Dataset Information

Vimentin is a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target; insights from in vitro and in vivo mice xenograft studies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vimentin is a ubiquitous mesenchymal intermediate filament supporting mechano-structural integrity of quiescent cells while participating in adhesion, migration, survival, and cell signaling processes via dynamic assembly/disassembly in activated cells. Soft tissue sarcomas and some epithelial cancers exhibiting "epithelial to mesenchymal transition" phenotypes express vimentin. Withaferin-A, a naturally derived bioactive compound, may molecularly target vimentin, so we sought to evaluate its effects on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo thereby elucidating the role of vimentin in drug-induced responses.

Methods and findings

Withaferin-A elicited marked apoptosis and vimentin cleavage in vimentin-expressing tumor cells but significantly less in normal mesenchymal cells. This proapoptotic response was abrogated after vimentin knockdown or by blockade of caspase-induced vimentin degradation via caspase inhibitors or overexpression of mutated caspase-resistant vimentin. Pronounced anti-angiogenic effects of Withaferin-A were demonstrated, with only minimal effects seen in non-proliferating endothelial cells. Moreover, Withaferin-A significantly blocked soft tissue sarcoma growth, local recurrence, and metastasis in a panel of soft tissue sarcoma xenograft experiments. Apoptosis, decreased angiogenesis, and vimentin degradation were all seen in Withaferin-A treated specimens.

Conclusions

In light of these findings, evaluation of Withaferin-A, its analogs, or other anti-vimentin therapeutic approaches in soft tissue sarcoma and "epithelial to mesenchymal transition" clinical contexts is warranted.

SUBMITTER: Lahat G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2855704 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Vimentin is a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target; insights from in vitro and in vivo mice xenograft studies.

Lahat Guy G Zhu Quan-Sheng QS Huang Kai-Lieh KL Wang Suizhao S Bolshakov Svetlana S Liu Jeffery J Torres Keila K Langley Robert R RR Lazar Alexander J AJ Hung Mien Chie MC Lev Dina D

PloS one 20100416 4

<h4>Background</h4>Vimentin is a ubiquitous mesenchymal intermediate filament supporting mechano-structural integrity of quiescent cells while participating in adhesion, migration, survival, and cell signaling processes via dynamic assembly/disassembly in activated cells. Soft tissue sarcomas and some epithelial cancers exhibiting "epithelial to mesenchymal transition" phenotypes express vimentin. Withaferin-A, a naturally derived bioactive compound, may molecularly target vimentin, so we sought ...[more]

PMID: 20419128

Similar Datasets

Project description:OBJECTIVES:The ability of tumor cells to drive angiogenesis is an important cancer hallmark that positively correlates with metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Therefore, targeting angiogenesis is a rational therapeutic approach and dissecting proangiogenic pathways is important, particularly for malignancies driven by oncogenic KRAS, which are widespread and lack effective targeted therapies. Based on published studies showing that oncogenic RAS promotes angiogenesis by upregulating the proangiogenic NF-?B target genes IL-8 and VEGF, that NF-?B activation by KRAS requires the IKK? kinase, and that targeting IKK? reduces KRAS-induced lung tumor growth in vivo, but has limited effects on cell growth in vitro, we hypothesized that IKK? targeting would reduce lung tumor growth by inhibiting KRAS-induced angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS:To test this hypothesis, we targeted IKK? in KRAS-mutant lung cancer cell lines either by siRNA-mediated transfection or by treatment with Compound A (CmpdA), a highly specific IKK? inhibitor, and used in vitro and in vivo assays to evaluate angiogenesis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Both pharmacological and siRNA-mediated IKK? targeting in lung cells reduced expression and secretion of NF-?B-regulated proangiogenic factors IL-8 and VEGF. Moreover, conditioned media from IKK?-targeted lung cells reduced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration, invasion and tube formation in vitro. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated IKK? inhibition reduced xenograft tumor growth and vascularity in vivo. Finally, IKK? inhibition also affects endothelial cell function in a cancer-independent manner, as IKK? inhibition reduced pathological retinal angiogenesis in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Taken together, these results provide a novel mechanistic understanding of how the IKK? pathway affects human lung tumorigenesis, indicating that IKK? promotes KRAS-induced angiogenesis both by cancer cell-intrinsic and cancer cell-independent mechanisms, which strongly suggests IKK? inhibition as a promising antiangiogenic approach to be explored for KRAS-induced lung cancer therapy.

Project description:BackgroundGlioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal form of brain tumor. Efficient DNA repair and anti-apoptotic mechanisms are making glioma treatment difficult. Proteases such as MMP9, cathepsin B and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) are over expressed in gliomas and contribute to enhanced cancer cell proliferation. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair mechanism plays a major role in double strand break (DSB) repair in mammalian cells.Methodology/principal findingsHere we show that silencing MMP9 in combination with uPAR/cathepsin B effects NHEJ repair machinery. Expression of DNA PKcs and Ku70/80 at both mRNA and protein levels in MMP9-uPAR (pMU) and MMP9-cathepsin B (pMC) shRNA-treated glioma xenograft cells were reduced. FACS analysis showed an increase in apoptotic peak and proliferation assays revealed a significant reduction in the cell population in pMU- and pMC-treated cells compared to untreated cells. We hypothesized that reduced NHEJ repair led to DSBs accumulation in pMU- and pMC-treated cells, thereby initiating cell death. This hypothesis was confirmed by reduced Ku70/Ku80 protein binding to DSB, increased comet tail length and elevated ?H2AX expression in treated cells compared to control. Immunoprecipitation analysis showed that EGFR-mediated lowered DNA PK activity in treated cells compared to controls. Treatment with pMU and pMC shRNA reduced the expression of DNA PKcs and ATM, and elevated ?H2AX levels in xenograft implanted nude mice. Glioma cells exposed to hypoxia and irradiation showed DSB accumulation and apoptosis after pMU and pMC treatments compared to respective controls.Conclusion/significanceOur results suggest that pMU and pMC shRNA reduce glioma proliferation by DSB accumulation and increase apoptosis under normoxia, hypoxia and in combination with irradiation. Considering the radio- and chemo-resistant cancers favored by hypoxia, our study provides important therapeutic potential of MMP9, uPAR and cathepsin B shRNA in the treatment of glioma from clinical stand point.

Dataset Information

Vimentin is a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target; insights from in vitro and in vivo mice xenograft studies.

Background

Methods and findings

Conclusions

Publications

Vimentin is a novel anti-cancer therapeutic target; insights from in vitro and in vivo mice xenograft studies.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure