Immunohistochemical expression and localization of cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in gastric cancer

LncRNA TRPM2-AS promotes endometrial carcinoma progression and angiogenesis via targeting miR-497-5p/SPP1 axis

BACKGROUND

Anti-angiogenic therapy has become one of the effective treatment methods for tumors. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in EC. However, the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA TRPM2-AS in EC are still not clear.

METHODS

We screened the differently expressed lncRNAs that were highly associated with poor prognosis and angiogenesis of EC by bioinformatics analysis, and constructed a ceRNA network based on the prognostic lncRNAs. The subcellular localization of TRPM2-AS was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and nuclear cytoplasmic fractionation assay. CCK-8, EdU, transwell, western blot, qRT-PCR and endothelial tube formation assay were used to evaluate the effects of TRPM2-AS on the proliferation, invasion, migration of EC cells and angiogenesis. The targeted microRNA (miRNA) of TRPM2-AS was predicted by bioinformatic methods. The interaction between TRPM2-AS and miR497-5p, miR497-5p and SPP1 were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assay. A subcutaneous tumor model was used to explore TRPM2-AS's function in vivo. CIBERSORT was used to analyze the correlation between TRPM2-AS and immune cell immersion in EC.

RESULTS

We found that the expression of TRPM2-AS and SPP1 was aberrantly upregulated, while miR-497-5p expression was significantly downregulated in EC tissues and cells. TRPM2-AS was closely correlated with the angiogenesis and poor prognosis in EC patients. Mechanistically, TRPM2-AS could sponge miR-497-5p to release SPP1, thus promoting the proliferation, invasion and migration of EC cells and angiogenesis of HUVECs. Knockdown of TRPM2-AS in xenograft mouse model inhibited tumor proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo. In addition, TRPM2-AS plays a vital role in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment of EC, overexpression of TRPM2-AS in EC cells stimulated the polarization of M2 macrophages and angiogenesis through secreting SPP1 enriched exosomes.

CONCLUSION

The depletion of TRPM2-AS inhibits the oncogenicity of EC by targeting the miR-497-5p/SPP1 axis. This study offers a better understanding of TRPM2-AS's role in regulating angiogenesis and provides a novel target for EC treatment.

Quantifying spatial CXCL9 distribution with image analysis predicts improved prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer

Background: The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) plays a pivotal role in tumor immunity by recruiting and activating immune cells. However, the relationship between CXCL9 expression and prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unclear. Methods: We investigated CXCL9 mRNA expression, clinicopathological features, and prognosis in TNBC patients. We also used computational image analysis to quantify and assess the distribution of CXCL9 protein in the tumor core (TC) and invasive margin (IM). Results: CXCL9 mRNA expression was significantly higher in TNBC tumors compared to normal tissue (p < 0.001) and was associated with smaller tumors (p = 0.022) and earlier stages (p = 0.033). High CXCL9 mRNA expression was correlated with improved overall survival (OS) in three independent cohorts (all p < 0.05). In a separate analysis, low CXCL9 protein expression was associated with increased lymph node metastasis (p = 0.018 and p = 0.036). High CXCL9 protein expression in the TC, IM, or both was associated with prolonged OS (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: High CXCL9 expression, at both the mRNA and protein levels, is associated with improved prognosis in TNBC patients. CXCL9 expression in the TC and/or IM may be an independent prognostic factor.

A new strategy to identify ADAM12 and PDGFRB as a novel prognostic biomarker for matrine regulates gastric cancer via high throughput chip mining and computational verification

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is a life-threatening disease that poses a serious risk to human health. Although there are numerous molecular targets for gastric cancer in clinical practice, they often exhibit low specificity and sensitivity. Consequently, this can result in a low early diagnosis rate, delayed treatment, and poor prognosis for patients with gastric cancer. Hence, it remains crucial to identify more precise diagnostic markers for this disease.

METHODS

This study utilized ceRNA chips and bioinformatics methods to investigate the key genes and mechanisms involved in matrine intervention in gastric cancer cells.

RESULTS

ADAM12 and PDGFRB are the key genes that are down-regulated after matrine intervention in gastric cancer cells. By conducting bioinformatics analysis, two ceRNA regulatory axes were identified, which are associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer. These axes are lncRNA DGCR5/hsa-miR-206/ADAM12 and circRNA ITGA3/hsa-miR-24-3p/PDGFRB.

CONCLUSION

The low expression of ADAM12 may weaken the digestion of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, which can result in the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. This occurs without the catalysis of ECM proteases, thereby impacting the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Additionally, the analysis of immune infiltration suggests that ADAM12 and PDGFRB may influence changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, thereby affecting the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of the matrine-related ceRNA network in gastric cancer, providing a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. It holds significant importance in discovering new drug treatment targets.

Pharmacological assessment of the antineoplastic and immunomodulatory properties of a new spiroindolone derivative (7',8'-Dimethoxy-1',3'-dimethyl-1,2,3',4'-tetrahydrospiro[indole-3,5'-pyrazolo[3,4-c]isoquinolin]-2-one) in chronic myeloid leukemia

The discovery and development of effective novel compounds is paramount in oncology for improving cancer therapy. In this study, we developed a new derivative of spiroindolone (7',8'-Dimethoxy-1',3'-dimethyl-1,2,3',4'-tetrahydrospiro[indole-3,5'- pyrazolo[3,4-c]isoquinolin]-2-one) and evaluated its anticancer- and immunomodulatory potential in a vitro model of chronic leukemia. We utilized the chronic leukemia cell line K562, as well as non-cancerous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Vero cells (kidney epithelium of Cercopithecus aethiops). We assessed the cytotoxicity of the compound using the MTT assay, and performed cell cycle assays to determine its impact on different stages of the cell cycle. To evaluate its antineoplastic activity, we conducted a colony formation test to measure the effect of the compound on the clonal growth of cancer cells. Furthermore, we evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of the compound by measuring the levels of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The study findings demonstrate that the spiroindolone-derived compound exerted noteworthy cytotoxic effects against K562 cells, with an IC50 value of 25.27 µg/mL. Additionally, it was observed that the compound inhibited the clonal proliferation of K562 cells while displaying minimal toxicity to normal cells. The compound exhibited its antiproliferative activity by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest, preventing the entry of K562 cells into mitosis. Notably, the compound demonstrated an immunomodulatory effect by upregulating the production of cytokines IL-6 and IL-12/23p40. In conclusion, the spiroindolone-derived compound evaluated in this study has demonstrated significant potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Further investigations are warranted to explore its clinical applications.

