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Knopik-Skrocka A, Sempowicz A, Piwocka O. Plasticity and resistance of cancer stem cells as a challenge for innovative anticancer therapies - do we know enough to overcome this? EXCLI J 2024; 23:335-355. [PMID: 38655094 PMCID: PMC11036066 DOI: 10.17179/excli2024-6972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
According to the CSC hypothesis, cancer stem cells are pivotal in initiating, developing, and causing cancer recurrence. Since the identification of CSCs in leukemia, breast cancer, glioblastoma, and colorectal cancer in the 1990s, researchers have actively investigated the origin and biology of CSCs. However, the CSC hypothesis and the role of these cells in tumor development model is still in debate. These cells exhibit distinct surface markers, are capable of self-renewal, demonstrate unrestricted proliferation, and display metabolic adaptation. CSC phenotypic plasticity and the capacity to EMT is strictly connected to the stemness state. CSCs show high resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. The plasticity of CSCs is significantly influenced by tumor microenvironment factors, such as hypoxia. Targeting the genetic and epigenetic changes of cancer cells, together with interactions with the tumor microenvironment, presents promising avenues for therapeutic strategies. See also the Graphical abstract(Fig. 1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Knopik-Skrocka
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, Poland
- Section of Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Research, Natural Sciences Club, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Alicja Sempowicz
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, Poland
- Section of Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Research, Natural Sciences Club, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Oliwia Piwocka
- Radiobiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Physics, Greater Poland Cancer Center, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Electroradiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
- Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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Amiri-Farsani M, Taheri Z, Tirbakhsh Gouran S, Chabok O, Safarpour-Dehkordi M, Kazemi Roudsari M. Cancer stem cells: Recent trends in cancer therapy. Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids 2024:1-32. [PMID: 38319997 DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2024.2311789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of tumor cells that were first identified in blood cancers (leukemia) and are considered promising therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. These cells are the cause of many malignancies including metastasis, heterogeneity, drug resistance, and tumor recurrence. They carry out these activities through multiple transcriptional programs and signaling pathways. This review summarizes the characteristics of cancer stem cells, explains their key signaling pathways and factors, and discusses targeted therapies for cancer stem cells. Investigating these mechanisms and signaling pathways responsible for treatment failure may help identify new therapeutic pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Amiri-Farsani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Taheri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Pavia University, Pavia, Italy
| | - Somayeh Tirbakhsh Gouran
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Omid Chabok
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Maryam Safarpour-Dehkordi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mahsa Kazemi Roudsari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
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3
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Hao XL, Lv YF, Li DF, Bai FH, Gong J, Pan GQ, Su LX, Wang YL, Fu WL, Liu B, Huang L, Yan D, Tan QL, Liu JY, Guo QN. TC2N inhibits distant metastasis and stemness of breast cancer via blocking fatty acid synthesis. J Transl Med 2024; 22:6. [PMID: 38167440 PMCID: PMC10763294 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04721-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tandem C2 domains, nuclear (TC2N) is a C2 domain-containing protein that belongs to the carboxyl-terminal type (C-type) tandem C2 protein family, and acts as an oncogenic driver in several cancers. Previously, we preliminarily reported that TC2N mediates the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to inhibit tumor growth of breast cancer (BC) cells. Beyond that, its precise biological functions and detailed molecular mechanisms in BC development and progression are not fully understood. METHODS Tumor tissues of 212 BC patients were subjected to tissue microarray and further assessed the associations of TC2N expression with pathological parameters and FASN expression. The protein levels of TC2N and FASN in cell lines and tumor specimens were monitored by qRT-PCR, WB, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. In vitro cell assays, in vivo nude mice model was used to assess the effect of TC2N ectopic expression on tumor metastasis and stemness of breast cancer cells. The downstream signaling pathway or target molecule of TC2N was mined using a combination of transcriptomics, proteomics and lipidomics, and the underlying mechanism was explored by WB and co-IP assays. RESULTS Here, we found that the expression of TC2N remarkedly silenced in metastatic and poorly differentiated tumors. Function-wide, TC2N strongly inhibits tumor metastasis and stem-like properties of BC via inhibition of fatty acid synthesis. Mechanism-wise, TC2N blocks neddylated PTEN-mediated FASN stabilization by a dual mechanism. The C2B domain is crucial for nuclear localization of TC2N, further consolidating the TRIM21-mediated ubiquitylation and degradation of FASN by competing with neddylated PTEN for binding to FASN in nucleus. On the other hand, cytoplasmic TC2N interacts with import proteins, thereby restraining nuclear import of PTEN to decrease neddylated PTEN level. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, we demonstrate a previously unidentified role and mechanism of TC2N in regulation of lipid metabolism and PTEN neddylation, providing a potential therapeutic target for anti-cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Lin Hao
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang-Fan Lv
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - De-Feng Li
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Hai Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji Gong
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang-Qiang Pan
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin-Xi Su
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Li Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Wan-Lei Fu
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Huang
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Yan
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiu-Lin Tan
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yi Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qiao-Nan Guo
- Department of Pathology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China.
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Janesick A, Shelansky R, Gottscho AD, Wagner F, Williams SR, Rouault M, Beliakoff G, Morrison CA, Oliveira MF, Sicherman JT, Kohlway A, Abousoud J, Drennon TY, Mohabbat SH, Taylor SEB. High resolution mapping of the tumor microenvironment using integrated single-cell, spatial and in situ analysis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8353. [PMID: 38114474 PMCID: PMC10730913 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43458-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell and spatial technologies that profile gene expression across a whole tissue are revolutionizing the resolution of molecular states in clinical samples. Current commercially available technologies provide whole transcriptome single-cell, whole transcriptome spatial, or targeted in situ gene expression analysis. Here, we combine these technologies to explore tissue heterogeneity in large, FFPE human breast cancer sections. This integrative approach allowed us to explore molecular differences that exist between distinct tumor regions and to identify biomarkers involved in the progression towards invasive carcinoma. Further, we study cell neighborhoods and identify rare boundary cells that sit at the critical myoepithelial border confining the spread of malignant cells. Here, we demonstrate that each technology alone provides information about molecular signatures relevant to understanding cancer heterogeneity; however, it is the integration of these technologies that leads to deeper insights, ushering in discoveries that will progress oncology research and the development of diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance due to their self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. Despite encouraging progress in cancer treatment, conventional approaches often fail to eliminate CSCs, necessitating the development of precise targeted strategies. Recent advances in materials science and nanotechnology have enabled promising CSC-targeted approaches, harnessing the power of tailoring nanomaterials in diverse therapeutic applications. This review provides an update on the current landscape of nanobased precision targeting approaches against CSCs. We elucidate the nuanced application of organic, inorganic, and bioinspired nanomaterials across a spectrum of therapeutic paradigms, encompassing targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and multimodal synergistic therapies. By examining the accomplishments and challenges in this potential field, we aim to inform future efforts to advance nanomaterial-based therapies toward more effective "sniping" of CSCs and tumor clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Da Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Yan-Yu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhong-Lu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Guang-Liang Su
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
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Das S, Srivastava DK. ioSearch: An approach for identifying interacting multiomics biomarkers using a novel algorithm with application on breast cancer data sets. Genet Epidemiol 2023; 47:600-616. [PMID: 37795815 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Identification of biomarkers by integrating multiple omics together is important because complex diseases occur due to an intricate interplay of various genetic materials. Traditional single-omics association tests neither explore this crucial interomics dependence nor identify moderately weak signals due to the multiple-testing burden. Conversely, multiomics data integration imparts complementary information but suffers from an increased multiple-testing burden, data diversity inherent with different omics features, high-dimensionality, and so forth. Most of the available methods address subtype classification using dimension-reduction techniques to circumvent the sample size issue but interacting multiomics biomarker identification methods are unavailable. We propose a two-step model that first investigates phenotype-omics association using logistic regression. Then, selects disease-associated omics using sparse principal components which explores the interrelationship of multiple variables from two omics in a multivariate multiple regression framework. On the basis of this model, we developed a multiomics biomarker identification algorithm, interacting omics search (ioSearch), that jointly tests the effect of multiple omics with disease and between-omics associations by using pathway information that subsequently reduces the multiple-testing burden. Further, inference in terms of p values potentially makes it an easily interpretable biomarker identification tool. Extensive simulation demonstrates ioSearch as statistically powerful with a controlled Type-I error rate. Its application to publicly available breast cancer data sets identified relevant omics features in important pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmistha Das
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Deo Kumar Srivastava
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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Jan N, Sofi S, Qayoom H, Haq BU, Shabir A, Mir MA. Targeting breast cancer stem cells through retinoids: A new hope for treatment. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 192:104156. [PMID: 37827439 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex and diverse disease accounting for nearly 30% of all cancers diagnosed in females. But unfortunately, patients develop resistance to the existing chemotherapeutic regimen, resulting in approximately 90% treatment failure. With over half a million deaths annually, it is imperative to explore new therapeutic approaches to combat the disease. Within a breast tumor, a small sub-population of heterogeneous cells, with a unique ability of self-renew and differentiation and responsible for tumor formation, initiation, and recurrence are referred to as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). These BCSCs have been identified as one of the main contributors to chemoresistance in breast cancer, making them an attractive target for developing novel therapeutic strategies. These cells exhibit surface biomarkers such as CD44+, CD24-/LOW, ALDH, CD133, and CD49f phenotypes. Higher expression of CD44+ and ALDH activity has been associated with the formation of tumors in various cancers. Moreover, the abnormal regulation of signaling pathways, including Hedgehog, Notch, β-catenin, JAK/STAT, and P13K/AKT/mTOR, leads to the formation of cancer stem cells, resulting in the development of tumors. The growing drug resistance in BC is a significant challenge, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies to combat this dreadful disease. Retinoids, a large group of synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, have been studied as chemopreventive agents in clinical trials and have been shown to regulate various crucial biological functions including vision, development, inflammation, and metabolism. On a cellular level, the retinoid activity has been well characterized and translated and is known to induce differentiation and apoptosis, which play important roles in the outcome of the transformation of tissues into malignant. Retinoids have been investigated extensively for their use in the treatment and prevention of cancer due to their high receptor-binding affinity to directly modulate gene expression programs. Therefore, in this study, we aim to summarize the current understanding of BCSCs, their biomarkers, and the associated signaling pathways. Retinoids, such as Adapalene, a third-generation retinoid, have shown promising anti-cancer potential and may serve as therapeutic agents to target BCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nusrat Jan
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
| | - Shazia Sofi
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
| | - Hina Qayoom
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
| | - Burhan Ul Haq
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
| | - Aisha Shabir
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
| | - Manzoor Ahmad Mir
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India.
