cancer cells. Two different oncogenic PI3K-driven pancreatic cancer cell lines, 9580 and 10,158, respectively, were treated with 75 mM DCA for 18 h. In the presence of [U-13C6]glucose, the effects of DCA treatment in the core carbon metabolism were analyzed in these cells using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 13C-enrichments and isotopologue profiles of key amino acids revealed considerable effects of the DCA treatment upon glucose metabolism. The DCA treatment of the two pancreatic cell lines resulted in a significantly decreased incorporation of [U-13C6]glucose into the amino acids alanine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, proline and serine in treated, but not in untreated, cancer cells. For both cell lines, the data indicated some activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase with increased carbon flux via the TCA cycle, but also massive inhibition of glycolytic flux and amino acid biosynthesis presumably by inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTORC axis. Together, it appears worthwhile to study the early treatment response in DCA-guided or accompanied cancer therapy in more detail, since it could open new avenues for improved diagnosis and therapeutic protocols of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Feuerecker
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site München, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence: (B.F.); (W.E.)
| | - Philipp Biechl
- Bavarian NMR Center—Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany;
| | - Christian Veltkamp
- Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (C.V.); (D.S.)
| | - Dieter Saur
- Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; (C.V.); (D.S.)
| | - Wolfgang Eisenreich
- Bavarian NMR Center—Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany;
- Correspondence: (B.F.); (W.E.)
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Oncogenic KRAS engages an RSK1/NF1 pathway to inhibit wild-type RAS signaling in pancreatic cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016904118. [PMID: 34021083 PMCID: PMC8166058 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016904118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Although activating mutations of the KRAS GTPase are the predominant dependency present in >90% of PDAC patients, targeting KRAS mutants directly has been challenging in PDAC. Similarly, strategies targeting known KRAS downstream effectors have had limited clinical success due to feedback mechanisms, alternate pathways, and dose-limiting toxicities in normal tissues. Therefore, identifying additional functionally relevant KRAS interactions in PDAC may allow for a better understanding of feedback mechanisms and unveil potential therapeutic targets. Here, we used proximity labeling to identify protein interactors of active KRAS in PDAC cells. We expressed fusions of wild-type (WT) (BirA-KRAS4B), mutant (BirA-KRAS4BG12D), and nontransforming cytosolic double mutant (BirA-KRAS4BG12D/C185S) KRAS with the BirA biotin ligase in murine PDAC cells. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that RSK1 selectively interacts with membrane-bound KRASG12D, and we demonstrate that this interaction requires NF1 and SPRED2. We find that membrane RSK1 mediates negative feedback on WT RAS signaling and impedes the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells upon the ablation of mutant KRAS. Our findings link NF1 to the membrane-localized functions of RSK1 and highlight a role for WT RAS signaling in promoting adaptive resistance to mutant KRAS-specific inhibitors in PDAC.
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Chen Y, Xu Y, Zhong H, Yuan H, Liang F, Liu J, Tang W. Extracellular vesicles in Inter-Kingdom communication in gastrointestinal cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:1087-1103. [PMID: 33948347 PMCID: PMC8085842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The production and secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are common features of cells (including various normal cells, neoplastic cell lines as well as bacteria) that span all domains of life. Tumor-derived exosomes are enriched with kinds of tumorigenesis mediators which are derived from the cytoplasm of cancer cells and fully reflect the tumor conditions. Indeed, the major topics and challenges on current oncological research are the identification of tumorigenic and metastatic molecules in tumor-cell-derived exosomes as well as elucidating the pathways that guarantee these components to be included in exosomes. The bacterial EVs have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) tumors and chronic inflammatory diseases; however, the possible function of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in tumorigenesis remains largely underestimated. We suggest that EVs from both eukaryotic cells and different microbes in GI tract act as regulators of intracellular and cross-species communication, thus particularly facilitate tumor cell survival and multi-drug resistance. Therefore, our review introduces comprehensive knowledge on the promising role of EVs (mainly exosomes and OMVs) production of GI cancer development and gut microbiome, as well as its roles in developing novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
