1
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Pfefferkorn RM, Mortzfeld BM, Fink C, von Frieling J, Bossen J, Esser D, Kaleta C, Rosenstiel P, Heine H, Roeder T. Recurrent Phases of Strict Protein Limitation Inhibit Tumor Growth and Restore Lifespan in A Drosophila Intestinal Cancer Model. Aging Dis 2024; 15:226-244. [PMID: 37962464 PMCID: PMC10796089 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0517] [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: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Diets that restrict caloric or protein intake offer a variety of benefits, including decreasing the incidence of cancer. However, whether such diets pose a substantial therapeutic benefit as auxiliary cancer treatments remains unclear. We determined the effects of severe protein depletion on tumorigenesis in a Drosophila melanogaster intestinal tumor model, using a human RAF gain-of-function allele. Severe and continuous protein restriction significantly reduced tumor growth but resulted in premature death. Therefore, we developed a diet in which short periods of severe protein restriction alternated cyclically with periods of complete feeding. This nutritional regime reduced tumor mass, restored gut functionality, and rescued the lifespan of oncogene-expressing flies to the levels observed in healthy flies on a continuous, fully nutritious diet. Furthermore, this diet reduced the chemotherapy-induced stem cell activity associated with tumor recurrence. Transcriptome analysis revealed long-lasting changes in the expression of key genes involved in multiple major developmental signaling pathways. Overall, the data suggest that recurrent severe protein depletion effectively mimics the health benefits of continuous protein restriction, without undesired nutritional shortcomings. This provides seminal insights into the mechanisms of the memory effect required to maintain the positive effects of protein restriction throughout the phases of a full diet. Finally, the repetitive form of strict protein restriction is an ideal strategy for adjuvant cancer therapy that is useful in many tumor contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana M. Pfefferkorn
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Benedikt M. Mortzfeld
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Christine Fink
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Jakob von Frieling
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Judith Bossen
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Daniela Esser
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Christoph Kaleta
- Department Medical Systems Biology, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Germany.
| | - Philip Rosenstiel
- Department Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Germany.
| | - Holger Heine
- Division of Innate Immunity, Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany.
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
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2
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Bossen J, Kühle JP, Roeder T. The tracheal immune system of insects - A blueprint for understanding epithelial immunity. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 157:103960. [PMID: 37235953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103960] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The unique design of respiratory organs in multicellular organisms makes them prone to infection by pathogens. To cope with this vulnerability, highly effective local immune systems evolved that are also operative in the tracheal system of insects. Many pathogens and parasites (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and metazoan parasites) colonize the trachea or invade the host via this route. Currently, only two modules of the tracheal immune system have been characterized in depth: 1) Immune deficiency pathway-mediated activation of antimicrobial peptide gene expression and 2) local melanization processes that protect the structure from wounding. There is an urgent need to increase our understanding of the architecture of tracheal immune systems, especially regarding those mechanisms that enable the maintenance of immune homeostasis. This need for new studies is particularly exigent for species other than Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Bossen
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept, Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany
| | - Jan-Philip Kühle
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept, Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept, Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany.