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8
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Zaarour RF, Ribeiro M, Azzarone B, Kapoor S, Chouaib S. Tumor microenvironment-induced tumor cell plasticity: relationship with hypoxic stress and impact on tumor resistance. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1222575. [PMID: 37886168 PMCID: PMC10598765 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1222575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of tumor interaction with stromal components during carcinogenesis is crucial for the design of efficient cancer treatment approaches. It is widely admitted that tumor hypoxic stress is associated with tumor aggressiveness and thus impacts susceptibility and resistance to different types of treatments. Notable biological processes that hypoxia functions in include its regulation of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity. While hypoxia has been reported as a major player in tumor survival and dissemination regulation, the significance of hypoxia inducible factors in cancer stem cell development remains poorly understood. Several reports indicate that the emergence of cancer stem cells in addition to their phenotype and function within a hypoxic tumor microenvironment impacts cancer progression. In this respect, evidence showed that cancer stem cells are key elements of intratumoral heterogeneity and more importantly are responsible for tumor relapse and escape to treatments. This paper briefly reviews our current knowledge of the interaction between tumor hypoxic stress and its role in stemness acquisition and maintenance. Our review extensively covers the influence of hypoxia on the formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells and discusses the potential of targeting hypoxia-induced alterations in the expression and function of the so far known stem cell markers in cancer therapy approaches. We believe that a better and integrated understanding of the effect of hypoxia on stemness during carcinogenesis might lead to new strategies for exploiting hypoxia-associated pathways and their targeting in the clinical setting in order to overcome resistance mechanisms. More importantly, at the present time, efforts are oriented towards the design of innovative therapeutical approaches that specifically target cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- RF. Zaarour
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - M. Ribeiro
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - B. Azzarone
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - S. Kapoor
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - S. Chouaib
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
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Mazzoccoli C, Crispo F, Laurenzana I, Pietrafesa M, Sisinni L, Lerose R, Telesca D, Milella MR, Liu T, Della Sala G, Sebastiani J, Silvestri R, La Regina G. Biological evaluation of [4-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl](3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone as potential antineoplastic agent in 2D and 3D breast cancer models. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2300354. [PMID: 37603378 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Targeting tubulin polymerization and depolymerization represents a promising approach to treat solid tumors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of a structurally novel tubulin inhibitor, [4-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl](3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone (ARDAP), in two- and three-dimensional MCF-7 breast cancer models. At sub-cytotoxic concentrations, ARDAP showed a marked decrease in cell proliferation, colony formation, and ATP intracellular content in MCF-7 cells, by acting through a cytostatic mechanism. Additionally, drug exposure caused blockage of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In 3D cell culture, ARDAP negatively affected tumor spheroid growth, with inhibition of spheroid formation and reduction of ATP concentration levels. Notably, ARDAP exposure promoted the differentiation of MCF-7 cells by inducing: (i) expression decrease of Oct4 and Sox2 stemness markers, both in 2D and 3D models, and (ii) downregulation of the stem cell surface marker CD133 in 2D cell cultures. Interestingly, treated MCF7 cells displayed a major sensitivity to cytotoxic effects of the conventional chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. In addition, although exhibiting growth inhibitory effects against breast cancer cells, ARDAP showed insignificant harm to MCF10A healthy cells. Collectively, our results highlight the potential of ARDAP to emerge as a new chemotherapeutic agent or adjuvant compound in chemotherapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Mazzoccoli
- Laboratory of Preclinical and Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Fabiana Crispo
- Laboratory of Preclinical and Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Ilaria Laurenzana
- Laboratory of Preclinical and Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | | | - Lorenza Sisinni
- Clinical Pathology Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Potenza, Italy
| | - Rosa Lerose
- Hospital Pharmacy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Donatella Telesca
- Hospital Pharmacy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Maria R Milella
- Hospital Pharmacy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Te Liu
- Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gerardo Della Sala
- Department of Eco-Sustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Jessica Sebastiani
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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10
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Tang C, Ke M, Yu X, Sun S, Luo X, Liu X, Zhou Y, Wang Z, Cui X, Gu C, Yang Y. GART Functions as a Novel Methyltransferase in the RUVBL1/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway to Promote Tumor Stemness in Colorectal Cancer. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2301264. [PMID: 37439412 PMCID: PMC10477903 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Tumor stemness is associated with the recurrence and incurability of colorectal cancer (CRC), which lacks effective therapeutic targets and drugs. Glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GART) fulfills an important role in numerous types of malignancies. The present study aims to identify the underlying mechanism through which GART may promote CRC stemness, as to developing novel therapeutic methods. An elevated level of GART is associated with poor outcomes in CRC patients and promotes the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. CD133+ cells with increased GART expression possess higher tumorigenic and proliferative capabilities both in vitro and in vivo. GART is identified to have a novel methyltransferase function, whose enzymatic activity center is located at the E948 site. GART also enhances the stability of RuvB-like AAA ATPase 1 (RUVBL1) through methylating its K7 site, which consequently aberrantly activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to induce tumor stemness. Pemetrexed (PEM), a compound targeting GART, combined with other chemotherapy drugs greatly suppresses tumor growth both in a PDX model and in CRC patients. The present study demonstrates a novel methyltransferase function of GART and the role of the GART/RUVBL1/β-catenin signaling axis in promoting CRC stemness. PEM may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Tang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Mengying Ke
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Xichao Yu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Shanliang Sun
- School of PharmacyNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Xian Luo
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Xin Liu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Yanyan Zhou
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Ze Wang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Xing Cui
- Department of Hematology and OncologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineJinan250001China
| | - Chunyan Gu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
| | - Ye Yang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210046China
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Morii E. Tumor heterogeneity from the viewpoint of pathologists. Pathol Int 2023; 73:394-405. [PMID: 37638598 DOI: 10.1111/pin.13366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Morphological and functional heterogeneity are found in tumors, with the latter reflecting the different levels of resistance against antitumor therapies. In a therapy-resistant subpopulation, the expression levels of differentiation markers decrease, and those of immature markers increase. In addition, this subpopulation expresses genes involved in drug metabolism, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1). Because of their similarity to stem cells, cells in the latter therapy-resistant subpopulation are called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Like normal stem cells, CSCs were originally thought not to arise from non-CSCs, but this hierarchical model is too simple. It is now believed that CSCs are generated from non-CSCs. The plasticity of tumor phenotypes between CSCs and non-CSCs causes difficulty in completely curing tumors. In this review, focusing on ALDH1A1 as a marker for CSCs or immature tumor cells, the dynamics of ALDH1A1-expressing tumor cells and their regulatory mechanisms are described, and the plausible regulatory mechanisms of plasticity of ALDH1A1 expression phenotype are discussed. Genetic mutations are a significant factor for tumorigenesis, but non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming factors yielding tumor heterogeneity are also crucial in determining tumor characteristics. Factors influencing non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming in tumors are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiichi Morii
- Department of Pathology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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12
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Januškevičienė I, Petrikaitė V. Interaction of phenotypic sublines isolated from triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 modulates their sensitivity to paclitaxel and doxorubicin in 2D and 3D assays. Am J Cancer Res 2023; 13:3368-3383. [PMID: 37693129 PMCID: PMC10492099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a rapidly evolving, multifactorial disease that accumulates numerous genetic and epigenetic alterations. These result in molecular and phenotypic heterogeneity within the tumor, the complexity of which is further amplified through specific interactions between cancer cells. We aimed to analyze cell phenotypic sublines and the influence of their interaction on drug resistance, spheroid formation, and migration. Seven sublines were derived from the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line using a multiple-cell suspension dilution. The growth rate, CD133 receptor expression, migration ability, and chemosensitivity of these sublines to anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX) were determined. Three sublines (F5, D8, H2) have been chosen to study their interaction in 2D and 3D assays. In the 2D model, the resistance of all sublines composition to DOX decreased, but in the 3D model, the resistance of all sublines except H2, increased to both PTX and DOX. In the 3D model, the combined sublines F5 and D8 had higher resistance to DOX and statistically significantly lower resistance for PTX compared to the control. The interaction between cancer stem-like cells (F5) and increased migration cells (D8) increased resistance to PTX in cell monolayer and increased resistance against both DOX and PTX in the spheroids. The interaction of DOX-resistant (H2) cells with other cell subpopulations (D8, F5, HF) decreased the resistance to DOX in cell monolayer and both DOX and PTX in spheroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrė Januškevičienė
- Laboratory of Drug Targets Histopathology, Institute of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Sukilėlių pr., LT-50162, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Vilma Petrikaitė
- Laboratory of Drug Targets Histopathology, Institute of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Sukilėlių pr., LT-50162, Kaunas, Lithuania
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13
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Pratelli G, Carlisi D, Di Liberto D, Notaro A, Giuliano M, D'Anneo A, Lauricella M, Emanuele S, Calvaruso G, De Blasio A. MCL1 Inhibition Overcomes the Aggressiveness Features of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11149. [PMID: 37446326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subtype among breast cancers (BCs), characterized by anoikis resistance, high invasiveness, and metastatic potential as well as Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and stemness features. In the last few years, our research focused on the function of MCL1, an antiapoptotic protein frequently deregulated in TNBC. Here, we demonstrate that MCL1 inhibition by A-1210477, a specific BH3-mimetic, promotes anoikis/apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cell line, as shown via an increase in proapoptotic markers and caspase activation. Our evidence also shows A-1210477 effects on Focal Adhesions (FAs) impairing the integrin trim and survival signaling pathways, such as FAK, AKT, ERK, NF-κB, and GSK3β-inducing anoikis, thus suggesting a putative role of MCL1 in regulation of FA dynamics. Interestingly, in accordance with these results, we observed a reduction in migratory and invasiveness capabilities as confirmed by a decrease in metalloproteinases (MMPs) levels following A-1210477 treatment. Moreover, MCL1 inhibition promotes a reduction in EMT characteristics as demonstrated by the downregulation of Vimentin, MUC1, DNMT1, and a surprising re-expression of E-Cadherin, suggesting a possible mesenchymal-like phenotype reversion. In addition, we also observed the downregulation of stemness makers such as OCT3/4, SOX2, NANOG, as well as CD133, EpCAM, and CD49f. Our findings support the idea that MCL1 inhibition in MDA-MB-231 could be crucial to reduce anoikis resistance, aggressiveness, and metastatic potential and to minimize EMT and stemness features that distinguish TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pratelli
- Department of Physics and Chemistry (DiFC)-Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Carlisi
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Diana Di Liberto
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonietta Notaro
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Michela Giuliano
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonella D'Anneo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marianna Lauricella
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Sonia Emanuele
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Calvaruso
