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Sepehrinezhad A, Shahbazi A, Sahab Negah S, Stolze Larsen F. New Insight Into Mechanisms of Hepatic Encephalopathy: An Integrative Analysis Approach to Identify Molecular Markers and Therapeutic Targets. Bioinform Biol Insights 2023; 17:11779322231155068. [PMID: 36814683 PMCID: PMC9940182 DOI: 10.1177/11779322231155068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a set of complex neurological complications that arise from advanced liver disease. The precise molecular and cellular mechanism of HE is not fully understood. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from microarray technologies are powerful approaches to obtain new insight into the pathophysiology of HE. We analyzed microarray data sets of cirrhotic patients with HE from Gene Expression Omnibus to identify DEGs in postmortem cerebral tissues. Consequently, we uploaded significant DEGs into the STRING to specify protein-protein interactions. Cytoscape was used to reconstruct the genetic network and identify hub genes. Target genes were uploaded to different databases to perform comprehensive enrichment analysis and repurpose new therapeutic options for HE. A total of 457 DEGs were identified in 2 data sets totally from 12 cirrhotic patients with HE compared with 12 healthy subjects. We found that 274 genes were upregulated and 183 genes were downregulated. Network analyses on significant DEGs indicated 12 hub genes associated with HE. Enrichment analysis identified fatty acid beta-oxidation, cerebral organic acidurias, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton as main involved pathways associated with upregulated genes; serotonin receptor 2 and ELK-SRF/GATA4 signaling, GPCRs, class A rhodopsin-like, and p38 MAPK signaling pathway were related to downregulated genes. Finally, we predicted 39 probable effective drugs/agents for HE. This study not only confirms main important involved mechanisms of HE but also reveals some yet unknown activated molecular and cellular pathways in human HE. In addition, new targets were identified that could be of value in the future study of HE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sepehrinezhad
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Shahbazi
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Ali Shahbazi, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614535, Iran.
| | - Sajad Sahab Negah
- Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fin Stolze Larsen
- Department of Hepatology CA-3163, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hong K, Zhang Y, Yao L, Zhang J, Sheng X, Song L, Guo Y, Guo Y. Pan-cancer analysis of the angiotensin II receptor-associated protein as a prognostic and immunological gene predicting immunotherapy responses in pan-cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:913684. [PMID: 36060798 PMCID: PMC9437438 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.913684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Understanding interior molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis and cancer progression contributes to antitumor treatments. The angiotensin II receptor-associated protein (AGTRAP) has been confirmed to be related with metabolic products in metabolic diseases and can drive the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and colon carcinoma. However, functions of AGTRAP in other kinds of cancers are unclear, and a pan-cancer analysis of AGTRAP has not been carried out. Methods and materials: We downloaded data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression dataset and The Human Protein Atlas databases and then used R software (version 4.1.1) and several bioinformatic tools to conduct the analysis. Results: In our study, we evaluated the expression of AGTRAP in cancers, such as high expression in breast cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, and glioma and low expression in kidney chromophobe. Furthermore, our study revealed that high expression of AGTRAP is significantly related with poor prognosis in glioma, liver cancer, kidney chromophobe, and so on. We also explored the putative functional mechanisms of AGTRAP across pan-cancer, such as endoplasmic reticulum pathway, endocytosis pathway, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In addition, the connection between AGTRAP and tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, and immune-related genes was proven. Conclusion: Our study provided comprehensive evidence of the roles of AGTRAP in different kinds of cancers and supported the relationship of AGTRAP and tumorous immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hong
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingjue Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Lingli Yao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiabo Zhang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xianneng Sheng
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lihua Song
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Guo, ; Yangyang Guo,
| | - Yangyang Guo
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Ningbo City First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Guo, ; Yangyang Guo,
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Jafari M, Mirzaie M, Bao J, Barneh F, Zheng S, Eriksson J, Heckman CA, Tang J. Bipartite network models to design combination therapies in acute myeloid leukaemia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2128. [PMID: 35440130 PMCID: PMC9018865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29793-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Combination therapy is preferred over single-targeted monotherapies for cancer treatment due to its efficiency and safety. However, identifying effective drug combinations costs time and resources. We propose a method for identifying potential drug combinations by bipartite network modelling of patient-related drug response data, specifically the Beat AML dataset. The median of cell viability is used as a drug potency measurement to reconstruct a weighted bipartite network, model drug-biological sample interactions, and find the clusters of nodes inside two projected networks. Then, the clustering results are leveraged to discover effective multi-targeted drug combinations, which are also supported by more evidence using GDSC and ALMANAC databases. The potency and synergy levels of selective drug combinations are corroborated against monotherapy in three cell lines for acute myeloid leukaemia in vitro. In this study, we introduce a nominal data mining approach to improving acute myeloid leukaemia treatment through combinatorial therapy. Identifying effective drug combinations to treat cancer is a challenging task, either experimentally or computationally. Here, the authors develop a bipartite network modelling approach to propose drug combination strategies in acute myeloid leukaemia using patient and cell line drug screening data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohieddin Jafari