PRR11 in Malignancies: Biological Activities and Targeted Therapies

Proline rich 11 (PRR11), initially renowned for its relevance with cell-cycle progression, is a proline-rich protein coding gene in chromosome 17q22-23. Currently, accumulating studies have demonstrated that PRR11 plays a critical role in cellular proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, cell-cycle progression, apoptosis, autophagy and chemotherapy resistance via multiple signaling pathways and biological molecules in several solid tumors. In particular, PRR11 also serves as a promising prognostic indicator in a limited number of human cancers, gradually manifesting its potential application for targeted therapies. In this review, we summarize functional activities, related signaling pathways and biological molecules of PRR11 in various malignancies and generalize potential application of PRR11 for targeted therapies, thereby contributing to further exploration of PRR11 in cancer treatment.

Identification of a Biomarker Combination for Survival Stratification in pStage II/III Gastric Cancer after Curative Resection

Simple Summary

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths, with a high frequency of recurrence and metastasis, and a poor prognosis. This study presents a novel combination of four proteins (PDGFRB, INHBA, MMP11, and galectin-10) in GC tissues that have been identified as useful survival stratification markers in patients with pStage II/III GC after curative resection by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), proteomic analysis, and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Abstract

Background: We sought to identify an optimal combination of survival risk stratification markers in patients with pathological (p) stage II/III gastric cancer (GC) after curative resection. Methods: We measured the expression levels of 127 genes in pStage II/III GC tissues of two patient cohorts by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the expression of 1756 proteins between two prognosis (good and poor) groups by proteomic analysis to identify candidate survival stratification markers. Further, immunohistochemistry (IHC) using tumor microarrays (TMAs) in another cohort of patients was performed to identify an optimal biomarker combination for survival stratification in GC patients. Results: secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2), inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA), matrix metallopeptidase-11 (MMP11), tumor protein p53 (TP53), and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFRB) were identified as candidate biomarkers from qPCR analysis, and SPARC and galectin-10 were obtained from the proteomic analysis. The combination of PDGFRB, INHBA, MMP11, and galectin-10 was identified as the optimal combination of survival risk stratification markers. Conclusions: A combination of four proteins in GC tissues may serve as useful survival risk stratification markers in patients with pStage II/III GC following curative resection. Our results may facilitate future multicenter prospective clinical trials.

Genomically Silent Refractory Gastric Cancer in a Young Patient Exhibits Overexpression of CXCL5

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with more than one million new cases and approximately 841,000 deaths annually worldwide. We report a case of a young patient (25 years old) with an aggressive form of gastric cancer. The patient had previously been treated for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is a main risk factor for developing gastric cancer. Genetic testing showed an E-cadherin (CDH1) germline mutation of unknown significance. After eight cycles of chemotherapy, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed disease progression with an enlarging hypermetabolic right adnexal mass suspicious for metastatic disease. Tumor pathology demonstrated invasive and poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma. The analysis of the tumor biopsy indicated the very high expression of a chemokine, C-X-C motif chemokine 5 (CXCL5). The combination of H. pylori infection with an existence of a rare CDH1 mutation could have contributed to this aggressive gastric cancer.

[The characterization analysis of pathogenic T cells in immune-mediated aplastic anemia mouse model]

Objective: This study aims, in addition to characterizing pathogenic T cells trafficking to bone marrow (BM) and other organs, to establish immune-mediated AA C.B10 mouse model by DsRed mouse (B6 background) lymph nodes (LN) cells infusion after a total body irradiation (TBI) . Methods: The C.B10 mice received a 5 Gy TBI and then were infused with DsRed mouse (B6 background) LN cells at 5×10(6)/mouse via a tail vein injection. The severity of bone marrow failure (BMF) was observed by mononuclear cell count in bone marrow and peripheral blood cell count. On days 3, 6, 9, and 12, mice were sacrificed and collected BM, spleens, LN, or thymus to analyze the dynamic change and activation status of donor T cells in these organs by a flow cytometry. At day 12, the donor-derived T cells from BM, spleens, and LN were sorted to collect the DsRed(+)CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells and DsRed(+)CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells for RNA isolation and gene expression analyses by PCR array. Results: Relative to control animals that received 5 Gy TBI without LN cell infusion, AA mice developed severe BMF with dramatic decrease in total BM cells, hemoglobin, white blood cells, and platelets in peripheral blood on days 9 and 12 after the LN cell infusion. The frequencies of DsRed(+) T cells trafficking to BM, LN, and spleens increased with time. Surprisingly, although the DsRed(+) T cells in BM increased dramatically at a level much higher than those in the spleens and LN on day 12, there were very few DsRed(+) T cells in BM on days three and six, which was significantly lower than those in spleens or LN. The frequency of DsRed(+) T cells in thymus was the lowest during the whole process. On day 12, the DsRed(+)CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells of BM, LN, and spleens from AA mice were (91.38±2.10) %, (39.78±6.98) %, and (67.87±12.77) %, respectively. On the contrary, the DsRed(+)CD3(+)CD8(+)T cells of BM, LN, and spleens were (98.21±1.49) %, (94.06±4.20) %, and (96.29±1.23) %, respectively. We assessed the donor T cell phenotypes using the CD44 and CD62L markers and found that almost all of the DsRed(+)CD4(+) or DsRed(+)CD8(+) T cells in BM were effector memory T cell phenotype from day 9 to day 12. Meanwhile, transcriptome analyses showed higher expression in CD38, IFN-γ, LAG3, CSF1, SPP1, and TNFSF13B in BM DsRed(+)CD4(+) and DsRed(+)CD8(+) T cells. However, there was a lower expression in FOXP3 and CTLA4 in BM DsRed(+)CD4(+) T cells than those in spleens and LN. Conclusions: The DsRed LN cells infusion to induce BMF in CB10 mice enabled to track the donor-derived pathogenic T cells. Besides previously published findings in this model, we demonstrated that donor CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells primarily homed to spleens and LN, expanded and differentiated, then infiltrated in BM with a terminal effector memory phenotype. The T cells infiltrated in BM showed more activation and less immunosuppression characteristics compared to those homing to spleens and LN during the BMF development.

Characterization of the Prognostic Values of CXCL Family in Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Gastric Cancer

Background

CXCL family is a class of secreted growth factors signaling through G-protein-coupled receptors, and abnormal expression is associated with the growth and progression of many tumors. However, their prognostic value has been poorly studied in Epstein-Barr virus- (EBV-) associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC). Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the prognostic value of the CXCL family in EBVaGC.

Methods

CXCL family mRNA expression was analyzed in STAD data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to assess the prognostic value of the CXCL family. Transcription factors (TFs) and miRNAs associated with the CXCL family were identified by TFCheckpoint, miRWalk, and ViRBase databases. The prognostic model was evaluated using the EBVaGC patient cohort GSE51575.

