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Gupta P, Bermejo-Rodriguez C, Kocher H, Pérez-Mancera PA, Velliou EG. Chemotherapy Assessment in Advanced Multicellular 3D Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Unravelling the Importance of Spatiotemporal Mimicry of the Tumor Microenvironment. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024:e2300580. [PMID: 38327154 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenge for global health with very low survival rate and high therapeutic resistance. Hence, advanced preclinical models for treatment screening are of paramount importance. Herein, chemotherapeutic (gemcitabine) assessment on novel (polyurethane) scaffold-based spatially advanced 3D multicellular PDAC models is carried out. Through comprehensive image-based analysis at the protein level, and expression analysis at the mRNA level, the importance of stromal cells is confirmed, primarily activated stellate cells in the chemoresistance of PDAC cells within the models. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that, in addition to the presence of activated stellate cells, the spatial architecture of the scaffolds, i.e., segregation/compartmentalization of the cancer and stromal zones, affect the cellular evolution and is necessary for the development of chemoresistance. These results highlight that, further to multicellularity, mapping the tumor structure/architecture and zonal complexity in 3D cancer models is important for better mimicry of the in vivo therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Gupta
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1W 7TY, UK
| | - Camino Bermejo-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Hemant Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology and Experimental Cancer Medicine, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Pedro A Pérez-Mancera
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Eirini G Velliou
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1W 7TY, UK
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2
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Hohneck AL, Sadikaj L, Heinemann L, Schroeder M, Riess H, Gerhards A, Burkholder I, Heckel-Reusser S, Gottfried J, Hofheinz RD. Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Mistletoe and Hyperthermia in Addition to Palliative Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4929. [PMID: 37894296 PMCID: PMC10605673 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15204929] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This retrospective analysis investigated the influence of integrative therapies in addition to palliative chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, treated at a single institution specialized in integrative oncology between January 2015 and December 2019. In total, 206 consecutive patients were included in the study, whereof 142 patients (68.9%) received palliative chemotherapy (gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel 33.8%; FOLFIRINOX 35.9%; gemcitabine 30.3%) while the remainder were treated with best supportive and integrative care. Integrative therapies were used in 117 of 142 patients (82.4%) in addition to conventional chemotherapy, whereby mistletoe was used in 117 patients (82.4%) and hyperthermia in 74 patients (52.1%). A total of 107/142 patients (86.3%) died during the observation period, whereby survival times differed significantly depending on the additional use of integrative mistletoe or hyperthermia: chemotherapy alone 8.6 months (95% CI 4.7-15.4), chemotherapy and only mistletoe therapy 11.2 months (95% CI 7.1-14.2), or a combination of chemotherapy with mistletoe and hyperthermia 18.9 months (95% CI 15.2-24.5). While the survival times observed for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving chemotherapy alone are consistent with pivotal phase-III studies and German registry data, we found significantly improved survival using additional mistletoe and/or hyperthermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lena Hohneck
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology and Medical Intensive Care, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Largsi Sadikaj
- Onkologische Praxis Kaiserslautern, 67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Lara Heinemann
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany (R.-D.H.)
| | | | - Hartmut Riess
- AnthroMed Öschelbronn, Centrum für Integrative Medizin, 75223 Oeschelbronn, Germany; (H.R.)
| | - Annette Gerhards
- AnthroMed Öschelbronn, Centrum für Integrative Medizin, 75223 Oeschelbronn, Germany; (H.R.)
| | - Iris Burkholder
- Department of Nursing and Health, University of Applied Sciences of the Saarland, 66117 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | | | | | - Ralf-Dieter Hofheinz
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany (R.-D.H.)
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3
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Sarogni P, Zamborlin A, Mapanao AK, Logghe T, Brancato L, van Zwol E, Menicagli M, Giannini N, Gonnelli A, Linsalata S, Colenbier R, Van den Bossche J, Paiar F, Bogers J, Voliani V. Hyperthermia Reduces Irradiation-Induced Tumor Repopulation in an In Vivo Pancreatic Carcinoma Model. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200229. [PMID: 36861331 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200229] [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: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis due to its aggressive nature and ability to metastasize at an early stage. Currently, its management is still a challenge because this neoplasm is resistant to conventional treatment approaches, among which is chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), due to the abundant stromal compartment involved in the mechanism of hypoxia. Hyperthermia, among other effects, counteracts hypoxia by promoting blood perfusion and thereby can enhance the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy (RT). Therefore, the establishment of integrated treatments would be a promising strategy for the management of pancreatic carcinoma. Here, the effects of joint radiotherapy/hyperthermia (RT/HT) on optimized chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) pancreatic tumor models are investigated. This model enables a thorough assessment of the tumor-arresting effect of the combined approach as well as the quantitative evaluation of hypoxia and cell cycle-associated mechanisms by both gene expression analysis and histology. The analysis of the lower CAM allows to investigate the variation of the metastatic behaviors of the cancer cells associated with the treatments. Overall, this study provides a potentially effective combined strategy for the non-invasive management of pancreatic carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Sarogni
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
| | - Agata Zamborlin
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
- NEST-Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
| | - Ana Katrina Mapanao
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Forschungsstrasse, Switzerland
| | - Tine Logghe
- ElmediX NV, Dellingstraat 34-1, Mechelen, 2800, Belgium
| | | | - Eke van Zwol
- ElmediX NV, Dellingstraat 34-1, Mechelen, 2800, Belgium
| | - Michele Menicagli
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, via Ferruccio Giovannini 13, S. Giuliano Terme, Pisa, 56017, Italy
| | - Noemi Giannini
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gonnelli
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Linsalata
- Unit of Medical Physics, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Robin Colenbier
- University of Antwerp, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, 2610, Belgium
| | | | - Fabiola Paiar
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Johannes Bogers
- ElmediX NV, Dellingstraat 34-1, Mechelen, 2800, Belgium
- University of Antwerp, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, 2610, Belgium
| | - Valerio Voliani
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa, 56127, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano, 4, Genoa, 16148, Italy
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4
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Doha ZO, Sears RC. Unraveling MYC's Role in Orchestrating Tumor Intrinsic and Tumor Microenvironment Interactions Driving Tumorigenesis and Drug Resistance. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2023; 30:400-419. [PMID: 37755397 PMCID: PMC10537413 DOI: 10.3390/pathophysiology30030031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor MYC plays a pivotal role in regulating various cellular processes and has been implicated in tumorigenesis across multiple cancer types. MYC has emerged as a master regulator governing tumor intrinsic and tumor microenvironment interactions, supporting tumor progression and driving drug resistance. This review paper aims to provide an overview and discussion of the intricate mechanisms through which MYC influences tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance in cancer. We delve into the signaling pathways and molecular networks orchestrated by MYC in the context of tumor intrinsic characteristics, such as proliferation, replication stress and DNA repair. Furthermore, we explore the impact of MYC on the tumor microenvironment, including immune evasion, angiogenesis and cancer-associated fibroblast remodeling. Understanding MYC's multifaceted role in driving drug resistance and tumor progression is crucial for developing targeted therapies and combination treatments that may effectively combat this devastating disease. Through an analysis of the current literature, this review's goal is to shed light on the complexities of MYC-driven oncogenesis and its potential as a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinab O. Doha
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Taibah University, Al-Madinah 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rosalie C. Sears
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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5
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Khan SU, Fatima K, Singh U, Singh PP, Malik F. Small molecule '4ab' induced autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated death of aggressive cancer cells grown under adherent and floating conditions. Med Oncol 2023; 40:121. [PMID: 36939976 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-01963-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of death in cancer patients and a major challenging aspect of cancer biology. Various adaptive molecular signaling pathways play a crucial role in cancer metastasis and later in the formation of secondary tumors. Aggressive cancer cells like triple negative breast cancer (TNBCs) are more inclined to undergo metastasis hence having a high recurrence rate and potential of micro-metastasis. Tumor cells in circulation known as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offer an attractive drug target to treat metastatic disease. Cell cycle regulation and stress response of CTCs in blood has a crucial role in their survival and progression and thus may be considered therapeutically active hotspots. The cyclin D/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathway regulates cell cycle checkpoints, a process that is frequently dysregulated in cancer cells. Selective CDK inhibitors can limit the phosphorylation of cell cycle regulatory proteins by inducing cell cycle phase arrest, and thus may be an effective therapeutic strategy for aggressive cancer cells in their dividing phase at the primary or secondary site. However, during the floating condition, cancer cells halt their multiplication process and proceed through the various steps of metastasis. Current study showed that a novel CDK inhibitor 4ab induced autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in agressive cancer cells grown under adherent and floating conditions resulting in paraptosis. Further, our results showed that 4ab efficiently induced cell death in aggressive cancer cells through ER stress-mediated activation of JNK signaling. Additionally, was observed that treatment of 4ab in tumor-bearing mice displayed a significant reduction in tumor burden and micro-metastasis. The outcome of these studies showed that 4ab can be a potential anti-tumor and anti-metastatic agent. Graphical representation of 4ab: image representing the effect of 4ab on death-inducing pathways in aggressive cancer cells. 4ab induces ER stress and activates autophagy leading to vacuolation of there by causing apoptosis in aggressive cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Ullah Khan
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
| | - Kaneez Fatima
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Umed Singh
- Medicinal Chemistry CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Parvinder Paul Singh
- Medicinal Chemistry CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Fayaz Malik
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.
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6
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Leveraging Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration in Pancreatic Cancer to Identify Gene Signatures Related to Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15051442. [PMID: 36900234 PMCID: PMC10000708 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051442] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an exuberant tumor microenvironment (TME) comprised of diverse cell types that play key roles in carcinogenesis, chemo-resistance, and immune evasion. Here, we propose a gene signature score through the characterization of cell components in TME for promoting personalized treatments and further identifying effective therapeutic targets. We identified three TME subtypes based on cell components quantified by single sample gene set enrichment analysis. A prognostic risk score model (TMEscore) was established based on TME-associated genes using a random forest algorithm and unsupervised clustering, followed by validation in immunotherapy cohorts from the GEO dataset for its performance in predicting prognosis. Importantly, TMEscore positively correlated with the expression of immunosuppressive checkpoints and negatively with the gene signature of T cells' responses to IL2, IL15, and IL21. Subsequently, we further screened and verified F2R-like Trypsin Receptor1 (F2RL1) among the core genes related to TME, which promoted the malignant progression of PDAC and has been confirmed as a good biomarker with therapeutic potential in vitro and in vivo experiments. Taken together, we proposed a novel TMEscore for risk stratification and selection of PDAC patients in immunotherapy trials and validated effective pharmacological targets.