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Mehdi Mirzaie
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jie Bao
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Farnaz Barneh
- Prinses Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, Utrech, the Netherlands
| | - Shuyu Zheng
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Eriksson
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Caroline A Heckman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland - FIMM, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jing Tang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Khoshbakht S, Azimzadeh Jamalkandi S, Masudi-Nejad A. Involvement of immune system and Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition in increased invasiveness of clustered circulatory tumor cells in breast cancer. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:273. [PMID: 34801010 PMCID: PMC8605524 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-01112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the critical initiators of distant metastasis formation. In which, the reciprocal interplay among different metastatic pathways and their metastasis driver genes which promote survival of CTCs is not well introduced using network approaches. Methods Here, to investigate the unknown pathways of single/cluster CTCs, the co-expression network was reconstructed, using WGCNA (Weighted Correlation Network Analysis) method. Having used the hierarchical clustering, we detected the Immune-response and EMT subnetworks. The metastatic potential of genes was assessed and validated through the support vector machine (SVM), neural network, and decision tree methods on two external datasets. To identify the active signaling pathways in CTCs, we reconstructed a casual network. The Log-Rank test and Kaplan–Meier curve were applied to detect prognostic gene signatures for distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Finally, a predictive model was developed for metastasis risk of patients using VIF-stepwise feature selection. Results Our results showed the crosstalk among EMT, the immune system, menstrual cycles, and the stemness pathway in CTCs. In which, fluctuation of menstrual cycles is a new detected pathway in breast cancer CTCs. The reciprocal association between immune responses and EMT was identified in CTCs. The SVM model indicated a high metastatic potential of EMT subnetwork (accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity scores were 87%). The DMFS model was identified to predict patients’ metastasis risks. (c-index = 0.7). Finally, novel metastatic biomarkers of KRT18 and KRT19 were detected in breast cancer CTCs. Conclusions In conclusion, the reciprocal interplay among critical unknown pathways in CTCs manifests both their survival in blood and metastatic potentials. Such findings may help to develop more precise predictive metastatic-risk models or detect pivotal metastatic biomarkers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-021-01112-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samane Khoshbakht
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran
| | | | - Ali Masudi-Nejad
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran. .,Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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5
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Hashemzehi M, Rahmani F, Khoshakhlagh M, Avan A, Asgharzadeh F, Barneh F, Moradi-Marjaneh R, Soleimani A, Fiuji H, Ferns GA, Ryzhikov M, Jafari M, Khazaei M, Hassanian SM. Angiotensin receptor blocker Losartan inhibits tumor growth of colorectal cancer. EXCLI J 2021; 20:506-521. [PMID: 33883980 PMCID: PMC8056058 DOI: 10.17179/excli2020-3083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is up-regulated in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and is reported to be associated with poor prognosis and chemo-resistance. Here we explored the therapeutic potential of targeting RAS in CRC using Losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker. An integrative-systems biology approach was used to explore a proteome-level dataset of a gene signature that is modulated by Losartan. The anti-proliferative activity of Losartan was evaluated using 2- and 3-dimensional cell culture models. A xenograft model of colon cancer was used to investigate tumor growth with Losartan alone and in combination with 5-FU followed by histological staining (Hematoxylin & Eosin and Masson trichrome staining), biochemical analyses, gene expression analyses by RT-PCR, western blot/IHC, or MMP Gelatin Zymography studies. Effects on cell cycle and cell death were assessed by flow cytometry. Losartan inhibited cell growth and suppressed cell cycle progression, causing an increase in CRC cells in the G1 phase. Losartan significantly reduced tumor growth and enhanced tumor cell necrosis. An impact on the inflammatory response, including up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in CRC cells are potential mechanisms that could partially explain Losartan's anti-proliferative effects. Moreover, metastasis and angiogenesis were reduced in Losartan-treated mice as observed by inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities and decreased tumor vasculature. These data demonstrate the therapeutic potential of combining chemotherapeutic regimens with Losartan to synergistically enhance its activity and target the renin-angiotensin system as a new approach in colorectal cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Hashemzehi
