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Cancer initiation and progression have been attributed to newly discovered subpopulations of self-renewing,highly tumorigenic,drug-resistant tumor cells termed cancer stem cells. Recently,we and others reported a new phenotypic plasticity wherein highly tumorigenic,drug-resistant cell populations could arise not only from pre-existing cancer stem-like populations but also from cancer cells lacking these properties. In the current study,we hypothesized that this newfound phenotypic plasticity may be mediated by PI3K/Akt and Wnt/β-catenin signaling,pathways previously implicated in carcinogenesis,pluripotency and drug resistance. Using GFP expression,Hoechst dye exclusion and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of cancer cell lines,we identified and tracked cancer stem-like side populations (SP) of cancer cells characterized by high tumorigenicity and drug resistance. We found that pharmacological inhibition or genetic depletion of PI3K and AKT markedly reduced the spontaneous conversion of nonside population (NSP) cells into cancer stem-like SP cells,whereas PI3K/Akt activation conversely enhanced NSP to SP conversion. PI3K/AKT signaling was mediated through downstream phosphorylation of GSK3β,which led to activation and accumulation of β-catenin. Accordingly,pharmacological or genetic perturbation of GSK3β or β-catenin dramatically impacted conversion of NSP to SP. Further downstream,β-catenin's effects on NSP-SP equilibrium were dependent upon its interaction with CBP,a KAT3 family coactivator. These studies provide a mechanistic model wherein PI3K/Akt/β-catenin/CBP signaling mediates phenotypic plasticity in and out of a drug-resistant,highly tumorigenic state. Therefore,targeting this pathway has unique potential for overcoming the therapy resistance and disease progression attributed to the cancer stem-like phenotype. View Publication

Zoledronic acid,a third-generation bisphosphonate,has been shown to reduce cell migration,invasion,and metastasis. However,the effects of zoledronic acid on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT),a cellular process essential to the metastatic cascade,remain unclear. Therefore,the effects of zoledronic acid on EMT,using triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells as a model system,were examined in more detail. Zoledronic acid treatment decreased the expression of mesenchymal markers,N-cadherin,Twist,and Snail,and subsequently upregulated expression of E-cadherin. Zoledronic acid also inhibited cell viability,induced cell-cycle arrest,and decreased the proliferative capacity of TNBC,suggesting that zoledronic acid inhibits viability through reduction of cell proliferation. As EMT has been linked to acquisition of a self-renewal phenotype,the effects of zoledronic acid on self-renewal in TNBC were also studied. Treatment with zoledronic acid decreased expression of self-renewal proteins,BMI-1 and Oct-4,and both prevented and eliminated mammosphere formation. To understand the mechanism of these results,the effect of zoledronic acid on established EMT regulator NF-$$B was investigated. Zoledronic acid inhibited phosphorylation of RelA,the active subunit of NF-$$B,at serine 536 and modulated RelA subcellular localization. Treatment with zoledronic acid reduced RelA binding to the Twist promoter,providing a direct link between inactivation of NF-$$B signaling and loss of EMT transcription factor gene expression. Binding of Twist to the BMI-1 promoter was also decreased,correlating modulation of EMT to decreased self-renewal. On the basis of these results,it is proposed that through inactivation of NF-$$B,zoledronic acid reverses EMT,which leads to a decrease in self-renewal. View Publication

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-$$) signaling has been implicated in driving tumor progression and metastasis by inducing stem cell-like features in some human cancer cell lines. In this study,we have utilized a novel murine cell line NMuMG-ST,which acquired cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotypes during spontaneous transformation of the untransformed murine mammary cell line NMuMG,to investigate the role of autocrine TGF-$$ signaling in regulating their survival,metastatic ability,and the maintenance of cancer stem cell characteristics. We have retrovirally transduced a dominant-negative TGF-$$ type II receptor (DNRII) into the NMuMG-ST cell to abrogate autocrine TGF-$$ signaling. The expression of DNRII reduced TGF-$$ sensitivity of the NMuMG-ST cells in various cell-based assays. The blockade of autocrine TGF-$$ signaling reduced the ability of the cell to grow anchorage-independently and to resist serum deprivation-induced apoptosis. These phenotypes were associated with reduced levels of active and phosphorylated AKT and ERK,and Gli1 expression suggesting that these pathways contribute to the growth and survival of this model system. More interestingly,the abrogation of autocrine TGF-$$ signaling also led to the attenuation of several features associated with mammary stem cells including epithelial-mesenchymal transition,mammosphere formation,and expression of stem cell markers. When xenografted in athymic nude mice,the DNRII cells were also found to undergo apoptosis and induced significantly lower lung metastasis burden than the control cells even though they formed similar size of xenograft tumors. Thus,our results indicate that autocrine TGF-$$ signaling is involved in the maintenance and survival of stem-like cell population resulting in the enhanced metastatic ability of the murine breast cancer cells. View Publication

