Browsing by Author "Saadatzadeh, M. Reza"
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Item Acridine Orange as a Novel Photosensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy in Glioblastoma(Elsevier, 2018) Osman, Hany; Elsahy, Deena; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Pollok, Karen E.; Yocom, Steven; Hattab, Eyas; Georges, Joseph; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineObject Photodynamic therapy is an exciting treatment modality that combines the effects of a chemical agent with the physical energy from light or radiation to result in lysis of cells of interest. Acridine orange is a molecule with fluorescence properties that was demonstrated to possess photosensitizing properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the photodynamic effect of acridine orange on glioblastoma cell viability and growth. Methods Glioblastoma cells (n = 8000 cells/well at 0 hours) were exposed to acridine orange followed by white unfiltered light-emitting diodes (LED) light. Cultures were exposed to either 10 or 30 minutes of light. The cell number per well was determined at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours after exposure. Results A dramatic cytocidal effect of acridine orange after exposure to as little as 10 minutes of white light was observed. There was almost complete eradication of the glioblastoma cells over a 72-hour period. Although acridine orange or light alone exhibited some effect on cell growth, it was not as pronounced as the combination of acridine orange and light. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate the photodynamic effect of acridine orange in glioblastoma cells. This data supports the need for further studies to characterize and evaluate whether this striking cytotoxic effect can be achieved in vivo. The combination of acridine orange and exposure to white unfiltered LED light may have potential future applications in management of glioblastoma.Item c-FLIP, a Novel Biomarker for Cancer Prognosis, Immunosuppression, Alzheimer’s Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and a Rationale Therapeutic Target(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Safa, Ahmad R.; Kamocki, Krzysztof; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of MedicineDysregulation of c-FLIP (cellular FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme inhibitory protein) has been shown in several diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). c-FLIP is a critical anti-cell death protein often overexpressed in tumors and hematological malignancies and its increased expression is often associated with a poor prognosis. c-FLIP frequently exists as long (c-FLIPL) and short (c-FLIPS) isoforms, regulates its anti-cell death functions through binding to FADD (FAS associated death domain protein), an adaptor protein known to activate caspases-8 and -10 and links c-FLIP to several cell death regulating complexes including the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) formed by various death receptors. c-FLIP also plays a critical role in necroptosis and autophagy. Furthermore, c-FLIP is able to activate several pathways involved in cytoprotection, proliferation, and survival of cancer cells through various critical signaling proteins. Additionally, c-FLIP can inhibit cell death induced by several chemotherapeutics, anti-cancer small molecule inhibitors, and ionizing radiation. Moreover, c-FLIP plays major roles in aiding the survival of immunosuppressive tumor-promoting immune cells and functions in inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, c-FLIP can serve as a versatile biomarker for cancer prognosis, a diagnostic marker for several diseases, and an effective therapeutic target. In this article, we review the functions of c-FLIP as an anti-apoptotic protein and negative prognostic factor in human cancers, and its roles in resistance to anticancer drugs, necroptosis and autophagy, immunosuppression, Alzheimer’s disease, and COPD.Item Combination therapy in a xenograft model of glioblastoma: enhancement of the antitumor activity of temozolomide by an MDM2 antagonist(American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2017-02) Wang, Haiyan; Cai, Shanbao; Bailey, Barbara J.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Ding, Jixin; Tonsing-Carter, Eva; Georgiadis, Taxiarchis M.; Gunter, T. Zachary; Long, Eric C.; Minto, Robert E.; Gordon, Kevin R.; Sen, Stephanie E.; Cai, Wenjing; Eitel, Jacob A.; Waning, David L.; Bringman, Lauren R.; Wells, Clark D.; Murray, Mary E.; Sarkaria, Jann N.; Gelbert, Lawrence M.; Jones, David R.; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Mayo, Lindsey D.; Shannon, Harlan E.; Pollok, Karen E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE Improvement in treatment outcome for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) requires a multifaceted approach due to dysregulation of numerous signaling pathways. The murine double minute 2 (MDM2) protein may fulfill this requirement because it is involved in the regulation of growth, survival, and invasion. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of modulating MDM2 function in combination with front-line temozolomide (TMZ) therapy in GBM. METHODS The combination of TMZ with the MDM2 protein-protein interaction inhibitor nutlin3a was evaluated for effects on cell growth, p53 pathway activation, expression of DNA repair proteins, and invasive properties. In vivo efficacy was assessed in xenograft models of human GBM. RESULTS In combination, TMZ/nutlin3a was additive to synergistic in decreasing growth of wild-type p53 GBM cells. Pharmacodynamic studies demonstrated that inhibition of cell growth following exposure to TMZ/nutlin3a correlated with: 1) activation of the p53 pathway, 2) downregulation of DNA repair proteins, 3) persistence of DNA damage, and 4) decreased invasion. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that nutlin3a was detected in human intracranial tumor xenografts. To assess therapeutic potential, efficacy studies were conducted in a xenograft model of intracranial GBM by using GBM cells derived from a recurrent wild-type p53 GBM that is highly TMZ resistant (GBM10). Three 5-day cycles of TMZ/nutlin3a resulted in a significant increase in the survival of mice with GBM10 intracranial tumors compared with single-agent therapy. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of MDM2/p53-associated signaling pathways is a novel approach for decreasing TMZ resistance in GBM. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study in a humanized intracranial patient-derived xenograft model to demonstrate the efficacy of combining front-line TMZ therapy and an inhibitor of MDM2 protein-protein interactions.Item Correction: Exploring transcriptional regulators Ref-1 and STAT3 as therapeutic targets in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours(Springer Nature, 2022) Gampala, Silpa; Shah, Fenil; Zhang, Chi; Rhodes, Steven D.; Babb, Olivia; Grimard, Michelle; Wireman, Randall S.; Rad, Ellie; Calver, Brian; Bai, Ren-Yuan; Staedtke, Verena; Hulsey, Emily L.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Pollok, Karen E.; Tong, Yan; Smith, Abbi E.; Clapp, D. Wade; Tee, Andrew R.; Kelley, Mark R.; Fishel, Melissa L.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineCorrection to: British Journal of Cancer 10.1038/s41416-021-01270-8, published online 03 March 2021 The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in Figure 4, specifically: Figure 4f: the middle cell image was originally a duplicate of the middle cell image from Fig. 4d; the correct image is now used. The corrected figure is displayed below. The correction does not have any effect on the final conclusions of the paper. The original article has been corrected.Item Enhancing anti-tumor potential: low-intensity vibration suppresses osteosarcoma progression and augments MSCs' tumor-suppressive abilities(Ivyspring, 2024-01-27) Xiong, Xue; Huo, Qingji; Li, Kexin; Cui, Changpeng; Chang, Chunyi; Park, Charles; Ku, BonHeon; Hong, Chin-Suk; Lim, HeeChang; Pandya, Pankita H.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Lin, Chien-Chi; Kacena, Melissa A.; Pollok, Karen E.; Chen, Andy; Liu, Jing; Thompson, William R.; Li, Xue-Lian; Li, Bai-Yan; Yokota, Hiroki; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of MedicineRationale: Osteosarcoma (OS), a common malignant bone tumor, calls for the investigation of novel treatment strategies. Low-intensity vibration (LIV) presents itself as a promising option, given its potential to enhance bone health and decrease cancer susceptibility. This research delves into the effects of LIV on OS cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with a primary focus on generating induced tumor-suppressing cells (iTSCs) and tumor-suppressive conditioned medium (CM). Methods: To ascertain the influence of vibration frequency, we employed numerical simulations and conducted experiments to determine the most effective LIV conditions. Subsequently, we generated iTSCs and CM through LIV exposure and assessed the impact of CM on OS cells. We also explored the underlying mechanisms of the tumor-suppressive effects of LIV-treated MSC CM, with a specific focus on vinculin (VCL). We employed cytokine array, RNA sequencing, and Western blot techniques to investigate alterations in cytokine profiles, transcriptomes, and tumor suppressor proteins. Results: Numerical simulations validated LIV frequencies within the 10-100 Hz range. LIV induced notable morphological changes in OS cells and MSCs, confirming its dual role in inhibiting OS