1
|
Russo GC, Crawford AJ, Clark D, Cui J, Carney R, Karl MN, Su B, Starich B, Lih TS, Kamat P, Zhang Q, Nair PR, Wu PH, Lee MH, Leong HS, Zhang H, Rebecca VW, Wirtz D. Correction: E-cadherin interacts with EGFR resulting in hyper-activation of ERK in multiple models of breast cancer. Oncogene 2024; 43:1488. [PMID: 38580706 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03023-2] [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: 04/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella C Russo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ashleigh J Crawford
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - David Clark
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Julie Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ryan Carney
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Michelle N Karl
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Boyang Su
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bartholomew Starich
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Tung-Shing Lih
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Pratik Kamat
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Qiming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Praful R Nair
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Pei-Hsun Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Meng-Horng Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Hon S Leong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Vito W Rebecca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Russo GC, Crawford AJ, Clark D, Cui J, Carney R, Karl MN, Su B, Starich B, Lih TS, Kamat P, Zhang Q, Nair PR, Wu PH, Lee MH, Leong HS, Zhang H, Rebecca VW, Wirtz D. E-cadherin interacts with EGFR resulting in hyper-activation of ERK in multiple models of breast cancer. Oncogene 2024; 43:1445-1462. [PMID: 38509231 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03007-2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The loss of intercellular adhesion molecule E-cadherin is a hallmark of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which tumor cells transition into an invasive phenotype. Accordingly, E-cadherin has long been considered a tumor suppressor gene; however, E-cadherin expression is paradoxically correlated with breast cancer survival rates. Using novel multi-compartment organoids and multiple in vivo models, we show that E-cadherin promotes a hyper-proliferative phenotype in breast cancer cells via interaction with the transmembrane receptor EGFR. The E-cad and EGFR interaction results in activation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, leading to a significant increase in proliferation via activation of transcription factors, including c-Fos. Pharmacological inhibition of MEK activity in E-cadherin positive breast cancer significantly decreases both tumor growth and macro-metastasis in vivo. This work provides evidence for a novel role of E-cadherin in breast tumor progression and identifies a new target to treat hyper-proliferative E-cadherin-positive breast tumors, thus providing the foundation to utilize E-cadherin as a biomarker for specific therapeutic success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella C Russo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ashleigh J Crawford
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - David Clark
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Julie Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ryan Carney
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Michelle N Karl
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Boyang Su
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bartholomew Starich
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Tung-Shing Lih
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Pratik Kamat
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Qiming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Praful R Nair
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Pei-Hsun Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Meng-Horng Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Hon S Leong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Vito W Rebecca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sneider A, Liu Y, Starich B, Du W, Nair PR, Marar C, Faqih N, Ciotti GE, Kim JH, Krishnan S, Ibrahim S, Igboko M, Locke A, Lewis DM, Hong H, Karl MN, Vij R, Russo GC, Gómez-de-Mariscal E, Habibi M, Muñoz-Barrutia A, Gu L, Eisinger-Mathason TSK, Wirtz D. Small extracellular vesicles promote stiffness-mediated metastasis. Cancer Res Commun 2024:743072. [PMID: 38630893 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0431] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Tissue stiffness is a critical prognostic factor in breast cancer and is associated with metastatic progression. Here we show an alternative and complementary hypothesis of tumor progression whereby physiological matrix stiffness affects the quantity and protein cargo of small EVs produced by cancer cells, which in turn aid cancer cell dissemination. Primary patient breast tissue produces significantly more EVs from stiff tumor tissue than soft tumor adjacent tissue. EVs released by cancer cells on matrices that model human breast tumors (25 kPa; stiff EVs) feature increased adhesion molecule presentation (ITGα2β1, ITGα6β4, ITGα6β1, CD44) compared to EVs from softer normal tissue (0.5 kPa; soft EVs), which facilitates their binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including collagen IV, and a 3-fold increase in homing ability to distant organs in mice. In a zebrafish xenograft model, stiff EVs aid cancer cell dissemination. Moreover, normal, resident lung fibroblasts treated with stiff and soft EVs change their gene expression profiles to adopt a cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. These findings show that EV quantity, cargo, and function depend heavily on the mechanical properties of the extracellular microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ying Liu
