Glycosylation markers in cancer

Insights into the role of glycosyltransferase in the targeted treatment of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is a remarkably heterogeneous tumor. Despite some advances in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer in recent years, the precise treatment and curative outcomes remain unsatisfactory. Poor prognosis continues to pose a major challenge in gastric cancer. Therefore, it is imperative to identify effective targets to improve the treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer patients. It should be noted that glycosylation, a novel form of posttranslational modification, is a process capable of regulating protein function and influencing cellular activities. Currently, numerous studies have shown that glycosylation plays vital roles in the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer. As crucial enzymes that regulate glycan synthesis in glycosylation processes, glycosyltransferases are potential targets for treating GC. Hence, investigating the regulation of glycosyltransferases and the expression of associated proteins in gastric cancer cells is highly important. In this review, the related glycosyltransferases and their related signaling pathways in gastric cancer, as well as the existing inhibitors of glycosyltransferases, provide more possibilities for targeted therapies for gastric cancer.

Prognostic value of dynamic changes of pre- and post-operative tumor markers in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis assessment is vital for personalized treatment plans. This study investigates the prognostic value of dynamic changes of tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, CA125, and AFP before and after surgery and constructs prediction models based on these indicators.

METHODS

A retrospective clinical study of 2599 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery was conducted. Patients were randomly divided into training (70%) and validation (30%) datasets. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified independent prognostic factors, and nomograms were constructed.

RESULTS

A total of 2599 CRC patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into training (70%, n = 1819) and validation (30%, n = 780) sets. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified age, total number of resected lymph nodes, T stage, N stage, the preoperative and postoperative changes in the levels of CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 as independent prognostic factors. When their postoperative levels are normal, patients with elevated preoperative levels have significantly worse overall survival. However, when the postoperative levels of CEA/CA19-9/CA125 are elevated, whether their preoperative levels are elevated or not has no significance for prognosis. Two nomogram models were developed, and Model I, which included CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 groups, demonstrated the best performance in both training and validation sets.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the significant predictive value of dynamic changes in tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 before and after CRC surgery. Incorporating these markers into a nomogram prediction model improves prognostic accuracy, enabling clinicians to better assess patients' conditions and develop personalized treatment plans.

Investigation of the synergistic effect mechanism underlying sequential use of palbociclib and cisplatin through integral proteomic and glycoproteomic analysis

Chemoresistance largely hampers the clinical use of chemodrugs for cancer patients, combination or sequential drug treatment regimens have been designed to minimize chemotoxicity and resensitize chemoresistance. In this work, the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin was found to be enhanced by palbociclib pretreatment in HeLa cells. With the integration of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomic and N-glycoproteomic workflow, we found that palbociclib alone mainly enhanced the N-glycosylation alterations in HeLa cells, while cisplatin majorly increased the different expression proteins related to apoptosis pathways. As a result, the sequential use of two drugs induced a higher expression level of apoptosis proteins BAX and BAK. Those altered N-glycoproteins induced by palbociclib were implicated in pathways that were closely associated with cell membrane modification and drug sensitivity. Specifically, the top four frequently glycosylated proteins FOLR1, L1CAM, CD63, and LAMP1 were all associated with drug resistance or drug sensitivity. It is suspected that palbociclib-induced N-glycosylation on the membrane protein allowed the HeLa cell to become more vulnerable to cisplatin treatment. Our study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the sequential use of target drugs and chemotherapy drugs, meanwhile suggesting a high-efficiency approach that involves proteomic and N-glycoproteomic to facilitate drug discovery.

Glycosylated nanoplatforms: From glycosylation strategies to implications and opportunities for cancer theranostics

Glycosylated nanoplatforms have emerged as promising tools in the field of cancer theranostics, integrating both therapeutic and diagnostic functionalities. These nanoscale platforms are composed of different materials such as lipids, polymers, carbons, and metals that can be modified with glycosyl moieties to enhance their targeting capabilities towards cancer cells. This review provides an overview of different modification strategies employed to introduce glycosylation onto nanoplatforms, including chemical conjugation, enzymatic methods, and bio-orthogonal reactions. Furthermore, the potential applications of glycosylated nanoplatforms in cancer theranostics are discussed, focusing on their roles in drug delivery, imaging, and combination therapy. The ability of these nanoplatforms to selectively target cancer cells through specific interactions with overexpressed glycan receptors is highlighted, emphasizing their potential for enhancing efficacy and reducing the side effects compared to conventional therapies. In addition, the incorporation of diagnostic components onto the glycosylated nanoplatforms provided the capability of simultaneous imaging and therapy and facilitated the real-time monitoring of treatment response. Finally, challenges and future perspectives in the development and translation of glycosylated nanoplatforms for clinical applications are addressed, including scalability, biocompatibility, and regulatory considerations. Overall, this review underscores the significant progress made in the field of glycosylated nanoplatforms and their potential to revolutionize cancer theranostics.

Genetic variants in C1GALT1 are associated with gastric cancer risk by influencing immune infiltration

Core 1 synthase glycoprotein-N-acetylgalactosamine 3-β-galactosyltransferase 1 (C1GALT1) is known to play a critical role in the development of gastric cancer, but few studies have elucidated associations between genetic variants in C1GALT1 and gastric cancer risk. By using the genome-wide association study data from the database of Genotype and Phenotype (dbGAP), we evaluated such associations with a multivariable logistic regression model and identified that the rs35999583 G>C in C1GALT1 was associated with gastric cancer risk (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.92; P = 3.95 × 10 -4). C1GALT1 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in gastric tumor tissues than in normal tissues, and gastric cancer patients with higher C1GALT1 mRNA levels had worse overall survival rates (hazards ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.05-1.68; P log-rank = 1.90 × 10 -2). Furthermore, we found that C1GALT1 copy number differed in various immune cells and that C1GALT1 mRNA expression levels were positively correlated with the infiltrating levels of CD4 + T cells and macrophages. These results suggest that genetic variants of C1GALT1 may play an important role in gastric cancer risk and provide a new insight for C1GALT1 into a promising predictor of gastric cancer susceptibility and immune status.

Deciphering glycosylation-driven prognostic insights and therapeutic prospects in glioblastoma through a comprehensive regulatory model

The oncogenesis and development of glioblastoma multiforme have been linked to glycosylation modifications, which are common post-translational protein modifications. Abnormal glycosyltransferase development leads to irregular glycosylation patterns, which hold clinical significance for GB prognosis. By utilizing both single-cell and bulk data, we developed a scoring system to assess glycosylation levels in GB. Moreover, a glycosylation-based signature was created to predict GB outcomes and therapy responsiveness. The study led to the development of an glyco-model incorporating nine key genes. This risk assessment tool effectively stratified GB patients into two distinct groups. Extensive validation through ROC analysis, RMST, and Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis emphasized the model's robust predictive capabilities. Additionally, a nomogram was constructed to predict survival rates at specific time intervals. The research revealed substantial disparities in immune cell infiltration between low-risk and high-risk groups, characterized by differences in immune cell abundance and elevated immune scores. Notably, the glyco-model predicted diverse responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and drug therapies, with high-risk groups exhibiting a preference for immune checkpoint inhibitors and demonstrated superior responses to drug treatments. Furthermore, the study identified two potential drug targets and utilized Connectivity Map analysis to pinpoint promising therapeutic agents. Clofarabine and YM155 were identified as potent candidates for the treatment of high-risk GB. Our well-crafted glyco-model effectively discriminates patients by calculating the risk score, accurately predicting GB outcomes, and significantly enhancing prognostic assessment while identifying novel immunotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic strategies for GB treatment.

