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Leblay N, Ahn S, Tilmont R, Poorebrahim M, Maity R, Lee H, Barakat E, Alberge JB, Sinha S, Jaffer A, Barwick BG, Boise LH, Bahlis N, Neri P. Integrated epigenetic and transcriptional single-cell analysis of t(11;14) multiple myeloma and its BCL2 dependency. Blood 2024; 143:42-56. [PMID: 37729611 PMCID: PMC10797556 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023020276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The translocation t(11;14) occurs in 20% of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and results in the upregulation of CCND1. Nearly two-thirds of t(11;14) MM cells are BCL2 primed and highly responsive to the oral BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax. Although it is evident that this unique sensitivity to venetoclax depends on the Bcl-2 homology domain 3- proapoptotic protein priming of BCL2, the biology underlying t(11;14) MM dependency on BCL2 is poorly defined. Importantly, the epigenetic regulation of t(11;14) transcriptomes and its impact on gene regulation and clinical response to venetoclax remain elusive. In this study, by integrating assay for transposase-accessible chromatin by sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA-seq at the single-cell level in primary MM samples, we have defined the epigenetic regulome and transcriptome associated with t(11;14) MM. A B-cell-like epigenetic signature was enriched in t(11;14) MM, confirming its phylogeny link to B-cell rather than plasma cell biology. Of note, a loss of a B-cell-like epigenetic signature with a gain of canonical plasma cell transcription factors was observed at the time of resistance to venetoclax. In addition, MCL1 and BCL2L1 copy number gains and structural rearrangements were linked to venetoclax resistance in patients with t(11;14) MM. To date, this is the first study in which both single-cell (sc) ATAC-seq and scRNA-seq analysis are integrated into primary MM cells to obtain a deeper resolution of the epigenetic regulome and transcriptome associated with t(11;14) MM biology and venetoclax resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Leblay
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sungwoo Ahn
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Rémi Tilmont
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ranjan Maity
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Holly Lee
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Elie Barakat
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Sarthak Sinha
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Arzina Jaffer
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Benjamin G. Barwick
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lawrence H. Boise
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Nizar Bahlis
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Paola Neri
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Izadpanah A, Mohammadkhani N, Masoudnia M, Ghasemzad M, Saeedian A, Mehdizadeh H, Poorebrahim M, Ebrahimi M. Update on immune-based therapy strategies targeting cancer stem cells. Cancer Med 2023; 12:18960-18980. [PMID: 37698048 PMCID: PMC10557910 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating data reveals that tumors possess a specialized subset of cancer cells named cancer stem cells (CSCs), responsible for metastasis and recurrence of malignancies, with various properties such as self-renewal, heterogenicity, and capacity for drug resistance. Some signaling pathways or processes like Notch, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), Hedgehog (Hh), and Wnt, as well as CSCs' surface markers such as CD44, CD123, CD133, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) have pivotal roles in acquiring CSCs properties. Therefore, targeting CSC-related signaling pathways and surface markers might effectively eradicate tumors and pave the way for cancer survival. Since current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy cannot eradicate all of the CSCs and tumor relapse may happen following temporary recovery, improving novel and more efficient therapeutic options to combine with current treatments is required. Immunotherapy strategies are the new therapeutic modalities with promising results in targeting CSCs. Here, we review the targeting of CSCs by immunotherapy strategies such as dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-engineered immune cells, natural killer-cell (NK-cell) therapy, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), checkpoint inhibitors, and the use of oncolytic viruses (OVs) in pre-clinical and clinical studies. This review will mainly focus on blood malignancies but also describe solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Izadpanah
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research CenterRoyan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECRTehranIran
| | - Niloufar Mohammadkhani
- Department of Clinical BiochemistrySchool of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Mina Masoudnia
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Mahsa Ghasemzad
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research CenterRoyan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECRTehranIran
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology‐Genetics, Faculty of Basic Sciences and Advanced Technologies in BiologyUniversity of Science and CultureTehranIran
| | - Arefeh Saeedian
- Radiation Oncology Research CenterCancer Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
- Department of Radiation OncologyCancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Hamid Mehdizadeh
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research CenterRoyan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECRTehranIran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Research Institute, University of CalgaryAlbertaCalgaryCanada
| | - Marzieh Ebrahimi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research CenterRoyan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECRTehranIran
- Department of regenerative medicineCell Science research Center, Royan Institute for stem cell biology and technology, ACECRTehranIran
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Lee H, Ahn S, Maity R, Leblay N, Ziccheddu B, Truger M, Chojnacka M, Cirrincione A, Durante M, Tilmont R, Barakat E, Poorebrahim M, Sinha S, McIntyre J, M Y Chan A, Wilson H, Kyman S, Krishnan A, Landgren O, Walter W, Meggendorfer M, Haferlach C, Haferlach T, Einsele H, Kortüm MK, Knop S, Alberge JB, Rosenwald A, Keats JJ, Rasche L, Maura F, Neri P, Bahlis NJ. Mechanisms of antigen escape from BCMA- or GPRC5D-targeted immunotherapies in multiple myeloma. Nat Med 2023; 29:2295-2306. [PMID: 37653344 PMCID: PMC10504087 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02491-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [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: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) target loss is considered to be a rare event that mediates multiple myeloma (MM) resistance to anti-BCMA chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) or bispecific T cell engager (TCE) therapies. Emerging data report that downregulation of G-protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member D (GPRC5D) protein often occurs at relapse after anti-GPRC5D CAR T therapy. To examine the tumor-intrinsic factors that promote MM antigen escape, we performed combined bulk and single-cell whole-genome sequencing and copy number variation analysis of 30 patients treated with anti-BCMA and/or anti-GPRC5D CAR T/TCE therapy. In two cases, MM relapse post-TCE/CAR T therapy was driven by BCMA-negative clones harboring focal biallelic deletions at the TNFRSF17 locus at relapse or by selective expansion of pre-existing subclones with biallelic TNFRSF17 loss. In another five cases of relapse, newly detected, nontruncating, missense mutations or in-frame deletions in the extracellular domain of BCMA negated the efficacies of anti-BCMA TCE therapies, despite detectable surface BCMA protein expression. In the present study, we also report four cases of MM relapse with biallelic mutations of GPRC5D after anti-GPRC5D TCE therapy, including two cases with convergent evolution where multiple subclones lost GPRC5D through somatic events. Immunoselection of BCMA- or GPRC5D-negative or mutant clones is an important tumor-intrinsic driver of relapse post-targeted therapies. Mutational events on BCMA confer distinct sensitivities toward different anti-BCMA therapies, underscoring the importance of considering the tumor antigen landscape for optimal design and selection of targeted immunotherapies in MM.
