scholarly journals Collagen stiffness modulates MDA-MB231 cell metabolism through adhesion-mediated contractility

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma J. Mah ◽  
Gabrielle E. McGahey ◽  
Albert F. Yee ◽  
Michelle A. Digman

Extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical properties play a key role in cancer cell aggressiveness. Increasing substrate stiffness upregulates cancer invasion, cell contractility and focal adhesion formation. In addition to matrix properties, alteration in energy metabolism is a known characteristic of cancer cells (i.e., Warburg effect) and modulates cell invasion. However, there has been little evidence to show that substrate stiffness is able to affect cancer cell metabolism. Thus, we investigated changes in energy metabolism in response to varying collagen matrix stiffness in different cancer cells, MDA-MB231, AA375MM and U251MG and non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A. Using the phasor approach to fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), we measured the lifetime ratio of the free:bound state of NADH and determined if these cells altered their metabolism when plated on varying ECM density. This approach is a powerful tool that allows us to map the metabolic trajectory of each living cell within its cellular compartments. In our studies, we found that MDA-MB231 cells had an increase in bound NADH, indicating oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), as collagen substrate density decreased. When inhibiting myosin-II contractility with Y-27632 or blebbistatin, the MDA-MB231 cells on glass shifted from glycolysis (GLY) to OXPHOS, confirming the intricate relationship between mechanosensing and metabolism in these highly invasive tumor cells. The human glioblastoma cell line, U251MG, showed an opposite trend compared to the invasive MDA-MB231 cells. However, the human melanoma cell line, A375MM did not show any significant changes in metabolic indices when they were grown on surfaces with varying collagen density but changed when grown on glass surfaces. MCF10A cells showed no changes in metabolism across all surfaces. In addition, OXPHOS or GLY inhibitors to MDA-MB231 cells showed dramatic shifts from OXPHOS to GLY or vice versa. There were slight changes detected in MCF10A cells. These results provide an important link between cellular metabolism, contractility and ECM stiffness in human breast cancer.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeinab Ghasemishahrestani ◽  
Larissa Maura Melo Mattos ◽  
Tatiana Martins Tilli ◽  
André Souza dos Santos ◽  
Marcos Dias Pereira

Over the past decades, several advances in cancer cell biology have led to relevant details about a phenomenon called "Warburg effect". Currently, it has been accepted that Warburg effect is not anymore compatible with all cancer cells, and thus the process of aerobic glycolysis is now challenged by the knowledge of a large number of cells presenting mitochondrial function. The energy metabolism of cancer cells is focused in the bioenergetic and biosynthetic pathways to meet the requirements of rapid proliferation. Changes in the metabolism of carbohydrate, amino acids and lipids have already been reported in cancer cells and might play relevant roles for cancer progression. To the best of our knowledge, mostly of these changes are established, mainly due to genetic reprogramming that leads to the transformation of a healthy into a cancerous cell. Indeed, several enzymes of high relevance for the energy are targets of oncogenes (ex. PI3K, HIF1 and Myc) and tumor suppressor proteins (ex. p53). As a consequence of the extensive study on cancer cell metabolism, some new therapeutic strategies have appeared that aim to interrupt the aberrant metabolism, as well as the influence of genetic reprogramming in cancer cells. In this perspective, we briefly review the cancer cell metabolism (carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid), and also describe oncogenes and tumor suppressors that affect cancer cell metabolism. We also discuss some potential candidates for target therapy to disrupt the main driven-force for cancer cell metabolism and proliferation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 2070-2079
Author(s):  
Srimadhavi Ravi ◽  
Sugata Barui ◽  
Sivapriya Kirubakaran ◽  
Parul Duhan ◽  
Kaushik Bhowmik

Background: The importance of inhibiting the kinases of the DDR pathway for radiosensitizing cancer cells is well established. Cancer cells exploit these kinases for their survival, which leads to the development of resistance towards DNA damaging therapeutics. Objective: In this article, the focus is on targeting the key mediator of the DDR pathway, the ATM kinase. A new set of quinoline-3-carboxamides, as potential inhibitors of ATM, is reported. Methods: Quinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives were synthesized and cytotoxicity assay was performed to analyze the effect of molecules on different cancer cell lines like HCT116, MDA-MB-468, and MDA-MB-231. Results: Three of the synthesized compounds showed promising cytotoxicity towards a selected set of cancer cell lines. Western Blot analysis was also performed by pre-treating the cells with quercetin, a known ATM upregulator, by causing DNA double-strand breaks. SAR studies suggested the importance of the electron-donating nature of the R group for the molecule to be toxic. Finally, Western-Blot analysis confirmed the down-regulation of ATM in the cells. Additionally, the PTEN negative cell line, MDA-MB-468, was more sensitive towards the compounds in comparison with the PTEN positive cell line, MDA-MB-231. Cytotoxicity studies against 293T cells showed that the compounds were at least three times less toxic when compared with HCT116. Conclusion: In conclusion, these experiments will lay the groundwork for the evolution of potent and selective ATM inhibitors for the radio- and chemo-sensitization of cancer cells.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 1483-1493
Author(s):  
Ricardo Imbroisi Filho ◽  
Daniel T.G. Gonzaga ◽  
Thainá M. Demaria ◽  
João G.B. Leandro ◽  
Dora C.S. Costa ◽  
...  

