Proteomic analysis of differential protein expression by brain metastases of gynecological malignancies

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles inhibit ferroptosis and promote distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by upregulating ITGB3

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with high metastatic and invasive nature. Distant metastasis contributes substantially to treatment failure and mortality in NPC. Platelets are versatile blood cells and the number of platelets is positively associated with the distant metastasis of tumor cells. However, the role and underlying mechanism of platelets responsible for the metastasis of NPC cells remain unclear. Here we found that the distant metastasis of NPC patients was positively correlated with the expression levels of integrin β3 (ITGB3) in platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) from NPC patients (P-EVs). We further revealed that EVs transfer occurred from platelets to NPC cells, mediating cell-cell communication and inducing the metastasis of NPC cells by upregulating ITGB3 expression. Mechanistically, P-EVs-upregulated ITGB3 increased SLC7A11 expression by enhancing protein stability and activating the MAPK/ERK/ATF4/Nrf2 axis, which suppressed ferroptosis, thereby facilitating the metastasis of NPC cells. NPC xenografts in mouse models further confirmed that P-EVs inhibited the ferroptosis of circulating NPC cells and promoted the distant metastasis of NPC cells. Thus, these findings elucidate a novel role of platelet-derived EVs in NPC metastasis, which not only improves our understanding of platelet-mediated tumor distant metastasis, but also has important implications in diagnosis and treatment of NPC.

Serum proteomics unveil characteristic protein diagnostic biomarkers and signaling pathways in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common digestive tract malignant tumor with high incidence and dismal prognosis worldwide. However, the reliable biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and the underlying signaling pathways insights of ESCC are not unequivocally understood yet. The serum proteome may provide valuable clues for the early diagnosis of ESCC and the discovery of novel molecular insights.

Methods

In the current study, an optimized proteomics approach was employed to discover novel serum-based biomarkers for ESCC, and unveil abnormal signal pathways. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was done by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Metascape database, respectively. Pathway analysis was accomplished by GeneCards database. The correlation coefficient was assessed using Pearson and distance correlation analyses. Prioritized candidates were further verified in two independent validation sets by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining.

Results

A total of 633 non-redundant proteins were identified in the serum of patients with ESCC, of which 59 and 10 proteins displayed a more than 1.5-fold increase or decrease compared with healthy controls. Verification was performed for six candidate biomarkers, including S100A8/A9, SAA1, ENO1, TPI1 and PGAM1. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve plotting showed the high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of these six protein molecules as a biomarker panel: the area under characteristic curve (AUC) is up to 0.945. Differentially expressed proteins were subjected to functional enrichment analysis, which revealed the dysregulation of signaling pathways mainly involved in glycolysis, TLR4, HIF-1α, Cori cycle, TCA cycle, folate metabolism, and platelet degranulation. The latter finding was all the more noteworthy as a strong positive correlation was discovered between activated glycolysis and TLR4 pathways and unfavorable clinicopathological TNM stages in ESCC.

Conclusions

Our findings propose a potential serum biomarker panel for the early detection and diagnosis of ESCC, which could potentially broaden insights into the characteristics of ESCC from the proteomic perspective.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12014-022-09357-x.

Systemic Analyses of the Expression of TPI1 and Its Associations with Tumor Microenvironment in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background. Recent studies have shown that the expression level of triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1) may be associated with the occurrence and metastasis of tumors, but the expression level of TPI1 and its effect on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are not yet clear. Methods. We comprehensively explored and validated the TPI1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma in public datasets. The associations of TPI1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were also studied in both histological types. Moreover, we analyzed the potential relations of TPI1 with immunomodulators and immune cell infiltrations in the tumor microenvironment based on previous literatures and bioinformatic tools. Results. We found that TPI1 was significantly overexpressed in LUAD and LUSC. Significant associations of TPI1 expression were observed regarding age, gender, and pathological stages in LUAD. However, similar trend was only found with respect to age in LUSC. The high expression of TPI1 was significantly associated with worse survival in LUAD, but not in LUSC. Furthermore, we explored the potential distribution and changes of TPI1 expression in tumor microenvironment. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed to identify possible roles of TPI1 in both lung cancers. Conclusions. TPI1 was overexpressed in both LUAD and LUSC. Increased TPI1 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in LUAD and changed immune cell infiltrating in various degrees in both histological types. Our study provides insights in understanding the potential roles of TPI1 in tumor progression and immune microenvironment.

Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Involvement from Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among women affected by gynaecological malignancies. Most patients show advanced disease at diagnosis (FIGO stage III-IV) and, despite the introduction of new therapeutic options, most women experience relapses. In most cases, recurrence is abdominal-pelvic; however, EOC can occasionally metastasize to distant organs, including the central nervous system. The incidence of brain metastases (BMs) from EOC is low, but it has grown over time; currently, there are no follow-up strategies available. In the last decade, a few biomarkers able to predict the risk of developing BMs from OC or as potential therapeutic targets have been investigated by several authors; to date, none have entered clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to offer a summary on the role of the most relevant predictors of central nervous system (CNS) involvement (hormone receptors; BRCA; MRD1; PD-1/PD-L1) and to highlight possible therapeutic strategies for the management of metastatic brain disease in EOC.

