scholarly journals The MEK1/2 Pathway as a Therapeutic Target in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1369
Author(s):  
Mikhail S. Chesnokov ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Yeonjung Park ◽  
Jessica Ezell ◽  
Geeta Mehta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Tumor Growth Rate ◽  
High Recurrence Rate ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the deadliest of gynecological cancers due to its high recurrence rate and acquired chemoresistance. RAS/MEK/ERK pathway activation is linked to cell proliferation and therapeutic resistance, but the role of MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway in HGSOC is poorly investigated. We evaluated MEK1/2 pathway activity in clinical HGSOC samples and ovarian cancer cell lines using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RT-qPCR. HGSOC cell lines were used to assess immediate and lasting effects of MEK1/2 inhibition with trametinib in vitro. Trametinib effect on tumor growth in vivo was investigated using mouse xenografts. MEK1/2 pathway is hyperactivated in HGSOC and is further stimulated by cisplatin treatment. Trametinib treatment causes cell cycle arrest in G1/0-phase and reduces tumor growth rate in vivo but does not induce cell death or reduce fraction of CD133+ stem-like cells, while increasing expression of stemness-associated genes instead. Transient trametinib treatment causes long-term increase in a subpopulation of cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)1 activity that can survive and grow in non-adherent conditions. We conclude that MEK1/2 inhibition may be a promising approach to suppress ovarian cancer growth as a maintenance therapy. Promotion of stem-like properties upon MEK1/2 inhibition suggests a possible mechanism of resistance, so a combination with CSC-targeting drugs should be considered.

scholarly journals The MEK1/2 pathway as a therapeutic target in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail Chesnokov ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Yeonjung Park ◽  
Jessica Ezel ◽  
Geeta Mehta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

AbstractRationaleHigh-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the deadliest of gynecological cancers due to high rate of recurrence and acquired chemoresistance. Mutation and activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway has been linked to cancer cell proliferation and therapeutic resistance in numerous cancers. While RAS mutations are not commonly observed in HGSOC, less is known about downstream pathway activation. We therefore sought to investigate the role of MEK1/2 signaling in ovarian cancer.MethodsMEK1/2 pathway activity was evaluated in clinical HGSOC tissue samples and ovarian cancer cell lines by using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RT-qPCR. OVCAR8 and PEO4 HGSOC cell lines were used to assess the effect of MEK1/2 inhibition on cell viability, proliferation rate, and stem-like characteristics. Xenografts were used in mice to investigate the effect of MEK1/2 inhibition on tumor growth in vivo. A drug washout experimental model was used to study the lasting effects of MEK1/2 inhibition therapy.ResultsMEK1/2 signaling is active in a majority of HGSOC tissue samples and cell lines. MEK1/2 is further stimulated by cisplatin treatment, suggesting that MEK1/2 activation may play a role in chemotherapy resistance. The MEK1/2 inhibitor, trametinib, drastically inhibits MEK1/2 downstream signaling activity, causes prominent cell cycle arrest in the G1/0-phase in cell cultures, and reduces the rate of tumor growth in vivo, but does not induce cell death. Cells treated with trametinib display a high CD133+ fraction and increased expression of stemness-associated genes. Transient trametinib treatment causes long-term increases in a high ALDH1 activity subpopulation of cells that possess the capability of surviving and growing in non-adherent conditions.ConclusionsMEK1/2 inhibition in HGSOC cells efficiently inhibits proliferation and tumor growth and therefore may be a promising approach to suppress ovarian cancer cell growth. MEK1/2 inhibition promotes stem-like properties, thus suggesting a possible mechanism of resistance and that a combination with CSC-targeting drugs should be considered.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA PTPRG-AS1 promotes cell tumorigenicity in epithelial ovarian cancer by decoying microRNA-545-3p and consequently enhancing HDAC4 expression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Xijian Xu ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Jiuyan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Long Non Coding Rna

