Identification of potential glycoprotein biomarkers in oral squamous cell carcinoma using sweet strategies

AI illuminates paths in oral cancer: transformative insights, diagnostic precision, and personalized strategies

Oral cancer retains one of the lowest survival rates worldwide, despite recent therapeutic advancements signifying a tenacious challenge in healthcare. Artificial intelligence exhibits noteworthy potential in escalating diagnostic and treatment procedures, offering promising advancements in healthcare. This review entails the traditional imaging techniques for the oral cancer treatment. The role of artificial intelligence in prognosis of oral cancer including predictive modeling, identification of prognostic factors and risk stratification also discussed significantly in this review. The review also encompasses the utilization of artificial intelligence such as automated image analysis, computer-aided detection and diagnosis integration of machine learning algorithms for oral cancer diagnosis and treatment. The customizing treatment approaches for oral cancer through artificial intelligence based personalized medicine is also part of this review. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).

Exploring the astonishing beneficial effects of round gourd (Praecitrullus fistulosus) and plant lectins towards cancer: A comprehensive review

Praecitrullus fistulosus, commonly known as round gourd or tinda, is a remarkable source of bioactive substances like polyphenols, antioxidants, carotene, magnesium, and vitamin C. It is considered one of the Cucurbitaceae family due to its medicinal features. Plant lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that can bind and identify the carbohydrate moieties upon cancerous cells demonstrated some anticancer potentials. Several plant lectins are helpful as cancer biomarkers because they can find cancer cells and contribute to cell death initiation via apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting the possible role of cancer-inhibiting pathways. Therefore, round gourd and lectins might be useful in the controlling of cancer. This study compiled the most recent scientific literature regarding the round gourd and numerous plant lectins, and the clinical trials of lectins exploring their effects on cancer were examined. Research according to the literature, round gourd, and lectins demonstrated pharmacological alterations not only in cancer but in many other disorders as well. Thus, clinical investigations proved the beneficial impacts of round gourd and lectins on cancer due to their antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. Further studies are required to fully comprehend the potential applications of these plant-derived compounds against cancer, as well as to identify the round gourd components and clarify their mode of action.

Identification of stemness-related glycosylation changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Altered glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer associated with therapy resistance and tumor behavior. In this study, we investigated the glycosylation profile of stemness-related proteins OCT4, CIP2A, MET, and LIMA1 in HNSCC tumors.

METHODS

Tumor, adjacent normal tissue, and blood samples of 25 patients were collected together with clinical details. After tissue processing, lectin-based glycovariant screens were performed.

RESULTS

Strong correlation between glycosylation profiles of all four stemness-related proteins was observed in tumor tissue, whereas glycosylation in tumor tissue, adjacent normal tissue, and serum was differential.

CONCLUSIONS

A mannose- and galactose-rich glycosylation niche associated with stemness-related proteins was identified.

Oxonium ion scanning mass spectrometry for large-scale plasma glycoproteomics

Protein glycosylation, a complex and heterogeneous post-translational modification that is frequently dysregulated in disease, has been difficult to analyse at scale. Here we report a data-independent acquisition technique for the large-scale mass-spectrometric quantification of glycopeptides in plasma samples. The technique, which we named 'OxoScan-MS', identifies oxonium ions as glycopeptide fragments and exploits a sliding-quadrupole dimension to generate comprehensive and untargeted oxonium ion maps of precursor masses assigned to fragment ions from non-enriched plasma samples. By applying OxoScan-MS to quantify 1,002 glycopeptide features in the plasma glycoproteomes from patients with COVID-19 and healthy controls, we found that severe COVID-19 induces differential glycosylation in IgA, haptoglobin, transferrin and other disease-relevant plasma glycoproteins. OxoScan-MS may allow for the quantitative mapping of glycoproteomes at the scale of hundreds to thousands of samples.

In Silico Pharmacokinetics, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of Nucleoside Analogs for Drug Discovery- A Mini Review

Nucleoside analogs have been widely used as antiviral, antitumor, and antiparasitic agents due to their ability to inhibit nucleic acid synthesis. Adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, thymidine and uridine analogs such as didanosine, vidarabine, remdesivir, gemcitabine, lamivudine, acyclovir, abacavir, zidovusine, stavudine, and idoxuridine showed remarkable anticancer and antiviral activities. In our previously published articles, our main intention was to develop newer generation nucleoside analogs with acylation-induced modification of the hydroxyl group and showcase their biological potencies. In the process of developing nucleoside analogs, in silico studies play an important role and provide a scientific background for biological data. Molecular interactions between drugs and receptors followed by assessment of their stability in physiological environments, help to optimize the drug development process and minimize the burden of unwanted synthesis. Computational approaches, such as DFT, FMO, MEP, ADMET prediction, PASS prediction, POM analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation, are the most popular tools to culminate all preclinical study data and deliver a molecule with maximum bioactivity and minimum toxicity. Although clinical drug trials are crucial for providing dosage recommendations, they can only indirectly provide mechanistic information through researchers for pathological, physiological, and pharmacological determinants. As a result, in silico approaches are increasingly used in drug discovery and development to provide mechanistic information of clinical value. This article portrays the current status of these methods and highlights some remarkable contributions to the development of nucleoside analogs with optimized bioactivity.

