NOTCH1, NOTCH3, NOTCH4, and JAG2 protein levels in human endometrial cancer

Clinical significance of Notch receptors in triple negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved cell signaling pathway that plays an indispensable role in essential developmental processes. Aberrant activation of Notch pathway is known to initiate wide array of diseases and cancers.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical significance of Notch receptors in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

METHODS

We evaluated the association between Notch receptors and clinicopathological parameters including disease-free survival and overall survival of one hundred TNBC patients by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Positive expression of nuclear Notch1 receptor (18%) was found be significantly correlated with positive lymph node (p = 0.009), high BR score (p = 0.02) and necrosis (p = 0.004) while cytoplasmic expression of Notch2 receptor (26%) was significantly correlated with metastasis (p = 0.05), worse DFS (p = 0.05) and poor OS (p = 0.02) in TNBC patients. Membrane (18%) and cytonuclear (3%) Notch3 expression were significantly associated with poorly differentiated tumors (p = 0.007), high BR score (p = 0.002) and necrosis (p = 0.03) respectively. However, cytoplasmic Notch3 and Notch4 expression were negatively correlated with poor prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicated that Notch receptors play a key role in promoting TNBC and mainly, Notch2 may contribute to poor prognosis of the disease. Hence, it is implicated that Notch2 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for TNBC.

DriverRWH: discovering cancer driver genes by random walk on a gene mutation hypergraph

Background

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have helped investigators generate massive amounts of cancer genomic data. A critical challenge in cancer genomics is identification of a few cancer driver genes whose mutations cause tumor growth. However, the majority of existing computational approaches underuse the co-occurrence mutation information of the individuals, which are deemed to be important in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, resulting in high rate of false positive.

Results

To make full use of co-mutation information, we present a random walk algorithm referred to as DriverRWH on a weighted gene mutation hypergraph model, using somatic mutation data and molecular interaction network data to prioritize candidate driver genes. Applied to tumor samples of different cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas, DriverRWH shows significantly better performance than state-of-art prioritization methods in terms of the area under the curve scores and the cumulative number of known driver genes recovered in top-ranked candidate genes. Besides, DriverRWH discovers several potential drivers, which are enriched in cancer-related pathways. DriverRWH recovers approximately 50% known driver genes in the top 30 ranked candidate genes for more than half of the cancer types. In addition, DriverRWH is also highly robust to perturbations in the mutation data and gene functional network data.

Conclusion

DriverRWH is effective among various cancer types in prioritizes cancer driver genes and provides considerable improvement over other tools with a better balance of precision and sensitivity. It can be a useful tool for detecting potential driver genes and facilitate targeted cancer therapies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04788-7.

Gamma Secretase Inhibitors as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Notch Signaling in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is a rare and aggressive cancer with few effective therapeutics. The Notch signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved with oncogenic properties, but it has not been well studied in uLMS. The purpose of our study was to determine expression of Notch family genes and proteins and to investigate the therapeutic effect of γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), indirect inhibitors of Notch signaling, in uLMS. We determined expression of Notch genes and proteins in benign uterine smooth muscle tissue, fibroids, and uLMS samples by immunostaining and in two uLMS cell lines, SK-UT-1B (uterine primary) and SK-LMS-1 (vulvar metastasis) by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunostaining. We exposed our cell lines to GSIs, DAPT and MK-0752, and measured expression of HES1, a downstream effector of Notch. Notch proteins were differentially expressed in uLMS. Expression of NOTCH3 and NOTCH4 was higher in uLMS samples than in benign uterine smooth muscle and fibroids. Expression of NOTCH4 was higher in SK-LMS-1 compared to SK-UT-1B. Exposure of SK-UT-1B and SK-LMS-1 to DAPT and MK-0752 decreased expression of HES1 and decreased uLMS cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner that was unique to each GSI. Our findings suggest that GSIs are potential therapeutics for uLMS, albeit with limited efficacy.

Role of Leptin and Adiponectin in Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. Obesity is a strong risk factor for endometrial cancer. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ that synthesizes biologically active cytokine peptides, called adipokines. Adiponectin and leptin are the main cytokines of adipose tissue, which may influence the development of metabolic diseases and carcinogenesis. In this scenario, we describe the role of leptin and adiponectin in the development of endometrial cancer. A better understanding of the signalling pathway of these cytokines in endometrial cancerogenesis will provide an opportunity for effective target therapy and may be usable in fertility-sparing treatment. In the future, clinical trials focusing on adipokines, molecular biology, and genetics of the tumour will be needed.

Components of NOTCH Signaling for Uterine Cancer Patients’ Prognosis

New molecular biomarkers that could have an independent prognostic value in endometrial cancer are currently under investigation. Recently, it was suggested that genetic changes in the Notch signaling pathway could be associated with the development of endometrial carcinoma. This study aimed to determine the expression of the Notch signaling pathway components in tumour and adjacent normal uterine tissue and to evaluate their importance for the survival of uterine cancer patients. The present study was performed on uterine body samples collected from 109 patients and paired adjacent noncancerous endometrial tissue samples. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression were used for survival analyses. Expression alterations of NOTCH2, NOTCH3, NOTCH4, JAG2, and HES1 were evaluated as independent and significant prognostic factors for uterine cancer patients.

