Expression of fascin in thyroid neoplasms: a novel diagnostic marker

Ameliorative and Renoprotective Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Blood Sugar, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine Levels, and the Islets of Langerhans Weight in Diabetic Mice

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease or disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels as well as impaired carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism due to insulin function insufficiency. Insulin deficiency can be caused by impaired or deficient insulin production by Langerhans beta cells in the pancreas or by a lack of responsiveness of the body's cells to insulin. This study aims to the effects of electrostimulation on the ameliorative (improves disease manifestations) or renoprotective (protects the kidneys) in a diabetic rat model using noninvasive (electrical stimulation with the magnetic and nonmagnetic electrode) and invasive (using needles) methods. This study used 25 female rats, with a normal control group (KN), a diabetes control group (KD), a needle treatment group (A), an electro-stimulator treatment group with a magnetic electrode (M), and an ES group with a nonmagnetic electrode (ES) (L). The electro-stimulator used AES-05 with a magnetic field strength of 90 mT at two acupoints, Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23). The treatment was administered 12 times in one month with a therapy time of 6.6 minutes per session. Body weight and blood sugar levels were compared before and after the treatment. After treatment, the diameter of the islets of Langerhans, as well as levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), was measured. Furthermore, statistical analysis was performed (α = 0.05). The results of this study showed that electrical stimulation treatments with needle-invasive, noninvasive magnetic electrodes, and nonmagnetic electrodes significantly reduced diabetic rats’ blood glucose levels before and after the treatment. The analysis of the diameter of the islets of Langerhans revealed a significant difference between the treatment groups. The analysis of creatinine levels revealed a significant difference between groups, but creatinine levels in the group with the magnetic electrode (0.58 ± 0.17 mg/dL) were not significantly different from the control group (0.58 ± 0.07 mg/dL). The BUN test results revealed a significant difference compared with the diabetic control group, but no significant difference with the magnetic electrode treatment group. Conclusion. Based on the results, the most effective therapy for diabetes is a noninvasive method with magnetic (M) electrodes.

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 in human cancer: promising biomarker or therapeutic target?

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) is a highly conserved actin-bundling protein that cross links F-actin microfilaments into tight, parallel bundles. Elevated FSCN1 levels have been reported in many types of human cancers and have been correlated with aggressive clinical progression, poor prognosis, and survival outcomes. The overexpression of FSCN1 in cancer cells has been associated with tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Currently, FSCN1 is recognized as a candidate biomarker for multiple cancer types and as a potential therapeutic target. The aim of this study was to provide a brief overview of the FSCN1 gene and protein structure and elucidate on its actin-bundling activity and physiological functions. The main focus was on the role of FSCN1 and its upregulatory mechanisms and significance in cancer cells. Up-to-date studies on FSCN1 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers are reviewed. It is shown that FSCN1 is an unusual biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

Roles of Fascin mRNA expression in colorectal cancer: Meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis

Fascin (encoded by FSCN1) is a globular actin cross-linking protein that is required for the formation of actin-based cell surface processes, which are critical for cell migration and cell-matrix adhesion. In the present study, a systematic meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis was used to identify clinicopathological or prognostic parameters in patients with colorectal cancer. A total of 17 articles were included in the present study obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang data, SinoMed and CNKI databases. Odd ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the prognostic significance of Fascin expression in patients with colorectal cancer, and the association between Fascin expression and clinicopathological factors. There was a significant correlation between high Fascin expression and poor overall survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer (OR=0.48; 95% CI, 0.38-0.60; P<0.000001). The meta-analysis showed that the expression of Fascin was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissue compared with the normal mucosa (OR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.10-0.16; P<0.000001) and adenoma (OR=0.23; 95% CI, 0.15-0.34; P<0.000001). Fascin expression was also associated with depth of invasion (OR=0.31; 95% CI, 0.19-0.50; P<0.000001), lymph node metastasis (OR=3.07; 95% CI, 1.72-5.46; P=0.0001), Dukes stage (OR=0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.46; P=0.001), Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage (OR=0.38; 95% CI, 0.21-0.71; P=0.003) and dedifferentiation (OR=0.42; 95% CI, 0.19-0.94; P=0.04). According to the bioinformatics analyses, FSCN1 mRNA expression levels were higher in colorectal cancer and adenoma tissues compared with the normal tissues (P<0.05). According to TCGA, FSCN1 mRNA expression was associated with a less favorable prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer as an independent factor (P<0.05), and positively correlated with depth of invasion, microsatellite instability and low serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels in colorectal cancer. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that Fascin expression is a potential marker of tumorigenesis, aggressiveness and poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Investigation of promoter methylation of FSCN1 gene and FSCN1 protein expression in differentiated thyroid carcinomas

