Infiltrating bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) increase prostate cancer cell invasion via altering the CCL5/HIF2α/androgen receptor signals

Several infiltrating cells in the tumor microenvironment could influence the cancer progression via secreting various cytokines. Here, we found the CCL5 secreted from BM-MSCs suppressed androgen receptor (AR) signals via enhancing the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) in prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Mechanism dissection revealed that the increased HIF2α might alter the AR-HSP90 interaction to suppress the AR transactivation, and inhibition of HIF2α reversed the BM-MSCs-increased PCa stem cell population and PCa cells invasion. Importantly, CCL5 could suppress the prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) expression, which might then lead to suppress VHL-mediated HIF2α ubiquitination. Together, these results demonstrated that the CCL5 signals from infiltrating BM-MSC cells to HIF2α signals within PCa cells might play a key role to increase PCa stem cell population and PCa metastasis via altering the AR signals. Targeting this newly identified CCL5/HIF2α/AR axis signal axis may allow us to develop a novel way to suppress PCa metastasis.     

Infiltrated pre-adipocytes increase prostate cancer metastasis via modulation of the miR-301a/androgen receptor (AR)/TGF-β1/Smad/MMP9 signals

High fat dietary intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer (PCa). Pre-adipocytes, one of the basic components in the tumor microenvironment (TME), are capable of differentiating into adipose tissues and play key roles to affect PCa progression. Here we found the pre-adipocytes could be recruited more easily to PCa than its surrounding normal prostate tissue. In vitro co-culture system also confirmed PCa has a better capacity than normal prostate to recruit pre-adipocytes. The consequences of recruiting more pre-adipocytes may then increase PCa cell invasion. Mechanism dissection revealed infiltrating pre-adipocytes might function through down-regulation of the androgen receptor (AR) via modulation of miR-301a, and then increase PCa cell invasion via induction of TGF-β1/Smad/MMP9 signals. The mouse model with orthotopically xenografted PCa CWR22Rv1 cells with pre-adipocytes also confirmed that infiltrating pre-adipocytes could increase PCa cell invasion via suppressing AR signaling. Together, our results reveal a new mechanism showing pre-adipocytes in the prostate TME can be recruited to PCa to increase PCa metastasis via modulation of the miR-301a/AR/TGF-β1/Smad/MMP9 signals. Targeting this newly identified signaling may help us to better inhibit PCa metastasis.     

Infiltrating neutrophils increase bladder cancer cell invasion via modulation of androgen receptor (AR)/MMP13 signals

Early studies indicated that several inflammatory immune cells, including macrophages, mast cells, B and T cells in the tumor microenvironment, might influence cancer progression. Here we found that bladder cancer (BCa) cells could recruit more neutrophils than normal bladder cells. The consequences of recruiting more neutrophils might then increase BCa cell invasion via up-regulating androgen receptor (AR) signals. Mechanism dissection revealed infiltrating neutrophils could up-regulate AR signals via either increased AR mRNA/protein expression or increased AR transactivation. The increased AR signals might then enhance BCa cell invasion via increasing MMP13 expression. Together, these results might provide us a new potential therapeutic approach to better battle BCa metastasis via targeting the newly identified signaling from infiltrating neutrophils to BCa through AR to MMP13 signals.     

Infiltrating T cells promote prostate cancer metastasis via modulation of FGF11→miRNA‐541→androgen receptor (AR)→MMP9 signaling