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Grants
- P30 CA033572 NCI NIH HHS
- P30 CA240139 NCI NIH HHS
- Terry Fox Foundation
- Terry Fox Foundation, and Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada
- International Myeloma Society, Myeloma Canada, and Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada
- Terry Fox Foundation, International Myeloma Society, Myeloma Canada, and Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada
- Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research at City of Hope, the MMRF, and the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center NCI Core Grant (P30 CA 033572).
- Paula and Rodger Riney Multiple Myeloma Research Program Fund, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), the Perelman Family Foundation, and by a Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center NCI Core Grant (P30 CA 240139).
- German Cancer Aid and The Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation.
- Terry Fox Foundation, International Myeloma Society, Myeloma Canada, and Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Lee
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sungwoo Ahn
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ranjan Maity
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Noemie Leblay
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Remi Tilmont
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elie Barakat
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarthak Sinha
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - John McIntyre
- Precision Oncology Hub Laboratory, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Angela M Y Chan
- Precision Oncology Hub Laboratory, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holly Wilson
- Precision Oncology Hub Laboratory, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shari Kyman
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Ola Landgren
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Hermann Einsele
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin K Kortüm
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Knop
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Paracelsus Medical School, Nuremberg General Hospital, Nuremberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jonathan J Keats
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Leo Rasche
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | | | - Paola Neri
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nizar J Bahlis
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Poorebrahim M, Quiros-Fernandez I, Marmé F, Burdach SE, Cid-Arregui A. A costimulatory chimeric antigen receptor targeting TROP2 enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells expressing a T cell receptor reactive to human papillomavirus type 16 E7. Cancer Lett 2023; 566:216242. [PMID: 37217069 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Immune cells modified to express a tumor-reactive T cell receptor (TCR) have shown limited efficacy as stand-alone therapy against solid tumors. Genital and oropharyngeal carcinomas induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 express constitutively its E6 and E7 oncoproteins, which makes them convenient targets for adoptive cell immunotherapy. However, viral antigen presentation by tumor cells is low and limits the anti-tumor efficacy of CD8+ T cells. To enhance the functionality of immune effector cells, we have devised a strategy combining a costimulatory chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with a TCR. We used a clinically tested TCR specific to E7 (E7-TCR) of HPV16 and a newly constructed CAR targeting the trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2), which carried the intracellular costimulatory domains CD28 and 4-1BB, but was devoid of the CD3ζ domain. Flow cytometry analyses showed a notable upregulation of activation markers and of cytolytic molecule release by NK-92 cells genetically engineered to express CD3, CD8 and both E7-TCR and TROP2-CAR, after co-incubation with HPV16+ cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, the E7-TCR/TROP2-CAR NK-92 cells demonstrated enhanced antigen-specific activation and augmented cytotoxicity against tumor cells compared with NK-92 cells expressing the E7-TCR alone. A costimulatory TROP2-CAR can synergistically cooperate with the E7-TCR in NK cells thereby enhancing their signaling strength and antigen-specific cytotoxicity. This approach might improve the outcome of adoptive cell immunotherapies for HPV16+ cancer patients that are currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Isaac Quiros-Fernandez
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Research Center on Tropical Diseases (CIET)/Research Center on Surgery and Cancer (CICICA), Faculty of Microbiology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Frederik Marmé
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Eg Burdach
- Translational Pediatric Cancer Research Action - Institute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine - Technical University of Munich, Trogerstr. 22 - RG - 540.0.11, D-81675, München, Germany; Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Xue B, von Heyking K, Gassmann H, Poorebrahim M, Thiede M, Schober K, Mautner J, Hauer J, Ruland J, Busch DH, Thiel U, Burdach SEG. T Cells Directed against the Metastatic Driver Chondromodulin-1 in Ewing Sarcoma: Comparative Engineering with CRISPR/Cas9 vs. Retroviral Gene Transfer for Adoptive Transfer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225485. [PMID: 36428578 PMCID: PMC9688113 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a highly malignant sarcoma of bone and soft tissue with early metastatic spread and an age peak in early puberty. The prognosis in advanced stages is still dismal, and the long-term effects of established therapies are severe. Efficacious targeted therapies are urgently needed. Our previous work has provided preliminary safety and efficacy data utilizing T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells, generated by retroviral gene transfer, targeting HLA-restricted peptides on the tumor cell derived from metastatic drivers. Here, we compared T cells engineered with either CRISPR/Cas9 or retroviral gene transfer. Firstly, we confirmed the feasibility of the orthotopic replacement of the endogenous TCR by CRISPR/Cas9 with a TCR targeting our canonical metastatic driver chondromodulin-1 (CHM1). CRISPR/Cas9-engineered T cell products specifically recognized and killed HLA-A*02:01+ EwS cell lines. The efficiency of retroviral transduction was higher compared to CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Both engineered T cell products specifically recognized tumor cells and elicited cytotoxicity, with CRISPR/Cas9 engineered T cells providing prolonged cytotoxic activity. In conclusion, T cells engineered with CRISPR/Cas9 could be feasible for immunotherapy of EwS and may have the advantage of more prolonged cytotoxic activity, as compared to T cells engineered with retroviral gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Busheng Xue
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina von Heyking
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Hendrik Gassmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Thiede
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81674 Munich, Germany
| | - Josef Mautner
- Department of Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Hauer
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Jürgen Ruland
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
- DKTK German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81674 Munich, Germany
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Uwe Thiel
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.T.); (S.E.G.B.)
| | - Stefan E. G. Burdach
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
- DKTK German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Translational Pediatric Cancer Research-Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre and Academy of Translational Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Correspondence: (U.T.); (S.E.G.B.)
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Poorebrahim M, Abazari MF, Moradi L, Shahbazi B, Mahmoudi R, Kalhor H, Askari H, Teimoori-Toolabi L. Multi-targeting of K-Ras domains and mutations by peptide and small molecule inhibitors. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009962. [PMID: 35472201 PMCID: PMC9041843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009962] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
K-Ras activating mutations are significantly associated with tumor progression and aggressive metastatic behavior in various human cancers including pancreatic cancer. So far, despite a large number of concerted efforts, targeting of mutant-type K-Ras has not been successful. In this regard, we aimed to target this oncogene by a combinational approach consisting of small peptide and small molecule inhibitors. Based on a comprehensive analysis of structural and physicochemical properties of predominantly K-Ras mutants, an anti-cancer peptide library and a small molecule library were screened to simultaneously target oncogenic mutations and functional domains of mutant-type K-Ras located in the P-loop, switch I, and switch II regions. The selected peptide and small molecule showed notable binding affinities to their corresponding binding sites, and hindered the growth of tumor cells carrying K-RasG12D and K-RasG12C mutations. Of note, the expression of K-Ras downstream genes (i.e., CTNNB1, CCND1) was diminished in the treated Kras-positive cells. In conclusion, our combinational platform signifies a new potential for blockade of oncogenic K-Ras and thereby prevention of tumor progression and metastasis. However, further validations are still required regarding the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and safety of this approach. K-Ras activating mutations are associated with tumor progression and aggressive metastatic behavior in cancers. We aimed to target this mutated protein as an oncogene with small peptides and small molecules. The selected peptide and small molecules by computational methods showed notable binding affinities to mutated and oncogenic K-Ras. Also, they hindered the proliferation of pancreatic tumor cells. These compounds diminished the expression of downstream genes to mutant K-Ras too. Our combinatorial approach introduces new candidates for blockade of oncogenic K-Ras which is observed in many types of cancer. The effect of these compounds should be validated by further in vitro and in vivo analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Moradi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Shahbazi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hourieh Kalhor
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Hassan Askari
- Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ladan Teimoori-Toolabi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is nowadays largely focused on the development of therapeutic antibodies and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Two CARs targeting CD19 have been approved recently for the treatment of some hematological malignancies. This demonstrates the capability of engineered CAR T cells in generating effective tumor responses. Furthermore, several hundred ongoing clinical trials are exploring the feasibility of CAR-based approaches to target tumor-associated antigens in solid tumors. However, there still remain significant challenges and limitations in the design and production of CAR-modified T cells that need to be addressed, such as more effective transduction methods, expression and exhaustion issues, reliable in vitro and in vivo characterization methods, etc. Here we describe current techniques for generating CAR T cells using lentiviral vectors as well as detailed protocols for their functional characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Isaac Quiros-Fernandez
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Quiros-Fernandez I, Poorebrahim M, Fakhr E, Cid-Arregui A. Immunogenic T cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 are recognized by circulating memory and naïve CD8 T cells of unexposed individuals. EBioMedicine 2021; 72:103610. [PMID: 34627082 PMCID: PMC8493415 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies have provided evidence of T cell reactivity to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in significant numbers of non-infected individuals, which has been attributed to cross-reactive CD4 memory T cells from previous exposure to seasonal coronaviruses. Less evidence of cross-reactive memory CD8 T cells has been documented to date. Methods We used the NetCTLPan neural network of the Epitope Database and Analysis Resource to select a series of 27 HLA-A*02:01 epitopes derived from the proteome of SARS-CoV-2. Their binding capacity was assessed by a HLA-A*02:01 stabilization assay and by quantifying their binding to HLA-A*02:01 monomers for the generation of tetramers. Their ability to stimulate and induce expansion of SARS-CoV-2 reactive CD8 T cells was measured by flow cytometry. The TCR repertoire of COVID convalescent and healthy unexposed donors was analysed using the MIRA database. Findings The HLA-A*02:01 epitopes tested were able to stabilise HLA molecules and induce activation of CD8 T cells of healthy unexposed donors. Our results, based on specific tetramer binding, provide evidence supporting the presence of frequent cross-reactive CD8 T cells to SARS-CoV-2 antigens in non-exposed individuals. Interestingly, the reactive cells were distributed into naïve, memory and effector subsets. Interpretation Our data are consistent with a significant proportion of the reactive CD8 T clones belonging to the public shared repertoire, readily available in absence of previous contact with closely related coronaviruses. Furthermore, we demonstrate the immunogenic capacity of long peptides carrying T cell epitopes, which can serve to isolate virus-specific T cell receptors among the ample repertoire of healthy unexposed subjects and could have application in COVID-19 immunotherapy. Limitations of our study are that it concentrated on one MHC I allele (HLA-A*02:01) and the low numbers of samples and epitopes tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Quiros-Fernandez
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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9
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Mahmoudi R, Dianat-Moghadam H, Poorebrahim M, Siapoush S, Poortahmasebi V, Salahlou R, Rahmati M. Recombinant immunotoxins development for HER2-based targeted cancer therapies. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:470. [PMID: 34488747 PMCID: PMC8422749 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02182-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer biology introduces targeted therapy as a complementary method along with other conventional therapies. Recombinant immunotoxins are tumor specific antibodies that their recognizing fragment is utilized for delivering modified toxins into tumor cells. These molecules have been considered as a targeted strategy in the treatment of human cancers. HER2 tumor biomarker is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that can be used for targeted therapies in the forms of anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates and immunotoxins. There have been many studies on HER2-based immunotoxins in recent years, however, little progress has been made in the clinical field which demanded more improvements. Here, we summarized the HER2 signaling and it's targeting using immunotherapeutic agents in human cancers. Then, we specifically reviewed anti-HER2 immunotoxins, and their strengths and drawbacks to highlight their promising clinical impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hassan Dianat-Moghadam
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Samaneh Siapoush
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Salahlou
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahmati
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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10
