Cellular identity in metazoan organisms is frequently established through lineage-specifying transcription factors, which control their own expression through transcriptional positive feedback, while ...antagonizing the developmental networks of competing lineages. Here, we have uncovered a distinct positive feedback loop that arises from the reciprocal stabilization of the tyrosine kinase ABL and the transcriptional coactivator TAZ. Moreover, we determined that this loop is required for osteoblast differentiation and embryonic skeletal formation. ABL potentiated the assembly and activation of the RUNX2-TAZ master transcription factor complex that is required for osteoblastogenesis, while antagonizing PPARγ-mediated adipogenesis. ABL also enhanced TAZ nuclear localization and the formation of the TAZ-TEAD complex that is required for osteoblast expansion. Last, we have provided genetic data showing that regulation of the ABL-TAZ amplification loop lies downstream of the adaptor protein 3BP2, which is mutated in the craniofacial dysmorphia syndrome cherubism. Our study demonstrates an interplay between ABL and TAZ that controls the mesenchymal maturation program toward the osteoblast lineage and is mechanistically distinct from the established model of lineage-specific maturation.
Bone undergoes continuous remodeling due to balanced bone formation and resorption mediated by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. Osteoclasts arise from the macrophage lineage, and their ...differentiation is dependent on RANKL, a member of the TNF family of cytokines. Here, we have provided evidence that RANKL controls the expression of 3BP2, an adapter protein that is required for activation of SRC tyrosine kinase and simultaneously coordinates the attenuation of β-catenin, both of which are required to execute the osteoclast developmental program. We found that RANKL represses the transcription of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF146 through an NF-κB-related inhibitory element in the RNF146 promoter. RANKL-mediated suppression of RNF146 results in the stabilization of its substrates, 3BP2 and AXIN1, which consequently triggers the activation of SRC and attenuates the expression of β-catenin, respectively. Depletion of RNF146 caused hypersensitivity to LPS-induced TNF-α production in vivo. RNF146 thus acts as an inhibitory switch to control osteoclastogenesis and cytokine production and may be a control point underlying the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Maternal obesity results in a number of obstetrical and fetal complications with both immediate and long-term consequences. The increased prevalence of obesity has resulted in increasing numbers of ...women of reproductive age in this high-risk group. Since many of these obese women have been subjected to hypercaloric diets from early childhood we have developed a rodent model of life-long maternal obesity to more clearly understand the mechanisms that contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes in obese women. Female Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control diet (CON--16% of calories from fat) or high fat diet (HF--45% of calories from fat) from 3 to 19 weeks of age. Prior to pregnancy HF-fed dams exhibited significant increases in body fat, serum leptin and triglycerides. A subset of dams was sacrificed at gestational day 15 to evaluate fetal and placental development. The remaining animals were allowed to deliver normally. HF-fed dams exhibited a more than 3-fold increase in fetal death and decreased neonatal survival. These outcomes were associated with altered vascular development in the placenta, as well as increased hypoxia in the labyrinth. We propose that the altered placental vasculature may result in reduced oxygenation of the fetal tissues contributing to premature demise and poor neonatal survival.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Earlier, we showed that in cancer cells, AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) participates in a signal transduction pathway involving ATM-AMPK-p53/p21cip1 which is activated by ionizing radiation (IR) to ...mediate G2-M arrest and enhanced cytotoxicity. We also observed that AMPK modulates ATM expression and activity and the IR response of the Akt-mTOR pathway. Since the ATM, AMPK and Akt pathways are key targets of novel radio-sensitizing therapeutics, we examined the chronic modultion of expression and activity of those pathways by IR alone in xenograft models of lung cancer.
Immuno-compromised mice were grafted with human lung A549 and H1299 cells, were treated with a single fraction of 0 or 10 Gy, and left to grow for 8 weeks. Extracted tumors were subjected to lysis and immunoblotting or fixation and immunohistochemical analysis.
