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Ref Type | Journal Article | ||||||||||||
PMID | (25501304) | ||||||||||||
Authors | Deng XB, Xiao L, Wu Y, Jin F, Mossman B, Testa JR, Xiao GH | ||||||||||||
Title | Inhibition of mesothelioma cancer stem-like cells with adenovirus-mediated NK4 gene therapy. | ||||||||||||
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Abstract Text | Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly invasive and chemoresistant malignancy induced by asbestos fibers. NK4, a hepatocyte growth factor antagonist and angiogenesis inhibitor, consists of the N-terminal hairpin domain and four kringle domains of the α-chain of hepatocyte growth factor. The therapeutic potential of NK4 has been demonstrated in a variety of tumor types. However, the mechanisms by which NK4 inhibits tumor growth have not been well delineated. In this study, it is shown that the NK4 adenovirus (Ad-NK4) potently inhibits cell viability, invasiveness and tumorigenicity of human MM cells. Significantly, this study demonstrates for the first time that Ad-NK4 inhibits cancer stem-like cell (CSC) properties as assessed by spheroid formation assay, side population analysis and flow cytometric sorting of CD24 cells. In addition to inhibiting phosphorylation of Met and AKT, Ad-NK4 markedly suppressed the active form of β-catenin, a key mediator of both Wnt and AKT pathways. It is further demonstrated that expression of NK4 suppresses β-catenin nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. Intriguingly, the expression levels of Oct4 and Myc, two critical stem cell factors and downstream targets of β-catenin, were also diminished by Ad-NK4. Furthermore, the strong antitumor effect of NK4 was found to be linked to its ability to inhibit CSCs as revealed by immunohistochemical examination of tumor specimens from a mouse xenograft model of human MM. These findings suggest that NK4 acts as a CSC inhibitor by impeding Met/AKT/β-catenin signaling and holds promise for achieving durable therapeutic responses in MM by constraining the CSC component of these aggressive tumors. |
Molecular Profile | Treatment Approach |
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Gene Name | Source | Synonyms | Protein Domains | Gene Description | Gene Role |
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Drug Name | Trade Name | Synonyms | Drug Classes | Drug Description |
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Ad-NK4 | Ad-NK4 comprises an adenoviral vector expressing the HGF antagonist NK4, which may decrease tumor cell viability and invasiveness and reduce tumor growth (PMID: 25501304). |
Gene | Variant | Impact | Protein Effect | Variant Description | Associated with drug Resistance |
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Molecular Profile | Indication/Tumor Type | Response Type | Therapy Name | Approval Status | Evidence Type | Efficacy Evidence | References |
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