scholarly journals Dysregulated splicing factor SF3B1 unveils a dual therapeutic vulnerability to target pancreatic cancer cells and cancer stem cells with an anti-splicing drug

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Alors-Perez ◽  
Ricardo Blázquez-Encinas ◽  
Sonia Alcalá ◽  
Cristina Viyuela-García ◽  
Sergio Pedraza-Arevalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Splicing Factor ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Multiple Tumor ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Pladienolide B

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal cancer, requiring novel treatments to target both cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs). Altered splicing is emerging as both a novel cancer hallmark and an attractive therapeutic target. The core splicing factor SF3B1 is heavily altered in cancer and can be inhibited by Pladienolide-B, but its actionability in PDAC is unknown. We explored the presence and role of SF3B1 in PDAC and interrogated its potential as an actionable target. Methods SF3B1 was analyzed in PDAC tissues, an RNA-seq dataset, and publicly available databases, examining associations with splicing alterations and key features/genes. Functional assays in PDAC cell lines and PDX-derived CSCs served to test Pladienolide-B treatment effects in vitro, and in vivo in zebrafish and mice. Results SF3B1 was overexpressed in human PDAC and associated with tumor grade and lymph-node involvement. SF3B1 levels closely associated with distinct splicing event profiles and expression of key PDAC players (KRAS, TP53). In PDAC cells, Pladienolide-B increased apoptosis and decreased multiple tumor-related features, including cell proliferation, migration, and colony/sphere formation, altering AKT and JNK signaling, and favoring proapoptotic splicing variants (BCL-XS/BCL-XL, KRASa/KRAS, Δ133TP53/TP53). Importantly, Pladienolide-B similarly impaired CSCs, reducing their stemness capacity and increasing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. Pladienolide-B also reduced PDAC/CSCs xenograft tumor growth in vivo in zebrafish and in mice. Conclusion SF3B1 overexpression represents a therapeutic vulnerability in PDAC, as altered splicing can be targeted with Pladienolide-B both in cancer cells and CSCs, paving the way for novel therapies for this lethal cancer.

scholarly journals Dysregulated splicing factor SF3B1 unveils a dual therapeutic vulnerability to target pancreatic cancer cells and cancer stem cells with an anti-splicing drug

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Alors-Perez ◽  
Ricardo Blázquez-Encinas ◽  
Sonia Alcalá ◽  
Cristina Viyuela-García ◽  
Sergio Pedraza-Arevalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Splicing Factor ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Multiple Tumor ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Pladienolide B

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains an appallingly lethal cancer, requiring novel treatments to target both cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs). Altered splicing is emerging as a novel cancer hallmark and attractive therapeutic target. The core splicing factor SF3B1 is heavily altered in cancer and can be inhibited by Pladienolide-B, but its actionability in PDAC is poorly known. We explore the presence and role of SF3B1 in PDAC and interrogate its potential as an actionable target. Methods SF3B1 was analyzed in PDAC tissues, a RNA-seq dataset, and public databases, examining associations with splicing alterations and key features/genes. Functional assays in PDAC cell lines and PDX-derived CSCs served to test Pladienolide-B treatment effects in vitro, and in vivo in zebrafish and mice. Results SF3B1 was overexpressed in human PDAC and associated with tumor grade and lymph-node involvement. SF3B1 levels closely associated with distinct splicing event profiles and expression of key PDAC players (KRAS, TP53). In PDAC cells, Pladienolide-B increased apoptosis and decreased multiple tumor-related features, including cell proliferation, migration, and colony/sphere formation, altering AKT and JNK signaling, and favoring proapoptotic splicing variants (BCL-XS/BCL-XL, KRASa/KRAS, Δ133TP53/TP53). Importantly, Pladienolide-B similarly impaired CSCs, reducing their stemness capacity and increasing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. Pladienolide-B also reduced PDAC/CSCs xenograft tumor growth in vivo in zebrafish and/or mice. Conclusion SF3B1 overexpression is a therapeutic vulnerability in PDAC, as altered splicing can be targeted with Pladienolide-B both in cancer cells and CSCs, paving the way for novel therapies for this lethal cancer.

scholarly journals NR5A2 transcriptional activation by BRD4 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by upregulating GDF15

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Guo ◽  
Yingke Zhou ◽  
Hui Guo ◽  
Dianyun Ren ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Gene Sets ◽  
And Migration

AbstractNR5A2 is a transcription factor regulating the expression of various oncogenes. However, the role of NR5A2 and the specific regulatory mechanism of NR5A2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not thoroughly studied. In our study, Western blotting, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry were conducted to assess the expression levels of different molecules. Wound-healing, MTS, colony formation, and transwell assays were employed to evaluate the malignant potential of pancreatic cancer cells. We demonstrated that NR5A2 acted as a negative prognostic biomarker in PDAC. NR5A2 silencing inhibited the proliferation and migration abilities of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. While NR5A2 overexpression markedly promoted both events in vitro. We further identified that NR5A2 was transcriptionally upregulated by BRD4 in pancreatic cancer cells and this was confirmed by Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP-qPCR. Besides, transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to explore the cancer-promoting effects of NR5A2, we found that GDF15 is a component of multiple down-regulated tumor-promoting gene sets after NR5A2 was silenced. Next, we showed that NR5A2 enhanced the malignancy of pancreatic cancer cells by inducing the transcription of GDF15. Collectively, our findings suggest that NR5A2 expression is induced by BRD4. In turn, NR5A2 activates the transcription of GDF15, promoting pancreatic cancer progression. Therefore, NR5A2 and GDF15 could be promising therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.

