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Conway GE, Paranjape AN, Chen X, Villanueva FS. Development of an In Vitro Model to Study Mechanisms of Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Cavitation-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening. Ultrasound Med Biol 2024; 50:425-433. [PMID: 38158246 PMCID: PMC10843834 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.12.005] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound-targeted microbubble cavitation (UTMC)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is being explored as a method to increase drug delivery to the brain. This strategy has progressed to clinical trials for various neurological disorders, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the study described here, a contact co-culture transwell model of the BBB was developed that can be used to determine the signaling cascade leading to increased BBB permeability. METHODS This BBB model consists of bEnd.3 cells and C8-D1A astrocytes seeded on opposite sides of a transwell membrane. Pulsed ultrasound (US) is applied to lipid microbubbles (MBs), and the change in barrier permeability is measured via transendothelial electrical resistance and dextran flux. Live cell calcium imaging (Fluo-4 AM) is performed during UTMC treatment. RESULTS This model exhibits important features of the BBB, including endothelial tight junctions, and is more restrictive than the endothelial cell (EC) monolayer alone. When US is applied to MBs in contact with the ECs, BBB permeability increases in this model by two mechanisms: UTMC induces pore formation in the EC membrane (sonoporation), leading to increased transcellular permeability, and UTMC causes formation of reversible inter-endothelial gaps, which increases paracellular permeability. Additionally, this study determines that calcium influx into ECs mediates the increase in BBB permeability after UTMC in this model. CONCLUSION Both transcellular and paracellular permeability can be used to increase drug delivery to the brain. Future studies can use this model to determine how UTMC-induced calcium-mediated signaling increases BBB permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Conway
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood, and Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anurag N Paranjape
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood, and Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xucai Chen
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood, and Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Flordeliza S Villanueva
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood, and Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Paranjape AN, D'Aiuto L, Zheng W, Chen X, Villanueva FS. A multicellular brain spheroid model for studying the mechanisms and bioeffects of ultrasound-enhanced drug penetration beyond the blood‒brain barrier. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1909. [PMID: 38253669 PMCID: PMC10803331 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50203-3] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The blood‒brain barrier (BBB) acts as a hindrance to drug therapy reaching the brain. With an increasing incidence of neurovascular diseases and brain cancer metastases, there is a need for an ideal in vitro model to develop novel methodologies for enhancing drug delivery to the brain. Here, we established a multicellular human brain spheroid model that mimics the BBB both architecturally and functionally. Within the spheroids, endothelial cells and pericytes localized to the periphery, while neurons, astrocytes, and microglia were distributed throughout. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble cavitation (UTMC) is a novel noninvasive technology for enhancing endothelial drug permeability. We utilized our three-dimensional (3D) model to study the feasibility and mechanisms regulating UTMC-induced hyperpermeability. UTMC caused a significant increase in the penetration of 10 kDa Texas red dextran (TRD) into the spheroids, 100 µm beyond the BBB, without compromising cell viability. This hyperpermeability was dependent on UTMC-induced calcium (Ca2+) influx and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation. Our 3D brain spheroid model, with its intact and functional BBB, offers a valuable platform for studying the bioeffects of UTMC, including effects occurring spatially distant from the endothelial barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag N Paranjape
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Leonardo D'Aiuto
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wenxiao Zheng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xucai Chen
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Flordeliza S Villanueva
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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3