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna De Blasio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
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14
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Pospieszna J, Dams-Kozlowska H, Udomsak W, Murias M, Kucinska M. Unmasking the Deceptive Nature of Cancer Stem Cells: The Role of CD133 in Revealing Their Secrets. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10910. [PMID: 37446085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310910] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, and its complexity poses a significant challenge to effective treatment. Cancer stem cells and their markers have become key players in tumor growth and progression. CD133, a marker in various cancer types, is an active research area as a potential therapeutic target. This article explores the role of CD133 in cancer treatment, beginning with an overview of cancer statistics and an explanation of cancer stem cells and their markers. The rise of CD133 is discussed, including its structure, functions, and occurrence in different cancer types. Furthermore, the article covers CD133 as a therapeutic target, focusing on gene therapy, immunotherapy, and approaches to affect CD133 expression. Nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles and nanoliposomes are also discussed in the context of CD133-targeted therapy. In conclusion, CD133 is a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. As research in this area progresses, it is hoped that CD133-targeted therapies will offer new and effective treatment options for cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pospieszna
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
| | - Hanna Dams-Kozlowska
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
| | - Wachirawit Udomsak
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Murias
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
- Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 10 Street, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Kucinska
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 30 Dojazd Street, 10 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 60-631 Poznan, Poland
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15
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Lučić I, Kurtović M, Mlinarić M, Piteša N, Čipak Gašparović A, Sabol M, Milković L. Deciphering Common Traits of Breast and Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells and Possible Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10683. [PMID: 37445860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) are among the most common and deadly cancers affecting women worldwide. Both are complex diseases with marked heterogeneity. Despite the induction of screening programs that increase the frequency of earlier diagnosis of BC, at a stage when the cancer is more likely to respond to therapy, which does not exist for OC, more than 50% of both cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Initial therapy can put the cancer into remission. However, recurrences occur frequently in both BC and OC, which are highly cancer-subtype dependent. Therapy resistance is mainly attributed to a rare subpopulation of cells, named cancer stem cells (CSC) or tumor-initiating cells, as they are capable of self-renewal, tumor initiation, and regrowth of tumor bulk. In this review, we will discuss the distinctive markers and signaling pathways that characterize CSC, their interactions with the tumor microenvironment, and the strategies they employ to evade immune surveillance. Our focus will be on identifying the common features of breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) and ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSC) and suggesting potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Lučić
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matea Kurtović
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Monika Mlinarić
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Piteša
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Čipak Gašparović
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Sabol
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lidija Milković
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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16
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Razi S, Haghparast A, Chodari Khameneh S, Ebrahimi Sadrabadi A, Aziziyan F, Bakhtiyari M, Nabi-Afjadi M, Tarhriz V, Jalili A, Zalpoor H. The role of tumor microenvironment on cancer stem cell fate in solid tumors. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:143. [PMID: 37328876 PMCID: PMC10273768 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01129-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few decades, the role of cancer stem cells in initiating tumors, metastasis, invasion, and resistance to therapies has been recognized as a potential target for tumor therapy. Understanding the mechanisms by which CSCs contribute to cancer progression can help to provide novel therapeutic approaches against solid tumors. In this line, the effects of mechanical forces on CSCs such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cellular plasticity, etc., the metabolism pathways of CSCs, players of the tumor microenvironment, and their influence on the regulating of CSCs can lead to cancer progression. This review focused on some of these mechanisms of CSCs, paving the way for a better understanding of their regulatory mechanisms and developing platforms for targeted therapies. While progress has been made in research, more studies will be required in the future to explore more aspects of how CSCs contribute to cancer progression. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Razi
- Vira Pioneers of Modern Science (VIPOMS), Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Amin Ebrahimi Sadrabadi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACER, Tehran, Iran
- Cytotech and Bioinformatics Research Group, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aziziyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy & Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education & Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Bakhtiyari
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy & Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education & Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Mohsen Nabi-Afjadi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahideh Tarhriz
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 5163639888, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Arsalan Jalili
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACER, Tehran, Iran.
- Parvaz Research Ideas Supporter Institute, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hamidreza Zalpoor
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy & Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education & Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
- Shiraz Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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17
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Martins Gama J, Caetano Oliveira R, Teixeira P, Silva F, Abrantes C, Figueiredo P, Simões S, Rebelo O, Cipriano MA. An Immunohistochemical Study of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases: The Role of CD44 and AKT in the Prognosis. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2023; 31:318-323. [PMID: 37093706 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000001119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a major health burden, and up to one-third of patients with breast cancer develop brain metastases, which are linked to a very poor prognosis. Few biomarkers are available to predict the prognosis of patients with metastases. Assessment by immunohistochemistry may be used as a tool to predict the behavior of these tumors. A retrospective transversal study including 114 patients (diagnosed between 2000 and 2016) with breast cancer brain metastases was carried out using archival biological material from 114 patients with breast cancer brain metastases. Expression of CD44, HER2, ER, PR, CA9, PDL-1, CD133, ALDH1, PTEN, AKT, PI3K, and AR markers was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The overexpression of CD44 and AKT was associated with worse overall survival ( P =0.047 and P =0,034, respectively), on univariate analysis, in the cohort of parenchymal and bone metastases; the impact of AKT expression was also evident in the parenchymal cohort on uni ( P =0.021) and multivariate analysis ( P =0.027). The remaining markers did not exhibit a statistical correlation. Immunohistochemistry markers such as CD44 and AKT may have a prognostic impact on survival in patients with breast cancer brain metastases. The conjugation with other markers may help with the stratification of patients and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rui Caetano Oliveira
- Department of Pathology
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC)
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) Area of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Institute of Byophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra
| | | | | | - Carlos Abrantes
- Department of Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Coimbra Francisco Gentil, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paulo Figueiredo
- Department of Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Coimbra Francisco Gentil, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra Simões
- Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário Coimbra
| | - Olinda Rebelo
- Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário Coimbra
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18
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Qian D, Li J, Huang M, Cui Q, Liu X, Sun K. Dendritic cell vaccines in breast cancer: Immune modulation and immunotherapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 162:114685. [PMID: 37058818 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Although substantial progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the efficacy and side effects of traditional treatment methods are still unsatisfactory. In recent years, immunotherapy including tumor vaccine has achieved great success in the treatment of BC. Dendritic cells (DCs) are multifunctional antigen-presenting cells that play an important role in the initiation and regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Numerous studies have shown that DC-based treatments might have a potential effect on BC. Among them, the clinical study of DC vaccine in BC has demonstrated considerable anti-tumor effect, and some DC vaccines have entered the stage of clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the immunomodulatory effects and related mechanisms of DC vaccine in breast cancer as well as the progress of clinical trials to propose possible challenges of DC vaccines and new development directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Qian
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery-Hand Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changshu 215500, China
| | - Jialu Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu 215500, China
| | - Mingyao Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350000, China
| | - Qiuxia Cui
- Department of Breast Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu 215500, China.
| | - Xiaozhen Liu
- Cancer Center, Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Kailv Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changshu 215500, China.
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19
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Dash SR, Das B, Das C, Sinha S, Paul S, Pradhan R, Kundu CN. Near-infrared enhances antiangiogenic potentiality of quinacrine-gold hybrid nanoparticles in breast cancer stem cells via deregulation of HSP-70/TGF-β. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2023; 18:19-33. [PMID: 36916388 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2022-0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to explore the antiangiogenic mechanism of quinacrine-gold hybrid nanoparticle (QAuNP) and near-infrared (NIR) radiation in patient-derived primary breast cancer stem cells. Materials & methods: Various cell-based in ovo angiogenesis and in vivo patient-derived xenograft mouse systems were used as models for the study. Results: The experimental results showed that QAuNP + NIR treatment deregulated the HSP-70/TGF-β physical interaction in primary breast cancer stem cells. Reduced TGF-β secretion in the tumor microenvironment inhibited angiogenesis activation in endothelial cells by deregulating the TGF-β-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR cascade. Conclusion: This study revealed that QAuNP + NIR irradiation downregulated HSP-70 expression, inhibited the HSP-70/TGF-β interaction, reduced the secretion of TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment and ultimately inhibited TGF-β-mediated angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somya Ranjan Dash
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Biswajit Das
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Chinmay Das
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Saptarshi Sinha
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Subarno Paul
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Rajalaxmi Pradhan
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Chanakya Nath Kundu
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
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20
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Landeros N, Castillo I, Pérez-Castro R. Preclinical and Clinical Trials of New Treatment Strategies Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Subtypes of Breast Cancer. Cells 2023; 12. [PMID: 36899854 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) can be classified into various histological subtypes, each associated with different prognoses and treatment options, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. Despite advances in this area, many patients still face treatment failure, the risk of metastasis, and disease recurrence, which can ultimately lead to death. Mammary tumors, like other solid tumors, contain a population of small cells known as cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that have high tumorigenic potential and are involved in cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, tumor recurrence, and resistance to therapy. Therefore, designing therapies specifically targeting at CSCs could help to control the growth of this cell population, leading to increased survival rates for BC patients. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of CSCs, their surface biomarkers, and the active signaling pathways associated with the acquisition of stemness in BC. We also cover preclinical and clinical studies that focus on evaluating new therapy systems targeted at CSCs in BC through various combinations of treatments, targeted delivery systems, and potential new drugs that inhibit the properties that allow these cells to survive and proliferate.
