scholarly journals The Role of miRNAs in the Regulation of Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Bimonte ◽  
Antonio Barbieri ◽  
Maddalena Leongito ◽  
Giuseppe Palma ◽  
Vitale del Vecchio ◽  
...  

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is currently one of the deadliest cancers with low overall survival rate. This disease leads to an aggressive local invasion and early metastases and is poorly responsive to treatment with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Several studies have shown that pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs) play different roles in the regulation of drug resistance and recurrence in pancreatic cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA), a class of newly emerging small noncoding RNAs, is involved in the modulation of several biological activities ranging from invasion to metastases development, as well as drug resistance of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we synthesize the latest findings on the role of miRNAs in regulating different biological properties of pancreatic cancer stem cells.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan V. Abel ◽  
Masashi Goto ◽  
Brian Magnuson ◽  
Saji Abraham ◽  
Nikita Ramanathan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe biological properties of pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs) remain incompletely defined and the central regulators are unknown. By bioinformatic analysis of a PCSC-enriched gene signature, we identified the transcription factor HNF1A as a putative central regulator of PCSC function. Levels of HNF1A and its target genes were found to be elevated in PCSCs and tumorspheres, and depletion of HNF1A resulted in growth inhibition, apoptosis, impaired tumorsphere formation, PCSC depletion, and downregulation of OCT4 expression. Conversely, HNF1A overexpression increased PCSC numbers and tumorsphere formation in pancreatic cancer cells and drove PDA cell growth. Importantly, depletion of HNF1A in primary tumor xenografts impaired tumor growth and depleted PCSCs in vivo. Finally, we established an HNF1A-dependent gene signature in PDA cells that significantly correlated with reduced survivability in patients. These findings identify HNF1A as a central transcriptional regulator of the PCSC state and novel oncogene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.


Author(s):  
Camila Juliano Salvador Rodrigues ◽  
Elita Ferreira da Silveira ◽  
Rafael da Silveira Vargas ◽  
Giordano Gatti de Giacomo ◽  
Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin

Background: Cancer stem cells, also known as tumor-initiating cells, are suggested to be responsible for drug resistance and cancer development due in part to their ability to self-renew themselves and differentiate into heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the role of cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer. Methods: A retrospective clinicopathological analysis was undertaken in 112 patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2010, and immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against CD133, CD24, and OCT4. Positive nuclear, cytoplasmic or membrane staining for each antibody was rated on staining intensity, being classified into low/moderate or strong staining groups. Results were analyzed relative to each patient’s clinicopathological parameters. Results: There was an established relationship between the staining of the markers with some variables associated with worse prognosis, being the three markers present in most tumor cells and associated with tumor progression. We suppose that cancer stem cells are present from the beginning of tumor initiation and are intrinsically related to tumor development. Although the presence of stem cells has been associated with molecular biology of various tumors, their expression in pancreatic cancer has not yet been clinically reported. Conclusion: The presence of stem cells and their role in pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis may be considered as valuable prognostic factors, although the mechanism involved needs further investigation. Increasing insights into role of cancer stem cells and carcinogenesis can ultimately generate new ideas for molecularly based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.


2017 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
pp. 310-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Brandi ◽  
Ilaria Dando ◽  
Elisa Dalla Pozza ◽  
Giulia Biondani ◽  
Rosalind Jenkins ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyong Yang ◽  
Ning Zhao ◽  
Jing Cui ◽  
Heshui Wu ◽  
Jiongxin Xiong ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. GEM resistance, however, remains a significant clinical challenge. Here, we investigated whether exosomes derived from GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) mediate cell-cell communication between cells that are sensitive or resistant to GEM and, by doing so, regulate drug resistance. Methods GEM-sensitive BxPC-3-derived BxS and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells were cultured with exosomes extracted from CSCs isolated from GEM-resistant BxPC-3-derived BxR cells (BxR-CSC). The effect of exosomes on drug resistance, cell cycle progression, apoptosis and miRNA expression was evaluated in BxS and PANC-1 cells. Relevant miRNAs associated with GEM resistance were identified and the role of miR-210 in conferring drug resistance was examined in vitro and in vivo. Results BxR-CSC-derived exosomes induced GEM resistance, inhibited GEM-induced cell cycle arrest, antagonized GEM-induced apoptosis, and promoted tube formation and cell migration in BxS and PANC-1 cells. Elevated miR-210 expression levels were detected in BxR-CSCs and BxR-CSC-derived exosomes compared to those in BxS-CSCs and BxS-CSC-derived exosomes. In addition, increased expression levels of miR-210 were observed in BxS and PANC-1 cells cultured with BxR-CSC-derived exosomes upon exposure to GEM in a dose-dependent manner. Also, a series of biological changes was observed in BxS cells after transfection with miR-210 mimics, including activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and these changes were similar to those triggered by BxR-CSC-derived exosomes. Conclusions Our findings suggest that exosomes derived from GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer stem cells mediate the horizontal transfer of drug-resistant traits to GEM-sensitive pancreatic cancer cells by delivering miR-210.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. Cash ◽  
Sonia Alcalá ◽  
María del Rosario Rico-Ferreira ◽  
Elena Hernández-Encinas ◽  
Jennifer García ◽  
...  

Despite significant efforts to improve pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) clinical outcomes, overall survival remains dismal. The poor response to current therapies is partly due to the existence of pancreatic cancer stem cells (PaCSCs), which are efficient drivers of PDAC tumorigenesis, metastasis and relapse. To find new therapeutic agents that could efficiently kill PaCSCs, we screened a chemical library of 680 compounds for candidate small molecules with anti-CSC activity, and identified two compounds of a specific chemical series with potent activity in vitro and in vivo against patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cultures. The anti-CSC mechanism of action of this specific chemical series was found to rely on induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), which is likely associated with the increased lysosomal mass observed in PaCSCs. Using the well characterized LMP-inducer siramesine as a tool molecule, we show elimination of the PaCSC population in mice implanted with tumors from two PDX models. Collectively, our approach identified lysosomal disruption as a promising anti-CSC therapeutic strategy for PDAC.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 326-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Kumar ◽  
Mudassir Farooqui ◽  
Chinthalapally V. Rao

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