The VEGF-C/Flt-4 axis promotes invasion and metastasis of cancer cells

A biomarker exploration in small-cell lung cancer for brain metastases risk and prophylactic cranial irradiation therapy efficacy

BACKGROUND

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Limited-stage (LS)-SCLC comprises only one-third of SCLC cases, resulting in limited molecularly targeted therapies and treatment options. Despite advances in thoracic and cranial irradiation leading to improved outcomes, a notable proportion of patients develop brain metastasis (BM), highlighting the importance of identifying high-risk patients for tailored screening and treatment strategies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed baseline tumor biopsies from 180 LS-SCLC patients who received frontline definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) using a 474-gene pan-cancer panel. The cumulative incidence of BM was calculated with death scored as a competing risk. Independent prognostic factors for BM risk were identified using the Fine-Gray model.

RESULTS

Alterations in the cell cycle pathway, particularly RB1 mutations, were more common in patients with BM, while FLT4 mutations were more frequent in those without BM (P=0.002 and P=0.021, respectively). Significant risk factors for BM include smoking (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 1.73; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-2.70; P=0.016), RB1 mutations (SHR: 2.19; 95 % CI: 1.27-3.81; P=0.005), and BCL3 amplification (SHR: 2.27; 95 % CI: 1.09-4.71; P=0.028). Conversely, prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) (SHR: 0.39; 95 % CI: 0.25-1.60; P<0.001), FLT4 mutations (SHR: 0.26; 95 % CI: 0.07-0.98; P=0.047), and NOTCH pathway alterations (SHR: 0.65; 95 % CI: 0.43-1.00; P=0.049) were associated with a lower incidence of BM in LS-SCLC. Notably, consolidation PCI therapy did not reduce the BM risk in patients with baseline RB1 mutations, with BM occurrence probabilities of 34.7 % at 20 months and 62.6 % at 40 months.

CONCLUSION

Our study yields valuable insights into the genetic characteristics of LS-SCLC patients with and without BM, aiding the development of personalized treatment strategies. Identifying risk factors associated with the incidence and timing of BM, within the standard regimen of dCRT followed by PCI, may help optimize clinical decision-making for LS-SCLC.

Plasma proteometabolome in lung cancer: exploring biomarkers through bidirectional Mendelian randomization and colocalization analysis

Unlike other cancers with widespread screening (breast, colorectal, cervical, prostate, and skin), lung nodule biopsies for positive screenings have higher morbidity with clinical complications. Development of non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers could thereby significantly enhance lung cancer management for at-risk patients. Here, we leverage Mendelian Randomization (MR) to investigate the plasma proteome and metabolome for potential biomarkers relevant to lung cancer. Utilizing bidirectional MR and co-localization analyses, we identify novel associations, highlighting inverse relationships between plasma proteins SFTPB and KDELC2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and positive associations of TCL1A with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and CNTN1 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Additionally, our work reveals significant negative correlations between metabolites such as theobromine and paraxanthine, along with paraxanthine-related ratios, in both LUAD and LUSC. Conversely, positive correlations are found in caffeine/paraxanthine and arachidonate (20:4n6)/paraxanthine ratios with these cancer types. Through single-cell sequencing data of normal lung tissue, we further explore the role of lung tissue-specific protein SFTPB in carcinogenesis. These findings offer new insights into lung cancer etiology, potentially guiding the development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.

Caveolin-1 knockout mitigates breast cancer metastasis to the lungs via integrin α3 dysregulation in 4T1-induced syngeneic breast cancer model

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a critical lipid raft protein playing dual roles as both a tumor suppressor and promoter. While its role in tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis has been recognized, the explicit contribution of Cav-1 to the onset of lung metastasis from primary breast malignancies remains unclear. Here, we present the first evidence that Cav-1 knockout in mammary epithelial cells significantly reduces lung metastasis in syngeneic breast cancer mouse models. In vitro, Cav-1 knockout in 4T1 cells suppressed extracellular vesicle secretion, cellular motility, and MMP secretion compared to controls. Complementing this, in vivo analyses demonstrated a marked reduction in lung metastatic foci in mice injected with Cav-1 knockout 4T1 cells as compared to wild-type cells, which was further corroborated by mRNA profiling of the primary tumor. We identified 21 epithelial cell migration genes exhibiting varied expression in tumors derived from Cav-1 knockout and wild-type 4T1 cells. Correlation analysis and immunoblotting further revealed that Cav-1 might regulate metastasis via integrin α3 (ITGα3). In silico protein docking predicted an interaction between Cav-1 and ITGα3, which was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, Cav-1 and ITGα3 knockdown corroborated its role in metastasis in the cell migration assay.

Recent advances and future directions on small molecule VEGFR inhibitors in oncological conditions

"A journey of mixed emotions" is a quote that best describes the progress chart of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors as cancer therapeutics in the last decade. Exhilarated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of numerous VEGFR inhibitors coupled with the annoyance of encountering the complications associated with their use, drug discovery enthusiasts are on their toes with an unswerving determination to enhance the rate of translation of VEGFR inhibitors from preclinical to clinical stage. The recently crafted armory of VEGFR inhibitors is a testament to their growing dominance over other antiangiogenic therapies for cancer treatment. This review perspicuously underscores the earnest attempts of the researchers to extract the antiproliferative potential of VEGFR inhibitors through the design of mechanistically diverse structural assemblages. Moreover, this review encompasses sections on structural/molecular properties and physiological functions of VEGFR, FDA-approved VEGFR inhibitors, and hurdles restricting the activity range/clinical applicability of VEGFR targeting antitumor agents. In addition, tactics to overcome the limitations of VEGFR inhibitors are discussed. A clear-cut viewpoint transmitted through this compilation can provide practical directions to push the cart of VEGFR inhibitors to advanced-stage clinical investigations in diverse malignancies.

Plasma Angiogenic Factors as Predictors of the Efficacy of Second-line Chemotherapy Combined with Angiogenesis Inhibitors in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results From the GI-SCREEN CRC-Ukit Study

BACKGROUND

The significance of angiogenic factors as predictors of second-line (2L) chemotherapy efficacy when combined with angiogenesis inhibitors for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unestablished.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter prospective observational study, 17 angiogenic factors were analyzed in plasma samples collected at pretreatment and progression stages using a Luminex multiplex assay. Patients who received chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (BEV group), FOLFIRI plus ramucirumab (RAM group), or FOLFIRI plus aflibercept (AFL group) as the 2L treatment were included. Interactions between pretreatment and treatment groups for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and response rate (RR) were assessed using the propensity-score weighted Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

From February 2018 to September 2020, 283 patients were analyzed in the 2L cohort. A strong interaction was observed for PFS between BEV and RAM with HGF, sNeuropilin-1, sVEGFR-1, and sVEGFR-3. Interactions for RR between the BEV and RAM groups were observed for sNeuropilin-1 and sVEGFR-1. Contrarily, OS, PlGF, sVEGFR-1, and sVEGFR-3 differentiated the treatment effect between BEV and AFL. Plasma samples were evaluable for dynamic analysis in 203 patients. At progression, VEGF-A levels significantly decreased in the BEV group and increased in the RAM and AFL groups.

