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Gao Y, Yu M, Liu Z, Liu Y, Kong Z, Zhu C, Qin X, Li Y, Tang L. m 6A demethylase ALKBH5 maintains stemness of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by sustaining BUB1B expression and cell proliferation. Transl Oncol 2024; 41:101858. [PMID: 38242006 PMCID: PMC10825528 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101858] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
ALKBH5 plays critical roles in various cellular processes via post-transcriptional regulation of oncogenes or tumor suppressors in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner. However, its function in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains unclear. In the present study, bioinformatic analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data were performed, and the association of ALKBH5 in predicting overall survival in patients with ICC was investigated. Then, the clinical data of patients from The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Changzhou, China) was used to reveal the overall survival of patients with ICC with different ALKBH5 expression levels by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Subsequently, in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to explore and verify the downstream genes regulated by ALKBH5. The results from TCGA data demonstrated that ALKBH5 expression is elevated in ICC and that patients with high ALKBH5 expression exhibited poor survival compared with patients with low expression. In addition, in vitro assays demonstrated that ALKBH5 promoted cell viability and maintained the stemness of ICC cells, leading to ICC progression. The present study also demonstrated that BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B (BUB1B) is the downstream gene regulated by ALKBH5 and targeting BUB1B suppressed cell growth. The in vitro and vivo experiments revealed that ALKBH5 might function through BUB1B to maintain the stemness of ICC and that altering BUB1B may suppress ICC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- The Institute of Hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China; Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Zengyuan Liu
- The Third People's Provincial Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Zhijun Kong
- Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Chunfu Zhu
- Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Xihu Qin
- Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.
| | - Liming Tang
- Gastrointestinal Surgery and Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China.
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Anastasiadou DP, Quesnel A, Duran CL, Filippou PS, Karagiannis GS. An emerging paradigm of CXCL12 involvement in the metastatic cascade. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2024; 75:12-30. [PMID: 37949685 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The chemokine CXCL12, also known as stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1), has emerged as a pivotal regulator in the intricate molecular networks driving cancer progression. As an influential factor in the tumor microenvironment, CXCL12 plays a multifaceted role that spans beyond its traditional role as a chemokine inducing invasion and metastasis. Indeed, CXCL12 has been assigned functions related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer cell stemness, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression, all of which are currently viewed as specialized biological programs contributing to the "metastatic cascade" among other cancer hallmarks. Its interaction with its cognate receptor, CXCR4, initiates a cascade of events that not only shapes the metastatic potential of tumor cells but also defines the niches within the secondary organs that support metastatic colonization. Given the profound implications of CXCL12 in the metastatic cascade, understanding its mechanistic underpinnings is of paramount importance for the targeted elimination of rate-limiting steps in the metastatic process. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge surrounding the role of CXCL12 in cancer metastasis, especially its molecular interactions rationalizing its potential as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra P Anastasiadou
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Agathe Quesnel
- School of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, United Kingdom; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, United Kingdom
| | - Camille L Duran
- Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Integrated Imaging Program for Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Panagiota S Filippou
- School of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, United Kingdom; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, United Kingdom
| | - George S Karagiannis