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Khan I, Gril B, Paranjape AN, Robinson CM, Difilippantonio S, Biernat W, Bieńkowski M, Pęksa R, Duchnowska R, Jassem J, Brastianos PK, Metellus P, Bialecki E, Woodroofe CC, Wu H, Swenson RE, Steeg PS. Comparison of Three Transcytotic Pathways for Distribution to Brain Metastases of Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:646-658. [PMID: 36912773 PMCID: PMC10164055 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0815] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Advances in drug treatments for brain metastases of breast cancer have improved progression-free survival but new, more efficacious strategies are needed. Most chemotherapeutic drugs infiltrate brain metastases by moving between brain capillary endothelial cells, paracellular distribution, resulting in heterogeneous distribution, lower than that of systemic metastases. Herein, we tested three well-known transcytotic pathways through brain capillary endothelial cells as potential avenues for drug access: transferrin receptor (TfR) peptide, low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LRP1) peptide, albumin. Each was far-red labeled, injected into two hematogenous models of brain metastases, circulated for two different times, and their uptake quantified in metastases and uninvolved (nonmetastatic) brain. Surprisingly, all three pathways demonstrated distinct distribution patterns in vivo. Two were suboptimal: TfR distributed to uninvolved brain but poorly in metastases, while LRP1 was poorly distributed. Albumin distributed to virtually all metastases in both model systems, significantly greater than in uninvolved brain (P < 0.0001). Further experiments revealed that albumin entered both macrometastases and micrometastases, the targets of treatment and prevention translational strategies. Albumin uptake into brain metastases was not correlated with the uptake of a paracellular probe (biocytin). We identified a novel mechanism of albumin endocytosis through the endothelia of brain metastases consistent with clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE), involving the neonatal Fc receptor, galectin-3, and glycosphingolipids. Components of the CIE process were found on metastatic endothelial cells in human craniotomies. The data suggest a reconsideration of albumin as a translational mechanism for improved drug delivery to brain metastases and possibly other central nervous system (CNS) cancers.In conclusion, drug therapy for brain metastasis needs improvement. We surveyed three transcytotic pathways as potential delivery systems in brain-tropic models and found that albumin has optimal properties. Albumin used a novel endocytic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Brunilde Gril
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Anurag N. Paranjape
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Christina M. Robinson
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), Frederick, MD
| | - Simone Difilippantonio
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), Frederick, MD
| | | | | | - Rafał Pęksa
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Renata Duchnowska
- Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Jassem
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Priscilla K. Brastianos
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Philippe Metellus
- Ramsay Général de Santé, Hôpital Privé Clairval, Département de Neurochirurgie and Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie – UMR 7051, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Bialecki
- Ramsay Général de Santé, Hôpital Privé Clairval, Département de Neurochirurgie and Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie – UMR 7051, Marseille, France
| | - Carolyn C. Woodroofe
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Haitao Wu
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rolf E. Swenson
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Patricia S. Steeg
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
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Gril B, Paranjape AN, Woditschka S, Hua E, Dolan EL, Hanson J, Wu X, Kloc W, Izycka-Swieszewska E, Duchnowska R, Pęksa R, Biernat W, Jassem J, Nayyar N, Brastianos PK, Hall OM, Peer CJ, Figg WD, Pauly GT, Robinson C, Difilippantonio S, Bialecki E, Metellus P, Schneider JP, Steeg PS. Reactive astrocytic S1P3 signaling modulates the blood-tumor barrier in brain metastases. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2705. [PMID: 30006619 PMCID: PMC6045677 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05030-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases are devastating complications of cancer. The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the normal brain, morphs into an inadequately characterized blood-tumor barrier (BTB) when brain metastases form, and is surrounded by a neuroinflammatory response. These structures contribute to poor therapeutic efficacy by limiting drug uptake. Here, we report that experimental breast cancer brain metastases of low- and high permeability to a dextran dye exhibit distinct microenvironmental gene expression patterns. Astrocytic sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor 3 (S1P3) is upregulated in the neuroinflammatory response of the highly permeable lesions, and is expressed in patients' brain metastases. S1P3 inhibition functionally tightens the BTB in vitro and in vivo. S1P3 mediates its effects on BTB permeability through astrocytic secretion of IL-6 and CCL2, which relaxes endothelial cell adhesion. Tumor cell overexpression of S1P3 mimics this pathway, enhancing IL-6 and CCL-2 production and elevating BTB permeability. In conclusion, neuroinflammatory astrocytic S1P3 modulates BTB permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brunilde Gril
- Women's Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA.
