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Bashari N, Naghizadeh M, Chegini MK, Sadeghi ES, Zamani A, Mahdevar M. Therapeutic Potential of PLK1, KIF4A, CDCA5, UBE2C, CDT1, SKA3, AURKB, and PTTG1 Genes in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Correlating Their Expression with Sensitivity to GSK 461364 and IKK 16 Drugs. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-024-10907-1. [PMID: 39214909 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-024-10907-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been associated with challenges due to the lack of expression of ER, PR, and HER2 receptors in tumor cells. This study aimed to identify genes with potential therapeutic targets in TNBC. Data from the cancer genome atlas regarding breast cancer (BC) were downloaded. After initial preprocessing, cancer samples were categorized into four groups: TNBC, HER2-positive, luminal A, and luminal B. Gene expression differences between these groups were calculated, focusing on genes that showed differential expression in TNBC. A protein-protein interaction network was conducted to identify hub genes among the candidate genes related to TNBC. The protein expression of candidate genes was assessed using immunohistochemistry data from the human protein atlas. Drug resistance and sensitivity associated with hub genes were identified using data from PharmacoDB. TNBC samples and the RT-qPCR method were used to confirm the results. Our findings revealed that eight genes, namely PLK1, KIF4A, CDCA5, UBE2C, CDT1, SKA3, AURKB, and PTTG1, had significant upregulation at the RNA level in TNBC subgroup compared to other subgroups and could be considered hub genes in TNBC. Compared to other subgroups, their expression level in TNBC samples had high sensitivity and specificity. RT-qPCR results also demonstrated a significant increase in levels of SKA3 and PTTG1 in the TNBC compared to healthy tissue and other subgroups. The protein expression of these genes was notably high in some BC samples. PharmacoDB data showed that some candidate genes were closely linked to drug sensitivity of GSK 461364 and IKK 16. The results of this study showed a significant increase in the expression level of PLK1, KIF4A, CDCA5, UBE2C, CDT1, SKA3, AURKB, and PTTG1 in TNBC compared to other BC subgroups. These genes show considerable promise as therapeutic targets for the TNBC subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najmeh Bashari
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Genius Gene, Genetics and Biotechnology Company, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammadamin Naghizadeh
- Dalian Medical University, Liaoning, China
- Genius Gene, Genetics and Biotechnology Company, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Kalhor Chegini
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Genius Gene, Genetics and Biotechnology Company, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Atefeh Zamani
- Genius Gene, Genetics and Biotechnology Company, Isfahan, Iran.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Mahdevar
- Genius Gene, Genetics and Biotechnology Company, Isfahan, Iran.
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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Chiappa M, Decio A, Guarrera L, Mengoli I, Karki A, Yemane D, Ghilardi C, Scanziani E, Canesi S, Barbera MC, Craparotta I, Bolis M, Fruscio R, Grasselli C, Ceruti T, Zucchetti M, Patterson JC, Lu RA, Yaffe MB, Ridinger M, Damia G, Guffanti F. Onvansertib treatment overcomes olaparib resistance in high-grade ovarian carcinomas. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:521. [PMID: 39039067 PMCID: PMC11263393 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Occurrence of resistance to olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (PARPi) approved in ovarian carcinoma, has already been shown in clinical settings. Identifying combination treatments to sensitize tumor cells and/or overcome resistance to olaparib is critical. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a master regulator of mitosis, is also involved in the DNA damage response promoting homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA repair and in the recovery from the G2/M checkpoint. We hypothesized that PLK1 inhibition could sensitize tumor cells to PARP inhibition. Onvansertib, a highly selective PLK1 inhibitor, and olaparib were tested in vitro and in vivo in BRCA1 mutated and wild-type (wt) ovarian cancer models, including patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) resistant to olaparib. The combination of onvansertib and olaparib was additive or synergic in different ovarian cancer cell lines, causing a G2/M block of the cell cycle, DNA damage, and apoptosis, much more pronounced in cells treated with the two drugs as compared to controls and single agents treated cells. The combined treatment was well tolerated in vivo and resulted in tumor growth inhibition and a statistically increased survival in olaparib-resistant-BRCA1 mutated models. The combination was also active, although to a lesser extent, in BRCA1 wt PDXs. Pharmacodynamic analyses showed an increase in mitotic, apoptotic, and DNA damage markers in tumor samples derived from mice treated with the combination versus vehicle. We could demonstrate that in vitro onvansertib inhibited both HR and non-homologous end-joining repair pathways and in vivo induced a decrease in the number of RAD51 foci-positive tumor cells, supporting its ability to induce HR deficiency and favoring the activity of olaparib. Considering that the combination was well tolerated, these data support and foster the clinical evaluation of onvansertib with PARPis in ovarian cancer, particularly in the PARPis-resistant setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Chiappa
- Laboratory of Preclinical Gynecological Oncology, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Decio
- Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Therapeutics, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Guarrera
- Computational Oncology Unit, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Mengoli
- Laboratory of Preclinical Gynecological Oncology, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Anju Karki
- R&D Department, Cardiff Oncology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Divora Yemane
- R&D Department, Cardiff Oncology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Carmen Ghilardi
- Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Therapeutics, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio Scanziani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS), University of Milan, Lodi Campus, Italy
- Mouse and Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), UniMi Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Canesi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS), University of Milan, Lodi Campus, Italy
- Mouse and Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), UniMi Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria C Barbera
- Computational Oncology Unit, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Craparotta
- Computational Oncology Unit, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bolis
- Computational Oncology Unit, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Robert Fruscio
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Chiara Grasselli
- Immuno-Pharmacology Unit, Department of Oncology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Ceruti
- Laboratory of Laboratory of Cancer Pharmacology, Experimental Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimo Zucchetti
- Laboratory of Laboratory of Cancer Pharmacology, Experimental Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Jesse C Patterson
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Departments of Biology and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robin A Lu
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Departments of Biology and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Micheal B Yaffe
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Departments of Biology and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maya Ridinger
- R&D Department, Cardiff Oncology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Giovanna Damia
- Laboratory of Preclinical Gynecological Oncology, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
| | - Federica Guffanti
- Laboratory of Preclinical Gynecological Oncology, Experimental Oncology Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Poskus MD, McDonald J, Laird M, Li R, Norcoss K, Zervantonakis IK. Rational design of HER2-targeted combination therapies to reverse drug resistance in fibroblast-protected HER2+ breast cancer cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.18.594826. [PMID: 38798591 PMCID: PMC11118562 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.18.594826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Fibroblasts, an abundant cell type in the breast tumor microenvironment, interact with cancer cells and orchestrate tumor progression and drug resistance. However, the mechanisms by which fibroblast-derived factors impact drug sensitivity remain poorly understood. Here, we develop rational combination therapies that are informed by proteomic profiling to overcome fibroblast-mediated therapeutic resistance in HER2+ breast cancer cells. Methods Drug sensitivity to the HER2 kinase inhibitor lapatinib was characterized under conditions of monoculture and exposure to breast fibroblast-conditioned medium. Protein expression was measured using reverse phase protein arrays. Candidate targets for combination therapy were identified using differential expression and multivariate regression modeling. Follow-up experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of HER2 kinase combination therapies in fibroblast-protected cancer cell lines and fibroblasts. Results Compared to monoculture, fibroblast-conditioned medium increased the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI1) and cell cycle regulator polo like kinase 1 (PLK1) in lapatinib-treated breast cancer cells. Combination therapy of lapatinib with inhibitors targeting either PAI1 or PLK1, eliminated fibroblast-protected cancer cells, under both conditions of direct coculture with fibroblasts and protection by fibroblast-conditioned medium. Analysis of publicly available, clinical transcriptomic datasets revealed that HER2-targeted therapy fails to suppress PLK1 expression in stroma-rich HER2+ breast tumors and that high PAI1 gene expression associates with high stroma density. Furthermore, we showed that an epigenetics-directed approach using a bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitor to globally target fibroblast-induced proteomic adaptions in cancer cells, also restored lapatinib sensitivity. Conclusions Our data-driven framework of proteomic profiling in breast cancer cells identified the proteolytic degradation regulator PAI1 and the cell cycle regulator PLK1 as predictors of fibroblast-mediated treatment resistance. Combination therapies targeting HER2 kinase and these fibroblast-induced signaling adaptations eliminates fibroblast-protected HER2+ breast cancer cells.