Transgelin-2: A Double-Edged Sword in Immunity and Cancer Metastasis

Transgelin-2, a small actin-binding protein, is the only transgelin family member expressed in immune cells. In T and B lymphocytes, transgelin-2 is constitutively expressed, but in antigen-presenting cells, it is significantly upregulated upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Transgelin-2 acts as a molecular staple to stabilize the actin cytoskeleton, and it competes with cofilin to bind filamentous (F)-actin. This action may enable immune synapse stabilization during T-cell interaction with cognate antigen-presenting cells. Furthermore, transgelin-2 blocks Arp2/3 complex-nucleated actin branching, which is presumably related to small filopodia formation, enhanced phagocytic function, and antigen presentation. Overall, transgelin-2 is an essential part of the molecular armament required for host defense against neoplasms and infectious diseases. However, transgelin-2 acts as a double-edged sword, as its expression is also essential for a wide range of tumor development, including drug resistance and metastasis. Thus, targeting transgelin-2 can also have a therapeutic advantage for cancer treatment; selectively suppressing transgelin-2 expression may prevent multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Here, we review newly discovered molecular characteristics of transgelin-2 and discuss clinical applications for cancer and immunotherapy.

Cell-permeable transgelin-2 as a potent therapeutic for dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy

Background

Transgelin-2 is a 22 kDa actin-binding protein that has been proposed to act as an oncogenic factor, capable of contributing to tumorigenesis in a wide range of human malignancies. However, little is known whether this tiny protein also plays an important role in immunity, thereby keeping body from the cancer development and metastasis. Here, we investigated the functions of transgelin-2 in dendritic cell (DC) immunity. Further, we investigated whether the non-viral transduction of cell-permeable transgelin-2 peptide potentially enhance DC-based cancer immunotherapy.

Methods

To understand the functions of transgelin-2 in DCs, we utilized bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) purified from transgelin-2 knockout (Tagln2^−/−) mice. To observe the dynamic cellular mechanism of transgelin-2, we utilized confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. To monitor DC migration and cognate T–DC interaction in vivo, we used intravital two-photon microscopy. For the solid and metastasis tumor models, OVA⁺ B16F10 melanoma were inoculated into the C57BL/6 mice via intravenously (i.v.) and subcutaneously (s.c.), respectively. OTI TCR T cells were used for the adoptive transfer experiments. Cell-permeable, de-ubiquitinated recombinant transgelin-2 was purified from Escherichia coli and applied for DC-based adoptive immunotherapy.

Results

We found that transgelin-2 is remarkably expressed in BMDCs during maturation and lipopolysaccharide activation, suggesting that this protein plays a role in DC-based immunity. Although Tagln2^−/− BMDCs exhibited no changes in maturation, they showed significant defects in their abilities to home to draining lymph nodes (LNs) and prime T cells to produce antigen-specific T cell clones, and these changes were associated with a failure to suppress tumor growth and metastasis of OVA⁺ B16F10 melanoma cells in mice. Tagln2^−/− BMDCs had defects in filopodia-like membrane protrusion and podosome formation due to the attenuation of the signals that modulate actin remodeling in vitro and formed short, unstable contacts with cognate CD4⁺ T cells in vivo. Strikingly, non-viral transduction of cell-permeable, de-ubiquitinated recombinant transgelin-2 potentiated DC functions to suppress tumor growth and metastasis.

Conclusion

This work demonstrates that transgelin-2 is an essential protein for both cancer and immunity. Therefore, transgelin-2 can act as a double-edged sword depending on how we apply this protein to cancer therapy. Engineering and clinical application of this protein may unveil a new era in DC-based cancer immunotherapy. Our findings indicate that cell-permeable transgelin-2 have a potential clinical value as a cancer immunotherapy based on DCs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13045-021-01058-6.

Brain Metastases from Uterine Cervical and Endometrial Cancer

Simple Summary

This review investigated the prevalence, clinical characteristics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of patients with brain metastases from uterine cervical carcinoma (CC) and uterine endometrial carcinoma (EC). The findings of this review indicate the factors that can facilitate better treatment selection and, consequently, better outcomes in patients with CC and EC.

Abstract

Reports on brain metastases (BMs) from uterine cervical carcinoma (CC) and uterine endometrial carcinoma (EC) have recently increased due to the development of massive databases and improvements in diagnostic procedures. This review separately investigates the prevalence, clinical characteristics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of BMs from CC and uterine endometrial carcinoma EC. For patients with CC, early-stage disease and poorly differentiated carcinoma lead to BMs, and elderly age, poor performance status, and multiple BMs are listed as poor prognostic factors. Advanced-stage disease and high-grade carcinoma are high-risk factors for BMs from EC, and multiple metastases and extracranial metastases, or unimodal therapies, are possibly factors indicating poor prognosis. There is no “most effective” therapy that has gained consensus for the treatment of BMs. Treatment decisions are based on clinical status, number of the metastases, tumor size, and metastases at distant organs. Surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy appears to be the best treatment approach to date. Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy has been increasingly associated with good outcomes in preserving cognitive functions. Despite treatment, patients died within 1 year after the BM diagnosis. BMs from uterine cancer remain quite rare, and the current evidence is limited; thus, further studies are needed.

Proteomics analysis identified TPI1 as a novel biomarker for predicting recurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common tumor in primary liver cancer, but the prognostic factors associated with long-term outcomes after surgical resection remain poorly defined. This study aimed to develop a novel prognostic classifier for patients with ICC after surgery.

METHODS

Using a proteomics approach, we screened tumor markers that up-regulated in ICC tissues, and narrowed down by bioinformatics analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. Prognostic markers were identified using Cox regression analyses in primary training cohort and the predictive models for time to recurrence (TTR) were established. The predictive accuracy of predictive model was validated in external validation cohort and prospective validation cohort. MTT assay, clonal formation assay and trans-well assays were used to verify the effect on the proliferation and migration in ICC cell line.