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21
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Jung HS, Koo S, Won M, An S, Park H, Sessler JL, Han J, Kim JS. Cu(ii)-BODIPY photosensitizer for CAIX overexpressed cancer stem cell therapy. Chem Sci 2023; 14:1808-1819. [PMID: 36819853 PMCID: PMC9930985 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc03945a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemoresistance originating from cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a major cause of cancer treatment failure and highlights the need to develop CSC-targeting therapies. Although enormous progress in both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has been made in recent decades, the efficacy of these modalities against CSC remains limited. Here, we report a new generation photosensitizer, CA9-BPS-Cu(ii), a system that combines three subunits within a single molecule, namely a copper catalyst for CDT, a boron dipyrromethene photosensitizer for PDT, and acetazolamide for CSC targeting via carbonic anhydrase-9 (CA9) binding. A therapeutic effect in MDA-MB-231 cells was observed that is ascribed to elevated oxidative stress mediated by a combined CDT/PDT effect, as well as through copper-catalysed glutathione oxidation. The CSC targeting ability of CA9-BPS-Cu(ii) was evident from the enhanced affinity of CA9-BPS-Cu(ii) towards CD133-positive MDA-MB-231 cells where CA9 is overexpressed vs. CD133-negative cells. Moreover, the efficacy of CA9-BPS-Cu(ii) was successfully demonstrated in a xenograft mouse tumour model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Sung Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University Hwasung-si 18330 Korea
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University Seoul 02841 Korea
| | - Miae Won
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University Seoul 02841 Korea
| | - Seeun An
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University Hwasung-si 18330 Korea
| | - Haebeen Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University Hwasung-si 18330 Korea
| | - Jonathan L. Sessler
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at AustinAustinTexas 78712-1224USA
| | - Jiyou Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University Hwasung-si 18330 Korea
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University Seoul 02841 Korea
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Eid RA, Alaa Edeen M, Shedid EM, Kamal ASS, Warda MM, Mamdouh F, Khedr SA, Soltan MA, Jeon HW, Zaki MSA, Kim B. Targeting Cancer Stem Cells as the Key Driver of Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021786. [PMID: 36675306 PMCID: PMC9861138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging concept of cancer stem cells (CSCs) as the key driver behind carcinogenesis, progression, and diversity has displaced the prior model of a tumor composed of cells with similar subsequently acquired mutations and an equivalent capacity for renewal, invasion, and metastasis. This significant change has shifted the research focus toward targeting CSCs to eradicate cancer. CSCs may be characterized using cell surface markers. They are defined by their capacity to self-renew and differentiate, resist conventional therapies, and generate new tumors following repeated transplantation in xenografted mice. CSCs' functional capabilities are governed by various intracellular and extracellular variables such as pluripotency-related transcription factors, internal signaling pathways, and external stimuli. Numerous natural compounds and synthetic chemicals have been investigated for their ability to disrupt these regulatory components and inhibit stemness and terminal differentiation in CSCs, hence achieving clinical implications. However, no cancer treatment focuses on the biological consequences of these drugs on CSCs, and their functions have been established. This article provides a biomedical discussion of cancer at the time along with an overview of CSCs and their origin, features, characterization, isolation techniques, signaling pathways, and novel targeted therapeutic approaches. Additionally, we highlighted the factors endorsed as controlling or helping to promote stemness in CSCs. Our objective was to encourage future studies on these prospective treatments to develop a framework for their application as single or combined therapeutics to eradicate various forms of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Refaat A. Eid
- Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha P.O. Box 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Alaa Edeen
- Cell Biology, Histology & Genetics Division, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Correspondence: (M.A.E.); (B.K.)
| | - Eslam M. Shedid
- Biotechnology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Al Qalyubia Governorate, Banha 13511, Egypt
| | - Al Shaimaa S. Kamal
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Al Qalyubia Governorate, Banha 13511, Egypt
| | - Mona M. Warda
- Biotechnology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Al Qalyubia Governorate, Banha 13511, Egypt
| | - Farag Mamdouh
- Biotechnology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Al Qalyubia Governorate, Banha 13511, Egypt
| | - Sohila A. Khedr
- Industrial Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31733, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. Soltan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, Ismailia 41611, Egypt
| | - Hee Won Jeon
- Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohamed Samir A. Zaki
- Anatomy Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha P.O. Box 62529, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 31527, Egypt
| | - Bonglee Kim
- Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (M.A.E.); (B.K.)
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Kola P, Nagesh PKB, Roy PK, Deepak K, Reis RL, Kundu SC, Mandal M. Innovative nanotheranostics: Smart nanoparticles based approach to overcome breast cancer stem cells mediated chemo- and radioresistances. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2023:e1876. [PMID: 36600447 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The alarming increase in the number of breast cancer patients worldwide and the increasing death rate indicate that the traditional and current medicines are insufficient to fight against it. The onset of chemo- and radioresistances and cancer stem cell-based recurrence make this problem harder, and this hour needs a novel treatment approach. Competent nanoparticle-based accurate drug delivery and cancer nanotheranostics like photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, chemodynamic therapy, and sonodynamic therapy can be the key to solving this problem due to their unique characteristics. These innovative formulations can be a better cargo with fewer side effects than the standard chemotherapy and can eliminate the stability problems associated with cancer immunotherapy. The nanotheranostic systems can kill the tumor cells and the resistant breast cancer stem cells by novel mechanisms like local hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species and prevent tumor recurrence. These theranostic systems can also combine with chemotherapy or immunotherapy approaches. These combining approaches can be the future of anticancer therapy, especially to overcome the breast cancer stem cells mediated chemo- and radioresistances. This review paper discusses several novel theranostic systems and smart nanoparticles, their mechanism of action, and their modifications with time. It explains their relevance and market scope in the current era. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prithwish Kola
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | | | - Pritam Kumar Roy
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - K Deepak
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Rui Luis Reis
- 3Bs Research Group, I3Bs-Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Guimaraes, Portugal
| | - Subhas C Kundu
- 3Bs Research Group, I3Bs-Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Guimaraes, Portugal
| | - Mahitosh Mandal
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
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Chen Q, Lu L, Ma W. Efficacy, Safety, and Challenges of CAR T-Cells in the Treatment of Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235983. [PMID: 36497465 PMCID: PMC9739567 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been the fifth pillar of cancer treatment in the past decade. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a newly designed adoptive immunotherapy that is able to target and further eliminate cancer cells by engaging with MHC-independent tumor-antigens. CAR T-cell therapy has exhibited conspicuous clinical efficacy in hematological malignancies, but more than half of patients will relapse. Of note, the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy has been even more disappointing in solid tumors. These challenges mainly include (1) the failures of CAR T-cells to treat highly heterogeneous solid tumors due to the difficulty in identifying unique tumor antigen targets, (2) the expression of target antigens in non-cancer cells, (3) the inability of CAR T-cells to effectively infiltrate solid tumors, (4) the short lifespan and lack of persistence of CAR T-cells, and (5) cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. In combination with these characteristics, the ideal CAR T-cell therapy for solid tumors should maintain adequate T-cell response over a long term while sparing healthy tissues. This article reviewed the status, clinical application, efficacy, safety, and challenges of CAR T-cell therapies, as well as the latest progress of CAR T-cell therapies for solid tumors. In addition, the potential strategies to improve the efficacy of CAR T-cells and prevent side effects in solid tumors were also explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuqiang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Huzhou University School of Medicine, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Lingeng Lu
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Cancer Center and Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Wenxue Ma
- Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center, Moores Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-858-246-1477
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Alkhatib H, Rubinstein AM, Vasudevan S, Flashner-Abramson E, Stefansky S, Chowdhury SR, Oguche S, Peretz-Yablonsky T, Granit A, Granot Z, Ben-Porath I, Sheva K, Feldman J, Cohen NE, Meirovitz A, Kravchenko-Balasha N. Computational quantification and characterization of independently evolving cellular subpopulations within tumors is critical to inhibit anti-cancer therapy resistance. Genome Med 2022; 14:120. [PMID: 36266692 PMCID: PMC9583500 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Drug resistance continues to be a major limiting factor across diverse anti-cancer therapies. Contributing to the complexity of this challenge is cancer plasticity, in which one cancer subtype switches to another in response to treatment, for example, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to Her2-positive breast cancer. For optimal treatment outcomes, accurate tumor diagnosis and subsequent therapeutic decisions are vital. This study assessed a novel approach to characterize treatment-induced evolutionary changes of distinct tumor cell subpopulations to identify and therapeutically exploit anticancer drug resistance. Methods In this research, an information-theoretic single-cell quantification strategy was developed to provide a high-resolution and individualized assessment of tumor composition for a customized treatment approach. Briefly, this single-cell quantification strategy computes cell barcodes based on at least 100,000 tumor cells from each experiment and reveals a cell-specific signaling signature (CSSS) composed of a set of ongoing processes in each cell. Results Using these CSSS-based barcodes, distinct subpopulations evolving within the tumor in response to an outside influence, like anticancer treatments, were revealed and mapped. Barcodes were further applied to assign targeted drug combinations to each individual tumor to optimize tumor response to therapy. The strategy was validated using TNBC models and patient-derived tumors known to switch phenotypes in response to radiotherapy (RT). Conclusions We show that a barcode-guided targeted drug cocktail significantly enhances tumor response to RT and prevents regrowth of once-resistant tumors. The strategy presented herein shows promise in preventing cancer treatment resistance, with significant applicability in clinical use. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13073-022-01121-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Alkhatib
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ariel M Rubinstein
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Swetha Vasudevan
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Efrat Flashner-Abramson
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shira Stefansky
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sangita Roy Chowdhury
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Solomon Oguche
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tamar Peretz-Yablonsky
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Avital Granit
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zvi Granot
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ittai Ben-Porath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Kim Sheva
- The Legacy Heritage Oncology Center & Dr. Larry Norton Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Medicine, 8410101, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Jon Feldman
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Noa E Cohen
- School of Software Engineering and Computer Science, Azrieli College of Engineering, 9103501, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amichay Meirovitz
- The Legacy Heritage Oncology Center & Dr. Larry Norton Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Medicine, 8410101, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Nataly Kravchenko-Balasha
- The institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9103401, Jerusalem, Israel.