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Joo Ho Kim
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mehran Habibi
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Luo Gu
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Denis Wirtz
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yang H, Karl MN, Wang W, Starich B, Tan H, Kiemen A, Pucsek AB, Kuo YH, Russo GC, Pan T, Jaffee EM, Fertig EJ, Wirtz D, Spangler JB. Engineered bispecific antibodies targeting the interleukin-6 and -8 receptors potently inhibit cancer cell migration and tumor metastasis. Mol Ther 2022; 30:3430-3449. [PMID: 35841152 PMCID: PMC9637575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simultaneous inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) signaling diminishes cancer cell migration, and combination therapy has recently been shown to synergistically reduce metastatic burden in a preclinical model of triple-negative breast cancer. Here, we have engineered two novel bispecific antibodies that target the IL-6 and IL-8 receptors to concurrently block the signaling activity of both ligands. We demonstrate that a first-in-class bispecific antibody design has promising therapeutic potential, with enhanced selectivity and potency compared with monoclonal antibody and small-molecule drug combinations in both cellular and animal models of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Mechanistic characterization revealed that our engineered bispecific antibodies have no impact on cell viability, but profoundly reduce the migratory potential of cancer cells; hence they constitute a true anti-metastatic treatment. Moreover, we demonstrate that our antibodies can be readily combined with standard-of-care anti-proliferative drugs to develop effective anti-cancer regimens. Collectively, our work establishes an innovative metastasis-focused direction for cancer drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huilin Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Michelle N Karl
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Wentao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Bartholomew Starich
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Haotian Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Ashley Kiemen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Alexandra B Pucsek
- Department of Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Yun-Huai Kuo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Gabriella C Russo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tim Pan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Department of Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Pathology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Elana J Fertig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Institute for Nano Biotechnology (INBT), the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Pathology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Jamie B Spangler
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Russo GC, Crawford A, Clark DJ, Cui J, Carney R, Karl MN, Su B, Starich B, Lee TS, Zhang Q, Wu PH, Lee MH, Leong HS, Rebecca V, Zhang H, Wirtz D. Abstract 1000: E-cadherin and EGFR interactions result in hyper-proliferation via ERK signaling in breast cancer. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The loss of the intercellular adhesion molecule E-cadherin is a hallmark of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which tumor cells transition into an invasive phenotype. Thus, E-cadherin has long been considered a tumor suppressor gene. However, recent studies have provided evidence that E-cadherin may promote metastasis rather than suppress it, suggesting oncogenic behavior. Here we provide data that E-cadherin plays an oncogenic role in breast cancer by promoting a hyper-proliferative phenotype in breast cancer cells via interaction with EGFR. This interaction results in the activation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, leading directly to changes in proliferation via transcription factors such as c-Fos. Pharmacological inhibition of MEK in E-cadherin positive breast cancer cells significantly decreases both tumor growth and macro-metastasis in vivo. This work provides evidence for a novel role of E-cadherin in breast tumor progression and identifies a potential new target to treat hyper-proliferative E-cadherin-positive breast tumors.
Citation Format: Gabriella C. Russo, Ashleigh Crawford, David J. Clark, Julie Cui, Ryan Carney, Michelle N. Karl, Boyang Su, Batrholomew Starich, Tung-Shing Lee, Qiming Zhang, Pei-hsun Wu, Meng-Horng Lee, Hon S. Leong, Vito Rebecca, Hui Zhang, Denis Wirtz. E-cadherin and EGFR interactions result in hyper-proliferation via ERK signaling in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1000.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julie Cui
- 1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | | | | | - Boyang Su
- 2University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hon S. Leong
- 2University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Hui Zhang
- 1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | | |
Collapse
|