FSCN1 gene encodes an actin-bundling protein, FSCN1, which is involved in formation of actin-based structures that contribute to cell migration. High levels of FSCN1 expression is observed in cells with extended membranes and protrusions. Moreover, up-regulation of FSCN1 has been reported in several epithelial carcinomas. Therefore, FSCN1 is thought to play a role in cell movement and invasion. However, the mechanism behind FSCN1 up-regulation is not known. We investigated the expression of FSCN1 using immunohistochemistry. Methylation-specific PCR was adopted to analyze the methylation status of FSCN1 promoter as a potential regulatory mechanism in FSCN1 expression. The samples included papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular thyroid carcinoma and goiter samples (controls). Methylation of FSCN1 promoter was observed in 50% of follicular, 48.6% of papillary and 60% of controls. The promoter was unmethylated in 16.7% of follicular samples, 5.7% of papillary samples and 26.7% of controls. In the remaining 33.3% of follicular and 45.7% of papillary samples as well as 13.3% of controls, both methylated and unmethylated alleles were amplified, a condition referred to as semi-methylation. The results showed that FSCN1 promoter was significantly hypomethylated in papillary cases while the methylation status was not significantly altered in follicular cases. On the other hand, FSCN1 was expressed in only nine papillary samples. Regarding protein expression and methylation status, we suggest that hypomethylation of FSCN1 promoter in papillary thyroid carcinoma does not lead to overexpression of FSCN1 and that there might be other regulatory mechanisms involved in FSCN1 up-regulation.

The meta and bioinformatics analysis of fascin expression in gastric cancer: a potential marker for aggressiveness and worse prognosis

Fascin is a FSCN1-encoded actin bundling protein, and positively associated with proliferation, migration and metastasis of malignancies. Here, we performed a systematic meta and bioinformatics analysis through multiple online databases up to March 14, 2017. We found up-regulated fascin expression in gastric cancer, compared with normal mucosa (p<0.05). Fascin expression was positively with lymph node metastasis, TNM staging and worse prognosis of gastric cancer (p<0.05). According to bioinformatics database, FSCN1 mRNA expression was higher in gastric cancer than normal tissues (p<0.05). According to Kaplan-Meier plotter, we found that a higher FSCN1 expression was negatively correlated with overall and progression-free survival rates of all cancer patients, even stratified by aggressive parameters (p<0.05). These findings indicated that fascin expression might be employed as a potential marker to indicate gastric carcinogenesis and subsequent progression, even prognosis.

Fascin expression in cholesteatoma: correlation with destruction of the ossicular chain and extent of disease

OBJECTIVE

Fascin is an actin-bundling protein found in cell membrane protrusions and increases cell motility. The expression of fascin in epithelial neoplasms has been described only recently. No data are available concerning the role of this protein in invasive cholesteatoma. Thus, we investigated the expression of fascin in cholesteatoma tissue and the relationship between fascin expression and intraoperative evaluation of the destruction of the ossicular chain and extent of disease.

