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Spadafora V, Pryce BR, Oles A, Talbert EE, Romeo M, Vaena S, Berto S, Ostrowski MC, Wang DJ, Guttridge DC. Optimization of a mouse model of pancreatic cancer to simulate the human phenotypes of metastasis and cachexia. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:414. [PMID: 38570770 PMCID: PMC10993462 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12104-0] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents with a high mortality rate. Two important features of PDAC contribute to this poor outcome. The first is metastasis which occurs in ~ 80% of PDAC patients. The second is cachexia, which compromises treatment tolerance for patients and reduces their quality of life. Although various mouse models of PDAC exist, recapitulating both metastatic and cachectic features have been challenging. METHODS Here, we optimize an orthotopic mouse model of PDAC by altering several conditions, including the subcloning of parental murine PDAC cells, implantation site, number of transplanted cells, and age of recipient mice. We perform spatial profiling to compare primary and metastatic immune microenvironments and RNA sequencing to gain insight into the mechanisms of muscle wasting in PDAC-induced cachexia, comparing non-metastatic to metastatic conditions. RESULTS These modifications extend the time course of the disease and concurrently increase the rate of metastasis to approximately 70%. Furthermore, reliable cachexia endpoints are achieved in both PDAC mice with and without metastases, which is reminiscent of patients. We also find that cachectic muscles from PDAC mice with metastasis exhibit a similar transcriptional profile to muscles derived from mice and patients without metastasis. CONCLUSION Together, this model is likely to be advantageous in both advancing our understanding of the mechanism of PDAC cachexia, as well as in the evaluation of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Spadafora
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, 416, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Benjamin R Pryce
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, 416, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Alexander Oles
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, 416, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Erin E Talbert
- Department of Health and Human Physiology, and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Martin Romeo
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Silvia Vaena
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Michael C Ostrowski
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - David J Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, 416, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | - Denis C Guttridge
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, 416, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
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Abstract
Advanced cancers often present with the cachexia syndrome that impacts peripheral tissues, leading to involuntary weight loss and reduced prognosis. The central tissues undergoing depletion are skeletal muscle and adipose, but recent findings reveal an expanding tumor macroenvironment involving organ crosstalks that underlie the cachectic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Pryce
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - David J Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Teresa A Zimmers
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Melvin and Bren Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Michael C Ostrowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Denis C Guttridge
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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Labrèche C, Cook DP, Abou-Hamad J, Pascoal J, Pryce BR, Al-Zahrani KN, Sabourin LA. Periostin gene expression in neu-positive breast cancer cells is regulated by a FGFR signaling cross talk with TGFβ/PI3K/AKT pathways. Breast Cancer Res 2021; 23:107. [PMID: 34809697 PMCID: PMC8607680 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-021-01487-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease with multiple drivers and complex regulatory networks. Periostin (Postn) is a matricellular protein involved in a plethora of cancer types and other diseases. Postn has been shown to be involved in various processes of tumor development, such as angiogenesis, invasion, cell survival and metastasis. The expression of Postn in breast cancer cells has been correlated with a more aggressive phenotype. Despite extensive research, it remains unclear how epithelial cancer cells regulate Postn expression. Methods Using murine tumor models and human TMAs, we have assessed the proportion of tumor samples that have acquired Postn expression in tumor cells. Using biochemical approaches and tumor cell lines derived from Neu+ murine primary tumors, we have identified major regulators of Postn gene expression in breast cancer cell lines. Results Here, we show that, while the stromal compartment typically always expresses Postn, about 50% of breast tumors acquire Postn expression in the epithelial tumor cells. Furthermore, using an in vitro model, we show a cross-regulation between FGFR, TGFβ and PI3K/AKT pathways to regulate Postn expression. In HER2-positive murine breast cancer cells, we found that basic FGF can repress Postn expression through a PKC-dependent pathway, while TGFβ can induce Postn expression in a SMAD-independent manner. Postn induction following the removal of the FGF-suppressive signal is dependent on PI3K/AKT signaling. Conclusion Overall, these results reveal a novel regulatory mechanism and shed light on how breast tumor cells acquire Postn expression. This complex regulation is likely to be cell type and cancer specific as well as have important therapeutic implications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-021-01487-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédrik Labrèche
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - David P Cook
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - John Abou-Hamad
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Julia Pascoal
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK
| | - Benjamin R Pryce
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Khalid N Al-Zahrani
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.,Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Luc A Sabourin
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, ON, UK. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.