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7
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Kumar S, Singh SK, Srivastava P, Suresh S, Rana B, Rana A. Interplay between MAP kinases and tumor microenvironment: Opportunity for immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Adv Cancer Res 2023. [PMID: 37268394 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), commonly called pancreatic cancer, is aggressive cancer usually detected at a late stage, limiting treatment options with modest clinical responses. It is projected that by 2030, PDAC will be the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Drug resistance in PDAC is common and significantly affects patients' overall survival (OS). Oncogenic KRAS mutations are nearly uniform in PDAC, affecting over 90% of patients. However, effective drugs directed to target prevalent KRAS mutants in pancreatic cancer are not in clinical practice. Accordingly, efforts are continued on identifying alternative druggable target(s) or approaches to improve patient outcomes with PDAC. In most PDAC cases, the KRAS mutations turn-on the RAF-MEK-MAPK pathways, leading to pancreatic tumorigenesis. The MAPK signaling cascade (MAP4K→MAP3K→MAP2K→MAPK) plays a central role in the pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) and chemotherapy resistance. The immunosuppressive pancreatic cancer TME is another unfavorable factor affecting the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The immune checkpoint proteins (ICPs), including CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2, are critical players in T cell dysfunction and pancreatic tumor cell growth. Here, we review the activation of MAPKs, a molecular trait of KRAS mutations and their impact on pancreatic cancer TME, chemoresistance, and expression of ICPs that could influence the clinical outcomes in PDAC patients. Therefore, understanding the interplay between MAPK pathways and TME could help to design rational therapy combining immunotherapy and MAPK inhibitors for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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8
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Peng B, Chen G, Li Y, Zhang H, Shen J, Hou JT, Li Z. NQO-1 Enzyme-Activated NIR Theranostic Agent for Pancreatic Cancer. Anal Chem 2022; 94:11159-11167. [PMID: 35916489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide, which is usually diagnosed in the advanced stage and is highly resistant to traditional chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developing new PC-specific imaging and treatment. In this study, an quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1)-activated near-infrared (NIR) agent, ICy-Q, was synthesized. ICy-Q is almost nonemissive, while its NIR emission at 705 nm is triggered by NQO-1-induced reduction in the PC cells. In addition, the reduction product, ICy-OH, is specifically enriched in mitochondria and lysosomes and acts as an effective chemotherapeutic agent to selectively induce pancreatic cancer cell death via the cell pyroptosis pathway. Further studies have shown that ICy-Q is suitable for ex vivo imaging of clinical PC sections and solid tumors from patients. We expect this study will be helpful in the future for the design of targeted theranostic agents for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Peng
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325005, China.,Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325005, China
| | - Yahui Li
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise 533000, China
| | - Jianliang Shen
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, China.,Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou 325001, China
| | - Ji-Ting Hou
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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9
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Rahnama N, Jahangir M, Alesaeid S, Kahrizi MS, Adili A, Mohammed RN, Aslaminabad R, Akbari M, Özgönül AM. Association between microRNAs and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer: Current knowledge, new insights, and forthcoming perspectives. Pathol Res Pract 2022; 236:153982. [PMID: 35779293 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.153982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma, commonly known as pancreatic cancer (PC), is a cancer-related cause of death due to delayed diagnosis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Patients with PC suffer from incorrect responses to chemotherapy due to inherent and acquired chemical resistance. Numerous studies have shown the mechanism of the effect of chemoresistance on PC, such as genetic and epigenetic changes or the elucidation of signaling pathways. In this regard, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as essential modulators of gene expression in various cellular functions, including chemoresistance. Thus, identifying the underlying link between microRNAs and PC chemoresistance helps determine the exact pathogenesis of PC. This study aims to classify miRNAs and signaling pathways related to PC chemoresistance, suggesting new therapeutic approaches to overcome PC chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Rahnama
- Department of Internal Medicine and Health Services, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | | | - Samira Alesaeid
- Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ali Adili
- Senior Adult Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, FL, USA; Department of Oncology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Rebar N Mohammed
- Medical Laboratory Analysis Department, College of Health Sciences, Cihan University of Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq; College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
| | - Ramin Aslaminabad
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Morteza Akbari
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Ali Mert Özgönül
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.
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10
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Richardson DR, Azad MG, Afroz R, Richardson V, Dharmasivam M. Thiosemicarbazones reprogram pancreatic cancer bidirectional oncogenic signaling between cancer cells and stellate cells to suppress desmoplasia. Future Med Chem 2022; 14:1005-1017. [PMID: 35670251 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2022-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Standard treatments have shown dismal activity against pancreatic cancer (PC), due in part to the development of a dense stroma (desmoplasia). This perspective discusses the development of the di-2-pyridylketone thiosemicarbazones that overcomes bidirectional oncogenic signaling between PC cells and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which is critical for desmoplasia development. This activity is induced by the up-regulation of the metastasis suppressor, N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1), which inhibits oncogenic signaling via HGF, IGF-1 and Sonic Hedgehog pathway. More recent studies have deciphered additional pathways including those mediated by Wnt and tenascin C that are secreted by PSCs to activate β-catenin and YAP/TAZ signaling in PC cells. Suppression of bidirectional signaling between cell types presents a unique therapeutic opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Richardson
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology & Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute of Drug Discovery, Griffith University & School of Environment & Science (N34), Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia
- Department of Pathology & Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - M Gholam Azad
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology & Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute of Drug Discovery, Griffith University & School of Environment & Science (N34), Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia
| | - R Afroz
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology & Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute of Drug Discovery, Griffith University & School of Environment & Science (N34), Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia
| | - V Richardson
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology & Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute of Drug Discovery, Griffith University & School of Environment & Science (N34), Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia
| | - M Dharmasivam
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology & Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute of Drug Discovery, Griffith University & School of Environment & Science (N34), Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia
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11
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Kamal MA, Siddiqui I, Belgiovine C, Barbagallo M, Paleari V, Pistillo D, Chiabrando C, Schiarea S, Bottazzi B, Leone R, Avigni R, Migliore R, Spaggiari P, Gavazzi F, Capretti G, Marchesi F, Mantovani A, Zerbi A, Allavena P. Oncogenic KRAS-Induced Protein Signature in the Tumor Secretome Identifies Laminin-C2 and Pentraxin-3 as Useful Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112653. [PMID: 35681634 PMCID: PMC9179463 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS mutations characterize pancreatic cell transformation from the earliest stages of carcinogenesis, and are present in >95% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases. In search of novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of PDAC, we identified the proteins secreted by the normal human pancreatic cell line (HPDE) recently transformed by inducing the overexpression of the KRASG12V oncogene. We report a proteomic signature of KRAS-induced secreted proteins, which was confirmed in surgical tumor samples from resected PDAC patients. The putative diagnostic performance of three candidates, Laminin-C2 (LAMC2), Tenascin-C (TNC) and Pentraxin-3 (PTX3), was investigated by ELISA quantification in two cohorts of PDAC patients (n = 200) eligible for surgery. Circulating levels of LAMC2, TNC and PTX3 were significantly higher in PDAC patients compared to the healthy individuals (p < 0.0001). The Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve showed good sensitivity (1) and specificity (0.63 and 0.85) for LAMC2 and PTX3, respectively, but not for TNC, and patients with high levels of LAMC2 had significantly shorter overall survival (p = 0.0007). High levels of LAMC2 and PTX3 were detected at early stages (I−IIB) and in CA19-9-low PDAC patients. In conclusion, pancreatic tumors release LAMC2 and PTX3, which can be quantified in the systemic circulation, and may be useful in selecting patients for further diagnostic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Azhar Kamal
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Imran Siddiqui
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Cristina Belgiovine
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Marialuisa Barbagallo
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Valentina Paleari
- Biobank, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (V.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Daniela Pistillo
- Biobank, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (V.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Chiara Chiabrando
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy; (C.C.); (S.S.)
| | - Silvia Schiarea
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy; (C.C.); (S.S.)
| | - Barbara Bottazzi
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Roberto Leone
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Roberta Avigni
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Roberta Migliore
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Paola Spaggiari
- Department of Pathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy;
| | - Francesca Gavazzi
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (A.Z.)
| | - Giovanni Capretti
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy
| | - Federica Marchesi
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Mantovani
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy
- The William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Alessandro Zerbi
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy
| | - Paola Allavena
- Department of Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (M.A.K.); (I.S.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (R.L.); (R.A.); (R.M.); (F.M.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Tarannum M, Vivero-Escoto JL. Nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies targeting major clinical challenges in pancreatic cancer treatment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 187:114357. [PMID: 35605679 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers due to its aggressiveness and the challenges for early diagnosis and treatment. Recently, nanotechnology has demonstrated relevant strategies to overcome some of the major clinical issues in the treatment of PDAC. This review is focused on the pathological hallmarks of PDAC and the impact of nanotechnology to find solutions. It describes the use of nanoparticle-based systems designed for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and combinatorial alternatives that address the chemoresistance associated with PDAC, the development of combination therapies targeting the molecular heterogeneity in PDAC, the investigation of novel therapies dealing with the improvement of immunotherapy and handling the desmoplastic stroma in PDAC by remodeling the tumor microenvironment. A special section is dedicated to the design of nanoparticles for unique non-traditional modalities that could be promising in the future for the improvement in the dismal prognosis of PDAC.
