Annexin A1 down-regulation in head and neck cancer is associated with epithelial differentiation status

Comprehensive analysis and experiments identified ANXA1 as an unfavorable prognosticator in glioma

BACKGROUND

ANXA1 was upregulated in gliomas in previous bulk sequencing studies. we examined the role of ANXA1 in glioma using bioinformatics analysis and experiments.

METHODS

Two cohorts were adopted to validate the prognostic value of ANXA1 in gliomas. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed on samples for further validation. Using the data of GSE162631, ANXA1 expression was analyzed in different cells in glioblastoma specimen. In different groups, lentiviral vector or the empty vector was used to construct cell lines. Wound-healing assay, along with Transwell assay, was conducted to assess the migration and invasion of glioma cells. Animal studies were conducted to examine the role of ANXA1 in gliomas.

RESULTS

ANXA1 expression was associated with overall survival in glioma patients. In glioblastomas, ANXA1 expression was higher than in low-grade gliomas. Among patients receiving chemo- or radiotherapy, high ANXA1 expression presented a shorter overall survival. Single-cell sequencing showed that ANXA1 was expressed in a higher proportion and level in glioblastomas cells than in normal cells; whereas, ANXA1 was enriched in T cells among immune cells. As shown in experiments, knockdown of ANXA1 could attenuate the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells in vitro and vivo, thereby improving the prognosis of animals.

CONCLUSIONS

ANXA1 can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma; its expression is positively correlated with immune response and poor prognosis of glioma. The cancer-promoting mechanisms of ANXA1 in glioma and its correlation with the functional status of glioma patients warrant further investigation.

Exosomal Serum Biomarkers as Predictors for Laryngeal Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The lack of screening methods for LSCC is a critical issue, as treatment options and the treatment outcome greatly depend on the stage of LSCC at initial diagnosis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify potential exosomal serum biomarkers that can diagnose LSCC and distinguish between early- and late-stage disease.

METHODS

A multiplexed proteomic array was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in exosomes isolated from the serum samples of LSCC patients compared to the control group (septorhinoplasty, SRP). The most promising proteins for diagnosis and differentiation were calculated using biostatistical methods and were validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blots (WB), and ELISA.

RESULTS

Exosomal insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) and Annexin A1 (ANXA1) were the most promising exosomal biomarkers for distinguishing between control and LSCC patients and also between different stages of LSCC (fold change up to 15.9, p < 0.001 for all).

CONCLUSION

The identified proteins represent potentially novel non-invasive biomarkers. However, these results need to be validated in larger cohorts with a long-term follow-up. Exosomal biomarkers show a superior signal-to-noise ratio compared to whole serum and may therefore be an important tool for non-invasive biomarker profiling for laryngeal carcinoma in the future.

HPV-negative head and neck cancers with adverse pathological features carry specific molecular changes that are associated with survival

BACKGROUND

Adverse pathological features following surgery in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are strongly associated with survival and guide adjuvant therapy. We investigated molecular changes associated with these features.

METHODS

We downloaded data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Cancer Proteome Atlas HNSCC cohorts. We compared tumors positive versus negative for perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), extracapsular spread (ECS), and positive margins (PSM), with multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

All pathological features were associated with poor survival, as were the following molecular changes: low cyclin E1 (HR = 1.7) and high PKC-alpha (HR = 1.8) in tumors with PNI; six of 13 protein abundance changes with LVI; greater tumor hypoxia and high Raptor (HR = 2.0) and Rictor (HR = 1.6) with ECS; and low p38 (HR = 2.3), high fibronectin (HR = 1.6), low annexin A1 (HR = 3.1), and high caspase-9 (HR = 1.6) abundances with PSM.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathological features in HNSCC carry specific molecular changes that may explain their poor prognostic associations.

Glioma-derived ANXA1 suppresses the immune response to TLR3 ligands by promoting an anti-inflammatory tumor microenvironment

A highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and the presence of the blood‒brain barrier are the two major obstacles to eliciting an effective immune response in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG). Here, we tried to enhance the local innate immune response in relapsed HGG by intracranially injecting poly(I:C) to establish a robust antitumor immune response in this registered clinical trial (NCT03392545). During the follow-up, 12/27 (44.4%) patients who achieved tumor control concomitant with survival benefit were regarded as responders in our study. We found that the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in the TME was reshaped after poly(I:C) treatment. Based on the RNA-seq analysis of tumor samples, the expression of annexin A1 (ANXA1) was significantly upregulated in the tumor cells of nonresponders, which was further validated at the protein level. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ANXA1 could induce the production of M2-like macrophages and microglia via its surface receptor formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) to establish a Treg cell-driven immunosuppressive TME and suppress the antitumor immune response facilitated by poly(I:C). The ANXA1/FPR1 signaling axis can inhibit the innate immune response of glioma patients by promoting an anti-inflammatory and Treg-driven TME. Moreover, ANXA1 could serve as a reliable predictor of response to poly(I:C), with a notable predictive accuracy rate of 92.3%. In light of these notable findings, this study unveils a new perspective of immunotherapy for gliomas.

Expression profiles of glucocorticoid-inducible proteins in human papilloma virus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction

Human papillomavirus virus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) comprises a significant portion of head and neck cancers. Several glucocorticoid-inducible proteins play important roles in pathogenesis of some cancers but their status and roles in HPV-OPSCC remain elusive; these include the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ), Annexin-A1 and serum glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK-1).

Methods

We determined expression profiles of these proteins, using immunohistochemistry, in archived biopsy samples of patients diagnosed with HPV-OPSCC; samples of non-cancer oral lesions (e.g., hyperkeratosis) were used as controls.