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran.,Tropical and Communicable Diseases Research Centre, Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran
| | - Farzad Rahmani
- Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran.,Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Avan
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Asgharzadeh
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Farnaz Barneh
- Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Current address: Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584, CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Reyhaneh Moradi-Marjaneh
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Atena Soleimani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamid Fiuji
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Gordon A Ferns
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Division of Medical Education, Falmer, Brighton, Sussex BN1 9PH, UK
| | | | - Mohieddin Jafari
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hassanian
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Rakhsh-Khorshid H, Samimi H, Torabi S, Sajjadi-Jazi SM, Samadi H, Ghafouri F, Asgari Y, Haghpanah V. Network analysis reveals essential proteins that regulate sodium-iodide symporter expression in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21440. [PMID: 33293661 PMCID: PMC7722919 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78574-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most rare and lethal form of thyroid cancer and requires effective treatment. Efforts have been made to restore sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) expression in ATC cells where it has been downregulated, yet without complete success. Systems biology approaches have been used to simplify complex biological networks. Here, we attempt to find more suitable targets in order to restore NIS expression in ATC cells. We have built a simplified protein interaction network including transcription factors and proteins involved in MAPK, TGFβ/SMAD, PI3K/AKT, and TSHR signaling pathways which regulate NIS expression, alongside proteins interacting with them. The network was analyzed, and proteins were ranked based on several centrality indices. Our results suggest that the protein interaction network of NIS expression regulation is modular, and distance-based and information-flow-based centrality indices may be better predictors of important proteins in such networks. We propose that the high-ranked proteins found in our analysis are expected to be more promising targets in attempts to restore NIS expression in ATC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Rakhsh-Khorshid
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.,Apoptosis Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Hilda Samimi
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, 14114, Iran
| | - Shukoofeh Torabi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Sayed Mahmoud Sajjadi-Jazi
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, 14114, Iran.,Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Samadi
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, 14114, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghafouri
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, 14114, Iran.,Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yazdan Asgari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Italia St., Tehran, 1417755469, Iran.
| | - Vahid Haghpanah
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Shariati Hospital, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, 14114, Iran. .,Personalized Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Buocikova V, Rios-Mondragon I, Pilalis E, Chatziioannou A, Miklikova S, Mego M, Pajuste K, Rucins M, Yamani NE, Longhin EM, Sobolev A, Freixanet M, Puntes V, Plotniece A, Dusinska M, Cimpan MR, Gabelova A, Smolkova B. Epigenetics in Breast Cancer Therapy-New Strategies and Future Nanomedicine Perspectives. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3622. [PMID: 33287297 PMCID: PMC7761669 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation has been recognized as a critical factor contributing to the development of resistance against standard chemotherapy and to breast cancer progression via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Although the efficacy of the first-generation epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) in solid tumor management has been disappointing, there is an increasing body of evidence showing that epigenome modulation, in synergy with other therapeutic approaches, could play an important role in cancer treatment, reversing acquired therapy resistance. However, the epigenetic therapy of solid malignancies is not straightforward. The emergence of nanotechnologies applied to medicine has brought new opportunities to advance the targeted delivery of epi-drugs while improving their stability and solubility, and minimizing off-target effects. Furthermore, the omics technologies, as powerful molecular epidemiology screening tools, enable new diagnostic and prognostic epigenetic biomarker identification, allowing for patient stratification and tailored management. In combination with new-generation epi-drugs, nanomedicine can help to overcome low therapeutic efficacy in treatment-resistant tumors. This review provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials focusing on combination therapies employing epi-drugs for breast cancer treatment and summarizes the latest nano-based targeted delivery approaches for epi-drugs. Moreover, it highlights the current limitations and obstacles associated with applying these experimental strategies in the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verona Buocikova
- Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.B.); (S.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Ivan Rios-Mondragon
- Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Bergen, Aarstadveien 19, 5009 Bergen, Norway; (I.R.-M.); (M.R.C.)
| | - Eleftherios Pilalis
- e-NIOS Applications Private Company, Alexandrou Pantou 25, 17671 Kallithea, Greece; (E.P.); (A.C.)