Analysis of cancer-associated fibroblasts related genes identifies COL11A1 associated with lung adenocarcinoma prognosis

BACKGROUND

The treatment of lung adenocarcinoma is difficult due to the limited therapeutic options. Cancer-associated fibroblasts play an important role in the development of cancers. This study aimed to identify a promising molecular target associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas lung adenocarcinoma dataset was used to screen hub genes associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts via the EPIC algorithm and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. Multiple databases were used together with our data to verify the differential expression and survival of COL11A1. Functional enrichment analysis and the single-cell TISCH database were used to elucidate the mechanisms underlying COL11A1 expression. The correlation between COL11A1 and immune checkpoint genes in human cancers was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Using the EPIC algorithm and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis, 13 hub genes associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts in lung adenocarcinoma were screened. Using the GEPIA database, Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, GSE72094, GSE75037, GSE32863, and our immunohistochemistry experiment data, we confirmed that COL11A1 overexpresses in lung adenocarcinoma and that high expression of COL11A1 is associated with a poor prognosis. COL11A1 has a genetic alteration frequency of 22% in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. COL11A1 is involved in the extracellular matrix activities of lung adenocarcinoma. Using the TISCH database, we found that COL11A1 is mainly expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment rather than by lung adenocarcinoma cells. Finally, we found that COL11A1 is positively correlated with HAVCR2(TIM3), CD274 (PD-L1), CTLA4, and LAG3 in lung adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSION

COL11A1 may be expressed and secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts, and a high expression of COL11A1 may result in T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma. COL11A1 may serve as an attractive biomarker to provide new insights into cancer therapeutics.

Exposing the molecular heterogeneity of glycosylated biotherapeutics

The heterogeneity inherent in today's biotherapeutics, especially as a result of heavy glycosylation, can affect a molecule's safety and efficacy. Characterizing this heterogeneity is crucial for drug development and quality assessment, but existing methods are limited in their ability to analyze intact glycoproteins or other heterogeneous biotherapeutics. Here, we present an approach to the molecular assessment of biotherapeutics that uses proton-transfer charge-reduction with gas-phase fractionation to analyze intact heterogeneous and/or glycosylated proteins by mass spectrometry. The method provides a detailed landscape of the intact molecular weights present in biotherapeutic protein preparations in a single experiment. For glycoproteins in particular, the method may offer insights into glycan composition when coupled with a suitable bioinformatic strategy. We tested the approach on various biotherapeutic molecules, including Fc-fusion, VHH-fusion, and peptide-bound MHC class II complexes to demonstrate efficacy in measuring the proteoform-level diversity of biotherapeutics. Notably, we inferred the glycoform distribution for hundreds of molecular weights for the eight-times glycosylated fusion drug IL22-Fc, enabling correlations between glycoform sub-populations and the drug's pharmacological properties. Our method is broadly applicable and provides a powerful tool to assess the molecular heterogeneity of emerging biotherapeutics.

High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry Analysis of N-Glycans and Protein Markers after FUT8 Knockdown in the Syngeneic SW480/SW620 Colorectal Cancer Cell Model

Disruption of the glycosylation machinery is a common feature in many types of cancer, and colorectal cancer (CRC) is no exception. Core fucosylation is mediated by the enzyme fucosyltransferase 8 (FucT-8), which catalyzes the addition of α1,6-l-fucose to the innermost GlcNAc residue of N-glycans. We and others have documented the involvement of FucT-8 and core-fucosylated proteins in CRC progression, in which we addressed core fucosylation in the syngeneic CRC model formed by SW480 and SW620 tumor cell lines from the perspective of alterations in their N-glycosylation profile and protein expression as an effect of the knockdown of the FUT8 gene that encodes FucT-8. Using label-free, semiquantitative mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, we found noticeable differences in N-glycosylation patterns in FUT8-knockdown cells, affecting core fucosylation and sialylation, the Hex/HexNAc ratio, and antennarity. Furthermore, stable isotopic labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based proteomic screening detected the alteration of species involved in protein folding, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi post-translational stabilization, epithelial polarity, and cellular response to damage and therapy. This data is available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD050012. Overall, the results obtained merit further investigation to validate their feasibility as biomarkers of progression and malignization in CRC, as well as their potential usefulness in clinical practice.

Integrating transcriptomics, glycomics and glycoproteomics to characterize hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third most common cause of cancer related death globally, representing a substantial challenge to global healthcare systems. In China, the primary risk factor for HCC is the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Aberrant serum glycoconjugate levels have long been linked to the progression of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC). Nevertheless, few study systematically explored the dysregulation of glycoconjugates in the progression of HBV-associated HCC and their potency as the diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

METHODS

An integrated strategy that combined transcriptomics, glycomics, and glycoproteomics was employed to comprehensively investigate the dynamic alterations in glyco-genes, N-glycans, and glycoproteins in the progression of HBV- HCC.

RESULTS

Bioinformatic analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets uncovered dysregulation of fucosyltransferases (FUTs) in liver tissues from HCC patients compared to adjacent tissues. Glycomic analysis indicated an elevated level of fucosylated N-glycans, especially a progressive increase in fucosylation levels on IgA1 and IgG2 determined by glycoproteomic analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that the abnormal fucosylation plays a pivotal role in the progression of HBV-HCC. Systematic and integrative multi-omic analysis is anticipated to facilitate the discovery of aberrant glycoconjugates in tumor progression.

Insights into the history and tendency of glycosylation and digestive system tumor: A bibliometric-based visual analysis

BACKGROUND

Glycosylation, a commonly occurring post-translational modification, is highly expressed in several tumors, specifically in those of the digestive system, and plays a role in various cellular pathophysiological mechanisms. Although the importance and detection methods of glycosylation in digestive system tumors have garnered increasing attention in recent years, bibliometric analysis of this field remains scarce. The present study aims to identify the developmental trends and research hotspots of glycosylation in digestive system tumors.

AIM

To find and identify the developmental trends and research hotspots of glycosylation in digestive system tumors.

METHODS

We obtained relevant literature from the Web of Science Core Collection and employed VOSviewer 1.6.19 and CiteSpace (version 6.1.R6) to perform bibliometric analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 2042 documents spanning from 1978 to the present were analyzed, with the research process divided into three phases: the period of obscurity (1978-1990), continuous development period (1991-2006), and the rapid outbreak period (2007-2023). These documents were authored by researchers from 66 countries or regions, with the United States and China leading in terms of publication output. Reis Celso A had the highest number of publications, while Pinho SS was the most cited author. Co-occurrence analysis revealed the most popular keywords in this field are glycosylation, expression, cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the Journal of Proteome Research was the most prolific journal in terms of publications, while the Journal of Biological Chemistry had the most citations.

CONCLUSION

The bibliometric analysis shows current research focus is primarily on basic research in this field. However, future research should aim to utilize glycosylation as a target for treating tumor patients.

Responses of the intestinal microbiota to exposure of okadaic acid in marine medaka Oryzias melastigma

It is still limited that how the microalgal toxin okadaic acid (OA) affects the intestinal microbiota in marine fishes. In the present study, adult marine medaka Oryzias melastigma was exposed to the environmentally relevant concentration of OA (5 μg/L) for 10 days, and then recovered in fresh seawater for 10-days depuration. Analysis of taxonomic composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, as well as function prediction analysis and histology observation were carried out in this study. Functional prediction analysis indicated that OA potentially affected the development of colorectal cancer, protein and carbohydrate digestion and absorption functions, and development of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, which may be associated with changes in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in marine medaka. Significant increases of C-reactive protein (CRP) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels, as well as the changes of histology of intestinal tissue demonstrated that an intestinal inflammation was induced by OA exposure in marine medaka. This study showed that the environmental concentrations of OA could harm to the intestinal microbiota thus threatening the health of marine medaka, which hints that the chemical ecology of microalgal toxins should be paid attention to in future studies.