METHOD

Cholesteatoma specimens of 28 patients and external auditory canal (EAC) skin specimens of the same patients (as the control group) were collected from mastoidectomies. Immunohistochemical technique was used to investigate the fascin expression in all cholesteatoma tissues and EAC skin specimens. Immunohistochemical staining was assessed semiquantitatively based on the thickness of epithelium. SPSS software version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was performed to statistically analyse the relationships between fascin expression and intraoperative evaluation destruction of ossicular chain and extent of the disease.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemically, there was no or very low fascin expression observed in normal epithelial cells of EAC skin, while expressed in cholesteatoma tissue. Also, fascin expression in cholesteatoma tissues was significantly correlated with destruction of ossicular chain and extent of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Fascin expression is usually found in cholesteatoma epithelium and is correlated with destruction of the ossicular chain and extent of disease. Considering all of the correlations between the clinical and histopathological findings, 'fascin immunoexpression scoring' may be used for histological grading of cholesteatoma.

Fascin regulates chronic inflammation-related human colon carcinogenesis by inhibiting cell anoikis

By a proteomics-based approach, we identified an overexpression of fascin in colon adenocarcinoma cells (FPCKpP-3) that developed from nontumorigenic human colonic adenoma cells (FPCK-1-1) and were converted to tumorigenic by foreign-body-induced chronic inflammation in nude mice. Fascin overexpression was also observed in the tumors arising from rat intestinal epithelial cells (IEC 6) converted to tumorigenic in chronic inflammation which was induced in the same manner. Upregulation of fascin expression in FPCK-1-1 cells by transfection with sense fascin cDNA converted the cells tumorigenic, whereas antisense fascin-cDNA-transfected FPCKpP-3 cells reduced fascin expression and lost their tumor-forming ability in vivo. The tumorigenic potential by fascin expression was consistent with their ability to survive and grow in the three-dimensional multicellular spheroids. We found that resistance to anoikis (apoptotic cell death as a consequence of insufficient cell-to-substrate interactions), which is represented by the three-dimensional growth of solid tumors in vivo, was regulated by fascin expression through caspase-dependent apoptotic signals. From these, we demonstrate that fascin is a potent suppressor to caspase-associated anoikis and accelerator of the conversion of colonic adenoma cells into adenocarcinoma cells by chronic inflammation.

Essential genes in thyroid cancers: focus on fascin

Although thyroid cancers are not among common malignancies, they rank as the first prevalent endocrine cancers in human. According to the results of published studies it has been shown the gradual progress from normal to the neoplastic cell in the process of tumor formation is the result of sequential genetic events. Among them we may point the mutations and rearrangements occurred in a group of proto-oncogenes, transcription factors and metastasis elements such as P53, RAS,RET,BRAF, PPARγ and Fascin. In the present article,we reviewed the most important essential genes in thyroid cancers, the role of epithelial mesenchymal transition and Fascin has been highlighted in this paper.

MicroRNAs networks in thyroid cancers: focus on miRNAs related to the fascin

miRNAs are non coding ribonucleic acids which are protected with respect to evolution, and have a length of 18–25 nucleotides. microRNAs control the gene expression after transcription, through mRNA destruction or translation processing, and therefore participate in arrangement of the physiologic and pathologic cellular processes; They also may act as oncogene or tumor suppressors. Altered expression of a number of microRNAs is reported in process of progression and metastasis of thyroid cancers. Therefore, identification of these microRNAs may shed a light to oncogenesis pathway of thyroid cancers and their metastasis. In addition, microRNAs might apply as potential biological markers in diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancers. The changes made in miRNAs profile of thyroid cancers are reviewed in this paper.

Specificity protein 1 regulates fascin expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma as the result of the epidermal growth factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway activation

The overexpression of fascin in human carcinomas is associated with aggressive clinical phenotypes and poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the increased expression of fascin in cancer cells is largely unknown. Here, we identified a Sp1 binding element located at -70 to -60 nts of the FSCN1 promoter and validated that Sp1 specifically bound to this element in esophageal carcinoma cells. Fascin expression was enhanced by Sp1 overexpression and blocked by Sp1 RNAi knockdown. Specific inhibition of ERK1/2 decreased phosphorylation levels of Sp1, and thus suppressed the transcription of the FSCN1, resulting in the down-regulation of fascin. Stimulation with EGF could enhance fascin expression via activating the ERK1/2 pathway and increasing phosphorylation levels of Sp1. These data suggest that FSCN1 transcription may be subjected to the regulation of the EGF/EGFR signaling pathway and can be used as a viable biomarker to predict the efficacy of EGFR inhibitors in cancer therapies.