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EL-HOUSEINI MOTAWAE, ARAFAT MOSTAFAS, EL-HUSSEINY AHMEDM, KASEM ISLAMM, KAMEL MAHMOUDM, EL-HABASHY AHMEDH, KHAFAGY MEDHATM, RADWAN ENASM, HELAL MAHAH, ABDELLATEIF MONAS. Biological and molecular studies on specific immune cells treated with checkpoint inhibitors for the thera-personal approach of breast cancer patients ( ex-vivo study). Oncol Res 2022; 29:319-330. [PMID: 37305162 PMCID: PMC10207991 DOI: 10.32604/or.2022.025249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy becomes a promising line of treatment for breast cancer (BC) however, its success rate is still limited. Methods The study was designed to optimize the condition for producing an effective dendritic cell (DCs) based immunotherapy by using DCs and T lymphocytes together with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-infiltrating DCs (TIDCs), treated with anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibodies. This mixture of immune cells was co-cultured with autologous breast cancer cells (BCCs) isolated from 26 BC females. Results There was a significant upregulation of CD86 and CD83 on DCs (p = 0.001 and 0.017, respectively), similarly upregulation of CD8, CD4 and CD103 on T cells (p = 0.031, 0.027, and 0.011, respectively). While there was a significant downregulation of FOXP3 and combined CD25.CD8 expression on regulatory T cells (p = 0.014 for both). Increased CD8/Foxp3 ratio (p < 0.001) was also observed. CD133, CD34 and CD44 were downregulated on BCCs (p = 0.01, 0.021, and 0.015, respectively). There was a significant increase in interferon-γ (IFN-γ, p < 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, p = 0.02), and a significant decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, p < 0.001) protein levels. Gene expression of FOXP3 and Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL-1) were downregulated in BCCs (p < 0.001, for both), similarly cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4, p = 0.02), Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1, p < 0.001) and FOXP3 (p < 0.001) were significantly downregulated in T cells. Conclusion Ex-vivo activation of immune cells (DCs, T cells, TIDCs, and TILs) with immune checkpoint inhibitors could produce a potent and effective BC immunotherapy. However, these data should be validated on an experimental animal model to be transferred to the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- MOTAWA E. EL-HOUSEINI
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - MOSTAFA S. ARAFAT
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | | | - ISLAM M. KASEM
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - MAHMOUD M. KAMEL
- Clinical Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - AHMED H. EL-HABASHY
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - MEDHAT M. KHAFAGY
- Surgical Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - ENAS M. RADWAN
- Clinical Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - MAHA H. HELAL
- Radio-Diagnosis Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
| | - MONA S. ABDELLATEIF
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11976, Egypt
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Hefni AM, Sayed AM, Hussien MT, Abdalla AZ, Gabr AG. CD133 is an independent predictive and prognostic marker in metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Biomark 2022; 35:207-215. [PMID: 36120770 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-210539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CD133 is a transmembrane glycoprotein and is considered the most common cell surface marker to identify cancer stem cells in hematological and solid tumors, including breast cancer. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of immunohistochemical expression of CD133 on response rate and survival in metastatic breast cancer, as well as to correlate it with various demographics and clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS One-hundred metastatic breast cancer patients were prospectively recruited at the Medical Oncology Department at South Egypt Cancer Institute during the period from January 2018 to January 2020. RESULTS There was a statistically significant correlation between CD133 positive patients with various adverse clinicopathological parameters such as high grade (p= 0.013), higher tumor (p= 0.001), and nodal staging (p= 0.024) during a median follow-up time of 17 months. In addition, Cases with CD133 positive expression had a significantly lower survival time than those with negative expression (3-years OS 37.4% versus 85.5%, p= 0.024). Regarding the response rate, CD133 positive patients had a lower response rate than negative patients (50% versus 54%, p= 0.012). CONCLUSIONS Positive CD133 is correlated with poor prognosis in metastatic breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Mubarak Hefni
- Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Ayat Mohammed Sayed
- Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Marwa T Hussien
- Oncologic Pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Adel Gomaa Gabr
- Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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Herheliuk TS, Perepelytsina OM, Chmelnytska YM, Kuznetsova GM, Dzjubenko NV, Raksha NG, Gorbach OI, Sydorenko MV. Study of Cancer Stem Cell Subpopulations in Breast Cancer Models. CYTOL GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.3103/s0095452722040041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Chang PH, Lee CH, Wu TMH, Yeh KY, Wang HM, Huang WK, Chan SC, Chou WC, Kuan FC, Kuo HC, Kuo YC, Hu CC, Hsieh JCH. Association of early changes of circulating cancer stem-like cells with survival among patients with metastatic breast cancer. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221110182. [PMID: 35860832 PMCID: PMC9290096 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221110182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to investigate the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating cancer stem-like cells (cCSCs) before and after one cycle of chemotherapy and assessed the effects of early changes in CTCs and cCSCs on the outcomes of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Methods: Patients with stage IV invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast who received first-line chemotherapy between April 2014 and January 2016 were enrolled. CTCs and cCSCs were measured before the first cycle of chemotherapy (baseline) and on day 21, before the second cycle of chemotherapy commenced; a negative selection strategy and flow cytometry protocol were employed. Results: CTC and cCSC counts declined in 68.8 and 45.5% of patients, respectively. Declines in CTCs and cCSCs following the first chemotherapy cycle were associated with superior chemotherapy responses, longer progression-free survival (PFS), and longer overall survival (OS). An early decline in cCSCs remained an independent prognostic indicator for OS and PFS in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: A cCSC decline after one cycle of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer is predictive of a superior chemotherapy response and longer PFS and OS, implying that cCSC dynamic monitoring may be helpful in early prediction of treatment response and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Hung Chang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Keelung City
| | - Chun-Hui Lee
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Tyler Min-Hsien Wu
- Circulating Tumour Cell Lab, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City
| | - Kun-Yun Yeh
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Keelung City
| | - Hung-Ming Wang
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Wen-Kuan Huang
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Sheng-Chieh Chan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien City
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Feng-Che Kuan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, Puzi City
| | - Hsuan-Chih Kuo
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Yung-Chia Kuo
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City
| | - Ching-Chih Hu
- Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Keelung City
| | - Jason Chia-Hsun Hsieh
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan City 333
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Wang L, Jin Z, Master RP, Maharjan CK, Carelock ME, Reccoppa TBA, Kim MC, Kolb R, Zhang W. Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Signaling Pathways, Cellular Interactions, and Therapeutic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3287. [PMID: 35805056 PMCID: PMC9265870 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133287] [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] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) constitute a small population of cells within breast cancer and are characterized by their ability to self-renew, differentiate, and recapitulate the heterogeneity of the tumor. Clinically, BCSCs have been correlated with cancer progression, metastasis, relapse, and drug resistance. The tumorigenic roles of BCSCs have been extensively reviewed and will not be the major focus of the current review. Here, we aim to highlight how the crucial intrinsic signaling pathways regulate the fate of BCSCs, including the Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, and NF-κB signaling pathways, as well as how different cell populations crosstalk with BCSCs within the TME, including adipocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells. Based on the molecular and cellular activities of BCSCs, we will also summarize the targeting strategies for BCSCs and related clinical trials. This review will highlight that BCSC development in breast cancer is impacted by both BCSC endogenous signaling and external factors in the TME, which provides an insight into how to establish a comprehensively therapeutic strategy to target BCSCs for breast cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Immunology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Zeng Jin
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Cancer Biology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Rohan P. Master
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Chandra K. Maharjan
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Madison E. Carelock
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Cancer Biology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Tiffany B. A. Reccoppa
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Myung-Chul Kim
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Ryan Kolb
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Weizhou Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Shrestha S, Banstola A, Jeong JH, Seo JH, Yook S. Targeting Cancer Stem Cells: Therapeutic and diagnostic strategies by the virtue of nanoparticles. J Control Release 2022; 348:518-536. [PMID: 35709876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.013] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the subpopulation of cells present within a tumor with the properties of self-renewing, differentiating, and proliferating. Owing to the presence of ATP-binding cassette drug pumps and increased expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, the conventional chemotherapeutic agents have failed to eliminate CSCs resulting in relapse and resistance of cancer. Therefore, to obtain long-lasting clinical responses and avoid the recurrence of cancer, it is crucial to develop an efficient strategy targeting CSCs by either employing a differentiation therapy or specifically delivering drugs to CSCs. Several intracellular and extracellular cancer specific biomarkers are overexpressed by CSCs and are utilized as targets for the development of new approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of CSCs. Moreover, several nanostructured particles, alone or in combination with current treatment approaches, have been used to improve the detection, imaging, and targeting of CSCs, thus addressing the limitations of cancer therapies. Targeting CSC surface markers, stemness-related signaling pathways, and tumor microenvironmental signals has improved the detection and eradication of CSCs and, therefore, tumor diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes a variety of promising nanoparticles targeting the surface biomarkers of CSCs for the detection and eradication of tumor-initiating stem cells, used in combination with other treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samjhana Shrestha
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Asmita Banstola
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jee-Heon Jeong
- Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hae Seo
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Simmyung Yook
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
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Chavoshi H, Poormolaie N, Vahedian V, Kazemzadeh H, Mir A, Nejabati HR, Behroozi J, Isazadeh A, Hajezimian S, Nouri M, Maroufi NF. Vascular mimicry: A potential therapeutic target in breast cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2022; 234:153922. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.153922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Conde I, Ribeiro AS, Paredes J. Breast Cancer Stem Cell Membrane Biomarkers: Therapy Targeting and Clinical Implications. Cells 2022; 11:934. [PMID: 35326385 PMCID: PMC8946706 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women worldwide. Importantly, there have been significant improvements in prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment options, which resulted in a significant decrease in breast cancer mortality rates. Nevertheless, the high rates of incidence combined with therapy resistance result in cancer relapse and metastasis, which still contributes to unacceptably high mortality of breast cancer patients. In this context, a small subpopulation of highly tumourigenic cancer cells within the tumour bulk, commonly designated as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), have been suggested as key elements in therapy resistance, which are responsible for breast cancer relapses and distant metastasis. Thus, improvements in BCSC-targeting therapies are crucial to tackling the metastatic progression and might allow therapy resistance to be overcome. However, the design of effective and specific BCSC-targeting therapies has been challenging since there is a lack of specific biomarkers for BCSCs, and the most common clinical approaches are designed for commonly altered BCSCs signalling pathways. Therefore, the search for a new class of BCSC biomarkers, such as the expression of membrane proteins with cancer stem cell potential, is an area of clinical relevance, once membrane proteins are accessible on the cell surface and easily recognized by specific antibodies. Here, we discuss the significance of BCSC membrane biomarkers as potential prognostic and therapeutic targets, reviewing the CSC-targeting therapies under clinical trials for breast cancer.
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Bahmad HF, Daher D, Aljamal AA, Elajami MK, Oh KS, Alvarez Moreno JC, Delgado R, Suarez R, Zaldivar A, Azimi R, Castellano A, Sackstein R, Poppiti RJ. Repurposing of Anticancer Stem Cell Drugs in Brain Tumors. J Histochem Cytochem 2021; 69:749-773. [PMID: 34165342 PMCID: PMC8647630 DOI: 10.1369/00221554211025482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors in adults may be infrequent when compared with other cancer etiologies, but they remain one of the deadliest with bleak survival rates. Current treatment modalities encompass surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, increasing resistance rates are being witnessed, and this has been attributed, in part, to cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a subpopulation of cancer cells that reside within the tumor bulk and have the capacity for self-renewal and can differentiate and proliferate into multiple cell lineages. Studying those CSCs enables an increasing understanding of carcinogenesis, and targeting CSCs may overcome existing treatment resistance. One approach to weaponize new drugs is to target these CSCs through drug repurposing which entails using drugs, which are Food and Drug Administration-approved and safe for one defined disease, for a new indication. This approach serves to save both time and money that would otherwise be spent in designing a totally new therapy. In this review, we will illustrate drug repurposing strategies that have been used in brain tumors and then further elaborate on how these approaches, specifically those that target the resident CSCs, can help take the field of drug repurposing to a new level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham F. Bahmad
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Darine Daher
- Faculty of Medicine, American University of
Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Abed A. Aljamal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai
Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
| | - Mohamad K. Elajami
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai
Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida
| | - Kei Shing Oh
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Ruben Delgado
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Richard Suarez
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Ana Zaldivar
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Roshanak Azimi
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
| | - Amilcar Castellano
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Robert Sackstein
- Department of Translational Medicine,
Translational Glycobiology Institute, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine,
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Robert J. Poppiti
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach,
Florida
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
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Fang G, Lu H, Rodriguez de la Fuente L, Law AMK, Lin G, Jin D, Gallego‐Ortega D. Mammary Tumor Organoid Culture in Non-Adhesive Alginate for Luminal Mechanics and High-Throughput Drug Screening. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2102418. [PMID: 34494727 PMCID: PMC8564453 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Mammary tumor organoids have become a promising in vitro model for drug screening and personalized medicine. However, the dependency on the basement membrane extract (BME) as the growth matrices limits their comprehensive application. In this work, mouse mammary tumor organoids are established by encapsulating tumor pieces in non-adhesive alginate. High-throughput generation of organoids in alginate microbeads is achieved utilizing microfluidic droplet technology. Tumor pieces within the alginate microbeads developed both luminal- and solid-like structures and displayed a high similarity to the original fresh tumor in cellular phenotypes and lineages. The mechanical forces of the luminal organoids in the alginate capsules are analyzed with the theory of the thick-wall pressure vessel (TWPV) model. The luminal pressure of the organoids increase with the lumen growth and can reach 2 kPa after two weeks' culture. Finally, the mammary tumor organoids are treated with doxorubicin and latrunculin A to evaluate their application as a drug screening platform. It is found that the drug response is related to the luminal size and pressures of organoids. This high-throughput culture for mammary tumor organoids may present a promising tool for preclinical drug target validation and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guocheng Fang
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and DevicesSchool of Mathematical and Physical SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
| | - Hongxu Lu
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and DevicesSchool of Mathematical and Physical SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
| | - Laura Rodriguez de la Fuente
- St. Vincent's Clinical SchoolFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South Wales SydneyDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research384 Victoria StreetDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
| | - Andrew M. K. Law
- St. Vincent's Clinical SchoolFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South Wales SydneyDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research384 Victoria StreetDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
| | - Gungun Lin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and DevicesSchool of Mathematical and Physical SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
| | - Dayong Jin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and DevicesSchool of Mathematical and Physical SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
- UTS‐SUSTech Joint Research Centre for Biomedical Materials and DevicesDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518055China
| | - David Gallego‐Ortega
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and DevicesSchool of Mathematical and Physical SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
- St. Vincent's Clinical SchoolFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South Wales SydneyDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research384 Victoria StreetDarlinghurstNew South Wales2010Australia
- School of Biomedical EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringUniversity of Technology SydneyBroadway UltimoSydneyNew South Wales2007Australia
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Tay ASMS, Amano T, Edwards LA, Yu JS. CD133 mRNA-transfected dendritic cells induce coordinated cytotoxic and helper T cell responses against breast cancer stem cells. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2021; 22:64-71. [PMID: 34485687 PMCID: PMC8403713 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer, a leading cause of death yearly, has been shown to be initiated and propagated by cancer stem cells. CD133, a cell surface antigen, has been shown to be present on cancer stem cells of many solid tumors, including breast cancer. A limitation to targeting CD133 is major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted presentation of epitopes, leading to activation of only one arm of the immune system: either CD4+ helper T cells or CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Thus, we hypothesized that by creating an MHC-independent vaccination, we would give rise to a sustained immune response against CD133 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBCs). We transfected CD133 mRNA into dendritic cells and then tested this in animal models of TNBC. We showed in these models the activation of both CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ helper T cells by dendritic cell vaccination with modified CD133 mRNA, with subsequent decrease in tumor growth. This study for the first time demonstrates in a syngeneic mouse model of TNBC that targeting CD133, in an MHC-independent manner, is an effective strategy against the cancer stem cell population, leading to tumor abrogation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takayuki Amano
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lincoln A Edwards
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John S Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Abstract
Endocrine therapy is a standard treatment offered to patients with ERα (estrogen receptor α)-positive breast cancer. In endocrine therapy, ERα is either directly targeted by anti-estrogens or indirectly by aromatase inhibitors which cause estrogen deficiency. Resistance to these drugs (endocrine resistance) compromises the efficiency of this treatment and requires additional measures. Endocrine resistance is often caused by deregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and/or cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 activities allowing inhibitors of these factors to be used clinically to counteract endocrine resistance. The nuclear mechanisms involved in endocrine resistance are beginning to emerge. Exploring these mechanisms may reveal additional druggable targets, which could help to further improve patients' outcome in an endocrine resistance setting. This review intends to summarize our current knowledge on the nuclear mechanisms linked to endocrine resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Dittmer
- Clinic for Gynecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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38
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Neagu AN, Whitham D, Buonanno E, Jenkins A, Alexa-Stratulat T, Tamba BI, Darie CC. Proteomics and its applications in breast cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:4006-4049. [PMID: 34659875 PMCID: PMC8493401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is an individually unique, multi-faceted and chameleonic disease, an eternal challenge for the new era of high-integrated precision diagnostic and personalized oncomedicine. Besides traditional single-omics fields (such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics) and multi-omics contributions (proteogenomics, proteotranscriptomics or reproductomics), several new "-omics" approaches and exciting proteomics subfields are contributing to basic and advanced understanding of these "multiple diseases termed breast cancer": phenomics/cellomics, connectomics and interactomics, secretomics, matrisomics, exosomics, angiomics, chaperomics and epichaperomics, phosphoproteomics, ubiquitinomics, metalloproteomics, terminomics, degradomics and metadegradomics, adhesomics, stressomics, microbiomics, immunomics, salivaomics, materiomics and other biomics. Throughout the extremely complex neoplastic process, a Breast Cancer Cell Continuum Concept (BCCCC) has been modeled in this review as a spatio-temporal and holistic approach, as long as the breast cancer represents a complex cascade comprising successively integrated populations of heterogeneous tumor and cancer-associated cells, that reflect the carcinoma's progression from a "driving mutation" and formation of the breast primary tumor, toward the distant secondary tumors in different tissues and organs, via circulating tumor cell populations. This BCCCC is widely sustained by a Breast Cancer Proteomic Continuum Concept (BCPCC), where each phenotype of neoplastic and tumor-associated cells is characterized by a changing and adaptive proteomic profile detected in solid and liquid minimal invasive biopsies by complex proteomics approaches. Such a profile is created, beginning with the proteomic landscape of different neoplastic cell populations and cancer-associated cells, followed by subsequent analysis of protein biomarkers involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and intravasation, circulating tumor cell proteomics, and, finally, by protein biomarkers that highlight the extravasation and distant metastatic invasion. Proteomics technologies are producing important data in breast cancer diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers discovery and validation, are detecting genetic aberrations at the proteome level, describing functional and regulatory pathways and emphasizing specific protein and peptide profiles in human tissues, biological fluids, cell lines and animal models. Also, proteomics can identify different breast cancer subtypes and specific protein and proteoform expression, can assess the efficacy of cancer therapies at cellular and tissular level and can even identify new therapeutic target proteins in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca-Narcisa Neagu
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
- Laboratory of Animal Histology, Faculty of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of IașiCarol I bvd. No. 22, Iași 700505, Romania
| | - Danielle Whitham
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
| | - Emma Buonanno
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
| | - Avalon Jenkins
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
| | - Teodora Alexa-Stratulat
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and PharmacyIndependenței bvd. No. 16-18, Iași 700021, Romania
| | - Bogdan Ionel Tamba
- Advanced Center for Research and Development in Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and PharmacyMihail Kogălniceanu Street No. 9-13, Iași 700454, Romania