RESULTS

Triosephosphate isomerise (TPI1) was significantly up-regulated in ICC tissues and Kaplan-Meier analysis reveals that higher TPI1 expression was strongly correlated with higher recurrence rate of ICC patients. In the primary training cohort, mean TTR was significantly longer (p < 0.0001) than in the low-risk group (26.9 months for TTR, 95% CI 22.4-31.5) than in the high-risk group (14.5 months for TTR, 95% CI 10.6-18.4). Similar results were observed in two validation cohorts. In addition, a nomogram to predict recurrence was developed. Moreover, Knockdown of TPI1 by shRNA inhibited ICC cell growth, colony information, migration, invasion in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Current prognostic models were accurate in predicting recurrence for ICC patients after surgical resection.

Nuclear Enolase-1/ MBP-1 expression and its association with the Wnt signaling in epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Enolase-1, primarily known for its role in glucose metabolism, is overexpressed in various cancer entities. In contrast its alternative spliced nuclear isoform MBP-1 acts as a tumor suppressor. The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic impact of Enolase-1/ MBP-1 and its functional significance in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

By immunohistochemistry, Enolase-1 staining was examined in 156 EOC samples. Evaluation of Enolase-1 staining was conducted in the nucleus and the cytoplasm using the semi-quantitative immunoreactive score. Expression levels were correlated with clinical and pathological parameters as well as with overall survival to assess for prognostic impact.

RESULTS

Cytoplasmic and nuclear Enolase-1 expression did not show a significant difference between the histological subtypes (p = 0.1). High nuclear Enolase-1/ MBP-1 staining negativly correlated with the tumor grading (p<0.001; Cc= -0.318). Cytoplasmic Enolase-1 did not correlate with clinicopathological data. Higher nuclear Enolase-1/ MBP-1 staining was detected in low-grade serous cancer cases compared to high-grade ones (median IRS 3 (range 0-8) vs. median IRS 2 (range 0-4), p<0.001). Nuclear Enolase-1/ MBP-1 expression correlated with the Wnt signaling markers membranous beta-catenin (p = 0.007; Cc=0.235), serine residue 9-phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (p<0.001; Cc=0.341) and snail/slug (p = 0.004; Cc= -0.257). High nuclear Enolase-1/ MBP-1 expression was associated with improved overall survival (88.6 vs. 33.1 months, median; p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION

Additional knowledge of Enolase-1/ MBP-1 as a biomarker and its interactions within the Wnt signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition potentially improve the prognosis of therapeutic approaches in EOC.

Brain Metastases from Ovarian Cancer: Current Evidence in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis

With this review, we provide the state of the art concerning brain metastases (BMs) from ovarian cancer (OC), a rare condition. Clinical, pathological, and molecular features, treatment options, and future perspectives are comprehensively discussed. Overall, a diagnosis of high-grade serous OC and an advanced disease stage are common features among patients who develop brain metastases. BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, as well as the expression of androgen receptors in the primary tumor, are emerging risk and prognostic factors which could allow one to identify categories of patients at greater risk of BMs, who could benefit from a tailored follow-up. Based on present data, a multidisciplinary approach combining surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy seem to be the best approach for patients with good performance status, although the median overall survival (<1 year) remains largely disappointing. Hopefully, novel therapeutic avenues are being explored, like PARP inhibitors and immunotherapy, based on our improved knowledge regarding tumor biology, but further investigation is warranted.

Validation of Androgen Receptor loss as a risk factor for the development of brain metastases from ovarian cancers

Background

Central nervous system (CNS) spreading from epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is an uncommon but increasing phenomenon. We previously reported in a small series of 11 patients a correlation between Androgen Receptor (AR) loss and localization to CNS. Aims of this study were: to confirm a predictive role of AR loss in an independent validation cohort; to evaluate if AR status impacts on EOC survival.

Results

We collected an additional 29 cases and 19 controls as validation cohort. In this independent cohort at univariate analysis, cases exhibited lower expression of AR, considered both as continuous (p <  0.001) and as discrete variable (10% cut-off: p <  0.003; Immunoreactive score: p <  0.001). AR negative EOC showed an odds ratio (OR) = 8.33 for CNS dissemination compared with AR positive EOC. Kaplan-Meier curves of the combined dataset, combining data of new validation cohort with the previously published cohort, showed that AR <  10% significantly correlates with worse outcomes (p = 0.005 for Progression Free Survival (PFS) and p = 0.002 for brain PFS (bPFS) respectively).

Comparison of AR expression between primary tissue and paired brain metastases in the combined dataset did not show any statistically significant difference.

Conclusions

We confirmed AR loss as predictive role for CNS involvement from EOC in an independent cohort of cases and controls. Early assessment of AR status could improve clinical management and patients’ prognosis.

