6533b7dbfe1ef96bd126f848

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 induces differentiation of colorectal cancer stem cells and increases their response to chemotherapy in mice.

Patrizia CammareriGiorgio StassiYlenia LombardoGaspare GulottaFlora IovinoLucia Ricci-vitianiRuggero De MariaFrancesco DieliAlessandro ScopellitiMatilde Todaro

subject

MaleOrganoplatinum CompoundsCellular differentiationDrug ResistanceApoptosisBone Morphogenetic Protein 4Colon Cancer; Drug Resistance; Neoplasia; Tumor Resistance to Chemotherapy; AC133 Antigen; Adenomatous Polyposis Coli; Aged; Aged 80 and over; Animals; Antigens CD; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; Cell Differentiation; Cells Cultured; Colorectal Neoplasms; Female; Fluorouracil; Glycoproteins; Humans; Male; Mice; Microsatellite Instability; Middle Aged; Mutation; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Organoplatinum Compounds; PTEN Phosphohydrolase; Peptides; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Smad4 Protein; GastroenterologyMice80 and overBone morphogenetic protein receptorAC133 AntigenCells CulturedSmad4 ProteinAged 80 and overCulturedColon Cancerintegumentary systemGastroenterologyCell DifferentiationBMP4 colon stem cellsMiddle AgedCDOxaliplatinTumor Resistance to ChemotherapyBone morphogenetic protein 4Adenomatous Polyposis Coliembryonic structuresNeoplastic Stem CellsFemaleMicrosatellite InstabilityFluorouracilStem cellColorectal Neoplasmsanimal structuresCellsAntineoplastic AgentsBiologyBone morphogenetic proteinSettore MED/04 - PATOLOGIA GENERALECancer stem cellAntigens CDPTENAnimalsHumansAntigensneoplasmsPI3K/AKT/mTOR pathwayAgedGlycoproteinsNeoplasiaHepatologyPTEN Phosphohydrolasedigestive system diseasesMutationCancer researchbiology.proteinPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasePeptidesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

description

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The limited clinical response observed in many patients with colorectal cancer may be related to the presence of chemoresistant colorectal can- cer stem cells (CRC-SCs). Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) promotes the differentiation of normal colonic stem cells. We investigated whether BMP4 might be used to induce differentiation of CRC-SCs and for therapeutic purposes. METHODS: CRC-SCs were isolated from 25 tumor samples based on expression of CD133 or using a selection culture medium. BMP4 expression and activity on CRC-SCs were evaluated in vitro; progeny of the stem cells were evaluated by immunofluorescence, immuno- blot, and flow cytometry analyses. The potential thera- peutic effect of BMP4 was assessed in immunocompro- mised mice after injection of CRC-SCs that responded to chemotherapy (n 4) or that did not (n 2). RESULTS: CRC-SCs did not express BMP4 whereas differentiated cells did. Recombinant BMP4 promoted differentiation and apoptosis of CRC-SCs in 12 of 15 independent experiments; this effect did not depend on Small Mothers against decapentaplegic (Smad)4 expression level or mi- crosatellite stability. BMP4 activated the canonical and noncanonical BMP signaling pathways, including phos- phoInositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and PKB (protein kinase B)/AKT. Mutations in PI3K or loss of Phosphatase and Tensin homolog (PTEN) in Smad4-defective tumors made CRC-SCs unresponsive to BMP4. Administration of BMP4 to immunocompromised mice with tumors that arose from CRC-SCs increased the antitumor effects of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. CONCLUSIONS: BMP4 promotes terminal differentiation, apoptosis, and chemosensitization of CRC-SCs in tumors that do not have simultaneous mutations in Smad4 and constitutive activation of PI3K. BMP4 might be de- veloped as a therapeutic agent against cancer stem cells in advanced colorectal tumors.

10.1053/j.gastro.2010.10.005https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20951698