Notch4 mediates vascular remodeling via ERK/JNK/P38 MAPK signaling pathways in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Background

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a chronic progressive advanced disorder pathologically characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling. Notch4 as a cell surface receptor is critical for vascular development. However, little is known about the role and mechanism of Notch4 in the development of hypoxic vascular remodeling.

Methods

Lung tissue samples were collected to detect the expression of Notch4 from patients with HPH and matched controls. Human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) were cultured in hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to examine the mRNA and protein levels of Notch4. HPASMCs were transfected with small interference RNA (siRNA) against Notch4 or Notch4 overexpression plasmid, respectively. Cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, Edu, Annexin-V/PI, and Transwell assay. The interaction between Notch4 and ERK, JNK, P38 MAPK were analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation. Adeno-associated virus 1-mediated siRNA against Notch4 (AAV1-si-Notch4) was injected into the airways of hypoxic rats. Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricular hypertrophy and pulmonary vascular remodeling were evaluated.

Results

In this study, we demonstrate that Notch4 is highly expressed in the media of pulmonary vascular and is upregulated in lung tissues from patients with HPH and HPH rats compared with control groups. In vitro, hypoxia induces the high expression of Delta-4 and Notch4 in HPASMCs. The increased expression of Notch4 promotes HPASMCs proliferation and migration and inhibits cells apoptosis via ERK, JNK, P38 signaling pathways. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation result elucidates the interaction between Notch4 and ERK/JNK/P38. In vivo, silencing Notch4 partly abolished the increase in RVSP and pulmonary vascular remodeling caused by hypoxia in HPH rats.

Conclusions

These findings reveal an important role of the Notch4-ERK/JNK/P38 MAPK axis in hypoxic pulmonary remodeling and provide a potential therapeutic target for patients with HPH.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-01927-9.

Targeting Notch4 in Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives

The dysregulation of Notch signaling is found in many cancers and is closely related to cancer progression. As an important Notch receptor, abnormal Notch4 expression affects several tumor-cell behaviors, including stemness, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, radio/chemoresistance and angiogenesis. In order to inhibit the oncogenic effects of Notch4 activation, several methods for targeting Notch4 signaling have been proposed. In this review, we summarize the known molecular mechanisms through which Notch4 affects cancer progression. Finally, we discuss potential Notch4-targeting therapeutic strategies as a reference for future research.

A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of Notch Pathways in Bladder Cancer

Simple Summary

The Notch pathway is important in embryology and numerous tumor diseases. However, its role in bladder cancer (BCa) has not been deeply investigated thus far. Gene expression data are available for BCa, and bioinformatics analysis can provide insights into a possible role of the Notch pathway in BCa development and prognosis. Using this information can help in better understanding the origin of BCa, finding novel biomarkers for prediction of disease progression, and potentially opening new avenues to improved treatment. Our analysis identified the Notch receptors NOTCH2/3 and their ligand DLL4 as potential drivers of BCa by direct interaction with basic cell functions and indirect by modulating the immune response.

Abstract

Background: A hallmark of Notch signaling is its variable role in tumor biology, ranging from tumor-suppressive to oncogenic effects. Until now, the mechanisms and functions of Notch pathways in bladder cancer (BCa) are still unclear. Methods: We used publicly available data from the GTEx and TCGA-BLCA databases to explore the role of the canonical Notch pathways in BCa on the basis of the RNA expression levels of Notch receptors, ligands, and downstream genes. For statistical analyses of cancer and non-cancerous samples, we used R software packages and public databases/webservers. Results: We found differential expression between control and BCa samples for all Notch receptors (NOTCH1, 2, 3, 4), the delta-like Notch ligands (DLL1, 3, 4), and the typical downstream gene hairy and enhancer of split 1 (HES1). NOTCH2/3 and DLL4 can significantly differentiate non-cancerous samples from cancers and were broadly altered in subgroups. High expression levels of NOTCH2/3 receptors correlated with worse overall survival (OS) and shorter disease-free survival (DFS). However, at long-term (>8 years) follow-up, NOTCH2 expression was associated with a better OS and DFS. Furthermore, the cases with the high levels of DLL4 were associated with worse OS but improved DFS. Pathway network analysis revealed that NOTCH2/3 in particular correlated with cell cycle, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), numbers of lymphocyte subtypes, and modulation of the immune system. Conclusions: NOTCH2/3 and DLL4 are potential drivers of Notch signaling in BCa, indicating that Notch and associated pathways play an essential role in the progression and prognosis of BCa through directly modulating immune cells or through interaction with cell cycle and EMT.