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Poorebrahim M, Mohammadkhani N, Mahmoudi R, Gholizadeh M, Fakhr E, Cid-Arregui A. TCR-like CARs and TCR-CARs targeting neoepitopes: an emerging potential. Cancer Gene Ther 2021; 28:581-589. [PMID: 33654227 PMCID: PMC8203496 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00307-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Neoepitopes or neoantigens are a spectrum of unique mutations presented in a particular patient's tumor. Neoepitope-based adoptive therapies have the potential of tumor eradication without undue damaging effect on normal tissues. In this context, methods based on the T cell receptor (TCR) engineering or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown great promise. This review focuses on the TCR-like CARs and TCR-CARs directed against tumor-derived epitopes, with a concerted view on neoepitopes. We also address the current limitations of the field to know how to harness the full benefits of this approach and thereby design a sustained and specific antitumor therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Neoplasms/genetics
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/therapeutic use
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Niloufar Mohammadkhani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Monireh Gholizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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11
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Poorebrahim M, Mohammadkhani N, Mahmoudi R, Gholizadeh M, Fakhr E, Cid-Arregui A. Correction: TCR-like CARs and TCR-CARs targeting neoepitopes: an emerging potential. Cancer Gene Ther 2021; 28:738. [PMID: 33762680 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Niloufar Mohammadkhani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Monireh Gholizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Ataei A, Poorebrahim M, Rajabpour A, Rizvanov A, Shahriar Arab S. Topological Analysis of Regulatory Networks Reveals Functionally Key Genes and miRNAs Involved in the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Iran J Biotechnol 2021; 19:e2565. [PMID: 34179189 PMCID: PMC8217530 DOI: 10.30498/ijb.2021.2565] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background The details of molecular mechanisms underlying the differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) into specific lineages are not well understood. Objectives We aimed to construct the interactome network and topology analysis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell of CAGE data. Applying the enrichment results, we wanted to introduce the common genes and hub-microRNA and hub-genes of these giant network. Materials and Methods In this study, we constructed gene regulatory networks for each non-mesenchymal cell lineage according to their gene expression profiles obtained from FANTOM5 database. The putative interactions of TF-gene and protein-protein were determined using TRED, STRING, HPRD and GeneMANIA servers. In parallel, a regulatory network including corresponding miRNAs and total differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was constructed for each cell lineage. Results The results indicated that analysis of networks' topology can significantly distinguish the hub regulatory genes and miRNAs involved in the differentiation of MSCs. The functional annotation of identified hub genes and miRNAs revealed that several signal transduction pathways i.e. AKT, WNT and TGFβ and cell proliferation related pathways play a pivotal role in the regulation of MSCs differentiation. We also classified cell lineages into two groups based on their predicted miRNA profiles. Conclusions In conclusion, we found a number of hub genes and miRNAs which seem to have key regulatory functions during differentiation of MSCs. Our results also introduce a number of new regulatory genes and miRNAs which can be considered as the new candidates for genetic manipulation of MSCs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atousa Ataei
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.,Equal contribution
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Equal contribution
| | - Azam Rajabpour
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Albert Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Seyed Shahriar Arab
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Poorebrahim M, Melief J, Pico de Coaña Y, L Wickström S, Cid-Arregui A, Kiessling R. Counteracting CAR T cell dysfunction. Oncogene 2021; 40:421-435. [PMID: 33168929 PMCID: PMC7808935 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [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: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In spite of high rates of complete remission following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, the efficacy of this approach is limited by generation of dysfunctional CAR T cells in vivo, conceivably induced by immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and excessive antigen exposure. Exhaustion and senescence are two critical dysfunctional states that impose a pivotal hurdle for successful CAR T cell therapies. Recently, modified CAR T cells with an "exhaustion-resistant" phenotype have shown superior antitumor functions and prolonged lifespan. In addition, several studies have indicated the feasibility of senescence delay in CAR T cells. Here, we review the latest reports regarding blockade of CAR T cell exhaustion and senescence with a particular focus on the exhaustion-inducing pathways. Subsequently, we describe what potential these latest insights offer for boosting the potency of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapies involving CAR T cells. Furthermore, we discuss how induction of costimulation, cytokine exposure, and TME modulation can impact on CAR T cell efficacy and persistence, while potential safety issues associated with reinvigorated CAR T cells will also be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jeroen Melief
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yago Pico de Coaña
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stina L Wickström
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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14
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Poorebrahim M, Abazari MF, Sadeghi S, Mahmoudi R, Kheirollahi A, Askari H, Wickström SL, Poortahmasebi V, Lundqvist A, Kiessling R, Cid-Arregui A. Genetically modified immune cells targeting tumor antigens. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 214:107603. [PMID: 32553789 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy approaches consisting of genetically modified immune cells have become a promising platform for cancer treatment. Such 'living' therapies targeting tumor antigens have shown success in many cancer patients in the form of durable responses in a growing number of clinical studies. Besides, a large number of ongoing studies have been designed to introduce reliable methods for identification of tumor antigens. In addition, technical and biotechnological developments are being applied to the generation and expansion of genetically modified immune cells. In this review, we summarize and discuss the latest progress and current challenges in the tumor antigen landscape and in the generation of genetically modified immune cells in view of their clinical efficacy, either as monotherapy or combinational therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Solmaz Sadeghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Asma Kheirollahi
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Askari
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Stina L Wickström
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Andreas Lundqvist
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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15
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Poortahmasebi V, Poorebrahim M, Sadeghi A, Abazari MF, Sadredinamin M, Hasanpoor E, Jazayeri SM. Conformational analysis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen mutations among HIV-positive patients diagnosed with occult hepatitis B virus. Future Virol 2019. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2019-0096] [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: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aim: We analyzed the role of mutations on the conformational structure of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among HIV-1 positive patients who were infected with occult hepatitis B. Methods: The effects of the potential impact of amino-acid substitutions on the 3D structures of the HBsAg and molecular ducking were investigated using bioinformatics software. Results: Mutations classified in seven groups in accordance with their positions in occult hepatitis B virus infection patients. Some substitutions of residues could linearize the ‘a’ determinant loops. The affinity of binding in mutant HBsAg structures to MAb 12 was lower compared with the wild ones. T123I and P127L substitutions were undergone decrease in HBsAg antigenicity. Conclusion: These findings could be beneficial for a better understanding of hepatitis B virus antigen/antibody interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Infectious & Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Liver & Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmadreza Sadeghi
