MUC1-c is a target for suppressing stemness in the progression of colitis and colorectal cancer
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ABSTRACT: Colitis is associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) by largely undefined mechanisms that are critical for understanding the link between inflammation and cancer. Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) marked by LGR5 expression are of importance in both the inflammatory response to colitis and progression to colitis-associated colon cancer (CACC). Here, we report in human MUC1-transgenic mouse models of CACC that targeting the MUC1-C oncogenic protein, which is upregulated in inflammation, suppresses the (i) Lgr5+ ISC population, (ii) induction of Myc and core pluripotency stem cell factors, and (iii) severity and progression of colitis to dysplasia and cancer. By extension to human colon cancer cells, we demonstrate that MUC1-C drives MYC, forms a complex with MYC on the LGR5 promoter and activates LGR5 expression. We also show in CRC cells that MUC1-C induces the cancer stem cell (CSC) markers (BMI1, ALDH1, FOXA1, LIN28B) and the OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG pluripotency factors. Consistent with conferring the CSC state, targeting MUC1-C suppresses the capacity of CRC cells to promote wound healing, invasion, self-renewal and tumorigenicity. In analysis of human tissues, MUC1 expression associates with activation of inflammatory pathways, development of colitis and aggressiveness of CRCs. These results collectively indicate that MUC1-C is of importance for integrating stemness and pluripotency in colitis and CRC. Of clinical relevance, the findings further indicate that MUC1-C represents a previously unrecognized target that is druggable for treating progression of colitis and CRC.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE144319 | GEO | 2020/10/12
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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