CONCLUSION

The pretreatment plasma sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-3 levels could be predictive biomarkers for distinguishing BEV and RAM when combined with chemotherapy in 2L mCRC treatment. Based on the VEGF-A dynamics at progression, selecting RAM or AFL for patients with significantly elevated VEGF-A levels may be a 2L treatment strategy, with BEV considered for the third-line treatment.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

UMIN000028616.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for ovarian cancer treatment: from organic to inorganic chemotherapeutics towards selectivity-a perspective overview

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a lethal gynecologic cancer in industrialized countries. Treatments for OC include the surgical removal and chemotherapy. In the last decades, improvements have been made in the surgery technologies, drug combinations and administration protocols, and in diagnosis. However, mortality from OC is still high owing to recurrences and insurgence of drug resistance. Accordingly, it is urgent the development of novel agents capable to effectively target OC. In this respect, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may play an important role. Most of TKIs developed and tested so far are organic. However, owing to their chemical versatility, also metals can be exploited to design selective and potent TKIs. We provide a short and easy-to-read overview on the main organic TKIs with a summary of those that entered clinical trials. Additionally, we describe the potential of metal-based TKIs, focusing on this overlooked family of compounds that may significantly contribute towards the concept of precision-medicine.

Harnessing the potential of HLA-G in cancer therapy: advances, challenges, and prospects

Immune checkpoint blockades have been prized in circumventing and ablating the impediments posed by immunosuppressive receptors, reaching an exciting juncture to be an innovator in anticancer therapy beyond traditional therapeutics. Thus far, approved immune checkpoint blockades have principally targeted PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 with exciting success in a plethora of tumors and yet are still trapped in dilemmas of limited response rates and adverse effects. Hence, unveiling new immunotherapeutic targets has aroused immense scientific interest in the hope of expanding the clinical application of immune checkpoint blockades to scale new heights. Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, is enriched on various malignant cells and is involved in the hindrance of immune effector cells and the facilitation of immunosuppressive cells. HLA-G stands out as a crucial next-generation immune checkpoint showing great promise for the benefit of cancer patients. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the expression pattern and immunological functions of HLA-G, as well as its interaction with well-characterized immune checkpoints. Since HLA-G can be shed from the cell surface or released by various cells as free soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) or as part of extracellular vesicles (EVs), namely HLA-G-bearing EVs (HLA-GEV), we discuss the potential of sHLA-G and HLA-GEV as predictive biomarkers. This review also addresses the advancement of HLA-G-based therapies in preclinical and clinical settings, with a focus on their clinical application in cancer.

ZNF643/ZFP69B Exerts Oncogenic Properties and Associates with Cell Adhesion and Immune Processes

The global cancer burden remains high; thus, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving carcinogenesis is needed to improve current prevention and treatment options. We previously detected the ZNF643/ZFP69B gene upregulated in multiple tumors, and we speculated it may play a role in tumor biology. To test this hypothesis, we employed TCGA-centered databases to correlate ZNF643 status with various clinicopathological parameters. We also performed RNA-seq analysis and in vitro studies assessing cancer cell phenotypes, and we searched for ZNF643-bound genomic loci. Our data indicated higher levels of ZNF643 in most analyzed tumors compared to normal samples, possibly due to copy number variations. ZNF643 mRNA correlated with diverse molecular and immune subtypes and clinicopathological features (tumor stage, grade, patient survival). RNA-seq analysis revealed that ZNF643 silencing triggers the deregulation of the genes implicated in various cancer-related processes, such as growth, adhesion, and immune system. Moreover, we observed that ZNF643 positively influences cell cycle, migration, and invasion. Finally, our ChIP-seq analysis indicated that the genes associated with ZNF643 binding are linked to adhesion and immune signaling. In conclusion, our data confirm the oncogenic properties of ZNF643 and pinpoint its impact on cell adhesion and immune processes.

SAR131675 exhibits anticancer activity on human ovarian cancer cells through inhibition of VEGFR-3/ERK1/2/AKT signaling pathway

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) is known to participate in tumorigenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and as such, has the potential to serve as a molecular target for cancer therapy. SAR131675 is a highly selective VEGFR-3 antagonist that has an inhibitive effect on lymphatic cell growth. However, the anticancer effects and underlying mechanisms of SAR131675 in ovarian cancer remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the pathological role of VEGFR-3, and the effects of SAR131675 on proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Our results showed that the mRNA and protein of VEGFR-3 were expressed in OVCAR3 and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells, and this receptor was activated following stimulation with 50 ng/ml VEGF-C Cys156Ser (VEGF-CS), a selective ligand for VEGFR-3. Enhancing VEGFR-3 phosphorylation by treatment of ovarian cancer cells with VEGF-CS resulted in increased levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and AKT. Moreover, our data demonstrated that SAR131675 inhibited VEGF-CS-mediated proliferation, colony formation, and migration of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, inhibition of VEGFR-3 activation with SAR131675 significantly increased cell cycle arrest and promoted apoptosis in both OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cells. Mechanistically, SAR131675 effectively suppressed the VEGF-CS-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-3 and its downstream effectors including activated ERK1/2 and AKT in ovarian cancer cells. Our results reveal an anticancer activity of SAR131675 on the growth and migration of ovarian cancer cells, which may be through inhibiting VEGFR-3/ERK1/2/AKT pathway. SAR131675 may serve as an effective targeted drug for ovarian cancer.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C and its receptor-3 signaling in tumorigenesis

The cancer-promoting ligand vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) activates VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3). The VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 axis is expressed by a range of human tumor cells in addition to lymphatic endothelial cells. Activating the VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling enhances metastasis by promoting lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis inside and around tumors. Stimulation of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling promotes tumor metastasis in tumors, such as ovarian, renal, pancreatic, prostate, lung, skin, gastric, colorectal, cervical, leukemia, mesothelioma, Kaposi sarcoma, and endometrial carcinoma. We discuss and update the role of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 signaling in tumor development and the research is still needed to completely comprehend this multifunctional receptor.

Deep learning of 2D-Restructured gene expression representations for improved low-sample therapeutic response prediction

Clinical outcome prediction is important for stratified therapeutics. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods facilitate therapeutic response prediction from transcriptomic profiles of cells and clinical samples. Clinical transcriptomic DL is challenged by the low-sample sizes (34-286 subjects), high-dimensionality (up to 21,653 genes) and unordered nature of clinical transcriptomic data. The established methods rely on ML algorithms at accuracy levels of 0.6-0.8 AUC/ACC values. Low-sample DL algorithms are needed for enhanced prediction capability. Here, an unsupervised manifold-guided algorithm was employed for restructuring transcriptomic data into ordered image-like 2D-representations, followed by efficient DL of these 2D-representations with deep ConvNets. Our DL models significantly outperformed the state-of-the-art (SOTA) ML models on 82% of 17 low-sample benchmark datasets (53% with >0.05 AUC/ACC improvement). They are more robust than the SOTA models in cross-cohort prediction tasks, and in identifying robust biomarkers and response-dependent variational patterns consistent with experimental indications.

VEGFR3 suppression through miR-1236 inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer via ERK1/2 and AKT signaling pathways

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3) is expressed in cancer cell lines and exerts a critical role in cancer progression. However, the signaling pathways of VEGFR3 in ovarian cancer cell proliferation remain unclear. This study aimed to demonstrate the signaling pathways of VEGFR3 through the upregulated expression of miR-1236 in ovarian cancer cells. We found that the messenger RNA and protein of VEGFR3 were expressed in the ovarian cancer cell lines, but downregulated after microRNA-1236 (miR-1236) transfection. The inhibition of VEGFR3, using miR-1236, significantly reduced cell proliferation, clonogenic survival, migration, and invasion ability in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells (p < 0.01). The flow cytometry results indicated that the rate of apoptotic cells in SKOV3 (38.65%) and OVCAR3 (41.95%) cells increased following VEGFR3 inhibition. Moreover, VEGFR3 stimulation (using a specific ligand, VEGF-CS) significantly increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation (p < 0.01), whereas VEGFR3 suppression reduced p-ERK1/2 (67.94% in SKOV3 and 93.52% in OVCAR3) and p-AKT (59.56% in SKOV3 and 78.73% in OVCAR3) compared to the VEGF-CS treated group. This finding demonstrated that miR-1236 may act as an endogenous regulator of ERK1/2 and AKT signaling by blocking the upstream regulator of VEGFR3. Overall, we demonstrated the important role of the miR-1236/VEGFR3 axis in ovarian cancer cell proliferation by regulating the ERK1/2 and AKT signaling that might be an effective strategy against ovarian cancer.