Results

GILZ staining was primarily confined to nuclei of all tissues but, in HPV-OPSCC specimens, neoplastic cells exhibiting mitosis displayed prominent cytoplasmic GILZ expression. On the other hand, nuclear, cytoplasmic and membranous Annexin-A1 staining was observed in suprabasal cell layers of control specimens. A noted feature of the HPV-OPSCC specimens was few clusters of matured and differentiated nonbasaloid cells that showed prominent nuclear and cytoplasmic Annexin-A1 staining while the remainder of the tumor mass was devoid of staining. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining for SGK-1 was prominent for control than PV-OPSCC specimens while staining for phosphorylated SGK-1 (pSGK-1; active) was prominent for cell membrane and cytoplasm of control specimens but HPV-OPSCC specimens showed mild and patchy nuclear and cytoplasmic staining. Semi-quantitative analysis of GILZ immunostaining indicated increased staining area but similar normalized staining for HPV-OPSCC compared to control specimens. By contrast, staining area and normalized staining were reduced for other proteins in HPV-OPSCC than control specimens.

Discussion

Our collective observations suggest differential cellular localization and expression of glucocorticoid-inducible proteins in HPV-OPSCC suggestive of different functional roles in pathogenesis of this condition.

Pathobiological functions and clinical implications of annexin dysregulation in human cancers

Annexins are an extensive superfamily of structurally related calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins, largely conserved and widely distributed among species. Twelve human annexins have been identified, referred to as Annexin A1-13 (A12 remains as of yet unassigned), whose genes are spread throughout the genome on eight different chromosomes. According to their distinct tissue distribution and subcellular localization, annexins have been functionally implicated in a variety of biological processes relevant to both physiological and pathological conditions. Dysregulation of annexin expression patterns and functions has been revealed as a common feature in multiple cancers, thereby emerging as potential biomarkers and molecular targets for clinical application. Nevertheless, translation of this knowledge to the clinic requires in-depth functional and mechanistic characterization of dysregulated annexins for each individual cancer type, since each protein exhibits varying expression levels and phenotypic specificity depending on the tumor types. This review specifically and thoroughly examines the current knowledge on annexin dysfunctions in carcinogenesis. Hence, available data on expression levels, mechanism of action and pathophysiological effects of Annexin A1-13 among different cancers will be dissected, also further discussing future perspectives for potential applications as biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis and molecular-targeted therapies. Special attention is devoted to head and neck cancers (HNC), a complex and heterogeneous group of aggressive malignancies, often lately diagnosed, with high mortality, and scarce therapeutic options.

Annexin A1 promotes the progression of bladder cancer via regulating EGFR signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. One of the main reasons for the unsatisfactory management of BLCA is the complex molecular biological mechanism. Annexin A1 (ANXA1), a Ca²⁺-regulated phospholipid-binding protein, has been demonstrated to be implicated in the progression and prognosis of many cancers. However, the expression pattern, biological function and mechanism of ANXA1 in BLCA remain unclear.

METHODS

The clinical relevance of ANXA1 in BLCA was investigated by bioinformatics analysis based on TCGA and GEO datasets. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed to detect the expression of ANXA1 in BLCA tissues, and the relationships between ANXA1 and clinical parameters were analyzed. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to study the biological functions of ANXA1 in BLCA. Finally, the potential mechanism of ANXA1 in BLCA was explored by bioinformatics analysis and verified by in vitro and in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

Bioinformatics and IHC analyses indicated that a high expression level of ANXA1 was strongly associated with the progression and poor prognosis of patients with BLCA. Functional studies demonstrated that ANXA1 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BLCA cells in vitro, and suppressed the growth of xenografted bladder tumors in vivo. Mechanistically, loss of ANXA1 decreased the expression and phosphorylation level of EGFR and the activation of downstream signaling pathways. In addition, knockdown of ANXA1 accelerated ubiquitination and degradation of P-EGFR to downregulate the activation of EGFR signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that ANXA1 is a reliable clinical predictor for the prognosis of BLCA and promotes proliferation and migration by activating EGFR signaling in BLCA. Therefore, ANXA1 may be a promising biomarker for the prognosis of patients with BLCA, thus shedding light on precise and personalized therapy for BLCA in the future.

Annexin A1 as a Regulator of Immune Response in Cancer

Annexin A1 is a 37 kDa phospholipid-binding protein that is expressed in many tissues and cell types, including leukocytes, lymphocytes and epithelial cells. Although Annexin A1 has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory activity, it has been shown that, in the cancer context, its activity switches from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory. Remarkably, Annexin A1 shows pro-invasive and pro-tumoral properties in several cancers either by eliciting autocrine signaling in cancer cells or by inducing a favorable tumor microenvironment. Indeed, the signaling of the N-terminal peptide of AnxA1 has been described to promote the switching of macrophages to the pro-tumoral M2 phenotype. Moreover, AnxA1 has been described to prevent the induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell response and to play an essential role in the induction of regulatory T lymphocytes. In this way, Annexin A1 inhibits the anti-tumor immunity and supports the formation of an immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth and metastasis. For these reasons, in this review we aim to describe the role of Annexin A1 in the establishment of the tumor microenvironment, focusing on the immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory activities of Annexin A1 and on its interaction with the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Tat-NTS Suppresses the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Glioblastoma Cells by Inhibiting Annexin-A1 Nuclear Translocation

Prevention of the nuclear translocation of ANXA1 with Tat-NTS was recently reported to alleviate neuronal injury and protect against cerebral stroke. However, the role that Tat-NTS plays in the occurrence and development of gliomas still needs to be elucidated. Therefore, human glioblastoma (GB) cells were treated with various concentrations of Tat-NTS for 24 h, and cell proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed with CCK-8 and Transwell assays. The nuclear translocation of ANXA1 was evaluated by subcellular extraction and immunofluorescence, and protein expression levels were detected by Western blot analysis. In addition, the activity of MMP-2/9 was measured by gelatin zymography. The results revealed that Tat-NTS significantly inhibited the nuclear translocation of ANXA1 in U87 cells and inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GB cells. Tat-NTS also suppressed cell cycle regulatory proteins and MMP-2/-9 activity and expression. Moreover, Tat-NTS reduced the level of p-p65 NF-κB in U87 cells. These results suggest that the Tat-NTS-induced inhibition of GB cell proliferation, migration and invasion is closely associated with the induction of cell cycle arrest, downregulation of MMP-2/-9 expression and activity and suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, Tat-NTS may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of GB.

