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Tian Y, Gao X, Yang X, Chen S, Ren Y. VEGFA contributes to tumor property of glioblastoma cells by promoting differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:1040. [PMID: 39174921 PMCID: PMC11342494 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12803-8] [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: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant astrocytic tumor and its progression involves the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA). However, the mechanism of VEGFA in regulating GBM progression remains unclear. METHODS VEGFA mRNA expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein expression of VEGFA, cluster of differentiation 9 (CD9), CD81, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was detected by western blotting assay. Flow cytometry assay was conducted to assess cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) differentiation. TUNEL cell apoptosis detection kit was utilized to analyze cell apoptosis of tumors. Angiogenic capacity was investigated by tube formation assay. Transwell assay was used to assess cell migration and invasion. The effect of VEGFA on tumor formation was determined by a xenograft mouse model assay. Immunohistochemistry assay was used to analyze positive expression rate of VEGFA in tumor tissues. TGF-β1 level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS VEGFA expression was upregulated in GBM tissues, GBM cells, and exosomes from GBM patients and GBM cells. VEGFA silencing led to decreased cell proliferation, tube formation, migration and invasion and increased cell apoptosis. Moreover, VEGFA knockdown also delayed tumor formation. VEGFA promoted MDSC differentiation and TGF-β1 secretion by MDSCs by being packaged into exosomes. In addition, TGF-β1 knockdown displayed similar effects with VEGFA silencing on GBM cell phenotypes, and MDSCs attenuated VEGFA knockdown-induced effects by secreting TGF-β1 in A172 and U251 cells. CONCLUSION VEGFA contributed to tumor property of GBM cells by promoting MDSC differentiation and TGF-β1 secretion by MDSCs, providing potential targets for GBM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlong Tian
- Department of Pathology, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry, No. 35 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, 712000, China
| | - Xiao Gao
- Department of Pathology, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry, No. 35 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, 712000, China
| | - Xuechao Yang
- Department of Pathology, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry, No. 35 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, 712000, China.
| | - Shangjun Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry, Xianyang, Shaanxi, 712000, China
| | - Yufeng Ren
- Department of Orthopaedics, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry, Xianyang, Shaanxi, 712000, China
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Schirizzi A, Arshadi A, Tolomeo D, Schirosi L, Valentini AM, De Leonardis G, Refolo MG, Donghia R, Storlazzi CT, Zito A, Ricci AD, Vallarelli S, Ostuni C, Bencivenga M, De Manzoni G, Messa C, Armentano R, Giannelli G, Lotesoriere C, D’Alessandro R. VEGFA Status as a Predictive Marker of Therapy Outcome in Metastatic Gastric Cancer Patients Following Ramucirumab-Based Treatment. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2721. [PMID: 37893095 PMCID: PMC10603940 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102721] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic gastric cancer (mGC) often has a poor prognosis and may benefit from a few targeted therapies. Ramucirumab-based anti-angiogenic therapy targeting the VEGFR2 represents a milestone in the second-line treatment of mGC. Several studies on different cancers are focusing on the major VEGFR2 ligand status, meaning VEGFA gene copy number and protein overexpression, as a prognostic marker and predictor of response to anti-angiogenic therapy. Following this insight, our study aims to examine the role of VEGFA status as a predictive biomarker for the outcome of second-line therapy with Ramucirumab and paclitaxel in mGC patients. To this purpose, the copy number of the VEGFA gene, by fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments, and its expression in tumor tissue as well as the density of micro-vessels, by immunohistochemistry experiments, were assessed in samples derived from mGC patients. This analysis found that amplification of VEGFA concomitantly with VEGFA overexpression and overexpression of VEGFA with micro-vessels density are more represented in patients showing disease control during treatment with Ramucirumab. In addition, in the analyzed series, it was found that amplification was not always associated with overexpression of VEGFA, but overexpression of VEGFA correlates with high micro-vessel density. In conclusion, overexpression of VEGFA could emerge as a potential biomarker to predict the response to anti-angiogenic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Schirizzi
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.S.); (G.D.L.); (C.M.)