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of AZD8055 on proliferation,apoptosis and glycolysis in the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa and to investigate the underlying mechanism(s) of action. HeLa human cervical cancer cells were treated with 10 nM AZD8055 for 24,48 or 72 h. MTT was used to determine cell proliferation. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining was used to determine cell apoptosis analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Glycolytic activity was determined by measuring the activity of the key enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and lactate production. RNA and protein expression were examined by qRT-PCR and western blotting,respectively. Treatment with AZD8055 inhibited proliferation and glycolysis,and induced apoptosis in HeLa cells in a time-dependent manner. During the prolonged treatment with AZD8055,the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) C1 substrates p70S6K and phosphorylation of the mTORC2 substrate Akt were deregulated,suggesting that the activity of mTOR was downregulated. Furthermore,our study showed that the expression of miR-143 was upregulated in a time-dependent manner in HeLa cells treated with AZD8055. In summary,the present study reveals a novel antitumor mechanism of AZD8055 in HeLa human cervical cancer cells. View Publication

BACKGROUND To evaluate the anticancer efficacy of the combination of epigenetic modifiers and cisplatin in human ovarian cancer. METHODS The effect of trichostatin A (TSA) and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine alone or in combination with low-dose cisplatin was evaluated on human ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro. We measured drug interaction by MTS assay,migration by transwell assay,expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (Twist,Snail,Slug,E-cadherin,and N-cadherin),pluripotency markers (Oct4,Sox2,and Nanog),and epigenetic markers (DNMT3A,LSD1 and H3K4me2,H3K4me3,H3K9me2,and H3K9me3) by western blot,and the impact on and characteristics of spheroid growth when exposed to these drugs. Mouse xenografts were used to evaluate the anticancer effect of sequential drug treatment. RESULTS Combination treatment had greater efficacy than single drugs and significantly suppressed cell viability,migration,and spheroid formation and growth. Sequential treatment of cisplatin (1 mg kg(-1)) followed by TSA (0.3 mg kg(-1)) significantly suppressed tumorigenicity of HEY xenografts through inhibition of EMT and decreased pluripotency of ovarian cancer cells. CONCLUSION Epigenetic modifiers potentiate the anticancer efficacy of low-dose cisplatin in ovarian cancer through regulation of EMT and pluripotency,and may provide a promising treatment for ovarian cancer patients. View Publication

The antitumor activity of LPS was first described by Dr. William Coley. However,its role in lung cancer remains unclear. The aim of our study was to elucidate the dose-dependent effects of LPS (0.1-10 μg/mouse) in a mouse model of B16-F10-induced metastatic lung cancer. Lung tumor growth increased at 3 and 7 d after the administration of low-dose LPS (0.1 μg/mouse) compared with control mice. This was associated with an influx of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs),regulatory T cells,myeloid-derived suppressor cells,and CD8(+) regulatory T cells. In contrast,high-dose LPS (10 μg/mouse) reduced lung tumor burden and was associated with a greater influx of pDCs,as well as a stronger Th1 and Th17 polarization. Depletion of pDCs during low-dose LPS administration resulted in a decreased lung tumor burden. Depletion of pDCs during high-dose LPS treatment resulted in an increased tumor burden. The dichotomy in LPS effects was due to the phenotype of pDCs,which were immunosuppressive after the low-dose LPS,and Th1- and T cytotoxic-polarizing cells after the high-dose LPS. Adoptive transfer of T cells into nude mice demonstrated that CD8(+) T cells were responsible for pDC recruitment following low-dose LPS administration,whereas CD4(+) T cells were required for pDC influx after the high-dose LPS. In conclusion,our data suggest differential effects of low-dose versus high-dose LPS on pDC phenotype and tumor progression or regression in the lungs of mice. View Publication

