1
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Zheng J, Chen J, Li H, Li Y, Dong W, Jiang X. Predicting prostate adenocarcinoma patients' survival and immune signature: a novel risk model based on telomere-related genes. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:203. [PMID: 38825615 PMCID: PMC11144689 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-00986-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in telomeres constitute some of the earliest occurrences in the tumourigenesis of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and persist throughout the progression of the tumour. While the activity of telomerase and the length of telomeres have been demonstrated to correlate with the prognosis of PRAD, the prognostic potential of telomere-related genes (TRGs) in this disease remains unexplored. Utilising mRNA expression data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we devised a risk model and a nomogram to predict the survival outcomes of patients with PRAD. Subsequently, our investigations extended to the relationship between the risk model and immune cell infiltration, sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, and specific signalling pathways. The risk model we developed is predicated on seven key TRGs, and immunohistochemistry results revealed significant differential expression of three TRGs in tumours and paracancerous tissues. Based on the risk scores, PRAD patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk cohorts. The Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses corroborated the exceptional predictive performance of our novel risk model. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk score was an independent risk factor associated with Overall Survival (OS) and was significantly associated with T and N stages of PRAD patients. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited a greater response to chemotherapy and immunosuppression compared to the low-risk group, offering potential guidance for treatment strategies for high-risk patients. In conclusion, our new risk model, based on TRGs, serves as a reliable prognostic indicator for PRAD. The model holds significant value in guiding the selection of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in the clinical management of PRAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiefang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongxiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanchao Li
- Clinical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weimin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xianhan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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2
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Sang H, Li L, Zhao Q, Liu Y, Hu J, Niu P, Hao Z, Chai K. The regulatory process and practical significance of non-coding RNA in the dissemination of prostate cancer to the skeletal system. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1358422. [PMID: 38577343 PMCID: PMC10991771 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1358422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a major contributor to male cancer-related mortality globally. It has a particular affinity for the skeletal system with metastasis to bones seriously impacting prognosis. The identification of prostate cancer biomarkers can significantly enhance diagnosis and patient monitoring. Research has found that cancer and metastases exhibit abnormal expression of numerous non-coding RNA. Some of these RNA facilitate prostate cancer bone metastasis by activating downstream signaling pathways, while others inhibit this process. Elucidating the functional processes of non-coding RNA in prostate cancer bone metastasis will likely lead to innovative treatment strategies for this malignant condition. In this review, the mechanistic role of the various RNA in prostate cancer is examined. Our goal is to provide a new avenue of approach to the diagnosis and treatment of bone metastasis in this cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sang
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Luxi Li
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Jinbo Hu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Peng Niu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Zhenming Hao
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
| | - Keqiang Chai
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baiyin, China
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3
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Chen J, Zheng Q, Hicks JL, Trabzonlu L, Ozbek B, Jones T, Vaghasia AM, Larman TC, Wang R, Markowski MC, Denmeade SR, Pienta KJ, Hruban RH, Antonarakis ES, Gupta A, Dang CV, Yegnasubramanian S, De Marzo AM. MYC-driven increases in mitochondrial DNA copy number occur early and persist throughout prostatic cancer progression. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e169868. [PMID: 37971875 PMCID: PMC10807718 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.169868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased mitochondrial function may render some cancers vulnerable to mitochondrial inhibitors. Since mitochondrial function is regulated partly by mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), accurate measurements of mtDNAcn could help reveal which cancers are driven by increased mitochondrial function and may be candidates for mitochondrial inhibition. However, prior studies have employed bulk macrodissections that fail to account for cell type-specific or tumor cell heterogeneity in mtDNAcn. These studies have often produced unclear results, particularly in prostate cancer. Herein, we developed a multiplex in situ method to spatially quantify cell type-specific mtDNAcn. We show that mtDNAcn is increased in luminal cells of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), is increased in prostatic adenocarcinomas (PCa), and is further elevated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Increased PCa mtDNAcn was validated by 2 orthogonal methods and is accompanied by increases in mtRNAs and enzymatic activity. Mechanistically, MYC inhibition in prostate cancer cells decreases mtDNA replication and expression of several mtDNA replication genes, and MYC activation in the mouse prostate leads to increased mtDNA levels in the neoplastic prostate cells. Our in situ approach also revealed elevated mtDNAcn in precancerous lesions of the pancreas and colon/rectum, demonstrating generalization across cancer types using clinical tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jessica L. Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Levent Trabzonlu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Busra Ozbek
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tracy Jones
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Tatianna C. Larman
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Sam R. Denmeade
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Pienta
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ralph H. Hruban
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Emmanuel S. Antonarakis
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Chi V. Dang
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology and
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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4
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Kheimar A, Trapp-Fragnet L, Conradie AM, Bertzbach LD, You Y, Sabsabi MA, Kaufer BB. Viral and cellular telomerase RNAs possess host-specific anti-apoptotic functions. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0188723. [PMID: 37754662 PMCID: PMC10581129 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01887-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Human telomerase RNA (hTR) is overexpressed in many cancers and protects T cells from apoptosis in a telomerase-independent manner. The most prevalent cancer in the animal kingdom is caused by the highly oncogenic herpesvirus Marek's disease virus (MDV). MDV encodes a viral telomerase RNA (vTR) that plays a crucial role in MDV-induced tumorigenesis and shares all four conserved functional domains with hTR. In this study, we assessed whether hTR drives tumor formation in this natural model of herpesvirus-induced tumorigenesis. Therefore, we replaced vTR with hTR in the genome of a highly oncogenic MDV. Furthermore, we investigated the anti-apoptotic activity of vTR, hTR, and their counterpart in the chicken [chicken telomerase RNA (cTR)]. hTR was efficiently expressed and did not alter replication of the recombinant virus. Despite its conserved structure, hTR did not complement the loss of vTR in virus-induced tumorigenesis. Strikingly, hTR did not inhibit apoptosis in chicken cells, but efficiently inhibited apoptosis in human cells. Inverse host restriction has been observed for vTR and cTR in human cells. Our data revealed that vTR, cTR, and hTR possess conserved but host-specific anti-apoptotic functions that likely contribute to MDV-induced tumorigenesis. IMPORTANCE hTR is overexpressed in many cancers and used as a cancer biomarker. However, the contribution of hTR to tumorigenesis remains elusive. In this study, we assessed the tumor-promoting properties of hTR using a natural virus/host model of herpesvirus-induced tumorigenesis. This avian herpesvirus encodes a telomerase RNA subunit (vTR) that plays a crucial role in viral tumorigenesis and shares all conserved functional domains with hTR. Our data revealed that vTR and cellular TRs of humans and chickens possess host-specific anti-apoptotic functions. This provides important translational insights into therapeutic strategies, as inhibition of apoptosis is crucial for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Kheimar
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Laetitia Trapp-Fragnet
- INRAE, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, Equipe Biologie des Virus Aviaires INRAE, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Viral Transformation, Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yu You
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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5
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Mbeje M, Kandhavelu J, Penny C, Kgoebane-Maseko M, Dlamini Z, Marima R. In Silico Bioinformatics Analysis on the Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs as Drivers and Gatekeepers of Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Using LNCaP and PC-3 Cells. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7257-7274. [PMID: 37754243 PMCID: PMC10528188 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cancer in men globally. The association between PCa and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been reported. Aberrantly expressed lncRNAs have been documented in each of the cancer "hallmarks". Androgen signaling plays an important role in PCa progression. This study aimed to profile the aberrantly expressed lncRNAs in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) PCa compared to androgen-independent (PC-3) PCa cells. This was achieved by using a 384-well plate of PCa lncRNA gene panel. Differential expression of ±2 up or downregulation was determined using the CFX Maestro software v2.1. LncSEA and DIANA-miRPath were used to identify the enriched pathways. Telomerase RNA component (TERC) lncRNA was illustrated to participate in various tumourigenic classes by in silico bioinformatics analysis and was thus selected for validation using RT-qPCR. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed the involvement of differentially expressed lncRNAs in oncogenic pathways. Some lncRNAs undergo hypermethylation, others are encapsulated by exosomes, while others interact with several microRNAs (miRNAs), favouring tumourigenic pathways. Notably, TERC lncRNA was shown to interact with tumour-suppressor miRNAs hsa-miR-4429 and hsa-miR-320b. This interaction in turn activates TGF-β-signaling and ECM-receptor interaction pathways, favouring the progression of PCa. Understanding lncRNAs as competitive endogenous RNA molecules and their interactions with miRNAs may aid in the identification of novel prognostic PCa biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandisa Mbeje
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; (M.M.); (M.K.-M.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Jeyalakshmi Kandhavelu
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
| | - Clement Penny
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa;
| | - Mmamoletla Kgoebane-Maseko
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; (M.M.); (M.K.-M.)
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Zodwa Dlamini
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; (M.M.); (M.K.-M.)
| | - Rahaba Marima
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; (M.M.); (M.K.-M.)
