Tumour vessel remodelling: new opportunities in cancer treatment

Tumour growth critically depends on a supportive microenvironment, including the tumour vasculature. Tumour blood vessels are structurally abnormal and functionally anergic which limits drug access and immune responses in solid cancers. Thus, tumour vasculature has been considered an attractive therapeutic target for decades. However, with time, anti-angiogenic therapy has evolved from destruction to structural and functional rehabilitation as understanding of tumour vascular biology became more refined. Vessel remodelling or normalisation strategies which alleviate hypoxia are now coming of age having been shown to have profound effects on the tumour microenvironment. This includes improved tumour perfusion, release from immune suppression and lower metastasis rates. Nevertheless, clinical translation has been slow due to challenges such as the transient nature of current normalisation strategies, limited in vivo monitoring and the heterogeneity of primary and/or metastatic tumour environments, calling for more tailored approaches to vascular remodelling. Despite these setbacks, harnessing vascular plasticity provides unique opportunities for anti-cancer combination therapies in particular anti-angiogenic immunotherapy which are yet to reach their full potential.

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Lysyl oxidase drives tumour progression by trapping EGF receptors at the cell surface

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/ncomms14909 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

HaoRan Tang ◽

Leo Leung ◽

Grazia Saturno ◽

Amaya Viros ◽

Duncan Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Surface ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Lysyl Oxidase ◽

Tumour Progression ◽

Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Tumour Microenvironment ◽

Metastatic Tumour ◽

Egf Receptors ◽

Molecule Inhibitor

Abstract Lysyl oxidase (LOX) remodels the tumour microenvironment by cross-linking the extracellular matrix. LOX overexpression is associated with poor cancer outcomes. Here, we find that LOX regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to drive tumour progression. We show that LOX regulates EGFR by suppressing TGFβ1 signalling through the secreted protease HTRA1. This increases the expression of Matrilin2 (MATN2), an EGF-like domain-containing protein that traps EGFR at the cell surface to facilitate its activation by EGF. We describe a pharmacological inhibitor of LOX, CCT365623, which disrupts EGFR cell surface retention and delays the growth of primary and metastatic tumour cells in vivo. Thus, we show that LOX regulates EGFR cell surface retention to drive tumour progression, and we validate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting this pathway with the small molecule inhibitor CCT365623.

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Abstract 723: Agonist of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Enhances Angiogenic Therapy by Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology ◽

10.1161/atvb.35.suppl_1.723 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Hong Yu ◽

Qunchao Ma ◽

Xiangyang Xia ◽

Quanwei Tao ◽

Kai Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Growth Hormone ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

Nuclear Translocation ◽

Full Potential ◽

Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone ◽

Releasing Hormone ◽

Angiogenic Therapy

Transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents a promising strategy for treating cardiovascular disease. However, the efficiency of such therapy is limited by poor cell survival and engraftment. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) regulates growth and development through pleiotropic actions on multiple target cell and tissue types. Here we studied the effect of the GHRH agonist, JI-34, on MSC survival and angiogenic therapy in a mouse model of critical limb ischemia. Treatment of MSCs with JI-34 improved MSC viability and mobility and markedly enhanced endothelial tube formation in vitro. These effects were paralleled by increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3. In vivo, JI-34 pre-treatment enhanced the engraftment of MSCs into ischemic hindlimb muscles and augmented reperfusion and limb salvage compared with untreated MSCs. Significantly more vasculature and proliferating CD31+ and CD34+ cells were detected in ischemic muscles that received MSCs treated with JI-34. Our studies demonstrate a novel role for JI-34 to markedly improve therapeutic angiogenesis in hindlimb ischemia by increasing the viability and mobility of MSCs. These findings support additional studies to explore the full potential of GHRH agonists to augment cell therapy in the management of ischemia.

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Optical Windows for Imaging the Metastatic Tumour Microenvironment in vivo

Trends in Biotechnology ◽

10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.05.001 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 5-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Takanori Kitamura ◽

Jeffrey W. Pollard ◽

Marc Vendrell

Keyword(s):

Tumour Microenvironment ◽

Metastatic Tumour

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of In vivo discovery of immunotherapy targets in the tumour microenvironment.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718256973.793493750 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Benoit Van den Eynde

Keyword(s):

Tumour Microenvironment

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Synthesis of DOTA-pyridine chelates for 64Cu coordination and radiolabeling of αMSH peptide

EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry ◽

10.1186/s41181-020-00119-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hua Yang ◽

Feng Gao ◽

Brooke McNeil ◽

Chengcheng Zhang ◽

Zheliang Yuan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Full Potential ◽

In Vivo Evaluation ◽

Melanocortin 1 Receptor ◽

Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone ◽

Endogenous Copper ◽

Coordination Ability ◽

Copper Chelators ◽

Cu Complexes ◽

High Binding Affinity

Abstract Background 64Cu is one of the few radioisotopes that can be used for both imaging and therapy, enabling theranostics with identical chemical composition. Development of stable chelators is essential to harness the potential of this isotope, challenged by the presence of endogenous copper chelators. Pyridyl type chelators show good coordination ability with copper, prompting the present study of a series of chelates DOTA-xPy (x = 1–4) that sequentially substitute carboxyl moieties with pyridyl moieties on a DOTA backbone. Results We found that the presence of pyridyl groups significantly increases 64Cu labeling conversion yield, with DOTA-2Py, −3Py and -4Py quantitatively complexing 64Cu at room temperature within 5 min (1 × 10− 4 M). [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-xPy (x = 2–4) exhibited good stability in human serum up to 24 h. When challenged with 1000 eq. of NOTA, no transmetallation was observed for all three 64Cu complexes. DOTA-xPy (x = 1–3) were conjugated to a cyclized α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (αMSH) peptide by using one of the pendant carboxyl groups as a bifunctional handle. [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-xPy-αMSH retained good serum stability (> 96% in 24 h) and showed high binding affinity (Ki = 2.1–3.7 nM) towards the melanocortin 1 receptor. Conclusion DOTA-xPy (x = 1–3) are promising chelators for 64Cu. Further in vivo evaluation is necessary to assess the full potential of these chelators as a tool to enable further theranostic radiopharmaceutical development.