Glycoproteomics-based liquid biopsy: translational outlook for colorectal cancer clinical management in Southeast Asia

Colorectal cancer (CRC) signifies a significant healthcare challenge in Southeast Asia. Despite advancements in screening approaches and treatment modalities, significant medical gaps remain, ranging from prevention and early diagnosis to determining targeted therapy and establishing personalized approaches to managing CRC. There is a need to expand more validated biomarkers in clinical practice. An advanced technique incorporating high-throughput mass spectrometry as a liquid biopsy to unravel a repertoire of glycoproteins and glycans would potentially drive the development of clinical tools for CRC screening, diagnosis and monitoring, and it can be further adapted to the existing standard-of-care procedure. Therefore this review offers a perspective on glycoproteomics-driven liquid biopsy and its potential integration into the clinical care of CRC in the southeast Asia region.

Comprehensive glycoprofiling of oral tumours associates N-glycosylation with lymph node metastasis and patient survival

While altered protein glycosylation is regarded a trait of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the heterogeneous and dynamic glycoproteome of tumour tissues from OSCC patients remain unmapped. To this end, we here employ an integrated multi-omics approach comprising unbiased and quantitative glycomics and glycoproteomics applied to a cohort of resected primary tumour tissues from OSCC patients with (n = 19) and without (n = 12) lymph node metastasis. While all tumour tissues displayed relatively uniform N-glycome profiles suggesting overall stable global N-glycosylation during disease progression, altered expression of six sialylated N-glycans was found to correlate with lymph node metastasis. Notably, glycoproteomics and advanced statistical analyses uncovered altered site-specific N-glycosylation revealing previously unknown associations with several clinicopathological features. Importantly, the glycomics and glycoproteomics data unveiled that comparatively high abundance of two core-fucosylated and sialylated N-glycans (Glycan 40a and Glycan 46a) and one N-glycopeptide from fibronectin were associated with low patient survival, while a relatively low abundance of N-glycopeptides from both afamin and CD59 were also associated with poor survival. This study provides novel insight into the complex OSCC tissue N-glycoproteome forming an important resource to further explore the underpinning disease mechanisms and uncover new prognostic glyco-markers for OSCC.

Clusterin and Its Isoforms in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Their Potential as Biomarkers: A Comprehensive Review

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent type of head and neck cancer, ranked as the sixth most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 300,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Early detection using biomarkers significantly increases the 5-year survival rate of OSCC by up to 80-90%. Clusterin (CLU), also known as apolipoprotein J, is a sulfated chaperonic glycoprotein expressed in all tissues and human fluids and has been reported to be a potential biomarker of OSCC. CLU has been implicated as playing a vital role in many biological processes such as apoptosis, cell cycle, etc. Abnormal CLU expression has been linked with the development and progression of cancers. Despite the fact that there are many studies that have reported the involvement of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC, the exact roles of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC carcinogenesis have not been fully explored. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of CLU structure and genetics and its correlation with OSCC tumorigenesis to better understand potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker development. The relationship between CLU and chemotherapy resistance in cancer will also be discussed to explore the therapeutic application of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC.

The hidden potential of glycomarkers: Glycosylation studies in the service of cancer diagnosis and treatment

Changes in the glycosylation process appear early in carcinogenesis and evolve with the growth and spread of cancer. The correlation of the characteristic glycosylation signature with the tumor stage and the appropriate therapy choice is an important issue in translational medicine. Oncologists also pay attention to extracellular vesicles as reservoirs of new cancer glycomarkers that can be potent for cancer diagnosis/prognosis. In this review, we recall glycomarkers used in oncology and show their new glycoforms of improved clinical relevance. We summarize current knowledge on the biological functions of glycoepitopes in cancer-derived extracellular vesicles and their potential use in clinical practice. Is glycomics a future of cancer diagnosis? It may be, but in combination with other omics analyses than alone.

Proteomic approaches to assist in diagnosis and prognosis of oral cancer

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) ranks among the top 10 leading causes of cancer worldwide, with 5-year survival rate of about 50%, high lymph node metastasis, and relapse rates. The OSCC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are mostly based on the clinical TNM classification. There is an urgent need for the discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets to assist in the clinical decision-making process.Areas covered: We summarize proteomic studies of the OSCC tumor, immune microenvironment, potential liquid biopsy sites, and post-translational modifications trying to retrieve information in the discovery and verification or (pre)validation phases. The search strategy was based on the combination of MeSH terms and expert refinement.Expert opinion: Untargeted combined with targeted proteomics are strategies that provide reliable and reproducible quantitation of proteins and are the methods of choice of many groups worldwide. Undoubtedly, proteomics has been contributing to the understanding of OSCC progression and uncovers potential candidates as biomarker or therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, none of these targets are available in the clinical practice yet. The scientific community needs to overcome the limitations by investing in robust experimental designs to strengthen the value of the findings, leveraging the translation of knowledge, and further supporting clinical decisions.