- Iranian Tissue Bank & Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad F Abazari
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrzad Sadredinamin
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ermia Hasanpoor
- School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed M Jazayeri
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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16
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Poorebrahim M, Sadeghi S, Ghanbarian M, Kalhor H, Mehrtash A, Teimoori-Toolabi L. Identification of candidate genes and miRNAs for sensitizing resistant colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin and irinotecan. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2019; 85:153-171. [PMID: 31781855 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-019-03975-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance to irinotecan and oxaliplatin, two widely used chemotherapeutic, has become a common problem in cancerous patients. Despite numerous valuable studies, distinct molecular mechanisms involved in the acquisition of resistance to these anti-cancer drugs have remained a challenge. In this study, we studied the possible resistance mechanisms to irinotecan and oxaliplatin in three CRC cell lines (HCT116, HT29, and LoVo) via integration of microarray data with gene regulatory networks. After determination of hub genes, corresponding miRNAs were predicted using several databases and used in construction and subsequent analysis of miRNA-gene networks. Following to preparation of chemo-resistance CRC cells, a standard real-time PCR was conducted for validation of in silico findings. Topological and functional enrichment analyses of the resulted networks introduced several previously reported drug-resistance genes as well as novel biomarkers as hub genes which seem to be crucial in resistance of colon cancer cells to irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Furthermore, results of the functional annotation revealed the essential role of different signaling pathways like metabolic pathways in drug resistance of CRC cell lines to these drugs. A part of in silico findings was also validated in vitro using oxaliplatin-resistant cell lines. While FOXC1 and NFIC were upregulated in cell lines which were resistant to oxaliplatin, silencing FOXC1 decreased the resistance of SW480 cell line to oxaliplatin. In conclusion, our comparative in silico and in vitro study introduces several novel genes and miRNAs as the resistance-mediators which can be used for sensitizing resistant CRC cells to oxaliplatin and irinotecan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Solmaz Sadeghi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Ghanbarian
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hourieh Kalhor
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhosein Mehrtash
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ladan Teimoori-Toolabi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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17
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Poorebrahim M, Sadeghi S, Fakhr E, Abazari MF, Poortahmasebi V, Kheirollahi A, Askari H, Rajabzadeh A, Rastegarpanah M, Linē A, Cid-Arregui A. Production of CAR T-cells by GMP-grade lentiviral vectors: latest advances and future prospects. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2019; 56:393-419. [PMID: 31314617 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2019.1633512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells represent a paradigm shift in cancer immunotherapy and a new milestone in the history of oncology. In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration approved two CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapies (Kymriah™, Novartis, and Yescarta™, Kite Pharma/Gilead Sciences) that have remarkable efficacy in some B-cell malignancies. The CAR approach is currently being evaluated in multiple pivotal trials designed for the immunotherapy of hematological malignancies as well as solid tumors. To generate CAR T-cells ex vivo, lentiviral vectors (LVs) are particularly appealing due to their ability to stably integrate relatively large DNA inserts, and to efficiently transduce both dividing and nondividing cells. This review discusses the latest advances and challenges in the design and production of CAR T-cells, and the good manufacturing practices (GMP)-grade production process of LVs used as a gene transfer vehicle. New developments in the application of CAR T-cell therapy are also outlined with particular emphasis on next-generation allogeneic CAR T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Solmaz Sadeghi
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR , Tehran , Iran
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Department of Translational Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.,Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran
| | - Asma Kheirollahi
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Hassan Askari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Alireza Rajabzadeh
- Applied Cell Sciences and Tissue Engineering Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Malihe Rastegarpanah
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Aija Linē
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre , Riga , Latvia
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR , Tehran , Iran.,Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) , Heidelberg , Germany
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18
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Zeglinski MR, Moghadam AR, Ande SR, Sheikholeslami K, Mokarram P, Sepehri Z, Rokni H, Mohtaram NK, Poorebrahim M, Masoom A, Toback M, Sareen N, Saravanan S, Jassal DS, Hashemi M, Marzban H, Schaafsma D, Singal P, Wigle JT, Czubryt MP, Akbari M, Dixon IM, Ghavami S, Gordon JW, Dhingra S. Myocardial Cell Signaling During the Transition to Heart Failure. Compr Physiol 2018; 9:75-125. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c170053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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19
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Shirazi MK, Azarnezhad A, Abazari MF, Poorebrahim M, Ghoraeian P, Sanadgol N, Bokharaie H, Heydari S, Abbasi A, Kabiri S, Aleagha MN, Enderami SE, Dashtaki AS, Askari H. The role of nitric oxide signaling in renoprotective effects of hydrogen sulfide against chronic kidney disease in rats: Involvement of oxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:11411-11423. [PMID: 30478901 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The interplay between H2 S and nitric oxide (NO) is thought to contribute to renal functions. The current study was designed to assess the role of NO in mediating the renoprotective effects of hydrogen sulfide in the 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx) animal model. Forty rats were randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups: (a) Sham; (b) 5/6 Nx; (c) 5/6Nx+sodium hydrosulfide-a donor of H 2 S, (5/6Nx+sodium hydrosulfide [NaHS]); (d) 5/6Nx+NaHS+ L-NAME (a nonspecific nitric oxide synthase [NOS] inhibitor); (e) 5/6Nx+NaHS+aminoguanidine (a selective inhibitor of inducible NOS [iNOS]). Twelve weeks after 5/6 Nx, we assessed the expressions of iNOS and endothelial NOS (eNOS), oxidative/antioxidant status, renal fibrosis, urine N-acetyl-b-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity as the markers of kidney injury and various markers of apoptosis, inflammation, remodeling, and autophagy. NaHS treatment protected the animals against chronic kidney injury as depicted by improved oxidative/antioxidant status, reduced apoptosis, and autophagy and attenuated messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of genes associated with inflammation, remodeling, and NAG activity. Eight weeks Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester ( L-NAME) administration reduced the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide. In contrast, aminoguanidine augmented the beneficial effects of hydrogen sulfide. Our finding revealed some fascinating interactions between NO and H 2 S in the kidney. Moreover, the study suggests that NO, in an isoform-dependent manner, can exert renoprotective effects in 5/6 Nx model of CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asaad Azarnezhad
