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Steen S, Horn D, Flechtenmacher C, Hoffmann J, Freier K, Ristow O, Hess J, Moratin J. Expression analysis of SOX2 and SOX9 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 2024. [PMID: 39180200 DOI: 10.1002/hed.27925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lately SOX2 and SOX9, transcription factors associated with stemness-like phenotypes of cancer cells, have been linked to tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. METHODS This study aimed on evaluating the expression of SOX2 and SOX9 in a large cohort of patients with OSCC including primary and recurrent tumors and corresponding lymph node metastases. Semiautomatic digital pathology scoring was used to determine protein expression and survival analysis was performed to evaluate its prognostic significance. RESULTS We found a significant downregulation of SOX9 from primary disease to lymph node metastases (p < 0.001). SOX9 expression and the subgroup SOX2lowSOX9high were significantly correlated with worse overall survival (p < 0.05). Additionally, SOX2lowSOX9high expression pattern was confirmed as independent prognosticator for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the relevant role of SOX2 and SOX9 in patients with OSCC and show the clinical relevance for further investigation on the molecular mechanisms underlying SOX-related gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Steen
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dominik Horn
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Christa Flechtenmacher
- Tissue Bank of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hoffmann
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kolja Freier
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Ristow
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julius Moratin
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Acero-Riaguas L, Griso-Acevedo AB, SanLorenzo-Vaquero A, Ibáñez-Herrera B, Fernandez-Diaz SM, Mascaraque M, Sánchez-Siles R, López-García I, Benítez-Buelga C, Bravo-Burguillos ER, Castelo B, Cebrián-Carretero JL, Perona R, Sastre L, Sastre-Perona A. DUSP1 and SOX2 expression determine squamous cell carcinoma of the salivary gland progression. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15007. [PMID: 38951654 PMCID: PMC11217270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65945-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Salivary gland squamous cell carcinomas (SG-SCCs) constitute a rare type of head and neck cancer which is linked to poor prognosis. Due to their low frequency, the molecular mechanisms responsible for their aggressiveness are poorly understood. In this work we studied the role of the phosphatase DUSP1, a negative regulator of MAPK activity, in controlling SG-SCC progression. We generated DUSP1 KO clones in A253 human cells. These clones showed a reduced ability to grow in 2D, self-renew in ECM matrices and to form tumors in immunodeficient mice. This was caused by an overactivation of the stress and apoptosis kinase JNK1/2 in DUSP1-/+ clones. Interestingly, RNAseq analysis revealed that the expression of SOX2, a well-known self-renewal gene was decreased at the mRNA and protein levels in DUSP1-/+ cells. Unexpectedly, CRISPR-KO of SOX2 did not recapitulate DUSP1-/+ phenotype, and SOX2-null cells had an enhanced ability to self-renew and to form tumors in mice. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that SOX2-null cells have a decreased squamous differentiation profile -losing TP63 expression- and an increased migratory phenotype, with an enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition signature. In summary, our data indicates that DUSP1 and SOX2 have opposite functions in SG-SCC, being DUSP1 necessary for tumor growth and SOX2 dispensable showing a tumor suppressor function. Our data suggest that the combined expression of SOX2 and DUSP1 could be a useful biomarker to predict progression in patients with SG-SCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Acero-Riaguas
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas CSIC/UAM and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Belén Griso-Acevedo
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro SanLorenzo-Vaquero
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Ibáñez-Herrera
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara María Fernandez-Diaz
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Mascaraque
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Sánchez-Siles
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván López-García
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Benítez-Buelga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas CSIC/UAM and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Ruiz Bravo-Burguillos
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Castelo
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital La Paz, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Cebrián-Carretero
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, University Hospital La Paz, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosario Perona
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leandro Sastre
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas CSIC/UAM and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Sastre-Perona
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Cancer, IdiPAZ, 28046, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas CSIC/UAM and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Barbosa S, Laureano NK, Hadiwikarta WW, Visioli F, Bonrouhi M, Pajdzik K, Conde-Lopez C, Herold-Mende C, Eidt G, Langie R, Lamers ML, Stögbauer F, Hess J, Kurth I, Jou A. The Role of SOX2 and SOX9 in Radioresistance and Tumor Recurrence. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:439. [PMID: 38275880 PMCID: PMC10814462 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibits considerable variability in patient outcome. It has been reported that SOX2 plays a role in proliferation, tumor growth, drug resistance, and metastasis in a variety of cancer types. Additionally, SOX9 has been implicated in immune tolerance and treatment failures. SOX2 and SOX9 induce treatment failure by a molecular mechanism that has not yet been elucidated. This study explores the inverse association of SOX2/SOX9 and their distinct expression in tumors, influencing the tumor microenvironment and radiotherapy responses. Through public RNA sequencing data, human biopsy samples, and knockdown cellular models, we explored the effects of inverted SOX2 and SOX9 expression. We found that patients expressing SOX2LowSOX9High showed decreased survival compared to SOX2HighSOX9Low. A survival analysis of patients stratified by radiotherapy and human papillomavirus brings additional clinical relevance. We identified a gene set signature comprising newly discovered candidate genes resulting from inverted SOX2/SOX9 expression. Moreover, the TGF-β pathway emerges as a significant predicted contributor to the overexpression of these candidate genes. In vitro findings reveal that silencing SOX2 enhances tumor radioresistance, while SOX9 silencing enhances radiosensitivity. These discoveries lay the groundwork for further studies on the therapeutic potential of transcription factors in optimizing HNSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Barbosa
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Basic Health Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Natalia Koerich Laureano
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-004, RS, Brazil
| | - Wahyu Wijaya Hadiwikarta
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Core Center Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fernanda Visioli
- Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-004, RS, Brazil
| | - Mahnaz Bonrouhi
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kinga Pajdzik
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cristina Conde-Lopez
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christel Herold-Mende
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gustavo Eidt
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Renan Langie
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-004, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Lazzaron Lamers
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Basic Health Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Fabian Stögbauer
- Tissue Bank of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, Germany and Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ina Kurth
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Core Center Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adriana Jou
- Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Dentistry, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Pontifícial Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre 90619-900, RS, Brazil
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4
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López L, Fernández-Vañes L, Cabal VN, García-Marín R, Suárez-Fernández L, Codina-Martínez H, Lorenzo-Guerra SL, Vivanco B, Blanco-Lorenzo V, Llorente JL, López F, Hermsen MA. Sox2 and βIII-Tubulin as Biomarkers of Drug Resistance in Poorly Differentiated Sinonasal Carcinomas. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1504. [PMID: 37888115 PMCID: PMC10608336 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13101504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Poorly differentiated sinonasal carcinomas (PDCs) are tumors that have a poor prognosis despite advances in classical treatment. Predictive and prognostic markers and new personalized treatments could improve the oncological outcomes of patients. In this study, we analyzed SOX2 and βIII-tubulin as biomarkers that could have prognostic and therapeutic impacts on these tumors. The cohort included 57 cases of PDCs: 36 sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) cases, 13 olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) cases, and 8 sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) cases. Clinical follow-up data were available for 26 of these cases. Sox2 expression was detected using immunohistochemistry in 6 (75%) SNEC cases, 19 (53%) SNUC cases, and 6 (46%) ONB cases. The absence of Sox2 staining correlated with a higher rate of recurrence (p = 0.015), especially distant recurrence. The majority of cases showed βIII-tubulin expression, with strong positivity in 85%, 75%, and 64% of SNEC, ONB, and SNUC cases, respectively. Tumors with stronger βIII-tubulin expression demonstrated longer disease-free survival than those with no expression or low expression (p = 0.049). Sox2 and βIII-tubulin expression is common in poorly differentiated sinonasal tumors and has prognostic and therapeutic utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis López
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (L.L.); (L.F.-V.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Laura Fernández-Vañes
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (L.L.); (L.F.-V.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Virginia N. Cabal
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Rocío García-Marín
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Laura Suárez-Fernández
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Helena Codina-Martínez
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Sara L. Lorenzo-Guerra
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Blanca Vivanco
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (B.V.); (V.B.-L.)
| | - Verónica Blanco-Lorenzo
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (B.V.); (V.B.-L.)
| | - José L. Llorente
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (L.L.); (L.F.-V.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Fernando López
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (L.L.); (L.F.-V.); (J.L.L.)
| | - Mario A. Hermsen
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain; (V.N.C.); (R.G.-M.); (L.S.-F.); (H.C.-M.); (S.L.L.-G.); (M.A.H.)