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3
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Bossen J, Prange R, Kühle JP, Künzel S, Niu X, Hammel JU, Krieger L, Knop M, Ehrhardt B, Uliczka K, Krauss-Etschmann S, Roeder T. Adult and Larval Tracheal Systems Exhibit Different Molecular Architectures in Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065628. [PMID: 36982710 PMCID: PMC10052349 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065628] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowing the molecular makeup of an organ system is required for its in-depth understanding. We analyzed the molecular repertoire of the adult tracheal system of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster using transcriptome studies to advance our knowledge of the adult insect tracheal system. Comparing this to the larval tracheal system revealed several major differences that likely influence organ function. During the transition from larval to adult tracheal system, a shift in the expression of genes responsible for the formation of cuticular structure occurs. This change in transcript composition manifests in the physical properties of cuticular structures of the adult trachea. Enhanced tonic activation of the immune system is observed in the adult trachea, which encompasses the increased expression of antimicrobial peptides. In addition, modulatory processes are conspicuous, in this case mainly by the increased expression of G protein-coupled receptors in the adult trachea. Finally, all components of a peripheral circadian clock are present in the adult tracheal system, which is not the case in the larval tracheal system. Comparative analysis of driver lines targeting the adult tracheal system revealed that even the canonical tracheal driver line breathless (btl)-Gal4 is not able to target all parts of the adult tracheal system. Here, we have uncovered a specific transcriptome pattern of the adult tracheal system and provide this dataset as a basis for further analyses of the adult insect tracheal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Bossen
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
- German Lung Center (DZL), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Ruben Prange
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Jan-Philip Kühle
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sven Künzel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Xiao Niu
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörg U. Hammel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute of Materials Physics, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Laura Krieger
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Mirjam Knop
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Birte Ehrhardt
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Research Area Chronic Lung Diseases, Early Life Origins of CLD, 23485 Borstel, Germany
| | - Karin Uliczka
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Research Area Chronic Lung Diseases, Early Life Origins of CLD, 23485 Borstel, Germany
| | - Susanne Krauss-Etschmann
- German Lung Center (DZL), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), 24118 Kiel, Germany
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Research Area Chronic Lung Diseases, Early Life Origins of CLD, 23485 Borstel, Germany
- Institute for Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Department Zoology, Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
- German Lung Center (DZL), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), 24118 Kiel, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-431-880-81
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4
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Ehrhardt B, El-Merhie N, Kovacevic D, Schramm J, Bossen J, Roeder T, Krauss-Etschmann S. Airway remodeling: The Drosophila model permits a purely epithelial perspective. Front Allergy 2022; 3:876673. [PMID: 36187164 PMCID: PMC9520053 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2022.876673] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Airway remodeling is an umbrella term for structural changes in the conducting airways that occur in chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The pathobiology of remodeling involves multiple mesenchymal and lymphoid cell types and finally leads to a variety of hardly reversible changes such as hyperplasia of goblet cells, thickening of the reticular basement membrane, deposition of collagen, peribronchial fibrosis, angiogenesis and hyperplasia of bronchial smooth muscle cells. In order to develop solutions for prevention or innovative therapies, these complex processes must be understood in detail which requires their deconstruction into individual building blocks. In the present manuscript we therefore focus on the role of the airway epithelium and introduce Drosophila melanogaster as a model. The simple architecture of the flies’ airways as well as the lack of adaptive immunity allows to focus exclusively on the importance of the epithelium for the remodeling processes. We will review and discuss genetic and environmentally induced changes in epithelial structures and molecular responses and propose an integrated framework of research for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte Ehrhardt
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
| | - Natalia El-Merhie
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
| | - Draginja Kovacevic
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
| | - Juliana Schramm
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
| | - Judith Bossen
- Division of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Zoology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Division of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Zoology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Kiel, Germany
| | - Susanne Krauss-Etschmann
- Division of Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Diseases, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Correspondence: Susanne Krauss-Etschmann
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5