ANXA1-GSK3β interaction and its involvement in NSCLC metastasis

Although initially discovered and extensively studied for its role in inflammation, Annexin A1 (ANXA1) has been reported to be closely related to cancer in recent years, and its role in cancer is specific to tumor types and tissues. In the present study, we identified ANXA1 as an interaction partner of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), a multi-functional serine/threonine kinase tightly associated with cell fate determination and cancer, and assessed the functional significance of GSK3β-ANXA1 interaction in the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We confirmed the interaction between GSK3β and ANXA1 in vitro and in H1299 and A549 cells by Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipitation. We found that ANXA1 negatively regulated the phosphorylation of GSK3β and inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) process and migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. By functional rescue assay, we confirmed that ANXA1 inhibited EMT through the regulation of GSK3β activity and thereby inhibited the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Our study sheds light on the function of ANXA1 and GSK3β and provides new elements for the understanding of NSCLC pathogenesis.

Knockdown of Annexin-A1 Inhibits Growth, Migration and Invasion of Glioma Cells by Suppressing the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

ANXA1, which can bind phospholipid in a calcium dependent manner, is reported to play a pivotal role in tumor progression. However, the role and mechanism of ANXA1 involved in the occurrence and development of malignant glioma are still not well studied. Therefore, we explored the effects of ANXA1 on normal astrocytes and glioma cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion and the underlying mechanisms. We found that ANXA1 was markedly up-regulated in glioma cell lines and glioma tissues. Down-regulation of ANXA1 inhibited normal astrocytes and glioma cell proliferation and induced the cell apoptosis, which suggested that the consequences of loss of Annexin 1 are not specific to the tumor cells. Furthermore, the siRNA-ANXA1 treatment significantly reduced tumor growth rate and tumor weight. Moreover, decreasing ANXA1 expression caused G2/M phase arrest by repressing expression levels of cdc25C, cdc2 and cyclin B1. Interestingly, ANXA1 did not affect the expressions of β-catenin, GSK-3β and NF-κB, the key signaling molecules associated with cancer progression. However, siRNA-ANXA1 was found to negatively regulate phosphorylation of AKT and the expression and activity of MMP2/-9. Finally, the decrease of cell proliferation and invasiveness induced by ANXA1 down-regulation was partially reversed by combined treatment with AKT agonist insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Meanwhile, the inhibition of glioma cell proliferation and invasiveness induced by ANXA1 down-regulation was further enhanced by combined treatment with AKT inhibitor LY294002. In summary, these findings demonstrate that ANXA1 regulates proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Annexin A1 is a potential biomarker of bone metastasis in small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a subtype of lung cancer with a poor prognosis, with bone metastasis being one of the main causes of treatment failure. Therefore, investigating new biomarkers associated with bone metastasis may result in positive treatment outcomes. The present study detected the expression levels of annexin A1 (ANXA1) in the serum of 82 patients with SCLC using ELISA. ANXA1 expression in patients with SCLC with bone metastasis was significantly higher compared with that in patients without bone metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that ANXA1 expression was significant in the diagnosis of bone metastasis in SCLC. ANXA1 was inhibited in SBC-5 cells and overexpressed in SBC-3 cells. Results revealed that ANXA1 was able to enhance SCLC cell proliferation, invasion, migration and bone adhesion in vitro. In vivo xenograft bone metastasis assays indicated that ANXA1 had the potential to promote the bone-metastasis ability of SCLC cells in NOD/SCID mice. Furthermore, ANXA1 increased parathyroid hormone-related protein secretion and enhanced Smad2 phosphorylation following TGF-β treatment in SCLC cells. Overall, ANXA1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of bone metastasis in SCLC and may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of SCLC.

Whole exome sequencing and transcriptome-wide profiling identify potentially subtype-relevant genes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

To date, no targeted therapy has been approved for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), suggesting that comprehensive understanding of genomic changes turns out to be an urgent need to break through the calm of currently known therapies of NPC.

METHODS

Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed for 14 NPC patients, including 6 NPC-IIA cases, 8 NPC-IIB cases. The cancer chip expression data named GSE12452 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of each subtype were obtained using the Lima R package. Then gene ontology (GO) function enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed. Finally 7 potentially subtype relevant genes (PSRGs)¹ were obtained.

RESULTS

In total, 37 clinically relevant mutations (CRMs)² were obtained from WES. The 2 NPC subtypes exhibited different mutational landscapes, indicating that different NPC subtypes harbor different CRMs. Notably, we discovered that mutations of CCND1 and FGF family appeared simultaneously in 3 NPC-IIB cases, but 0 in NPC-IIA. In addition, 1395 DEGs were identified from GSE12452. PI3K-Akt signaling pathway showed significant enrichment in both the pathway distribution of CRMs and KEGG analysis of DEGs, suggesting that it is a key pathway in the development of NPC. Through PPI analysis of genes involved in the PI3K-Akt pathways and expression significance analysis of DEGs co-expressed by the 2 subtypes, 54 genes finally were screened for expression significance analysis. The GSEA analysis between patients with high and low expression of 11 candidate genes were performed. As a result, 7 PSRGs were selected, including COL4A1, ASB9, RDH10, TNFRSF21, BACE2, EVA1C and LHX2.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that different NPC subtypes have different genetic changes, suggesting that they may be potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of NPC, and ultimately point to new strategies for intelligence.