Molecular Landscape of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer

Modern diagnostics are based on molecular analysis and have been focused on searching for new molecular markers to use in diagnostics. Included in this has been the search for the correlation between gene expression in tissue samples and liquid biological materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the expression profile of messenger RNA (mRNA) and micro-RNA (miRNA) related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in different grades of endometrial cancer (G1-G3), in order to select the most promising molecular markers. The study material consisted of tissue samples and whole blood collected from 30 patients with endometrial cancer (study group; G1 = 15; G2 = 8; G3 = 7) and 30 without neoplastic changes (control group). The molecular analysis included the use of the microarray technique and RTqPCR. Microarray analysis indicated the following number of mRNA differentiating the endometrial cancer samples from the control (tissue/blood): G1 vs. C = 21/18 mRNAs, G2 vs. C = 19/14 mRNAs, and G3 vs. C = 10/9 mRNAs. The common genes for the tissue and blood samples (Fold Change; FC > 3.0) were G1 vs. C: TGFB1, WNT5A, TGFB2, and NOTCH1; G2 vs. C: BCL2L, SOX9, BAMBI, and SMAD4; G3 vs. C STAT1 and TGFB1. In addition, mRNA TGFB1, NOTCH1, and BCL2L are common for all grades of endometrial cancer. The analysis showed that miR-144, miR-106a, and miR-30d are most strongly associated with EMT, making them potential diagnostic markers.

Notch Signaling Pathway in Cancer-Review with Bioinformatic Analysis

Simple Summary

The Notch signaling pathway, which controls multiple cell differentiation processes during the embryonic stage and adult life, is associated with carcinogenesis and disease progression. The aim of the present study was to highlight cancer heterogeneity with respect to the Notch pathway. Our analysis concerns the effects of the Notch signaling at different levels, including core components and downstream target genes. We also demonstrate overall and disease-free survival results, pointing out the characteristics of particular Notch components. Depending on tissue context, Notch members can be either oncogenic or suppressive. We observed different expression profile core components and target genes that could be associated with distinct survival of patients. Advances in our understanding of the Notch signaling in cancer are very promising for the development of new treatment strategies for the benefit of patients.

Abstract

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway regulating normal embryonic development and homeostasis in a wide variety of tissues. It is also critically involved in carcinogenesis, as well as cancer progression. Activation of the Notch pathway members can be either oncogenic or suppressive, depending on tissue context. The present study is a comprehensive overview, extended with a bioinformatics analysis of TCGA cohorts, including breast, bladder, cervical, colon, kidney, lung, ovary, prostate and rectum carcinomas. We performed global expression profiling of the Notch pathway core components and downstream targets. For this purpose, we implemented the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection algorithm to reduce the dimensions. Furthermore, we determined the optimal cutpoint using Evaluate Cutpoint software to established disease-free and overall survival with respect to particular Notch members. Our results demonstrated separation between tumors and their corresponding normal tissue, as well as between tumors in general. The differentiation of the Notch pathway, at its various stages, in terms of expression and survival resulted in distinct profiles of biological processes such as proliferation, adhesion, apoptosis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, whether oncogenic or suppressive, Notch signaling is proven to be associated with various types of malignancies, and thus may be of interest as a potential therapeutic target.

Functional Gene Expression Differentiation of the Notch Signaling Pathway in Female Reproductive Tract Tissues-A Comprehensive Review With Analysis

The Notch pathway involves evolutionarily conserved signaling regulating the development of the female tract organs such as breast, ovary, cervix, and uterine endometrium. A great number of studies revealed Notch aberrancies in association with their carcinogenesis and disease progression, the management of which is still challenging. The present study is a comprehensive review of the available literature on Notch signaling during the normal development and carcinogenesis of the female tract organs. The review has been enriched with our analyses of the TCGA data including breast, cervical, ovarian, and endometrial carcinomas concerning the effects of Notch signaling at two levels: the core components and downstream effectors, hence filling the lack of global overview of Notch-driven carcinogenesis and disease progression. Phenotype heterogeneity regarding Notch signaling was projected in two uniform manifold approximation and projection algorithm dimensions, preceded by the principal component analysis step reducing the data burden. Additionally, overall and disease-free survival analyses were performed with the optimal cutpoint determination by Evaluate Cutpoints software to establish the character of particular Notch components in tumorigenesis. In addition to the review, we demonstrated separate models of the examined cancers of the Notch pathway and its targets, although expression profiles of all normal tissues were much more similar to each other than to its cancerous compartments. Such Notch-driven cancerous differentiation resulted in a case of opposite association with DFS and OS. As a consequence, target genes also show very distinct profiles including genes associated with cell proliferation and differentiation, energy metabolism, or the EMT. In conclusion, the observed Notch associations with the female tract malignancies resulted from differential expression of target genes. This may influence a future analysis to search for new therapeutic targets based on specific Notch pathway profiles.