| | - Yansong Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, P. R. China
| | - Huage Zhong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
| | - Hao Yuan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
| | - Fangfang Liang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, P. R. China
| | - Junjie Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Department of Ultrasound, Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
| | - Weizhong Tang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery Guangxi Medical University Cancer HospitalNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Colorectal CancerNanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China
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Du R, Sullivan DK, Azizian NG, Liu Y, Li Y. Inhibition of ERAD synergizes with FTS to eradicate pancreatic cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:237. [PMID: 33676427 PMCID: PMC7937230 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-07967-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most lethal cancers, is driven by oncogenic KRAS mutations. Farnesyl thiosalicylic acid (FTS), also known as salirasib, is a RAS inhibitor that selectively dislodges active RAS proteins from cell membrane, inhibiting downstream signaling. FTS has demonstrated limited therapeutic efficacy in PDAC patients despite being well tolerated. Methods To improve the efficacy of FTS in PDAC, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR synthetic lethality screen to identify genetic targets that synergize with FTS treatment. Among the top candidates, multiple genes in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway were identified. The role of ERAD inhibition in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of FTS was further investigated in pancreatic cancer cells using pharmaceutical and genetic approaches. Results In murine and human PDAC cells, FTS induced unfolded protein response (UPR), which was further augmented upon treatment with a chemical inhibitor of ERAD, Eeyarestatin I (EerI). Combined treatment with FTS and EerI significantly upregulated the expression of UPR marker genes and induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, CRISPR-based genetic ablation of the key ERAD components, HRD1 and SEL1L, sensitized PDAC cells to FTS treatment. Conclusion Our study reveals a critical role for ERAD in therapeutic response of FTS and points to the modulation of UPR as a novel approach to improve the efficacy of FTS in PDAC treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07967-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Du
- Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Delaney K Sullivan
- UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nancy G Azizian
- Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yuanhui Liu
- Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yulin Li
- Center for Immunotherapy Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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Sunami Y, Böker V, Kleeff J. Targeting and Reprograming Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and the Tumor Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:697. [PMID: 33572223 PMCID: PMC7915918 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States both in female and male, and is projected to become the second deadliest cancer by 2030. The overall five-year survival rate remains at around 10%. Pancreatic cancer exhibits a remarkable resistance to established therapeutic options such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, due to dense stromal tumor microenvironment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are the major stromal cell type and source of extracellular matrix proteins shaping a physical and metabolic barrier thereby reducing therapeutic efficacy. Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts has been considered a promising therapeutic strategy. However, depleting cancer-associated fibroblasts may also have tumor-promoting effects due to their functional heterogeneity. Several subtypes of cancer-associated fibroblasts have been suggested to exhibit tumor-restraining function. This review article summarizes recent preclinical and clinical investigations addressing pancreatic cancer therapy through targeting specific subtypes of cancer-associated fibroblasts, deprogramming activated fibroblasts, administration of mesenchymal stem cells, as well as reprogramming tumor-promoting cancer-associated fibroblasts to tumor-restraining cancer-associated fibroblasts. Further, inter-cellular mediators between cancer-associated fibroblasts and the surrounding tissue microenvironment are discussed. It is important to increase our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment for more specific and personalized therapies for pancreatic cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Sunami
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, University Medical Center Halle, 06120 Halle, Germany; (V.B.); (J.K.)
