• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권10호
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• pp.5579-5587
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• 2013

Research indicates that a small population of cancer cells is highly tumorigenic, endowed with the capacity for self-renewal, and has the ability to differentiate into cells that constitute the bulk of tumors. These cells are considered the "drivers" of the tumorigenic process in some tumor types, and have been named cancer stem cells (CSC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) appears to be involved in the process leading to the acquisition of stemness by epithelial tumor cells. Through this process, cells acquire an invasive phenotype that may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. CSC have been identified in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) using markers such as CD133 and CD44 expression, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Head and neck cancer stem cells reside primarily in perivascular niches in the invasive fronts where endothelial-cell initiated events contribute to their survival and function. Clinically, CSC enrichment has been shown to be enhanced in recurrent disease, treatment failure and metastasis. CSC represent a novel target of study given their slow growth and innate mechanisms conferring treatment resistance. Further understanding of their unique phenotype may reveal potential molecular targets to improve therapeutic and survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-knowledge on the pathobiology of cancer stem cells, with a focus on the impact of these cells on head and neck tumor progression, metastasis and recurrence due to treatment failure.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.105-110
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• 2018

멜리틴은 봉독의 주요 성분 중 하나로 항염증과 항암활성 효과를 가지고 있다. 우리는 폐암세포에서 멜리틴이 EMT 억제를 통해 암세포 이동과 침투를 억제하는 사실을 확인하였다. 멜리틴은 EGF로 유도된 폐암 세포 이동과 침투를 억제하였을 뿐만 아니라 EMT와 관련된 단백질인 이카드헤린의 발현을 증가시켰으며, 바이멘틴과 피브로넥틴 발현은 감소시켰다. 또한 멜리틴에 의한 EMT조절 전사인자인 ZEB2, Slug, Snail의 발현을 확인한 결과 멜리틴 처리에 의해 농도의존적으로 발현이 감소하였다. 또한 작용 메커니즘을 확인하기 위해 mTOR와 FAK 메커니즘을 확인한 실험에서 EGF 처리에 의해 증가한 AKT, mTOR, p70S6K, 4EBP1의 인산화가 멜리틴 농도의존적으로 감소하였다. 그러나 FAK는 EGF에 의해 변화가 없었으며, EKR, JNK 메커니즘은 EGF 처리에 의해 인산화가 증가하였으나 멜리틴 처리에 의해 아무런 영향을 받지 않았다. 그러므로, 폐암세포의 세포 이동과 침투에 대한 멜리틴의 억제효과는 AKT/mTOR/P70S6K/4EBP1 기전 억제를 통해 EMT를 억제하여 세포 이동과 침투를 억제하는 것으로 보인다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권10호
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• pp.4271-4274
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• 2014

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step during embryonic morphogenesis and plays an important role in drug resistance and metastasis in diverse solid tumors. We previously reported that 48 h treatment of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin could induce EMT in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells. However, the long term effects of this transient drug treatment were unknown. In this study we found that after 48 h treatment with $0.1{\mu}g/ml$ doxorubicin, most cells died during next week, while a minor population of cells survived and formed colonies. We propagated the surviving cells in drug free medium and found that these long term cultured drug survival cells (abbreviated as ltDSCs) retained a mesenchymal-like cell morphology, and expressed high levels of EMT-related molecules such as vimentin, twist and ${\beta}$-catenin. The expression of chromatin reprogramming factors, Oct4 and c-myc, were also higher in ltDSCs than parental cells. We further demonstrated that the protein level of p300 was upregulated in ltDSCs, and inhibition of p300 by siRNA suppressed the expression of vimentin. Moreover, the ltDSCs had higher colony forming ability and were more drug resistant when compared to parental cells. Our results suggested that an epigenetic mechanism is involved in the EMT of ltDSCs.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권8호
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• pp.625-630
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• 2016

The RNA-binding protein Rbfox3 is a well-known splicing regulator that is used as a marker for post-mitotic neurons in various vertebrate species. Although recent studies indicate a variable expression of Rbfox3 in non-neuronal tissues, including lung tissue, its cellular function in lung cancer remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the number of RBFOX3-positive cells in tumorous lung tissue is lower than that in normal lung tissue. As the transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) signaling pathway is important in cancer progression, we investigated its role in RBFOX3 expression in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. TGF-${\beta}1$ treatment inhibited RBFOX3 expression at the transcriptional level. Further, RBFOX3 depletion led to a change in the expression levels of a subset of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as E-cadherin and Claudin-1, during TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT. In immunofluorescence microscopic analysis, mesenchymal morphology was more prominent in RBFOX3-depleted cells than in control cells. These findings show that TGF-${\beta}$-induced RBFOX3 inhibition plays an important role in EMT and propose a novel role for RBFOX3 in cancer progression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6321-6326
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• 2013