Integrated transcriptomic and quantitative proteomic analysis identifies potential RNA sensors that respond to the Ag85A DNA vaccine

OBJECTIVE

DNA vaccine has emerged as a promising approach with potential for Tuberculosis (TB) prevention in adults. However, the mechanism behind DNA vaccines is still largely unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we engineered Ag85A mutated dendritic cells (Ag85A-M-DCs) in which the Ag85A mRNA derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was expressed but not the corresponding protein. Control cells (Ag85A-DCs) expressed both Ag85A mRNA and protein. To better understand the mechanism of antigen presentation following DNA vaccination, integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of dendritic cells (DCs), Ag85A-DCs, and Ag85A-M-DCs were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 723, 278, and 933 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 209, 134, and 509 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between Ag85A-M-DCs and DCs, Ag85A-DCs and DCs, and Ag85A-M-DCs and Ag85A-DCs, respectively. Integration analysis detected 59, 15, and 64 associated DEGs/DEPs with the same expression trend between Ag85A-M-DCs and DCs, Ag85A-DCs and DCs, and Ag85A-M-DCs and Ag85A-DCs, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis showed that chemokine signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway were enriched in all three pairs of comparisons. The protein and protein interaction network revealed that ANXA1 was in the top 10 high-degree hub genes closely related to other genes in all three pairs of comparisons.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that Ag85A DNA vaccine might transmit immunogenicity information and induce immune responses by activating chemokine signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. ANXA1 may serve as a key target molecule of the Ag85A vaccine with additional potential for TB prevention.

Doxorubicin-Conjugated Innovative 16-mer DNA Aptamer-Based Annexin A1 Targeted Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery

Aptamers are small, functional single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that bind to their targets with high affinity and specificity. Experimentally, aptamers are selected by the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method. Here, we have used rational drug designing and bioinformatics methods to design the aptamers, which involves three different steps. First, finding a probable aptamer-binding site, and second, designing the recognition and structural parts of the aptamers by generating a virtual library of sequences, selection of specific sequence via molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, binding energy calculations, and finally evaluating the experimental affinity. Following this strategy, a 16-mer DNA aptamer was designed for Annexin A1 (ANXA1). In a direct binding assay, DNA1 aptamer bound to the ANXA1 with dissociation constants value of 83 nM. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy results also showed that DNA1 aptamer binds specifically to A549, HepG2, U-87 MG cancer cells that overexpress ANXA1 protein, but not to MCF7 and L-02, which are ANXA1 negative cells. We further developed a novel system by conjugating DNA1 aptamer with doxorubicin and its efficacy was studied by cellular uptake and cell viability assay. Also, anti-tumor analysis showed that conjugation of doxorubicin with aptamer significantly enhances targeted therapy against tumors while minimizing overall adverse effects on mice health.

Upregulation of annexin A1 protein expression in the intratumoral vasculature of human non-small-cell lung carcinoma and rodent tumor models

Annexin A1 (anxA1) is an immunomodulatory protein that has been proposed as a tumor vascular target for antitumor biologic agents, yet to date the vascular expression of anxA1 in specific tumor indications has not been systematically assessed. Attempts to evaluate vascular anxA1 expression by immunohistochemistry are complicated by a lack of available antibodies that are both specific for anxA1 and bind the N-terminal–truncated form of anxA1 that has previously been identified in tumor vasculature. To study the vascular expression pattern of anxA1 in non–small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), we isolated an antibody capable of binding N-terminal–truncated anxA1_27-346 and employed it in immunohistochemical studies of human lung specimens. Lung tumor specimens evaluated with this antibody revealed vascular (endothelial) anxA1 expression in five of eight tumor samples studied, but no vascular anxA1 expression was observed in normal lung tissue. Tumor microarray analysis further demonstrated positive vascular staining for anxA1 in 30 of 80 NSCLC samples, and positive staining of neoplastic cells was observed in 54 of 80 samples. No correlation was observed between vascular and parenchymal anxA1 expression. Two rodent tumor models, B16-F10 and Py230, were determined to have upregulated anxA1 expression in the intratumoral vasculature. These data validate anxA1 as a potential vascular anti-tumor target in a subset of human lung tumors and identify rodent models which demonstrate anxA1 expression in tumor vasculature.

Prognostic Significance of Increased Expression of Annexin A10 (ANXA10) in Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Background

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a gynecological malignancy that is associated with high mortality. Annexin A10 (ANXA10) is variably expressed in several types of human malignancy, but its role and clinical significance in EOC remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of ANXA10 in EOC cells in vitro and to study the association between the protein expression levels of the ANXA10 in tumor tissue from patients with serous EOC and clinical outcome.

Material/Methods

The expression of ANXA10 was studied in 118 cases of serous EOC and in the ovarian cancer cell lines, SKOV-3, HO9810, HO8910PM, and OVCAR3 with immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Correlation between ANXA10 expression and clinicopathological variables and patient outcome were evaluated, including with Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariate analysis with the log-rank test, and the multivariate analysis with the Cox-regression model.

Results

ANXA10 was expressed by cells in the ovarian cancer cell lines. Patients with low expression and high expression of ANXA10 were 61.86% (73/118) and 38.14% (45/118), respectively. High expression of ANXA10 was correlated with poor response to chemotherapy (P=0.034), the presence of lymphatic invasion (P=0.043), and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) advanced stage (P=0.033), which were all associated with lower survival rates of serous EOC. Increased expression of ANXA10 was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker of serous EOC (HR=1.73; 95% CI, 1.01–2.98; P=0.046).

Conclusions

Increased expression of ANXA10 was an independent prognostic marker in patients with serous EOC.

Advancements of Annexin A1 in inflammation and tumorigenesis

Annexin A1 is a Ca²⁺-dependent phospholipid binding protein involved in a variety of pathophysiological processes. Accumulated evidence has indicated that Annexin A1 has important functions in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, metastasis, and inflammatory response. Moreover, the abnormal expression of Annexin A1 is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. In this review article, we focus on the structure and function of Annexin A1 protein, especially the recent evidence of Annexin A1 in the pathophysiological role of inflammatory and cancer. This summary will be very important for further investigation of the pathophysiological role of Annexin A1 and for the development of novel therapeutics of inflammatory and cancer based on targeting Annexin A1 protein.

Knockdown of Annexin A1 Enhances Radioresistance and Inhibits Apoptosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Radiotherapy is the primary treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma while radioresistance can hinder efficient treatment. To explore the role of annexin A1 and its potential mechanisms in radioresistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2-sh annexin A1 (knockdown of annexin A1) and the control cell line CNE2-pLKO.1 were constituted and CNE2-sh annexin A1 xenograft mouse model was generated. The effect of annexin A1 knockdown on the growth of xenograft tumor after irradiation and radiation-induced DNA damage and repair was analyzed. The results of immunohistochemistry assays and Western blotting showed that the level of annexin A1 was significantly downregulated in the radioresistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues or cell line compared to the radiosensitive nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues or cell line. Knockdown of annexin A1 significantly promoted CNE2-sh annexin A1 xenograft tumor growth compared to the control groups after irradiation. Moreover, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays revealed that knockdown of annexin A1 significantly inhibited apoptosis in vivo compared to the control groups. We assessed the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and the extent of radiation-induced DNA damage and repair using reactive oxygen species assay, comet assays, and immunohistochemistry assay. The results showed that knockdown of annexin A1 remarkedly reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, level of DNA double-strand breaks, and the phosphorylation level of H2AX and increased the accumulation of DNA-dependent protein kinase in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells after irradiation. The findings suggest that knockdown of annexin A1 inhibits DNA damage via decreasing the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and the formation of γ-H2AX and promotes DNA repair via increasing DNA-dependent protein kinase activity and therefore improves the radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Together, our findings suggest that knockdown of annexin A1 promotes radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and provides insights into therapeutic targets for nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Recurrence and Metastasis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) affects 650,000 people worldwide and has a dismal 50% 5-year survival rate. Recurrence and metastasis are believed the two most important factors causing this high mortality. Understanding the biological process and the underlying mechanisms of recurrence and metastasis is critical to develop novel and effective treatment, which is expected to improve patients' survival of HNSCC. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding nucleotides that regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Oncogenic and tumor-suppressive microRNAs have shown to regulate nearly every step of recurrence and metastasis, ranging from migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), anoikis, to gain of cancer stem cell property. This review encompasses an overview of microRNAs involved in these processes. The recent advances of utilizing microRNA as biomarkers and targets for treatment, particularly on controlling recurrence and metastasis are also reviewed.

Drug Targeting and Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancers: Insights from Systems Biology Analyses

The head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, but robust biomarkers and diagnostics are still not available. This study provides in-depth insights from systems biology analyses to identify molecular biomarker signatures to inform systematic drug targeting in HNSCC. Gene expression profiles from tumors and normal tissues of 22 patients with histological confirmation of nonmetastatic HNSCC were subjected to integrative analyses with genome-scale biomolecular networks (i.e., protein-protein interaction and transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory networks). We aimed to discover molecular signatures at RNA and protein levels, which could serve as potential drug targets for therapeutic innovation in the future. Eleven proteins, 5 transcription factors, and 20 microRNAs (miRNAs) came into prominence as potential drug targets. The differential expression profiles of these reporter biomolecules were cross-validated by independent RNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq datasets, and risk discrimination performance of the reporter biomolecules, BLNK, CCL2, E4F1, FOSL1, ISG15, MMP9, MYCN, MYH11, miR-1252, miR-29b, miR-29c, miR-3610, miR-431, and miR-523, was also evaluated. Using the transcriptome guided drug repositioning tool, geneXpharma, several candidate drugs were repurposed, including antineoplastic agents (e.g., gemcitabine and irinotecan), antidiabetics (e.g., rosiglitazone), dermatological agents (e.g., clocortolone and acitretin), and antipsychotics (e.g., risperidone), and binding affinities of the drugs to their potential targets were assessed using molecular docking analyses. The molecular signatures and repurposed drugs presented in this study warrant further attention for experimental studies since they offer significant potential as biomarkers and candidate therapeutics for precision medicine approaches to clinical management of HNSCC.

Frequent Alteration of Annexin A9 and A10 in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Correlation with the Histopathological Differentiation Grade

The annexin protein superfamily has been implicated in multiple physiological and pathological processes, including carcinogenesis. Altered expression of various annexins has frequently been observed and linked to the development and progression of various human malignancies. However, information is lacking on the expression and clinical significance of annexin A9 (ANXA9) and A10 (ANXA10) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). ANXA9 and ANXA10 expression was evaluated in a large cohort of 372 surgically treated HPV-negative HNSCC patients and correlated with the clinicopathologic parameters and disease outcomes. Down-regulation of ANXA9 expression was found in 42% of HNSCC tissue samples, compared to normal epithelia. ANXA9 expression in tumors was significantly associated with oropharyngeal location and histological differentiation grade (P < 0.001). In marked contrast, ANXA10 expression was absent in normal epithelium, but variably detected in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Positive ANXA10 expression was found in 64% of tumors, and was significantly associated with differentiation grade (P < 0.001), being also more frequent in oropharyngeal tumors (P = 0.019). These results reveal that the expression of both ANXA9 and ANXA10 is frequently altered in HNSCC and associated to the tumor differentiation grade, suggesting that they could be implicated in the pathogenesis of these cancers.