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Phosphorylation of pericyte FAK-Y861 affects tumour cell apoptosis and tumour blood vessel regression

Angiogenesis ◽

10.1007/s10456-021-09776-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Delphine M. Lees ◽

Louise E. Reynolds ◽

Ana Rita Pedrosa ◽

Marina Roy-Luzarraga ◽

Kairbaan M. Hodivala-Dilke

Keyword(s):

Blood Vessel ◽

Tumour Growth ◽

Vascular Endothelial Cell ◽

Vessel Density ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Blood Vessel Density ◽

Tumour Vessel ◽

Vessel Regression ◽

Tumour Blood

AbstractFocal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in many cancer types and in vivo studies have shown that vascular endothelial cell FAK expression and FAK-phosphorylation at tyrosine (Y) 397, and subsequently FAK-Y861, are important in tumour angiogenesis. Pericytes also play a vital role in regulating tumour blood vessel stabilisation, but the specific involvement of pericyte FAK-Y397 and FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in tumour blood vessels is unknown. Using PdgfrβCre + ;FAKWT/WT, PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY397F/Y397F and PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY861F/Y861F mice, our data demonstrate that tumour growth, tumour blood vessel density, blood vessel perfusion and pericyte coverage were affected only in late stage tumours in PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY861F/Y861F but not PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY397F/Y397F mice. Further examination indicates a dual role for pericyte FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in the regulation of tumour vessel regression and also in the control of pericyte derived signals that influence apoptosis in cancer cells. Overall this study identifies the role of pericyte FAK-Y861 in the regulation of tumour vessel regression and tumour growth control and that non-phosphorylatable FAK-Y861F in pericytes reduces tumour growth and blood vessel density.

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TNFα secreted by glioma associated macrophages promotes endothelial activation and resistance against anti-angiogenic therapy

Acta Neuropathologica Communications ◽

10.1186/s40478-021-01163-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qingxia Wei ◽

Olivia Singh ◽

Can Ekinci ◽

Jaspreet Gill ◽

Mira Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critical Role ◽

Gene Expression Signature ◽

Endothelial Activation ◽

Tumor Vascularization ◽

Angiogenic Therapy ◽

Mouse Glioma ◽

Novel Therapeutic ◽

Tumor Area

AbstractOne of the most prominent features of glioblastoma (GBM) is hyper-vascularization. Bone marrow-derived macrophages are actively recruited to the tumor and referred to as glioma-associated macrophages (GAMs) which are thought to provide a critical role in tumor neo-vascularization. However, the mechanisms by which GAMs regulate endothelial cells (ECs) in the process of tumor vascularization and response to anti-angiogenic therapy (AATx) is not well-understood. Here we show that GBM cells secrete IL-8 and CCL2 which stimulate GAMs to produce TNFα. Subsequently, TNFα induces a distinct gene expression signature of activated ECs including VCAM-1, ICAM-1, CXCL5, and CXCL10. Inhibition of TNFα blocks GAM-induced EC activation both in vitro and in vivo and improve survival in mouse glioma models. Importantly we show that high TNFα expression predicts worse response to Bevacizumab in GBM patients. We further demonstrated in mouse model that treatment with B20.4.1.1, the mouse analog of Bevacizumab, increased macrophage recruitment to the tumor area and correlated with upregulated TNFα expression in GAMs and increased EC activation, which may be responsible for the failure of AATx in GBMs. These results suggest TNFα is a novel therapeutic that may reverse resistance to AATx. Future clinical studies should be aimed at inhibiting TNFα as a concurrent therapy in GBMs.

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Single-cell mapping of focused ultrasound-transfected brain

Gene Therapy ◽

10.1038/s41434-021-00226-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

A. S. Mathew ◽

C. M. Gorick ◽

R. J. Price

Keyword(s):

Single Cell ◽

Focused Ultrasound ◽

Cell Types ◽

Brain Cell ◽

Therapeutic Modality ◽

Full Potential ◽

Stress Genes ◽

Multiple Cell ◽

Differential Gene

AbstractGene delivery via focused ultrasound (FUS) mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is a disruptive therapeutic modality. Unlocking its full potential will require an understanding of how FUS parameters (e.g., peak-negative pressure (PNP)) affect transfected cell populations. Following plasmid (mRuby) delivery across the BBB with 1 MHz FUS, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing to ascertain that distributions of transfected cell types were highly dependent on PNP. Cells of the BBB (i.e., endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes) were enriched at 0.2 MPa PNP, while transfection of cells distal to the BBB (i.e., neurons, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) was augmented at 0.4 MPa PNP. PNP-dependent differential gene expression was observed for multiple cell types. Cell stress genes were upregulated proportional to PNP, independent of cell type. Our results underscore how FUS may be tuned to bias transfection toward specific brain cell types in vivo and predict how those cells will respond to transfection.

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