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Proske A, Bossen J, von Frieling J, Roeder T. Low-protein diet applied as part of combination therapy or stand-alone normalizes lifespan and tumor proliferation in a model of intestinal cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:24017-24036. [PMID: 34766923 PMCID: PMC8610115 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Tumors of the intestinal tract are among the most common tumor diseases in humans, but, like many other tumor entities, show an unsatisfactory prognosis with a need for effective therapies. To test whether nutritional interventions and a combination with a targeted therapy can effectively cure these cancers, we used the fruit fly Drosophila as a model. In this system, we induced tumors by EGFR overexpression in intestinal stem cells. Limiting the amount of protein in the diet restored life span to that of control animals. In combination with a specific EGFR inhibitor, all major tumor-associated phenotypes could be rescued. This form of treatment was also successful in a real treatment scenario, which means when they started after the full tumor phenotype was expressed. In conclusion, reduced protein administration can be a very promising form of adjuvant cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Proske
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Judith Bossen
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Kiel, Germany
| | - Jakob von Frieling
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Kiel, Germany
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6
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Wagner C, Uliczka K, Bossen J, Niu X, Fink C, Thiedmann M, Knop M, Vock C, Abdelsadik A, Zissler UM, Isermann K, Garn H, Pieper M, Wegmann M, Koczulla AR, Vogelmeier CF, Schmidt-Weber CB, Fehrenbach H, König P, Silverman N, Renz H, Pfefferle P, Heine H, Roeder T. Constitutive immune activity promotes JNK- and FoxO-dependent remodeling of Drosophila airways. Cell Rep 2021; 35:108956. [PMID: 33826881 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive remodeling of the airways is a major characteristic of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To elucidate the importance of a deregulated immune response in the airways for remodeling processes, we established a matching Drosophila model. Here, triggering the Imd (immune deficiency) pathway in tracheal cells induced organ-wide remodeling. This structural remodeling comprises disorganization of epithelial structures and comprehensive epithelial thickening. We show that these structural changes do not depend on the Imd pathway's canonical branch terminating on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation. Instead, activation of a different segment of the Imd pathway that branches off downstream of Tak1 and comprises activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and forkhead transcription factor of the O subgroup (FoxO) signaling is necessary and sufficient to mediate the observed structural changes of the airways. Our findings imply that targeting JNK and FoxO signaling in the airways could be a promising strategy to interfere with disease-associated airway remodeling processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wagner
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; Division of Invertebrate Models, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Karin Uliczka
- Division of Invertebrate Models, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany; Division of Innate Immunity, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Judith Bossen
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Xiao Niu
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Christine Fink
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Marcus Thiedmann
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Mirjam Knop
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Christina Vock
- Division of Experimental Pneumology, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Ahmed Abdelsadik
- Zoology, Aswan University, Aswan 81528, Egypt; Molecular Biotechnology Program, Faculty of Advanced Basic Sciences, Galala University, 43552 New Galala, Egypt
| | - Ulrich M Zissler
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Technical University Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 80802 Munich, Germany; CPC-M, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Isermann
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Holger Garn
- Translational Inflammation Research Division & Core Facility for Single Cell Multiomics, Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; UGMLC, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Mario Pieper
- University Lübeck, Anatomical Institute, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Michael Wegmann
- Division of Asthma Exacerbation & Regulation, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Andreas R Koczulla
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; UGMLC, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Claus F Vogelmeier
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; UGMLC, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Carsten B Schmidt-Weber
- Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Technical University Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 80802 Munich, Germany; CPC-M, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Heinz Fehrenbach
- Division of Experimental Pneumology, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Peter König
- University Lübeck, Anatomical Institute, 23538 Lübeck, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Neil Silverman
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Harald Renz
- Molecular Diagnostics, Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; UGMLC, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Pfefferle
- Comprehensive Biobank Marburg, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Medical Faculty, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; UGMLC, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Holger Heine
- Division of Innate Immunity, Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy, Research Center Borstel, 23845 Borstel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Zoology, Department of Molecular Physiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany.