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Program, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Integrated Imaging Program for Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Wei J, Yao J, Yang C, Mao Y, Zhu D, Xie Y, Liu P, Yan M, Ren L, Lin Y, Zheng Q, Li X. Heterogeneous matrix stiffness regulates the cancer stem-like cell phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2022; 20:555. [PMID: 36463272 PMCID: PMC9719217 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03778-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Solid tumors are stiffer than their surrounding normal tissues; however, their interior stiffness is not uniform. Under certain conditions, cancer cells can acquire stem-like phenotypes. However, it remains unclear how the heterogeneous physical microenvironment affects stemness expression in cancer cells. Here, we aimed to evaluate matrix stiffness heterogeneity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and to explore the regulation effect of the tumor microenvironment on stem-like phenotypic changes through mechanical transduction. METHODS First, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to evaluate the elastic modulus of HCC tissues. We then used hydrogel with adjustable stiffness to investigate the effect of matrix stiffness on the stem-like phenotype expression of HCC cells. Moreover, cells cultured on hydrogel with different stiffness were subjected to morphology, real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence analyses to explore the mechanotransduction pathway. Finally, animal models were used to validate in vitro results. RESULTS AFM results confirmed the heterogenous matrix stiffness in HCC tissue. Cancer cells adhered to hydrogel with varying stiffness (1.10 ± 0.34 kPa, 4.47 ± 1.19 kPa, and 10.61 kPa) exhibited different cellular and cytoskeleton morphology. Higher matrix stiffness promoted the stem-like phenotype expression and reduced sorafenib-induced apoptosis. In contrast, lower stiffness induced the expression of proliferation-related protein Ki67. Moreover, mechanical signals were transmitted into cells through the integrin-yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway. Higher matrix stiffness did not affect YAP expression, however, reduced the proportion of phosphorylated YAP, promoted YAP nuclear translocation, and regulated gene transcription. Finally, application of ATN-161 (integrin inhibitor) and verteporfin (YAP inhibitor) effectively blocked the stem-like phenotype expression regulated by matrix stiffness. CONCLUSIONS Our experiments provide new insights into the interaction between matrix stiffness, cancer cell stemness, and heterogeneity, while also providing a novel HCC therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayun Wei
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Jia Yao
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Chendong Yang
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Civil Engineering and Mechanics College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Yongcui Mao
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Dan Zhu
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Ye Xie
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Pinyan Liu
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Mengchao Yan
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Longfei Ren
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482General Surgery Department, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Yan Lin
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Qiuxia Zheng
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Xun Li
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482General Surgery Department, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
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Sun X, Sun Y, Li J, Zhao X, Shi X, Gong T, Pan S, Zheng Z, Zhang X. SOCS6 promotes radiosensitivity and decreases cancer cell stemness in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating c-Kit ubiquitylation. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:165. [PMID: 33712005 PMCID: PMC7953756 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01859-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Radiotherapy is a major treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, HPV infection related radioresistance caused poor prognosis of ESCC. The function of SOCS6, which has been shown to be a tumor suppressor in several cancers, has not been fully investigated up till now. In this manuscript, we aim to further investigate the role of SOCS6 in regulating ESCC radioresistance. Methods Fifty-seven ESCC patients were enrolled for survival analysis. SOCS6 was stably overexpressed in HPV+ ESCC and ESCC cells, and cells were treated with radiation and then subjected to colony formation assays. Expression of DNA damage repair regulating proteins were examined by Western blotting. Cell growth, cell migration and cisplatin sensitivity were then analyzed. Sphere formation assays and flow cytometry were used to investigate changes in cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. Immunofluorescent staining and confocal microscopy were used to locate SOCS6 and c-Kit. Ubiquitylation level of c-Kit were analyzed after immunoprecipitation. Then, coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP) of SOCS6 and c-Kit were performed. In vivo, xenograft animal models were treated with radiation to examine the radiosensitivity. Results SOCS6 is correlated with better prognosis in ESCC patients. Radioresistance is impaired by SOCS6 upregulation, which inhibited cell growth, migration and increased sensitivity to cisplatin. SOCS6 significantly decreased the population of CSCs expressing the surface biomarker CD271 or CD24low/CD44high and their ability of sphere formation. SOCS6 and c-Kit were collocated in the cytoplasm. Blotting of ubiquitin and CoIP experiments indicated that the mechanism was related to ubiquitylation and degradation of the