- Center of Systems Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Aristotelis Chatziioannou
- e-NIOS Applications Private Company, Alexandrou Pantou 25, 17671 Kallithea, Greece; (E.P.); (A.C.)
- Center of Systems Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Svetlana Miklikova
- Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.B.); (S.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Michal Mego
- 2nd Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and National Cancer Institute, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Karlis Pajuste
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles str. 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (K.P.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (A.P.)
| | - Martins Rucins
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles str. 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (K.P.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (A.P.)
| | - Naouale El Yamani
- Health Effects Laboratory, NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 2007 Kjeller, Norway; (N.E.Y.); (E.M.L.); (M.D.)
| | - Eleonora Marta Longhin
- Health Effects Laboratory, NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 2007 Kjeller, Norway; (N.E.Y.); (E.M.L.); (M.D.)
| | - Arkadij Sobolev
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles str. 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (K.P.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (A.P.)
| | - Muriel Freixanet
- Vall d Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (M.F.); (V.P.)
| | - Victor Puntes
- Vall d Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (M.F.); (V.P.)
- Institut Català de Nanosciència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aiva Plotniece
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles str. 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (K.P.); (M.R.); (A.S.); (A.P.)
| | - Maria Dusinska
- Health Effects Laboratory, NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 2007 Kjeller, Norway; (N.E.Y.); (E.M.L.); (M.D.)
| | - Mihaela Roxana Cimpan
- Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Bergen, Aarstadveien 19, 5009 Bergen, Norway; (I.R.-M.); (M.R.C.)
| | - Alena Gabelova
- Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.B.); (S.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Bozena Smolkova
- Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.B.); (S.M.); (A.G.)
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Shirmohammadi E, Ebrahimi SES, Farshchi A, Salimi M. The efficacy of etanercept as anti-breast cancer treatment is attenuated by residing macrophages. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:836. [PMID: 32883235 PMCID: PMC7469281 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07228-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interaction between microenvironment and breast cancer cells often is not considered at the early stages of drug development leading to failure of many drugs at later clinical stages. Etanercept is a TNF-alpha inhibitor that has been investigated for potential antitumor effect in breast cancer with conflicting results. METHODS Secretome data on MDA-MB-231 cancer cell-line were from public repositories and subjected to gene enrichment analyses. Since MDA-MB-231 cells secrete high levels of Granulocyte-Monocyte Colony Stimulating Factor, which activates macrophages to promote tumor growth, the effect of macrophage co-culturing on anticancer efficacy of Etanercept in breast cancer was evaluated using the Boolean network modeling and in vitro experiments including invasion, cell cycle, Annexin PI, and tetrazolium based viability assays and NFKB activity. RESULTS The secretome profile of MDA-MB-231 cells was similar to the expression of genes following treatment of breast cancer cells with TNF-α. Accordingly, inhibition of TNF-α by Etanercept decreased MDA-MB-231 cell survival, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in vitro and inhibited NFKB activation. The inhibitory effect of Etanercept on cell viability, cell cycle progression, invasion and induction of apoptosis decreased following co-culturing of the cancer cells with macrophages. The Boolean network modeling of the changes in the dynamics of intracellular signaling pathways revealed NFKB activation by secretome of macrophages, leading to a decreased efficacy of Etanercept, suggesting NFKB inhibition as an alternative approach to inhibit cancer cell growth in the presence of macrophage crosstalk. CONCLUSION This study indicates that the effect of Etanercept may be influenced by residing macrophages in tumor microenvironment, and suggests a method to predict the effect of drugs in the presence of stromal cells to guide experimental designs in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Shirmohammadi
- School of Pharmacy, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amir Farshchi
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AryoGen Pharmed Inc., Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Mona Salimi
- Physiology and Pharmacology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 13164, Tehran, Iran.
