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Targeting tubulin polymerization and depolymerization represents a promising approach to treat solid tumors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of a structurally novel tubulin inhibitor, [4-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrrol-3-yl](3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone (ARDAP), in two- and three-dimensional MCF-7 breast cancer models. At sub-cytotoxic concentrations, ARDAP showed a marked decrease in cell proliferation, colony formation, and ATP intracellular content in MCF-7 cells, by acting through a cytostatic mechanism. Additionally, drug exposure caused blockage of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In 3D cell culture, ARDAP negatively affected tumor spheroid growth, with inhibition of spheroid formation and reduction of ATP concentration levels. Notably, ARDAP exposure promoted the differentiation of MCF-7 cells by inducing: (i) expression decrease of Oct4 and Sox2 stemness markers, both in 2D and 3D models, and (ii) downregulation of the stem cell surface marker CD133 in 2D cell cultures. Interestingly, treated MCF7 cells displayed a major sensitivity to cytotoxic effects of the conventional chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. In addition, although exhibiting growth inhibitory effects against breast cancer cells, ARDAP showed insignificant harm to MCF10A healthy cells. Collectively, our results highlight the potential of ARDAP to emerge as a new chemotherapeutic agent or adjuvant compound in chemotherapeutic treatments.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias da Mama , Humanos , Feminino , Neoplasias da Mama/tratamento farmacológico , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Doxorrubicina/farmacologia , Proliferação de Células , Trifosfato de Adenosina , Linhagem Celular TumoralRESUMO
Background: HPV-positive oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are specific biological and clinical entities, characterized by a more favorable prognosis compared to HPV-negative OSCCs and occurring generally in non-smoking and non-drinking younger individuals. However, poor information is available on the molecular and the clinical behavior of HPV-positive oral cancers occurring in smoking/drinking subjects. Thus, this study was designed to compare, at molecular level, two OSCC cell lines, both derived from drinking and smoking individuals and differing for presence/absence of HPV infection. Methods: HPV-negative UPCI-SCC-131 and HPV16-positive UPCI-SCC-154 cell lines were compared by whole genome gene expression profiling and subsequently studied for activation of Wnt/ßCatenin signaling pathway by the expression of several Wnt-target genes, ßCatenin intracellular localization, stem cell features and miRNA let-7e. Gene expression data were validated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) public datasets. Results: Gene expression analysis identified Wnt/ßCatenin pathway as the unique signaling pathway more active in HPV-negative compared to HPV-positive OSCC cells and this observation was confirmed upon evaluation of several Wnt-target genes (i.e., Cyclin D1, Cdh1, Cdkn2a, Cd44, Axin2, c-Myc and Tcf1). Interestingly, HPV-negative OSCC cells showed higher levels of total ßCatenin and its active form, increase of its nuclear accumulation and more prominent stem cell traits. Furthermore, miRNA let-7e was identified as potential upstream regulator responsible for the downregulation of Wnt/ßCatenin signaling cascade since its silencing in UPCI-SCC-154 cell resulted in upregulation of Wnt-target genes. Finally, the analysis of two independent gene expression public datasets of human HNSCC cell lines and tumors confirmed that Wnt/ßCatenin pathway is more active in HPV-negative compared to HPV-positive tumors derived from individuals with smoking habit. Conclusions: These data suggest that lack of HPV infection is associated with more prominent activation of Wnt/ßCatenin signaling pathway and gain of stem-like traits in tobacco-related OSCCs.
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Papillomavirus Humano 16/genética , Nicotiana/efeitos adversos , Infecções por Papillomavirus/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Idoso , Antígenos CD/genética , Proteína Axina/genética , Caderinas/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Ciclina D1/genética , Inibidor p16 de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Fator 1-alfa Nuclear de Hepatócito/genética , Papillomavirus Humano 16/patogenicidade , Humanos , Receptores de Hialuronatos/genética , Masculino , MicroRNAs/genética , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Infecções por Papillomavirus/complicações , Infecções por Papillomavirus/virologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/induzido quimicamente , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/virologia , Via de Sinalização Wnt/genéticaRESUMO
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response activated by the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and its uncontrolled activation is mechanistically responsible for several human pathologies, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Indeed, ER stress and the downstream UPR activation lead to changes in the levels and activities of key regulators of cell survival and autophagy and this is physiologically finalized to restore metabolic homeostasis with the integration of pro-death or/and pro-survival signals. By contrast, the chronic activation of UPR in cancer cells is widely considered a mechanism of tumor progression. In this review, we focus on the relationship between ER stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in human breast cancer and the interplay between the activation of UPR and resistance to anticancer therapies with the aim to disclose novel therapeutic scenarios. The hypothesis that autophagy and UPR may provide novel molecular targets in human malignancies is discussed.
