2017
Inhibiting DNA methylation activates cancer testis antigens and expression of the antigen processing and presentation machinery in colon and ovarian cancer cells
Siebenkäs C, Chiappinelli KB, Guzzetta AA, Sharma A, Jeschke J, Vatapalli R, Baylin SB, Ahuja N. Inhibiting DNA methylation activates cancer testis antigens and expression of the antigen processing and presentation machinery in colon and ovarian cancer cells. PLOS ONE 2017, 12: e0179501. PMID: 28622390, PMCID: PMC5473589, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179501.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubset of patientsOvarian cancer cell linesAntigen processingCancer cell linesImmune therapyCancer testisSolid tumorsCell linesCancer cellsCancer-testis antigensHost immune systemOvarian cancer cellsTreatment time pointsEpigenetic therapyRelevant low dosesPresentation machineryImmune cellsOvarian cancerAntigen presentationMurine modelTestis antigensInnovative therapiesImmune systemLow dosesTherapyHypomethylating agents synergize with irinotecan to improve response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer cells
Sharma A, Vatapalli R, Abdelfatah E, McMahon K, Kerner Z, Guzzetta A, Singh J, Zahnow C, Baylin S, Yerram S, Hu Y, Azad N, Ahuja N. Hypomethylating agents synergize with irinotecan to improve response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer cells. PLOS ONE 2017, 12: e0176139. PMID: 28445481, PMCID: PMC5405959, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176139.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsATP-Binding Cassette TransportersAzacitidineCaco-2 CellsCamptothecinCell AdhesionCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationColorectal NeoplasmsDNA MethylationDNA RepairGene ExpressionGene Expression ProfilingHCT116 CellsHumansIrinotecanLong Interspersed Nucleotide ElementsMiceMice, Inbred NODMice, SCIDConceptsCRC cell linesColorectal cancerMultiple CRC cell linesPhase 1/2 clinical trialCell linesMetastatic colorectal cancerMajority of patientsNOD-SCID miceColorectal cancer cellsSoft agar assayInitial therapyMetastatic settingCytotoxic chemotherapyCRC treatmentClinical efficacyCancer deathTumor regressionClinical trialsDNA demethylating agentVivo xenograftsChemotherapeutic agentsCancer cellsHCT116 cell linesAgar assayChemotherapyEpigenetic therapy and chemosensitization in solid malignancy
Ronnekleiv-Kelly SM, Sharma A, Ahuja N. Epigenetic therapy and chemosensitization in solid malignancy. Cancer Treatment Reviews 2017, 55: 200-208. PMID: 28431263, DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2017.03.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCombination therapyEpigenetic therapySpecific hematologic malignanciesCertain solid tumorsHistone deacetylase inhibitorsDurable responsesSystemic therapyPatient subsetsSolid malignanciesHematologic malignanciesOvarian cancerBreast cancerDNA methyltransferase inhibitorEpigenetic changesSolid tumorsDeacetylase inhibitorsStandard chemotherapeuticsTherapyClinical potentialCancer cellsTrialsNSCLCMalignancyMethyltransferase inhibitorHypermethylation patternsEpigenetically altered miR-1247 functions as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer
Yi JM, Kang EJ, Kwon HM, Bae JH, Kang K, Ahuja N, Yang K. Epigenetically altered miR-1247 functions as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 2017, 5: 26600-26612. PMID: 28460450, PMCID: PMC5432282, DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15722.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCpG island hypermethylationTumor suppressorEctopic expressionPancreatic cancer cellsIsland hypermethylationPancreatic cancer cell linesHuman cancersPutative target genesCancer cell linesNumber of miRNAsChromosome condensation 2Role of miRNAsCell linesMolecular functional roleCancer cellsCpG island methylationPotential tumor suppressorTarget genesEpigenetic alterationsGene expressionMalignant human cancersIsland methylationDirect targetLuciferase reporterFunctional role
2016
Combining Epigenetic and Immunotherapy to Combat Cancer
Chiappinelli KB, Zahnow CA, Ahuja N, Baylin SB. Combining Epigenetic and Immunotherapy to Combat Cancer. Cancer Research 2016, 76: 1683-1689. PMID: 26988985, PMCID: PMC4873370, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-2125.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImmune checkpoint inhibitor efficacyCheckpoint inhibitor efficacyImmune checkpoint blockadeCurrent clinical trialsT-cell attractionException of melanomaAdvanced human cancersCancer management strategiesEpithelial cancer cellsCheckpoint blockadeMost patientsCombination therapyCancer testisClinical trialsDNA methyltransferase inhibitorMouse modelInhibitor efficacyImmune signalingCancer cellsHuman cancersMethyltransferase inhibitorEpigenetic drugsDemethylating agentExciting recent advancesEndogenous retroviruses
2015
Epigenetic silencing of neurofilament genes promotes an aggressive phenotype in breast cancer
Calmon MF, Jeschke J, Zhang W, Dhir M, Siebenkäs C, Herrera A, Tsai HC, O'Hagan HM, Pappou EP, Hooker CM, Fu T, Schuebel KE, Gabrielson E, Rahal P, Herman JG, Baylin SB, Ahuja N. Epigenetic silencing of neurofilament genes promotes an aggressive phenotype in breast cancer. Epigenetics 2015, 10: 622-632. PMID: 25985363, PMCID: PMC4622480, DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1050173.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeurofilament medium polypeptideNeurofilament heavy polypeptideDNA methylation-associated silencingDNA methylation-mediated silencingNeurofilament genesMethylation-mediated silencingMethylation-associated silencingMethylation-mediated inactivationGo/G1 phaseEpigenetic silencingMedium polypeptideEpigenetic inactivationCell cycleMajor subunitBreast cancer cellsCell typesGenesSilencingHeavy polypeptideG1 phaseFunctional significanceCandidate DNAMature neuronsCancer cellsPolypeptide
2013
Frequent Inactivation of Cysteine Dioxygenase Type 1 Contributes to Survival of Breast Cancer Cells and Resistance to Anthracyclines
Jeschke J, O'Hagan HM, Zhang W, Vatapalli R, Calmon MF, Danilova L, Nelkenbrecher C, Van Neste L, Bijsmans IT, Van Engeland M, Gabrielson E, Schuebel KE, Winterpacht A, Baylin SB, Herman JG, Ahuja N. Frequent Inactivation of Cysteine Dioxygenase Type 1 Contributes to Survival of Breast Cancer Cells and Resistance to Anthracyclines. Clinical Cancer Research 2013, 19: 3201-3211. PMID: 23630167, PMCID: PMC3985391, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-12-3751.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBreast cancer cellsEpigenetic eventsDNA methylationGenome-wide DNA methylation analysisCancer cellsDNA methylation-associated silencingKey epigenetic eventsDetoxification of ROSCritical epigenetic eventsComprehensive functional analysisDNA methylation analysisDNA methylation dataMethylation-associated silencingRepressive chromatinOxygen species productionFunctional analysisMethylation dataLevels of ROSMethylation analysisReduced viabilityMissense mutationsFunctional significanceFrequent inactivationSpecies productionMethylation