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6
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Bakr M, Abd-Elmawla MA, Elimam H, Gamal El-Din H, Fawzy A, Abulsoud AI, Rizk SM. Telomerase RNA component lncRNA as potential diagnostic biomarker promotes CRC cellular migration and apoptosis evasion via modulation of β-catenin protein level. Noncoding RNA Res 2023; 8:302-314. [PMID: 37032720 PMCID: PMC10074408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) telomerase RNA component (TERC) has telomerase-dependent and independent activity in numerous cancer types. The present study purposes to demonstrate the role of lncRNA TERC as a diagnostic serum biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and the molecular mechanism of lncRNA TERC in inducing tumor in CRC cell lines. Materials and methods PCR array was performed to examine lncRNAs dysregulated in CRC. LncRNA TERC expression level was evaluated in 70 CRC patients and 35 control subjects using RT-qPCR. Then transfection was performed to build down-expression models of lncRNA TERC. ROC curve analysis was applied to assess the diagnostic value of serum LncRNA CRC. In addition, RT-qPCR was used to detect expression level of lncRNA TERC and β-catenin mRNA. Moreover, ELISA and Western blot were used to detect the level of β-catenin protein in sera of CRC patients and cell lines. The biological functions such as cell growth and migration of CRC cells were assessed using a wound healing assay. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis analysis were performed using flow cytometry. Results The lncRNA TERC is overexpressed in the sera of CRC patients with high diagnostic and stage discrimination accuracy. Furthermore, lncRNA TERC expression was upregulated in CRC cell lines and lncRNA TERC silencing induced cell arrest and apoptosis and inhibited cell migration. Furthermore, inhibition of lncRNA TERC reduces β-catenin protein levels. Conclusion The lncRNA TERC could be considered as an early stages CRC diagnostic biomarker with a good ability to discriminate between CRC stages. lncRNA TERC induces CRC by promoting cell migration and evading apoptosis by elevating the level of β-catenin protein.
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7
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Chen J, Zheng Q, Hicks JL, Trabzonlu L, Ozbek B, Jones T, Vaghasia A, Larman TC, Wang R, Markowski MC, Denmeade SR, Pienta KJ, Hruban RH, Antonarakis ES, Gupta A, Dang CV, Yegnasubramanian S, De Marzo AM. MYC-driven increases in mitochondrial DNA copy number occur early and persist throughout prostatic cancer progression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.20.529259. [PMID: 36865273 PMCID: PMC9979994 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.20.529259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Increased mitochondrial function may render some cancers vulnerable to mitochondrial inhibitors. Since mitochondrial function is regulated partly by mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), accurate measurements of mtDNAcn could help reveal which cancers are driven by increased mitochondrial function and may be candidates for mitochondrial inhibition. However, prior studies have employed bulk macrodissections that fail to account for cell type-specific or tumor cell heterogeneity in mtDNAcn. These studies have often produced unclear results, particularly in prostate cancer. Herein, we developed a multiplex in situ method to spatially quantify cell type specific mtDNAcn. We show that mtDNAcn is increased in luminal cells of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), is increased in prostatic adenocarcinomas (PCa), and is further elevated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Increased PCa mtDNAcn was validated by two orthogonal methods and is accompanied by increases in mtRNAs and enzymatic activity. Mechanistically, MYC inhibition in prostate cancer cells decreases mtDNA replication and expression of several mtDNA replication genes, and MYC activation in the mouse prostate leads to increased mtDNA levels in the neoplastic prostate cells. Our in situ approach also revealed elevated mtDNAcn in precancerous lesions of the pancreas and colon/rectum, demonstrating generalization across cancer types using clinical tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jessica L. Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Levent Trabzonlu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Busra Ozbek
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tracy Jones
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ajay Vaghasia
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tatianna C. Larman
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rulin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mark C. Markowski
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sam R. Denmeade
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Pienta
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ralph H. Hruban
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Emmanuel S. Antonarakis
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anuj Gupta
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chi V Dang
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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8
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Udroiu I, Marinaccio J, Sgura A. Many Functions of Telomerase Components: Certainties, Doubts, and Inconsistencies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315189. [PMID: 36499514 PMCID: PMC9736166 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing number of studies have evidenced non-telomeric functions of "telomerase". Almost all of them, however, investigated the non-canonical effects of the catalytic subunit TERT, and not the telomerase ribonucleoprotein holoenzyme. These functions mainly comprise signal transduction, gene regulation and the increase of anti-oxidative systems. Although less studied, TERC (the RNA component of telomerase) has also been shown to be involved in gene regulation, as well as other functions. All this has led to the publication of many reviews on the subject, which, however, are often disseminating personal interpretations of experimental studies of other researchers as original proofs. Indeed, while some functions such as gene regulation seem ascertained, especially because mechanistic findings have been provided, other ones remain dubious and/or are contradicted by other direct or indirect evidence (e.g., telomerase activity at double-strand break site, RNA polymerase activity of TERT, translation of TERC, mitochondrion-processed TERC). In a critical study of the primary evidence so far obtained, we show those functions for which there is consensus, those showing contradictory results and those needing confirmation. The resulting picture, together with some usually neglected aspects, seems to indicate a link between TERT and TERC functions and cellular stemness and gives possible directions for future research.
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9
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Mishra R, Haldar S, Biondi S, Bhari VK, Singh G, Bhowmick NA. TGF-β controls stromal telomere length through epigenetic modifications. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:290. [PMID: 36276465 PMCID: PMC9512944 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere length is primarily controlled by the enzyme telomerase, but being chromatin structures, telomeres undergo epigenetic regulation for their maintenance and function. Altered telomere length among cancer cells combined with shorter telomere length in cancer-associated stromal cells, strongly implicated with progression to prostate cancer metastasis and cancer death and providing a novel target for therapeutics. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathways are well-recognized for their role in stromal-epithelial interactions responsible for prostate androgen responsiveness, promoting tumorigenesis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We sought to establish a role for TGF-β in the regulation of telomere length in mouse and human prostate fibroblast. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based telomere length measuring methods are widely used due to their repeatability and reproducibility. Using real-time RT-PCR-based telomere length measuring method, we identified that TGF-beta regulates telomere length via increased expression of histone methyltransferase, Suv39h1, which in turn affected histone methylation levels at the telomeric ends. Moreover, treatment of DAPT and non-steroidal antiandrogen bicalutamide demonstrated that notch and androgen signaling co-operated with TGF-ß in regulating stromal telomere length. Telomere variation in tumor cells and non-tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment greatly facilitates the clinical assessment of prostate cancer; therefore, understanding stromal telomere length regulation mechanism will hold significant prospects for cancer treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03346-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev Mishra
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kalyanpur, Kanpur, UP 208024 India
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Subhash Haldar
- Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Gour Banga, Mokdumpur, West Bengal 732101 India
| | - Shea Biondi
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Vikash Kumar Bhari
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303007 India
| | - Gyanendra Singh
- Toxicology Department, ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, 380016 India
| | - Neil A Bhowmick
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
- Department of Research, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration, Los Angeles, CA 90073 USA
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10
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Tang DG. Understanding and targeting prostate cancer cell heterogeneity and plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 82:68-93. [PMID: 34844845 PMCID: PMC9106849 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy that occurs primarily in old males. Prostate tumors in different patients manifest significant inter-patient heterogeneity with respect to histo-morphological presentations and molecular architecture. An individual patient tumor also harbors genetically distinct clones in which PCa cells display intra-tumor heterogeneity in molecular features and phenotypic marker expression. This inherent PCa cell heterogeneity, e.g., in the expression of androgen receptor (AR), constitutes a barrier to the long-term therapeutic efficacy of AR-targeting therapies. Furthermore, tumor progression as well as therapeutic treatments induce PCa cell plasticity such that AR-positive PCa cells may turn into AR-negative cells and prostate tumors may switch lineage identity from adenocarcinomas to neuroendocrine-like tumors. This induced PCa cell plasticity similarly confers resistance to AR-targeting and other therapies. In this review, I first discuss PCa from the perspective of an abnormal organ development and deregulated cellular differentiation, and discuss the luminal progenitor cells as the likely cells of origin for PCa. I then focus on intrinsic PCa cell heterogeneity in treatment-naïve tumors with the presence of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs). I further elaborate on PCa cell plasticity induced by genetic alterations and therapeutic interventions, and present potential strategies to therapeutically tackle PCa cell heterogeneity and plasticity. My discussions will make it clear that, to achieve enduring clinical efficacy, both intrinsic PCa cell heterogeneity and induced PCa cell plasticity need to be targeted with novel combinatorial approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean G Tang
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; Experimental Therapeutics (ET) Graduate Program, The University at Buffalo & Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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11