Phosphorylation of fascin decreases the risk of poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Phosphorylation of fascin at serine 39 (phospho-S39-fascin) could inhibit its actin-binding and actin-bundling activities and decrease filopodia formation. However, the relationship between phospho-S39-fascin expression and clinicopathological parameters in tumors is still unknown. Here, Western blot analysis and IHC applied to tissue microarray technology were performed to examine the expression status of non-phosphorylated fascin (fascin) and phospho-S39-fascin and their impacts on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Fascin and phospho-S39-fascin expressions were tested by cytoplasmic staining. Among the 254 patients, 90 cases showed high expression of fascin and 87 cases showed high expression of phospho-S39-fascin. Survival analysis showed that high expression of fascin was significantly associated with a poor prognosis of the patients with ESCC (p=0.004). In contrast, high expression of phospho-S39-fascin correlated significantly with an improved outcome of patients (p=0.020). Multivariate analysis showed that both fascin and phospho-S39-fascin were independent prognostic factors. In a combined analysis, the patients with high expression of fascin and low expression of phospho-S39-fascin tumors had a shorter overall survival than those with high expression of both fascin and phospho-S39-fascin tumors (5-year overall survival rate: 28.7% vs 48.3%, p=0.068). Our results suggest that high expression of fascin correlates with poor outcome and that high expression of phospho-S39-fascin decreases the risk of poor prognosis in ESCC. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org. Please visit this article online to view these materials.

Advances in cellular therapy for the treatment of thyroid cancer

Up to now, there are no curative therapies available for the subset of metastasized undifferentiated/anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. This review describes the possible use of immunocompetent cells which may help to restore the antitumor immune recognition for treating an existing tumor or preventing its recurrence. The most prominent experimental strategy is the use of dendritic cells (DCs) which are highly potent in presenting tumor antigens. Activated DCs subsequently migrate to draining lymph nodes where they present antigens to naïve lymphocytes and induce cytotoxic T cells (CTL). Alternatively to DC therapy, adoptive cell transfer may be performed by either using natural killer cells or ex vivo maturated CTLs. Within this review article we will focus on recent advances in the understanding of anti-tumor immune responses, for example, in thyroid carcinomas including the advances which have been made for the identification of potential tumor antigens in thyroid malignancies.

Significance of fascin expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Fascin is an actin-binding protein which is expressed in the basal areas of healthy squamous epithelium. Although overexpression of fascin has been shown in many tumours, the relationship between fascin and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma has not previously been investigated, to the best of our knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fascin expression and tumour behaviour in 30 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For all lesions, a section of paraffin-embedded tissue was immunohistochemically stained for fascin. The percentage of positive, stained cells was scored from one to five (one = 0-5 per cent, two = 6-25 per cent, three = 26-50 per cent, four = 51-75 per cent and five = 76-100 per cent), and the staining intensity from one to three (one = mild, two = moderate and three = strong). A total immunohistochemical fascin expression score was obtained by multiplying the staining percentage and intensity. The relationship between the total fascin score and each case's age, sex, tumour localisation, tumour-node-metastasis stage and differentiation was evaluated statistically.

RESULTS

Various amounts of fascin expression were observed in all cases. There was a statistically significant relationship between high levels of fascin expression (i.e. a total fascin score of 10 or more) and the cases' tumour stage (p = 0.022), node stage (p = 0.024) and clinical stage (p = 0.014). In addition, worsening tumour differentiation was associated with an increasing fascin score, but this finding was statistically insignificant.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas with high levels of fascin expression may be more aggressive than those with low expression levels. Further studies with larger series are needed to support these results and to clarify rationales.

