Chemosensitization of prostate cancer stem cells in mice by angiogenin and plexin-B2 inhibitors

Commun Biol. 2020 Jan 15;3(1):26. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-0750-6.

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an obstacle in cancer therapy and are a major cause of drug resistance, cancer recurrence, and metastasis. Available treatments, targeting proliferating cancer cells, are not effective in eliminating quiescent CSCs. Identification of CSC regulators will help design therapeutic strategies to sensitize drug-resistant CSCs for chemo-eradication. Here, we show that angiogenin and plexin-B2 regulate the stemness of prostate CSCs, and that inhibitors of angiogenin/plexin-B2 sensitize prostate CSCs to chemotherapy. Prostate CSCs capable of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumor initiation with a single cell inoculation were identified and shown to be regulated by angiogenin/plexin-B2 that promotes quiescence and self-renewal through 5S ribosomal RNA processing and generation of the bioactive 3'-end fragments of 5S ribosomal RNA, which suppress protein translation and restrict cell cycling. Monoclonal antibodies of angiogenin and plexin-B2 decrease the stemness of prostate CSCs and sensitize them to chemotherapeutic agents in vitro and in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology
  • Biomarkers
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Self Renewal / drug effects
  • Cell Self Renewal / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional / drug effects
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / genetics
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Biomarkers
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Plxnb2 protein, mouse
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 5S
  • angiogenin
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic