1
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Sabatelle RC, Colson YL, Sachdeva U, Grinstaff MW. Drug Delivery Opportunities in Esophageal Cancer: Current Treatments and Future Prospects. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:3103-3120. [PMID: 38888089 PMCID: PMC11331583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
With one of the highest mortality rates of all malignancies, the 5-year survival rate for esophageal cancer is under 20%. Depending on the stage and extent of the disease, the current standard of care treatment paradigm includes chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical esophagogastrectomy, with consideration for adjuvant immunotherapy for residual disease. This regimen has high morbidity, due to anatomic changes inherent in surgery, the acuity of surgical complications, and off-target effects of systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy. We begin with a review of current treatments, then discuss new and emerging targets for therapies and advanced drug delivery systems. Recent and ongoing preclinical and early clinical studies are evaluating traditional tumor targets (e.g., human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), as well as promising new targets such as Yes-associated protein 1 or mammalian target of rapamycin to develop new treatments for this disease. Due the function and location of the esophagus, opportunities also exist to pair these treatments with a drug delivery strategy to increase tumor targeting, bioavailability, and intratumor concentrations, with the two most common delivery platforms being stents and nanoparticles. Finally, early results with antibody drug conjugates and chimeric antigenic receptor T cells show promise as upcoming therapies. This review discusses these innovations in therapeutics and drug delivery in the context of their successes and failures, with the goal of identifying those solutions that demonstrate the most promise to shift the paradigm in treating this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C. Sabatelle
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yolonda L. Colson
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Uma Sachdeva
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Mark W. Grinstaff
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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2
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Mbatha S, Hull R, Dlamini Z. Exploiting the Molecular Basis of Oesophageal Cancer for Targeted Therapies and Biomarkers for Drug Response: Guiding Clinical Decision-Making. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10102359. [PMID: 36289620 PMCID: PMC9598679 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, oesophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of deaths related to cancer and represents a major health concern. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions of the world with the highest incidence and mortality rates for oesophageal cancer and most of the cases of oesophageal cancer in this region are oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The development and progression of OSCC is characterized by genomic changes which can be utilized as diagnostic or prognostic markers. These include changes in the expression of various genes involved in signaling pathways that regulate pathways that regulate processes that are related to the hallmarks of cancer, changes in the tumor mutational burden, changes in alternate splicing and changes in the expression of non-coding RNAs such as miRNA. These genomic changes give rise to characteristic profiles of altered proteins, transcriptomes, spliceosomes and genomes which can be used in clinical applications to monitor specific disease related parameters. Some of these profiles are characteristic of more aggressive forms of cancer or are indicative of treatment resistance or tumors that will be difficult to treat or require more specialized specific treatments. In Sub-Saharan region of Africa there is a high incidence of viral infections such as HPV and HIV, which are both risk factors for OSCC. The genomic changes that occur due to these infections can serve as diagnostic markers for OSCC related to viral infection. Clinically this is an important distinction as it influences treatment as well as disease progression and treatment monitoring practices. This underlines the importance of the characterization of the molecular landscape of OSCC in order to provide the best treatment, care, diagnosis and screening options for the management of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sikhumbuzo Mbatha
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (Z.D.)
| | - Rodney Hull
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Zodwa Dlamini
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (Z.D.)
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3
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Li MM, Yuan J, Guan XY, Ma NF, Liu M. Molecular subclassification of gastrointestinal cancers based on cancer stem cell traits. Exp Hematol Oncol 2021; 10:53. [PMID: 34774101 PMCID: PMC8590337 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-021-00246-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human gastrointestinal malignancies are highly heterogeneous cancers. Clinically, heterogeneity largely contributes to tumor progression and resistance to therapy. Heterogeneity within gastrointestinal cancers is defined by molecular subtypes in genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been demonstrated to be a major source of tumor heterogeneity; therefore, assessing tumor heterogeneity by CSC trait-guided classification of gastrointestinal cancers is essential for the development of effective therapies. CSCs share critical features with embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Molecular investigations have revealed that embryonic genes and developmental signaling pathways regulating the properties of ESCs or cell lineage differentiation are abnormally active and might be oncofetal drivers in certain tumor subtypes. Currently, multiple strategies allow comprehensive identification of tumor subtype-specific oncofetal signatures and evaluation of subtype-specific therapies. In this review, we summarize current knowledge concerning the molecular classification of gastrointestinal malignancies based on CSC features and elucidate their clinical relevance. We also outline strategies for molecular subtype identification and subtype-based therapies. Finally, we explore how clinical implementation of tumor classification by CSC subtype might facilitate the development of more effective personalized therapies for gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Mei Li
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Xinzao, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Jun Yuan
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Xinzao, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Xin-Yuan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ning-Fang Ma
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Xinzao, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Xinzao, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511436, China.
