scholarly journals Bidirectional Interaction Between Cancer Cells and Platelets Provides Potential Strategies for Cancer Therapies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liuting Yu ◽  
Yao Guo ◽  
Zhiguang Chang ◽  
Dengyang Zhang ◽  
Shiqiang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Antiplatelet Agents ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Tumor Cell Adhesion ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Adhesion And Invasion

Platelets are essential components in the tumor microenvironment. For decades, clinical data have demonstrated that cancer patients have a high risk of thrombosis that is associated with adverse prognosis and decreased survival, indicating the involvement of platelets in cancer progression. Increasing evidence confirms that cancer cells are able to induce production and activation of platelets. Once activated, platelets serve as allies of cancer cells in tumor growth and metastasis. They can protect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) against the immune system and detachment-induced apoptosis while facilitating angiogenesis and tumor cell adhesion and invasion. Therefore, antiplatelet agents and platelet-based therapies should be developed for cancer treatment. Here, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional cancer-platelet crosstalk and platelet-based therapeutic approaches.

The cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol increases the secretion of extracellular vesicles which promote breast cancer progression

Endocrinology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E Baek ◽  
Natalia Krawczynska ◽  
Anasuya Das Gupta ◽  
Svyatoslav Victorovich Dvoretskiy ◽  
Sixian You ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Myeloid Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Progression ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis ◽  
Promote Breast Cancer

Abstract Cholesterol has been implicated in the clinical progression of breast cancer, a disease that continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Previous work has identified the cholesterol metabolite, 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC), as a major mediator of the effects of cholesterol on breast tumor growth and progression. 27HC can act as an estrogen receptor (ER) modulator to promote the growth of ERα+ tumors, and a liver x receptor (LXR) ligand in myeloid immune cells to establish an immune-suppressive program. In fact, the metastatic properties of 27HC require the presence of myeloid cells, with neutrophils (PMNs) being essential for the increase in lung metastasis in murine models. In an effort to further elucidate the mechanisms by which 27HC alters breast cancer progression, we made the striking finding that 27HC promoted the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a diverse assortment of membrane bound particles that include exosomes. The resulting EVs had a size distribution that was skewed slightly larger, compared to EVs generated by treating cells with vehicle. The increase in EV secretion and size was consistent across three different subtypes: primary murine PMNs, RAW264.7 monocytic cells and 4T1 murine mammary cancer cells. Label-free analysis of 27HC-EVs indicated that they had a different metabolite composition to those from vehicle-treated cells. Importantly, 27HC-EVs from primary PMNs promoted tumor growth and metastasis in two different syngeneic models, demonstrating the potential role of 27HC induced EVs in the progression of breast cancer. EVs from PMNs were taken up by cancer cells, macrophages and PMNs, but not T cells. Since EVs did not alter proliferation of cancer cells, it is likely that their pro-tumor effects are mediated through interactions with myeloid cells. Interestingly, RNA-seq analysis of tumors from 27HC-EV treated mice do not display significantly altered transcriptomes, suggesting that the effects of 27HC-EVs occur early on in tumor establishment and growth. Future work will be required to elucidate the mechanisms by which 27HC increases EV secretion, and how these EVs promote breast cancer progression. Collectively however, our data indicate that EV secretion and content can be regulated by a cholesterol metabolite, which may have detrimental effects in terms of disease progression, important findings given the prevalence of both breast cancer and hypercholesterolemia.

scholarly journals Breast Cancer Cells in Microgravity: New Aspects for Cancer Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Zakaria Nassef ◽  
Daniela Melnik ◽  
Sascha Kopp ◽  
Jayashree Sahana ◽  
Manfred Infanger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Tumor Model ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Cancer Therapies