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNA PTPRG antisense RNA 1 (PTPRG-AS1) deregulation has been reported in various human malignancies and identified as an important modulator of cancer development. Few reports have focused on the detailed role of PTPRG-AS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and its underlying mechanism. This study aimed to determine the physiological function of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC. A series of experiments were also performed to identify the mechanisms through which PTPRG-AS1 exerts its function in EOC.Methods: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine PTPRG-AS1 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines. PTPRG-AS1 was silenced in EOC cells and studied with respect to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The putative miRNAs that target PTPRG-AS1 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed in luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.Results: Our data verified the upregulation of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC tissues and cell lines. High PTPRG-AS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with EOC. Functionally, EOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo were suppressed by PTPRG-AS1 silencing. In contrast, cell apoptosis was promoted by loss of PTPRG-AS1. Regarding the mechanism, PTPRG-AS1 could serve as a competing endogenous RNA in EOC cells by decoying microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), thereby elevating histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) expression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that PTPRG-AS1 knockdown-mediated effects on EOC cells were, in part, counteracted by the inhibition of miR-545-3p or restoration of HDAC4.Conclusions: PTPRG-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that aggravated the malignancy of EOC through the miR-545-3p/HDAC4 ceRNA network. Thus, targeting the PTPRG-AS1/miR-545-3p/HDAC4 pathway may be a novel strategy for EOC anticancer therapy.

scholarly journals LY2157299 Monohydrate, a TGF-βR1 Inhibitor, Suppresses Tumor Growth and Ascites Development in Ovarian Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Zhang ◽  
Xiaonan Hou ◽  
Bradley Evans ◽  
Jamison VanBlaricom ◽  
Saravut Weroha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Ascites Formation ◽  
Tgf Β1

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling has pleiotropic functions regulating cancer initiation, development, and metastasis, and also plays important roles in the interaction between stromal and cancer cells, making the pathway a potential therapeutic target. LY2157299 monohydrate (LY), an inhibitor of TGF-β receptor I (TGFBRI), was examined for its ability to inhibit ovarian cancer (OC) growth both in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cell lines and xenograft models. Immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and Western blot were performed to study the effect of LY treatment on expression of cancer- and fibroblast-derived genes. Results showed that exposure to TGF-β1 induced phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3 in all tested OC cell lines, but this induction was suppressed by pretreatment with LY. LY alone inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HGSOC cells in vitro. TGF-β1-induced fibroblast activation was blocked by LY. LY also delayed tumor growth and suppressed ascites formation in vivo. In addition, independent of tumor inhibition, LY reduces ascites formation in vivo. Using OVCAR8 xenograft specimens we confirmed the inhibitory effect of LY on TGF-β signaling and tumor stromal expression of collagen type XI chain 1 (COL11A1) and versican (VCAN). These observations suggest a role for anti-TGF-β signaling-directed therapy in ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals ROR2 induces cell apoptosis via activating IRE1α/JNK/CHOP pathway in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Tianfeng Liu ◽  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Wenqing Luan ◽  
Xuan Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Serous Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Induce Cell Apoptosis

Abstract Background Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal cancer in female genital tumors. New disease markers and novel therapeutic strategies are urgent to identify considering the current status of treatment. Receptor tyrosine kinases family plays critical roles in embryo development and disease progression. However, ambivalent research conclusions of ROR2 make its role in tumor confused and the underlying mechanism is far from being understood. In this study, we sought to clarify the effects of ROR2 on high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) cells and reveal the mechanism. Methods Immunohistochemistry assay and western-blot assay were used to detect proteins expression. ROR2 overexpression adenovirus and Lentivirus were used to create ROR2 overexpression model in vitro and in vivo, respectively. MTT assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay were used to measure the proliferation, invasion and migration ability of cancer cells. Flow cytometry assay was used to detect cell apoptosis rate. Whole transcriptome analysis was used to explore the differentially expressed genes between ROR2 overexpression group and negative control group. SiRNA targeted IRE1α was used to knockdown IRE1α. Kira6 was used to inhibit phosphorylation of IRE1α. Results Expression of ROR2 was significantly lower in HGSOC tissues compared to normal fallopian tube epithelium or ovarian surface epithelium tissues. In HGSOC cohort, patients with advanced stages or positive lymph nodes were prone to express lower ROR2. Overexpression of ROR2 could repress the proliferation of HGSOC cells and induce cell apoptosis. RNA sequencing analysis indicated that ROR2 overexpression could induce unfold protein response. The results were also confirmed by upregulation of BIP and phosphorylated IRE1α. Furthermore, pro-death factors like CHOP, phosphorylated JNK and phosphorylated c-Jun were also upregulated. IRE1α knockdown or Kira6 treatment could reverse the apoptosis induced by ROR2 overexpression. Finally, tumor xenograft experiment showed ROR2 overexpression could significantly repress the growth rate and volume of transplanted tumors. Conclusions Taken together, ROR2 downregulation was associated with HGSOC development and progression. ROR2 overexpression could repress cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in HGSOC cells. And the underlying mechanism might be the activation of IRE1α/JNK/CHOP pathway induced by ROR2.