Results

The mRNA expression of CXCL1/3/5/6/8/9/10/11/16 was significantly upregulated, while the expression of CXCL12/14 was downregulated in EBVaGC compared with normal tissues from TCGA-STAD. The mRNA expressions of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL17 in EBVaGCs were higher than those in EBVnGCs, but the mRNA expressions of CXCL6, CXCL12, and CXCL17 were lower than those in EBVnGCs. The mRNA expression levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 in EBVaGCs were higher than those in EBVnGCs regardless of the tumor stage. High mRNA expression of CXCL8 was associated with better OS in patients with EBVaGC, while high expression of CXCL9 was associated with better OS in patients with EBVnGC. We obtained 10 candidate potential transcription factors (TFs) associated with CXCLs: OTOP3, NKX6-2, NKX2-2, FEV, SMYD1, TRIMSO, TBX10, CDX1, SLC26A3, and ARC. 576 miRNA-mRNA interactions were obtained. Among them, 65 miRNAs were predicted to be correlated with CXCL6, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11. Similar to the results of TCGA-STAD, the GSE51575 dataset also showed that the mRNA expression levels of CXCL1/3/9/10/11/16 were markedly enhanced in EBVaGC tissues compared with corresponding normal gastric mucosa tissues, while the mRNA expression levels of CXCL12/14 were significantly reduced. The mRNA expression levels of CXCL3/9/10/11/13/17 were increased in EBVaGC compared with EBVnGC tissues.

Conclusions

The expression differences of CXCL family members are closely associated with the progression of EBVaGC. Expression of CXCL9/10/11/17 mRNA may be a promising prognostic indicator for EBVaGC patients.

Correlation between Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Subtypes Based on CD8 T Cells Enhancing Personalized Therapy of Gastric Cancer

Background

Immunotherapy is a promising therapy for metastatic gastric cancer (GC) patients. However, the component of tumor microenvironment (TME) is a pivotal factor hindering immunotherapy outcome. CD8 T cells suppress tumor progression. This study developed an immune subtyping system and a prognostic model for guiding personalized therapy of GC patients.

Methods

Marker genes related to CD8 T cells were identified by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Consensus clustering was used to develop immune subtypes. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to screen prognostic genes. Functional analysis (KEGG and GO annotation) and gene set enrichment analysis were applied.

Results

Based on marker genes related to CD8 T cells, we identified three immune subtypes (IC1, IC2, and IC3) with distinct prognosis and differential TME. In IC3, CD8 T cell function was impaired by high activation of CXCR4/CXCL12 axis, and impaired T cell function predicted high response to immune checkpoint blockade. IC1 was sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs but showed low response to immunotherapy. We also developed an 8-gene prognostic signature with robust performance to stratify GC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups.

Conclusions

This study identified three immune subtypes and a prognostic signature, and both were effective in direct personalized therapy for GC patients. The correlation between TME and immunotherapy was further characterized from a new perspective.

PDGFRB is a potential prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. Although medical and surgical treatments have improved, the mechanisms of the progression of GC remain unclear. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRB) plays a pivotal role in angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation and has been suggested as a prognostic marker of cancer. This study aimed to explore the relationship of PDGFRB expression with clinicopathologic characteristics, immune cell infiltration status, and prognosis in GC. In this study, we visualized the expression and prognostic values of PDGFRB in GC using the Oncomine, UALCAN, GEPIA, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter databases. And then we explored the potential relationships between PDGFRB expression and the levels of immune cell infiltration using the TIMER, GEPIA databases and CIBERSORT algorithm. Furthermore, LinkedOmics analysis was performed to explore the functions for PDGFRB. The results showed close correlations between PDGFRB and immune cell infiltration especially M2 Macrophage infiltration in GC. High PDGFRB expression was related to poor outcomes in GC. High PDGFRB expression can negatively affect GC prognosis by promoting angiogenesis and modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. These results strongly suggest that PDGFRB can be used as a prognostic biomarker of GC and provide novel insights into possible immunotherapeutic targets.

Combination of IDO1high and CCL19low expression in the tumor tissue reduces survival in HPV positive cervical cancer

The over expression of Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase (IDO1), an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is well known in cervical cancer. However, its association with chemokine signals promoting cellular infiltration in the cervical tumor microenvironment, is unknown. In the current study, we evaluated the expression and enzymatic activity of IDO1. We also profiled the expression of chemokine ligand-receptors- CCR4-CCL22, CXCR3-CXCL10, CXCR4-CXCL12, and CCR7-CCL19 using immunohistochemistry (IHC), and studied their association with IDO1, statistically. After getting an informed consent, punch biopsy samples were obtained from 105 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer. HPV typing by Sanger sequencing, realtime PCR for quantifying IDO1 mRNA expression, HPLC for determining the K/T ratio and IHC for all the above chemokine receptor-ligand pairs along with IDO1 were performed. We found a significant increase in the expression of IDO1 and K/T levels in early and locally advanced stages when compared to Stage IV disease. Among the chemokine ligand -receptor pairs profiled, we found that high CCL19 marker expression was a good prognostic indicator of patients' disease-free (p = 0.013) and overall survival (p = 0.043). Although we could not identify IDO1 as an independent prognostic factor, we found that high levels of IDO1 expression may further reduce survival outcomes in patients with low CCL19 expression. This could be vital for designing immuno therapeutic interventions targeting IDO1.

EMT-related genes are unlikely to be involved in extracapsular growth of lymph node metastases in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

In gastric cancer (GC), extracapsular growth (ECG) pattern of lymph node metastases is associated with decreased overall survival rates compared to intracapsular lymph node metastases (ICG). Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in hematogenous metastatic spread. Aim of the present study was to analyze if EMT related genes are involved in the growth pattern of lymph node metastases in GC.

METHODS

Out of our prospective database with 529 patients who underwent surgical resection for GC between 2002 and 2014 forty lymph node positive patients were identified (20 ECG, 20 ICG). The expression of 84 EMT-associated genes were analyzed by RT2 Profiler PCR Array (n = 20). Results were validated by Real-Time PCR (n = 20).

RESULTS

GC with ECG showed differently expressed EMT related genes. GC leading to ECG showed an upregulation of three and downregulation of eleven genes. Those differences, however, could not be confirmed in PCR analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that EMT related genes are not responsible for the different growth patterns of lymph node metastases in GC. Further studies are required to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of ECG in GC as it might provide a potential therapeutic target for this subgroup of more aggressive tumors in the future.

Expressivity of Interleukin-8 and Gastric Cancer Prognosis Susceptibility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

The relationship between interleukin-8 (IL-8) expression and the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) patients has been reported, but the results are contradictory.

Aim

To investigate the effect of IL-8 expression on the prognosis of patients with GC.

Method

A comprehensive search strategy was used to search the PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. The total survival time was analysed using the RevMan 5.4 software. Through extensive search and meta-analysis of relevant studies, studies examining the relationship between IL-8 expression and prognosis in patients with GC were conducted to obtain more accurate estimates.