Background: Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide, despite many different drugs available to treat the disease. This high mortality rate is largely due to the complexity of the disease, which results from several genetic and epigenetic changes. Therefore, researchers are constantly searching for novel drugs that can target different and multiple aspects of cancer. Experimental: After a screening, we selected one novel molecule, out of ninety-four triazole derivatives, that strongly affects the viability and proliferation of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, with minimal effects on non-cancer cells. The drug, named DAN94, induced a dose-dependent decrease in MCF-7 cells viability, with an IC50 of 3.2 ± 0.2 µM. Additionally, DAN94 interfered with mitochondria metabolism promoting reactive oxygen species production, triggering apoptosis and arresting the cancer cells on G1/G0 phase of cell cycle, inhibiting cell proliferation. These effects are not observed when the drug was tested in the non-cancer cell line MCF10A. Using a mouse model with xenograft tumor implants, the drug preventing tumor growth presented no toxicity for the animal and without altering biochemical markers of hepatic function. Results and Conclusion: The novel drug DAN94 is selective for cancer cells, targeting the mitochondrial metabolism, which culminates in the cancer cell death. In the end, DAN94 has been shown to be a promising drug for controlling breast cancer with minimal undesirable effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7698
Author(s):  
Sara Peri ◽  
Alessio Biagioni ◽  
Giampaolo Versienti ◽  
Elena Andreucci ◽  
Fabio Staderini ◽  
...  

Chemotherapy is still widely used as a coadjutant in gastric cancer when surgery is not possible or in presence of metastasis. During tumor evolution, gatekeeper mutations provide a selective growth advantage to a subpopulation of cancer cells that become resistant to chemotherapy. When this phenomenon happens, patients experience tumor recurrence and treatment failure. Even if many chemoresistance mechanisms are known, such as expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1) activity and activation of peculiar intracellular signaling pathways, a common and universal marker for chemoresistant cancer cells has not been identified yet. In this study we subjected the gastric cancer cell line AGS to chronic exposure of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin or paclitaxel, thus selecting cell subpopulations showing resistance to the different drugs. Such cells showed biological changes; among them, we observed that the acquired chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil induced an endothelial-like phenotype and increased the capacity to form vessel-like structures. We identified the upregulation of thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP), which is one of the most commonly reported mutated genes leading to 5-fluorouracil resistance, as the cause of such enhanced vasculogenic ability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174480692110240
Author(s):  
Silvia Gutierrez ◽  
James C Eisenach ◽  
M Danilo Boada

Some types of cancer are commonly associated with intense pain even at the early stages of the disease. The mandible is particularly vulnerable to metastasis from breast cancer, and this process has been studied using a bioluminescent human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231LUC+). Using this cell line and anatomic and neurophysiologic methods in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), we examined the impact of cancer seeding in the mandible on behavioral evidence of hypersensitivity and on trigeminal sensory neurons. Growth of cancer cells seeded to the mandible after arterial injection of the breast cancer cell line in Foxn1 animals (allogeneic model) induced behavioral hypersensitivity to mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad and desensitization of tactile and sensitization of nociceptive mechanically sensitive afferents. These changes were not restricted to the site of metastasis but extended to sensory afferents in all three divisions of the TG, accompanied by widespread overexpression of substance P and CGRP in neurons through the ganglion. Subcutaneous injection of supernatant from the MDA-MB-231LUC+ cell culture in normal animals mimicked some of the changes in mechanically responsive afferents observed with mandibular metastasis. We conclude that released products from these cancer cells in the mandible are critical for the development of cancer-induced pain and that the overall response of the system greatly surpasses these local effects, consistent with the widespread distribution of pain in patients. The mechanisms of neuronal plasticity likely occur in the TG itself and are not restricted to afferents exposed to the metastatic cancer microenvironment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3707-3722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Wu ◽  
Siyuan Liu ◽  
Jianyu Su ◽  
Jianping Chen ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
...  

Our findings provide comprehensive evidence that isoquercitrin (ISO) influenced T24 bladder cancer cell metabolism by activating the AMPK pathway as identified by combination with metabolomics and immunoblotting assay.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 631-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Jun Cao ◽  
Cai-Ping Tan ◽  
Mu-He Chen ◽  
Na Wu ◽  
De-Yang Yao ◽  
...  

We report a rational design and mechanism studies of mitochondria-immobilized iridium(iii) complexes that can kill cancer cells by targeting mitochondrial metabolism.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma El-Shafie ◽  
Sherif Ashraf Fahmy ◽  
Laila Ziko ◽  
Nada Elzahed ◽  
Tamer Shoeib ◽  
...  