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Li Y, He Y, Peng J, Su Z, Li Z, Zhang B, Ma J, Zhuo M, Zou D, Liu X, Liu X, Wang W, Huang D, Xu M, Wang J, Deng H, Xue J, Xie W, Lan X, Chen M, Zhao Y, Wu W, David CJ. Mutant Kras co-opts a proto-oncogenic enhancer network in inflammation-induced metaplastic progenitor cells to initiate pancreatic cancer. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:49-65. [PMID: 35121887 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-00134-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Kras-activating mutations display the highest incidence in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic inflammation accelerates mutant Kras-driven tumorigenesis in mice, suggesting high selectivity in the cells that oncogenic Kras transforms, although the mechanisms dictating this specificity are poorly understood. Here we show that pancreatic inflammation is coupled to the emergence of a transient progenitor cell population that is readily transformed in the presence of mutant KrasG12D. These progenitors harbor a proto-oncogenic transcriptional program driven by a transient enhancer network. KrasG12D mutations lock this enhancer network in place, providing a sustained Kras-dependent oncogenic program that drives tumors throughout progression. Enhancer co-option occurs through functional interactions between the Kras-activated transcription factors Junb and Fosl1 and pancreatic lineage transcription factors, potentially accounting for inter-tissue specificity of oncogene transformation. The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell of origin thus provides an oncogenic transcriptional program that fuels tumor progression beyond initiation, accounting for the intra-tissue selectivity of Kras transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Li
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yi He
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Junya Peng
- Medical Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhendong Su
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zeyao Li
- Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bingjie Zhang
- Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meilian Zhuo
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Di Zou
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xinde Liu
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xinhong Liu
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Wenze Wang
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Huang
- Medical Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mengyue Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haiteng Deng
- Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Lan
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mo Chen
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Wenming Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Charles J David
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China.
- Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Leal AS, Liu P, Krieger-Burke T, Ruggeri B, Liby KT. The Bromodomain Inhibitor, INCB057643, Targets Both Cancer Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Two Preclinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:cancers13010096. [PMID: 33396954 PMCID: PMC7794921 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal disease, with only ~10% of patients still alive five years after diagnosis, as most patients already have advanced, metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, new treatments are needed for these patients. We tested INCB057643, a novel bromodomain inhibitor, in a relevant mouse model of pancreatic cancer, and this compound improves survival and reduces metastasis. Pancreatic cancers are very dense, as the stroma within the tumor can account for up to 90% of the tumor mass and is responsible for the failure of many drugs. INCB057643 modulates the immune cells within the tumor so they can attack and kill tumor cells. INCB057643 also alters immune cells within the pancreas in a mouse model of pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas that can promote the development of pancreatic cancer. Abstract In pancreatic cancer the tumor microenvironment (TME) can account for up to 90% of the tumor mass. The TME drives essential functions in disease progression, invasion and metastasis. Tumor cells can use epigenetic modulation to evade immune recognition and shape the TME toward an immunosuppressive phenotype. Bromodomain inhibitors are a class of drugs that target BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) proteins, impairing their ability to bind to acetylated lysines and therefore interfering with transcriptional initiation and elongation. INCB057643 is a new generation, orally bioavailable BET inhibitor that was developed for treating patients with advanced malignancies. KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice mimic human disease, with similar progression and incidence of metastasis. Treatment of established tumors in KPC mice with INCB057643 increased survival by an average of 55 days, compared to the control group. Moreover, INCB057643 reduced metastatic burden in these mice. KPC mice treated with INCB057643, starting at 4 weeks of age, showed beneficial changes in immune cell populations in the pancreas and liver. Similarly, INCB057643 modified immune cell populations in the pancreas of KrasG12D/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KC) mice with pancreatitis, an inflammatory process known to promote pancreatic cancer progression. The data presented here suggest that the bromodomain inhibitor INCB057643 modulates the TME, reducing disease burden in two mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, this work suggests that BRD4 may play a role in establishing the TME in the liver, a primary metastatic site for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S. Leal
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
| | - Phillip Liu
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA; (P.L.); (B.R.)
| | - Teresa Krieger-Burke
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
| | - Bruce Ruggeri
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA; (P.L.); (B.R.)
