scholarly journals Role of Calcium Homeostasis in Modulating EMT in Cancer

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1200
Author(s):  
Clark A. Jones ◽  
Lori A. Hazlehurst
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Calcium Flux ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Future Drug ◽  
Migratory Cells

Calcium is essential for cells to perform numerous physiological processes. In cancer, the augmentation of calcium signaling supports the more proliferative and migratory cells, which is a characteristic of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). By genetically and epigenetically modifying genes, channels, and entire signaling pathways, cancer cells have adapted to survive with an extreme imbalance of calcium that allows them to grow and metastasize in an abnormal manner. This cellular remodeling also allows for the evasion of immune surveillance and the development of drug resistance, which lead to poor prognosis in patients. Understanding the role calcium flux plays in driving the phenotypes associated with invasion, immune suppression, metastasis, and drug resistance remains critical for determining treatments to optimize clinical outcomes and future drug discovery.

scholarly journals The role of tensins in malignant neoplasms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Nizioł ◽  
Anna Pryczynicz
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Malignant Neoplasms ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Phosphorylated Proteins ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Cell Metastasis ◽  
Src Homology

Tensins belong to the family of adhesion proteins which form focal adhesions serving as a bridge between the extracellular matrix and intracellular actin skeleton. The tensin family consists of four members (tensin-1 to -4) which are widely expressed in normal and cancerous tissues. The presence of Src homology 2 and phosphotyrosine binding domains is a unique feature of tensins which enables them to interact with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in PI3K/Akt and β-integrin/FAK signaling pathways. The tensin-mediated signaling pathway regulates physiological processes including cell motility and cytoskeleton integrity. The expression of tensins varies among cancers. Several papers report tensins as tumor suppressive proteins, whereas tensins may promote epithelial to mesenchymal transition and cancer cell metastasis. Recent findings and further research on tensins as therapeutic targets in cancers may contribute to identifying effective anti-cancer therapy. In this review we focus on the role of tensins in normal and cancer cells. We discuss potential mechanism(s) involved in carcinogenesis.

scholarly journals Integrin-Mediated TGFβ Activation Modulates the Tumour Microenvironment

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brown ◽  
Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Clinical Success ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Potential Benefits

TGFβ (transforming growth factor-beta) is a pleotropic cytokine with contrasting effects in cancer. In normal tissue and early tumours, TGFβ acts as a tumour suppressor, limiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, these effects are eventually abrogated by the loss or inactivation of downstream signalling within the TGFβ pathway, and in established tumours, TGFβ then acts as a tumour promotor through multiple mechanisms including inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), promoting formation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and increasing angiogenesis. TGFβ is secrereted as a large latent complex and is embedded in the extracellular matrix or held on the surface of cells and must be activated before mediating its multiple functions. Thus, whilst TGFβ is abundant in the tumour microenvironment (TME), its functionality is regulated by local activation. The αv-integrins are major activators of latent-TGFβ. The potential benefits of manipulating the immune TME have been highlighted by the clinical success of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in a number of solid tumour types. TGFβ is a potent suppressor of T-cell-mediated immune surveillance and a key cause of resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, as certain integrins locally activate TGFβ, they are likely to have a role in the immunosuppressive TME, although this remains to be confirmed. In this review, we discussed the role of TGFβ in cancer, the role of integrins in activating TGFβ in the TME, and the potential benefits of targeting integrins to augment immunotherapies.

scholarly journals Roles of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) in homeostasis and diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongha Kim ◽  
Keun Il Kim ◽  
Sung Hee Baek
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Cancer Microenvironment ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Lysine Specific Demethylase ◽  
Histone H3k4 ◽  
Cerebral Physiology

AbstractLysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) targets mono- or di-methylated histone H3K4 and H3K9 as well as non-histone substrates and functions in the regulation of gene expression as a transcriptional repressor or activator. This enzyme plays a pivotal role in various physiological processes, including development, differentiation, inflammation, thermogenesis, neuronal and cerebral physiology, and the maintenance of stemness in stem cells. LSD1 also participates in pathological processes, including cancer as the most representative disease. It promotes oncogenesis by facilitating the survival of cancer cells and by generating a pro-cancer microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the role of LSD1 in several aspects of cancer, such as hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, stemness versus differentiation of cancer stem cells, as well as anti-tumor immunity. Additionally, the current understanding of the involvement of LSD1 in various other pathological processes is discussed.

scholarly journals WDR5 regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cellsviaTGFβ

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Punzi Simona ◽  
Balestrieri Chiara ◽  
D’Alesio Carolina ◽  
Bossi Daniela ◽  
Dellino Gaetano Ivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Transcriptional Repression ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Tgfβ Signaling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Luminal B ◽  
Tumor Plasticity

AbstractEven if the mortality rate in breast cancer (BC) has recently decreased, development of metastases and drug resistance are still challenges to successful systemic treatment. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as epigenetic dynamic modifications, plays a pivotal role in invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Here, we report that WDR5, the core subunit of histone H3 K4 methyltransferase complexes, is crucial in coordinating EMT and regulating epigenetic changes that drive metastasis. We show that silencing of WDR5 in BC up-regulates an epithelial signature in triple negative and luminal B like patients by transcriptional repression of mesenchymal genes and reduction of the metastatic properties of these cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that this regulation is mediated by inhibition of the TGFβ signaling both at the transcriptional and post-translational level, suggesting an active role of WDR5 in guiding tumor plasticity upon oncogenic insults, regardless of the pathological BC subtypes.We therefore suggest that WDR5 inhibition could be a successful pharmacologic approach to inhibit EMT and sensitize breast cancer cells to chemotherapy.

