ABSTRACT
In malignant transformation, cellular stress-response pathways are dynamically mobilized to counterbalance oncogenic activity, keeping cancer cells viable. Therapeutic disruption of this vulnerable homeostasis might change the outcome of many human cancers, particularly those for which no effective therapy is available. Here, we report the use of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) to demonstrate that further mitogenic activation disrupts cellular homeostasis and strongly sensitizes cancer cells to stress-targeted therapeutic inhibitors. We show that FGF2 enhanced replication and proteotoxic stresses in a K-Ras-driven murine cancer cell model, and combinations of FGF2 and proteasome or DNA damage response-checkpoint inhibitors triggered cell death. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated K-Ras depletion suppressed the malignant phenotype and prevented these synergic toxicities in these murine cells. Moreover, in a panel of human Ewing's sarcoma family tumor cells, sublethal concentrations of bortezomib (proteasome inhibitor) or VE-821 (ATR inhibitor) induced cell death when combined with FGF2. Sustained MAPK-ERK1/2 overactivation induced by FGF2 appears to underlie these synthetic lethalities, as late pharmacological inhibition of this pathway restored cell homeostasis and prevented these described synergies. Our results highlight how mitotic signaling pathways which are frequently overridden in malignant transformation might be exploited to disrupt the robustness of cancer cells, ultimately sensitizing them to stress-targeted therapies. This approach provides a new therapeutic rationale for human cancers, with important implications for tumors still lacking effective treatment, and for those that frequently relapse after treatment with available therapies.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/pharmacology , Stress, Physiological , Animals , Bortezomib/pharmacology , Cell Cycle/drug effects , Cell Death/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism , Mice , Proteasome Inhibitors/pharmacology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolismABSTRACT
We present in this article a methodology for designing kinetic models of molecular signaling networks, which was exemplarily applied for modeling one of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathways in the mouse Y1 adrenocortical cell line. The methodology is interdisciplinary, that is, it was developed in a way that both dry and wet lab teams worked together along the whole modeling process.
Subject(s)
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism , Models, Biological , Signal Transduction , ras Proteins/metabolism , Algorithms , Animals , Biomarkers , Cell Line , Computational Biology/methods , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Kinetics , Mice , Phosphorylation , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
High inflammatory AIRmax mice homozygous for Slc11a1 R and S alleles were produced. AIRmaxSS mice showed faster ear tissue regeneration than AIRmaxRR mice, suggesting that the Sallele favored tissue restoration. Here, we investigated the gene expression profiles and the inflammatory reactions of AIRmaxRR and AIRmaxSS mice during the initial phase of ear tissue regeneration. We observed superior levels of analysis of wound myeloperoxidase and edema inAIRmaxSS mice, although similar cell influx was verified in both lines. Of the genes, 794 were up- and 674 down-regulated in AIRmaxRR, while 735 genes were found to be up- and 1616 down-regulated in AIRmaxSS mice 48 h after punch. Both mouse lines showed significant over-represented genes related to cell proliferation; however AIRmaxSS displayed up-regulation of inflammatory response genes. Quantitative PCR experiments showed higher expressions of Tgfb1, Dap12 and Trem1 genes in AIRmaxSS mice. These results indicate that Slc11a1 gene modulated the early inflammatory events of ear tissue regeneration.
Subject(s)
Mice , Inflammation/genetics , Inflammation/immunology , Regeneration/genetics , Regeneration/immunology , Alleles , Antigenic Modulation/genetics , Antigenic Modulation/immunologyABSTRACT
High inflammatory AIRmax mice homozygous for Slc11a1 R and S alleles were produced. AIRmax(SS) mice showed faster ear tissue regeneration than AIRmax(RR) mice, suggesting that the S allele favored tissue restoration. Here, we investigated the gene expression profiles and the inflammatory reactions of AIRmax(RR) and AIRmax(SS) mice during the initial phase of ear tissue regeneration. We observed superior levels of analysis of wound myeloperoxidase and edema in AIRmax(SS) mice, although similar cell influx was verified in both lines. Of the genes, 794 were up- and 674 down-regulated in AIRmax(RR), while 735 genes were found to be up- and 1616 down-regulated in AIRmax(SS) mice 48 h after punch. Both mouse lines showed significant over-represented genes related to cell proliferation; however AIRmax(SS) displayed up-regulation of inflammatory response genes. Quantitative PCR experiments showed higher expressions of Tgfb1, Dap12 and Trem1 genes in AIRmax(SS) mice. These results indicate that Slc11a1 gene modulated the early inflammatory events of ear tissue regeneration.