cell progression and promoting MSC conversion into iTSCs. Upregulated VCL expression enhanced MSC responsiveness to LIV, significantly bolstering CM's efficacy. Notably, we identified tumor suppressor proteins in LIV-treated CM, including procollagen C endopeptidase enhancer (PCOLCE), histone H4 (H4), peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB), and aldolase A (ALDOA). Consistently, cytokine levels decreased significantly in LIV-treated mouse femurs, and oncogenic transcript levels were downregulated in LIV-treated OS cells. Moreover, our study demonstrated that combining LIV-treated MSC CM with chemotherapy drugs yielded additive anti-tumor effects. Conclusions: LIV effectively impeded the progression of OS cells and facilitated the transformation of MSCs into iTSCs. Notably, iTSC-derived CM demonstrated robust anti-tumor properties and the augmentation of MSC responsiveness to LIV via VCL. Furthermore, the enrichment of tumor suppressor proteins within LIV-treated MSC CM and the reduction of cytokines within LIV-treated isolated bone underscore the pivotal tumor-suppressive role of LIV within the bone tumor microenvironment.Item Enhancing anti-tumor potential: low-intensity vibration suppresses osteosarcoma progression and augments MSCs' tumor-suppressive abilities(2024) Xiong, Xue; Huo, Qingji; Li, Kexin; Cui, Changpeng; Chang, Chunyi; Park, Charles; Ku, BonHeon; Hong, Chin-Suk; Lim, HeeChang; Pandya, Pankita H.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Lin, Chien-Chi; Kacena, Melissa A.; Pollok, Karen E.; Chen, Andy; Liu, Jing; Thompson, William R.; Li, Xue-Lian; Li, Bai-Yan; Yokota, Hiroki; Health Sciences, School of Health and Human SciencesRationale: Osteosarcoma (OS), a common malignant bone tumor, calls for the investigation of novel treatment strategies. Low-intensity vibration (LIV) presents itself as a promising option, given its potential to enhance bone health and decrease cancer susceptibility. This research delves into the effects of LIV on OS cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with a primary focus on generating induced tumor-suppressing cells (iTSCs) and tumor-suppressive conditioned medium (CM). Methods: To ascertain the influence of vibration frequency, we employed numerical simulations and conducted experiments to determine the most effective LIV conditions. Subsequently, we generated iTSCs and CM through LIV exposure and assessed the impact of CM on OS cells. We also explored the underlying mechanisms of the tumor-suppressive effects of LIV-treated MSC CM, with a specific focus on vinculin (VCL). We employed cytokine array, RNA sequencing, and Western blot techniques to investigate alterations in cytokine profiles, transcriptomes, and tumor suppressor proteins. Results: Numerical simulations validated LIV frequencies within the 10-100 Hz range. LIV induced notable morphological changes in OS cells and MSCs, confirming its dual role in inhibiting OS cell progression and promoting MSC conversion into iTSCs. Upregulated VCL expression enhanced MSC responsiveness to LIV, significantly bolstering CM's efficacy. Notably, we identified tumor suppressor proteins in LIV-treated CM, including procollagen C endopeptidase enhancer (PCOLCE), histone H4 (H4), peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB), and aldolase A (ALDOA). Consistently, cytokine levels decreased significantly in LIV-treated mouse femurs, and oncogenic transcript levels were downregulated in LIV-treated OS cells. Moreover, our study demonstrated that combining LIV-treated MSC CM with chemotherapy drugs yielded additive anti-tumor effects. Conclusions: LIV effectively impeded the progression of OS cells and facilitated the transformation of MSCs into iTSCs. Notably, iTSC-derived CM demonstrated robust anti-tumor properties and the augmentation of MSC responsiveness to LIV via VCL. Furthermore, the enrichment of tumor suppressor proteins within LIV-treated MSC CM and the reduction of cytokines within LIV-treated isolated bone underscore the pivotal tumor-suppressive role of LIV within the bone tumor microenvironment.Item Establishment and characterization of patient-derived xenograft of a rare pediatric anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) bearing a CDC42SE2-BRAF fusion(Springer Nature, 2023-06-06) Damayanti, Nur P.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Dobrota, Erika; Ordaz, Josue D.; Bailey, Barbara J.; Pandya, Pankita H.; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Shannon, Harlan E.; Alfonso, Anthony; Coy, Kathy; Trowbridge, Melissa; Sinn, Anthony L.; Zhang, Zhong-Yin; Gallagher, Rosa I.; Wulfkuhle, Julia; Petricoin, Emanuel; Richardson, Angela M.; Marshall, Mark S.; Lion, Alex; Ferguson, Michael J.; Balsara, Karl E.; Pollok, Karen E.