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Sjöblom A, Pehkonen H, Jouhi L, Monni O, Randén-Brady R, Karhemo PR, Tarkkanen J, Haglund C, Mattila P, Mäkitie A, Hagström J, Carpén T. Liprin-α1 Expression in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Associates with Improved Survival in Patients with HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Head Neck Pathol 2023; 17:647-657. [PMID: 37335526 PMCID: PMC10513983 DOI: 10.1007/s12105-023-01565-7] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liprin-α1 is a scaffold protein involved in cell adhesion, motility, and invasion in malignancies. Liprin-α1 inhibits the expression of metastatic suppressor CD82 in cancers such as oral carcinoma, and the expression of these proteins has been known to correlate negatively. The role of these proteins has not been previously studied in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck cancers. Our aim was to assess the clinical and prognostic role of liprin-α1 and CD82 in HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in comparison to HPV-negative OPSCC. METHODS The data included 139 OPSCC patients treated at the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) during 2012-2016. Immunohistochemistry was utilized in HPV determination and in biomarker assays. Overall survival (OS) was used in the survival analysis. RESULTS Stronger expression of liprin-α1 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was linked to lower cancer stage (p < 0.001) and HPV positivity (p < 0.001). Additionally, we found an association between elevated expression of liprin-α1 and weak expression of CD82 in tumor cells (p = 0.029). In survival analysis, we found significant correlation between favorable OS and stronger expression of liprin-α1 in TILs among the whole patient cohort (p < 0.001) and among HPV-positive patients (p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS Increased liprin-α1 expression in the TILs is associated with favorable prognosis in OPSCC, especially among HPV-positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Sjöblom
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, PO Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henna Pehkonen
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lauri Jouhi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Monni
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program and Department of Oncology, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Reija Randén-Brady
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, PO Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Tarkkanen
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, PO Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Caj Haglund
- Research Programs Unit, Translational Cancer Medicine and Department of Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Mattila
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antti Mäkitie
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Departments of Pathology and of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Hagström
- Department of Pathology and Research Programs Unit, Translational Cancer Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Timo Carpén
- Departments of Pathology and of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Filippou A, Pehkonen H, Karhemo PR, Väänänen J, Nieminen AI, Klefström J, Grénman R, Mäkitie AA, Joensuu H, Monni O. ANO1 Expression Orchestrates p27Kip1/MCL1-Mediated Signaling in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13051170. [PMID: 33803266 PMCID: PMC7967175 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Our aim was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of how ANO1 contributes to oncogenic processes in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). We explored transcriptional programs influenced by ANO1 knockdown in patient-derived UT-SCC cell lines with 11q13 amplification and ANO1 overexpression. ANO1 depletion led to downregulation of broad pro-survival BCL2 family protein members, including MCL1, and simultaneously induced upregulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 and its redistribution from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in the studied HNSCC cells. Gene set enrichment analysis highlighted pathways associated with perturbed cell cycle and apoptosis in the ANO1-depleted samples. Silencing of ANO1 and application of an ANO1-targeting small-molecule inhibitor led to ANO1 degradation and reduction of cell viability. These findings suggest that ANO1 has drug target potential that deserves further evaluation in preclinical in vivo models. Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that derive from the mucosal epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract and present high mortality rate. Lack of efficient targeted-therapies and biomarkers towards patients’ stratification are caveats in the disease treatment. Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) gene is amplified in 30% of HNSCC cases. Evidence suggests involvement of ANO1 in proliferation, migration, and evasion of apoptosis; however, the exact mechanisms remain elusive. Aim of this study was to unravel the ANO1-dependent transcriptional programs and expand the existing knowledge of ANO1 contribution to oncogenesis and drug response in HNSCC. We cultured two HNSCC cell lines established from primary tumors harboring amplification and high expression of ANO1 in three-dimensional collagen. Differential expression analysis of ANO1-depleted HNSCC cells demonstrated downregulation of MCL1 and simultaneous upregulation of p27Kip1 expression. Suppressing ANO1 expression led to redistribution of p27Kip1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and associated with a cell cycle arrested phenotype. ANO1 silencing or pharmacological inhibition resulted in reduction of cell viability and ANO1 protein levels, as well as suppression of pro-survival BCL2 family proteins. Collectively, these data provide insights of ANO1 involvement in HNSCC carcinogenesis and support the rationale that ANO1 is an actionable drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemis Filippou
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (A.F.); (H.P.); (P.-R.K.); (J.V.)
