Mechanosensitive channel Piezo1 induces cell apoptosis in pancreatic cancer by ultrasound with microbubbles

Yue Song; Jifan Chen; Cong Zhang; Lei Xin; Qunying Li; Yajing Liu; Chao Zhang; Shiyan Li; Pintong Huang

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.103733

Mechanosensitive channel Piezo1 induces cell apoptosis in pancreatic cancer by ultrasound with microbubbles

iScience. 2022 Jan 7;25(2):103733. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103733. eCollection 2022 Feb 18.

Authors

Yue Song^{1

2}, Jifan Chen^{1

2}, Cong Zhang^{1

2}, Lei Xin^{1

2}, Qunying Li^{1

2}, Yajing Liu^{1

2}, Chao Zhang^{1

2}, Shiyan Li³, Pintong Huang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
² Research Center of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
³ Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009P.R. China.

Abstract

Ultrasound (US), as a safe and non-invasive tool, has drawn researchers' attention to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Piezo1, a mechanosensitive channel, can be activated by various mechanical stimuli. In this study, we tested the expression of Piezo1 in PDAC cell lines and tissues, and cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo with siRNA, a lentivirus system, and a subcutaneous xenograft tumor-bearing model under the condition of US with microbubbles (MBs). We found that Piezo1 was highly expressed in PDAC cells; it was activated by US with MBs and was closely related to the apoptosis of PDAC cell lines and tumors. This study highlighted the idea of utilizing the high expression of Piezo1 in PDAC and US with MBs to provide a non-invasive strategy for the treatment of PDAC from the aspect of mechanotransduction.

Keywords: Cancer; Cell biology; Molecular biology.