Most forms of chemotherapy employ mechanisms involving induction of oxidative stress,a strategy that can be effective due to the elevated oxidative state commonly observed in cancer cells. However,recent studies have shown that relative redox levels in primary tumors can be heterogeneous,suggesting that regimens dependent on differential oxidative state may not be uniformly effective. To investigate this issue in hematological malignancies,we evaluated mechanisms controlling oxidative state in primary specimens derived from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients. Our studies demonstrate three striking findings. First,the majority of functionally defined leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are characterized by relatively low levels of reactive oxygen species (termed ROS-low"). Second� View Publication

Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease,composed of tumour cells with differing gene expressions and phenotypes. Very few antigens have been identified and a better understanding of tumour initiating-cells as targets for therapy is critically needed. Recently,a rare subpopulation of cells within tumours has been described with the ability to: (i) initiate and sustain tumour growth; (ii) resist traditional therapies and allow for secondary tumour dissemination; and (iii) display some of the characteristics of stem cells such as self-renewal. These cells are termed tumour-initiating cells or cancer stem cells,or alternatively,in the case of breast cancer,breast cancer stem cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that breast cancer stem cells can be enriched for in tumoursphere" culture. Proteomics represents a novel way to investigate protein expression between cells. We hypothesise that characterisation of the proteome of the breast cancer line MCF-7 tumourspheres compared to adherent/differentiated cells identifies proteins of novel interest for further isolating or targeting breast cancer stem cells. We present evidence that: (i) the proteome of adherent cells is different to the proteome of cells grown in sphere medium from either early passage (passage 2) or late passage (passage 5) spheres; (ii) that spheres are enriched in expression of a variety of tumour-relevant proteins (including MUC1 and Galectin-3); and (iii) that targeting of one of these identified proteins (galectin-3) using an inhibitor (N-acetyllactosamine) decreases sphere formation/self-renewal of MCF-7 cancer stem cells in vitro and tumourigenicity in vivo. Hence� View Publication

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecologic cancer,in large part because of its early dissemination and rapid development of chemotherapy resistance. Spheroids are clusters of tumor cells found in the peritoneal fluid of patients that are thought to promote this dissemination. Current models suggest that spheroids form by aggregation of single tumor cells shed from the primary tumor. Here,we demonstrate that spheroids can also form by budding directly as adherent clusters from a monolayer. Formation of budded spheroids correlated with expression of vimentin and lack of cortical E-cadherin. We also found that compared to cells grown in monolayers,cells grown as spheroids acquired progressive resistance to the chemotherapy drugs Paclitaxel and Cisplatin. This resistance could be completely reversed by dissociating the spheroids. Our observations highlight a previously unappreciated mode of spheroid formation that might have implications for tumor dissemination and chemotherapy resistance in patients,and suggest that this resistance might be reversed by spheroid dissociation. View Publication

Findings from studies on stem cells have been applied to cancer stem cell (CSC) research,but little is known about the relationship between ES cell-related cell surface markers and CSCs. In this study,we focused on stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA-3),a marker of mesenchymal stem cells and Muse cells in colorectal cancer (CRC). Expression of SSEA-3 in human CRC cell lines and clinical specimens,specifically the relationship of SSEA-3 expression and the representative CSC markers (CD44,CD166,ALDH,CD24 and CD26) as well as with mesenchymal stem cell/Muse cell marker (CD105) were assessed. To characterize SSEA-3-expressing cells,tumorigenicity,sphere formation ability,expression of iPS genes (Oct4,NANOG,SOX2 and c-Myc),cell proliferation and cell cycle status were assessed. SSEA-3 expression was identified in Caco-2,DLD-1,HT-29,SW480 and HCT116,but not in CaR-1 cells. No significant relationship between SSEA-3 and other stem cell markers was detected. SSEA-3+ cells showed increased tumorigenicity in vivo,but lower sphere formation ability in vitro than SSEA-3-. iPS gene expression was not correlated with SSEA-3 expression status. SSEA-3+ cells showed higher proliferative ability than SSEA-3- through enhanced cell cycles by decreased expression of p21Cip1/Waf1 and p27Kip1. Immunofluorescence analysis in clinical specimens indicated that expression of SSEA-3 is limited to stromal cells in normal mucosa but broad in poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. These observations indicated that SSEA-3+ cells in CRC have immature phenotype but decreased self-renewal ability and may function as tumor transient amplifying cells or delayed contributing tumor-initiating cells. View Publication

