Dataset Information

Generation and initial characterization of novel tumour organoid models to study human pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The majority of patients with pancreatic cancer develops cachexia. The mechanisms underlying cancer cachexia development and progression remain elusive, although tumour-derived factors are considered to play a major role. Pancreatic tumour organoids are in vitro three-dimensional organ-like structures that retain many pathophysiological characteristics of the in vivo tumour. We aimed to establish a pancreatic tumour organoid biobank from well-phenotyped cachectic and non-cachectic patients to enable identification of tumour-derived factors driving cancer cachexia.

Methods

Organoids were generated from tumour tissue of eight pancreatic cancer patients. A comprehensive pre-operative patient assessment of cachexia-related parameters including nutritional status, physical performance, body composition, and inflammation was performed. Tumour-related and cachexia-related characteristics of the organoids were analysed using histological stainings, targeted sequencing, and real-time-quantitative PCR. Cachexia-related factors present in the circulation of the patients and in the tumour organoid secretome were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The established human pancreatic tumour organoids presented typical features of malignancy corresponding to the primary tumour (i.e. nuclear enlargement, multiple nucleoli, mitosis, apoptosis, and mutated KRAS and/or TP53). These tumour organoids also expressed variable levels of many known cachexia-related genes including interleukin-6 (IL-6), TNF-?, IL-8, IL-1?, IL-1?, Mcp-1, GDF15, and LIF. mRNA expression of IL-1? and IL-1? was significantly reduced in organoids from cachectic vs. non-cachectic patients (IL-1?: -3.8-fold, P = 0.009, and IL-1?: -4.7-fold, P = 0.004). LIF, IL-8, and GDF15 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in organoids from cachectic vs. non-cachectic patients (LIF: 1.6-fold, P = 0.003; IL-8: 1.4-fold, P = 0.01; GDF15: 2.3-fold, P < 0.001). In line with the GDF15 and IL-8 mRNA expression levels, tumour organoids from cachectic patients secreted more GDF15 and IL-8 compared with organoids from non-cachectic patients (5.4 vs. 1.5 ng/mL, P = 0.01, and 7.4 vs. 1.3 ng/mL, P = 0.07, respectively).

Conclusions

This novel human pancreatic tumour organoid biobank provides a valuable tool to increase our understanding of the mechanisms driving cancer cachexia. Our preliminary characterization of the secretome of these organoids supports their application in functional studies including conditioned medium approaches and in vivo transplantation models.

SUBMITTER: Vaes RDW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7749546 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Generation and initial characterization of novel tumour organoid models to study human pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia.

Vaes Rianne D W RDW van Dijk David P J DPJ Welbers Tessa T J TTJ Blok Marinus J MJ Aberle Merel R MR Heij Lara L Boj Sylvia F SF Olde Damink Steven W M SWM Rensen Sander S SS

Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle 20201013 6

<h4>Background</h4>The majority of patients with pancreatic cancer develops cachexia. The mechanisms underlying cancer cachexia development and progression remain elusive, although tumour-derived factors are considered to play a major role. Pancreatic tumour organoids are in vitro three-dimensional organ-like structures that retain many pathophysiological characteristics of the in vivo tumour. We aimed to establish a pancreatic tumour organoid biobank from well-phenotyped cachectic and non-cache ...[more]

PMID: 33047901

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Project description:Pancreatic cancer (PC) induced cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality and reduced quality of life. The pathophysiology of cachexia is complex and poorly understood. Many molecular signaling pathways are involved in PC and cachexia. Though our understanding of cancer cachexia is growing, therapeutic options remain limited. Thus, further discovery and investigation of the molecular signaling pathways involved in the pathophysiology of cachexia can be applied to development of targeted therapies. This review focuses on three main pathophysiologic processes implicated in the development and progression of cachexia in PC, as well as their utility in the discovery of novel targeted therapies. Skeletal muscle wasting is the most prominent pathophysiologic anomaly in cachectic patients and driven by multiple regulatory pathways. Several known molecular pathways that mediate muscle wasting and cachexia include transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-?), myostatin and activin, IGF-1/PI3K/AKT, and JAK-STAT signaling. TGF-? antagonism in cachectic mice reduces skeletal muscle catabolism and weight loss, while improving overall survival. Myostatin/activin inhibition has a great therapeutic potential since it plays an essential role in skeletal muscle regulation. Overexpression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) leads to increased ubiquitination associated proteolysis, inhibition of myogenesis, and decreased muscle mass in PC induced cachexia. IGFBP-3 antagonism alleviates muscle cell wasting. Another component of cachexia is profound systemic inflammation driven by pro-cachectic cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?), and interferon gamma (INF-?). IL-6 antagonism has been shown to reduce inflammation, reduce skeletal muscle loss, and ameliorate cachexia. While TNF-? inhibitors are clinically available, blocking TNF-? signaling is not effective in the treatment of cancer cachexia. Blocking the synthesis or action of acute phase reactants and cytokines is a feasible therapeutic strategy, but no anti-cytokine therapies are currently approved for use in PC. Metabolic alterations such as increased energy expenditure and gluconeogenesis, insulin resistance, fat tissue browning, excessive oxidative stress, and proteolysis with amino acid mobilization support tumor growth and the development of cachexia. Current innovative nutritional strategies for cachexia management include ketogenic diet, utilization of natural compounds such as silibinin, and supplementation with ?3-polyunsaturated fatty acids. Elevated ketone bodies exhibit an anticancer and anticachectic effect. Silibinin has been shown to inhibit growth of PC cells, induce metabolic alterations, and reduce myofiber degradation. Consumption of ?3-polyunsaturated fatty acids has been shown to significantly decrease resting energy expenditure and regulate metabolic dysfunction.

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Dataset Information

Generation and initial characterization of novel tumour organoid models to study human pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Generation and initial characterization of novel tumour organoid models to study human pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia.

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