Cancer Biology Commons^™

Metabolic Dysregulation And Cancer Mortality In A National Cohort Of Blacks And Whites, Tomi Akinyemiju, Justin Xavier Moore, Suzanne Judd, Susan Lakoski, Michael Goodman, Monika M. Safford, Maria Pisu

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: We examined the association between metabolic dysregulation and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort of Black and White adults.

Methods: A total of 25,038 Black and White adults were included in the analysis. Metabolic dysregulation was defined in two ways: 1) using the joint harmonized criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and 2) based on factor analysis of 15 variables characterizing metabolic dysregulation. We estimated hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of MetS and metabolic dysregulation with cancer mortality during follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: About 46% of Black and 39% of White …

The Role Of Yes-Associated Protein 1 In Ovarian Physiology And Pathology, Xiangmin Lv

Theses & Dissertations

Ovarian granulosa cells are the major somatic components of the ovarian follicle. Proper proliferation and differentiation of ovarian granulosa cells are essential for successful follicle development. Accumulating evidence indicates that the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway plays critical roles in both development and tumorigenesis of several organs. The present study aims to investigate the role of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) in ovarian granulosa cell proliferation, differentiation, and malignant transformation. At first, we found that nuclear YAP (active) was highly expressed in proliferative granulosa cells, whereas cytoplasmic YAP (inactive) was detected mainly in terminally-differentiated luteal cells. Further studies suggested that endogenous YAP activity …

Targeting Ribosome Assembly Factors Selectively Protects P53 Positive Cells From Chemotherapeutic Agents, Russell T. Sapio, Anastasiya Nezdyur, Matthew Krevetski, Leonid Anikin, Vincent J. Manna, N. Minkovsky, Dimitri G Pestov

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

Many chemotherapeutic agents act in a nondiscriminatory fashion, targeting both cancerous and noncancerous cells in Sphase and Mphase. One approach to reduce the toxic side effects in normal tissue is to exploit the differences in p53 functionality between cancerous and noncancerous cells. For example, activating p53 signaling by nongenotoxic means can transiently arrest noncancerous p53 positive cells in G1 phase and protect them from the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, since most cancerous cells have faulty p53 signaling, they will proceed to cycle, and continue to be affected by the drug. In this study we asked if this G1‐phase …

Combinational Sirna Delivery Using Hyaluronic Acid Modified Amphiphilic Polyplexes Against Cell Cycle And Phosphatase Proteins To Inhibit Growth And Migration Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Manoj B. Parmar, Daniel Nisakar Meenakshi Sundaram, Remant Bahadur Kc, Robert Maranchuk, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Judith C. Hugh, Raimar Löbenberg, Hasan Uludağ

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer with few therapeutic options if it recurs after adjuvant chemotherapy. RNA interference could be an alternative therapy for metastatic breast cancer, where small interfering RNA (siRNA) can silence the expression of aberrant genes critical for growth and migration of malignant cells. Here, we formulated a siRNA delivery system using lipid-substituted polyethylenimine (PEI) and hyaluronic acid (HA), and characterized the size, ζ-potential and cellular uptake of the nanoparticulate delivery system. Higher cellular uptake of siRNA by the tailored PEI/HA formulation suggested better interaction of complexes with breast cancer cells due to …

Glycolytic Reprogramming Through Pck2 Regulates Tumor Initiation Of Prostate Cancer Cells, Jiangsha Zhao, Jieran Li, Teresa W.M. Fan, Steven X. Hou

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) play important roles in tumor progression and metastasis. Identifying the factors regulating TICs may open new avenues in cancer therapy. Here, we show that TIC-enriched prostate cancer cell clones use more glucose and secrete more lactate than TIC-low clones. We determined that elevated levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase isoform 2 (PCK2) are critical for the metabolic switch and the maintenance of TICs in prostate cancer. Information from prostate cancer patient databases revealed that higher PCK2 levels correlated with more aggressive tumors and lower survival rates. PCK2 knockdown resulted in low TIC numbers, increased cytosolic acetyl-CoA and cellular protein …

Loss Of Fructose-1,6-Bisphosphatase Induces Glycolysis And Promotes Apoptosis Resistance Of Cancer Stem-Like Cells: An Important Role In Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Carcinogenesis, Jin Dai, Yanli Ji, Wei Wang, Donghern Kim, Leonard Yenwong Fai, Lei Wang, Jia Luo, Zhuo Zhang