Role of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin binding glycans in carcinogenesis and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma

Aberrant glycosylation is an important factor in facilitating tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. In this study, using Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), we examined the expression of WFA-binding glycans (WFAG) in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The results showed that WFAG was highly detected in precancerous and cancerous lesions of human CCA tissues, although it was rarely detected in normal bile ducts. The positive signal of WFAG in the cancerous lesion accounted for 96.2% (50/52) of the cases. Overexpression of WFAG was significantly associated with lymph node and distant metastasis (P < 0.05). The study using the CCA hamster model showed that WFAG is elevated in preneoplastic and neoplastic bile ducts as early as 1 month after being infected with liver fluke and exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine. Functional analysis was performed to reveal the role of WFAG in CCA. The CCA cell lines KKU-213A and KKU-213B were treated with WFA, followed by migration assay. Our data suggested that WFAG facilitates the migration of CCA cells via the activation of the Akt and ERK signaling pathways. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the association of WFAG with carcinogenesis and metastasis of CCA, suggesting its potential as a target for the treatment of the disease.

Glycosylation-related genes mediated prognostic signature contribute to prognostic prediction and treatment options in ovarian cancer: based on bulk and single‑cell RNA sequencing data

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a complex disease with significant tumor heterogeneity with the worst prognosis and highest mortality among all gynecological cancers. Glycosylation is a specific post-translational modification that plays an important role in tumor progression, immune escape and metastatic spread. The aim of this work was to identify the major glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) in OC and construct an effective GRGs signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapy.

METHODS

AUCell algorithm was used to identify glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) based on the scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data. An effective GRGs signature was conducted using COX and LASSO regression algorithm. The texting dataset and clinical sample data were used to assessed the accuracy of GRGs signature. We evaluated the differences in immune cell infiltration, enrichment of immune checkpoints, immunotherapy response, and gene mutation status among different risk groups. Finally, RT-qPCR, Wound-healing assay, Transwell assay were performed to verify the effect of the CYBRD1 on OC.

RESULTS

A total of 1187 GRGs were obtained and a GRGs signature including 16 genes was established. The OC patients were divided into high- and low- risk group based on the median riskscore and the patients in high-risk group have poor outcome. We also found that the patients in low-risk group have higher immune cell infiltration, enrichment of immune checkpoints and immunotherapy response. The results of laboratory test showed that CYBRD1 can promote the invasion, and migration of OC and is closely related to the poor prognosis of OC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study established a GRGs signature consisting of 16 genes based on the scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data, which provides a new perspective on the prognosis prediction and treatment strategy for OC.

Capturing Sialyl-glycan on Live Cancer Cells by Tailored Boronopeptide

Boronic acid-containing molecules are substantially popularized in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry due to the broad spectrum of covalent conjugations as well as interaction modules offered by the versatile boron atom. Apparently, the WGA peptide (wheat germ agglutinin, 62-73), which shows a considerably low binding affinity to sialic acid, turned into a selective and >5 folds potent binder with the aid of a suitable boronic acid probe installed chemoselectively. In silico studies prompted us to install BA probes on the cysteine residue, supposedly located in close proximity to the bound sialic acid. In vitro studies revealed that the tailored boronopeptides show enhanced binding ability due to the synergistic recognition governed by selective non-covalent interactions and cis-diol boronic acid conjugation. The intense binding is observed even in 10 % serum, thus enabling profiling of sialyl-glycan on cancer cells, as compared with the widely used lectin, Sambucus nigra. The synergistic binding mode between the best boronopeptide (P3) binder and sialic acid was analyzed via 1 H and 11 B NMR.

CHST12: a potential prognostic biomarker related to the immunotherapy response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Background

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is characterized by lower immunogenicity with a poor response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and exhibits the poorest prognosis of all solid tumors, which results in the highest tumor-related mortality among malignancies. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In addition, diverse carbohydrate sulfotransferases (CHSTs), which are involved in the sulfation process of these structures, play an important role in the metastatic spread of tumor cells. Aberrant glycosylation is beginning to emerge as an influencing factor in tumor immunity and immunotherapy. Therefore, it might serve as a biomarker of the immunotherapeutic response in tumors. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of CHST12 in PAAD prognosis and its relevance to the immunotherapeutic response.

Methods

A comprehensive investigation of the interactions between CHST12 expression and the immune microenvironment as well as the clinical significance of CHST12 in PAAD was conducted. Data derived from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches, the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithms. Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. These data can be found on websites such as http://www.xiantao.love and https://www.proteinatlas.org. An assessment of the predictive value of CHST12 for PAAD prognosis was conducted using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and nomograms. The TIMER algorithm calculates the proportions of six types of immune cells. The TIDE algorithm was used to indicate the characteristics of tumors that respond to ICI therapy.

Results

The mRNA and protein levels of CHST12 showed the opposite trend. CHST12 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in PAAD. According to Cox regression analysis, CHST12 RNA expression acts as a protective factor for overall survival [hazard ratio (HR), 0.617, P < 0.04]. Functional annotation indicated that CHST12-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related to the signaling activity of receptor tyrosine kinases and the regulation of ubiquitin-protein transferase. These are usually involved in tumor development and may be related to the treatment responses of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). There was significantly higher CHST12 mRNA expression in PAAD samples than in non-malignant samples.

Conclusions

In PAAD, elevated CHST12 mRNA expression might regulate immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and may predict clinical outcomes.

Construction of an abnormal glycosylation risk model and its application in predicting the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck, and the incidence rate is increasing year by year. Protein post-translational modification, recognized as a pivotal and extensive form of protein modification, has been established to possess a profound association with tumor occurrence and progression. This study employed bioinformatics analysis utilizing transcriptome sequencing data, patient survival data, and clinical data from HNSCC to establish predictive markers of genes associated with glycosylation as prognostic risk markers. The R procedure WGCNA was employed to construct a gene co-expression network using the gene expression profile and clinical characteristics of HNSCC samples. Multiple Cox Proportional Hazards Regression Model (Cox regression) and LASSO analysis were conducted to identify the key genes exhibiting the strongest association with prognosis. A risk score, known as the glycosylation-related genes risk score (GLRS), was subsequently formulated utilizing the aforementioned core genes. This scoring system facilitated the classification of samples into high-risk and low-risk categories, thereby enabling the prediction of patient prognosis. The association between GLRS and clinical variables was examined through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The validation of six core genes was accomplished using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The findings demonstrated noteworthy variations in risk scores among subgroups, thereby affirming the efficacy of GLRS in prognosticating patient outcomes. Furthermore, a correlation has been observed between the risk-scoring model and immune infiltration. Moreover, significant disparities exist in the expression levels of diverse immune checkpoints, epithelial-mesenchymal transition genes, and angiogenic factors between the high and low-risk groups.

Integrating TCGA and Single-Cell Sequencing Data for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Novel Glycosylation (GLY)/Tumor Microenvironment (TME) Classifier to Predict Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response

The major liver cancer subtype is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies have indicated that a better prognosis is related to the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in HCC. However, the molecular pathways that drive immune cell variation in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain poorly understood. Glycosylation (GLY)-related genes have a vital function in the pathogenesis of numerous tumors, including HCC. This study aimed to develop a GLY/TME classifier based on glycosylation-related gene scores and tumor microenvironment scores to provide a novel prognostic model to improve the prediction of clinical outcomes. The reliability of the signatures was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and survival analyses and was verified with external datasets. Furthermore, the correlation between glycosylation-related genes and other cells in the immune environment, the immune signature of the GLY/TME classifier, and the efficacy of immunotherapy were also investigated. The GLY score low/TME score high subgroup showed a favorable prognosis and therapeutic response based on significant differences in immune-related molecules and cancer cell signaling mechanisms. We evaluated the prognostic role of the GLY/TME classifier that demonstrated overall prognostic significance for prognosis and therapeutic response before treatment, which may provide new options for creating the best possible therapeutic approaches for patients.

Comprehensive prognostic and immune analysis of a glycosylation related risk model in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant tumor with extremely poor prognosis, exhibiting resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Nowadays, it is ranked as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Glycation is a common epigenetic modification that occurs during the tumor transformation. Many studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between glycation modification and tumor progression. However, the expression status of glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) in PC and their potential roles in PC microenvironment have not been extensively investigated.