Downregulation of transgelin 2 promotes breast cancer metastasis by activating the reactive oxygen species/nuclear factor‑κB signaling pathway

Transgelin 2 (TAGLN2) is a cytoskeletal protein of the calponin family. Abnormal expression of TAGLN2 was observed in various types of cancer. Our previous study reported that TAGLN2 expression was reduced in lymph node-positive breast cancer patients; however, the role of TAGLN2 in breast cancer metastasis remains unknown. In the present study, the role of TAGLN2 in breast cancer metastasis was investigated in vitro and in vivo via Transwell migration, luciferase and flow cytometry assays, and a mouse xenograft model. Proteins interacting with TAGLN2 were identified via co-immunoprecipitation assays and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, and the signaling pathway associated with the effects of TAGLN2 was investigated. Additionally, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to further explore the potential pathway in which TAGLN2 may be involved and the mechanism underlying its effects in breast cancer metastasis. The present study reported that TAGLN2 expression was increased by 11.4-fold in patients without distant metastasis compared with those positive for distant metastasis. Knockdown of TAGLN2 resulted in increased cell migration in vitro and promoted lung metastasis in vivo. Additionally, overexpression of TAGLN2 suppressed lung metastasis in a mouse model. Peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1), an important reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulator, was revealed to interact with TAGLN2. In addition, mitochondrial redistribution and PRDX1 downregulation were reported following TAGLN2 silencing, which promoted ROS production and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation in breast cancer cells. This induced the expression of metastasis-associated genes, including C-X-C chemokine receptor 4, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1 and MMP2. The present study proposed TAGLN2 to function as a tumor suppressor and that loss of TAGLN2 may promote the metastasis of breast cancer by activating the ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Proteomic profiling identifies outcome-predictive markers in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) constitutes a heterogeneous category of lymphomas, which do not fit into any of the specifically defined T-cell lymphoma entities. Both the pathogenesis and tumor biology in PTCL-NOS are poorly understood. Protein expression in pretherapeutic PTCL-NOS tumors was analyzed by proteomics. Differentially expressed proteins were compared in 3 distinct scenarios: (A) PTCL-NOS tumor tissue (n = 18) vs benign lymphoid tissue (n = 8), (B) clusters defined by principal component analysis (PCA), and (C) tumors from patients with chemosensitive vs refractory PTCL-NOS. Selected differentially expressed proteins identified by proteomics were correlated with clinico-pathological features and outcome in a larger cohort of patients with PTCL-NOS (n = 87) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Most proteins with altered expression were identified comparing PTCL-NOS vs benign lymphoid tissue. PCA of the protein profile defined 3 distinct clusters. All benign samples clustered together, whereas PTCL-NOS tumors separated into 2 clusters with different patient overall survival rates (P = .001). Differentially expressed proteins reflected large biological diversity among PTCL-NOS, particularly associated with alterations of "immunological" pathways. The 2 PTCL-NOS subclusters defined by PCA showed disturbance of "stress-related" and "protein metabolic" pathways. α-Enolase 1 (ENO1) was found differentially expressed in all 3 analyses, and high intratumoral ENO1 expression evaluated by IHC correlated with poor outcome (hazard ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-3.73; P = .013). High expression of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI1) also showed a tendency to correlate with poor survival (P = .057). In conclusion, proteomic profiling of PTCL-NOS provided evidence of markedly altered protein expression and identified ENO1 as a novel potential prognostic marker.

Proteome analysis of tissues by mass spectrometry

Tissues and biofluids are important sources of information used for the detection of diseases and decisions on patient therapies. There are several accepted methods for preservation of tissues, among which the most popular are fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin embedded methods. Depending on the preservation method and the amount of sample available, various specific protocols are available for tissue processing for subsequent proteomic analysis. Protocols are tailored to answer various biological questions, and as such vary in lysis and digestion conditions, as well as duration. The existence of diverse tissue-sample protocols has led to confusion in how to choose the best protocol for a given tissue and made it difficult to compare results across sample types. Here, we summarize procedures used for tissue processing for subsequent bottom-up proteomic analysis. Furthermore, we compare protocols for their variations in the composition of lysis buffers, digestion procedures, and purification steps. For example, reports have shown that lysis buffer composition plays an important role in the profile of extracted proteins: the most common are tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, radioimmunoprecipitation assay, and ammonium bicarbonate buffers. Although, trypsin is the most commonly used enzyme for proteolysis, in some protocols it is supplemented with Lys-C and/or chymotrypsin, which will often lead to an increase in proteome coverage. Data show that the selection of the lysis procedure might need to be tissue-specific to produce distinct protocols for individual tissue types. Finally, selection of the procedures is also influenced by the amount of sample available, which range from biopsies or the size of a few dozen of mm² obtained with laser capture microdissection to much larger amounts that weight several milligrams.

Transgelin-2 expression in breast cancer and its relationships with clinicopathological features and patient outcome

BACKGROUND

Transgelin-2 is an actin-binding protein that is widely expressed in various tissues and organs of the body, and reportedly may participate in the development and progression of multiple cancers. However, the clinical significance of transgelin-2 still remains controversial. We, therefore, aimed to determine the expression of transgelin-2 in breast cancer as well as its correlation with the tumorigenesis, progression and prognosis of human breast cancer.

METHODS

We collected tissues of 58 breast cancer patients from our hospital and 1090 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. X-tile software was used to divide the transgelin-2 mRNA expression level in the database, logistic regression model was used to identify independent factors influencing transgelin-2 mRNA expression, and then Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to find factors that influence survival of breast cancer.

RESULTS

Transgelin-2 was significantly overexpressed in breast cancer tissues from our hospital and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that transgelin-2 may have diagnostic value. Meanwhile, estrogen receptor (ER) was in inverse correlation with transgelin-2 protein and mRNA expression, and transgelin-2 expression was positively correlated with Ki67 in breast cancer tissues. Logistic regression model revealed that TNM stage, ER and progesterone receptor (PR) status were independent factors for transgelin-2 mRNA expression. Patients with high transgelin-2 mRNA expression showed a poor survival and the trend was statistically significant only in ER-negative patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Transgelin-2 was expressed significantly higher in breast cancer cells and correlated with some clinicopathological factors. High transgelin-2 expression might predict poor prognosis for ER-negative patients.