| | - Aram Arshadi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.A.); (D.T.); (C.T.S.)
| | - Doron Tolomeo
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.A.); (D.T.); (C.T.S.)
| | - Laura Schirosi
- Pathology Department, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Anna Maria Valentini
- Histopathology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.M.V.); (R.A.)
| | - Giampiero De Leonardis
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.S.); (G.D.L.); (C.M.)
| | - Maria Grazia Refolo
- Clinical Pathology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy;
| | - Rossella Donghia
- Data Science Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy;
| | - Clelia Tiziana Storlazzi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.A.); (D.T.); (C.T.S.)
| | - Alfredo Zito
- Pathology Department, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, 70124 Bari, Italy; (L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Angela Dalia Ricci
- Medical Oncology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.D.R.); (S.V.); (C.O.)
| | - Simona Vallarelli
- Medical Oncology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.D.R.); (S.V.); (C.O.)
| | - Carmela Ostuni
- Medical Oncology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.D.R.); (S.V.); (C.O.)
| | - Maria Bencivenga
- General and Upper GI Surgery Division, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Giovanni De Manzoni
- General and Upper GI Surgery Division, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Caterina Messa
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.S.); (G.D.L.); (C.M.)
| | - Raffaele Armentano
- Histopathology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.M.V.); (R.A.)
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- Scientific Direction, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy;
| | - Claudio Lotesoriere
- Medical Oncology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.D.R.); (S.V.); (C.O.)
| | - Rosalba D’Alessandro
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, IRCCS “S. de Bellis” Research Hospital, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.S.); (G.D.L.); (C.M.)
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Al-Farsi H, Al-Azwani I, Malek JA, Chouchane L, Rafii A, Halabi NM. Discovery of new therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer through identifying significantly non-mutated genes. J Transl Med 2022; 20:244. [PMID: 35619151 PMCID: PMC9134657 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03440-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutated and non-mutated genes interact to drive cancer growth and metastasis. While research has focused on understanding the impact of mutated genes on cancer biology, understanding non-mutated genes that are essential to tumor development could lead to new therapeutic strategies. The recent advent of high-throughput whole genome sequencing being applied to many different samples has made it possible to calculate if genes are significantly non-mutated in a specific cancer patient cohort. METHODS We carried out random mutagenesis simulations of the human genome approximating the regions sequenced in the publicly available Cancer Growth Atlas Project for ovarian cancer (TCGA-OV). Simulated mutations were compared to the observed mutations in the TCGA-OV cohort and genes with the largest deviations from simulation were identified. Pathway analysis was performed on the non-mutated genes to better understand their biological function. We then compared gene expression, methylation and copy number distributions of non-mutated and mutated genes in cell lines and patient data from the TCGA-OV project. To directly test if non-mutated genes can affect cell proliferation, we carried out proof-of-concept RNAi silencing experiments of a panel of nine selected non-mutated genes in three ovarian cancer cell lines and one primary ovarian epithelial cell line. RESULTS We identified a set of genes that were mutated less than expected (non-mutated genes) and mutated more than expected (mutated genes). Pathway analysis revealed that non-mutated genes interact in cancer associated pathways. We found that non-mutated genes are expressed significantly more than mutated genes while also having lower methylation and higher copy number states indicating that they could be functionally important. RNAi silencing of the panel of non-mutated genes resulted in a greater significant reduction of cell viability in the cancer cell lines than in the non-cancer cell line. Finally, as a test case, silencing ANKLE2, a significantly non-mutated gene, affected the morphology, reduced migration, and increased the chemotherapeutic response of SKOV3 cells. CONCLUSION We show that we can identify significantly non-mutated genes in a large ovarian cancer cohort that are well-expressed in patient and cell line data and whose RNAi-induced silencing reduces viability in three ovarian cancer cell lines. Targeting non-mutated genes that are important for tumor growth and metastasis is a promising approach to expand cancer therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joel A Malek
- Genomics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lotfi Chouchane
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Arash Rafii
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Najeeb M Halabi
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
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Kurtulmuş N, Tokat F, Düren M, Kaya H, Ertaş B, İnce Ü. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in follicular cell-derived lesions of the thyroid: Is NIFTP benign or precancerous? Turk J Surg 2022; 38:60-66. [DOI: 10.47717/turkjsurg.2022.5318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic factor that plays an important role in physiological and pathological angiogenesis of the thyroid. The aim of the current study was to determine the expression characteristics of VEGF in follicular cell-derived lesions of the thyroid and to assess whether a new entity noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) is precancerous.
Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed with 33 follicular adenomas (FA), 41 invasive follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer (IN-FVPTC), and 40 NIFTP in surgical resection materials were evaluated retrospectively. Immunostaining was performed on 5-μm paraffin tissue sections. The percentages of immunostaing for VEGF were evaluated on pathological materials. We used a percentage of labeled thyrocytes score (0, no labeling; 1, <30%; 2, 31-60%; 3, >60%) and an intensity score (0, no staining; 1, weak; 2, intermediate; 3, strong). The sum of two scores were accepted as the total score.
Results: Mean ages of the FA, IN-FVPTC, and NIFTP groups were 44.7 ± 11.7 years, 46.9 ± 13.6 years, 43.2 ± 15.4 years, respectively and the mean VEGF immunostaining scores were 44.7 ± 29.3, 50.2 ± 32.54, 4 ± 26.3 respectively. Although there was no statistically significant difference (p= 0.347), the total score of the NIFTPs was higher than the scores of the FA (mean= 3.9 ± 1.8) and IN-FVPTC(mean= 4.3 ± 1.9) groups with a mean value of 4.6 ± 1.7. This result was remarkable. There was no statistically significant difference between tumor diameters and staining percentages (p= 0.750).
Conclusion: Even if there were no statistical differences for VEGF immunostaining, it was high in NIFTPs. Since we know the role of VEGF in tumorigenesis, we can hypothesize that NIPTP can be precancerous. Our argue should be corroborated by a large prospective study.
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Wang X, Li X, Zhang Y, Long X, Zhang H, Xu T, Niu C. Coaxially Bioprinted Cell-Laden Tubular-Like Structure for Studying Glioma Angiogenesis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:761861. [PMID: 34660561 PMCID: PMC8517394 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.761861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas are the most frequently diagnosed and one of the most lethal primary brain tumors, and one of their key features is a dysplastic vascular network. However, because the origin of the tumor blood vessels remains controversial, an optimal preclinical tumor model must be established to elucidate the tumor angiogenesis mechanism, especially the role of tumor cells themselves in angiogenesis. Therefore, shell-glioma cell (U118)-red fluorescent protein (RFP)/core-human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) hydrogel microfibers were coaxially bioprinted. U118–RFP and HUVEC–GFP cells both exhibited good proliferation in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment. The secretability of both vascular endothelial growth factor A and basic fibroblast growth factor was remarkably enhanced when both types of cells were cocultured in 3D models. Moreover, U118 cells promoted the vascularization of the surrounding HUVECs by secreting vascular growth factors. More importantly, U118–HUVEC-fused cells were found in U118–RFP/HUVEC–GFP hydrogel microfibers. Most importantly, our results indicated that U118 cells can not only recruit the blood vessels of the surrounding host but also directly transdifferentiate into or fuse with endothelial cells to participate in tumor angiogenesis in vivo. The coaxially bioprinted U118–RFP/HUVEC–GFP hydrogel microfiber is a model suitable for mimicking the glioma microenvironment and for investigating tumor angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanzhi Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xinda Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoyan Long
- East China Institute of Digital Medical Engineering, Shangrao, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- East China Institute of Digital Medical Engineering, Shangrao, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Department of Precision Medicine and Healthcare, Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chaoshi Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Zhu F, Zheng J, Xu F, Xi Y, Chen J, Xu X. Resveratrol Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Acute Ulcerative Colitis in Mice by Mediating PI3K/Akt/VEGFA Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:693982. [PMID: 34497510 PMCID: PMC8419259 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.693982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the colon, and its incidence is on the rise worldwide. Resveratrol (RSV), a polyphenolic compound, was recently indicated to exert anti-inflammatory effects on UC. Consequently, the current study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of RSV on alleviating UC in mice by mediating intestinal microflora homeostasis. First, potential targets that RSV may regulate UC were screened using the TCMSP database. Next, mice were treated differently, specifically subjected to sham-operation and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induction, and then treated or untreated with RSV. Disease Activity Index (DAI) and Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining were employed to analyze the pathological changes of mice colon. In addition, the expression patterns of inflammatory factors in spleen tissues were detected using ELISA, while the protein expression patterns of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in colon tissues were determined by means of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot analysis. Moreover, changes in intestinal flora and metabolite diversity in UC were analyzed by metabonomics. It was found that RSV played inhibitory roles in the PI3K/Akt pathway in mice. Meanwhile, the administration of RSV induced downregulated the expressions of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-4. The six floras of Haemophilus and Veillonella were significantly enriched in UC, while Clostridium, Roseburia, Akkermansia, and Parabacteroides were found to be enriched in control samples. Lastly, it was noted that Akkermansia could regulate the intestinal flora structure of UC mice through triacylglycerol biosynthesis, glycerol phosphate shuttle, cardiolipin biosynthesis, and other metabolic pathways to improve UC in mice. Altogether, our findings indicate that RSV suppressed the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and reduced the VEGFA gene expression to alleviate UC in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First People's Hospital of Yongkang Affiliated to Hangzhou Medical College, Jinhua, China
