Glucocorticoid mediated inhibition of LKB1 mutant non-small cell lung cancers.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is an important anti-cancer target in lymphoid cancers but has been understudied in solid tumors like lung cancer, although glucocorticoids are often given with chemotherapy regimens to mitigate side effects. Here, we identify a dexamethasone-GR mediated anti-cancer response in a subset of aggressive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that harbor Serine/Threonine Kinase 11 (STK11/LKB1) mutations. High tumor expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) was strongly linked to the presence of LKB1 mutations, was the best predictor of NSCLC dexamethasone (DEX) sensitivity ( < 10) but was not mechanistically involved in DEX sensitivity.

An in vivo functional genomics screen of nuclear receptors and their co-regulators identifies FOXA1 as an essential gene in lung tumorigenesis.

Using a mini-library of 1062 lentiviral shRNAs targeting 40 nuclear hormone receptors and 70 of their co-regulators, we searched for potential therapeutic targets that would be important during in vivo tumor growth using a parallel in vitro and in vivo shRNA screening strategy in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) line NCI-H1819. We identified 21 genes essential for in vitro growth, and nine genes specifically required for tumor survival in vivo, but not in vitro: NCOR2, FOXA1, HDAC1, RXRA, RORB, RARB, MTA2, ETV4, and NR1H2. We focused on FOXA1, since it lies within the most frequently amplified genomic region in lung adenocarcinomas.

RUVBL1/RUVBL2 ATPase Activity Drives PAQosome Maturation, DNA Replication and Radioresistance in Lung Cancer.

RUVBL1 and RUVBL2 (collectively RUVBL1/2) are essential AAA+ ATPases that function as co-chaperones and have been implicated in cancer. Here we investigated the molecular and phenotypic role of RUVBL1/2 ATPase activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We find that RUVBL1/2 are overexpressed in NSCLC patient tumors, with high expression associated with poor survival.

Combination Therapy Targeting BCL6 and Phospho-STAT3 Defeats Intratumor Heterogeneity in a Subset of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers.

Oncogene-specific changes in cellular signaling have been widely observed in lung cancer. Here, we investigated how these alterations could affect signaling heterogeneity and suggest novel therapeutic strategies. We compared signaling changes across six human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) strains that were systematically transformed with various combinations of , and -oncogenic alterations commonly found in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

NQO1-Mediated Tumor-Selective Lethality and Radiosensitization for Head and Neck Cancer.

Unlabelled: Ionizing radiation (IR) is a key therapeutic regimen for many head and neck cancers (HNC). However, the 5-year overall survival rate for locally advanced HNCs is approximately 50% and better therapeutic efficacy is needed.

Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is overexpressed in many cancers, and β-lapachone (β-lap), a unique NQO1 bioactivatable drug, exploits this enzyme to release massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) that synergize with IR to kill by programmed necrosis.

Tumor-selective, futile redox cycle-induced bystander effects elicited by NQO1 bioactivatable radiosensitizing drugs in triple-negative breast cancers.

Aims: β-Lapachone (β-lap), a novel radiosensitizer with potent antitumor efficacy alone, selectively kills solid cancers that over-express

Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Since breast or other solid cancers have heterogeneous NQO1 expression, therapies that reduce the resistance (e.g.

Catalase abrogates β-lapachone-induced PARP1 hyperactivation-directed programmed necrosis in NQO1-positive breast cancers.

Improving patient outcome by personalized therapy involves a thorough understanding of an agent's mechanism of action. β-Lapachone (clinical forms, Arq501/Arq761) has been developed to exploit dramatic cancer-specific elevations in the phase II detoxifying enzyme NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1). NQO1 is dramatically elevated in solid cancers, including primary and metastatic [e.

Antagonistic effects of anti-EMMPRIN antibody when combined with chemotherapy against hypovascular pancreatic cancers.

Purpose: To examine the antagonistic effects of anti-extracellular matrix metalloprotease inducer (anti-EMMPRIN) antibody when combined with chemotherapy using a hypovascular pancreatic tumor model.

