CALM1 promotes progression and dampens chemosensitivity to EGFR inhibitor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background: Calmodulin1 (CALM1) has been identified as one of the overexpression genes in a variety of cancers and EGFR inhibitor have been widely used in clinical treatment but it is unknown whether CALM1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have a synergistic effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the present study was to explore the synergistic effects of knock-out CALM1 combined with EGFR inhibitor (Afatinib) and to elucidate the role of CALM1 in sensitizing the resistance to Afatinib in ESCC. Method: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR were used to examine the expression of CALM1 and EGFR in ESCC tissues. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to analyze the clinical and prognostic significance of CALM1 and EGFR expression in ESCC. Furthermore, to evaluate the biological function of CALM1 in ESCC, the latest gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9（Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats）was applied to knockout CALM1 in ESCC cell lines KYSE150, Eca109 and TE-1. MTT, flow cytometry, Transwell migration, scratch wound-healing and colony formation assays were performed to assay the combined effect of knock-out CALM1 and EGFR inhibitor on ESCC cell proliferation and migration. In addition, nude mice xenograft model was used to observe the synergistic inhibition of knock-out CALM1 and Afatinib.Results: Both CALM1 and EGFR were found to be significantly over-expressed in ESCC compared with paired normal control. Over-expressed CALM1 and EGFR were significantly associated with clinical stage, T classification and poor overall prognosis, respectively. In vitro, the combined effect of knock-out CALM1 mediated by the lentivirus and EGFR inhibitor was shown to be capable of inhibiting the proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest at G1/S stage and increasing apoptosis of KYSE-150 and Eca109 cells; invasion and migration were also suppressed. In vivo, the results of tumor weight and total fluorescence were markedly reduced compared with the sgCtrl-infected group and sgCAML1 group.Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that knock-out of CALM1 could sensitize ESCC cells to EGFR inhibitor, and it may exert oncogenic role via promotion of EMT. Taken together, CALM1 may be a tempting target to overcome Afatinib resistance.

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CALM1 promotes progression and dampens chemosensitivity to EGFR inhibitor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer Cell International ◽

10.1186/s12935-021-01801-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tao Liu ◽

Xiujuan Han ◽

Shutao Zheng ◽

Qing Liu ◽

Aerziguli Tuerxun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Combined Effect ◽

Egfr Inhibitor ◽

Knock Out ◽

And Migration

Abstract Background Calmodulin1 (CALM1) has been identified as one of the overexpression genes in a variety of cancers and EGFR inhibitor have been widely used in clinical treatment but it is unknown whether CALM1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have a synergistic effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the present study was to explore the synergistic effects of knock-out CALM1 combined with EGFR inhibitor (Afatinib) and to elucidate the role of CALM1 in sensitizing the resistance to Afatinib in ESCC. Method Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR were used to examine the expression of CALM1 and EGFR in ESCC tissues. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to analyze the clinical and prognostic significance of CALM1 and EGFR expression in ESCC. Furthermore, to evaluate the biological function of CALM1 in ESCC, the latest gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9(Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)was applied to knockout CALM1 in ESCC cell lines KYSE150, Eca109 and TE-1. MTT, flow cytometry, Transwell migration, scratch wound-healing and colony formation assays were performed to assay the combined effect of knock-out CALM1 and EGFR inhibitor on ESCC cell proliferation and migration. In addition, nude mice xenograft model was used to observe the synergistic inhibition of knock-out CALM1 and Afatinib. Results Both CALM1 and EGFR were found to be significantly over-expressed in ESCC compared with paired normal control. Over-expressed CALM1 and EGFR were significantly associated with clinical stage, T classification and poor overall prognosis, respectively. In vitro, the combined effect of knock-out CALM1 mediated by the lentivirus and EGFR inhibitor was shown to be capable of inhibiting the proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest at G1/S stage and increasing apoptosis of KYSE-150 and Eca109 cells; invasion and migration were also suppressed. In vivo, the results of tumor weight and total fluorescence were markedly reduced compared with the sgCtrl-infected group and sgCAML1 group. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that knock-out of CALM1 could sensitize ESCC cells to EGFR inhibitor, and it may exert oncogenic role via promotion of EMT. Taken together, CALM1 may be a tempting target to overcome Afatinib resistance.

