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Wang L, Zhang J, Xia M, Liu C, Zu X, Zhong J. High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1): Structure, Biological Function, and Therapeutic Potential. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:4414-4431. [PMID: 35864955 PMCID: PMC9295051 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.72952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) is a nonhistone chromatin structural protein characterized by no transcriptional activity. It mainly plays a regulatory role by modifying the structure of DNA. A large number of studies have confirmed that HMGA1 regulates genes related to tumours in the reproductive system, digestive system, urinary system and haematopoietic system. HMGA1 is rare in adult cells and increases in highly proliferative cells such as embryos. After being stimulated by external factors, it will produce effects through the Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt, Hippo and MEK/ERK pathways. In addition, HMGA1 also affects the ageing, apoptosis, autophagy and chemotherapy resistance of cancer cells, which are linked to tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of HMGA1 in cancer progression and discuss the potential clinical application of targeted HMGA1 therapy, indicating that targeted HMGA1 is of great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen 518033, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Xia
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China.,Cancer Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, First School of Clinical Medicine, University of Southern Medical, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuyu Zu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China.,Cancer Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China
| | - Jing Zhong
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China.,Cancer Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, PR China
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2
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miRNAs and Biomarkers in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: An Update. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031380. [PMID: 33573132 PMCID: PMC7866514 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the leading form of solid cancer and death affecting males between the ages of 20 and 40. Today, their surgical resection and chemotherapy are the treatments of first choice, even if sometimes this is not enough to save the lives of patients with TGCT. As seen for several tumors, the deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is also a key feature in TGCTs. miRNAs are small molecules of RNA with biological activity that are released into biological fluids by testicular cancer cells. Their presence, therefore, can be detected and monitored by considering miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers for TGCTs. The purpose of this review is to collect all the studies executed on miRNAs that have a potential role as biomarkers for testicular tumors.
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3
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De Martino M, Esposito F, Chieffi P. An update on microRNAs as potential novel therapeutic targets in testicular germ cell tumors. Intractable Rare Dis Res 2020; 9:184-186. [PMID: 32844079 PMCID: PMC7441029 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2020.03025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most frequent solid malignant tumors in men 20- 40 years of age and the most frequent cause of death from solid tumors in this age group. Recent studies have underscored the fact that miRNA deregulation is a feature of carcinogenesis, including TGCT development and progression. MiRNAs are a group of small noncoding RNAs that bind to the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of the targeted mRNAs, thus causing mRNA degradation or the inhibition of its translation, regulating gene expression in a temporal and tissue-specific manner. However, few miRNAs have been found to play key roles in TGCTs; recently, other miRNAs have been identified, representing novel potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco De Martino
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale-CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale-CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Paolo Chieffi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
- Address correspondence to:Paolo Chieffi, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, 31 81100 Caserta, Italy. E-mail:
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4
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Panza S, Gelsomino L, Malivindi R, Rago V, Barone I, Giordano C, Giordano F, Leggio A, Comandè A, Liguori A, Aquila S, Bonofiglio D, Andò S, Catalano S. Leptin Receptor as a Potential Target to Inhibit Human Testicular Seminoma Growth. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2019; 189:687-698. [PMID: 30610844 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although in past decades the adipokine leptin and its own receptor have been considered as significant cancer biomarkers, their potential involvement in human testicular seminoma growth and progression remains unexplored. Here, we showed that the expression of leptin and its receptor was significantly higher in human testicular seminoma compared with normal adult testis. Human seminoma cell line TCam-2 also expressed leptin along with the long and short isoforms of leptin receptor, and in response to leptin treatment showed enhanced activation of its downstream effectors. In line with these results, leptin stimulation significantly increased the proliferation and migration of TCam-2 cells. Treatment of TCam-2 cells with the peptide Leu-Asp-Phe-Ile (LDFI), a full leptin-receptor antagonist, completely reversed the leptin-mediated effects on cell growth and motility as well as reduced the expression of several leptin-induced target genes. More importantly, the in vivo xenograft experiments showed that LDFI treatment markedly decreased seminoma tumor growth. Interestingly, LDFI-treated tumors showed reduced levels of the proliferation marker Ki-67 as well as decreased expression of leptin-regulated genes. Taken together, these data identify, for the first time, leptin as a key factor able to affect testicular seminoma behavior, highlighting leptin receptor as a potential target for novel potential treatments in this type of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Panza
