Overexpression of SPAG9 in human gastric cancer is correlated with poor prognosis

Cancer testis antigens: Emerging therapeutic targets leveraging genomic instability in cancer

Cancer care has witnessed remarkable progress in recent decades, with a wide array of targeted therapies and immune-based interventions being added to the traditional treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, despite these advancements, the challenge of achieving high tumor specificity while minimizing adverse side effects continues to dictate the benefit-risk balance of cancer therapy, guiding clinical decision making. As such, the targeting of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) offers exciting new opportunities for therapeutic intervention of cancer since they display highly tumor specific expression patterns, natural immunogenicity and play pivotal roles in various biological processes that are critical for tumor cellular fitness. In this review, we delve deeper into how CTAs contribute to the regulation and maintenance of genomic integrity in cancer, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to specifically target and eradicate tumor cells. We review the current clinical trials targeting aforementioned CTAs, highlight promising pre-clinical data and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for future development of CTA-based strategies that exploit tumor genomic instability.

SPAG9 Expression Predicts Good Prognosis in Patients with Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Bioinformatics Analysis with Experimental Validation

Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common and aggressive type of renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) has been reported to promote the progression of a variety of tumors and is thus a potential prognostic marker. This study combined a bioinformatics analysis with an experimental validation, exploring the prognostic value of SPAG9 expression in ccRCC patients and the possible underlying mechanisms. The SPAG9 expression was associated with a poor prognosis in pan-cancer patients, but with a good prognosis and slow tumor progression in ccRCC patients. To explore the underlying mechanism, we investigated the roles of SPAG9 in ccRCC and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). The latter was chosen for comparison with ccRCC to represent the tumor types in which SPAG9 expression suggests a poor prognosis. The overexpression of SPAG9 increased the expression of autophagy-related genes in 786-O cells but not in HTB-9 cells, and SPAG9 expression was significantly correlated with a weaker inflammatory response in ccRCC but not in BLCA. Through an integrated bioinformatics analysis, we screened out seven key genes (AKT3, MAPK8, PIK3CA, PIK3R3, SOS1, SOS2, and STAT5B) in this study. The correlation between SPAG9 expression and ccRCC prognosis depends on the expression of key genes. Since most of the key genes were PI3K-AKT-pathway members, we used the PI3K agonist 740Y-P to stimulate the 786-O cells, to mimic the effect of key-gene overexpression. Compared with the Ov-SPAG9 786-O cells, the 740Y-P further increased the expression of autophagy-related genes by more than twofold. Moreover, we constructed a nomogram based on SPAG9/key genes and other clinical features, which was proven to have some predictive value. Our study found that SPAG9 expression predicted opposite clinical outcomes in pan-cancer and ccRCC patients, and we speculated that SPAG9 suppresses tumor progression by promoting autophagy and inhibiting inflammatory responses in ccRCC. We further found that some genes might cooperate with SPAG9 to promote autophagy, and that these were highly expressed in the tumor stroma and could be represented by key genes. The SPAG9-based nomogram can help to estimate the long-term prognosis of ccRCC patients, indicating that SPAG9 is a potential prognostic marker for ccRCC.

The Contributions of Cancer-Testis and Developmental Genes to the Pathogenesis of Keratinocyte Carcinomas

Simple Summary

In addition to mutations, ectopically-expressed genes are emerging as important contributors to cancer development. Efforts to characterize the expression patterns in cancers of gamete-restricted cancer-testis antigens and developmentally-restricted genes are underway, revealing these genes to be putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various malignancies. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are two highly-prevalent non-melanoma skin cancers that result in considerable burden on patients and our health system. To optimize disease prognostication and treatment, it is necessary to further classify the molecular complexity of these malignancies. This review describes the expression patterns and functions of cancer-testis antigens and developmentally-restricted genes in BCC and cSCC tumors. A large number of cancer-testis antigens and developmental genes exhibit substantial expression levels in BCC and cSCC. These genes have been shown to contribute to several aspects of cancer biology, including tumorigenesis, differentiation, invasion and responses to anti-cancer therapy.

Abstract

Keratinocyte carcinomas are among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the two cancers recognized as keratinocyte carcinomas. The standard of care for treating these cancers includes surgery and ablative therapies. However, in recent years, targeted therapies (e.g., cetuximab for cSCC and vismodegib/sonidegib for BCC) have been used to treat advanced disease as well as immunotherapy (e.g., cemiplimab). These treatments are expensive and have significant toxicities with objective response rates approaching ~50–65%. Hence, there is a need to dissect the molecular pathogenesis of these cancers to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve disease management. Several cancer-testis antigens (CTA) and developmental genes (including embryonic stem cell factors and fetal genes) are ectopically expressed in BCC and cSCC. When ectopically expressed in malignant tissues, functions of these genes may be recaptured to promote tumorigenesis. CTAs and developmental genes are emerging as important players in the pathogenesis of BCC and cSCC, positioning themselves as attractive candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets requiring rigorous testing. Herein, we review the current research and offer perspectives on the contributions of CTAs and developmental genes to the pathogenesis of keratinocyte carcinomas.