A novel necroptosis-related gene index for predicting prognosis and a cold tumor immune microenvironment in stomach adenocarcinoma

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) represents a major global clinical problem with very limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Necroptosis, a recently discovered inflammatory form of cell death, has been implicated in carcinogenesis and inducing necroptosis has also been considered as a therapeutic strategy.

Objective

We aim to evaluate the role of this pathway in gastric cancer development, prognosis and immune aspects of its tumor microenvironment.

Methods and results

In this study, we evaluated the gene expression of 55 necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) that were identified via carrying out a comprehensive review of the medical literature. Necroptosis pathway was deregulated in gastric cancer samples (n=375) as compared to adjacent normal tissues (n=32) obtained from the “The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)”. Based on the expression of these NRGs, two molecular subtypes were obtained through consensus clustering that also showed significant prognostic difference. Differentially expressed genes between these two clusters were retrieved and subjected to prognostic evaluation via univariate cox regression analysis and LASSO cox regression analysis. A 13-gene risk signature, termed as necroptosis-related genes prognostic index (NRGPI), was constructed that comprehensively differentiated the gastric cancer patients into high- and low-risk subgroups. The prognostic significance of NRGPI was validated in the GEO cohort (GSE84437: n=408). The NRGPI-high subgroup was characterized by upregulation of 10 genes (CYTL1, PLCL1, CGB5, CNTN1, GRP, APOD, CST6, GPX3, FCN1, SERPINE1) and downregulation of 3 genes (EFNA3, E2F2, SOX14). Further dissection of these two risk groups by differential gene expression analysis indicated involvement of signaling pathways associated with cancer cell progression and immune suppression such as WNT and TGF-β signaling pathway. Para-inflammation and type-II interferon pathways were activated in NRGPI-high patients with an increased infiltration of Tregs and M2 macrophage indicating an exhausted immune phenotype of the tumor microenvironment. These molecular characteristics were mainly driven by the eight NRGPI oncogenes (CYTL1, PLCL1, CNTN1, GRP, APOD, GPX3, FCN1, SERPINE1) as validated in the gastric cancer cell lines and clinical samples. NRGPI-high patients showed sensitivity to a number of targeted agents, in particular, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Conclusions

Necroptosis appears to play a critical role in the development of gastric cancer, prognosis and shaping of its tumor immune microenvironment. NRGPI can be used as a promising prognostic biomarker to identify gastric cancer patients with a cold tumor immune microenvironment and poor prognosis who may response to selected molecular targeted therapy.

Pharmacological manipulation of Ezh2 with salvianolic acid B results in tumor vascular normalization and synergizes with cisplatin and T cell-mediated immunotherapy

Tumor vasculature is characterized by aberrant structure and function, resulting in immune suppressive profiles of tumor microenvironment (TME) through limiting immune cell infiltration into tumors. The defective vascular perfusion in tumors also impairs the delivery and efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Targeting abnormal tumor blood vessels has emerged as an effective therapeutic strategy to improve the outcome of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In this study, we demonstrated that Salvianolic acid B (SalB), one of the major ingredients of Salvia miltiorriza elicited vascular normalization in the mouse models of breast cancer, contributing to improved delivery and response of chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin as well as attenuated metastasis. Moreover, SalB in combination with anti-PD-L1 blockade retarded tumor growth, which was mainly due to elevated infiltration of immune effector cells and boosted delivery of anti-PD-L1 into tumors. Mechanistically, tumor cell enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2)-driven cytokines disrupted the endothelial junctions with diminished VE-cadherin expression, which could be rescued in the presence of SalB. The restored vascular integrity by SalB via modulating the interactions between tumor cells and endothelial cells (ECs) offered a principal route for achieving vascular normalization. Taken together, our data elucidated that SalB enhanced sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy and immunotherapy through triggering tumor vascular normalization, providing a potential therapeutic strategy of combining SalB and chemotherapy or immunotherapy for patients with breast cancer.

CNTN-1 Upregulation Induced by Low-Dose Cisplatin Promotes Malignant Progression of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells via Activation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Tumor metastasis and invasion are the main impediments to lung adenocarcinoma successful treatment. Previous studies demonstrate that chemotherapeutic agents can elevate the malignancy of cancer cells other than their therapeutic effects. In this study, the effects of transient low-dose cisplatin treatment on the malignant development of lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) were detected, and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms were investigated. The findings showed that A549 cells exhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like phenotype along with malignant progression under the transient low-dose cisplatin treatment. Meanwhile, low-dose cisplatin was found to induce contactin-1 (CNTN-1) upregulation in A549 cells. Subsequently, we found that further overexpressing CNTN-1 in A549 cells obviously activated the EMT process in vitro and in vivo, and caused malignant development of A549 cells in vitro. Taken together, we conclude that low-dose cisplatin can activate the EMT process and resulting malignant progression through upregulating CNTN-1 in A549 cells. The findings provided new evidence that a low concentration of chemotherapeutic agents could facilitate the malignancy of carcinoma cells via activating the EMT process other than their therapeutic effects.

Immunotherapy by mesenchymal stromal cell delivery of oncolytic viruses for treating metastatic tumors

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have emerged as a very promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy in the past decades. However, despite their pre-clinical promise, many OV clinical evaluations for cancer therapy have highlighted the continued need for their improved delivery and targeting. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as excellent candidate vehicles for the delivery of OVs due to their tumor-homing properties and low immunogenicity. MSCs can enhance OV delivery by protecting viruses from rapid clearance following administration and also by more efficiently targeting tumor sites, consequently augmenting the therapeutic potential of OVs. MSCs can function as “biological factories,” enabling OV amplification within these cells to promote tumor lysis following MSC-OV arrival at the tumor site. MSC-OVs can promote enhanced safety profiles and therapeutic effects relative to OVs alone. In this review we explore the general characteristics of MSCs as delivery tools for cancer therapeutic agents. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of OVs as immune therapeutics and highlight some of the promising applications stemming from combining MSCs to achieve enhanced delivery and anti-tumor effectiveness of OVs at different pre-clinical and clinical stages. We further provide potential pitfalls of the MSC-OV platform and the strategies under development for enhancing the efficacy of these emerging therapeutics.

The Endocrine Disruptor Compound Bisphenol-A (BPA) Regulates the Intra-Tumoral Immune Microenvironment and Increases Lung Metastasis in an Experimental Model of Breast Cancer

Simple Summary

The widely spread microplastic component and endocrine disruptor BPA is a hazardous material recognized for a long time. Here, for the first time, we demonstrated that BPA, administered into mice in a very specific developmental step of the animal (3 days post-natal), induces an increase in metastasis to the lung in the adult life, compared to the control or vehicle mice. In addition, of novelty, it is the analysis of the cytokine tumor microenvironment, which is the reason for the increased metastasis by BPA (BPA induce the increase in pro-metastatic cytokines).

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) metastasis represents the main physiopathology leading to poor prognosis and death. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a pollutant, classified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical compound with estrogenic properties, their exposure in the early stages of neonatal life leads to an increase in the size and weight of breast tumors and induces cellular changes in the tumoral immune microenvironment where cytokines play a key role. Thus, we used female BALB/c mice exposed neonatally to a single dose of BPA. Once mice reached sexual maturity, a mammary tumor was induced, injecting 4T1 cells in situ. After 25 days of injection, we evaluated endocrine alterations, cytokine expression, tissue alterations denoted by macro or micro-metastasis in the lung, and cell infiltration induced by metastasis. We found that BPA neonatal treatment did not show significant endocrine alterations. Noteworthy, BPA led to an augmented rate of metastasis to the lung associated with higher intratumoral expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and VEGF. Our data suggest that cytokines are key players in the induction of BC metastasis and that BPA (an environmental pollutant) should be considered as a risk factor in the clinical history of patients as a possible inductor of BC metastasis.