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4
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Spitzner M, Emons G, Schütz KB, Wolff HA, Rieken S, Ghadimi BM, Schneider G, Grade M. Inhibition of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Sensitizes Esophageal Cancer Cells to Chemoradiotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910301. [PMID: 34638639 PMCID: PMC8509072 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The standard treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer comprises multimodal treatment concepts including preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by radical surgical resection. However, despite intensified treatment approaches, 5-year survival rates are still low. Therefore, new strategies are required to overcome treatment resistance, and to improve patients’ outcome. In this study, we investigated the impact of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on CRT resistance in esophageal cancer cells. Experiments were conducted in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma cell lines with varying expression levels of Wnt proteins and Wnt/β-catenin signaling activities. To investigate the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on CRT responsiveness, we genetically or pharmacologically inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our experiments revealed that inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling sensitizes cell lines with robust pathway activity to CRT. In conclusion, Wnt/β-catenin activity may guide precision therapies in esophageal carcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Spitzner
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
| | - Georg Emons
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
| | - Karl Burkhard Schütz
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Sankt Georg Medical Centre and Hospital, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hendrik A. Wolff
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (H.A.W.); (S.R.)
- Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, Radiology Munich, 80331 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Rieken
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (H.A.W.); (S.R.)
| | - B. Michael Ghadimi
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
| | - Günter Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
| | - Marian Grade
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany; (M.S.); (G.E.); (K.B.S.); (B.M.G.); (G.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-551-39-67809
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5
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Grillo F, Mastracci L, Saragoni L, Vanoli A, Limarzi F, Gullo I, Ferro J, Paudice M, Parente P, Fassan M. Neoplastic and pre-neoplastic lesions of the oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction. Pathologica 2021; 112:138-152. [PMID: 33179618 PMCID: PMC7931575 DOI: 10.32074/1591-951x-164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) neoplasms, and their predisposing conditions, may be encountered by the practicing pathologist both as biopsy samples and as surgical specimens in daily practice. Changes in incidence of oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas (such as a decrease in western countries) and in oesophageal and GOJ adenocarcinomas (such as a sharp increase in western countries) are being reported globally. New modes of treatment have changed our histologic reports as specific aspects must be detailed such as in post endoscopic resections or with regards to post neo-adjuvant therapy tumour regression grades. The main aim of this overview is therefore to provide an up-to-date, easily available and clear diagnostic approach to neoplastic and pre-neoplastic conditions of the oesophagus and GOJ, based on the most recent available guidelines and literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Grillo
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DICS), University of Genova, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Mastracci
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DICS), University of Genova, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Saragoni
- UO Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale G.B. Morgagni-L. Pierantoni, Forlì, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vanoli
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia and Fondazione IRCCS San Matteo Hospital, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesco Limarzi
- Biosciences Laboratory, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST/IRCCS), Meldola (FC), Italy
| | - Irene Gullo
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João (CHUSJ) & Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) & Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Porto, Portugal
| | - Jacopo Ferro
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DICS), University of Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Paudice
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DICS), University of Genova, Italy
| | - Paola Parente
- Unit of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy
| | - Matteo Fassan
- Surgical Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, Italy
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6
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Shah MA, Bennouna J, Doi T, Shen L, Kato K, Adenis A, Mamon HJ, Moehler M, Fu X, Cho BC, Bordia S, Bhagia P, Shih CS, Desai A, Enzinger P. KEYNOTE-975 study design: a Phase III study of definitive chemoradiotherapy plus pembrolizumab in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Future Oncol 2021; 17:1143-1153. [PMID: 33533655 PMCID: PMC7927908 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2020-0969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite curative-intent treatment, most patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer will experience disease recurrence or locoregional progression, highlighting the need for new therapies. Current guidelines recommend definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients ineligible for surgical resection, but survival outcomes are poor. Pembrolizumab is well tolerated and provides promising antitumor activity in patients with previously treated, advanced, unresectable esophageal/esophagogastric junction cancer. Combining pembrolizumab with chemoradiotherapy may further improve outcomes in the first-line setting. Here, we describe the design and rationale for the double-blind, Phase III, placebo-controlled, randomized KEYNOTE-975 trial investigating pembrolizumab in combination with definitive chemoradiotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with locally advanced, unresectable esophageal/gastroesophageal junction cancer. Overall survival and event-free survival are the dual primary end points. Clinical trial registration: NCT04210115 (ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish A Shah
- Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jaafar Bennouna
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Nantes, 44000, France
| | - Toshihiko Doi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Lin Shen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis & Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Ken Kato
- Department of Head & Neck Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Antoine Adenis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut du Cancer de Montpellier & IRCM, Inserm, Université Montpellier, ICM, Montpellier, 34298, France
| | - Harvey J Mamon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham & Women's Hospital & Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Markus Moehler
- Johannes Gutenberg University Clinic Mainz, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Byoung Chul Cho
- Division of Medical Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 120-752, South Korea
| | - Sonal Bordia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Pooja Bhagia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Chie-Schin Shih
- Department of Medical Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Anjali Desai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Peter Enzinger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
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7
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Lu YC, Shi JQ, Zhang ZX, Zhou JY, Zhou HK, Feng YC, Lu ZH, Yang SY, Zhang XY, Liu Y, Li ZC, Sun YJ, Zheng LH, Jiang DB, Yang K. Transcriptome Based System Biology Exploration Reveals Homogeneous Tumorigenicity of Alimentary Tract Malignancy. Front Oncol 2021; 10:580276. [PMID: 33552958 PMCID: PMC7862768 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.580276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignancies of alimentary tract include esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), and rectum adenocarcinoma (READ). Despite of their similarities in cancer development and progression, there are numerous researches concentrating on single tumor but relatively little on their common mechanisms. Our study explored the transcriptomic data of digestive tract cancers from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, yielding their common differentially expressed genes including 1,700 mRNAs, 29 miRNAs, and 362 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). There were 12 mRNAs, 5 miRNAs, and 16 lncRNAs in the core competitive endogenous RNAs network by RNA-RNA interactions, highlighting the prognostic nodes of SERPINE1, hsa-mir-145, and SNHG1. In addition, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) illustrated 20 gene modules associated with clinical traits. By taking intersections of modules related to the same trait, we got 67 common genes shared by ESCA and READ and screened 5 hub genes, including ADCY6, CXCL3, NPBWR1, TAS2R38, and PTGDR2. In conclusion, the present study found that SERPINE1/has-mir-145/SNHG1 axis acted as promising targets and the hub genes reasoned the similarity between ESCA and READ, which revealed the homogeneous tumorigenicity of digestive tract cancers at the transcriptome level and led to further comprehension and therapeutics for digestive tract cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chen Lu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing-Qi Shi
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zi-Xin Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jia-Yi Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Aviation Psychology Research Office, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Kun Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan-Cai Feng
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Lu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shu-Ya Yang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xi-Yang Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zi-Chao Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan-Jie Sun
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lian-He Zheng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Dong-Bo Jiang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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8
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Phatak P, Noe M, Asrani K, Chesnick IE, Greenwald BD, Donahue JM. MicroRNA-141-3p regulates cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion in esophageal cancer by targeting tuberous sclerosis complex 1. Mol Carcinog 2020; 60:125-137. [PMID: 33382472 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA (miR)-141-3p, which functions as an oncogene in multiple malignancies, has been shown to be highly overexpressed in esophageal cancer cells in our previous work. miR-141-3p is predicted to bind the messenger RNA (mRNA) of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1), a tumor suppressor, with high affinity. In this study, we investigated the expression and functional interaction between miR-141-3p and TSC1 in esophageal cancer cells. Experiments were conducted in four esophageal cancer lines and in tumor cells isolated from human esophageal cancer specimens by laser capture microdissection. miR-141-3p expression was measured by real time and droplet digital PCR. Biotinylated RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assays were used to assess binding. miR-141-3p function was tested by assessing proliferation, migration, invasion, and induction of autophagy following its silencing. We found that miR-141-3p levels were increased in TE7, OE33, and TE10 esophageal cancer cells compared to FLO-1 cells, with similar heterogeneity observed in human esophageal cancer specimens. Silencing of miR-141-3p led to increased TSC1 protein expression in these cells and was associated with increased TSC1 translation. Binding studies reveal that miR-141-3p binds to each of the predicted binding sites in the 3'-untranslated region of TSC1 mRNA. Following miR-141-3p silencing, TE7, OE33, and TE10 cells exhibited decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as enhanced autophagy. Importantly, these phenotypic effects were replicated by overexpression of TSC1 alone in these cells. Our results indicate that miR-141-3p functions in an oncogenic capacity in a subset of esophageal cancer cells, in part by suppressing TSC1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornima Phatak
- Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Noe
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kaushal Asrani
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Bruce D Greenwald
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - James M Donahue
- Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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9
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Zhang C, Shi Z, Kalendralis P, Whybra P, Parkinson C, Berbee M, Spezi E, Roberts A, Christian A, Lewis W, Crosby T, Dekker A, Wee L, Foley KG. Prediction of lymph node metastases using pre-treatment PET radiomics of the primary tumour in esophageal adenocarcinoma: an external validation study. Br J Radiol 2020; 94:20201042. [PMID: 33264032 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20201042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To improve clinical lymph node staging (cN-stage) in oesophageal adenocarcinoma by developing and externally validating three prediction models; one with clinical variables only, one with positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics only, and a combined clinical and radiomics model. METHODS Consecutive patients with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid tumours treated with neoadjuvant therapy between 2010 and 2016 in two international centres (n = 130 and n = 60, respectively) were included. Four clinical variables (age, gender, clinical T-stage and tumour regression grade) and PET radiomics from the primary tumour were used for model development. Diagnostic accuracy, area under curve (AUC), discrimination and calibration were calculated for each model. The prognostic significance was also assessed. RESULTS The incidence of lymph node metastases was 58% in both cohorts. The areas under the curve of the clinical, radiomics and combined models were 0.79, 0.69 and 0.82 in the developmental cohort, and 0.65, 0.63 and 0.69 in the external validation cohort, with good calibration demonstrated. The area under the curve of current cN-stage in development and validation cohorts was 0.60 and 0.66, respectively. For overall survival, the combined clinical and radiomics model achieved the best discrimination performance in the external validation cohort (X2 = 6.08, df = 1, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION Accurate diagnosis of lymph node metastases is crucial for prognosis and guiding treatment decisions. Despite finding improved predictive performance in the development cohort, the models using PET radiomics derived from the primary tumour were not fully replicated in an external validation cohort. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE This international study attempted to externally validate a new prediction model for lymph node metastases using PET radiomics. A model combining clinical variables and PET radiomics improved discrimination of lymph node metastases, but these results were not externally replicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Zhenwei Shi
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Petros Kalendralis
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Phil Whybra
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Maaike Berbee
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ashley Roberts
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Adam Christian
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Wyn Lewis
- Department of Upper GI Surgery, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Tom Crosby
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | - Andre Dekker
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leonard Wee
- Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kieran G Foley
- Department of Radiology, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
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Sun Y, Gao J, Jing Z, Zhao Y, Sun Y, Zhao X. PURα Promotes the Transcriptional Activation of PCK2 in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111301. [PMID: 33142842 PMCID: PMC7692967 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal malignancies due to its characteristics of local invasion and distant metastasis. Purine element binding protein α (PURα) is a DNA and RNA binding protein, and recent studies have showed that abnormal expression of PURα is associated with the progression of some tumors, but its oncogenic function, especially in ESCC progression, has not been determined. Based on the bioinformatic analysis of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data, we found that PURα affected metabolic pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism, and we observed that it has binding peaks in the promoter of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK2). Meanwhile, PURα significantly increased the activity of the PCK2 gene promoter by binding to the GGGAGGCGGA motif, as determined though luciferase assay and ChIP-PCR/qPCR. The results of Western blotting and qRT-PCR analysis showed that PURα overexpression enhances the protein and mRNA levels of PCK2 in KYSE510 cells, whereas PURα knockdown inhibits the protein and mRNA levels of PCK2 in KYSE170 cells. In addition, measurements of the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) indicated that PURα promoted the metabolism of ESCC cells. Taken together, our results help to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which PURα activates the transcription and expression of PCK2, which contributes to the development of a new therapeutic target for ESCC.