METHOD

We systematically integrated RNA sequencing data and clinicopathological parameters of PC patients from TCGA and GTEx databases. A GRGs risk model based on glycosylation related genes was constructed and validated in 60 patients from Pancreatic biobank via RT-PCR. R packages were used to analyze the relationships between GRGs risk scores and overall survival (OS), tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint, chemotherapy drug sensitivity and tumor mutational load in PC patients. Panoramic analysis was performed on PC tissues. The function of B3GNT8 in PC was detected via in vitro experiments.

RESULTS

In this study, we found close correlations between GRGs risk model and PC patients' overall survival and tumor microenvironment. Multifaceted predictions demonstrated the low-risk cohort exhibits superior OS compared to high-risk counterparts. Meanwhile, the low-risk group was characterized by high immune infiltration and may be more sensitive to immunotherapy or chemotherapy. Panoramic analysis was further confirmed a significant relationship between the GRGs risk score and both the distribution of PC tumor cells as well as CD8 + T cell infiltration. In addition, we also identified a unique glycosylation gene B3GNT8, which could suppress PC progression in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

We established a GRGs risk model, which could predict prognosis and immune infiltration in PC patients. This risk model may provide a new tool for PC precision treatment.

Tumor abnormal protein as a promising biomarker for screening solid malignancies and monitoring recurrence and metastasis

Background

Tumor abnormal protein (TAP), the sugar chain protein released by tumor cells during metabolism, allows the development of a technique that exploits aggregated tumor-associated abnormal sugar chain signals in diagnosing malignancies. Clinically, we have found that TAP detection can well predict some malignancies, but several physicians have not paid attention, and related studies have been minimal.

Methods

We evaluated TAP's ability to distinguish between malignancies and benign diseases by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and studied the possibility of monitoring malignancy progression by evaluating TAP levels in follow-up. We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard regression models to investigate the relationship between TAP and prognosis.

Results

TAP levels were higher in whole solid malignancies and every type of solid malignancy than in benign patients. ROC curve analysis showed that TAP levels aid in distinguishing between malignancies and benign diseases. TAP levels decreased in patients with complete remission (CR) after treatment and increased in patients with relapse from CR. Patients with metastases had higher TAP levels than non-CR patients without metastases. There was no difference in overall survival among patients with different TAP levels, and multivariate analysis suggested that TAP was not an independent risk factor for solid malignancies.

Conclusion

TAP is an effective screening biomarker for many solid malignancies that can be used to monitor the progression of malignancies but not to prognosticate.

GALNT2, an O-glycosylating enzyme, is a critical regulator of radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer: evidence from an integrated multi-omics analysis

Radioresistance is the primary reason for radiotherapy failure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Glycosylation-related alterations are critically involved in tumor radioresistance. However, the relationship between glycosylation and NSCLC radioresistance is unclear. Here, we generated radioresistant NSCLC cell models by using fractionated irradiation. The aberrant glycosylation involved in NSCLC-related radioresistance was elucidated by transcriptomic, proteomic, and glycomic analyses. We conducted in vitro and in vivo investigations for determining the biological functions of glycosylation. Additionally, its downstream pathways and upstream regulators were inferred and verified. We demonstrated that mucin-type O-glycosylation and the O-glycosylating enzyme GALNT2 were highly expressed in radioresistant NSCLC cells. GALNT2 was found to be elevated in NSCLC tissues; this elevated level showed a remarkable association with response to radiotherapy treatment as well as overall survival. Functional experiments showed that GALNT2 knockdown improved NSCLC radiosensitivity via inducing apoptosis. By using a lectin pull-down system, we revealed that mucin-type O-glycans on IGF1R were modified by GALNT2 and that IGF1R could affect the expression of apoptosis-related genes. Moreover, GALNT2 knockdown-mediated in vitro radiosensitization was enhanced by IGF1R inhibition. According to a miRNA array analysis and a luciferase reporter assay, miR-30a-5p negatively modulated GALNT2. In summary, our findings established GALNT2 as a key contributor to the radioresistance of NSCLC. Therefore, targeting GALNT2 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Beneficial or detrimental: Recruiting more types of benign cases for cancer diagnosis based on salivary glycopatterns

With the advantages of convenient, painless and non-invasive collection, saliva holds great promise as a valuable biomarker source for cancer detection, pathological assessment and therapeutic monitoring. Salivary glycopatterns have shown significant potential for cancer screening in recent years. However, the understanding of benign lesions at non-cancerous sites in cancer diagnosis has been overlooked. Clarifying the influence of benign lesions on salivary glycopatterns and cancer screening is crucial for advancing the development of salivary glycopattern-based diagnostics. In this study, 2885 samples were analyzed using lectin microarrays to identify variations in salivary glycopatterns according to the number, location, and type of lesions. By utilizing our previously published data of tumor-associated salivary glycopatterns, the performance of machine learning algorithm for cancer screening was investigated to evaluate the effect of adding benign disease cases to the control group. The results demonstrated that both the location and number of lesions had discernible effects on salivary glycopatterns. And it was also revealed that incorporating a broad range of benign diseases into the controls improved the classifier's performance in distinguishing cancer cases from controls. This finding holds guiding significance for enhancing salivary glycopattern-based cancer screening and facilitates their practical implementation in clinical settings.

Identifying tumor markers-stratified subtypes (CA-125/CA19-9/carcinoembryonic antigen) in cervical adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

There is a lack of research evaluating the effect of tumor markers for prognosis in cervical adenocarcinoma. We aimed to develop and validate a preoperative tumor-marker-based model including clinicopathological factors to clarify the prognostic value of endocervical adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

A total of 572 patients with cervical adenocarcinoma who were staged at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IA-IIA were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125 and CA19-9 levels were measured. The survival and recurrence patterns were analyzed according to the tumor-marker-related stratification. The predictive values of biomarkers and clinical variables were assessed with Cox regression and competing risk models.

RESULTS

Patients with elevated preoperative tumor markers had evidently poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The triple-elevated tumor marker (TETM) subgroup had the worst overall survival and progression-free survival than the triple-negative tumor marker (TNTM) subgroup and the single-elevated tumor marker (SETM) subgroup. The most important predictors for overall survival were elevated tumor markers, FIGO-stage, tumor differentiation, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and lymph nodes metastasis. The most important predictors for recurrence-free survival were elevated tumor markers, FIGO-stage, tumor differentiation, LVSI and deep stromal invasion. Stratified analysis showed that elevated CA-125 and CA19-9 were significantly associated with postoperative distant metastasis. A decision curve analysis confirmed that a combination of tumor markers as predictors significantly outperformed the other common predictors used (FIGO-stage, intermediate and high-risk factors, tumor differentiation, lymph nodes).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated preoperative serum CEA, CA-125, and CA19-9 levels exhibited poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival in cervical adenocarcinoma patients. Combined preoperative serum CA-125 and CA19-9 independently predicted distant metastasis in patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma.

Serum CA724 has no diagnostic value for gastrointestinal tumors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the predictive values of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 199, CA125 and CA724 in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal tumors.

METHODS

Among patients treated for gastrointestinal tumors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College between December 2020 and March 2022, 572 patients were reviewed as the tumor group, and 700 healthy subjects from the physical examination center of the same hospital were reviewed as the control group. We evaluated the correlation between serum CEA, CA199, CA125, CA724 levels and pathological features in 572 patients with gastrointestinal tumors.The levels of serum CEA, CA199, CA125 and CA724 were compared between the two groups, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of these markers alone and in combination.