| | | | - Stephan Woditschka
- Women's Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC, 28403, USA
| | - Emily Hua
- Women's Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Emma L Dolan
- Women's Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hanson
- Laboratory of Pathology, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Xiaolin Wu
- Genomics Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, 21702, MD, USA
| | - Wojciech Kloc
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Varmia & Masuria University, Olsztyn, 10-719, Poland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Copernicus Hospital Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-803, Poland
| | - Ewa Izycka-Swieszewska
- Department of Pathology & Neuropathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-210, Poland
- Department of Pathomorphology, Copernicus Hospital Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-803, Poland
| | - Renata Duchnowska
- Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, 04-141, Poland
| | - Rafał Pęksa
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki St, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Wojciech Biernat
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki St, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jacek Jassem
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-211, Poland
| | - Naema Nayyar
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02114, MA, USA
| | - Priscilla K Brastianos
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02114, MA, USA
| | - O Morgan Hall
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Cody J Peer
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - William D Figg
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Gary T Pauly
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, CCR, NCI, Frederick, 21702, MD, USA
| | - Christina Robinson
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, 21702, MD, USA
| | - Simone Difilippantonio
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, 21702, MD, USA
| | - Emilie Bialecki
- Département de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Privé Clairval, Ramsay Général de Santé, Marseille, 13009, France
| | - Philippe Metellus
- Département de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Privé Clairval, Ramsay Général de Santé, Marseille, 13009, France
- Institut de Neurophysiopathologie-UMR 7051, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13344, France
| | - Joel P Schneider
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, CCR, NCI, Frederick, 21702, MD, USA
| | - Patricia S Steeg
- Women's Malignancies Branch, CCR, NCI, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA.
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Soundararajan R, Paranjape AN, Maity S, Aparicio A, Mani SA. EMT, stemness and tumor plasticity in aggressive variant neuroendocrine prostate cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2018; 1870:229-238. [PMID: 29981816 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine/Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers are lethal variants of the disease, with an aggressive clinical course and very short responses to conventional therapy. The age-adjusted incidence rate for this tumor sub-type has steadily increased over the past 20 years in the United States, with no reduction in the associated mortality rate. The molecular networks fueling its emergence and sustenance are still obscure; however, many factors have been associated with the onset and progression of neuroendocrine differentiation in clinically typical adenocarcinomas including loss of androgen-receptor expression and/or signaling, conventional therapy, and dysregulated cytokine function. "Tumor-plasticity" and the ability to dedifferentiate into alternate cell lineages are central to this process. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) signaling pathways are major promoters of stem-cell properties in prostate tumor cells. In this review, we examine the contributions of EMT-induced cellular-plasticity and stem-cell signaling pathways to the progression of Neuroendocrine/Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers in the light of potential therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama Soundararajan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Anurag N Paranjape
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sankar Maity
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ana Aparicio
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sendurai A Mani
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Paranjape AN, Gril B, Woditschka S, Hanson J, Wu X, Pauly GT, Schneider JP, Steeg P. TMIC-34. IN VITRO STUDY OF ROLE OF ASTROCYTIC S1P3 IN REGULATING BLOOD-BRAIN/TUMOR BARRIER PERMEABILITY. Neuro Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nox168.1022] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gril B, Paranjape AN, Woditschka S, Hanson J, Wu X, Duchnowska R, Brastianos PK, Peer C, Figg WD, Pauly GT, Schneider JP, Steeg PS. SCDT-11. ASTROCYTIC S1P3 SIGNALING MODULATES BLOOD-TUMOR BARRIER PERMEABILITY IN BRAIN METASTASES. Neuro Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nox168.1094] [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: 11/15/2022] Open
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Paranjape AN, Gril B, Woditschka S, Hanson J, Wu X, Pauly GT, Schneider JP, Steeg PS. SCDT-12. IN VITRO STUDY OF ROLE OF ASTROCYTIC S1P3 IN REGULATING BLOOD-BRAIN/TUMOR BARRIER PERMEABILITY. Neuro Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nox168.1095] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gril B, Paranjape AN, Woditschka S, Hanson J, Wu X, Duchnowska R, Brastianos PK, Peer C, Figg WD, Pauly GT, Schneider JP, Steeg P. TMIC-19. ASTROCYTIC S1P3 SIGNALING MODULATES BLOOD-TUMOR BARRIER PERMEABILITY IN BRAIN METASTASES. Neuro Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nox168.1009] [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: 11/14/2022] Open
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Paranjape AN, Gril B, Woditschka S, Hua E, Hanson JC, Wu X, Duchnowska R, Brastianos PK, Liewehr DL, Steinberg SM, Peer C, Figg WD, Pauly GT, Robinson C, Schneider JP, Steeg PS. Abstract 4330: Astrocytic S1P3 regulates blood-brain/tumor barrier permeability. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-4330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Incidence of breast cancer brain metastasis is increasing owing to prolonged life-span and better detection techniques. Prognosis of patients with brain metastases is extremely poor with median survival time of one year. One of the major impediments in treating brain metastases is presence of blood-brain/tumor barrier that limits the permeability of chemotherapeutic drugs into the brain parenchyma. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate blood-brain/tumor barrier permeability in context of brain metastases is imperative to developing successful therapy.
