0000000000017944
AUTHOR
Claudia Enriquez
showing 4 related works from this author
Abstract 2141: Stromal SPARC deficiency skews prostate cancer toward neuroendocrine differentiation
2018
Abstract Tumor progression is a multifaceted process in which, complex interactions between tumor and different types of stromal cells and extracellular matrix components, actively contribute to its phenotypic heterogeneity. Among extracellular matrix proteins, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been deeply studied since conflicting reports have described its expression to be either increased or decreased in different cancer settings, also depending on whether it is produced by the neoplasm or by the neighboring stroma. Nevertheless, the different contribution of tumor- or stromal-derived SPARC in prostate tumor microenvironment has not been addressed at least for tumo…
Castration-Induced Downregulation of SPARC in Stromal Cells Drives Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer.
2021
Abstract Fatal neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of castration-resistant prostate cancer is a recurrent mechanism of resistance to androgen deprivation therapies (ADT) and antiandrogen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) in patients. The design of effective therapies for neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is complicated by limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing NED. The paucity of acquired genomic alterations and the deregulation of epigenetic and transcription factors suggest a potential contribution from the microenvironment. In this context, whether ADT/ARPI induces stromal cells to release NED-promoting molecules and the underlying molecular networks are unestablis…
Repurposing of the Antiepileptic Drug Levetiracetam to Restrain Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer and Inhibit Mast Cell Support to Adenocarcinoma
2021
A relevant fraction of castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC) evolve into fatal neuroendocrine (NEPC) tumors in resistance to androgen deprivation and/or inhibitors of androgen receptor pathway. Therefore, effective drugs against both CRPC and NEPC are needed. We have previously described a dual role of mast cells (MCs) in prostate cancer, being capable to promote adenocarcinoma but also to restrain NEPC. This finding suggests that a molecule targeting both MCs and NEPC cells could be effective against prostate cancer. Using an in silico drug repurposing approach, here we identify the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam as a potential candidate for this purpose. We found that the protein…
Cross-Talk between Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Mast Cells Mediates Tumor-Specific Immunosuppression in Prostate Cancer.
2018
Abstract Immunotherapy, including the use of checkpoint inhibitors, is a potent therapeutic approach for some cancers, but has limited success with prostate tumors, in which immune suppression is instigated by the tumor. The immunosuppressive capacity of mast cells, which promote adenocarcinoma development in the prostate, prompted our investigation on whether mast cells promote tolerance to SV40 Large-T antigen, the transforming oncogene in transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice. The incidence of adenocarcinoma was reduced in the offspring of a cross between TRAMP mice and mast cell–deficient KitWsh mice. TRAMP mice are tolerant to the SV40 Large T antigen, which is o…