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13
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Schuster S, Juhász É, Halmos G, Neundorf I, Gennari C, Mező G. Development and Biochemical Characterization of Self-Immolative Linker Containing GnRH-III-Drug Conjugates. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095071. [PMID: 35563462 PMCID: PMC9105102 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH-I) and its sea lamprey analogue GnRH-III specifically bind to GnRH receptors on cancer cells and can be used as targeting moieties for targeted tumor therapy. Considering that the selective release of drugs in cancer cells is of high relevance, we were encouraged to develop cleavable, self-immolative GnRH-III-drug conjugates which consist of a p-aminobenzyloxycarbonlyl (PABC) spacer between a cathepsin B-cleavable dipeptide (Val-Ala, Val-Cit) and the classical anticancer drugs daunorubicin (Dau) and paclitaxel (PTX). Alongside these compounds, non-cleavable GnRH-III-drug conjugates were also synthesized, and all compounds were analyzed for their antiproliferative activity. The cleavable GnRH-III bioconjugates revealed a growth inhibitory effect on GnRH receptor-expressing A2780 ovarian cancer cells, while their activity was reduced on Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cells exhibiting a lower GnRH receptor level. Moreover, the antiproliferative activity of the non-cleavable counterparts was strongly reduced. Additionally, the efficient cleavage of the Val-Ala linker and the subsequent release of the drugs could be verified by lysosomal degradation studies, while radioligand binding studies ensured that the GnRH-III-drug conjugates bound to the GnRH receptor with high affinity. Our results underline the high value of GnRH-III-based homing devices and the application of cathepsin B-cleavable linker systems for the development of small molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- ELKH-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Juhász
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Ines Neundorf
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Cesare Gennari
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- ELKH-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-1-372-2500
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14
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Pouraghajan K, Mahdiuni H, Ghobadi S, Khodarahmi R. LRH-1 (liver receptor homolog-1) derived affinity peptide ligand to inhibit interactions between β-catenin and LRH-1 in pancreatic cancer cells: from computational design to experimental validation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:3082-3097. [PMID: 33183172 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1845241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Poor prognosis, rapid progression and the lack of an effective treatment make pancreatic cancer one of the most lethal malignancies. Recent studies point to a role for liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) in pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and suggest prevention of the β-catenin/LRH-1 complex formation as a potential strategy for inhibition of the pancreas cancer cells progression. In the current investigation, we have followed a biomimetic strategy and designed an affinity peptide with sequence DEMEEPQQTE to inhibit formation of the β-catenin/LRH-1 complex. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments on the AsPC-1 pancreatic metastatic cells showed that the peptide has an inhibitory effect on the Wnt signaling proliferation line by reducing the expression levels of the CCND1, CCNE1, and MYC genes. Furthermore, the increased expression level of BAX gene showed that AsPC-1 cells were directed to the apoptosis pathway. At last, POU5F1, KLF4, and CD44 gene expression levels suggested that the peptide has an inhibitory effect on the stemness feature of the AsPC-1 cells. Here, we introduced a novel peptide inhibitor targeting an important protein-protein interaction, the β-catenin/LRH-1 complex, which may provide highly promising starting points for subsequent drug design. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Pouraghajan
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Hamid Mahdiuni
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Sirous Ghobadi
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Khodarahmi
- Medical Biology Research Center (MBRC), Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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15
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Cattolico C, Bailey P, Barry ST. Modulation of Type I Interferon Responses to Influence Tumor-Immune Cross Talk in PDAC. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:816517. [PMID: 35273962 PMCID: PMC8902310 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.816517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of many cancer types. However, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) exhibit poor responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors with immunotherapy-based trials not generating convincing clinical activity. PDAC tumors often have low infiltration of tumor CD8+ T cells and a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment. These features classify PDAC as immunologically "cold." However, the presence of tumor T cells is a favorable prognostic feature in PDAC. Intrinsic tumor cell properties govern interactions with the immune system. Alterations in tumor DNA such as genomic instability, high tumor mutation burden, and/or defects in DNA damage repair are associated with responses to both immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Cytotoxic or metabolic stress produced by radiation and/or chemotherapy can act as potent immune triggers and prime immune responses. Damage- or stress-mediated activation of nucleic acid-sensing pathways triggers type I interferon (IFN-I) responses that activate innate immune cells and natural killer cells, promote maturation of dendritic cells, and stimulate adaptive immunity. While PDAC exhibits intrinsic features that have the potential to engage immune cells, particularly following chemotherapy, these immune-sensing mechanisms are ineffective. Understanding where defects in innate immune triggers render the PDAC tumor-immune interface less effective, or how T-cell function is suppressed will help develop more effective treatments and harness the immune system for durable outcomes. This review will focus on the pivotal role played by IFN-I in promoting tumor cell-immune cell cross talk in PDAC. We will discuss how PDAC tumor cells bypass IFN-I signaling pathways and explore how these pathways can be co-opted or re-engaged to enhance the therapeutic outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Cattolico
- Bioscience, Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Bailey
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Section Surgical Research, University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon T. Barry
- Bioscience, Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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16
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Xu J, Li Z, Zhuo Q, Ye Z, Fan G, Gao H, Ji S, Yu X, Xu X, Liu W, Xu W. Pevonedistat Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Growth via Inactivation of the Neddylation Pathway. Front Oncol 2022; 12:822039. [PMID: 35155257 PMCID: PMC8826241 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.822039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The neddylation pathway is aberrantly overactivated in multiple human cancers and has been indicated as an effective target for anticancer therapy in clinical trials. We aimed to study whether the neddylation pathway is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and whether pevonedistat, a first-in-class anticancer agent specifically targeting this pathway, will suppress cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Methods We evaluated the expression pattern of neddylation pathway components in 179 pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) compared with 171 normal tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and further assessed PAAD patient prognosis with high neddylation pathway expression via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). We then analyzed malignant cancer phenotypes both in vitro and in vivo, as well as intrinsic molecular mechanisms upon pevonedistat treatment. Results We found that the neddylation pathway was hyperactivated in pancreatic cancer. Patients with high neddylation pathway expression exhibited worse prognoses. Pevonedistat significantly inhibited the cancer cell cycle, cell growth, and proliferation; increased cell apoptosis; and decreased cancer cell xenografts in a mouse model. Mechanistically, pevonedistat treatment and the siRNA knockdown neddylation pathway were able to remarkably induce the accumulation of Wee1, p27, and p21. Further mechanistic studies revealed that pevonedistat mainly impaired the ubiquitination level and delayed the protein degradation of Wee1, p27, and p21. Conclusions Our results showed that pevonedistat targeted the overexpression of the neddylation pathway in pancreatic cancer to induce cell growth suppression by inducing the accumulation of the cell cycle regulators Wee1, p27, and p21, which provides sound evidence for the clinical trial of pevonedistat for pancreatic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qifeng Zhuo
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeng Ye
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guixiong Fan
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Heli Gao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shunrong Ji
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowu Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wensheng Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyan Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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17
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El-Mais N, Fakhoury I, Al Haddad M, Nohra S, Abi-Habib R, El-Sibai M. Human Recombinant Arginase I [HuArgI(Co)-PEG5000]-Induced Arginine Depletion Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion Through Autophagy. Pancreas 2021; 50:1187-1194. [PMID: 34714283 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000001891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive solid cancers and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women. We previously showed that arginine depletion, using arginase I [HuArgI(Co)-PEG5000], selectively triggers cell death by autophagy in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells. The mechanism of action of [HuArgI(Co)-PEG5000], however, has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of arginine depletion on PANC-1 cell migration, adhesion, and invasion and determined the main molecular targets, which mediate PANC-1 cell response to treatment with HuArgI(Co)-PEG5000. METHODS This was done through examining 2-dimensional (2D) cell motility assays (wound healing and time lapse), cell adhesion, and cell invasion assays, as well as immunostaining for focal adhesions and invadopodia in cells without or with the treatment with arginase. RESULTS We demonstrate that arginine depletion decreases PANC-1 2D cell migration, adhesion, and 3D invasion. Moreover, our data suggest that these effects are mediated by autophagy and subsequent decrease in the activation of members of Ras homolog gene family (Rho) GTPase family. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these findings uncover the mechanism of action of [HuArgI(Co)-PEG5000] and highlight the promising and selective anticancer potential for arginine depletion in the treatment of pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour El-Mais
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Isabelle Fakhoury
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Maria Al Haddad
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sarah Nohra
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ralph Abi-Habib
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mirvat El-Sibai
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
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18
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Cyclin Dependent Kinase-1 (CDK-1) Inhibition as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy against Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13174389. [PMID: 34503199 PMCID: PMC8430873 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of CDK1 in PDAC onset and development is two-fold. Firstly, since CDK1 activity regulates the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint, overexpression of CDK1 can lead to progression into mitosis even in cells with DNA damage, a potentially tumorigenic process. Secondly, CDK1 overexpression leads to the stimulation of a range of proteins that induce stem cell properties, which can contribute to the development of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs promote tumor-initiation and metastasis and play a crucial role in the development of PDAC. Targeting CDK1 showed promising results for PDAC treatment in different preclinical models, where CDK1 inhibition induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and led to induction of apoptosis. Next to this, PDAC CSCs are uniquely sensitive to CDK1 inhibition. In addition, targeting of CDK1 has shown potential for combination therapy with both ionizing radiation treatment and conventional chemotherapy, through sensitizing tumor cells and reducing resistance to these treatments. To conclude, CDK1 inhibition induces G2/M cell cycle arrest, stimulates apoptosis, and specifically targets CSCs, which makes it a promising treatment for PDAC. Screening of patients for CDK1 overexpression and further research into combination treatments is essential for optimizing this novel targeted therapy.
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19
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Macchini M, Centonze F, Peretti U, Orsi G, Militello AM, Valente MM, Cascinu S, Reni M. Treatment opportunities and future perspectives for pancreatic cancer patients with germline BRCA1-2 pathogenic variants. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 100:102262. [PMID: 34418781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Personalized treatments and predictive biomarkers of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) are still lacking. Recently germline mutations in BRCA 1 and 2 genes, leading to homologous repair deficiency, have emerged as new targets for more specific and effective therapies, exploiting the increased susceptibility to platinum salts and PARP inhibitors. In addition to BRCA, pathogenic variants in PALB2 and in other genes involved in the DNA damage response pathway (DDR) represent potential targets, as well as their respective somatic alterations. This enlarged molecularly-selected population sharing the BRCAness phenotype, is expected to show a higher sensibility to a number of DNA damaging agents and DDR inhibitors. However, the possibility of new therapeutic opportunities for DDR defective PDAC patients has to face the lack of solid evidence about the proper type and timing of targeted-treatments, the potential combination strategies and most importantly, the lack of informations on the functional impact of each specific pathogenic variant on the DDR pathway. This review summarizes the current and near-future options for the clinical management of PDAC patients harboring a DDR deficiency, analyzing the state of the art of the indications of platinum salts and other cytotoxic agents in the advanced and early stage PDAC, the development of PARP inhibitors and the rational for new combinations with immunotherapy and cycle checkpoint inhibitors, as well as the strategy to overcome the development of resistance over treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Macchini
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Centonze
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Umberto Peretti
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Orsi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Militello
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Maddalena Valente
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Cascinu
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Reni
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy; Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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20
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Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts Identify Chemo-Response in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164131. [PMID: 34439284 PMCID: PMC8394309 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Treating the PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma) zPDXs (zebrafish patient-derived xenografts) with chemotherapy regimens commonly used, we performed a co-clinical trial testing the predictiveness of the model. We found that zPDX may predict patient outcomes, classifying them into responders (R) and non-responders (NR), reporting a statistically significant higher cancer recurrence rate at 1 year after surgery in the NR group: 66.7 versus 14.3%. Our zPDX model seems to be a promising tool for the stratification of PDAC patients. This is a crucial starting point for future study involving more patients to obtain a method to really personalize the oncological treatment of PDAC patients. Abstract It is increasingly evident the necessity of new predictive tools for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a personalized manner. We present a co-clinical trial testing the predictiveness of zPDX (zebrafish patient-derived xenograft) for assessing if patients could benefit from a therapeutic strategy (ClinicalTrials.gov: XenoZ, NCT03668418). zPDX are generated xenografting tumor tissues in zebrafish embryos. zPDX were exposed to chemotherapy regimens commonly used. We considered a zPDX a responder (R) when a decrease ≥50% in the relative tumor area was reported; otherwise, we considered them a non-responder (NR). Patients were classified as Responder if their own zPDX was classified as an R for the chemotherapy scheme she/he received an adjuvant treatment; otherwise, we considered them a Non-Responder. We compared the cancer recurrence rate at 1 year after surgery and the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients of both groups. We reported a statistically significant higher recurrence rate in the Non-Responder group: 66.7% vs. 14.3% (p = 0.036), anticipating relapse/no relapse within 1 year after surgery in 12/16 patients. The mean DFS was longer in the R-group than the NR-group, even if not statistically significant: 19.2 months vs. 12.7 months, (p = 0.123). The proposed strategy could potentially improve preclinical evaluation of treatment modalities and may enable prospective therapeutic selection in everyday clinical practice.