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in females. The incidence has risen dramatically during recent decades. Dismissed as an “unsolved problem of the last century”, breast cancer still represents a health burden with no effective solution identified so far. Microgravity (µg) research might be an unusual method to combat the disease, but cancer biologists decided to harness the power of µg as an exceptional method to increase efficacy and precision of future breast cancer therapies. Numerous studies have indicated that µg has a great impact on cancer cells; by influencing proliferation, survival, and migration, it shifts breast cancer cells toward a less aggressive phenotype. In addition, through the de novo generation of tumor spheroids, µg research provides a reliable in vitro 3D tumor model for preclinical cancer drug development and to study various processes of cancer progression. In summary, µg has become an important tool in understanding and influencing breast cancer biology.

scholarly journals Cancer associated-fibroblast-derived exosomes in cancer progression

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Li ◽  
Adilson Fonseca Teixeira ◽  
Hong-Jian Zhu ◽  
Peter ten Dijke
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Chemotherapy Resistance ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Cancer Associated Fibroblast

AbstractTo identify novel cancer therapies, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has received a lot of attention in recent years in particular with the advent of clinical successes achieved by targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The TME consists of multiple cell types that are embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM), including immune cells, endothelial cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which communicate with cancer cells and each other during tumor progression. CAFs are a dominant and heterogeneous cell type within the TME with a pivotal role in controlling cancer cell invasion and metastasis, immune evasion, angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance. CAFs mediate their effects in part by remodeling the ECM and by secreting soluble factors and extracellular vesicles. Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which contain various biomolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. The biomolecules in exosomes can be transmitted from one to another cell, and thereby affect the behavior of the receiving cell. As exosomes are also present in circulation, their contents can also be explored as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients. In this review, we concentrate on the role of CAFs-derived exosomes in the communication between CAFs and cancer cells and other cells of the TME. First, we introduce the multiple roles of CAFs in tumorigenesis. Thereafter, we discuss the ways CAFs communicate with cancer cells and interplay with other cells of the TME, and focus in particular on the role of exosomes. Then, we elaborate on the mechanisms by which CAFs-derived exosomes contribute to cancer progression, as well as and the clinical impact of exosomes. We conclude by discussing aspects of exosomes that deserve further investigation, including emerging insights into making treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor blockade more efficient.

The Tangled Mitochondrial Metabolism in Cancer: An Innovative Pharmacological Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (13) ◽  
pp. 2106-2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Bottoni ◽  
Roberto Scatena
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Oxidative Metabolism ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Mitochondrial Metabolism ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Fundamental Step

Background: Mitochondria are remarkably gaining significant and different pathogenic roles in cancer (i.e., to sustain specific metabolism, to activate signaling pathways, to promote apoptosis resistance, to favor cancer cell dissemination, and finally to facilitate genome instability). Interestingly, all these roles seem to be linked to the fundamental activity of mitochondria, i.e. oxidative metabolism. Intriguingly, a typical modification of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and reactive oxygen species production/ neutralization seems to have a central role in all these tangled pathogenic roles in cancer. On these bases, a careful understanding of the molecular relationships between cancer and mitochondria may represent a fundamental step to realize therapeutic approaches blocking the typical cancer progression. The main aim of this review is to stress some neglected aspects of oxidative mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells to promote more translational research with diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Methods: We reviewed the available literature regarding clinical and experimental studies on various roles of mitochondria in cancer, with attention to the cancer cell mitochondrial metabolism. Results: Mitochondria are an important source of reactive oxygen species. Their toxic effects seem to increase in cancer cells. However, it is not clear if damage depends on ROS overproduction and/or defect in detoxification. Failure of both these processes is likely a critical component of the cancer process and is strictly related to the actual microenvironment of cancer cells. Conclusions: Mitochondria, also by ROS production, have a fundamental pathogenetic role in promoting and maintaining cancer and its spreading. To carefully understand the tangled redox state of cancer cells mitochondria represents a fundamental step to realize therapeutic approaches blocking the typical cancer progression.

scholarly journals Targeting Ovarian Cancer Cells Overexpressing CD44 with Immunoliposomes Encapsulating Glycosylated Paclitaxel