Notch and Endometrial Cancer

The human endometrium is a unique, highly dynamic tissue that undergoes cyclic changes of cell proliferation, differentiation, and death. Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy among women in developed countries. Importantly, the incidence of endometrial cancer is rising in high-income countries. Currently histological classification is used for subtyping of endometrial cancer, while ongoing research is evaluating markers for more accurate molecular classification. Evolutionary conserved Notch signaling pathway regulates diverse cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and cell invasion. Accumulating evidence links aberrant Notch signaling with diseases such as hyperplasia and endometrial cancer. This chapter summarizes the current state of Notch signaling investigations in the endometrium, endometriosis, and endometrial cancer.

Aberrant activation of hepatocyte growth factor/MET signaling promotes β-catenin-mediated prostatic tumorigenesis

Co-occurrence of aberrant hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/MET proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways has been observed in advanced and metastatic prostate cancers. This co-occurrence positively correlates with prostate cancer progression and castration-resistant prostate cancer development. However, the biological consequences of these abnormalities in these disease processes remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the aberrant activation of HGF/MET and Wnt/β-catenin cascades in prostate tumorigenesis by using a newly generated mouse model in which both murine Met transgene and stabilized β-catenin are conditionally co-expressed in prostatic epithelial cells. These compound mice displayed accelerated prostate tumor formation and invasion compared with their littermates that expressed only stabilized β-catenin. RNA-Seq and quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed increased expression of genes associated with tumor cell proliferation, progression, and metastasis. Moreover, Wnt signaling pathways were robustly enriched in prostate tumor samples from the compound mice. ChIP-qPCR experiments revealed increased β-catenin recruitment within the regulatory regions of the Myc gene in tumor cells of the compound mice. Interestingly, the occupancy of MET on the Myc promoter also appeared in the compound mouse tumor samples, implicating a novel role of MET in β-catenin-mediated transcription. Results from implanting prostate graft tissues derived from the compound mice and controls into HGF-transgenic mice further uncovered that HGF induces prostatic oncogenic transformation and cell growth. These results indicate a role of HGF/MET in β-catenin-mediated prostate cancer cell growth and progression and implicate a molecular mechanism whereby nuclear MET promotes aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling-mediated prostate tumorigenesis.

Bufei Qingyu Granules Inhibit the Development of Systemic Sclerosis via Notch-1/Jagged-2 Signaling Pathway

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic autoimmune disorder, mainly characterized by skin sclerosis. In this study, Bufei Qingyu Granules (BQG), a Chinese herbal formula, was used to treat SSc. To better understand the effects and molecular mechanisms of BQG, we successfully established a Bleomycin- (BLM-) induced SSc mouse model, and the mice were treated by BQG. Meanwhile, transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses were conducted on those samples. As a result, we visually showed that BQG ameliorated the overall health of mice, including body weight, spleen, and thymus index. Thus, it also significantly alleviated inflammation presented by Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (Cxcl2), vasculopathy characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibrotic changes elaborated by not only pathological images, but also the hydroxyproline (HYP) content. After testing by transcriptomic analysis, Cxcl2, Synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (Snap25), and Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, and subunit J2 (Eif3j2) which were differentially expressed genes, were verified, so that the data were credible. We further found that BQG could regulate Notch signaling pathway by significantly decreasing both mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch-1 and Jagged-2. Hence, this study demonstrated that BQG could ameliorate the sclerotic skin in mice model involved in inflammation, vascular changes, and fibrosis effects, which was partly mediated by Notch signaling pathway.

Proliferation of poorly differentiated endometrial cancer cells through autocrine activation of FGF receptor and HES1 expression

Patients with poorly differentiated endometrial cancer show poor prognosis, and effective molecular target-based therapies are needed. Endometrial cancer cells proliferate depending on the activation of HES1 (hairy and enhancer of split-1), which is induced by several pathways, such as the Notch and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling pathways. In addition, aberrant, ligand-free activation of the FGFR signaling pathway resulting from mutations in FGFR2 was also reported in endometrial cancer. However, a clinical trial showed that there was no difference in the effectiveness of FGFR inhibitors between patients with and without the FGFR2 mutation, suggesting a presence of another signaling pathway for the FGFR activation. Here, we investigated the signaling pathway regulating the expression of HES1 and proliferation of poorly and well-differentiated endometrial cancer cell lines Ishikawa and HEC-50B, respectively. Whereas Ishikawa cells proliferated and expressed HES1 in a Notch signaling-dependent manner, Notch signaling was not involved in HES1 and proliferation of HEC-50B cells. The FGFR inhibitor, NVP-BGJ398, decreased HES1 expression and proliferation of HEC-50B cells; however, HEC50B cells had no mutations in the FGFR2 gene. Instead, HEC-50B cells highly expressed ligands for FGFR2, suggesting that FGFR2 is activated by an autocrine manner, not by ligand-free activation. This autocrine pathway activated Akt downstream of FGFR for cell proliferation. Our findings suggest the usefulness of HES1 as a marker for the proliferation signaling and that FGFR inhibitor may be effective for poorly differentiated endometrial cancers that harbor wild-type FGFR.