We investigated the expression status of periostin in breast cancer stem cells and its clinical implications in order to lay a foundation for managing breast cancer. CD44+/CD24-/line- tumor cells (CSC) from clinical specimens were sorted using flow cytometry. Periostin expression status was detected in CSC cells and 1,086 breast cancer specimens by Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining,with the CSC ratio determined by immunofluorescence double staining. The relationship between the periostin protein and clinico-pathological parameters and prognosis was subsequently determined. As a result,CSC cells are more likely to generate new tumors in mice and cell microspheres that are deficient in NOD/SCID compared to the control group. Periostin protein was expressed higher in CSC cells compared to the control cells and was found to be related to CSC chemotherapy resistance. Moreover,periostin expression was found to be related to the CSC ratio in 1,086 breast cancer specimens (P = 0.001). In total,334 (30.76%) of the 1,086 breast cases showed high periostin expression. After universal and Spearman regression correlation analysis,periostin was observed to be related to histological grade,CSC ratio,lymph node metastasis,tumor size,and triple-negative breast cancer (all Ptextless0.05). Furthermore,periostin was shown to attain a significantly more distant bone metastasis and worse disease-specific survival than those with none or low-expressed periostin protein (P = 0.001). In the Cox regression test,periostin protein was detected as an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.001). In conclusion,periostin was found to be related to the CSC and an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. It is also perhaps a potential target to breast cancer. View Publication

INTRODUCTION: Retinoic acid signaling plays key roles in embryonic development and in maintaining the differentiated status of adult tissues. Recently,the nuclear retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isotypes α,β and γ were found to play specific functions in the expansion and differentiation of the stem compartments of various tissues. For instance,RARγ appears to be involved in stem cell compartment expansion,while RARα and RARβ are implicated in the subsequent cell differentiation. We found that over-expressing c-Myc in normal mouse mammary epithelium and in a c-Myc-driven transgenic model of mammary cancer,disrupts the balance between RARγ and RARα/β in favor of RARγ. METHODS: The effects of c-Myc on RAR isotype expression were evaluated in normal mouse mammary epithelium,mammary tumor cells obtained from the MMTV-Myc transgenic mouse model as well as human normal immortalized breast epithelial and breast cancer cell lines. The in vivo effect of the RARα-selective agonist 4-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthyl)carboxamido]benzoic acid (Am580) was examined in the MMTV-Myc mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis. RESULTS: Modulation of the RARα/β to RARγ expression in mammary glands of normal mice,oncomice,and human mammary cell lines through the alteration of RAR-target gene expression affected cell proliferation,survival and tumor growth. Treatment of MMTV-Myc mice with the RARα-selective agonist Am580 led to significant inhibition of mammary tumor growth (˜90%,Ptextless0.001),lung metastasis (Ptextless0.01) and extended tumor latency in 63% of mice. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that in these mice,RARα responsive genes such as Cyp26A1,E-cadherin,cellular retinol-binding protein 1 (CRBP1) and p27,were up-regulated. In contrast,the mammary gland tumors of mice that responded poorly to Am580 treatment (37%) expressed significantly higher levels of RARγ. In vitro experiments indicated that the rise in RARγ was functionally linked to promotion of tumor growth and inhibition of differentiation. Thus,activation of the RARα pathway is linked to tumor growth inhibition,differentiation and cell death. CONCLUSIONS: The functional consequence of the interplay between c-Myc oncogene expression and the RARγ to RARα/β balance suggests that prevalence of RARγ over-RARα/β expression levels in breast cancer accompanied by c-Myc amplification or over-expression in breast cancer should be predictive of response to treatment with RARα-isotype-specific agonists and warrant monitoring during clinical trials. View Publication