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Hayashi H, Uemura N, Zhao L, Matsumura K, Sato H, Shiraishi Y, Baba H. Biological Significance of YAP/TAZ in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:700315. [PMID: 34395269 PMCID: PMC8358930 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.700315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal types of cancer. Despite major advances in defining the molecular mutations driving PDAC, this disease remains universally lethal with an overall 5-year survival rate of only about 7–8%. Genetic alterations in PDAC are exemplified by four critical genes (KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4) that are frequently mutated. Among these, KRAS mutation ranges from 88% to 100% in several studies. Hippo signaling is an evolutionarily conserved network that plays a key role in normal organ development and tissue regeneration. Its core consists of the serine/threonine kinases mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 and 2 (MST1/2) and large tumor suppressor 1 and 2. Interestingly, pancreas-specific MST1/2 double knockout mice have been reported to display a decreased pancreas mass. Many of the genes involved in the Hippo signaling pathway are recognized as tumor suppressors, while the Hippo transducers Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are identified as oncogenes. By dephosphorylation, YAP and TAZ accumulate in the nucleus and interact with transcription factors such as TEA domain transcription factor-1, 2, 3, and 4. Dysregulation of Hippo signaling and activation of YAP/TAZ have been recognized in a variety of human solid cancers, including PDAC. Recent studies have elucidated that YAP/TAZ play a crucial role in the induction of acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, an initial step in the progression to PDAC, in genetically engineered mouse models. YAP and TAZ also play a key role in the development of PDAC by both KRAS-dependent and KRAS-independent bypass mechanisms. YAP/TAZ have become extensively studied in PDAC and their biological importance during the development and progression of PDAC has been uncovered. In this review, we summarize the biological significance of a dysregulated Hippo signaling pathway or activated YAP/TAZ in PDAC and propose a role for YAP/TAZ as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromitsu Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Norio Uemura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Liu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kazuki Matsumura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sato
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yuta Shiraishi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Hideo Baba
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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Kumar D, Kommalapati VK, Jerald MK, Tangutur AD. Fluorinated thiazolidinol drives autophagic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells via AMPK activation and perturbation of critical sentinels of oncogenic signaling. Chem Biol Interact 2021; 343:109433. [PMID: 33689707 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2021.109433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant cancers around the world. The co-occurrence of mutation in KRAS and p53 makes it highly aggressive, proliferative, metastatic, and resistant to apoptotic cell death. Therefore, there is a need to trigger an alternate mechanism of cancer cell death in apoptosis-resistant pancreatic cancer. Autophagic cell death could be an alternate viable option for treatment in such cases. Thus, the identification of small molecules as autophagy modulators with potent anticancer efficacy would be of great importance in pancreatic cancer. The present study investigates fluorinated thiazolidionol (FTZ) driven autophagy modulation, underlying mechanism, and regulation of critical sentinels of oncogenic signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. We identified that FTZ triggered autophagic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells, independent of apoptosis evidenced by an increase in cytoplasmic vacuoles formation, autophagy flux, LC3-II expression, and p62 degradation. Further, the crucial events of apoptosis i.e., Caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage, were not observed, indicating the non-occurrence of apoptotic cell death. Moreover, FTZ was able to activate AMPK and suppress PI3k/Akt/mTOR as well as MEK/ERK, the key oncogenic signaling pathways in cancer cells. Furthermore, treatment with FTZ suppressed migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer cells. Studies in vivo revealed significant regression of tumors by FTZ in nude mice model. Overall, our study demonstrates that FTZ induces autophagic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells independent of apoptosis, which is accompanied by AMPK activation and suppression of critical sentinels of oncogenic signaling in pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector 19, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201 002, India
| | - Vamsi Krishna Kommalapati
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector 19, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201 002, India
| | - Mahesh Kumar Jerald
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector 19, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201 002, India
| | - Anjana Devi Tangutur
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector 19, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201 002, India.
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Susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer in the Brazilian population. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:111. [PMID: 33879152 PMCID: PMC8056496 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-00956-5] [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: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) is a very aggressive cancer and has one of the poorest prognoses. Usually, the diagnosis is late and resistant to conventional treatment. Environmental and genetic factors contribute to the etiology, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes and obesity. Somatic mutation in pancreatic cancer cells are known and SNP profile by GWAS could access novel genetic risk factors for this disease in different population context. Here we describe a SNP panel for Brazilian pancreatic cancer, together with clinical and epidemiological data. Methods 78 pancreatic adenocarcinoma and 256 non-pancreatic cancer subjects had 25 SNPs genotyped by real-time PCR. Unconditional logistic regression methods were used to assess the main effects on PA risk, using allelic, co-dominant and dominant inheritance models. Results 9 SNPs were nominally associated with pancreatic adenocarcinoma risk, with 5 of the minor alleles conferring protective effect while 4 related as risk factor. In epidemiological and clinical data, tobacco smoking, diabetes and pancreatitis history were significantly related to pancreatic adenocarcinoma risk. Polygenic risk scores computed using the SNPs in the study showed strong associations with PA risk. Conclusion We could assess for the first time some SNPs related with PA in Brazilian populations, a result that could be used for genetic screening in risk population such as familial pancreatic cancer, smokers, alcohol users and diabetes patients.
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Inhibition of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Enhances the Cytotoxic Effect of Gemcitabine in Murine Pancreatic Tumors. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11040526. [PMID: 33915939 PMCID: PMC8067004 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a very difficult cancer to treat. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) by its ligands stimulates pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. Additional studies show that, in the RAGE ligand, the high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein plays an important role in chemoresistance against the cytotoxic agent gemcitabine by promoting cell survival through increased autophagy. We hypothesized that blocking the RAGE/HMGB1 interaction would enhance the cytotoxic effect of gemcitabine by reducing cell survival and autophagy. Using a preclinical mouse model of PDAC and a monoclonal antibody (IgG 2A11) as a RAGE inhibitor, we demonstrate that RAGE inhibition concurrent with gemcitabine treatment enhanced the cytotoxic effect of gemcitabine. The combination of IgG 2A11 and gemcitabine resulted in decreased autophagy compared to treatment with gemcitabine combined with control antibodies. Notably, we also observed that RAGE inhibition protected against excessive weight loss during treatment with gemcitabine. Our data suggest that the combination of gemcitabine with a RAGE inhibitor could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and needs to be further investigated.
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Blaauboer A, Sideras K, van Eijck CHJ, Hofland LJ. Type I interferons in pancreatic cancer and development of new therapeutic approaches. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2020; 159:103204. [PMID: 33387625 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.103204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a new treatment strategy for cancer. However, its promise in pancreatic cancer has not yet been realized. Understanding the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, and identifying new therapeutic targets to increase tumor-specific immune responses, is necessary in order to improve clinical outcomes. Type I interferons, e.g. IFN-α and -β, are considered as an important bridge between the innate and adaptive immune system. Thereby, type I IFNs induce a broad spectrum of anti-tumor effects, including immunologic, vascular, as well as direct anti-tumor effects. While IFN therapies have been around for a while, new insights into exogenous and endogenous activation of the IFN pathway have resulted in new IFN-related cancer treatment strategies. Here, we focus on the pre-clinical and clinical evidence of novel ways to take advantage of the type I IFN pathway, such as IFN based conjugates and activation of the STING and RIG-I pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Blaauboer
- Department of Surgery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Leo J Hofland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Comprehensive Analysis of Expression, Clinicopathological Association and Potential Prognostic Significance of RABs in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155580. [PMID: 32759795 PMCID: PMC7432855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RAB proteins (RABs) represent the largest subfamily of Ras-like small GTPases that regulate a wide variety of endosomal membrane transport pathways. Their aberrant expression has been demonstrated in various malignancies and implicated in pathogenesis. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we analyzed the differential expression and clinicopathological association of RAB genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Of the 62 RAB genes analyzed, five (RAB3A, RAB26, RAB25, RAB21, and RAB22A) exhibited statistically significant upregulation, while five (RAB6B, RAB8B, RABL2A, RABL2B, and RAB32) were downregulated in PDAC as compared to the normal pancreas. Racially disparate expression was also reported for RAB3A, RAB25, and RAB26. However, no clear trend of altered expression was observed with increasing stage and grade, age, and gender of the patients. PDAC from occasional drinkers had significantly higher expression of RAB21 compared to daily or weekly drinkers, whereas RAB25 expression was significantly higher in social drinkers, compared to occasional ones. The expression of RABL2A was significantly reduced in PDAC from diabetic patients, whereas RAB26 was significantly lower in pancreatitis patients. More importantly, a significant association of high expression of RAB21, RAB22A, and RAB25, and low expression of RAB6B, RABL2A, and RABL2B was observed with poorer survival of PC patients. Together, our study suggests potential diagnostic and prognostic significance of RABs in PDAC, warranting further investigations to define their functional and mechanistic significance.