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Satala CB, Kovacs Z, Bara T, Jung I, Gurzu S. Signet-Ring Cell Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Biphenotypic Neoplasm of the Gastro-Esophageal Junction with Uncertain Biological Potential: Case Report and Literature Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119535. [PMID: 37298485 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The signet-ring cell variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an extremely rare histological subtype, with only 24 cases (including the present case) reported in the Medline database: 15 affecting the external surface of the body, 3 in the lung, 2 affecting the uterine cervix, 1 involving the gingiva, another one affecting the esophagus and the present case that is the first reported at the gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ). In one case, the location of the lesion was not mentioned. A 59-year-old male patient underwent segmental eso-gastrectomy for carcinoma of the GEJ. The microscopic examination showed a pT3N1-staged SCC composed of solid nests admixed in over 30% of the tumor, with cells having eccentrically located nuclei and clear vacuolated cytoplasm. The signet-ring cells did not show mucinous secretion and were positive for keratin 5/6 and vimentin, with nuclear expression of β-catenin and Sox2 and focal membrane positivity for E-cadherin. Based on these features, the case was considered a signet-ring SCC with epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Thirty-one months after surgery, the patient was disease-free, with no local recurrence and no known distant metastases. In SCC, a signet-ring cell component might be an indicator of the dedifferentiation of tumor cells towards a mesenchymal molecular subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalin Bogdan Satala
- Department of Pathology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540012 Targu Mures, Romania
- Department of Pathology, Clinical County Emergency Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Zsolt Kovacs
- Department of Pathology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540012 Targu Mures, Romania
- Department of Pathology, Clinical County Emergency Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
- Research Center for Oncopathology and Translational Medicine (CCOMT), George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Tivadar Bara
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical County Emergency Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Ioan Jung
- Department of Pathology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540012 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Simona Gurzu
- Department of Pathology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540012 Targu Mures, Romania
- Department of Pathology, Clinical County Emergency Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
- Research Center for Oncopathology and Translational Medicine (CCOMT), George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
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Chaudhury S, Panda S, Mohanty N, Panda S, Mohapatra D, Nagaraja R, Sahoo A, Gopinath D, Lewkowicz N, Lapinska B. Can Immunoexpression of Cancer Stem Cell Markers Prognosticate Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12082753. [PMID: 37109090 PMCID: PMC10144949 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12082753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the association of the immunoexpression of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers with clinicopathological and survival outcomes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis [PROSPERO (CRD42021226791)] included observational studies that compared the association of clinicopathological and survival outcomes with CSC immunoexpression in TSCC patients. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as outcome measures. Six studies identified the association with three surface markers (c-MET, STAT3, CD44) and four transcription markers (NANOG, OCT4, BMI, SOX2). The odds of early-stage presentation were 41% (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.42-0.83) and 75% (OR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.14-0.45) lower in CSC and SOX2 immuno-positive cases than immuno-negative cases, respectively. The odds of well-differentiated tumors in transcription marker immuno-positive cases were 45% lower compared to immuno-negative cases (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.96). The odds of positive lymph nodes were 2.01 times higher in CSC immuno-positive cases compared to immuno-negative cases (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.11-3.65). Mortality in immuno-positive cases was 121% higher than that in immuno-negative cases (HR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.16-4.21). Advanced tumor staging and grading, lymph node metastasis, and mortality were significantly associated with positive immunoexpression of CSC markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantanee Chaudhury
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Swagatika Panda
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Neeta Mohanty
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Saurav Panda
- Department of Periodontics and Implantology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Diksha Mohapatra
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Ravishankar Nagaraja
- Department of Biostatistics, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi 110021, India
| | - Alkananda Sahoo
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Divya Gopinath
- Basic Medical and Dental Sciences Department, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
- Centre for Transdisciplinary Research, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Natalia Lewkowicz
- Department of Periodontology and Oral Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, 251 Pomorska St, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Barbara Lapinska
- Department of General Dentistry, Medical University of Lodz, 251 Pomorska St, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
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7
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Li C, Ma YQ. Prognostic significance of sex determining region Y-box 2, E-cadherin, and vimentin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10:9657-9669. [PMID: 36186174 PMCID: PMC9516931 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i27.9657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) can promote squamous cell carcinoma (SSC) because it regulates the migration and invasion of several different types of squamous carcinoma cells. However, few studies have examined the prognostic value of SOX2 and its effect on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in esophageal SSC (ESCC), a cancer characterized by high invasion and rapid metastasis.
AIM To verify the relationship of SOX2 and the EMT in ESCC and determine the prognostic value and significance of SOX2 and protein markers of the EMT in ESCC.
METHODS One hundred and eighty-five postsurgical ESCC patients were retrospectively examined. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect SOX2, E-cadherin, and vimentin in ESCC tissues. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationships of the expression of these proteins with clinical data. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate factors associated with overall survival (OS).
RESULTS SOX2 and vimentin had high expression in ESCC tissues and correlated with the depth of local carcinoma invasion. SOX2 expression had positive correlations with tumor size, vimentin expression, and the EMT, and a negative correlation with E-cadherin expression. Expression of SOX2 and vimentin had negative correlations with OS. SOX2 expression was an independent prognostic risk factor for poor OS in patients with ESCC.
CONCLUSION SOX2 expression was an independent risk factor for OS in patients with ESCC and its expression had a positive correlation with the expression of vimentin, a classic marker of the EMT. SOX2 promoted the migration and invasion of ESCC, and this may related to its effect on vimentin in promoting the EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Department of RICU, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yu-Qing Ma
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
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8
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Patel U, Kannan S, Rane SU, Mittal N, Gera P, Patil A, Manna S, Shejwal V, Noronha V, Joshi A, Patil VM, Prabhash K, Mahimkar MB. Prognostic and predictive roles of cancer stem cell markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients receiving chemoradiotherapy with or without nimotuzumab. Br J Cancer 2022; 126:1439-1449. [PMID: 35140342 PMCID: PMC9091234 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01730-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-EGFR-based therapies have limited success in HNSCC patients. Predictive biomarkers are needed to identify the patients most likely to benefit from these therapies. Here, we present predictive and prognostic associations of different cancer stem cell markers in HPV-negative locally advanced (LA) HNSCC patients. METHODS Pretreatment tumour tissues of 404 HPV-negative LA-HNSCCs patients, a subset of-phase 3-randomised study comparing cisplatin-radiation(CRT) and nimotuzumab plus cisplatin-radiation(NCRT) were examined. The expression levels of CD44, CD44v6, CD98hc, ALDH1A1, SOX2 and OCT4A were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Progression-free survival(PFS), loco-regional control(LRC),- and overall survival(OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS NCRT showed significantly improved OS with low membrane expression of CD44 compared to CRT [HR (95% CI) = 0.63 (0.46-0.88)]. Patients with low CD44v6 also showed better outcomes with NCRT [LRC: HR (95% CI) = 0.25 (0.10-0.62); OS: HR (95% CI) = 0.38 (0.19-0.74)]. No similar benefit with NCRT observed in patients with high CD44 or CD44v6 expression. Bootstrap resampling confirmed the predictive effect of CD44 (Interaction P = 0.015) and CD44v6 (Interaction P = 0.041) for OS. Multivariable Cox analysis revealed an independent negative prognostic role of CD98hc membrane expression for LRC [HR (95% CI) = 0.63(0.39-1.0)] and OS[HR (95% CI) = 0.62 (0.40-0.95)]. CONCLUSIONS CD44 and CD44v6 are potential predictive biomarkers for NCRT response. CD98hc emerged as an independent negative prognostic biomarker. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (Trial registration identifier-CTRI/2014/09/004980).
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Affiliation(s)
- Usha Patel
- grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India ,grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India
| | - Sadhana Kannan
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Biostatistician, Clinical Research Secretariat, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Swapnil U. Rane
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Pathology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Neha Mittal
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Poonam Gera
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Biorepository, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Asawari Patil
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Pathology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Subhakankha Manna
- grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Vishwayani Shejwal
- grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Vanita Noronha
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Amit Joshi
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Vijay M. Patil
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Kumar Prabhash
- grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India ,grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Manoj B. Mahimkar
- grid.410871.b0000 0004 1769 5793Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India ,grid.450257.10000 0004 1775 9822Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, India
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Identification of Molecular Subtypes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Dysregulated Immune LncRNAs. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:9702789. [PMID: 35126519 PMCID: PMC8808126 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9702789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform indispensable functions in cancer pathologies and are involved in the onset and progression of multiple cancers. Multiple platforms were performed to comprehensively analyze the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for determining molecular subtypes. Molecular subtypes were clustered and analyzed by the “ConsensusClusterPlus” R package. The Limma software was utilized to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analyses, including Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Ontology (GO), were performed on the three database resources. Seventeen lncRNAs were determined as HNSCC-specific immune lncRNAs that were dysregulated. Our research identified and redefined two distinct molecular subtypes, C1 (230 samples) and C2 (269 samples). Moreover, the C1 subtype had a higher survival rate than the C2 subtype in HNSCC samples, as well as a prolonged median survival duration with activated immune response. 1531 DEGs, including 529 upmodulated genes and 1002 downmodulated genes, were identified in the above two subtypes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that upmodulated genes in C2 were associated with tumorigenesis and development, while downregulated genes in C2 were associated with immune response. By comparing with the existing immunophenotyping group, it found that C1 had more overlaps with the existing Atypical and Basal, and C2 and Classical and Mesenchymal had a high degree of coincidence. On the basis of lncRNA, there were significant differences in the aspect of prognostic and immunological characteristics in the two identified molecular subtypes of HNSCC.
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10
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Pluripotency Stemness and Cancer: More Questions than Answers. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1376:77-100. [PMID: 34725790 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2021_663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells provided us with fascinating new knowledge in recent years. Mechanistic insight into intricate regulatory circuitry governing pluripotency stemness and disclosing parallels between pluripotency stemness and cancer instigated numerous studies focusing on roles of pluripotency transcription factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, Nanog, Sall4 and Tfcp2L1, in cancer. Although generally well substantiated as tumour-promoting factors, oncogenic roles of pluripotency transcription factors and their clinical impacts are revealing themselves as increasingly complex. In certain tumours, both Oct4 and Sox2 behave as genuine oncogenes, and reporter genes driven by composite regulatory elements jointly recognized by both the factors can identify stem-like cells in a proportion of tumours. On the other hand, cancer stem cells seem to be biologically very heterogeneous both among different tumour types and among and even within individual tumours. Pluripotency transcription factors are certainly implicated in cancer stemness, but do not seem to encompass its entire spectrum. Certain cancer stem cells maintain their stemness by biological mechanisms completely different from pluripotency stemness, sometimes even by engaging signalling pathways that promote differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, while these signalling pathways may well be antithetical to stemness in pluripotent stem cells, they may cooperate with pluripotency factors in cancer stem cells - a paradigmatic example is provided by the MAPK-AP-1 pathway. Unexpectedly, forced expression of pluripotency transcription factors in cancer cells frequently results in loss of their tumour-initiating ability, their phenotypic reversion and partial epigenetic normalization. Besides the very different signalling contexts operating in pluripotent and cancer stem cells, respectively, the pronounced dose dependency of reprogramming pluripotency factors may also contribute to the frequent loss of tumorigenicity observed in induced pluripotent cancer cells. Finally, contradictory cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects of various signalling molecules operate during pluripotency (cancer) reprogramming. The effects of pluripotency transcription factors in cancer are thus best explained within the concept of cancer stem cell heterogeneity.