ZSCAN16-AS1 expedites hepatocellular carcinoma progression via modulating the miR-181c-5p/SPAG9 axis to activate the JNK pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is generally known as one of the most common cancers in the world. Nowadays, interventional therapies such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) have emerged as an efficient therapy for HCC patients. Accumulating evidence has unveiled that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial regulators in HCC progression. Nonetheless, the biological function of lncRNA zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 16 antisense RNA 1 (ZSCAN16-AS1) in HCC has not been systematically clarified. RT-qPCR was used to test ZSCAN16-AS1 expression in HCC cells. The biological functions of RP11-757 G1.5 on HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were investigated by colony formation, EdU, CCK-8 and transwell assays, as well as flow cytometry analysis. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assays were utilized to explore the specific mechanism of ZSCAN16-AS1. ZSCAN16-AS1 was significantly up-regulated in HCC cells. ZSCAN16-AS1 silence inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while it accelerated HCC cell apoptosis. ZSCAN16-AS1 worked as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) expression through sponging miR-181 c-5p. Moreover, SPAG9 could activate the c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Taken together, our study elucidated that ZSCAN16-AS1 expedited HCC progression via modulating the miR-181 c-5p/SPAG9 axis to activate the JNK pathway, which might be a highly potential HCC therapy and treatment target.

Vinculin promotes gastric cancer proliferation and migration and predicts poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer

Vinculin is a highly conserved protein involved in cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion. However, the effects of vinculin on gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the functional role of vinculin in GC, as well as its underlying mechanism. Expression of vinculin in patients with GC was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Overall survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. The relationship between vinculin and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with GC was further identified. In addition, we assessed the expression of vinculin in GC cell lines. Besides, vinculin was suppressed or overexpressed by transfection with small interfering (si-vinculin) or pcDNA-vinculin and then cell viability, cell apoptosis, and/or migration was respectively examined by the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometer, and scratch assay, respectively. Moreover, the cell cycle- and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. The expression of vinculin was significantly increased in the GC tissues and cells compared with the nontumor tissues or cells. Vinculin protein positive staining was mainly located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm. Moreover, vinculin was significantly associated with Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) and poor differentiation. Patients with high vinculin levels had significantly worse overall survival than those with low levels. Suppression of vinculin significantly decreased cell viability and migration and promoted cell apoptosis. However, overexpression of vinculin statistically increased cell viability but had no effects on cell apoptosis. Vinculin promotes GC proliferation and migration and predicts poor prognosis in patients with GC.

Aberrant expression of JNK-associated leucine-zipper protein, JLP, promotes accelerated growth of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic cancer with poor prognosis. Etiological factors underlying ovarian cancer genesis and progression are poorly understood. Previously, we have shown that JNK-associated Leucine zipper Protein (JLP), promotes oncogenic signaling. Investigating the role of JLP in ovarian cancer, our present study indicates that JLP is overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissue and ovarian cancer cells. Transient overexpression of JLP promotes proliferation and invasive migration of ovarian cancer cells. In addition, ectopic expression of JLP confers long-term survival and clonogenic potential to normal fallopian tube-derived epithelial cells. Coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization analyses demonstrate the in vivo interaction of JLP and JNK, which is stimulated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an oncogenic lipid growth factor in ovarian cancer. We also show that LPA stimulates the translocation of JLP-JNK complex to the perinuclear region of SKOV3-ip cells. JLP-knockdown using shRNA abrogates LPA-stimulated activation of JNK as well as LPA-stimulated proliferation and invasive migration of SKOV3-ip cells. Studies using ovarian cancer xenograft mouse model indicate that the mice bearing JLP-silenced xenografts exhibits reduced tumor volume. Analysis of the xenograft tumor tissues indicate a reduction in the levels of JLP, JNK, phosphorylated-JNK, c-Jun and phosphorylated-c-Jun in JLP-silenced xenografts, thereby correlating the attenuated JLP-JNK signaling node with suppressed tumor growth. Thus, our results identify a critical role for JLP-signaling axis in ovarian cancer and provide evidence that targeting this signaling node could provide a new avenue for therapy.