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Pan C, Otsuka Y, Sridharan B, Woo M, Leiton CV, Babu S, Torrente Gonçalves M, Kawalerski RR, K. Bai JD, Chang DK, Biankin AV, Scampavia L, Spicer T, Escobar‐Hoyos LF, Shroyer KR. An unbiased high-throughput drug screen reveals a potential therapeutic vulnerability in the most lethal molecular subtype of pancreatic cancer. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:1800-1816. [PMID: 32533886 PMCID: PMC7400780 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2020, due in part to innate resistance to widely used chemotherapeutic agents and limited knowledge about key molecular factors that drive tumor aggression. We previously reported a novel negative prognostic biomarker, keratin 17 (K17), whose overexpression in cancer results in shortened patient survival. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictive value of K17 and explore the therapeutic vulnerability in K17-expressing PDAC, using an unbiased high-throughput drug screen. Patient-derived data analysis showed that K17 expression correlates with resistance to gemcitabine (Gem). In multiple in vitro and in vivo models of PDAC, spanning human and murine PDAC cells, and orthotopic xenografts, we determined that the expression of K17 results in a more than twofold increase in resistance to Gem and 5-fluorouracil, key components of current standard-of-care chemotherapeutic regimens. Furthermore, through an unbiased drug screen, we discovered that podophyllotoxin (PPT), a microtubule inhibitor, showed significantly higher sensitivity in K17-positive compared to K17-negative PDAC cell lines and animal models. In the clinic, another microtubule inhibitor, paclitaxel (PTX), is used in combination with Gem as a first-line chemotherapeutic regimen for PDAC. Surprisingly, we found that when combined with Gem, PPT, but not PTX, was synergistic in inhibiting the viability of K17-expressing PDAC cells. Importantly, in preclinical models, PPT in combination with Gem effectively decreased tumor growth and enhanced the survival of mice bearing K17-expressing tumors. This provides evidence that PPT and its derivatives could potentially be combined with Gem to enhance treatment efficacy for the ~ 50% of PDACs that express high levels of K17. In summary, we reported that K17 is a novel target for developing a biomarker-based personalized treatment for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun‐Hao Pan
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate ProgramStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | | | | | - Melissa Woo
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Simons Summer Research ProgramStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Cindy V. Leiton
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Sruthi Babu
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Department of Family, Population & Preventive MedicineRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | | | - Ryan R. Kawalerski
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Ji Dong K. Bai
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - David K. Chang
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic UnitGlasgow Royal InfirmaryUK
| | - Andrew V. Biankin
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic UnitGlasgow Royal InfirmaryUK
| | | | | | - Luisa F. Escobar‐Hoyos
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Department of Therapeutic RadiologySchool of MedicineYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Genetic Toxicology and Cytogenetics Research GroupDepartment of BiologySchool of Natural Sciences and EducationUniversidad del CaucaPopayánColombia
| | - Kenneth R. Shroyer
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
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Kita A, Fujiya M, Konishi H, Tanaka H, Kashima S, Iwama T, Ijiri M, Murakami Y, Takauji S, Goto T, Sakatani A, Ando K, Ueno N, Ogawa N, Okumura T. Probiotic‑derived ferrichrome inhibits the growth of refractory pancreatic cancer cells. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:721-732. [PMID: 32705165 PMCID: PMC7384844 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is associated with a poor prognosis due to challenges in early detection, severe progression of the primary tumor, metastatic lesions, and resistance to antitumor agents. However, previous studies have indicated a relationship between the microbiome and pancreatic cancer outcomes. Our previous study demonstrated that ferrichrome derived from Lactobacillus casei, a probiotic bacteria, exhibited tumor‑suppressive effects in colorectal and gastric cancer, and that the suppressive effects were stronger than conventional antitumor agents, such as 5‑fluorouracil (5‑FU) and cisplatin, suggesting that certain probiotics exert antitumorigenic effects. However, whether or not probiotic‑derived molecules, including ferrichrome, exert a tumor‑suppressive effect in other gastrointestinal tumors, such as pancreatic cancer, remains unclear. In the present study, it was demonstrated that probiotic‑derived ferrichrome inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, and its tumor‑suppressive effects were further revealed in 5‑FU‑resistant pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo in a mouse xenograft model. Ferrichrome inhibited the progression of cancer cells via dysregulation of the cell cycle by activating p53. DNA fragmentation and cleavage of poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase were induced by ferrichrome treatment, suggesting that ferrichrome induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. A transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression p53‑associated mRNAs was significantly altered by ferrichrome treatment. Thus, the tumor‑suppressive effects of probiotics may mediated by probiotic‑derived molecules, such as ferrichrome, which may have applications as an antitumor drug, even in refractory and 5‑FU‑resistant pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akemi Kita
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Mikihiro Fujiya
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Konishi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Advanced Medical Sciences, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Division of Tumor Pathology, Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Shin Kashima
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Takuya Iwama
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Masami Ijiri
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Yuki Murakami
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Shuhei Takauji
- Asahikawa Medical University Hospital Emergency Unit, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Takuma Goto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Aki Sakatani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Katsuyoshi Ando
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Ueno
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Naoki Ogawa
- Center for Advanced Research and Education, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
| | - Toshikatsu Okumura
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078‑8510, Japan
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Jin X, Dai L, Ma Y, Wang J, Liu Z. Implications of HIF-1α in the tumorigenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:273. [PMID: 32587480 PMCID: PMC7313137 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and is characterized by highly hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is a major regulator of cellular response to changes in oxygen concentration, supporting the adaptation of tumor cells to hypoxia in an oxygen-deficient tumor microenvironment. Numerous studies revealed the central role of HIF-1α in the carcinogenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer. This article reviewed the molecular mechanisms of how HIF-1α regulated tumorigenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer and suggested that targeting HIF-1α and its signaling pathways could be promising therapeutics for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jin
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Nanjing, 210011 Jiangsu China
| | - Lu Dai
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Nanjing, 210011 Jiangsu China
| | - Yilan Ma
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Nanjing, 210011 Jiangsu China
| | - Jiayan Wang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Nanjing, 210011 Jiangsu China
| | - Zheng Liu
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Nanjing, 210011 Jiangsu China
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Liu Z, Ahn MHY, Kurokawa T, Ly A, Zhang G, Wang F, Yamada T, Sadagopan A, Cheng J, Ferrone CR, Liss AS, Honselmann KC, Wojtkiewicz GR, Ferrone S, Wang X. A fast, simple, and cost-effective method of expanding patient-derived xenograft mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Transl Med 2020; 18:255. [PMID: 32580742 PMCID: PMC7315507 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02414-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models of cancer have been recognized as better mouse models that recapitulate the characteristics of original malignancies including preserved tumor heterogeneity, lineage hierarchy, and tumor microenvironment. However, common challenges of PDX models are the significant time required for tumor expansion, reduced tumor take rates, and higher costs. Here, we describe a fast, simple, and cost-effective method of expanding PDX of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in mice. METHODS We used two established frozen PDAC PDX tissues (derived from two different patients) and implanted them subcutaneously into SCID mice. After tissues reached 10-20 mm in diameter, we performed survival surgery on each mouse to harvest 90-95% of subcutaneous PDX (incomplete resection), allowing the remaining 5-10% of PDX to continue growing in the same mouse. RESULTS We expanded three consecutive passages (P1, P2, and P3) of PDX in the same mouse. Comparing the times required for in vivo expansion, P2 and P3 (expanded through incomplete resection) grew 26-60% faster than P1. Moreover, such expanded PDX tissues were successfully implanted orthotopically into mouse pancreases. Within 20 weeks using only 14 mice, we generated sufficient PDX tissue for future implantation of 200 mice. Our histology study confirmed that the morphologies of cancer cells and stromal structures were similar across all three passages of subcutaneous PDX and the orthotopic PDX and were reflective of the original patient tumors. CONCLUSIONS Taking advantage of incomplete resection of tumors associated with high local recurrence, we established a fast method of PDAC PDX expansion in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyang Liu
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology and Urology and of Medical Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Michael Ho-Young Ahn
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tomohiro Kurokawa
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy Ly
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gong Zhang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fuyou Wang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Teppei Yamada
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jane Cheng
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew S Liss
- Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kim C Honselmann
- Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gregory R Wojtkiewicz
- Mouse Imaging Program, Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Nelson SR, Walsh N. Genetic Alterations Featuring Biological Models to Tailor Clinical Management of Pancreatic Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1233. [PMID: 32423157 PMCID: PMC7281628 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This high mortality rate is due to the disease's lack of symptoms, resulting in a late diagnosis. Biomarkers and treatment options for pancreatic cancer are also limited. In order to overcome this, new research models and novel approaches to discovering PDAC biomarkers are required. In this review, we outline the hereditary and somatic causes of PDAC and provide an overview of the recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) and pathway analysis studies. We also provide a summary of some of the systems used to study PDAC, including established and primary cell lines, patient-derived xenografts (PDX), and newer models such as organoids and organ-on-chip. These ex vitro laboratory systems allow for critical research into the development and progression of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Naomi Walsh
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland;
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32
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O’Reilly EM, Lee JW, Zalupski M, Capanu M, Park J, Golan T, Tahover E, Lowery MA, Chou JF, Sahai V, Brenner R, Kindler HL, Yu KH, Zervoudakis A, Vemuri S, Stadler ZK, Do RKG, Dhani N, Chen AP, Kelsen DP. Randomized, Multicenter, Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin With or Without Veliparib in Patients With Pancreas Adenocarcinoma and a Germline BRCA/PALB2 Mutation. J Clin Oncol 2020; 38:1378-1388. [PMID: 31976786 PMCID: PMC7193749 DOI: 10.1200/jco.19.02931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Five percent to 9% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) develop in patients with a germline BRCA1/2 or PALB2 (gBRCA/PALB2+) mutation. Phase IB data from a trial that used cisplatin, gemcitabine, and veliparib treatment demonstrated a high response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR), and overall survival (OS) in this population. We designed an open-label, randomized, multicenter, two-arm phase II trial to investigate cisplatin and gemcitabine with or without veliparib in gBRCA/PALB2+ PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients had untreated gBRCA/PALB2+ PDAC with measurable stage III to IV disease and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. Treatment for patients in arm A consisted of cisplatin 25 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 600 mg/m2 intravenously on days 3 and 10; treatment for patients in arm B was the same as that for patients in arm A, and arm A also received veliparib 80 mg orally twice per day on days 1 to 12 cycled every 3 weeks. The primary end point was RRs of arm A and arm B evaluated separately using a Simon two-stage design. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, DCR, OS, safety, and correlative analyses. RESULTS Fifty patients were evaluated by modified intention-to-treat analysis. The RR for arm A was 74.1% and 65.2% for arm B (P = .55); both arms exceeded the prespecified activity threshold. DCR was 100% for arm A and 78.3% for arm B (P = .02). Median progression-free survival was 10.1 months for arm A (95% CI, 6.7 to 11.5 months) and 9.7 months for arm B (95% CI, 4.2 to 13.6 months; P = .73). Median OS for arm A was 15.5 months (95% CI, 12.2 to 24.3 months) and 16.4 months for arm B (95% CI, 11.7 to 23.4 months; P = .6). Two-year OS rate for the entire cohort was 30.6% (95% CI, 17.8% to 44.4%), and 3-year OS rate was 17.8% (95% CI, 8.1% to 30.7%). Grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicities for arm A versus arm B were 13 (48%) versus seven (30%) for neutropenia, 15 (55%) versus two (9%) for thrombocytopenia, and 14 (52%) versus eight (35%) for anemia. CONCLUSION Cisplatin and gemcitabine is an effective regimen in advanced gBRCA/PALB2+ PDAC. Concurrent veliparib did not improve RR. These data establish cisplatin and gemcitabine as a standard approach in gBRCA/PALB2+ PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jennifer Park