IR inhibited significantly xenograft growth and was associated with increased expression of Ataxia Telengiectasia Mutated (ATM) and enhanced phosphorylation of two ATM targets, H2Ax and checkpoint kinase Chk2. Irradiated tumours showed increased total AMPK levels and phosphorylation of AMPK and its substrate Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACC). IR led to enhanced expression and phosphorylation of p53 and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21cip1 and p27kip1. However, irradiated tumours had reduced phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR and it's target translation initiation inhibitor 4EBP1. Irradiated xenografts showed reduced microvessel density, reduced expression of CD31 but increased expression of hypoxia-induced factor 1A (HIF1a) compared to controls.
IR inhibits epithelial cancer tumour growth and results in sustained expression and activation of ATM-Chk2, and AMPK-p53/p21cip1/p27kip1 but partial inhibition of the Akt-mTOR signaling pathways. Future studies should examine causality between those events and explore whether further modulation of the AMPK and Akt-mTOR pathways by novel therapeutics can sensitize lung tumours to radiation.
Abstract Purpose To analyze the (i) expression of AMPK in a variety of epithelial cancer cells, (ii) regulation of AMPK subunit expression by ionizing radiation (IR) and (iii) impact of AMPK on ...signaling pathways regulating cell cycle and survival. Methods and materials Human lung, prostate, and breast normal and cancer cells were treated with 0 or 8 Gy IR and mRNA and protein levels of AMPK were evaluated by RT-PCR and immunoblotting 24 or 48 h later. Untreated and radiated wild type (WT) and AMPKα−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were analyzed by immunoblotting using total- and phosphorylation-specific antibodies. Histone H2Ax was examined by fluorescence microscopy. The cell cycle and survival of WT and AMPKα−/− MEFs was also evaluated following 8 Gy by IR. Results AMPK subunits were found widely expressed in normal and cancer epithelial cells. IR increased subunit protein levels and stimulated gene transcription in cancer cells. AMPKα−/− -MEFs showed enhanced basal total levels of ATM and phosphorylation of its substrates histone H2Ax, but inhibited response of these markers and of checkpoint kinase Chk2 phosphorylation to IR. AMPKα−/− -MEFs showed increased basal levels of p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21cip1 , but lack of response of both genes to IR. These cells had increased basal levels and activation of the Akt-mTOR-p70S6K /4-EBP1 signalling pathway. IR increased Akt, p70S6K and 4-EBP1 phosphorylation in WT-MEFs, but this was reduced in AMPKα−/− -MEFs. AMPKα−/− -MEFs failed to arrest at the G2-M checkpoint after IR and showed a trend for radio-resistance in proliferation assays. Conclusions AMPK is widely expressed in human normal and cancer epithelial cells and its gene transcription, protein levels, and enzymatic activity is stimulated by IR. Work with AMPKα knockout cells suggests that AMPK (i) may mediate a suppressive regulation on basal expression and activity of ATM and its downstream effector pathways Chk2/p53-p21cip1 and Akt-mTOR, (ii) facilitates the normal response of these pathways to IR and, (iii) mediates the IR-induced G2-M checkpoint.
Abstract
Objectives: FPI-1434 is a targeted alpha-particle therapeutic consisting of an IGF-1R targeting antibody radiolabeled with Actinium-225. The primary mechanism of action for FPI-1434 is ...induction of double strand DNA breaks (DSB) in targeted tumors resulting in cell death. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is part of the cellular mechanism that repairs DSB. In cancer patients with genetic defects in DSB repair (eg. BRCA1/2), the PARP pathway becomes a primary repair system and its inhibition results in cell death. This mechanism has been leveraged as a therapy against DNA-repair deficient tumors leading to FDA-approval of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) including Olaparib. Treatment with PARPi to block repair of DNA damage driven by FPI-1434 may act synergistically to increase the lethal DNA damage load. To that end, Fusion has performed studies to combine FPI-1434 and Olaparib against tumor models with no pre-disposing defects in DNA repair.
Methods: Colorectal (Colo-205) or lung (A549) cancer xenografts were established in Balb/c nude mice. For efficacy studies, a dose combination matrix for FPI-1434 and Olaparib was tested. FPI-1434 was dosed (i.v.) once at 20-200 nCi followed with Olaparib (i.p.) at doses of 0-50 mg/kg. Olaparib was dosed 24h after FPI-1434 using a 5 day on/2 day off schedule (5 mice/group). DSB formation (γH2AX) and apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3) were evaluated in treated tumors by IHC staining.