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Fernandez RJ, Gardner ZJG, Slovik KJ, Liberti DC, Estep KN, Yang W, Chen Q, Santini GT, Perez JV, Root S, Bhatia R, Tobias JW, Babu A, Morley MP, Frank DB, Morrisey EE, Lengner CJ, Johnson FB. GSK3 inhibition rescues growth and telomere dysfunction in dyskeratosis congenita iPSC-derived type II alveolar epithelial cells. eLife 2022; 11:64430. [PMID: 35559731 PMCID: PMC9200405 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by deficiencies in telomere maintenance leading to very short telomeres and the premature onset of certain age-related diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF). PF is thought to derive from epithelial failure, particularly that of type II alveolar epithelial (AT2) cells, which are highly dependent on Wnt signaling during development and adult regeneration. We use human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived AT2 (iAT2) cells to model how short telomeres affect AT2 cells. Cultured DC mutant iAT2 cells accumulate shortened, uncapped telomeres and manifest defects in the growth of alveolospheres, hallmarks of senescence, and apparent defects in Wnt signaling. The GSK3 inhibitor, CHIR99021, which mimics the output of canonical Wnt signaling, enhances telomerase activity and rescues the defects. These findings support further investigation of Wnt agonists as potential therapies for DC-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Jesus Fernandez
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Zachary J G Gardner
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Katherine J Slovik
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Derek C Liberti
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Katrina N Estep
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Wenli Yang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Qijun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Garrett T Santini
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Javier V Perez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Sarah Root
- College of Arts and Sciences and Vagelos Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Ranvir Bhatia
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - John W Tobias
- Penn Genomic Analysis Core, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Apoorva Babu
- Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Michael P Morley
- Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - David B Frank
- Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Edward E Morrisey
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Christopher J Lengner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - F Brad Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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12
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Galetzka D, Böck J, Wagner L, Dittrich M, Sinizyn O, Ludwig M, Rossmann H, Spix C, Radsak M, Scholz-Kreisel P, Mirsch J, Linke M, Brenner W, Marron M, Poplawski A, Haaf T, Schmidberger H, Prawitt D. Hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 in childhood cancer patients, leukemia and tumor cell lines suggest a role for oncogenic transformation. EXCLI JOURNAL 2022; 21:117-143. [PMID: 35221838 PMCID: PMC8859646 DOI: 10.17179/excli2021-4482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most childhood cancers occur sporadically and cannot be explained by an inherited mutation or an unhealthy lifestyle. However, risk factors might trigger the oncogenic transformation of cells. Among other regulatory signals, hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is responsible for the increased expression of RAD9A protein, which may play a role in oncogenic transformation. Here, we analyzed the RAD9A intron 2 methylation in primary fibroblasts of 20 patients with primary cancer in childhood and second primary cancer (2N) later in life, 20 matched patients with only one primary cancer in childhood (1N) and 20 matched cancer-free controls (0N), using bisulfite pyrosequencing and deep bisulfite sequencing (DBS). Four 1N patients and one 2N patient displayed elevated mean methylation levels (≥ 10 %) of RAD9A. DBS revealed ≥ 2 % hypermethylated alleles of RAD9A, indicative for constitutive mosaic epimutations. Bone marrow samples of NHL and AML tumor patients (n=74), EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) lymphoblasts (n=6), tumor cell lines (n=5) and FaDu subclones (n=13) were analyzed to substantiate our findings. We find a broad spectrum of tumor entities with an aberrant methylation of RAD9A. We detected a significant difference in mean methylation of RAD9A for NHL versus AML patients (p ≤0.025). Molecular karyotyping of AML samples during therapy with hypermethylated RAD9A showed an evolving duplication of 1.8 kb on Chr16p13.3 including the PKD1 gene. Radiation, colony formation assays, cell proliferation, PCR and molecular karyotyping SNP-array experiments using generated FaDu subclones suggest that hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is associated with genomic imbalances in regions with tumor-relevant genes and survival of the cells. In conclusion, this is the very first study of RAD9A intron 2 methylation in childhood cancer and Leukemia. RAD9A epimutations may have an impact on leukemia and tumorigenesis and can potentially serve as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Galetzka
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia Böck
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Wagner
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marcus Dittrich
- Bioinformatics Department, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Olesja Sinizyn
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Heidi Rossmann
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Claudia Spix
- Division of Childhood Cancer Epidemiology, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Radsak
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Johanna Mirsch
- Radiation Biology and DNA Repair, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Linke
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walburgis Brenner
- Department of Obstetrics and Women's Health, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manuela Marron
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Alicia Poplawski
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Schmidberger
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dirk Prawitt
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
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13
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Maynard JP, Lu J, Vidal I, Hicks J, Mummert L, Ali T, Kempski R, Carter AM, Sosa RY, Peiffer LB, Joshu CE, Lotan TL, De Marzo AM, Sfanos KS. P2X4 purinergic receptors offer a therapeutic target for aggressive prostate cancer. J Pathol 2022; 256:149-163. [PMID: 34652816 PMCID: PMC8738159 DOI: 10.1002/path.5815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men and treatment options for metastatic PCa are limited. There is a critical need to identify new mechanisms that contribute to PCa progression, that distinguish benign from lethal disease, and that have potential for therapeutic targeting. P2X4 belongs to the P2 purinergic receptor family that is commonly upregulated in cancer and is associated with poorer outcomes. We observed P2X4 protein expression primarily in epithelial cells of the prostate, a subset of CD66+ neutrophils, and most CD68+ macrophages. Our analysis of tissue microarrays representing 491 PCa cases demonstrated significantly elevated P2X4 expression in cancer- compared with benign-tissue spots, in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and in PCa with ERG positivity or with PTEN loss. High-level P2X4 expression in benign tissues was likewise associated with the development of metastasis after radical prostatectomy. Treatment with the P2X4-specific agonist cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP) increased Transwell migration and invasion of PC3, DU145, and CWR22Rv1 PCa cells. The P2X4 antagonist 5-(3-bromophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e]-1,4-diazepin-2-one (5-BDBD) resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in viability of PC3, DU145, LNCaP, CWR22Rv1, TRAMP-C2, Myc-CaP, BMPC1, and BMPC2 cells and decreased DU145 cell migration and invasion. Knockdown of P2X4 attenuated growth, migration, and invasion of PCa cells. Finally, knockdown of P2X4 in Myc-CaP cells resulted in significantly attenuated subcutaneous allograft growth in FVB/NJ mice. Collectively, these data strongly support a role for the P2X4 purinergic receptor in PCa aggressiveness and identify P2X4 as a candidate for therapeutic targeting. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janielle P. Maynard
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Correspondence to: JP Maynard, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 411 N. Caroline Street, Room B302, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
| | - Jiayun Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Igor Vidal
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jessica Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Luke Mummert
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Tamirat Ali
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ryan Kempski
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ayanna M. Carter
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rebecca Y. Sosa
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Lauren B. Peiffer
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Corinne E. Joshu
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tamara L. Lotan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Karen S. Sfanos
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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14
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Urinary Exosomal Long Noncoding RNA TERC as a Noninvasive Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:9038808. [PMID: 35127956 PMCID: PMC8811540 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9038808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Bladder cancer is one of the most common urological malignancies worldwide, and approximately 90% of bladder cancer cases are histologically typed as bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). Exosomes are 30 to 200 nm extracellular vesicles that transport microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), mRNAs, circular RNAs, and proteins across tissues and through circulation. Urinary exosomes may contain genetic information from tumor cells. Herein, we explored the clinical significance of urinary exosomal lncRNA telomerase RNA component (TERC) levels to provide an urgently needed diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BLCA. Materials and Methods In this study, we used RNA-sequencing of samples from four BLCA patients and three healthy controls to identify that TERC was differentially expressed in urinary exosomes. We then used quantitative PCR in different types of clinical samples to validate the biomarker and analyzed results using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results We found that TERC was significantly upregulated in urinary exosomes from BLCA patients compared with those from healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Urinary exosomal TERC showed higher sensitivity (78.65%) and accuracy (77.78%) than existing indicators including nuclear matrix protein-22 and urine cytometry. Using the cut-off value 4.302, the area under the curve for urinary exosomal TERC was 0.836 (95% confidence interval: 0.768–0.891, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, this noninvasive assay could distinguish low-grade and high-grade tumors (P = 0.0153). Conclusions TERC is enriched in urinary exosomes from BLCA patients. Urinary exosomal TERC could become a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BLCA that allows clinicians to realize noninvasive detection of BLCA.
