Osteopontin -- a promising biomarker for cancer therapy

Expression Profiling of Extracellular Matrix Genes Reveals Global and Entity-Specific Characteristics in Adenoid Cystic, Mucoepidermoid and Salivary Duct Carcinomas

Simple Summary

The extracellular matrix (ECM), an important factor in tumour metastasis and therapy resistance, has not been studied in salivary gland carcinomas (SGC), so far. In this retrospective study, we profiled the RNA expression of 28 ECM-related genes in 11 adenoid cystic (AdCy), 14 mucoepidermoid (MuEp) and 9 salivary duct carcinomas (SaDu). Also, we validated our results in a multimodal approach. MuEp and SaDu shared a common gene signature involving an overexpression of COL11A1. In contrast, nonhierarchical clustering revealed a more specific gene expression pattern for AdCy, characterized by overexpression of COL27A1. In situ studies at RNA level indicated that in AdCy, ECM production results from tumour cells and not from cancer-associated fibroblasts as is the case in MuEp and SaDu. For the first time, we characterized the ECM composition in SGC and identified several differentially expressed genes, which are potential therapeutic targets.

Abstract

The composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role in tumour initiation, metastasis and therapy resistance. Until now, the ECM composition of salivary gland carcinomas (SGC) has not been studied. We quantitatively analysed the mRNA of 28 ECM-related genes of 34 adenoid cystic (AdCy; n = 11), mucoepidermoid (MuEp; n = 14) and salivary duct carcinomas (SaDu; n = 9). An incremental overexpression of six collagens (including COL11A1) and four glycoproteins from MuEp and SaDu suggested a common ECM alteration. Conversely, AdCy and MuEp displayed a distinct overexpression of COL27A1 and LAMB3, respectively. Nonhierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed a more specific pattern for AdCy with low expression of the common gene signature. In situ studies at the RNA and protein level confirmed these results and indicated that, in contrast to MuEp and SaDu, ECM production in AdCy results from tumour cells and not from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Our findings reveal different modes of ECM production leading to common and distinct RNA signatures in SGC. Of note, an overexpression of COL27A1, as in AdCy, has not been linked to any other neoplasm so far. Here, we contribute to the dissection of the ECM composition in SGC and identified a panel of deferentially expressed genes, which could be putative targets for SGC therapy and overcoming therapeutic resistance.

Upregulation of secreted phosphoprotein 1 affects malignant progression, prognosis, and resistance to cetuximab via the KRAS/MEK pathway in head and neck cancer

Acquired resistance is a barrier to cetuximab efficacy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) is involved in various biological processes, including immune responses, cancer progression, and prognosis in many cancers, while little is known in HNSCC. Bioinformatics methods were used to identify candidate genes and further in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to examine and validate the function of SPP1. We found that SPP1 was upregulated and has been found to have an oncogenic role in HNSCC. We further confirmed that overexpression of SPP1 affected proliferation, migration, invasion, and survival, and inhibited apoptosis, whereas silencing of SPP1 yielded opposite results to those of SPP1 overexpression. In addition, activation of the KRAS/MEK pathway contributed to the SPP1-induced malignant progression of HNSCC and resistance to cetuximab. Furthermore, SPP1 knockdown or an MEK inhibitor overcame this cetuximab-resistance pattern. Taken together, our findings for the first time identify the role of SPP1 in tumor promotion, prognostic prediction, and potential therapeutic targeting, as well as resistance to cetuximab in HNSCC.

Plasma levels of osteopontin from birth to adulthood

AIM

Osteopontin (OPN) has been investigated as a biomarker for cancer and nonmalignant diseases during the last decades. Data about OPN as a potential biomarker in childhood diseases are still sparse, and reference values are not available in children. We aimed to establish reference values for children from birth to young adulthood and evaluate whether there are age-, gender-, and weight-specific differences.

METHOD

Umbilical cord blood and blood plasma samples of 117 children were collected in the Children's Hospital of Saarland University in Homburg/Saar. OPN levels were measured by ELISA, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Neonates, infants, toddlers, young children, adolescents, and adults were divided into the following six age groups: newborns (birth), infancy and toddlers (0-24 months), early childhood (3-6 years), middle childhood (7-11 years), adolescence (12-18 years), and adults (> 18 years). Highest blood OPN levels were found in the group of 0-1 years of age. OPN blood levels declined significantly with age (Spearman r = -0.874; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our work is the first prospective and systematic study analyzing OPN cord blood and blood plasma levels in children of all ages. It is the first study yielding reference values for different age groups from birth to young adulthood. Our data give insight on how OPN in umbilical cord blood and OPN in blood plasma are physiologically influenced during childhood development and growth with high OPN levels after birth and a constant age-related decline until the age of 14, when OPN levels reach similar values to those measured in adults.

Analysis of Expression and Its Clinical Significance of the Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Objective

To explore the expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and evaluate its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of LUAD, and analyze the advantages of SPP1 as a potential prognostic marker in LUAD.

Methods

The expression of SPP1 in normal lung tissue and LUAD was analyzed from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases. GSE68465 was used to explore the relationship between the SPP1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of LUAD patients. The relationship between SPP1 and immune infiltration in LUAD was analyzed by the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Gene enrichment analysis was performed in GSEA. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD data was used to verify the results.

Results

In the cell line level, non-small cell lung cancer ranked ninth among cancer cell lines based on SPP1 expression. In the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels, SPP1 expression was higher in LUAD tissues than that in normal control. SPP1 expression was related to gender, N stage, histological grade, and progression or relapse. In men, SPP1 expression were higher compared to that in women. The higher the N stage, the higher the SPP1 expression level. As LUAD progresses or relapses, SPP1 expression could increase. In the pathological grade, the SPP1 expression was higher in LUAD samples with moderate differentiation. In addition, the overall 5-year survival rates of the SPP1 high and low expression groups were 50.574 and 59.181% [P = 0.008; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.7057; 95% CI, 0.5467-0.9109], indicating that SPP1 had an impact on overall survival for LUAD patients. The relationship between SPP1 expression and CD4⁺ T cell, macrophage, neutrophil, and dendritic cell infiltration was weak in LUAD. SPP1 could be considered as an independent prognostic marker in LUAD (P = 0.003; HR = 1.150; 95% CI, 1.048-1.261) by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The results of GSEA indicated that samples with high SPP1 expression were enriched in protein secretion, mTORC1 signaling, angiogenesis, and glycolysis pathway. The analysis results obtained by TCGA-LUAD data were basically consistent with the results obtained by GSE68465.

Conclusions

SPP1 can not only affect the occurrence and development of LUAD but also may be an independent prognostic marker of LUAD. SPP1 is expected to be a new target for molecular targeted therapy.

Molecular alterations associated with acquired resistance to BRAFV600E targeted therapy in melanoma cells

Selective inhibition of the mutant BRAF protein is a highly promising therapeutic approach for melanoma patients carrying the BRAF mutation. Despite the remarkable clinical response, most patients develop resistance and experience tumour regrowth. To clarify the molecular background of BRAF inhibitor resistance, we generated four drug-resistant melanoma cell lines from paired primary/metastatic cell lines using a vemurafenib analogue PLX4720. Three of the resistant cell lines showed decreased proliferation after drug withdrawal, but the proliferation of one cell line (WM278) increased notably. Furthermore, we observed opposite phenomena in which a 'drug holiday' could not only be beneficial but also contribute to tumour progression. Using genomic and proteomic approaches, we found significantly different alterations between the sensitive and resistant cell lines, some of which have not been reported previously. In addition to several other changes, copy number gains were observed in all resistant cell lines on 8q24.11-q24.12 and 8q21.2. Gene expression analysis showed that most genes upregulated in the resistant cell lines were associated with cell motility and angiogenesis. Increased expression of six proteins (ANGPLT4, EGFR, Endoglin, FGF2, SerpinE1 and VCAM-1) and decreased expression of two proteins (osteopontin and survivin) were observed consistently in all resistant cell lines. In summary, we identified new genomic alterations and characterized the protein expression patterns associated with the resistant phenotype. Although several proteins have been shown to be associated with BRAF resistance, our study is the first to describe the association of VCAM-1 and osteopontin with BRAF resistance.