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicinePleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare subset of primary pediatric glioma with 70% 5-year disease free survival. However, up to 20% of cases present with local recurrence and malignant transformation into more aggressive type anaplastic PXA (AXPA) or glioblastoma. The understanding of disease etiology and mechanisms driving PXA and APXA are limited, and there is no standard of care. Therefore, development of relevant preclinical models to investigate molecular underpinnings of disease and to guide novel therapeutic approaches are of interest. Here, for the first time we established, and characterized a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) from a leptomeningeal spread of a patient with recurrent APXA bearing a novel CDC42SE2-BRAF fusion. An integrated -omics analysis was conducted to assess model fidelity of the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic/phosphoproteomic landscapes. A stable xenoline was derived directly from the patient recurrent tumor and maintained in 2D and 3D culture systems. Conserved histology features between the PDX and matched APXA specimen were maintained through serial passages. Whole exome sequencing (WES) demonstrated a high degree of conservation in the genomic landscape between PDX and matched human tumor, including small variants (Pearson's r = 0.794-0.839) and tumor mutational burden (~ 3 mutations/MB). Large chromosomal variations including chromosomal gains and losses were preserved in PDX. Notably, chromosomal gain in chromosomes 4-9, 17 and 18 and loss in the short arm of chromosome 9 associated with homozygous 9p21.3 deletion involving CDKN2A/B locus were identified in both patient tumor and PDX sample. Moreover, chromosomal rearrangement involving 7q34 fusion; CDC42SE-BRAF t (5;7) (q31.1, q34) (5:130,721,239, 7:140,482,820) was identified in the PDX tumor, xenoline and matched human tumor. Transcriptomic profile of the patient's tumor was retained in PDX (Pearson r = 0.88) and in xenoline (Pearson r = 0.63) as well as preservation of enriched signaling pathways (FDR Adjusted P < 0.05) including MAPK, EGFR and PI3K/AKT pathways. The multi-omics data of (WES, transcriptome, and reverse phase protein array (RPPA) was integrated to deduce potential actionable pathways for treatment (FDR < 0.05) including KEGG01521, KEGG05202, and KEGG05200. Both xenoline and PDX were resistant to the MEK inhibitors trametinib or mirdametinib at clinically relevant doses, recapitulating the patient's resistance to such treatment in the clinic. This set of APXA models will serve as a preclinical resource for developing novel therapeutic regimens for rare anaplastic PXAs and pediatric high-grade gliomas bearing BRAF fusions.Item Exploring transcriptional regulators Ref-1 and STAT3 as therapeutic targets in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours(Springer Nature, 2021) Gampala, Silpa; Shah, Fenil; Zhang, Chi; Rhodes, Steven D.; Babb, Olivia; Grimard, Michelle; Wireman, Randall S.; Rad, Ellie; Calver, Brian; Bai, Ren-Yuan; Staedtke, Verena; Hulsey, Emily L.; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Pollok, Karen E.; Tong, Yan; Smith, Abbi E.; Clapp, D. Wade; Tee, Andrew R.; Kelley, Mark R.; Fishel, Melissa L.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: MPNST is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma that can arise from patients with NF1. Existing chemotherapeutic and targeted agents have been unsuccessful in MPNST treatment, and recent findings implicate STAT3 and HIF1-α in driving MPNST. The DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of both STAT3 and HIF1-α is regulated by Redox factor-1 (Ref-1) redox function. A first-generation Ref-1 inhibitor, APX3330, is being tested in cancer clinical trials and could be applied to MPNST. Methods: We characterised Ref-1 and p-STAT3 expression in various MPNST models. Tumour growth, as well as biomarkers of apoptosis and signalling pathways, were measured by qPCR and western blot following treatment with inhibitors of Ref-1 or STAT3. Results: MPNSTs from Nf1-Arfflox/floxPostnCre mice exhibit significantly increased positivity of p-STAT3 and Ref-1 expression when malignant transformation occurs. Inhibition of Ref-1 or STAT3 impairs MPNST growth in vitro and in vivo and induces apoptosis. Genes highly expressed in MPNST patients are downregulated following inhibition of Ref-1 or STAT3. Several biomarkers downstream of Ref-1 or STAT3 were also downregulated following Ref-1 or STAT3 inhibition. Conclusions: Our findings implicate a unique therapeutic approach to target important MPNST signalling nodes in sarcomas using new first-in-class small molecules for potential translation to the clinic.Item EXTH-43. Targeting the DNA Damage Response Through Combination MDM2 and AKT Inhibitor Therapy Improves