The chromosomal localization, expression pattern and polymorphism analysis of porcine FSCN1 gene differently expressed from LongSAGE library

Fascin homologue 1 (FSCN1) has established roles in cell adhesion, motility, and cell-cell interactions. Our LongSAGE analysis suggested that FSCN1 was potentially differentially expressed in prenatal pig skeletal muscle. We have cloned the genomic DNA and mRNA sequence of FSCN1 gene and mapped it to SSC3p16-p17. The FSCN1 gene was differently expressed during prenatal skeletal muscle development and exhibited different expression pattern between Tongcheng and Landrace pigs. In Tongcheng pigs, FSCN1 expression was similar at 33 and 65 days post conception (dpc), and then sharply increased to a peak at 90 dpc. In Landrace pigs, however, expression increased between 33 and 65 dpc, peaked at 65 dpc, and was down-regulated thereafter. Significantly different expression levels between Tongcheng and Landrace were observed at 65 and 90 dpc. In postnatal pigs, it was strongly expressed only in the brain, but weakly in skeletal muscle and other tissues. We initially identified 32 SNPs through genomic DNA of FSCN1 gene. Association analysis suggested that the 6840(C/T) mutation was significantly associated with the age at market weight (AGE) (p = 0.0004), average day gain from birth to market (ADG1) (p = 0.0002), and average day gain at testing period (ADG2) (p < 0.0001). Our study suggested that FSCN1 gene plays an in prenatal skeletal muscle development and was a candidate gene for meat production trait.

Fascin over expression is associated with dysplastic changes in sinonasal inverted papillomas: a study of 47 cases

Sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) is a primary benign lesion with a tendency for local recurrence. Malignant transformation may develop in up to 15% of cases. Fascin (Fascin 1) is an actin cross-link binding protein required for the formation of actin-based cell-surface protrusions and cell motility. Fascin up-regulation in lung, gastric, breast and hepatobiliary carcinomas correlates with aggressiveness and decreased survival. Here we evaluate immunohistochemical expression of fascin in 47 sinonasal IPs from 34 patients. Fascin over-expression is significantly more common in sinonasal IP with high-grade dysplasia than in those with no dysplastic or low-grade dysplastic epithelium (P = 0.0001). No significant change in fascin expression is seen with recurrence. Over expression of fascin in high-grade dysplastic epithelium in IP may be associated with tumor progression and malignant transformation.

Fascin regulates prostate cancer cell invasion and is associated with metastasis and biochemical failure in prostate cancer

PURPOSE

Prostate cancer metastasis to secondary organs is considered an initial event in the development of hormone refractory disease and remains the major cause of death among prostate cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the role of fascin, a cytoskeleton actin-bundling protein involved in the formation of filopodia and cell migration, in prostate cancer progression.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Fascin protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 196 patients with localized prostate cancer and across several stages of disease progression, including hormone refractory disease. Cellular changes were also assessed in vitro and in vivo in DU145 prostate cancer cell line using fascin gene silencing.

RESULTS

Fascin epithelial expression was significantly up-regulated in localized and hormone refractory prostate cancer compared with benign prostate tissue (P<0.05). Furthermore, high fascin expression was associated with an increased rate of prostate-specific antigen recurrence following radical prostatectomy (P=0.075), signifying more aggressive clinical course, thus supporting a function for fascin in prostate cancer progression. In cellular models, fascin gene silencing using small interfering RNA in the androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145 decreased cell motility and invasiveness while increasing cell adhesive properties. In addition, fascin small interfering RNA-expressing DU145 cells implanted orthotopically in mouse prostate showed significantly decreased growth (P<0.005) and drastically prevented the formation of lymph node metastases (P<0.001) compared with their matched controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show a function of fascin in the regulation of prostate cancer progression and emphasize the importance of fascin as a prognostic marker for aggressive disease and as a potential therapeutic target for advanced androgen independent disease.