Improving experimental cancer therapy through (a better understanding of) tumor physiology Laboratório de Oncologia Experimental Faculdade de Medicina da USP and Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo Ana Cláudia Onuchic Andréia Hanada Otake Camila Maria Longo Machado Luciana Nogueira de Sousa Andrade Patrícia Luiza Nunes da Costa Renata de Freitas Saito Rodrigo Barbosa de Aguiar Suely Nonogaki Marcello Barcinski (INCA and ICB-USP) Sonia Jancar (ICB-USP) Roberto Zatz (USP) Robert J. Gillies (Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa) Ian Tannock (University of Toronto, Toronto) Support: Fapesp (CEPID/Center for Cell-based Research Therapy), CNPq/MS-Decit and UICC (Yamagiwa-Yoshida Grant Program)
Cancers: an ecological view Complex organoids formed by mutually interacting epi/genetically modified tumor cells and a variety of ( normal ) stromal cells Cancer microenvironmental cells are targets for therapy
Exploiting the tumor microenvironment for the benefit of (experimental) therapy Functional consequences of cell death within tumor microenvironments Angiogenesis and vascular function control vasoactive peptides and their angiogenic/vascular permeability functions Angiotensin II vs Bradykinin
Tumor transplantation and growth depend on the initial inoculum of transformed cells 100 80 60 40 MelanA (10 6 ) Tm1 (10 3 ) Tm1 (10 4 ) Tm1 (5.10 4 ) 20 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Time after transplantation (days) Frequency of tumor initiating cells in Tm1 population is around 10-3 -10-4 Correa et al. (2005) Int. J. Cancer. 114:353-363
Tumor-free animals (%) Admixed normal melanocytes (Melan-A) facilitate TM1 tumor growth in vivo 100 80 Tm1 60 Tm1+ Melan A 40 20 0 p<0,001 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 Time after transplantation (days) Inoculation of normal cells leads to tissue microenvironmental responses that favor tumor growth (increase in the number of cells with the status of a tumor initiating cell?) Correa et al. (2005) Int. J. Cancer. 114:353-363
Tumor-free animals (%) Irradiated apoptotic cells, but not necrotic cells, support the growth of melanoma cells 100 80 60 40 20 0 p<0,01 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Time after transplantation (days) Non-viable Melan A cells Viable Melan A cells Irradiated, viable Melan A cells Tissue microenvironmental responses to massive apoptosis form a niche that supports tumor growth Correa et al. (2005) Int. J. Cancer. 114:353-363
Melanoma cells release apoptotic body-like microvesicles MAA (melanoma associated ag) anexin V Lima et al. (2009) Cancer Lett., 283:168
Series of lipid mediators are derived from the metabolism of sphingomyelin and phospholipids, including the platelet activating factor, PAF WEB series
Cisplatin induces accumulation of PAF-R in human melanoma cells. PAF protects human melanoma cells from cisplatin-induced cell death A C B Control Cisplatin 2,5µM In vitro studies Onuchic et al. 2012 Med Inflammation doi:10.1155/2012/175408
Blockage of PAF-R may be a useful approach for combined therapies against melanomas In vivo studies Onuchic et al. 2012 Med Inflammation doi:10.1155/2012/175408
Nature Medicine (2011) 17:860-867
PAF production is symmetrical to prostanoid and leukotriene production
Opportunity: combination therapy using PAF R antagonists may increase efficiency of apoptosis inducing therapies, through blockage of a tissue regeneration back loop PAF-R antagonist Apoptotic cell PL PAF-R PAF IL-12 TNF ROS LTB4 Anti apoptotic factors feeder effect Cytoprotective molecules abolished by PAF-R antagonist Macrophage activated phenotype Inhibition of tumor growth
Are modern oncologists the eagle biting Prometheus liver, the tumor? Regenerative Medicine may teach us how to control (tumor) tissue homeostasis.
Exploiting the tumor microenvironment for the benefit of (experimental) therapy Angiogenesis and vascular function control vasoactive peptides and their angiogenic/vascular permeability functions Angiotensin II vs Bradykinin Angiotensin II receptor blockers e.g, losartan and candesartan Bradykinin receptor antagonists, e.g R715 and R954
Tumor angiogenesis
PRESENCE OF AT1 RECEPTORS AND ANGIOTENSIN II IN HUMAN MELANOMA TISSUES Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
ANGIOTENSIN II ANTAGONISTS LIMITED MURINE MELANOMA GROWTH Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
MICROVASCULAR DENSITY (MVD) WAS DECREASED UPON LOS TREATMENT Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
MICROVASCULAR DENSITY (MVD) WAS DECREASED UPON LOS TREATMENT Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
Losartan decreases the expression of several receptors for angiogenic factors within the tumor microenvironment Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
Angiogenesis depends on different populations of progenitor cells Rafii et al. (2002) Nature Reviews Cancer, 2: 826-835
Losartan interfered with the recruitment of VEGFR2 positive cells to tumors Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
Losartan interfered with metastatic tumor growth,but not metastasis formation Otake et al.(2010) Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 66:79-87
Intensity of fluorescence (a.u.) The 2 nd generation BKR1 antagonist R954 increased doxorubicin uptake within tumors CD31/Doxorubicin PBS Distance to nearest vessel (mm) PBS (control) R954 (3 mg/kg) R-954 US2007015715-A1 Nantel et al. Derwent Innovations Index 2007-239159.
Summary Both angiotensin II and its receptor (AT1) are present within the tumor microenvironment of human melanomas and murine melanomas. The antihypertensive agent Losartan has a dual function, controlling not only the vascular tonus, but also controlling angiogenesis. Off label indications of old drugs (Losartan, e.g.) may help managing cancer patients. Bradykinin receptor 1 antagonists may lead to secondary local and transient hypertension, favouring drug delivery to experimental tumors.
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