Clinical significance of CD38 and CD101 expression in PD-1+CD8+ T cells in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Previous studies using mouse liver tumor models have indicated that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)⁺CD8⁺ T cells may reflect fixed dysregulation of CD8⁺ T cells and thus indicate a poor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. However, whether CD38 and CD101 expression in PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells can predict the clinical status and efficacy of chemotherapy for various cancer types, including ovarian cancer (OC), remains unclear. In the present study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation from 96 fresh samples from healthy adult volunteers and patients with epithelial OC, aged 55.21±9.91 years. Additionally, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were separated using a combination of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic digestion from fresh surgically removed tumor tissues from 15 patients with epithelial OC. The expression of CD38 and CD101 in PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells or TILs was detected by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence (IF) staining, respectively. The association between the level of CD38/CD101 expression and clinicopathological parameters or postoperative chemotherapy in patients with OC was statistically analyzed. The levels of CD38/CD101-coexpressing PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells were significantly increased in PBMCs and TILs of patients with OC compared with those of healthy volunteers. The frequency of PD-1⁺CD38⁺CD101⁺CD8⁺ T cells among the total PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cell subpopulation was negatively associated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and postoperative chemotherapy prognosis in patients with OC. Furthermore, IF staining confirmed colocalization of CD38 and CD101 on the majority of TILs in OC tissues. Thus, the present study suggests that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in peripheral PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells and TILs may serve as a new indicator for diagnosis and treatment efficacy in patients with epithelial OC.

Ethyl Acetate Fraction from Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata Suppresses Migration of Bone-Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells via OPN-FAK/ERK/NF-κB Axis

Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata is a couplet of medicinal that has been commonly used to treat inflammation-related diseases and various types of tumors. However, the effect of this couplet on tumor cell migration has not been elucidated. With the aid of MCF-7-BOM, a bone-metastatic subline of ER + breast cancer MCF-7, we showed that ethyl acetate fraction extracted at an equal weight ratio of Hedyotis diffusa plus Scutellaria barbata (EA11) inhibited cell migration of MCF-7-BOM in a concentration-dependent manner. To define the underlying molecular mechanism, we revealed that EA11 reduced the expression of osteopontin (OPN) and interfered with the FAK/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathways, which are both critical for breast cancer bone metastasis. This study strongly suggested EA11 may represent a potential therapeutic agent against bone metastasis of breast cancer.

Skeletal loading regulates breast cancer-associated osteolysis in a loading intensity-dependent fashion

Osteocytes are mechanosensitive bone cells, but little is known about their effects on tumor cells in response to mechanical stimulation. We treated breast cancer cells with osteocyte-derived conditioned medium (CM) and fluid flow-treated conditioned medium (FFCM) with 0.25 Pa and 1 Pa shear stress. Notably, CM and FFCM at 0.25 Pa induced the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), but FFCM at 1 Pa induced the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This suggested that the effects of fluid flow on conditioned media depend on flow intensity. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based evaluation of Src activity and vinculin molecular force showed that osteopontin was involved in EMT and MET switching. A mouse model of tumor-induced osteolysis was tested using dynamic tibia loadings of 1, 2, and 5 N. The low 1 N loading suppressed tumor-induced osteolysis, but this beneficial effect was lost and reversed with loads at 2 and 5 N, respectively. Changing the loading intensities in vivo also led to changes in serum TGFβ levels and the composition of tumor-associated volatile organic compounds in the urine. Collectively, this study demonstrated the critical role of intensity-dependent mechanotransduction and osteopontin in tumor-osteocyte communication, indicating that a biophysical factor can tangibly alter the behaviors of tumor cells in the bone microenvironment.

OPN promotes the aggressiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer cells through the activation of the RON tyrosine kinase

Osteopontin (OPN) is identified as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of tumor progression and metastasis. In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the functions of OPN have not been well characterized. The current study sought to investigate the clinical implications of OPN expression in NSCLC and the role of OPN in the aggressiveness of the lung cancer cells. Using a proteomics approach, we identified that phospho-RON (p-RON) was one of the most remarkably up-regulated proteins in OPN-overexpressing cells. The levels of OPN and RON transcripts were unveiled as independent prognostic indicators of survival in NSCLC (p = 0.001). Higher levels of OPN, RON and p-RON proteins were observed in tumor tissues. Knock down of the OPN gene suppressed the migration and invasion abilities of the A549 lung cancer cells which endogenously expresses OPN. While ectopic expression of OPN in the SK-MES-1 lung cancer cells increased levels of cellular invasion and migration. In addition, these changes were accompanied by a phosphorylated activation of RON. Small-molecule inhibition of RON or siRNA silencing of RON significantly reduced OPN-induced migration and invasion of lung cancer cells and had an inhibitory effect on the OPN-mediated cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Our study suggests that in NSCLC, the aberrant expression of OPN can be considered as an independent survival indicator and is associated with disease progression. OPN plays a crucial role in promoting migration and invasion properties of lung cancer cells through its phosphorylation activation of the RON signaling pathway, implying its potential as a therapeutic target in the treatment of NSCLC.

Short-Term Microgravity Influences Cell Adhesion in Human Breast Cancer Cells

With the commercialization of spaceflight and the exploration of space, it is important to understand the changes occurring in human cells exposed to real microgravity (r-µg) conditions. We examined the influence of r-µg, simulated microgravity (s-µg, incubator random positioning machine (iRPM)), hypergravity (hyper-g), and vibration (VIB) on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells (MDA-MB-231 cell line) with the aim to study early changes in the gene expression of factors associated with cell adhesion, apoptosis, nuclear factor "kappa-light-chain-enhancer" of activated B-cells (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. We had the opportunity to attend a parabolic flight (PF) mission and to study changes in RNA transcription in the MDA-MB cells exposed to PF maneuvers (29th Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) PF campaign). PF maneuvers induced an early up-regulation of ICAM1, CD44 and ERK1 mRNAs after the first parabola (P1) and a delayed upregulation of NFKB1, NFKBIA, NFKBIB, and FAK1 after the last parabola (P31). ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and CD44 protein levels were elevated, whereas the NF-κB subunit p-65 and annexin-A2 protein levels were reduced after the 31st parabola (P31). The PRKCA, RAF1, BAX mRNA were not changed and cleaved caspase-3 was not detectable in MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to PF maneuvers. Hyper-g-exposure of the cells elevated the expression of CD44 and NFKBIA mRNAs, iRPM-exposure downregulated ANXA2 and BAX, whereas VIB did not affect the TNBC cells. The early changes in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and the rapid decrease in the NF-κB subunit p-65 might be considered as fast-reacting, gravity-regulated and cell-protective mechanisms of TNBC cells exposed to altered gravity conditions. This data suggest a key role for the detected gravity-signaling elements in three-dimensional growth and metastasis.