Enhanced antitumor effect of combination of annexin A1 knockdown and bortezomib treatment in multiple myeloma in vitro and in vivo

Bortezomib (BTZ) is one of the most frequently used drugs in treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), but drug-resistance often occurs and limits its clinical efficacy. Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is upregulated in MM, and its knockdown enhances chemosensitivity in MM. However, whether ANXA1 inhibition can increase antitumor activity of BTZ in MM cells remains unknown. In the present study, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays showed that ANXA1 silencing combined with BTZ treatment led to a more significant inhibition of MM cell proliferation than each treatment alone. Cell apoptosis was dramatically promoted in MM cells following silencing of ANXA1 and BTZ administration versus that in ANXA1-silenced alone or BTZ-treated alone cells, as evidenced by decreased expression of phosphorylated signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 and BCL2, and increased expression of BAX. Moreover, we demonstrated that the levels of IL-6 and IL-23 were markedly downregulated in ANXA1-silenced and BTZ-treated MM cells. Furthermore, the combination of ANXA1 knockdown and BTZ treatment distinctly suppressed tumor growth in vivo compared with BTZ treatment alone. Taken together, our results show that downregulation of ANXA1 enhances antitumor activity of BTZ in MM in vitro and in vivo, indicating that ANXA1 may be a promising target for enhancing the chemosensitivity of MM to BTZ.

Annexin A1 Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Correlates with Squamous Differentiation

Background

Alterations of annexin A1 (ANXA1) expression have been reported in various cancers. However, no data are available about the expression of this protein in nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs). The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of ANXA1 in these tumors.

Methods

We examined noncancerous nasopharyngeal mucosa (4 cases) and NPC (20 cases) for ANXA1 expression using immunohistochemistry.

Results

All tumor tissues showed markedly reduced ANXA1 expression compared with a strong positive signal observed in the corresponding normal epithelia. We found that ANXA1 expression is associated with the histological type in NPC. Only squamous cell carcinomas presented a positive ANXA1 signal in differentiated areas whereas all poorly differentiated tumors exhibited negative staining.

Conclusion

Our data show for the first time that ANXA1 expression is down-regulated in NPC and that its expression seems to be related with the squamous differentiation status of these tumors.

FOXO3 induces ubiquitylation of AKT through MUL1 regulation

AKT (also known as protein kinase B, PKB) plays an important role in cell survival or tumor progression. For these reasons, AKT is an emerging target for cancer therapeutics. Previously our studies showed that mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (MUL1, also known as MULAN/GIDE/MAPL) is suppressed in head and neck cancer (HNC) and acts as negative regulator against AKT. However, the MUL1 regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that cisplatin (CDDP) induces thyroid cancer cell death through MUL1-AKT axis. Specifically, CDDP-induced MUL1 leads to ubiquitylation of active form of AKT. We also observed that the role of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) is pivotal in CDDP-induced MUL1 regulation. FOXO3 knock-downed cells show resistance against CDDP-mediated MUL1-AKT axis. CDDP-mediated intracellular ROS increment plays an important role in FOXO3-MUL1-AKT signal pathway. The data provide compelling evidence to support the idea that the regulation of FOXO3-MUL1-AKT axis can be a novel strategy for the treatment of HNC with CDDP.

Evaluation of miRNA-196a2 and apoptosis-related target genes: ANXA1, DFFA and PDCD4 expression in gastrointestinal cancer patients: A pilot study

Previous reports have suggested the significant association of miRNAs aberrant expression with tumor initiation, progression and metastasis in cancer, including gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The current preliminary study aimed to evaluate the relative expression levels of miR-196a2 and three of its selected apoptosis-related targets; ANXA1, DFFA and PDCD4 in a sample of GI cancer patients. Quantitative real-time PCR for miR-196a2 and its selected mRNA targets, as well as immunohistochemical assay for annexin A1 protein expression were detected in 58 tissues with different GI cancer samples. In addition, correlation with the clinicopathological features and in silico network analysis of the selected molecular markers were analyzed. Stratified analyses by cancer site revealed elevated levels of miR-196a2 and low expression of the selected target genes. Annexin protein expression was positively correlated with its gene expression profile. In colorectal cancer, miR-196a over-expression was negatively correlated with annexin A1 protein expression (r = -0.738, p < 0.001), and both were indicators of unfavorable prognosis in terms of poor differentiation, larger tumor size, and advanced clinical stage. Taken together, aberrant expression of miR-196a2 and the selected apoptosis-related biomarkers might be involved in GI cancer development and progression and could have potential diagnostic and prognostic roles in these types of cancer; particularly colorectal cancer, provided the results experimentally validated and confirmed in larger multi-center studies.

Immune-complex level of cofilin-1 in sera is associated with cancer progression and poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. To improve its outcome, reliable biomarkers are urgently needed. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the key molecules involved in PDAC progression using proteomics approaches. First, we undertook 2‐D electrophoresis to identify the proteins overexpressed in PDAC tissues. Following the analysis of agarose gel spots, cofilin‐1 was identified and verified as a candidate protein commonly upregulated in PDAC tissues. In immunohistochemistry, cofilin‐1 was strongly expressed in the cytoplasm of PDAC cells. Samples were divided into two groups based on the level of cofilin‐1 expression. The high expression group showed significantly higher incidence of hematogenous dissemination in relapsed patients than the low expression group (P = 0.0083). In in vitro experiments, knockdown of cofilin‐1 significantly decreased chemotaxis in PDAC cell lines. After we confirmed that cofilin‐1 was secreted from PDAC cells, we established a detection system for the immune‐complex of cofilin‐1 in sera. Using this system, we measured the IC levels of cofilin‐1 in sera and observed that the IC levels of cofilin‐1 in PDAC patients were higher than those in healthy volunteers and patients with pancreatitis (PDAC vs. healthy volunteers, P < 0.0001; PDAC vs. patients with pancreatitis, P < 0.026). Notably, the IC levels of cofilin‐1 showed a stepwise increase during PDAC progression (P = 0.0034), and high IC levels of cofilin‐1 indicated poor prognosis of patients after surgery (P = 0.039). These results suggest that the IC of cofilin‐1 in sera is a potentially attractive serum biomarker for the prognosis of PDAC.