scholarly journals Stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3) and β3GalT5 are cancer specific and significant markers for breast cancer stem cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 960-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K. C. Cheung ◽  
Po-Kai Chuang ◽  
Han-Wen Huang ◽  
Wendy W. Hwang-Verslues ◽  
Candy Hsin-Hua Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
New Cancer Therapies ◽  
Globo Series

The discovery of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible for self-renewal and tumor growth in heterogeneous cancer tissues, has stimulated interests in developing new cancer therapies and early diagnosis. However, the markers currently used for isolation of CSCs are often not selective enough to enrich CSCs for the study of this special cell population. Here we show that the breast CSCs isolated with CD44+CD24-/loSSEA-3+ or ESAhiPROCRhiSSEA-3+ markers had higher tumorigenicity than those with conventional markers in vitro and in vivo. As few as 10 cells with CD44+CD24-/loSSEA-3+ formed tumor in mice, compared with more than 100 cells with CD44+CD24-/lo. Suppression of SSEA-3 expression by knockdown of the gene encoding β-1,3-galactosyltransferase 5 (β3GalT5) in the globo-series pathway, led to apoptosis in cancer cells specifically but had no effect on normal cells. This finding is further supported by the analysis of SSEA-3 and the two related globo-series epitopes SSEA4 and globo-H in stem cells (embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) and various normal and cancer cells, and by the antibody approach to target the globo-series glycans and the late-stage clinical trials of a breast cancer vaccine.

scholarly journals Repurposing of Fluvastatin as an Anticancer Agent against Breast Cancer Stem Cells via Encapsulation in a Hyaluronan-Conjugated Liposome

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1133
Author(s):  
Ji Yu ◽  
Dae Shin ◽  
Jin-Seok Kim
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Body Weight Loss ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Anticancer Efficacy

Fluvastatin (FLUVA), which is a common anti-hypercholesterolemia drug, exhibits potential anticancer activity as it suppresses the proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of breast cancer cells via inhibiting 3-hydroxy-methyl glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. In this study, hyaluronan-conjugated FLUVA-encapsulating liposomes (HA-L-FLUVA) were evaluated for their anticancer efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency of HA-L-FLUVA were 158.36 ± 1.78 nm, −24.85 ± 6.26 mV, and 35%, respectively. Growth inhibition of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) by HA-L-FLUVA was more effective than that by free FLUVA. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of FLUVA, L-FLVUA, and HA-L-FLUVA were 0.16, 0.17, and 0.09 μM, respectively. The in vivo anticancer effect of HA-L-FLUVA in combination with doxorubicin (DOX) was more effective than that of free FLUVA, free DOX, and HA-L-FLUVA. The longest survival of mice was achieved by treatment with FLUVA (15 mg/kg) and HA-L-FLUVA (15 mg/kg) + DOX (3 mg/kg), followed by HA-L-FLUVA (15 mg/kg), Dulbecco’s phosphate buffered saline, and DOX (3 mg/kg). No more than 10% body weight loss was observed in the mice injected with FLUVA, indicating that the drug was not toxic. Taken together, these results indicate that HA-L-FLUVA could serve as an effective anticancer drug by inhibiting the growth of both breast cancer cells and cancer stem cells.

scholarly journals DNA-Methylation-Caused Downregulation of miR-30 Contributes to the High Expression of XPO1 and the Aggressive Growth of Tumors in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asfar S. Azmi ◽  
Yiwei Li ◽  
Amro Aboukameel ◽  
Irfana Muqbil ◽  
Philip A. Philip ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Expression ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Multiple Tumor ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive cancers, with high mortality in the United States. One of the important signal transduction proteins involved in the regulation of pancreatic cancer’s aggressive progression is the nuclear export protein (XPO1). High expression of XPO1 has been found in pancreatic, lung, breast and other cancers and lymphomas with a poor prognosis of patients with tumors and high proliferative activity of cancer cells. Because XPO1 exports multiple tumor suppressor proteins simultaneously from the nucleus, the inhibition of XPO1 may retain multiple tumor suppressors in the nucleus, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis in tumors. In this study, we found that the high expression of XPO1 in pancreatic cancer cells could be, in part, due to the methylation of the miR-30 gene, leading to the low expression level of the miR-30 family. By co-transfection of the XPO1 3′-UTR-Luc target vector with miR-30 mimic, we found that XPO1 is a direct target of the miR-30 family. We also observed that the enforced expression of the miR-30 family inhibited the expression of XPO1, resulting in the suppression of pancreatic cancer growth both in vitro and in vivo. These findings could help to design a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer by introducing miR-30 into cancer cells.