| | - Jujia Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fang Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First People's Hospital of Yongkang Affiliated to Hangzhou Medical College, Jinhua, China
| | - Yiyuan Xi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Yongkang Affiliated to Hangzhou Medical College, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiangwei Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Yongkang Affiliated to Hangzhou Medical College, Jinhua, China
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Li Y, Luo Q, Li Z, Wang Y, Zhu C, Li T, Li X. Long Non-coding RNA IRAIN Inhibits VEGFA Expression via Enhancing Its DNA Methylation Leading to Tumor Suppression in Renal Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1082. [PMID: 32983957 PMCID: PMC7492562 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims: Long non-coding RNA IRAIN (lncRNA IRAIN) plays a critical role in numerous malignancies. However, the function of lncRNA IRAIN in renal carcinoma (RC) remains enigmatic. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effects of lncRNA IRAIN on RC progression. Methods: The expression pattern of lncRNA IRAIN and the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in RC tissues and cells was characterized by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis. The roles of lncRNA IRAIN and VEGFA in the progression of RC were studied by gain- or loss-of-function experiments. Bioinformatics data analysis was used to predict CpG islands in the VEGFA promoter region. MSP was applied to detect the level of DNA methylation in RC cells. The interaction between lncRNA IRAIN and VEGFA was identified by RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA-protein pull down assays. Recruitment of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt) to the VEGFA promoter region was achieved by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The subcellular localization of lncRNA IRAIN was detected by fractionation of nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA. Cell viability was investigated by CCK-8 assay, cell migration was tested by transwell migration assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related and apoptotic factors was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Finally, the effect of the lncRNA IRAIN/VEGFA axis was confirmed in an in vivo tumor xenograft model. Results: LncRNA IRAIN was poorly expressed in RC tissues and cells with a primary localization in the nucleus, while VEGFA was highly expressed. Overexpression of lncRNA IRAIN or knockdown of VEGFA inhibited cell proliferation and migration and induced the apoptosis of RC cells. Bioinformatics analysis indicated the presence of CpG islands in the VEGFA promoter region. Lack of methylation at specific sites in the VEGFA promoter region was detected through MSP assay. We found that lncRNA IRAIN was able to inhibit VEGFA expression through recruitment of Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b to the VEGFA promoter region. LncRNA IRAIN was also able to suppress RC tumor growth via repression of VEGFA in an in vivo mouse xenograft model. Conclusion: Our data shows that by downregulating VEGFA expression in RC, the lncRNA IRAIN has tumor-suppressive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Qingyang Luo
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Zun Li
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Chaoyang Zhu
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Tieqiang Li
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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Zhang S, Yue W, Xie Y, Liu L, Li S, Dang W, Xin S, Yang L, Zhai X, Cao P, Lu J. The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Oncol Rep 2019; 42:1767-1780. [PMID: 31545473 PMCID: PMC6787970 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that predict the prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis. First, the original microarray dataset GSE32960, including 312 nasopharyngeal carcinomas and 18 normal samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. In addition, 46 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were screened. Then, four miRNAs, including hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-150, hsa-miR-29b, and hsa-miR-29c, were obtained as prognostic markers by combining univariate Cox regression analysis with weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Subsequently, the risk score of 312 NPC patients from the signature of miRNAs was calculated, and patients were divided into high-risk or low-risk groups. Notably, compared with patients with low-risk scores, high-risk groups had shorter disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis indicated that the risk score was a very effective prognostic factor. Moreover, the Search Tool for