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15
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Wang K, Zhong W, Long Z, Guo Y, Zhong C, Yang T, Wang S, Lai H, Lu J, Zheng P, Mao X. 5-Methylcytosine RNA Methyltransferases-Related Long Non-coding RNA to Develop and Validate Biochemical Recurrence Signature in Prostate Cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:775304. [PMID: 34926580 PMCID: PMC8672116 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.775304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of 5-methylcytosine in RNA (m5C) in various human cancers have been increasingly studied recently; however, the m5C regulator signature in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been well established yet. In this study, we identified and characterized a series of m5C-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in PCa. Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) regression analysis were implemented to construct a m5C-related lncRNA prognostic signature. Consequently, a prognostic m5C-lnc model was established, including 17 lncRNAs: MAFG-AS1, AC012510.1, AC012065.3, AL117332.1, AC132192.2, AP001160.2, AC129510.1, AC084018.2, UBXN10-AS1, AC138956.2, ZNF32-AS2, AC017100.1, AC004943.2, SP2-AS1, Z93930.2, AP001486.2, and LINC01135. The high m5C-lnc score calculated by the model significantly relates to poor biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and a decision curve analysis (DCA) further validated the accuracy of the prognostic model. Subsequently, a predictive nomogram combining the prognostic model with clinical features was created, and it exhibited promising predictive efficacy for BCR risk stratification. Next, the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and lncRNA–protein interaction network were established to explore the potential functions of these 17 lncRNAs mechanically. In addition, functional enrichment analysis revealed that these lncRNAs are involved in many cellular metabolic pathways. Lastly, MAFG-AS1 was selected for experimental validation; it was upregulated in PCa and probably promoted PCa proliferation and invasion in vitro. These results offer some insights into the m5C's effects on PCa and reveal a predictive model with the potential clinical value to improve the prognosis of patients with PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, The Hospital of Trade-Business in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Weibo Zhong
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zining Long
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yufei Guo
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanfan Zhong
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Taowei Yang
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Houhua Lai
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianming Lu
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengxiang Zheng
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Urology, Fuqing City Hospital Affiliated with Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiangming Mao
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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16
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Balaratnam S, Rhodes C, Bume DD, Connelly C, Lai CC, Kelley JA, Yazdani K, Homan PJ, Incarnato D, Numata T, Schneekloth Jr JS. A chemical probe based on the PreQ 1 metabolite enables transcriptome-wide mapping of binding sites. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5856. [PMID: 34615874 PMCID: PMC8494917 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25973-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of metabolite-responsive riboswitches in regulating gene expression in bacteria is well known and makes them useful systems for the study of RNA-small molecule interactions. Here, we study the PreQ1 riboswitch system, assessing sixteen diverse PreQ1-derived probes for their ability to selectively modify the class-I PreQ1 riboswitch aptamer covalently. For the most active probe (11), a diazirine-based photocrosslinking analog of PreQ1, X-ray crystallography and gel-based competition assays demonstrated the mode of binding of the ligand to the aptamer, and functional assays demonstrated that the probe retains activity against the full riboswitch. Transcriptome-wide mapping using Chem-CLIP revealed a highly selective interaction between the bacterial aptamer and the probe. In addition, a small number of RNA targets in endogenous human transcripts were found to bind specifically to 11, providing evidence for candidate PreQ1 aptamers in human RNA. This work demonstrates a stark influence of linker chemistry and structure on the ability of molecules to crosslink RNA, reveals that the PreQ1 aptamer/ligand pair are broadly useful for chemical biology applications, and provides insights into how PreQ1, which is similar in structure to guanine, interacts with human RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumirtha Balaratnam
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Curran Rhodes
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Desta Doro Bume
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Colleen Connelly
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Christopher C. Lai
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - James A. Kelley
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Kamyar Yazdani
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Philip J. Homan
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA ,grid.418021.e0000 0004 0535 8394Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Danny Incarnato
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tomoyuki Numata
- grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka-shi Fukuoka, 812-8582 Japan ,grid.208504.b0000 0001 2230 7538Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-8566 Japan
| | - John S. Schneekloth Jr
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
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17
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Xiang Y, Yu Y, Li Q, Jiang Z, Li J, Liang C, Chen J, Li Y, Chen X, Cao W. Mutual regulation between chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway inhibits apoptosis and promotes the replication of ALV-J in LMH cells. Vet Res 2021; 52:110. [PMID: 34412690 PMCID: PMC8375160 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00979-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the mutual regulation between chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway and its effects on cell growth and avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) replication in LMH cells. First, LMH cells stably overexpressing the chTERT gene (LMH-chTERT cells) and corresponding control cells (LMH-NC cells) were successfully constructed with a lentiviral vector expression system. The results showed that chTERT upregulated the expression of β-catenin, Cyclin D1, TCF4 and c-Myc. chTERT expression level and telomerase activity were increased when cells were treated with LiCl. When the cells were treated with ICG001 or IWP-2, the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway was significantly inhibited, and chTERT expression and telomerase activity were also inhibited. However, when the β-catenin gene was knocked down by small interfering RNA (siRNA), the changes in chTERT expression and telomerase activity were consistent with those in cells treated with ICG001 or IWP-2. These results indicated that chTERT and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway can be mutually regulated. Subsequently, we found that chTERT not only shortened the cell cycle to promote proliferation but also inhibited apoptosis by downregulating the expression of Caspase 3, Caspase 9 and BAX; upregulating BCL-2 and BCL-X expression; and promoting autophagy. Moreover, chTERT significantly enhanced the migration ability of LMH cells, upregulated the protein and mRNA expression of ALV-J and increased the virus titre. ALV-J replication promoted chTERT expression and telomerase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Xiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yun Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Qingbo Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zeng Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jinqun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Canxin Liang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jian Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xiaoyan Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Weisheng Cao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. .,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. .,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. .,National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. .,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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18
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Yang L, Li N, Wang M, Zhang YH, Yan LD, Zhou W, Yu ZQ, Peng XC, Cai J. Tumorigenic effect of TERT and its potential therapeutic target in NSCLC (Review). Oncol Rep 2021; 46:182. [PMID: 34278503 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for ~85% of all lung cancer cases, is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a high patient mortality rate. Despite the increasing availability of treatment strategies, the prognosis of patients with NSCLC remains poor, with a low 5‑year survival rate. This poor prognosis may be associated with the tumor heterogeneity of NSCLC, as well as its acquisition and intrinsic resistance to therapeutic drugs. It has been suggested that combination therapy with telomerase inhibition may be an effective strategy for the treatment of drug‑sensitive and drug‑resistant types of cancer. Telomerase is the key enzyme for cell survival, and ~90% of human cancers maintain telomeres by activating telomerase, which is driven by the upregulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Several mechanisms of telomerase reactivation have been described in a variety of cancer types, including TERT promoter mutation, epigenetic modifications via a TERT promoter, TERT amplification, and TERT rearrangement. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively review telomerase activity and its association with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of NSCLC, as well as analyze the potential mechanism via which TERT activates telomerase and determine its potential clinical application in NSCLC. More importantly, current treatment strategies targeting TERT in NSCLC have been summarized with the aim to promote discovery of novel strategies for the future treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Na Li
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Hua Zhang
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Lu-Da Yan
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Wen Zhou
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Qiong Yu
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Chun Peng
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
| | - Jun Cai
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China
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19
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Feng C, Xiang T, Yi Z, Meng X, Chu X, Huang G, Zhao X, Chen F, Xiong B, Feng J. A Deep-Learning Model With the Attention Mechanism Could Rigorously Predict Survivals in Neuroblastoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653863. [PMID: 34336652 PMCID: PMC8317851 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroblastoma is one of the most devastating forms of childhood cancer. Despite large amounts of attempts in precise survival prediction in neuroblastoma, the prediction efficacy remains to be improved. METHODS Here, we applied a deep-learning (DL) model with the attention mechanism to predict survivals in neuroblastoma. We utilized 2 groups of features separated from 172 genes, to train 2 deep neural networks and combined them by the attention mechanism. RESULTS This classifier could accurately predict survivals, with areas under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and time-dependent ROC reaching 0.968 and 0.974 in the training set respectively. The accuracy of the model was further confirmed in a validation cohort. Importantly, the two feature groups were mapped to two groups of patients, which were prognostic in Kaplan-Meier curves. Biological analyses showed that they exhibited diverse molecular backgrounds which could be linked to the prognosis of the patients. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we applied artificial intelligence methods to improve the accuracy of neuroblastoma survival prediction based on gene expression and provide explanations for better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenzhao Feng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tianyu Xiang
- Department of Control Science and Engineering, College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zixuan Yi
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinyao Meng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xufeng Chu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guiyang Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Bo Xiong
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiexiong Feng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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20
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Lippert TP, Marzec P, Idilli AI, Sarek G, Vancevska A, Bower M, Farrell PJ, Ojala PM, Feldhahn N, Boulton SJ. Oncogenic herpesvirus KSHV triggers hallmarks of alternative lengthening of telomeres. Nat Commun 2021; 12:512. [PMID: 33479235 PMCID: PMC7820467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20819-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve replicative immortality, cancer cells must activate telomere maintenance mechanisms to prevent telomere shortening. ~85% of cancers circumvent telomeric attrition by re-expressing telomerase, while the remaining ~15% of cancers induce alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), which relies on break-induced replication (BIR) and telomere recombination. Although ALT tumours were first reported over 20 years ago, the mechanism of ALT induction remains unclear and no study to date has described a cell-based model that permits the induction of ALT. Here, we demonstrate that infection with Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) induces sustained acquisition of ALT-like features in previously non-ALT cell lines. KSHV-infected cells acquire hallmarks of ALT activity that are also observed in KSHV-associated tumour biopsies. Down-regulating BIR impairs KSHV latency, suggesting that KSHV co-opts ALT for viral functionality. This study uncovers KSHV infection as a means to study telomere maintenance by ALT and reveals features of ALT in KSHV-associated tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Lippert
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW11AT, UK
- Department of Immunology & Inflammation, Centre for Haematology, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Paulina Marzec
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW11AT, UK
| | - Aurora I Idilli
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW11AT, UK
| | - Grzegorz Sarek
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW11AT, UK
| | | | - Mark Bower
- National Centre for HIV Malignancy, Department of Oncology, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Paul J Farrell
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Päivi M Ojala
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
- Translational Cancer Medicine Research Program, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, 00290, Finland
| | - Niklas Feldhahn
- Department of Immunology & Inflammation, Centre for Haematology, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Simon J Boulton
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW11AT, UK.