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apriliana Cahya Khayrani ◽  
Hafizah Mahmud ◽  
Aung Ko Ko Oo ◽  
Maram H. Zahra ◽  
Miharu Oze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Stem Cell Marker ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Tumor Selective

Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the front-line drugs approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer. However, the application of PTX is limited due to the significant hydrophobicity and poor pharmacokinetics. We previously reported target-directed liposomes carrying tumor-selective conjugated antibody and encapsulated glycosylated PTX (gPTX-L) which successfully overcome the PTX limitation. The tubulin stabilizing activity of gPTX was equivalent to that of PTX while the cytotoxic activity of gPTX was reduced. In human ovarian cancer cell lines, SK-OV-3 and OVK18, the concentration at which cell growth was inhibited by 50% (IC50) for gPTX range from 15–20 nM, which was sensitive enough to address gPTX-L with tumor-selective antibody coupling for ovarian cancer therapy. The cell membrane receptor CD44 is associated with cancer progression and has been recognized as a cancer stem cell marker including ovarian cancer, becoming a suitable candidate to be targeted by gPTX-L therapy. In this study, gPTX-loading liposomes conjugated with anti-CD44 antibody (gPTX-IL) were assessed for the efficacy of targeting CD44-positive ovarian cancer cells. We successfully encapsulated gPTX into liposomes with the loading efficiency (LE) more than 80% in both of gPTX-L and gPTX-IL with a diameter of approximately 100 nm with efficacy of enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro and of convenient treatment in vivo. As the result, gPTX-IL efficiently suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Therefore gPTX-IL could be a promising formulation for effective ovarian cancer therapies.

scholarly journals Game theory in the death galaxy: interaction of cancer and stromal cells in tumour microenvironment

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 20140028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Wu ◽  
David Liao ◽  
Thea D. Tlsty ◽  
James C. Sturm ◽  
Robert H. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Game Theory ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Evolutionary Game Theory ◽  
Stromal Cells ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Tumour Microenvironment ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Galaxy Interaction ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Preventing relapse is the major challenge to effective therapy in cancer. Within the tumour, stromal (ST) cells play an important role in cancer progression and the emergence of drug resistance. During cancer treatment, the fitness of cancer cells can be enhanced by ST cells because their molecular signalling interaction delays the drug-induced apoptosis of cancer cells. On the other hand, competition among cancer and ST cells for space or resources should not be ignored. We explore the population dynamics of multiple myeloma (MM) versus bone marrow ST cells by using an experimental microecology that we call the death galaxy, with a stable drug gradient and connected microhabitats. Evolutionary game theory is a quantitative way to capture the frequency-dependent nature of interactive populations. Therefore, we use evolutionary game theory to model the populations in the death galaxy with the gradients of pay-offs and successfully predict the future densities of MM and ST cells. We discuss the possible clinical use of such analysis for predicting cancer progression.

Ouabain downregulates Mcl-1 and sensitizes lung cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (3) ◽  
pp. C263-C272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pithi Chanvorachote ◽  
Varisa Pongrakhananon
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Physiological Activity ◽  
Lung Cancer Cells ◽  
Parp Cleavage ◽  
Cancer Cell Death ◽  
Metastatic Lung ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Sensitizing Effect

Resistance to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a prerequisite for cancer progression, and TRAIL resistance is prevalent in lung cancer. Ouabain, a recently identified human hormone, has shown therapeutic promise by potentiating the apoptotic response of metastatic lung cancer cells to TRAIL. Nontoxic concentrations of ouabain are shown to increase caspase-3 activation, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, and apoptosis of H292 cells in response to TRAIL. While ouabain had a minimal effect on c-FLIP, Bcl-2, and Bax levels, we show that it possesses an ability to downregulate the antiapoptotic Mcl-1 protein. The present study also reveals that the sensitizing effect of ouabain is associated with its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and hydrogen peroxide is identified as the principle ROS triggering proteasomal Mcl-1 degradation. In summary, our results indicate a novel function for ouabain in TRAIL-mediated cancer cell death through Mcl-1 downregulation, thereby providing new insight into a potential lung cancer treatment as well as a better understanding of the physiological activity of ouabain.