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Jafari M, Wang Y, Amiryousefi A, Tang J. Unsupervised Learning and Multipartite Network Models: A Promising Approach for Understanding Traditional Medicine. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1319. [PMID: 32982738 PMCID: PMC7479204 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ultimate goal of precision medicine is to determine right treatment for right patients based on precise diagnosis. To achieve this goal, correct stratification of patients using molecular features and clinical phenotypes is crucial. During the long history of medical science, our understanding on disease classification has been improved greatly by chemistry and molecular biology. Nowadays, we gain access to large scale patient-derived data by high-throughput technologies, generating a greater need for data science including unsupervised learning and network modeling. Unsupervised learning methods such as clustering could be a better solution to stratify patients when there is a lack of predefined classifiers. In network modularity analysis, clustering methods can be also applied to elucidate the complex structure of biological and disease networks at the systems level. In this review, we went over the main points of clustering analysis and network modeling, particularly in the context of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). We showed that this approach can provide novel insights on the rationale of classification for TCM herbs. In a case study, using a modularity analysis of multipartite networks, we illustrated that the TCM classifications are associated with the chemical properties of the herb ingredients. We concluded that multipartite network modeling may become a suitable data integration tool for understanding the mechanisms of actions of traditional medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohieddin Jafari
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yinyin Wang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ali Amiryousefi
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jing Tang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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10
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Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process whereby a polarized epithelial cell ceases to maintain cell-cell contacts, loses expression of characteristic epithelial cell markers, and acquires mesenchymal cell markers and properties such as motility, contractile ability, and invasiveness. A complex process that occurs during development and many disease states, EMT involves a plethora of transcription factors (TFs) and signaling pathways. Whilst great advances have been made in both our understanding of the progressive cell-fate changes during EMT and the gene regulatory networks that drive this process, there are still gaps in our knowledge. Epigenetic modifications are dynamic, chromatin modifying enzymes are vast and varied, transcription factors are pleiotropic, and signaling pathways are multifaceted and rarely act alone. Therefore, it is of great importance that we decipher and understand each intricate step of the process and how these players at different levels crosstalk with each other to successfully orchestrate EMT. A delicate balance and fine-tuned cooperation of gene regulatory mechanisms is required for EMT to occur successfully, and until we resolve the unknowns in this network, we cannot hope to develop effective therapies against diseases that involve aberrant EMT such as cancer. In this review, we focus on data that challenge these unknown entities underlying EMT, starting with EMT stimuli followed by intracellular signaling through to epigenetic mechanisms and chromatin remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vijay K. Tiwari
- The Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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Li R, Guo C, Li Y, Liang X, Yang L, Huang W. Therapeutic target and molecular mechanism of vitamin C-treated pneumonia: a systematic study of network pharmacology. Food Funct 2020; 11:4765-4772. [PMID: 32420559 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo00421a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin C (VC), a well-reported antioxidant, is found with beneficial actions of preventing and treating pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation
- Guilin Medical University
- Guilin
- China
| | - Chao Guo
- Department of Pharmacy
- Guigang City People's Hospital
- The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University
- Guigang
- PR China
| | - Yu Li
- College of Pharmacy
- Guilin Medical University
- Guilin
- PR China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation
- Guilin Medical University
- Guilin
- China
| | - Lu Yang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation
- Guilin Medical University
- Guilin
- China
| | - Wenjun Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation
- Guilin Medical University
- Guilin
- China
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12
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Ashtiani M, Salehzadeh-Yazdi A, Razaghi-Moghadam Z, Hennig H, Wolkenhauer O, Mirzaie M, Jafari M. A systematic survey of centrality measures for protein-protein interaction networks. BMC Syst Biol 2018; 12:80. [PMID: 30064421 DOI: 10.1186/s12918-018-0598-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Numerous centrality measures have been introduced to identify “central” nodes in large networks. The availability of a wide range of measures for ranking influential nodes leaves the user to decide which measure may best suit the analysis of a given network. The choice of a suitable measure is furthermore complicated by the impact of the network topology on ranking influential nodes by centrality measures. To approach this problem systematically, we examined the centrality profile of nodes of yeast protein-protein interaction networks (PPINs) in order to detect which centrality measure is succeeding in predicting influential proteins. We studied how different topological network features are reflected in a large set of commonly used centrality measures. Results We used yeast PPINs to compare 27 common of centrality measures. The measures characterize and assort influential nodes of the networks. We applied principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering and found that the most informative measures depend on the network’s topology. Interestingly, some measures had a high level of contribution in comparison to others in all PPINs, namely Latora closeness, Decay, Lin, Freeman closeness, Diffusion, Residual closeness and Average distance centralities. Conclusions The choice of a suitable set of centrality measures is crucial for inferring important functional properties of a network. We concluded that undertaking data reduction using unsupervised machine learning methods helps to choose appropriate variables (centrality measures). Hence, we proposed identifying the contribution proportions of the centrality measures with PCA as a prerequisite step of network analysis before inferring functional consequences, e.g., essentiality of a node. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12918-018-0598-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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