Targeting NRF2 and Its Downstream Processes: Opportunities and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Torrente ◽  
Gina M. DeNicola
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Metabolic Genes ◽  
Transient Activation ◽  
Downstream Processes

The transcription factor NRF2 coordinates the expression of a vast array of cytoprotective and metabolic genes in response to various stress inputs to restore cellular homeostasis. Transient activation of NRF2 in healthy tissues has been long recognized as a cellular defense mechanism and is critical to prevent cancer initiation by carcinogens. However, cancer cells frequently hijack the protective capability of NRF2 to sustain the redox balance and meet their metabolic requirements for proliferation. Further, aberrant activation of NRF2 in cancer cells confers resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy. During the last decade, many research groups have attempted to block NRF2 activity in tumors to counteract the survival and proliferative advantage of cancer cells and reverse resistance to treatment. In this review, we highlight the role of NRF2 in cancer progression and discuss the past and current approaches to disable NRF2 signaling in tumors. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Chemogenetic Approaches to Probe Redox Pathways: Implications for Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Toxicology

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Steinhorn ◽  
Emrah Eroglu ◽  
Thomas Michel
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Control ◽  
Cardiovascular Pharmacology ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Signaling Molecules ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Acid Oxidase ◽  
Amino Acid Oxidase ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology ◽  
Intracellular Redox

Chemogenetics refers to experimental systems that dynamically regulate the activity of a recombinant protein by providing or withholding the protein's specific biochemical stimulus. Chemogenetic tools permit precise dynamic control of specific signaling molecules to delineate the roles of those molecules in physiology and disease. Yeast d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) enables chemogenetic manipulation of intracellular redox balance by generating hydrogen peroxide only in the presence of d-amino acids. Advances in biosensors have allowed the precise quantitation of these signaling molecules. The combination of chemogenetic approaches with biosensor methodologies has opened up new lines of investigation, allowing the analysis of intracellular redox pathways that modulate physiological and pathological cell responses. We anticipate that newly developed transgenic chemogenetic models will permit dynamic modulation of cellular redox balance in diverse cells and tissues and will facilitate the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets involved in both physiological redox pathways and pathological oxidative stress. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The Coevolution of Placentation and Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter P. Wagner ◽  
Kshitiz ◽  
Anasuya Dighe ◽  
Andre Levchenko
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Online Publication ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Trophoblast Cells ◽  
Cancer Hallmarks ◽  
Placental Invasion

Analogies between placentation, in particular the behavior of trophoblast cells, and cancer have been noted since the beginning of the twentieth century. To what degree these can be explained as a consequence of the evolution of placentation has been unclear. In this review, we conclude that many similarities between trophoblast and cancer cells are shared with other, phylogenetically older processes than placentation. The best candidates for cancer hallmarks that can be explained by the evolution of eutherian placenta are mechanisms of immune evasion. Another dimension of the maternal accommodation of the placenta with an impact on cancer malignancy is the evolution of endometrial invasibility. Species with lower degrees of placental invasion tend to have lower vulnerability to cancer malignancy. We finally identify several areas in which one could expect to see coevolutionary changes in placental and cancer biology but that, to our knowledge, have not been explored. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Single-Cell Epigenomics Reveals Mechanisms of Cancer Progression

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay M. LaFave ◽  
Rachel Savage ◽  
Jason D. Buenrostro
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Cancer Evolution ◽  
Regulatory State ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Cancer Initiation ◽  
Gene Regulatory

Cancer initiation is driven by the cooperation between genetic and epigenetic aberrations that disrupt gene regulatory programs critical to maintain specialized cellular functions. After initiation, cells acquire additional genetic and epigenetic alterations influenced by tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms, which increase intratumoral heterogeneity, reshape the cell's underlying gene regulatory network, and promote cancer evolution. Furthermore, environmental or therapeutic insults drive the selection of heterogeneous cell states, with implications for cancer initiation, maintenance, and drug resistance. The advancement of single-cell genomics has begun to uncover the full repertoire of chromatin and gene expression states (cell states) that exist within individual tumors. These single-cell analyses suggest that cells diversify in their regulatory states upon transformation by co-opting damage-induced and nonlineage regulatory programs that can lead to epigenomic plasticity. Here, we review these recent studies related to regulatory state changes in cancer progression and highlight the growing single-cell epigenomics toolkit poised to address unresolved questions in the field. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cancer Biology, Volume 6 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Aptamer-Based Biosensors for Global Health Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lia A. Stanciu ◽  
Qingshan Wei ◽  
Amit K. Barui ◽  
Noor Mohammad
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Circulating Cancer Cells ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Health Applications

Since aptamers were first reported in the early 2000s, research on their use for the detection of health-relevant analytical targets has exploded. This review article provides a brief overview of the most recent developments in the field of aptamer-based biosensors for global health applications. The review provides a description of general aptasensing principles and follows up with examples of recent reports of diagnostics-related applications. These applications include detection of proteins and small molecules, circulating cancer cells, whole-cell pathogens, extracellular vesicles, and tissue diagnostics. The review also discusses the main challenges that this growing technology faces in the quest of bringing these new devices from the laboratory to the market. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 23 is June 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Tumour Microenvironment Stress Promotes the Development of Drug Resistance