Results: DSB formation and induction of apoptosis were detected in FPI-1434-treated tumors in a time and dose dependent manner. DSB formation was observed in all areas of tumor containing intact or apoptotic cancer cells confirming FPI-1434 mechanism. In tumor efficacy studies, Olaparib had no single-agent efficacy in the Colo-205 or A549 models. Single doses of FPI-1434 at 20 nCi had no effect on Colo-205 tumors, suppressed growth at 50 nCi and caused regression at 100 nCi. Combination efficacy was seen in the 20 and 50 nCi dose groups, including Olaparib. Doses of 20 nCi FPI-1434 and 25 mg/kg Olaparib had the strongest combined effect in this model. In the A549 model, single doses of FPI-1434 had no effect at 20 or 50 nCi, caused growth suppression at 100 nCi and regression at 200 nCi. Combination efficacy was seen in the 20, 50 and 100 nCi dose groups, including Olaparib. Doses of 50 nCi FPI-1434 and 25 mg/kg Olaparib had the strongest combined effect in this model. In general, the strongest efficacy was observed by combining ineffective single-agent doses of the two compounds. Strong efficacy of high dose FPI-1434 masked observable combination effects suggesting that FPI-1434 was the therapeutic driver.
Conclusions: Olaparib co-dosing enhanced FPI-1434 efficacy which supports consideration of this combination for clinical use. Ineffective single-agent doses, when combined, resulted in synergistic efficacy in both Colo-205 and A549 models suggesting that the mechanism can be applied to multiple cancer types where predisposing mutations in DNA repair are lacking. The strongest combination effect appeared to occur at the low single-agent doses suggesting that PARP inhibition may potentiate efficacy at lower clinical doses of FPI-1434.
Citation Format: Meiduo Hu, John Forbes, Ryan Simms, Yaryna Storozhuk, Eric Burak, John Valliant. Combination of IGF-1R targeted alpha therapy with Olaparib results in synergistic efficacy against colorectal and lung cancer xenografts abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr LB130.
To analyze the (i) expression of AMPK in a variety of epithelial cancer cells, (ii) regulation of AMPK subunit expression by ionizing radiation (IR) and (iii) impact of AMPK on signaling pathways ...regulating cell cycle and survival.
Human lung, prostate, and breast normal and cancer cells were treated with 0 or 8 Gy IR and mRNA and protein levels of AMPK were evaluated by RT-PCR and immunoblotting 24 or 48 h later. Untreated and radiated wild type (WT) and AMPKα(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were analyzed by immunoblotting using total- and phosphorylation-specific antibodies. Histone H2Ax was examined by fluorescence microscopy. The cell cycle and survival of WT and AMPKα(-/-) MEFs was also evaluated following 8 Gy by IR.
AMPK subunits were found widely expressed in normal and cancer epithelial cells. IR increased subunit protein levels and stimulated gene transcription in cancer cells. AMPKα(-/-)-MEFs showed enhanced basal total levels of ATM and phosphorylation of its substrates histone H2Ax, but inhibited response of these markers and of checkpoint kinase Chk2 phosphorylation to IR. AMPKα(-/-)-MEFs showed increased basal levels of p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(cip1), but lack of response of both genes to IR. These cells had increased basal levels and activation of the Akt-mTOR-p70(S6K)/4-EBP1 signalling pathway. IR increased Akt, p70(S6K) and 4-EBP1 phosphorylation in WT-MEFs, but this was reduced in AMPKα(-/-)-MEFs. AMPKα(-/-)-MEFs failed to arrest at the G2-M checkpoint after IR and showed a trend for radio-resistance in proliferation assays.
AMPK is widely expressed in human normal and cancer epithelial cells and its gene transcription, protein levels, and enzymatic activity is stimulated by IR. Work with AMPKα knockout cells suggests that AMPK (i) may mediate a suppressive regulation on basal expression and activity of ATM and its downstream effector pathways Chk2/p53-p21(cip1) and Akt-mTOR, (ii) facilitates the normal response of these pathways to IR and, (iii) mediates the IR-induced G2-M checkpoint.