Findings

Eight studies (1843 patients) were included. The combined results of all the studies showed that high expression of IL-8 was a risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with GC (hazard ratio (HR): 2.08; 95% CI: 1.81–2.39). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the pooled HR was stable, and omitting a single study did not change the significance of the pooled HR. Funnel plots revealed no significant publication bias in the meta-analysis.

Conclusion

High IL-8 expression could be a negative prognostic biomarker for patients with GC.

Identification of Hub Gene TIMP1 and Relative ceRNAs Regulatory Network in Colorectal Cancer

Objective

This study aimed to discover the ceRNAs network in the pathophysiological development of human colorectal cancer (CRC) and to screen biomarkers for target therapy and prognosis by using integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

Data on gene expressions of mRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, respectively. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were identified by using the DESeq2 package of R software. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted using the ClusterProfiler package of R software. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was shown by the STRING website. Survival analysis of hub genes was performed using the survival package in R software. Interactions among hub genes, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were used to construct the ceRNAs network.

Results

A total of 412 DEmRNAs including 82 upregulated and 330 downregulated genes were screened out between 473 CRC and 41 normal samples. Two hundred and sixty DEcircRNAs including 253 upregulated and 7 downregulated genes were altered between 23 CRC and 23 normal samples. One hundred and ninety DEmiRNAs including 82 upregulated and 108 downregulated genes were obtained between 450 CRC and 8 normal samples. A ceRNAs and PPI network were successfully constructed, and TIMP1 associated with prognosis was employed.

Conclusion

The present study identified a novel circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNA ceRNAs network, which implied that TIMP1 and related miRNAs, circRNAs were potential biomarkers underlying the development of CRC, providing new insights for survival predictions and therapeutic targets.

CXCL1-CXCR1/2 signaling is induced in human temporal lobe epilepsy and contributes to seizures in a murine model of acquired epilepsy

CXCL1, a functional murine orthologue of the human chemokine CXCL8 (IL-8), and its CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors were investigated in a murine model of acquired epilepsy developing following status epilepticus (SE) induced by intra-amygdala kainate. CXCL8 and its receptors were also studied in human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The functional involvement of the chemokine in seizure generation and neuronal cell loss was assessed in mice using reparixin (formerly referred to as repertaxin), a non-competitive allosteric inhibitor of CXCR1/2 receptors. We found a significant increase in hippocampal CXCL1 level within 24 h of SE onset that lasted for at least 1 week. No changes were measured in blood. In analogy with human TLE, immunohistochemistry in epileptic mice showed that CXCL1 and its two receptors were increased in hippocampal neuronal cells. Additional expression of these molecules was found in glia in human TLE. Mice were treated with reparixin or vehicle during SE and for additional 6 days thereafter, using subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Drug-treated mice showed a faster SE decay, a reduced incidence of acute symptomatic seizures during 48 h post-SE, and a delayed time to spontaneous seizures onset compared to vehicle controls. Upon reparixin discontinuation, mice developed spontaneous seizures similar to vehicle mice, as shown by EEG monitoring at 14 days and 2.5 months post-SE. In the same epileptic mice, reparixin reduced neuronal cell loss in the hippocampus vs vehicle-injected mice, as assessed by Nissl staining at completion of EEG monitoring. Reparixin administration for 2 weeks in mice with established chronic seizures, reduced by 2-fold on average seizure number vs pre-treatment baseline, and this effect was reversible upon drug discontinuation. No significant changes in seizure number were measured in vehicle-injected epileptic mice that were EEG monitored in parallel. Data show that CXCL1-IL-8 signaling is activated in experimental and human epilepsy and contributes to acute and chronic seizures in mice, therefore representing a potential new target to attain anti-ictogenic effects.

Analysis of Gastric Cancer Transcriptome Allows the Identification of Histotype Specific Molecular Signatures With Prognostic Potential

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy but the third leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Therapy for gastric cancer remain largely suboptimal making the identification of novel therapeutic targets an urgent medical need. In the present study we have carried out a high-throughput sequencing of transcriptome expression in patients with gastric cancers. Twenty-four patients, among a series of 53, who underwent an attempt of curative surgery for gastric cancers in a single center, were enrolled. Patients were sub-grouped according to their histopathology into diffuse and intestinal types, and the transcriptome of the two subgroups assessed by RNAseq analysis and compared to the normal gastric mucosa. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the two histopathology phenotypes express two different patterns of gene expression. A total of 2,064 transcripts were differentially expressed between neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues: 772 were specific for the intestinal type and 407 for the diffuse type. Only 885 transcripts were simultaneously differentially expressed by both tumors. The per pathway analysis demonstrated an enrichment of extracellular matrix and immune dysfunction in the intestinal type including CXCR2, CXCR1, FPR2, CARD14, EFNA2, AQ9, TRIP13, KLK11 and GHRL. At the univariate analysis reduced levels AQP9 was found to be a negative predictor of 4 years survival. In the diffuse type low levels CXCR2 and high levels of CARD14 mRNA were negative predictors of 4 years survival. In summary, we have identified a group of genes differentially regulated in the intestinal and diffuse histotypes of gastric cancers with AQP9, CARD14 and CXCR2 impacting on patients' prognosis, although CXCR2 is the only factor independently impacting overall survival.

The immunosuppressive and pro-tumor functions of CCL18 at the tumor microenvironment

Chemokines are essential mediators of immune cell trafficking. In a tumor microenvironment context, chemotactic cytokines are known to regulate the migration, positioning and interaction of different cell subsets with both anti- and pro-tumor functions. Additionally, chemokines have critical roles regarding non-immune cells, highlighting their importance in tumor growth and progression. CCL18 is a primate-specific chemokine produced by macrophages and dendritic cells. This chemokine presents both constitutive and inducible expression. It is mainly associated with a tolerogenic response and involved in maintaining homeostasis of the immune system under physiological conditions. Recently, CCL18 has been noticed as an important component of the complex chemokine system involved in the biology of tumors. This chemokine induces T regulatory cell differentiation and recruitment to the tumor milieu, with subsequent induction of a pro-tumor (M2-like) macrophage phenotype. CCL18 is also directly involved in cancer cell-invasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis stimulation, pinpointing an important role in the promotion of cancer progression. Interestingly, this chemokine is highly expressed in tumor tissues, particularly at the invasive front of more advanced stages (e.g. colorectal cancer), and high levels are detected in the serum of patients, correlating with poor prognosis. Despite the promising role of CCL18 as a biomarker and/or therapeutic target to hamper disease progression, its pleiotropic functions in a context of cancer are still poorly explored. The scarce knowledge concerning the receptors for this chemokine, together with the insufficient insight on the downstream signaling pathways, have impaired the selection of this molecule as an immediate target for translational research. In this Review, we will discuss recent findings concerning the role of CCL18 in cancer, integrate recently disclosed molecular mechanisms and compile data from current clinical studies.