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compounds are confirmed human carcinogens for lung cancer. Our previous studies has demonstrated that chronic exposure of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells to low dose of Cr(VI) causes malignant cell transformation. The acquisition of cancer stem cell-like properties is involved in the initiation of cancers. The present study has observed that a small population of cancer stem-like cells (BEAS-2B-Cr-CSC) exists in the Cr(VI)-transformed cells (BEAS-2B-Cr). Those BEAS-2B-Cr-CSC exhibit extremely reduced capability of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis resistance. BEAS-2B-Cr-CSC are metabolic inactive as evidenced by reductions in oxygen consumption, glucose uptake, ATP production, and lactate …

Inhibition Of Post-Transcriptional Steps In Ribosome Biogenesis Confers Cytoprotection Against Chemotherapeutic Agents In A P53-Dependent Manner, Russell T Sapio, Anastasiya N Nezdyur, Matthew Krevetski, Leonid Anikin, Vincent J Manna, Natalie Minkovsky, Dimitri G Pestov

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

The p53-mediated nucleolar stress response associated with inhibition of ribosomal RNA transcription was previously shown to potentiate killing of tumor cells. Here, we asked whether targeting of ribosome biogenesis can be used as the basis for selective p53-dependent cytoprotection of nonmalignant cells. Temporary functional inactivation of the 60S ribosome assembly factor Bop1 in a 3T3 cell model markedly increased cell recovery after exposure to camptothecin or methotrexate. This was due, at least in part, to reversible pausing of the cell cycle preventing S phase associated DNA damage. Similar cytoprotective effects were observed after transient shRNA-mediated silencing of Rps19, but not …

Abl Kinase Regulation By Braf/Erk And Cooperation With Akt In Melanoma, Aditi Jain, Rakshamani Tripathi, Courtney P. Turpin, Chi Wang, Rina Plattner

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The melanoma incidence continues to increase, and the disease remains incurable for many due to its metastatic nature and high rate of therapeutic resistance. In particular, melanomas harboring BRAF^V600E and PTEN mutations often are resistant to current therapies, including BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Abl kinases (Abl/Arg) are activated in melanomas and drive progression; however, their mechanism of activation has not been established. Here we elucidate a novel link between BRAF^V600E/ERK signaling and Abl kinases. We demonstrate that BRAF^V600E/ERK play a critical role in binding, phosphorylating and regulating Abl localization and Abl/Arg activation …

Traceable Peo-Poly(Ester) Micelles For Breast Cancer Targeting: The Effect Of Core Structure And Targeting Peptide On Micellar Tumor Accumulation, Shyam M. Garg, Igor M. Paiva, Mohammad R. Vakili, Rania Soudy, Kate Agopsowicz, Amir H. Soleimani, Mary Hitt, Kamaljit Kaur, Afsaneh Lavasanifar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Traceable poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(ester) micelles were developed through chemical conjugation of a near-infrared (NIR) dye to the poly(ester) end by click chemistry. This strategy was tried for micelles with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) or poly(α-benzyl carboxylate-ε-caprolactone) (PBCL) cores. The surface of both micelles was also modified with the breast cancer targeting peptide, P18-4. The results showed the positive contribution of PBCL over PCL core on micellar thermodynamic and kinetic stability as well as accumulation in primary orthotopic MDA-MB-231 tumors within 4–96 h following intravenous administration in mice. This was in contrast to in vitro studies where better uptake of PEO-PCL versus PEO-PBCL micelles …

Clinical And Experimental Studies Of A Novel P525r Fus Mutation In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Lisha Kuang, Marisa Kamelgarn, Alexandra Arenas, Jozsef Gal, Deborah Taylor, Weiming Gong, Martin Brown, Daret St. Clair, Edward J. Kasarskis, Haining Zhu

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Objective: To describe the clinical features of a novel fused in sarcoma (FUS) mutation in a young adult female amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient with rapid progression of weakness and to experimentally validate the consequences of the P525R mutation in cellular neuronal models.

