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Liang B, Gong H, Lu L, Xu J. Risk stratification and pathway analysis based on graph neural network and interpretable algorithm. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:394. [PMID: 36167504 PMCID: PMC9516820 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04950-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pathway-based analysis of transcriptomic data has shown greater stability and better performance than traditional gene-based analysis. Until now, some pathway-based deep learning models have been developed for bioinformatic analysis, but these models have not fully considered the topological features of pathways, which limits the performance of the final prediction result. Results To address this issue, we propose a novel model, called PathGNN, which constructs a Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) model that can capture topological features of pathways. As a case, PathGNN was applied to predict long-term survival of four types of cancer and achieved promising predictive performance when compared to other common methods. Furthermore, the adoption of an interpretation algorithm enabled the identification of plausible pathways associated with survival. Conclusion PathGNN demonstrates that GNN can be effectively applied to build a pathway-based model, resulting in promising predictive power. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04950-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilin Liang
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Yunjing Road 701, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifan Gong
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Yunjing Road 701, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Yunjing Road 701, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Yunjing Road 701, Shanghai, China.
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2
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El-Gamal MI, Mewafi NH, Abdelmotteleb NE, Emara MA, Tarazi H, Sbenati RM, Madkour MM, Zaraei SO, Shahin AI, Anbar HS. A Review of HER4 (ErbB4) Kinase, Its Impact on Cancer, and Its Inhibitors. Molecules 2021; 26:7376. [PMID: 34885957 PMCID: PMC8659013 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
HER4 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is required for the evolution of normal body systems such as cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems, especially the mammary glands. It is activated through ligand binding and activates MAPKs and PI3K/AKT pathways. HER4 is commonly expressed in many human tissues, both adult and fetal. It is important to understand the role of HER4 in the treatment of many disorders. Many studies were also conducted on the role of HER4 in tumors and its tumor suppressor function. Mostly, overexpression of HER4 kinase results in cancer development. In the present article, we reviewed the structure, location, ligands, physiological functions of HER4, and its relationship to different cancer types. HER4 inhibitors reported mainly from 2016 to the present were reviewed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed I. El-Gamal
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (N.H.M.); (N.E.A.); (M.A.E.); (H.T.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Nada H. Mewafi
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (N.H.M.); (N.E.A.); (M.A.E.); (H.T.)
| | - Nada E. Abdelmotteleb
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (N.H.M.); (N.E.A.); (M.A.E.); (H.T.)
| | - Minnatullah A. Emara
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (N.H.M.); (N.E.A.); (M.A.E.); (H.T.)
| | - Hamadeh Tarazi
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (N.H.M.); (N.E.A.); (M.A.E.); (H.T.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
| | - Rawan M. Sbenati
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
| | - Moustafa M. Madkour
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
| | - Seyed-Omar Zaraei
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
| | - Afnan I. Shahin
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.M.S.); (M.M.M.); (S.-O.Z.); (A.I.S.)
| | - Hanan S. Anbar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapeutics, Dubai Pharmacy College for Girls, Dubai 19099, United Arab Emirates
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3
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Integrated analysis of gene expression and methylation profiles of novel pancreatic cancer cell lines with highly metastatic activity. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2019; 62:791-806. [PMID: 30900162 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-018-9495-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human malignancies, partly because of its propensity for metastasis. However, highly metastatic human pancreatic cancer cell lines suitable for studies of metastasis are currently lacking. Here we established two highly metastatic human pancreatic cancer cell lines, MIA PaCa-2 In8 and Panc-1 In8, by Matrigel induction assay. The cell lines were further characterized both in vitro and in vivo. MIA PaCa-2 In8 and Panc-1 In8 cells demonstrated increased migration and invasion compared with their respective parental cells. Following injection into nude mice, MIA PaCa-2 In8 and Panc-1 In8 cells resulted in more pulmonary metastases compared with the parental cells. Furthermore, analyses of mRNA, long non-coding RNA, micro RNA, and methylation profiling revealed that these factors were aberrantly regulated in the highly metastatic cells, indicating that they probably affected metastasis. We thus established and characterized two highly metastatic human pancreatic cell lines that could be used as valuable tools for future investigations into the pathogenesis, metastasis, and potential treatment of human pancreatic cancer.
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Expressions and clinical significance of HER4 and CD44 in sinonasal mucosal malignant melanoma. Melanoma Res 2019; 28:105-110. [PMID: 29309357 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sinonasal mucosal malignant melanoma (SNMMM) is a rare disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of HER4 and CD44 in human SNMMM tissues and their relationship with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients. In total, 64 paraffin-embedded samples of SNMMM treated in our hospital from 29 December 1999 to 24 June 2011 were collected. HER4 and CD44 were detected in the tissues of SNMMM by immunohistochemistry. The differences in the HER4 and CD44 expressions in the tissues were evaluated and matched with clinicopathological parameters and the survival rate, respectively. The positive rates of the HER4 and CD44 expressions were 70.3 and 65.6%, respectively; the positive expression of HER4 was correlated with a positive expression of CD44 (P<0.05). The positive expression of HER4 was correlated with the prognosis of SNMMM patients (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between a positive expression of CD44 and the prognosis of patients (P>0.05). The expressions of HER4 and CD44 were not significantly correlated with sex, age, pigment, tumor site, etc. (P>0.05). Our results further emphasize a correlation between HER4 and CD44 expressions in SNMMM tissues and point out that a positive HER4 expression might be an important factor in valuing the prognosis of patients with SNMMM.
