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MUC1-c is a target for suppressing stemness in the progression of colitis and colorectal cancer

ABSTRACT: Colitis is associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) by largely undefined mechanisms that are critical for understanding the link between inflammation and cancer. Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) marked by LGR5 expression are of importance in both the inflammatory response to colitis and progression to colitis-associated colon cancer (CACC). Here, we report in human MUC1-transgenic mouse models of CACC that targeting the MUC1-C oncogenic protein, which is upregulated in inflammation, suppresses the (i) Lgr5+ ISC population, (ii) induction of Myc and core pluripotency stem cell factors, and (iii) severity and progression of colitis to dysplasia and cancer. By extension to human colon cancer cells, we demonstrate that MUC1-C drives MYC, forms a complex with MYC on the LGR5 promoter and activates LGR5 expression. We also show in CRC cells that MUC1-C induces the cancer stem cell (CSC) markers (BMI1, ALDH1, FOXA1, LIN28B) and the OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG pluripotency factors. Consistent with conferring the CSC state, targeting MUC1-C suppresses the capacity of CRC cells to promote wound healing, invasion, self-renewal and tumorigenicity. In analysis of human tissues, MUC1 expression associates with activation of inflammatory pathways, development of colitis and aggressiveness of CRCs. These results collectively indicate that MUC1-C is of importance for integrating stemness and pluripotency in colitis and CRC. Of clinical relevance, the findings further indicate that MUC1-C represents a previously unrecognized target that is druggable for treating progression of colitis and CRC.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE144319 | GEO | 2020/10/12

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:MUC1 is a tumor-associated antigen that is aberrantly expressed in cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Even though immune cells express low MUC1 levels, their modulations of MUC1 are important in tumor progression. Consistent with previous clinical data that show increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in IBD, we now show that down-regulation of MUC1 on hematopoietic cells increases MDSCs in IBD, similar to our data in tumor-bearing mice. We hypothesize that MDSC expansion in IBD is critical for tumor progression. In order to mechanistically confirm the linkage between Muc1 down-regulation and MDSC expansion, we generated chimeric mice that did not express Muc1 in the hematopoietic compartment (KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT). These mice were used in 2 models of colitis and colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and their responses were compared to wildtype chimeras (WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT). KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice show increased levels of MDSCs during colitis that was responsible for the larger colon tumors that eventually developed in these mice. Using microarray and qRT-PCR analysis, we observed increased pro-tumorigenic signaling in the colons of KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice during colitis as compared to WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice. Our RNA (microarray and qRT-PCR analysis) and protein analysis demonstrate increased up-regulation of metalloproteinases, collagenases, defensins, complements, growth factors, cytokines and chemokines in KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice as compared to WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice. Antibody-mediated depletion of MDSCs in mice during colitis reduced colon tumor formation during CAC. Development of CAC is a serious complication of colitis and our data highlight MDSCs as a targetable link between inflammation and cancer. A total of 12 samples were analysed. RNA was made from the mucosa of the colon of WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT and KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice that were either untreated or treated with azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). There are 4 groups, n=3 for each group: untreated WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice, untreated KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice, AOM+DSS treated WTM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice, AOM+DSS treated KOM-bM-^FM-^RWT mice = 12 samples in total.

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MUC1-c is a target for suppressing stemness in the progression of colitis and colorectal cancer

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