Methods: We conducted sequencing of genomic DNA from the index patient and her family members. Immunocytochemistry was performed in various cellular models to determine whether the newly identified P525R mutant FUS protein accumulated in cytoplasmic inclusions. Clinical features of the index patient were compared with 19 other patients with ALS carrying the P525L mutation in the same …

Towards A Personalized Cancer Gene Therapy: A Case Of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Dumitru Iacobas, Sanda Iacobas

NYMC Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The C-Mybe308g Mutation On Mouse Myelopoiesis And Dendritic Cell Development, Peter Papathanasiou, Sawang Petvises, Ying-Ying Hey, Andrew C Perkins, Helen C O'Neill

Helen O'Neill

Booreana mice carrying the c-Myb308G point mutation were analyzed to determine changes in early hematopoiesis in the bone marrow and among mature cells in the periphery. This point mutation led to increased numbers of early hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), with a subsequent reduction in the development of B cells, erythroid cells, and neutrophils, and increased numbers of myeloid cells and granulocytes. Myelopoiesis was further investigated by way of particular subsets affected. A specific question addressed whether booreana mice contained increased numbers of dendritic-like cells (L-DC subset) recently identified in the spleen, since L-DCs arise in vitro by direct …

Exploring Cancer Metabolism Using Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomics (Sirm), Ronald C. Bruntz, Andrew N. Lane, Richard M. Higashi, Teresa W. -M. Fan

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. The changes in metabolism are adaptive to permit proliferation, survival, and eventually metastasis in a harsh environment. Stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (SIRM) is an approach that uses advanced approaches of NMR and mass spectrometry to analyze the fate of individual atoms from stable isotope-enriched precursors to products to deduce metabolic pathways and networks. The approach can be applied to a wide range of biological systems, including human subjects. This review focuses on the applications of SIRM to cancer metabolism and its use in understanding drug actions.

Temperature Induces Significant Changes In Both Glycolytic Reserve And Mitochondrial Spare Respiratory Capacity In Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines, Mihail I. Mitov, Jennifer W. Harris, Michael Alstott, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva, B. Mark Evers, D. Allan Butterfield

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Thermotherapy, as a method of treating cancer, has recently attracted considerable attention from basic and clinical investigators. A number of studies and clinical trials have shown that thermotherapy can be successfully used as a therapeutic approach for various cancers. However, the effects of temperature on cancer bioenergetics have not been studied in detail with a real time, in a microplate, label-free detection approach.

This study investigate how changes in temperature affect the bioenergetics characteristics (mitochondrial function and glycolysis) of three colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines utilizing the Seahorse XF96 technology. Experiments were performed at 32°C, 37°C and 42°C using assay …

Parp Inhibitor Upregulates Pd-L1 Expression And Enhances Cancer-Associated Immunosuppression, Shiping Jiao

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

With recent approvals for therapeutic antibodies that block CTLA4, PD-1 and PD-L1, immune checkpoints have emerged as new targets in cancer therapy. In addition, there is accumulating evidence highlighting the role of cancer-associated immunity in patient response to cytotoxic anticancer agents. Inhibitors of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) have shown substantial cytotoxic effects against tumors with defects in DNA damage responses. However, whether a crosstalk between PARP inhibition and immune checkpoints exists remains unclear. Here, it has been shown that PARP inhibitors (PARPis) upregulate PD-L1 expression in multiple cancer cell lines, human xenograft tumors, and syngeneic mouse tumors. Mechanistically, PARPi inactivates …

Activity Of Distinct Growth Factor Receptor Network Components In Breast Tumors Uncovers Two Biologically Relevant Subtypes, Moom Roosan, Shelley M. Macneil, David F. Jenkins, Gajendra Shrestha, Sydney R. Wyatt, Jasmine A. Mcquerry, Stephen R. Piccolo, Laura M. Heiser, Joe W. Gray, W. Evan Johnson, Andrea H. Bild

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background
The growth factor receptor network (GFRN) plays a significant role in driving key oncogenic processes. However, assessment of global GFRN activity is challenging due to complex crosstalk among GFRN components, or pathways, and the inability to study complex signaling networks in patient tumors. Here, pathway-specific genomic signatures were used to interrogate GFRN activity in breast tumors and the consequent phenotypic impact of GRFN activity patterns.