Androgen receptor status predicts development of brain metastases in ovarian cancers

Brain metastases are uncommon localizations in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), their reported incidence is increasing and no predictive biomarkers have been identified yet. Goals of this study were: i) to define a possible association between Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Androgen Receptor (AR), human EGF receptor 2 (HER2) and brain progression in EOC patients, and ii) to identify differences in ER, PR, AR and HER2 protein expression from primary EOC and its matched resected brain metastasis. A retrospective series of 11 EOC with matched brain metastasis surgically removed was collected. For comparison, a “Control dataset” of 22 patients, without evidence of brain involvement after an adequate follow up was matched. ER, PR, AR and HER2 status were analyzed by means of immunohistochemistry forCases (both primary and metastatic lesions) and Controls.

Univariate analysis showed that AR status was significantly associated with brain localization, both considered as discrete variable (cut-off: 10%, p=0.013) and as continuous one (p=0.035). Multivariate analysis confirmed this trend (p=0.053). When considered as continuous variables, ER and AR showed greater expression in primary tumors in comparison with brain metastases (p=0.013 and p=0.032, respectively).

In our series, AR predicts brain involvement, with a 9.5 times higher propensity for AR-negative EOC. Moreover, brain dissemination is probably the result of progressive dedifferentiation of primary tumor, shown by reduction of ER and AR expression in metastases. Further studies are required, in order to anticipate and improve multimodal treatment of brain metastases.

Is Neurosurgery With Adjuvant Radiotherapy an Effective Treatment Modality in Isolated Brain Involvement From Endometrial Cancer?: From Case Report to Analysis

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment options and post-brain involvement survival (PBIS) of patients with isolated brain involvement from endometrial cancer (EC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature electronic search was conducted from 1972 to May 2016 to identify articles about isolated (without extracranial metastases) brain involvement from EC at recurrence and the initial diagnosis. Forty-eight articles were found. After comprehensive evaluation of case series and case reports, the study included 49 cases.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients at initial diagnosis was 57 years (range, 40-77 years). Poor differentiation was determined in 36 (73.5%) patients. Thirty-five (71.4%) patients had a single brain lesion. Lesion was found in the supratentorial part of the brain in 33 (67.3%) patients. Median PBIS for all cohorts was 13 months (range, 0.25-118 months) with 2-year PBIS of 52% and 5-year PBIS of 37%. Age, tumor type, grade, disease-free interval, diagnosis time of brain lesion, localization, and number of brain lesion were not predictive of PBIS. Two-year PBIS was 77% in patients who underwent surgical resection and radiotherapy, whereas it was 19% in the surgical resection-only group, and 20% in the primary radiotherapy-only group (Ps = 0.003 and 0.001, respectively). Chemotherapy was not associated with improved PBIS.

CONCLUSIONS

Although neuroinvasion from EC appears mostly with a disseminated disease, there is a considerable amount of patients with isolated brain involvement who would have a higher chance of curability. Surgery with radiotherapy is the rational current management option, and this improves the survival for isolated brain involvement from EC.

TAGLN2 is a candidate prognostic biomarker promoting tumorigenesis in human gliomas

Background

Transgelin-2 (TAGLN2) is a member of the calponin family of actin-bundling proteins that is involved in the regulation of cell morphology, motility, and cell transformation. Here, the clinical significance and potential function of TAGLN2 in malignant gliomas were investigated.

Methods

Molecular and clinical data was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Gene ontology and pathway analysis was used to predict potential functions of TAGLN2. RNA knockdown was performed using siRNA or lentiviral contructs in U87MG and U251 glioma cell lines. Cells were characterized in vitro or implanted in vivo to generate orthotopic xenografts in order to assess molecular status, cell proliferation/survival, and invasion by Western blotting, flow cytometry, and 3D tumor spheroid invasion assay, respectively.

Results

Increased TAGLN2 expression was associated with increasing tumor grade (P < 0.001), the mesenchymal molecular glioma subtype and worse prognosis in patients (P < 0.001). Immunohistochemistry performed with anti-TAGLN2 on an independent cohort of patients (n = 46) confirmed these results. Gene silencing of TAGLN2 in U87MG and U251 significantly inhibited invasion and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Western blot analysis revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) molecular markers, such as N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and Snail, were regulated in a manner corresponding to suppression of the EMT phenotype in knockdown experiments. Finally, TAGLN2 was induced ~ 2 to 3-fold in U87MG and U251 cells by TGFβ2, which was also elevated in GBM and highly correlated with TAGLN2 mRNA levels (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that TAGLN2 exerts a role in promoting the development of human glioma. The regulation and function of TAGLN2 therefore renders it as a candidate molecular target for the treatment of GBM.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-017-0619-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Exosomes isolated from cancer patients' sera transfer malignant traits and confer the same phenotype of primary tumors to oncosuppressor-mutated cells

Background

Horizontal transfer of malignant traits from the primary tumor to distant organs, through blood circulating factors, has recently become a thoroughly studied metastatic pathway to explain cancer dissemination. Recently, we reported that oncosuppressor gene-mutated human cells undergo malignant transformation when exposed to cancer patients’ sera. We also observed that oncosuppressor mutated cells would show an increased uptake of cancer-derived exosomes and we suggested that oncosuppressor genes might protect the integrity of the cell genome by blocking integration of cancer-derived exosomes. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that cancer patients’ sera-derived exosomes might be responsible for the malignant transformation of target cells and that oncosuppressor mutation would promote their increased uptake. We also sought to unveil the mechanisms behind the hypothesized phenomena.

