scholarly journals A Novel Assay for Profiling GBM Cancer Model Heterogeneity and Drug Screening

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian T. Stackhouse ◽  
James R. Rowland ◽  
Rachael S. Shevin ◽  
Raj Singh ◽  
G. Yancey Gillespie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Therapeutic Response ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Cancer Model ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Cancer Models ◽  
Model Independent ◽  
Orthotopic Xenografts

Accurate patient-derived models of cancer are needed for profiling the disease and for testing therapeutics. These models must not only be accurate, but also suitable for high-throughput screening and analysis. Here we compare two derivative cancer models, microtumors and spheroids, to the gold standard model of patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDX) in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). To compare these models, we constructed a custom NanoString panel of 350 genes relevant to GBM biology. This custom assay includes 16 GBM-specific gene signatures including a novel GBM subtyping signature. We profiled 11 GBM-PDX with matched orthotopic cells, derived microtumors, and derived spheroids using the custom NanoString assay. In parallel, these derivative models underwent drug sensitivity screening. We found that expression of certain genes were dependent on the cancer model while others were model-independent. These model-independent genes can be used in profiling tumor-specific biology and in gauging therapeutic response. It remains to be seen whether or not cancer model-specific genes may be directly or indirectly, through changes to tumor microenvironment, manipulated to improve the concordance of in vitro derivative models with in vivo models yielding better prediction of therapeutic response.

scholarly journals The Revolutionary Roads to Study Cell–Cell Interactions in 3D In Vitro Pancreatic Cancer Models

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 930
Author(s):  
Donatella Delle Cave ◽  
Riccardo Rizzo ◽  
Bruno Sainz ◽  
Giuseppe Gigli ◽  
Loretta L. del Mercato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Therapeutic Response ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cellular Models ◽  
Common Cancer ◽  
Cancer Models ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Tumor Environment

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cancer worldwide, shows a highly unsuccessful therapeutic response. In the last 10 years, neither important advancements nor new therapeutic strategies have significantly impacted patient survival, highlighting the need to pursue new avenues for drug development discovery and design. Advanced cellular models, resembling as much as possible the original in vivo tumor environment, may be more successful in predicting the efficacy of future anti-cancer candidates in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss novel bioengineered platforms for anticancer drug discovery in pancreatic cancer, from traditional two-dimensional models to innovative three-dimensional ones.

Meet me halfway: Are in vitro 3D cancer models on the way to replace in vivo models for nanomedicine development?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabina Pozzi ◽  
Anna Scomparin ◽  
Sahar Israeli-Dangoor ◽  
Daniel Rodriguez ◽  
Paula Ofek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Cancer Models ◽  
The Way

scholarly journals Mibefradil inhibits the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer by targeting AURKA to regulate apoptosis signal pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Han ◽  
Xiujuan Qu ◽  
Beixing Liu ◽  
Yizhe Wang ◽  
Yang Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
In Vivo Models

Abstract Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a tumor characterized by high recurrence and mortality, but without effective targeted therapy. It is urgent to explore new treatment strategy to improve the efficacy of TNBC therapy. Methods: Transcriptomic profiling datasets of TNBC were used for screening TNBC specific gene sets. Drug prediction was performed in Connectivity map (CMap) database. Molecular docking method was used for analyzing drug targets. In vitro and in vivo models of TNBC were constructed to examine the drug efficacy. Results: We screened out Mibefradil, a T-type Ca2+ channel blocker, might be a potential therapeutic drug for TNBC by transcriptomics and bioinformatics analysis, and verified that Mibefradil could inhibit the proliferation of TNBC cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, by network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, AURKA was predicted as the most possible drug target of Mibefradil. Finally, it was proved that Mibefradil treatment could induce apoptosis by decreasing protein expression and phosphorylation level of AURKA in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Mibefradil played anti-cancer role in TNBC cells by targeting to AURKA to induce cell cycle and apoptosis. Our results repurposed Mibefradil as a potential targeted drug of TNBC and provided a fundamental research for a novel strategy TNBC treatment.

OPPOSING FUNCTIONS FOR A PROTEIN KINASE: A JNK1 DEPENDENT SWITCH DETERMINES THE ONCOGENIC OR TUMOR SUPPRESSIVE ACTIVITY OF ILK INRHABDOMYOSARCOMA

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Adam D Durbin ◽  
Gino R Somers ◽  
Michael Forrester ◽  
Gregory E Hannigan ◽  
David Malkin
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Multiple Tumor ◽  
Amino Terminal