RESULTS

Serum CEA level was correlated with tumor stage and metastasis, and CA199 was correlated with tumor stage, lymph node involvement and metastasis. CA125 and CA724 have no correlation with tumor pathological features. The levels of serum CEA, CA199 and CA125 were significantly increased in the tumor group compared with the control group, while serum CA724 levels did not significantly differ between groups (p > 0.05). In addition, in patients with gastric cancer (GC), esophageal cancer (EC), pancreatic cancer (PC), gallbladder cancer (GBC) or colorectal cancer (CRC), the serum CEA, CA199 and CA125 levels were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). However, serum CA724 levels were increased only in CRC patients (p < 0.05). ROC curve evaluation results showed that while CA199, CA125 and CA724 alone had poor diagnostic efficacy in the tumor group, CEA was better. Specifically, CEA had better diagnostic efficacy in GC, PC, GBC and CRC; additionally, CA199 and CA125 had better diagnostic efficacy in PC. However, CA724 showed no diagnostic value in the tumor group and the single gastrointestinal tumor group. For diagnosis with multiple-marker combinations, CEA + CA199 + CA125 had the best diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.776, AUC = 0.650, AUC = 0.896, AUC = 0.840, AUC = 0.793) in the GC, EC, PC, GBC and CRC groups, and the sensitivity of multiple-marker combined detection was better than that of single-marker detection.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum CA724 has no diagnostic value for gastrointestinal tumors, and it cannot evaluate the pathological status of tumors. Serum CEA has excellent diagnostic efficacy in GC, PC, GBC and CRC, and its expression level is related to tumor stage and metastasis. Additionally, CA199 and CA125 have good diagnostic efficacy in PC. Among them, CA199 level was related to tumor stage, lymph node involvement and metastasis, and CA125 level was not related to pathological status. In addition, the multiple-marker combination CEA + CA199 + CA125 has the best diagnostic efficacy in GC, EC, PC, GBC and CRC.

Detection of N‑glycoprotein associated with IgA nephropathy in urine as a potential diagnostic biomarker using glycosylated proteomic analysis

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the potential diagnostic value of urinary N-glycoprotein in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) using mass spectrometry (MS). All procedures were performed between June 2021 and June 2023 at Guangan People's Hospital (Guangan, China). Fresh mid-morning fasting midstream urine samples were collected from a total of 30 patients with IgAN and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers. Data acquired from 6 participants are available through ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD041151. By comparison between the IgAN group (n=3) and healthy controls (n=3) and selection criteria of P<0.05 and |log fold-change|>2, a total of 11 upregulated and 22 downregulated glycoproteins in patients with IgAN were identified. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses suggested that glycoproteins are involved in various functions, such as the regulation of cell growth, cell adhesion, cellular component organization and protein binding, as well as multiple pathways, including p53, Notch and mTOR signaling pathways. The urine levels of afamin were further measured by ELISA in a validation cohort to assess the diagnostic performance of the single indicator model. In conclusion, MS-based proteomics of urinary glycoproteins may be an alternative option for diagnosing patients with IgAN. Biomarkers of IgAN may include, but are not limited to, CCL25, PD-L1, HLA-DRB1, IL7RD and WDR82. In addition, the levels of urinary AFM indicators are of diagnostic value for IgAN.

Comprehensive serum N-glycan profiling identifies a biomarker panel for early diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer

Aberrant serum N-glycan profiles have been observed in multiple cancers including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet the potential of N-glycans in the early diagnosis of NSCLC remains to be determined. In this study, serum N-glycan profiles of 275 NSCLC patients and 309 healthy controls were characterized by MALDI-TOF-MS. The levels of serum N-glycans and N-glycosylation patterns were compared between NSCLC and control groups. In addition, a panel of N-glycan biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis was established and validated using machine learning algorithms. As a result, a total of 54 N-glycan structures were identified in human serum. Compared with healthy controls, 29 serum N-glycans were increased or decreased in NSCLC patients. N-glycan abundance in different histological types or clinical stages of NSCLC presented differentiated changes. Furthermore, an optimal biomarker panel of eight N-glycans was constructed based on logistic regression, with an AUC of 0.86 in the validation set. Notably, this model also showed a desirable capacity in distinguishing early-stage patients from healthy controls (AUC = 0.88). In conclusion, our work highlights the abnormal N-glycan profiles in NSCLC and provides supports potential application of N-glycan biomarker panel in clinical NSCLC detection.

A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of CDH5 in immunological response

Background

Cadherin 5 (CDH5) functions critically in maintaining cell adhesion and integrity of endothelial and vascular cells. The expression of CDH5 is abnormal in tumor cells, which may have great potential to serve as a new immune checkpoint. The current pan-cancer analysis was performed to better understand the role of CDH5 in tumor.

Methods

The clinical significance and immunological function of CDH5 in pan-cancers were comprehensively analyzed based on the correlations between CDH5 and clinicopathologic features, prognosis values, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immune cells infiltration and immune response genes using 33 datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We further confirmed the expression of CDH5 in bladder cancer (BCa) tissues and cell lines. The CD8+ T cells were screened from peripheral blood of healthy controls and activated. BCa cell-CD8+ T cell co-culture assay and ELISA assay were carried out to verify the immunological function of CDH5.

Results

The expression of CDH5 was down-regulated in 8 types of tumors including in BCa but up-regulated in 4 types of tumors. CDH5 was significantly correlated with tumor stage in 6 types of tumors. In addition, CDH5 was positively or negatively correlated with tumor prognosis. Furthermore, CDH5 was closely associated with TMB in 15 types of tumors and with MSI in 9 types of tumors. KEGG-GSEA and Hallmarks-GSEA analyses results indicated that CDH5 was positively related to immune response in most tumor types. In many tumors, CDH5 showed a positive correlation with immune cell infiltration. Enrichment analyses demonstrated that CDH5 was significantly related to the expression of many immunomodulators and chemokines. Further experiments showed that CDH5 was low-expressed in BCa tissues and cell lines in comparison to adjacent normal tissues and normal urothelial cell line, but it was positively associated with a better prognosis of BCa patients. The results of in vitro co-culture assay and ELISA assay demonstrated that CDH5 could promote the function of CD8+ T cells in TME of BCa.

Conclusion

In summary, CDH5 was positively associated with a favorable prognosis and effective immune response in tumors, showing a great potential to serve as a novel tumor biomarker and immune checkpoint.

Tumor-Associated Extracellular Microvesicles with Fluorine-Modified Carbohydrate Antigens Trigger a Stronger Antitumor Immune Response

Abnormal glycosylation is a hallmark of tumor development, and tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens are potential immune targets for tumor therapy. Tumor-associated extracellular microvesicles are subcellular vesicles released from cell membranes that have immunogenicity similar to that of precursor cells. However, unmodified tumor-derived microvesicles have weaknesses, such as low immunogenicity, poor biostability, and short half-life in vivo. For the first time, we herein generated extracellular microvesicles containing modified tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens by constructing a cell line with highly expressed antigen-processing enzymes utilizing fluorine-modified monosaccharide substrates via a metabolic oligosaccharide engineering strategy. The microvesicles were applied to tumor immunity, achieving enhanced immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy effects. Furthermore, the mechanisms of antitumor immunity were explored. Our findings may provide new insights into the adhibition of suitably modified extracellular microvesicles and the development of more effective carbohydrate-based anticancer vaccines.

AB Toxins as High-Affinity Ligands for Cell Targeting in Cancer Therapy

Conventional targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer have limitations, including the development of acquired resistance. However, novel alternatives have emerged in the form of targeted therapies based on AB toxins. These biotoxins are a diverse group of highly poisonous molecules that show a nanomolar affinity for their target cell receptors, making them an invaluable source of ligands for biomedical applications. Bacterial AB toxins, in particular, are modular proteins that can be genetically engineered to develop high-affinity therapeutic compounds. These toxins consist of two distinct domains: a catalytically active domain and an innocuous domain that acts as a ligand, directing the catalytic domain to the target cells. Interestingly, many tumor cells show receptors on the surface that are recognized by AB toxins, making these high-affinity proteins promising tools for developing new methods for targeting anticancer therapies. Here we describe the structure and mechanisms of action of Diphtheria (Dtx), Anthrax (Atx), Shiga (Stx), and Cholera (Ctx) toxins, and review the potential uses of AB toxins in cancer therapy. We also discuss the main advances in this field, some successful results, and, finally, the possible development of innovative and precise applications in oncology based on engineered recombinant AB toxins.

Disease-Specific Haptoglobin N-Glycosylation in Inflammatory Disorders between Cancers and Benign Diseases of 3 Types of Female Internal Genital Organs

BACKGROUND

N-glycosylation of the haptoglobin is closely related to pathological states. This study aims to evaluate the association of glycosylation of disease-specific Hp (DSHp) β chain with different pathological states of the cervix, uterus, and ovary to explore differences in their inflammatory responses and to screen potential biomarkers to distinguish cancer from benign diseases.

METHODS

DSHp-β chains of 1956 patients with cancers and benign diseases located in the cervix, uterus, and ovary organs were separated from serum immunoinflammatory-related protein complexes (IIRPCs). The N-glycopeptides from DSHp-β chains were detected using mass spectrometry, followed by an analysis of machine learning algorithms.

RESULTS

55 N-glycopeptides at N207/N211, 19 at N241, and 21 at N184 glycosylation sites of DSHp for each sample were identified. Fucosylation and sialylation of DSHp in cervix, uterus, and ovary cancer were significantly increased compared to their corresponding benign diseases (p < 0.001). The cervix diagnostic model, a combination of G2N3F, G4NFS, G7N2F2S5, GS-N&GS-N, G2N2&G4N3FS, G7N2F2S5, G2S2&G-N, and GN2F&G2F at N207/N211 sites, G3NFS2 and G3NFS at N241site, G9N2S, G6N3F6, G4N3F5S, G4N3F4S2, and G6N3F4S at N184 site), has shown a good diagnostic capability to distinguish cancer from benign diseases, with the area under curve (AUC) of 0.912. The uterus diagnostic model including G4NFS, G2S2&G2S2, G3N2S2, GG5N2F5, G2&G3NFS, and G5N2F3S3 at N207/N211 sites, and G2NF3S2 at N184 site, with an AUC of 0.731. The ovary diagnostic model including G2N3F, GF2S-N &G2F3S2, G2S&G2, and G2S&G3NS at N207/N211 sites; G2S and G3NFS at N241 site, G6N3F4S at N184 site, with an AUC of 0.747.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide insights into differences in organ-specific inflammatory responses of DSHp for different pathological states among the organs of the cervix, uterus, and ovary.

Serum N-Glycosylation RPLC-FD-MS Assay to Assess Colorectal Cancer Surgical Interventions

A newly developed analytical strategy was applied to profile the total serum N-glycome of 64 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients before and after surgical intervention. In this cohort, it was previously found that serum N-glycome alterations in CRC were associated with patient survival. Here, fluorescent labeling of serum N-glycans was applied using procainamide and followed by sialic acid derivatization specific for α2,6- and α2,3-linkage types via ethyl esterification and amidation, respectively. This strategy allowed efficient separation of specific positional isomers on reversed-phase liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection-mass spectrometry (RPLC-FD-MS) and complemented the previous glycomics data based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MS that did not include such separations. The results from comparing pre-operative CRC to post-operative samples were in agreement with studies that identified a decrease in di-antennary structures with core fucosylation and an increase in sialylated tri- and tetra-antennary N-glycans in CRC patient sera. Pre-operative abundances of N-glycans showed good performance for the classification of adenocarcinoma and led to the revisit of the previous MALDI-MS dataset with regard to histological and clinical data. This strategy has the potential to monitor patient profiles before, during, and after clinical events such as treatment, therapy, or surgery and should also be further explored.

Targeting protein glycosylation to regulate inflammation in the respiratory tract: novel diagnostic and therapeutic candidates for chronic respiratory diseases

Protein glycosylation is a widespread posttranslational modification that can impact the function of proteins. Dysregulated protein glycosylation has been linked to several diseases, including chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). CRDs pose a significant public health threat globally, affecting the airways and other lung structures. Emerging researches suggest that glycosylation plays a significant role in regulating inflammation associated with CRDs. This review offers an overview of the abnormal glycoenzyme activity and corresponding glycosylation changes involved in various CRDs, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, and lung cancer. Additionally, this review summarizes recent advances in glycomics and glycoproteomics-based protein glycosylation analysis of CRDs. The potential of glycoenzymes and glycoproteins for clinical use in the diagnosis and treatment of CRDs is also discussed.

The role of clinical glyco(proteo)mics in precision medicine

Glycoproteomics reveals site-specific O- and N-glycosylation that may influence protein properties including binding, activity and half-life. The increasingly mature toolbox with glycomic- and glycoproteomic strategies is applied for the development of biopharmaceuticals and discovery and clinical evaluation of glycobiomarkers in various disease fields. Notwithstanding the contributions of glycoscience in identifying new drug targets, the current report is focused on the biomarker modality that is of interest for diagnostic and monitoring purposes. To this end it is noted that the identification of biomarkers has received more attention than corresponding quantification. Most analytical methods are very efficient in detecting large numbers of analytes but developments to accurately quantify these have so far been limited. In this perspective a parallel is made with earlier proposed tiers for protein quantification using mass spectrometry. Moreover, the foreseen reporting of multimarker readouts is discussed to describe an individual's health or disease state and their role in clinical decision-making. The potential of longitudinal sampling and monitoring of glycomic features for diagnosis and treatment monitoring is emphasized. Finally, different strategies that address quantification of a multimarker panel will be discussed.

The role of N-glycosylation modification in the pathogenesis of liver cancer

N-glycosylation is one of the most common types of protein modifications and it plays a vital role in normal physiological processes. However, aberrant N-glycan modifications are closely associated with the pathogenesis of diverse diseases, including processes such as malignant transformation and tumor progression. It is known that the N-glycan conformation of the associated glycoproteins is altered during different stages of hepatocarcinogenesis. Characterizing the heterogeneity and biological functions of glycans in liver cancer patients will facilitate a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of liver injury and hepatocarcinogenesis. In this article, we review the role of N-glycosylation in hepatocarcinogenesis, focusing on epithelial-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix changes, and tumor microenvironment formation. We highlight the role of N-glycosylation in the pathogenesis of liver cancer and its potential applications in the treatment or diagnosis of liver cancer.

FUT2 inhibits the EMT and metastasis of colorectal cancer by increasing LRP1 fucosylation

BACKGROUND

Fucosyltransferase 2(FUT2) and its induced α-1,2 fucosylation is associated with cancer metastasis. However, the role of FUT2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis remains unclear.

METHODS

The expression levels and clinical analyses of FUT2 were assessed in CRC samples. Migration and invasion assays, EMT detection, nude mice peritoneal dissemination models and intestinal specific FUT2 knockout mice (FUT2^△IEC mice) were used to investigate the effect of FUT2 on metastasis in colorectal cancer. Quantitative proteomics study of glycosylated protein, UEA enrichment, Co-immunoprecipitation identified the mediator of the invasive-inhibiting effects of FUT2.

RESULTS

FUT2 is downregulated in CRC tissues and is positively correlated with the survival of CRC patients. FUT2 is an inhibitor of colorectal cancer metastasis which, when overexpressed, suppresses invasion and tumor dissemination in vitro and in vivo. FUT2 knock-out mice (FUT2^△IEC mice) develop AMO and DSS-induced tumors and promote EMT in colorectal cancers. FUT2-induced α-1,2 fucosylation impacts the ability of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1(LRP1) to suppress colorectal cancer invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that FUT2 induces α-1,2 fucosylation and inhibits EMT and metastasis of colorectal cancer through LRP1 fucosylation, suggesting that FUT2 may serve as a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer. Video Abstract.