Procedures: Severely compromised immunodeficient mice bearing orthotopic MIA PaCa-2 tumors were used (five to six animals per group). Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine the relationship between tumor vascularity and size.

An NQO1 substrate with potent antitumor activity that selectively kills by PARP1-induced programmed necrosis.

Agents, such as β-lapachone, that target the redox enzyme, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), to induce programmed necrosis in solid tumors have shown great promise, but more potent tumor-selective compounds are needed. Here, we report that deoxynyboquinone kills a wide spectrum of cancer cells in an NQO1-dependent manner with greater potency than β-lapachone. Deoxynyboquinone lethality relies on NQO1-dependent futile redox cycling that consumes oxygen and generates extensive reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Modulating endogenous NQO1 levels identifies key regulatory mechanisms of action of β-lapachone for pancreatic cancer therapy.

Purpose: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, in which the 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. Current standard of care therapies offer little selectivity and high toxicity. Novel, tumor-selective approaches are desperately needed.

A long AAAG repeat allele in the 5' UTR of the ERR-γ gene is correlated with breast cancer predisposition and drives promoter activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

We sequenced the 5' UTR of the estrogen-related receptor gamma gene (ERR-γ) in ~500 patient and volunteer samples and found that longer alleles of the (AAAG)(n) microsatellite were statistically and significantly more likely to exist in the germlines of breast cancer patients when compared to healthy volunteers. This microsatellite region contains multiple binding sites for a number of transcription factors, and we hypothesized that the polymorphic AAAG-containing sequence in the 5' UTR region of ERR-γ might modulate expression of ERR-γ. We found that the 369 bp PCR product containing the AAAG repeat drove expression of a reporter gene in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells.

Prostate cancer radiosensitization through poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase-1 hyperactivation.

The clinical experimental agent, β-lapachone (β-lap; Arq 501), can act as a potent radiosensitizer in vitro through an unknown mechanism. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism to determine whether β-lap may warrant clinical evaluation as a radiosensitizer. β-Lap killed prostate cancer cells by NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) metabolic bioactivation, triggering a massive induction of reactive oxygen species, irreversible DNA single-strand breaks (SSB), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) hyperactivation, NAD(+)/ATP depletion, and μ-calpain-induced programmed necrosis.

DNA mismatch repair (MMR)-dependent 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity and the potential for new therapeutic targets.

The metabolism and efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) and other fluorinated pyrimidine (FP) derivatives have been intensively investigated for over fifty years. FUra and its antimetabolites can be incorporated at RNA- and DNA-levels, with RNA level incorporation provoking toxic responses in human normal tissue, and DNA-level antimetabolite formation and incorporation believed primarily responsible for tumour-selective responses. Attempts to direct FUra into DNA-level antimetabolites, based on mechanism-of-action studies, have led to gradual improvements in tumour therapy.

Role of c-Abl kinase in DNA mismatch repair-dependent G2 cell cycle checkpoint arrest responses.

Current published data suggest that DNA mismatch repair (MMR) triggers prolonged G(2) cell cycle checkpoint arrest after alkylation damage from N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) by activating ATR (ataxia telangiectasia-Rad3-related kinase). However, analyses of isogenic MMR-proficient and MMR-deficient human RKO colon cancer cells revealed that although ATR/Chk1 signaling controlled G(2) arrest in MMR-deficient cells, ATR/Chk1 activation was not involved in MMR-dependent G(2) arrest. Instead, we discovered that disrupting c-Abl activity using STI571 (Gleevec, a c-Abl inhibitor) or stable c-Abl knockdown abolished MMR-dependent p73alpha stabilization, induction of GADD45alpha protein expression, and G(2) arrest.

DNA mismatch repair-dependent activation of c-Abl/p73alpha/GADD45alpha-mediated apoptosis.

Cells with functional DNA mismatch repair (MMR) stimulate G(2) cell cycle checkpoint arrest and apoptosis in response to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). MMR-deficient cells fail to detect MNNG-induced DNA damage, resulting in the survival of "mutator" cells. The retrograde (nucleus-to-cytoplasm) signaling that initiates MMR-dependent G(2) arrest and cell death remains undefined.

