Background:Bladder cancer,characterized by a high potential of tumor recurrence,has high lifelong monitoring and treatment costs.To date,tumor cells with intrinsic softness have been identified to function as cancer s...Background:Bladder cancer,characterized by a high potential of tumor recurrence,has high lifelong monitoring and treatment costs.To date,tumor cells with intrinsic softness have been identified to function as cancer stem cells in several cancer types.Nonetheless,the existence of soft tumor cells in bladder tumors remains elusive.Thus,our study aimed to develop a microbarrier microfluidic chip to efficiently isolate deformable tumor cells from distinct types of bladder cancer cells.Methods:The stiffness of bladder cancer cells was determined by atomic force microscopy(AFM).The modified microfluidic chip was utilized to separate soft cells,and the 3D Matrigel culture system was to maintain the softness of tumor cells.Expression patterns of integrinβ8(ITGB8),protein kinase B(AKT),and mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)were determined by Western blotting.Double immunostaining was conducted to examine the interaction between F-actin and tripartite motif containing 59(TRIM59).The stem-cell-like characteristics of soft cells were explored by colony formation assay and in vivo studies upon xenografted tumor models.Results:Using our newly designed microfluidic approach,we identified a small fraction of soft tumor cells in bladder cancer cells.More importantly,the existence of soft tumor cells was confirmed in clinical human bladder cancer specimens,in which the number of soft tumor cells was associated with tumor relapse.Furthermore,we demonstrated that the biomechanical stimuli arising from 3D Matrigel activated the F-actin/ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis pathways to enhance the softness and tumorigenic capacity of tumor cells.Simultaneously,we detected a remarkable up-regulation in ITGB8,TRIM59,and phospho-AKT in clinical bladder recurrent tumors compared with their non-recurrent counterparts.Conclusions:The ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis axis plays a crucial role in modulating tumor softness and stemness.Meanwhile,the soft tumor cells become more sensitive to chemotherapy after stiffening,that offers new insights for hampering tumor progression and recurrence.展开更多
Androgens play an important role in prostate cancer(PCa)development and progression.Although androgen deprivation therapy remains the front-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer,patients eventually relapse with ...Androgens play an important role in prostate cancer(PCa)development and progression.Although androgen deprivation therapy remains the front-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer,patients eventually relapse with the lethal form of the disease.The prostate tumor microenvironment is characterised by elevated tissue androgens that are capable of activating the androgen receptor(AR).Inhibiting the steroidogenic enzymes that play vital roles in the biosynthesis of testosterone(T)and dihydrotestosterone(DHT)seems to be an attractive strategy for PCa therapies.Emerging data suggest a role for the enzymes mediating pre-receptor control of T and DHT biosynthesis by alternative pathways in controlling intratumoral androgen levels,and thereby influencing PCa progression.This supports the idea for the development of multi-targeting strategies,involving both dual and multiple inhibitors of androgen-metabolising enzymes that are able to affect androgen synthesis and signalling at different points in the biosynthesis.In this review,we will focus on CYP17A1,AKR1C3,HSD17B3 and SRD5A,as these enzymes play essential roles in all the three androgenic pathways.We will review also the AR as an additional target for the design of bifunctional drugs.Targeting intracrine androgens and AKR1C3 have potential to overcome enzalutamide and abiraterone resistance and improve survival of advanced prostate cancer patients.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.81902578,81974098,8197032158)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M670057ZX)+3 种基金Programs from Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province(No.2021YJ0462)Post-doctoral Science Research Foundation of Sichuan University(No.2020SCU12041)Post-Doctor Research Project,West China Hospital,Sichuan University(Nos.2018HXBH084,2019HXBH092)the National key research and development program of China(No.2020YFC2008601)
文摘Background:Bladder cancer,characterized by a high potential of tumor recurrence,has high lifelong monitoring and treatment costs.To date,tumor cells with intrinsic softness have been identified to function as cancer stem cells in several cancer types.Nonetheless,the existence of soft tumor cells in bladder tumors remains elusive.Thus,our study aimed to develop a microbarrier microfluidic chip to efficiently isolate deformable tumor cells from distinct types of bladder cancer cells.Methods:The stiffness of bladder cancer cells was determined by atomic force microscopy(AFM).The modified microfluidic chip was utilized to separate soft cells,and the 3D Matrigel culture system was to maintain the softness of tumor cells.Expression patterns of integrinβ8(ITGB8),protein kinase B(AKT),and mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)were determined by Western blotting.Double immunostaining was conducted to examine the interaction between F-actin and tripartite motif containing 59(TRIM59).The stem-cell-like characteristics of soft cells were explored by colony formation assay and in vivo studies upon xenografted tumor models.Results:Using our newly designed microfluidic approach,we identified a small fraction of soft tumor cells in bladder cancer cells.More importantly,the existence of soft tumor cells was confirmed in clinical human bladder cancer specimens,in which the number of soft tumor cells was associated with tumor relapse.Furthermore,we demonstrated that the biomechanical stimuli arising from 3D Matrigel activated the F-actin/ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis pathways to enhance the softness and tumorigenic capacity of tumor cells.Simultaneously,we detected a remarkable up-regulation in ITGB8,TRIM59,and phospho-AKT in clinical bladder recurrent tumors compared with their non-recurrent counterparts.Conclusions:The ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis axis plays a crucial role in modulating tumor softness and stemness.Meanwhile,the soft tumor cells become more sensitive to chemotherapy after stiffening,that offers new insights for hampering tumor progression and recurrence.
基金support in part from University of Turin(Ricerca Locale grant 2014 and 2015).
文摘Androgens play an important role in prostate cancer(PCa)development and progression.Although androgen deprivation therapy remains the front-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer,patients eventually relapse with the lethal form of the disease.The prostate tumor microenvironment is characterised by elevated tissue androgens that are capable of activating the androgen receptor(AR).Inhibiting the steroidogenic enzymes that play vital roles in the biosynthesis of testosterone(T)and dihydrotestosterone(DHT)seems to be an attractive strategy for PCa therapies.Emerging data suggest a role for the enzymes mediating pre-receptor control of T and DHT biosynthesis by alternative pathways in controlling intratumoral androgen levels,and thereby influencing PCa progression.This supports the idea for the development of multi-targeting strategies,involving both dual and multiple inhibitors of androgen-metabolising enzymes that are able to affect androgen synthesis and signalling at different points in the biosynthesis.In this review,we will focus on CYP17A1,AKR1C3,HSD17B3 and SRD5A,as these enzymes play essential roles in all the three androgenic pathways.We will review also the AR as an additional target for the design of bifunctional drugs.Targeting intracrine androgens and AKR1C3 have potential to overcome enzalutamide and abiraterone resistance and improve survival of advanced prostate cancer patients.