Effect of laminin environments and tumor factors on the biology of myeloid dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune cells that surveil the organism for infections or malignancies and activate specific T lymphocytes initiating specific immune responses. Contrariwise, DCs have been show to participate in the development of diseases, among them some types of cancer by inducing angiogenesis or immunosuppression. The ultimate fate of DC functions regarding their role in disease or health is prompted by signals from the microenvironment. We have previously shown that the interaction of DCs with various extracellular matrix components modifies the immune properties and angiogenic potential of these cells. The objective of the current studies was to investigate the angiogenic and immune profile of murine myeloid DCs upon interaction with laminin environments, with a particular emphasis on ovarian cancer. Our results show that murine ovarian tumors produce several types of laminins, as determined by PCR analysis, and also that tumor-associated DCs, both from ascites or solid tumors express adhesion molecules capable of interacting with these molecules as determined by flow cytometry and PCR analysis. Further, we established that DCs cultured on laminin upregulate both AKT and MEK signaling pathways, and that long-term culture on laminin surfaces decreases the immunological capacities of these cells when compared to the same cells cultured on synthetic substrates. In addition, we observed that tumor conditioned media was able to modify the metabolic status of these cells, and also reprogram the development of DCs from bone marrow precursors towards the generation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Overall, these studies demonstrate that the interaction between soluble factors and extracellular matrix components of the ovarian cancer microenvironment shape the biology of DCs and thus help them become co-conspirators of tumor growth.

An osteopontin-derived peptide inhibits human hair growth at least in part by decreasing fibroblast growth factor-7 production in outer root sheath keratinocytes

BACKGROUND

Given that unwanted hair growth (hirsutism, hypertrichosis) can cause major psychological distress, new pharmacological treatment strategies with safe and effective hair growth inhibitors that do not destroy the hair follicle (HF) and its stem cells need to be developed.

OBJECTIVES

To establish if osteopontin-derived fragments may modulate human hair growth given that human HFs express the multifunctional, immunomodulatory glycoprotein, osteopontin.

METHODS

Our hypothesis was tested ex vivo and in vivo by using a newly generated, toxicologically well-characterized, modified osteopontin-derived peptide (FOL-005), which binds to the HF.

RESULTS

In organ-cultured human HFs and scalp skin, and in human scalp skin xenotransplants onto SCID mice, FOL-005 treatment (60 nmol L^-1 to 3 μmol L^-1 ) significantly promoted premature catagen development without reducing the number of keratin 15-positive HF stem cells or showing signs of drug toxicity. Genome-wide DNA microarray, quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry revealed decreased expression of the hair growth promoter, fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF7) by FOL-005, while cotreatment of HFs with recombinant FGF7 partially abrogated FOL-005-induced catagen promotion.

CONCLUSIONS

With caveats in mind, our study identifies this osteopontin-derived peptide as an effective, novel inhibitory principle for human hair growth ex vivo and in vivo, which deserves systematic clinical testing in hirsutism and hypertrichosis. What's already known about this topic? The treatment of unwanted hair growth (hypertrichosis, hirsutism) lacks pharmacological intervention, with only few and often unsatisfactory treatments available. Osteopontin is prominently expressed in human HFs and has been reported to be elevated during catagen in the murine hair cycle. What does this study add? We tested the effects on hair growth of a novel, osteopontin-derived fragment (FOL-005) ex vivo and in vivo. In human hair follicles, high-dose FOL-005 significantly reduces hair growth both ex vivo and in vivo. What is the translational message? High-dose FOL-005 may provide a new therapeutic opportunity as a treatment for unwanted hair growth.

Conditional Knockdown of Osteopontin Inhibits Breast Cancer Skeletal Metastasis

High osteopontin (OPN) expression is linked to breast cancer bone metastasis. In this study we modulated osteopontin levels conditionally and investigated any related antineoplastic effects. Therefore, we established cell clones from human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, in which the expression of OPN is regulated by the Tet-Off tet-off system. These cells, which conditionally express a specific miRNA targeting OPN, were used for in vitro studies as well as for a bone metastasis model in nude rats. Changes in whole-genome expression elicited by conditional OPN knockdown and vesicle formation were also analyzed. The alkylphosphocholine erufosine was used for combination therapy. Conditional OPN knockdown caused mild anti-proliferative, but more intensive anti-migratory and anti clonogenic effects, as well as partial and complete remissions of soft tissue and osteolytic lesions. These effects were associated with specific gene and protein expression modulations following miRNA-mediated OPN knockdown. Furthermore, high levels of OPN were detected in vesicles derived from rats harboring breast cancer skeletal metastases. Finally, the combination of OPN inhibition and erufosine treatment caused an additive reduction of OPN levels in the investigated breast cancer cells. Thus, knockdown of OPN alone or in combination with erufosine is a promising strategy in breast cancer skeletal metastasis treatment.

Prognostic value of Osteopontin (SPP1) in colorectal carcinoma requires a personalized molecular approach

Stratification of colorectal cancer for better management and tangible clinical outcomes is lacking in clinical practice. To reach this goal, the identification of reliable biomarker(s) is a prerequisite to deliver personalized colorectal cancer theranostics. Osteopontin (SPP1) is a key extracellular matrix protein involved in several pathophysiological processes including cancer progression and metastasis. However, the exact molecular mechanisms regulating its expression, localization, and molecular functions in cancer are still poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate the SPP1 expression profiles in Saudi colorectal cancer patients, and to assess its prognostic value. Hundred thirty-four (134) archival paraffin blocks of colorectal cancer were collected from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and automated immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate SPP1 protein expression patterns in colorectal cancer. About 20% and 23% of our colorectal cancer samples showed high SPP1 cytoplasmic and nuclear expression patterns, respectively. Cytoplasmic SPP1 did not correlate with age, gender, tumor size, and location. However, significant correlations were observed with tumor grade (p = 0.008), tumor invasion (p = 0.01), and distant metastasis (p = 0.04). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a significantly lower recurrence rate in patients with higher SPP1 cytoplasmic expression (p = 0.05). At multivariate analysis, high SPP1 cytoplasmic expression was an independent favorable prognostic marker (p = 0.02). However, nuclear SPP1 expression did not show any prognostic value (p = 0.712). Our results showed a particular SPP1 prognostic relevance that is not in line with most colorectal cancer previous studies that may be attributed to the molecular pathophysiology of our colorectal cancer cohort. Saudi Arabia has both specific genomic makeup and particular environment that could lead to distinctive molecular roots of cancer. SPP1 has several isoforms, tissue localizations and molecular functions, signaling pathways, and downstream molecular functions. Therefore, a more individualized approach for CRC studies and particularly SPP1 prognosis outcomes' assessment is highly recommended toward precision oncology.

Exploration of estrogen receptor-associated hub genes and potential molecular mechanisms in non-smoking females with lung adenocarcinoma using integrated bioinformatics analysis

The present study aimed to explore important estrogen receptor-associated genes and to determine the potential pathogenic and prognostic factors for lung adenocarcinoma in non-smoking females. The gene expression profiles of the two datasets (GSE32863 and GSE75037) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Data for non-smoking female patients with lung adenocarcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were also downloaded. The Linear Models for Microarray Data package in R was used to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between samples from non-smoking female patients with lung adenocarcinoma and samples of adjacent non-cancerous lung tissue. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used for functional enrichment of the DEGs. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins and Cytoscape software were used to obtain a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and to identify the hub genes. In addition, the network between the estrogen receptor and the DEGs was constructed. A Kaplan-Meier survival plot was used to analyze the overall survival (OS). In total, 248 DEGs were identified in the GEO database, and 2,362 DEGs were identified in TCGA database. The intersection of the two datasets (DEGs in GEO and TCGA) revealed 170 DEGs, and these were selected for further investigation. Gene Ontology was used to group the 170 DEGs into biological process, molecular function and cellular component categories. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis was subsequently performed. A total of 27 hub genes, including caveolin 1 (CAV1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) and collagen type I α 1 chain (COL1A1), were closely associated with the estrogen receptor. CAV1 and SPP1 were associated with the OS. However, MMP9 and COL1A1 did not have any significant effect on OS. In summary, the identification of CAV1, MMP9, SPP1 and COL1A1 may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of lung adenocarcinoma in non-smoking female patients, and the results obtained in the current study may guide future clinical studies.