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Luca Gelsomino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Rocco Malivindi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Vittoria Rago
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Ines Barone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Giordano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Antonella Leggio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Alessandra Comandè
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Angelo Liguori
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Saveria Aquila
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Daniela Bonofiglio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
| | - Stefania Catalano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
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5
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Michalski W, Jonska-Gmyrek J, Poniatowska G, Kucharz J, Stelmasiak P, Nietupski K, Sadowska M, Demkow T, Wiechno P. Testicular teratomas: a growing problem? Med Oncol 2018; 35:153. [PMID: 30367327 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-018-1215-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Testicular teratomas represent a specific entity within the group of germ-cell tumours. They may comprise elements of all three germ layers. In contrast to prepubertal benign teratomas observed in infants and adolescents, postpubertal teratomas originate from the malignant germ-cell precursor. Given the good prognosis and curability of most patients with germ-cell tumour, medical oncologists and urological surgeons must be well acquainted with the principles of teratomas management. Surgery plays the decisive part in teratomas treatment, as these tumours are resistant to radio- and, to some extent, chemotherapy. In this article we concentrate on the management of post-chemotherapy resection of teratomatous masses, with special attention to the phenomenon of 'growing teratoma syndrome' and somatic-type transformation of teratomas. To understand the nature of teratomas better, we begin with a glimpse of their biological, molecular and immunohistochemical features. Managing germ-cell tumours, teratomas in particular, in high-volume reference centres is of utmost importance to maintain and increase the survivorship rate in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Michalski
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Jonska-Gmyrek
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grazyna Poniatowska
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Kucharz
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Pawel Stelmasiak
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karol Nietupski
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Sadowska
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Demkow
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Wiechno
- Department of Uro-oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5, Roentgen Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Abstract
A critical step for maintenance of genetic stability is chromosome segregation, which requires a high coordination of cellular processes. Loss of mitotic regulation is a possible cause of aneuploidy in human epithelial malignancy and it is thought to create an abnormal nuclear morphology in cancer cells. Serine/threonine protein kinase Aurora B gene plays a regulatory role from G2 to cytokinesis, encompassing key cell cycle events such as centrosome duplication, chromosome bi-orientation, and segregation. The overexpression of Aurora B has been observed in several tumour types, and has been linked with a poor prognosis for cancer patients. Therapeutic inhibition of Aurora kinase showed great promise as a probable anticancer regime because of its important role during cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Chieffi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania, Caserta, Italy
- Address correspondence to:Dr. Paolo Chieffi, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania, Viale Ellittico, 31 81100 Caserta, Italy. E-mail:
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7
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De Martino M, Forzati F, Arra C, Fusco A, Esposito F. HMGA1-pseudogenes and cancer. Oncotarget 2017; 7:28724-35. [PMID: 26895108 PMCID: PMC5053758 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudogenes are DNA sequences with high homology to the corresponding functional gene, but, because of the accumulation of various mutations, they have lost their initial functions to code for proteins. Consequently, pseudogenes have been considered until few years ago dysfunctional relatives of the corresponding ancestral genes, and then useless in the course of genome evolution. However, several studies have recently established that pseudogenes are owners of key biological functions. Indeed, some pseudogenes control the expression of functional genes by competitively binding to the miRNAs, some of them generate small interference RNAs to negatively modulate the expression of functional genes, and some of them even encode functional mutated proteins. Here, we concentrate our attention on the pseudogenes of the HMGA1 gene, that codes for the HMGA1a and HMGA1b proteins having a critical role in development and cancer progression. In this review, we analyze the family of HMGA1 pseudogenes through three aspects: classification, characterization, and their possible function and involvement in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco De Martino