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Talia Golan
- Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer, Tel HaShomer, Israel
| | - Esther Tahover
- The Oncology Institute, Sha’are Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Robin Brenner
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Kenneth H. Yu
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Shreya Vemuri
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Neesha Dhani
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre-University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Gupta P, Pérez-Mancera PA, Kocher H, Nisbet A, Schettino G, Velliou EG. A Novel Scaffold-Based Hybrid Multicellular Model for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-Toward a Better Mimicry of the in vivo Tumor Microenvironment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:290. [PMID: 32391339 PMCID: PMC7193232 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With a very low survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease. This has been primarily attributed to (i) its late diagnosis and (ii) its high resistance to current treatment methods. The latter specifically requires the development of robust, realistic in vitro models of PDAC, capable of accurately mimicking the in vivo tumor niche. Advancements in the field of tissue engineering (TE) have helped the development of such models for PDAC. Herein, we report for the first time a novel hybrid, polyurethane (PU) scaffold-based, long-term, multicellular (tri-culture) model of pancreatic cancer involving cancer cells, endothelial cells, and stellate cells. Recognizing the importance of ECM proteins for optimal growth of different cell types, the model consists of two different zones/compartments: an inner tumor compartment consisting of cancer cells [fibronectin (FN)-coated] and a surrounding stromal compartment consisting of stellate and endothelial cells [collagen I (COL)-coated]. Our developed novel hybrid, tri-culture model supports the proliferation of all different cell types for 35 days (5 weeks), which is the longest reported timeframe in vitro. Furthermore, the hybrid model showed extensive COL production by the cells, mimicking desmoplasia, one of PDAC's hallmark features. Fibril alignment of the stellate cells was observed, which attested to their activated state. All three cell types expressed various cell-specific markers within the scaffolds, throughout the culture period and showed cellular migration between the two zones of the hybrid scaffold. Our novel model has great potential as a low-cost tool for in vitro studies of PDAC, as well as for treatment screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Gupta
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem), Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro A. Pérez-Mancera
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology and Experimental Cancer Medicine, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Nisbet
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Schettino
- Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- Medical Radiation Science Group, The National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom
| | - Eirini G. Velliou
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem), Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
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de Oliveira G, Paccielli Freire P, Santiloni Cury S, de Moraes D, Santos Oliveira J, Dal-Pai-Silva M, do Reis PP, Francisco Carvalho R. An Integrated Meta-Analysis of Secretome and Proteome Identify Potential Biomarkers of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E716. [PMID: 32197468 PMCID: PMC7140071 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is extremely aggressive, has an unfavorable prognosis, and there are no biomarkers for early detection of the disease or identification of individuals at high risk for morbidity or mortality. The cellular and molecular complexity of PDAC leads to inconsistences in clinical validations of many proteins that have been evaluated as prognostic biomarkers of the disease. The tumor secretome, a potential source of biomarkers in PDAC, plays a crucial role in cell proliferation and metastasis, as well as in resistance to treatments, which together contribute to a worse clinical outcome. The massive amount of proteomic data from pancreatic cancer that has been generated from previous studies can be integrated and explored to uncover secreted proteins relevant to the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. The present study aimed to perform an integrated meta-analysis of PDAC proteome and secretome public data to identify potential biomarkers of the disease. Our meta-analysis combined mass spectrometry data obtained from two systematic reviews of the pancreatic cancer literature, which independently selected 20 studies of the secretome and 35 of the proteome. Next, we predicted the secreted proteins using seven in silico tools or databases, which identified 39 secreted proteins shared between the secretome and proteome data. Notably, the expression of 31 genes of these secretome-related proteins was upregulated in PDAC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) when compared to control samples from TCGA and The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). The prognostic value of these 39 secreted proteins in predicting survival outcome was confirmed using gene expression data from four PDAC datasets (validation set). The gene expression of these secreted proteins was able to distinguish high- and low-survival patients in nine additional tumor types from TCGA, demonstrating that deregulation of these secreted proteins may also contribute to the prognosis in multiple cancers types. Finally, we compared the prognostic value of the identified secreted proteins in PDAC biomarkers studies from the literature. This analysis revealed that our gene signature performed equally well or better than the signatures from these previous studies. In conclusion, our integrated meta-analysis of PDAC proteome and secretome identified 39 secreted proteins as potential biomarkers, and the tumor gene expression profile of these proteins in patients with PDAC is associated with worse overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grasieli de Oliveira
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Paula Paccielli Freire
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Sarah Santiloni Cury
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Diogo de Moraes
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Jakeline Santos Oliveira
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Maeli Dal-Pai-Silva
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
| | - Patrícia Pintor do Reis
- Department of Surgery and Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, São Paulo, Brazil;
- Experimental Research Unity, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Robson Francisco Carvalho
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil; (G.d.O.); (P.P.F.); (S.S.C.); (D.d.M.); (J.S.O.); (M.D.-P.-S.)
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Solanki A, King D, Thibault G, Wang L, Gibbs SL. Quantification of fluorophore distribution and therapeutic response in matched in vivo and ex vivo pancreatic cancer model systems. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229407. [PMID: 32097436 PMCID: PMC7041865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic resistance plagues cancer outcomes, challenging treatment particularly in aggressive disease. A unique method to decipher drug interactions with their targets and inform therapy is to employ fluorescence-based screening tools; however, to implement productive screening assays, adequate model systems must be developed. Patient-derived pancreatic cancer models (e.g., cell culture, patient-derived xenograft mouse models, and organoids) have been traditionally utilized to predict personalized therapeutic response. However, cost, long read out times and the inability to fully recapitulate the tumor microenvironment have rendered most models incompatible with clinical decision making for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Tumor explant cultures, where patient tissue can be kept viable for up to weeks, have garnered interest as a platform for delivering personalized therapeutic prediction on a clinically relevant timeline. To fully explore this ex vivo platform, a series of studies were completed to quantitatively compare in vivo models with tumor explants, examining gemcitabine therapeutic efficacy, small molecule uptake and drug-target engagement using a novel fluorescently-labeled gemcitabine conjugate. This initial work shows promise for patient-specific therapeutic selection, where tumor explant drug distribution and response recapitulated the in vivo behavior and could provide a valuable platform for understanding mechanisms of therapeutic response and resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Solanki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Diana King
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Guillaume Thibault
- Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Summer L. Gibbs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Zhang X, Liu Q, Liao Q, Zhao Y. Pancreatic Cancer, Gut Microbiota, and Therapeutic Efficacy. J Cancer 2020; 11:2749-2758. [PMID: 32226493 PMCID: PMC7086274 DOI: 10.7150/jca.37445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide and has a poor prognosis. Current treatment relies on surgical resection and adjuvant therapies. The gut microbiota plays important roles in metabolism and immunomodulation. Accumulating evidence has implied that the gut microbiota is involved in the metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs and the tumor microenvironment (TME), which could affect the efficacy of both conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Herein, we comprehensively reviewed the history and highlights of the interactions among pancreatic cancer, the gut microbiota and therapeutic efficacy and showed the promising future of manipulating the gut microbiota to improve clinical outcomes of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Qiaofei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Quan Liao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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37
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Lim CH, Cho YS, Choi JY, Lee KH, Lee JK, Min JH, Hyun SH. Imaging phenotype using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-based radiomics and genetic alterations of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2020; 47:2113-2122. [PMID: 32002592 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-020-04698-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to determine if major gene mutations including in KRAS, SMAD4, TP53, and CDKN2A were related to imaging phenotype using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-based radiomics in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS Data on 48 PDAC patients with pretreatment FDG PET/CT who underwent genomic analysis of their tumor tissue were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 35 unique quantitative radiomic features were extracted from PET images, including imaging phenotypes such as pixel intensity, shape, and textural features. Targeted exome sequencing using a customized cancer panel was used for genomic analysis. To assess the predictive performance of genetic alteration using PET-based radiomics, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used. RESULTS Mutation frequencies were KRAS 87.5%, TP53 70.8%, SMAD4 25.0%, and CDKN2A 18.8%. KRAS gene mutations were significantly associated with low-intensity textural features, including long-run emphasis (AUC = 0.806), zone emphasis (AUC = 0.794), and large-zone emphasis (AUC = 0.829). SMAD4 gene mutations showed significant relationships with standardized uptake value skewness (AUC = 0.727), long-run emphasis (AUC = 0.692), and high-intensity textural features such as run emphasis (AUC = 0.775), short-run emphasis (AUC = 0.736), zone emphasis (AUC = 0.750), and short-zone emphasis (AUC = 0.725). No significant associations were seen between the imaging phenotypes and genetic alterations in TP53 and CDKN2A. CONCLUSION Genetic alterations of KRAS and SMAD4 had significant associations with FDG PET-based radiomic features in PDAC. PET-based radiomics may help clinicians predict genetic alteration status in a noninvasive way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Hong Lim
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea
| | - Young Seok Cho
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea
| | - Joon Young Choi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Han Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea
| | - Jong Kyun Lee
- Department of Gastroenterology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji Hye Min
- Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung Hyup Hyun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea.
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Khalil N, Abi-Habib RJ. [HuArgI (co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation leads to autophagy dependent cell death in pancreatic cancer cells. Invest New Drugs 2019; 38:1236-1246. [PMID: 31823161 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-019-00883-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation as well as the mechanisms underlying deprivation-induced cell death. [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation was cytotoxic to all cell lines tested with IC50 values in the pM range at 72 h post-treatment. Three of the five cell lines were rescued by the addition of excess L-citrulline and expressed ASS1, indicating partial arginine auxotrophy. The remaining two cell lines, on the other hand, were not rescued by the addition of L-citrulline and did not express ASS1, indicating complete auxotrophy to arginine. In addition, all cell lines exhibited G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, in the surviving cell fraction, at 72 h following arginine deprivation. Analysis of the type of cell death revealed negative staining for annexin V and a lack of caspase activation in all five cancer cell lines, following treatment, indicating that arginine deprivation leads to caspase-independent, non-apoptotic cell death. Finally, we demonstrated that arginine deprivation leads to a marked activation of autophagy and that inhibition of this autophagy greatly decreases cytotoxicity, indicating that arginine deprivation induces autophagic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells. We have shown that pancreatic cancer cells are auxotrophic for arginine and sensitive to [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation, hence demonstrating that arginine deprivation is a potentially potent and selective treatment for pancreatic cancer. We have also demonstrated that autophagy is activated following arginine-deprivation and that its prolonged activation leads to autophagic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Khalil
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102 2801, Lebanon
| | - Ralph J Abi-Habib
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102 2801, Lebanon.