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Kurdistan niversity of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pegah Ghoraeian
- Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Sanadgol
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
| | - Hanieh Bokharaie
- Department of Genetics, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Heydari
- Department of genetic, Biology Research Center, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Amin Abbasi
- Department of Biology, East Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahra Kabiri
- Department of Biology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Nouri Aleagha
- Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amir Savar Dashtaki
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hassan Askari
- Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Sadeghi S, Poorebrahim M, Rahimi H, Karimipoor M, Azadmanesh K, Khorramizadeh MR, Teimoori-Toolabi L. In silico studying of the whole protein structure and dynamics of Dickkopf family members showed that N-terminal domain of Dickkopf 2 in contrary to other Dickkopfs facilitates its interaction with low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5/6. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2018; 37:2564-2580. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2018.1491891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Solmaz Sadeghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Mohammad Reza Khorramizadeh
- Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ladan Teimoori-Toolabi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Kalhor H, Poorebrahim M, Rahimi H, Shabani AA, Karimipoor M, Akbari Eidgahi MR, Teimoori-Toolabi L. Structural and dynamic characterization of human Wnt2-Fzd7 complex using computational approaches. J Mol Model 2018; 24:274. [PMID: 30191337 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-018-3788-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Wnt and Frizzled (Fzd) family members play crucial roles in the self-renewal of tumor-initiating cells. Until now, only a few studies have addressed the distinct mechanism of Wnt-Fzd interactions. In this study, we suggest a possible interaction mode of Wnt2 with the Fzd7 cysteine-rich domain (CRD)-both of which are up-regulated in some types of cancer. A combination of homology modeling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was carried out to study this ligand-receptor complex in great detail. The results demonstrated the unique dynamic behavior of Wnt2 upon binding to Fzd7. Interestingly, the β-strand content of the C-terminal binding site of Wnt2 was obviously reduced when bound to Fzd7 CRD. Moreover, the N-terminal and C-terminal binding sites of Wnt2 appeared to interact with the C-terminal and N-terminal binding sites of Fzd7, respectively. Calculation of the binding energies uncovered the pivotal role of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in the binding of Wnt2 to Fzd7 CRD. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of the Wnt2-Fzd7 CRD interaction for application in colorectal cancer prevention programs. Graphical abstract Flowchart representation of different steps used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hourieh Kalhor
- Department and Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department and Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
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Jangholi A, Ashrafi-Kooshk MR, Arab SS, Karima S, Poorebrahim M, Ghadami SA, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Khodarahmi R. Can any “non-specific charge modification within microtubule binding domains of Tau” be a prerequisite of the protein amyloid aggregation? An in vitro study on the 1N4R isoform. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 109:188-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Askari H, Rajani SF, Poorebrahim M, Haghi-Aminjan H, Raeis-Abdollahi E, Abdollahi M. A glance at the therapeutic potential of irisin against diseases involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis: An introductory review. Pharmacol Res 2018; 129:44-55. [PMID: 29414191 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Irisin is a hormone-like molecule mainly released by skeletal muscles in response to exercise. Irisin induces browning of the white adipose tissue and has been shown to regulate glucose and lipid homeostasis. Keeping its energy expenditure and metabolic properties in view, numerous studies have focused on its therapeutic potential for the treatment of metabolic disorders like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Recently, the anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative properties of irisin have received a great deal of attention of the scientific society. These pathogenic processes are often associated with initiation, progression, and prognosis of numerous diseases like myocardial infarction, kidney diseases, cancer, lung injury, inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis, liver diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the current review, we present evidence regarding the anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative potential of irisin pertaining to various pathological conditions. Here, we explore multiple molecular pathways targeted by irisin therapy. Given the promising effects of irisin, many diseases with evident oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis can be targeted by irisin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Askari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sulail Fatima Rajani
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Haghi-Aminjan
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Raeis-Abdollahi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Toxicology and Diseases Group, Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Iman M, Mostafavi SS, Arab SS, Azimzadeh S, Poorebrahim M. HOXB7 and Hsa-miR-222 as the Potential Therapeutic Candidates for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2017; 11:434-443. [PMID: 27855613 DOI: 10.2174/1574892811999160628114857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that the high mortality of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is related to its ability to spread the surrounding tissues, thus there is a need for designing and developing new drugs. OBJECTIVE Here, we proposed a combinational therapy strategy, an inhibitory peptide in combination with miRNA targeting, for modulating CRC metastasis. In this study, some of the recent patents were also reviewed. METHODS After data analysis with GEO2R and gene annotation using DAVID server, regulatory interactions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from STRING, GeneMANIA, KEGG and TRED databases. In parallel, the corresponding validated microRNAs (miRNAs) were obtained from mirDIP web server and a miRNA-DEG regulatory network was also reconstructed. Clustering and topological analyses of the regulatory networks were performed using Cytoscape plug-ins. RESULTS We found the HOXB family as the most important functional complex in DEG-derived regulatory network. Accordingly, an anti-HOXB7 peptide was designed based on the binding interface of its coactivator, PBX1. Topological analysis of miRNA-DEG network indicated that hsa-miR-222 is one of the most important oncomirs involved in regulation of DEGs activities. Thus, this miRNA, along with HOXB7, was also considered as the potential target for inhibiting CRC metastasis. Molecular docking studies exhibited that the designed peptide can bind to desired binding pocket of HOXB7 in a highaffinity manner. Further confirmations were also observed in Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations carried out by GROMACS v5.0.2 simulation package. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our findings suggest that simultaneous targeting of key regulatory genes and miRNAs may be a useful strategy for prevention of CRC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Iman
- Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, P.O. Box: 19945-581, Iran.
| | | | | | | | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Poorebrahim M, Sadeghi S, Rahimi H, Karimipoor M, Azadmanesh K, Mazlomi MA, Teimoori-Toolabi L. Rational design of DKK3 structure-based small peptides as antagonists of Wnt signaling pathway and in silico evaluation of their efficiency. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172217. [PMID: 28234935 PMCID: PMC5325476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated Wnt signaling pathway is highly associated with the pathogenesis of several human cancers. Dickkopf proteins (DKKs) are thought to inhibit Wnt signaling pathway through binding to lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) 5/6. In this study, based on the 3-dimensional (3D) structure of DKK3 Cys-rich domain 2 (CRD2), we have designed and developed several peptide inhibitors of Wnt signaling pathway. Modeller 9.15 package was used to predict 3D structure of CRD2 based on the Homology modeling (HM) protocol. After refinement and minimization with GalaxyRefine and NOMAD-REF servers, the quality of selected models was evaluated utilizing VADAR, SAVES and ProSA servers. Molecular docking studies as well as literature-based information revealed two distinct boxes located at CRD2 which are actively involved in the DKK3-LRP5/6 interaction. A peptide library was constructed conducting the backrub sequence tolerance scanning protocol in Rosetta3.5 according to the DKK3-LRP5/6 binding sites. Seven tolerated peptides were chosen and their binding affinity and stability were improved by some logical amino acid substitutions. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of peptide-LRP5/6 complexes were carried out using GROMACS package. After evaluation of binding free energies, stability, electrostatic potential and some physicochemical properties utilizing computational approaches, three peptides (PEP-I1, PEP-I3 and PEP-II2) demonstrated desirable features. However, all seven improved peptides could sufficiently block the Wnt-binding site of LRP6 in silico. In conclusion, we have designed and improved several small peptides based on the LRP6-binding site of CRD2 of DKK3. These peptides are highly capable of binding to LRP6 in silico, and may prevent the formation of active Wnt-LRP6-Fz complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Solmaz Sadeghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Mohammad Ali Mazlomi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ladan Teimoori-Toolabi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Poorebrahim M, Salarian A, Najafi S, Abazari MF, Aleagha MN, Dadras MN, Jazayeri SM, Ataei A, Poortahmasebi V. Regulatory network analysis of Epstein-Barr virus identifies functional modules and hub genes involved in infectious mononucleosis. Arch Virol 2017; 162:1299-1309. [PMID: 28155194 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-017-3242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and establishes lifetime infection associated with a variety of cancers and autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to develop an integrative gene regulatory network (GRN) approach and overlying gene expression data to identify the representative subnetworks for IM and EBV latent infection (LI). After identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both IM and LI gene expression profiles, functional annotations were applied using gene ontology (GO) and BiNGO tools, and construction of GRNs, topological analysis and identification of modules were carried out using several plugins of Cytoscape. In parallel, a human-EBV GRN was generated using the Hu-Vir database for further analyses. Our analysis revealed that the majority of DEGs in both IM and LI were involved in cell-cycle and DNA repair processes. However, these genes showed a significant negative correlation in the IM and LI states. Furthermore, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) - a hub gene with the highest centrality score - appeared to be the key player in cell cycle regulation in IM disease. The most significant functional modules in the IM and LI states were involved in the regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. Human-EBV network analysis revealed several direct targets of EBV proteins during IM disease. Our study provides an important first report on the response to IM/LI EBV infection in humans. An important aspect of our data was the upregulation of genes associated with cell cycle progression and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Salarian
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeideh Najafi
- Department of Microbiology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Department of Genetics, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Nouri Aleagha
- Department of Genetics, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nasr Dadras
- Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 15155-6446, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atousa Ataei
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 15155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
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Ataei A, Solovyeva VV, Poorebrahim M, Blatt NL, Salafutdinov II, Şahin F, Kiyasov AP, Yalvaç ME, Rizvanov AA. A Genome-Wide Analysis of mRNA Expression in Human Tooth Germ Stem Cells Treated with Pluronic P85. BioNanoSci 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12668-016-0254-5] [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: 10/21/2022]
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Jangholi A, Ashrafi-Kooshk MR, Arab SS, Riazi G, Mokhtari F, Poorebrahim M, Mahdiuni H, Kurganov BI, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Khodarahmi R. Appraisal of role of the polyanionic inducer length on amyloid formation by 412-residue 1N4R Tau protein: A comparative study. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 609:1-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Sadeghi A, Shirvani-Dastgerdi E, Tacke F, Yagmur E, Poortahmasebi V, Poorebrahim M, Mohraz M, Hajabdolbaghi M, Rasoolinejad M, Abbasian L, Jafari R, Fakhari Z, Norouzi M, Ebrahimian A, Geravand B, Alavian SM, Jazayeri SM. HBsAg mutations related to occult hepatitis B virus infection in HIV-positive patients result in a reduced secretion and conformational changes of HBsAg. J Med Virol 2016; 89:246-256. [DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmadreza Sadeghi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | | | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Medicine III; RWTH-University Hospital Aachen; Aachen Germany
| | - Eray Yagmur
- Laboratory Diagnostics Center; RWTH-University Hospital Aachen and Medical Care Center, Dr. Stein and Colleagues; Moenchengladbach Germany
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology; School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Minoo Mohraz
- Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS; Tehran Iran
| | | | | | | | - Rezvaneh Jafari
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Zahra Fakhari
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Mehdi Norouzi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Arefeh Ebrahimian
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | - Babak Geravand
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
| | | | - Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology; School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran Iran
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Mohraz M, Jafari R, Poortahmasebi V, Sadeghi A, Hajabdolbaghi M, Rasoolinejad M, Forooghi M, Norouzi M, Poorebrahim M, Khamseh A, Karkhaneh M, Alavian SM, Ebrahimian A, Jazayeri SM. Molecular analysis of occult hepatitis B infection among Iranian HIV-positive patients. Future Virol 2016. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2016-0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aim: The aims of this study were to find out the prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) in HIV-1 patients, as well as to analyze the mutational patterns of OBI-positive individuals. Materials & methods: 172 HBsAg-negative, HIV-1-positive patients were selected according to data extracted from questionnaires. HBV serologic and molecular assays were performed. An extensive mutational analysis was applied using direct sequencing on HBsAg. Results: Thirty-one samples (18%) were OBI positive. Among 24 available OBI-positive samples, 17 (71%) contained at least one mutation only within ‘a’ determinant region of HBsAg. A stretch of mutations was found between amino acid positions 121 and 136. The physicochemical properties of individual amino acid substitutions and their potential impacts on 3D structure of ‘a’ determinant mutants were also determined. Conclusion: HBV serologic assays are not reliable markers to exclude occult HBV infection in HIV-positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoo Mohraz
- Iranian Research Center for HIV AIDS, High Risk Reduction Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rezvaneh Jafari