| | - Karen T. Liby
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-517-884-8955; Fax: +1-517-353-8915
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Bianchini M, Giambelluca MA, Scavuzzo MC, Di Franco G, Guadagni S, Palmeri M, Furbetta N, Gianardi D, Funel N, Pollina LE, Di Candio G, Fornai F, Morelli L. The occurrence of prion protein in surgically resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Pancreatology 2020; 20:1218-1225. [PMID: 32828686 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among the several new targets for the comprehension of the biology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), Prion proteins (PrPc) deserve particular mention, since they share a marked neurotropism. Actually, PrPc could have also a role in tumorigenesis, as recently demonstrated. However, only few in vitro studies in cell cultures showed the occurrence of PrPc in PDAC cells. We aim to evaluate the presence of PrPc in vivo in PDAC tissues as a potential new biomarker. METHODS Samples from tumors of 23 patients undergone pancreatic resections from July 2018 to May 2020 at our institution were collected and analyzed. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting of PDAC tissues were compared with control tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used also to evaluate the localization of PrPc and of CD155, a tumoral stem-cell marker. RESULTS All cases were moderately differentiated PDAC, with perineural invasion (PNI) in 19/23 cases (83%). According to western-blot analysis, PrPc was markedly expressed in PDAC tissues (273.5 ± 44.63 OD) respect to controls (100 ± 28.35 OD, p = 0.0018). Immunohistochemistry confirmed these findings, with higher linear staining of PrPc in PDAC ducts (127.145 ± 7.56 μm vs 75.21 ± 5.01 μm, p < 0.0001). PrPc and CD155 exactly overlapped in ductal tumoral cells, highlighting the possible relationship of PrPc with cancer stemness. Finally, PrPc expression related with cancer stage and there was a potential correspondence with PNI. CONCLUSIONS Our work provides evidence for increased levels of PrPc in PDAC. This might contribute to cancer aggressiveness and provides a potentially new biomarker. Work is in progress to decipher clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bianchini
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Anita Giambelluca
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Scavuzzo
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gregorio Di Franco
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Guadagni
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Palmeri
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Niccolò Furbetta
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Desirée Gianardi
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Niccola Funel
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Surgical, Medical Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Emanuele Pollina
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Surgical, Medical Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulio Di Candio
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed - Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Luca Morelli
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy; EndoCAS (Center for Computer Assisted Surgery), University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Uprety D, Adjei AA. KRAS: From undruggable to a druggable Cancer Target. Cancer Treat Rev 2020; 89:102070. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Rozeveld CN, Johnson KM, Zhang L, Razidlo GL. KRAS Controls Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lipid Metabolism and Invasive Potential through the Lipase HSL. Cancer Res 2020; 80:4932-4945. [PMID: 32816911 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Oncogene-induced metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer (PDAC), yet the metabolic drivers of metastasis are unclear. In PDAC, obesity and excess fatty acids accelerate tumor growth and increase metastasis. Here, we report that excess lipids, stored in organelles called lipid droplets (LD), are a key resource to fuel the energy-intensive process of metastasis. The oncogene KRAS controlled the storage and utilization of LD through regulation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which was downregulated in human PDAC. Disruption of the KRAS-HSL axis reduced lipid storage, reprogrammed tumor cell metabolism, and inhibited invasive migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Finally, microscopy-based metabolic analysis revealed that migratory cells selectively utilize oxidative metabolism during the process of migration to metabolize stored lipids and fuel invasive migration. Taken together, these results reveal a mechanism that can be targeted to attenuate PDAC metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: KRAS-dependent regulation of HSL biases cells towards lipid storage for subsequent utilization during invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, representing a potential target for therapeutic intervention.See related commentary by Man et al., p. 4886.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody N Rozeveld
- Mayo Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Katherine M Johnson
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Lizhi Zhang
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Gina L Razidlo
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. .,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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44
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Beta 1 integrin signaling mediates pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma resistance to MEK inhibition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11133. [PMID: 32636409 PMCID: PMC7340786 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67814-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest human malignancies, has a dismal 5-year survival rate of 9%. KRAS is the most commonly mutated gene in pancreatic cancer, but clinical agents that directly target mutant KRAS are not available. Several effector pathways are activated downstream of oncogenic Kras, including MAPK signaling. MAPK signaling can be inhibited by targeting MEK1/2; unfortunately, this approach has been largely ineffective in pancreatic cancer. Here, we set out to identify mechanisms of MEK inhibitor resistance in pancreatic cancer. We optimized the culture of pancreatic tumor 3D clusters that utilized Matrigel as a basement membrane mimetic. Pancreatic tumor 3D clusters recapitulated mutant KRAS dependency and recalcitrance to MEK inhibition. Treatment of the clusters with trametinib, a MEK inhibitor, had only a modest effect on these cultures. We observed that cells adjacent to the basement membrane mimetic Matrigel survived MEK inhibition, while the cells in the interior layers underwent apoptosis. Our findings suggested that basement membrane attachment provided survival signals. We thus targeted integrin β1, a mediator of extracellular matrix contact, and found that combined MEK and integrin β1 inhibition bypassed trametinib resistance. Our data support exploring integrin signaling inhibition as a component of combination therapy in pancreatic cancer.
