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Lu F, Ott C, Bista P, Lu X. Three-Dimensional Structure of Novel Liver Cancer Biomarker Liver Cancer-Specific Serine Protease Inhibitor Kazal (LC-SPIK) and Its Performance in Clinical Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:725. [PMID: 38611638 PMCID: PMC11011646 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14070725] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
LC-SPIK is a liver cancer-specific isoform of Serine Protease Inhibitor Kazal and has been proposed as a new biomarker for the detection of HCC given its unique 3D structure, which differs from normal pancreatic SPIK. An ELISA technology based on its unique structure was developed to use LC-SPIK as an effective biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of HCC. AFP, the most widely used biomarker for HCC surveillance currently, suffers from poor clinical performance, especially in the detection of early-stage HCC. In one case-control study, which included 164 HCC patients and 324 controls, LC-SPIK had an AUC of 0.87 compared to only 0.70 for AFP in distinguishing HCC from liver disease controls (cirrhosis, HBV/HCV). LC-SPIK also performed significantly better than AFP for the 81 patients with early-stage HCC (BCLC stage 0 and A), with an AUC of 0.85 compared to only 0.61 for AFP. Cirrhosis is the major risk factor for HCC; about 80% of patients with newly diagnosed HCC have preexisting cirrhosis. LC-SPIK's clinical performance was also studied in HCC patients with viral and non-viral cirrhosis, including cirrhosis caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). In a total of 163 viral cirrhosis patients with 93 HCC patients (50 early-stage), LC-SPIK had an AUC of 0.85, while AFP had an AUC of 0.70. For patients with early-stage HCC, LC-SPIK had a similar AUC of 0.83, while AFP had an AUC of only 0.60. For 120 patients with nonviral cirrhosis, including 62 HCC (23 early-stage) patients, LC-SPIK had an AUC of 0.84, while AFP had an AUC of only 0.72. For the 23 patients with early-stage HCC, LC-SPIK had a similar AUC of 0.83, while the AUC for AFP decreased to 0.65. All these results suggest that LC-SPIK exhibits significantly better performance in the detection of HCC than AFP in all etiologies of liver diseases. In addition, LC-SPIK accurately detected the presence of HCC in 71-91% of HCC patients with false-negative AFP test results in viral-associated HCC and non-viral-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xuanyong Lu
- ImCare Biotech, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA; (F.L.); (C.O.); (P.B.)
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Chen YT, Tseng TT, Tsai HP, Kuo SH, Huang MY, Wang JY, Chai CY. Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) promotes proliferation, migration, invasion and radiation resistance in rectal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a potential target for precision medicine. Hum Cell 2022; 35:1912-1927. [PMID: 36053457 PMCID: PMC9515043 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-022-00776-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type-1 (SPINK1), a trypsin kinase inhibitor, is known to be associated with inflammation and pathogenesis. The aim in this study was to demonstrate the clinicopathological role and progression of SPINK1 in rectal cancer (RC) patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Immunohistochemical staining for SPINK1 protein expression in 111 RC cases revealed high SPINK1 expression was significantly associated with perineural invasion and poor CCRT response in pre-CCRT specimens. In addition, multivariable analyses showed that pre-CCRT SPINK1 expression was a significant prognostic marker of both overall and disease-free survival in RC patients receiving pre-operative CCRT; furthermore, in vitro studies demonstrated SPINK1 interacted with EGFR to promote the abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion attenuated by SPINK1 si-RNA via ERK, p38, and JNK pathways. SPINK1 was also found to regulate radio-resistance in CRC cell lines. In conclusion, SPINK1 expression is an independent prognostic marker in patients receiving pre-operative CCRT, and SPINK1 regulates proliferation, migration and invasion via EGFR-downstream ERK, p38 and JNK pathways. The phenotypes of radiosensitivity that could be reversed with attenuation of SPINK1 levels suggest that targeting SPINK1 might offer a strategy for optimal precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Chen
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ting Tseng
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Pei Tsai
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsun Kuo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yii Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jaw-Yuan Wang
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chee-Yin Chai
