Dickkopf-1 Inhibition Reactivates Wnt/beta-Catenin Signaling in Rhabdomyosarcoma, Induces Myogenic Markers In Vitro and Impairs Tumor Cell Survival In Vivo

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a pivotal role during embryogenesis and its deregulation is a key mechanism in the origin and progression of several tumors. Wnt antagonists have been described as key modulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancer, with Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) being the most st...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Giralt, Irina, Gallo Oller, Gabriel, Navarro, Natalia, Zarzosa, Patricia, Pons, Guillem, Magdaleno, Ainara, Segura, Miguel F., Sabado, Constantino, Hladun, Raquel, Arango, Diego, Sánchez de Toledo, José, Moreno, Lucas, Gallego, Soledad, Roma, Josep
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
Repositorio:Repositori Obert UdL
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.udl.cat:10459.1/73115
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312921
http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/73115
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Wnt antagonists
Dickkopf proteins
DKK
β-catenin
Wnt pathway
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Differentiation
Descripción
Sumario:The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a pivotal role during embryogenesis and its deregulation is a key mechanism in the origin and progression of several tumors. Wnt antagonists have been described as key modulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancer, with Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) being the most studied member of the DKK family. Although the therapeutic potential of DKK-1 inhibition has been evaluated in several diseases and malignancies, little is known in pediatric tumors. Only a few works have studied the genetic inhibition and function of DKK-1 in rhabdomyosarcoma. Here, for the first time, we report the analysis of the therapeutic potential of DKK-1 pharmaceutical inhibition in rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. We performed DKK-1 inhibition via shRNA technology and via the chemical inhibitor WAY-2626211. Its inhibition led to β-catenin activation and the modulation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), with positive effects on in vitro expression of myogenic markers and a reduction in proliferation and invasion. In addition, WAY-262611 was able to impair survival of tumor cells in vivo. Therefore, DKK-1 could constitute a molecular target, which could lead to novel therapeutic strategies in RMS, especially in those patients with high DKK-1 expression.