MicroRNA-200c-targeted contactin 1 facilitates the replication of influenza A virus by accelerating the degradation of MAVS

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) continuously challenge the poultry industry and human health. Elucidation of the host factors that modulate the IAV lifecycle is vital for developing antiviral drugs and vaccines. In this study, we infected A549 cells with IAVs and found that host protein contactin-1 (CNTN1), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, enhanced viral replication. Bioinformatic prediction and experimental validation indicated that the expression of CNTN1 was reduced by microRNA-200c (miR-200c) through directly targeting. We further showed that CNTN1-modulated viral replication in A549 cells is dependent on type I interferon signaling. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that CNTN1 specifically interacts with MAVS and promotes its proteasomal degradation by removing its K63-linked ubiquitination. Moreover, we discovered that the deubiquitinase USP25 is recruited by CNTN1 to catalyze the deubiquitination of K63-linked MAVS. Consequently, the CNTN1-induced degradation cascade of MAVS blocked RIG-I-MAVS-mediated interferon signaling, leading to enhanced viral replication. Taken together, our data reveal novel roles of CNTN1 in the type I interferon pathway and regulatory mechanism of IAV replication.

VEGF-D-mediated signaling in tendon cells is involved in degenerative processes

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling is crucial for a large variety of cellular processes, not only related to angiogenesis but also in nonvascular cell types. We have previously shown that controlling angiogenesis by reducing VEGF-A signaling positively affects tendon healing. We now hypothesize that VEGF signaling in non-endothelial cells may contribute to tendon pathologies. By immunohistochemistry we show that VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 are expressed in murine and human tendon cells in vivo. In a rat Achilles tendon defect model we show that VEGFR1, VEGFR3, and VEGF-D expression are increased after injury. On cultured rat tendon cells we show that VEGF-D stimulates cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner; the specific VEGFR3 inhibitor SAR131675 reduces cell proliferation and cell migration. Furthermore, activation of VEGFR2 and -3 in tendon-derived cells affects the expression of mRNAs encoding extracellular matrix and matrix remodeling proteins. Using explant model systems, we provide evidence, that VEGFR3 inhibition prevents biomechanical deterioration in rat tail tendon fascicles cultured without load and attenuates matrix damage if exposed to dynamic overload in a bioreactor system. Together, these results suggest a strong role of tendon cell VEGF signaling in mediation of degenerative processes. These findings give novel insight into tendon cell biology and may pave the way for novel treatment options for degenerative tendon diseases.

Role of miRNA-495 and NRXN-1 and CNTN-1 mRNA Expression and Its Prognostic Importance in Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which genetic factors are involved in disease worsening and higher mortality. Epidemiological and clinical research revealed that breast cancer incidence continues to rise. 100 histopathologically confirmed untreated newly diagnosed cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast and 100 healthy subjects were involved and blood samples were collected in non-EDTA plain vials. Serum was separated by centrifugation, total RNA was extracted from serum, and cDNA synthesis was done to study the miRNA-495 and neurexin-1 (NRXN-1) and contactin 1 (CNTN-1) mRNA expression by QRT-PCR. The expression levels of miRNA-495, NRXN-1, and CNTN-1 were expressed in fold change. The present study observed decreased relative miRNA-495 expression (0.07-fold) while an increase in NRXN-1 (11.61-fold) and CNTN-1 (4.92-fold) was observed among breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls. A significant difference was observed in miRNA-495 expression with menopausal status (p=0.0001) and TNM stages (p=0.02). It was observed that NRXN-1 expression was significantly associated with menopausal status (p=0.03), lymph node involvement (p < 0.0001), estrogen receptor (ER) status (p=0.03), progesterone receptor (PR) status (p=0.005), TNM stages (p < 0.0001), and distant metastases (p < 0.0001). CNTN-1 expression was also found to be associated with lymph node involvement (p=0.01), PR status (p=0.03), HER2 status (p=0.04), TNM stages (p < 0.0001), and distant metastases (p < 0.0001). ROC suggested that NRXN-1 and CNTN-1 could be the important predictive marker for disease advancement and distant organ metastases. The study concluded that the decreased expression of miR-495 observed in breast cancer patients showed a negative correlation with NRXN-1 while the increased expression of NRXN-1 and CNTN-1 was linked with disease advancement and distant metastases and could be the important predictive marker for breast cancer patients.

Targeted Sequencing Revealed Distinct Mutational Profiles of Ocular and Extraocular Sebaceous Carcinomas

The biological behavior of sebaceous carcinoma (SeC) is relatively indolent; however, local invasion or distant metastasis is sometimes reported. Nevertheless, a lack of understanding of the genetic background of SeC makes it difficult to apply effective systemic therapy. This study was designed to investigate major genetic alterations in SeCs in Korean patients. A total of 29 samples, including 20 ocular SeCs (SeC-Os) and 9 extraocular SeCs (SeC-EOs), were examined. Targeted next-generation sequencing tests including 171 cancer-related genes were performed. TP53 and PIK3CA genes were frequently mutated in both SeC-Os and SeC-EOs with slight predominance in SeC-Os, whereas the NOTCH1 gene was more commonly mutated in SeC-EOs. In clinical correlation, mutations in RUNX1 and ATM were associated with development of distant metastases, and alterations in MSH6 and BRCA1 were associated with inferior progression-free survival (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study revealed distinct genetic alterations between SeC-Os and SeC-EOs and some important prognostic molecular markers. Mutations in potentially actionable genes, including EGFR, ERBB2, and mismatch repair genes, were noted, suggesting consideration of a clinical trial in intractable cases.

Assisted differential network analysis for gene expression data

In the analysis of gene expression data, when there are two or more disease conditions/groups (e.g., diseased and normal, responder and nonresponder, and multiple stages/subtypes), differential analysis has been extensively conducted to identify key differences and has important implications. Network analysis takes a system perspective and can be more informative than that limited to simple statistics such as mean and variance. In differential network analysis, a common practice is to first estimate a gene expression network for each condition/group, and then spectral clustering can be applied to the network difference(s) to identify key genes and biological mechanisms that lead to the differences. Compared to "simple" analysis such as regression, differential network analysis can be more challenging with the significantly larger number of parameters. In this study, taking advantage of the increasing popularity of multidimensional profiling data, we develop an assisted analysis strategy and propose incorporating regulator information to improve the identification of key genes (that lead to the differences in gene expression networks). An effective computational algorithm is developed. Comprehensive simulation is conducted, showing that the proposed approach can outperform the benchmark alternatives in identification accuracy. With the The Cancer Genome Atlas lung adenocarcinoma data, we analyze the expressions of genes in the KEGG cell cycle pathway, assisted by copy number variation data. The proposed assisted analysis leads to identification results similar to the alternatives but different estimations. Overall, this study can deliver an efficient and cost-effective way of improving differential network analysis.

Gene network analysis to determine the effect of hypoxia-associated genes on brain damages and tumorigenesis using an avian model

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia refers to the condition of low oxygen pressure in the atmosphere and characterization of response to hypoxia as a biological complex puzzle, is challenging. Previously, we carried out a comparative genomic study by whole genome resequencing of highland and lowland Iranian native chickens to identify genomic variants associated with hypoxia conditions. Based on our previous findings, we used chicken as a model and the identified hypoxia-associated genes were converted to human's orthologs genes to construct the informative gene network. The main goal of this study was to visualize the features of diseases due to hypoxia-associated genes by gene network analysis.