Methods

We used human BRCA1 knockout (BRCA1-KO) fibroblasts as target cells. Cells were treated in vitro with cancer patients’ sera or cancer patients’ sera-derived exosomes. Treated cells were injected into NOD-SCID mice. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine the differentiation state of the xenotransplants. Mass spectrometry analyses of proteins from cancer exosomes and the BRCA1-KO fibroblasts’ membrane were performed to investigate possible de novo expression of molecules involved in vesicles uptake. Blocking of the identified molecules in vitro was performed and in vivo experiments were conducted to confirm the role of these molecules in the malignant transformation carried out by cancer-derived exosomes.

Results

Cells treated with exosomes isolated from cancer patients’ sera underwent malignant transformation and formed tumors when transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Histological analyses showed that the tumors were carcinomas that differentiated into the same lineage of the primary tumors of blood donors. Oncosuppressor mutation promoted the de novo expression, on the plasma membrane of target cells, of receptors, responsible for the increased uptake of cancer-derived exosomes. The selective blocking of these receptors inhibited the horizontal transfer of malignant traits.

Conclusion

These findings strengthen the hypothesis that oncogenic factors transferred via circulating cancer exosomes, induce malignant transformation of target cells even at distance. Oncosuppressor genes might protect the integrity of the cell genome by inhibiting the uptake of cancer-derived exosomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-017-0587-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Transgelin-2: A potential oncogenic factor

Actin-binding proteins are proteins that could bind to actin or actin fibers. As a member of actin-binding proteins, Transgelin-2 is expressed in smooth muscle cells and non-smooth muscle cells, and its gene, TAGLN2, is differently expressed in all cells and tissues. The deregulation of Transgelin-2 is considered to be correlated with progression of many kinds of diseases, especially the development of malignant tumors, such as invasion, metastasis, and resistance, yet the function and mechanism of action of Transgelin-2 remain elusive. Therefore, we reviewed the basic characteristics and function of Transgelin-2 and its biological role in various types of diseases in order to provide the theoretical basis for further research and new perspectives on cancer development.

Proteomic identification of potential biomarkers for cervical squamous cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus infection

It is known that high-risk human papillomavirus infection is the main etiological factor in cervical carcinogenesis. However, human papillomavirus screening is not sufficient for early diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers common to cervical carcinoma and human papillomavirus infection by proteomics for human papillomavirus-based early diagnosis and prognosis. To this end, we collected 76 cases of fresh cervical tissues and 116 cases of paraffin-embedded tissue slices, diagnosed as cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III, or normal cervix from ethnic Uighur and Han women. Human papillomavirus infection by eight oncogenic human papillomavirus types was detected in tissue DNA samples using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein profile of cervical specimens from human papillomavirus 16-positive squamous cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus-negative normal controls was analyzed by proteomics and bioinformatics. The expression of candidate proteins was further determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. We identified 67 proteins that were differentially expressed in human papillomavirus 16-positive squamous cell carcinoma compared to normal cervix. The quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis verified the upregulation of ASAH1, PCBP2, DDX5, MCM5, TAGLN2, hnRNPA1, ENO1, TYPH, CYC, and MCM4 in squamous cell carcinoma compared to normal cervix ( p < 0.05). In addition, the transcription of PCBP2, MCM5, hnRNPA1, TYPH, and CYC was also significantly increased in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III compared to normal cervix. Immunohistochemistry staining further confirmed the overexpression of PCBP2, hnRNPA1, ASAH1, and DDX5 in squamous cell carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III compared to normal controls ( p < 0.05). Our data suggest that the expression of ASAH1, PCBP2, DDX5, and hnRNPA1, and possibly MCM4, MCM5, CYC, ENO1, and TYPH, is upregulated during cervical carcinogenesis and potentially associated with human papillomavirus infection. Further validation studies of the profile will contribute to establishing auxiliary diagnostic markers for human papillomavirus-based cancer prognosis.

Secretomic profiling of cells from hollow fiber bioreactor reveals PSMA3 as a potential cholangiocarcinoma biomarker

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), derived from the bile duct, occurs with a relatively high incidence in Northeast Thailand. Early diagnosis is still hampered by the lack of sufficient biomarkers. In recent years, biomarker discovery using secretomes has provided interesting results, including our studies on CCA secretomes, especially with three-dimensional cell cultures. Thus, cells cultured using the hollow fiber bioreactor (HFB) with 20 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) yielded higher quality and quantity of secretomes than those from conditioned media of the monolayer culture (MNC) system. In this study, we employed the HFB culture system with 5 kDa MWCO and compared conditioned media from the HFB and MNC systems using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by identifying proteins of interest by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Two out of 4 spots of NGAL or lipocalin-2 were found to show highest increase in expression of 19.93-fold and 18.79-fold in HFB compared to MNC. Interestingly, all 14 proteasome subunits including proteasome subunit α type-1 to type-7 and β type-1 to type-7 showed 2.92-fold to 12.13-fold increased expression in HFB. The protein-protein interactions of upregulated proteins were predicted, and one of the main interaction clusters involved 20S proteasome subunits. Proteasome activity in the HFB conditioned media was also found to be higher than that in MNC conditioned media. Three types of proteasome subunit were also validated by immunoblotting and showed higher expression in the HFB system compared to MNC system. Proteasome subunit α type-3 (PSMA3) showed the highest level in plasma of cholangiocarcinoma patients compared to normal and hepatocellular carcinoma patients by immunodetection, and is of interest as a potential biomarker for cholangiocarcinoma.