Comparative evaluation of NOTCH signaling molecules in the endometrium of women with various gynecological diseases during the window of implantation

OBJECTIVES

NOTCH signaling pathway is well known for its role in cell fate, cell survival, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. Some of the NOTCH signaling genes are critical for endometrial function and implantation in animals and appear to play a similar role in humans. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the potential roles of some main components of the NOTCH family in human endometrium during implantation period in common gynecological diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Endometrial NOTCH receptors NOTCH1, 3, 4 and ligand JAG1, 2 and survivin mRNA expression were investigated using the Q-PCR technique and the amount of the JAG1, 2 proteins was also determined by Western blot. Samples were obtained from 12 patients with endometriosis, 12 patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF), 12 patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and 10 healthy fertile women as a control group. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Group comparisons were performed by one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis.

RESULTS

All patient groups failed to show the expected mid-luteal increase in NOTCH1, JAG 1, 2, and survivin expression as documented in the control group. Moreover, a significant rise in NOTCH3 expression levels was found only in PCOS women. There was a direct correlation between gene expression and protein level for JAG 1, 2.

CONCLUSION

Aberrant NOTCH signaling molecules expression suggests that altered development of the endometrium at the molecular level may be associated with the impaired decidualization and implantation failure in gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, PCOS, and RIF.

Blocking NOTCH pathway can enhance the effect of EGFR inhibitor through targeting CD133+ endometrial cancer cells

Although the molecular therapeutics targeting key biomarkers such as epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) shows some success in clinical trials, some internally existing challenges in endothelial cancer biology hinder the drug effects. One of the major challenges stems from cancer stem cell-derived drug resistance. CD133 positive cells are well believed as cancer stem cells (CSC) in endometrial cancers and NOTCH pathway plays a critical role in retaining CD133+ cells by promoting CSC self-renewal and chemoresistance. Here, we initiated a therapeutic strategy to improve effects of EGFR inhibition by targeting NOTCH pathway of CD133+ cells in endometrial cancers. We first detected and purified the CD133+ cell fraction in endometrial cancer cell line Ishikawa (IK), and validated activation of NOTCH pathway in the CD133+ cells that have higher proliferation rate and lower apoptosis rate, comparing to CD133- cells. Results of nude mouse xenograft experiments further demonstrated CD133+ cells retain higher tumorigenesis capacity than CD133- cells, indicating their tumor-initiating property. Last, we applied both NOTCH inhibitor DAPT and EGFR inhibitor AG1478 treatment on endometrial cancer lines IK and HEC-1A and the results suggested improvement effects of the combination therapy compared to the treatments of DAPT or AG1478 alone. These findings indicated targeting NOTCH pathway in CD133+ cells, combining with EGFR inhibition, which provides a novel therapeutic strategy for endometrial cancer diseases.

Expression of p53 and PTEN in human primary endometrial carcinomas: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis and study of their concomitant expression

Endometrial carcinoma is a common malignancy of the female genital tract. Alterations in the expression levels of various oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes serve important roles in the carcinogenesis and biological behavior of endometrial carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combination and individual expression of p53 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein in human endometrial carcinoma. In addition, the correlation of these proteins with clinicopathological parameters was also assessed. Retrospective immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of p53 and PTEN tumor suppressor proteins was conducted in 99 women with endometrial carcinoma. The overall rate of p53 and PTEN positivity was 89 and 77%, respectively, according to the sum of stain intensity and scores of immunopositive cells. The sum of p53 positivity correlated strongly with PTEN expression (ρ=0.256; P=0.044). The concomitant sum of p53 and PTEN expression was identified in 45% of patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. Notably, the sum of the immunohistochemical expression of p53 was significantly correlated with patient age (P=0.037), histologic type (P=0.008), histologic grade (P=0.002) and fallopian and/or ovarian invasion (P=0.014). Furthermore, PTEN expression was associated with myometrial invasion (ρ=−0.377; P=0.002) and clinical stage (P=0.019). In addition, concomitant p53 and PTEN expression was correlated with patient age (P=0.008) and histologic differentiation (P=0.028). The findings indicated a correlation between the expression of p53 and PTEN in endometrial adenocarcinoma, which suggested an intrinsic association between expression levels of these tumor suppressor genes. The study also suggested that concomitant p53 and PTEN expression contributed in characterizing the tumor behavior of endometrial carcinoma. Taken together, the present study suggested the combined expression of p53 and PTEN in the development of high-grade endometrial carcinoma in older patients. In addition, the findings indicated activation of different molecular pathways in the tumor progression between low-grade and high-grade endometrial carcinomas.