Background:The integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a protein kinase involved in the regulation of pathogenic cancer cell behaviours, such as proliferation, survival and invasion. ILK appears to be pro-oncogenic in vitro and in vivo models of tumorigenesis. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a primitive mesenchyme-derived tumor and is subclassified into primarily embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS) variants. Patients who present with metastatic RMS tumors have a less than 20% chance of cure, suggesting a need to define novel targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. Methods: We used cell culture, murine xenografts and primary human tumors to examine ILK expression and functionality. RNAi and adenoviruses were used to knock down or over expressproteins, and SP600125 was used to inhibit JNK kinase activity. ERMS cells stablye xpressing PAX3-FOXO1A we regenerated using pcDNA3.1 with the full length PAX3-FOXO1A cDNA insert. Results: RNAi-mediated ablation of ILK induced stimulation of ERMS and inhibition of ARMS cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of ILK, but not the ILK-R211A mutant reversed these effects. High-throughput screening of multiple tumor cell lines and mesenchymal progenitor cells demonstrated similar ILK anti-growth effects. Consistent with these results, clinical correlations made between ILK immunohistochemical staining intensity and patterns on an ERMS tumor tissue microarray revealed downregulation of ILK in stage III/IV primary tumors. Mechanistically, ILK silencing induced selective phosphorylation of the c-jun amino terminal kinase (JNK) and its target c-Jun in ERMS cells with attenuated phosphorylation in ARMS cells. ERMS cells express higher levels of JNK1 isoforms than ARMS cells. Introduction of the ARMS-associated PAX3-FOXO1A fusion gene into ERMS cells restored the oncogenic function of ILK and downregulated of JNK1. Coupling ILK siRNA with inhibition of the JNK-c-Jun signaling pathway in ERMS cells resulted in growth reductions and apoptotic induction. In contrast, coupling ILK knockdown with overexpression of JNK1 in ARMS cells resulted in growth and c-jun phosphorylation. Conclusion: In summary, these data suggest a model whereby the effect of ILK as an oncogene or tumor suppressor is determined by JNK1. Finally, this data suggests that ILK kinase inhibition may be warranted in ARMS tumors, and may be contraindicated in ERMS.

Beyond mouse cancer models: Three-dimensional human-relevant in vitro and non-mammalian in vivo models for photodynamic therapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 773 ◽  
pp. 242-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Kucinska ◽  
Marek Murias ◽  
Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska
Keyword(s):  
Photodynamic Therapy ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Cancer Models ◽  
Mouse Cancer Models

scholarly journals Investigating the function of CLU in Alzheimer's Disease in in vitro and in vivo models

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tanisha Vithal
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Cancer Models ◽  
Visuospatial Perception ◽  
Mammalian System

<p>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is responsible for 50-80% of dementia cases and is characterised by lack of visuospatial perception, impairment of language and memory. One of the main physiological attributions towards this disease is the accumulation of large insoluble deposits of amyloid beta, a toxic peptide, which results in the generation of amyloid plaques found in between neurons in the brain. Currently no therapeutic treatments are available. Clusterin (CLU) is an apolipoprotein that when defective is the second highest genetic risk factor for AD. It has been strongly debated whether CLU counteracts or promotes AD pathology. With the roles of CLU including but not limited to acting as a chaperone for cholesterol transport and aiding autophagy functionality in cancer models, this thesis investigates these two specific functionalities by overexpressing CLU in an in vitro SH-SY5Y and in an in vivo AD model of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). Conclusions from this study reveal that within D. melanogaster, CLU reduced Aβ42 levels and increased cholesterol effect through the blood brain barrier. Additionally, in human cells, CLU ameliorated the defective flux in autophagy. This thesis sheds light into how CLU plays a protective role within an Alzheimer’s disease mammalian system.</p>

Molecular Targets and Early Response Biomarkers for the Prediction of Developmental Toxicity In Vitro

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Stigson ◽  
Kim Kultima ◽  
Måns Jergil ◽  
Birger Scholz ◽  
Henrik Alm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Developmental Toxicity ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Early Response ◽  
In Vitro Tests ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Response Biomarkers

There is an urgent need for new in vitro methods to predict the potential developmental toxicity of candidate drugs in the early lead identification and optimisation process. This would lead to a reduction in the total number of animals required in full-scale developmental toxicology studies, and would improve the efficiency of drug development. However, suitable in vitro systems permitting robust high-throughput screening for this purpose, for the most part, remain to be designed. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in developmental toxicity may be essential for the validation of in vitro tests. Early response biomarkers — even a single one — could contribute to reducing assay time and facilitating automation. The use of toxicogenomics approaches to study in vitro and in vivo models in parallel may be a powerful tool in defining such mechanisms of action and the molecular targets of toxicity, and also for use in finding possible biomarkers of early response. Using valproic acid as a model substance, the use of DNA microarrays to identify teratogen-responsive genes in cell models is discussed. It is concluded that gene expression in P19 mouse embryocarcinoma cells represents a potentially suitable assay system, which could be readily used in a tiered testing system for developmental toxicity testing.

