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Hauer J, Borkhardt A, Sánchez-García I, Cobaleda C. Genetically engineered mouse models of human B-cell precursor leukemias. Cell Cycle 2015; 13:2836-46. [PMID: 25486471 PMCID: PMC4613455 DOI: 10.4161/15384101.2014.949137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias (pB-ALLs) are the most frequent type of malignancies of the childhood, and also affect an important proportion of adult patients. In spite of their apparent homogeneity, pB-ALL comprises a group of diseases very different both clinically and pathologically, and with very diverse outcomes as a consequence of their biology, and underlying molecular alterations. Their understanding (as a prerequisite for their cure) will require a sustained multidisciplinary effort from professionals coming from many different fields. Among all the available tools for pB-ALL research, the use of animal models stands, as of today, as the most powerful approach, not only for the understanding of the origin and evolution of the disease, but also for the development of new therapies. In this review we go over the most relevant (historically, technically or biologically) genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of human pB-ALLs that have been generated over the last 20 years. Our final aim is to outline the most relevant guidelines that should be followed to generate an “ideal” animal model that could become a standard for the study of human pB-ALL leukemia, and which could be shared among research groups and drug development companies in order to unify criteria for studies like drug testing, analysis of the influence of environmental risk factors, or studying the role of both low-penetrance mutations and cancer susceptibility alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hauer
- a Department of Pediatric Oncology ; Hematology and Clinical Immunology ; Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf ; Medical Faculty ; Dusseldorf , Germany
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Abstract
Recent groundbreaking discoveries have revealed that IGF-1, Ras, MEK, AMPK, TSC1/2, FOXO, PI3K, mTOR, S6K, and NFκB are involved in the aging process. This is remarkable because the same signaling molecules, oncoproteins and tumor suppressors, are well-known targets for cancer therapy. Furthermore, anti-cancer drugs aimed at some of these targets have been already developed. This arsenal could be potentially employed for anti-aging interventions (given that similar signaling molecules are involved in both cancer and aging). In cancer, intrinsic and acquired resistance, tumor heterogeneity, adaptation, and genetic instability of cancer cells all hinder cancer-directed therapy. But for anti-aging applications, these hurdles are irrelevant. For example, since anti-aging interventions should be aimed at normal postmitotic cells, no selection for resistance is expected. At low doses, certain agents may decelerate aging and age-related diseases. Importantly, deceleration of aging can in turn postpone cancer, which is an age-related disease.
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Blagosklonny MV. Tumor suppression by p53 without apoptosis and senescence: conundrum or rapalog-like gerosuppression? Aging (Albany NY) 2012; 4:450-5. [PMID: 22869016 PMCID: PMC3433931 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
I discuss a very obscure activity of p53, namely suppression of senescence (gerosuppression), which is also manifested as anti-hypertrophic, anti-hypermetabolic, anti-inflammatory and anti-secretory effects of p53. But can gerossuppression suppress tumors?
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Blagosklonny
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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Mikheev AM, Ramakrishna R, Stoll EA, Mikheeva SA, Beyer RP, Plotnik DA, Schwartz JL, Rockhill JK, Silber JR, Born DE, Kosai Y, Horner PJ, Rostomily RC. Increased age of transformed mouse neural progenitor/stem cells recapitulates age-dependent clinical features of human glioma malignancy. Aging Cell 2012; 11:1027-35. [PMID: 22958206 PMCID: PMC3504614 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing age is the most robust predictor of greater malignancy and treatment resistance in human gliomas. However, the adverse association of clinical course with aging is rarely considered in animal glioma models, impeding delineation of the relative importance of organismal versus progenitor cell aging in the genesis of glioma malignancy. To address this limitation, we implanted transformed neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs), the presumed cells of glioma origin, from 3- and 18-month-old mice into 3- and 20-month host animals. Transplantation with progenitors from older animals resulted in significantly shorter (P ≤ 0.0001) median survival in both 3-month (37.5 vs. 83 days) and 20-month (38 vs. 67 days) hosts, indicating that age-dependent changes intrinsic to NSPCs rather than host animal age accounted for greater malignancy. Subsequent analyses revealed that increased invasiveness, genomic instability, resistance to therapeutic agents, and tolerance to hypoxic stress accompanied aging in transformed NSPCs. Greater tolerance to hypoxia in older progenitor cells, as evidenced by elevated HIF-1 promoter reporter activity and hypoxia response gene (HRG) expression, mirrors the upregulation of HRGs in cohorts of older vs. younger glioma patients revealed by analysis of gene expression databases, suggesting that differential response to hypoxic stress may underlie age-dependent differences in invasion, genomic instability, and treatment resistance. Our study provides strong evidence that progenitor cell aging is responsible for promoting the hallmarks of age-dependent glioma malignancy and that consideration of progenitor aging will facilitate development of physiologically and clinically relevant animal models of human gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei M. Mikheev