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SHEN JUAN, ZHANG WEIYU, JIN QINQIN, GONG FUYU, ZHANG HEPING, XU HONGLIANG, LI JIEJIE, YAO HUI, JIANG XIYA, YANG YINTING, HONG LIN, MEI JIE, SONG YANG, ZHOU SHUGUANG. Polo-like kinase 1 as a biomarker predicts the prognosis and immunotherapy of breast invasive carcinoma patients. Oncol Res 2023; 32:339-351. [PMID: 38186570 PMCID: PMC10765123 DOI: 10.32604/or.2023.030887] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA) is associated with poor prognosis and high risk of mortality. Therefore, it is critical to identify novel biomarkers for the prognostic assessment of BRCA. Methods The expression data of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in BRCA and the corresponding clinical information were extracted from TCGA and GEO databases. PLK1 expression was validated in diverse breast cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was performed to evaluate immune infiltration in the BRCA microenvironment, and the random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were used to screen for the hub infiltrating cells and calculate the immunophenoscore (IPS). The RF algorithm and COX regression model were applied to calculate survival risk scores based on the PLK1 expression and immune cell infiltration. Finally, a prognostic nomogram was constructed with the risk score and pathological stage, and its clinical potential was evaluated by plotting calibration charts and DCA curves. The application of the nomogram was further validated in an immunotherapy cohort. Results PLK1 expression was significantly higher in the tumor samples in TCGA-BRCA cohort. Furthermore, PLK1 expression level, age and stage were identified as independent prognostic factors of BRCA. While the IPS was unaffected by PLK1 expression, the TMB and MATH scores were higher in the PLK1-high group, and the TIDE scores were higher for the PLK1-low patients. We also identified 6 immune cell types with high infiltration, along with 11 immune cell types with low infiltration in the PLK1-high tumors. A risk score was devised using PLK1 expression and hub immune cells, which predicted the prognosis of BRCA patients. In addition, a nomogram was constructed based on the risk score and pathological staging, and showed good predictive performance. Conclusions PLK1 expression and immune cell infiltration can predict post-immunotherapy prognosis of BRCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- JUAN SHEN
- School of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, Anhui Xinhua University, Hefei, 230088, China
| | - WEIYU ZHANG
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - QINQIN JIN
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - FUYU GONG
- Departments of Breast Surgery, Fuyang Women and Children’s Hospital, Fuyang, 236000, China
| | - HEPING ZHANG
- Departments of Pathology, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - HONGLIANG XU
- Departments of Pathology, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - JIEJIE LI
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - HUI YAO
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - XIYA JIANG
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - YINTING YANG
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - LIN HONG
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - JIE MEI
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - YANG SONG
- Department of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - SHUGUANG ZHOU
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hefei, 230001, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Fifth Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Linquan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Fuyang, 236400, China
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Kandala S, Ramos M, Voith von Voithenberg L, Diaz-Jimenez A, Chocarro S, Keding J, Brors B, Imbusch CD, Sotillo R. Chronic chromosome instability induced by Plk1 results in immune suppression in breast cancer. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113266. [PMID: 37979172 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome instability (CIN) contributes to resistance to therapies and tumor evolution. Although natural killer (NK) cells can eliminate cells with complex karyotypes, high-CIN human tumors have an immunosuppressive phenotype. To understand which CIN-associated molecular features alter immune recognition during tumor evolution, we overexpress Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) in a Her2+ breast cancer model. These high-CIN tumors activate a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), upregulate PD-L1 and CD206, and induce non-cell-autonomous nuclear factor κB (NF-κβ) signaling, facilitating immune evasion. Single-cell RNA sequencing from pre-neoplastic mammary glands unveiled the presence of Arg1+ macrophages, NK cells with reduced effector functions, and increased resting regulatory T cell infiltration. We further show that high PLK1-expressing human breast tumors display gene expression patterns associated with SASP, NF-κβ signaling, and immune suppression. These findings underscore the need to understand the immune landscape in CIN tumors to identify more effective therapies, potentially combining immune checkpoint or NF-κβ inhibitors with current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Kandala
- Division of Molecular Thoracic Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Ramos
- Division of Molecular Thoracic Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Voith von Voithenberg
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alberto Diaz-Jimenez
- Division of Molecular Thoracic Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sara Chocarro
- Division of Molecular Thoracic Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johanna Keding
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benedikt Brors
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Charles D Imbusch
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rocio Sotillo
- Division of Molecular Thoracic Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TRLC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Masci D, Naro C, Puxeddu M, Urbani A, Sette C, La Regina G, Silvestri R. Recent Advances in Drug Discovery for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment. Molecules 2023; 28:7513. [PMID: 38005235 PMCID: PMC10672974 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most heterogeneous and aggressive breast cancer subtypes with a high risk of death on recurrence. To date, TNBC is very difficult to treat due to the lack of an effective targeted therapy. However, recent advances in the molecular characterization of TNBC are encouraging the development of novel drugs and therapeutic combinations for its therapeutic management. In the present review, we will provide an overview of the currently available standard therapies and new emerging therapeutic strategies against TNBC, highlighting the promises that newly developed small molecules, repositioned drugs, and combination therapies have of improving treatment efficacy against these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domiziana Masci
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.U.)
| | - Chiara Naro
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.N.); (C.S.)
- GSTeP-Organoids Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.U.)
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.N.); (C.S.)