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45
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Shankar S, Tien JCY, Siebenaler RF, Chugh S, Dommeti VL, Zelenka-Wang S, Wang XM, Apel IJ, Waninger J, Eyunni S, Xu A, Mody M, Goodrum A, Zhang Y, Tesmer JJ, Mannan R, Cao X, Vats P, Pitchiaya S, Ellison SJ, Shi J, Kumar-Sinha C, Crawford HC, Chinnaiyan AM. An essential role for Argonaute 2 in EGFR-KRAS signaling in pancreatic cancer development. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2817. [PMID: 32499547 PMCID: PMC7272436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16309-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Both KRAS and EGFR are essential mediators of pancreatic cancer development and interact with Argonaute 2 (AGO2) to perturb its function. Here, in a mouse model of mutant KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer, loss of AGO2 allows precursor lesion (PanIN) formation yet prevents progression to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Precursor lesions with AGO2 ablation undergo oncogene-induced senescence with altered microRNA expression and EGFR/RAS signaling, bypassed by loss of p53. In mouse and human pancreatic tissues, PDAC progression is associated with increased plasma membrane localization of RAS/AGO2. Furthermore, phosphorylation of AGO2Y393 disrupts both the wild-type and oncogenic KRAS-AGO2 interaction, albeit under different conditions. ARS-1620 (G12C-specific inhibitor) disrupts the KRASG12C-AGO2 interaction, suggesting that the interaction is targetable. Altogether, our study supports a biphasic model of pancreatic cancer development: an AGO2-independent early phase of PanIN formation reliant on EGFR-RAS signaling, and an AGO2-dependent phase wherein the mutant KRAS-AGO2 interaction is critical for PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Shankar
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jean Ching-Yi Tien
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ronald F Siebenaler
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Seema Chugh
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Vijaya L Dommeti
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sylvia Zelenka-Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xiao-Ming Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ingrid J Apel
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jessica Waninger
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sanjana Eyunni
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Alice Xu
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Malay Mody
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Andrew Goodrum
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - John J Tesmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Rahul Mannan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xuhong Cao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Pankaj Vats
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Stephanie J Ellison
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jiaqi Shi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Chandan Kumar-Sinha
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Arul M Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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46
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Garcia PE, Adoumie M, Kim EC, Zhang Y, Scales MK, El-Tawil YS, Shaikh AZ, Wen HJ, Bednar F, Allen BL, Wellik DM, Crawford HC, Pasca di Magliano M. Differential Contribution of Pancreatic Fibroblast Subsets to the Pancreatic Cancer Stroma. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 10:581-599. [PMID: 32454112 PMCID: PMC7399194 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Although the healthy pancreas consists mostly of epithelial cells, pancreatic cancer and the precursor lesions known as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, are characterized by an extensive accumulation of fibroinflammatory stroma that includes a substantial and heterogeneous fibroblast population. The cellular origin of fibroblasts within the stroma has not been determined. Here, we show that the Gli1 and Hoxb6 markers label distinct fibroblast populations in the healthy mouse pancreas. We then set out to determine whether these distinct fibroblast populations expanded during carcinogenesis. METHODS We developed genetically engineered models using a dual-recombinase approach that allowed us to induce pancreatic cancer formation through codon-optimized Flp recombinase-driven epithelial recombination of Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog while labeling Gli1+ or Hoxb6+ fibroblasts in an inducible manner. By using these models, we lineage-traced these 2 fibroblast populations during the process of carcinogenesis. RESULTS Although in the healthy pancreas Gli1+ fibroblasts and Hoxb6+ fibroblasts are present in similar numbers, they contribute differently to the stroma in carcinogenesis. Namely, Gli1+ fibroblasts expand dramatically, whereas Hoxb6+ cells do not. CONCLUSIONS Fibroblasts present in the healthy pancreas expand during carcinogenesis, but with a different prevalence for different subtypes. Here, we compared Gli1+ and Hoxb6+ fibroblasts and found only Gli1+ expanded to contribute to the stroma during pancreatic carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui-Ju Wen
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
| | | | - Ben L. Allen
- Rogel Cancer Center,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cellular and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Howard C. Crawford
- Rogel Cancer Center,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Surgery,Rogel Cancer Center,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, 4304 Cancer Center, SPC 5936, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; fax: (734) 615-7424.
