Frizzled-7 Identifies Platinum-Tolerant Ovarian Cancer Cells Susceptible to Ferroptosis

作者：Yinu Wang, Guangyuan Zhao, Salvatore Condello, Hao Huang, Horacio Cárdenas, Edward J. Tanner, Jian-Jun Wei, Yanrong Ji, Junjie Li, Yuying Tan, Ramana V. Davuluri, Marcus E. Peter, Ji‐Xin Cheng, Daniela Elena Matei · 发表于：Cancer Research · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1488 · 被引用次数：253 · 研究领域：Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis、Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research、Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism

Abstract Defining traits of platinum-tolerant cancer cells could expose new treatment vulnerabilities. Here, new markers associated with platinum-tolerant cells and tumors were identified using in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer models treated repetitively with carboplatin and validated in human specimens. Platinum-tolerant cells and tumors were enriched in ALDH+ cells, formed more spheroids, and expressed increased levels of stemness-related transcription factors compared with parental cells. Additionally, platinum-tolerant cells and tumors exhibited expression of the Wnt receptor Frizzled-7 (FZD7). Knockdown of FZD7 improved sensitivity to platinum, decreased spheroid formation, and delayed tumor initiation. The molecular signature distinguishing FZD7+ from FZD7− cells included epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT), stemness, and oxidative phosphorylation-enriched gene sets. Overexpression of FZD7 activated the oncogenic factor Tp63, driving upregulation of glutathione metabolism pathways, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which protected cells from chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress. FZD7+ platinum-tolerant ovarian cancer cells were more sensitive and underwent ferroptosis after treatment with GPX4 inhibitors. FZD7, Tp63, and glutathione metabolism gene sets were strongly correlated in the ovarian cancer Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and in residual human ovarian cancer specimens after chemotherapy. These results support the existence of a platinum-toler...