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Autofagia/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Estresse do Retículo Endoplasmático/genética , Resposta a Proteínas não Dobradas/genética , Apoptose/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/genética , Retículo Endoplasmático/genética , Feminino , Humanos , Transdução de Sinais/genéticaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Preoperative chemoradiation is currently the standard of care in locally advanced rectal carcinoma, even though a subset of rectal tumors does not achieve major clinically meaningful responses upon neoadjuvant chemoradiation. At present, no molecular biomarkers are available to predict response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation and select resistant tumors willing more intense therapeutic strategies. Thus, BRAF mutational status was investigated for its role in favoring resistance to radiation in colorectal carcinoma cell lines and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 as a target to improve radiosensitivity in BRAF V600E colorectal tumor cells. METHODS: Colony-forming assay and apoptotic rates were evaluated to compare the sensitivity of different colon carcinoma cell lines to ionizing radiation and their radiosensitivity upon exposure to BRAF and/or cyclin-dependent kinase 1 inhibitory/silencing strategies. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 expression/subcellular distribution was studied by immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: Colon carcinoma BRAF V600E HT29 cells exhibited poor response to radiation compared to BRAF wild-type COLO320 and HCT116 cells. Interestingly, neither radiosensitizing doses of 5-fluoruracil nor BRAF inhibition/silencing significantly improved radiosensitivity in HT29 cells. Of note, poor response to radiation correlated with upregulation/relocation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 in mitochondria. Consistently, cyclin-dependent kinase 1 inhibition/silencing as well as its targeting, through inhibition of HSP90 quality control pathway, significantly inhibited the clonogenic ability and increased apoptotic rates in HT29 cells upon exposure to radiation. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that BRAF V600E colorectal carcinoma cells are poorly responsive to radiation, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 represents a target to improve radiosensitivity in BRAF V600E colorectal tumor cells.
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Proteína Quinase CDC2/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/radioterapia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/genética , Tolerância a Radiação/genética , Proteína Quinase CDC2/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteína Quinase CDC2/biossíntese , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Quimiorradioterapia/métodos , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Fluoruracila/farmacologia , Células HCT116 , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/antagonistas & inibidores , Células HT29 , Humanos , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/antagonistas & inibidores , Tolerância a Radiação/efeitos dos fármacos , Radiação Ionizante , Radiossensibilizantes/farmacologiaRESUMO
Regulation of tumour cell proliferation by molecular chaperones is still a complex issue. Here, the role of the HSP90 molecular chaperone TRAP1 in cell cycle regulation was investigated in a wide range of human breast, colorectal, and lung carcinoma cell lines, and tumour specimens. TRAP1 modulates the expression and/or the ubiquitination of key cell cycle regulators through a dual mechanism: (i) transcriptional regulation of CDK1, CYCLIN B1, and MAD2, as suggested by gene expression profiling of TRAP1-silenced breast carcinoma cells; and (ii) post-transcriptional quality control of CDK1 and MAD2, being the ubiquitination of these two proteins enhanced upon TRAP1 down-regulation. Mechanistically, TRAP1 quality control on CDK1 is crucial for its regulation of mitotic entry, since TRAP1 interacts with CDK1 and prevents CDK1 ubiquitination in cooperation with the proteasome regulatory particle TBP7, this representing the limiting factor in TRAP1 regulation of the G2-M transition. Indeed, TRAP1 silencing results in enhanced CDK1 ubiquitination, lack of nuclear translocation of CDK1/cyclin B1 complex, and increased MAD2 degradation, whereas CDK1 forced up-regulation partially rescues low cyclin B1 and MAD2 levels and G2-M transit in a TRAP1-poor background. Consistently, the CDK1 inhibitor RO-3306 is less active in a TRAP1-high background. Finally, a significant correlation was observed between TRAP1 and Ki67, CDK1 and/or MAD2 expression in breast, colorectal, and lung human tumour specimens. This study represents the first evidence that TRAP1 is relevant in the control of the complex machinery that governs cell cycle progression and mitotic entry and provides a strong rationale to regard TRAP1 as a biomarker to select tumours with deregulated cell cycle progression and thus likely poorly responsive to novel cell cycle inhibitors. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Proliferação de Células , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/metabolismo , Pontos de Checagem da Fase G2 do Ciclo Celular , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Proteínas Mad2/metabolismo , Neoplasias/enzimologia , ATPases Associadas a Diversas Atividades Celulares , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Proteína Quinase CDC2 , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Ciclina B1/metabolismo , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/genética , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Humanos , Antígeno Ki-67/metabolismo , Proteínas Mad2/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/patologia , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Interferência de RNA , Transdução de Sinais , Fatores de Tempo , Transcrição Gênica , Transfecção , UbiquitinaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: BRAF inhibitors are effective anticancer agents in BRAF-mutated melanomas. By contrast, evidences about sensitivity of thyroid carcinomas to BRAF inhibition are conflicting and it has been proposed that BRAF V600E thyroid carcinoma cells are less sensitive to BRAF inhibitors due to activation of parallel signaling pathways. This study evaluated the hypothesis that feedback activation of EGFR signaling counteracts the cytostatic activity of vemurafenib (PLX4032) in BRAF V600E thyroid carcinoma cells. METHODS: Cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, induction of apoptosis and EGFR and AKT signaling were evaluated in thyroid carcinoma cell lines bearing the BRAF V600E mutation in response to PLX4032. RESULTS: A partial and transient cytostatic response to PLX4032 was observed in thyroid carcinoma cell lines bearing the BRAF V600E mutation, with lack of full inhibition of ERK pathway. Interestingly, the exposure of thyroid carcinoma cells to PLX4032 resulted in a rapid feedback activation of EGFR signaling with parallel activation of AKT phosphorylation. Consistently, the dual inhibition of EGFR and BRAF, through combination therapy with PLX4032 and gefitinib, resulted in prevention of EGFR phosphorylation and sustained inhibition of ERK and AKT signaling and cell proliferation. Of note, the combined treatment with gefitinib and vemurafenib or the exposure of EGFR-silenced thyroid carcinoma cells to vemurafenib induced synthetic lethality compared to single agents. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the dual EGFR and BRAF blockade represents a strategy to by-pass resistance to BRAF inhibitors in thyroid carcinoma cells.
RESUMO
Cell motility is a highly dynamic phenomenon that is essential to physiological processes such as morphogenesis, wound healing and immune response, but also involved in pathological conditions such as metastatic dissemination of cancers. The involvement of the molecular chaperone TRAP1 in the regulation of cell motility, although still controversial, has been recently investigated along with some well-characterized roles in cancer cell survival and drug resistance in several tumour types. Among different functions, TRAP1-dependent regulation of protein synthesis seems to be involved in the migratory behaviour of cancer cells and, interestingly, the expression of p70S6K, a kinase responsible for translation initiation, playing a role in cell motility, is regulated by TRAP1. In this study, we demonstrate that TRAP1 silencing enhances cell motility in vitro but compromises the ability of cells to overcome stress conditions, and that this effect is mediated by the AKT/p70S6K pathway. In fact: i) inhibition of p70S6K activity specifically reduces migration in TRAP1 knock-down cells; ii) nutrient deprivation affects p70S6K activity thereby impairing cell migration only in TRAP1-deficient cells; iii) TRAP1 regulates the expression of both AKT and p70S6K at post-transcriptional level; and iii) TRAP1 silencing modulates the expression of genes involved in cell motility and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Notably, a correlation between TRAP1 and AKT expression is found in vivo in human colorectal tumours. These results provide new insights into TRAP1 role in the regulation of cell migration in cancer cells, tumour progression and metastatic mechanisms.