Linkage of CD8+ T cell exhaustion with high-fat diet-induced tumourigenesis

Obesity increases the risk of cancer. Increased levels of hormones (such as oestrogen, insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and leptin), free fatty acid-induced production of reactive oxygen species, an altered intestinal microbiome and chronic inflammation are known to be associated with an increased cancer risk in obese subjects. However, the mechanism underlying the connection between obesity and cancer development remains elusive. Here, we show that a high-fat diet (HFD) promotes tumour initiation/progression and induces a phenotypic switch from PD-1⁻ CD8⁺non-exhausted T cells to PD-1⁺ CD8⁺exhausted T cells in a murine breast cancer model. While PD-1⁻ CD8⁺non-exhausted T cells predominated in the mammary glands of normal diet (ND)-fed mice, PD-1⁺ CD8⁺exhausted T cells accumulated in the developing tumours of HFD-fed mice. Gene expression profiles indicated that PD-1⁺ CD8⁺ T cells expressed higher levels of the tumour-trophic gene Opn and lower levels of the cytotoxic genes Ifng and Gzmb than did PD-1⁻ CD8⁺ T cells. Our study provides a possible mechanistic linkage between obesity and cancer.

MiR-181a Promotes Apoptosis and Reduces Cisplatin Resistance by Inhibiting Osteopontin in Cervical Cancer Cells

Objective: In this study, the authors established a cervical cancer cisplatin (DDP) drug-resistant cell line to explore the role of miR-181a in the regulation of osteopontin (OPN) expression and the proliferation, apoptosis, as well as DDP resistance of cervical cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Dual luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to validate the targeted relationship between miR-181a and OPN. The DDP-resistant cell line CaSki/DDP was established to compare the expressions of miR-181a and OPN. The cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 assay. CaSki/DDP cells were divided into miR-NC group and miR-181a mimic group followed by analysis of cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, and the cell proliferation by EdU staining. Results: There was a targeted relationship between miR-181a and OPN mRNA. MiR-181a expression was significantly lower, while OPN mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in CaSki/DDP cells than that in CaSki cells. Compared with the miR-NC group, OPN mRNA and protein were significantly decreased, cell apoptosis was significantly increased, and cell proliferation ability was significantly attenuated in miR-181a mimic transfection group. Conclusions: The decrease of miR-181a expression and the upregulation of OPN expression are related to the DDP resistance of cervical cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-181a can inhibit the expression of OPN, induce cell apoptosis cells, restrain cell proliferation, and reduce DDP resistance in cervical cancer cells.

Five genes may predict metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer using bioinformatics analysis

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of malignancy worldwide. The prognosis of lung cancer is poor, due to the onset of metastases. The aim of the present study was to examine lung cancer metastasis-associated genes. To identify novel metastasis-associated targets, our previous study detected the differentially expressed mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs between the large-cell lung cancer high-metastatic 95D cell line and the low-metastatic 95C cell line by microarray assay. In the present study, these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed via bioinformatics methods, including Gene Ontology functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. A protein-protein interaction network was subsequently constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins online database and Cytoscape software, and 17 hub genes were screened out on the basis of connectivity degree. These hub genes were further validated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) using the online Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database. A total of seven hub genes were identified to be significantly differentially expressed in LUAD and LUSC. The prognostic information was detected using Kaplan-Meier plotter. As a result, five genes were revealed to be closely associated with the overall survival time of patients with lung cancer, including phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1, FYN, thrombospondin 1, nonerythrocytic α-spectrin 1 and secreted phosphoprotein 1. In addition, lung cancer and adjacent lung tissue samples were used to validate these hub genes by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, the results of the present study may provide novel metastasis-associated therapeutic strategies or potential biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer.

Role of osteopontin in dendritic cell shaping of immune responses

Osteopontin (OPN) is a pleiotropic cytokine produced both by immune and non-immune cells and active on different cellular targets. OPN production has been associated with several pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases (e.g. lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis) and cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that the role of OPN has been underestimated, as it seems to be working at multiple levels of immune regulation, such as the shaping of T cell effector responses, the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, and the functional interaction with mesenchymal stromal cells. In this context, dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role being both an important source and a cellular target for OPN action. DC family is composed by several cell subsets endowed with specific immune functions. OPN exerts its biological functions through multiple receptors and is produced in different intracellular and secreted forms. OPN production by DC subsets is emerging as a crucial mechanism of regulation in normal and pathological conditions and starts to be exploited as a therapeutic target. This review will focus on the role of DC-derived OPN in shaping immune response and on the complex role of this cytokines in the regulation in immune response.

Osteopontin, Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor and Anti-Interleukin-8 Autoantibodies Complement CA125 for Detection of Early Stage Ovarian Cancer

Early detection of ovarian cancer promises to reduce mortality. While serum CA125 can detect more than 60% of patients with early stage (I–II) disease, greater sensitivity might be observed with a panel of biomarkers. Ten protein antigens and 12 autoantibody biomarkers were measured in sera from 76 patients with early stage (I–II), 44 patients with late stage (III–IV) ovarian cancer and 200 healthy participants in the normal risk ovarian cancer screening study. A four-biomarker panel (CA125, osteopontin (OPN), macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF), and anti-IL-8 autoantibodies) detected 82% of early stage cancers compared to 65% with CA125 alone. In early stage subjects the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the panel (0.985) was significantly greater (p < 0.001) than the AUC for CA125 alone (0.885). Assaying an independent validation set of sera from 71 early stage ovarian cancer patients, 45 late stage patients and 131 healthy women, AUC in early stage disease was improved from 0.947 with CA125 alone to 0.974 with the four-biomarker panel (p = 0.015). Consequently, OPN, MIF and IL-8 autoantibodies can be used in combination with CA125 to distinguish ovarian cancer patients from healthy controls with high sensitivity. Osteopontin appears to be a robust biomarker that deserves further evaluation in combination with CA125.

Osteopontin Promotes Colorectal Cancer Cell Invasion and the Stem Cell-Like Properties through the PI3K-AKT-GSK/3β-β/Catenin Pathway

BACKGROUND Osteopontin (OPN) is a molecule expressed in numerous cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC) that correlates disease progression. The interaction of OPN that promotes CRC cell migration, invasion, and cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) have not been elucidated. Hence, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms that might be involved. MATERIAL AND METHODS Expression of OPN in tumor tissues derived from patients was monitored with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Wound healing and Transwell assay were used to test the differences in migration and invasion in an OPN enriched environment and OPN knockdown condition. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) positive stem cells were isolated using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) following the protocol of the ALDEFLUOR™ kit. The expression of protein participation in the PI3K-Akt-GSK/3ß-ß/catenin pathway was detected by western blot. RESULTS OPN exhibited increased levels in CRC tumor tissue compared with non-tumor normal tissue and the high level of which correlated with lymphatic metastasis and late TNM stage. Additional rhOPN co-cultured low-expression CRC cells demonstrated more aggressive capability of proliferation, migration, and invasion. For knockdown of OPN in high-expression CRC cells, the bioactivities of proliferation, migration, and invasion were significantly inhibited. Interestingly, the percentage of ALDH1 labeled stem cells was dramatically decreased by OPN inhibition. The phosphorylation of PI3K-Akt-GSK/3ß-ß/catenin pathway was involved in the OPN signaling. Furthermore, Ly294002, a specific PI3K inhibitor, can reverse the promotion of bioactivities and stem cell proportion among rhOPN treated CRC cells. CONCLUSIONS OPN promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and was accompanied by upregulation of ALDH1-positive CSC in CRC through activation of PI3K-Akt-GSK/3ß-ß/catenin pathway.

