Pancreatic cancer is a disease of insidious progression. In most cases, it is either locally advanced or has already metastasized to distant sites at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel molecular targets regulating pancreatic cancer pathogenesis, which could enable the development of novel and effective mechanism-based treatment strategies. This proposal is based on our novel findings on a proto-oncogene, Myb, which is amplified in a sub-set of pancreatic cancer. Myb encodes for a transcription factor and confers its oncogenic activity by regulating the expression of a wide array of target genes. Our preliminary findings demonstrate, for the first time, Myb-regulated phenotypic changes in pancreatic cancer. Myb promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth, clonogenicity, migration and invasion. Interestingly, we observe that pancreatic cancer cells undergo a reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) upon Myb downregulation. Myb-silenced pancreatic cancer cells also exhibit a decreased expression of CXCR4 and c- Myc, two putative target genes of Myb, which have been implicated in pancreatic cancer progression. We also show that Myb is overexpressed in a majority of pancreatic cancer cell lines and tumor tissues. Thus, in this exploratory proposal, we plan to utilize cellular and molecular biological approaches to characterize the role of Myb in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Our central hypothesis is that Myb acts as a key player in the pathobiology of pancreatic cancer by regulating the expression of pathogenically relevant gene targets. To address this hypothesis, we propose two specific aims.
In specific aim 1, we will investigate the role of Myb in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis using in vitro and in vivo functional assays. We will also examine the role of CXCR4 and c-Myc in potentiating the Myb-induced phenotypic changes and search comprehensively for the additional downstream targets of Myb.
In specific aim 2, we will determine the association of Myb expression with disease aggressiveness and survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Here, we will assess the incidence and intensity of aberrant Myb expression in pancreatic cancer and examine any correlation with tumor -grade, - stage, and patient's survival. Having observed a role of Myb in EMT, we will also examine its expression in progressive pre-malignant and malignant lesions to establish a correlation with disease advancement. We will also study a correlation of Myb with CXCR4 and c-Myc expression and determine their collective association with disease aggressiveness and survival of the patients. The knowledge gained from these exploratory studies will greatly enhance our understanding regarding the role and mechanisms of Myb in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Furthermore, it will also serve as a foundation to exploit the potential usefulness of Myb as a novel target for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.

Public Health Relevance

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and hence, there is a pressing need to identify novel molecular targets that could lead to the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. The proposed studies will provide novel information on the pathogenic role of Myb in pancreatic cancer growth and emphasize on its clinical potential in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. The resulting information, in long term, will be useful for better disease management and thus enhance the life expectancy of patients diagnosed with this devastating and lethal malignancy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21CA167137-02
Application #
8450706
Study Section
Tumor Progression and Metastasis Study Section (TPM)
Program Officer
Thurin, Magdalena
Project Start
2012-04-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$151,804
Indirect Cost
$49,579
Name
University of South Alabama
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
172750234
City
Mobile
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
36688
Tyagi, Nikhil; Marimuthu, Saravanakumar; Bhardwaj, Arun et al. (2016) p-21 activated kinase 4 (PAK4) maintains stem cell-like phenotypes in pancreatic cancer cells through activation of STAT3 signaling. Cancer Lett 370:260-7
Azim, Shafquat; Zubair, Haseeb; Srivastava, Sanjeev K et al. (2016) Deep sequencing and in silico analyses identify MYB-regulated gene networks and signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer. Sci Rep 6:28446
Bhardwaj, Arun; Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Singh, Seema et al. (2016) MYB Promotes Desmoplasia in Pancreatic Cancer through Direct Transcriptional Up-regulation and Cooperative Action of Sonic Hedgehog and Adrenomedullin. J Biol Chem 291:16263-70
Tyagi, Nikhil; Arora, Sumit; Deshmukh, Sachin K et al. (2016) Exploiting Nanotechnology for the Development of MicroRNA-Based Cancer Therapeutics. J Biomed Nanotechnol 12:28-42
Deshmukh, Sachin K; Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Bhardwaj, Arun et al. (2015) Resistin and interleukin-6 exhibit racially-disparate expression in breast cancer patients, display molecular association and promote growth and aggressiveness of tumor cells through STAT3 activation. Oncotarget 6:11231-41
Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Bhardwaj, Arun; Arora, Sumit et al. (2015) MYB is a novel regulator of pancreatic tumour growth and metastasis. Br J Cancer 113:1694-703
Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Bhardwaj, Arun; Arora, Sumit et al. (2015) MicroRNA-345 induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through potentiation of caspase-dependent and -independent pathways. Br J Cancer 113:660-8
Srivastava, S K; Bhardwaj, A; Arora, S et al. (2015) Interleukin-8 is a key mediator of FKBP51-induced melanoma growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Br J Cancer 112:1772-81
Khan, Mohammad Aslam; Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Bhardwaj, Arun et al. (2015) Gemcitabine triggers angiogenesis-promoting molecular signals in pancreatic cancer cells: Therapeutic implications. Oncotarget 6:39140-50
Srivastava, Sanjeev K; Arora, Sumit; Averett, Courey et al. (2015) Modulation of microRNAs by phytochemicals in cancer: underlying mechanisms and translational significance. Biomed Res Int 2015:848710

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