Methods: Mouse models with brain-tropic sublines of MDA-MB-231 (231), JIMT-1, and SUM190 were used to generate breast cancer brain metastases. Using laser capture microscopy, the permeable and non-permeable lesions from mouse brains were isolated and profiled for gene expression using microarray. Immortalized human brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes were used for developing in vitro blood-brain/tumor barrier model along with spheres generated with 231-BR6 or JIMT-1-BR3 cells. Secreted cytokines were evaluated using human cytokine profiler. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured using EVOM2 volt/ohm meter.
Results: Gene expression profiling and immunostaining of mouse brains, harboring breast cancer metastases showed that astrocytes at permeable regions express elevated S1P3. Pharmacological inhibition of S1P3 using antagonist TY-52156 (10mg/kg) in mice bearing 231-BR6 brain metastases showed reduction in 3KDa Texas red dextran (TRD) uptake. To investigate the role of S1P3 in regulating barrier permeability, we established in vitro blood-brain/tumor barrier models. Treatment of astrocytes with TY-52156 (2μM) significantly increased mean TEER values (33.9 to 55.8 Ω.cm2; p<0.001, after 24 hrs), while there was a decrease in permeability for TRD (1.9 fold; p<0.0001) and doxorubicin (1.3 folds; p<0.05). Immunostaining on endothelial monolayer showed increased membranous ZO-1 and VE-cadherin expression. The dynamics of increase in TEER was faster when 231-BR6 spheres were included. We observed similar results when S1P3 was knocked down using shRNA. Astrocytes with down-modulated S1P3 showed decreased secretion of various cytokines including IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, CXCL1, and GM-CSF. Inhibition of these cytokines individually using neutralizing antibodies recapitulated the effects of S1P3 inhibition, while treatment of endothelial monolayer with activated cytokines increased the permeability. This study provides a proof of concept for role of S1P3 and downstream cytokine signaling in regulating blood-brain/tumor barrier permeability in breast cancer brain metastases.
Conclusion: Our study shows that astrocytic S1P3 regulates blood-brain/tumor barrier permeability in breast cancer brain metastases by modulating cytokine secretion. This observation might lead to discovery of novel strategies for augmenting drug efficacy.