EGFR is a potential therapeutic target for highly glycosylated and aggressive pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

pNENs are relative indolent tumors with heterogeneous clinical presentation at diagnosis. It is important to establish aggressive subgroups of pNENs and identify potential therapeutic targets. Patients with pNEN (322 cases) were included to examine the association between glycosylation biomarkers and clinical/pathological traits. The molecular and metabolic features stratified by glycosylation status were assessed by RNA-seq/whole exome sequencing and immunohistochemistry. A considerable proportion of patients had elevated glycosylation biomarkers (carbohydrate antigen [CA] 19-9, 11.9%; CA125, 7.5%; carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], 12.8%). CA19-9 (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.26, P = .019), CA125 (HR = 3.79, P = .004) and CEA (HR = 3.16, P = .002) were each independent prognostic variables for overall survival. High glycosylation group, defined as pNENs with elevated level of circulating CA19-9, CA125 or CEA, accounted for 23.4% of all pNENs. High glycosylation (HR = 3.14, P = .001) was an independent prognostic variable for overall survival and correlated with G3 grade (P < .001), poor differentiation (P = .001), perineural invasion (P = .004) and distant metastasis (P < .001). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was enriched in high glycosylation pNENs using RNA-seq. EGFR was expressed in 21.2% of pNENs using immunohistochemistry and associated with poor overall survival (P = .020). A clinical trial focusing on EGFR expressed pNENs was initiated (NCT05316480). Thus, pNEN with aberrant glycosylation correlates with a dismal outcome and suggests potential therapeutic target of EGFR.

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.

Glycosylated proteins with abnormal glycosylation changes are potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of breast cancer

Conventional cancer management relies on tumor type and stage for diagnosis and treatment, which leads to recurrence and metastasis and death in young women. Early detection of proteins in the serum aids diagnosis, progression, and clinical outcomes, possibly improving survival rate of breast cancer patients. In this review, we provided an insight into the influence of aberrant glycosylation on breast cancer development and progression. Examined literatures revealed that mechanisms underlying glycosylation moieties alteration could enhance early detection, monitoring, and therapeutic efficacy in breast cancer patients. This would serve as a guide for the development of new serum biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity, providing possible serological biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis, progression, and treatment.

Association of IgG N-glycomics with prevalent and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus from the paradigm of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine standpoint

Objectives

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a major metabolic disorder, is expanding at a rapidly rising worldwide prevalence and has emerged as one of the most common chronic diseases. Suboptimal health status (SHS) is considered a reversible intermediate state between health and diagnosable disease. We hypothesized that the time frame between the onset of SHS and the clinical manifestation of T2DM is the operational area for the application of reliable risk assessment tools, such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycans. From the viewpoint of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM), the early detection of SHS and dynamic monitoring by glycan biomarkers could provide a window of opportunity for targeted prevention and personalized treatment of T2DM.

Methods

Case-control and nested case-control studies were performed and consisted of 138 and 308 participants, respectively. The IgG N-glycan profiles of all plasma samples were detected by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography instrument.

Results

After adjustment for confounders, 22, five, and three IgG N-glycan traits were significantly associated with T2DM in the case-control setting, baseline SHS, and baseline optimal health participants from the nested case-control setting, respectively. Adding the IgG N-glycans to the clinical trait models, the average area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the combined models based on repeated 400 times fivefold cross-validation differentiating T2DM from healthy individuals were 0.807 in the case-control setting and 0.563, 0.645, and 0.604 in the pooled samples, baseline SHS, and baseline optimal health samples of nested case-control setting, respectively, which presented moderate discriminative ability and were generally better than models with either glycans or clinical features alone.

Conclusions

This study comprehensively illustrated that the observed altered IgG N-glycosylation, i.e., decreased galactosylation and fucosylation/sialylation without bisecting GlcNAc, as well as increased galactosylation and fucosylation/sialylation with bisecting GlcNAc, reflects a pro-inflammatory state of T2DM. SHS is an important window period of early intervention for individuals at risk for T2DM; glycomic biosignatures as dynamic biomarkers have the ability to identify populations at risk for T2DM early, and the combination of evidence could provide suggestive ideas and valuable insight for the PPPM of T2DM.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-022-00311-3.

ST6GAL1 inhibits metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via modulating sialylation of MCAM on cell surface

The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is mainly because of its high rate of metastasis. Thus, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis is of great significance. Glycosylation is an important post-translational modification that is closely associated with tumor progression. Altered glycosylation including the altered sialylation resulting from aberrant expression of β-galactoside α2,6 sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) has long been considered as an important feature of cancer cells. However, there is limited information on the roles of ST6GAL1 and α2,6 sialylation in HCC metastasis. Here, we found that ST6GAL1 and α2,6 sialylation were negatively correlated with the metastatic potentials of HCC cells. Moreover, ST6GAL1 overexpression inhibited migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and suppressed HCC metastasis in vivo. Using a metabolic labeling-based glycoproteomic strategy, we identified a list of sialylated proteins that may be regulated by ST6GAL1. In particular, an increase in α2,6 sialylation of melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) inhibited its interaction with galectin-3 and decreased its expression on cell surface. In vitro and in vivo analysis showed that ST6GAL1 exerted its function in HCC metastasis by regulating MCAM expression. Finally, we found the relative intensity of sialylated MCAM was negatively correlated with tumor malignancy in HCC patients. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ST6GAL1 may be an HCC metastasis suppressor by affecting sialylation of MCAM on cell surface, which provides a novel insight into the roles of ST6GAL1 in HCC progression and supports the functional complexity of ST6GAL1 in a cancer type- and tissue type-specific manner.

Biochemical characterization and cytotoxicity of polylactosamine-extended N-glycans binding isolectins from the mushroom Hericium erinaceus

The mushroom Hericium erinaceus expresses isolectins with different glycan binding specificities; of these, the ricin B-like lectin HEL1 and HEL2 (HEL2a and HEL2b) can bind fucosylated N-glycans and core 1 O-glycans, respectively. However, other lectin-like protein-coding transcripts detected in the H. erinaceus transcriptome, named HEL3, remain to be characterized. Therefore, in this study, the expression levels of all these isolectins genes were compared to characterize the molecular and biochemical properties of these carbohydrate-binding proteins. Low expression genes encoding putative cytolysin proteins, HEL3a and HEL3b, were identified. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that these proteins shared highly homologous structures and carbohydrate-binding residues with other mushroom lectins. Further, their recombinant proteins, rHEL3a and rHEL3b showed an octamer composed of identical 17 kDa subunits under non-denaturing conditions and a slightly basic isoelectric point value of approximately 8.3. The hemagglutination activity of these isolectins was strongly inhibited by glycoproteins rather than free glycans. Interestingly, glycan-binding profiles showed that rHEL3 isolectins interacted with most polylactosamine (poly-LacNAc)-extended N-glycans with relatively low binding activity. Isothermal titration calorimetry also revealed that these recombinant lectins have different binding capacities toward N-glycan-containing glycoproteins. Further, treatment with different concentrations of rHEL3 lectins showed cytotoxic effects in K562, UACC62, and CHO model cell lines, which express poly-LacNAc glycans, confirmed by inhibition of proliferation. Overall, these biochemical properties indicate that rHEL3 isolectins may be used as unique lectins for detecting poly-LacNAc-extended glycans, which are known to be over-expressed in leukemia or metastatic melanoma cells, in cancer diagnostic assays and anti-cancer therapies.

Investigation on acquired palbociclib resistance by LC-MS based multi-omics analysis

Palbociclib is a specific CDK4/6 inhibitor that has been widely applied in multiple types of tumors. Different from cytotoxic drugs, the anticancer mechanism of palbociclib mainly depends on cell cycle inhibition. Therefore, the resistance mechanism is different. For clinical cancer patients, drug resistance is inevitable for almost all cancer therapies including palbociclib. We have trained palbociclib resistant cells in vitro to simulate the clinical situation and applied LC-MS multi-omics analysis methods including proteomic, metabolomic, and glycoproteomic techniques, to deeply understand the underly mechanism behind the resistance. As a result of proteomic analysis, the resistant cells were found to rely on altered metabolic pathways to keep proliferation. Metabolic processes related to carbohydrates, lipids, DNA, cellular proteins, glucose, and amino acids were observed to be upregulated. Most dramatically, the protein expressions of COX-1 and NDUFB8 have been detected to be significantly overexpressed by proteomic analysis. When a COX-1 inhibitor was hired to combine with palbociclib, a synergistic effect could be obtained, suggesting the altered COX-1 involved metabolic pathway is an important reason for the acquired palbociclib resistance. The KEGG pathway of N-glycan biosynthesis was identified through metabolomics analysis. N-glycoproteomic analysis was therefore included and the global glycosylation was found to be elevated in the palbociclib-resistant cells. Moreover, integration analysis of glycoproteomic data allowed us to detect a lot more proteins that have been glycosylated with low abundances, these proteins were considered to be overwhelmed by those highly abundant proteins during regular proteomic LC-MS detection. These low-abundant proteins are mainly involved in the cellular biology processes of cell migration, the regulation of chemotaxis, as well as the glycoprotein metabolic process which offered us great more details on the roles played by N-glycosylation in drug resistance. Our result also verified that N-glycosylation inhibitors could enhance the cell growth inhibition of palbociclib in resistant cells. The high efficiency of the integrated multi-omics analysis workflow in discovering drug resistance mechanisms paves a new way for drug development. With a clear understanding of the resistance mechanism, new drug targets and drug combinations could be designed to resensitize the resistant tumors.