Analysis of the HNF4A isoform-regulated transcriptome identifies CCL15 as a downstream target in gastric carcinogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4A) has been demonstrated to be an oncogene in gastric cancer (GC). However, the roles of different HNF4A isoforms derived from the 2 different promoters (P1 and P2) and the underlying mechanisms remain obscure.

METHODS

The expression and prognostic values of P1- and P2-HNF4A were evaluated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases and GC tissues. Then, functional assays of P1- and P2-HNF4A were conducted both in vivo and in vitro. High-throughput RNA-seq was employed to profile downstream pathways in P1- and P2-HNF4A-overexpressing GC cells. The expression and gene regulation network of the candidate target genes identified by RNA-seq were characterized based on data mining and functional assays.

RESULTS

HNF4A amplification was a key characteristic of GC in TCGA databases, especially for the intestinal type and early stage. Moreover, P1-HNF4A expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent non-tumor tissues (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were found in P2-HNF4A expression (P > 0.05). High P1-HNF4A expression indicated poor prognoses in GC patients (P < 0.01). Furthermore, P1-HNF4A overexpression significantly promoted SGC7901 and BGC823 cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro (P < 0.01). Murine xenograft experiments showed that P1-HNF4A overexpression promoted tumor growth (P < 0.05). Mechanistically, RNA-seq showed that the cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions pathway was mostly enriched in P1-HNF4A-overexpressing GC cells. Finally, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 15 was identified as a direct target of P1-HNF4A in GC tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

P1-HNF4A was the main oncogene during GC progression. The cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway played a pivotal role and may be a promising therapeutic target.

Are Markers of Systemic Inflammatory Response Useful in the Management of Patients With Neuroendocrine Neoplasms?

Given the increasing incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) over the past few decades, a more comprehensive knowledge of their pathophysiological bases and the identification of innovative NEN biomarkers represents an urgent unmet need. There is still little advance in the early diagnosis and management of these tumors, due to the lack of sensible and specific markers with prognostic value and ability to early detect the response to treatment. Chronic systemic inflammation is a predisposing factor for multiple cancer hallmarks, as cancer proliferation, progression and immune-evading. Therefore, the relevance of inflammatory biomarkers has been identified as critical in several types of tumours, including NENs. A bidirectional relationship between chronic inflammation and development of NENs has been reported. Neuroendocrine cells can be over-stimulated by chronic inflammation, leading to hyperplasia and neoplastic transformation. As the modulation of inflammatory response represents a therapeutic target, inflammatory markers could represent a promising new key tool to be applied in the diagnosis, the prediction of response to treatment and also as prognostic biomarkers in NENs field. The present review provides an overview of the pre-clinical and clinical data relating the potentially usefulness of circulating inflammatory markers: neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), cytokines and tissue inflammatory markers (PD-1/PD-L1), in the management of NENs. (1) NLR and PLR have both demonstrated to be promising and simple to acquire biomarkers in patients with advanced cancer, including NEN. To date, in the context of NENs, the prognostic role of NLR and PLR has been confirmed in 15 and 4 studies, respectively. However, the threshold value, both for NLR and PLR, still remains not defined. (2) Cytokines seem to play a central role in NENs tumorigenesis. In particular, IL-8 levels seems to be a good predictive marker of response to anti-angiogenic treatments. (3) PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on tumour cells and on TILs, have demonstrated to be promising predictive and prognostic biomarkers in NENs. Unfortunately, these two markers have not been validated so far and further studies are needed to establish their indications and utility.

The m6A methyltransferase METTL14 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Background

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification may participate in the regulation of occurrence and development of tumors. However, the m6A level and the potential regulatory mechanism of m6A in gastric cancer (GC) remain uncertain.

Methods

RNA m6A quantification assay was conducted to detect the m6A level in GC tissues and cell lines. Methyltransferase‐like 14 (METTL14) expression in GC tissues was explored by bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry. Then, the function of METTL14 in GC cells was examined by CCK‐8, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell assay. Besides, Western blotting was conducted to probe the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the epithelial‐mesenchymal transformation (EMT) pathway‐related gene expression.

Results

The m6A modification level was decreased in GC and METTL14 was a key regulator resulting in m6A disorder in GC. METTL14 was downregulated in GC by analyzing both clinical samples and bioinformatics. METTL14 overexpression suppressed GC cell proliferation and aggression by deactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the EMT pathway, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that METTL14 partakes in the biological process of GC as a tumor suppressor and may be an emerging biomarker in GC.

The Development and Homing of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: From a Two-Stage Model to a Multistep Narrative

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) represent a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells. Under normal conditions, they differentiate into macrophages, dendritic cells, and granulocytes. Under pathological conditions, such as chronic inflammation, or cancer, they tend to maintain their immature state as immature myeloid cells that, within the tumor microenvironment, become suppressor cells and assist tumor escape from immune eradication. MDSC are comprised of two major subsets: monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC). Monocytic myeloid cells give rise to monocytic cells, whereas PMN-MDSC share similarities with neutrophils. Based on their biological activities, a two-stage model that includes the mobilization of the periphery as myeloid cells and their activation within the tumor microenvironment converting them into suppressor cells was previously suggested by D. Gabrilovich. From the migratory viewpoint, we are suggesting a more complex setup. It starts with crosstalk between the tumor site and the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) at the bone marrow (BM) and secondary lymphatic organs, resulting in rapid myelopoiesis followed by mobilization to the blood. Although myelopoiesis is coordinated by several cytokines and transcription factors, mobilization is selectively directed by chemokine receptors and may differ between M-MDSC and PMN-MDSC. These myeloid cells may then undergo further expansion at these secondary lymphatic organs and then home to the tumor site. Finally, selective homing of T cell subsets has been associated with retention at the target organs directed by adhesion molecules or chemokine receptors. The possible relevance to myeloid cells is still speculative but is discussed.

Loss of NFKB1 Results in Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor and Activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 to Promote Gastric Tumorigenesis in Mice

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Activity of nuclear factor κB transcription factors and signaling via signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) are frequently altered in gastric cancer cells. Mice lacking NFKB1 (Nfkb1^-/- mice) develop invasive gastric cancer, and their gastric tissues have increased levels of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL) 6, IL22, IL11, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), as well as increased activation of STAT1. We investigated whether these cytokines were required for STAT1 activation in gastric tissues of mice and critical for gastric tumorigenesis.