Selective translational repression of truncated proteins from frameshift mutation-derived mRNAs in tumors.

Frameshift and nonsense mutations are common in tumors with microsatellite instability, and mRNAs from these mutated genes have premature termination codons (PTCs). Abnormal mRNAs containing PTCs are normally degraded by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) system. However, PTCs located within 50-55 nucleotides of the last exon-exon junction are not recognized by NMD (NMD-irrelevant), and some PTC-containing mRNAs can escape from the NMD system (NMD-escape).

Proteomic analysis distinguishes basaloid carcinoma as a distinct subtype of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma.

The histopathologic type of lung cancer is known to be correlated with tumor behavior and prognosis. However, this classification is subjective and no specific molecular markers have been identified. The aim of this study was to identify protein markers in different types of nonsmall cell lung cancers.

Different gene expression profiles between microsatellite instability-high and microsatellite stable colorectal carcinomas.

Recent molecular genetic studies have revealed that two major types of genomic instabilities, chromosomal instability (CIN) and microsatellite instability (MSI), exist in colorectal carcinomas. In order to clarify the molecular signature related to the CIN and MSI in colorectal carcinomas, we performed transcriptomic expression analysis on eight microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal carcinomas and compared the results obtained with that of nine microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal carcinomas using oligonucleotide microarrays containing 17 334 known genes and 1331 unknown genes or expression sequence tags (ESTs). Unsupervised two-way hierarchical clustering with 5724 genes successfully classified tumors from normal mucosa, and displayed a distinctive MSI-H carcinomas subgroup.

Transcriptional silencing of the RUNX3 gene by CpG hypermethylation is associated with lung cancer.

RUNX family transcription factors are integral components of TGF-beta signaling pathways and have been implicated in cell cycle regulation, differentiation, apoptosis, and malignant transformation. It was noted previously that allele loss and loss of expression of RUNX3 are causally involved in gastric carcinogenesis. Our results demonstrate that RUNX3 is inactivated by aberrant DNA methylation in approximately 19% of lung cancer cell lines and 24% of primary lung cancer specimens.

Chromosomal imbalances in the colorectal carcinomas with microsatellite instability.

Recent molecular genetic studies have revealed that two major types of genomic instabilities, chromosomal instability and microsatellite instability, exist in the colorectal carcinomas. To clarify the relationship between chromosomal abnormalities and mismatch repair gene defects in colorectal carcinomas, we performed a chromosomal analysis on 39 colorectal carcinomas with high-microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and compared the results obtained with those of 20 right-sided microsatellite-stable (MSS) colorectal carcinomas. Chromosomal imbalances (CIs) in MSS colorectal carcinomas were more frequent than in MSI-H colon carcinomas by comparative genomic hybridization analysis (70% versus 31%, P = 0.

Clinicopathologic characteristics related to the high variability of coding mononucleotide repeat sequences in tumors with high-microsatellite instability.

Frameshift mutation at coding mononucleotide repeat sequences are common in tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI-H), but the incidences are different among the target genes. We analyzed the mutational profiles of 12 known target genes containing polydeoxyadenosine repeats in their coding sequences in 39 MSI-H colorectal carcinomas and 40 MSI-H gastric carcinomas by using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing, and compared the results with the clinicopathologic characteristics. Frameshift mutations of target genes in the MSI-H colorectal and gastric carcinomas are increased according to the length of the polydeoxyadenosine repeats in the target genes.

Identification of MARCKS, FLJ11383 and TAF1B as putative novel target genes in colorectal carcinomas with microsatellite instability.

Somatic frameshift mutations in some genes containing coding mononucleotide repeats (cMNRs) are well known characteristics of tumors with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). We identified 22 novel and 11 known target genes containing cMNRs with a length of 10 or more nucleotides by using a systematic database search. Frameshift mutation analysis was performed with these 33 genes in 39 MSI-H and 24 microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal carcinomas by assessing the mobility shifts of PCR products in gel electrophoresis and by sequencing.