Potential new biomarkers for endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Incidence of endometrial cancer are rising both in the United States and worldwide. As endometrial cancer becomes more prominent, the need to develop and characterize biomarkers for early stage diagnosis and the treatment of endometrial cancer has become an important priority. Several biomarkers currently used to diagnose endometrial cancer are directly related to obesity. Although epigenetic and mutational biomarkers have been identified and have resulted in treatment options for patients with specific aberrations, many tumors do not harbor those specific aberrations. A promising alternative is to determine biomarkers based on differential gene expression, which can be used to estimate prognosis.

METHODS

We evaluated 589 patients to determine differential expression between normal and malignant patient samples. We then supplemented these evaluations with immunohistochemistry staining of endometrial tumors and normal tissues. Additionally, we used the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures to evaluate the effects of 1826 chemotherapy drugs on 26 cell lines to determine the effects of each drug on HPRT1 and AURKA expression.

RESULTS

Expression of HPRT1, Jag2, AURKA, and PGK1 were elevated when compared to normal samples, and HPRT1 and PGK1 showed a stepwise elevation in expression that was significantly related to cancer grade. To determine the prognostic potential of these genes, we evaluated patient outcome and found that levels of both HPRT1 and AURKA were significantly correlated with overall patient survival. When evaluating drugs that had the most significant effect on lowering the expression of HPRT1 and AURKA, we found that Topo I and MEK inhibitors were most effective at reducing HPRT1 expression. Meanwhile, drugs that were effective at reducing AURKA expression were more diverse (MEK, Topo I, MELK, HDAC, etc.). The effects of these drugs on the expression of HPRT1 and AURKA provides insight into their role within cellular maintenance.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, these data show that JAG2, AURKA, PGK1, and HRPT1 have the potential to be used independently as diagnostic, prognostic, or treatment biomarkers in endometrial cancer. Expression levels of these genes may provide physicians with insight into tumor aggressiveness and chemotherapy drugs that are well suited to individual patients.

N-acetylcysteine decreases malignant characteristics of glioblastoma cells by inhibiting Notch2 signaling

BACKGROUND

Glioblastomas multiforme (GBM) is the most devastating primary intracranial malignancy lacking effective clinical treatments. Notch2 has been established to be a prognostic marker and probably involved in GBM malignant progression. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of intracellular glutathione (GSH), has been widely implicated in prevention and therapy of several cancers. However, the role of NAC in GBM remains unclear and the property of NAC independent of its antioxidation is largely unknown.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein levels of Notch family and other related factors were detected by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. In addition, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by flow cytometry-based DCFH-DA. Moreover, cell viability was assessed by CCK8 and cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry-based PI staining. The level of apoptosis was checked by flow cytometry-based Annexin V/PI. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing and transwell invasion assays. At last, U87 Xenograft model was established to confirm whether NAC could restrain the growth of tumor.

RESULTS

Our data showed that NAC could decrease the protein level of Notch2. Meanwhile, NAC had a decreasing effect on the mRNA and protein levels of its downstream targets Hes1 and Hey1. These effects caused by NAC were independent of cellular GSH and ROS levels. The mechanism of NAC-mediated Notch2 reduction was elucidated by promoting Notch2 degradation through Itch-dependent lysosome pathway. Furthermore, NAC could prevent proliferation, migration, and invasion and might induce apoptosis in GBM cells via targeting Notch2. Significantly, NAC could suppress the growth of tumor in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

NAC could facilitate Notch2 degradation through lysosomal pathway in an antioxidant-independent manner, thus attenuating Notch2 malignant signaling in GBM cells. The remarkable ability of NAC to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth may implicate a novel application of NAC on GBM therapy.

Mismatch repair deficiency and aberrations in the Notch and Hedgehog pathways are of prognostic value in patients with endometrial cancer

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of the Hedgehog (Gli, Patched-1, Shh, Smo) and Notch (Jag1, Notch2, Notch3) pathway members, in comparison to a panel of proteins (ER, PgR, HER2/neu, Ki67, p53, p16, PTEN and MMR) previously suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer, in association with clinical outcome and standard clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 204 patients with histological diagnosis of endometrial cancer treated from 2004 to 2013 were included. The evaluation of protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Univariate analysis showed that higher Ki67 labeling, expression of PTEN, p16, Notch2 and Notch3 proteins, as well as MMR proficiency were associated with increased relapse and mortality rate. Additionally, Patched-1 protein expression was associated with worse DFS, while p53 overexpression was associated with worse OS. In multivariate analyses, patients with MMR proficient tumors had more than double risk for death than patients with MMR deficient (MMRd) tumors (adjusted HR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.05–4.58, p = 0.036). Jag1 positivity conferred reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.23–0.97, p = 0.042). However, as shown by hierarchical clustering, patients fared better when their tumors expressed high Jag1 protein in the absence of Notch2 and Notch3, while they fared worse when all three proteins were highly expressed. Patched-1 positivity conferred higher risk for relapse (HR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.05–3.96, p = 0.036).

Aberrant expression of key components of the Notch and Hedgehog signaling pathways, as well as MMRd may serve as independent prognostic factors for recurrence and survival in patients with endometrial cancer.

