Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Larischa de Wet, Anthony Williams, Marc Gillard, Steven Kregel, Sophia Lamperis, Lisa C. Gutgesell, Jordan E. Vellky, Ryan Brown, Kelly Conger, Gladell P. Paner, Heng Wang, Elizabeth E. Platz, Angelo M. De Marzo, Ping Mu, Jonathan L. Coloff, Russell Z. Szmulewitz, Donald J. Vander Griend
Summary: This study investigated the impact of SOX2 expression on patient outcomes and its function within prostate cancer cells. The results revealed that SOX2 expression promotes metastatic progression and therapy resistance in prostate cancer, and affects the metabolic pathways and metabolites of cancer cells. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of SOX2 in prostate cancer and suggest its potential as a biomarker and pharmacologic target in clinical settings.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Zohreh Yaghobi, Aliakbar Movassaghpour, Mehdi Talebi, Mahdi Abdoli Shadbad, Khalil Hajiasgharzadeh, Shiva Pourvahdani, Behzad Baradaran
Summary: CD44, overexpressed on cancer stem cells, interacts with hyaluronan to influence tumor development and chemoresistance, inhibiting the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy medications. Therefore, high expression of CD44 is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhanhong Liu, Pengbo Hou, Jiankai Fang, Jingyu Zhu, Juanmin Zha, Rui Liu, Yayun Ding, Muqiu Zuo, Peishan Li, Lijuan Cao, Chao Feng, Gerry Melino, Changshun Shao, Yufang Shi
Summary: Chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer can be induced by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) through reducing the intratumoral accumulation of doxorubicin. This resistance is mediated by hyaluronan (HA), a major extracellular matrix (ECM) product of MSCs, which can bind with doxorubicin and inhibit its entry into breast cancer cells. High levels of HA in the serum are positively associated with chemoresistance in breast cancer patients.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yazan Al Salhi, Manfredi Bruno Sequi, Fabio Maria Valenzi, Andrea Fuschi, Alessia Martoccia, Paolo Pietro Suraci, Antonio Carbone, Giorgia Tema, Riccardo Lombardo, Antonio Cicione, Antonio Luigi Pastore, Cosimo De Nunzio
Summary: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small and elusive subpopulation of self-renewing cancer cells that have the remarkable ability to initiate, propagate, and spread malignant disease. Previous studies have focused on the role of CSCs in the development and progression of PCa. PCa CSCs typically originate from luminal prostate cells, and the Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, and Notch signaling pathways are involved in their development. Epithelial mesenchymal transition and specific miRNAs also play important roles in this process. Targeting these pathways has shown promise in improving the management of PCa development and progression. CSCs in prostate cancer represent a significant and promising area of research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Olivia S. Chao, Oscar B. Goodman
Summary: This study indicates that DDR genes, particularly DNA-PKc, play a crucial role in promoting taxane resistance in mCRPC. Inhibiting DNA-PKc may provide a novel strategy to restore taxane sensitivity in taxane-refractory mCRPC.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ze-Zhong Yu, Bu-Qing Xu, Ying-Ying Wang, Peng-Wei Zhang, Yu-Bin Shu, Zhi Shi
Summary: ABCG2 overexpression leads to multidrug resistance in colorectal cancer. Finding new inhibitors can be an effective way to overcome drug resistance.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ioannis M. Koukourakis, Kalliopi Platoni, Vassilis Kouloulias, Stella Arelaki, Anna Zygogianni
Summary: Under normal conditions, stem cells differentiate into mature organ/tissue-specific cells at a steady pace. However, their growth can be accelerated during tissue healing or in certain diseases. It is believed that the proliferation and growth of cancer cells are sustained by a vital cellular compartment resembling stem cells in normal tissues, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). Mutations in prostate stem cells can lead to the formation of prostate cancer. Prostate CSCs (PCSCs) have been identified and characterized, expressing specific surface markers and over-activating signaling pathways. They are associated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistance, aggressive cancer behavior, and higher relapse rates. Developing treatment strategies to target PCSCs in tumors can improve the effectiveness of cytotoxic therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiahua Cui, Jiajun Qian, Larry Ming-Cheung Chow, Jinping Jia
Summary: Natural products and their synthetic analogues are considered as effective sources to kill cancer stem cells, including various compounds such as flavonoids, stilbenes, quinones, terpenoids, etc. These natural products have potential therapeutic effects in inhibiting the survival of CSCs and overcoming drug resistance.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Isis Wolf, Christian Gratzke, Philipp Wolf
Summary: Despite research and improvements in diagnosis and therapy, prostate cancer (PC) remains a major challenge. Recent findings have highlighted the role of PC stem cells (PCSCs) in tumorigenesis, relapse, metastasis, and treatment resistance. This review discusses the impact of PCSCs in clinical practice and presents new therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for PC patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Paras Famta, Saurabh Shah, Naitik Jain, Kondasingh Charan Kumar, Deepkumar Bagasariya, Dharmendra Kumar Khatri, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Shashi Bala Singh, Saurabh Srivastava
Summary: Chemotherapy is crucial in the treatment of solid tumors like breast cancer, but drug-induced tumor-free survival may not be long-lasting. Factors such as multidrug resistance and microenvironment remodeling play a role in tumor relapse and resistance.