Following the discovery of cisplatin over 50 years ago, platinum-based drugs have been a widely used and effective form of cancer therapy, primarily causing cell death by inducing DNA damage and triggering apoptosis. However, the dose-limiting toxicity of these drugs has led to the development of second and third generation platinum-based drugs that maintain the cytotoxicity of cisplatin but have a more acceptable side-effect profile. In addition to the creation of new analogs, tumor delivery systems such as liposome encapsulated platinum drugs have been developed and are currently in clinical trials. In this study, we have created the first PEGylated liposomal form of nedaplatin using thin film hydration. Nedaplatin, the main focus of this study, has been exclusively used in Japan for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck, esophageal, bladder, ovarian and cervical cancer. Here, we investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of free and liposomal nedaplatin on the human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 and human osteosarcoma cell line U2OS. We use a variety of assays including ICP MS and the highly sensitive histone H2AX assay to assess drug internalization and to quantify DNA damage induction. Strikingly, we show that by encapsulating nedaplatin in PEGylated liposomes, the platinum uptake cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of nedaplatin was significantly enhanced in both cancer cell lines. Moreover, the enhanced platinum uptake as well as the cytotoxic/antiproliferative effect of liposomal nedaplatin appears to be selective to cancer cells as it was not observed on two noncancer cell lines. This is the first study to develop PEGylated liposomal nedaplatin and to demonstrate the superior cell delivery potential of this product.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bamigboye J. Taiwo ◽  
Temidayo D. Popoola ◽  
Fanie R. van Heerden ◽  
Amos A. Fatokun

ABSTRACT Background The leaf of Anacardium occidentale L. has been a component of many herbal recipes in South-Western Nigeria. The work reported herein, therefore, explored the phytochemical composition of this plant and the potential anti-cancer activity of an isolated chemical constituent. Methods Phytochemical methods (including chromatographic analysis) combined with spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses (IR, HRMS and NMR (1D and 2D)) were used to identify chemical constituents. Cytotoxic effects were determined using the MTT viability assay and bright-field imaging. Induction of oxidative stress was determined using the fluorescence-based 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay. Results For the first time in the plant, Compound 1 was isolated from the leaf extract and identified as pentagalloylglucose. Compound 1 was significantly cytotoxic against the cancer cell lines HeLa (human cervical adenocarcinoma cell line) and MRC5-SV2 (human foetal lung cancer cell line), with IC50 of 71.45 and 52.24 μg/ml, respectively. The selectivity index (SI) for Compound 1 was 1.61 (IC50 against the normal human foetal lung fibroblast cell line MRC-5 was 84.33μg/ml), demonstrating better cancer cell-selectivity compared to doxorubicin with a SI of 1.28. The cytotoxic activity of Compound 1 in HeLa cells was also rapid, as shown by its concentration- and time-dependent 3 h and 6 h cytotoxicity profiles, an effect not observed with doxorubicin. Generation of reactive oxygen species at high concentrations of pentagalloylglucose to induce oxidative stress in cancer cells was identified as a mechanistic event that led to or resulted from its cytotoxicity. Conclusions We suggest that pentagalloylglucose is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells, and at high concentrations could exhibit pro-oxidant effects in those cells, as opposed to its general anti-oxidant effects in cells. Also, the presence of Compound 1 (pentagalloylglucose) in the plant and its cancer cell-selective cytotoxicity provide some rationale for the ethno-medicinal use of the plant’s leaf extract for treating diseases associated with excessive cell proliferation. Further studies are required to dissect the molecular mechanisms and players differentially regulating the biphasic anti-oxidant and pro-oxidant effects of pentagalloylglucose in normal and cancer cells.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 251686571983901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahad A Qadi ◽  
Mohammed A Hassan ◽  
Ryan A Sheikh ◽  
Othman AS Baothman ◽  
Mazin A Zamzami ◽  
...  

The epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) is a common finding in several solid and hematological tumors involving various epigenetic readers and writers leading to enhanced cell proliferation and defective apoptosis. Thymoquinone (TQ), the major biologically active compound of black seed oil, has demonstrated anticancer activities in various tumors by targeting several pathways. However, its effects on the epigenetic code of cancer cells are largely unknown. In the present study, we performed RNA sequencing to investigate the anticancer mechanisms of TQ-treated T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (Jurkat cells) and examined gene expression using different tools. We found that many key epigenetic players, including ubiquitin-like containing plant homeodomain (PHD) and really interesting new gene (RING) finger domains 1 ( UHRF1), DNMT1,3A,3B, G9A, HDAC1,4,9, KDM1B, and KMT2A,B,C,D,E, were downregulated in TQ-treated Jurkat cells. Interestingly, several TSGs, such as DLC1, PPARG, ST7, FOXO6, TET2, CYP1B1, SALL4, and DDIT3, known to be epigenetically silenced in various tumors, including acute leukemia, were upregulated, along with the upregulation of several downstream pro-apoptotic genes, such as RASL11B, RASD1, GNG3, BAD, and BIK. Data obtained from RNA sequencing were confirmed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in Jurkat cells, as well as in a human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-468 cells). We found that the decrease in cell proliferation and in the expression of UHRF1, DNMT1, G9a, and HDAC1 genes in both cancer cell (Jurkat cells and MDA-MB-468 cells) lines depends on the TQ dose. Our results indicate that the use of TQ as an epigenetic drug represents a promising strategy for epigenetic therapy for both solid and blood tumors by targeting both DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document