Activation of hepatocyte growth factor/MET signaling initiates oncogenic transformation and enhances tumor aggressiveness in the murine prostate

Emerging evidence has shown that the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase (MET), promote cell proliferation, motility, morphogenesis, and angiogenesis. Whereas up-regulation of MET expression has been observed in aggressive and metastatic prostate cancer, a clear understanding of MET function in prostate tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here, we developed a conditional Met transgenic mouse strain, H11 ^Met/+ :PB-Cre4, to mimic human prostate cancer cells with increased MET expression in the prostatic luminal epithelium. We found that these mice develop prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia after HGF administration. To further assess the biological role of MET in prostate cancer progression, we bred H11 ^Met/+ /Pten^LoxP/LoxP:PBCre4 compound mice, in which transgenic Met expression and deletion of the tumor suppressor gene Pten occurred simultaneously only in prostatic epithelial cells. These compound mice exhibited accelerated prostate tumor formation and invasion as well as increased metastasis compared with Pten^LoxP/LoxP:PB-Cre4 mice. Moreover, prostatic sarcomatoid carcinomas and lesions resembling the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition developed in tumor lesions of the compound mice. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed a robust enrichment of known tumor progression and metastasis-promoting genes in samples isolated from H11 ^Met/+ /Pten^LoxP/LoxP:PB-Cre4 compound mice compared with those from Pten^LoxP/LoxP:PB-Cre4 littermate controls. HGF-induced cell proliferation and migration also increased in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from animals with both Met transgene expression and Pten deletion compared with Pten-null MEFs. The results from these newly developed mouse models indicate a role for MET in hastening tumorigenesis and metastasis when combined with the loss of tumor suppressors.

Notch1 regulates tongue cancer cells proliferation, apoptosis and invasion

OBJECTIVES

Notch1 regulates tumor biology in a complex, context-dependent manner. The roles of Notch1 in tongue cancer are still controversial. The aim of this study is to investigate the roles of Notch1 in tongue cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression of Notch1 was tested between tongue cancer and normal samples by using immunohistochemistry. Tongue cancer cells were transfected with siRNA or plasmid, respectively. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion ability were tested in appropriate ways. The subcutaneous tumor model was established to observe the tumor growth.

RESULTS

Notch1 was upregulated in tongue carcinoma tissues and the expression of Notch1 was related with tumor stage and differentiation. Overexpression of Notch1 could increase tongue cancer cells proliferation, invasion and migration. But inhibited the expression of Notch1 could decrease cells proliferation, invasion and migration and promote cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our results prove that the oncogenic role of Notch1 in tongue cancer and provide the direction of targeted therapy of tongue cancer.

NOTCH signalinio kelio ir ginekologinių piktybinių navikų sąsaja

Įvadas. Organizmo ląstelėse vykstančius procesus kontroliuoja įvairūs signaliniai keliai. Vienas iš jų yra NOTCH signalinis kelias. Nustatyta, kad dalinis NOTCH funkcijos praradimas arba nenormalus NOTCH signalo aktyvinimas susijęs su įvairiais žmogaus vystymosi sutrikimais ir ligomis.

Medžiaga ir metodika. Pagrindinis informacijos šaltinis ieškant duomenų – PubMed duomenų bazė.

Rezultatai. Straipsnyje nagrinėjama onkologinių ligų bei NOTCH signalinio kelio dalyvių sąsaja. NOTCH signalas, vystantis vėžiui, gali veikti dvejopai: kaip onkogenas ir kaip naviko augimo slopiklis. Tikslus tokio poveikio mechanizmas dar nėra žinomas. NOTCH signalinio kelio tyrimai svarbūs siekiant atrasti naujus vėžio gydymo būdus, farmakologiniais ir genetiniais metodais valdant NOTCH signalinį kelią. Šioje apžvalgoje daugiausia dėmesio skiriama ginekologiniams piktybiniams navikams, ypač gimdos kūno vėžiui.

Išvados. Pastarųjų metų mokslinių tyrimų duomenys rodo, kad NOTCH signalinis kelias yra neabejotinai svarbus formuojantis gimdos kūno vėžiui, todėl jo komponentai gali būti potencialūs prognoziniai biožymenys ir molekuliniai terapiniai taikiniai. Siekiant patikslinti NOTCH signalinio kelio dalyvių reikšmę bei jų sąveiką su kitų signalinių kelių dalyviais, kurie taip pat gali būti svarbūs formuojantis ir progresuojant gimdos kūno vėžiui, reikalingi tolesni šios srities moksliniai tyrimai.

LncRNA-MEG3 inhibits cell proliferation of endometrial carcinoma by repressing Notch signaling

BACKGROUND

The long non-coding RNA MEG3 has shown functional role as a tumor suppressor in many cancer types, excluding endometrial carcinoma (EC). Thus, this study tried to reveal the MEG3 dysregulation in EC samples and potential functional mechanism due to its regulation on Notch signaling pathway.