Osteopontin as a biomarker for osteosarcoma therapy and prognosis

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone malignancy, and is particularly prevalent in children and adolescents. OS is an aggressive tumor with a tendency to metastasize and invade to para-carcinoma tissues. The primary treatment for this tumor is a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. However, the prognosis remains poor due to chemoresistance and early metastasis. Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional secreted protein, has emerged as an important potential biomarker for diagnosing and treating cancer. The overexpression of OPN has been found in numerous malignant tumors, including breast, lung, gastric and ovarian cancer, as well as melanoma. Recent studies have suggested that OPN may provide an important function in the diagnosis and treatment of OS. The present review summarizes current knowledge and progress in understanding the potential role of OPN as a biomarker in OS.

Apoptotic and antimetastatic activities of betulin isolated from Quercus incana against non-small cell lung cancer cells

Background

Globally, the prevalence and mortality rates of lung cancer have been escalated with the increasing trend of tobacco smoking. The toxicity and irresponsive nature of the available drugs for lung cancer treatment demands an alternative approach.

Methods

In this study, four known compounds namely, cirsimaritin (4′,5, -dihydroxy-6,7-di-methoxyflavone) (1), eupatorin (5,3′-dihydroxy-6,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone) (2), betulin (Lup-20 (29)-ene-3, 28-diol) (3), and β-amyrin acetate (12-Oleanen-3yl acetate) (4) have been isolated from the leaves extract of Quercus incana. Preliminary screening of these natural compounds (1–4) was performed against non-small cell lung carcinoma (NCI-H460) and normal mouse fibroblast (NIH-3T3) cell lines.

Results

The compounds were found to be antiproliferative against cancer cells with wide therapeutic index in comparison to the normal cells. Effects of betulin (3) on cell migration, invasion, apoptosis, and expression of important apoptosis- and metastasis-related markers were observed at different concentrations. The results showed significant dose-dependent induction of apoptosis after the treatment with betulin (3) followed by increased expression of the caspases family (ie, caspase-3, -6, and -9), proapoptotic genes (BAX and BAK), and inhibiting anti-apoptotic genes (BCL-2L1 and p53). Furthermore, wound healing and transwell invasion assays suggested that betulin (3) could also regulate metastasis by inhibiting MMP-2/-9. Osteopontin, a central regulator of apoptosis and metastasis was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion

The present findings suggest that betulin (3) can be an attractive chemotherapeutic target for treating resistant lung cancers.

Potential of osteopontin in the management of epithelial ovarian cancer

Background Osteopontin (sOPN) is a promising blood tumour marker for detecting epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, other clinical uses of sOPN as a tumour marker in EOC are still lacking. Since sOPN concentrations in serum are not associated with those in ascites, we compared clinical value of sOPN concentrations in the two body fluids. Patients and methods The study included 31 women with advanced EOC and 34 women with benign gynaecological pathology. In the EOC group, serum for sOPN analysis was obtained preoperatively, after primary debulking surgery and after chemotherapy. In the control group, serum was obtained before and after surgery. Ascites and peritoneal fluid were obtained during surgery. sOPN concentrations were determined by flow cytometry bead-based assay. Results The sensitivity and specificity of sOPN in detecting EOC was 91.2% and 90.3% (cut-off = 47.4 ng/ml) in serum, and 96.8% and 100% (cut-off = 529.5 ng/ml) in ascites. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant association between higher serum sOPN concentration and overall survival (p = 0.018) or progression free survival (p = 0.008). Higher ascites sOPN concentrations were associated with suboptimally debulked tumour and unresectable disease. Higher serum sOPN concentrations were associated with refractory disease or incomplete response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Conclusions The study showed that ascites sOPN level mirrors present disease and is superior to serum level for diagnostic purposes and surgical planning, although the end result of treatment is the response of the whole body in fighting the disease. The preoperative sOPN concentration in serum thus better reflects disease outcome.

The cancer-related transcription factor RUNX2 modulates expression and secretion of the matricellular protein osteopontin in osteosarcoma cells to promote adhesion to endothelial pulmonary cells and lung metastasis

Osteosarcomas are bone tumors that frequently metastasize to the lung. Aberrant expression of the transcription factor, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), is a key pathological feature in osteosarcoma and associated with loss of p53 and miR-34 expression. Elevated RUNX2 may transcriptionally activate genes mediating tumor progression and metastasis, including the RUNX2 target gene osteopontin (OPN/SPP1). This gene encodes a secreted matricellular protein produced by osteoblasts to regulate bone matrix remodeling and tissue calcification. Here we investigated whether and how the RUNX2/OPN axis regulates lung metastasis of osteosarcoma. Importantly, RUNX2 depletion attenuates lung metastasis of osteosarcoma cells in vivo. Using next-generation RNA-sequencing, protein-based assays, as well as the loss- and gain-of-function approaches in selected osteosarcoma cell lines, we show that osteopontin messenger RNA levels closely correlate with RUNX2 expression and that RUNX2 controls the levels of secreted osteopontin. Elevated osteopontin levels promote heterotypic cell-cell adhesion of osteosarcoma cells to human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, but not in the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Collectively, these findings indicate that the RUNX2/OPN axis regulates the ability of osteosarcoma cells to attach to pulmonary endothelial cells as a key step in metastasis of osteosarcoma cells to the lung.

Distinct Expression Patterns of Osteopontin and Dentin Matrix Protein 1 Genes in Pituitary Gonadotrophs

Cell-matrix interactions play important roles in pituitary development, physiology, and pathogenesis. In other tissues, a family of non-collagenous proteins, termed SIBLINGs, are known to contribute to cell-matrix interactions. Anterior pituitary gland expresses two SIBLING genes, Dmp1 (dentin matrix protein-1) and Spp1 (secreted phosphoprotein-1) encoding DMP1 and osteopontin proteins, respectively, but their expression pattern and roles in pituitary functions have not been clarified. Here we provide novel evidence supporting the conclusion that Spp1/osteopontin, like Dmp1/DMP1, are expressed in gonadotrophs in a sex- and age-specific manner. Other anterior pituitary cell types do not express these genes. In contrast to Dmp1, Spp1 expression is higher in males; in females, the expression reaches the peak during the diestrus phase of estrous cycle. In further contrast to Dmp1 and marker genes for gonadotrophs, the expression of Spp1 is not regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone in vivo and in vitro. However, Spp1 expression increases progressively after pituitary cell dispersion in both female and male cultures. We may speculate that gonadotrophs signal to other pituitary cell types about changes in the structure of pituitary cell-matrix network by osteopontin, a function consistent with the role of this secretory protein in postnatal tissue remodeling, extracellular matrix reorganization after injury, and tumorigenesis.

Therapeutic effect of combined hyperbaric oxygen and radiation therapy for single brain metastasis and its influence on osteopontin and MMP-9

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of combined hyperbaric oxygen and radiation therapy for the treatment of single brain metastasis (SBM), as well as its influence on osteopontin (OPN) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). A total of 86 patients with SBM were admitted to Hongqi Hospital from January 2013 to January 2016 and those included within the study were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was only treated with whole brain radiotherapy, while the observation group was treated with hyperbaric oxygenation combined with whole brain radiotherapy. OPN and MMP-9 expression was measured in each group by ELISA and the results prior to and following treatment were compared. The total effective rate (patients with complete remission, partial remission or stabilized lesions) in the observation group (95.3%) was significantly increased compared with the control group (67.4%). However, the OPN and MMP-9 protein levels observed in the observation group were significantly reduced compared with the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the quality of life and the incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group were significantly improved compared with the control group (P<0.05). For patients with SBM, hyperbaric oxygenation combined with radiotherapy may improve the efficiency of treatment and should be considered for further investigation and use within a clinical setting.

Increased expression of osteopontin indicates poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential prognostic value of osteopontin (OPN) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy.

METHODS

A total of 384 HCC specimens with paired adjacent non-tumorous tissues from liver resections were collected to construct a tissue microarray for immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis to detect the expression of OPN. OPN expression was semi-quantified with scores according to IHC staining. The potential correlations between OPN expression and neoplastic features of HCC were analyzed. The survivals in patients stratified with different OPN expression levels were calculated and compared. Uni- and multi-variate analysis were conducted to identify the potential prognostic value of OPN in HCC patients received liver resections.

RESULTS

The OPN in HCC tissues was 0.82 ± 0.68, significantly higher than that in matched nontumorous tissue (0.45 ± 0.59; P < 0.001). Higher OPN expression was associated with vascular invasion (P = 0.019). Patients with high OPN expression had worse overall survival (P < 0.001), disease-free survival (P = 0.045) and higher probability of recurrence (P = 0.048), compared with the patients of low OPN expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that OPN expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival (P = 0.045), disease-free survival (P = 0.048), and HCC recurrence (P = 0.044).

CONCLUSION

OPN expression was elevated in HCC tissues. High OPN expression was correlated with HCC vascular invasion. High OPN expression in HCC tissues is an independent factor for DFS and OS. OPN could be a predictor of HCC patients and a potential therapeutic target for the disease.

Elevated extracellular calcium ions promote proliferation and migration of mesenchymal stem cells via increasing osteopontin expression

Supplementation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) at sites of bone resorption is required for bone homeostasis because of the non-proliferation and short lifespan properties of the osteoblasts. Calcium ions (Ca2+) are released from the bone surfaces during osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. However, how elevated extracellular Ca2+ concentrations would alter MSCs behavior in the proximal sites of bone resorption is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of extracellular Ca2+ on MSCs phenotype depending on Ca2+ concentrations. We found that the elevated extracellular Ca2+ promoted cell proliferation and matrix mineralization of MSCs. In addition, MSCs induced the expression and secretion of osteopontin (OPN), which enhanced MSCs migration under the elevated extracellular Ca2+ conditions. We developed in vitro osteoclast-mediated bone resorption conditions using mouse calvaria bone slices and demonstrated Ca2+ is released from bone resorption surfaces. We also showed that the MSCs phenotype, including cell proliferation and migration, changed when the cells were treated with a bone resorption-conditioned medium. These findings suggest that the dynamic changes in Ca2+ concentrations in the microenvironments of bone remodeling surfaces modulate MSCs phenotype and thereby contribute to bone regeneration.

Expression profile of the amino acid transporters SLC7A5, SLC7A7, SLC7A8 and the enzyme TDO2 in basal cell carcinoma

Background

The incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is increasing and the costs for care rising. Therefore, the need for simplified and cost‐effective treatment choices is substantial. Aberrant signalling in several pathways, induced by ultraviolet radiation, is of importance in the development of BCC. Alterations in tumour metabolic activity are part of general carcinogenesis; however, these alterations are only partially recognized in skin cancer.

Objectives

To study expression profiles in BCCs compared with individually matched nontumour skin, with a focus on finding differences associated with tumour metabolism.

Materials and methods

Gene expression in biopsies from BCCs (n = 14) compared with biopsies from nontumour gluteal skin was analysed with microarrays (n = 4 + 4) and/or quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR, n = 14 + 14). Protein expression and localization was assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded BCC samples.

Results

Microarray analysis revealed increased expression of the amino acid transporters SLC7A5, SLC7A7 and SLC7A8 as well as the cytosolic enzyme tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase (TDO) 2 in BCC. Higher expression of SLC7A5 (P < 0·001), SLC7A8 (P < 0·001) and TDO2 (P = 0·002), but not SLC7A7 (P = 0·50), was confirmed by qPCR, and IHC demonstrated correlating tumour cell protein expression of SLC7A5 and SLC7A8. Protein expression of SLC7A7 was observed in the stratum granulosum, and TDO2 in immune cells.

Conclusions

This study highlights the upregulation of SLC7A5, SLC7A8 and TDO2 in BCC compared with nontumour skin. Our findings imply that amino acid transporters may be further explored as potential targets for future medical treatment.

What's already known about this topic?

The incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is increasing and consequently also the costs of care.

The transport and metabolism of amino acids are often altered in tumours although the knowledge of whether this applies to BCCs is limited.

What does this study add?

Alterations of amino acid transporters SLC7A5 and SLC7A8 and the cytosolic enzyme TDO2 is suggested in BCC and are possible potential targets for treatment.

SLC7A7 (transporter of e.g. lysine) is expressed in the stratum granulosum of normal epidermis and may be involved in the cornification process.

What is the translational message?

We have found tumour‐specific changes in proteins involved in nutrient transport and metabolism.

These changes may be of importance for carcinogenesis and should be explored further for future drug development.

Linked Comment: O’Shaughnessy. Br J Dermatol 2019; 180:16–17.

Plain language summary available online

Respond to this article

Osteopontin-targeted probe detects orthotopic breast cancers using optoacoustic imaging

Improved detection of breast cancer using highly sensitive, tumor-specific imaging would facilitate diagnosis, surveillance and assessment of response to treatment. We conjugated osteopontin peptide to an infrared fluorescent dye to serve as a contrast agent for detection of breast cancer by multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT). Selective binding of the osteopontin-based probe was identified using flow cytometry and near infrared fluorescent imaging in triple negative and HER2 positive breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Osteopontin-750 accumulation was evaluated in vivo using MSOT with secondary confirmation of signal accumulation using near infrared fluorescent imaging. The osteopontin-based probe demonstrated binding to breast cancer cells in vitro. Similarly, after intravenous administration of the osteopontin-750 probe, it accumulated preferentially in the subcutaneous breast tumor in nude mice (557 MSOT a.u. compared to untargeted organs such as kidney (53.7 MSOT a.u.) and liver (32.1 MSOT a.u.). At 2.5 h post-injection, signal intensity within the tumor was 9.7 and 17 times greater in the tumor bed than in the kidney or liver, respectively. Fluorescence imaging ex vivo comparing tumor signal to that of nontarget organs confirmed the results in vivo. MSOT imaging demonstrated selective accumulation of the fluorescent osteopontin targeting probe to tumor sites both in vitro and in vivo, and provided high-resolution images. Further development of this tool is promising for advanced diagnostic imaging, disease surveillance and therapeutic models that limit nontarget toxicity.

Identification of molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis of gastric cancer and lymph-node metastasis

Background and objective

Biomarkers are important tools for prompt diagnosis of cancer. This study aimed to identify reliable biomarkers for clinical applications in the diagnosis of gastric cancer and lymph-node (LN) metastasis.