| | - Henna Pehkonen
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (A.F.); (H.P.); (P.-R.K.); (J.V.)
| | - Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (A.F.); (H.P.); (P.-R.K.); (J.V.)
| | - Juho Väänänen
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (A.F.); (H.P.); (P.-R.K.); (J.V.)
| | - Anni I. Nieminen
- Translational Cancer Medicine Research Program and Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Juha Klefström
- Finnish Cancer Institute, FICAN South Helsinki University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Reidar Grénman
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Antti A. Mäkitie
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00130 Helsinki, Finland;
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Joensuu
- Department of Oncology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Outi Monni
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (A.F.); (H.P.); (P.-R.K.); (J.V.)
- Department of Oncology, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +358-407639302
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Tuomainen K, Al-Samadi A, Potdar S, Turunen L, Turunen M, Karhemo PR, Bergman P, Risteli M, Åström P, Tiikkaja R, Grenman R, Wennerberg K, Monni O, Salo T. Human Tumor-Derived Matrix Improves the Predictability of Head and Neck Cancer Drug Testing. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010092. [PMID: 31905951 PMCID: PMC7017272 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro cancer drug testing carries a low predictive value. We developed the human leiomyoma–derived matrix “Myogel” to better mimic the human tumor microenvironment (TME). We hypothesized that Myogel could provide an appropriate microenvironment for cancer cells, thereby allowing more in vivo–relevant drug testing. We screened 19 anticancer compounds, targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MEK, and PI3K/mTOR on 12 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines cultured on plastic, mouse sarcoma–derived Matrigel (MSDM), and Myogel. We applied a high-throughput drug screening assay under five different culturing conditions: cells in two-dimensional (2D) plastic wells and on top or embedded in Matrigel or Myogel. We then compared the efficacy of the anticancer compounds to the response rates of 19 HNSCC monotherapy clinical trials. Cancer cells on top of Myogel responded less to EGFR and MEK inhibitors compared to cells cultured on plastic or Matrigel. However, we found a similar response to the PI3K/mTOR inhibitors under all culturing conditions. Cells grown on Myogel more closely resembled the response rates reported in EGFR-inhibitor monotherapy clinical trials. Our findings suggest that a human tumor matrix improves the predictability of in vitro anticancer drug testing compared to current 2D and MSDM methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Tuomainen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (K.T.); (A.A.-S.); (M.T.)
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ahmed Al-Samadi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (K.T.); (A.A.-S.); (M.T.)
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Swapnil Potdar
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.P.); (L.T.); (K.W.)
| | - Laura Turunen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.P.); (L.T.); (K.W.)
| | - Minna Turunen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (K.T.); (A.A.-S.); (M.T.)
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology Program and Medicum, Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (P.-R.K.); (O.M.)
| | - Paula Bergman
- Biostatistics Consulting, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Maija Risteli
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland; (M.R.); (P.Å.); (R.T.)
| | - Pirjo Åström
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland; (M.R.); (P.Å.); (R.T.)
| | - Riia Tiikkaja
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland; (M.R.); (P.Å.); (R.T.)
| | - Reidar Grenman
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.P.); (L.T.); (K.W.)
- Biotech Research and Innovation Center, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Outi Monni
- Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology Program and Medicum, Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (P.-R.K.); (O.M.)
| | - Tuula Salo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (K.T.); (A.A.-S.); (M.T.)
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland; (M.R.); (P.Å.); (R.T.)
- Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helsinki University Hospital, 00029 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +358-40-544-1560
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Lepikhova T, Karhemo PR, Louhimo R, Yadav B, Murumägi A, Kulesskiy E, Kivento M, Sihto H, Grénman R, Syrjänen SM, Kallioniemi O, Aittokallio T, Wennerberg K, Joensuu H, Monni O. Drug-Sensitivity Screening and Genomic Characterization of 45 HPV-Negative Head and Neck Carcinoma Cell Lines for Novel Biomarkers of Drug Efficacy. Mol Cancer Ther 2018; 17:2060-2071. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
Oncoproteomics aims to the discovery of molecular markers, drug targets, and pathways by studying cancer specific protein expression, localization, modification, and interaction. Cell surface proteins play a central role in several pathological conditions, including cancer and its metastatic spread. However, cell surface proteins are underrepresented in proteomics analyses performed from the whole cell extracts due to their hydrophobicity and low abundance. Different methods have been developed to enrich and isolate the cell surface proteins to reduce sample complexity. Despite the method selected, the primary difficulty encountered is the solubilization of the hydrophobic transmembrane proteins from the lipid bilayer. This review focuses on proteomic analyses of metastasis-associated proteins identified using the cell surface biotinylation method. Interestingly, also certain intracellular proteins were identified from the cell surface samples. The function of these proteins at the cell surface might well differ from their function inside the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Cancer Biology and Institute of Biomedicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
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Karhemo PR, Ravela S, Laakso M, Ritamo I, Tatti O, Mäkinen S, Goodison S, Stenman UH, Hölttä E, Hautaniemi S, Valmu L, Lehti K, Laakkonen P. An optimized isolation of biotinylated cell surface proteins reveals novel players in cancer metastasis. J Proteomics 2012; 77:87-100. [PMID: 22813880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 03/13/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Details of metastasis, the deadliest aspect of cancer, are unclear. Cell surface proteins play central roles in adhesive contacts between the tumor cell and the stroma during metastasis. We optimized a fast, small-scale isolation of biotinylated cell surface proteins to reveal novel metastasis-associated players from an isogenic pair of human MDA-MB-435 cancer cells with opposite metastatic phenotypes. Isolated proteins were trypsin digested and analyzed using LC-MS/MS followed by quantitation with the Progenesis LC-MS software. Sixteen proteins displayed over twofold expression differences between the metastatic and non-metastatic cells. Interestingly, overexpression of most of them (14/16) in the metastatic cells indicates a gain of novel surface protein profile as compared to the non-metastatic ones. All five validated, differentially expressed proteins showed higher expression in the metastatic cells in culture, and four of these were further validated in vivo. Moreover, we analyzed expression of two of the identified proteins, CD109 and ITGA6 in 3-dimensional cultures of six melanoma cell lines. Both proteins marked the surface of cells derived from melanoma metastasis over cells derived from primary melanoma. The unbiased identification and validation of both known and novel metastasis-associated proteins indicate a reliable approach for the identification of differentially expressed surface proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Cancer Biology, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Karhemo PR, Rivinoja A, Lundin J, Hyvönen M, Chernenko A, Lammi J, Sihto H, Lundin M, Heikkilä P, Joensuu H, Bono P, Laakkonen P. An extensive tumor array analysis supports tumor suppressive role for nucleophosmin in breast cancer. Am J Pathol 2011; 179:1004-14. [PMID: 21689627 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Revised: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a multifunctional protein involved in a complex network of interactions. The role of NPM in oncogenesis is controversial. The NPM gene (NPM1) is mutated or rearranged in a number of hematological disorders, but such changes have not been detected in solid cancers. However, experiments with cultured NPM-null cells and with mice carrying a single inactivated NPM allele indicate a tumor suppressor function for NPM. To resolve the role of NPM in solid cancers, we examined its expression and localization in histologically normal breast tissue and a large array of human breast carcinoma samples (n = 1160), and also evaluated its association with clinicopathological variables and patient survival. The intensity and localization (nucleolar, nuclear, cytoplasmic) of NPM varied across clinical samples. No mutations explaining the differences were found, but the present findings indicate that expression levels of NPM affected its localization. Our study also revealed a novel granular staining pattern for NPM, which was an independent prognostic factor of poor prognosis. In addition, reduced levels of NPM protein were associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, luminal epithelial cells of histologically normal breast displayed high levels of NPM and overexpression of NPM in the invasive MDA-MB-231 cells abrogated their growth in soft agar. These results support a tumor suppressive role for NPM in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piia-Riitta Karhemo
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Cancer Biology, and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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