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21
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Gala K, Khattar E. Long non-coding RNAs at work on telomeres: Functions and implications in cancer therapy. Cancer Lett 2021; 502:120-132. [PMID: 33450357 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to regulate various biological processes including cancer. Cancer cells possess limitless replicative potential which is attained by telomere length maintenance while normal somatic cells have a limited lifespan because their telomeres shorten with every cell division ultimately triggering replicative senescence. Two lncRNAs have been observed to play a key role in telomere length maintenance. First is the lncRNA TERC (telomerase RNA component) which functions as a template for telomeric DNA synthesis in association with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) which serves as the catalytic component. Together they constitute the telomerase complex which functions as a reverse transcriptase to elongate telomeres. Second lncRNA that helps in regulating telomere length is the telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) which is transcribed from the subtelomeric region and extends to the telomeric region. TERC and TERRA exhibit important functions in cancer with implications in precision oncology. In this review, we discuss various aspects of these important lncRNAs in humans and their role in cancer along with recent advancements in their anticancer therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Gala
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, 400056, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, 400056, Maharashtra, India.
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22
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Torsin LI, Petrescu GED, Sabo AA, Chen B, Brehar FM, Dragomir MP, Calin GA. Editing and Chemical Modifications on Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer: A New Tale with Clinical Significance. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020581. [PMID: 33430133 PMCID: PMC7827606 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, for seemingly every type of cancer, dysregulated levels of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are reported and non-coding transcripts are expected to be the next class of diagnostic and therapeutic tools in oncology. Recently, alterations to the ncRNAs transcriptome have emerged as a novel hallmark of cancer. Historically, ncRNAs were characterized mainly as regulators and little attention was paid to the mechanisms that regulate them. The role of modifications, which can control the function of ncRNAs post-transcriptionally, only recently began to emerge. Typically, these modifications can be divided into reversible (i.e., chemical modifications: m5C, hm5C, m6A, m1A, and pseudouridine) and non-reversible (i.e., editing: ADAR dependent, APOBEC dependent and ADAR/APOBEC independent). The first research papers showed that levels of these modifications are altered in cancer and can be part of the tumorigenic process. Hence, the aim of this review paper is to describe the most common regulatory modifications (editing and chemical modifications) of the traditionally considered “non-functional” ncRNAs (i.e., microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs) in the context of malignant disease. We consider that only by understanding this extra regulatory layer it is possible to translate the knowledge about ncRNAs and their modifications into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligia I. Torsin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Elias Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - George E. D. Petrescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (G.E.D.P.); (F.M.B.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital, 041915 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandru A. Sabo
- Zentrum für Kinder, Jugend und Frauenmedizin, Pediatrics 2 (General and Special Pediatrics), Klinikum Stuttgart, Olgahospital, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany;
| | - Baoqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China;
- Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Research Institute, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Felix M. Brehar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (G.E.D.P.); (F.M.B.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital, 041915 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihnea P. Dragomir
- Institute of Pathology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence: or (M.P.D.); (G.A.C.); Tel.: +40-254-219-493 (M.P.D.); +1-713-792-5461 (G.A.C.)
| | - George A. Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNAs, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Correspondence: or (M.P.D.); (G.A.C.); Tel.: +40-254-219-493 (M.P.D.); +1-713-792-5461 (G.A.C.)
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23
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Yuan X, Dai M, Xu D. Telomere-related Markers for Cancer. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:410-432. [PMID: 31903880 PMCID: PMC7475940 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200106145340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are structurally nucleoprotein complexes at termini of linear chromosomes and essential to chromosome stability/integrity. In normal human cells, telomere length erodes progressively with each round of cell divisions, which serves as an important barrier to uncontrolled proliferation and malignant transformation. In sharp contrast, telomere maintenance is a key feature of human malignant cells and required for their infinite proliferation and maintenance of other cancer hallmarks as well. Thus, a telomere-based anti-cancer strategy has long been suggested. However, clinically efficient and specific drugs targeting cancer telomere-maintenance have still been in their infancy thus far. To achieve this goal, it is highly necessary to elucidate how exactly cancer cells maintain functional telomeres. In the last two decades, numerous studies have provided profound mechanistic insights, and the identified mechanisms include the aberrant activation of telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomere pathway responsible for telomere elongation, dysregulation and mutation of telomere-associated factors, and other telomere homeostasis-related signaling nodes. In the present review, these various strategies employed by malignant cells to regulate their telomere length, structure and function have been summarized, and potential implications of these findings in the rational development of telomere-based cancer therapy and other clinical applications for precision oncology have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Yuan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Mingkai Dai
- Central Research Laboratory, Shandong University Second Hospital, Jinan, 250033, China.,Karolinska Institute Collaborative Laboratory for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Shandong University Second Hospital, Jinan, 250033, China
| | - Dawei Xu
- Karolinska Institute Collaborative Laboratory for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Shandong University Second Hospital, Jinan, 250033, China.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) and Bioclinicum, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Solna 171 64, Sweden
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24
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Prieto-Oliveira P. Telomerase activation in the treatment of aging or degenerative diseases: a systematic review. Mol Cell Biochem 2020; 476:599-607. [PMID: 33001374 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-020-03929-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are protective structures that are shortened during the lifetime, resulting in aging and degenerative diseases. Subjects experiencing aging and degenerative disorders present smaller telomeres than young and healthy ones. The size of these structures can be stabilized by telomerase, an enzyme which is inactive in adult tissues but functional in fetal and newborn tissues and adult testes and ovaries. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review to evaluate the effect of telomerase activation in the treatment of degenerative and aging disorders. We accomplished the search using the Pubmed interface for papers published from September 1985 to April 16th, 2020. We found twenty one studies that matched our eligibility criteria. I concluded that telomerase is probably a potential and safe treatment for aging and degenerative diseases, demonstrating neither side effects nor risk of cancer in the selected studies. Further studies in humans are needed to confirm safety and efficiency of this treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Prieto-Oliveira
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, Pedro de Toledo Street 781, 16th Floor, Retrovirology, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 04039-032, Brazil.
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25
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Guterres AN, Villanueva J. Targeting telomerase for cancer therapy. Oncogene 2020; 39:5811-5824. [PMID: 32733068 PMCID: PMC7678952 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01405-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Telomere maintenance via telomerase reactivation is a nearly universal hallmark of cancer cells which enables replicative immortality. In contrast, telomerase activity is silenced in most adult somatic cells. Thus, telomerase represents an attractive target for highly selective cancer therapeutics. However, development of telomerase inhibitors has been challenging and thus far there are no clinically approved strategies exploiting this cancer target. The discovery of prevalent mutations in the TERT promoter region in many cancers and recent advances in telomerase biology has led to a renewed interest in targeting this enzyme. Here we discuss recent efforts targeting telomerase, including immunotherapies and direct telomerase inhibitors, as well as emerging approaches such as targeting TERT gene expression driven by TERT promoter mutations. We also address some of the challenges to telomerase-directed therapies including potential therapeutic resistance and considerations for future therapeutic applications and translation into the clinical setting. Although much work remains to be done, effective strategies targeting telomerase will have a transformative impact for cancer therapy and the prospect of clinically effective drugs is boosted by recent advances in structural models of human telomerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam N Guterres
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessie Villanueva
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Melanoma Research Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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26
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Whitlock NC, Trostel SY, Wilkinson S, Terrigino NT, Hennigan ST, Lake R, Carrabba NV, Atway R, Walton ED, Gryder BE, Capaldo BJ, Ye H, Sowalsky AG. MEIS1 down-regulation by MYC mediates prostate cancer development through elevated HOXB13 expression and AR activity. Oncogene 2020; 39:5663-5674. [PMID: 32681068 PMCID: PMC7441006 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01389-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Localized prostate cancer develops very slowly in most men, with the androgen receptor (AR) and MYC transcription factors amongst the most well-characterized drivers of prostate tumorigenesis. Canonically, MYC up-regulation in luminal prostate cancer cells functions to oppose the terminally differentiating effects of AR. However, the effects of MYC up-regulation are pleiotropic and inconsistent with a poorly proliferative phenotype. Here we show that increased MYC expression and activity are associated with the down-regulation of MEIS1, a HOX-family transcription factor. Using RNA-seq to profile a series of human prostate cancer specimens laser capture microdissected on the basis of MYC immunohistochemistry, MYC activity, and MEIS1 expression were inversely correlated. Knockdown of MYC expression in prostate cancer cells increased the expression of MEIS1 and increased the occupancy of MYC at the MEIS1 locus. Finally, we show in laser capture microdissected human prostate cancer samples and the prostate TCGA cohort that MEIS1 expression is inversely proportional to AR activity as well as HOXB13, a known interacting protein of both AR and MEIS1. Collectively, our data demonstrate that elevated MYC in a subset of primary prostate cancers functions in a negative role in regulating MEIS1 expression, and that this down-regulation may contribute to MYC-driven development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichelle C Whitlock