Citation Format: Anurag N. Paranjape, Brunilde Gril, Stephan Woditschka, Emily Hua, Jeffrey C. Hanson, Xiaolin Wu, Renata Duchnowska, Priscilla K. Brastianos, David L. Liewehr, Seth M. Steinberg, Cody Peer, William D. Figg, Gary T. Pauly, Christina Robinson, Joel P. Schneider, Patricia S. Steeg. Astrocytic S1P3 regulates blood-brain/tumor barrier permeability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4330. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4330
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emily Hua
- 1National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Xiaolin Wu
- 3Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
| | | | | | | | | | - Cody Peer
- 1National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
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Rigoutsos I, Lee SK, Nam SY, Anfossi S, Pasculli B, Pichler M, Jing Y, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Telonis AG, Rossi S, Ivan C, Catela Ivkovic T, Fabris L, Clark PM, Ling H, Shimizu M, Redis RS, Shah MY, Zhang X, Okugawa Y, Jung EJ, Tsirigos A, Huang L, Ferdin J, Gafà R, Spizzo R, Nicoloso MS, Paranjape AN, Shariati M, Tiron A, Yeh JJ, Teruel-Montoya R, Xiao L, Melo SA, Menter D, Jiang ZQ, Flores ER, Negrini M, Goel A, Bar-Eli M, Mani SA, Liu CG, Lopez-Berestein G, Berindan-Neagoe I, Esteller M, Kopetz S, Lanza G, Calin GA. N-BLR, a primate-specific non-coding transcript leads to colorectal cancer invasion and migration. Genome Biol 2017; 18:98. [PMID: 28535802 PMCID: PMC5442648 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-017-1224-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-coding RNAs have been drawing increasing attention in recent years as functional data suggest that they play important roles in key cellular processes. N-BLR is a primate-specific long non-coding RNA that modulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, facilitates cell migration, and increases colorectal cancer invasion. Results We performed multivariate analyses of data from two independent cohorts of colorectal cancer patients and show that the abundance of N-BLR is associated with tumor stage, invasion potential, and overall patient survival. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments we found that N-BLR facilitates migration primarily via crosstalk with E-cadherin and ZEB1. We showed that this crosstalk is mediated by a pyknon, a short ~20 nucleotide-long DNA motif contained in the N-BLR transcript and is targeted by members of the miR-200 family. In light of these findings, we used a microarray to investigate the expression patterns of other pyknon-containing genomic loci. We found multiple such loci that are differentially transcribed between healthy and diseased tissues in colorectal cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Moreover, we identified several new loci whose expression correlates with the colorectal cancer patients’ overall survival. Conclusions The primate-specific N-BLR is a novel molecular contributor to the complex mechanisms that underlie metastasis in colorectal cancer and a potential novel biomarker for this disease. The presence of a functional pyknon within N-BLR and the related finding that many more pyknon-containing genomic loci in the human genome exhibit tissue-specific and disease-specific expression suggests the possibility of an alternative class of biomarkers and therapeutic targets that are primate-specific. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-017-1224-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidore Rigoutsos
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Sang Kil Lee
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Institute of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su Youn Nam
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Medical School, Daegu, Korea
| | - Simone Anfossi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Barbara Pasculli
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy
| | - Martin Pichler
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Division of Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Yi Jing
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for RNA interference and non-coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aristeidis G Telonis
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Simona Rossi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Research Division of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Ivan
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for RNA interference and non-coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tina Catela Ivkovic
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Ruder Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Linda Fabris
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter M Clark
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hui Ling
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Masayoshi Shimizu
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Roxana S Redis
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: ProQR Therapeutics, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Maitri Y Shah
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xinna Zhang
- Center for RNA interference and non-coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yoshinaga Okugawa
- Center for Gastrointestinal Research, and Center for Translational Genomics and Oncology, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Eun Jung Jung
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jin-ju, South Korea
| | | | - Li Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jana Ferdin
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roberta Gafà
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spizzo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: CRO, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Milena S Nicoloso
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: CRO, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Anurag N Paranjape
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maryam Shariati
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aida Tiron
- Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow, NY, 11554, USA
| | - Jen Jen Yeh
- Departments of Surgery and Pharmacology, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Raul Teruel-Montoya
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Present address: Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, CIBEER (CB15/00055), Murcia, Spain
| | - Lianchun Xiao
- Division of Quantitative Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sonia A Melo