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Abstract
Over the past 20 years, the Ste20-like kinase (SLK; also known as STK2) has emerged as a central regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics. Reorganization of the cytoskeleton is necessary for a plethora of biological processes including apoptosis, proliferation, migration, tissue repair and signaling. Several studies have also uncovered a role for SLK in disease progression and cancer. Here, we review the recent findings in the SLK field and summarize the various roles of SLK in different animal models and discuss the biochemical mechanisms regulating SLK activity. Together, these studies have revealed multiple roles for SLK in coupling cytoskeletal dynamics to cell growth, in muscle repair and in negative-feedback loops critical for cancer progression. Furthermore, the ability of SLK to regulate some systems appears to be kinase activity independent, suggesting that it may be an important scaffold for signal transduction pathways. These various findings reveal highly complex functions and regulation patterns of SLK in development and disease, making it a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Garland
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L1, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L6, Canada
| | - Samuel Delisle
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L1, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L6, Canada
| | - Khalid N Al-Zahrani
- Center for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G1X5, Canada
| | - Benjamin R Pryce
- Department of Pediatrics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina,Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Luc A Sabourin
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L1, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L6, Canada
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Pryce BR, Labrèche C, Hamoudi D, Abou-Hamad J, Al-Zahrani KN, Hodgins JJ, Boulanger-Piette A, Bossé S, Balog-Alvarez C, Frénette J, Ardolino M, Kornegay JN, Sabourin LA. Muscle-specific deletion of SLK/Stk2 enhances p38 activity and myogenesis in mdx mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 2020; 1868:118917. [PMID: 33259860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe muscle wasting disorder characterized by the loss of dystrophin expression, muscle necrosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Ongoing muscle regeneration is impaired by persistent cytokine stress, further decreasing muscle function. Patients with DMD rarely survive beyond their early 20s, with cardiac and respiratory dysfunction being the primary cause of death. Despite an increase in our understanding of disease progression as well as promising preclinical animal models for therapeutic intervention, treatment options for muscular dystrophy remain limited and novel therapeutic targets are required. Many reports suggest that the TGFβ signalling pathway is activated in dystrophic muscle and contributes to the pathology of DMD in part by impairing the differentiation of myoblasts into mature myofibers. Here, we show that in vitro knockdown of the Ste20-like kinase, SLK, can partially restore myoblast differentiation downstream of TGFβ in a Smad2/3 independent manner. In an mdx model, we demonstrate that SLK is expressed at high levels in regenerating myofibers. Muscle-specific deletion of SLK reduced leukocyte infiltration, increased myogenin and utrophin expression and enhanced differentiation. This was accompanied by resistance to eccentric contraction-induced injury in slow fiber type-enriched soleus muscles. Finally, we found that these effects were partially dependent on the upregulation of p38 signalling. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SLK downregulation can restore some aspects of disease progression in DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Pryce
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Cédrik Labrèche
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dounia Hamoudi
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Centre Hospitalier de L'Université Laval, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - John Abou-Hamad
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Khalid N Al-Zahrani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan J Hodgins
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Antoine Boulanger-Piette
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Centre Hospitalier de L'Université Laval, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Bossé
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Centre Hospitalier de L'Université Laval, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cindy Balog-Alvarez
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jérôme Frénette
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Centre Hospitalier de L'Université Laval, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Département de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michele Ardolino
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joe N Kornegay
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Luc A Sabourin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Al-Zahrani KN, Sekhon P, Tessier DR, Yockell-Lelievre J, Pryce BR, Baron KD, Howe GA, Sriram RK, Daniel K, Mckay M, Lo V, Quizi J, Addison CL, Gruslin A, Sabourin LA. Essential role for the SLK protein kinase in embryogenesis and placental tissue development. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:640-51. [PMID: 24868594 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past decade, the Ste20-like kinase SLK, has been implicated in several signaling processes. SLK repression has been shown to impair cell cycle kinetics and inhibit FAK-mediated cell migration. Here, using a gene trapped allele, we have generated mice expressing a truncated form of the SLK kinase. RESULTS Our results show that an SLK-LacZ fusion protein is expressed in embryonic stem cells and in embryos throughout development. We find that the SLK-LacZ fusion protein is less efficient at phosphorylating substrates resulting in reduced cell proliferation within the embryos and angiogenic defects in the placentae of the homozygous mutant animals at embryonic day (E) 12.5. This results in marked developmental defects and apoptotic lesions in the embryos by E14.5. CONCLUSIONS Homozygotes expressing the SLK-LacZ fusion protein present with an embryonic lethal phenotype occurring between E12.5 and E14.5. Overall, we demonstrate a requirement for SLK kinase activity in the developing embryo and placenta.
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