scholarly journals Long Non-coding RNA PTPRG-AS1 Promotes Cell Tumorigenicity in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer by Decoying microRNA-545-3p and Consequently Enhancing HDAC4 Expression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Xijian Xu ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Jiuyan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Long Non Coding Rna

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNA PTPRG antisense RNA 1 (PTPRG-AS1) deregulation has been reported in various human malignancies and identified as an important modulator of cancer development. Few reports have focused on the detailed role of PTPRG-AS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and its underlying mechanism. This study aimed to determine the physiological function of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC. A series of experiments were also done to identify the mechanisms through which PTPRG-AS1 exerts its function in EOC.Methods: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine PTPRG-AS1 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines. PTPRG-AS1 was silenced in EOC cells and studied with respect to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. The putative miRNAs that target PTPRG-AS1 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed in luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.Results: Our data verified the upregulation of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC tissues and cell lines. High PTPRG-AS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with EOC. Functionally, EOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo were suppressed by PTPRG-AS1 silencing. In contrast, cell apoptosis was promoted by loss of PTPRG-AS1. For the mechanism part, PTPRG-AS1 could serve as a competing endogenous RNA in EOC cells by decoying microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), thereby elevating histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) expression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that PTPRG-AS1 knockdown-mediated effects on EOC cells were, in part, counteracted by the inhibition of miR-545-3p or restoration of HDAC4.Conclusions: PTPRG-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that aggravated the malignancy of EOC through the miR-545-3p/HDAC4 ceRNA network. Thus, targeting the PTPRG-AS1/miR-545-3p/HDAC4 pathway may be a novel strategy for EOC anticancer therapy.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA PTPRG-AS1 promotes cell tumorigenicity in epithelial ovarian cancer by decoying microRNA-545-3p and consequently enhancing HDAC4 expression

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Xijian Xu ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Jiuyan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Long Non Coding Rna

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNA PTPRG antisense RNA 1 (PTPRG-AS1) deregulation has been reported in various human malignancies and identified as an important modulator of cancer development. Few reports have focused on the detailed role of PTPRG-AS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and its underlying mechanism. This study aimed to determine the physiological function of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC. A series of experiments were also performed to identify the mechanisms through which PTPRG-AS1 exerts its function in EOC. Methods Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine PTPRG-AS1 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines. PTPRG-AS1 was silenced in EOC cells and studied with respect to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The putative miRNAs that target PTPRG-AS1 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed in luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Results Our data verified the upregulation of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC tissues and cell lines. High PTPRG-AS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with EOC. Functionally, EOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo were suppressed by PTPRG-AS1 silencing. In contrast, cell apoptosis was promoted by loss of PTPRG-AS1. Regarding the mechanism, PTPRG-AS1 could serve as a competing endogenous RNA in EOC cells by decoying microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), thereby elevating histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) expression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that PTPRG-AS1 knockdown-mediated effects on EOC cells were, in part, counteracted by the inhibition of miR-545-3p or restoration of HDAC4. Conclusions PTPRG-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that aggravated the malignancy of EOC through the miR-545-3p/HDAC4 ceRNA network. Thus, targeting the PTPRG-AS1/miR-545-3p/HDAC4 pathway may be a novel strategy for EOC anticancer therapy.