the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), Cytoscape, starBase, and Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (STRING) were used to establish the miRNA-mRNA correlation network and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. In addition, the shared genes superimposing 888 protein-coding genes targeted by four hub miRNAs and 1,601 upregulated differentially expressed mRNAs accounted for 127 and were used for subsequent gene functional enrichment analysis. In particular, biological pathway analysis indicated that these genes mainly participate in some vital pathways related to cancer pathogenesis, such as the focal adhesion, PI3K/Akt, p53, and mTOR signalling pathways. In summary, the identification of NPC patients with a four-miRNA signature may increase the prognostic value and provide reference information for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Wenxing Yue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Yan Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Lingzhi Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Shen Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Wei Dang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Shuyu Xin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Li Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Xingyu Zhai
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Pengfei Cao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
| | - Jianhong Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410080, P.R. China
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Governa V, Brittoli A, Mele V, Pinamonti M, Terracciano L, Muenst S, Iezzi G, Spagnoli GC, Zajac P, Trella E. A replication-incompetent CD154/40L recombinant vaccinia virus induces direct and macrophage-mediated antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. Oncoimmunology 2019; 8:e1568162. [PMID: 31069131 PMCID: PMC6492963 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2019.1568162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
CD40 triggering may result in antitumor effects of potentially high clinical relevance. To gain insights important for patient selection and to identify adequate targeting techniques, we investigated CD40 expression in human cancer tissues and generated a replication-incompetent recombinant vaccinia virus expressing CD40 ligand (rVV40L). Its effects were explored in vitro and in vivo upon direct CD40 targeting on malignant cells or macrophage activation. CD40 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in tumor and stromal cells in a multi-tumor array including 836 specimens from 27 different tumor types. Established tumor cell lines were used to explore the capacity of rVV40L to induce malignant cell apoptosis and modulate functional profiles of polarized macrophages. CD40 expression was detectable in significantly higher numbers of stromal as compared to malignant cells in lung and breast cancers. CD40 ligation following rVV40L infection induced apoptosis in CD40(+) cancer cells, but only in the presence of intact specific signal transduction chain. Importantly, rVV40L infection promoted the induction of TNF-α-dependent antitumor activity of M1-like macrophages directed against CD40(-) targets. CD40-activated M1-like macrophages also displayed enhanced ability to CXCL10-dependently recruit CD8+ T cells and to efficiently present cancer cell intracellular antigens through cross-priming. Moreover, rVV-driven CD40L expression partially “re-educated” M2-like macrophages, as suggested by detectable CXCL10 and IL-12 production. Most importantly, we observed that intra-tumoral injection of rVV40L-infected human macrophages inhibits progression of human CD40(-) tumors in vivo. First evidences of anticancer activity of rVV40L strongly encourage further evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Governa
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alvaro Brittoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Valentina Mele
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Pinamonti
- Unit of Pathology, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Luigi Terracciano
- Institute of Pathology, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simone Muenst
- Institute of Pathology, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giandomenica Iezzi
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Surgery, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale and Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Giulio Cesare Spagnoli
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute of Translational Pharmacology, Rome, Italy
| | - Paul Zajac
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Emanuele Trella
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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10
