Heme Oxygenase 1 Impairs Glucocorticoid Receptor Activity in Prostate Cancer.

Glucocorticoids are used during prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. However, they may also have the potential to drive castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) growth via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Given the association between inflammation and PCa, and the anti-inflammatory role of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), we aimed at identifying the molecular processes governed by the interaction between HO-1 and GR. PCa-derived cell lines were treated with Hemin, Dexamethasone (Dex), or both. We studied GR gene expression by RTqPCR, protein expression by Western Blot, transcriptional activity using reporter assays, and nuclear translocation by confocal microscopy. We also evaluated the expression of HO-1, FKBP51, and FKBP52 by Western Blot. Hemin pre-treatment reduced Dex-induced GR activity in PC3 cells. Protein levels of FKBP51, a cytoplasmic GR-binding immunophilin, were significantly increased in Hemin+Dex treated cells, possibly accounting for lower GR activity. We also evaluated these treatments in vivo using PC3 tumors growing as xenografts. We found non-significant differences in tumor growth among treatments. Immunohistochemistry analyses revealed strong nuclear GR staining in almost all groups. We did not observe HO-1 staining in tumor cells, but high HO-1 reactivity was detected in tumor infiltrating macrophages. Our results suggest an association and crossed modulation between HO-1 and GR pathways.

Game-changing restraint of Ros-damaged phenylalanine, upon tumor metastasis.

An abrupt increase in metastatic growth as a consequence of the removal of primary tumors suggests that the concomitant resistance (CR) phenomenon might occur in human cancer. CR occurs in murine tumors and ROS-damaged phenylalanine, meta-tyrosine (m-Tyr), was proposed as the serum anti-tumor factor primarily responsible for CR. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that CR happens in different experimental human solid tumors (prostate, lung anaplastic, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma). Moreover, m-Tyr was detected in the serum of mice bearing prostate cancer (PCa) xenografts. Primary tumor growth was inhibited in animals injected with m-Tyr. Further, the CR phenomenon was reversed when secondary implants were injected into mice with phenylalanine (Phe), a protective amino acid highly present in primary tumors. PCa cells exposed to m-Tyr in vitro showed reduced cell viability, downregulated NFκB/STAT3/Notch axis, and induced autophagy; effects reversed by Phe. Strikingly, m-Tyr administration also impaired both, spontaneous metastasis derived from murine mammary carcinomas (4T1, C7HI, and LMM3) and PCa experimental metastases. Altogether, our findings propose m-Tyr delivery as a novel approach to boost the therapeutic efficacy of the current treatment for metastasis preventing the escape from tumor dormancy.

Improving risk stratification of patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Glutathione-S-Transferases polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of relapse.

The inclusion of genotype at Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) diagnosis as a genetic predictor of disease outcome is under constant study. However, results are inconclusive and seem to be population specific. We analyzed the predictive value of germline polymorphisms for childhood ALL relapse and survival. We retrospectively recruited 140 Argentine patients with de novo ALL. Genotypes were analyzed using PCR-RFLP (GSTP1 c.313A > G, MDR1 c.3435T > C, and MTHFR c.665C > T) and multiplex PCR (GSTT1 null, GSTM1 null). Patients with the GSTP1 c.313GG genotype had an increased risk for relapse in univariate (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.03-6.82, p = 0.04) and multivariate (OR = 3.22, 95% CI = 1.17-8.83, p = 0.02) models. The combined genotype slightly increased risk for relapse in the univariate (OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.09-7.32, p = 0.03) and multivariate (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.14-7.79, p = 0.03) models for patients with 2/3-risk-genotypes (GSTT1 null, GSTM1 null, GSTP1 c.313GG). The Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) was shorter for GSTP1 c.313GG (p = 0.025) and 2/3-risk-genotypes (p = 0.021). GST polymorphisms increased the risk of relapse and RFS of patients with childhood ALL. The inclusion of these genetic markers in ALL treatment protocols might improve risk stratification and reduce the number of relapses and deaths.