METHODS

We crossed Nfkb1^-/- mice with Il6^-/-, Il22^-/-, Il11Rα^-/-, and Tnf^-/- mice. Stomach tissues from compound mutant mice were analyzed by histology, immunoblotting, and RNA sequencing. Lymphoid, myeloid, and epithelial cells were isolated from stomachs, and the levels of cytokines were determined by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTS

Nfkb1^-/- mice developed gastritis, oxyntic atrophy, gastric dysplasia, and invasive tumors, whereas Nfkb1^-/-Stat1^-/- mice did not, even when followed for as long as 2 years. The levels of Il6, Il11, Il22, and Tnf messenger RNA were increased in the body and antrum of the stomachs from Nfkb1^-/- mice, from 3-6 months of age. However, Nfkb1^-/-Il6^-/-, Nfkb1^-/-Il22^-/-, and Nfkb1^-/-Il11Rα^-/- mice still developed gastric tumors, although the absence of IL11 receptor (IL11R) significantly reduced development of invasive gastric tumors. Stomachs from Nfkb1^-/-Tnf^-/- mice exhibited significantly less gastritis and oxyntic atrophy and fewer tumors than Nfkb1^-/- mice. This correlated with reduced activation of STAT1 and STAT3 and fewer numbers of T cells and B cells infiltrating the gastric body. Loss of STAT1 or TNF significantly reduced expression of PD-L1 on epithelial and myeloid (CD11b⁺) cells in the gastric mucosa of Nfkb1^-/- mice-indeed, to the levels observed on the corresponding cells from wild-type mice.

CONCLUSIONS

In studies of gastric tumor development in knockout mice, we found that loss of NFKB1 causes increased expression of TNF in the stomach and thereby drives activation of STAT1, resulting in an inflammatory immune response and the development of gastric cancer. IL11R appears to be required for the progression of gastric tumors to the invasive stage. These findings suggest that inhibitors of TNF, and possibly also inhibitors of IL11/IL11Rα, might be useful in the treatment of gastric cancer.

MiR-384 Inhibits Malignant Biological Behavior Such as Proliferation and Invasion of Osteosarcoma by Regulating IGFBP3

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in the clinic. It is more common in children and adolescents. It has high malignancy, early metastasis rate, rapid disease progression, and high mortality. Although past years have witnessed the great improvement in the treatments of osteosarcoma, there remains a long way to go. MicroRNAs affect the malignant biological behaviors such as tumor proliferation and metastasis by regulating their target genes. In this study, we investigated the role and mechanism of miR-384 in osteosarcoma. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to detect the expression of miR-384 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines and established its correlation with osteosarcoma tumor progression and metastasis. To probe whether miR-384 played a tumor suppression role in osteosarcoma, we carried out gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays. Cell Counting Kit-8, cell colony formation, and transwell assays were carried out to determine the cells proliferation and invasion, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the changes of epithelial–mesenchymal transition marker proteins and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3. MiR-384 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. MiR-384 was overexpressed in G292 cells transfected with miR-384 mimics and knocked down in Saos-2 cells with small hairpin RNA targeting miR-384. Ectopic expression of miR-384 inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. E-cadherin was brought to a decrease whereas N-cadherin and Snail to an increase under the silent expression of miR-384, while overexpression of miR-384 led to an opposite result. MiR-384 could regulate insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 expression in osteosarcoma. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting results validated that miR-384 knockdown downgrades both messenger RNA and protein levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in G292 cells, while miR-384 upregulation exerted an opposite effect in Saos-2 cells. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 was upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and osteosarcoma cell lines compared with normal ones. Through the bioinformatics database found that the upstream transcriptional regulator of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 is MECP2. So miR-384 can directly inhibit MECP2 and then promote the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3. These results suggested that miR-384 might be a potential therapeutic targets and biomarker in osteosarcoma.

Oncogenic roles of lncRNA BLACAT1 and its related mechanisms in human cancers

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play indispensable roles in mediating regulation of epigenetics, and their dysregulation is strongly associated with the initiation and progression of human cancers. Recently, lncRNA bladder cancer-associated transcript 1 (BLACAT1) has been observed to exert oncogenic effects on cancers, including glioma, breast cancer, lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and osteosarcoma. Additional mechanical analyses have uncovered that lncRNA BLACAT1 is positively correlated with tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis of primary tumors via involvement with various cellular activities, thus leading to poor overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS). In this review, we generalize the oncogenic roles of BLACAT1 in multiple human cancers through correlation with clinical implications and cellular activities. Moreover, we forecast its potential clinical application as a novel biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for cancers.

Identification of an immune-related gene-based signature to predict prognosis of patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that it is necessary to further explore genetic and immunological characteristics of GC.

AIM

To construct an immune-related gene (IRG) signature for accurately predicting the prognosis of patients with GC.

METHODS

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 375 gastric cancer tissues and 32 normal adjacent tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) GDC data portal. Then, differentially expressed IRGs from the ImmPort database were identified for GC. Cox univariate survival analysis was used to screen survival-related IRGs. Differentially expressed survival-related IRGs were considered as hub IRGs. Genetic mutations of hub IRGs were analyzed. Then, hub IRGs were selected to conduct a prognostic signature. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic performance of the signature. The correlation of the signature with clinical features and tumor-infiltrating immune cells was analyzed.

RESULTS

Among all DEGs, 70 hub IRGs were obtained for GC. The deletions and amplifications were the two most common types of genetic mutations of hub IRGs. A prognostic signature was identified, consisting of ten hub IRGs (including S100A12, DEFB126, KAL1, APOH, CGB5, GRP, GLP2R, LGR6, PTGER3, and CTLA4). This prognostic signature could accurately distinguish patients into high- and low- risk groups, and overall survival analysis showed that high risk patients had shortened survival time than low risk patients (P < 0.0001). The area under curve of the ROC of the signature was 0.761, suggesting that the prognostic signature had a high sensitivity and accuracy. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the prognostic signature could become an independent prognostic predictor for GC after adjustment for other clinical features. Furthermore, we found that the prognostic signature was significantly correlated with macrophage infiltration.

CONCLUSION

Our study proposed an immune-related prognostic signature for GC, which could help develop treatment strategies for patients with GC in the future.

Immunological Aspects of the Tumor Microenvironment and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Gastric Carcinogenesis

Infection with Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative, microaerophilic pathogen often results in gastric cancer in a subset of affected individuals. This explains why H. pylori is the only bacterium classified as a class I carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Several studies have pinpointed mechanisms by which H. pylori alters signaling pathways in the host cell to cause diseases. In this article, the authors have reviewed 234 studies conducted over a span of 18 years (2002-2020). The studies investigated the various mechanisms associated with gastric cancer induction. For the past 1.5 years, researchers have discovered new mechanisms contributing to gastric cancer linked to H. pylori etiology. Alongside alteration of the host signaling pathways using oncogenic CagA pathways, H. pylori induce DNA damage in the host and alter the methylation of DNA as a means of perturbing downstream signaling. Also, with H. pylori, several pathways in the host cell are activated, resulting in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), together with the induction of cell proliferation and survival. Studies have shown that H. pylori enhances gastric carcinogenesis via a multifactorial approach. What is intriguing is that most of the targeted mechanisms and pathways appear common with various forms of cancer.