- GSTeP-Organoids Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
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Martinez MJ, Lyles RD, Peinetti N, Grunfeld AM, Burnstein KL. Inhibition of the serine/threonine kinase BUB1 reverses taxane resistance in prostate cancer. iScience 2023; 26:107681. [PMID: 37705955 PMCID: PMC10495664 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Men with incurable castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are typically treated with taxanes; however, drug resistance rapidly develops. We previously identified a clinically relevant seven gene network in aggressive CRPC, which includes the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) kinase BUB1. Since SAC is deregulated in taxane resistant PC, we evaluated BUB1 and found that it was over-expressed in advanced PC patient datasets and taxane resistant PC cells. Treatment with a specific BUB1 kinase inhibitor re-sensitized resistant CRPC cells, including cells expressing constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) variants, to clinically used taxanes. Consistent with a role of AR variants in taxane resistance, ectopically expressed AR-V7 increased BUB1 levels and reduced sensitivity to taxanes. This work shows that disruption of BUB1 kinase activity reverted resistance to taxanes, which is essential to advancing BUB1 as a potential therapeutic target for intractable chemotherapy resistant CRPC including AR variant driven CRPC, which lacks durable treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J. Martinez
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Rolando D.Z. Lyles
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Nahuel Peinetti
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alex M. Grunfeld
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Kerry L. Burnstein
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Lashen AG, Toss MS, Wootton L, Green AR, Mongan NP, Madhusudan S, Rakha E. Characteristics and prognostic significance of polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) expression in breast cancer. Histopathology 2023; 83:414-425. [PMID: 37222669 DOI: 10.1111/his.14960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
AIM Polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression, and it is considered a potential therapeutic target in many cancers. Although the role of PLK1 is well established in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) as an oncogene, its role in luminal BC is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive role of PLK1 in BC and its molecular subtypes. METHODS A large BC cohort (n = 1208) were immunohistochemically stained for PLK1. The association with clinicopathological, molecular subtypes, and survival data was analysed. PLK1 mRNA was evaluated in the publicly available datasets (n = 6774), including The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Kaplan-Meier Plotter tool. RESULTS 20% of the study cohort showed high cytoplasmic PLK1 expression. High PLK1 expression was significantly associated with a better outcome in the whole cohort, luminal BC. In contrast, high PLK1 expression was associated with a poor outcome in TNBC. Multivariate analyses indicated that high PLK1 expression is independently associated with longer survival in luminal BC, and in poorer prognosis in TNBC. At the mRNA levels, PLK1 expression was associated with short survival in TNBC consistent with the protein expression. However, in luminal BC, its prognostic value significantly varies between cohorts. CONCLUSION The prognostic role of PLK1 in BC is molecular subtype-dependent. As PLK1 inhibitors are introduced to clinical trials for several cancer types, our study supports evaluation of the pharmacological inhibition of PLK1 as an attractive therapeutic target in TNBC. However, in luminal BC, PLK1 prognostic role remains controversial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayat G Lashen
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Egypt
- Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael S Toss
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Louisa Wootton
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andrew R Green
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Srinivasan Madhusudan
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Oncology, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Emad Rakha
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Egypt
- Department of Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
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9
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Wang Z, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Mo YK, Wang Y. XMR: an explainable multimodal neural network for drug response prediction. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 3:1164482. [PMID: 37600972 PMCID: PMC10433751 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2023.1164482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Existing large-scale preclinical cancer drug response databases provide us with a great opportunity to identify and predict potentially effective drugs to combat cancers. Deep learning models built on these databases have been developed and applied to tackle the cancer drug-response prediction task. Their prediction has been demonstrated to significantly outperform traditional machine learning methods. However, due to the "black box" characteristic, biologically faithful explanations are hardly derived from these deep learning models. Interpretable deep learning models that rely on visible neural networks (VNNs) have been proposed to provide biological justification for the predicted outcomes. However, their performance does not meet the expectation to be applied in clinical practice. Methods: In this paper, we develop an XMR model, an eXplainable Multimodal neural network for drug Response prediction. XMR is a new compact multimodal neural network consisting of two sub-networks: a visible neural network for learning genomic features and a graph neural network (GNN) for learning drugs' structural features. Both sub-networks are integrated into a multimodal fusion layer to model the drug response for the given gene mutations and the drug's molecular structures. Furthermore, a pruning approach is applied to provide better interpretations of the XMR model. We use five pathway hierarchies (cell cycle, DNA repair, diseases, signal transduction, and metabolism), which are obtained from the Reactome Pathway Database, as the architecture of VNN for our XMR model to predict drug responses of triple negative breast cancer. Results: We find that our model outperforms other state-of-the-art interpretable deep learning models in terms of predictive performance. In addition, our model can provide biological insights into explaining drug responses for triple-negative breast cancer. Discussion: Overall, combining both VNN and GNN in a multimodal fusion layer, XMR captures key genomic and molecular features and offers reasonable interpretability in biology, thereby better predicting drug responses in cancer patients. Our model would also benefit personalized cancer therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Yu K. Mo
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Yijie Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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10
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Affatato R, Chiappa M, Guffanti F, Ricci F, Formenti L, Fruscio R, Jaconi M, Ridinger M, Erlander M, Damia G. Onvansertib and paclitaxel combined in platinum-resistant ovarian carcinomas. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221095064. [PMID: 35665077 PMCID: PMC9160919 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221095064] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian carcinoma is extremely sensitive to (platinum-based) chemotherapy; however, most patients will relapse with platinum-resistant disease, badly affecting their prognosis. Effective therapies for relapsing resistant tumors are urgently needed. Methods We used patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of ovarian carcinoma resistant to cisplatin (DDP) to test in vivo the combination of paclitaxel (15 mg/kg i.v. once a week for 3 weeks) and onvansertib, a plk1 inhibitor, (50 mg/kg orally 4 days a week for 3 weeks). The PDX models were subcutaneously (s.c.) or orthotopically transplanted in nude mice and antitumor efficacy was evaluated as tumor growth inhibition and survival advantages of the combination over untreated and single agent treatment. Results The combination of onvansertib and paclitaxel was very well tolerated with weight loss no greater than 15% in the combination group compared with the control group. In the orthotopically transplanted PDXs, single onvansertib and paclitaxel treatments prolonged survival; however, the combined treatment was much more active, with median survival from three- to six-fold times that of untreated mice. Findings were similar with the s.c. transplanted PDX, though there was greater heterogeneity in tumor response. Ex vivo tumors treated with the combination showed greater induction of γH2AX, marker of apoptosis and DNA damage, and pSer10H3, a marker of mitotic block. Conclusion The efficacy of onvansertib and paclitaxel combination in these preclinical ovarian cancer models supports the clinical translatability of this combination as an effective therapeutic approach for platinum-resistant high-grade ovarian carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Affatato
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Chiappa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Guffanti
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Ricci
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Formenti
- Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Robert Fruscio
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Marta Jaconi
- Department of Pathology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanna Damia
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, Milan 20157, Italy
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11
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Chiappa M, Petrella S, Damia G, Broggini M, Guffanti F, Ricci F. Present and Future Perspective on PLK1 Inhibition in Cancer Treatment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:903016. [PMID: 35719948 PMCID: PMC9201472 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.903016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is the principle member of the well conserved serine/threonine kinase family. PLK1 has a key role in the progression of mitosis and recent evidence suggest its important involvement in regulating the G2/M checkpoint, in DNA damage and replication stress response, and in cell death pathways. PLK1 expression is tightly spatially and temporally regulated to ensure its nuclear activation at the late S-phase, until the peak of expression at the G2/M-phase. Recently, new roles of PLK1 have been reported in literature on its implication in the regulation of inflammation and immunological responses. All these biological processes are altered in tumors and, considering that PLK1 is often found overexpressed in several tumor types, its targeting has emerged as a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy. In this review, we will summarize the evidence suggesting the role of PLK1 in response to DNA damage, including DNA repair, cell cycle progression, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, cell death pathways and cancer-related immunity. An update of PLK1 inhibitors currently investigated in preclinical and clinical studies, in monotherapy and in combination with existing chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted therapies will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Chiappa
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Petrella
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Damia
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Broggini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Guffanti
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Ricci
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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12