Early clinical studies suggested infiltrating T cells might be associated with poor outcomes in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The detailed mechanisms how T cells contribute to PCa progression, however, remained unclear. Here, we found PCa cells have a better capacity to recruit more CD4(+) T cells than the surrounding normal prostate cells via secreting more chemokines‐CXCL9. The consequences of more recruited CD4(+) T cells to PCa might then lead to enhance PCa cell invasion. Mechanism dissection revealed that infiltrating CD4(+) T cells might function through the modulation of FGF11→miRNA‐541 signals to suppress PCa androgen receptor (AR) signals. The suppressed AR signals might then alter the MMP9 signals to promote the PCa cell invasion. Importantly, suppressed AR signals via AR‐siRNA or anti‐androgen Enzalutamide in PCa cells also enhanced the recruitment of T cells and the consequences of this positive feed back regulation could then enhance the PCa cell invasion. Targeting these newly identified signals via FGF11‐siRNA, miRNA‐541 inhibitor or MMP9 inhibitor all led to partially reverse the enhanced PCa cell invasion. Results from in vivo mouse models also confirmed the in vitro cell lines in co‐culture studies. Together, these results concluded that infiltrating CD4(+) T cells could promote PCa metastasis via modulation of FGF11→miRNA‐541→AR→MMP9 signaling. Targeting these newly identified signals may provide us a new potential therapeutic approach to better battle PCa metastasis.     

TR4 nuclear receptor increases prostate cancer invasion via decreasing the miR-373-3p expression to alter TGFβR2/p-Smad3 signals

Testicular nuclear receptor 4 (TR4), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, may play important roles to modulate the metabolic diseases and prostate tumorigenesis. Here we found TR4 could increase prostate cancer (PCa) cell invasion. Mechanism dissection revealed that TR4 might increase PCa cell invasion via decreasing the miR-373-3p expression that resulted in the activation of the TGFβR2/p-Smad3 signals. The in vivo mouse model using orthotopically xenografted CWR22Rv1 cell line transfected with luciferase-reporter confirmed in vitro cell line studies showing TR4 increased PCa metastasis via decreasing the miR-373-3p expression. Together, these data suggest that TR4 may increase PCa metastasis via a newly identified signal and targeting these TR4/miR-473-3p/TGFβR2/p-Smad3 signals using TR4 antagonist or TR4-siRNA or miR-373-3p may allow us to develop a new potential therapeutic approach to better suppress PCa metastasis.     

Tumor microenvironment B cells increase bladder cancer metastasis via modulation of the IL-8/androgen receptor (AR)/MMPs signals

While B cells in the tumor microenvironment may play important roles in cancer progression, their impacts on the bladder cancer (BCa) metastasis remain unclear. Here we found from human clinical BCa samples that BCa tissues could recruit more B cells than the surrounding normal bladder tissues and the in vitro co-culture assay also demonstrated that B cells could be recruited more easily towards BCa cells compared to normal bladder cells. Chamber invasion and 3D invasion assays showed the recruited B cells could then significantly increase the BCa cell invasion. Mechanism dissection found that recruited B cells could increase IL-8/androgen receptor (AR) signals in BCa cells that could then promote the expression of metastasis genes including MMP1 and MMP13. Blocking the IL-8/AR/MMPs signals either by anti-IL-8 neutralizing antibody, AR-siRNA, or MMPs inhibitors all partially reversed the infiltrating B cells capacity to increase the BCa cell invasion. The in vivo data from orthotopically xenografted BCa mouse model also confirmed that infiltrating B cells could increase BCa cell invasion via increasing AR signals. Together, these results demonstrate the key roles of B cells within the bladder tumor microenvironment that increase the BCa metastasis and may help us to develop the potential therapies via targeting these newly identified IL-8/AR/MMPs signals to better battle the BCa progression.     

Androgen receptor (AR) positive vs negative roles in prostate cancer cell deaths including apoptosis,anoikis, entosis,necrosis and autophagic cell death

Androgen/androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays pivotal roles in the prostate development and homeostasis as well as in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with anti-androgens remains as the main treatment for later stage PCa, and it has been shown to effectively suppress PCa growth during the first 12–24 months. However, ADT eventually fails and tumors may re-grow and progress into the castration resistant stage. Recent reports revealed that AR might play complicated and even opposite roles in PCa progression that might depend on cell types and tumor stages. Importantly, AR may influence PCa progression via differential modulation of various cell deaths including apoptosis, anoikis, entosis, necrosis, and autophagic cell deaths. Targeting AR may induce PCa cell apoptosis, autophagic cell deaths and programmed necrosis, yet targeting AR may suppress cell deaths via anoikis and entosis that may potentially lead to increased metastasis. These differential functions of AR in various types of PCa cell death might challenge the current ADT with anti-androgens treatment. Further detailed dissection of molecular mechanisms by which AR modulates different PCa cell deaths will help us to develop a better therapy to battle PCa.     