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Jicman Stan D, Niculet E, Lungu M, Onisor C, Rebegea L, Bobeica C, Elisei AM, Anghel L, Tatu AL. Rare case of metachronous tumor: Nasopharyngeal and colorectal carcinoma. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1417. [PMID: 34707699 PMCID: PMC8543177 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10852] [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: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The study presents an unusual case of a patient with a personal history of a rectal malignant tumor in 2013, who after a period of 6 years, was diagnosed with an advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, locally and regionally invasive. It is possible that the colorectal malignant tumor affected the development of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or the other way around, depending on the presence of genetic instabilities. These two types of malignant tumors share a series of genes that can influence their progression, i.e., SPINK-6 and Bcl-2. The particularity of this case stems from the development of a metachronous tumor, a rectal adenocarcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, two malignant tumors with different patient prognosis and disease progression. Research needs to be continued on the multidisciplinary therapeutic management of nasopharyngeal cancer and the ways of identifying this cancer type in its early stages, considering that most patients come from a rural environment, have poor medical education, a number of comorbidities, and who frequently ignore the signs, symptoms and sometimes the treatment offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Jicman Stan
- Department of Otorhinolaringology, 'Sfantul Apostol Andrei' Emergency Clinical Hospital, 800578 Galati, Romania.,Biomedical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Elena Niculet
- Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati, 800010 Galati, Romania.,Department of Pathology, 'Sfantul Apostol Andrei' Emergency Clinical Hospital, 800578 Galati, Romania
| | - Mihaela Lungu
- Department of Neurology, 'Sfantul Apostol Andrei' Emergency Clinical Hospital, 800578 Galati, Romania.,Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Cristian Onisor
- Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Laura Rebegea
- Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Carmen Bobeica
- Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Alina Mihaela Elisei
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit/Competitive, Interdisciplinary Research Integrated Platform 'Dunărea de Jos', ReForm-UDJG, 800010 Galati, Romania.,Research Centre in The Field of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 'Dunărea de Jos' University of Galați, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Lucretia Anghel
- Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University, 800010 Galati, Romania
| | - Alin Laurentiu Tatu
- Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 'Dunarea de Jos' University, 800010 Galati, Romania.,Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit/Competitive, Interdisciplinary Research Integrated Platform 'Dunărea de Jos', ReForm-UDJG, 800010 Galati, Romania.,Department of Dermatology, 'Sfanta Cuvioasa Parascheva' Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, 800179 Galati, Romania
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Wang F, Liu H, Bai Y, Li H, Wang Z, Xu X. Performance of SPINK1 and SPINK1-based diagnostic model in detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e24025. [PMID: 34569662 PMCID: PMC8605149 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify the SPINK1 or SPINK1-based model as a more reliable biomarker for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Serum samples and related laboratory parameters were collected from 540 subjects (119 healthy donors, 113 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 122 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 186 patients with HCC). SPINK1 was determined by ELISA assay. Differences in each variable were compared by one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis was conducted to compare the diagnostic efficiency of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), SPINK1, and a SPINK1-based combine model constructed by binary Logistic regression. RESULTS In detecting HCC using the other three groups as control, ROC curve analysis revealed that SPINK1 alone reached AUC of 0.899 (0.866-0.933), with the sensitivity of 0.812 of and specificity of 0.953. The combined model increased the AUC to 0.945 (0.926-0.964) with the sensitivity and specificity of 0.860 and 0.910, respectively. For AFP, significantly lower AUC (p < 0.0001) was shown, which was 0.695 (0.645-0.745) with the sensitivity and specificity of 0.634 and 0.718, respectively. In discriminating HCC from liver disease control, AUC of SPINK1 was 0.863(0.826-0.894), the sensitivity and specificity were 0.823 and 0.906, respectively. For combined model, the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.915 (0.884-0.940), 0.863, and 0.916, respectively. For detecting early-stage HCC, SPINK1 and combined model achieved the sensitivity of 0.788 and 0.818, respectively, much higher than AFP of 0.485 (p < 0.05); however, the difference between SPINK1 and combined model was not statistically significant (p = 1). CONCLUSION We provided solid evidence for SPINK1 as a robust serological tool for HCC diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Biobank, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Youxi Bai