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shana Y Trostel
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Scott Wilkinson
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nicholas T Terrigino
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - S Thomas Hennigan
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ross Lake
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nicole V Carrabba
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rayann Atway
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth D Walton
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Berkley E Gryder
- Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Brian J Capaldo
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Huihui Ye
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Adam G Sowalsky
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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27
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Chen J, Zheng Q, Peiffer LB, Hicks JL, Haffner MC, Rosenberg AZ, Levi M, Wang XX, Ozbek B, Baena-Del Valle J, Yegnasubramanian S, De Marzo AM. An in Situ Atlas of Mitochondrial DNA in Mammalian Tissues Reveals High Content in Stem and Proliferative Compartments. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2020; 190:1565-1579. [PMID: 32304697 PMCID: PMC7338910 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria regulate ATP production, metabolism, and cell death. Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence and copy number are implicated in aging and organ dysfunction in diverse inherited and sporadic diseases. Because most measurements of mtDNA use homogenates of complex tissues, little is known about cell-type-specific mtDNA copy number heterogeneity in normal physiology, aging, and disease. Thus, the precise cell types whose loss of mitochondrial activity and altered mtDNA copy number that result in organ dysfunction in aging and disease have often not been clarified. Here, an in situ hybridization approach to generate a single-cell-resolution atlas of mtDNA content in mammalian tissues was validated. In hierarchically organized self-renewing tissues, higher levels of mtDNA were observed in stem/proliferative compartments compared with differentiated compartments. Striking zonal patterns of mtDNA levels in the liver reflected the known oxygen tension gradient. In the kidney, proximal and distal tubules had markedly higher mtDNA levels compared with cells within glomeruli and collecting duct epithelial cells. In mice, decreased mtDNA levels were visualized in renal tubules as a function of aging, which was prevented by calorie restriction. This study provides a novel approach for quantifying species- and cell-type-specific mtDNA copy number and dynamics in any normal or diseased tissue that can be used for monitoring the effects of interventions in animal and human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lauren B Peiffer
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jessica L Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Avi Z Rosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Moshe Levi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Xiaoxin X Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Busra Ozbek
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Javier Baena-Del Valle
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Angelo M De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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28
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Smith-Sonneborn J. Telomerase Biology Associations Offer Keys to Cancer and Aging Therapeutics. Curr Aging Sci 2020; 13:11-21. [PMID: 31544708 PMCID: PMC7403649 DOI: 10.2174/1874609812666190620124324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although telomerase has potential for age-related disease intervention, the overexpression of telomerase in about 90% of cancers, and in HIV virus reservoirs, cautions against se in anti-aging telomerase therapeutics. While multiple reviews document the canonical function of telomerase for maintenance of telomeres, as well as an increasing numbers of reviews that reveal new non-canonical functions of telomerase, there was no systematic review that focuses on the array of associates of the subunit of Telomerase Reverse transcriptase protein (TERT) as pieces of the puzzle to assemble a picture of the how specific TERT complexes uniquely impact aging and age-related diseases and more can be expected. METHODS A structured search of bibliographic data on TERT complexes was undertaken using databases from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Pubmed with extensive access to biomedical and genomic information in order to obtain a unique documented and cited overview of TERT complexes that may uniquely impact aging and age-related diseases. RESULTS The TERT associations include proper folding, intracellular TERT transport, metabolism, mitochondrial ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) regulation, inflammation, cell division, cell death, and gene expression, in addition to the well-known telomere maintenance. While increase of cell cycle inhibitors promote aging, in cancer, the cell cycle check-point regulators are ambushed in favor of cell proliferation, while cytoplasmic TERT protects a cell cycle inhibitor in oxidative stress. The oncogene cMyc regulates gene expression for overexpression of TERT, and reduction of cell cycle inhibitors-the perfect storm for cancer promotion. TERT binds with the oncogene RMRP RNA, and TERT-RMRP function can regulate levels of that oncogene RNA, and TERT in a TBN complex can regulate heterochromatin. Telomerase benefit and novel function in neurology and cardiology studies open new anti- aging hope. GV1001, a 16 amino acid peptide of TERT that associates with Heat Shock Proteins (HSP's), bypasses the cell membrane with remarkable anti disease potential. CONCLUSIONS TERT "associates" are anti-cancer targets for downregulation, but upregulation in antiaging therapy. The overview revealed that unique TERT associations that impact all seven pillars of aging identified by the Trans-NIH Geroscience Initiative that influence aging and urge research for appropriate targeted telomerase supplements/ stimulation, and inclusion in National Institute on Aging Intervention Testing Program. The preference for use of available "smart drugs", targeted to only cancer, not off-target anti- aging telomerase is implied by the multiplicity of TERT associates functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Smith-Sonneborn
- Department Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, WY, USA
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29
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Lin X, Kapoor A, Gu Y, Chow MJ, Xu H, Major P, Tang D. Assessment of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (Review). Int J Oncol 2019; 55:1194-1212. [PMID: 31638194 PMCID: PMC6831208 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) is critical in the management of males with prostate cancer (PC). Over the past decades, a comprehensive effort has been focusing on improving risk stratification; a variety of models have been constructed using PC-associated pathological features and molecular alterations occurring at the genome, protein and RNA level. Alterations in RNA expression (lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA) constitute the largest proportion of the biomarkers of BCR. In this article, we systemically review RNA-based BCR biomarkers reported in PubMed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Individual miRNAs, mRNAs, lncRNAs and multi-gene panels, including the commercially available signatures, Oncotype DX and Prolaris, will be discussed; details related to cohort size, hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals will be provided. Mechanistically, these individual biomarkers affect multiple pathways critical to tumorigenesis and progression, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), Wnt, growth factor receptor, cell proliferation, immune checkpoints and others. This variety in the mechanisms involved not only validates their associations with BCR, but also highlights the need for the coverage of multiple pathways in order to effectively stratify the risk of BCR. Updates of novel biomarkers and their mechanistic insights are considered, which suggests new avenues to pursue in the prediction of BCR. Additionally, the management of patients with BCR and the potential utility of the stratification of the risk of BCR in salvage treatment decision making for these patients are briefly covered. Limitations will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozeng Lin
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Anil Kapoor
- The Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Yan Gu
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mathilda Jing Chow
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Nephrology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Pierre Major
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8V 5C2, Canada
| | - Damu Tang
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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30
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Wong L, Huang YA, You ZH, Chen ZH, Cao MY. LNRLMI: Linear neighbour representation for predicting lncRNA-miRNA interactions. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 24:79-87. [PMID: 31568653 PMCID: PMC6933323 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
LncRNA and miRNA are key molecules in mechanism of competing endogenous RNAs(ceRNA), and their interactions have been discovered with important roles in gene regulation. As supplementary to the identification of lncRNA‐miRNA interactions from CLIP‐seq experiments, in silico prediction can select the most potential candidates for experimental validation. Although developing computational tool for predicting lncRNA‐miRNA interaction is of great importance for deciphering the ceRNA mechanism, little effort has been made towards this direction. In this paper, we propose an approach based on linear neighbour representation to predict lncRNA‐miRNA interactions (LNRLMI). Specifically, we first constructed a bipartite network by combining the known interaction network and similarities based on expression profiles of lncRNAs and miRNAs. Based on such a data integration, linear neighbour representation method was introduced to construct a prediction model. To evaluate the prediction performance of the proposed model, k‐fold cross validations were implemented. As a result, LNRLMI yielded the average AUCs of 0.8475 ± 0.0032, 0.8960 ± 0.0015 and 0.9069 ± 0.0014 on 2‐fold, 5‐fold and 10‐fold cross validation, respectively. A series of comparison experiments with other methods were also conducted, and the results showed that our method was feasible and effective to predict lncRNA‐miRNA interactions via a combination of different types of useful side information. It is anticipated that LNRLMI could be a useful tool for predicting non‐coding RNA regulation network that lncRNA and miRNA are involved in.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Wong