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Hu ZY, Zheng C, Yang J, Ding S, Tian C, Xie N, Xue L, Wu M, Fu S, Rao Z, Price MA, McCarthy JB, Ouyang Q, Lin J, Deng X. Co-Expression and Combined Prognostic Value of CSPG4 and PDL1 in TP53-Aberrant Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:804466. [PMID: 35280756 PMCID: PMC8907582 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.804466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), PDL1/PD1-directed immunotherapy is effective in less than 20% of patients. In our preliminary study, we have found CSPG4 to be highly expressed together with PDL1 in TNBCs, particularly those harboring TP53 aberrations. However, the clinical implications of co-expressed CSPG4 and PDL1 in TNBCs remain elusive. Methods A total of 85 advanced TNBC patients treated in the Hunan Cancer Hospital between January 2017 and August 2019 were recruited. The expressions of CSPG4 and PDL1 in TNBC tissues were investigated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The RNA-seq dataset from the TCGA-BRCA project was further used to analyze the mRNA expression of CSPG4 and PDL1 in TP53-aberrant TNBCs. Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curves with Logrank test was used to analyze the effects of CSPG4 and PDL1 on survival. TNBC cell lines were further used to investigate the molecular mechanism that were involved. Results TP53 aberrations occurred in more than 50% of metastatic TNBCs and were related to higher tumor mutation burden (TMB). In TCGA-BRCA RNA-seq dataset analysis, both CSPG4 and PDL1 levels were high in TNBCs, especially in TP53-aberrant TNBCs. IHC assay showed nearly 60% of advanced TNBCs to be CSPG4-positive and about 25% to be both CSPG4-positive and PDL1-positive. The levels of CSPG4 and PDL1 were high in TNBC cell lines as revealed by flow cytometry and immunoblotting compared with non-TNBC cells. Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that CSPG4 positivity was a significant risk factor for progression-free survival in metastatic TNBCs, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.26 (P = 0.05). KM curves with Logrank test also identified high level of CSPG4 as a significant risk factor for overall survival in advanced breast cancers in TCGA-BRCA samples (P = 0.02). The immunoblotting assays showed that EMT-related pathways were involved in CSPG4-mediated invasion. Conclusions CSPG4 expression level is associated with PDL1 positivity in TP53-aberrant TNBC cells. Patients with CSPG4 expression have poor treatment response and poor overall survival. Co-expressed CSPG4 and PDL1 may have an important prognostic value and provide new therapeutic targets in TNBC patients. CSPG4 might mediate tumor invasion and PDL1 overexpression through EMT-related pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Yu Hu
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chanjuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianbo Yang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,The Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical Center, Fuzhou, China
| | - Siyu Ding
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Can Tian
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ning Xie
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lian Xue
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Muyao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Shujun Fu
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhouzhou Rao
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Matthew A Price
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - James B McCarthy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Quchang Ouyang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Breast Cancer Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jizhen Lin
- The Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical Center, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Otolaryngology, Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minnesota, MN, United States
| | - Xiyun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Department of Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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13
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Su S, Chhabra G, Singh CK, Ndiaye MA, Ahmad N. PLK1 inhibition-based combination therapies for cancer management. Transl Oncol 2022; 16:101332. [PMID: 34973570 PMCID: PMC8728518 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Polo-like kinase I (PLK1), a cell cycle regulating kinase, has been shown to have oncogenic function in several cancers. Although PLK1 inhibitors, such as BI2536, BI6727 (volasertib) and NMS-1286937 (onvansertib) are generally well-tolerated with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, clinical successes are limited due to partial responses in cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages. Recently, combination therapies targeting multiple pathways are being tested for cancer management. In this review, we first discuss structure and function of PLK1, role of PLK1 in cancers, PLK1 specific inhibitors, and advantages of using combination therapy versus monotherapy followed by a critical account on PLK1-based combination therapies in cancer treatments, especially highlighting recent advancements and challenges. PLK1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy drugs and targeted small molecules have shown superior effects against cancer both in vitro and in vivo. PLK1-based combination therapies have shown increased apoptosis, disrupted cell cycle, and potential to overcome resistance in cancer cells/tissues over monotherapies. Further, with successes in preclinical experiments, researchers are validating such approaches in clinical trials. Although PLK1-based combination therapies have achieved initial success in clinical studies, there are examples where they have failed to improve patient survival. Therefore, further research is needed to identify and validate novel biologically informed co-targets for PLK1-based combinatorial therapies. Employing a network-based analysis, we identified potential PLK1 co-targets that could be examined further. In addition, understanding the mechanisms of synergism between PLK1 inhibitors and other agents may lead to a better approach on which agents to pair with PLK1 inhibition for optimum cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqin Su
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 7045, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Gagan Chhabra
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 7045, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Chandra K Singh
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 7045, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Mary A Ndiaye
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 7045, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Nihal Ahmad
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 7045, Madison, WI 53705, USA; William S. Middleton VA Medical Center, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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14
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Korns J, Liu X, Takiar V. A review of Plks: Thinking outside the (polo) box. Mol Carcinog 2022; 61:254-263. [PMID: 35049091 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The polo-like kinase (Plk) family is comprised of five different members (Plk1-5), each with their own distinct functions. Plk family members participate in pivotal cell division processes as well as in non-mitotic roles. Importantly, Plk expression has been correlated with various disease states, including cancer. Multiples therapies, which primarily target Plk1, are currently being investigated alone or in combination with other agents for clinical use in different cancers. As the role of Plks in disease progression becomes more prominent, it is important to outline their functions as cell cycle regulators and more. This review summarizes the structure and both mitotic and non-mitotic functions of each of the five Plk family members, sequentially. Additionally, the proposed mechanisms for how Plks contribute to tumorigenesis and the therapeutics currently under investigation are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianna Korns
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnat, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Liu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Vinita Takiar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnat, Ohio, USA.,Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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15
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Gao Y, Kabotyanski EB, Shepherd JH, Villegas E, Acosta D, Hamor C, Sun T, Montmeyor-Garcia C, He X, Dobrolecki LE, Westbrook TF, Lewis MT, Hilsenbeck SG, Zhang XHF, Perou CM, Rosen JM. Tumor suppressor PLK2 may serve as a biomarker in triple-negative breast cancer for improved response to PLK1 therapeutics. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:178-193. [PMID: 35156101 PMCID: PMC8827906 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-21-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Polo-like kinase (PLK) family members play important roles in cell cycle regulation. The founding member PLK1 is oncogenic and preclinically validated as a cancer therapeutic target. Paradoxically, frequent loss of chromosome 5q11-35 which includes PLK2 is observed in basal-like breast cancer. In this study, we found that PLK2 was tumor suppressive in breast cancer, preferentially in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes. Knockdown of PLK1 rescued phenotypes induced by PLK2-loss both in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that PLK2 directly interacted with PLK1 at prometaphase through the kinase but not the polo-box domains of PLK2, suggesting PLK2 functioned at least partially through the interaction with PLK1. Furthermore, an improved treatment response was seen in both Plk2-deleted/low mouse preclinical and PDX TNBC models using the PLK1 inhibitor volasertib alone or in combination with carboplatin. Re-expression of PLK2 in an inducible PLK2-null mouse model reduced the therapeutic efficacy of volasertib. In summary, this study delineates the effects of chromosome 5q loss in TNBC that includes PLK2, the relationship between PLK2 and PLK1, and how this may render PLK2-deleted/low tumors more sensitive to PLK1 inhibition in combination with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Elena B. Kabotyanski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | - Deanna Acosta
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Clark Hamor
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Tingting Sun
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Xiaping He
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Lacey E. Dobrolecki
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Thomas F. Westbrook
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael T. Lewis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Susan G. Hilsenbeck
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiang H.-F. Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- McNair Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Charles M. Perou
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jeffrey M. Rosen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Corresponding Author: Jeffrey M. Rosen, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 832-215-9503; E-mail:
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16
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Salama ME, Dina A DA. Polo-Like Kinase 1(PLK1) Immunohistochemical Expression in Triple Negative Breast Carcinoma: A Probable Therapeutic Target. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2021; 22:3921-3925. [PMID: 34967572 PMCID: PMC9080348 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2021.22.12.3921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed female cancer and is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined as ER, PR and HER2 negative, which are characterized by rapid progression with low survival rates with limited therapeutic choices. Polo-like kinase 1 protein acts as a cell division regulator which is highly expressed in many tumors making it a potentially valuable target for antiproliferative therapies. In this study we tried to evaluate the value of this marker as a possible therapeutic target in TNBC. METHODS This research studied the immunohistochemical expression of PLK1 done on 49 paraffin blocks of TNBC female patients and then correlated with the different clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS Our results showed high PLK1 expression in 91.9% of cases. Most of the high grade tumors showed high PLK1 high score (76.9%). All cases showing lymph node metastasis showed high PLK1 expression, implying a statistically significant correlation between PLK1 expression and tumor grade as well as N stage. CONCLUSION PLK1, although a negative prognostic factor, but is a promising therapeutic target for treating TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha E Salama
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
| | - Dina A Dina A
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Egypt.