Annexin A1 down-regulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is mediated via transcriptional control with direct involvement of miR-196a/b

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) down-regulation is an early and frequent event in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). In an attempt to identify the underlying mechanisms of reduced ANXA1 protein expression, this study investigated ANXA1 mRNA expression in HNSCC specimens by both in situ hybridization and RT-qPCR. Results showed a perfect concordance between the pattern of ANXA1 mRNA and protein detected by immunofluorescence in tumors, precancerous lesions and normal epithelia, reflecting that ANXA1 down-regulation occurs at transcriptional level. We also found that both miR-196a and miR-196b levels inversely correlated with ANXA1 mRNA levels in paired HNSCC tissue samples and patient-matched normal mucosa. In addition, endogenous levels of ANXA1 mRNA and protein were consistently and significantly down-regulated upon miR-196a and miR-196b over-expression in various HNSCC-derived cell lines. The direct interaction of both mature miR-196a and miR-196b was further confirmed by transfection with Anxa1 3′UTR constructs. Combined bioinformatics and functional analysis of ANXA1 promoter activity contributed to identify key regions and potential mediators of ANXA1 transcriptional control. This study unveils that, in addition to miR-196a, miR-196b also directly targets ANXA1 in HNSCC.

Comparative proteome analysis of human esophageal cancer and adjacent normal tissues

Objective(s):

Ranking as the sixth commonest cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. One of the main reasons for the low survival of patients with esophageal cancer is its late diagnosis.

Materials and Methods:

We used proteomics approach to analyze ESCC tissues with the aim of a better understanding of the malignant mechanism and searching candidate protein biomarkers for early diagnosis of esophageal cancer. The differential protein expression between cancerous and normal esophageal tissues was investigated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). Then proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) and MASCOT web based search engine.

Results:

We reported 4 differentially expressed proteins involved in the pathological process of esophageal cancer, such as annexinA1 (ANXA1), peroxiredoxin-2 (PRDX2), transgelin (TAGLN) andactin-aortic smooth muscle (ACTA2).

Conclusion:

In this report we have introduced new potential biomarker (ACTA2). Moreover, our data confirmed some already known markers for EC in our region.

Changes in the in vitro activity of platinum drugs when administered in two aliquots

BACKGROUND

The management of ovarian cancer remains a challenge. Because of the lack of early symptoms, it is often diagnosed at a late stage when it is likely to have metastasized beyond ovaries. Currently, platinum based chemotherapy is the primary treatment for the disease. However acquired drug resistance remains an on-going problem. As cisplatin brings about apoptosis by intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, this study aimed to determine changes in activity of platinum drugs when administered in two aliquots as against a bolus and sought to determine association with changes in GSH, speciation of platinum drugs and changes in protein expression.

METHODS

The efficacy of administering cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin in two aliquots with a time gap was investigated in ovarian A2780, A2780(cisR), A2780(ZD0473R) and SKOV-3 cell lines. The cellular accumulation of platinum, level of platinum - DNA binding and cellular glutathione level were determined, and proteomic studies were carried out to identify key proteins associated with platinum resistance in ovarian A2780(cisR) cancer cell line.

RESULTS

Much greater cell kill was observed with solutions left standing at room temperature than with freshly prepared solutions, indicating that the increase in activity on ageing was related to speciation of the drug in solution. Proteomic studies identified 72 proteins that were differentially expressed in A2780 and A2780(cisR) cell lines; 22 of them were restored back to normal levels as a result of synergistic treatments, indicating their relevance in enhanced drug action.

CONCLUSIONS

The proteins identified are relevant to several different cellular functions including invasion and metastasis, cell cycle regulation and proliferation, metabolic and biosynthesis processes, stress-related proteins and molecular chaperones, mRNA processing, cellular organization/cytoskeleton, cellular communication and signal transduction. This highlights the multifactorial nature of platinum resistance in which many different proteins with diverse functions play key roles. This means multiple strategies can be harnessed to overcome platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. The results of the studies can be significant both from fundamental and clinical view points.

Downregulation of Annexin A1 by short hairpin RNA inhibits the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Annexin A1 (ANX A1) is essential in cell differentiation and proliferation. However, the role of ANX A1 in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) osteogenic differentiation and proliferation remains unclear. To investigate whether endogenous ANX A1 influences BM-MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, a stable ANX A1-knockdown cell line was generated using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The proliferation rate of BM-MSCs was analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide proliferation assay. Additionally, BM-MSCs were differentiated into osteoblasts and subsequently used to isolate total proteins to analyze the expression of ANX A1. Cell differentiation was assayed using Alizarin red S staining. The results revealed that the knockdown of ANX A1 in BM-MSCs exerts no apparent effect on the proliferation rate under normal conditions, however, following exposure to an osteogenic medium, downregulation of ANX A1 protected cells from the effect of osteogenic medium-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. Silencing ANX A1 with shRNA significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and the expression of differentiation-associated genes (including runt-related transcription factor 2, osteopontin and osteocalcin) during osteogenesis and resulted in reduced differentiation of BM-MSCs. The results indicate the potential role of ANX A1 in the regulation of BM-MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

ANXA1 silencing increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to low-concentration arsenic trioxide treatment by inhibiting ERK MAPK activation

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

Arsenic trioxide (ATO), an antitumor agent, is widely used for treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), in which it induces apoptosis. In most solid tumors, ATO disturbs the cell cycle instead of inducing apoptosis. We aimed to determine the exact mechanism underlying the different response of APL to ATO compared with the response of solid tumors.

METHODS

A proteomics-based screening was used to identify the ATO-associated proteins in the human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line, Eca109. The expression levels of Annexin A1 (ANXA1) in 4 different types of cancer cells were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line Eca109 and pancreatic carcinoma cell line BxPC3 cells were transfected with siRNAs targeting ANXA1 and scrambled control siRNA. Cell proliferation was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay.