Methods

Between 1 December 2014 and 31 December 2015, we prospectively collected samples of gastric-cancer tissues, corresponding matched-pair normal gastric mucosa, and their peri-gastric metastatic and non-metastatic LNs to identify quantitatively reliable genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Relative quantity (RQ) was used to calculate the mRNA expression levels of our target genes. Statistics were calculated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s multiple comparison test. Analytical graphs were plotted using GraphPad Prism.

Results

Of nine assessed genes, the mRNA levels of inhibin beta A (INHBA) and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) were most consistently highly expressed in tumor tissues by 15.4- and 15.6-fold, respectively, as compared with normal tissues (P < 0.001), with 91.3% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve area = 0.974) for the former and 82.6% sensitivity and 87.0% specificity (ROC curve area = 0.924) for the latter. Further analysis revealed no differentiating significance of SPP1 mRNA expression between metastatic and non-metastatic LNs (P = 0.470). In contrast, the INHBA mRNA level was up-regulated 4.1-fold in metastatic LNs (P < 0.001), with 80.0% sensitivity and 81.5% specificity (ROC curve area = 0.857), and was also able to successfully differentiate between more severe disease conditions, T3 and T4 (P = 0.003), M0 and M1 (P = 0.043) and different histological variants (intestinal type vs diffuse type, P = 0.019).

Conclusions

Our results showed that INHBA was the most optimally reliable biomarker for diagnosing gastric cancer and LN metastasis.

Multiple liver insults synergize to accelerate experimental hepatocellular carcinoma

The urgent unmet need for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapies is addressed here by characterising a novel mouse model of HCC in the context of ongoing liver damage and overnutrition. Male C57Bl/6J mice were treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and thioacetamide (TAA), and some were provided with an atherogenic high fat diet (HFD). Inflammation, steatosis, fibrosis, 87 genes, liver lesions and intratumoural leukocyte subsets were quantified up to 24 weeks of age. Adding HFD to DEN/TAA increased fibrosis, steatosis and inflammation, and the incidence of both HCC and non-HCC dysplastic lesions. All lesions contained α-SMA positive fibroblasts. Macrophage marker F4/80 was not significantly different between treatment groups, but the macrophage-associated genes Arg-1 and Cd47 were differentially expressed. Fibrosis, cancer and cell death associated genes were upregulated in DEN/TAA/HFD livers. Fewer Kupffer cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells were in tumours compared to control liver. In conclusion, combining a hepatotoxin with an atherogenic diet produced more intrahepatic tumours, dysplastic lesions and fibrosis compared to hepatotoxin alone. This new HCC model provides a relatively rapid means of examining primary HCC and potential therapies in the context of multiple hepatotoxins including those derived from overnutrition.

Systemic-inflammation-based score can predict prognosis in metastatic gastric cancer patients before first-line chemotherapy

AIM

Systemic inflammatory response affects survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients. This study was carried out to create a prognostic inflammatory-based score to predict survival in metastatic GC (mGC) before first-line chemotherapy.

MATERIALS & METHODS

We studied the prognostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio in 151 patients with mGC at the diagnosis.

RESULTS

Median overall survival (OS) was significantly lower in patients with high NLR. Performance status 1-2 according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale and NLR were predictors of shorter OS at multivariate analysis. Based on these results, we defined a prognostic OS score, showing a better median OS in favorable risk group.

CONCLUSION

Elevated pretreatment NLR and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group are independent predictors of shorter OS in mGC patients before first-line chemotherapy.

The role of matricellular proteins and tissue stiffness in breast cancer: a systematic review

Malignancies consist not only of cancerous and nonmalignant cells, but also of additional elements, as extracellular matrix. The aim of this review is to summarize meta-analyses, describing breast tissue stiffness and risk of breast carcinoma (BC) assessing the potential relationship between matricellular proteins (MPs) and survival. A systematic computer-based search of published articles, according to PRISMA statement, was conducted through Ovid interface. Mammographic density and tissue stiffness are associated with the risk of BC development, suggesting that MPs may influence BC prognosis. No definitive conclusions are available and additional researches are required to definitively clarify the role of each MP, mammographic density and stiffness in BC development and the mechanisms involved in the onset of this malignancy.

Accounting for tumor heterogeneity when using CRISPR-Cas9 for cancer progression and drug sensitivity studies

Gene editing protocols often require the use of a subcloning step to isolate successfully edited cells, the behavior of which is then compared to the aggregate parental population and/or other non-edited subclones. Here we demonstrate that the inherent functional heterogeneity present in many cell lines can render these populations inappropriate controls, resulting in erroneous interpretations of experimental findings. We describe a novel CRISPR/Cas9 protocol that incorporates a single-cell cloning step prior to gene editing, allowing for the generation of appropriately matched, functionally equivalent control and edited cell lines. As a proof of concept, we generated matched control and osteopontin-knockout Her2+ and Estrogen receptor-negative murine mammary carcinoma cell lines and demonstrated that the osteopontin-knockout cell lines exhibit the expected biological phenotypes, including unaffected primary tumor growth kinetics and reduced metastatic outgrowth in female FVB mice. Using these matched cell lines, we discovered that osteopontin-knockout mammary tumors were more sensitive than control tumors to chemotherapy in vivo. Our results demonstrate that heterogeneity must be considered during experimental design when utilizing gene editing protocols and provide a solution to account for it.

Immobilized Osteopontin Enhances Adhesion but Suppresses Cytokine Release of Anti-IgE Activated Human Mast Cells

Osteopontin (OPN) is an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing extracellular matrix protein which is upregulated in inflamed tissues and has been reported to modulate mast cell activities in mice. Due to the known heterogeneity among mast cells of different species and the important roles of mast cells in allergic reactions, we investigated the effects of human OPN (hOPN) on human mast cell activities. Mature primary human cultured mast cells (HCMC) were derived from peripheral blood CD34⁺ progenitors and the modulation of their activation by soluble and plate-bound immobilized hOPN were examined by studying their release of inflammatory mediators (histamine, IL-5, IL-8, TNF-α, and VEGF) and matrix adhesion following stimulation by anti-IgE. Immobilized hOPN enhanced the adhesion, but suppressed the release of IL-5, IL-8, and TNF-α of anti-IgE-activated HCMC while soluble hOPN failed to demonstrate any significant effects. By employing cyclic RGD peptide and neutralizing antibodies against different classes of integrin and CD44, we demonstrated that the interaction of immobilized hOPN and HCMC was mediated by the RGD domain of hOPN and integrin but not CD44 on HCMC. Our results suggest that immobilized hOPN anchored to extracellular matrix can regulate adaptive immunity in humans by retaining mast cells at the site of inflammation and suppressing anti-IgE-induced cytokine release from HCMC.

Targeted therapy of chronic liver diseases with the inhibitors of angiogenesis

Angiogenesis appears to be intrinsically associated with the progression of chronic liver diseases, which eventually leads to the development of cirrhosis and related complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma. Several studies have suggested that this association is relevant for chronic liver disease (CLD) progression, with angiogenesis. The fact that angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in CLDs gives rise to new opportunities for treating CLDs. Inhibitor of angiogenesis has proved effective for the treatment of patients suffering from CLD. However, it is limited in diagnosis. The last decade has witnessed a plethora of publications which elucidate the potential of angiogenesis inhibitors for the therapy of CLD. The close relationship between the progression of CLDs and angiogenesis emphasizes the need for anti-angiogenic therapy to block/slow down CLD progression. The present review summarizes all these discussions, the results of the related studies carried out to date and the future prospects in this field. We discuss liver angiogenesis in normal and pathophysiologic conditions with a focus on the role and future use of angiogenic factors as second-line treatment of CLD. This review compiles relevant findings and offers opinions that have emerged in last few years relating liver angiogenesis and its treatment using anti-angiogenic factors.