RESULTS

It was found that hypoxia-associated genes contained several gene networks of disorders such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, cardiomyopathy, drug toxicity, and cancers. We found that biological pathways are involved in mitochondrion dysfunctions including peroxynitrous acid production denoted in brain injuries. Lewy body and neuromelanin were reported as key symptoms in Parkinson disease. Furthermore, calmodulin, and amyloid precursor protein were detected as leader proteins in Alzheimer's diseases. Dexamethasone was reported as the candidate toxic drug under the hypoxia condition that implicates diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurotoxicity. Our results suggested DNA damages caused by the high doses of UV radiation in high-altitude conditions, were associated with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that hypoxia-associated genes were enriched in several gene networks of disorders including Parkinson, Alzheimer, cardiomyopathy, drug toxicity, and different types of cancers. Furthermore, we suggested, UV radiation and low oxygen conditions in high-altitude regions may be responsible for the variety of human diseases.

Effective treatment of apatinib for chemotherapy-refractory advanced gastric carcinoma with AFP-secretion and HER2-positivity: A case report

α-fetoprotein (AFP)-secreting gastric cancer (AFP-GC) is a relatively rare, aggressive malignancy among all GC types. However, no GC case with simultaneous expression of AFP and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has been reported to date. To the best of our knowledge, the present report was the first to describe the use of apatinib to treat a patient with advanced GC characterized by AFP-secretion and HER2-positivity. An 86-year-old man with advanced GC was diagnosed with AFP-secretive and HER2-positive GC with liver metastasis at The Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University (Jiujiang, China). The patient received first-line (i.e., S-1 plus oxaliplatin) and second-line (i.e., docetaxel) chemotherapy combined with trastuzumab for two cycles, respectively. However, the disease progressed rapidly. Subsequently, apatinib was administered as third-line therapy. After two cycles of apatinib therapy, the patient reported the disappearance of upper abdominal pain and an improvement in his appetite. Furthermore, the AFP level had sharply decreased to 620 ng/ml. Subsequently, upper abdominal computed tomography imaging revealed that the gastric lesion and liver metastatic lesion had reduced in size by 67% and 24%, respectively, suggesting partial remission. Currently, the patient has continued to receive apatinib therapy. It was speculated that AFP-secretion status could contribute to the chemoresistance of HER2-positive GC. Apatinib may be a promising anticancer agent in the case of advanced AFP-producing and HER2-positive GC.

Lentivirus-mediated silencing of CNTN1 enhances gefitinib sensitivity by reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

Contactin-1 (CNTN1), a neuronal cell adhesion molecular, functions in nervous system development and has been associated with carcinogenesis and tumor progression. To investigate the role of CNTN1 in gefitinib resistance in lung adenocarcinoma, lentivirus-mediated short hairpin (sh)RNA was used to silence CNTN1 and its physiological function was analyzed in the A549 cell line. A cell cytotoxicity assay revealed that CNTN1 knockdown enhanced gefitinib sensitivity in the A549 cells. In addition, CNTN1 knockdown, together with gefitinib treatment, resulted in a significant inhibition of colony formation and migration, and promotion of apoptosis. Furthermore, CNTN1 knockdown also reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype by increasing E-cadherin protein expression level, and decreasing N-cadherin and vimentin protein expression levels. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was also association with the effects of CNTN1 on EMT progression and gefitinib resistance in the A549 cells. Collectively, knockdown of CNTN1 reversed the EMT phenotype and enhanced gefitinib sensitivity in the A549 cells by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These results suggested that CNTN1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for reserving EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Identification and Validation of a Tumor Microenvironment-Related Gene Signature for Prognostic Prediction in Advanced-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The development of immunotherapy has greatly changed the advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment landscape. The complexity and heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment (TME) lead to discrepant immunotherapy effects among patients at the same pathologic stages. This study is aimed at exploring potential biomarkers of immunotherapy and accurately predicting the prognosis for advanced NSCLC patients. RNA-seq data and clinical information on stage III/IV NSCLC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). In TCGA-NSCLC with stage III/IV (n = 192), immune scores and stromal scores were calculated by using the ESTIMATE algorithms. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to screen prognostic TME-related genes (TMERGs) and constructed a gene signature risk score model. It was validated in external dataset including GSE41271 (n = 91) and GSE81089 (n = 36). Additionally, a nomogram incorporating TMERG signature risk score and clinical characteristics was established. Further, we accessed the proportion of 22 types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) from the CIBERSORT website and analyzed the difference between two risk groups. OS of patients with high immune/stromal scores were higher (log-rank P = 0.044/log-rank P = 0.048). Multivariate Cox regression identified six prognostic TMERGs, including CD200, CHI3L2, CNTN1, CTSL, FYB1, and SLC52A1. We developed a six-gene risk score model, which was validated as an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR: 3.32, 95% CI: 2.16-5.09). Time-ROC curves showed useful discrimination for TCGA-NSCLC cohort (1-, 2-, and 3-year AUCs were 0.718, 0.761, and 0.750). The predictive robustness was validated in the external dataset. The C-index and 1-, 2-, and 3-year AUCs of nomogram were the largest, which demonstrated the nomogram had the greatest predictive accuracy and effectiveness and could be used for clinical guidance. Besides, the increased infiltration of T cells regulatory (Tregs) and macrophages M2 in the high-risk group suggested that chronic inflammation may reduce survival probability in patients with advanced NSCLC. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the tumor microenvironment and identified the TMERG signature, which could predict prognosis accurately and provide a reference for the personalized immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC patients.

Chemotherapy Negates the Effect of SDF1 mRNA to Distant Metastasis and Poor Overall Survival in Breast Cancer Patients

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the effect of SDF1a, nuclear, and cytoplasmic CXCR4 breast cancer tissue on metastasis and overall survival in patients with complete-chemotherapy and no-chemotherapy.

METHODS

Cohort ambidirectional design was employed with survival analysis that followed the patient's diagnosis until obtaining the outcome, distant metastasis, or death. We analyzed samples in three groups (all-patient, no-chemotherapy, and complete-chemotherapy groups).  Breast cancer cell nuclear and cytoplasm expressions of CXCR4 protein were examined using immunohistochemistry. Amplification of mRNA SDF1a of breast cancer tissue was examined using rtPCR on 131 samples from the same initial paraffin block.

RESULTS

In the distant metastasis and Overall Survival (OS) analysis, there was no correlation between cytoplasmic and nuclear CXCR4 in all-patient, no-chemotherapy, and complete-chemotherapy groups. SDF1a was significantly correlated to shorter distant metastasis and poor OS in the all-patient (p=0.004 and p=0.04, respectively) and no-chemotherapy group (p=0.008 and p=0.026, respectively). However, in the complete-chemotherapy group, SDF1a was not correlated to either metastasis (p=0.527) or OS (p=0.993), advanced stage demonstrated a strong association on shorter distant metastatic in no-chemotherapy (p=0.021) and complete-chemotherapy group (p=0.004) and also poor OS in both groups (p=0.006 and p=0.002, respectively). The hormone receptor showed a protective effect on the no-chemotherapy group's OS (p= 0.019). Meanwhile, not undergoing chemotherapy was associated with poor OS in the all-patient group (p= 0.011).

CONCLUSION

SDF1a mRNA amplification has a significant correlation with the occurrence of metastasis and OS in all-patient and no-chemotherapy group. Undergoing chemotherapy negates the effect of SDF1a for distant metastasis and OS.