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Federer-Gsponer JR, Quintavalle C, Müller DC, Dietsche T, Perrina V, Lorber T, Juskevicius D, Lenkiewicz E, Zellweger T, Gasser T, Barrett MT, Rentsch CA, Bubendorf L, Ruiz C. Delineation of human prostate cancer evolution identifies chromothripsis as a polyclonal event and FKBP4 as a potential driver of castration resistance. J Pathol 2018; 245:74-84. [PMID: 29484655 DOI: 10.1002/path.5052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and genomic events leading to castration-resistant (CR) prostate cancer (PC) is key to improve the outcome of this otherwise deadly disease. Here, we delineated the tumour history of seven patients progressing to castration resistance by analysing matched prostate cancer tissues before and after castration. We performed genomic profiling of DNA content-based flow-sorted populations in order to define the different evolutionary patterns. In one patient, we discovered that a catastrophic genomic event, known as chromothripsis, resulted in multiple CRPC tumour populations with distinct, potentially advantageous copy number aberrations, including an amplification of FK506 binding protein 4 (FKBP4, also known as FKBP52), a protein enhancing the transcriptional activity of androgen receptor signalling. Analysis of FKBP4 protein expression in more than 500 prostate cancer samples revealed increased expression in CRPC in comparison to hormone-naïve (HN) PC. Moreover, elevated FKBP4 expression was associated with poor survival of patients with HNPC. We propose FKBP4 amplification and overexpression as a selective advantage in the process of tumour evolution and as a potential mechanism associated with the development of CRPC. Furthermore, FKBP4 interaction with androgen receptor may provide a potential therapeutic target in PC. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Quintavalle
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - David C Müller
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Urology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Dietsche
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Perrina
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lorber
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Darius Juskevicius
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Thomas Gasser
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael T Barrett
- Department of Research, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
| | - Cyrill A Rentsch
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Bubendorf
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Ruiz
- Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
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11
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Liu R, Ning L, Liu X, Zhang H, Yu Y, Zhang S, Rao W, Shi J, Sun H, Yu Q. Association between single nucleotide variants of vascular endothelial growth factor A and the risk of thyroid carcinoma and nodular goiter in a Han Chinese population. Oncotarget 2017; 8:15838-15845. [PMID: 28178662 PMCID: PMC5362527 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic variants in the vascular endothelial growth factor A gene (VEGFA) were risk factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) or nodular goiter (NG) in Han Chinese. A total of 2,319 subjects (861 PTC patients, 562 NG patients, and 896 healthy controls) were included. Five tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs: rs3024997, rs3025040, rs833070, rs25648, and rs10434) in VEGFA were genotyped. SNP rs3025040 T allele was associated with a decreased risk of NG (P<0.05). SNP rs3024997 was associated with an increased risk of PTC (P<0.05) and NG (P<0.001) when an over-dominant model (AA+GG vs. AG) was considered. PTC patients carry the less frequent TT genotype (compared to the CC genotype) (P <0.05) of SNP rs3025040. Likewise, NG patients have the less frequent TC genotype compared to the CC (P <0.05). No significant association of SNPs rs833070, rs25648, and rs10434 with PTC or NG was observed. Haplotypes AT (rs3024997 and rs3025040) and GTA (rs10434, rs3025040, and rs3024997) showed a lower risk for NG (P <0.01 and P <0.05, respectively), while haplotypes GTT (rs833070, rs3025040, and rs3024997) and GGGT (rs833070, rs10434, rs3024997, and rs3025040) predicted the risk of progression to NG (both P <0.05). Haplotype AGAC (rs833070, rs10434, rs3024997, and rs3025040) conferred protection for PTC (P <0.05). In summary, this study indicated for the first time that SNPs rs3024997 and rs3025040 in VEGFA were significantly associated with PTC and/or NG. Haplotypes of the VEGFA may influence the risk of PTC and NG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Lifeng Ning
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.,National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Huiping Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Yaqin Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Shangchao Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Wenwang Rao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Jieping Shi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Qiong Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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12
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Abstract
Gastric cancer is the fifth most incident and the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is the major risk factor for this disease. Gastric cancer is the final outcome of a cascade of events that takes decades to occur and results from the accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. These changes are crucial for tumor cells to expedite and sustain the array of pathways involved in the cancer development, such as cell cycle, DNA repair, metabolism, cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and immune surveillance. Comprehensive molecular analyses of gastric cancer have disclosed the complex heterogeneity of this disease. In particular, these analyses have confirmed that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric cancer is a distinct entity. The identification of gastric cancer subtypes characterized by recognizable molecular profiles may pave the way for a more personalized clinical management and to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for screening, prognosis, prediction of response to treatment, and monitoring of gastric cancer progression.