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47
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Sodir NM, Kortlever RM, Barthet VJA, Campos T, Pellegrinet L, Kupczak S, Anastasiou P, Swigart LB, Soucek L, Arends MJ, Littlewood TD, Evan GI. MYC Instructs and Maintains Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Phenotype. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:588-607. [PMID: 31941709 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The signature features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are its fibroinflammatory stroma, poor immune activity, and dismal prognosis. We show that acute activation of Myc in indolent pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PanIN) epithelial cells in vivo is, alone, sufficient to trigger immediate release of instructive signals that together coordinate changes in multiple stromal and immune-cell types and drive transition to pancreatic adenocarcinomas that share all the characteristic stromal features of their spontaneous human counterpart. We also demonstrate that this Myc-driven PDAC switch is completely and immediately reversible: Myc deactivation/inhibition triggers meticulous disassembly of advanced PDAC tumor and stroma and concomitant death of tumor cells. Hence, both the formation and deconstruction of the complex PDAC phenotype are continuously dependent on a single, reversible Myc switch. SIGNIFICANCE: We show that Myc activation in indolent Kras G12D-induced PanIN epithelium acts as an immediate pleiotropic switch, triggering tissue-specific signals that instruct all the diverse signature stromal features of spontaneous human PDAC. Subsequent Myc deactivation or inhibition immediately triggers a program that coordinately disassembles PDAC back to PanIN.See related commentary by English and Sears, p. 495.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Sodir
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Roderik M Kortlever
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tania Campos
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Pellegrinet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Kupczak
- Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lamorna Brown Swigart
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Laura Soucek
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark J Arends
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor D Littlewood
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gerard I Evan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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48
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Ruscetti M, Morris JP, Mezzadra R, Russell J, Leibold J, Romesser PB, Simon J, Kulick A, Ho YJ, Fennell M, Li J, Norgard RJ, Wilkinson JE, Alonso-Curbelo D, Sridharan R, Heller DA, de Stanchina E, Stanger BZ, Sherr CJ, Lowe SW. Senescence-Induced Vascular Remodeling Creates Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Pancreas Cancer. Cell 2020; 181:424-441.e21. [PMID: 32234521 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
KRAS mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a desmoplastic response that promotes hypovascularity, immunosuppression, and resistance to chemo- and immunotherapies. We show that a combination of MEK and CDK4/6 inhibitors that target KRAS-directed oncogenic signaling can suppress PDAC proliferation through induction of retinoblastoma (RB) protein-mediated senescence. In preclinical mouse models of PDAC, this senescence-inducing therapy produces a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that includes pro-angiogenic factors that promote tumor vascularization, which in turn enhances drug delivery and efficacy of cytotoxic gemcitabine chemotherapy. In addition, SASP-mediated endothelial cell activation stimulates the accumulation of CD8+ T cells into otherwise immunologically "cold" tumors, sensitizing tumors to PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Therefore, in PDAC models, therapy-induced senescence can establish emergent susceptibilities to otherwise ineffective chemo- and immunotherapies through SASP-dependent effects on the tumor vasculature and immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Ruscetti
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - John P Morris
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Riccardo Mezzadra
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - James Russell
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Josef Leibold
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Paul B Romesser
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Janelle Simon
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Amanda Kulick
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yu-Jui Ho
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Myles Fennell
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jinyang Li
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert J Norgard
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John E Wilkinson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Direna Alonso-Curbelo
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ramya Sridharan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel A Heller
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Charles J Sherr
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Scott W Lowe
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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49