scholarly journals SOX2 in cancer stemness: tumor malignancy and therapeutic potentials

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahfuz Al Mamun ◽  
Kaiissar Mannoor ◽  
Jun Cao ◽  
Firdausi Qadri ◽  
Xiaoyuan Song
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Clinical Relapse ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Cancer Stemness ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Anti Cancer

Abstract Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a minor subpopulation of tumor bulks with self-renewal and seeding capacity to generate new tumors, posit a significant challenge to develop effective and long-lasting anti-cancer therapies. The emergence of drug resistance appears upon failure of chemo-/radiation therapy to eradicate the CSCs, thereby leading to CSC-mediated clinical relapse. Accumulating evidence suggests that transcription factor SOX2, a master regulator of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, drives cancer stemness, fuels tumor initiation, and contributes to tumor aggressiveness through major drug resistance mechanisms like epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, ATP-binding cassette drug transporters, anti-apoptotic and/or pro-survival signaling, lineage plasticity, and evasion of immune surveillance. Gaining a better insight and comprehensive interrogation into the mechanistic basis of SOX2-mediated generation of CSCs and treatment failure might therefore lead to new therapeutic targets involving CSC-specific anti-cancer strategies.

The role of DUBs in the post-translational control of cell migration

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillem Lambies ◽  
Antonio García de Herreros ◽  
Víctor M. Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Cell Migration ◽  
Translational Control ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tgfβ Receptors ◽  
Fundamental Process ◽  
Multistep Process

Abstract Cell migration is a multifactorial/multistep process that requires the concerted action of growth and transcriptional factors, motor proteins, extracellular matrix remodeling and proteases. In this review, we focus on the role of transcription factors modulating Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT-TFs), a fundamental process supporting both physiological and pathological cell migration. These EMT-TFs (Snail1/2, Twist1/2 and Zeb1/2) are labile proteins which should be stabilized to initiate EMT and provide full migratory and invasive properties. We present here a family of enzymes, the deubiquitinases (DUBs) which have a crucial role in counteracting polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of EMT-TFs after their induction by TGFβ, inflammatory cytokines and hypoxia. We also describe the DUBs promoting the stabilization of Smads, TGFβ receptors and other key proteins involved in transduction pathways controlling EMT.

scholarly journals The role of exosomes in lung cancer metastasis and clinical applications: an updated review

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Yin ◽  
Xiaotian Liu ◽  
Xuejun Shao ◽  
Tao Feng ◽  
Jun Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Value Assessment ◽  
Lung Carcinogenesis ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Lung Cancer Metastasis

AbstractLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths accounting for 24% of all cancer deaths. As a crucial phase of tumor progression, lung cancer metastasis is linked to over 70% of these mortalities. In recent years, exosomes have received increasing research attention in their role in the induction of carcinogenesis and metastasis in the lung. In this review, recent studies on the contribution of exosomes to lung cancer metastasis are discussed, particularly highlighting the role of lung tumor-derived exosomes in immune system evasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis, and their involvement at both the pre-metastatic and metastatic phases. The clinical application of exosomes as therapeutic drug carriers, their role in antitumor drug resistance, and their utility as predictive biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis are also presented. The metastatic activity, a complex multistep process of cancer cell invasion, survival in blood vessels, attachment and subsequent colonization of the host's organs, is integrated with exosomal effects. Exosomes act as functional mediating factors in cell–cell communication, influencing various steps of the metastatic cascade. To this end, lung cancer cell-derived exosomes enhance cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis, regulate drug resistance, and antitumor immune activities during lung carcinogenesis, and are currently being explored as an important component in liquid biopsy assessment for diagnosing lung cancer. These nano-sized extracellular vesicles are also being explored as delivery vehicles for therapeutic molecules owing to their unique properties of biocompatibility, circulatory stability, decreased toxicity, and tumor specificity. The current knowledge of the role of exosomes highlights an array of exosome-dependent pathways and cargoes that are ripe for exploiting therapeutic targets to treat lung cancer metastasis, and for predictive value assessment in diagnosis, prognosis, and anti-tumor drug resistance.

scholarly journals The Role of Autophagy and lncRNAs in the Maintenance of Cancer Stem Cells

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1239
Author(s):  
Leila Jahangiri ◽  
Tala Ishola ◽  
Perla Pucci ◽  
Ricky M. Trigg ◽  
Joao Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Repair Capacity ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cellular Processes

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess properties such as self-renewal, resistance to apoptotic cues, quiescence, and DNA-damage repair capacity. Moreover, CSCs strongly influence the tumour microenvironment (TME) and may account for cancer progression, recurrence, and relapse. CSCs represent a distinct subpopulation in tumours and the detection, characterisation, and understanding of the regulatory landscape and cellular processes that govern their maintenance may pave the way to improving prognosis, selective targeted therapy, and therapy outcomes. In this review, we have discussed the characteristics of CSCs identified in various cancer types and the role of autophagy and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in maintaining the homeostasis of CSCs. Further, we have discussed methods to detect CSCs and strategies for treatment and relapse, taking into account the requirement to inhibit CSC growth and survival within the complex backdrop of cellular processes, microenvironmental interactions, and regulatory networks associated with cancer. Finally, we critique the computationally reinforced triangle of factors inclusive of CSC properties, the process of autophagy, and lncRNA and their associated networks with respect to hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and signalling pathways.

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