| | - Costel C Darie
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
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Wang Y, Lv Z, Chen F, Wang X, Gou S. Conjugates Derived from Lapatinib Derivatives with Cancer Cell Stemness Inhibitors Effectively Reversed Drug Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:12877-12892. [PMID: 34435487 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01013] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that the cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulation contributes to the therapeutic resistance and metastasis of tumors, leading to patient recurrence and death. Herein, we designed and synthesized several compounds by conjugating lapatinib derivatives with different CSC inhibitors to treat with lapatinib-induced MDA-MB-231 drug-resistant cells. In vitro biological studies indicated that 3a showed strong cytotoxicity and EGFR enzyme inhibitory activity and effectively reversed lapatinib-mediated resistance of MDA-MB-231 cells via inhibiting triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell stemness and the AKT/ERK signaling pathway. In addition, 3a was capable of strongly suppressing the invasion and migration of TNBC cells by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression. In vivo tumorigenicity tests showed that 3a could inhibit the occurrence of TNBC by inhibiting BCSCs, proving 3a is a potential EGFR and CSC dual inhibitor for TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjiang Wang
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China.,Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaodan Lv
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China
| | - Feihong Chen
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China.,Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Wang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohua Gou
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China.,Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China
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40
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Kim JH, Verwilst P, Won M, Lee J, Sessler JL, Han J, Kim JS. A Small Molecule Strategy for Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Hypoxic Microenvironments and Preventing Tumorigenesis. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:14115-14124. [PMID: 34374290 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer consists of heterogenic subpopulations, which determine the prognosis and response to chemotherapy. Among these subpopulations, a very limited number of cancer cells are particularly problematic. These cells, known as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), are thought responsible for metastasis and recurrence. They are thus major contributor to the unfavorable outcomes seen for many breast cancer patients. BCSCs are more prevalent in the hypoxic niche. This is an oxygen-deprived environment that is considered crucial to their proliferation, stemness, and self-renewal but also one that makes BCSCs highly refractory to traditional chemotherapeutic regimens. Here we report a small molecule construct, AzCDF, that allows the therapeutic targeting of BCSCs and which is effective in normally refractory hypoxic tumor environments. A related system, AzNap, has been developed that permits CSC imaging. Several design elements are incorporated into AzCDF, including the CAIX inhibitor acetazolamide (Az) to promote localization in MDA-MB-231 CSCs, a dimethylnitrothiophene subunit as a hypoxia trigger, and a 3,4-difluorobenzylidene curcumin (CDF) as a readily released therapeutic payload. This allows AzCDF to serve as a hypoxia-liable molecular platform that targets BCSCs selectively which decreases CSC migration, retards tumor growth, and lowers tumorigenesis rates as evidenced by a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a CSC-targeting small molecule has been shown to prevent tumorigenesis in an animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyeon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Peter Verwilst
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Miae Won
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Junhyoung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University, Hwasung-si 18330, Korea
| | - Jonathan L Sessler
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jiyou Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hyupsung University, Hwasung-si 18330, Korea
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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41
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Brugnoli F, Tedeschi P, Grassilli S, Maietti A, Brandolini V, Bertagnolo V. Ethanol-based garlic extract prevents malignant evolution of non-invasive breast tumor cells induced by moderate hypoxia. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 142:112052. [PMID: 34426261 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112052] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In breast cancer, low oxygen availability is associated with a more aggressive phenotype and with malignant evolution of non-invasive cells. Natural compounds have long attracted attention in cancer treatment, and in recent years garlic (Allium sativum) organosulfur derivatives have been shown to negatively affect growth and invasion of tumor cells. METHODS Homemade ethanol-based garlic extract (GE) was administered to MCF7 and MCF10DCIS breast tumor cell lines grown under moderate hypoxia. Cell cycle, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell markers were evaluated. RESULTS We revealed that, in the non-invasive MCF10DCIS cells but not in the post-EMT MCF7 cells, low oxygen availability induced the decrease of E-cadherin and the increase of vimentin and motility, that were prevented by GE administration. In both cell lines, treatment with GE counteracted the up-modulation of CD133 positive cells induced by hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data firstly revealed anti-cancer properties of garlic in non-invasive breast cancer cells. In particular, they demonstrated a protective role of this natural product against the hypoxia-induced increase of molecules that play crucial roles in tumor evolution, suggesting that garlic derivatives can be considered in new approaches for preventing progression of breast tumors from non-invasive to infiltrating lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Brugnoli
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Tedeschi
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences (DOCPAS), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Silvia Grassilli
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Annalisa Maietti
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences (DOCPAS), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Brandolini
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences (DOCPAS), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Valeria Bertagnolo
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
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42
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Salinas-Jazmín N, Rosas-Cruz A, Velasco-Velázquez M. Reporter gene systems for the identification and characterization of cancer stem cells. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:861-876. [PMID: 34367481 PMCID: PMC8316869 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i7.861] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are tumor cells that share functional characteristics with normal and embryonic stem cells. CSCs have increased tumor-initiating capacity and metastatic potential and lower sensitivity to chemo- and radiotherapy, with important roles in tumor progression and the response to therapy. Thus, a current goal of cancer research is to eliminate CSCs, necessitating an adequate phenotypic and functional characterization of CSCs. Strategies have been developed to identify, enrich, and track CSCs, many of which distinguish CSCs by evaluating the expression of surface markers, the initiation of specific signaling pathways, and the activation of master transcription factors that control stemness in normal cells. We review and discuss the use of reporter gene systems for identifying CSCs. Reporters that are under the control of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1, CD133, Notch, Nanog homeobox, Sex-determining region Y-box 2, and POU class 5 homeobox can be used to identify CSCs in many tumor types, track cells in real time, and screen for drugs. Thus, reporter gene systems, in combination with in vitro and in vivo functional assays, can assess changes in the CSCs pool. We present relevant examples of these systems in the evaluation of experimental CSCs-targeting therapeutics, demonstrating their value in CSCs research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohemí Salinas-Jazmín
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Arely Rosas-Cruz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Marco Velasco-Velázquez
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
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Morales-Guadarrama G, García-Becerra R, Méndez-Pérez EA, García-Quiroz J, Avila E, Díaz L. Vasculogenic Mimicry in Breast Cancer: Clinical Relevance and Drivers. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071758. [PMID: 34359928 PMCID: PMC8304745 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In solid tumors, vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is the formation of vascular structures by cancer cells, allowing to generate a channel-network able to transport blood and tumor cells. While angiogenesis is undertaken by endothelial cells, VM is assumed by cancer cells. Besides the participation of VM in tumor neovascularization, the clinical relevance of this process resides in its ability to favor metastasis and to drive resistance to antiangiogenic therapy. VM occurs in many tumor types, including breast cancer, where it has been associated with a more malignant phenotype, such as triple-negative and HER2-positive tumors. The latter may be explained by known drivers of VM, like hypoxia, TGFB, TWIST1, EPHA2, VEGF, matrix metalloproteinases, and other tumor microenvironment-derived factors, which altogether induce the transformation of tumor cells to a mesenchymal phenotype with a high expression rate of stemness markers. This review analyzes the current literature in the field, including the participation of some microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in VM-regulation and tumorigenesis of breast cancer. Considering the clinical relevance of VM and its association with the tumor phenotype and clinicopathological parameters, further studies are granted to target VM in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Morales-Guadarrama
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (G.M.-G.); (E.A.M.-P.); (J.G.-Q.); (E.A.)
| | - Rocío García-Becerra
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Edgar Armando Méndez-Pérez
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (G.M.-G.); (E.A.M.-P.); (J.G.-Q.); (E.A.)
| | - Janice García-Quiroz
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (G.M.-G.); (E.A.M.-P.); (J.G.-Q.); (E.A.)
| | - Euclides Avila
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (G.M.-G.); (E.A.M.-P.); (J.G.-Q.); (E.A.)
| | - Lorenza Díaz
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (G.M.-G.); (E.A.M.-P.); (J.G.-Q.); (E.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-(55)-5487-0900
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Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a broad collection of breast cancer that tests negative for estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and excess human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein. TNBC is considered to have poorer prognosis than other types of breast cancer because of a lack of effective therapeutic targets. The success of precision cancer therapies relies on the clarification of key molecular mechanisms that drive tumor growth and metastasis; however, TNBC is highly heterogeneous in terms of their cellular lineage composition and the molecular nature within each individual case. In particular, the rare and sometimes slow cycling cancer stem cells (CSCs) can provide effective means for TNBC to resist various treatments. Single cell analysis technologies, including single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and proteomics, provide an avenue to unravel patient-level intratumoral heterogeneity by identifying CSCs populations, CSC biomarkers and the range of tumor microenvironment cellular constituents that contribute to tumor growth. This review discusses the emerging evidence for the role of CSCs in driving TNBC incidence and the therapeutic implications in manipulating molecular signaling against this rare cell population for the control of this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Hua
- Department of General Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jason White
- Tuskegee University, Center for Cancer Research, Tuskegee, AL, 36830, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhou
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Cancer Stem Cell Institute, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China.