Assuntos
Movimento Celular , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Neoplasias/enzimologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases S6 Ribossômicas 70-kDa/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Estresse Fisiológico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal/genética , Regulação Enzimológica da Expressão Gênica , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Células HEK293 , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Humanos , Metástase Neoplásica , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/patologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/genética , Proteínas Quinases S6 Ribossômicas 70-kDa/genéticaRESUMO
To date, there is no definitive demonstration of the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) in studying glucose metabolism in cultured cell lines. Thus, this study was designed to compare PET to more standardized methods for the quantitative assessment of glucose uptake in nontransformed and transformed living cells and to validate PET for metabolic studies in vitro. Human colon and breast carcinoma cell lines and mouse embryo fibroblasts were evaluated for [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) uptake by PET and autoradiography and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) incorporation by colorimetric assay and analyzed for the radiotoxic effects of [(18)F]FDG and the expression levels of glucose transporters. Indeed, [(18)F]FDG incorporation on PET was comparable to [(18)F]FDG uptake by autoradiography and 2-DG incorporation by colorimetric assay, although radiotracer-based methods exhibited more pronounced differences between individual cell lines. As expected, these data correlated with glucose transporters 1 to 4 and hexokinase II expression in tumor cell lines and mouse fibroblasts. Notably, [(18)F]FDG incorporation resulted in low apoptotic rates, with fibroblasts being slightly more sensitive to radiotracer-induced cell death. The quantitative analysis of [(18)F]FDG uptake in living cells by PET represents a valuable and reproducible method to study tumor cell metabolism in vitro, being representative of the differences in the molecular profile of normal and tumor cell lines.
Assuntos
Fluordesoxiglucose F18/metabolismo , Glucose/metabolismo , Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons/métodos , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Fibroblastos/diagnóstico por imagem , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Proteínas Facilitadoras de Transporte de Glucose/metabolismo , Humanos , Camundongos , Células NIH 3T3RESUMO
Tumor markers are biological substances that are produced/released mainly by malignant tumor cells, enter the circulation in detectable amounts and are potential indicators of the presence of a tumor. The most useful biochemical markers are the tumor-specific molecules, i.e., receptors, enzymes, hormones, growth factors or biological response modifiers that are specifically produced by tumor cells and not, or minimally, by the normal counterpart (Richard et al. Principles and practice of gynecologic oncology. Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, 2009). Based on their specificity and sensitivity in each malignancy, biomarkers are used for screening, diagnosis, disease monitoring and therapeutic response assessment in clinical management of cancer patients.This chapter is focused on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone with a variety of functions and widely used as a tumor biomarker in selected tumors. Indeed, hCG is expressed by both trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic human malignancies and plays a role in cell transformation, angiogenesis, metastatization, and immune escape, all process central to cancer progression. Of note, hCG testing is crucial for the clinical management of placental trophoblastic malignancies and germ cell tumors of the testis and the ovary. Furthermore, the production of hCG by tumor cells is accompanied by varying degrees of release of the free subunits into the circulation, and this is relevant for the management of cancer patients (Triozzi PL, Stevens VC, Oncol Rep 6(1):7-17, 1999).The name chorionic gonadotropin was conceived: chorion derives from the latin chordate meaning afterbirth, gonadotropin indicates that the hormone is a gonadotropic molecule, acting on the ovaries and promoting steroid production (Cole LA, Int J Endocrinol Metab 9(2):335-352, 2011). The function, the mechanism of action and the interaction between hCG and its receptor continue to be the subject of intensive investigation, even though many issues about hCG have been well documented (Tegoni M et al., J Mol Biol 289(5):1375-1385, 1999).
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Biomarcadores Tumorais/análise , Gonadotropina Coriônica/análise , Neoplasias/diagnóstico , Especificidade de Anticorpos , Gonadotropina Coriônica/imunologia , Gonadotropina Coriônica/fisiologia , HumanosRESUMO
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells with unlimited self-renewal capability, multilineage differentiation potential and long-term tumor repopulation capacity. CSCs reside in anatomically distinct regions within the tumor microenvironment, called niches, and this favors the maintenance of CSC properties and preserves their phenotypic plasticity. Indeed, CSCs are characterized by a flexible state based on their capacity to interconvert between a differentiated and a stem-like phenotype, and this depends on the activation of adaptive mechanisms in response to different environmental conditions. Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones, upregulated upon cell exposure to several stress conditions and are responsible for normal maturation, localization and activity of intra and extracellular proteins. Noteworthy, HSPs play a central role in several cellular processes involved in tumor initiation and progression (i.e. cell viability, resistance to apoptosis, stress conditions and drug therapy, EMT, bioenergetics, invasiveness, metastasis formation) and, thus, are widely considered potential molecular targets. Furthermore, much evidence suggests a key regulatory function for HSPs in CSC maintenance and their upregulation has been proposed as a mechanism used by CSCs to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, inflammation. This review discusses the relevance of HSPs in CSC biology, highlighting their role as novel potential molecular targets to develop anticancer strategies aimed at CSC targeting.