Review
Oncology
Jianhui Yang, Omar Aljitawi, Peter Van Veldhuizen
Summary: This review summarizes the recent research progress on the role of CD133 in prostate cancer stem cells (PCSC), including its selective expression in undifferentiated cells, its correlation to treatment resistance, its gene regulation and functional analysis, and its targeted therapy in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Hamed Rezayatmand, Mahboobeh Razmkhah, Iman Razeghian-Jahromi
Summary: Drug resistance caused by cancer stem cells (CSCs) is the main reason for the failure and relapse of cancer therapy. CSCs possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into heterogeneous cancer cells, and play a significant role in metastatic dissemination. Although chemotherapy can destroy most tumor cells, CSCs are left mostly intact, leading to resistance to treatment. It is crucial to understand the key features of drug resistance caused by CSCs in order to develop effective treatment strategies, but there are challenges in differentiating CSCs from normal cells.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ingrid Fatima Zattoni, Leticia Carani Delabio, Julia de Paula Dutra, Diogo Henrique Kita, Gustavo Scheiffer, Marina Hembecker, Giovana da Silva Pereira, Vivian Rotuno Moure, Glaucio Valdameri
Summary: The primary source of failure in cancer therapies is multidrug resistance (MDR) caused by overexpression of ABC transporters, particularly the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2). Inhibiting ABCG2 function and modulating its expression are promising strategies to overcome MDR. This review provides an overview of various ABCG2 inhibitors and discusses their chemical aspects, experimental methods used for identification and characterization, as well as the biological requirements for preclinical tests. Additionally, the potential use of ABCG2 inhibitors in cancer stem cells (CSC) to improve treatment response and the mechanism of ABCG2 modulators at the transcriptional and protein expression levels are discussed.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Samantha Gogola, Michael Rejzer, Hisham F. F. Bahmad, Ferial Alloush, Yumna Omarzai, Robert Poppiti
Summary: The standard of care therapy for early prostate cancer includes external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy, active surveillance, or a combination approach. Androgen deprivation therapy is considered for advanced disease. However, many patients eventually develop castration-resistant prostate cancer, leading to the development of targeted therapies, including prostate cancer stem cell-targeted therapies. In this review, the mechanisms of action of PCSC-targeted therapies are summarized and future development is discussed.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
N. Bhagya, K. R. Chandrashekar
Summary: Autophagy serves as a double-edged sword in cancer, exerting both tumor promoting and inhibiting effects. While normal autophagy degrades damaged cell organelles and debris, enhancing autophagy can induce apoptosis and programmed cell death, making it significant in cancer therapy. Liposome-based drug delivery systems offer advantages in manipulating autophagy pathway and are discussed in the review, including drug uptake and its role in autophagy-mediated cancer cell death. Challenges and translational difficulties of liposome-based chemotherapeutic drugs in clinical trials and biomedical applications are also addressed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose Rivas, Nicolas Diaz, Ian Silva, Danna Morales, Boris Lavanderos, Alhejandra Alvarez, Maria Paz Saldias, Eduardo Pulgar, Pablo Cruz, Diego Maureira, Guillermo Flores, Alicia Colombo, Constanza Blanco, Hector R. Contreras, Fabian Jana, Ivan Gallegos, Miguel L. Concha, Ariela Vergara-Jaque, Horacio Poblete, Wendy Gonzalez, Diego Varela, James S. Trimmer, Monica Caceres, Oscar Cerda
Article
Food Science & Technology
Danae Jimenez-Carcamo, Carlos Garcia, Hector R. Contreras
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana F. Castillo, Ulises D. Orlando, Paula M. Maloberti, Jesica G. Prada, Melina A. Dattilo, Angela R. Solano, Maria M. Bigi, Mayra A. Rios Medrano, Maria T. Torres, Sebastian Indo, Graciela Caroca, Hector R. Contreras, Belkis E. Marelli, Facundo J. Salinas, Natalia R. Salvetti, Hugo H. Ortega, Pablo Lorenzano Menna, Sergio Szajnman, Daniel E. Gomez, Juan B. Rodriguez, Ernesto J. Podesta
Summary: ACSL4 is involved in tumor aggressiveness in breast and prostate tumors, and the inhibitor PRGL493 blocks tumor growth and sensitizes cells to chemotherapy and hormonal treatment. Additionally, PRGL493 inhibits de novo steroid synthesis in cells.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Paula I. Escalante, Luis A. Quinones, Hector R. Contreras
Summary: The FOLFOX scheme is commonly used for metastatic colorectal cancer patients, but chemoresistance is a major challenge. EMT and overexpression of multiple genes may contribute to drug resistance.