METHODS

The expression profiles of MEG3 and two Notch signaling molecules, Notch1 and Hes1, were detected in both EC tissues and cell lines through real time PCR and western blot analysis. Lentiviral vector carrying whole MEG3 transcript or shRNA targeting MEG3 (shMEG3) was transfected for MEG3 dysfunction studies, and cell proliferation was analyzed through MTT and colony-formation assays. Xenograft models were also established by subcutaneous implantation and tumor growth was compared under MEG3 dysregulation.

RESULTS

Significant downregulation of MEG3 was observed in EC samples compared to control, while the protein levels of Notch1 and Hes1 were both upregulated. Cell proliferation was obviously inhibited by MEG3 overexpression, while opposite improved result was obtained in MEG3 knockout cells. Interestingly, MEG3-induced changes could be reversed by Notch1 regulators. Moreover, MEG3 overexpressing tumors showed strongly repressed growth in vivo, along with Notch signaling inhibition.

CONCLUSION

Downregulated MEG3 exhibited an anti-proliferative role in EC by repressing Notch signaling pathway.

Tumor progression, metastasis, and modulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma: an update

Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC), also known as type 1 endometrial cancer (EC), accounts for over 70-80% of all cases that are usually associated with estrogen stimulation and often develops in a background of atypical endometrial hyperplasia. The increased incidence of EC is mainly confined to this type of cancer. Most EEC patients present at an early stage and generally have a favorable prognosis; however, up to 30% of EEC present as high risk tumors, which have invaded deep into the myometrium at diagnosis and progressively lead to local or extra pelvic metastasis. The poor survival of advanced EC is related to the lack of effective therapies, which can be attributed to poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of disease toward invasion and metastasis. Multiple lines of evidence illustrate that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like events are central to tumor progression and malignant transformation, endowing the incipient cancer cell with invasive and metastatic properties. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on molecular events associated with EMT in progression, invasion, and metastasis of EEC. Further, the role of epigenetic modifications and microRNA regulation, tumor microenvironment, and microcystic elongated and fragmented glands like invasion pattern have been discussed. We believe this article may perhaps stimulate further research in this field that may aid in identifying high risk patients within this clinically challenging patient group and also lead to the recognition of novel targets for the prevention of metastasis - the most fatal consequence of endometrial carcinogenesis.

Aberrant expression of Notch1, HES1, and DTX1 genes in glioblastoma formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor accounting for more than 54 % of all gliomas. Despite aggressive treatments, median survival remains less than 1 year. This might be due to the unavailability of effective molecular diagnostic markers and targeted therapy. Thus, it is essential to discover molecular mechanisms underlying disease by identifying dysregulated pathways involved in tumorigenesis. Notch signaling is one such pathway which plays an important role in determining cell fates. Since it is found to play a critical role in many cancers, we investigated the role of Notch genes in glioblastoma with an aim to identify biomarkers that can improve diagnosis. Using real-time PCR, we assessed the expression of Notch genes including receptors (Notch1, Notch2, Notch3, and Notch4), ligands (JAG1, JAG2, and DLL3), downstream targets (HES1 and HEY2), regulator Deltex1 (DTX1), inhibitor NUMB along with transcriptional co-activator MAML1, and a component of gamma-secretase complex APH1A in 15 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) patient samples. Relative quantification was done by the 2(-ΔΔCt) method; the data are presented as fold change in gene expression normalized to an internal control gene and relative to the calibrator. The data revealed aberrant expression of Notch genes in glioblastoma compared to normal brain. More than 85 % of samples showed high Notch1 (P = 0.0397) gene expression and low HES1 (P = 0.011) and DTX1 (P = 0.0001) gene expression. Our results clearly show aberrant expression of Notch genes in glioblastoma which can be used as putative biomarkers together with histopathological observation to improve diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and patient prognosis.

Notch4 promotes gastric cancer growth through activation of Wnt1/β-catenin signaling

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers and lethal malignancies in the world. Discovering novel biomarkers that correlate with GC may provide opportunities to reduce the severity of GC. As one of Notch receptor family members in mammals, Notch4 plays an important role in carcinogenesis of several tumors. However, the precise function and mechanism of Notch4 in GC remain undefined. To address this question, we investigated whether Notch4 could be involved in GC progression. We found that Notch4 was activated by overexpressing exogenous intracellular domain of Notch4 (ICN4), and Notch4 activation promoted GC growth in vitro and in vivo, while Notch4 inhibition using ICN4 siRNA had opposite effects. In addition, Notch4 activation induced expression and activation of Wnt1, β-catenin and downstream target genes, c-Myc and cyclin D1, in GC cells, while Notch4 inhibition had opposite effects. Moreover, β-catenin depletion by siRNA attenuated cell proliferation induced by Notch4 activation. Therefore, our results revealed that Notch4 activates Wnt1/β-catenin signaling to regulate GC growth.