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Aier I, Semwal R, Dhara A, Sen N, Varadwaj PK. An integrated epigenome and transcriptome analysis identifies PAX2 as a master regulator of drug resistance in high grade pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223554. [PMID: 31622355 PMCID: PMC6797122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notoriously difficult to treat due to its aggressive, ever resilient nature. A major drawback lies in its tumor grade; a phenomenon observed across various carcinomas, where highly differentiated and undifferentiated tumor grades, termed as low and high grade respectively, are found in the same tumor. One eminent problem due to such heterogeneity is drug resistance in PDAC. This has been implicated to ABC transporter family of proteins that are upregulated in PDAC patients. However, the regulation of these transporters with respect to tumor grade in PDAC is not well understood. To combat these issues, a study was designed to identify novel genes that might regulate drug resistance phenotype and be used as targets. By integrating epigenome with transcriptome data, several genes were identified based around high grade PDAC. Further analysis indicated oncogenic PAX2 transcription factor as a novel regulator of drug resistance in high grade PDAC cell lines. It was observed that silencing of PAX2 resulted in increased susceptibility of high grade PDAC cells to various chemotherapeutic drugs. Mechanistically, the study showed that PAX2 protein can bind and alter transcriptionally; expression of many ABC transporter genes in high grade PDAC cell lines. Overall, the study indicated that PAX2 significantly upregulated ABC family of genes resulting in drug resistance and poor survival in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imlimaong Aier
- Department of Bioinformatics & Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology—Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rahul Semwal
- Department of Information Technology, Indian Institute of Information Technology—Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Aiindrila Dhara
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Nirmalya Sen
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
- S.N.Bose Innovation Centre, University Of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Pritish Kumar Varadwaj
- Department of Bioinformatics & Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology—Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Argentiero A, Calabrese A, Solimando AG, Notaristefano A, Panarelli MM, Brunetti O. Bone metastasis as primary presentation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A case report and literature review. Clin Case Rep 2019; 7:1972-1976. [PMID: 31624620 PMCID: PMC6787833 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.2412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PDAC bone metastases represent a clinical challenge characterized by multifaceted biological entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Argentiero
- Medical Oncology UnitNational Cancer Research CentreIstituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II"BariItaly
| | - Angela Calabrese
- Radiology UnitNational Cancer Research CentreIstituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II"BariItaly
| | - Antonio Giovanni Solimando
- Medical Oncology UnitNational Cancer Research CentreIstituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II"BariItaly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human OncologySection of Internal Medicine “G. Baccelli”University of Bari Medical SchoolBariItaly
| | | | | | - Oronzo Brunetti
- Medical Oncology UnitNational Cancer Research CentreIstituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II"BariItaly
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Ranđelović I, Schuster S, Kapuvári B, Fossati G, Steinkühler C, Mező G, Tóvári J. Improved In Vivo Anti-Tumor and Anti-Metastatic Effect of GnRH-III-Daunorubicin Analogs on Colorectal and Breast Carcinoma Bearing Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194763. [PMID: 31557968 PMCID: PMC6801585 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among various homing devices, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) peptide represents a suitable targeting moiety for drug delivery systems. The anti-tumor activity of the previously developed GnRH-III-[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate and the novel synthesized GnRH-III-[2ΔHis,3d-Tic,4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate, containing the anti-cancer drug daunorubicin, were evaluated. Here, we demonstrate that both GnRH-III-Dau conjugates possess an efficient growth inhibitory effect on more than 20 cancer cell lines, whereby the biological activity is strongly connected to the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R). The novel conjugate showed a higher in vitro anti-proliferative activity and a higher uptake capacity. Moreover, the treatment with GnRH-III-Dau conjugates cause a significant in vivo tumor growth and metastases inhibitory effect in three different orthotopic models, including 4T1 mice and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma, as well as HT-29 human colorectal cancer bearing BALB/s and SCID mice, while toxic side-effects were substantially reduced in comparison to the treatment with the free drug. These findings illustrate that our novel lead compound is a highly promising candidate for targeted tumor therapy in both colon cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ranđelović
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Bence Kapuvári
- Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gianluca Fossati
- Preclinical R&D, Italfarmaco SpA, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo (Milan), Italy.
| | | | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - József Tóvári
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
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42
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Benguigui M, Weitz IS, Timaner M, Kan T, Shechter D, Perlman O, Sivan S, Raviv Z, Azhari H, Shaked Y. Copper oxide nanoparticles inhibit pancreatic tumor growth primarily by targeting tumor initiating cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12613. [PMID: 31471546 PMCID: PMC6717199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48959-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells, also termed tumor initiating cells (TICs), are a rare population of cells within the tumor mass which initiate tumor growth and metastasis. In pancreatic cancer, TICs significantly contribute to tumor re-growth after therapy, due to their intrinsic resistance. Here we demonstrate that copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are cytotoxic against TIC-enriched PANC1 human pancreatic cancer cell cultures. Specifically, treatment with CuO-NPs decreases cell viability and increases apoptosis in TIC-enriched PANC1 cultures to a greater extent than in standard PANC1 cultures. These effects are associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that CuO-NPs inhibit tumor growth in a pancreatic tumor model in mice. Tumors from mice treated with CuO-NPs contain a significantly higher number of apoptotic TICs in comparison to tumors from untreated mice, confirming that CuO-NPs target TICs in vivo. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of using CuO-NPs as a new therapeutic modality for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Benguigui
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Iris S Weitz
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT Braude College, Karmiel, 2161002, Israel
| | - Michael Timaner
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Tal Kan
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Dvir Shechter
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Or Perlman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Sarit Sivan
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT Braude College, Karmiel, 2161002, Israel
| | - Ziv Raviv
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel
| | - Haim Azhari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Yuval Shaked
- Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 31096, Israel.
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43
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Daniel SK, Sullivan KM, Labadie KP, Pillarisetty VG. Hypoxia as a barrier to immunotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Clin Transl Med 2019; 8:10. [PMID: 30931508 PMCID: PMC6441665 DOI: 10.1186/s40169-019-0226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal disease with limited response to cytotoxic chemoradiotherapy, as well as newer immunotherapies. The PDA tumor microenvironment contains infiltrating immune cells including cytotoxic T cells; however, there is an overall immunosuppressive milieu. Hypoxia is a known element of the solid tumor microenvironment and may promote tumor survival. Through various mechanisms including, but not limited to, those mediated by HIF-1α, hypoxia also leads to increased tumor proliferation and metabolic changes. Furthermore, epithelial to mesenchymal transition is promoted through several pathways, including NOTCH and c-MET, regulated by hypoxia. Hypoxia-promoted changes also contribute to the immunosuppressive phenotype seen in many different cell types within the microenvironment and thereby may inhibit an effective immune system response to PDA. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and myofibroblasts appear to contribute to the recruitment of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and B cells in PDA via cytokines increased due to hypoxia. PSCs also increase collagen secretion in response to HIF-1α, which promotes a fibrotic stroma that alters T cell homing and migration. In hypoxic environments, B cells contribute to cytotoxic T cell exhaustion and produce chemokines to attract more immunosuppressive regulatory T cells. MDSCs inhibit T cell metabolism by hoarding key amino acids, modulate T cell homing by cleaving L-selectin, and prevent T cell activation by increasing PD-L1 expression. Immunosuppressive M2 phenotype macrophages promote T cell anergy via increased nitric oxide (NO) and decreased arginine in hypoxia. Increased numbers of regulatory T cells are seen in hypoxia which prevent effector T cell activation through cytokine production and increased CTLA-4. Effective immunotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma and other solid tumors will need to help counteract the immunosuppressive nature of hypoxia-induced changes in the tumor microenvironment. Promising studies will look at combination therapies involving checkpoint inhibitors, chemokine inhibitors, and possible targeting of hypoxia. While no model is perfect, assuring that models incorporate the effects of hypoxia on cancer cells, stromal cells, and effector immune cells will be crucial in developing successful therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Daniel
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - K M Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - K P Labadie
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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44
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Vendrely V, Amintas S, Noel C, Moranvillier I, Lamrissi I, Rousseau B, Coulibaly S, Bedel A, Moreau-Gaudry F, Buscail E, Chiche L, Belleannée G, Dupin C, Dabernat S. Combination treatment of resveratrol and capsaicin radiosensitizes pancreatic tumor cells by unbalancing DNA repair response to radiotherapy towards cell death. Cancer Lett 2019; 451:1-10. [PMID: 30849482 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers because it is highly resistant to every available therapeutic strategy, in particular conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy (RT). Sensitizing tumor cells to existing treatments remains a good option to obtain fast and applicable results. Considering that ionizing radiations induce radiolysis-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS), we hypothesized that ROS-inducing bioactive food components (BFCs) could exacerbate ROS-related cell damages, including DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs), leaving the cellular ROS scavenging systems overwhelmed, and precipitating tumor cell death. Combination of resveratrol and capsaicin radiosensitized radiosensitive tumor cells, but RT did not increase BFC combination toxicity in radioresistant tumor cells. BFC addition to RT increased ROS production and led to significant tumor volume reduction in xenografted mouse preclinical model. Strikingly, BFCs inhibited RT-induced DNA damage molecular response by strongly limiting the first steps of DSB repair, and by keeping cells in cell cycle, provoking exacerbated intrinsic apoptosis. This study positions BFCs as potent radiosensitizers when combined, and identifies an actionable molecular pathway by resveratrol and capsaicin combination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Amintas
- CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Isabelle Lamrissi
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Aurélie Bedel
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - François Moreau-Gaudry
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Etienne Buscail
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Laurence Chiche
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Sandrine Dabernat
- INSERM U1035, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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45
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Patzak MS, Kari V, Patil S, Hamdan FH, Goetze RG, Brunner M, Gaedcke J, Kitz J, Jodrell DI, Richards FM, Pilarsky C, Gruetzmann R, Rümmele P, Knösel T, Hessmann E, Ellenrieder V, Johnsen SA, Neesse A. Cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and mediates gemcitabine resistance by reducing intracellular gemcitabine metabolites. EBioMedicine 2019; 40:394-405. [PMID: 30709769 PMCID: PMC6413477 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A (NT5C1A) dephosphorylates non-cyclic nucleoside monophosphates to produce nucleosides and inorganic phosphates. Here, we investigate NT5C1A expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its impact on gemcitabine metabolism and therapeutic efficacy. METHODS NT5C1A expression was determined by semiquantitative immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. Gemcitabine metabolites and response were assessed in several human and murine PDAC cell lines using crystal violet assays, Western blot, viability assays, and liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). FINDINGS NT5C1A was strongly expressed in tumor cells of a large subgroup of resected PDAC patients in two independent patient cohorts (44-56% score 2 and 8-26% score 3, n = 414). In contrast, NT5C1A was expressed at very low levels in the tumor stroma, and neither stromal nor tumoral expression was a prognostic marker for postoperative survival. In vitro, NT5C1A overexpression increased gemcitabine resistance by reducing apoptosis levels and significantly decreased intracellular amounts of cytotoxic dFdCTP in +NT5C1A tumor cells. Co-culture experiments with conditioned media from +NT5C1A PSCs improved gemcitabine efficacy in tumor cells. In vivo, therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine was significantly decreased and serum levels of the inactive gemcitabine metabolite dFdU significantly increased in mice bearing NT5C1A overexpressing tumors. INTERPRETATION NT5C1A is robustly expressed in tumor cells of resected PDAC patients. Moreover, NT5C1A mediates gemcitabine resistance by decreasing the amount of intracellular dFdCTP, leading to reduced tumor cell apoptosis and larger pancreatic tumors in mice. Further studies should clarify the role of NT5C1A as novel predictor for gemcitabine treatment response in patients with PDAC.