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7
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Bossen J, Uliczka K, Steen L, Neugebauer P, Mai MMQ, Fink C, Stracke F, Heine H, Roeder T. Driver mutations in major lung cancer oncogenes can be analyzed in Drosophila models. ALTEX 2020; 38:235-244. [PMID: 33086384 DOI: 10.14573/altex.1912131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality. Despite recent promising achievements, the overall prognosis remains very poor. In order to integrate the advantages of adapted, transgenic animal models with a high-throughput procedure on the one hand and compliance with the 3R principles on the other hand, we have established and evaluated appropriate Drosophila models. To achieve this goal, we ectopically expressed oncogenes representing the most important driver mutations exclusively in the airway system. These oncogenes were either the human oncogenes or the corresponding Drosophila orthologs. We concentrated on two complementary read-out systems, 1) early larval lethality and 2) quantification of concurrently expressed GFP as a proxy for tumor mass. We could show that ectopic expression of EgfrCA, RasV12, Raf, Rolled (MAPK), PI3K92E, Alk, Akt and Arm can induce early lethality. Thus, they can be used in a straight-forward high-throughput screening approach and can replace mouse models to a considerable extent. Moreover, we could also show that measurement of tumor mass by a concurrently expressed marker (GFP) can be used to detect positive treatment results. Our results show that our Drosophila system provides a superb in vivo invertebrate screening system amenable to high-throughput approaches and thus effectively complements the toolbox for the development of novel anti-lung cancer treatments, while complying with the 3R principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Bossen
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept. Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Karin Uliczka
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Invertebrate Models, Borstel, Germany.,Research Center Borstel, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany
| | - Line Steen
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept. Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Pia Neugebauer
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept. Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mandy Mong-Quyen Mai
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany
| | - Christine Fink
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept. Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany
| | - Frank Stracke
- Fraunhofer IBMT, Dept. Medical Biotechnology, Sulzbach (Saar), Germany
| | - Holger Heine
- Research Center Borstel, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Kiel University, Zoology, Dept. Molecular Physiology, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Germany
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8
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Bossen J, Uliczka K, Steen L, Pfefferkorn R, Mai MMQ, Burkhardt L, Spohn M, Bruchhaus I, Fink C, Heine H, Roeder T. An EGFR-Induced Drosophila Lung Tumor Model Identifies Alternative Combination Treatments. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1659-1668. [PMID: 31217165 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality. Mutations in the EGFR gene are among the most important inducers of lung tumor development, but success of personalized therapies is still limited because of toxicity or developing resistances. We expressed constitutively active EGFR (EGFRCA) exclusively in the airway system of Drosophila melanogaster and performed comprehensive phenotyping. Ectopic expression of EGFRCA induced massive hyper- and metaplasia, leading to early death. We used the lethal phenotype as a readout and screened a library of FDA-approved compounds and found that among the 1,000 compounds, only the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) afatinib, gefitinib, and ibrutinib rescued lethality in a whole-animal screening approach. Furthermore, we screened the library in the presence of a subtherapeutic afatinib dose and identified bazedoxifene as a synergistically acting compound that rescues EGFR-induced lethality. Our findings highlight the potential of Drosophila-based whole-animal screening approaches not only to identify specific EGFR inhibitors but also to discover compounds that act synergistically with known TKIs. Moreover, we showed that targeting the EGFR together with STAT-signaling is a promising strategy for lung tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Bossen
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Karin Uliczka
- Research Center Borstel-Leibniz Lung Center, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Invertebrate Models, Borstel Germany.,Research Center Borstel-Leibniz Lung Center, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany
| | - Line Steen
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Roxana Pfefferkorn
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mandy Mong-Quyen Mai
- Research Center Borstel-Leibniz Lung Center, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany
| | - Lia Burkhardt
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Next Generation Sequencing Technology Platform, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spohn
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Next Generation Sequencing Technology Platform, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Iris Bruchhaus
- Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Dept. Parasitology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christine Fink
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Holger Heine
- Research Center Borstel-Leibniz Lung Center, Priority Area Asthma and Allergy, Division of Innate Immunity, Borstel, Germany. .,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Roeder
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany. .,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
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9
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Bossen J, Uliczka K, Thiedmann M, Mai M, Fink C, Heine H, Roeder T. Ectopic activation of EGFR signaling in the airway epithelium of Drosophila induces lung cancer-like phenotypes. Pneumologie 2016. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1584607] [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: 10/19/2022]
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10
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Uliczka K, Bossen J, Pfefferkorn R, Heine H, Roeder T. Etablierung eines Drosophila-Lungenkarzinom-Modells. Pneumologie 2015. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1552906] [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: 10/23/2022]
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