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1801
Author(s):  
Nicole A. Seebacher ◽  
Maria Krchniakova ◽  
Alexandra E. Stacy ◽  
Jan Skoda ◽  
Patric J. Jansson
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Therapeutic Success ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Development Of Resistance

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and it continues to be a major barrier to cancer treatment. The tumour microenvironment (TME) has proven to play an essential role in not only cancer progression and metastasis, but also the development of resistance to chemotherapy. Despite the significant advances in the efficacy of anti-cancer therapies, the development of drug resistance remains a major impediment to therapeutic success. This review highlights the interplay between various factors within the TME that collectively initiate or propagate MDR. The key TME-mediated mechanisms of MDR regulation that will be discussed herein include (1) altered metabolic processing and the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) axis; (2) changes in stromal cells; (3) increased cancer cell survival via autophagy and failure of apoptosis; (4) altered drug delivery, uptake, or efflux and (5) the induction of a cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype. The review also discusses thought-provoking ideas that may assist in overcoming the TME-induced MDR. We conclude that stressors from the TME and exposure to chemotherapeutic agents are strongly linked to the development of MDR in cancer cells. Therefore, there remains a vast area for potential research to further elicit the interplay between factors existing both within and outside the TME. Elucidating the mechanisms within this network is essential for developing new therapeutic strategies that are less prone to failure due to the development of resistance in cancer cells.

PRDM14: A Potential Target for Cancer Therapy

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 945-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengting Ou ◽  
Shun Li ◽  
Liling Tang
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Therapy ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Molecular Target ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Tumor Treatment ◽  
Precise Understanding ◽  
Pr Domain ◽  
Low Expression

PRDM14 belongs to the PR domain-containing (PRDM) family. Although a precise understanding focused on the function of PRDM14 to maintain stemness and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells via epigenetic mechanisms, growing experimental evidence has been linked PRDM14 to human cancers. In adults, PRDM14 has low expression in human tissues. Aberrant PRDM14 expression is connected with various malignant histological types and solid cancers, where PRDM14 can act as a driver of oncogenic processes. Overexpression of RPDM14 enhanced cancer cells growth and reduced cancer cells sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents. Reducing the expression of PRDM14 in cancer cells can enhance the therapeutic sensitivity of drugs to cancer cells, suggesting that aberrant PRDM14 may have a carcinogenic characteristic in tumor therapy and as a new molecular target. This review summarizes the structure and oncogenic properties of PRDM14 in different malignancies and suggests that PRDM14 may be a potential therapeutic molecular target for tumor treatment.

Emodin Enhances the Chemosensitivity of Endometrial Cancer by Inhibiting ROS-Mediated Cisplatin-resistance

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1054-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Ding ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Shan Su ◽  
Yumei Ding ◽  
Xiaohui Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Endometrial Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agent ◽  
Annexin V ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Endometrial Cancer Cell ◽  
Animal Survival ◽  
Apoptosis Level

Background: Endometrial cancer is a common cause of death in gynecological malignancies. Cisplatin is a clinically chemotherapeutic agent. However, drug-resistance is the primary cause of treatment failure. Objective: Emodin is commonly used clinically to increase the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic agents, yet whether Emodin promotes the role of Cisplatin in the treatment of endometrial cancer has not been studied. Method: CCK-8 kit was utilized to determine the growth of two endometrial cancer cell lines, Ishikawa and HEC-IB. The apoptosis level of Ishikawa and HEC-IB cells was detected by Annexin V / propidium iodide double-staining assay. ROS level was detected by DCFH-DA and NADPH oxidase expression. Expressions of drug-resistant genes were examined by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results: Emodin combined with Cisplatin reduced cell growth and increased the apoptosis of endometrial cancer cells. Co-treatment of Emodin and Cisplatin increased chemosensitivity by inhibiting the expression of drugresistant genes through reducing the ROS levels in endometrial cancer cells. In an endometrial cancer xenograft murine model, the tumor size was reduced and animal survival time was increased by co-treatment of Emodin and Cisplatin. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Emodin enhances the chemosensitivity of Cisplatin on endometrial cancer by inhibiting ROS-mediated expression of drug-resistance genes.

scholarly journals A Novel Synthetic Compound (E)-5-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyleneamino)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile Inhibits TNFα-Induced MMP9 Expression via EGR-1 Downregulation in MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 5080
Author(s):  
Munki Jeong ◽  
Euitaek Jung ◽  
Young Han Lee ◽  
Jeong Kon Seo ◽  
Seunghyun Ahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Synthetic Compound ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Mmp9 Expression ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Signaling Axis ◽  
Early Growth Response 1

Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women worldwide. Gelatinases such as matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 play crucial roles in cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. To develop a novel platform compound, we synthesized a flavonoid derivative, (E)-5-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyleneamino)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (named DK4023) and characterized its inhibitory effects on the motility and MMP2 and MMP9 expression of highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We found that DK4023 inhibited tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-induced motility and F-actin formation of MDA-MB-231 cells. DK4023 also suppressed the TNFα-induced mRNA expression of MMP9 through the downregulation of the TNFα-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/early growth response 1 (EGR-1) signaling axis. These results suggest that DK4023 could serve as a potential platform compound for the development of novel chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents against invasive breast cancer.

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