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Forzati
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Arra
- Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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8
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Gainetdinov IV, Kondratieva SA, Skvortsova YV, Zinovyeva MV, Stukacheva EA, Klimov A, Tryakin AA, Azhikina TL. Distinguishing epigenetic features of preneoplastic testis tissues adjacent to seminomas and nonseminomas. Oncotarget 2017; 7:22439-47. [PMID: 26843623 PMCID: PMC5008371 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PIWI pathway proteins are expressed during spermatogenesis where they play a key role in germ cell development. Epigenetic loss of PIWI proteins expression was previously demonstrated in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), implying their involvement in TGCT development. In this work, apart from studying only normal testis and TGCT samples, we also analyzed an intermediate stage, i.e. preneoplastic testis tissues adjacent to TGCTs. Importantly, in this study, we minimized the contribution of patient-to-patient heterogeneity by using matched preneoplastic/TGCT samples. Surprisingly, expression of germ cell marker DDX4 suggests that spermatogenesis is retained in premalignant testis tissues adjacent to nonseminoma, but not those adjacent to seminoma. Moreover, this pattern is followed by expression of PIWI pathway genes, which impacts one of their functions: DNA methylation level over LINE-1 promoters is higher in preneoplastic testis tissues adjacent to nonseminomas than those adjacent to seminomas. This finding might imply distinct routes for development of the two types of TGCTs and could be used as a novel diagnostic marker, possibly, noninvasively. Finally, we studied the role of CpG island methylation in expression of PIWI genes in patient samples and using in vitro experiments in cell line models: a more complex interrelation between DNA methylation and expression of the corresponding genes was revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildar V Gainetdinov
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sofia A Kondratieva
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia V Skvortsova
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina V Zinovyeva
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A Stukacheva
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Klimov
- Department of Oncology, Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A Tryakin
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Chemotherapy, Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatyana L Azhikina
- Department of Genetics and Postgenomic Technologies, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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9
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Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is the most common solid malignancy occurring in young men between 20 and 34 years of age, and its incidence has increased significantly over the last decades. Clinically several types of immunohistochemical markers are useful and sensitive. These new biomarkers are genes expressed in primordial germ cells/gonocytes and embryonic pluripotency-related cells but not in normal adult germ cells and they include OCT3/4, HMGA1 and 2, NANOG, SOX2, and LIN28. Gene expression in TGCT is regulated, at least in part, by DNA and histone modifications, and the epigenetic profile of these tumours is characterised by genome-wide demethylation. There are different epigenetic modifications in TGCT subtypes that reflect the normal developmental switch in primordial germ cells from an under to normally methylated genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Chieffi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università della Campania, Caserta, Italy
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Paolo Chieffi, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Viale Ellittico, 31 81100 Caserta, Italy. E-mail:
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10
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The stem cell factor (SCF)/c-KIT signalling in testis and prostate cancer. J Cell Commun Signal 2017; 11:297-307. [PMID: 28656507 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-017-0399-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine that specifically binds the tyrosine kinase receptor c-KIT. The SCF/c-KIT interaction leads to receptor dimerization, activation of kinase activity and initiation of several signal transduction pathways that control cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and migration in several tissues. The activity of SCF/c-KIT system is linked with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K), the Src, the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), the phospholipase-C (PLC-γ) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Moreover, it has been reported that cancer cases display an overactivation of c-KIT due to the presence of gain-of-function mutations or receptor overexpression, which renders c-KIT a tempting target for cancer treatment. In the case of male cancers the most documented activated pathways are the PI3-K and Src, both enhancing abnormal cell proliferation. It is also known that the Src activity in prostate cancer cases depends on the presence of tr-KIT, the cytoplasmic truncated variant of c-KIT that is specifically expressed in tumour tissues and, thus, a very interesting target for drug development. The present review provides an overview of the signalling pathways activated by SCF/c-KIT and discusses the potential application of c-KIT inhibitors for treatment of testicular and prostatic cancers.