Introduction: Lung cancer is extremely harmful to human health and has one of the highest worldwide incidences of all malignant tumors. Approximately 80% of lung cancers are classified as non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Cisplatin-based multidrug chemotherapy regimen is standard for such lesions, but drug resistance is an increasing problem. F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (FBW7) is a member of the F-box protein family that regulates cell cycle progression, and cell growth and differentiation. FBW7 also functions as a tumor suppressor. Methods: We used cell viability assays, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence combined with siRNA interference or plasmid transfection to investigate the underlying mechanism of cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cells. Results: We found that FBW7 upregulation significantly increased cisplatin chemosensitivity and that cells expressing low levels of FBW7, such as NCI-H1299 cells, have a mesenchymal phenotype. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated silencing or plasmid-mediated upregulation of FBW7 resulted in altered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) patterns in NSCLC cells. These data support a role for FBW7 in regulating the EMT in NSCLC cells. Conclusion: FBW7 is a potential drug target for combating drug resistance and regulating the EMT in NSCLC cells.

• 대한두경부종양학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.53-61
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• 2014

Background and Objectives : Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma(ATC) is a rare but highly aggressive thyroid malignancy that is associated with an extremely poor survival despite the best multidisciplinary care. BRAF(V600E) mutation is detected in about a quarter of ATC, but unlike its high treatment response to selective BRAF inhibitor (PLX4032) in metastatic melanoma, the treatment response of ATC is reported to be low. The purpose of this study is to investigate the innate resistance mechanism responsible for this low treatment response to BRAF inhibitor and its effect on epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT). Materials and Methods : Two ATP cell lines, 8505C and FRO were selected and treated with PLX4032 and its drug sensitivity and effects on cell migration and EMT were examined and compared. Further investigation on the changes in signals responsible for the different treatment response to PLX4032 was carried out and the same experiment was performed on both orthotopic and ectopic xenograft mouse models. Results : FRO cell line was more sensitive to PLX4032 treatment compared to 8505C cell line. The resistance to BRAF inhibition in 8505C was due to increased expression of EGFR. Effective inhibition of both EGFR and p-AKT was achieved after dual treatment with BRAF inhibitor(PLX4032) and EGFR inhibitor(Erlotinib). Similar results were confirmed on in vivo study. Conclusion : EGFR-mediated reactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and MAPK pathway contributes to the relative insensitivity of BRAF(V600E) mutant ATC cells to PLX4032. Dual inhibition of BRAF and EGFR leads to sustained treatment response including cell invasiveness.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제52권8호
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• pp.944-952
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• 2009

목 적 : Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)은 태생기에 있어 필수 불가결한 발달과정일 뿐 아니라, 신 섬유화에 있어서도 중요한 역할을 하며, nestin은 고전적인 줄기세포 표지자로 신 세뇨관 간질 손상에 있어 새로운 표지자로 밝혀지고 있다. 신생 백서 신장에서 Angiotensin (Ang) II가 EMT에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자, 안지오텐신 전환 효소 억제제를 투여한 신생 백서의 신장에서 EMT 표지자 및 nestin의 발현 양상을 조사하였다. 방 법 : 7일 동안 신생 백서에게 enalapril (30 mg/kg/d) 또는 vehicle을 투여하였으며, ${\alpha}-smooth$ muscle actin (SMA), E-cadherin, vimentin 및 nestin에 대한 면역 조직 화학 염색을 시행하였다. 결 과 : enalapril 투여군에서 대조군에 비해 신 피질 및 수질 모두에서 ${\alpha}-SMA$ 발현이 증가하였으며, 이는 확장된 세뇨관 상피 세포에서 뚜렷하였다(P<0.05). E-cadherin 발현은 enalapril 투여군의 신 피질 및 수질의 세뇨관 상피 세포에서 확연히 감소하였다(P<0.05). vimentin 및 nestin 발현은 신 피질에서는 양군간의 차이가 없었으나, 신 수질에서는 enalapril 투여군에서 세뇨관 간질 세포에서 발현이 의미있게 증가하였다(P<0.05). 결 론 : 신생 백서 신장에서 Ang II 억제는 ${\alpha}-SMA$ 발현을 증가시키고, E-cadherin 발현을 감소시킴으로써 발달하는 신장의 EMT를 증가시켰다. Enalapril 투여는 또한 신 수질에서 vimentin과 nestin의 발현을 증가시켰으며, 이는 신생 백서 신장에서의 Ang II 억제로 인한 EMT 과정 중 신 수질의 변화가 더욱 뚜렷한 것을 시사하며, Ang II 억제가 EMT 표지자들의 발현을 다르게 변화시키는 것으로 사료된다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권9호
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• pp.868-880
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• 2018