Advances in decoding breast cancer brain metastasis

The past decade has witnessed impressive advances in cancer treatment ushered in by targeted and immunotherapies. However, with significantly prolonged survival, upon recurrence, more patients become inflicted by brain metastasis, which is mostly refractory to all currently available therapeutic regimens. Historically, brain metastasis is an understudied area in cancer research, partly due to the dearth of appropriate experimental models that closely simulate the special biological features of metastasis in the unique brain environment and to the sophistication of techniques required to perform in-depth studies of the extremely complex and challenging brain metastasis. Yet, with increasing clinical demand for more effective treatment options, brain metastasis research has rapidly advanced in recent years. The present review spotlights the recent major progresses in basic and translational studies of brain metastasis with focuses on new animal models, novel imaging technologies, omics "big data" resources, and some new and exciting biological insights on brain metastasis.

Transfer of malignant trait to BRCA1 deficient human fibroblasts following exposure to serum of cancer patients

Background

It was reported that metastases might occur via transfer of biologically active blood circulating molecules from the primary tumor to distant organs rather than only migration of cancer cells. We showed in an earlier study that exposure of immortalized human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) to cancer patient sera, induce their transformation into undifferentiated cancers due to a horizontal transfer of malignant traits. In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that even other human cells as long as they are deficient for a single oncosuppressor gene might undergo malignant transformation when exposed to human cancer serum.

Methods

We used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to establish a stable BRCA1 knockout (KO) in human fibroblasts. The BRCA1-KO fibroblasts were exposed to cancer patients’ sera or healthy patients’ sera for 2 weeks. Treated cells were analyzed for cell proliferation and transformation to study their susceptibility to the oncogenic potential of cancer patients’ sera and to determine the possible mechanisms underlying their hypothesized transformation.

Results

BRCA1-KO fibroblasts treated with cancer patients’ sera displayed higher proliferation and underwent malignant transformation as opposed to wild type control fibroblasts, which were not affected by exposure to cancer patients’ sera. The malignant transformation was not seen when BRCA1-KO fibroblasts were treated with healthy human sera. Histological analysis of tumors generated by BRCA1-KO fibroblasts showed that they were carcinomas with phenotypical characteristics related to the cancers of the blood donor patients. Interestingly, BRCA1-KO fibroblasts were significantly more prone to internalize serum-derived exosomes, when compared to wild type fibroblasts. This suggests that oncosuppressor genes might protect the integrity of the cell genome also by blocking integration of cancer-derived exosomes.

Conclusion

These data support the hypothesis that any human cells carrying a single oncosuppressor mutation is capable of integrating cancer factors carried in the blood and undergo complete malignant transformation. Oncosuppressor genes might protect the cell genome by impeding the integration inside the cells of these mutating factors.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0360-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enolase-1 is a therapeutic target in endometrial carcinoma

ENO1 plays a paradoxical role in driving the pathogenesis of tumors. However, the clinical significance of ENO1 expression remains unclear and its function and modulatory mechanisms have never been reported in endometrial carcinoma (EC). In this study, ENO1 silencing significantly reduced cell glycolysis, proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo by modulating p85 suppression. This in turn mediated inactivation of PI3K/AKT signaling and its downstream signals including glycolysis, cell cycle progression, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated genes. These effects on glycolysis and cell growth were not observed after ENO1 suppression in normal human endometrial epithelial cells (HEEC). Knocking down ENO1 could significantly enhance the sensitivity of EC cells to cisplatin (DDP) and markedly inhibited the growth of EC xenografts in vivo. In clinical samples, EC tissues exhibited higher expression levels of ENO1 mRNA and protein compared with normal endometrium tissues. Patients with higher ENO1 expression had a markedly shorter overall survival than patients with low ENO1 expression. We conclude that ENO1 favors carcinogenesis, representing a potential target for gene-based therapy.

Alpha-enolase promotes cell glycolysis, growth, migration, and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer through FAK-mediated PI3K/AKT pathway

Background

During tumor formation and expansion, increasing glucose metabolism is necessary for unrestricted growth of tumor cells. Expression of key glycolytic enzyme alpha-enolase (ENO1) is controversial and its modulatory mechanisms are still unclear in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

The expression of ENO1 was examined in NSCLC and non-cancerous lung tissues, NSCLC cell lines, and immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell (HBE) by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot, respectively. The effects and modulatory mechanisms of ENO1 on cell glycolysis, growth, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis in nude mice were also analyzed.

Results

ENO1 expression was increased in NSCLC tissues in comparison to non-cancerous lung tissues. Similarly, NSCLC cell lines A549 and SPCA-1 also express higher ENO1 than HBE cell line in both mRNA and protein levels. Overexpressed ENO1 significantly elevated NSCLC cell glycolysis, proliferation, clone formation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo by regulating the expression of glycolysis, cell cycle, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated genes. Conversely, ENO1 knockdown reversed these effects. More importantly, our further study revealed that stably upregulated ENO1 activated FAK/PI3K/AKT and its downstream signals to regulate the glycolysis, cell cycle, and EMT-associated genes.