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Ni H, Chen L, Song L, Sun L, Cui H, Zhou Q, Hu C, Jiao W, Shen T, Gao T, Liu Y, Li J. ErbB4 acts as a suppressor in colitis and its associated carcinoma by negatively regulating cholesterol metabolism. Carcinogenesis 2018; 40:680-686. [PMID: 30452622 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgy164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractPreviously we reported that ErbB4 played a protective role in chronic liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, we examined the role of ErbB4 in the development of colitis-associated cancer (CAC) in ErbB4 knockout mice models, in vitro cell lines and clinical samples. We found that ErbB4 deficiency may lead to more severe inflammation, slower recovery and the development of CAC. Further, loss of ErbB4 could activate Kras by upregulating rate-limiting enzymes in cholesterol metabolism pathway through interacting with the transcription factor Srebf1. In clinic samples, ErbB4 is downregulated in colonic tissues from patients with Crohn’s disease. And data from The Cancer Genome Atlas also showed significant negative correlation between ErbB4 and several cholesterol metabolic enzymes. In summary, our study uncovers ErbB4 as a protector in the development of CAC, for its loss could activate Kras by upregulating cholesterol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengli Ni
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Huizhou Health Sciences Polytechnic, Huizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liming Song
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Hubei Three Gorges Polytechnic, Yichang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lina Sun
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongxia Cui
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Caihong Hu
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weijuan Jiao
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tong Shen
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tianming Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianming Li
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Giordano A, Forte G, Massimo L, Riccio R, Bifulco G, Di Micco S. Discovery of new erbB4 inhibitors: Repositioning an orphan chemical library by inverse virtual screening. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 152:253-263. [PMID: 29730188 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Inverse Virtual Screening (IVS) is a docking based approach aimed to the evaluation of the virtual ability of a single compound to interact with a library of proteins. For the first time, we applied this methodology to a library of synthetic compounds, which proved to be inactive towards the target they were initially designed for. Trifluoromethyl-benzenesulfonamides 3-21 were repositioned by means of IVS identifying new lead compounds (14-16, 19 and 20) for the inhibition of erbB4 in the low micromolar range. Among these, compound 20 exhibited an interesting value of IC50 on MCF7 cell lines, thus validating IVS in lead repurposing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Giordano
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, I-80078, Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Giovanni Forte
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Luigia Massimo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy; PhD Program in Drug Discovery and Development, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, I-84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Raffaele Riccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bifulco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy.
| | - Simone Di Micco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy.
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Zhang X, Gao L, Jia S. Extracting Fitness Relationships and Oncogenic Patterns among Driver Genes in Cancer. Molecules 2017; 23:molecules23010039. [PMID: 29295608 PMCID: PMC5943933 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Driver mutation provides fitness advantage to cancer cells, the accumulation of which increases the fitness of cancer cells and accelerates cancer progression. This work seeks to extract patterns accumulated by driver genes (“fitness relationships”) in tumorigenesis. We introduce a network-based method for extracting the fitness relationships of driver genes by modeling the network properties of the “fitness” of cancer cells. Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and skin cutaneous malignant melanoma (SKCM) are employed as case studies. Consistent results derived from different background networks suggest the reliability of the identified fitness relationships. Additionally co-occurrence analysis and pathway analysis reveal the functional significance of the fitness relationships with signaling transduction. In addition, a subset of driver genes called the “fitness core” is recognized for each case. Further analyses indicate the functional importance of the fitness core in carcinogenesis, and provide potential therapeutic opportunities in medicinal intervention. Fitness relationships characterize the functional continuity among driver genes in carcinogenesis, and suggest new insights in understanding the oncogenic mechanisms of cancers, as well as providing guiding information for medicinal intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xindong Zhang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710000, China.
- School of Computer Science, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710000, China.
| | - Lin Gao
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710000, China.
| | - Songwei Jia
- School of Software, Xidian University, Xi'an 710000, China.