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Rohan Ramakrishna
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
| | - Elizabeth A. Stoll
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Svetlana A. Mikheeva
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Richard P. Beyer
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health
| | - David A. Plotnik
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology
| | - Jeffrey L. Schwartz
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology
| | - Jason K. Rockhill
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology
| | - John R. Silber
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
| | - Donald E. Born
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology
| | - Yoshito Kosai
- Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Philip J. Horner
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Robert C. Rostomily
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
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Vicente-Dueñas C, Romero-Camarero I, García-Criado FJ, Cobaleda C, Sánchez-García I. The cellular architecture of multiple myeloma. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:3715-7. [PMID: 22983005 PMCID: PMC3495807 DOI: 10.4161/cc.22178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Abstract
The telomerase protein is constitutively activated in malignant cells from many patients with cancer, including the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but whether telomerase is essential for the pathogenesis of this disease is not known. Here, we used telomerase deficient mice to determine the requirement for telomerase in CML induced by BCR-ABL in mouse models of CML. Loss of one telomerase allele or complete deletion of telomerase prevented the development of leukemia induced by BCR-ABL. However, BCR-ABL was expressed and active in telomerase heterozygous and null leukemic hematopoietic stem cells. These results demonstrate that telomerase is essential for oncogene-induced reprogramming of hematopoietic stem cells in CML development and validate telomerase and the genes it regulates as targets for therapy in CML.
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Vicente-Dueñas C, Cobaleda C, Martínez-Climent JÁ, Sánchez-García I. MALT lymphoma meets stem cells. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:2961-2. [PMID: 22825253 PMCID: PMC3442895 DOI: 10.4161/cc.21264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Comment on: Vicente-Dueñas C, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2012; 109:10534-9.
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Werner B, Lutz D, Brümmendorf TH, Traulsen A, Balabanov S. Dynamics of resistance development to imatinib under increasing selection pressure: a combination of mathematical models and in vitro data. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28955. [PMID: 22216147 PMCID: PMC3245228 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, cancer research has been a highly active and rapidly evolving scientific area. The ultimate goal of all efforts is a better understanding of the mechanisms that discriminate malignant from normal cell biology in order to allow the design of molecular targeted treatment strategies. In individual cases of malignant model diseases addicted to a specific, ideally single oncogene, e.g. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have indeed been able to convert the disease from a ultimately life-threatening into a chronic disease with individual patients staying in remission even without treatment suggestive of operational cure. These developments have been raising hopes to transfer this concept to other cancer types. Unfortunately, cancer cells tend to develop both primary and secondary resistance to targeted drugs in a substantially higher frequency often leading to a failure of treatment clinically. Therefore, a detailed understanding of how cells can bypass targeted inhibition of signaling cascades crucial for malignant growths is necessary. Here, we have performed an in vitro experiment that investigates kinetics and mechanisms underlying resistance development in former drug sensitive cancer cells over time in vitro. We show that the dynamics observed in these experiments can be described by a simple mathematical model. By comparing these experimental data with the mathematical model, important parameters such as mutation rates, cellular fitness and the impact of individual drugs on these processes can be assessed. Excitingly, the experiment and the model suggest two fundamentally different ways of resistance evolution, i.e. acquisition of mutations and phenotype switching, each subject to different parameters. Most importantly, this complementary approach allows to assess the risk of resistance development in the different phases of treatment and thus helps to identify the critical periods where resistance development is most likely to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Werner
- Evolutionary Theory Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
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Blagosklonny MV. Molecular damage in cancer: an argument for mTOR-driven aging. Aging (Albany NY) 2011; 3:1130-41. [PMID: 22246147 PMCID: PMC3273893 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite common belief, accumulation of molecular damage does not play a key role in aging. Still, cancer (an age-related disease) is initiated by molecular damage. Cancer and aging share a lot in common including the activation of the TOR pathway. But the role of molecular damage distinguishes cancer and aging. Furthermore, an analysis of the role of both damage and aging in cancer argues against "a decline, caused by accumulation of molecular damage" as a cause of aging. I also discuss how random molecular damage, via rounds of multiplication and selection, brings about non-random hallmarks of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Blagosklonny