Extracellular Vesicles Enriched with Moonlighting Metalloproteinase Are Highly Transmissive, Pro-Tumorigenic, and Trans-Activates Cellular Communication Network Factor (CCN2/CTGF): CRISPR against Cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) plays multiple roles in extracellular proteolysis as well as intracellular transcription, prompting a new definition of moonlighting metalloproteinase (MMP), according to a definition of protein moonlighting (or gene sharing), a phenomenon by which a protein can perform more than one function. Indeed, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, aka cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2)) is transcriptionally induced as well as cleaved by MMP3. Moreover, several members of the MMP family have been found within tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). We here investigated the roles of MMP3-rich EVs in tumor progression, molecular transmission, and gene regulation. EVs derived from a rapidly metastatic cancer cell line (LuM1) were enriched in MMP3 and a C-terminal half fragment of CCN2/CTGF. MMP3-rich, LuM1-derived EVs were disseminated to multiple organs through body fluid and were pro-tumorigenic in an allograft mouse model, which prompted us to define LuM1-EVs as oncosomes in the present study. Oncosome-derived MMP3 was transferred into recipient cell nuclei and thereby trans-activated the CCN2/CTGF promoter, and induced CCN2/CTGF production in vitro. TRENDIC and other cis-elements in the CCN2/CTGF promoter were essential for the oncosomal responsivity. The CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of MMP3 showed significant anti-tumor effects such as the inhibition of migration and invasion of tumor cells, and a reduction in CCN2/CTGF promoter activity and fragmentations in vitro. A high expression level of MMP3 or CCN2/CTGF mRNA was prognostic and unfavorable in particular types of cancers including head and neck, lung, pancreatic, cervical, stomach, and urothelial cancers. These data newly demonstrate that oncogenic EVs-derived MMP is a transmissive trans-activator for the cellular communication network gene and promotes tumorigenesis at distant sites.

Gastric Damage and Cancer-Associated Biomarkers in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Children

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is well-known to be involved in gastric carcinogenesis, associated with deregulation of cell proliferation and epigenetic changes in cancer-related genes. H. pylori infection is largely acquired during childhood, persisting long-term in about half of infected individuals, a subset of whom will go on to develop peptic ulcer disease and eventually gastric cancer, however, the sequence of events leading to disease is not completely understood. Knowledge on carcinogenesis and gastric damage-related biomarkers is abundant in adult populations, but scarce in children. We performed an extensive literature review focusing on gastric cancer related biomarkers identified in adult populations, which have been detected in children infected with H. pylori. Biomarkers were related to expression levels (RNA or protein) and/or methylation levels (DNA) in gastric tissue or blood of infected children as compared to non-infected controls. In this review, we identified 37 biomarkers of which 24 are over expressed, three are under expressed, and ten genes are significantly hypermethylated in H. pylori-infected children compared to healthy controls in at least 1 study. Only four of these biomarkers (pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, gastrin, and SLC5A8) have been studied in asymptomatically infected children. Importantly, 13 of these biomarkers (β-catenin, C-MYC, GATA-4, DAPK1, CXCL13, DC-SIGN, TIMP3, EGFR, GRIN2B, PIM2, SLC5A8, CDH1, and VCAM-1.) are consistently deregulated in infected children and in adults with gastric cancer. Future studies should be designed to determine the clinical significance of these changes in infection-associated biomarkers in children and their persistence over time. The effect of eradication therapy over these biomarkers in children if proven significant, could lead to modifications in treatment guidelines for younger populations, and eventually promote the development of preventive strategies, such as vaccination, in the near future.

Diverse tumour susceptibility in Collaborative Cross mice: identification of a new mouse model for human gastric tumourigenesis

OBJECTIVE

The Collaborative Cross (CC) is a mouse population model with diverse and reproducible genetic backgrounds used to identify novel disease models and genes that contribute to human disease. Since spontaneous tumour susceptibility in CC mice remains unexplored, we assessed tumour incidence and spectrum.

DESIGN

We monitored 293 mice from 18 CC strains for tumour development. Genetic association analysis and RNA sequencing were used to identify susceptibility loci and candidate genes. We analysed genomes of patients with gastric cancer to evaluate the relevance of genes identified in the CC mouse model and measured the expression levels of ISG15 by immunohistochemical staining using a gastric adenocarcinoma tissue microarray. Association of gene expression with overall survival (OS) was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

CC mice displayed a wide range in the incidence and types of spontaneous tumours. More than 40% of CC036 mice developed gastric tumours within 1 year. Genetic association analysis identified Nfκb1 as a candidate susceptibility gene, while RNA sequencing analysis of non-tumour gastric tissues from CC036 mice showed significantly higher expression of inflammatory response genes. In human gastric cancers, the majority of human orthologues of the 166 mouse genes were preferentially altered by amplification or deletion and were significantly associated with OS. Higher expression of the CC036 inflammatory response gene signature is associated with poor OS. Finally, ISG15 protein is elevated in gastric adenocarcinomas and correlated with shortened patient OS.

CONCLUSIONS

CC strains exhibit tremendous variation in tumour susceptibility, and we present CC036 as a spontaneous laboratory mouse model for studying human gastric tumourigenesis.

Palliative Role of Aqueous Ginger Extract on N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-Induced Gastric Cancer

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a spice and also an herbal medicine used worldwide for managing GI tract disturbances. However, its role in gastric cancer is sparingly known. This study ensures the standardization of gastric cancer by the induction of N-nitroso N-methyl Urea (MNU) and to determine the role of the aqueous extract of ginger (AGE) in MNU-induced gastric cancer in albino Wistar rats. Accordingly, the anticancer potential of AGE and its possible mode of action were assessed on rats exposed to MNU, by various biochemical and molecular assays. As evidenced by the extent of lipid peroxidation, gastrin levels and histopathological sections in MNU-induced cancerous lesions at 8 wk which was stabilized at 16 wk confirming the induction of gastric carcinoma by the chemical carcinogen. Further, results revealed that AGE alleviated the oxidative stress as evidenced by the stomach antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, GPx, and GR), markers of oxidative stress (TRx, GRx) and Gastrin, a specific marker for gastric cancer and a decreased level of pro-inflammatory markers (NF-kB, TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2) which was further confirmed by histopathological analysis. AGE is responsible to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation related to gastric cancer and could be used as a potential dietary intervention in gastric cancer therapy.

A targeted proteomics approach reveals a serum protein signature as diagnostic biomarker for resectable gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer death. Early detection is a key factor to reduce its mortality.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected pre- and postoperative serum samples as well as tumour tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 100 GC patients. Serum samples from non-cancerous patients were served as controls (n = 50). A high-throughput protein detection technology, multiplex proximity extension assays (PEA), was applied to measure levels of over 300 proteins. Alteration of each protein was analysed by univariate analysis. Elastic-net logistic regression was performed to select serum proteins into the diagnostic model.

