Targeting Angiogenic Factors Contributing to Etiology and Progression of Human Ovarian Cancer

Background: During chemotherapy, drugs can damage cancer cells’ DNA and cytomembrane structure, and then induce cell death. However, autophagy can increase the chemotherapy resistance of cancer cells, reducing the effect of chemotherapy. Objective: To block the autophagic flux in cancer cells, it is vital to enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of chemotherapy drugs; for this purpose, we test the gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd2O3 NPs)’ effect on autophagy. Methods: The cytotoxicity of Gd2O3 NPs on HeLa cells was evaluated by a (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Then, monodasylcadaverine staining, immunofluorescence, immunoblot and apoptosis assay were conducted to evaluate the effect of Gd2O3 NPs on autophagy and efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in human ovarian cancer cells. Results: We found that Gd2O3 NPs, which have great potential for use as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging, could block the late stage of autophagic flux in a dose-dependent manner and then cause autophagosome accumulation in HeLa cells. When co-treated with 8 μg/mL Gd2O3 NPs and 5 μg/mL cisplatin, the number of dead HeLa cells increased by about 20% compared with cisplatin alone. We observed the same phenomenon in cisplatin-resistant COC1/DDP cells. Conclusion: We conclude that Gd2O3 NPs can block the late stage of autophagic flux and enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs in human ovarian cancer cells. Thus, the nanoparticles have significant potential for use in both diagnosis and therapy of solid tumor.

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CC Chemokine Ligand 7 Derived from Cancer-Stimulated Macrophages Promotes Ovarian Cancer Cell Invasion

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13112745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2745

Author(s):

Miran Jeong ◽

Yi-Yue Wang ◽

Ju-Yeon Choi ◽

Myong-Cheol Lim ◽

Jung-Hye Choi

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Cell Invasion ◽

Ovarian Cancer Cell ◽

Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽

Human Ovarian Cancer ◽

Cancer Cell Invasion ◽

Cc Chemokine ◽

Chemokine Ligand

In the tumor microenvironment, macrophages have been suggested to be stimulated by tumor cells, becoming tumor-associated macrophages that promote cancer development and progression. We examined the effect of these macrophages on human ovarian cancer cell invasion and found that conditioned medium of macrophages stimulated by ovarian cancer cells (OC-MQs) significantly increased cell invasion. CC chemokine ligand 7 (CCL7) expression and production were significantly higher in OC-MQs than in the control macrophages. Peritoneal macrophages from patients with ovarian cancer showed higher CCL7 expression levels than those from healthy controls. Inhibition of CCL7 using siRNA and neutralizing antibodies reduced the OC-MQ-CM-induced ovarian cancer cell invasion. CC chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3) was highly expressed in human ovarian cancer cells, and a specific inhibitor of this receptor reduced the OC-MQ-CM-induced invasion. Specific signaling and transcription factors were associated with enhanced CCL7 expression in OC-MQs. CCL7-induced invasion required the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 via activation of extracellular signal-related kinase signaling in human ovarian cancer cells. These data suggest that tumor-associated macrophages can affect human ovarian cancer metastasis via the CCL7/CCR3 axis.

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