The Role of Contactin 1 in Cancers: What We Know So Far

Cancers are among the difficult-to-treat diseases despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Although newer effective targets remain to be discovered, targeted therapy has emerged as a promising field. In the last decade, contactin 1 (CNTN1) has surfaced as an important cancer-related molecule. CNTN1 is a neuronal membrane glycoprotein, which, if overexpressed, is found in different cancer cell lines, cancer tissues, and transgenic mice. It is positively associated with lymphatic invasion, metastasis, late TNM stage, and a short overall survival time. However, the role of CNTN1 in cancer cell proliferation remains unclear. In addition, CNTN1 is involved in cancer cell invasion, migration, metastasis, and chemoresistance by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mediating several signal transduction pathways. Several studies suggest CNTN1 as a new therapeutic target for cancers. This review aims to summarize the research developments on CNTN1 in various cancers, to establish its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and signal transduction pathways, and to identify promising areas for further investigation.

Upregulated CNTN1 is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Contactin1 (CNTN1), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is known to correlate with tumor development and progression. Although recent studies have found that elevated CNTN1 has been demonstrated in some types of cancers, the expression and prognosis of CNTN1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) are unclear. Here, we aimed to determine the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic role of CNTN1 in CRC patients.

METHODS

The protein expression of CNTN1 in tumor tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the mRNA and protein expressions of CNTN1 were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting analysis in 40 matched adjacent normal mucosa samples. The relationships of CNTN1 with clinicopathological data and prognosis significance were analyzed.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical consequence suggested that the protein level of CNTN1 was obviously raised in CRC compared with adjacent normal mucosa tissues (56.9% vs 10.3%, P< 0.05). In addition, we detected a significant increase in CNTN1 mRNA and protein levels in CRC tissues compared with the matched adjacent normal mucosa tissues. Moreover, increased CNTN1 exprssion was significantly associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis (LNM), tumor node-metastasis (TNM) stage and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in clinical analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with CNTN1 over-expression showed worse overall survival (OS) (P= 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that high CNTN1 expression was an independent predictor for poor OS in CRC patients (P= 0.028). Further analysis revealed that patients with high CNTN1 combined with LNM present accurately predicted poorer outcome.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the findingsindicate that CNTN1 plays a significant role and serve as a potential biomarker for the prediction of adverse prognosis in CRC. Intriguingly, high express of CNTN1 + LNM-present combination may improve the accuracy of prognosis.

Lycopene enriched tomato extract suppresses chemically induced skin tumorigenesis in mice

Abstract. The present study revealed the effects of Lycopene enriched tomato extract (LycT) on chemically induced skin cancer in mice. Skin tumors were induced by topical application of 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) [500 nmol/100 ul of acetone, twice a week for two weeks] and 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) [1.7 nmol/100 ul of acetone, twice a week for eighteen weeks] and LycT (5 mg/kg b.w.) was administered orally. Male Balb/c mice were divided into four groups (n = 15 per group): control, DMBA/TPA, LycT and LycT + DMBA/TPA. The chemopreventive response of LycT to skin tumorigenesis was evident by inhibition in tumor incidence, number, size, burden and volume in LycT + DMBA/TPA group when compared to DMBA/TPA group. This was associated with inhibition of cell proliferation in LycT + DMBA/TPA group as observed by the decrease in epidermal morphometric parameters and mRNA and protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen when compared to DMBA/TPA group (p ≤ 0.05). LycT decreased (p ≤ 0.05) the mRNA and protein expression of angiogenic genes (vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, basic fibroblast growth factor) in LycT + DMBA/TPA group, suggesting its anti-angiogenic effects. The increase (p ≤ 0.05) in protein expression of connexin-32 and 43 in LycT + DMBA/TPA group suggests improved inter cellular communication when compared to DMBA/TPA group. Histochemical studies demonstrated that the components of extracellular matrix (fibrous proteins and mucopolysaccharides) were also modulated during skin carcinogenesis and its chemoprevention by LycT. The decrease in cell proliferation parameters and expression of angiogenesis associated genes, modulation of ECM components and increase in expression of connexins suggest that LycT improved multiple dysregulated processes during chemoprevention of skin cancer.

Cellular Origins of the Lymphatic Endothelium: Implications for Cancer Lymphangiogenesis

The lymphatic system plays important roles in physiological and pathological conditions. During cancer progression in particular, lymphangiogenesis can exert both positive and negative effects. While the formation of tumor associated lymphatic vessels correlates with metastatic dissemination, increased severity and poor patient prognosis, the presence of functional lymphatics is regarded as beneficial for anti-tumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy delivery. Therefore, a profound understanding of the cellular origins of tumor lymphatics and the molecular mechanisms controlling their formation is required in order to improve current strategies to control malignant spread. Data accumulated over the last decades have led to a controversy regarding the cellular sources of tumor-associated lymphatic vessels and the putative contribution of non-endothelial cells to this process. Although it is widely accepted that lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) arise mainly from pre-existing lymphatic vessels, additional contribution from bone marrow-derived cells, myeloid precursors and terminally differentiated macrophages, has also been claimed. Here, we review recent findings describing new origins of LECs during embryonic development and discuss their relevance to cancer lymphangiogenesis.

New insights into the role of co-receptor neuropilins in tumour angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and targeted therapy strategies

Local tumour sites lead to pathological angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis due to malignant conditions such as hypoxia. Although VEGF and VEGFR are considered to be the main anti-tumour treatment targets, the problems of limited efficacy and observable side effects of some drugs relevant to this target still remain to be solved. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new therapeutic targets for angiogenesis or lymphangiogenesis. The neuropilin family is a class of single transmembrane glycoprotein receptors, including neuropilin1 (NRP1) and neuropilin2 (NRP2), which could act as co-receptors of VEGFA-165 and VEGFC and play a key role in promoting tumour proliferation, invasion and metastasis. In this review, we introduced the schematic diagram to visually reveal the function of NRP1 and NRP2 in enhancing the binding affinity of VEGFR2 to VEGFA-165 and VEGFR3 to VEGFC, respectively. We also discussed the signalling pathways that depend on the co-receptors NRP1 and NRP2 and some existing targeted therapeutic strategies, such as monoclonal antibodies, targeted peptides, microRNAs and small molecule inhibitors. It will contribute a vital foundation for the future research and development of new drugs targeting NRPs. HIGHLIGHTS NRP1 acts as a co-receptor with VEGFR2 and the pro-angiogenic factor VEGFA-165 to up-regulate tumour angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cells proliferation, survival, migration, invasion and by preventing of apoptosis. NRP2 acts as a co-receptor with VEGFR3 and the pro-lymphogenic factor VEGFC to facilitate tumour metastasis by promoting lymphangiogenesis. Although NRP1 and NRP2 do not have enzymatic signalling activity, the affinity of VEGFR2 for VEGFA-165 and VEGFR3 for VEGFC can increase in a co-receptor manner, as detailed in the schematic. The exclusive roles of NRP1 and NRP2 in signalling pathways are specifically described to emphasise the molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in co-receptors. Various studies have shown that the co-receptors NRP1 and NRP2 can be directly or indirectly targeted by different methods to prevent tumour angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Therapeutic strategies targeting NRPs look promising soon as evidenced by preclinical and clinical studies.

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 promotes endometrial cancer cell migration by activating the focal adhesion kinase signaling pathway

Metastasis of endometrial cancer (EC) is known to be the major cause of relapse and death of patients. However, the mechanisms of this process are not well understood. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is known for its essential role in integrin signaling and is highly expressed in many human tumors. FAK also plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes. Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) is a secreted protein that has been detected in many human solid cancers. In the present study, CTHRC1 was found to be highly expressed in EC tissues when compared with normal tissues. In addition, overexpression of CTHRC1 promoted the migration of EC cells in vitro. Recombinant CTHRC1 protein also promoted the migration of EC cells in vitro. The results of the present study suggested that CTHRC1 mediated EC cell migration via the FAK signaling pathway. Taken together, these data indicated that CTHRC1 and the FAK signaling pathway may be potential therapeutic targets for EC metastasis treatment.