FINDINGS

We identified 19 serum proteins (CEACAM5, CA9, MSLN, CCL20, SCF, TGF-alpha, MMP-1, MMP-10, IGF-1, CDCP1, PPIA, DDAH-1, HMOX-1, FLI1, IL-7, ZBTB-17, APBB1IP, KAZALD-1, and ADAMTS-15) that together distinguish GC cases from controls with a diagnostic sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 100%, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0·99 (95% CI: 0·98-1). Moreover, the 19-serum protein signature provided an increased diagnostic capacity in patients at TNM I-II stage (sensitivity 89%, specificity 100%, AUC 0·99) and in patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI) (91%, 98%, and 0·99) compared to individual proteins. These promising results will inspire a large-scale independent cohort study to be pursued for validating the proposed protein signature.

INTERPRETATION

Based on targeted proteomics and elastic-net logistic regression, we identified a 19-serum protein signature which could contribute to clinical GC diagnosis, especially for patients at early stage and those with high MSI. FUND: This study was supported by a European H2020-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks grant (316,929, GastricGlycoExplorer). Funder had no influence on trial design, data evaluation, and interpretation.

Cancer extracellular vesicles contribute to stromal heterogeneity by inducing chemokines in cancer-associated fibroblasts

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one of the major components of a tumour microenvironment, comprise heterogeneous populations involved in tumour progression. However, it remains obscure how CAF heterogeneity is governed by cancer cells. Here, we show that cancer extracellular vesicles (EVs) induce a series of chemokines in activated fibroblasts and contribute to the formation of the heterogeneity. In a xenograft model of diffuse-type gastric cancer, we showed two distinct fibroblast subpopulations with alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression or chemokine expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) profiling of the EVs and the transfection experiment suggested that several miRNAs played a role in the induction of chemokines such as CXCL1 and CXCL8 in fibroblasts, but not for the myofibroblastic differentiation. Clinically, aberrant activation of CXCL1 and CXCL8 in CAFs correlated with poorer survival in gastric cancer patients. Thus, this link between chemokine expression in CAFs and tumour progression may provide novel targets for anticancer therapy.

Identification of hub genes with prognostic values in gastric cancer by bioinformatics analysis

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant cancer of digestive system. To identify key genes in GC, mRNA microarray GSE27342, GSE29272, and GSE33335 were downloaded from GEO database.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained using GEO2R. DAVID database was used to analyze function and pathways enrichment of DEGs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established by STRING and visualized by Cytoscape software. Then, the influence of hub genes on overall survival (OS) was performed by the Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool. Module analysis of the PPI network was performed using MCODE. Additionally, potential stem loop miRNAs of hub genes were predicted by miRecords and screened by TCGA dataset. Transcription factors (TFs) of hub genes were detected by NetworkAnalyst.

Results

In total, 67 DEGs were identified; upregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in biological process (BP) related to angiogenesis and extracellular matrix organization and the downregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in BP related to ion transport and response to bacterium. KEGG pathways analysis showed that the upregulated DEGs were enriched in ECM-receptor interaction and the downregulated DEGs were enriched in gastric acid secretion. A PPI network of DEGs was constructed, consisting of 43 nodes and 87 edges. Twelve genes were considered as hub genes owing to high degrees in the network. Hsa-miR-29c, hsa-miR-30c, hsa-miR-335, hsa-miR-33b, and hsa-miR-101 might play a crucial role in hub genes regulation. In addition, the transcription factors-hub genes pairs were displayed with 182 edges and 102 nodes. The high expression of 7 out of 12 hub genes was associated with worse OS, including COL4A1, VCAN, THBS2, TIMP1, COL1A2, SERPINH1, and COL6A3.

Conclusions

The miRNA and TFs regulation network of hub genes in GC may promote understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of gastric cancer and provide potential targets for GC diagnosis and treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12957-018-1409-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

SPP1, analyzed by bioinformatics methods, promotes the metastasis in colorectal cancer by activating EMT pathway

OBJECTIVE

Tumor metastasis is still a great challenge for the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Although secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) over-expression is confirmed to associate with invasion, metastasis of CRC, the underlying mechanism by which modulates the CRC metastasis is still not fully explained.

METHOD

GDS4382 was obtained from GEO database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by bioinformatics methods 55 paired samples of CRC and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected to detect the expression of SPP1 by q-PCR and western blot. Functional analysis of siRNA-SPP1, including proliferation, apoptosis, colony formation, cell cycle, migration, was investigated in CRC cell lines and tumor xenografts were conducted in nude mice. Protein expression of E-cadherin and vimentin was detected by western blot.

RESULTS

1887 DEGs were analyzed and selected from GDS4382, of which, SPP1 and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) showed a close association by bioinformatics analysis. The mRNA and protein expression of SPP1 were significantly higher in CRC tissues than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P<0.05). Overexpression of SPP1 closely associated with tumor invasion, metastasis and low survival in CRC. Moreover, siRNA-SPP1 repressed proliferation, cell cycle, colony formation, migration and tumor growth in vivo and promoted cell apoptosis in CRC cell lines. In addition, Protein expression of E-cadherin was obviously up-regulated and Vimentin was down-regulated in CRC cells after siRNA-SPP1 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

SPP1 expression was significantly up-regulated in CRC. And SPP1 promoted the metastasis of CRC by activating EMT, which could be a potentially therapeutic target for patients with CRC.

Key Genes in Stomach Adenocarcinoma Identified via Network Analysis of RNA-Seq Data

RNA-seq data of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) were analyzed to identify critical genes in STAD. Meanwhile, relevant small molecule drugs, transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were also investigated. Gene expression data of STAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differential analysis was performed with package edgeR. Relationships with correlation coefficient > 0.6 were retained in the gene co-expression network. Functional enrichment analysis was performed for the genes in the network with DAVID and KOBASS 2.0. Modules were identified using Cytoscape. Relevant small molecules drugs, transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were revealed by using CMAP and WebGestalt databases. A total of 520 DEGs were identified between 285 STAD samples and 33 normal controls, including 244 up-regulated and 276 down-regulated genes. A gene co-expression network containing 53 DEGs and 338 edges was constructed, the genes of which were significantly enriched in focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction and vascular smooth muscle contraction pathways. Three modules were identified from the gene co-expression network and they were associated with skeletal system development, inflammatory response and positive regulation of cellular process, respectively. A total of 20 drugs, 9 TFs and 6 miRNAs were acquired that may regulate the DEGs. NFAT-COL1A1/ANXA1, HSF2-FOS, SREBP-IL1RN and miR-26-COL5A2 regulation axes may be important mechanisms for STAD.