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmadreza Sadeghi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mehrnaz Rasoolinejad
- Iranian Research Center for HIV AIDS, High Risk Reduction Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Forooghi
- Iranian Research Center for HIV AIDS, High Risk Reduction Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Norouzi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Khamseh
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Karkhaneh
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Moayed Alavian
- Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, No 178, Sepahboud Gharanee St. Tehran 1598976516, Iran
| | - Arefeh Ebrahimian
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Rezaee R, Poorebrahim M, Najafi S, Sadeghi S, Pourdast A, Alavian SM, Alavian SE, Poortahmasebi V. Impacts of the G145R Mutation on the Structure and Immunogenic Activity of the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen: A Computational Analysis. Hepat Mon 2016; 16:e39097. [PMID: 27642350 PMCID: PMC5018363 DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.39097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccine-escaped hepatitis B virus (HBV) mutations occur within the "a" determinant area, which is located in the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) protein. It is now well established that the common G145R mutation is highly capable of escaping from HBsAg immune recognition. However, the impacts of this mutation on the structure and immunogenic activity of HBsAg have been poorly investigated. OBJECTIVES The present study analyzed the effects of the G145R mutation on the structure and immunogenic activity of the HBsAg. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional (3D) structure of HBsAg for both the wild-type and G145R mutant were predicted and refined using several web tools. After quantitative evaluations, the effects of the G145R mutation on the secondary and 3D structures of the HBsAg were investigated. In parallel, the immunogenic activity of the wild-type and mutant HBsAg was also analyzed using a ClusPro docking server as well as the IEDB web tool. Further analyses were performed via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the GROMACS v5.0.2 simulation package. RESULTS The G145R mutation causes a considerable reduction in the immunogenic activity of the HBsAg through a conformational change in the HBsAg antigenic loops. This mutation inserts a new β-strand in the "a" determinant region of the HBsAg, leading to a reduced binding affinity to its monoclonal antibody, MAb12. The G145R mutation also increased the compactness and stability of the HBsAg by enhancing the rigidity of the "a" determinant. CONCLUSIONS These data will be beneficial for designing more advanced antibodies for the recognition of the HBsAg in diagnostics. In addition, the results of this study may assist in the design or development of more effective hepatitis B vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Rezaee
- Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Deputy of Curative Affairs, Budget Administration, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Saeideh Najafi
- Department of Microbiology, Tonekabon branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Mazandaran, IR Iran
| | - Solmaz Sadeghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Alieh Pourdast
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Seyed Moayed Alavian
- Middle East Liver Diseases (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran
- Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Seyed Ehsan Alavian
- Middle East Liver Diseases (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
- Corresponding Author: Vahdat Poortahmasebi, Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P. O. Box: 151556446, Tehran, IR Iran. Tel: +98-2188992660, E-mail:
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Poortahmasebi V, Poorebrahim M, Najafi S, Jazayeri SM, Alavian SM, Arab SS, Ghavami S, Alavian SE, Rezaei Moghadam A, Amiri M. How Hepatitis C Virus Leads to Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Network-Based Study. Hepat Mon 2016; 16:e36005. [PMID: 27148389 PMCID: PMC4852094 DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.36005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been known as a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. However, the distinct molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of HCV proteins on the HCC progression have remained unclear. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we studied the possible role of HCV in the HCC initiation and invasion using topological analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. MATERIALS AND METHODS After analysis with GEO2R, a PPI network of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was constructed for both chronic HCV and HCC samples. The STRING and GeneMANIA databases were used to determine the putative interactions between DEGs. In parallel, the functional annotation of DEGs was performed using g: Profiler web tool. The topological analysis and network visualization was carried outperformed using Cytoscape software and the top hub genes were identified. We determined the hub genes-related miRNAs using miRTarBase server and reconstructed a miRNA-Hubgene network. RESULTS Based on the topological analysis of miRNA-Hubgene network, we identified the key hub miRNAs. In order to identify the most important common sub-network, we aligned two PPI networks using NETAL tool. The c-Jun gene was identified as the most important hub gene in both HCV and HCC networks. Furthermore, the hsa-miR-34a, hsa-miR-155, hsa-miR-24, hsa-miR-744 and hsa-miR-92a were recognized as the most important hub miRNAs with positive correlation in the chronic HCV and HCC samples. Functional annotation of differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) using the tool for annotations of human miRNAs (TAM) revealed that there is a considerable overlap between miRNA gene expression profiles of HCV-infected and HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed the possible crucial genes and miRNAs involved in the initiation and progression of HCC cells infected with HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
- Corresponding Author: Mansour Poorebrahim, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran. Tel: +98-9120192664, E-mail:
| | - Saeideh Najafi
- Department of Microbiology, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, IR Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | | | - Seyed Shahriar Arab
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | | | - Adel Rezaei Moghadam
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Mehdi Amiri
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
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Asghari M, Naghavi MR, Hosseinzadeh AH, Ranjbar M, Poorebrahim M. Sequence characterized amplified region marker as a tool for selection of high-artemisinin containing species of Artemisia. Res Pharm Sci 2015; 10:453-9. [PMID: 26752994 PMCID: PMC4691966] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is currently one of the most important causes of mortality in developing countries. High resistance to available antimalarial drugs has been reported frequently, thus it is crucial to focus on the discovery of new antimalarial drugs. Artemisinin, an effective antimalarial medication, is isolated from various Artemisia species. To identify the Artemisia species producing high quantity of artemisinin, eight species of Artemisia were screened with the genetic sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker for higher quantity of artemisinin. The DNA band corresponding to SCAR marker was cloned into pGEM®-T Easy vector and sequenced. The content of artemisinin in tested species was also measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. The primers designed for high-artemisinin SCAR marker could amplify a specific band of approximately 1000 bp which was present in two Artemisia annua and Artemisia absinthium species. These SCAR marker sequences for two selected species were submitted into the GenBank databases under KC337116 and KC465952 accession numbers. HPLC analysis indicated that two selected Artemisia species, genetically recognized as high-artemisinin yielding plants, had higher artemisinin content in comparison to other examined species. Therefore, in this study, we propose developed SCAR marker as a complementary tool for confidently detection of high-artemisinin content in Artemisia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matin Asghari
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Naghavi
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran,Corresponding author: M.R. Naghavi Tel: 0098 912 3130360, Fax: 0098 2632227608
| | - Abdol Hadi Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran
| | - Mojtaba Ranjbar
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, I.R. Iran
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. Iran
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