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Zhang Y, Lazarus J, Steele NG, Yan W, Lee HJ, Nwosu ZC, Halbrook CJ, Menjivar RE, Kemp SB, Sirihorachai VR, Velez-Delgado A, Donahue K, Carpenter ES, Brown KL, Irizarry-Negron V, Nevison AC, Vinta A, Anderson MA, Crawford HC, Lyssiotis CA, Frankel TL, Bednar F, Pasca di Magliano M. Regulatory T-cell Depletion Alters the Tumor Microenvironment and Accelerates Pancreatic Carcinogenesis. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:422-439. [PMID: 31911451 PMCID: PMC7224338 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg) are abundant in human and mouse pancreatic cancer. To understand the contribution to the immunosuppressive microenvironment, we depleted Tregs in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Contrary to our expectations, Treg depletion failed to relieve immunosuppression and led to accelerated tumor progression. We show that Tregs are a key source of TGFβ ligands and, accordingly, their depletion reprogramed the fibroblast population, with loss of tumor-restraining, smooth muscle actin-expressing fibroblasts. Conversely, we observed an increase in chemokines Ccl3, Ccl6, and Ccl8 leading to increased myeloid cell recruitment, restoration of immune suppression, and promotion of carcinogenesis, an effect that was inhibited by blockade of the common CCL3/6/8 receptor CCR1. Further, Treg depletion unleashed pathologic CD4+ T-cell responses. Our data point to new mechanisms regulating fibroblast differentiation in pancreatic cancer and support the notion that fibroblasts are a heterogeneous population with different and opposing functions in pancreatic carcinogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE: Here, we describe an unexpected cross-talk between Tregs and fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer. Treg depletion resulted in differentiation of inflammatory fibroblast subsets, in turn driving infiltration of myeloid cells through CCR1, thus uncovering a potentially new therapeutic approach to relieve immunosuppression in pancreatic cancer.See related commentary by Aykut et al., p. 345.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 327.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqing Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jenny Lazarus
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Nina G Steele
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ho-Joon Lee
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Zeribe C Nwosu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rosa E Menjivar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Samantha B Kemp
- Molecular and Cellular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Ashley Velez-Delgado
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Katelyn Donahue
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Eileen S Carpenter
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kristee L Brown
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Anna C Nevison
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alekya Vinta
- College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Michelle A Anderson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Filip Bednar
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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50
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Buscail L, Bournet B, Cordelier P. Role of oncogenic KRAS in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 17:153-168. [PMID: 32005945 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-019-0245-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to be the second most common cause of death within the next 10 years. The prognosis for this disease is poor despite diagnostic progress and new chemotherapeutic regimens. The oncogenic KRAS mutation is the major event in pancreatic cancer; it confers permanent activation of the KRAS protein, which acts as a molecular switch to activate various intracellular signalling pathways and transcription factors inducing cell proliferation, migration, transformation and survival. Several laboratory methods have been developed to detect KRAS mutations in biological samples, including digital droplet PCR (which displays high sensitivity). Clinical studies have revealed that a KRAS mutation assay in fine-needle aspiration material combined with cytopathology increases the sensitivity, accuracy and negative predictive value of cytopathology for a positive diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In addition, the presence of KRAS mutations in serum and plasma (liquid biopsies) correlates with a worse prognosis. The presence of mutated KRAS can also have therapeutic implications, whether at the gene level per se, during its post-translational maturation, interaction with nucleotides and after activation of the various oncogenic signals. Further pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies on new molecules are required, especially small synthetic molecules, before they can be used in the therapeutic arsenal for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Buscail
- Department of Gastroenterology, University of Toulouse III, Rangueil Hospital, Toulouse, France. .,INSERM UMR 1037, Toulouse Centre for Cancer Research, University of Toulouse III, Toulouse, France.
| | - Barbara Bournet
- Department of Gastroenterology, University of Toulouse III, Rangueil Hospital, Toulouse, France.,INSERM UMR 1037, Toulouse Centre for Cancer Research, University of Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Cordelier
- INSERM UMR 1037, Toulouse Centre for Cancer Research, University of Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
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