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CALM1 Promotes ESCC Progression and Dampens Chemosensitivity to EGFR Inhibitor

10.21203/rs.3.rs-65402/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tao Liu ◽

Xiujuan Han ◽

shutao Zheng ◽

Qing Liu ◽

Aerziguli Tuerxun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Synergistic Effects ◽

Clinical Stage ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Combined Effect ◽

Egfr Inhibitor ◽

Knock Out ◽

Egfr Expression ◽

And Migration

Abstract Background: Calmodulin1 (CALM1) has been identified as one of the overexpression genes in a variety of cancers and EGFR inhibitor have been widely used in clinical treatment but it is unknown whether CALM1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have a synergistic effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the present study was to explore the synergistic effects of knock-out CALM1 combined with EGFR inhibitor (Afatinib) and to elucidate the role of CALM1 in sensitizing the resistance to Afatinib in ESCC. Method: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR were used to examine the expression of CALM1 and EGFR in ESCC tissues. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to analyze the clinical and prognostic significance of CALM1 and EGFR expression in ESCC. Furthermore, to evaluate the biological function of CALM1 in ESCC, the latest gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9（Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats）was applied to knockout CALM1 in ESCC cell lines KYSE150, Eca109 and TE-1. MTT, flow cytometry, Transwell migration, scratch wound-healing and colony formation assays were performed to assay the combined effect of knock-out CALM1 and EGFR inhibitor on ESCC cell proliferation and migration.. In addition, nude mice xenograft model was used to observe the synergistic inhibition of knock-out CALM1 and Afatinib.Results: Both CALM1 and EGFR were found to be significantly over-expressed in ESCC compared with paired normal control. Over- expressed CALM1 and EGFR were significantly associated with clinical stage, T classification and poor overall prognosis, respectively. In vitro, the combined effect of knock-out of CALM1 mediated by the lentivirus and EGFR inhibitor was shown to be capable of inhibiting the proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest at G1/S stage and increasing apoptosis of KYSE-150 and Eca109 cells; invasion and migration were also suppressed. In vivo, the results of tumor weight and total fluorescence were markedly reduced compared with the sgCtrl-infected group and sgCAML1 group.Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that knock-out of CALM1 could sensitize ESCC cells to EGFR inhibitor, and it may exert oncogenic role via promotion of EMT. Taken together, CALM1 may be a tempting target to overcome Afatinib resistance.

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FLVCR1 Predicts Poor Prognosis and Promotes Malignant Phenotype in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Upregulating CSE1L

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.660955 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Suna Zhou ◽

Mingxin Zhang ◽

Chao Zhou ◽

Yinnan Meng ◽

Haihua Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Colony Formation ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Node Metastasis ◽

And Migration

ObjectiveDysregulation of feline leukemia virus subgroup C receptor 1(FLVCR1) expression has been investigated in several tumors. However, the expression and role of FLVCR1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain largely unknown.MethodsFLVCR1 expression in tissues was measured by immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Celigo assay, MTT assay, colony formation, caspase 3/7 activity analysis, wound healing assay, Transwell migration, and invasion assay were applied to assess the effects of FLVCR1 on ESCC tumorigenesis. Coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to identify protein interactions with FLVCR1. An in vivo imaging system (IVIS) was used to investigate the functions of FLVCR1 on the growth and metastatic capability of ESCC cells in a xenograft model and a tail vein metastasis model.ResultsElevated expression of FLVCR1 was detected in ESCC tissues and predicted poor survival. Upregulated FLVCR1 was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (N stage) and late tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. FLVCR1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation ability, induced cell apoptosis, and repressed cell migration and invasion of ESCC in vitro. Inhibition of FLVCR1 markedly repressed tumorigenicity and metastasis of ESCC cells in vivo. Mechanistically, chromosome segregation 1–like (CSE1L) was identified to interact with FLVCR1 using a Co-IP assay. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of FLVCR1 knockdown on proliferation and migration was counteracted by the exogenous expression of CSE1L.ConclusionFLVCR1 plays a pivotal role in ESCC cell survival, growth, and migration. These functions may be partially dependent upon the protein interaction between FLVCR1 and CSE1L. In addition, FLVCR1 can be applied as a clinical prognostic marker for patients with ESCC.