scholarly journals ZFP36L2 Role in Thyroid Functionality

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9379
Author(s):  
Francesco Albano ◽  
Valeria Tucci ◽  
Perry J. Blackshear ◽  
Carla Reale ◽  
Luca Roberto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Hormone Synthesis ◽  
And Function ◽  
Genetically Determined ◽  
Thyroid Development

Thyroid hormone levels are usually genetically determined. Thyrocytes produce a unique set of enzymes that are dedicated to thyroid hormone synthesis. While thyroid transcriptional regulation is well-characterized, post-transcriptional mechanisms have been less investigated. Here, we describe the involvement of ZFP36L2, a protein that stimulates degradation of target mRNAs, in thyroid development and function, by in vivo and in vitro gene targeting in thyrocytes. Thyroid-specific Zfp36l2-/- females were hypothyroid, with reduced levels of circulating free Thyroxine (cfT4) and Triiodothyronine (cfT3). Their hypothyroidism was due to dyshormonogenesis, already evident one week after weaning, while thyroid development appeared normal. We observed decreases in several thyroid-specific transcripts and proteins, such as Nis and its transcriptional regulators (Pax8 and Nkx2.1), and increased apoptosis in Zfp36l2-/- thyroids. Nis, Pax8, and Nkx2.1 mRNAs were also reduced in Zfp36l2 knock-out thyrocytes in vitro (L2KO), in which we confirmed the increased apoptosis. Finally, in L2KO cells, we showed an altered response to TSH stimulation regarding both thyroid-specific gene expression and cell proliferation and survival. This result was supported by increases in P21/WAF1 and p-P38MAPK levels. Mechanistically, we confirmed Notch1 as a target of ZFP36L2 in the thyroid since its levels were increased in both in vitro and in vivo models. In both models, the levels of Id4 mRNA, a potential inhibitor of Pax8 activity, were increased. Overall, the data indicate that the regulation of mRNA stability by ZFP36L2 is a mechanism that controls the function and survival of thyrocytes.

scholarly journals 3D Cell-Based Assays for Drug Screens: Challenges in Imaging, Image Analysis, and High-Content Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 615-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tijmen H. Booij ◽  
Leo S. Price ◽  
Erik H. J. Danen
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Drug Discovery ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
3D Cell Culture ◽  
Automated Analysis ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Current Switch ◽  
High Content Analysis

The introduction of more relevant cell models in early preclinical drug discovery, combined with high-content imaging and automated analysis, is expected to increase the quality of compounds progressing to preclinical stages in the drug development pipeline. In this review we discuss the current switch to more relevant 3D cell culture models and associated challenges for high-throughput screening and high-content analysis. We propose that overcoming these challenges will enable front-loading the drug discovery pipeline with better biology, extracting the most from that biology, and, in general, improving translation between in vitro and in vivo models. This is expected to reduce the proportion of compounds that fail in vivo testing due to a lack of efficacy or to toxicity.

scholarly journals High-Throughput Chemical Screening for Antivirulence Developmental Phenotypes in Trypanosoma brucei

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula MacGregor ◽  
Alasdair Ivens ◽  
Steven Shave ◽  
Iain Collie ◽  
David Gray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Chemical Screening

ABSTRACT In the bloodstream of mammalian hosts, the sleeping sickness parasite, Trypanosoma brucei , exists as a proliferative slender form or a nonproliferative, transmissible, stumpy form. The transition between these developmental forms is controlled by a density-dependent mechanism that is important for the parasite's infection dynamics, immune evasion via ordered antigenic variation, and disease transmissibility. However, stumpy formation has been lost in most laboratory-adapted trypanosome lines, generating monomorphic parasites that proliferate uncontrolled as slender forms in vitro and in vivo . Nonetheless, these forms are readily amenable to cell culture and high-throughput screening for trypanocidal lead compounds. Here, we have developed and exploited a high-throughput screen for developmental phenotypes using a transgenic monomorphic cell line expressing a reporter under the regulation of gene control signals from the stumpy-specific molecule PAD1. Using a whole-cell fluorescence-based assay to screen over 6,000 small molecules from a kinase-focused compound library, small molecules able to activate stumpy-specific gene expression and proliferation arrest were assayed in a rapid assay format. Independent follow-up validation identified one hit able to induce modest, yet specific, changes in mRNA expression indicative of a partial differentiation to stumpy forms in monomorphs. Further, in pleomorphs this compound induced a stumpy-like phenotype, entailing growth arrest, morphological changes, PAD1 expression, and enhanced differentiation to procyclic forms. This not only provides a potential tool compound for the further understanding of stumpy formation but also demonstrates the use of high-throughput screening in the identification of compounds able to induce specific phenotypes, such as differentiation, in African trypanosomes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document