- The Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-An Huang
- Department of Computing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Zhu-Hong You
- The Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhan-Heng Chen
- The Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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31
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Sugarman ET, Zhang G, Shay JW. In perspective: An update on telomere targeting in cancer. Mol Carcinog 2019; 58:1581-1588. [PMID: 31062416 PMCID: PMC6692182 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Engaging a telomere maintenance mechanism during DNA replication is essential for almost all advanced cancers. The conversion from normal and premalignant somatic cells to advanced malignant cells often results (85%-90%) from the reactivation of the functional ribonucleoprotein holoenzyme complex, referred to as telomerase. Modulation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) appears to be rate limiting to produce functional telomerase and engage a telomere maintenance mechanism. The remaining 10% to 15% of cancers overcome progressively shortened telomeres by activating an alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) maintenance mechanism, through a DNA recombination pathway. Exploration into the specific mechanisms of telomere maintenance in cancer have led to the development of drugs such as Imetelstat (GRN163L), BIBR1532, 6-thio-dG, VE-822, and NVP-BEZ235 being investigated as therapeutic approaches for treating telomerase and ALT tumors. The successful use of 6-thio-dG (a nucleoside preferentially recognized by telomerase) that targets and uncaps telomeres in telomerase positive but not normal telomerase silent cells has recently shown impressive effects on multiple types of cancer. For example, 6-thio-dG overcomes therapy-resistant cancers in a fast-acting mechanism potentially providing an alternative or additional route of treatment for patients with cancer. In this perspective, we provide a synopsis of the current landscape of telomeres and telomerase processing in cancer development and how this new knowledge may improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T. Sugarman
- University of Pennsylvania, College of Liberal and Professional Studies, 3440 Market St #100, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Gao Zhang
- Duke University, The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, 20 Duke Medicine Cir, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Jerry W. Shay
- University of Texas Southwestern, Department of Cell Biology, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390
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32
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Prostate Cancer Development: Therapeutic Implications. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 6:E82. [PMID: 31366128 PMCID: PMC6789661 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6030082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most frequent nonskin cancer and second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in man. Prostate cancer is a clinically heterogeneous disease with many patients exhibiting an aggressive disease with progression, metastasis, and other patients showing an indolent disease with low tendency to progression. Three stages of development of human prostate tumors have been identified: intraepithelial neoplasia, adenocarcinoma androgen-dependent, and adenocarcinoma androgen-independent or castration-resistant. Advances in molecular technologies have provided a very rapid progress in our understanding of the genomic events responsible for the initial development and progression of prostate cancer. These studies have shown that prostate cancer genome displays a relatively low mutation rate compared with other cancers and few chromosomal loss or gains. The ensemble of these molecular studies has led to suggest the existence of two main molecular groups of prostate cancers: one characterized by the presence of ERG rearrangements (~50% of prostate cancers harbor recurrent gene fusions involving ETS transcription factors, fusing the 5' untranslated region of the androgen-regulated gene TMPRSS2 to nearly the coding sequence of the ETS family transcription factor ERG) and features of chemoplexy (complex gene rearrangements developing from a coordinated and simultaneous molecular event), and a second one characterized by the absence of ERG rearrangements and by the frequent mutations in the E3 ubiquitin ligase adapter SPOP and/or deletion of CDH1, a chromatin remodeling factor, and interchromosomal rearrangements and SPOP mutations are early events during prostate cancer development. During disease progression, genomic and epigenomic abnormalities accrued and converged on prostate cancer pathways, leading to a highly heterogeneous transcriptomic landscape, characterized by a hyperactive androgen receptor signaling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Germana Castelli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Elvira Pelosi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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33
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Alnafakh RAA, Adishesh M, Button L, Saretzki G, Hapangama DK. Telomerase and Telomeres in Endometrial Cancer. Front Oncol 2019; 9:344. [PMID: 31157162 PMCID: PMC6533802 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres at the termini of human chromosomes are shortened with each round of cell division due to the “end replication problem” as well as oxidative stress. During carcinogenesis, cells acquire or retain mechanisms to maintain telomeres to avoid initiation of cellular senescence or apoptosis and halting cell division by critically short telomeres. The unique reverse transcriptase enzyme complex, telomerase, catalyzes the maintenance of telomeres but most human somatic cells do not have sufficient telomerase activity to prevent telomere shortening. Tissues with high and prolonged replicative potential demonstrate adequate cellular telomerase activity to prevent telomere erosion, and high telomerase activity appears to be a critical feature of most (80–90%) epithelial cancers, including endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancers regress in response to progesterone which is frequently used to treat advanced endometrial cancer. Endometrial telomerase is inhibited by progestogens and deciphering telomere and telomerase biology in endometrial cancer is therefore important, as targeting telomerase (a downstream target of progestogens) in endometrial cancer may provide novel and more effective therapeutic avenues. This review aims to examine the available evidence for the role and importance of telomere and telomerase biology in endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafah A A Alnafakh
- Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Meera Adishesh
- Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Button
- Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Saretzki
- The Ageing Biology Centre and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Dharani K Hapangama
- Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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34
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Trabzonlu L, Kulac I, Zheng Q, Hicks JL, Haffner MC, Nelson WG, Sfanos KS, Ertunc O, Lotan TL, Heaphy CM, Meeker AK, Yegnasubramanian S, De Marzo AM. Molecular Pathology of High-Grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia: Challenges and Opportunities. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:a030403. [PMID: 30082453 PMCID: PMC6444695 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a030403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of the early stages of prostate cancer initiation, potentially arising from precursor lesions, may fuel development of powerful approaches for prostate cancer prevention or interception. The best-known candidate for such a precursor lesion has been referred to as high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN). Although there is significant evidence supporting the notion that such HGPIN lesions can give rise to invasive adenocarcinomas of the prostate, there are also numerous complicating considerations and evidence that cloud the picture in many instances. Notably, recent evidence has suggested that some fraction of such lesions that are morphologically consistent with HGPIN may actually be invasive carcinomas masquerading as HGPIN-a state that we term "postinvasive intraepithelial carcinoma" (PIC). Although the prevalence of such PIC lesions is not fully understood, this and other factors can confound the potential of identifying prostate precursors that can be targeted for disease prevention, interception, or treatment. Here, we review our current understanding of the morphological and molecular pathological features of prostate cancer precursor lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levent Trabzonlu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Ibrahim Kulac
- Department of Pathology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34010, Turkey
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Jessica L Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - William G Nelson
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Karen S Sfanos
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Onur Ertunc
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Tamara L Lotan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Christopher M Heaphy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Alan K Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Angelo M De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
- The Brady Urological Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
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35
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Dinescu S, Ignat S, Lazar AD, Constantin C, Neagu M, Costache M. Epitranscriptomic Signatures in lncRNAs and Their Possible Roles in Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10010052. [PMID: 30654440 PMCID: PMC6356509 DOI: 10.3390/genes10010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the amazing exponential growth in knowledge related to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in cell homeostasis or dysregulated pathological states, little is known so far about the links between the chemical modifications occurring in lncRNAs and their function. Generally, ncRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, but RNA modifications occurring in lncRNAs generate an additional layer of gene expression control. Chemical modifications that have been reported in correlation with lncRNAs include m⁶A, m⁵C and pseudouridylation. Up to date, several chemically modified long non-coding transcripts have been identified and associated with different pathologies, including cancers. This review presents the current level of knowledge on the most studied cancer-related lncRNAs, such as the metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), the Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), or the X-inactive specific transcript (XIST), as well as more recently discovered forms, and their potential roles in different types of cancer. Understanding how these RNA modifications occur, and the correlation between lncRNA changes in structure and function, may open up new therapeutic possibilities in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorina Dinescu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Simona Ignat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Andreea Daniela Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Carolina Constantin
- Immunology Department, "Victor Babes" National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Monica Neagu
- Immunology Department, "Victor Babes" National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Marieta Costache
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.