Temozolomide Effectiveness in Chemo-Resistant Glioblastoma(Oxford University Press, 2023-11-10) Koenig, Jenna; Bailey, Barbara; Alfonso, Anthony; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Pandya, Pankita; Damayanti, Nur; Dobrota, Erika; Young, Courtney; Shannon, Harlan; Pollok, Karen; Graduate Medical Education, School of MedicineTemozolomide remains the lone pharmacotherapeutic option for glioblastoma (GBM), yet the development of resistance to temozolomide has been a major challenge contributing to the persistent median < 2-year survival for patients after diagnosis. Tumor heterogeneity and induction of treatment response networks, such as the DNA damage response (DDR), are major contributors to temozolomide resistance in GBM. Targeting DDR treatment response networks, such as the MDM2/p53/p73 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR networks, with small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) presents an opportunity to disrupt resistance mechanisms and enhance temozolomide efficacy. We utilized a triple drug combination of clinically relevant concentrations of the blood-brain-barrier penetrant SMIs of AKT (ipatasertib; GDC-0068) and MDM2 (idasanutlin; RG7388) with temozolomide to evaluate this targeted strategy using the recurrent, temozolomide-resistant, p53wt GBM10 xenoline. Proliferation studies demonstrated dose-related additive to synergistic inhibition of proliferation at clinically relevant concentrations of ipatasertib and idasanutlin. Further, IncuCyte live-cell imaging demonstrated dose-and time-related growth inhibition of these GBM cells and apoptosis marked by increased cleaved caspase 3 expression following the temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib triple combination treatment. Cells treated with temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib also displayed senescence phenotypes, with increased cell cycle arrest and elevated expression of SPiDER β-Gal expression and cell-cycle inhibitors such as p53 and p21. Experiments are in progress to determine the extent to which the effects of temozolomide+idasanutlin+ipatasertib combination therapy are dependent on p53 using siRNA knockdown of p53. In the present study, targeting the temzolomide-induced DNA damage response with idasanutlin+ipatasertib increased the effectiveness of temozolomide. These results indicate that this triple combination may be a promising approach to improving patient outcomes in temozolomide-resistant GBM.Item Integrative Multi-OMICs Identifies Therapeutic Response Biomarkers and Confirms Fidelity of Clinically Annotated, Serially Passaged Patient-Derived Xenografts Established from Primary and Metastatic Pediatric and AYA Solid Tumors(MDPI, 2022-12-30) Pandya, Pankita H.; Jannu, Asha Jacob; Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Khadijeh; Dobrota, Erika; Bailey, Barbara J.; Barghi, Farinaz; Shannon, Harlan E.; Riyahi, Niknam; Damayanti, Nur P.; Young, Courtney; Malko, Rada; Justice, Ryli; Albright, Eric; Sandusky, George E.; Wurtz, L. Daniel; Collier, Christopher D.; Marshall, Mark S.; Gallagher, Rosa I.; Wulfkuhle, Julia D.; Petricoin, Emanuel F.; Coy, Kathy; Trowbridge, Melissa; Sinn, Anthony L.; Renbarger, Jamie L.; Ferguson, Michael J.; Huang, Kun; Zhang, Jie; Saadatzadeh, M. Reza; Pollok, Karen E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineEstablishment of clinically annotated, molecularly characterized, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from treatment-naïve and pretreated patients provides a platform to test precision genomics-guided therapies. An integrated multi-OMICS pipeline was developed to identify cancer-associated pathways and evaluate stability of molecular signatures in a panel of pediatric and AYA PDXs following serial passaging in mice. Original solid tumor samples and their corresponding PDXs were evaluated by whole-genome sequencing, RNA-seq, immunoblotting, pathway enrichment analyses, and the drug−gene interaction database to identify as well as cross-validate actionable targets in patients with sarcomas or Wilms tumors. While some divergence between original tumor and the respective PDX was evident, majority of alterations were not functionally impactful, and oncogenic pathway activation was maintained following serial passaging. CDK4/6 and BETs were prioritized as biomarkers of therapeutic response in osteosarcoma PDXs with pertinent molecular signatures. Inhibition of CDK4/6 or BETs decreased osteosarcoma PDX growth (two-way ANOVA, p < 0.05) confirming mechanistic involvement in growth. Linking patient treatment history with molecular and efficacy data in PDX will provide a strong rationale for targeted therapy and improve our understanding of which therapy is most beneficial in patients at diagnosis and in those already exposed to therapy.