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MESH Headings
- 5'-Nucleotidase/genetics
- Animals
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives
- Deoxycytidine/pharmacokinetics
- Deoxycytidine/pharmacology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Gene Expression
- Humans
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Models, Biological
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Prognosis
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Gemcitabine
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie S Patzak
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Vijayalakshmi Kari
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Shilpa Patil
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Feda H Hamdan
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Robert G Goetze
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Marius Brunner
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jochen Gaedcke
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Kitz
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Institute of Pathology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Duncan I Jodrell
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Frances M Richards
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Pilarsky
- University Medical Center Erlangen, Department of Surgery, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Robert Gruetzmann
- University Medical Center Erlangen, Department of Surgery, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Petra Rümmele
- University Medical Center Erlangen, Institute of Pathology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Knösel
- Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Institute of Pathology, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hessmann
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Volker Ellenrieder
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Steven A Johnsen
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Albrecht Neesse
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, Goettingen, Germany.
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46
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Ma L, Fan Z, Du G, Wang H. Leptin-elicited miRNA-342-3p potentiates gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 509:845-853. [PMID: 30638935 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although obesity (characterized by high levels of serum leptin) and deregulated expression of miRNAs are both functionally implicated in the pathogenesis of chemoresistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the mechanistic link synchronize these two factors remain poorly understood. Here, we show that expression levels of obesity-associated miR-342-3p were significantly upregulated in gemcitabine (GEM)-resistant PDAC tissues and cells, and this upregulation was associated with poor postchemotherapy prognosis. Using pharmacological approaches, we observed that crosstalk between leptin and Notch signaling pathways regulated fundamentally the miR-342-3p expression in GEM-resistant PDAC cells. Functionally, forced expression of miR-342-3p exhibited a prosurvival effect and potentiated GEM resistance, whereas inhibition of miR-342-3p expression noticeably ameliorated chemosensitivity in GEM-resistant PDAC cells. By employing bioinformatics analysis, point mutation and luciferase reporter assays, we further identified the 3'-UTR of tumor suppressor Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) as the direct target of miR-342-3p. Therapeutically, stable expression of the exogenous KLF6 was sufficient to abrogate the pro-survival effects of miR-342-3p in GEM-treated PDAC cells. Taken together, these results suggest that leptin-elicited miR-342-3p upregulation mediates, at least partially, the GEM resistance through inhibition of KLF6 signaling in PDAC. Considering the indispensable function of miR-342-3p during adipogenesis, this obesity-associated miRNA may operate as a novel posttranscriptional integrator linking lipid homeostasis and pancreatic chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyang Ma
- Department of Acute Care Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Zhiyong Fan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Gongliang Du
- Department of Acute Care Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Acute Care Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China.
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47
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Speirs MMP, Swensen AC, Chan TY, Jones PM, Holman JC, Harris MB, Maschek JA, Cox JE, Carson RH, Hill JT, Andersen JL, Prince JT, Price JC. Imbalanced sphingolipid signaling is maintained as a core proponent of a cancerous phenotype in spite of metabolic pressure and epigenetic drift. Oncotarget 2019; 10:449-479. [PMID: 30728898 PMCID: PMC6355186 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity may arise through genetic drift and environmentally driven clonal selection for metabolic fitness. This would promote subpopulations derived from single cancer cells that exhibit distinct phenotypes while conserving vital pro-survival pathways. We aimed to identify significant drivers of cell fitness in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) creating subclones in different nutrient formulations to encourage differential metabolic reprogramming. The genetic and phenotypic expression profiles of each subclone were analyzed relative to a healthy control cell line (hTert-HPNE). The subclones exhibited distinct variations in protein expression and lipid metabolism. Relative to hTert-HPNE, PSN-1 subclones uniformly maintained modified sphingolipid signaling and specifically retained elevated sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) relative to C16 ceramide (C16 Cer) ratios. Each clone utilized a different perturbation to this pathway, but maintained this modified signaling to preserve cancerous phenotypes, such as rapid proliferation and defense against mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Although the subclones were unique in their sensitivity, inhibition of S1P synthesis significantly reduced the ratio of S1P/C16 Cer, slowed cell proliferation, and enhanced sensitivity to apoptotic signals. This reliance on S1P signaling identifies this pathway as a promising drug-sensitizing target that may be used to eliminate cancerous cells consistently across uniquely reprogrammed PDAC clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M P Speirs
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Adam C Swensen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Tsz Y Chan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Peter M Jones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - John C Holman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - McCall B Harris
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - John A Maschek
- Health Sciences Cores-Metabolomics, University of Utah, Salt Lake, Utah, USA
| | - James E Cox
- Health Sciences Cores-Metabolomics, University of Utah, Salt Lake, Utah, USA
| | - Richard H Carson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Jonathon T Hill
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Joshua L Andersen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - John T Prince
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - John C Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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48
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Gupta P, Totti S, Pérez-Mancera PA, Dyke E, Nisbet A, Schettino G, Webb R, Velliou EG. Chemoradiotherapy screening in a novel biomimetic polymer based pancreatic cancer model. RSC Adv 2019; 9:41649-41663. [PMID: 35541584 PMCID: PMC9076463 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra09123h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly and aggressive disease with a very low survival rate. This is partly due to the resistance of the disease to currently available treatment options. Herein, we report for the first time the use of a novel polyurethane scaffold based PDAC model for screening the short and relatively long term (1 and 17 days post-treatment) responses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and their combination. We show a dose dependent cell viability reduction and apoptosis induction for both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Furthermore, we observe a change in the impact of the treatment depending on the time-frame, especially for radiation for which the PDAC scaffolds showed resistance after 1 day but responded more 17 days post-treatment. This is the first study to report a viable PDAC culture in a scaffold for more than 2 months and the first to perform long-term (17 days) post-treatment observations in vitro. This is particularly important as a longer time-frame is much closer to animal studies and to patient treatment regimes, highlighting that our scaffold system has great potential to be used as an animal free model for screening of PDAC. Poly-urethane scaffold based 3D pancreatic cancer model enables realistic long term chemotherapy and radiotherapy screening. This model can be used for personalised treatment screening.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Gupta
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem)
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering
- University of Surrey
- Guildford
- UK
| | - Stella Totti
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem)
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering
- University of Surrey
- Guildford
- UK
| | | | - Eleanor Dyke
- Department of Medical Physics
- The Royal Surrey County Hospital
- NHS Foundation Trust
- Guildford
- UK
| | - Andrew Nisbet
- Department of Medical Physics
- The Royal Surrey County Hospital
- NHS Foundation Trust
- Guildford
- UK
| | - Giuseppe Schettino
- Department of Physics
- University of Surrey
- Guildford GU2 7XH
- UK
- Medical Radiation Science Group
| | - Roger Webb
- The Ion Beam Centre
- University of Surrey
- Guildford
- UK
| | - Eirini G. Velliou
- Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering Group (BioProChem)
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering
- University of Surrey
- Guildford
- UK
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49
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Allen-Petersen BL, Risom T, Feng Z, Wang Z, Jenny ZP, Thoma MC, Pelz KR, Morton JP, Sansom OJ, Lopez CD, Sheppard B, Christensen DJ, Ohlmeyer M, Narla G, Sears RC. Activation of PP2A and Inhibition of mTOR Synergistically Reduce MYC Signaling and Decrease Tumor Growth in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2019; 79:209-219. [PMID: 30389701 PMCID: PMC6318036 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-0717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In cancer, kinases are often activated and phosphatases suppressed, leading to aberrant activation of signaling pathways driving cellular proliferation, survival, and therapeutic resistance. Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has historically been refractory to kinase inhibition, therapeutic activation of phosphatases is emerging as a promising strategy to restore balance to these hyperactive signaling cascades. In this study, we hypothesized that phosphatase activation combined with kinase inhibition could deplete oncogenic survival signals to reduce tumor growth. We screened PDA cell lines for kinase inhibitors that could synergize with activation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a tumor suppressor phosphatase, and determined that activation of PP2A and inhibition of mTOR synergistically increase apoptosis and reduce oncogenic phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. This combination treatment resulted in suppression of AKT/mTOR signaling coupled with reduced expression of c-MYC, an oncoprotein implicated in tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Forced expression of c-MYC or loss of PP2A B56α, the specific PP2A subunit shown to negatively regulate c-MYC, increased resistance to mTOR inhibition. Conversely, decreased c-MYC expression increased the sensitivity of PDA cells to mTOR inhibition. Together, these studies demonstrate that combined targeting of PP2A and mTOR suppresses proliferative signaling and induces cell death and implicates this combination as a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with PDA. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings present a combinatorial strategy targeting serine/threonine protein phosphatase PP2A and mTOR in PDA, a cancer for which there are currently no targeted therapeutic options.Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/79/1/209/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L Allen-Petersen
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Tyler Risom
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Zipei Feng
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Zhiping Wang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Zina P Jenny
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Mary C Thoma
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Katherine R Pelz
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Sansom
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Charles D Lopez
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Brett Sheppard
- Department of Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | | | - Goutham Narla
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Rosalie C Sears
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
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Gemcitabine Induces Microvesicle Particle Release in a Platelet-Activating Factor-Receptor-Dependent Manner via Modulation of the MAPK Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010032. [PMID: 30577630 PMCID: PMC6337552 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies, including ours, have shown that pro-oxidative stressors, such as chemotherapeutic agents, generate oxidized lipids with agonistic platelet-activating factor (PAF) activity. Importantly, recent reports have implicated that these PAF-agonists are transported extracellularly via microvesicle particles (MVPs). While the role of PAF-receptor (PAF-R) has been implicated in mediating chemotherapy effects, its significance in chemotherapy-mediated MVP release in pancreatic cancer has not been studied. The current studies determined the functional significance of PAF-R in gemcitabine chemotherapy-mediated MVP release in human pancreatic cancer cells. Using PAF-R-expressing (PANC-1) and PAF-R-deficient (Hs766T) cells, we demonstrate that gemcitabine induces MVP release in a PAF-R-dependent manner. Blocking of PAF-R via PAF-R antagonist or inhibition of MVP generation via inhibitor of acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) enzyme, significantly attenuated gemcitabine-mediated MVP release from PANC-1 cells, however, exerted no effects in Hs766T cells. Notably, MVPs from gemcitabine-treated PANC-1 cells, contained a measurable amount of PAF-agonists. Mechanistically, pretreatment with ERK1/2 or p38 inhibitors significantly abrogated gemcitabine-mediated MVP release, indicating the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in PAF-R-dependent gemcitabine-mediated MVP release. These findings demonstrate the significance of PAF-R in gemcitabine-mediated MVP release, as well as the rationale of evaluating PAF-R targeting agents with gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer.
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