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Liu Y, Song L, Ni H, Sun L, Jiao W, Chen L, Zhou Q, Shen T, Cui H, Gao T, Li J. ERBB4 acts as a suppressor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Carcinogenesis 2017; 38:465-473. [PMID: 28334319 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgx017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
ERBB4, one member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family, plays a key role in physiological and pathological processes. Recently, we identified that ERBB4 played a protective role from chronic hepatitis B virus infection. However, the role of ERBB4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. Here, we explore the role of ERBB4 in the development of HCC using in vitro models, in vivo animal models and clinical samples of HCC. Liver-specific ERBB4 knockout alleles and full ERBB4 except heart knockout mice were used in this study. Liver inflammation and tumor models of mice were produced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) administration, respectively. Commercial tissue arrays of 90 HCC patients with paired counterparts were used to evaluate the expression and the prognostic value of ERBB4. Genes altered in the setting of ERBB4 loss was studied by microarray analysis and further validated by real-time PCR. We have found that depletion of ERBB4 in mice leads to more severe injury and liver tumor formation and loss of ERBB4 contributes to the development of hepatocellular tumor. In clinic samples of HCC, ERBB4 is down-regulated and exhibit prognostic value of HCC patients. Mechanistically, loss of ERBB4 suppressed p53 expression by inhibiting the expression of the tumor suppressor tp53inp1. Our study uncovers ERBB4 as a suppressor in the development of HCC and implies an ERBB4-TP53INP1-P53 axis in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Liu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Liming Song
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Hengli Ni
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Lina Sun
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijuan Jiao
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Shen
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongxia Cui
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, People's Republic of China and
| | - Tianming Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianming Li
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, People's Republic of China
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Kurppa KJ, Denessiouk K, Johnson MS, Elenius K. Activating ERBB4 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncogene 2015; 35:1283-91. [PMID: 26050618 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent efforts to comprehensively characterize the mutational landscape of non-small cell lung cancer have identified frequent mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase ERBB4. However, the significance of mutated ERBB4 in non-small cell lung cancer remains elusive. Here, we have functionally characterized nine ERBB4 mutations previously identified in lung adenocarcinoma. Four out of the nine mutations, Y285C, D595V, D931Y and K935I, were found to be activating, increasing both basal and ligand-induced ErbB4 phosphorylation. According to structural analysis, the four activating mutations were located at critical positions at the dimerization interfaces of the ErbB4 extracellular (Y285C and D595V) and kinase (D931Y and K935I) domains. Consistently, the mutations enhanced ErbB4 dimerization and increased the trans activation in ErbB4 homodimers and ErbB4-ErbB2 heterodimers. The expression of the activating ERBB4 mutants promoted survival of NIH 3T3 cells in the absence of serum. Interestingly, serum starvation of NIH 3T3 cells expressing the ERBB4 mutants only moderately increased the phosphorylation of canonical ErbB signaling pathway effectors Erk1/2 and Akt as compared with wild-type ERBB4. In contrast, the mutations clearly enhanced the proteolytic release of signaling-competent ErbB4 intracellular domain. These results suggest the presence of activating driver mutations of ERBB4 in non-small cell lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Kurppa
- MediCity Research Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine, Turku, Finland
| | - K Denessiouk
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - M S Johnson
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - K Elenius
- MediCity Research Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
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HER4 and its cytoplasmic isoforms are associated with progression-free survival of malignant melanoma. Melanoma Res 2014; 24:88-91. [PMID: 24366194 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
HER4 belongs to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family. Mutations in HER4 are associated with malignant melanoma. This points to HER4 as an important receptor in malignant melanoma and also raises the question of whether the other receptors in the EGF system could be involved. RT-qPCR mRNA quantification was carried out of all four EGF receptors (EGFR, HER2, HER3, and HER4) and the HER4 cytoplasmic isoforms in lymph node metastases from patients with malignant melanoma. We related their expression to progression of the disease. HER4 expression was found to be an indicator of short progression-free survival (P=0.0340). Interestingly, of the two cytoplasmic splice variants of HER4, the association of CYT1 (P=0.0176) with progression-free survival was more pronounced than that for CYT2 (P=0.0458). Also, HER3 was associated with progression-free survival (P=0.0169), whereas no association was found for EGFR or HER2 with time to progression. Our results further emphasize the role of HER4 as an important oncogene in malignant melanoma and point to HER4 as a possible drug target in this disease.
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12
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Directing HER4 mRNA expression towards the CYT2 isoform by antisense oligonucleotide decreases growth of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Br J Cancer 2013; 108:2291-8. [PMID: 23695025 PMCID: PMC3681029 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2013.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The tyrosine kinase receptor HER4 is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family. It plays diverse roles in cancer development and cancer progression and can both exert oncogenic and tumour-suppressive activities. Alternatively spliced isoforms of HER4 are critical to the different signalling possibilities of HER4. Methods: We use a splice-switching oligonucleotide (SSO) to direct the alternative splicing of HER4 from the CYT1 to the CYT2 isoform in HER4-expressing breast cancer cells. Results: Treatment with a target-specific SSO was accompanied by a decreased growth of the cells (P<0.0001). In addition, the SSO treatment induced a decreased activity of Akt. We confirmed the SSO-dependent switching of the HER4 isoform CYT1 to CYT2 expression in a xenografted mouse tumour model driven by subcutaneously injected MCF7 cells. We hence demonstrated the feasibility of SSO-directed splice-switching activity in vivo. Furthermore, the SSO treatment efficiently decreased the growth of the xenografted tumour (P=0.0014). Conclusion: An SSO directing the splicing of HER4 towards the CYT2 isoform has an inhibitory effect of cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. These results may pave the way for the development of new anticancer drugs in HER4-deregulated cancers in humans.
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