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Rahman SA, Walker RC, Lloyd MA, Grace BL, van Boxel GI, Kingma BF, Ruurda JP, van Hillegersberg R, Harris S, Parsons S, Mercer S, Griffiths EA, O'Neill JR, Turkington R, Fitzgerald RC, Underwood TJ. Machine learning to predict early recurrence after oesophageal cancer surgery. Br J Surg 2020; 107:1042-1052. [PMID: 31997313 PMCID: PMC7299663 DOI: 10.1002/bjs.11461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early cancer recurrence after oesophagectomy is a common problem, with an incidence of 20-30 per cent despite the widespread use of neoadjuvant treatment. Quantification of this risk is difficult and existing models perform poorly. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for early recurrence after surgery for oesophageal adenocarcinoma using a large multinational cohort and machine learning approaches. METHODS Consecutive patients who underwent oesophagectomy for adenocarcinoma and had neoadjuvant treatment in one Dutch and six UK oesophagogastric units were analysed. Using clinical characteristics and postoperative histopathology, models were generated using elastic net regression (ELR) and the machine learning methods random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB). Finally, a combined (ensemble) model of these was generated. The relative importance of factors to outcome was calculated as a percentage contribution to the model. RESULTS A total of 812 patients were included. The recurrence rate at less than 1 year was 29·1 per cent. All of the models demonstrated good discrimination. Internally validated areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUCs) were similar, with the ensemble model performing best (AUC 0·791 for ELR, 0·801 for RF, 0·804 for XGB, 0·805 for ensemble). Performance was similar when internal-external validation was used (validation across sites, AUC 0·804 for ensemble). In the final model, the most important variables were number of positive lymph nodes (25·7 per cent) and lymphovascular invasion (16·9 per cent). CONCLUSION The model derived using machine learning approaches and an international data set provided excellent performance in quantifying the risk of early recurrence after surgery, and will be useful in prognostication for clinicians and patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. A. Rahman
- Cancer Sciences UnitUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - R. C. Walker
- Cancer Sciences UnitUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - M. A. Lloyd
- Cancer Sciences UnitUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - B. L. Grace
- Cancer Sciences UnitUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - G. I. van Boxel
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Medical CentreUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - B. F. Kingma
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Medical CentreUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - J. P. Ruurda
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Medical CentreUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | | | - S. Harris
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Medical StatisticsUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - S. Parsons
- Department of SurgeryNottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustNottinghamUK
| | - S. Mercer
- Department of SurgeryPortsmouth Hospitals NHS TrustPortsmouthUK
| | - E. A. Griffiths
- Department of Upper Gastrointestinal SurgeryUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustBirminghamUK
| | - J. R. O'Neill
- Cambridge Oesophagogastric CentreAddenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - R. Turkington
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell BiologyQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - R. C. Fitzgerald
- Hutchison/Medical Research Council Cancer UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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12
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Chen J, Yang HM, Zhou HC, Peng RR, Niu ZX, Kang CY. PRR11 and SKA2 promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal carcinoma cells. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:639-646. [PMID: 32565988 PMCID: PMC7285799 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Proline-rich protein 11 (PRR11) together with its upstream adjacent gene, spindle and kinetochore associated 2 (SKA2), represent a classic, head-to-head gene pair. The role of the PRR11 and SKA2 gene pair has been described in various types of cancer, including breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and ovarian carcinoma. However, its role in esophageal carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. The mRNA expression levels of PRR11 and SKA2 were examined in ESCC surgical specimens. In addition, the role of PRR11 and SKA2 in the proliferation and migratory and invasive capacities of EC9706 and EC109 cell lines was examined. The results from the present study demonstrated that PRR11 and SKA2 expression levels were upregulated in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, PRRl1 and SKA2 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and migratory and invasive capacities of ESCC cells. Conversely, PRRl1 and SKA2 overexpression significantly promoted the proliferation and migratory and invasive capacities of ESCC cell lines via activation of the AKT signaling pathway and certain markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, including Snail and N-cadherin. The results from the present study suggested that the PRR11 and SKA2 gene pair may represent a potential target in the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Mei Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