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Usman S, Waseem NH, Nguyen TKN, Mohsin S, Jamal A, Teh MT, Waseem A. Vimentin Is at the Heart of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Mediated Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4985. [PMID: 34638469 PMCID: PMC8507690 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible plethora of molecular events where epithelial cells gain the phenotype of mesenchymal cells to invade the surrounding tissues. EMT is a physiological event during embryogenesis (type I) but also happens during fibrosis (type II) and cancer metastasis (type III). It is a multifaceted phenomenon governed by the activation of genes associated with cell migration, extracellular matrix degradation, DNA repair, and angiogenesis. The cancer cells employ EMT to acquire the ability to migrate, resist therapeutic agents and escape immunity. One of the key biomarkers of EMT is vimentin, a type III intermediate filament that is normally expressed in mesenchymal cells but is upregulated during cancer metastasis. This review highlights the pivotal role of vimentin in the key events during EMT and explains its role as a downstream as well as an upstream regulator in this highly complex process. This review also highlights the areas that require further research in exploring the role of vimentin in EMT. As a cytoskeletal protein, vimentin filaments support mechanical integrity of the migratory machinery, generation of directional force, focal adhesion modulation and extracellular attachment. As a viscoelastic scaffold, it gives stress-bearing ability and flexible support to the cell and its organelles. However, during EMT it modulates genes for EMT inducers such as Snail, Slug, Twist and ZEB1/2, as well as the key epigenetic factors. In addition, it suppresses cellular differentiation and upregulates their pluripotent potential by inducing genes associated with self-renewability, thus increasing the stemness of cancer stem cells, facilitating the tumour spread and making them more resistant to treatments. Several missense and frameshift mutations reported in vimentin in human cancers may also contribute towards the metastatic spread. Therefore, we propose that vimentin should be a therapeutic target using molecular technologies that will curb cancer growth and spread with reduced mortality and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Usman
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Turner Str., London E1 2AT, UK; (S.U.); (T.K.N.N.); (A.J.); (M.-T.T.)
| | - Naushin H. Waseem
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Str., London EC1V 9EL, UK;
| | - Thuan Khanh Ngoc Nguyen
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Turner Str., London E1 2AT, UK; (S.U.); (T.K.N.N.); (A.J.); (M.-T.T.)
| | - Sahar Mohsin
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Ahmad Jamal
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Turner Str., London E1 2AT, UK; (S.U.); (T.K.N.N.); (A.J.); (M.-T.T.)
| | - Muy-Teck Teh
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Turner Str., London E1 2AT, UK; (S.U.); (T.K.N.N.); (A.J.); (M.-T.T.)
| | - Ahmad Waseem
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Turner Str., London E1 2AT, UK; (S.U.); (T.K.N.N.); (A.J.); (M.-T.T.)
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12
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Ghazaghi F, Saffar H, Yazdani F, Etebarian A. Clinical Significance and Prognostic Value of SOX2 Protein Expression in Patients With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2021; 29:700-705. [PMID: 33973888 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cancer stem cells are a small group of highly tumorigenic cells with the trend of self-renewal, tumor progression, metastasis, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. SOX2 is an important cancer stem cell marker that is involved in tumorigenesis and correlated with aggressive features in various types of malignancies. The present study was aimed to investigate the expression of this biomarker in neoplastic tissues of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to determine whether it has the potential to predict the outcomes and survival of the affected patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records of 73 patients diagnosed with OSCC were retrospectively studied. Clinical and pathologic features included age, sex, tumor size, histologic grade, lymph node involvement, recurrence, metastasis, and follow up. Immunohistochemical analysis for SOX2 protein expression was performed, and its correlations with clinicopathologic features were evaluated. RESULTS SOX2 was significantly associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and patients' survival. We found no apparent correlation between SOX2 and tumor recurrence, distant metastasis, or differentiation. The multivariate analysis identifies patients' age, sex, and SOX2 expression as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. CONCLUSION SOX2 may worsen the prognosis and be a progressive malignant factor, which can help clinicians investigate OSCC patients' survival and plan the appropriate treatment accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Ghazaghi
- Department of Periodontology, School of dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
| | - Hana Saffar
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex
| | - Farzad Yazdani
- Department of Pathology, Amir Alam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
| | - Arghavan Etebarian
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
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13
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Paparella ML, Ferri DM, Villegas KM, Raimondi AR. Quantitative analysis of KLF4 and SOX2 expression in oral carcinomas reveals independent association with oral tongue subsite location and histological grade. Cancer Biomark 2021; 32:37-48. [PMID: 34092609 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-203086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stemness factors associated with tumorigenesis in different types of cancers have not been specifically studied in oral tongue SCC (OTSSC). Here, we aimed to quantify expression levels and distribution of KLF4 and SOX2, two relevant stemness factors, in oral SCC including OTSCC samples from different subsites. METHODS AND RESULTS We determined KLF4 and SOX2 expression levels by immunostaining 35 biopsies of OSCC. Stained wholeslide images were digitized and subjected to automatic cell detection and unbiased quantification using Qupath software. We found statistically significant reduction in KLF4 positive cells density (p= 0.024), and fraction (p= 0.022) in OTSCC from tongue borders compared with other tongue subsites. Instead, quantitative SOX2 analysis did not show differences in expression levels between OTSCC from the borders versus OTSCC developed in others subsites. Notably SOX2 expression was revealed increased in moderately and poorly differentiated OSCC compared with well differentiated ones (positive cells density p= 0.025, fraction p= 0.006). No significant correlation between KLF4 and SOX2 expression was observed, neither in OSCC nor in OTSCC. CONCLUSIONS KLF4 and SOX2 exhibit opposite expression profiles regarding subsite localization and differentiation level in OSCC. Our study prompts future OTSCC prospective studies looking for clinical prognosis to incorporate detailed subsite information in the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Luisa Paparella
- School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology Department, Surgical Pathology Laboratory, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario Martin Ferri
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBACONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Krissya María Villegas
- School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology Department, Surgical Pathology Laboratory, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Rosa Raimondi
- School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology Department, Surgical Pathology Laboratory, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBACONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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14
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Khorani K, Schwaerzler J, Burkart S, Kurth I, Holzinger D, Flechtenmacher C, Plinkert PK, Zaoui K, Hess J. Establishment of a Plasticity-Associated Risk Model Based on a SOX2- and SOX9-Related Gene Set in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:1676-1687. [PMID: 34285085 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies highlighted SOX2 and SOX9 as key determinants for cancer-cell plasticity and demonstrated that cisplatin-induced adaptation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is acquired by an inverse regulation of both transcription factors. However, the association between SOX2/SOX9-related genetic programs with risk factors and genetic or epigenetic alterations in primary head and neck SCC (HNSCC), and their prognostic value is largely unknown.Here, we identified differentially-expressed genes (DEG) related to SOX2 and SOX9 transcription in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-HNSC, which enable clustering of patients into groups with distinct clinical features and survival. A prognostic risk model was established by LASSO Cox regression based on expression patterns of DEGs in TCGA-HNSC (training cohort), and was confirmed in independent HNSCC validation cohorts as well as other cancer cohorts from TCGA. Differences in the mutational landscape among risk groups of TCGA-HNSC demonstrated an enrichment of truncating NSD1 mutations for the low-risk group and elucidated DNA methylation as modulator of SOX2 expression. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) revealed differences in several oncogenic pathways among risk groups, including upregulation of gene sets related to oncogenic KRAS signaling for the high-risk group. Finally, in silico drug screen analysis revealed numerous compounds targeting EGFR signaling with significantly lower efficacy for cancer cell lines with a higher risk phenotype, but also indicated potential vulnerabilities. IMPLICATIONS: The established risk model identifies patients with primary HNSCC, but also other cancers at a higher risk for treatment failure, who might benefit from a therapy targeting SOX2/SOX9-related gene regulatory and signaling networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Khorani
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Schwaerzler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Burkart
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ina Kurth
- Division of Radiooncology/Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dana Holzinger
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christa Flechtenmacher
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, and NCT Tissue Bank, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter K Plinkert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karim Zaoui
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Gross-Cohen M, Yanku Y, Kessler O, Barash U, Boyango I, Cid-Arregui A, Neufeld G, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I. Heparanase 2 (Hpa2) attenuates tumor growth by inducing Sox2 expression. Matrix Biol 2021; 99:58-71. [PMID: 34004353 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The pro-tumorigenic properties of heparanase are well documented, and heparanase inhibitors are being evaluated clinically as anti-cancer therapeutics. In contrast, the role of heparanase 2 (Hpa2), a close homolog of heparanase, in cancer is largely unknown. Previously, we have reported that in head and neck cancer, high levels of Hpa2 are associated with prolonged patient survival and decreased tumor cell dissemination to regional lymph nodes, suggesting that Hpa2 functions to restrain tumorigenesis. Also, patients with high levels of Hpa2 were diagnosed as low grade and exhibited increased expression of cytokeratins, an indication that Hpa2 promotes or maintains epithelial cell differentiation and identity. To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the tumor suppressor properties of Hpa2, and its ability to induce the expression of cytokeratin, we employed overexpression as well as gene editing (Crispr) approaches, combined with gene array and RNAseq methodologies. At the top of the list of many genes found to be affected by Hpa2 was Sox2. Here we provide evidence that silencing of Sox2 resulted in bigger tumors endowed with reduced cytokeratin levels, whereas smaller tumors were developed by cells overexpressing Sox2, suggesting that in head and neck carcinoma, Sox2 functions to inhibit tumor growth. Notably, Hpa2-null cells engineered by Crispr/Cas 9, produced bigger tumors vs control cells, and rescue of Hpa2 attenuated tumor growth. These results strongly imply that Hpa2 functions as a tumor suppressor in head and neck cancer, involving Sox2 upregulation mediated, in part, by the high-affinity interaction of Hpa2 with heparan sulfate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Gross-Cohen
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yifat Yanku
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ofra Kessler
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Uri Barash
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ilanit Boyango
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Gera Neufeld
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Neta Ilan
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
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16
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Saulters E, Woolley JF, Varadarajan S, Jones TM, Dahal LN. STINGing Viral Tumors: What We Know from Head and Neck Cancers. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3945-3952. [PMID: 33903123 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
It has now become increasingly clear that viruses, which may not be directly oncogenic, can affect the biology of tumors as well as immune behavior against tumors. This has led to a fundamental question: Should tumors associated with viral infection be considered distinct from those without? Typically, viruses activate the host innate immune responses by stimulating pathogen recognition receptors and DNA-sensing pathways, including the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. However, regulation of the STING pathway in a virus-associated tumor microenvironment is poorly understood. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection within a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) promotes a unique etiology and clinical outcome. For reasons currently not well understood, patients with HPV+ tumors have a better outcome in terms of both overall survival and reduced risk of recurrence compared with HPV- HNSCC. This observation may reflect a greater intrinsic immunogenicity associated with HPV infection, pertaining to innate immune system pathways activated following recognition of viral nucleotides. Here we discuss how HNSCC provides a unique model to study the STING pathway in the context of viral-induced tumor type as well as recent advances in our understanding of this pathway in HSNCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Saulters
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John F Woolley
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Shankar Varadarajan
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Terence M Jones
- Liverpool Head and Neck Cancer Centre, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lekh N Dahal
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
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17
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Gupta S, Kumar P, Das BC. HPV +ve/-ve oral-tongue cancer stem cells: A potential target for relapse-free therapy. Transl Oncol 2021; 14:100919. [PMID: 33129107 PMCID: PMC7590584 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a highly prevalent head and neck cancer often associated with tobacco and/or alcohol abuse or high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. HPV positive TSCCs present a unique mechanism of tumorigenesis as compared to tobacco and alcohol-induced TSCCs and show a better prognosis when treated. The poor prognosis and/or recurrence of TSCC is due to presence of a small subpopulation of tumor-initiating tongue cancer stem cells (TCSCs) that are intrinsically resistant to conventional chemoradio-therapies enabling cancer to relapse. Therefore, targeting TCSCs may provide efficient therapeutic strategy for relapse-free survival of TSCC patients. Indeed, the development of new TCSC targeting therapeutic approaches for the successful elimination of HPV+ve/-ve TCSCs could be achieved either by targeting the self-renewal pathways, epithelial mesenchymal transition, vascular niche, nanoparticles-based therapy, induction of differentiation, chemoradio-sensitization of TCSCs or TCSC-derived exosome-based drug delivery and inhibition of HPV oncogenes or by regulating epigenetic pathways. In this review, we have discussed all these potential approaches and highlighted several important signaling pathways/networks involved in the formation and maintenance of TCSCs, which are targetable as novel therapeutic targets to sensitize/eliminate TCSCs and to improve survival of TSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Gupta
- Stem Cell and Cancer Research Lab, Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India; National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), I-7, Sector-39, Noida 201301, India
| | - Prabhat Kumar
- Stem Cell and Cancer Research Lab, Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India
| | - Bhudev C Das
- Stem Cell and Cancer Research Lab, Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India.