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11
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Clinicopathology Illustration Treatment Options and Survival in the Patients with Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in Kermanshah Province, Iran. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER MANAGEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.5812/ijcm.4039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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12
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Chieffi P. An Overview on Predictive Biomarkers of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. J Cell Physiol 2016; 232:276-280. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Chieffi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia; Seconda Università di Napoli; Caserta Italy
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13
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Chieffi P. New perspective on molecular markers as promising therapeutic targets in germ cell tumors. Intractable Rare Dis Res 2016; 5:137-9. [PMID: 27195201 PMCID: PMC4869583 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2016.01007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most frequent solid malignant tumors in men 20-40 years of age and the most frequent cause of death from solid tumors in this age group. TGCTs comprise two major histologic groups: seminomas and non-seminomas germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). NSGCTs can be further divided into embryonal carcinoma, Teratoma, yolk sac tumor, and choriocarcinoma. Seminomas and NSGCTs present significant differences in clinical features, therapy, and prognosis, and both show characteristics of the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs). Many discovered biomarkers including HMGA1, GPR30, Aurora-B, estrogen receptor β, and others have given further advantages to discriminate between histological subgroups and could represent useful therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Chieffi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Seconda Università di Napoli, Caserta, Italy
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14
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Boublikova L, Bakardjieva-Mihaylova V, Skvarova Kramarzova K, Kuzilkova D, Dobiasova A, Fiser K, Stuchly J, Kotrova M, Buchler T, Dusek P, Grega M, Rosova B, Vernerova Z, Klezl P, Pesl M, Zachoval R, Krolupper M, Kubecova M, Stahalova V, Abrahamova J, Babjuk M, Kodet R, Trka J. Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), TP53, RAS/BRAF and KIT aberrations in testicular germ cell tumors. Cancer Lett 2016; 376:367-76. [PMID: 27085458 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), a zinc-finger transcription factor essential for testis development and function, along with other genes, was investigated for their role in the pathogenesis of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). METHODS In total, 284 TGCT and 100 control samples were investigated, including qPCR for WT1 expression and BRAF mutation, p53 immunohistochemistry detection, and massively parallel amplicon sequencing. RESULTS WT1 was significantly (p < 0.0001) under-expressed in TGCT, with an increased ratio of exon 5-lacking isoforms, reaching low levels in chemo-naïve relapsed TGCT patients vs. high levels in chemotherapy-pretreated relapsed patients. BRAF V600E mutation was identified in 1% of patients only. p53 protein was lowly expressed in TGCT metastases compared to the matched primary tumors. Of 9 selected TGCT-linked genes, RAS/BRAF and WT1 mutations were frequent while significant TP53 and KIT variants were not detected (p = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS WT1 has been identified as a novel factor involved in TGCT pathogenesis, with a potential prognostic impact. Distinct biologic nature of the two types of relapses occurring in TGCT has been demonstrated. Differential mutation rate of the key TGCT-related genes has been documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Boublikova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - V Bakardjieva-Mihaylova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Skvarova Kramarzova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - D Kuzilkova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - A Dobiasova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Fiser
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Stuchly
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Kotrova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - T Buchler
- Department of Oncology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Dusek
- Department of Urology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Grega
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - B Rosova
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Z Vernerova
- Department of Pathology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Klezl
- Department of Urology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Pesl
- Department of Urology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Zachoval
- Department of Urology, Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Krolupper
- Department of Urology, Na Bulovce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Kubecova
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - V Stahalova
- Institute of Radiotherapy and Oncology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Na Bulovce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Abrahamova
- Department of Oncology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Babjuk
- Department of Urology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Kodet
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Trka
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
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Boscia F, Passaro C, Gigantino V, Perdonà S, Franco R, Portella G, Chieffi S, Chieffi P. High levels of GPR30 protein in human testicular carcinoma in situ and seminomas correlate with low levels of estrogen receptor-beta and indicate a switch in estrogen responsiveness. J Cell Physiol 2015; 230:1290-7. [PMID: 25413376 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPR30) is suggested to be involved in non-nuclear estrogen signalling and is expressed in a variety of hormone dependent cancer entities. It is well established that oestrogens are involved in pathological germ cell proliferation including testicular germ cell tumours. This study was performed to further elucidate the role of this receptor and the possible correlation with the estrogen receptor β in human testicular carcinoma in situ (CIS), seminomas and in GC1 and TCam-2 germ cell lines; in addition, a Tissue Micro-Array was built using the most representative areas from 25 cases of human testicular seminomas and 20 cases of CIS. The expression of ERβ and GPR30 were observed by using Western blot analysis in combination with immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses. Here, we show that down regulation of ERβ associates with GPR30 over-expression both in human testicular CIS and seminomas. In addition, we show that 17β-oestradiol induces the ERK1/2 activation and increases c-Fos expression through GPR30 associated with ERβ down-regulation in TCam-2 cell line. The present results suggest that exposure to oestrogens or oestrogen-mimics, in some as of yet undefined manner, diminishes the ERβ-mediated growth restraint in CIS and in human testicular seminoma, probably due to ERβ down-regulation associated to GPR30 increased expression indicating that GPR30 could be a potential therapeutic target to design specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Boscia
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Scienze Riproduttive ed Odontostomatologiche, Università di Napoli "Federico II,", Naples, Italy
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