- Health Management Institute, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhonglin Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Waqar W, Asghar S, Manzoor S. Platelets' RNA as biomarker trove for differentiation of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma from underlying cirrhotic nodules. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256739. [PMID: 34469466 PMCID: PMC8409664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Among the multiplicity of factors involved in rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-the second deadliest cancer, late diagnosis of early-stage HCC nodules originating from late-stage cirrhotic nodules is the most crucial. In recent years, Tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) have emerged as a strong multimodal tool to be used in liquid-biopsy of cancers because of changes in their mRNA content. This study assessed the reliability of selected mRNA repertoire of platelets as biomarkers to differentiate early HCC from late-stage cirrhotic nodules. METHODS Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate expression levels of selected platelets-specific mRNA between HCC patients compared to cirrhosis patients. ROC curve analysis assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers. RESULTS RhoA, CTNNB1 and SPINK1 showed a significant 3.3-, 3.2- and 3.18-folds upregulation, respectively, in HCC patients compared to cirrhosis patients while IFITM3 and SERPIND1 presented a 2.24-fold change. Strikingly, CD41+ platelets also demonstrated a marked difference of expression in HCC and cirrhosis groups. CONCLUSIONS Our study reports liquid biopsy-based platelets mRNA signature for early diagnosis of HCC from underlying cirrhotic nodules. Moreover, differential expression of CD41+ platelets in two groups provides new insights into a probable link between CD41 expression on platelets with the progression of cirrhosis to HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Blood Platelets/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/blood
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Case-Control Studies
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Healthy Volunteers
- Humans
- Liquid Biopsy/methods
- Liver/pathology
- Liver Cirrhosis/blood
- Liver Cirrhosis/diagnosis
- Liver Cirrhosis/genetics
- Liver Cirrhosis/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/blood
- Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Reproducibility of Results
- Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic/genetics
- beta Catenin/genetics
- rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Walifa Waqar
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sidra Asghar
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sobia Manzoor
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
- * E-mail: ,
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Chen TJ, Tian YF, Chou CL, Chan TC, He HL, Li WS, Tsai HH, Li CF, Lai HY. High SPINK4 Expression Predicts Poor Outcomes among Rectal Cancer Patients Receiving CCRT. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:2373-2384. [PMID: 34202399 PMCID: PMC8293060 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol28040218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Background: Patients with rectal cancer can prospectively be favored for neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) to downstage before a radical proctectomy, but the risk stratification and clinical outcomes remain disappointing. Methods: From a published rectal cancer transcriptome dataset (GSE35452), we highlighted extracellular matrix (ECM)-linked genes and identified the serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 4 (SPINK4) gene as the most relevant among the top 10 differentially expressed genes associated with CCRT resistance. We accumulated the cases of 172 rectal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant CCRT followed by surgery and collected tumor specimens for the evaluation of the expression of SPINK4 using immunohistochemistry. Results: The results revealed that high SPINK4 immunoexpression was significantly related to advanced pre-CCRT and post-CCRT tumor status (both p < 0.001), post-CCRT lymph node metastasis (p = 0.001), more vascular and perineurial invasion (p = 0.015 and p = 0.023), and a lower degree of tumor regression (p = 0.001). In univariate analyses, high SPINK4 immunoexpression was remarkably correlated with worse disease-specific survival (DSS) (p < 0.0001), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (p = 0.0017), and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, in multivariate analyses, high SPINK4 immunoexpression remained independently prognostic of inferior DSS and MeFS (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002). Conclusion: These results imply that high SPINK4 expression is associated with advanced clinicopathological features and a poor therapeutic response among rectal cancer patients undergoing CCRT, thus validating the prospective prognostic value of SPINK4 for those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ju Chen
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Feng Tian
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (Y.-F.T.); (C.-L.C.)
| | - Chia-Lin Chou
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (Y.-F.T.); (C.-L.C.)
| | - Ti-Chun Chan
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan;
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Lin He
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Optometry, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Shan Li
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hwa Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan;
| | - Chien-Feng Li
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan;
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Institute of Precision Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (C.-F.L.); (H.-Y.L.)
| | - Hong-Yue Lai
- Department of Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan; (T.-J.C.); (H.-L.H.); (W.-S.L.); (H.-H.T.)