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Rachmadi L, Kusmardi, Miranda ME, Vianney MM. Association between SOX2 and OCT4 expression and the chemoradiation therapeutic response in undifferentiated non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma. MEDICAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIA 2020. [DOI: 10.13181/mji.oa.203647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-renewal ability of cancer stem cells (CSS) is one of the possible causes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to relapse and metastasize. SOX2 and OCT4 are markers for expression of the embryonic stem cells and crucial for the progression of various malignancies. This study was aimed to analyze the association between SOX2 and OCT4 expression and chemoradiation therapeutic response in undifferentiated non-keratinizing NPC.
METHODS This cross-sectional study used archival data from Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital from January 2014 to December 2016. The outcomes were classified into good-response (complete and partial response) and poor-response groups (progressive and stable disease) based on response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). SOX2 and OCT4 immunohistochemistry staining was performed using the initial specimen (before chemoradiation therapy) and positively expressing tumor cells were counted. Staining intensity was graded as: strong, moderate, weak, and negative. Strong and moderate staining was considered positive expression.
RESULTS 33 males and 8 females were included; 48% were ≥50 years old. Most of the patients had stage IV (n = 35) and several patients had stage II (n = 3) and III (n = 3). More cells expressed OCT4 in the good-response group than the poor-response group (61.3% versus 37.0%, p = 0.009). Meanwhile, there were less cells expressing SOX2 in the good-response group than the poor-response group (36.3% versus 61.1%, p = 0.097).
CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that OCT4 is a potential predictive marker for therapeutic response in patients with NPC.
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Shah PA, Huang C, Li Q, Kazi SA, Byers LA, Wang J, Johnson FM, Frederick MJ. NOTCH1 Signaling in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122677. [PMID: 33322834 PMCID: PMC7764697 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarker-driven targeted therapies are lacking for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is common and lethal. Efforts to develop such therapies are hindered by a genomic landscape dominated by the loss of tumor suppressor function, including NOTCH1 that is frequently mutated in HNSCC. Clearer understanding of NOTCH1 signaling in HNSCCs is crucial to clinically targeting this pathway. Structural characterization of NOTCH1 mutations in HNSCC demonstrates that most are predicted to cause loss of function, in agreement with NOTCH1's role as a tumor suppressor in this cancer. Experimental manipulation of NOTCH1 signaling in HNSCC cell lines harboring either mutant or wild-type NOTCH1 further supports a tumor suppressor function. Additionally, the loss of NOTCH1 signaling can drive HNSCC tumorigenesis and clinical aggressiveness. Our recent data suggest that NOTCH1 controls genes involved in early differentiation that could have different phenotypic consequences depending on the cancer's genetic background, including acquisition of pseudo-stem cell-like properties. The presence of NOTCH1 mutations may predict response to treatment with an immune checkpoint or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors. The latter is being tested in a clinical trial, and if validated, it may lead to the development of the first biomarker-driven targeted therapy for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja A. Shah
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.A.S.); (L.A.B.)
| | - Chenfei Huang
- Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.H.); (M.J.F.)
| | - Qiuli Li
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China;
| | - Sawad A. Kazi
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| | - Lauren A. Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.A.S.); (L.A.B.)
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Jing Wang
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Faye M. Johnson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (P.A.S.); (L.A.B.)
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-713–792-6363; Fax: +1-713-792-1220
| | - Mitchell J. Frederick
- Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.H.); (M.J.F.)
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Prognostic Implication of SOX2 Expression Associated with p16 in Oropharyngeal Cancer: A Study of Consecutive Tissue Microarrays and TCGA. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9110387. [PMID: 33182283 PMCID: PMC7695281 DOI: 10.3390/biology9110387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal cancer (OPSCC) as a cause agent has been reported in much of the literature. As a surrogate marker, p16 immunohistochemical staining is used as the standard for classifying OPSCC, and the prognosis of p16+ OPSCC has been reported to be better than p16− OPSCC. However, it was necessary to study what is the next biomarker that could predict the prognosis after classification by p16. We assumed that SOX2 may be a potential biomarker. For each p16+ and p16− OPSCC, SOX2 was used to analyze whether the degree of expression level differed in survival and recurrence rates. The results showed that both immunohistochemical staining and mRNA expression level of SOX2 significantly affected the survival and recurrence rates of p16+ OPSCC patients in two different datasets which were constructed in differently ways. Our study presented the clinical applicability of SOX2 as a biomarker. Abstract For oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), there are not enough additional robust biomarkers for subgrouping after the distinct classification using p16. As SOX2 is an emerging biomarker for cancer treatment, its clinical implication in OPSCC was evaluated using a consecutive tissue microarray (TMA) cohort consisting of 111 patients who underwent surgery as an initial treatment from May 2002 to December 2016 and 79 patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. In both datasets, p16+/SOX2High (HPV+/SOX2High in TCGA) showed the best prognosis among the four groups classified by SOX2 and p16 for 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence (all p < 0.05), but SOX2 did not make a significant difference in the prognosis of the p16− group. In the TMA cohort, SOX2High was significantly correlated with response to radiotherapy and lower pathologic T classification in the p16+ group (p = 0.001). In TCGA, correlations between SOX2 and tumor stage classification or radiotherapy were not observed; however, HPV+/SOX2High had a significantly low tumor mutation burden among the four groups (all p < 0.05). In summary, SOX2 was proven to be a potential marker to predict overall survival and recurrence in p16+ OPSCC. However, the role of SOX2 has not yet been confirmed in p16− OPSCC patients.
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Zhou R, Liu D, Zhu J, Zhang T. Common gene signatures and key pathways in hypopharyngeal and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Evidence from bioinformatic analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e22434. [PMID: 33080677 PMCID: PMC7571924 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000022434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypopharyngeal and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are the most common double primary tumors with poor prognosis. Intensive work has been made to illuminate the etiology, but the common carcinogenic mechanism remains unclear. Thus, we conducted the study to seek to find the common gene signatures and key functional pathways associated with oncogenesis and treatment in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) and ESCC by bioinformatic analysis. METHODS Three independent datasets (GSE2379, GSE20347, and GSE75241) were screened out from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using GEO2R online platform. Subsequently, the Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis of DEGs were conducted using database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery (DAVID). Meanwhile, the protein-protein interaction network (PPI) constructed by search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes (STRING) was visualized using Cytoscape. Afterwards, the most key module and hub genes were extracted from the PPI network using the Molecular Complex Detection plugin. Moreover, the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) was applied to verify the expression differences and conduct the survival analyses of hub genes. Finally, the interaction network of miRNAs and hub genes constructed by encyclopedia of RNA interactomes (ENCORI) was visualized using Cytoscape. RESULTS A total of 43 DEGs were identified, comprising 25 upregulated genes and 18 downregulated genes, which were mainly involved in the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, collagen metabolic, epidermis development, cell adhesion, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Subsequently, 12 hub genes were obtained and survival analysis demonstrated SERPINE1 and SPP1 were closely related to poor prognosis of patients with HSCC and ESCC. Finally, hsa-miR-29c-3p, hsa-miR-29a-3p, and hsa-miR-29b-3p were confirmed as the top 3 interactive miRNAs that target the most hub genes according to the interaction network of miRNAs and hub genes. CONCLUSION The common gene signatures and functional pathways identified in the study may contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of HSCC and ESCC, and provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denghua Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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SOX2 and squamous cancers. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 67:154-167. [PMID: 32905832 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
SOX2 is a pleiotropic nuclear transcription factor with major roles in stem cell biology and in development. Over the last 10 years SOX2 has also been implicated as a lineage-specific oncogene, notably in squamous carcinomas but also neurological tumours, particularly glioblastoma. Squamous carcinomas (SQCs) comprise a common group of malignancies for which there are no targeted therapeutic interventions. In this article we review the molecular epidemiological and laboratory evidence linking SOX2 with squamous carcinogenesis, explore in detail the multifaceted impact of SOX2 in SQC, describe areas of uncertainty and highlight areas for potential future research.