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17
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Iliaki S, Beyaert R, Afonina IS. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) signaling in cancer and beyond. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 193:114747. [PMID: 34454931 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PLK1 is an evolutionary conserved Ser/Thr kinase that is best known for its role in cell cycle regulation and is expressed predominantly during the G2/S and M phase of the cell cycle. PLK1-mediated phosphorylation of specific substrates controls cell entry into mitosis, centrosome maturation, spindle assembly, sister chromatid cohesion and cytokinesis. In addition, a growing body of evidence describes additional roles of PLK1 beyond the cell cycle, more specifically in the DNA damage response, autophagy, apoptosis and cytokine signaling. PLK1 has an indisputable role in cancer as it controls several key transcription factors and promotes cell proliferation, transformation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, deregulation of PLK1 results in chromosome instability and aneuploidy. PLK1 is overexpressed in many cancers, which is associated with poor prognosis, making PLK1 an attractive target for cancer treatment. Additionally, PLK1 is involved in immune and neurological disorders including Graft versus Host Disease, Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, newly developed small compound PLK1 inhibitors have only had limited success so far, due to low therapeutic response rates and toxicity. In this review we will highlight the current knowledge about the established roles of PLK1 in mitosis regulation and beyond. In addition, we will discuss its tumor promoting but also tumor suppressing capacities, as well as the available PLK1 inhibitors, elaborating on their efficacy and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Styliani Iliaki
- Center for Inflammation Research, Unit of Molecular Signal Transduction in Inflammation, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudi Beyaert
- Center for Inflammation Research, Unit of Molecular Signal Transduction in Inflammation, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Inna S Afonina
- Center for Inflammation Research, Unit of Molecular Signal Transduction in Inflammation, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
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Wang X, Li C, Chen T, Li W, Zhang H, Zhang D, Liu Y, Han D, Li Y, Li Z, Luo D, Zhang N, Yang Q. Identification and Validation of a Five-Gene Signature Associated With Overall Survival in Breast Cancer Patients. Front Oncol 2021; 11:660242. [PMID: 34513664 PMCID: PMC8428534 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.660242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent years, the global prevalence of breast cancer (BC) was still high and the underlying molecular mechanisms remained largely unknown. The investigation of prognosis-related biomarkers had become an urgent demand. RESULTS In this study, gene expression profiles and clinical information of breast cancer patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were estimated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. A risk score formula involving five novel prognostic associated biomarkers (EDN2, CLEC3B, SV2C, WT1, and MUC2) were then constructed by LASSO. The prognostic value of the risk model was further confirmed in the TCGA entire cohort and an independent external validation cohort. To explore the biological functions of the selected genes, in vitro assays were performed, indicating that these novel biomarkers could markedly influence breast cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS We established a predictive five-gene signature, which could be helpful for a personalized management in breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Tong Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenhao Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hanwen Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dianwen Han
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yaming Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Pathology Tissue Bank, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qifeng Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Pathology Tissue Bank, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Institute of Breast Cancer, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Kothari C, Clemenceau A, Ouellette G, Ennour-Idrissi K, Michaud A, C.-Gaudreault R, Diorio C, Durocher F. TBC1D9: An Important Modulator of Tumorigenesis in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3557. [PMID: 34298771 PMCID: PMC8304074 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a major concern among the different subtypes of breast cancer (BC) due to the lack of effective treatment. In a previous study by our group aimed at understanding the difference between TNBC and non-TNBC tumors, we identified the gene TBC1 domain family member 9 (TBC1D9), the expression of which was lower in TNBC as compared to non-TNBC tumors. In the present study, analysis of TBC1D9 expression in TNBC (n = 58) and non-TNBC (n = 25) patient tumor samples validated that TBC1D9 expression can differentiate TNBC (low) from non-TNBC (high) samples and that expression of TBC1D9 was inversely correlated with grade and proliferative index. Moreover, we found that downregulation of the TBC1D9 gene decreases the proliferation marginally in non-TNBC and was associated with increased migratory and tumorigenic potential in both TNBC and luminal BC cell lines. This increase was mediated by the upregulation of ARL8A, ARL8B, PLK1, HIF1α, STAT3, and SPP1 expression in TBC1D9 knockdown cells. Our results suggest that TBC1D9 expression might limit tumor aggressiveness and that it has a differential expression in TNBC vs. non-TNBC tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Kothari
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada; (C.K.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (R.C.-G.)
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
| | - Alisson Clemenceau
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada; (C.K.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (R.C.-G.)
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
| | - Geneviève Ouellette
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada; (C.K.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (R.C.-G.)
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
| | - Kaoutar Ennour-Idrissi
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
- Département de Biologie Moléculaire, de Biochimie Médicale et de Pathologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada
| | - Annick Michaud
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
| | - René C.-Gaudreault
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada; (C.K.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (R.C.-G.)
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
- Laboratoire de Chimie Médicinale, l’Hôpital Saint-François d’Assise, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1L 3L5, Canada
| | - Caroline Diorio
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada
- Centre des Maladies du Sein, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Québec City, QC G1S 4L8, Canada
| | - Francine Durocher
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada; (C.K.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (R.C.-G.)
- Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (K.E.-I.); (A.M.); (C.D.)