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (C.-F.L.); (H.-Y.L.)
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Targeting an autocrine IL-6-SPINK1 signaling axis to suppress metastatic spread in ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Oncogene 2020; 39:6606-6618. [PMID: 32929152 PMCID: PMC7572712 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01451-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
A major clinical challenge of ovarian cancer is the development of
malignant ascites accompanied by widespread peritoneal metastasis. In ovarian
clear cell carcinoma (OCCC), a challenging subtype of ovarian cancer, this
problem is compounded by near-universal primary chemoresistance; patients with
advanced stage OCCC thus lack effective therapies and face extremely poor
survival rates. Here we show that tumor cell expressed serine protease inhibitor
Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) is a key driver of OCCC progression and metastasis. Using
cell culture models of human OCCC, we find that shRNA silencing of SPINK1
sensitizes tumor cells to anoikis and inhibits proliferation. Knockdown of
SPINK1 in OCCC cells also profoundly suppresses peritoneal metastasis in mouse
implantation models of human OCCC. We next identify a novel autocrine signaling
axis in OCCC cells whereby tumor cell-produced interleukin-6 (IL-6) regulates
SPINK1 expression to stimulate a common protumorigenic gene expression pattern
leading to anoikis resistance and proliferation of OCCC cells. We further
demonstrate that this signaling pathway can be successfully interrupted with the
IL-6Rα inhibitor tocilizumab, sensitizing cells to anoikis in
vitro and reducing metastasis in vivo. These
results suggest that clinical trials of IL-6 pathway inhibitors in OCCC may be
warranted, and that SPINK1 might offer a candidate predictive biomarker in this
population.
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Xu WH, Shi SN, Wang J, Xu Y, Tian X, Wan FN, Cao DL, Qu YY, Zhang HL, Ye DW. The Role of Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal Type 13 (SPINK13) as a Clinicopathological and Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:9458-9470. [PMID: 31825950 PMCID: PMC6926094 DOI: 10.12659/msm.917754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 13 (SPINK13) gene has tumor suppressor activity, but its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate mRNA expression of SPINK13 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) in human tissue and to use bioinformatics data to investigate the role of SPINK13 expression as a clinicopathological and prognostic biomarker for patients with CCRCC. Material/Methods Patients with CCRCC (N=533) with available RNA sequence data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-CCRCC database were analyzed with patients who had a tissue diagnosis of CCRCC (N=305) at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Differential transcriptional and proteome expression profiles were obtained from the ONCOMINE cancer microarray database, TCGA, and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) measured SPINK13 mRNA expression in 305 samples of CCRCC tissue from the FUSCC. The effects of clinicopathological parameters on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. Results Transcriptional and proteome expression of SPINK13 were significantly increased CCRCC tissue samples. Increased SPINK13 mRNA expression was significantly associated with reduced PFS and OS in 838 patients with CCRCC patients from the two independent cohorts, the FUSCC and the TCGA-CCRCC cohorts (p<0.01). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that SPINK13 expression was involved in complement, apical junction, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), glycolysis, hypoxia, and inflammation signaling pathways. Conclusions Increased expression of SPINK13 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with CCRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Xu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Shen-Nan Shi
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Yue Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China (mainland)
| | - Xi Tian
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Fang-Ning Wan
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Da-Long Cao
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Yuan-Yuan Qu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Hai-Liang Zhang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Ding-Wei Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (mainland).,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
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9