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Functional characterization of SOX2 as an anticancer target. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:135. [PMID: 32728033 PMCID: PMC7391717 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SOX2 is a well-characterized pluripotent factor that is essential for stem cell self-renewal, reprogramming, and homeostasis. The cellular levels of SOX2 are precisely regulated by a complicated network at the levels of transcription, post-transcription, and post-translation. In many types of human cancer, SOX2 is dysregulated due to gene amplification and protein overexpression. SOX2 overexpression is associated with poor survival of cancer patients. Mechanistically, SOX2 promotes proliferation, survival, invasion/metastasis, cancer stemness, and drug resistance. SOX2 is, therefore, an attractive anticancer target. However, little progress has been made in the efforts to discover SOX2 inhibitors, largely due to undruggable nature of SOX2 as a transcription factor. In this review, we first briefly introduced SOX2 as a transcription factor, its domain structure, normal physiological functions, and its involvement in human cancers. We next discussed its role in embryonic development and stem cell-renewal. We then mainly focused on three aspects of SOX2: (a) the regulatory mechanisms of SOX2, including how SOX2 level is regulated, and how SOX2 cross-talks with multiple signaling pathways to control growth and survival; (b) the role of SOX2 in tumorigenesis and drug resistance; and (c) current drug discovery efforts on targeting SOX2, and the future perspectives to discover specific SOX2 inhibitors for effective cancer therapy.
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Adaptive ERK signalling activation in response to therapy and in silico prognostic evaluation of EGFR-MAPK in HNSCC. Br J Cancer 2020; 123:288-297. [PMID: 32424150 PMCID: PMC7374086 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0892-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients frequently develop treatment resistance to cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against EGFR, as well as radiotherapy. Here we addressed extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) regulation by cetuximab or fractionated irradiation (IR) and conducted in silico prognostic evaluation of the EGFR-MAPK axis in HNSCC. METHODS Expression of ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK1/2) was determined in HNSCC cell lines, which were treated with cetuximab or fractionated-IR. Furthermore, the effect of fractionated IR on pERK1/2 was confirmed in an ex vivo HNSCC tissue culture model. Expression and prognostic significance of EGFR-ERK axis was evaluated in a cohort of radiotherapy plus cetuximab-treated HNSCC. Correlations among EGFR-MAPK signalling components and association between transcript and protein expression profiles and patient survival in HNSCC were analysed using publicly available databases. RESULTS ERK1/2 phosphorylation was rebounded by prolonged cetuximab administration and was induced by fractionated IR, which could be suppressed by a MEK inhibitor as a radiosensitiser. In silico assessments suggested that EGFR-MAPK cascade genes and proteins could predict HNSCC patients' survival as a prognostic signature. CONCLUSIONS Activation of ERK1/2 signalling contributes to the cellular defence of HNSCC against cetuximab and fractionated IR treatment. EGFR-MAPK axis has a prognostic significance in HNSCC.
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Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies Hub Genes Associated with the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:2615921. [PMID: 31950035 PMCID: PMC6948276 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2615921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for over 90% of all esophageal tumors. However, the molecular mechanism underlying ESCC development and prognosis remains unclear, and there are still no effective molecular biomarkers for diagnosing or predicting the clinical outcome of patients with ESCC. Here, using bioinformatics analyses, we attempted to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ESCC. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ESCC and normal esophageal tissue samples were obtained through comprehensive analysis of three publicly available gene expression profile datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The biological roles of the DEGs were identified by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Moreover, the Cytoscape 3.7.1 platform and subsidiary tools such as Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) and CytoHubba were used to visualize the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs and identify hub genes. A total of 345 DEGs were identified between normal esophageal and ESCC samples, which were enriched in the KEGG pathways of the cell cycle, endocytosis, pancreatic secretion, and fatty acid metabolism. Two of the highest scoring models were selected from the PPI network using Molecular Complex Detection. Moreover, CytoHubba revealed 21 hub genes with a valuable influence on the progression of ESCC in these patients. Among these, the high expression levels of five genes-SPP1, SPARC, BGN, POSTN, and COL1A2-were associated with poor disease-free survival of ESCC patients, as indicated by survival analysis. Taken together, we identified that elevated expression of five hub genes, including SPP1, is associated with poor prognosis in ESCC patients, which may serve as potential prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic target for ESCC.
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NOTCH1 signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma via a TEL2/SERPINE1 axis. Oncotarget 2019; 10:6791-6804. [PMID: 31827722 PMCID: PMC6887571 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Inactivating mutations in the EGF-like ligand binding domain of NOTCH1 are a prominent feature of the mutational landscape of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we investigated NOTCH1 mutations in keratinocyte lines derived from OSCC biopsies that had been subjected to whole exome sequencing. One line, SJG6, was found to have truncating mutations in both NOTCH1 alleles, resulting in loss of NOTCH1 expression. Overexpression of the NOTCH1 intracellular domain (NICD) in SJG6 cells promoted cell adhesion and differentiation, while suppressing proliferation, migration and clonal growth, consistent with the previously reported tumour suppressive function of NOTCH1 in OSCC. Comparative gene expression profiling identified SERPINE1 as being downregulated on NICD overexpression and predicted an interaction between SERPINE1 and genes involved in cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, overexpression of NICD resulted in upregulation of ETV7/TEL2, which negatively regulates SERPINE1 expression. Knockdown of SERPINE1 phenocopied the effects of NICD overexpression in culture. Consistent with previous studies and our in vitro findings, there were inverse correlations between ETV7 and SERPINE1 expression and survival in OSCC primary tumours. Our results suggest that the tumour suppressive role of NOTCH1 in OSCC is mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of SERPINE1 via ETV7.
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Chowdhury FN, Reisinger J, Gomez KE, Chimed TS, Thomas CM, Le PN, Miller B, Morton JJ, Nieto CM, Somerset HL, Wang XJ, Keysar SB, Jimeno A. Leading edge or tumor core: Intratumor cancer stem cell niches in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma and their association with stem cell function. Oral Oncol 2019; 98:118-124. [PMID: 31586893 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe differences in cancer stem cell (CSC) presence and behavior associated with their intratumor compartment of origin using a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Four HPV-negative OCSCC PDX cases were selected (CUHN004, CUHN013, CUHN096, CUHN111) and the percentage of CSCs (ALDH+CD44high) was measured in the tumor Leading Edge (LE) and Core compartments of each PDX tumor case via fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The fraction of cells in the proliferative phase was measured by Ki-67 labelling index of paraffin embedded tissue. The proliferation and invasion of LE versus Core CSCs were compared using sphere and Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. RESULTS Both CUHN111 and CUHN004 demonstrate CSC enrichment in their LE compartments while CUHN013 and CUHN096 show no intratumor difference. Cases with LE CSC enrichment demonstrate greater Ki-67 labelling at the LE. CSC proliferative potential, assessed by sphere formation, reveals greater sphere formation in CUHN111 LE CSCs, but no difference between CUHN013 LE and Core CSCs. CUHN111 CSCs do not demonstrate an intratumor difference in invasiveness while CUHN013 LE CSCs are more invasive than Core CSCs. CONCLUSION A discrete intratumor CSC niche is present in a subset of OCSCC PDX tumors. The CSC functional phenotype with regard to proliferation and invasion is associated with the intratumor compartment of origin of the CSC: LE or Core. These individual functional characteristics appear to be modulated independently of one another and independently of the presence of an intratumor CSC niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad N Chowdhury
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (UCDSOM), Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Julie Reisinger
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Karina E Gomez
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Tugs-Saikhan Chimed
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Carissa M Thomas
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, University Health Network/Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON M4Y 2X5, Canada
| | - Phuong N Le
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Bettina Miller
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - John J Morton
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Cera M Nieto
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | | | | | - Stephen B Keysar
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Antonio Jimeno
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (UCDSOM), Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCDSOM, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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Chen D, Wang CY. Targeting cancer stem cells in squamous cell carcinoma. PRECISION CLINICAL MEDICINE 2019; 2:152-165. [PMID: 31598386 PMCID: PMC6770277 DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly aggressive tumor and the sixth
most common cancer worldwide. Current treatment strategies for HNSCC are surgery,
radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or combinatorial therapies. However, the overall
5-year survival rate of HNSCC patients remains at about 50%. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a
small population among tumor cells, are able to self-renew and differentiate into
different tumor cell types in a hierarchical manner, similar to normal tissue. In HNSCC,
CSCs are proposed to be responsible for tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, drug
resistance, and recurrence. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular
characteristics of CSCs in HNSCC. We summarize current approaches used in the literature
for identification of HNSCC CSCs, and mechanisms required for CSC regulation. We also
highlight the role of CSCs in treatment failure and therapeutic targeting options for
eliminating CSCs in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demeng Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Cun-Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Novak D, Hüser L, Elton JJ, Umansky V, Altevogt P, Utikal J. SOX2 in development and cancer biology. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 67:74-82. [PMID: 31412296 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor SOX2 is essential for embryonic development and plays a crucial role in maintaining the stemness of embryonic cells and various adult stem cell populations. On the other hand, dysregulation of SOX2 expression is associated with a multitude of cancer types and it has been shown that SOX2 positively affects cancer cell traits such as the capacity to proliferate, migrate, invade and metastasize. Moreover, there is growing evidence that SOX2 mediates resistance towards established cancer therapies and that it is expressed in cancer stem cells. These findings indicate that studying the role of SOX2 in the context of cancer progression could lead to the development of new therapeutic options. In this review, the current knowledge about the role of SOX2 in development, maintenance of stemness, cancer progression and the resistance towards cancer therapies is summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Novak
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Laura Hüser
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jonathan J Elton
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Viktor Umansky
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Altevogt
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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The Hippo effector TAZ promotes cancer stemness by transcriptional activation of SOX2 in head neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:603. [PMID: 31399556 PMCID: PMC6689034 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1838-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The Hippo-TAZ signaling has emerged as a fundamental regulator underlying cancer stem cells (CSCs) stemness which intricately associates with local recurrence and metastatic spreading in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the precise downstream targets of TAZ responsible for HNSCC CSCs maintenance remain largely underexplored. Here, we identified Sex determining region Y box 2 (SOX2) as a putative downstream target of TAZ to promote CSCs maintenance and tumorigenicity in HNSCC. Both TAZ and SOX2 were significantly enriched in CSCs subpopulation (CD44+CD133+) isolated from Cal27 and Fadu cells via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. TAZ knockdown significantly reduced expression of SOX2 at both mRNA and protein levels, whereas its ectopic overexpression markedly increased its abundance in HNSCC cells. Moreover, reintroduction of ectopic SOX2 abolished, at least in part, the reduced tumorsphere formation and tumorigenicity in vivo induced by TAZ knockdown. Mechanistically, transcriptional complex formed by TAZ and TEAD4 was recruited to two binding sites in SOX2 promoter, which in turn facilitated transcription of SOX2 in HNSCC cells. In addition, the abundance of TAZ and SOX2 was positively correlated in HNSCC clinical samples, and both upregulations of TAZ and SOX2 associated with the worst survival. Taken together, our data reveal a previously unknown mechanistic linkage between TAZ and SOX2 and identify SOX2 as a direct downstream target of TAZ in modulating CSCs self-renewal and maintenance in HNSCC. These findings suggest that targeting TAZ-SOX2 axis might be a promising therapeutic strategy for HNSCC.