Anti‐androgen enzalutamide enhances prostate cancer neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation via altering the infiltrated mast cells?→?androgen receptor (AR)?→?miRNA32 signals

The recently developed anti‐androgen enzalutamide also known as (MDV3100) has the advantage to prolong by 4.8 months the survival of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. However, the mechanisms behind the potential side effects involving the induction of the prostate cancer (PCa) neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation remain unclear. Here we found PCa cells could recruit more mast cells than normal prostate epithelial cells, and enzalutamide (or casodex) treatment could further increase such recruitment that resulted in promoting the PCa NE differentiation. Mechanism dissection found infiltrated mast cells could function through positive feedback to enhance PCa to recruit more mast cells via modulation of the androgen receptor (AR) → cytokines IL8 signals, and interruption by AR‐siRNA or neutralizing anti‐IL8 antibody could partially reverse the recruitment of mast cells. Importantly, targeting the PCa androgens/AR signals with AR‐siRNA or enzalutamide (or casodex) also increased PCa NE differentiation via modulation of the miRNA32 expression, and adding miRNA32 inhibitor reversed the AR‐siRNA‐ or enzalutamide‐enhanced NE differentiation. Together, these results not only identified a new signal via infiltrated mast cells → PCa AR → miRNA32 to increase PCa NE differentiation, it also pointed out the potential unwanted side effects of enzalutamide (or casodex) to increase PCa NE differentiation. Targeting these newly identified signals, including AR, IL8, or miRNA32, may help us to better suppress PCa NE differentiation that is induced during ADT with anti‐androgen enzalutamide (or casodex) treatment.     

Targeting TR4 nuclear receptor suppresses prostate cancer invasion via reduction of infiltrating macrophages with alteration of the TIMP-1/MMP2/MMP9 signals

Background

TR4 nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) plays an important role in macrophages-associated foam cell formation of cardiovascular diseases and infiltrating macrophages are critical for prostate cancer (PCa) progression. However, the linkage of macrophages and TR4 and their impacts on PCa metastasis remains unclear.

Results

Knocking-down TR4 in human PCa cells (C4-2, CWR22Rv1), but not in human macrophages cells (THP-1), led to suppress the macrophages infiltration to PCa cells. The consequences of such suppression of the recruitment of macrophages toward PCa then resulted in suppressing the PCa cell invasion. Mechanism dissection found that knocking-down TR4 in PCa cells suppressed metastasis-related genes including MMP2, with induction of TIMP-1. Interruption assays using TIMP-1 neutralizing antibody could then reverse TR4-macrophage-mediated PCa invasion. IHC staining showed higher TR4 level, more macrophage infiltration, lower TIMP-1 and stronger MMP2/MMP9 in tumor tissues of the Gleason score 5 + 4 patients compared with the Gleason score 3 + 3 patients.

Conclusion

Targeting TR4 in prostate tumor microenvironment might represent a potential new therapeutic approach to better battle PCa metastasis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12943-014-0281-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Decreased number of mast cells infiltrating into needle biopsy specimens leads to a better prognosis of prostate cancer

Mast cell infiltration is often observed around human tumours. Inflammatory cells such as macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells infiltrating around tumours are known to contribute to tumour growth; however, the clinical significance of mast cell invasion in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been investigated. Mast cell infiltration was evaluated in 104 patients (age range, 45-88 years; median, 72 years), who underwent needle biopsy of the prostate and were confirmed to have PCa. Needle biopsy specimens of prostate were sliced into 5-microm-thick sections and immunostained for mast cells with monoclonal antibody against mast cell-specific tryptase. Mast cells were counted systematically under a microscope (x 400 magnification), and the relations between mast cell numbers and clinicopathologic findings were evaluated. The mast cell count was evaluated for prognostic value by multivariate analysis. Mast cells were immunostained around the cancer foci. The median number of mast cells in each case was 16. The mast cell count was higher around cancer foci in patients with higher Gleason scores than in those with low Gleason scores. The mast cell number correlated well with clinical stage (P<0.001). Prostate-specific antigen-free survival of patients with higher mast cell counts was better than that in patients with lower mast cell counts (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that mast cell count was a significant prognostic factor (P<0.005). The number of mast cells infiltrating around cancer foci in prostate biopsy specimens can be a significant prognostic factor of PCa.     

Androgen receptor and invasion in prostate cancer

Activation of androgen receptor (AR) stimulates the growth of not only androgen-dependent but also of androgen-refractory prostate cancer. However, neither the role of AR in invasion/metastasis nor the relationship between invasiveness and androgen-refractory status has been established. In this study, we used the androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line MDA PCa 2b, derived from a human bone metastasis, to generate an invasive subline (MDA-I) using a Matrigel chamber. MDA-I cells expressed higher levels of AR and prostate-specific antigen than their less invasive parental cells. Blocking AR function or removal of androgen suppressed the invasion of MDA-I cells, whereas stimulating AR increased invasion. In addition, forced AR overexpression increased the invasiveness of MDA PCa 2b cells. Next, we showed that an androgen-refractory subline (MDA-hr) of MDA PCa 2b cells also expressed higher levels of AR and were more invasive than their parental androgen-dependent cells. Blocking AR function suppressed the invasiveness of MDA-hr cells. Gelatin zymography indicated that matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 activities were regulated by AR signaling and closely correlated with the invasiveness of the androgen-dependent and androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells. These data suggest that AR promotes the invasiveness of both androgen-dependent and androgen-refractory prostate cancer and that a more invasive phenotype might develop through AR activation during cancer progression. These findings potentially support the use of adjuvant hormonal therapy and the future development of more potent androgen blockade therapy.     

miR-573 inhibits prostate cancer metastasis by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

The metastastic cascade is a complex process that is regulated at multiple levels in prostate cancer (PCa). Recent evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in PCa metastasis and hold great promise as therapeutic targets. In this study, we found that miR-573 expression is significantly lower in metastatic tissues than matched primary PCa. Its downregulation is correlated with high Gleason score and cancer-related mortality of PCa patients (P = 0.041, Kaplan-Meier analysis). Through gain- and loss-of function experiments, we demonstrated that miR-573 inhibits PCa cell migration, invasion and TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, miR573 directly targets the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) gene. Knockdown of FGFR1 phenocopies the effects of miR-573 expression on PCa cell invasion, whereas overexpression of FGFR1 partially attenuates the functions of miR-573. Consequently, miR-573 modulates the activation of FGFR1-downstream signaling in response to fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2). Importantly, we showed that GATA3 directly increases miR-573 expression, and thus down-regulates FGFR1 expression, EMT and invasion of PCa cells in a miR-573-dependent manner, supporting the involvement of GATA3, miR-573 and FGFR1 in controlling the EMT process during PCa metastasis. Altogether, our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism by which miR-573 modulates EMT and metastasis of PCa cells, and suggest miR-573 as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target for PCa management.     

Simultaneous targeting of androgen receptor (AR) and MAPK-interacting kinases (MNKs) by novel retinamides inhibits growth of human prostate cancer cell lines

Androgen receptor (AR) and MNK activated eIF4E signaling promotes the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we report that our Novel Retinamides (NRs) target both AR signaling and eIF4E translation in androgen sensitive and castration resistant PCa cells via enhancing AR and MNK degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Dual blockade of AR and MNK initiated eIF4E activation by NRs in turn induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation. NRs also inhibited cell migration and invasion in metastatic cells. Importantly, the inhibitory effects of NRs on AR signaling, eIF4E translation initiation and subsequent oncogenic program were more potent than that observed with clinically relevant retinoids, established MNK inhibitors, and the FDA approved PCa drugs. Our findings provide the first preclinical evidence that simultaneous inhibition of AR and eIF4E activation is a novel and efficacious therapeutic approach for PCa, and that NRs hold significant promise for treatment of advanced prostate cancer.     