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13
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Abstract
Antiangiogenesis therapy is one of only 2 biologically targeted approaches shown to improve overall survival over standard of care in advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). Therapeutic targeting of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 improves overall survival in patients with previously treated advanced gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma. No antiangiogenesis therapy has demonstrated an overall survival benefit in patients with chemo-naïve or resectable esophagogastric cancer or in patients whose tumors arise from the esophagus. Promising ongoing clinical investigations include the combination of antiangiogenesis therapy with immune checkpoint inhibition and anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Jin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Harry H Yoon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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14
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Figueiredo C, Camargo MC, Leite M, Fuentes-Pananá EM, Rabkin CS, Machado JC. Pathogenesis of Gastric Cancer: Genetics and Molecular Classification. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2017. [PMID: 28124158 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-50520-6_12.erratum.in:currtopmicrobiolimmunol.2017;400:e1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is the fifth most incident and the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is the major risk factor for this disease. Gastric cancer is the final outcome of a cascade of events that takes decades to occur and results from the accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. These changes are crucial for tumor cells to expedite and sustain the array of pathways involved in the cancer development, such as cell cycle, DNA repair, metabolism, cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and immune surveillance. Comprehensive molecular analyses of gastric cancer have disclosed the complex heterogeneity of this disease. In particular, these analyses have confirmed that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric cancer is a distinct entity. The identification of gastric cancer subtypes characterized by recognizable molecular profiles may pave the way for a more personalized clinical management and to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for screening, prognosis, prediction of response to treatment, and monitoring of gastric cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceu Figueiredo
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - M C Camargo
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, ML, USA
| | - Marina Leite
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ezequiel M Fuentes-Pananá
- Research Unit of Cancer and Virology, Children's Hospital of Mexico "Federico Gomez", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Charles S Rabkin
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, ML, USA
| | - José C Machado
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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15
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miR-1 Inhibits Cell Growth, Migration, and Invasion by Targeting VEGFA in Osteosarcoma Cells. DISEASE MARKERS 2016; 2016:7068986. [PMID: 27777493 PMCID: PMC5061932 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7068986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs and have been shown to play a crucial role in the osteosarcoma (OS) tumorigenesis and progression. VEGFA is a key regulator of angiogenesis and plays an important role in regulation of tumor metastasis. The objective of this study was to determine whether VEGFA was involved in miR-1-mediated suppression of proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells. The expression levels of miR-1 were significantly lower in OS tumor tissues than those in adjacent normal tissues and in SAOS-2 and U2OS cell lines compared to a normal osteoblast (NHOst) cell line. VEGFA was upregulated in OS tumor tissues and SAOS-2 and U2OS cell lines. The results of CCK-8 assay and transwell assay showed that miR-1 acted as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in U2OS cells. Dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that VEGFA was a direct and functional target gene of miR-1. miR-1 directly inhibits the protein expression of VEGFA via its 3'-UTR. Knockdown of VEGFA by siRNA inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of U2OS cells. Our study suggested the potential inhibitory function of miR-1 in OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via inhibiting VEGFA.