Introduction to the Complexity of Cell Surface and Tissue Matrix Glycoconjugates

This chapter provides an overview of structures and functions of complex carbohydrates (commonly called glycans) that are covalently linked to proteins or lipids to form glycoconjugates known as glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. To understand the complexity of the glycan structures, the nature of their monosaccharide building blocks, how the monomeric units are covalently linked to each other, and how the resulting glycans are attached to proteins or lipids are discussed. Then, the classification, nomenclature, structural features, and functions of the glycan moieties of animal glycoconjugates are briefly described. All three classes of glycoconjugates are constituents of plasma membranes of all animal cells, including those of the nervous system. Glycoproteins and proteoglycans are also found abundantly as constituents of tissue matrices. Additionally, glycan-rich mucin glycoproteins are the major constituents of mucus secretions of epithelia of various organs. Furthermore, the chapter draws attention to the incredible structural complexity and diversity of the glycan moieties of cell surface and extracellular glycoconjugates. Finally, the involvement of glycans as informational molecules in a wide range of essential functions in almost all known biological processes, which are crucial for development, differentiation, and normal functioning of animals, is discussed.

Knocking down GALNT6 promotes pyroptosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells through NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD and GSDME signaling pathway

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most prevalent type of pancreatic cancer, is a highly lethal malignancy with poor prognosis. Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-6 (GALNT6) is frequently overexpressed in PDAC. However, the role of GALNT6 in the PDAC remains unclear.

Methods

The expression of GALNT6 in pancreatic cancer and normal tissues were analyzed by bioinformatic analyses and immunohistochemistry. CCK8 and colony formation were used to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was applied to detect cell cycle.The pyroptosis was detected by scanning electron microscopy. The mRNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expression and localization were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence assay. ELISA was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors.

Results

The expression of GALNT6 was associated with advanced tumor stage, and had an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.919 in pancreatic cancer based on the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) dataset. Knockdown of GALNT6 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle arrest of PDAC cells. Meanwhile, knockdown of GALNT6 increased the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), the release of inflammasome and an increasing of Gasdermin D (GSDMD), N-terminal of GSDMD (GSDMD-N), Gasdermin E (GSDME) and N-terminal of GSDME (GSDME-N) in PDAC cells. GALNT6 suppressed the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) and GSDMD by glycosylation of NF-κB and inhibiting the nucleus localization of NF-κB. Additionally, GALNT6 promotes the degradation of GSDME by O-glycosylation.

Conclusion

We found that GALNT6 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and plays a carcinogenic role. The results suggested that GALNT6 regulates the pyroptosis of PDAC cells through NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD and GSDME signaling. Our study might provides novel insights into the roles of GALNT6 in PDAC progression.

Integrating single-cell analysis and machine learning to create glycosylation-based gene signature for prognostic prediction of uveal melanoma

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence suggests a correlation between glycosylation and the onset of cancer. However, the clinical relevance of glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) in uveal melanoma (UM) is yet to be fully understood. This study aimed to shed light on the impact of GRGs on UM prognosis.

METHODS

To identify the most influential genes in UM, we employed the AUCell and WGCNA algorithms. The GRGs signature was established by integrating bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data. UM patients were separated into two groups based on their risk scores, the GCNS_low and GCNS_high groups, and the differences in clinicopathological correlation, functional enrichment, immune response, mutational burden, and immunotherapy between the two groups were examined. The role of the critical gene AUP1 in UM was validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

The GRGs signature was comprised of AUP1, HNMT, PARP8, ARC, ALG5, AKAP13, and ISG20. The GCNS was a significant prognostic factor for UM, and high GCNS correlated with poorer outcomes. Patients with high GCNS displayed heightened immune-related characteristics, such as immune cell infiltration and immune scores. In vitro experiments showed that the knockdown of AUP1 led to a drastic reduction in the viability, proliferation, and invasion capability of UM cells.

CONCLUSION

Our gene signature provides an independent predictor of UM patient survival and represents a starting point for further investigation of GRGs in UM. It offers a novel perspective on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of UM.

Immune-related mechanisms and immunotherapy in extragonadal germ cell tumors

Purpose of review

Extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCTs) are relatively rare tumors, accounting for 1%-5% of all GCTs. In this review, we summarize the current research progress regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of EGCTs from an immunology perspective.

Recent findings

The histological origin of EGCTs is related to a gonadal origin, but they are located outside the gonad. They show great variation in morphology and can occur in the cranium, mediastinum, sacrococcygeal bone, and other areas. The pathogenesis of EGCTs is poorly understood, and their differential diagnosis is extensive and challenging. EGCT behavior varies greatly according to patient age, histological subtype, and clinical stage.

Summary

This review provides ideas for the future application of immunology in the fight against such diseases, which is a hot topic currently.

Post-Translational Modifications in Tumor-Associated Antigens as a Platform for Novel Immuno-Oncology Therapies

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are generated by adding small chemical groups to amino acid residues after the translation of proteins. Many PTMs have been reported to correlate with tumor progression, growth, and survival by modifying the normal functions of the protein in tumor cells. PTMs can also elicit humoral and cellular immune responses, making them attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. This review will discuss how the acetylation, citrullination, and phosphorylation of proteins expressed by tumor cells render the corresponding tumor-associated antigen more antigenic and affect the immune response in multiple cancers. In addition, the role of glycosylated protein mucins in anti-cancer immunotherapy will be considered. Mucin peptides in combination with stimulating adjuvants have, in fact, been utilized to produce anti-tumor antibodies and vaccines. Finally, we will also outline the results of the clinical trial exploiting glycosylated-MUC1 as a vaccine in different cancers. Overall, PTMs in TAAs could be considered in future therapies to result in lasting anti-tumor responses.

Protein Glycosylation as Biomarkers in Gynecologic Cancers

Gynecologic cancers are the leading cause of death in women. Endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer are the three main types of gynecologic cancers. Poor prognoses and high mortality rates of advanced-stage cancer are still challenges of all three types. Diagnostic tools for early cancer detection could be the cornerstone for further cancer treatment and prevention. Glycosylation plays a vital role in cell proliferation, adhesion, motility, and angiogenesis, and is aberrantly expressed in cancer cells. Alterations of glycosylation may represent promising biomarkers with potential diagnostic and monitoring applications, as well as disease prognosis. Many glycosylated biomarkers, including glycoprotein, glycan, and enzyme, were discovered and well-studied for application in gynecologic cancers. Some of them have been developed as targets for cancer treatment. The use of certain biomarkers for diagnostics and monitoring of gynecologic cancers has clinical advantages, as it is quantitative, comparable, convenient, and inexpensive. However, one of the single markers have sufficient sensitivity for the screening of gynecologic cancers. In this review, we introduced the details of glycosylation and the current application of glycosylated biomarkers in these three cancers. Moreover, we also reviewed the different roles of each biomarker in other cancers and aimed to understand these glycosylated biomarkers comprehensively.