In vitro and clinical data analysis of Osteopontin as a prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer

Osteopontin (OPN) has been shown to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) progression; however, the mechanism of OPN-induced CRC progression is largely unknown. In this study, we found that OPN overexpression led to enhanced anchorage-independent growth, cell migration and invasion in KRAS gene mutant cells but to a lesser extent in KRAS wild-type cells. OPN overexpression also induced PI3K signalling, expression of Snail and Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and suppressed the expression of E-cadherin in KRAS mutant cells. In human CRC specimens, a high-level expression of OPN significantly predicted poorer survival in CRC patients and OPN expression was positively correlated with MMP9 expression, and negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, we have found that 15 genes were co-upregulated in OPN highly expression CRC and a list of candidate drugs that may have potential to reverse the secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) gene signature by connectivity mapping. In summary, OPN is a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for colon cancer.

Osteopontin-deficient progenitor cells display enhanced differentiation to adipocytes

OBJECTIVE

Osteopontin (OPN, Spp1) is a protein upregulated in white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese subjects. Deletion of OPN protects mice from high-fat diet-induced WAT inflammation and insulin resistance. However, the alterations mediated by loss of OPN in WAT before the obesogenic challenge have not yet been investigated. Therefore, we hypothesised that the lack of OPN might enhance the pro-adipogenic micro environment before obesity driven inflammation.

METHODS

OPN deficiency was tested in visceral (V) and subcutaneous (SC) WAT from WT and Spp1^-/- female mice. Gene expression for hypoxia, inflammation and adipogenesis was checked in WT vs. Spp1^-/- mice (n=15). Adipocytes progenitor cells (APC) were isolated by fluorescence cell sorting and role of OPN deficiency in adipogenesis was investigated by cell images and RT-PCR.

RESULTS

We show that Spp1^-/- maintained normal body and fat-pad weights, although hypoxia and inflammation markers were significantly reduced. In contrast, expression of genes involved in adipogenesis was increased in WAT from Spp1^-/- mice. Strikingly, APC from Spp1^-/- were diminished but differentiated more efficiently to adipocytes than those from control mice.

CONCLUSIONS

APC from SC-WAT of lean OPN-deficient mice display an enhanced capacity for differentiating to adipocytes. These alterations may explain the healthy expansion of WAT in the OPN-deficient model which is associated with reduced inflammation and insulin resistance.

Chondrosarcoma: A Rare Misfortune in Aging Human Cartilage? The Role of Stem and Progenitor Cells in Proliferation, Malignant Degeneration and Therapeutic Resistance

Unlike other malignant bone tumors including osteosarcomas and Ewing sarcomas with a peak incidence in adolescents and young adults, conventional and dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas mainly affect people in the 4th to 7th decade of life. To date, the cell type of chondrosarcoma origin is not clearly defined. However, it seems that mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells (MSPC) in the bone marrow facing a pro-proliferative as well as predominantly chondrogenic differentiation milieu, as is implicated in early stage osteoarthritis (OA) at that age, are the source of chondrosarcoma genesis. But how can MSPC become malignant? Indeed, only one person in 1,000,000 will develop a chondrosarcoma, whereas the incidence of OA is a thousandfold higher. This means a rare coincidence of factors allowing escape from senescence and apoptosis together with induction of angiogenesis and migration is needed to generate a chondrosarcoma. At early stages, chondrosarcomas are still assumed to be an intermediate type of tumor which rarely metastasizes. Unfortunately, advanced stages show a pronounced resistance both against chemo- and radiation-therapy and frequently metastasize. In this review, we elucidate signaling pathways involved in the genesis and therapeutic resistance of chondrosarcomas with a focus on MSPC compared to signaling in articular cartilage (AC).

Combination of TNM staging and pathway based risk score models in patients with gastric cancer

Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of gastric cancer (GC) in individual patient, current staging system is inadequate for predicting outcome of GC. Comprehensive computational and bioinformatics approach may triumph for the prediction. In this study, GC patients were devided according to stage and treatment: curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stage II, curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stages III, and IV, unresectable metastatic gastric cancer. The training sets were downloaded from GEO datasets (GSE26253 and GSE14208). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore enriched difference between recurrence and nonrecurrence. The core enrichment genes of enriched pathways significantly associated with recurrence or progression were identified using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Thereafter, the risk score models were externally validated in independent datasets-GSE15081 and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We generated respective risk score models of patients in different stages and treatment. A five-gene signature comprising FARP1, SGCE, SGCA, LAMA4, and COL9A2 was strongly associated with recurrence of patients with curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stage II. A six-gene signature consisting of SHH, NF1, AP4B1, COMP, MATN3, and CCL8 was correlated with recurrence of patients with curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stages III and IV. And a four-gene signature composing of ABCC2, AHNAK2, RNF43, and GSPT2 was highly related to progression of patients with unresectable metastatic GC. Taking into consideration TNM stage and gene signature reflecting recurrence or progression, the risk score models significantly improved the accuracy in predicting outcome of GC.

Clinical and in vitro analysis of Osteopontin as a prognostic indicator and unveil its potential downstream targets in bladder cancer

Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in cancer progression, however its prognostic significance and its downstream factors are largely elusive. In this study, we have shown that expression of OPN was significantly higher in bladder cancer specimens with higher T-stage or tumor grades. In addition, a high level of OPN was significantly associated with poorer survival in two independent bladder cancer patient cohorts totaling 389 bladder cancer patients with available survival data. We further identified Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) were both downstream factors for OPN in bladder cancer specimens and bladder cancer cell lines. Expression of OPN was significantly positively associated with that of MMP9 and S100A8, while overexpression of OPN resulted in upregulation of MMP9 and S100A8, and knockdown of OPN showed consistent downregulation of MMP9 and S100A8 expression levels. Importantly, expression levels of both MMP9 and S100A8 were significantly associated with higher T-stage, higher tumor grade and a shorter survival time in the bladder cancer patients. Interestingly, OPN expression only predicted survival in MMP9-high, but not MMP9-low subgroups, and in S100A8-low but not S100A8-high subgroups. Our results suggest that OPN, MMP9 and S100A8 all play a significant role in bladder cancer progression and are potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in bladder cancer. The mechanistic link between these three genes and bladder cancer progression warrants further investigation.

The Roles of Matricellular Proteins in Oncogenic Virus-Induced Cancers and Their Potential Utilities as Therapeutic Targets

Matricellular proteins differ from other classical extracellular matrix proteins; for instance, they are transiently expressed as soluble proteins rather than being constitutively expressed in pathological conditions, such as acute viral infections. Accumulating studies have revealed that matricellular proteins, including osteopontin and tenascin-C, both of which interact with integrin heterodimers, are involved in inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. The concentrations of these matricellular proteins are elevated in the plasma of patients with certain types of cancers, indicating that they play important roles in oncogenesis. Chronic viral infections are associated with certain cancers, which are distinct from non-viral cancers. Viral oncogenes play critical roles in the development and progression of such cancers. It is vital to investigate the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and, particularly, the mechanism by which viral proteins induce tumor progression. Viral proteins have been shown to influence not only the viral-infected cancer cells, but also the stromal cells and matricellular proteins that constitute the extracellular matrix that surrounds tumor tissues. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the involvement of matricellular proteins in oncogenic virus-induced cancers to elucidate the mechanism of oncogenesis and consider the possible role of matricellular proteins as therapeutic targets in virus-induced cancers.