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, and Ipatimup - Institute of Pathology and Molecular Immunology of the University of Porto, 4200, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of Porto University, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - David Menter
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhi-Qin Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elsa R Flores
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Massimo Negrini
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ajay Goel
- Center for Gastrointestinal Research, and Center for Translational Genomics and Oncology, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Menashe Bar-Eli
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sendurai A Mani
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chang Gong Liu
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for RNA interference and non-coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Medfuture, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Research Center for Advanced Medicine - University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Haţieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Experimental Pathology- The Oncology Institute " Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Scott Kopetz
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Giovanni Lanza
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - George A Calin
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Center for RNA interference and non-coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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12
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Werden SJ, Sphyris N, Sarkar TR, Paranjape AN, LaBaff AM, Taube JH, Hollier BG, Ramirez-Peña EQ, Soundararajan R, den Hollander P, Powell E, Echeverria GV, Miura N, Chang JT, Piwnica-Worms H, Rosen JM, Mani SA. Phosphorylation of serine 367 of FOXC2 by p38 regulates ZEB1 and breast cancer metastasis, without impacting primary tumor growth. Oncogene 2016; 35:5977-5988. [PMID: 27292262 PMCID: PMC5114155 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic competence is contingent upon the aberrant activation of a latent embryonic program, known as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which bestows stem cell properties as well as migratory and invasive capabilities upon differentiated tumor cells. We recently identified the transcription factor FOXC2 as a downstream effector of multiple EMT programs, independent of the EMT-inducing stimulus, and as a key player linking EMT, stem cell traits and metastatic competence in breast cancer. As such, FOXC2 could serve as a potential therapeutic target to attenuate metastasis. However, as FOXC2 is a transcription factor, it is difficult to target by conventional means such as small-molecule inhibitors. Herein, we identify the serine/threonine-specific kinase p38 as a druggable upstream regulator of FOXC2 stability and function that elicits phosphorylation of FOXC2 at serine 367 (S367). Using an orthotopic syngeneic mouse tumor model, we make the striking observation that inhibition of p38-FOXC2 signaling selectively attenuates metastasis without impacting primary tumor growth. In this model, circulating tumor cell numbers are significantly reduced in mice treated with the p38 inhibitor SB203580, relative to vehicle-treated counterparts. Accordingly, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of p38 decreases FOXC2 protein levels, reverts the EMT phenotype and compromises stem cell attributes in vitro. We also identify the EMT-regulator ZEB1-known to directly repress E-cadherin/CDH1-as a downstream target of FOXC2, critically dependent on its activation by p38. Consistent with the notion that activation of the p38-FOXC2 signaling axis represents a critical juncture in the acquisition of metastatic competence, the phosphomimetic FOXC2(S367E) mutant is refractory to p38 inhibition both in vitro and in vivo, whereas the non-phosphorylatable FOXC2(S367A) mutant fails to elicit EMT and upregulate ZEB1. Collectively, our data demonstrate that FOXC2 regulates EMT, stem cell traits, ZEB1 expression and metastasis in a p38-dependent manner, and attest to the potential utility of p38 inhibitors as antimetastatic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Werden
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - N Sphyris
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - T R Sarkar
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A N Paranjape
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A M LaBaff
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J H Taube
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - B G Hollier
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E Q Ramirez-Peña
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R Soundararajan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - P den Hollander
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - E Powell
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G V Echeverria
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - N Miura
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - J T Chang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H Piwnica-Worms
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J M Rosen
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S A Mani
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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13
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Paranjape AN, Soundararajan R, Werden SJ, Joseph R, Taube JH, Bhangre N, Liu H, Rodriguez-Canales J, Wistuba II, Chang JT, Tang DG, Mahajan N, Mahajan K, Miura N, Mani SA. Abstract 4065: Delineating the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the generation and maintenance of prostate cancer stem cells. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-4065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Prostate cancer cells depend on androgens for growth and survival. While androgen-deprivation-therapy (ADT) results in regression of the tumor bulk, in many cases, the cancers recur in aggressive androgen-independent forms that are also resistant to standard-of-care therapies. The prevailing hypothesis is that pre-existing androgen-independent prostate cancer (PCa) stem-cells in the primary tumor are selectively enriched following therapy. However, we have previously shown that induction of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) in differentiated breast epithelial cells can result in the generation of cells with stem-cell properties. In the current study, we investigated if induction of EMT in PCa promotes stem-cell features and androgen-receptor (AR) regulation, and if targeting EMT-promoting pathways renders PCa stem-cells sensitive to ADT.