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20
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Serrano-Del Valle A, Reina-Ortiz C, Benedi A, Anel A, Naval J, Marzo I. Future prospects for mitosis-targeted antitumor therapies. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114655. [PMID: 34129859 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of cell cycle progression is a hallmark of cancer cells. In recent years, efforts have been devoted to the development of new therapies that target proteins involved in cell cycle regulation and mitosis. Novel targeted antimitotic drugs include inhibitors of aurora kinase family, polo-like kinase 1, Mps1, Eg5, CENP-5 and the APC/cyclosome complex. While certain new inhibitors reached the clinical trial stage, most were discontinued due to negative results. However, these therapies should not be readily dismissed. Based on recent advances concerning their mechanisms of action, new strategies could be devised to increase their efficacy and promote further clinical trials. Here we discuss three main lines of action to empower these therapeutic approaches: increasing cell death signals during mitotic arrest, targeting senescent cells and facilitating antitumor immune response through immunogenic cell death (ICD).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chantal Reina-Ortiz
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Andrea Benedi
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Alberto Anel
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Javier Naval
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Isabel Marzo
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain.
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21
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Xiong L, Kong X, Liu H, Wang P. Efficient biosynthesis of (S)-1-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol by a novel isolate Geotrichum silvicola ZJPH1811 in deep eutectic solvent/cyclodextrin-containing system. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 329:124832. [PMID: 33631450 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.124832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a biotransformation process for the production of (S)-1-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol, a key chiral intermediate of Plk1 inhibitor, and increase its productivity through medium engineering strategy. A fungus isolate Geotrichum silvicola ZJPH1811 was adopted as biocatalyst for 2'-(trifluoromethyl)acetophenone reduction, and gave the best performance with > 99.2% product ee. To improve the yield, choline acetate/cysteine (ChAc/Cys) was introduced as co-solvent in reaction system, which accelerated mass transfer and protected cells from substrate inhibition. Moreover, a synergistic effect of methylated-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) and ChAc/Cys was found in the bioreduction, with further enhancement in substrate concentration and cell membrane permeability. Compared with buffer system, in the developed ChAc/Cys-MCD-containing system, substrate loading and product yield were increased by 6.7-fold and 2.4-fold respectively. This is the first report on (S)-1-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol production with G. silvicola, and provides valuable insight into the synergistic effect of DES and CDs in biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilu Xiong
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangxin Kong
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Pu Wang
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Yang Z, Liang SQ, Yang H, Xu D, Bruggmann R, Gao Y, Deng H, Berezowska S, Hall SRR, Marti TM, Kocher GJ, Zhou Q, Schmid RA, Peng RW. CRISPR-Mediated Kinome Editing Prioritizes a Synergistic Combination Therapy for FGFR1-Amplified Lung Cancer. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3121-3133. [PMID: 33685992 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-2276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic activation of the FGFR pathway is frequent in lung and other cancers. However, due to drug resistance, pharmacological blockage of aberrant FGFR signaling has provided little clinical benefit in patients with FGFR-amplified tumors. The determining factors for the limited efficacy of FGFR-targeted therapy remain incompletely understood. In this study, we performed kinome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function screens in FGFR1-amplified lung cancer cells treated with an FGFR inhibitor. These screens identified PLK1 as a potent synthetic lethal target that mediates a resistance mechanism by overriding DNA damage and cell-cycle arrest upon FGFR1 inhibition. Genetic and pharmacological antagonism of PLK1 in combination with FGFR inhibitor therapy synergized to enhance antiproliferative effects and drove cancer cell death in vitro and in vivo through activation of the γH2AX-CHK-E2F1 axis. These findings suggest a previously unappreciated role for PLK1 in modulating FGFR1 inhibitor sensitivity and demonstrate a synergistic drug combination for treating FGFR1-amplified lung cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of PLK1 as a potent synthetic lethal target for FGFR-targeted therapy provides an innovative rationale for the treatment of lung and other FGFR1-amplified cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Yang
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shun-Qing Liang
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Haitang Yang
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Duo Xu
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Bruggmann
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yanyun Gao
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Haibin Deng
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Sean R R Hall
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Marti
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gregor J Kocher
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Qinghua Zhou
- Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ralph A Schmid
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ren-Wang Peng
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
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23
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Wei L, Wang Y, Zhou D, Li X, Wang Z, Yao G, Wang X. Bioinformatics analysis on enrichment analysis of potential hub genes in breast cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2021; 10:2399-2408. [PMID: 35116555 PMCID: PMC8797715 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-21-749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Background Despite recent advances in screening, treatment, and survival, breast cancer remains the most invasive cancer in women. The development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic markers for breast cancer may provide more information about its pathogenesis and progression. Methods We obtained GSE86374 micro-expression matrix chip data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database consisting of 159 samples (124 normal samples and 35 breast cancer samples). The language was then used to perform data processing and differential expression analysis. For all differentially expressed genes (DEGs), “FDR <0.01 and |logFC| ≥1” were selected as thresholds. Results In this study, 173 up-regulated genes and 143 down-regulated genes were selected for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. These genes are also significantly enriched in the KEGG pathway, including phenylalanine metabolism, staphylococcus aureus infection, and the PPAR signaling pathway. The survival and prognosis of the selected eight key genes (DLGAP5, PRC1, TOP2A, CENPF, RACGAP1, RRM2, PLK1, and ASPM) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. Conclusions Eight hub genes and pathways closely related to the onset and progression of breast cancer were identified. We found that the PPAR signaling pathway, especially PPARγ, plays an important role in breast cancer and suggest this pathway be the subject of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Wei
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Yukun Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Dan Zhou
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xinyang Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Ziming Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Ge Yao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xinshuai Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
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24
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Shakeel I, Basheer N, Hasan GM, Afzal M, Hassan MI. Polo-like Kinase 1 as an emerging drug target: structure, function and therapeutic implications. J Drug Target 2021; 29:168-184. [PMID: 32886539 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2020.1818760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a conserved mitotic serine-threonine protein kinase, functions as a regulatory protein, and is involved in the progression of the mitotic cycle. It plays important roles in the regulation of cell division, maintenance of genome stability, in spindle assembly, mitosis, and DNA-damage response. PLK1 is consist of a N-terminal serine-threonine kinase domain, and a C-terminal Polo-box domain (regulatory site). The expression of PLK1 is controlled by transcription repressor in the G1 stage and transcription activators in the G2 stage of the cell cycle. Overexpression of PLK1 results in undermining of checkpoints causes excessive cellular division resulting in abnormal cell growth, leading to the development of cancer. Blocking the expression of PLK1 by an antibody, RNA interference, or kinase inhibitors, causes a subsequent reduction in the proliferation of tumour cells and induction of apoptosis in tumour cells without affecting the healthy cells, suggesting an attractive target for drug development. In this review, we discuss detailed information on expression, gene and protein structures, role in different diseases, and progress in the design and development of PLK1 inhibitors. We have performed an in-depth analysis of the PLK1 inhibitors and their therapeutic implications with special focus to the cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilma Shakeel
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Neha Basheer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Republic Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Gulam Mustafa Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Afzal
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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25
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Ebisu H, Shintani K, Chinen T, Nagumo Y, Shioda S, Hatanaka T, Sakakura A, Hayakawa I, Kigoshi H, Usui T. Dual Inhibition of γ-Tubulin and Plk1 Induces Mitotic Cell Death. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:620185. [PMID: 33584305 PMCID: PMC7878676 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.620185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