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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Henry CJ, Marusyk A, DeGregori J. Aging-associated changes in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis: what's the connection? Aging (Albany NY) 2011; 3:643-56. [PMID: 21765201 PMCID: PMC3164372 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a marked increase in a number of diseases, including many types of cancer. Due to the complex and multi-factorial nature of both aging and cancer, accurate deciphering of causative links between aging and cancer remains a major challenge. It is generally accepted that initiation and progression of cancers are driven by a process of clonal evolution. In principle, this somatic evolution should follow the same Darwinian logic as evolutionary processes in populations in nature: diverse heritable types arising as a result of mutations are subjected to selection, resulting in expansion of the fittest clones. However, prevalent paradigms focus primarily on mutational aspects in linking aging and cancer. In this review, we will argue that age-related changes in selective pressures are likely to be equally important. We will focus on aging-related changes in the hematopoietic system, where age-associated alterations are relatively well studied, and discuss the impact of these changes on the development of leukemias and other malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis J Henry
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Integrated Department of Immunology, Program in Molecular Biology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Campos-Sanchez E, Toboso-Navasa A, Romero-Camarero I, Barajas-Diego M, Sanchez-García I, Cobaleda C. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia and developmental biology: a crucial interrelationship. Cell Cycle 2011; 10:3473-86. [PMID: 22031225 DOI: 10.4161/cc.10.20.17779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The latest scientific findings in the field of cancer research are redefining our understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of the disease, moving the emphasis toward the study of the mechanisms underlying the alteration of the normal processes of cellular differentiation. The concepts best exemplifying this new vision are those of cancer stem cells and tumoral reprogramming. The study of the biology of acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs) has provided seminal experimental evidence supporting these new points of view. Furthermore, in the case of B cells, it has been shown that all the stages of their normal development show a tremendous degree of plasticity, allowing them to be reprogrammed to other cellular types, either normal or leukemic. Here we revise the most recent discoveries in the fields of B-cell developmental plasticity and B-ALL research and discuss their interrelationships and their implications for our understanding of the biology of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Campos-Sanchez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Steelman LS, Navolanic P, Chappell WH, Abrams SL, Wong EWT, Martelli AM, Cocco L, Stivala F, Libra M, Nicoletti F, Drobot LB, Franklin RA, McCubrey JA. Involvement of Akt and mTOR in chemotherapeutic- and hormonal-based drug resistance and response to radiation in breast cancer cells. Cell Cycle 2011; 10:3003-15. [PMID: 21869603 DOI: 10.4161/cc.10.17.17119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs and radiation is clearly important as these are common treatment approaches. Signaling cascades often involved in chemo-, hormonal- and radiation resistance are the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and p53 pathways. In the following studies we have examined the effects of activation of the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR cascade in the response of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic- and hormonal-based drugs and radiation. Activation of Akt by introduction of conditionally-activated Akt-1 gene could result in resistance to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs as well as radiation. We have determined that chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin or the hormone based drug tamoxifen, both used to treat breast cancer, resulted in the activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway which is often associated with a pro-proliferative, anti-apoptotic response. In drug sensitive MCF-7 cells which have wild-type p53; ERK, p53 and downstream p21 (Cip-1 ) were induced upon exposure to doxorubicin. In contrast, in the drug resistant cells which expressed activated Akt-1, much lower levels of p53 and p21 (Cip1) were induced upon exposure to doxorubicin. These results indicate the involvement of the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and p53 pathways in the response to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs. Understanding how breast cancers respond to chemo- and hormonal-based therapies and radiation may enhance the ability to treat breast cancer more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda S Steelman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel Greaves
- Section of Haemato‐Oncology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK.
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