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive cancers presenting with high rates of invasion and metastasis, and unfavorable prognoses. The current study aims to investigate whether EZH2/miR-139-5p axis affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in PC, and the mechanism how EZH2 regulates miR-139-5p. Human PC and adjacent normal tissues were collected to determine expression of EZH2 and miR-139-5p, and their relationship with clinicopathological features of PC. Human PC cell line was selected, and treated with miR-139-5p mimics/inhibitors, EZH2 vector or shEZH2 in order to validate the regulation of EZH2-mediated miR-139-5p in PC cells. Dual-luciferase report gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were employed to identify the relationship between miR-139-5p and EZH2. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine the expression of miR-139-5p, EZH2 and EMT-related markers and ZEB1/2. Tumor formation ability and in vitro cell activity were also analyzed. Highly-expressed EZH2 and poorly-expressed miR-139-5p were detected in PC tissues, and miR-139-5p and EZH2 expressions were associated with patients at Stage III/IV, with LNM and highly-differentiated tumors. EZH2 suppressed the expression of miR-139-5p through up-regulating Histone 3 Lysine 27 Trimethylation (H3K27me3). EMT, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were impeded, and tumor formation and LNM were reduced in PC cells transfected with miR-139-5p mimics and shEZH2. MiR-139-5p transcription is inhibited by EZH2 through up-regulating H3K27me3, thereby down-regulation of EZH2 and up-regulation of miR-139-5p impede EMT and LNM in PC. In addition, the EZH2/miR-139-5p axis presents as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.212-224
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• 2020

Purpose: miR-205 is a tumor suppressor and plays an important role in tumor invasiveness. However, the role of miR-205 in human gastric cancer (GC) epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-205 in the regulation of EMT in GC invasion. Materials and Methods: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-205 in GC. Further, the correlation between the pathological parameters and prognosis of GC was statistically analyzed. A transwell model was used to evaluate the effect of miR-205-3p on the invasion and migration of GC cells. qPCR, western blotting, and luciferase assay were performed to analyze the relationship and target effects between miR-205-3p and the expression of zinc finger electron box binding homologous box 1 (ZEB1) and 2 (ZEB2). Results: We found that the levels of miR-205-3p were significantly lower (P<0.05) in GC tissues than in matched normal tissues. Additionally, the expression of miR-205-3p was related to the tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, lymph node invasion, and tumor, node, metastasis stage. Patients with lower miR-205-3p expression levels in the tumors had a poorer prognosis. The in vitro assays indicated that miR-205-3p could affect the invasion ability and EMT of GC cells by targeting the expression of both ZEB1 and ZEB2. Conclusions: miR-205-3p promotes GC progression and affects the prognosis of patients by targeting both ZEB1 and ZEB2 to directly influence EMT.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권12호
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• pp.898-908
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• 2016

Despite recent groundbreaking advances in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment, most MM patients ultimately experience relapse, and the relapse biology is not entirely understood. To define altered gene expression in MM relapse, gene expression profiles were examined and compared among 16 MM patients grouped by 12 months progression-free survival (PFS) after autologous stem cell transplantation. To maximize the difference between prognostic groups, patients at each end of the PFS spectrum (the four with the shortest PFS and four with the longest PFS) were chosen for additional analyses. We discovered that integrin-${\alpha}8$ (ITGA8) is highly expressed in MM patients with early relapse. The integrin family is well known to be involved in MM progression; however, the role of integrin-${\alpha}8$ is largely unknown. We functionally overexpressed integrin-${\alpha}8$ in MM cell lines, and surprisingly, stemness features including $HIF1{\alpha}$, VEGF, OCT4, and Nanog, as well as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related phenotypes, including N-cadherin, Slug, Snail and CXCR4, were induced. These, consequently, enhanced migration and invasion abilities, which are crucial to MM pathogenesis. Moreover, the gain of integrin-${\alpha}8$ expression mediated drug resistance against melphalan and bortezomib, which are the main therapeutic agents in MM. The cBioPortal genomic database revealed that ITGA8 have significant tendency to co-occur with PDGFRA and PDGFRB and their mRNA expression were up-regulated in ITGA8 overexpressed MM cells. In summary, integrin-${\alpha}8$, which was up-regulated in MM of early relapse, mediates EMT-like phenotype, enhancing migration and invasion; therefore, it could serve as a potential marker of MM relapse and be a new therapeutic target.