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31
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Dogan S, Xu B, Middha S, Vanderbilt CM, Bowman AS, Migliacci J, Morris LGT, Seshan VE, Ganly I. Identification of prognostic molecular biomarkers in 157 HPV-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:3152-3162. [PMID: 31093971 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has been increasing due to high-risk HPV infection. We explored the significance of genetic alterations in HPV-positive (HPV-P) and HPV-negative (HPV-N) OPSCC patients on long-term outcome. A total of 157 cases of primary resected OPSCC diagnosed from 1978 to 2005 were subjected to a targeted exome sequencing by MSK-IMPACT™ interrogating somatic mutations in 410 cancer-related genes. Mutational profiles were correlated to recurrence and survival outcomes. OPSCC included 47% HPV-positive (HPV-P) and 53% HPV-negative (HPV-N) tumors arising in the base of tongue (BOT, 43%), palatine tonsil (30%) and soft palate (SP, 27%). HPV negative status, SP location and smoking were associated with poorer outcome. Poorer overall survival was found in NOTCH1-mutated HPV-P (p = 0.039), and in SOX2-amplified HPV-N cases (p = 0.036). Chromosomal arm gains in 8p and 8q, and 16q loss were more common in HPV-P (p = 0.005, 0.04 and 0.01, respectively), while 9p, 18q and 21q losses were more frequent in HPV-N OPSCC (p = 0.006, 0.002 and 0.01, respectively). Novel, potentially functional JAK3, MYC and EP300 intragenic deletions were found in HPV-P, and FOXP1, CDKN2A, CCND1 and RUNX1 intragenic deletions and one FGFR3 inversion were detected in HPV-N tumors. HPV-N/TP53-wild-type OPSCC harbored recurrent mutations in NOTCH1/3/4 (39%), PIK3CA, FAT1 and TERT. In comparison to their oral and laryngeal counterparts, HPV-N OPSCC were genetically distinct. In OPSCC, HPV status, tumor subsite and smoking determine outcome. Risk-stratification can be further refined based on the mutational signature, namely, NOTCH1 and SOX2 mutation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snjezana Dogan
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Sumit Middha
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Chad M Vanderbilt
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Anita S Bowman
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Jocelyn Migliacci
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Luc G T Morris
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Department of Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Venkatraman E Seshan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Ian Ganly
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Department of Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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Lin Y, Zhai H, Ouyang Y, Lu Z, Chu C, He Q, Cao X. Knockdown of PKM2 enhances radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:129. [PMID: 31114449 PMCID: PMC6518815 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0845-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2) catalyzes the final step in glycolysis and has been found to be up-regulated in multiple human malignancies. However, whether PKM2 regulates the radiosensitivity of human cervical cancer (CC) remains unknown. Methods The expression of PKM2 in 94 patients with CC in the complete response (CR) and noncomplete response (nCR) groups, was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The effect of PKM2 inhibition on radiosensitivity, the cell cycle, DNA damage, and apoptosis was evaluated by immunofluorescence analysis, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis and Western blotting. Results PKM2 expression was more highly expressed in the nCR group than that in CR group and PKM2 expression was enhanced in CC cells after ionizing radiation (IR). In addition, knockdown of PKM2 combined with IR significantly reduced cell growth, promoted apoptosis, and enhanced radiosensitivity. Additionally, knockdown of PKM2 with IR resulted in increased phosphorylation of DNA repair checkpoint proteins (ATM) and phosphorylated-H2AX. Moreover, knockdown of PKM2 combined with IR significantly increased the expression of cleaved caspase 3 and caspase 9, whereas Bcl2 expression was suppressed. Furthermore, knockdown of PKM2 combined with IR markedly reduced the expression of several cancer stem cell biomarkers in vitro, including NANOG, OCT4, SOX2, and Bmi1. Conclusions The results of our study suggests that PKM2 might be involved in mediating CC radiosensitivity and is identified as a potentially important target to enhance radiosensitivity in patients with CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhu Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhai
- Gynecology Department, Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Yi Ouyang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyuan Lu
- 3Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengbiao Chu
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianting He
- 3Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinping Cao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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33
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Rong C, Muller M, Flechtenmacher C, Holzinger D, Dyckhoff G, Bulut OC, Horn D, Plinkert P, Hess J, Affolter A. Differential Activation of ERK Signaling in HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11040584. [PMID: 31027243 PMCID: PMC6520790 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11040584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) forms a distinct tumor entity with better survival clinical outcome. Numerous underlying molecular mechanisms have been postulated for differences in treatment response, but the impact of MEK/ERK signaling, a main driver of carcinogenesis in various cancers including OPSCC and key player mediating therapy resistance remains elusive. In a retrospective experimental cohort study, primary tumor samples from OPSCC patients (n = 124) were available on tissue microarrays (TMAs) and expression levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Correlations of pERK1/2 expression patterns with clinicopathological features and clinical outcome were evaluated by statistical analysis. A low pERK1/2 expression was strongly associated with HPV-related OPSCC, while primary tumors with high pERK1/2 staining showed a distinctly worse survival outcome and were associated with higher cellular differentiation. Co-activation of both ERK1/2 and AKT was a common event and was associated with unfavorable prognosis in our cohort. However, the combinatorial analysis of pAKT (Ser473) and pERK1/2 did not strengthen the predictive power of pERK1/2, suggesting that pERK1/2 plays a more significant function in OPSCC. In summary, our data provide a compelling experimental and statistical evidence that low levels of tumor cell intrinsic ERK1/2 activation contribute at least in part to the favorable outcome of HPV-related OPSCC. On the other hand, presented findings indicate that non-HPV-related OPSCC with elevated ERK phosphorylation are at high risk for treatment failure and might benefit from targeted therapy of MEK/ERK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Rong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Marie Muller
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Christa Flechtenmacher
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Dana Holzinger
- Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Dyckhoff
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Olcay Cem Bulut
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, SLK Kliniken, Am Gesundbrunnen, 74078 Heilbronn, Germany.
| | - Dominik Horn
- Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Peter Plinkert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Annette Affolter
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Fadhlullah SFB, Halim NBA, Yeo JYT, Ho RLY, Um P, Ang BT, Tang C, Ng WH, Virshup DM, Ho IAW. Pathogenic mutations in neurofibromin identifies a leucine-rich domain regulating glioma cell invasiveness. Oncogene 2019; 38:5367-5380. [PMID: 30967630 PMCID: PMC6755990 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0809-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive tumor of the brain. NF1, a tumor suppressor gene and RAS-GTPase, is one of the highly mutated genes in GBM. Dysregulated NF1 expression promotes cell invasion, proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Loss of NF1 expression in glioblastoma is associated with increased aggressiveness of the tumor. Here, we show that NF1-loss in patient-derived glioma cells using shRNA increases self-renewal, heightens cell invasion, and promotes mesenchymal subtype and epithelial mesenchymal transition-specific gene expression that enhances tumorigenesis. The neurofibromin protein contains at least four major domains, with the GAP-related domain being the most well-studied. In this study, we report that the leucine-rich domain (LRD) of neurofibromin inhibits invasion of human glioblastoma cells without affecting their proliferation. Moreover, under conditions tested, the NF1-LRD fails to hydrolyze Ras-GTP to Ras-GDP, suggesting that its suppressive function is independent of Ras signaling. We further demonstrate that rare variants within the NF1-LRD domain found in a subset of the patients are pathogenic and reduce NF1-LRD’s invasion suppressive function. Taken together, our results show, for the first time, that NF1-LRD inhibits glioma invasion, and provides evidence of a previously unrecognized function of NF1-LRD in glioma biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti Farah Bte Fadhlullah
- Molecular Neurotherapeutics Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore.,Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jacqueline Y T Yeo
- Molecular Neurotherapeutics Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Rachel L Y Ho
- Molecular Neurotherapeutics Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Phoebe Um
- Molecular Neurotherapeutics Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore.,University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Beng Ti Ang
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, 117609, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Carol Tang
- Department of Research, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore.,Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Wai H Ng
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - David M Virshup
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27703, USA
| | - Ivy A W Ho
- Molecular Neurotherapeutics Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, 308433, Singapore. .,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore. .,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
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35
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Granda-Díaz R, Menéndez ST, Pedregal Mallo D, Hermida-Prado F, Rodríguez R, Suárez-Fernández L, Vallina A, Sánchez-Canteli M, Rodríguez A, Fernández-García MS, Rodrigo JP, García-Pedrero JM. The Novel Role of SOX2 as an Early Predictor of Cancer Risk in Patients with Laryngeal Precancerous Lesions. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11030286. [PMID: 30823625 PMCID: PMC6468607 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The SOX2 gene located at 3q26 is frequently amplified and overexpressed in multiple cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). The tumor-promoting activity and involvement of SOX2 in tumor progression has been extensively demonstrated, thereby emerging as a promising therapeutic target. However, the role of SOX2 in early stages of tumorigenesis and its possible contribution to malignant transformation remain unexplored. This study investigates for the first time SOX2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry and gene amplification by real-time PCR using a large series of 94 laryngeal precancerous lesions. Correlations with the histopathological classification and the risk of progression to invasive carcinoma were established. Nuclear SOX2 expression was frequently detected in 38 (40%) laryngeal dysplasias, whereas stromal cells and normal adjacent epithelia showed negative expression. SOX2 gene amplification was detected in 18 (33%) of 55 laryngeal dysplasias. Univariate Cox analysis showed that SOX2 gene amplification (p = 0.046) and protein expression (p < 0.001) but not histological grading (p = 0.432) were significantly associated with laryngeal cancer risk. In multivariate stepwise analysis including age, tobacco, histology, SOX2 gene amplification and SOX2 expression, SOX2 expression (HR = 3.531, 95% CI 1.144 to 10.904; p = 0.028) was the only significant independent predictor of laryngeal cancer development. These findings underscore the relevant role of SOX2 in early tumorigenesis and a novel clinical application of SOX2 expression as independent predictor of laryngeal cancer risk in patients with precancerous lesions beyond current WHO histological grading. Therefore, targeting SOX2 could lead to effective strategies for both cancer prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Granda-Díaz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
- Ciber de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sofía T Menéndez
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
- Ciber de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Daniel Pedregal Mallo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Francisco Hermida-Prado
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - René Rodríguez
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
- Ciber de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Laura Suárez-Fernández
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Aitana Vallina
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Mario Sánchez-Canteli
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Aida Rodríguez
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - M Soledad Fernández-García
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Juan P Rodrigo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
- Ciber de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juana M García-Pedrero
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Avda. Roma, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
- Ciber de Cáncer, CIBERONC, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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Pradhan S, Guddattu V, Solomon MC. Association of the co-expression of SOX2 and Podoplanin in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas - an immunohistochemical study. J Appl Oral Sci 2019; 27:e20180348. [PMID: 31508790 PMCID: PMC9648958 DOI: 10.1590/1678-7757-2018-0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SOX2 is a transcription factor related to the maintenance of stem cells in a pluripotent state. Podoplanin is a type of transmembrane sialoglycoprotein, which plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. This study aims to determine association of SOX2 and podoplanin expression in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas and to elucidate the association between two proteins.