Methods
Novel pathway signatures were generated in human primary mammary epithelial cells by overexpressing key genes from GFRN pathways (HER2, IGF1R, AKT1, EGFR, KRAS (G12V), RAF1, BAD). The pathway analysis toolkit Adaptive Signature Selection …

The Role Of Estradiol Metabolism In Urogenital Schistosomiasis-Induced Bladder Cancer, Nuno Vale, Maria Gouveia, Gabriel Rinaldi, Julio Santos, Lucio Lara Santos, Paul J. Brindley, Jose Correia Da Costa

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Urogenital schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that can lead to bladder cancer. How urogenital schistosomiasis induces carcinogenesis remains unclear, although there is evidence that the human blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium, the infectious agent of urogenital schistosomiasis, releases estradiol-like metabolites. These kind of compounds have been implicated in other cancers. Aiming for enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis of the urogenital schistosomiasisinduced bladder cancer, here we review, interpret, and discuss findings of estradiol-like metabolites detected in both the parasite and in the human urine during urogenital schistosomiasis. Moreover, we predict pathways and enzymes that are involved in the production of these …

Relb Expression Determines The Differential Effects Of Ascorbic Acid In Normal And Cancer Cells, Xiaowei Wei, Yong Xu, Fang Fang Xu, Luksana Chaiswing, David M. Schnell, Teresa Noel, Chi Wang, Jinfei Chen, Daret K. St. Clair, William H. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Cancer cells typically experience higher oxidative stress than normal cells, such that elevating pro-oxidant levels can trigger cancer cell death. Although pre-exposure to mild oxidative agents will sensitize cancer cells to radiation, this pre-exposure may also activate the adaptive stress defense system in normal cells. Ascorbic acid is a prototype redox modulator that when infused intravenously appears to kill cancers without injury to normal tissues; however, the mechanisms involved remain elusive. In this study, we show how ascorbic acid kills cancer cells and sensitizes prostate cancer to radiation therapy while also conferring protection upon normal prostate epithelial cells against radiation-induced …

The Effects Of Acetylenic Tricyclic Bis-(Cyano Enone) On Cell Migration, Eddie Chan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although cancer survival rates have significantly improved over the past few decades, the improvements are primarily due to early diagnosis and inhibiting cancer growth. Limited progress has been made in the treatment of cancer metastasis, which contributes to 90% of cancer related deaths, and therapeutic agents targeting the various aspects of metastasis are lacking. One potential approach is to utilize small pharmacological compounds to inhibit tumour cell motility, as a strategy against tumour cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. The acetylenic tricyclic bis-(cyano enone), TBE-31, has been shown to be a promising chemopreventative compound. However, its effects on cell migration are …

Mt1-Mmp Mediates The Migratory And Tumourigenic Potential Of Breast Cancer Cells Via Non-Proteolytic Mechanisms, Mario Cepeda

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a multifunctional protease that affects cell function via proteolytic and non-proteolytic mechanisms such as promoting degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) or augmentation of cell migration and viability, respectively. MT1-MMP has been implicated in metastatic progression ostensibly due to its ability to degrade ECM components and to allow migration of cells through the basement membrane. Despite in vitro studies demonstrating this principle, this knowledge has not translated into the use of MMP inhibitors (MMPi) that inhibit substrate catalysis as effective cancer therapeutics, or been corroborated by evidence of in vivo ECM degradation mediated by …

The Effect Of K562-Il21-2 Plasma Membrane Particles On The Proliferation Of Natural Killer Cells To Fight Cancer, Michelle Prophete

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Immunotherapy has emerged as a current and future paradigm of cancer treatment, which utilizes the body’s immune system to eradicate cancer. Natural Killer (NK) cells as part of the innate immune system have immense potential in their anti-tumor cytotoxic activities and host cell surveillance properties. NK cells comprise approximately five to fifteen percent of peripheral blood lymphocytes and can be proliferated in vitro using recently developed methods with co-cultures with feeder cells (derived from engineered tumor cells) or plasma membrane (PM) particles, produced from the fore mentioned feeder cells, in combination with soluble cytokines. For efficient growth and maintenance of …

Characterization Of Malt1 Inhibitors And Their Effect On Leukemic Cell Growth Properties, Christina Snyder

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, with a combined 40,000 predicted new cases in the United States in 2016 [8]. The two most common subtypes are acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) [9-11]. The commercially available inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) has shown promising results in clinical trials for CLL because of the importance of BCR signaling in CLL [12-15]. Recent studies suggest that the outgrowth of BTK inhibitor resistant clonal cells in some CLL patients results in a treatment-refractory phenotype [16-18]. MALT1, a protein involved in BCR activation of the NF-κB pathway that functions …