Phenformin-loaded polymeric micelles for targeting both cancer cells and cancer stem cells in vitro and in vivo

Biomaterials ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (33) ◽  
pp. 9177-9186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeetha Krishnamurthy ◽  
Victor W.L. Ng ◽  
Shujun Gao ◽  
Min-Han Tan ◽  
Yi Yan Yang
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Polymeric Micelles

scholarly journals Targeted intervention of eIF4A1 inhibits EMT and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells via c-MYC/miR-9 signaling

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchong Zhao ◽  
Yun Wang ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Shuya Bai ◽  
Wang Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Early Metastasis ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
E Cadherin

Abstract Background Owing to the lack of effective treatment options, early metastasis remains the major cause of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) recurrence and mortality. However, the molecular mechanism of early metastasis is largely unknown. We characterized the function of eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs) in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) and metastasis in pancreatic cancer cells to investigate whether eIFs and downstream c-MYC affect EMT and metastasis by joint interference. Methods We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genome Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases to analyze eIF4A1 expression in PDAC tissues and further validated the findings with a microarray containing 53 PDAC samples. Expression regulation and pharmacological inhibition of eIF4A1 and c-MYC were performed to determine their role in migration, invasion, and metastasis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Results Elevated eIF4A1 expression was positively correlated with lymph node infiltration, tumor size, and indicated a poor prognosis. eIF4A1 decreased E-cadherin expression through the c-MYC/miR-9 axis. Loss of eIF4A1 and c-MYC decreased the EMT and metastasis capabilities of pancreatic cancer cells, whereas upregulation of eIF4A1 attenuated the inhibition of EMT and metastasis induced by c-MYC downregulation. Treatment with the eIF4A1 inhibitor rocaglamide (RocA) or the c-MYC inhibitor Mycro3 either alone or in combination significantly decreased the expression level of EMT markers in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. However, the efficiency and safety of RocA alone were not inferior to those of the combination treatment in vivo. Conclusion Overexpression of eIF4A1 downregulated E-cadherin expression through the c-MYC/miR-9 axis, which promoted EMT and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. Despite the potential feedback loop between eIF4A1 and c-MYC, RocA monotherapy is a promising treatment inhibiting eIF4A1-induced PDAC metastasis.

scholarly journals Cancer Stem Cells: Powerful Targets to Improve Current Anticancer Therapeutics

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rayana L. Bighetti-Trevisan ◽  
Lucas O. Sousa ◽  
Rogerio M. Castilho ◽  
Luciana O. Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Tumor Resistance ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Anticancer Therapeutics

A frequent observation in several malignancies is the development of resistance to therapy that results in frequent tumor relapse and metastasis. Much of the tumor resistance phenotype comes from its heterogeneity that halts the ability of therapeutic agents to eliminate all cancer cells effectively. Tumor heterogeneity is, in part, controlled by cancer stem cells (CSC). CSC may be considered the reservoir of cancer cells as they exhibit properties of self-renewal and plasticity and the capability of reestablishing a heterogeneous tumor cell population. The endowed resistance mechanisms of CSC are mainly attributed to several factors including cellular quiescence, accumulation of ABC transporters, disruption of apoptosis, epigenetic reprogramming, and metabolism. There is a current need to develop new therapeutic drugs capable of targeting CSC to overcome tumor resistance. Emerging in vitro and in vivo studies strongly support the potential benefits of combination therapies capable of targeting cancer stem cell-targeting agents. Clinical trials are still underway to address the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of combination treatment. This review will address the main characteristics, therapeutic implications, and perspectives of targeting CSC to improve current anticancer therapeutics.

scholarly journals STAT1-mediated inhibition of FOXM1 enhances gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Liu ◽  
Jiaqi Shi ◽  
Qingwei Li ◽  
Zhiwei Li ◽  
Changjie Lou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Human Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Foxm1 Expression

Abstract Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) was identified as an oncogenic transcription factor and master regulator of tumor progression and metastasis. FOXM1 expression often correlates with poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance. In the present study, we investigated the association of FOXM1 expression and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. Elevated FOXM1 protein levels were associated with gemcitabine chemoresistance in patients with pancreatic cancer. In gemcitabine resistance cell line models of pancreatic cancer, FOXM1 expression increased, which induced gemcitabine chemoresistance in vitro. In pancreatic cancer cells treated with gemcitabine, FOXM1 affected nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling activity. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a negative association of FOXM1 expression and the level of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) in human pancreatic cancer tissues. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and chromatin-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that pSTAT1 directly binds to the FOXM1 promoter to down-regulate its transcription. Interferon γ (IFNγ) promoted gemcitabine-induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo by FOXM1 inhibition. These data suggested that FOXM1 enhances chemoresistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. IFNγ could be used to down-regulate the expression of FOXM1 through STAT1 phosphorylation, thereby increasing the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine. These studies suggested the sensitization by IFNγ in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) chemotherapy, which requires further clinical studies.

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