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Regulation of the Pancreatic Exocrine Differentiation Program and Morphogenesis by Onecut 1/Hnf6. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 7:841-856. [PMID: 30831323 PMCID: PMC6476890 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The Onecut 1 transcription factor (Oc1, a.k.a. HNF6) promotes differentiation of endocrine and duct cells of the pancreas; however, it has no known role in acinar cell differentiation. We sought to better understand the role of Oc1 in exocrine pancreas development and to identify its direct transcriptional targets. METHODS Pancreata from Oc1Δpanc (Oc1fl/fl;Pdx1-Cre) mouse embryos and neonates were analyzed morphologically. High-throughput RNA-sequencing was performed on control and Oc1-deficient pancreas; chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed on wild-type embryonic mouse pancreata to identify direct Oc1 transcriptional targets. Immunofluorescence labeling was used to confirm the RNA-sequencing /chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing results and to further investigate the effects of Oc1 loss on acinar cells. RESULTS Loss of Oc1 from the developing pancreatic epithelium resulted in disrupted duct and acinar cell development. RNA-sequencing revealed decreased expression of acinar cell regulatory factors (Nr5a2, Ptf1a, Gata4, Mist1) and functional genes (Amylase, Cpa1, Prss1, Spink1) at embryonic day (e) 18.5 in Oc1Δpanc samples. Approximately 1000 of the altered genes were also identified as direct Oc1 targets by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, including most of the previously noted genes. By immunolabeling, we confirmed that Amylase, Mist1, and GATA4 protein levels are significantly decreased by P2, and Spink1 protein levels were significantly reduced and mislocalized. The pancreatic duct regulatory factors Hnf1β and FoxA2 were also identified as direct Oc1 targets. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that Oc1 is an important regulator of both duct and acinar cell development in the embryonic pancreas. Novel transcriptional targets of Oc1 have now been identified and provide clarity into the mechanisms of Oc1 transcriptional regulation in the developing exocrine pancreas. Oc1 can now be included in the gene-regulatory network of acinar cell regulatory genes. Oc1 regulates other acinar cell regulatory factors and acinar cell functional genes directly, and it can also regulate some acinar cell regulatory factors (eg, Mist1) indirectly. Oc1 therefore plays an important role in acinar cell development.
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Zheng LS, Yang JP, Cao Y, Peng LX, Sun R, Xie P, Wang MY, Meng DF, Luo DH, Zou X, Chen MY, Mai HQ, Guo L, Guo X, Shao JY, Huang BJ, Zhang W, Qian CN. SPINK6 Promotes Metastasis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma via Binding and Activation of Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor. Cancer Res 2016; 77:579-589. [PMID: 27671677 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has the highest rate of metastasis among head and neck cancers, and distant metastasis is the major reason for treatment failure. The underlying molecular mechanisms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis are not fully understood. Here, we report the identification of serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 6 (SPINK6) as a functional regulator of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis via EGFR signaling. SPINK6 mRNA was upregulated in tumor and highly metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Immunohistochemical staining of 534 nasopharyngeal carcinomas revealed elevated SPINK6 expression as an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for overall, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival. Ectopic SPINK6 expression promoted in vitro migration and invasion as well as in vivo lymph node metastasis and liver metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, whereas silencing SPINK6 exhibited opposing effects. SPINK6 enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating EGFR and the downstream AKT pathway. Inhibition of EGFR with a neutralizing antibody or erlotinib reversed SPINK6-induced nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell migration and invasion. Erlotinib also inhibited SPINK6-induced metastasis in vivo Notably, SPINK6 bound to the EGFR extracellular domain independent of serine protease-inhibitory activity. Overall, our results identified a novel EGFR-activating mechanism in which SPINK6 has a critical role in promoting nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis, with possible implications as a prognostic indicator in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Cancer Res; 77(2); 579-89. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Sheng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Xia Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Yao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Radiotherapy Department, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Fang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Hua Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming-Yuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Qiang Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Yong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bi-Jun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Department of Cancer Biology, Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Chao-Nan Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. .,Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Chang CF, Yang J, Li XF, Zhao WM, Chen SS, Wang GP, Xu CS. SPINK3: A novel growth factor that promotes rat liver regeneration. Mol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893316030055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Räsänen K, Itkonen O, Koistinen H, Stenman UH. Emerging Roles of SPINK1 in Cancer. Clin Chem 2015; 62:449-57. [PMID: 26656134 DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2015.241513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) was originally isolated from the urine of a patient with ovarian cancer. It was later shown to be produced by many other tumors and several normal tissues. It had earlier been isolated from the pancreas and was hence called pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI). It belongs to a family of protease inhibitors presently called serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type (SPINK). In the SPINK family TATI/PSTI is SPINK1, which is the name used in this review. CONTENT In addition to being a protease inhibitor, SPINK1 also acts as an acute-phase reactant and a growth factor. Furthermore, it has been shown to modulate apoptosis. Overexpression of SPINK1 predicts an unfavorable outcome in several cancers and determination of SPINK1 in serum can be used to identify patients at increased risk of aggressive disease. Thus serum SPINK1 can be used as a prognostic tumor marker. Because SPINK1 acts as a growth factor and an inhibitor of apoptosis in some cancers, it has also been suggested that it can be a therapeutic target in cancer. However, because SPINK1 is the major physiological inhibitor of trypsin, inhibition of SPINK1 may increase the risk of pancreatitis. SUMMARY Taking into account the many functions of SPINK1, assessing the role of SPINK1 in cancer has several potentially important clinical applications ranging from a biomarker to a potential new target for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kati Räsänen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Itkonen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland, Laboratory Division (HUSLAB), Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannu Koistinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulf-Håkan Stenman
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland, Laboratory Division (HUSLAB), Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
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SPINK1 promotes colorectal cancer progression by downregulating Metallothioneins expression. Oncogenesis 2015; 4:e162. [PMID: 26258891 PMCID: PMC4632074 DOI: 10.1038/oncsis.2015.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world, and second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. Although, anti-EGFR therapy is commonly prescribed for CRC, patients harboring mutations in KRAS or BRAF show poor treatment response, indicating an ardent demand for new therapeutic targets discovery. SPINK1 (serine peptidase inhibitor, Kazal type 1) overexpression has been identified in many cancers including the colon, lung, breast and prostate. Our study demonstrates the functional significance of SPINK1 in CRC progression and metastases. Stable knockdown of SPINK1 significantly decreases cell proliferation, invasion and soft agar colony formation in the colon adenocarcinoma WiDr cells. Conversely, an increase in these oncogenic phenotypes was observed on stimulation with SPINK1-enriched conditioned media (CM) in multiple benign models such as murine colonic epithelial cell lines, MSIE and YAMC (SPINK3-negative). Mechanistically, SPINK1 promotes tumorigenic phenotype by activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways, and the SPINK1-positive WiDr cells are sensitive to AKT and MEK inhibitors. Importantly, SPINK1 silencing mediated upregulation of various Metallothionein isoforms, considered as tumor suppressors in CRC, confer sensitivity to doxorubicin, which strengthens the rationale for using the combinatorial treatment approach for the SPINK1-positive CRC patients. Furthermore, in vivo studies using chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay, murine xenograft studies and metastasis models further suggest a pivotal role of SPINK1 in CRC progression and metastasis. Taken together, our study demonstrates an important role for the overexpressed SPINK1 in CRC disease progression, a phenomenon that needs careful evaluation towards effective therapeutic target development.
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Itkonen O, Stenman UH. TATI as a biomarker. Clin Chim Acta 2014; 431:260-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2014.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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15
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Chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases are involved in the maintenance of cell viability. Biochimie 2012; 94:2582-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Lu F, Lamontagne J, Sun A, Pinkerton M, Block T, Lu X. Role of the inflammatory protein serine protease inhibitor Kazal in preventing cytolytic granule granzyme A-mediated apoptosis. Immunology 2012; 134:398-408. [PMID: 22043941 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2011.03498.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine protease inhibitor Kazal (SPIK) is an inflammatory protein whose levels are elevated in numerous cancers. However, the role of this protein in cancer development is unknown. We have recently found that SPIK suppresses serine protease-dependent cell apoptosis. Here, we report that anti-SPIK antibodies can co-immmunoprecipitate serine protease granzyme A (GzmA), a cytolytic granule secreted by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells during immune surveillance, and that SPIK suppresses GzmA-induced cell apoptosis. Deletion studies show that the C3-C4 region of SPIK is critical for this suppression. These studies suggest that over-expression of SPIK may prevent GzmA-mediated immune-killing, thereby establishing the tolerance of cancer cells to the body's immune surveillance system. Suppression of over-expressed SPIK can restore the susceptibility of these cells to apoptotic death triggered by GzmA. This finding implies that it is possible to overcome tolerance of cancer cells to the body's immune surveillance system and restore the GzmA-mediated immune-killing by suppressing the over-expression of SPIK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Lu
- Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
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Lee B, Park I, Jin S, Choi H, Kwon JT, Kim J, Jeong J, Cho BN, Eddy EM, Cho C. Impaired spermatogenesis and fertility in mice carrying a mutation in the Spink2 gene expressed predominantly in testes. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:29108-29117. [PMID: 21705336 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.244905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex process involving an intrinsic genetic program composed of germ cell-specific and -predominant genes. In this study, we investigated the mouse Spink2 (serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 2) gene, which belongs to the SPINK family of proteins characterized by the presence of a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor-pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor domain. We showed that recombinant mouse SPINK2 has trypsin-inhibitory activity. Distribution analyses revealed that Spink2 is transcribed strongly in the testis and weakly in the epididymis, but is not detected in other mouse tissues. Expression of Spink2 is specific to germ cells in the testis and is first evident at the pachytene spermatocyte stage. Immunoblot analyses demonstrated that SPINK2 protein is present in male germ cells at all developmental stages, including in testicular spermatogenic cells, testicular sperm, and mature sperm. To elucidate the functional role of SPINK2 in vivo, we generated mutant mice with diminished levels of SPINK2 using a gene trap mutagenesis approach. Mutant male mice exhibit significantly impaired fertility; further phenotypic analyses revealed that testicular integrity is disrupted, resulting in a reduction in sperm number. Moreover, we found that testes from mutant mice exhibit abnormal spermatogenesis and germ cell apoptosis accompanied by elevated serine protease activity. Our studies thus provide the first demonstration that SPINK2 is required for maintaining normal spermatogenesis and potentially regulates serine protease-mediated apoptosis in male germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyeon Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Inju Park
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Sora Jin
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Heejin Choi
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Jun Tae Kwon
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Jihye Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Juri Jeong
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
| | - Byung-Nam Cho
- Department of Life Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Korea, and
| | - Edward M Eddy
- Gamete Biology Section, Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, NIEHS, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Chunghee Cho
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea,.