Conclusion

This study showed that ENO1 is responsible for NSCLC proliferation and metastasis; thus, ENO1 might serve as a potential molecular therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13045-015-0117-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Proteomic developments in the analysis of formalin-fixed tissue

Retrospective proteomic studies, including those which aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving cancer, require the assembly and characterization of substantial patient tissue cohorts. The difficulty of maintaining and accessing native tissue archives has prompted the development of methods to access archives of formalin-fixed tissue. Formalin-fixed tissue archives, complete with patient meta data, have accumulated for decades, presenting an invaluable resource for these retrospective studies. This review presents the current knowledge concerning formalin-fixed tissue, with descriptions of the mechanisms of formalin fixation, protein extraction, top-down proteomics, bottom-up proteomics, quantitative proteomics, phospho- and glycoproteomics as well as imaging mass spectrometry. Particular attention has been given to the inclusion of proteomic investigations of archived tumour tissue. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Medical Proteomics.

Comparative secretome analysis of cholangiocarcinoma cell line in three-dimensional culture

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal malignancy which occurs with relatively high incidence in Thailand. This cancer is often difficult to diagnose and associated with high mortality. The secretome, containing the secreted proteins from cells, are potentially useful as biomarkers of cancers. Since three-dimensional (3D) cell culture may mimic growth characteristics and microenvironment of solid tumors in vivo better than monolayer culture, we have developed culture of CCA in natural collagen-based scaffold, to enable analysis of the secretome by 2DE. Our results indicated that CCA growth in 3D environment alters cell shape significantly and enhances extracellular matrix deposition. Interestingly, more secreted proteins were detected from 3D culture compared to monolayer culture. Secretome analysis using 2DE coupled with LC-MS/MS demonstrated 10 secreted proteins uniquely found in 3D culture. Moreover, 25 proteins were enriched in 3D culture compared to monolayer culture, including 14-3-3 σ, triosephosphate isomerase, phosphoglycerate mutase 1, α-enolase, and L-plastin. Immunoblotting was used to confirm the presence of L-plastin in conditioned media of CCA and of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. The results revealed that L-plastin, an actin bundling protein, was uniquely expressed only in the CCA cell line and could be a promising biomarker for differential diagnosis of CCA compared to HCC.

Deciphering the peptidome of urine from ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls

Background

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. The emergence of high-throughput technologies, such as mass spectrometry, has allowed for a paradigm shift in the way we search for novel biomarkers. Urine-based peptidomic profiling is a novel approach that may result in the discovery of noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosing patients with OvCa. In this study, the peptidome of urine from 6 ovarian cancer patients and 6 healthy controls was deciphered.

Results

Urine samples underwent ultrafiltration and the filtrate was subjected to solid phase extraction, followed by fractionation using strong cation exchange chromatography. These fractions were analyzed using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Over 4600 unique endogenous urine peptides arising from 713 proteins were catalogued, representing the largest urine peptidome reported to date. Each specimen was processed in triplicate and reproducibility at the protein (69-76%) and peptide (58-63%) levels were noted. More importantly, over 3100 unique peptides were detected solely in OvCa specimens. One such promising biomarker was leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG1), where multiple peptides were found in all urines from OvCa patients, but only one peptide was found in one healthy control urine sample.

Conclusions

Mining the urine peptidome may yield highly promising novel OvCa biomarkers.

Eradication of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells by Transgenic Expression of Recombinant DNASE1, DNASE1L3, DNASE2, and DFFB Controlled by EGFR Promoter: Novel Strategy for Targeted Therapy of Cancer

Introduction

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly among all gynecological cancers. Patients undergoing systemic therapies of advanced ovarian cancers suffer from horrendous side effects. Cancer survivors and their offspring suffer from iatrogenic consequences of systemic therapies: genetic mutations. The ultimate goal of our work is development of therapies, which selectively and completely eliminate cancer cells, but do not harm healthy cells. An important consideration for attaining this goal is the fact that ovarian cancer cells over-express EGFR or its mutants, what becomes the factor discriminating them from healthy cells - a potential facilitator of personalized therapy.

Specific aim

The specific aim of this project was threefold: (1) to bioengineer suicide genes’ carrying vectors guided by synthetic antibodies for EGFRvIII and EGFR; (2) to genetically engineer DNA constructs for the human, recombinant DNASE1, DNASE1L3, DNASE2, and DFFB controlled by the EGFR promoter; (3) to selectively eradicate ovarian cancer cells by intranuclear targeting of the transgenically expressed recombinant DNases.

Methods

Synthetic antibodies for EGFR and EGFRvIII were selected from the human library and used to bioengineer biotag-guided transgenes’ vectors. Coding sequences for the human DNASE1, DNASE1L3, DNASE2, DFFB controlled by the EGFR promoter were amplified from the human cDNA and genetically engineered into the plasmid constructs also coding for the fusions with NLS and GFP. The vectors carrying transgenes for the DNases were delivered in vitro into human ovarian cancer cells from ascites and cultures.

Results

Synthetic antibody guided vectors delivered the transgenes for the recombinant DNases efficiently into the ovarian cancer cells. Transgenic expression and nuclear targeting of the DNases in those cells resulted in destruction of their genomes and led to their death, as validated by labeling with the molecular death tags. In healthy cells, which did not over-express EGFR, no changes were recorded.

Conclusion

Targeted expression of the recombinant DNASE1, DNASE1L3, DNASE2, DFFB in the ovarian cancers in vitro resulted in their complete eradication, but had no effects upon the healthy cells. This novel therapeutic strategy has a potential for streamlining it into in vivo trials, as personalized, targeted therapy of ovarian and other cancers.