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Proteínas de Choque Térmico/metabolismo , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/citologia , Animais , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Chaperonina 60/metabolismo , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP40/metabolismo , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP70/metabolismo , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Humanos , Chaperonas Moleculares/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Processos Estocásticos , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Thyroid carcinomas (TCs) bearing BRAF mutations represent approximately 26-53% of human thyroid malignancies and, differently from melanomas, are poorly sensitive to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), and develop acquired resistance through activation of alternative signaling pathways. A whole-genome gene expression analysis of TC BRAF V600E cells exposed to PLX4032 identified JAK/STAT among the most significantly modulated signaling pathways. Interestingly, both transient exposure and chronic adaptation to PLX4032 resulted in upregulation of IL6/STAT3 axis and this impaired the cytostatic activity of PLX4032. Mechanistically, exposure to PLX4032 enhanced IL6 secretion and this, in turn, was responsible for STAT3 upregulation, activation of ERK signaling and poor sensitivity to BRAF inhibition. Consistently, the dual blockade of STAT3 (by siRNA or pharmacological inhibition) or IL6 signaling (by the humanized anti-human IL6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab) and BRAF (by PLX4032) improved the inhibition of cell cycle progression compared to PLX4032 single agent. These data support the role of IL6/STAT3 signaling pathway in modulating TC cell response to PLX4032 and candidate IL6 targeting as a strategy to improve the activity of PLX4032 in BRAF V600E TC cells.
Assuntos
Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos , Interleucina-6/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/genética , Fator de Transcrição STAT3/genética , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/genética , Vemurafenib/farmacologia , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Interleucina-6/metabolismo , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/efeitos dos fármacos , Mutação , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/antagonistas & inibidores , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/tratamento farmacológico , Regulação para Cima , Sequenciamento Completo do GenomaRESUMO
Exons 19-21 EGFR activating mutations are predictive biomarkers of response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, uncommon exon 19 EGFR mutations, due to their low frequency, have an uncertain biological and clinical significance and very little is known about their TKI sensitivity. This study was designed to describe the TKI sensitivity of a small cohort of lung adenocarcinomas bearing uncommon exon 19 mutations and to evaluate in silico the correlation between frame-shift exon 19 mutations and EGFR sequence/structure modification. Among 1168 NSCLCs screened for EGFR mutational status in our Institutions between 2011 and 2016, seven uncommon exon 19 EGFR mutations were further evaluated: five complex mutations, characterized by a deletion followed by a single-nucleotide insertion, a macrodeletion of 25 bp, and a 19 bp duplication. Interestingly, three patients harboring frame-shift mutations (i.e., one complex mutation, the macrodeletion, and the duplication) showed disease stability and considerably long PFS and OS upon TKI therapy. By contrast, three patients with in-frame complex deletions, independently of the mutation starting point, showed poor/lack of response to TKI therapy. In silico structural analysis showed that sensitivity to TKIs correlates with structural changes in the length and conformation of EGFR C-helix in frame-shift mutations. These data suggest that not all uncommon exon 19 EGFR mutations have the same TKI sensitivity and that frame-shift mutations are responsive to TKIs therapy.
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Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Receptores ErbB/química , Receptores ErbB/genética , Éxons , Mutação da Fase de Leitura , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/tratamento farmacológico , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos , Humanos , Conformação ProteicaRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: HSP90 molecular chaperones (i.e., HSP90α, HSP90ß, GRP94 and TRAP1) are potential therapeutic targets to design novel anticancer agents. However, despite numerous designed HSP90 inhibitors, most of them have failed due to unfavorable toxicity profiles and lack of specificity toward different HSP90 paralogs. Indeed, a major limitation in this field is the high structural homology between different HSP90 chaperones, which significantly limits our capacity to design paralog-specific inhibitors. Area covered: This review examines the relevance of TRAP1 in tumor development and progression, with an emphasis on its oncogenic/oncosuppressive role in specific human malignancies and its multifaceted and context-dependent functions in cancer cells. Herein, we discuss the rationale for considering TRAP1 as a potential molecular target and the strategies used to date, to achieve its compartmentalized inhibition directly in mitochondria. Expert opinion: TRAP1 targeting may represent a promising strategy for cancer therapy, based on the increasing and compelling evidence supporting TRAP1 involvement in human carcinogenesis. However, considering the complexity of TRAP1 biology, future strategies of drug discovery need to improve selectivity and specificity toward TRAP1 respect to other HSP90 paralogs. The characterization of specific human malignancies suitable for TRAP1 targeting is also mandatory.
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Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Animais , Progressão da Doença , Desenho de Fármacos , Descoberta de Drogas/métodos , Humanos , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Terapia de Alvo Molecular , Neoplasias/patologiaRESUMO
TRAP1 is a HSP90 molecular chaperone upregulated in colorectal carcinomas and involved in control of intracellular signaling, cell cycle, apoptosis and drug resistance, stemness and bioenergetics through co-traslational regulation of a network of client proteins. Thus, the clinical significance of TRAP1 protein network was analyzed in human colorectal cancers. TRAP1 and/or its client proteins were quantified, by immunoblot analysis, in 60 surgical specimens of colorectal carcinomas at different stages and, by immunohistochemistry, in 9 colorectal adenomatous polyps, 11 in situ carcinomas and 55 metastatic colorectal tumors. TRAP1 is upregulated at the transition between low- and high-grade adenomas, in in situ carcinomas and in about 60% of human colorectal carcinomas, being downregulated only in a small cohort of tumors. The analysis of TCGA database showed that a subgroup of colorectal tumors is characterized by gain/loss of TRAP1 copy number, this correlating with its mRNA and protein expression. Interestingly, TRAP1 is co-expressed with the majority of its client proteins and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the upregulation of TRAP1 and associated 6-protein signature (i.e., IF2α, eF1A, TBP7, MAD2, CDK1 and ßCatenin) identifies a cohort of metastatic colorectal carcinomas with a significantly shorter overall survival (HR 5.4; 95% C.I. 1.1-26.6; p=0.037). Consistently, the prognostic relevance of TRAP1 was confirmed in a cohort of 55 metastatic colorectal tumors. Finally, TRAP1 positive expression and its prognostic value are more evident in left colon cancers. These data suggest that TRAP1 protein network may provide a prognostic signature in human metastatic colorectal carcinomas.
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Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Biomarcadores Tumorais/análise , Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/biossíntese , Adenocarcinoma/genética , Adenocarcinoma/mortalidade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Análise por Conglomerados , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/mortalidade , Intervalo Livre de Doença , Feminino , Dosagem de Genes , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Humanos , Immunoblotting , Imuno-Histoquímica , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prognóstico , Transcriptoma , Regulação para CimaRESUMO
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second leading cause of gynecological cancer death worldwide. Although the list of biomarkers is still growing, molecular mechanisms involved in OC development and progression remain elusive. We recently demonstrated that lower expression of the molecular chaperone TRAP1 in OC patients correlates with higher tumor grade and stage, and platinum resistance. Herein we show that TRAP1 is often deleted in high-grade serous OC patients (N=579), and that TRAP1 expression is correlated with the copy number, suggesting this could be one of the driving mechanisms for the loss of TRAP1 expression in OC. At molecular level, downregulation of TRAP1 associates with higher expression of p70S6K, a kinase frequently active in OC with emerging roles in cell migration and tumor metastasis. Indeed, TRAP1 silencing in different OC cells induces upregulation of p70S6K expression and activity, enhancement of cell motility and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Consistently, in a large cohort of OC patients, TRAP1 expression is reduced in tumor metastases and directly correlates with the epithelial marker E-Cadherin, whereas it inversely correlates with the transcription factor Slug and the matrix metallopeptidases 2 and 9. Strikingly, pharmacological inhibition of p70S6K reverts the high motility phenotype of TRAP1 knock-down cells. However, although p70S6K inhibition or silencing reduces the expression of the transcription factors Snail and Slug, thus inducing upregulation of E-Cadherin expression, it is unable to revert EMT induced by TRAP1 silencing; furthermore, p70S6K did not show any significant correlation with EMT genes in patients, nor with overall survival or tumor stage, suggesting an independent and predominant role for TRAP1 in OC progression. Altogether, these results may provide novel approaches in OC with reduced TRAP1 expression, which could be resistant to therapeutic strategies based on the inhibition of the p70S6K pathway, with potential future intervention in OC invasion and metastasis.