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Mokhtari RB, Qorri B, Sambi M, Baluch N, Kumar S, Das B, Szewczuk MR, Yeger H, Cheng HM. 3D Multicellular Stem-Like Human Breast Tumor Spheroids Enhance Tumorigenicity of Orthotopic Xenografts in Athymic Nude Rat Model. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2784. [PMID: 34205080 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes present, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). Breast CSCs can induce the formation of new blood vessels at the site of tumor growth and a develop metastatic phenotype by enhancing a stromal cell response, similar to that of the primary breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate breast cancer cells cultured in stromal stem cell factor-supplemented media to generate 3D spheroids that exhibit increased stem-like properties. These 3D stem-like spheroids reproducibly and efficiently established orthotopic breast cancer xenografts in the athymic nude rat. This approach enables a means to develop orthotopic tumors with a stem-like phenotype in a larger athymic rat rodent model of human breast cancer. Abstract Therapeutic targeting of stem cells needs to be strategically developed to control tumor growth and prevent metastatic burden successfully. Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes present, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). The development of 3D stem-like properties of human breast tumor spheroids in stem cell factor conditioned media was investigated in orthotopic xenografts for enhanced tumorgenicity in the athymic nude rat model. MCF-7, ZR-75-1, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were cultured in serum-free, stem cell factor-supplemented medium under non-adherent conditions and passaged to generate 3rd generation spheroids. The spheroids were co-cultured with fetal lung fibroblast (FLF) cells before orthotopic heterotransplantation into the mammary fat pads of athymic nude rats. Excised xenografts were assessed histologically by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry for breast cancer marker (ERB1), proliferation marker (Ki67), mitotic marker (pHH3), hypoxia marker (HIF-2α), CSC markers (CD47, CD44, CD24, and CD133), and vascularization markers (CD31, CD34). Breast cancer cells cultured in stem cell factor supplemented medium generated 3D spheroids exhibited increased stem-like characteristics. The 3D stem-like spheroids co-cultured with FLF as supporting stroma reproducibly and efficiently established orthotopic breast cancer xenografts in the athymic nude rat.
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Ramamoorthy P, Dandawate P, Jensen RA, Anant S. Celastrol and Triptolide Suppress Stemness in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Notch as a Therapeutic Target for Stem Cells. Biomedicines 2021; 9:482. [PMID: 33924995 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9050482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is observed in ~15% of breast cancers and results in poor survival and increased distant metastases. Within the tumor are present a small portion of cancer stem cells that drive tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether the two natural compounds, celastrol and triptolide, inhibit stemness in TNBC. MDA-MB-231, BT20, and a patient-derived primary cells (PD-TNBC) were used in the study. Mammosphere assay was performed to assess the stemness. Both celastrol and triptolide treatment suppressed mammosphere formation. Furthermore, the compound suppressed expression of cancer stem cell marker proteins DCLK1, ALDH1, and CD133. Notch signaling plays a critical role in stem cells renewal. Both celastrol or triptolide reduced Notch -1 activation and expression of its downstream target proteins HES-1 and HEY-1. However, when NICD 1 was ectopically overexpressed in the cells, it partially rescued proliferation and mammosphere formation of the cells, supporting the role of notch signaling. Together, these data demonstrate that targeting stem cells and the notch signaling pathway may be an effective strategy for curtailing TNBC progression.
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Hayat H, Hayat H, Dwan BF, Gudi M, Bishop JO, Wang P. A Concise Review: The Role of Stem Cells in Cancer Progression and Therapy. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:2761-2772. [PMID: 33907419 PMCID: PMC8068480 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s260391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently gained attention as an avenue of intervention for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight some of the key roles of CSCs in altering the cellular microenvironment in favor of cancer progression. We also report on various studies in this field which focus on transformative properties of CSCs and their influence on surrounding cells or targets through the release of cellular cargo in the form of extracellular vesicles. The findings from these studies encourage the development of novel interventional therapies that can target and prevent cancer through efficient, more effective methods. These methods include targeting immunosuppressive proteins and biomarkers, promoting immunization against tumors, exosome-mediated CSC conversion, and a focus on the quiescent properties of CSCs and their role in cancer progression. The resulting therapeutic benefit and transformative potential of these novel approaches to stem cell-based cancer therapy provide a new direction in cancer treatment, which can focus on nanoscale, molecular properties of the cellular microenvironment and establish a more precision medicine-oriented paradigm of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasaan Hayat
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Hanaan Hayat
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Bennett Francis Dwan
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mithil Gudi
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jack Owen Bishop
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- Precision Health Program, Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Department of Radiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Dias AF, Scholl JN, Moritz CEJ, Kagami LP, das Neves GM, Eifler-Lima VL, Cruz-López O, Conejo-García A, Sévigny J, Battastini AMO, Campos JM, Figueiró F. New insights into cytotoxic mechanisms of bozepinib against glioblastoma. Eur J Pharm Sci 2021; 162:105823. [PMID: 33781855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2021.105823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive brain tumor in adults and the current treatments only have a modest effect on patient survival. Recent studies show that bozepinib (BZP), a purine derivative, has potential applications in cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of BZP against GBM cells, specially concerning the purinergic system. Thus, GBM cells (C6 and U138 cell lines) were treated with BZP and cell viability, cell cycle, and annexin/PI assays, and active caspase-3 measurements were carried out. Besides, the effect of BZP over the purinergic system was also evaluated in silico and in vitro. Finally, we evaluate the action of BZP against important markers related to cancer progression, such as Akt, NF-κB, and CD133. We demonstrate here that BZP reduces GBM cell viability (IC50 = 5.7 ± 0.3 µM and 12.7 ± 1.5 µM, in C6 and U138 cells, respectively), inducing cell death through caspase-dependent apoptosis, autophagosome formation, activation of NF-κB, without any change in cell cycle progression or on the Akt pathway. Also, BZP modulates the purinergic system, inducing an increase in CD39 enzyme expression and activity, while inhibiting CD73 activity and adenosine formation, without altering CD73 enzyme expression. Curiously, one cycle of treatment resulted in enrichment of GBM cells expressing NF-κB and CD133+, suggesting resistant cells selection. However, after another treatment round, the resistant cells were eliminated. Altogether, BZP presented in vitro anti-glioma activity, encouraging further in vivo studies in order to better understand its mechanism of action.
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Lv L, Shi Y, Wu J, Li G. Nanosized Drug Delivery Systems for Breast Cancer Stem Cell Targeting. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:1487-1508. [PMID: 33654398 PMCID: PMC7914063 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s282110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), also known as breast cancer initiating cells, are reported to be responsible for the initiation, progression, therapeutic resistance, and relapse of breast cancer. Conventional therapeutic agents mainly kill the bulk of breast tumor cells and fail to eliminate BCSCs, even enhancing the fraction of BCSCs in breast tumors sometimes. Therefore, it is essential to develop specific and effective methods of eliminating BCSCs that will enhance the efficacy of killing breast tumor cells and thereby, increase the survival rates and quality of life of breast cancer patients. Despite the availability of an increasing number of anti-BCSC agents, their clinical translations are hindered by many issues, such as instability, low bioavailability, and off-target effects. Nanosized drug delivery systems (NDDSs) have the potential to overcome the drawbacks of anti-BCSC agents by providing site-specific delivery and enhancing of the stability and bioavailability of the delivered agents. In this review, we first briefly introduce the strategies and agents used against BCSCs and then highlight the mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy of several state-of-the-art NDDSs that can be used to treat breast cancer by eliminating BCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Lv
- Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghui Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pharmacy, Zengcheng District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, 511300, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Junyan Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Guocheng Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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Li J, Qi D, Hsieh TC, Huang JH, Wu JM, Wu E. Trailblazing perspectives on targeting breast cancer stem cells. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 223:107800. [PMID: 33421449 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting women's health worldwide. The recurrence and metastasis of BCa have made it a long-standing challenge to achieve remission-persistent or disease-undetectable clinical outcomes. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and generate heterogeneous tumor bulk. The existence of CSCs has been found to be vital in the initiation, metastasis, therapy resistance, and recurrence of tumors across cancer types. Because CSCs grow slowly in their dormant state, they are insensitive to conventional chemotherapies; however, when CSCs emerge from their dormant state and become clinically evident, they usually acquire genetic traits that make them resistant to existing therapies. Moreover, CSCs also show evidence of acquired drug resistance in synchrony with tumor relapses. The concept of CSCs provides a new treatment strategy for BCa. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in research on breast CSCs and their association with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), plasticity of tumor cells, tumor microenvironment (TME), T-cell modulatory protein PD-L1, and non-coding RNAs. On the basis that CSCs are associated with multiple dysregulated biological processes, we envisage that increased understanding of disease sub-classification, selected combination of conventional treatment, molecular aberration directed therapy, immunotherapy, and CSC targeting/sensitizing strategy might improve the treatment outcome of patients with advanced BCa. We also discuss novel perspectives on new drugs and therapeutics purposing the potent and selective expunging of CSCs.
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