scholarly journals Cancer Cell Glycocalyx and Its Significance in Cancer Progression

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Kang ◽  
Qiuhong Wu ◽  
Anqiang Sun ◽  
Xiao Liu ◽  
Yubo Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Interstitial Flow ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Tumor Cell Adhesion ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Clinical Experiments

Cancer is a malignant tumor that threatens the health of human beings, and has become the leading cause of death in urban and rural residents in China. The glycocalyx is a layer of multifunctional glycans that covers the surfaces of a variety of cells, including vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, stem cells, epithelial, osteocytes, as well as cancer cells. The glycosylation and syndecan of cancer cell glycocalyx are unique. However, heparan sulfate (HS), hyaluronic acid (HA), and syndecan are all closely associated with the processes of cancer progression, including cell migration and metastasis, tumor cell adhesion, tumorigenesis, and tumor growth. The possible underlying mechanisms may be the interruption of its barrier function, its radical role in growth factor storage, signaling, and mechanotransduction. In the later sections, we discuss glycocalyx targeting therapeutic approaches reported in animal and clinical experiments. The study concludes that cancer cells’ glycocalyx and its role in cancer progression are beginning to be known by more groups, and future studies should pay more attention to its mechanotransduction of interstitial flow-induced shear stress, seeking promising therapeutic targets with less toxicity but more specificity.

Role of Organ Specific Cancer Stem Cells in Organ Specific Cancer Progression

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali ◽  
Fatima Ali ◽  
Nadia Wajid
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Cancer Therapeutics ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Specific Cancer ◽  
Organ Specific

Since the cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in 1997 by Bonnet and Dick, more than 100,000 papers have been published on the CSC. Huge research on cancer stem cells helped the scientists to rethink about the cancer therapeutics as classic way of chemotherapy is ineffective because chemotherapy failed to kill these cells, the only reason of cancer relapse. The cancer theory of stem cells is one of the most trending theory in stem cells and cancer biology focusing on the understanding of biology of cancer cells for an enhanced and improved therapeutic approaches should be applied to cure the cancer. This mini-review is a short overview on the role of organ specific cancer stem cells in the organ specific cancer progression.

scholarly journals Metabolic Escape Routes of Cancer Stem Cells and Therapeutic Opportunities

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Turdo ◽  
Gaetana Porcelli ◽  
Caterina D’Accardo ◽  
Simone Di Franco ◽  
Francesco Verona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Stromal Cells ◽  
Metabolic Reprogramming ◽  
Metabolic Adaptation ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Current Therapies ◽  
Oxidative Phenotype

Although improvement in early diagnosis and treatment ameliorated life expectancy of cancer patients, metastatic disease still lacks effective therapeutic approaches. Resistance to anticancer therapies stems from the refractoriness of a subpopulation of cancer cells—termed cancer stem cells (CSCs)—which is endowed with tumor initiation and metastasis formation potential. CSCs are heterogeneous and diverge by phenotypic, functional and metabolic perspectives. Intrinsic as well as extrinsic stimuli dictated by the tumor microenvironment (TME)have critical roles in determining cell metabolic reprogramming from glycolytic toward an oxidative phenotype and vice versa, allowing cancer cells to thrive in adverse milieus. Crosstalk between cancer cells and the surrounding microenvironment occurs through the interchange of metabolites, miRNAs and exosomes that drive cancer cells metabolic adaptation. Herein, we identify the metabolic nodes of CSCs and discuss the latest advances in targeting metabolic demands of both CSCs and stromal cells with the scope of improving current therapies and preventing cancer progression.

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