| | - Hui-Chong Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
| | - Rui-Rui Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
| | - Zhao-Xiao Niu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
| | - Chun-Yan Kang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
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Rao R, Husain A, Bharti AC, Kashyap MK. Discovery of a Novel Connecting Link between Renin-Angiotensin System and Cancer in Barrett's Esophagus by Proteomic Screening. Proteomics Clin Appl 2019; 13:e1900006. [PMID: 30891939 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201900006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a central role in the regulation of homeostasis and blood pressure. This involves an important enzyme called angiotensin-converting enzyme that leads to the conversion of angiotensin I into angiotensin II. RAS has been reported to show association with inflammation, and in sporadic studies, with cancer. In particular, angiotensin II has been reported to be prevalent in the hypoxic microenvironment and associated with cancer signaling pathways. In a recent study, Bratlie et al. (Proteomics Clin. Appl. 2019, 4, 1800102) is shown to exploit 2D gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify differentially expressed proteins by comparing low-grade dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus (BE) following administration of agents that interfere with RAS, that is, enalapril and candesartan, and identified specific modulation of HSP60, PDIA3, and PPA1. Though 2D gel coupled with MS is a commonly-used tool for studying proteomes, it still has limitations in terms of a comprehensive analysis due to lack of absolute quantitation in a high-throughput manner. Despite technical limitations and the small size of the study, preliminary data emerging from the investigation show interference caused by clinically approved RAS inhibitors resulting in alteration of molecular markers associated with tumorigenicity. The authors propose potential factors that may influence the progression of the disease. However, these are conspicuous changes in high-abundance proteins only. Therefore, there is a need to carry out detailed experimental studies either using an in vitro labeling technique (isobaric labeling for relative and absolute quantitation) for tissues or an in vivo labeling technique (stable isotope labeling in animal cell culture) coupled with LC-MS/MS to identify differentially-regulated proteins to delineate the role of RAS in BE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Rao
- School of Life & Allied Health Sciences, The Glocal University, Saharanpur, 247121, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Amjad Husain
- School of Life & Allied Health Sciences, The Glocal University, Saharanpur, 247121, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Alok C Bharti
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Manoj K Kashyap
- School of Life & Allied Health Sciences, The Glocal University, Saharanpur, 247121, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Combining the radiomic features and traditional parameters of 18F-FDG PET with clinical profiles to improve prognostic stratification in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery. Ann Nucl Med 2019; 33:657-670. [DOI: 10.1007/s12149-019-01380-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Nicoud MB, Formoso K, Medina VA. Pathophysiological Role of Histamine H4 Receptor in Cancer: Therapeutic Implications. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:556. [PMID: 31231212 PMCID: PMC6560177 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries. Although advances in cancer research lead to improved anti-neoplastic therapies, they continue to have unfavorable outcomes, including poor response and severe toxicity. Thus, the challenge for the new therapeutic approaches is to increase anti-tumor efficacy by targeting different molecules encompassed in the tumor and its microenvironment, as well as their specific interactions. The histamine H4 receptor (H4R) is the last discovered histamine receptor subtype and it modulates important immune functions in innate and in adaptive immune responses. Several ligands have been developed and some of them are being used in clinical trials for immune disorders with promising results. When searched in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, human H4R gene was found to be expressed in bladder cancer, kidney cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, lung cancer, endometrial cancer, and skin cancer. In the present work, we aimed to briefly summarize current knowledge in H4R's pharmacology and in the clinical use of H4R ligands before focusing on recent data reporting the expression of H4R and its pathophysiological role in cancer, representing a potential molecular target for cancer therapeutics. H4R gene and protein expression in different types of cancers compared with normal tissue as well as its relationship with patient prognosis in terms of survival will be described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa B Nicoud
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology and Inflammation, Institute for Biomedical Research (BIOMED), School of Medical Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina Formoso
- Pharmacology and Function of Ionic Channels Laboratory, Institute for Biomedical Research (BIOMED), School of Medical Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vanina A Medina
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology and Inflammation, Institute for Biomedical Research (BIOMED), School of Medical Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Laboratory of Radioisotopes, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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