receptor c-Kit. Xenograft tumor mouse model showed that SOCS6 inhibited tumor growth and promoted radiosensitivity in vivo. Conclusions Our findings suggest that SOCS6 can promote the radiosensitivity of HPV+ ESCC and ESCC cells and reduce their stemness via ubiquitylation and degradation of c-Kit. Thus, SOCS6 is a potential target for overcoming radioresistance of ESCC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-01859-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanzi Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuchen Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaobo Shi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tuotuo Gong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shupei Pan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongqiang Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaozhi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
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Guo R, Chu A, Gong Y. Identification of cancer stem cell-related biomarkers in intestinal-type and diffuse-type gastric cancer by stemness index and weighted correlation network analysis. J Transl Med 2020; 18:418. [PMID: 33160391 PMCID: PMC7648412 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis of tumors. Considering the heterogeneity of tumors, this study aimed to explore the key genes regulating stem cells in intestinal-type and diffuse-type gastric cancer. Methods RNA-seq data and related clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). WGCNA was used to clustered differentially expressed genes with similar expression profiles to form modules. Furtherly, based on the mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi), significant modules and key genes were identified. Next, the expression of key genes was further verified by the Oncomine database. Results MRNAsi scores of GC were significantly higher than that of normal tissue. Additionally, mRNAsi scores of intestinal-type GC (IGC) were significantly higher than that of diffuse-type GC (DGC). WGCNA showed that the blue module of IGC and the brown module of DGC were both the most significantly associated with mRNAsi. We screened out 16 and 43 key genes for IGC and DGC and found that these genes were closely related, respectively. Functional analysis showed the relationship between the key genes confirmed in the Oncomine database and the fate of cells. Conclusions In this study, 16 and 43 genes related to the characteristics of CSCs were identified in IGC and DGC, respectively. These genes were both associated with cell cycle, which could serve as therapeutic targets for the inhibition of stem cells from both types of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No.155 NanjingBei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Aining Chu
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No.155 NanjingBei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yuehua Gong
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No.155 NanjingBei Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, P.R. China. .,Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China. .,Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
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Xia P, Li Q, Wu G, Huang Y. Identification of Glioma Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics Based on Weighted Gene Prognosis Module Co-Expression Network Analysis of Transcriptome Data Stemness Indices. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1512-20. [PMID: 32451841 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01590-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in humans and the most deadly. Stem cells, which are characterized by therapeutic resistance and self-renewal, play a critical role in glioma, and therefore the identification of stem cell-related genes in glioma is important. In this study, we collected and evaluated the epigenetically regulated-mRNA expression-based stemness index (EREG-mRNAsi) of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ ) for glioma patient samples, corrected through tumor purity. After EREG-mRNAsi correction, glioma pathological grade and survival were analyzed. The differentially expressed gene (DEG) co-expression network was constructed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in TCGA glioma samples to find modules of interest and key genes. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway-enrichment analysis were performed to identify the function of significant genetic modules. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and co-expression network analysis of key genes was performed for further analysis. In this experiment, we found that corrected EREG-mRNAsi was significantly up-regulated in glioma samples and increased with glioma grade, with G4 having the highest stemness index. Patients with higher corrected EREG-mRNAsi scores had worse overall survival. Fifty-one DEGs in the brown gene module were found to be positively related to EREG-mRNAsi via WGCNA. GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that chromosome segregation and cell cycle molecular function were the major functions in key DEGs. Among these key DEGs, BUB1 showed high connectivity and co-expression, and also high connectivity in PPI. Fifty-one key genes were verified to play a critical role in glioma stem cells. These genes may serve as primary therapeutic targets to inhibit the activity of glioma stem cells.
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Pei J, Wang Y, Li Y. Identification of key genes controlling breast cancer stem cell characteristics via stemness indices analysis. J Transl Med 2020; 18:74. [PMID: 32050983 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02260-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the gradual unveiling of tumour heterogeneity, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are now being considered the initial component of tumour initiation. However, the mechanisms of the growth and maintenance of breast cancer (BRCA) stem cells are still unknown. Methods To explore the crucial genes modulating BRCA stemness characteristics, we combined the gene expression value and mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) of samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the mRNAsi was corrected using the tumour purity (corrected mRNAsi). mRNAsi and corrected mRNAsi were analysed and showed a close relationship with BRCA clinical characteristics, including tumour depth, pathological staging and survival status. Next, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to distinguish crucial gene modules and key genes. A series of functional analyses and expression validation of key genes were conducted using multiple databases, including Oncomine, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Gene Expression Profiling Integrative Analysis (GEPIA). Results This study found that mRNAsi and corrected mRNAsi scores were higher in BRCA tissues than that in normal tissues, and both of them increased with tumour stage. Higher corrected mRNAsi scores showed worse overall survival outcomes. We screened 3 modules and 32 key genes, and those key genes were found to be strongly correlated with each other. Functional analysis revealed that the key genes were related to cell fate decision events such as the cell cycle, cellular senescence, chromosome segregation and mitotic nuclear division. Among 32 key genes, we identified 12 genes that strongly correlated with BRCA survival. Conclusions Thirty-two genes were found to be closely related to BRCA stem cell characteristics; among them, 12 genes showed prognosis-oriented effects in BRCA patients. The most significant signalling pathway related to stemness in BRCA was the cell cycle pathway, which may support new ideas for screening therapeutic targets to inhibit BRCA stem characteristics. These findings may highlight some therapeutic targets for inhibiting BRCA stem cells.
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Liu MY, Xie F, Zhang Y, Wang TT, Ma SN, Zhao PX, Zhang X, Lebaron TW, Yan XL, Ma XM. Molecular hydrogen suppresses glioblastoma growth via inducing the glioma stem-like cell differentiation. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:145. [PMID: 31113492 PMCID: PMC6528353 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1241-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common type of primary malignant brain tumor. Molecular hydrogen has been considered a preventive and therapeutic medical gas in many diseases including cancer. In our study, we sought to assess the potential role of molecular hydrogen on GBM. Methods The in vivo studies were performed using a rat orthotopic glioma model and a mouse subcutaneous xenograft model. Animals inhaled hydrogen gas (67%) 1 h two times per day. MR imaging studies were performed to determine the tumor volume. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometry analysis were conducted to determine the expression of surface markers. Sphere formation assay was performed to assess the cancer stem cell self-renewal capacity. Assays for cell migration, invasion, and colony formation were conducted. Results The in vivo study showed that hydrogen inhalation could effectively suppress GBM tumor growth and prolong the survival of mice with GBM. IHC and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that hydrogen treatment markedly downregulated the expression of markers involved in stemness (CD133, Nestin), proliferation (ki67), and angiogenesis (CD34) and also upregulated GFAP expression, a marker of differentiation. Similar results were obtained in the in vitro studies. The sphere-forming ability of glioma cells was also suppressed by hydrogen treatment. Moreover, hydrogen treatment also suppressed the migration, invasion, and colony-forming ability of glioma cells. Conclusions Together, these results indicated that molecular hydrogen may serve as a potential anti-tumor agent in the treatment of GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yu Liu
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Fei Xie
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Affiliated Bayi Brain Hospital, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Ting-Ting Wang
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Ma
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Peng-Xiang Zhao
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Tyler W Lebaron
- Correction is Molecular Hydrogen Institute, Enoch, UT, USA.,Center of Experimental Medicine, Institute for Heart Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Xin-Long Yan
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China. .,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China.
| | - Xue-Mei Ma
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China. .,Beijing Molecular Hydrogen Research Center, Beijing, 100124, China.