SPAG9 is overexpressed in osteosarcoma, and regulates cell proliferation and invasion through regulation of JunD

Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) is a recently characterized oncoprotein that is considered to be involved in several forms of malignant tumor. However, its biological function and expression pattern in human osteosarcoma have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, SPAG9 expression was analyzed in 58 cases of human osteosarcoma by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that SPAG9 was overexpressed in 63.8% (37/58) of osteosarcoma tissues, while normal bone tissues exhibited negative SPAG9 expression. SPAG9 small interfering RNA was employed in the U2OS cell line, which has high endogenous expression, and SPAG9 transfection was performed in the MG63 cell line, which has low endogenous expression. MTT and Matrigel invasion assays demonstrated that SPAG-9-knockdown significantly reduced U2OS cell invasion and proliferation, while SPAG9 transfection enhanced MG63 cell proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, it was observed that SPAG9 positively regulated cyclin D1, phosphorylated-c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and JunD expression. Treatment with the JNK inhibitor, SP600125, abolished the upregulatory effect of SPAG9 on JunD. Taken together, the present study identified SPAG9 as a critical oncoprotein involved in osteosarcoma proliferation and invasion, possibly functioning through JNK-JunD signaling.

SPAG9 is involved in hepatocarcinoma cell migration and invasion via modulation of ELK1 expression

Background

Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) is upregulated in several malignancies and its overexpression is positively correlated with cancer cell malignancies. However, the specific biological roles of SPAG9 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are less understood.

Methods

We analyzed SPAG9 and ETS-like gene 1, tyrosine kinase (ELK1) expression in 50 paired HCC specimens and adjacent noncancerous liver specimens using immunohistochemistry. SPAG9 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown SPAG9 expression in HCCLM3 and HuH7 cell lines. We used plasmids to upregulate ELK1 expression and siRNA to downregulate ELK1 expression in HuH7 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of SPAG9 and ELK1 at the mRNA and protein level, respectively. Wound healing, matrigel migration, and invasion analyses were performed to determine the effect of SPAG9 and ELK1 on HCC metastasis.

Results

SPAG9 and ELK1 were overexpressed in HCC tissue specimens and their expressions were higher in HCCLM3 and HuH7 cells compared to the low-metastatic HepG2 cells. Overexpression of SPAG9 was positively associated with tumor-node-metastasis staging (P=0.032), metastasis parameters (P=0.018) of HCC patients, and ELK1 expression (r=0.422, P<0.001) in HCC tissue specimens. In addition, knockdown of SPAG9 in HCCLM3 and HuH7 cells using siRNA significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, we observed inhibition of ELK1 expression and p38 signaling. However, ELK1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of SPAG9 siRNA on HCC cell metastasis and ELK1 depletion inhibited HuH7 cell migration and invasion.

Conclusion

SPAG9 overexpression was positively correlated with HCC metastasis and SPAG9-induced migration and invasion were partially dependent on ELK1 expression in HCC cell lines. These results suggest that SPAG9 may be a potential anti-metastasis target effective in HCC therapy.

Bioinformatics identification of potentially involved microRNAs in Tibetan with gastric cancer based on microRNA profiling

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of gastric cancer is high in Chinese Tibetan. This study aimed to identify the differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and further explore their potential roles in Tibetan with gastric cancer so as to predict potential therapeutic targets.

METHODS

A total of 10 Tibetan patients (male:female = 6:4) with gastric cancer were enrolled for isolation of matched gastric cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples. Affymetrix GeneChip microRNA 3.0 Array was employed for detection of miRNA expression in samples. Differential expression analysis between two sample groups was analyzed using Limma package. Then, MultiMiR package was used to predict targets for miRNAs. Following, the target genes were put into DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery) to identify the significant pathways of miRNAs.

RESULTS

Using Limma package in R, a total of 27 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened out in gastric cancer, including 25 down-regulated (e.g. hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-148b-3p and hsa-miR-363-3p) and 2 up-regulated miRNAs. According to multiMiR package, a number of 1445 target genes (e.g. Wnt1, KLF4 and S1PR1) of 13 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened out. Among those miRNAs, hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-148b-3p and hsa-miR-363-3p were identified with the most target genes. Furthermore, three miRNAs were significantly enriched in numerous common cancer-related pathways, including "Wnt signaling pathway", "MAPK signaling pathway" and "Jak-STAT signaling pathway".

CONCLUSIONS

The present study identified a downregulation and enrichment in cancer-related pathways of hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-148b-3p and hsa-miR-363-3p in Tibetan with gastric cancer, which can be suggested as therapeutic targets.