Heat shock protein 27 regulates human prostate cancer cell motility and metastatic progression

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer in American men. Mortality from PCa is caused by the movement of cancer cells from the primary organ to form metastatic tumors at distant sites. Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is known to increase human PCa cell invasion and its overexpression is associated with metastatic disease. The role of HSP27 in driving PCa cell movement from the prostate to distant metastatic sites is unknown. Increased HSP27 expression increased metastasis as well as primary tumor mass. In vitro studies further examined the mechanism of HSP27-induced metastatic behavior. HSP27 did not affect cell detachment, adhesion, or migration, but did increase cell invasion. Cell invasion was dependent upon matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), whose expression was increased by HSP27. In vivo, HSP27 induced commensurate changes in MMP-2 expression in tumors. These findings demonstrate that HSP27 drives metastatic spread of cancer cells from the prostate to distant sites, does so across a continuum of expression levels, and identifies HSP27-driven increases in MMP-2 expression as functionally relevant. These findings add to prior studies demonstrating that HSP27 increases PCa cell motility, growth and survival. Together, they demonstrate that HSP27 plays an important role in PCa progression.     

Systematic dissection of phenotypic,functional, and tumorigenic heterogeneity of human prostate cancer cells

Human cancers are heterogeneous containing stem-like cancer cells operationally defined as cancer stem cells (CSCs) that possess great tumor-initiating and long-term tumor-propagating properties. In this study, we systematically dissect the phenotypic, functional and tumorigenic heterogeneity in human prostate cancer (PCa) using xenograft models and >70 patient tumor samples. In the first part, we further investigate the PSA^−/lo PCa cell population, which we have recently shown to harbor self-renewing long-term tumor-propagating cells and present several novel findings. We show that discordant AR and PSA expression in both untreated and castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) results in AR⁺PSA⁺, AR⁺PSA⁻, AR⁻PSA⁻, and AR⁻PSA⁺ subtypes of PCa cells that manifest differential sensitivities to therapeutics. We further demonstrate that castration leads to a great enrichment of PSA^−/lo PCa cells in both xenograft tumors and CRPC samples and systemic androgen levels dynamically regulate the relative abundance of PSA⁺ versus PSA^−/lo PCa cells that impacts the kinetics of tumor growth. We also present evidence that the PSA^−/lo PCa cells possess distinct epigenetic profiles. As the PSA^−/lo PCa cell population is heterogeneous, in the second part, we employ two PSA⁻ (Du145 and PC3) and two PSA⁺ (LAPC9 and LAPC4) PCa models as well as patient tumor cells to further dissect the clonogenic and tumorigenic subsets. We report that different PCa models possess distinct tumorigenic subpopulations that both commonly and uniquely express important signaling pathways that could represent therapeutic targets. Our results have important implications in understanding PCa cell heterogeneity, response to clinical therapeutics, and cellular mechanisms underlying CRPC.     

ACSL4 promotes prostate cancer growth,invasion and hormonal resistance

Increases in fatty acid metabolism have been demonstrated to promote the growth and survival of a variety of cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). Here, we examine the expression and function of the fatty acid activating enzyme, long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4), in PCa. Ectopic expression of ACSL4 in ACSL4-negative PCa cells increases proliferation, migration and invasion, while ablation of ACSL4 in PCa cells expressing endogenous ACSL4 reduces cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The cell proliferative effects were observed both in vitro, as well as in vivo. Immunohistochemical analysis of human PCa tissue samples indicated ACSL4 expression is increased in malignant cells compared with adjacent benign epithelial cells, and particularly increased in castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) when compared with hormone naive PCa. In cell lines co-expressing both ACSL4 and AR, proliferation was independent of exogenous androgens, suggesting that ACSL4 expression may lead to CRPC. In support for this hypothesis, ectopic ACSL4 expression induced resistance to treatment with Casodex, via decrease in apoptosis. Our studies further indicate that ACSL4 upregulates distinct pathway proteins including p-AKT, LSD1 and β-catenin. These results suggest ACSL4 could serve as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target for CRPC.