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37
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Wolf GT, Winter W, Bellile E, Nguyen A, Donnelly CR, McHugh JB, Thomas D, Amlani L, Rozek L, Lei YL. Histologic pattern of invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype predict prognosis in squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. Oral Oncol 2018; 87:29-35. [PMID: 30527240 PMCID: PMC6293994 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disruption of E-cadherin function and increased expression of vimentin and the transcriptional oncogene, SOX2, are thought to characterize epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC that contributes to invasive and metastatic behavior. To determine if such changes relate to prognosis or host immune response, expression of these markers and correlations with clinical characteristics, histologic worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and survival were assessed. METHODS Immunohistologic expression of markers was determined in tissue microarrays from 274 previously untreated HNSCC patients. Expression was correlated with levels of TILs in microcores and WPOI in biopsy specimens. Correlations were assessed by Kruskal-Wallis testing and Spearman correlation coefficients where appropriate. Overall and relapse-free survival were analyzed with Cox proportional hazards models. Median follow up was 60.0 months. RESULTS Loss of E-cadherin expression was significantly associated with low or absent SOX2 expression (R = 0.433, p < 0.0001). SOX2 expression and low grade WPOI were significantly associated with favorable overall (OS) and relapse free (RFS) survival in multivariable analysis. E-cadherin expression did not correlate with TILs, however WPOI score correlated indirectly with CD4, CD8, and FoxP3 levels. When grouped by primary treatment, lower grades (1, 2) of WPOI predicted improved RFS and OS in patients treated with primary surgery but not for patients treated with chemoradiation. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that SOX2 expression and WPOI are significant prognostic factors and that WPOI correlates with decreased T cell infiltration. The combination of markers and TILs might be useful in selecting patients for primary surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T Wolf
- Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States.
| | - William Winter
- Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Emily Bellile
- Departments of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Ariane Nguyen
- Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - C R Donnelly
- Departments of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Jonathan B McHugh
- Departments of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Dafydd Thomas
- Departments of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Lahin Amlani
- Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Laura Rozek
- Departments of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
| | - Yu L Lei
- Departments of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48176, United States
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Horn D, Gross M, Dyckhoff G, Fuchs J, Grabe N, Weichert W, Herpel E, Herold‐Mende C, Lichter P, Hoffmann J, Hess J, Freier K. Cortactin expression: Association with disease progression and survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 2018; 40:2685-2694. [DOI: 10.1002/hed.25515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Horn
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Madeleine Gross
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Division of Molecular GeneticsGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Gerhard Dyckhoff
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Molecular Cell Biology Group, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Jennifer Fuchs
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Niels Grabe
- Hamamatsu Tissue Imaging and Analysis Center (TIGA)BIOQUANT, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of PathologyUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Esther Herpel
- Institute of PathologyUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Tissue Bank of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Christel Herold‐Mende
- Molecular Cell Biology Group, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Peter Lichter
- Division of Molecular GeneticsGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Jürgen Hoffmann
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck TumorsGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Kolja Freier
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryUniversity Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
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High Expression of EpCAM and Sox2 is a Positive Prognosticator of Clinical Outcome for Head and Neck Carcinoma. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14582. [PMID: 30275505 PMCID: PMC6167386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32178-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) have limited prognosis due to frequent treatment failure. Currently, TNM-classification and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are the sole clinical prognosticators of outcome. Tumor heterogeneity and stemness based on epithelial-mesenchymal-transition reportedly associate with therapy resistance. The capacity of epithelial marker EpCAM (EpEX), stemness regulator Sox2 and mesenchymal marker vimentin to predict clinical outcome of HSNCC patients was assessed upon immunohistochemistry staining in two cohorts of HNSCC patients treated with surgery and adjuvant radio (chemo) therapy (n = 94) and primary radio (chemo) therapy (n = 94), respectively. Prognostic values with respect to overall, disease-free and disease-specific survival were assessed in uni- and multivariate cox proportional hazard models to generate integrated risk scores. EpEX, Sox2 and vimentin displayed substantial inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity. EpEXhigh and Sox2high predicted improved clinical outcome in the discovery cohort and in the HPV-negative sub-cohort. EpEXhigh and Sox2high were confirmed as prognosticators of clinical outcome in the validation cohort treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy. Importantly, EpEXhigh identified patients with improved survival within the HPV-negative subgroup of the validation cohort. Hence, Sox2high and particularly EpEXhigh have potential as tools to predict clinical performance of HNSCC patients, foremost HPV-negative cases, in the frame of molecular-guided treatment decision-making.
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The role of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diseases of the salivary glands. Histochem Cell Biol 2018; 150:133-147. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-1680-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Thierauf J, Weissinger SE, Veit JA, Affolter A, Laureano NK, Beutner D, Heiduschka G, Kadletz L, Meyer M, Quaas A, Plinkert P, Hoffmann TK, Hess J. Low SOX2 expression marks a distinct subset of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck and is associated with an advanced tumor stage. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194989. [PMID: 29596469 PMCID: PMC5875788 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The transcription factor SOX2 has been identified as a lineage survival oncogene in squamous cell carcinoma and copy number gain is a common event in several human malignancies including head and neck cancer. However, the regulation and function of SOX2 during carcinogenesis as well as its prognostic value appears to be highly context dependent. As an example, high SOX2 expression in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is related to a favorable prognosis, while it is associated with poor outcome in lung adenocarcinoma. More recently, higher SOX2 levels and improved survival was also reported for head and neck SCC (HNSCC), and silencing of SOX2 expression in HNSCC cell lines revealed a mesenchymal-like phenotype with prominent vimentin expression. So far, SOX2 expression and its clinical relevance for other head and neck cancers, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma (HNACC) have not been sufficiently investigated. Material and methods SOX2, vimentin and E-cadherin expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining on serial sections from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tissue samples of a patient cohort (n = 45) with primary ACC and correlated with patient and tumor characteristics as well as survival. Results High SOX2 expression was found in 14 (31%) primary tumor specimens and was significantly correlated with a N0 lymph node status (p = 0.04), while low SOX2 expression was correlated with a solid growth pattern (p = 0.031). Of the 45 patients, 27 tumor samples resembled an EMT-like phenotype, as assessed by high vimentin and low E-cadherin levels. However, in HNACC SOX2 levels were neither correlated with vimentin nor with E-cadherin expression, further supporting a context dependent regulation and function of SOX2 in distinct tumor entities. Conclusion The absence of SOX2 was predominantly found in solid HNACC, which are characterized by a more aggressive phenotype in ACC. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SOX2 regulation and function in distinct HNACC subgroups remain to be fully elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Thierauf
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Johannes A. Veit
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Annette Affolter
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natalia K. Laureano
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Dirk Beutner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gregor Heiduschka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenz Kadletz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Moritz Meyer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Plinkert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas K. Hoffmann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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42
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Wuebben EL, Rizzino A. The dark side of SOX2: cancer - a comprehensive overview. Oncotarget 2018; 8:44917-44943. [PMID: 28388544 PMCID: PMC5546531 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pluripotency-associated transcription factor SOX2 is essential during mammalian embryogenesis and later in life, but SOX2 expression can also be highly detrimental. Over the past 10 years, SOX2 has been shown to be expressed in at least 25 different cancers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of SOX2 in cancer and focuses on two broad topics. The first delves into the expression and function of SOX2 in cancer focusing on the connection between SOX2 levels and tumor grade as well as patient survival. As part of this discussion, we address the developing connection between SOX2 expression and tumor drug resistance. We also call attention to an under-appreciated property of SOX2, its levels in actively proliferating tumor cells appear to be optimized to maximize tumor growth - too little or too much SOX2 dramatically alters tumor growth. The second topic of this review focuses on the exquisite array of molecular mechanisms that control the expression and transcriptional activity of SOX2. In addition to its complex regulation at the transcriptional level, SOX2 expression and activity are controlled carefully by microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and post-translational modifications. In the Conclusion and Future Perspectives section, we point out that there are still important unanswered questions. Addressing these questions is expected to lead to new insights into the functions of SOX2 in cancer, which will help design novels strategies for more effectively treating some of the most deadly cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Wuebben
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Angie Rizzino
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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43
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Bochen F, Adisurya H, Wemmert S, Lerner C, Greiner M, Zimmermann R, Hasenfus A, Wagner M, Smola S, Pfuhl T, Bozzato A, Al Kadah B, Schick B, Linxweiler M. Effect of 3q oncogenes SEC62 and SOX2 on lymphatic metastasis and clinical outcome of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Oncotarget 2018; 8:4922-4934. [PMID: 28002801 PMCID: PMC5354881 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome 3q26 amplification represents a frequent alteration in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Overexpression of 3q26 encoded genes SEC62 and SOX2 was detected in various cancers, including HNSCCs, indicating their potential function as oncogenes. In our study, we elucidated the function of SEC62 and SOX2 in HNSCC patients, with a main focus on their effect on lymphatic metastasis and patient survival. We analyzed SEC62 and SOX2 expression in tissue specimens from 65 HNSCC patients and 29 patients with cervical cancer of unknown primary (CUP); a higher SEC62 and lower SOX2 expression was observed in the lymph node metastases from HNSCC patients compared with the respective primary tumor. Lymph node metastases from CUP patients showed higher SEC62 and lower SOX2 expression compared with lymph node metastases from HNSCC patients. When proceeding from the N1 to the N3 stage, SEC62 expression in the lymph node metastases showed an increase and SOX2 expression showed a decrease. Moreover, both genes showed a highly significant relevance as prognostic biomarkers, with the worst prognosis for patients with high SEC62 and low SOX2 expression levels. In functional analyses, knockdown of SEC62 resulted in an inhibition of HNSCC cell migration while, conversely, SEC62 and SOX2 overexpression stimulated cell migration. Taken together, our study showed that the expression of the 3q oncogenes SEC62 and SOX2 affects lymphatic metastasis and cell migration in HNSCC and CUP patients and has a high prognostic relevance in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bochen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany.,Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Hana Adisurya