We found that LNCaP-PSAlow cells, which were previously shown to represent the PCa stem-cell population, exhibit EMT properties. Induction of EMT through over-expression of EMT-inducing transcription factors or with TGFβ1 treatment, significantly stimulated stem-cell properties in the androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells, whereas inhibition of EMT in the androgen-insensitive DU145 cells using targeted shRNA or a specific TGFβ1-signaling inhibitor, resulted in markedly reduced stemness. We observed that FOXC2 expression consistently correlated with induction of EMT and androgen-insensitivity in PCa cells. Our study demonstrates that targeting EMT-inducing molecules and signaling pathways could represent a tangible approach to inhibiting the generation and maintenance of therapy-resistant PCa stem-cells, that are the prime harbingers of tumor recurrence.
Citation Format: Anurag N. Paranjape, Rama Soundararajan, Steven J. Werden, Robiya Joseph, Joseph H. Taube, Neeraja Bhangre, Hui Liu, Jaime Rodriguez-Canales, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Jeffrey T. Chang, Dean G. Tang, Nupam Mahajan, Kiran Mahajan, Naoyuki Miura, Sendurai A. Mani. Delineating the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the generation and maintenance of prostate cancer stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4065. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4065
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Liu
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Nupam Mahajan
- 4H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
| | - Kiran Mahajan
- 4H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
| | - Naoyuki Miura
- 5Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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14
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Paranjape AN, Balaji SA, Mandal T, Krushik EV, Nagaraj P, Mukherjee G, Rangarajan A. Bmi1 regulates self-renewal and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells through Nanog. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:785. [PMID: 25348805 PMCID: PMC4223733 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Bmi1 polycomb ring finger oncogene, a transcriptional repressor belonging to the Polycomb group of proteins plays an important role in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and is elevated in several cancers. In the current study, we have explored the role of Bmi1 in regulating the stemness and drug resistance of breast cancer cells. Methods Using real time PCR and immunohistochemistry primary breast tissues were analyzed. Retro- and lentiviruses were utilized to overexpress and knockdown Bmi1, RT-PCR and Western blot was performed to evaluate mRNA and protein expression. Stemness properties were analyzed by flow cytometry and sphere-formation and tumor formation was determined by mouse xenograft experiments. Dual luciferase assay was employed to assess promoter activity and MTT assay was used to analyze drug response. Results We found Bmi1 overexpression in 64% of grade III invasive ductal breast adenocarcinomas compared to normal breast tissues. Bmi1 overexpression in immortalized and transformed breast epithelial cells increased their sphere-forming efficiency, induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) with an increase in the expression of stemness-related genes. Knockdown of Bmi1 in tumorigenic breast cells induced epithelial morphology, reduced expression of stemness-related genes, decreased the IC50 values of doxorubicin and abrogated tumor-formation. Bmi1-high tumors showed elevated Nanog expression whereas the tumors with lower Bmi1 showed reduced Nanog levels. Overexpression of Bmi1 increased Nanog levels whereas knockdown of Bmi1 reduced its expression. Dual luciferase promoter-reporter assay revealed Bmi1 positively regulated the Nanog and NFκB promoter activity. RT-PCR analysis showed that Bmi1 overexpression activated the NFκB pathway whereas Bmi1 knockdown reduced the expression of NFκB target genes, suggesting that Bmi1 might regulate Nanog expression through the NFκB pathway. Conclusions Our study showed that Bmi1 is overexpressed in several high-grade, invasive ductal breast adenocarcinomas, thus supporting its role as a prognostic marker. While Bmi1 overexpression increased self-renewal and promoted EMT, its knockdown reversed EMT, reduced stemness, and rendered cells drug sensitive, thus highlighting a crucial role for Bmi1 in regulating the stemness and drug response of breast cancer cells. Bmi1 may control self-renewal through the regulation of Nanog expression via the NFκB pathway. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-785) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Annapoorni Rangarajan
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India.