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Abstract
Studies have shown that transforming acidic coiled-coil protein 3 (TACC3), a key component of centrosome-microtubule dynamic networks, is significantly associated with various types of human cancer. We have recently reported that high levels of TACC3 are found in breast cancer, lead to the accumulation of spontaneous DNA damage due to defective DNA damage response signaling, and confer cellular sensitivity to radiation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Although our study suggests a potential role of TACC3 as a biomarker in breast cancer detection and prediction of therapy outcome, its role as a therapeutic target in breast cancer is not well studied. In this study, we show that a small molecule TACC3 inhibitor, KHS101, suppresses cell growth, motility, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and breast cancer cell stemness while it induces apoptotic cell death. Quantitative multiplexed proteomic analysis using tandem mass tags (TMTs) revealed that KHS101 alters multiple biological processes and signaling pathways, and significantly reduces the expression of mitotic kinases Aurora A and Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), which are closely associated with TACC3. Our findings therefore provide a new insight into the potential mechanisms of the action of KHS101 and suggest its possible use as a dual or multi-targeting mitotic inhibitor in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Campo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Eun-Kyoung Breuer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
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Shen W, Xie J, Zhao S, Du R, Luo X, He H, Jiang S, Hao N, Chen C, Guo C, Liu Y, Chen Y, Sun P, Yang S, Luo N, Xiang R, Luo Y. ICAM3 mediates inflammatory signaling to promote cancer cell stemness. Cancer Lett 2018; 422:29-43. [PMID: 29477378 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we present a medium throughput siRNA screen platform to identify inflammation genes that regulate cancer cell stemness. We identified several novel candidates that decrease OCT4 expression and reduce the ALDH + subpopulation both of which are characteristic of stemness. Furthermore, one of the novel candidates ICAM3 up-regulates in the ALDH + subpopulation, the side population and the developed spheres. ICAM3 knockdown reduces the side population, sphere formation and chemo-resistance in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and A549 lung cancer cells. In addition, mice bearing MDA-MB-231-shICAM3 cells develop smaller tumors and fewer lung metastases versus control. Interestingly, ICAM3 recruits and binds to Src by the YLPL motif in its intracellular domain which further activates the PI3K-AKT phosphorylation cascades. The activated p-AKT enhances SOX2 and OCT4 activity and thereby maintains cancer cell stemness. Meanwhile, the p-AKT facilitated p50 nuclear translocation/activation enhances p50 feedback and thereby promotes ICAM3 expression by binding to the ICAM3 promoter region. On this basis, Src and PI3K inhibitors suppress ICAM3-mediated signaling pathways and reduce chemo-resistance which results in tumor growth suppression in vitro and in vivo. In summary, we identify a potential CSC regulator and suggest a novel mechanism by which ICAM3 governs cancer cell stemness and inflammation.
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Tang W, Ren A, Xiao H, Sun H, Li B. Highly expressed NRSN2 is related to malignant phenotype in ovarian cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2016; 85:248-255. [PMID: 27908706 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.11.012] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurensin-2 (NRSN2) is a 24KD protein, which is reported located in the membrane, while its biological functions remain unknown, not to mention in the field of tumor biology. In current study, we aimed to analyze the functions of NRSN2 in ovarian cancer. We screened TCGA database and surprisingly found that its copy number and mRNA level are gained and heightened respectively in parts of serous ovarian cancer patients. In current study, both loss- and gain- function assays found that NRSN2 is associated with the malignant phenotype in ovarian cancer cells, because NRSN2 plays a remarkable role in anchorage-independent colony formation, subcutaneous tumor formation, cell invasion, and chemoresistance. Furthermore, we found that the level of NRSN2 was positively correlated with the expression of stem cell marker CD133. In addition, Wnt canonical signaling and Twist/Akt/Erk axis were also regulated by NRSN2. In conclusion, we found that a poorly studied protein, NRSN2, which is associated with the malignant phenotype of serous ovarian cancer and as a membrane protein; it could be a target for serous ovarian cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Tang
- The Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, China
| | - Aimin Ren
- The Department of Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, China
| | - Hongyang Xiao
- The Department of Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, China
| | - Huizhen Sun
- The Department of Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, China
| | - Bin Li
- The Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, China.
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