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Peritumoral B cells drive proangiogenic responses in HMGB1-enriched esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Angiogenesis ◽

10.1007/s10456-021-09819-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ngar Woon Kam ◽

Ka Chun Wu ◽

Wei Dai ◽

Ying Wang ◽

Leo Yik Chun Yan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

B Cells ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Mice Model ◽

And Migration

AbstractSeveral B-cell subsets with distinct functions and polarized cytokine profiles that extend beyond antibody production have been reported in different cancers. Here we have demonstrated that proliferating B cells were predominantly found in the peritumoral region of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). These B cells were enriched in tumor nests with high expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). High densities of peritumoral proliferating B cells and concomitantly high intratumoral HMGB1 expression showed improved prognostic significance, surpassing prognostic stratification of ESCC patients based on HMGB1 positivity alone. This striking association led us to set up models to test whether cancer-derived HMGB1 could shape tumor microenvironment via modulation on B cells. Overexpression of HMGB1 in ESCC cell lines (KYSE510 and EC18) enhanced proliferation and migration of B cells. Transcriptomic analysis showed that migratory B cells exhibited high enrichment of proangiogenic genes. VEGF expression in proliferating B cells was induced upon co-culture of HMGB1-overexpressing tumor cells and B cells. Secretome array profiling of conditioned media (CM) from the co-culture revealed rich expression of proangiogenic proteins. Consequently, incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with CM promoted angiogenesis in tube formation and migration assays. HMGB1 inhibitor, glycyrrhizin, abolishes all the observed proangiogenic phenotypes. Finally, co-injection of B cells and CM with HMGB1-overexpressing tumor cells, but not with glycyrrhizin, significantly enhanced tumor growth associated with increased microvascular density in ESCC xenograft mice model. Our results indicate that cancer-derived HMGB1 elevates angiogenesis in ESCC by shifting the balance toward proangiogenic signals in proliferating B cells.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of survivin over-expression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

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

10.3410/f.717961987.793468751 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

David Katzka

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Over Expression

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miR-375 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting XPR1

Current Gene Therapy ◽

10.2174/1566523220666201229155833 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Author(s):

Wenbin Wu ◽

Yangmei Zhang ◽

Xiaowu Li ◽

Xiang Wang ◽

Yuan Yuan

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Luciferase Assay ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Promoting Effect ◽

Dual Luciferase Assay ◽

Invasion And Migration ◽

And Migration

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of the miR-375/XPR1 axis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and provide a new idea for targeted therapy of ESCC. Methods: Differentially expressed genes in GEO and TCGA databases were analyzed by bioinformatics. The expression levels of miR-375 and XPR1 mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR. Protein expression of XPR1 was detected by western blot. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase assay were conducted to confirm the targeting relationship between miR-375 and XPR1. The viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of cells in each treatment group were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays. Results: Significantly down-regulated miR-375 and remarkably up-regulated XPR1 were observed in ESCC tissue and cells. Overexpression of miR-375 inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration of ESCC cells, and greatly reduced the promoting effect of XPR1 overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Dual luciferase assay confirmed that miR-375 targeted and inhibited XPR1 expression in ESCC. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the regulatory role of the miR-375/XPR1 axis in ESCC cells and provide a new potential target for the precise treatment of patients with ESCC.

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