Abstract
Introduction : Radiation therapy is a standard therapeutic modality in lung cancer (LC). Unfortunately, LC demonstrates radiation resistance and poor response to even high doses of chest ...radiotherapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective and well tolerated radiation sensitizers in LC. Recently, we showed that ionizing radiation (IR) and metformin (MET) activate the energy sensor and tumor suppressor kinase AMP-activated kinase (AMPK). MET enhanced IR activation of AMPK in LC cells and increased the cytotoxicity of IR in clonogenic assays. In the present study we investigated, in human LC xenografts, the radio-sensitizing properties of MET and its effects on the activity of the AMPK pathway in intact tumors.
Methods: A549 cells (2×106) were grafted in the franks of Balb/c immunodeficient athymic nude mice and tumors were left to grow to 100 mm3. MET supplementation was delivered in drinking water at a dose of 250 mg/kg daily, and IR of 10 Gy was delivered as a single fraction 7 days after initiation of metformin administration. Eight weeks later animals were euthanized and tumors where isolated. Half of each tumor was snap frozen for preparation of whole tumor lysates and immunoblotting analysis and the other half was fixed and embedded for immunohistochemistry analysis. Tumour growth kinetics and levels of total AMPK, phosphor (P)-AMPK (P-AMPK Thr172) and P-Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACC) and P-Akt were evaluated.
Results: MET and IR alone inhibited significantly A549 LC xenograft tumor growth. Furthermore, the combined treatment of MET and IR produce an additive effect and inhibited tumor growth more than each treatment alone. Both IR and MET enhanced AMPK phosphorylation and activity detected by ACC phosphorylation. Similar to tumor growth kinetics, the combined treatment of MET+IR enhanced AMPK activity and phosphorylation above the levels of each treatment alone. However, we also detected that MET and IR treatments also increased significantly the total AMPK α subunit levels in tumor tissues with a consistent potentiation of this effect when the two treatments were combined. On the other hand MET showed a tendency to inhibit basal and radiation-induced Akt phosphorylation levels in xenografts. Our immunoblotting results were verified with immunohistochemistry experiments.
Conclusion: Similar to our earlier observations in tissue culture models, the present studies suggest that MET inhibits LC tumour growth and sensitizes them to IR. The two agents mediate both expression and activation of AMPK which appears to be associated with inhibition of Akt. Activation of AMPK by MET and IR in-vivo does not appear to depend on LKB1 as A549 cells are LKB1 null. These results demonstrate the potential of MET to function as a radiation sensitizer in-vivo and support evaluation of this drug in LC clinical trials in combination with radiation.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} abstract. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2491. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2491
Purpose
To examine the potential of the anti-diabetic agent Metformin (MET) to enhance responses of NSCLC to ionizing radiation (IR).
Experimental Design
Human NSCLC A549, H1299 and SK-MES cells were ...treated with IR, MET or the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and subjected to proliferation, clonogenic, immunoblotting, cell cycle and apoptosis assays. A549 and H1299 cells were grafted into flanks of immunosuppressed mice and treated with MET and/or IR. Tumours were analyzed by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.
Results
MET(2.5uM-5mM) caused dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation (10-70%)in all lines, inibited clonogenic survival and sensitized cells to IR. In A549 cellsMET caused inhibition of proliferation comparable to rapamycin, stimulated expression and activation of the ATM and AMPK-p53-p21 cip1 and inhibited the Akt-mTOR-4-EBP1 pathway.MET caused G1 arrest of cell cycle, enhanced apoptosis and induced sustained DNA repair foci of gH2AX. MET and IR alone inhibited xenograft growth and combined treatment enhanced that further. IR and MET induced sustained enhancement of expression and activity of ATM-AMPK-p53-p21 cip1 and inhibitionof Akt-mTOR-4-EBP1 pathways in tumours also. MET reduced expression of angiogenesis and enhanced expression of apoptosis markers in both control and radiated tumours.
Conclusions
Clinically achievable(uM) doses ofMET inhibit human NSCLC cell and tumour growth and sensitize them to IR.This is accompanied by desirable modulation of molecular signals, inhibition of angiogenesis and induction of apoptosis. Our results suggest that MET could be a clinically useful adjunct to radiotherapy in NSCLC and support clinical investigation of MET in combination with radiotherapy.
Master of Science (MSc)
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