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15
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Sharma A, Paranjape AN, Rangarajan A, Dighe RR. A monoclonal antibody against human Notch1 ligand-binding domain depletes subpopulation of putative breast cancer stem-like cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2011; 11:77-86. [PMID: 22075160 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-11-0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Overexpression of Notch receptors and ligands has been associated with various cancers and developmental disorders, making Notch a potential therapeutic target. Here, we report characterization of Notch1 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with therapeutic potential. The mAbs generated against epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats 11 to 15 inhibited binding of Jagged1 and Delta-like4 and consequently, signaling in a dose-dependent manner, the antibodies against EGF repeats 11 to 12 being more effective than those against repeats 13 to 15. These data emphasize the role of EGF repeats 11 to 12 in ligand binding. One of the mAbs, 602.101, which specifically recognizes Notch1, inhibited ligand-dependent expression of downstream target genes of Notch such as HES-1, HES-5, and HEY-L in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The mAb also decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, exposure to this antibody reduced CD44(Hi)/CD24(Low) subpopulation in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting a decrease in the cancer stem-like cell subpopulation. This was confirmed by showing that exposure to the antibody decreased the primary, secondary, and tertiary mammosphere formation efficiency of the cells. Interestingly, effect of the antibody on the putative stem-like cells appeared to be irreversible, because the mammosphere-forming efficiency could not be salvaged even after antibody removal during the secondary sphere formation. The antibody also modulated expression of genes associated with stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Thus, targeting individual Notch receptors by specific mAbs is a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce the potential breast cancer stem-like cell subpopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Sharma
- Department of Molecular Reproduction Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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16
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Dey D, Saxena M, Paranjape AN, Krishnan V, Giraddi R, Kumar MV, Mukherjee G, Rangarajan A. Phenotypic and functional characterization of human mammary stem/progenitor cells in long term culture. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5329. [PMID: 19390630 PMCID: PMC2669709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2008] [Accepted: 03/25/2009] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stem cells exhibit close resemblance to normal stem cells in phenotype as well as function. Hence, studying normal stem cell behavior is important in understanding cancer pathogenesis. It has recently been shown that human breast stem cells can be enriched in suspension cultures as mammospheres. However, little is known about the behavior of these cells in long-term cultures. Since extensive self-renewal potential is the hallmark of stem cells, we undertook a detailed phenotypic and functional characterization of human mammospheres over long-term passages. METHODOLOGY Single cell suspensions derived from human breast 'organoids' were seeded in ultra low attachment plates in serum free media. Resulting primary mammospheres after a week (termed T1 mammospheres) were subjected to passaging every 7th day leading to the generation of T2, T3, and T4 mammospheres. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We show that primary mammospheres contain a distinct side-population (SP) that displays a CD24(low)/CD44(low) phenotype, but fails to generate mammospheres. Instead, the mammosphere-initiating potential rests within the CD44(high)/CD24(low) cells, in keeping with the phenotype of breast cancer-initiating cells. In serial sphere formation assays we find that even though primary (T1) mammospheres show telomerase activity and fourth passage T4 spheres contain label-retaining cells, they fail to initiate new mammospheres beyond T5. With increasing passages, mammospheres showed an increase in smaller sized spheres, reduction in proliferation potential and sphere forming efficiency, and increased differentiation towards the myoepithelial lineage. Significantly, staining for senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity revealed a dramatic increase in the number of senescent cells with passage, which might in part explain the inability to continuously generate mammospheres in culture. CONCLUSIONS Thus, the self-renewal potential of human breast stem cells is exhausted within five in vitro passages of mammospheres, suggesting the need for further improvisation in culture conditions for their long-term maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devaveena Dey
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Meera Saxena
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Anurag N. Paranjape
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Visalakshi Krishnan
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Rajashekhar Giraddi
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - M. Vijaya Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India
| | - Geetashree Mukherjee
- Department of Pathology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India
| | - Annapoorni Rangarajan
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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