New CXCR4 Antagonist Peptide R (Pep R) Improves Standard Therapy in Colorectal Cancer.
Crescenzo D'AlterioAntonella ZannettiAnna Maria TrottaCaterina IeranòMaria NapolitanoGiuseppina ReaAdelaide GrecoPiera MaiolinoSandra AlbaneseGiosuè ScognamiglioFabiana TatangeloSalvatore TafutoLuigi PortellaSara SantagataGuglielmo NastiAlessandro OttaianoRoberto PacelliPaolo DelrioGerardo BottiStefania ScalaPublished in: Cancers (2020)
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is overexpressed and functional in colorectal cancer. To investigate the role of CXCR4 antagonism in potentiating colon cancer standard therapy, the new peptide CXCR4 antagonist Peptide R (Pep R) was employed. Human colon cancer HCT116 xenograft-bearing mice were treated with chemotherapeutic agents (CT) 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin (OX) or 5FU and radio chemotherapy (RT-CT) in the presence of Pep R. After two weeks, CT plus Pep R reduced by 4-fold the relative tumor volume (RTV) as compared to 2- and 1.6-fold reductions induced, respectively, by CT and Pep R. In vitro Pep R addition to CT/RT-CT impaired HCT116 cell growth and further reduced HCT116 and HT29 clonal capability. Thus, the hypothesis that Pep R could target the epithelial mesenchyme transition (EMT) process was evaluated. While CT decreased ECAD and increased ZEB-1 and CD90 expression, the addition of Pep R restored the pretreatment expression. In HCT116 and HT29 cells, CT/RT-CT induced a population of CD133+CXCR4+ cells, supposedly a stem-resistant cancer cell population, while Pep R reduced it. Taken together, the results showed that targeting CXCR4 ameliorates the effect of treatment in colon cancer through inhibition of cell growth and reversal of EMT treatment-induced markers, supporting further clinical studies.
Keyphrases
- image quality
- dual energy
- computed tomography
- contrast enhanced
- positron emission tomography
- cell cycle arrest
- epithelial mesenchymal transition
- magnetic resonance imaging
- high glucose
- endothelial cells
- stem cells
- squamous cell carcinoma
- skeletal muscle
- magnetic resonance
- metabolic syndrome
- adipose tissue
- mouse model
- signaling pathway
- mesenchymal stem cells
- binding protein
- stress induced
- gestational age