scholarly journals In vivo tumor growth of high-grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 372-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anirban K. Mitra ◽  
David A. Davis ◽  
Sunil Tomar ◽  
Lynn Roy ◽  
Hilal Gurler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Serous Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

scholarly journals Modeling High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma using a combination of in vivo electroporation and CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Teng ◽  
Matthew J Ford ◽  
Keerthana Harwalkar ◽  
YuQi Li ◽  
David Farnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Genome Editing ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Gynecological Cancer ◽  
Lineage Tracing ◽  
High Grade ◽  
In Vivo Electroporation ◽  
Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological cancer today. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and lethal type of ovarian cancer and is most frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. Here, we developed a novel strategy to generate somatic ovarian cancer mouse models using a combination of in vivo electroporation and CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing. We mutated tumor suppressor genes associated with HGSC in two different combinations; Brca1, Tp53, Pten with/without Lkb1 and successfully generated HGSC, however, with different latencies and pathophysiology. By utilizing Cre lineage tracing in our system, we visualized peritoneal micrometastases in an immune-competent environment. Because our strategy is flexible in selecting mutation combinations and targeting areas, it would be useful for generating ovarian cancer mouse models.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA PTPRG-AS1 promotes cell tumorigenicity in epithelial ovarian cancer by decoying microRNA-545-3p and consequently enhancing HDAC4 expression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Xijian Xu ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Jiuyan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Long Non Coding Rna

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNA PTPRG antisense RNA 1 (PTPRG-AS1) deregulation has been reported in various human malignancies and identified as an important modulator of cancer development. Few reports have focused on the detailed role of PTPRG-AS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and its underlying mechanism. This study aimed to determine the physiological function of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC. A series of experiments were also performed to identify the mechanisms through which PTPRG-AS1 exerts its function in EOC. Methods Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine PTPRG-AS1 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines. PTPRG-AS1 was silenced in EOC cells and studied with respect to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The putative miRNAs that target PTPRG-AS1 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed in luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Results Our data verified the upregulation of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC tissues and cell lines. High PTPRG-AS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with EOC. Functionally, EOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo were suppressed by PTPRG-AS1 silencing. In contrast, cell apoptosis was promoted by loss of PTPRG-AS1. Regarding the mechanism, PTPRG-AS1 could serve as a competing endogenous RNA in EOC cells by decoying microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), thereby elevating histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) expression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that PTPRG-AS1 knockdown-mediated effects on EOC cells were, in part, counteracted by the inhibition of miR-545-3p or restoration of HDAC4. Conclusions PTPRG-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that aggravated the malignancy of EOC through the miR-545-3p/HDAC4 ceRNA network. Thus, targeting the PTPRG-AS1/miR-545-3p/HDAC4 pathway may be a novel strategy for EOC anticancer therapy.

scholarly journals Credentialing and Pharmacologically Targeting PTP4A3 Phosphatase as a Molecular Target for Ovarian Cancer

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 969
Author(s):  
John S. Lazo ◽  
Elizabeth R. Sharlow ◽  
Robert Cornelison ◽  
Duncan J. Hart ◽  
Danielle C. Llaneza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Ovca Cell

High grade serous ovarian cancer (OvCa) frequently becomes drug resistant and often recurs. Consequently, new drug targets and therapies are needed. Bioinformatics-based studies uncovered a relationship between high Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-3 (PRL3 also known as PTP4A3) expression and poor patient survival in both early and late stage OvCa. PTP4A3 mRNA levels were 5–20 fold higher in drug resistant or high grade serous OvCa cell lines compared to nonmalignant cells. JMS-053 is a potent allosteric small molecule PTP4A3 inhibitor and to explore further the role of PTP4A3 in OvCa, we synthesized and interrogated a series of JMS-053-based analogs in OvCa cell line-based phenotypic assays. While the JMS-053 analogs inhibit in vitro PTP4A3 enzyme activity, none were superior to JMS-053 in reducing high grade serous OvCa cell survival. Because PTP4A3 controls cell migration, we interrogated the effect of JMS-053 on this cancer-relevant process. Both JMS-053 and CRISPR/Cas9 PTP4A3 depletion blocked cell migration. The inhibition caused by JMS-053 required the presence of PTP4A3. JMS-053 caused additive or synergistic in vitro cytotoxicity when combined with paclitaxel and reduced in vivo OvCa dissemination. These results indicate the importance of PTP4A3 in OvCa and support further investigations of the lead inhibitor, JMS-053.

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