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Regulação para Baixo/genética , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal/genética , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Neoplasias Epiteliais e Glandulares/genética , Neoplasias Epiteliais e Glandulares/patologia , Neoplasias Ovarianas/genética , Neoplasias Ovarianas/patologia , Carcinoma Epitelial do Ovário , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Movimento Celular/genética , Feminino , Deleção de Genes , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Humanos , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Invasividade Neoplásica , Proteínas Quinases S6 Ribossômicas 70-kDa/metabolismoRESUMO
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. Herein, we report a virtual screening study which led to the identification of compound 5 as a new IDO1 inhibitor. In order to improve the biological activity of the identified hit, arylthioindoles 6-30 were synthesized and tested. Among these, derivative 21 exhibited an IC50 value of 7 µM, being the most active compound of the series. Furthermore, compounds 5 and 21 induced a dose-dependent growth inhibition in IDO1 expressing cancer cell lines HTC116 and HT29. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were carried out in order to rationalize obtained results and suggest new chemical modifications.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Indolamina-Pirrol 2,3,-Dioxigenase/antagonistas & inibidores , Modelos Moleculares , Antineoplásicos/síntese química , Antineoplásicos/química , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Inibidores Enzimáticos/síntese química , Inibidores Enzimáticos/química , Humanos , Indolamina-Pirrol 2,3,-Dioxigenase/metabolismo , Estrutura Molecular , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Indeed, treatment failures are triggered by cancer stem cells (CSCs) that give rise to tumor repopulation upon initial remission. Thus, the role of the heat shock protein TRAP1 in stemness was investigated in CRC cell lines and human specimens, based on its involvement in colorectal carcinogenesis, through regulation of apoptosis, protein homeostasis and bioenergetics. Strikingly, co-expression between TRAP1 and stem cell markers was observed in stem cells located at the bottom of intestinal crypts and in CSCs sorted from CRC cell lines. Noteworthy, TRAP1 knockdown reduced the expression of stem cell markers and impaired colony formation, being the CSC phenotype and the anchorage-independent growth conserved in TRAP1-rich cancer cells. Consistently, the gene expression profiling of HCT116 cells showed that TRAP1 silencing results in the loss of the stem-like signature with acquisition of a more-differentiated phenotype and the downregulation of genes encoding for activating ligands and target proteins of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Mechanistically, TRAP1 maintenance of stemness is mediated by the regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, through the modulation of the expression of frizzled receptor ligands and the control of ß-catenin ubiquitination/phosphorylation. Remarkably, TRAP1 is associated with higher expression of ß-catenin and several Wnt/ß-catenin target genes in human CRCs, thus supporting the relevance of TRAP1 regulation of ß-catenin in human pathology. This study is the first demonstration that TRAP1 regulates stemness and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in CRC and provides novel landmarks in cancer biology and therapeutics.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Via de Sinalização Wnt , Molécula de Adesão de Leucócito Ativado/metabolismo , Células Clonais , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Regulação para Baixo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Inativação Gênica , Células HCT116 , Humanos , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Mucosa Intestinal/patologia , Fenótipo , Fosforilação , Ligação Proteica , Ubiquitinação , Regulação para Cima , beta Catenina/metabolismoRESUMO
Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) is a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) molecular chaperone upregulated in several human malignancies and involved in protection from apoptosis and drug resistance, cell cycle progression, cell metabolism and quality control of specific client proteins. TRAP1 role in thyroid carcinoma (TC), still unaddressed at present, was investigated by analyzing its expression in a cohort of 86 human TCs and evaluating its involvement in cancer cell survival and proliferation in vitro Indeed, TRAP1 levels progressively increased from normal peritumoral thyroid gland, to papillary TCs (PTCs), follicular variants of PTCs (FV-PTCs) and poorly differentiated TCs (PDTCs). By contrast, anaplastic thyroid tumors exhibited a dual pattern, the majority being characterized by high TRAP1 levels, while a small subgroup completely negative. Consistently with a potential involvement of TRAP1 in thyroid carcinogenesis, TRAP1 silencing resulted in increased sensitivity to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis, inhibition of cell cycle progression and attenuation of ERK signaling. Noteworthy, the inhibition of TRAP1 ATPase activity by pharmacological agents resulted in attenuation of cell proliferation, inhibition of ERK signaling and reversion of drug resistance. These data suggest that TRAP1 inhibition may be regarded as potential strategy to target specific features of human TCs, i.e., cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis.