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Silke Wemmert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Cornelia Lerner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Markus Greiner
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Andrea Hasenfus
- Department of General and Surgical Pathology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Mathias Wagner
- Department of General and Surgical Pathology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Sigrun Smola
- Institute of Virology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Thorsten Pfuhl
- Institute of Virology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Alessandro Bozzato
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Basel Al Kadah
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Bernhard Schick
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
| | - Maximilian Linxweiler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg (Saar), Germany
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44
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Chung JH, Jung HR, Jung AR, Lee YC, Kong M, Lee JS, Eun YG. SOX2 activation predicts prognosis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1677. [PMID: 29374236 PMCID: PMC5785960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20086-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
SOX2 copy number and mRNA expression were analysed to examine the clinical significance of SOX2 activation in HNSCC. Gene expression signatures reflecting SOX2 activation were identified in an HNSCC cohort. Patients with HNSCC were classified into two subgroups according to the gene expression signature: SOX2-high and SOX2-low. The clinical significance of SOX2 activation was further validated in two independent cohorts. Moreover, clinical significance of SOX2 activation in response to radiotherapy was assessed in patients with HNSCC. The relationship between SOX2 activation and radiotherapy was validated in an in vitro experiment. Patients in the SOX2-high subgroup had a better prognosis than patients in the SOX2-low subgroup in all three patient cohorts. Results of multivariate regression analysis showed that SOX2 signature was an independent predictor of the overall survival of patients with HNSCC (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.92; P = 0.01). Interestingly, SOX2 activation was a predictor of therapy outcomes in patients receiving radiotherapy. Moreover, SOX2 overexpression enhanced the effect of radiotherapy in HNSCC cell lines. SOX2 activation is associated with improved prognosis of patients with HNSCC and might be used to predict which patients might benefit from radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyun Chung
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hae Rim Jung
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ah Ra Jung
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Chan Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Moonkyoo Kong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ju-Seog Lee
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Young-Gyu Eun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
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45
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Avincsal MO, Jimbo N, Fujikura K, Shinomiya H, Otsuki N, Morimoto K, Furukawa T, Morita N, Maehara R, Itoh T, Nibu KI, Zen Y. Epigenetic down-regulation of SOX2 is an independent poor prognostic factor for hypopharyngeal cancers. Histopathology 2018; 72:826-837. [DOI: 10.1111/his.13436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Ozgur Avincsal
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Naoe Jimbo
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Kohei Fujikura
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shinomiya
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Naoki Otsuki
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Koichi Morimoto
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Tatsuya Furukawa
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Naruhiko Morita
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Ritsuko Maehara
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Tomoo Itoh
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Nibu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
| | - Yoh Zen
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; Kobe Japan
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46
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Pandzic T, Rendo V, Lim J, Larsson C, Larsson J, Stoimenov I, Kundu S, Ali MA, Hellström M, He L, Lindroth AM, Sjöblom T. Somatic PRDM2 c.4467delA mutations in colorectal cancers control histone methylation and tumor growth. Oncotarget 2017; 8:98646-98659. [PMID: 29228717 PMCID: PMC5716757 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromatin modifier PRDM2/RIZ1 is inactivated by mutation in several forms of cancer and is a putative tumor suppressor gene. Frameshift mutations in the C-terminal region of PRDM2, affecting (A)8 or (A)9 repeats within exon 8, are found in one third of colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability, but the contribution of these mutations to colorectal tumorigenesis is unknown. To model somatic mutations in microsatellite unstable tumors, we devised a general approach to perform genome editing while stabilizing the mutated nucleotide repeat. We then engineered isogenic cell systems where the PRDM2 c.4467delA mutation in human HCT116 colorectal cancer cells was corrected to wild-type by genome editing. Restored PRDM2 increased global histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation and reduced migration, anchorage-independent growth and tumor growth in vivo. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed regulation of several hallmark cancer pathways, particularly of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), with VIM being the most significantly regulated gene. These observations provide direct evidence that PRDM2 c.4467delA is a driver mutation in colorectal cancer and confirms PRDM2 as a cancer gene, pointing to regulation of EMT as a central aspect of its tumor suppressive action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Pandzic
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Veronica Rendo
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jinyeong Lim
- Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, National Cancer Center Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Chatarina Larsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jimmy Larsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ivaylo Stoimenov
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Snehangshu Kundu
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Muhammad Akhtar Ali
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mats Hellström
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Liqun He
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders M. Lindroth
- Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, National Cancer Center Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Tobias Sjöblom
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Sox2 modulates motility and enhances progression of colorectal cancer via the Rho-ROCK signaling pathway. Oncotarget 2017; 8:98635-98645. [PMID: 29228716 PMCID: PMC5716756 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sox2 (Sry-box2) is essential for a variety of stem cells and is also expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying mechanism by which Sox2 enhances CRC progression remains unclear. In the present study, we show that elevated Sox2 expression is significantly correlated with poor clinical prognosis. CRC is phenotypically heterogeneous, and harbors several subtypes of cancer cells. Elevated Sox2 expression was always detected in rounded-shape cells, which co-located to poorly differentiated regions, the invasive frontier and metastatic lesions. Knockdown of Sox2 in CRC cells not only decreased the number of round-shaped cells, but also suppressed cell migration, invasion as well as attenuated colony forming capacity and tumorigenicity. By contrast, overexpression of Sox2 in CRC cells was associated with up-regulation of multidrug resistance genes and accelerated CRC progression. Moreover, Sox2 conferred activation of Rho-ROCK signaling, whereas inhibition of ROCK signaling decreased cell migration, invasion, colony formation and self-renewal of CRC. Our results reveal that CRC is phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. Elevated Sox2 expression activates the Rho-ROCK pathway, which in turn changes cell morphology and promotes cell migration and progression.
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48
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Abstract
In this issue of JEM, Sundaram et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20170354) report a mechanism by which the normal epithelial wound healing response is "hijacked" to promote invasion and metastasis in head and neck squamous carcinomas (HNSCCs), a finding that unveils new markers of poor outcomes and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif W Ellisen
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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49
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Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in the Pathogenesis and Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9070076. [PMID: 28671620 PMCID: PMC5532612 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9070076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is one of the most prevalent human malignancies worldwide, with a high morbidity and mortality. Implementation of interdisciplinary treatment modalities has improved the quality of life, but only minor changes in overall survival have been achieved over the past decades. Main causes for treatment failure are an aggressive and invasive tumor growth in combination with a high degree of intrinsic or acquired treatment resistance. A subset of tumor cells gain these properties during malignant progression by reactivating a complex program of epithelia-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is integral in embryonic development, wound healing, and stem cell behavior. EMT is mediated by a core set of key transcription factors, which are under the control of a large range of developmental signals and extracellular cues. Unraveling molecular principles that drive EMT provides new concepts to better understand tumor cell plasticity and response to established as well as new treatment modalities, and has the potential to identify new drug targets for a more effective, less toxic, and individualized therapy of HNC patients. Here, we review the most recent findings on the clinical relevance of a mesenchymal-like phenotype for HNC patients, including more rare cases of mucosal melanoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma.
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50
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Lv YJ, Wang W, Ji CS, Jia, Xie MR, Hu B. Association between periostin and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:376-382. [PMID: 28693179 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the association between periostin (POSTN), epithelial cadherin (E-cad) and vimentin (Vim) expression levels in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues, and its clinicopathological significance. A total of 58 patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled. Immunohistochemistry was performed to quantify the expression levels of POSTN, E-cad and Vim. E-cad expression was reduced in ESCC tissue, which was associated with severe tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.001), lymphatic metastasis (P<0.001) and vascular invasion (P=0.026). Conversely, Vim expression was found to be increased in ESCC tissues, and had associations with TNM stage (P=0.039) and lymphatic metastasis (P=0.039). POSTN overexpression observed in ESCC cells was associated with attenuation of E-cad expression (P<0.001) and elevated expression levels of Vim (P<0.001). Additionally, significant correlations between the overexpression of POSTN in ESCC cells and clinicopathological variables including TNM staging (P=0.009), degree of differentiation (P<0.001), lymphatic metastasis (P=0.009) and vascular invasion (P=0.002) were verified. Multivariate analysis revealed that overexpression of POSTN in ESCC cancer cells is able to predict the poor prognosis of patients independently of overall survival (P=0.022) and disease free survival (P=0.019). The preliminary findings of the present study demonstrate that POSTN is involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ESCC cells, and may therefore be a predictive factor for tumor invasion and metastasis, as well as an indicator of poor prognosis for patients with ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jing Lv
- Department of Medical Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
| | - Chu-Shu Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
| | - Jia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Ran Xie
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
| | - Bing Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
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