Contactin 1: An Important and Emerging Oncogenic Protein Promoting Cancer Progression and Metastasis

Even with recent progress, cancer remains the second leading cause of death, outlining a need to widen the current understanding on oncogenic factors. Accumulating evidence from recent years suggest Contactin 1 (CNTN1)'s possession of multiple oncogenic activities in a variety of cancer types. CNTN1 is a cell adhesion molecule that is dysregulated in many human carcinomas and plays important roles in cancer progression and metastases. Abnormalities in CNTN1 expression associate with cancer progression and poor prognosis. Mechanistically, CNTN1 functions in various signaling pathways frequently altered in cancer, such as the vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC)-VEGF receptor 3 (VEFGR3)/fms-related tyrosine kinase 4 (Flt4) axis, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT), Notch signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. These oncogenic events are resulted via interactions between tumor and stroma, which can be contributed by CNTN1, an adhesion protein. CNTN1 expression in breast cancer correlates with the expression of genes functioning in cancer-stroma interactions and skeletal system development. Evidence supports that CNTN1 promotes cancer-stromal interaction, resulting in activation of a complex network required for cancer progression and metastasis (bone metastasis for breast cancer). CNTN1 inhibitions has been proven to be effective in experimental models to reduce oncogenesis. In this paper, we will review CNTN1's alterations in cancer, its main biochemical mechanisms and interactions with its relevant cancer pathways.

The immune-checkpoint HLA-G/ILT4 is involved in the regulation of VEGF expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most aggressive renal cancer, is characterized by early lymph node metastases and bad prognosis. Most therapies targeting advanced or metastatic ccRCC are based, as first-line treatment, on the administration of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) neutralizing antibody termed Bevacizumab. Despite proven benefits, the expected results were not obtained for the majority of patients. The possibility that an intricate interplay between angiogenesis and immune-checkpoints might exist lead us to evaluate tumor angiogenesis, by means of VEGF expression together with the immune checkpoint HLA-G/ILT4.

Methods

Tumor specimens were obtained from patients from two separate cohorts: One from “Evita Pueblo” Hospital from Berazategui, (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and the second includes patients surgically operated at the Urology Department of Saint-Louis Hospital (Paris, France) with a confirmed ccRCC diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry was performed with specific antibodies directed against HLA-G, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, D240, CD34, ILT4 and Ca-IX. In addition, gene expression levels were measured in a cell line derived from a ccRCC patient by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.

Results

Our results show that the highly vascularized tumors of ccRCC patients express high levels of VEGF and the immune-checkpoint HLA-G. In addition, ILT4, one of the HLA-G receptors, was detected on macrophages surrounding tumor cells, suggesting the generation of an immune-tolerant microenvironment that might favor tumorigenesis. Notably, RT-qPCR analysis provided the first evidence on the transcriptional relationship between HLA-G/ILT4 and the VEGF family. Namely, in the presence of HLA-G or ILT4, the levels of VEGF-A are diminished whereas those of VEGF-C are increased.

Conclusions

In an effort to find new therapeutic molecules and fight against metastasis dissemination associated with the poor survival rates of ccRCC patients, these findings provide the rationale for co-targeting angiogenesis and the immune checkpoint HLA-G.

Molecular insights and novel approaches for targeting tumor metastasis

In recent years, due to the effective drug delivery and preciseness of tumor sites or microenvironment, the targeted drug delivery approaches have gained ample attention for tumor metastasis therapy. The conventional treatment approaches for metastasis therapy have reported with immense adverse effects because they exhibited maximum probability of killing the carcinogenic cells along with healthy cells. The tumor vasculature, comprising of vasculogenic impressions and angiogenesis, greatly depends upon the growth and metastasis in the tumors. Therefore, various nanocarriers-based delivery approaches for targeting to tumor vasculature have been attempted as efficient and potential approaches for the treatment of tumor metastasis and the associated lesions. Furthermore, the targeted drug delivery approaches have found to be most apt way to overcome from all the limitations and adverse effects associated with the conventional therapies. In this review, various approaches for efficient targeting of pharmacologically active chemotherapeutics against tumor metastasis with the cohesive objectives of prognosis, tracking and therapy are summarized.

The Impact of Transcription Factor Prospero Homeobox 1 on the Regulation of Thyroid Cancer Malignancy

Transcription factor Prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) is continuously expressed in the lymphatic endothelial cells, playing an essential role in their differentiation. Many reports have shown that PROX1 is implicated in cancer development and acts as an oncoprotein or suppressor in a tissue-dependent manner. Additionally, the PROX1 expression in many types of tumors has prognostic significance and is associated with patient outcomes. In our previous experimental studies, we showed that PROX1 is present in the thyroid cancer (THC) cells of different origins and has a high impact on follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) phenotypes, regulating migration, invasion, focal adhesion, cytoskeleton reorganization, and angiogenesis. Herein, we discuss the PROX1 transcript and protein structures, the expression pattern of PROX1 in THC specimens, and its epigenetic regulation. Next, we emphasize the biological processes and genes regulated by PROX1 in CGTH-W-1 cells, derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Finally, we discuss the interaction of PROX1 with other lymphatic factors. In our review, we aimed to highlight the importance of vascular molecules in cancer development and provide an update on the functionality of PROX1 in THC biology regulation.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 19-Mediated Up-regulation of SYR-Related High-Mobility Group Box 18 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Transactivating Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 4 and Fms-Related Tyrosine Kinase 4

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is mainly attributed to its high rate of metastasis and recurrence. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis need to be elucidated. The SRY-related high-mobility group box (SOX) family proteins, which are a group of highly conserved transcription factors, play important roles in cancer initiation and progression. Here, we report on a role of SOX18, a member of the SOX family, in promoting HCC invasion and metastasis.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

The elevated expression of SOX18 was positively correlated with poor tumor differentiation, higher tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and poor prognosis. Overexpression of SOX18 promoted HCC metastasis by up-regulating metastasis-related genes, including fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) and fms-related tyrosine kinase 4 (FLT4). Knockdown of both FGFR4 and FLT4 significantly decreased SOX18-mediated HCC invasion and metastasis, whereas the stable overexpression of FGFR4 and FLT4 reversed the decrease in cell invasion and metastasis that was induced by inhibition of SOX18. Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), which is the ligand of FGFR4, up-regulated SOX18 expression. A mechanistic investigation indicated that the up-regulation of SOX18 that was mediated by the FGF19-FGFR4 pathway relied on the phosphorylated (p)-fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2/p-glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta/β-catenin pathway. SOX18 knockdown significantly reduced FGF19-enhanced HCC invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, BLU9931, a specific FGFR4 inhibitor, significantly reduced SOX18-mediated HCC invasion and metastasis. In human HCC tissues, SOX18 expression was positively correlated with FGF19, FGFR4, and FLT4 expression, and patients that coexpressed FGF19/SOX18, SOX18/FGFR4, or SOX18/FLT4 had the worst prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

We defined a FGF19-SOX18-FGFR4 positive feedback loop that played a pivotal role in HCC metastasis, and targeting this pathway may be a promising therapeutic option for the clinical management of HCC.

The Role of Rho GTPases in VEGF Signaling in Cancer Cells

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) consist of five molecules (VEGFA through D as well as placental growth factor) which are crucial for regulating key cellular and tissue functions. The role of VEGF and its intracellular signaling and downstream molecular pathways have been thoroughly studied. Activation of VEGF signal transduction can be initiated by the molecules' binding to two classes of transmembrane receptors: (1) the VEGF tyrosine kinase receptors (VEGF receptors 1 through 3) and (2) the neuropilins (NRP1 and 2). The involvement of Rho GTPases in modulating VEGFA signaling in both cancer cells and endothelial cells has also been well established. Additionally, different isoforms of Rho GTPases, namely, RhoA, RhoC, and RhoG, have been shown to regulate VEGF expression as well as blood vessel formation. This review article will explore how Rho GTPases modulate VEGF signaling and the consequences of such interaction on cancer progression.