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16
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Fahmy K, Gonzalez A, Arafa M, Peixoto P, Bellahcène A, Turtoi A, Delvenne P, Thiry M, Castronovo V, Peulen O. Myoferlin plays a key role in VEGFA secretion and impacts tumor-associated angiogenesis in human pancreas cancer. Int J Cancer 2015; 138:652-63. [PMID: 26311411 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.29820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most deadly forms of cancers with no satisfactory treatment to date. Recent studies have identified myoferlin, a ferlin family member, in human pancreas adenocarcinoma where its expression was associated to a bad prognosis. However, the function of myoferlin in pancreas adenocarcinoma has not been reported. In other cell types, myoferlin is involved in several key plasma membrane processes such as fusion, repair, endocytosis and tyrosine kinase receptor activity. In this study, we showed that myoferlin silencing in BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer cells resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation in vitro and in a significant reduction of the tumor volume in chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. In addition to be smaller, the tumors formed by the myoferlin-silenced cells showed a marked absence of functional blood vessels. We further demonstrated that this effect was due, at least in part, to an inhibition of VEGFA secretion by BxPC-3 myoferlin-silenced cells. Using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, we linked the decreased VEGFA secretion to an impairment of VEGFA exocytosis. The clinical relevance of our results was further strengthened by a significant correlation between myoferlin expression in a series of human pancreatic malignant lesions and their angiogenic status evaluated by the determination of the blood vessel density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Fahmy
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Gonzalez
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mohammad Arafa
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Paul Peixoto
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Akeila Bellahcène
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Andrei Turtoi
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Philippe Delvenne
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Marc Thiry
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, GIGA-R, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Vincent Castronovo
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Olivier Peulen
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
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17
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Calvetti L, Pilotto S, Carbognin L, Ferrara R, Caccese M, Tortora G, Bria E. The coming of ramucirumab in the landscape of anti-angiogenic drugs: potential clinical and translational perspectives. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2015; 15:1359-70. [PMID: 26190526 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2015.1071350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of tumors and it represents a crucial target for therapeutic strategies. Until now, regulatory agencies approved antiangiogenic agents targeting the VEGF and multi-target agents carrying antiangiogenic and anti-proliferative effects. They often provide only a modest survival benefit and their role in clinical practice is debated. The limited efficacy may be partially explained by the complexity of the molecular background of angiogenic processes, composed of several pathways interacting with both tumor cells and the microenvironment. AREAS COVERED Ramucirumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody selectively binding and inhibiting the VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), a crucial molecule involved in angiogenesis. A series of Phase I-II trials conducted in a wide spectrum of malignancies reported promising antitumor activity. In 2014, data from large Phase III clinical trials in gastrointestinal, lung and breast malignancies were released. EXPERT OPINION Considering the evidences of efficacy emerging from the available Phase III trials, the antiangiogenic approach emerged as a promising strategy particularly for the treatment of gastric cancer. Nevertheless, the identification and validation of potentially predictive biomarkers are necessary to improve the selection of patients and the globally awaited clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Calvetti
- University of Verona, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Medical Oncology , P.le L.A. Scuro 10, 37124 Verona , Italy
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18
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Horwitz E, Stein I, Ben-Neriah Y, Pikarsky E. Animal model studies indicate a candidate biomarker for sorafenib treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Cell Oncol 2015; 2:e968028. [PMID: 27308384 DOI: 10.4161/23723548.2014.968028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Revised: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to common genomic amplifications that support cancer cell growth by rewiring intracellular signaling, VEGFA amplification drives tumor cell proliferation via the tumor microenvironment. VEGFA amplification is present in a subset of mouse and human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) that appear to be particularly sensitive to sorafenib treatment, indicating its potential value as a biomarker for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elad Horwitz
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology; IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School ; Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ilan Stein
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology; IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School; Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Pathology; Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center; Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yinon Ben-Neriah
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology; IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School ; Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eli Pikarsky
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology; IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School; Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Pathology; Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center; Jerusalem, Israel
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