α/β-Tubulin inhibitors that alter microtubule (MT) dynamics are commonly used in cancer therapy, however, these inhibitors also cause severe side effects such as peripheral neuropathy. γ-Tubulin is a possible target as antitumor drugs with low side effects, but the antitumor effect of γ-tubulin inhibitors has not been reported yet. In this study, we verified the antitumor activity of gatastatin, a γ-tubulin specific inhibitor. The cytotoxicity of gatastatin was relatively weak compared with that of the conventional MT inhibitors, paclitaxel and vinblastine. To improve the cytotoxicity, we screened the chemicals that improve the effects of gatastatin and found that BI 2536, a Plk1 inhibitor, greatly increases the cytotoxicity of gatastatin. Co-treatment with gatastatin and BI 2536 arrested cell cycle progression at mitosis with abnormal spindles. Moreover, mitotic cell death induced by the combined treatment was suppressed by the Mps1 inhibitor, reversine. These findings suggest that co-treatment with Plk1 and γ-tubulin inhibitors causes spindle assembly checkpoint-dependent mitotic cell death by impairing centrosome functions. These results raise the possibility of Plk1 and γ-tubulin inhibitor co-treatment as a novel cancer chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Ebisu
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kana Shintani
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takumi Chinen
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Division of Centrosome Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.,Department of Physiological Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Nagumo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shuya Shioda
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Taisei Hatanaka
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Akira Sakakura
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Ichiro Hayakawa
- Graduate School of Integrated Basic Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideo Kigoshi
- Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takeo Usui
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability (MiCS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Raab CA, Raab M, Becker S, Strebhardt K. Non-mitotic functions of polo-like kinases in cancer cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1875:188467. [PMID: 33171265 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors of mitotic protein kinases are currently being developed as non-neurotoxic alternatives of microtubule-targeting agents (taxanes, vinca alkaloids) which provide a substantial survival benefit for patients afflicted with different types of solid tumors. Among the mitotic kinases, the cyclin-dependent kinases, the Aurora kinases, the kinesin spindle protein and Polo-like kinases (PLKs) have emerged as attractive targets of cancer therapeutics. The functions of mammalian PLK1-5 are traditionally linked to the regulation of the cell cycle and to the stress response. Especially the key role of PLK1 and PLK4 in cellular growth and proliferation, their overexpression in multiple types of human cancer and their druggability, make them appealing targets for cancer therapy. Inhibitors for PLK1 and PLK4 are currently being tested in multiple cancer trials. The clinical success of microtubule-targeting agents is attributed not solely to the induction of a mitotic arrest in cancer cells, but also to non-mitotic effects like targeting intracellular trafficking on microtubules. This raises the question whether new cancer targets like PLK1 and PLK4 regulate critical non-mitotic functions in tumor cells. In this article we summarize the important roles of PLK1-5 for the regulation of non-mitotic signaling. Due to these functions it is conceivable that inhibitors for PLK1 or PLK4 can target interphase cells, which underscores their attractive potential as cancer drug targets. Moreover, we also describe the contribution of the tumor-suppressors PLK2, PLK3 and PLK5 to cancer cell signaling outside of mitosis. These observations highlight the urgent need to develop highly specific ATP-competitive inhibitors for PLK4 and for PLK1 like the 3rd generation PLK-inhibitor Onvansertib to prevent the inhibition of tumor-suppressor PLKs in- and outside of mitosis. The remarkable feature of PLKs to encompass a unique druggable domain, the polo-box-domain (PBD) that can be found only in PLKs offers the opportunity for the development of inhibitors that target PLKs exclusively. Beyond the development of mono-specific ATP-competitive PLK inhibitors, the PBD as drug target will support the design of new drugs that eradicate cancer cells based on the mitotic and non-mitotic function of PLK1 and PLK4.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Raab
- Department of Gynecology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sven Becker
- Department of Gynecology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Klaus Strebhardt
- Department of Gynecology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center, Partner Site Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Ren Y, Deng R, Zhang Q, Li J, Han B, Ye P. Bioinformatics analysis of key genes in triple negative breast cancer and validation of oncogene PLK1. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1637. [PMID: 33490149 PMCID: PMC7812170 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-6873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to a special subtype that is deficient in the expression of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). In this study, a variety of bioinformatics analysis tools were used to screen Hub genes related to the occurrence and development of triple negative breast cancer, and their biological functions were analyzed. Methods Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) breast cancer microarray data GSE62931 was selected as the research object. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed using bioinformatics tools. The Hub genes were also screened. The Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used for biological enrichment analysis. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online tool was used to verify the expression of the screened genes and patient survival. The effects of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) on the proliferation, invasion, migration, and dryness of breast cancer cells were verified using cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), transwell migration assays, scratch tests, and clone formation tests. An animal model of subcutaneous xenotransplantation of breast cancer was established to evaluate the effect of PLK1 on the proliferation of breast cancer. Results A total of 824 DEGs were screened by GSE62931 microarray data; 405 of which were up-regulated and 419 of which were down-regulated. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in cancer-related pathways and were primarily involved in biological processes (BP) such as cell and mitotic division. From the Hub gene screening, PLK1 was further identified as the Hub gene associated with TNBC. Cell and animal experiments indicated that PLK1 promotes the proliferation, invasion, migration, and clone formation of breast cancer cells. Conclusions Gene chip combined with bioinformatics methods can effectively analyze the DEGs related to the occurrence and development of breast cancer, and the screening of PLK1 can provide theoretical guidance for further research on the molecular mechanism of breast cancer and the screening of molecular markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ren
- Breast Department, Xuzhou Cancer Hospital/Xuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Rong Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Breast Department, Xuzhou Cancer Hospital/Xuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jing Li
- Breast Department, Xuzhou Cancer Hospital/Xuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Baosan Han
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Ye
- Shanghai Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapy, School of Medical Instrument & Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science & Technology, Shanghai, China
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Ergul M, Bakar-Ates F. A specific inhibitor of polo-like kinase 1, GSK461364A, suppresses proliferation of Raji Burkitt's lymphoma cells through mediating cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 332:109288. [PMID: 33075310 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a prominent mediatory player during the cell cycle, mitosis, and cytokinesis in eukaryotic cells. Besides its physiological roles, PLK1 expression is upregulated in a wide range of human malignant tumors and its overexpression worsens prognosis, therefore, specific inhibition of PLK1 in tumor cells is a fascinating approach for the development of novel chemotherapeutics. The present study elucidated the potential cytotoxic effects of a PLK1 inhibitor, GSK461364A, in five cancer cell lines including Raji, K562, PC3, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, along with noncancerous L929 cells by XTT assay. The cells were treated for 24 h with GSK461364A at different concentrations ranged between 0.5 and 40 μM and significant cytotoxicity was observed in all treated groups with the IC50 values between 2.36 and 4.08 μM. GSK461364A was also found to be safer with lower cytotoxicity against L929 cells and the IC50 value was found to be greater than 40 μM. Raji cells were identified as the most sensitive cell line against GSK461364A with the lowest IC50 values, hence it was selected for further studies to evaluate the underlying mechanism of cytotoxic activity. The treatment of Raji cells with GSK461364A caused a cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, also altered TOS, which is an indicator of oxidative stress, and DNA damage response, significantly. The Annexin V binding assay revealed that GSK461364A treatment significantly increased in the percentage of early and late apoptotic cells. Fluorescence imaging also showed that GSK461364A treatment significantly induced apoptosis of Raji cells. The apoptotic effect of the compound has also been confirmed by increased expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase 3 and along with the decreased expression of BCL-2. The results demonstrated that GSK461364A induced anticancer effects which was mainly promoted by cell cycle arrest, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and finally apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Taken together, the present results emphasized that GSK461364A could be a useful therapeutic agent in patients with Burkitt's lymphoma. However, further studies are required to consolidate the anticancer activity of this promising compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Ergul
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey.