Carcinogenic roles and therapeutic effects of EZH2 in gynecological cancers

Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is highly expressed in kinds of malignant tumors and related to tumor occurrence, development, and prognosis. EZH2 is the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by epigenetic regulation of anti-tumor gene. It can activate numerous tumor-associated signaling pathways and interfere with DNA damage repair. In recent years, large amounts of studies have shown that EZH2 is closely related to gynecologic-related malignancies and can be used as a potential target gene for the treatment of gynecological-related malignancies. This review summarizes the oncogenic function of EZH2 and introduces the recent advances in the development of EZH2 inhibitors. On this basis, future research prospect of EZH2 is proposed.

Metabolic reprogramming by tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer and the link between oncogenes activation, tumor supressors inactivation and bioenergetics modulation is well established. However, numerous carcinogenic environmental factors are responsible for early cancer initiation and their impact on metabolic reprogramming just starts to be deciphered. For instance, it was recently shown that UVB irradiation triggers metabolic reprogramming at the pre-cancer stage with implication for skin cancer detection and therapy. These observations foster the need to study the early changes in tissue metabolism following exposure to other carcinogenic events. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), tobacco smoke is a major class I-carcinogenic environmental factor that contains different carcinogens, but little is known on the impact of tobacco smoke on tissue metabolism and its participation to cancer initiation. In particular, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) play a central role in tobacco-smoke mediated cancer initiation. Here we describe the recent advances that have led to a new hypothesis regarding the link between nitrosamines signaling and metabolic reprogramming in cancer.

Aberrant expression of embryonic mesendoderm factor MESP1 promotes tumorigenesis

Background

Mesoderm Posterior 1 (MESP1) belongs to the family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. It is a master regulator of mesendoderm development, leading to formation of organs such as heart and lung. However, its role in adult pathophysiology remains unknown. Here, we report for the first time a previously-unknown association of MESP1 with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

MESP1 mRNA and protein levels were measured in NSCLC-derived cells by qPCR and immunoblotting respectively. Colony formation assay, colorimetric cell proliferation assay and soft agar colony formation assays were used to assess the effects of MESP1 knockdown and overexpression in vitro. RNA-sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR were used to determine direct target genes of MESP1. Subcutaneous injection of MESP1-depleted NSCLC cells in immuno-compromised mice was done to study the effects of MESP1 mediated tumor formation in vivo.

Findings

We found that MESP1 expression correlates with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients, and is critical for proliferation and survival of NSCLC-derived cells, thus implicating MESP1 as a lung cancer oncogene. Ectopic MESP1 expression cooperates with loss of tumor suppressor ARF to transform murine fibroblasts. Xenografts from MESP1-depleted cells showed decreased tumor growth in vivo. Global transcriptome analysis revealed a MESP1 DNA-binding-dependent gene signature associated with various hallmarks of cancer, suggesting that transcription activity of MESP1 is most likely responsible for its oncogenic abilities.

Interpretation

Our study demonstrates MESP1 as a previously-unknown lineage-survival oncogene in NSCLC which may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for lung cancer in the future.

[Thoracic lymphatic system-principles, characteristics and advice for the practice]

The lymphatic system of the lungs is complex. To maintain an effective gas exchange there is a need for a dense lymphatic network. The alveolae have no lymphatic vessels. There is no segment-specific lymph drainage. For both lungs there are fixed bronchopulmonary lymph nodes but the number and size of the lymph nodes are variable. There are seven mediastinal lymph node chains that vary in extent, each of which acts as an independent functional unit. The accurate assessment of the nodal status needs a simple reproducible nodal map. The division into compartments or zones makes this easier. Mediastinal lymph node metastases without involvement of bronchopulmonary lymph nodes are possible. The development mechanism of this skip metastasizing is multifactorial.

Identification of Alternatively-Activated Pathways between Primary Breast Cancer and Liver Metastatic Cancer Using Microarray Data

Alternatively-activated pathways have been observed in biological experiments in cancer studies, but the concept had not been fully explored in computational cancer system biology. Therefore, an alternatively-activated pathway identification method was proposed and applied to primary breast cancer and breast cancer liver metastasis research using microarray data. Interestingly, the results show that cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and calcium signaling were significantly enriched under both conditions. TGF beta signaling was found to be the hub in network topology analysis. In total, three types of alternatively-activated pathways were recognized. In the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, four active alteration patterns in gene pairs were noticed. Thirteen cytokine-cytokine receptor pairs with inverse activity changes of both genes were verified by the literature. The second type was that some sub-pathways were active under only one condition. For the third type, nodes were significantly active in both conditions, but with different active genes. In the calcium signaling and TGF beta signaling pathways, node E2F5 and E2F4 were significantly active in primary breast cancer and metastasis, respectively. Overall, our study demonstrated the first time using microarray data to identify alternatively-activated pathways in breast cancer liver metastasis. The results showed that the proposed method was valid and effective, which could be helpful for future research for understanding the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis.

Association study between the polymorphisms of angiogenesis-related genes and cervical cancer susceptibility in Chinese Uygur population

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignant tumor in women, and its invasion and metastasis are regulated by tumor angiogenic growth factors and their cognate receptors. In this study, we explored the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of angiogenesis-related genes (VEGF-C, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3) and the risk of cervical cancer in Chinese Uygur population.

METHODS

We investigated four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 342 cervical cancer cases and 498 controls to evaluate their association with the risk of cervical cancer. Their correlations were evaluated by chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, t test, and genetic model analyses. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

We observed that rs12646659 in VEGF-C was associated with a lower cervical cancer risk in allele, dominant, and log-additive models (allele: p = .017; dominant: p = .018; log-additive: p = .018). For the individuals older than 43, rs4604006 (VEGF-C) was related to an increased cervical cancer risk under codominant model (p = .035), and rs12646659 was significantly associated with a reduced cervical cancer risk in allele, dominant, log-additive models (allele: p = .028; codominant: p = .037; log-additive: p = .037) However, there were no significant correlation of rs1000611 (VEGFR-2) and rs1195571 (VEGFR-3) with cervical cancer risk in Chinese Uygur population.

CONCLUSION

Our study firstly provided evidence that rs4604006 and rs12646659 of VEGF-C gene were related to the susceptibility of cervical cancer in Chinese Uygur population.

Contactin 1 modulates pegylated arginase resistance in small cell lung cancer through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Drug resistance is a major hurdle in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Previously we demonstrated the potential anticancer effect of pegylated arginase BCT-100 in SCLC cell lines and xenograft models. To facilitate future clinical application of BCT-100 in SCLC treatment, we elucidated the potential mechanisms that underlie acquired drug resistance to BCT-100. H446 and H526 SCLC cells were serially cultured in stepwise increasing concentrations of BCT-100 until stable BCT-100-resistant cell lines emerged (H446-BR and H526-BR). Compared with parent cells, H446-BR and H526-BR displayed stronger migration ability, anoikis resistance and EMT progression. Gene chip assay was employed to select three potential targets (CDH17, CNTN-1 and IGF2BP1). Silencing CNTN-1 rather than CDH17 or IGF2BP1 in H446-BR and H526-BR cells re-sensitized resistant cells to BCT-100 treatment and attenuated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. The AKT signaling pathway was activated in H446-BR and H526-BR cells accompanied by EMT progression, and AKT inhibitor LY294002 reversed the EMT progression in resistant cells.