Assuntos
Apoptose , Ciclo Celular , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Guanidinas/farmacologia , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Humanos , Lactamas Macrocíclicas/farmacologia , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Paclitaxel/farmacologia , Piridonas/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Glândula Tireoide/metabolismo , Regulação para CimaRESUMO
The HSP90 chaperone TRAP1 is translational regulator of BRAF synthesis/ubiquitination, since BRAF down-regulation, ERK signaling inhibition and delay of cell cycle progression occur upon TRAP1 silencing/inhibition. Since TRAP1 is upregulated in human colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) and involved in protection from apoptosis and as human BRAF-driven CRCs are poorly responsive to anticancer therapies, the relationship between TRAP1 regulation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and BRAF antiapoptotic signaling has been further evaluated. This study reports that BRAF cytoprotective signaling involves TRAP1-dependent inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. It is worth noting that BRAF and TRAP1 interact and that the activation of BRAF signaling results in enhanced TRAP1 serine-phosphorylation, a condition associated with resistance to apoptosis. Consistently, a BRAF dominant-negative mutant prevents TRAP1 serine phosphorylation and restores drug sensitivity in BRAFV600E CRC drug-resistant cells with high TRAP1 levels. In addition, TRAP1 targeting by the mitochondria-directed HSP90 chaperones inhibitor gamitrinib induces apoptosis and inhibits colony formation in BRAF-driven CRC cells. Thus, TRAP1 is a downstream effector of BRAF cytoprotective pathway in mitochondria and TRAP1 targeting may represent a novel strategy to improve the activity of proapoptotic agents in BRAF-driven CRC cells.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/metabolismo , Apoptose/fisiologia , Células CACO-2 , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Regulação para Baixo , Células HCT116 , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Células HT29 , Humanos , Células MCF-7 , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Fosforilação , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/genética , Transdução de Sinais , TransfecçãoRESUMO
Adaptation to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through the upregulation of the ER chaperone BiP/Grp78 favors resistance of cancer cells to anthracyclins. We recently demonstrated that the mitochondrial HSP90 chaperone TNF receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) is also localized in the ER, where it is responsible for protection from ER stress and quality control on specific mitochondrial proteins contributing to its anti-apoptotic function and the regulation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Based on the evidence that Bip/Grp78 and TRAP1 are co-upregulated in about 50% of human breast carcinomas (BCs), and considering that the expression of TRAP1 is critical in favoring resistant phenotypes to different antitumor agents, we hypothesized that ER-associated TRAP1 is also favoring resistance to anthracyclins. Indeed, anthracyclins induce ER stress in BC cells and cross-resistance between ER stress agents and anthracyclins was observed in bortezomib- and anthracyclin-resistant cells. Several lines of evidence suggest a mechanistic link between the ER-stress protecting function of TRAP1 and resistance to anthracyclins: i) ER stress- and anthracyclin-resistant cell lines are characterized by the upregulation of TRAP1; ii) TRAP1 silencing in both drug-resistant cell models restored the sensitivity to bortezomib and anthracyclins; iii) the transfection of a TRAP1 deletion mutant, whose localization is restricted to the ER, in TRAP1 KD cells protected from apoptosis induced by anthracyclins; iv) the disruption of the ER-associated TRAP1/TBP7 pathway by a TBP7 dominant negative deletion mutant re-established drug sensitivity in drug-resistant cells. This process is likely mediated by the ability of TRAP1 to modulate the PERK pathway as TRAP1 KD cells failed to induce the phosphorylation of PERK in response to anthracyclins. Moreover, the downregulation of TRAP1 in combination with ER stress agents produced high cytotoxic effects in BC cells. These results suggest that ER-associated TRAP1 plays a role in protecting tumor cells against DNA damaging agents by modulating the PERK pathway.