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Ateeq B, Tomlins SA, Laxman B, Asangani IA, Cao Q, Cao X, Li Y, Wang X, Feng FY, Pienta KJ, Varambally S, Chinnaiyan AM. Therapeutic targeting of SPINK1-positive prostate cancer. Sci Transl Med 2011; 3:72ra17. [PMID: 21368222 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Gene fusions involving ETS (erythroblastosis virus E26 transformation-specific) family transcription factors are found in ~50% of prostate cancers and as such can be used as a basis for the molecular subclassification of prostate cancer. Previously, we showed that marked overexpression of SPINK1 (serine peptidase inhibitor, Kazal type 1), which encodes a secreted serine protease inhibitor, defines an aggressive molecular subtype of ETS fusion-negative prostate cancers (SPINK1+/ETS⁻, ~10% of all prostate cancers). Here, we examined the potential of SPINK1 as an extracellular therapeutic target in prostate cancer. Recombinant SPINK1 protein (rSPINK1) stimulated cell proliferation in benign RWPE as well as cancerous prostate cells. Indeed, RWPE cells treated with either rSPINK1 or conditioned medium from 22RV1 prostate cancer cells (SPINK1+/ETS⁻) significantly increased cell invasion and intravasation when compared with untreated cells. In contrast, knockdown of SPINK1 in 22RV1 cells inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion, and tumor growth in xenograft assays. 22RV1 cell proliferation, invasion, and intravasation were attenuated by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to SPINK1 as well. We also demonstrated that SPINK1 partially mediated its neoplastic effects through interaction with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Administration of antibodies to SPINK1 or EGFR (cetuximab) in mice bearing 22RV1 xenografts attenuated tumor growth by more than 60 and 40%, respectively, or ~75% when combined, without affecting PC3 xenograft (SPINK1⁻/ETS⁻) growth. Thus, this study suggests that SPINK1 may be a therapeutic target in a subset of patients with SPINK1+/ETS⁻ prostate cancer. Our results provide a rationale for both the development of humanized mAbs to SPINK1 and evaluation of EGFR inhibition in SPINK1+/ETS⁻ prostate cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Ateeq
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Soon WW, Miller LD, Black MA, Dalmasso C, Chan XB, Pang B, Ong CW, Salto-Tellez M, Desai KV, Liu ET. Combined genomic and phenotype screening reveals secretory factor SPINK1 as an invasion and survival factor associated with patient prognosis in breast cancer. EMBO Mol Med 2011; 3:451-64. [PMID: 21656687 PMCID: PMC3377086 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201100150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2010] [Revised: 04/10/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Secretory factors that drive cancer progression are attractive immunotherapeutic targets. We used a whole-genome data-mining approach on multiple cohorts of breast tumours annotated for clinical outcomes to discover such factors. We identified Serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 1 (SPINK1) to be associated with poor survival in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) cases. Immunohistochemistry showed that SPINK1 was absent in normal breast, present in early and advanced tumours, and its expression correlated with poor survival in ER+ tumours. In ER− cases, the prognostic effect did not reach statistical significance. Forced expression and/or exposure to recombinant SPINK1 induced invasiveness without affecting cell proliferation. However, down-regulation of SPINK1 resulted in cell death. Further, SPINK1 overexpressing cells were resistant to drug-induced apoptosis due to reduced caspase-3 levels and high expression of Bcl2 and phospho-Bcl2 proteins. Intriguingly, these anti-apoptotic effects of SPINK1 were abrogated by mutations of its protease inhibition domain. Thus, SPINK1 affects multiple aggressive properties in breast cancer: survival, invasiveness and chemoresistance. Because SPINK1 effects are abrogated by neutralizing antibodies, we suggest that SPINK1 is a viable potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
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Hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus replication upregulates serine protease inhibitor Kazal, resulting in cellular resistance to serine protease-dependent apoptosis. J Virol 2009; 84:907-17. [PMID: 19864383 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01249-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively) are different and distinct viruses, but there are striking similarities in their disease potential. Infection by either virus can cause chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and ultimately, liver cancer, despite the fact that no pathogenetic mechanisms are known which are shared by the two viruses. Our recent studies have suggested that replication of either of these viruses upregulates a cellular protein called serine protease inhibitor Kazal (SPIK). Furthermore, the data have shown that cells containing HBV and HCV are more resistant to serine protease-dependent apoptotic death. Since our previous studies have shown that SPIK is an inhibitor of serine protease-dependent apoptosis, it is hypothesized that the upregulation of SPIK caused by HBV and HCV replication leads to cell resistance to apoptosis. The evasion of apoptotic death by infected cells results in persistent viral replication and constant liver inflammation, which leads to gradual accumulation of genetic changes and eventual development of cancer. These findings suggest a possibility by which HBV and HCV, two very different viruses, can share a common mechanism in provoking liver disease and cancer.
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