| | - Filiz Bakar-Ates
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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Zhao F, Wang P, Guo Y, Lu Q, Kong X, Su D, Li H, Liu G, Liu C. Identification of the potential roles of ring finger protein 8 in TP53-mutant breast cancer. Oncol Lett 2020; 21:42. [PMID: 33262834 PMCID: PMC7693390 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. With the development of precise treatment technology for cancer, numerous molecular targets have been identified and applied in the treatment of diseases. The present study investigated the potential role of ring finger protein 8 (RNF8) in TP53-mutant breast cancer and explored its possible mechanisms of action through a combination of bioinformatics techniques and cell biology. The results revealed that significantly different genes were expressed in RNF8-knockout mice sequencing data compared with in the control group in the presence of TP53 mutations. Downregulated genes were significantly enriched in several pathways of cell proliferation and apoptosis regulation, development and transcription regulation, while upregulated genes were mainly enriched in immune response-associated signaling pathways. Therefore, the consensus genes of the major signaling pathways were further analyzed, revealing that among patients with TP53 wild-type breast cancer, the prognosis of patients with low expression levels of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, LIM homeobox 2 and EPH receptor B2 was improved compared with that of patients with high expression levels, while among patients with TP53-mutant breast cancer, there was no significant difference in survival status. In addition, among patients with TP53-mutant breast cancer, the prognosis of patients with high BR serine/threonine kinase 1 expression was significantly improved compared with that in patients with low expression. Finally, cell biology experiments demonstrated that in TP53-mutant breast cancer cells (HCC1937), inhibition of RNF8 significantly inhibited the proliferation of TP53-mutant HCC1937 cells and promoted their apoptosis. The present findings may enrich the understanding of the role of RNF8 and indicated that RNF8 may be used as a potential molecular target in TP53-mutant breast cancer, which may lead to the development of clinical treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China.,Department of General Surgery, Huainan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China
| | - Peibin Wang
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China.,Department of General Surgery, Huainan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Endocrinology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Qi Lu
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China.,Department of General Surgery, Huainan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China
| | - Xu Kong
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China.,Department of General Surgery, Huainan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College, Huainan, Anhui 232000, P.R. China
| | - Dongwei Su
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Hengyu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Guoping Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Chaoqian Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
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Nieto-Jimenez C, Galan-Moya EM, Corrales-Sanchez V, Noblejas-Lopez MDM, Burgos M, Domingo B, Montero JC, Gomez-Juarez M, Picazo-Martinez MG, Esparis-Ogando A, Pandiella A, Ocaña A. Inhibition of the mitotic kinase PLK1 overcomes therapeutic resistance to BET inhibitors in triple negative breast cancer. Cancer Lett 2020; 491:50-59. [PMID: 32735909 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The inhibition of bromo- and extraterminal domains (BET) has shown an anti-proliferative effect in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this article we explore mechanisms of resistance to BET inhibitors (BETi) in TNBC, with the aim of identifying novel ways to overcome such resistance. Two cellular models of acquired resistance to the BET inhibitor JQ1 were generated using a pulsed treatment strategy. MTT, colony formation, and cytometry assays revealed that BETi-resistant cells were particularly sensitive to PLK1 inhibition. Targeting of the latter reduced cell proliferation, especially in resistant cultures. Quantitative PCR analysis of a panel of mitotic kinases uncovered an increased expression of AURKA, TTK, and PLK1, confirmed by Western blot. Only pharmacological inhibition of PLK1 showed anti-proliferative activity on resistant cells, provoking G2/M arrest, increasing expression levels of cyclin B, pH3 and phosphorylation of Bcl-2 proteins, changes that were accompanied by induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis. JQ1-resistant cells orthotopically xenografted into the mammary fat pad of mice led to tumours that retained JQ1-resistance. Administration of the PLK1 inhibitor volasertib resulted in tumour regression. These findings open avenues to explore the future use of PLK1 inhibitors in the clinical setting of BETi-resistant patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Nieto-Jimenez
- Translational Research Unit, Albacete University Hospital, Albacete, Spain; Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Eva M Galan-Moya
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.
| | | | - Maria Del Mar Noblejas-Lopez
- Translational Research Unit, Albacete University Hospital, Albacete, Spain; Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Miguel Burgos
- Translational Research Unit, Albacete University Hospital, Albacete, Spain
| | - Beatriz Domingo
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Montero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer del CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | | | - Azucena Esparis-Ogando
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer del CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer del CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alberto Ocaña
- Translational Research Unit, Albacete University Hospital, Albacete, Spain; Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain; Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, IDISSC and CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain.
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Zhang W, Liu C, Li J, Liu R, Zhuang J, Feng F, Yao Y, Sun C. Target Analysis and Mechanism of Podophyllotoxin in the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1211. [PMID: 32848800 PMCID: PMC7427588 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As the original compound of many podophyllotoxin derivatives, podophyllotoxin has a beneficial antitumor effect. The mechanism of podophyllotoxin activity in triple-negative breast cancer still needs to be explored. Methods We used cell proliferation assay, scratch and transwell experiments, and cell cycle and apoptosis analyses to observe the intervention effect of podophyllotoxin on breast cancer. Furthermore, we analyzed the differences between GSE31448, GSE65194, and GSE45827 in the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO) and explored the differential genes using a STRING database. Centiscape2.2, MCODE cluster analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were used to identify the most significant gene differences. Next, we utilized BATMAN-TCM and TCMSP databases for further screening to identify key genes. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression of key targets. Results Our research confirmed that podophyllotoxin could not only inhibit the migration and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer but also affect the cell cycle and induce apoptosis. In total, 566 differential genes were obtained by using the GEO database. After topological network analysis, cluster analysis, and molecular docking screening, we finally identified PLK1, CCDC20, and CDK1 as key target genes. The results of the qRT-PCR assay showed that the mRNA levels of PLK1, CDC20, and CDK1 decreased, while the expression of upstream P53 increased, after drug induction. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and conetwork analysis showed that PLK1 is a more critical regulatory factor. Further Western blotting analysis revealed that there was a negative regulatory relationship between the key gene PLK1 and P53 on the protein level. The results were presented as the mean ± standard deviation of triplicate experiments and P<0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Conclusion Podophyllotoxin has an intervention effect on the development of triple-negative breast cancer. The expression of PLK1, CDC20, and CDK1 in the cell cycle pathway is inhibited by regulating P53. Our research shows that natural drugs inhibit tumor activity by regulating the expression of cyclins, and the combination of natural drugs and modern extensive database analysis has a wide range of potential applications in the development of antitumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhang
- Clinical Medical Colleges, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Li
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ruijuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Fubin Feng
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Yan Yao
- Clinical Medical Colleges, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- Chinese Medicine Innovation Institute, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Huang
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Zhouling Xie
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Chenzhong Liao
- School of Food & Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
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