Article
Oncology
Gisella Perez, Fernanda Lopez-Moncada, Sebastian Indo, Maria Jose Torres, Enrique A. Castellon, Hector R. Contreras
Summary: This study demonstrated that stable silencing of ZEB1 in prostate cancer cell lines can reverse CSC properties, including decreased expression levels of CSC phenotype markers, reduced ability to form prostatospheres, and generate colonies. Targeting ZEB1 may be a key factor to eradicate CSCs and improve the prognosis of patients with advanced PCa.
Article
Biology
Catherine Sanchez, Alejandro Mercado, Hector R. Contreras, Felipe Carvajal, Apolo Salgado, Christian Huidobro, Enrique A. Castellon
Summary: The study showed that pretreatment with leuprolide and IN3 enhanced apoptosis and decreased cell survival in prostate cancer cells after radiation therapy. There was also an increased proportion of cells arrested in G2 phase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Pedro Carriere, Natalia Calvo, Maria Belen Novoa Diaz, Fernanda Lopez-Moncada, Alexander Herrera, Maria Jose Torres, Exequiel Alonso, Norberto Ariel Gandini, Graciela Gigola, Hector R. Contreras, Claudia Gentili
Summary: The study shows that PTHrP modulates factors and morphological changes associated with EMT in HCT116 cells from CRC, suggesting a novel action on CRC progression involving the microenvironment.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Maria Jose Torres, Fernanda Lopez-Moncada, Daniela Herrera, Sebastian Indo, Alejandro Lefian, Paola Llanos, Julio Tapia, Enrique A. Castellon, Hector R. Contreras
Summary: The study found higher levels of ETAR expression in tissues from PCa patients with a low Gleason Score, while ETBR showed no significant changes; PC3 cells expressed higher levels of ET-1 and ETAR, while LNCaP cells exhibited higher levels of ETBR; Blocking ETAR and ETBR reduced the expression levels of steroidogenesis enzymes and AR in PC3 cells, leading to decreased T secretion.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Morales-Pison, Lilian Jara, Valentina Carrasco, Cristian Gutierrez-Vera, Jose Miguel Reyes, Patricio Gonzalez-Hormazabal, Leandro J. Carreno, Julio C. Tapia, Hector R. Contreras
Summary: The rs6505162:A allele plays an important role in mammary tumorigenesis by promoting breast cancer cell proliferation, chemoresistance, migration, invasion, and inhibiting apoptosis. This finding may have implications for early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of breast cancer patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Enrique A. Castellon, Sebastian Indo, Hector R. Contreras
Summary: This article explores the presence and role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the Epithelial-Mesenchymal transition (EMT) in prostate cancer (PCa), and finds that the stemness-mesenchymal axis is a critical process related to relapse, metastasis, and resistance. Manipulating the stemness-EMT axis genes on the androgen receptor (AR) may shed light on the effect of this axis on metastasis and castration resistance in PCa.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Diego Figueroa, Javiera Rios, Oscar F. Araneda, Hector R. Contreras, Miguel L. Concha, Carlos Garcia
Summary: This study aimed to determine the acute toxicity of OA and DTX-1 on oxidative stress parameters in medaka larvae. The results showed that OA and DTX-1 significantly affected the levels of MDA and carbonyl content. DTX-1 exhibited a greater inhibition of the antioxidant system, leading to increased oxidative damage in medaka larvae.