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36
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Sfanos KS, Yegnasubramanian S, Nelson WG, Lotan TL, Kulac I, Hicks JL, Zheng Q, Bieberich CJ, Haffner MC, De Marzo AM. If this is true, what does it imply? How end-user antibody validation facilitates insights into biology and disease. Asian J Urol 2019; 6:10-25. [PMID: 30775245 PMCID: PMC6363603 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajur.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are employed ubiquitously in biomedical sciences, including for diagnostics and therapeutics. One of the most important uses is for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, a process that has been improving and evolving over decades. IHC is useful when properly employed, yet misuse of the method is widespread and contributes to the "reproducibility crisis" in science. We report some of the common problems encountered with IHC assays, and direct readers to a wealth of literature documenting and providing some solutions to this problem. We also describe a series of vignettes that include our approach to analytical validation of antibodies and IHC assays that have facilitated a number of biological insights into prostate cancer and the refutation of a controversial association of a viral etiology in gliomas. We postulate that a great deal of the problem with lack of accuracy in IHC assays stems from the lack of awareness by researchers for the critical necessity for end-users to validate IHC antibodies and assays in their laboratories, regardless of manufacturer claims or past publications. We suggest that one reason for the pervasive lack of end-user validation for research antibodies is that researchers fail to realize that there are two general classes of antibodies employed in IHC. First, there are antibodies that are "clinical grade" reagents used by pathologists to help render diagnoses that influence patient treatment. Such diagnostic antibodies, which tend to be highly validated prior to clinical implementation, are in the vast minority (e.g. < 500). The other main class of antibodies are "research grade" antibodies (now numbering >3 800 000), which are often not extensively validated prior to commercialization. Given increased awareness of the problem, both the United States, National Institutes of Health and some journals are requiring investigators to provide evidence of specificity of their antibody-based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen S. Sfanos
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - William G. Nelson
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tamara L. Lotan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ibrahim Kulac
- Department of Pathology, Koc Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Jessica L. Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles J. Bieberich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael C. Haffner
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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37
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Ji W, Lou W, Hong Z, Qiu L, Di W. Genomic amplification of HPV, h-TERC and c-MYC in liquid-based cytological specimens for screening of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer. Oncol Lett 2018; 17:2099-2106. [PMID: 30675277 PMCID: PMC6341815 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.9825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent female cancer types in developing countries. ThinPrep cytological test (TCT) and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection are canonical screening methods for cervical cancer currently. However, there are limitations to these techniques. The aim of the present study was to identify efficient and practical methods for the screening of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma. Residual PreservCyt specimens were obtained from 1,000 women who were admitted between August 2013 and December 2015. TCT, human telomerase RNA component (h-TERC) fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), MYC-specific FISH and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-HPV genotyping were performed, followed by histopathology for those patients with positive results in any of the four tests. As a result, 106, 64, 56 and 112 patients were positive in the TCT, h-TERC, c-MYC and SPR-HPV tests, respectively, resulting in 213 being scheduled for histopathology; inflammation was identified in 159 patients, CIN I in 31, CIN II in 14, CIN III in seven and invasive cervical cancer in two patients. Using histopathology as the gold standard, TCT exhibited the highest sensitivity (87.04%), while h-TERC analysis had the highest specificity (81.76%). Parallel tests demonstrated that the Youden's index of TCT + h-TERC was the highest (0.49), while the serial analysis reported that TCT + HPV had the highest Youden's index (0.53) compared with any of the biomarkers alone (TCT, 0.50; HPV, 0.29; h-TERC, 0.47). In conclusion, dual positive TCT and HPV may be an efficient approach for basic screening of cervical lesions. h-TERC amplification may serve as an auxiliary test to improve the specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Ji
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
| | - Weihua Lou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
| | - Zubei Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
| | - Lihua Qiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
| | - Wen Di
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
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38
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Kheimar A, Trimpert J, Groenke N, Kaufer BB. Overexpression of cellular telomerase RNA enhances virus-induced cancer formation. Oncogene 2018; 38:1778-1786. [PMID: 30846849 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0544-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The telomerase RNA subunit (TR) is overexpressed in many tumors; however, the contribution of TR in cancer formation remains elusive. The most frequent clinically diagnosed cancer in the animal kingdom is caused by the highly oncogenic herpesvirus Marek's disease virus (MDV). MDV encodes a TR (vTR) that plays an important role in virus-induced tumorigenesis and shares 88% sequence identity with its cellular homologue. To determine if the cellular TR possesses pro-oncogenic activity, we replaced vTR with the cellular homologue in the virus genome. Insertion of cellular TR resulted in a strong overexpression in virus infected cells, while virus replication was not affected. Strikingly, cellular TR promoted tumor formation as efficient as vTR, while tumorigenesis was severely impaired in the absence of vTR. Our data provide the first evidence that overexpression of cellular TR can contribute to tumor formation in vivo using this natural virus-host model for herpesvirus-induced oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Kheimar
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert von Ostertag-Straße 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82424, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Jakob Trimpert
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert von Ostertag-Straße 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Groenke
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert von Ostertag-Straße 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benedikt B Kaufer
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert von Ostertag-Straße 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
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39
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Köseoğlu H. Genetics in the Prostate Cancer. Prostate Cancer 2018. [DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.77259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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40
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Torres A, Alshalalfa M, Davicioni E, Gupta A, Yegnasubramanian S, Wheelan SJ, Epstein JI, De Marzo AM, Lotan TL. ETS2 is a prostate basal cell marker and is highly expressed in prostate cancers aberrantly expressing p63. Prostate 2018; 78:896-904. [PMID: 29761525 PMCID: PMC6818503 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rare prostate carcinomas aberrantly express p63 and have an immunophenotype intermediate between basal and luminal cells. Here, we performed gene expression profiling on p63-expressing prostatic carcinomas and compared them to usual-type adenocarcinoma. We identify ETS2 as highly expressed in p63-expressing prostatic carcinomas and benign prostate basal cells, with lower expression in luminal cells and primary usual-type adenocarcinomas. METHODS A total of 8 p63-expressing prostate carcinomas at radical prostatectomy were compared to 358 usual-type adenocarcinomas by gene expression profiling performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue using Affymetrix 1.0 ST microarrays. Correlation between differentially expressed genes and TP63 expression was performed in 5239 prostate adenocarcinomas available in the Decipher GRID. For validation, ETS2 in situ hybridization was performed on 19 p63-expressing prostate carcinomas and 30 usual-type adenocarcinomas arrayed on tissue microarrays (TMA). RESULTS By gene expression, p63-expressing prostate carcinomas showed low cell cycle activity and low Decipher prognostic scores, but were predicted to have high Gleason grade compared to usual-type adenocarcinomas by gene expression signatures and morphology. Among the genes over-expressed in p63-expressing carcinoma relative to usual-type adenocarcinoma were known p63-regulated genes, along with ETS2, an ETS family member previously implicated as a prostate cancer tumor suppressor gene. Across several cohorts of prostate samples, ETS2 gene expression was correlated with TP63 expression and was significantly higher in benign prostate compared to usual-type adenocarcinoma. By in situ hybridization, ETS2 gene expression was high in benign basal cells, and low to undetectable in benign luminal cells or usual-type adenocarcinoma. In contrast, ETS2 was highly expressed in 95% (18/19) of p63-expressing prostate carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS ETS2 is a predominantly basally-expressed gene in the prostate, with low expression in usual-type adenocarcinoma and high expression in p63-expressing carcinomas. Given this pattern, the significance of ETS2 loss by deletion or mutation in usual-type adenocarcinomas is uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Torres
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | | | - Anuj Gupta
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Sarah J. Wheelan
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jonathan I. Epstein
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Angelo M. De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tamara L. Lotan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Meeker AK. Cancer telomeres and white crows. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL UROLOGY 2018; 6:93-100. [PMID: 29666837 PMCID: PMC5902727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This mini-review article discusses past and present prostate-focused research on telomere and telomerase biology conducted at Johns Hopkins, through the eyes of a Donald S Coffey trainee. Included are past discoveries of abnormalities in telomere biology in the context of prostate cancer and its pre-malignant precursor prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN); the finding that telomerase activity is androgen-regulated in the prostate, and the potential role of telomerase in prostate epithelial stem cells. Also reviewed are more recent results showing that in situ telomere length measurements in patient tissue specimens may have utility in risk assessment and as a prognostic biomarker. Highlighted throughout the article are some of the training and mentorship approaches employed by the late Dr. Coffey, former Director of Urologic Research at the Brady Urological Research Institute, which inspired new research ideas, team science, and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan K Meeker
- The Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA
- The Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD, USA
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimore, MD, USA
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Irimie AI, Zimta AA, Ciocan C, Mehterov N, Dudea D, Braicu C, Berindan-Neagoe I. The Unforeseen Non-Coding RNAs in Head and Neck Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9030134. [PMID: 29494516 PMCID: PMC5867855 DOI: 10.3390/genes9030134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously ignored non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have become the subject of many studies. However, there is an imbalance in the amount of consideration that ncRNAs are receiving. Some transcripts such as microRNAs (miRNAs) or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have gained much attention, but it is necessary to investigate other “pieces of the RNA puzzle”. These can offer a more complete view over normal and pathological cell behavior. The other ncRNA species are less studied, either due to their recent discovery, such as stable intronic sequence RNA (sisRNA), YRNA, miRNA-offset RNAs (moRNA), telomerase RNA component (TERC), natural antisense transcript (NAT), transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCR), and pseudogene transcript, or because they are still largely seen as non-coding transcripts with no relevance to pathogenesis. Moreover, some are still considered housekeeping RNAs, for instance small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and TERC. Our review summarizes the biogenesis, mechanism of action and potential role of less known ncRNAs in head and neck cancer, with a particular focus on the installment and progress for this particular cancer type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Iulia Irimie
- Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Dental Materials, Division Dental Propaedeutic, Aesthetic, "IuliuHatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Alina-Andreea Zimta
- MEDFUTURE-Research Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu-Hatieganu, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Cristina Ciocan
- MEDFUTURE-Research Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu-Hatieganu, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Nikolay Mehterov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University Plovdiv, BulVasilAprilov 15-А, Plovdiv 4002, Bulgaria.
- Technological Center for Emergency Medicine, BulVasilAprilov 15-А, Plovdiv 4002, Bulgaria.
| | - Diana Dudea
- Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Dental Materials, Division Dental Propaedeutic, Aesthetic, "IuliuHatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Cornelia Braicu
- Research Center for Functional Genomics and Translational Medicine, "IuliuHatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- MEDFUTURE-Research Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu-Hatieganu, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Research Center for Functional Genomics and Translational Medicine, "IuliuHatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Republicii 34 Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Current Perspectives of Telomerase Structure and Function in Eukaryotes with Emerging Views on Telomerase in Human Parasites. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19020333. [PMID: 29364142 PMCID: PMC5855555 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Replicative capacity of a cell is strongly correlated with telomere length regulation. Aberrant lengthening or reduction in the length of telomeres can lead to health anomalies, such as cancer or premature aging. Telomerase is a master regulator for maintaining replicative potential in most eukaryotic cells. It does so by controlling telomere length at chromosome ends. Akin to cancer cells, most single-cell eukaryotic pathogens are highly proliferative and require persistent telomerase activity to maintain constant length of telomere and propagation within their host. Although telomerase is key to unlimited cellular proliferation in both cases, not much was known about the role of telomerase in human parasites (malaria, Trypanosoma, etc.) until recently. Since telomerase regulation is mediated via its own structural components, interactions with catalytic reverse transcriptase and several factors that can recruit and assemble telomerase to telomeres in a cell cycle-dependent manner, we compare and discuss here recent findings in telomerase biology in cancer, aging and parasitic diseases to give a broader perspective of telomerase function in human diseases.
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