RESULTS

After verification of the mRNA and protein levels in 4 cancer cell lines, ANXA1 and lamin A/B were validated to have increased expression levels after low-concentration ATO treatment. Lower concentrations of ATO, which has no effect on proliferation of cancer cells, induced apoptosis after ANXA1 silencing. Furthermore, overexpression of ANXA1 induced by ATO resulted in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), rendering cancer cells resistant to the agent. In addition, PD98059, a specific ERK inhibitor, increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to a lower concentration of ATO treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these data indicate that overexpression of ANXA1 induced by low-concentration ATO makes cancer cells more resistant to the agent via activated ERK MAPKs. Specific silencing of ANXA1 increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to ATO treatment.

Annexin-1 regulated by HAUSP is essential for UV-induced damage response

DNA damage can occur through diverse stimulations such as toxins, drugs, and environmental factors. To respond to DNA damage, mammalian cells induce DNA damage response (DDR). DDR signal activates a rapid signal transduction pathway, regulating the cell fate based on the damaged cell condition. Moreover, serious damaged cells have to be eliminated by the macrophage to maintain homeostasis. Because the DDR induces genomic instability followed by tumor formation, targeting the DDR signaling can be applied for the cancer therapy. Herpes virus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP/USP7) is one of the well-known deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) owing to its relevance with Mdm2-p53 complex. The involvement of HAUSP in DDR through p53 led us to investigate novel substrates for HAUSP, which is related to DDR or apoptosis. As a result, we identified annexin-1 (ANXA1) as one of the putative substrates for HAUSP. ANXA1 has numerous roles in cellular systems including anti-inflammation, damage response, and apoptosis. Several studies have demonstrated that ANXA1 can be modified in a post-translational manner by processes such as phosphorylation, SUMOylation, and ubiquitination. In addition, DNA damage gives various functions to ANXA1 such as stress response or cleavage-mediated apoptotic cell clearance. In the current study, our proteomic analysis using two-dimensional electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and nano LC-MS/MS, and immunoprecipitation revealed that ANXA1 binds to HAUSP through its HAUSP-binding motif (P/AXXS), and the cleavage and damage-responsive functions of ANXA1 upon UV-induced DNA damage may be followed by HAUSP-mediated deubiquitination of ANXA1. Intriguingly, the UV-induced damage responses via HAUSP-ANXA1 interaction in HeLa cells were different from the responses shown in the Jurkat cells, suggesting that their change of roles may depend on the cell types.

Upregulated Annexin A1 promotes cellular invasion in triple-negative breast cancer

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a calcium-dependent phospholipid-linked protein, involved in anti-inflammatory effects, regulation of cellular differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. While many studies have investigated the ANXA1 expression in various tumor types, the role of ANXA1 is not fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the ANXA1 expression in 211 breast cancer patients and compared the levels with clinicopathological factors. ANXA1 was positively expressed in 31 (14.7%) of the 211 cases in our cohort, and these positive cases were associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (P=0.007) and venous invasion (P=0.028). The in vitro cell experiment found that the MDA-MB-231 cell line, which is a TNBC cell line, highly expressed ANXA1. Using this cell line, the functional role of ANXA1 in breast cancer was revealed and the knockdown of ANXA1 by specific siRNA demonstrated a significant reduction in cellular invasion. Further experiments indicated that ANXA1 was induced by hypoxia with hypoxia-inducible factor-1α induction. These results suggested that ANXA1, which enhanced breast cancer invasion and metastasis under hypoxia, were significantly associated with the worst patient outcome. This is particularly noted in TNBC, the group of breast cancer with the worst outcome for which new therapeutic implications are required.

Expression of the Annexin A1 gene is associated with suppression of growth, invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a highly increased incidence rate (20/100,000) in Southern regions of China, while being rare in the rest of the world. NPC is a malignant type of cancer due to its high occurrence rate of metastasis; however, biomarkers for effective diagnosis and treatment are yet to be identified. Annexin A1 is a glucocorticoid‑regulated member of a large superfamily of calcium and phospholipid‑binding proteins and has been shown to have important roles in tumor development and progression, and was demonstrated to be a prognostic biomarker for head and neck cancer types. A previous study by our group showed that Annexin A1 was decreased in NPC tissue as compared with normal adjacent tissue. To investigate whether Annexin A1 is a potential biomarker for NPC, the present study assessed the effect of the Annexin A1 on the biological behavior (i.e., invasion and metastasis) of the highly metastatic NPC cell line 5‑8F and the non‑metastatic NPC cell line 6‑10B. The expression levels of Annexin A1 in the above two cell lines were determined by western blot analysis. Next, the recombinant plasmid pEGFP‑C1‑Annexin A1 and the small interfering (si)RNA plasmid pRNAT‑U6.1‑Annexin A1 were used and stably transfected into 5‑8F and 6‑10B cells, respectively. These established recombinant cell lines were then used to study the up- and downregulation of Annexin A1, respectively. The correlation of Annexin A1 expression levels with the biological behavior of NPC cell lines was analyzed using a cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry, soft agar colony formation assay, as well as Transwell invasion and migration assays. The results demonstrated that upregulation of Annexin A1 suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of NPC cells, while downregulation of Annexin A1 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of NPC cells. These findings suggested that Annexin A1 may be a potential biomarker for the development and prognosis of NPC, and its dysregulation may have an important role in its underlying pathogenesis.

Mass spectrometry based quantitative proteomics and integrative network analysis accentuates modulating roles of annexin-1 in mammary tumorigenesis

Annexin-1 (ANXA1) is known to be involved in important cellular processes and implicated in cancer. Our previous study showed its roles in cell migration and DNA-damage response processes in breast cancer initiation. In order to understand its roles in tumorigenesis, we extended our studies to analyze tumors derived from polyomavirus middle T-antigen ANXA1 heterozygous (ANXA1(+/-) ) and ANXA1 null (ANXA1(-/-) ) mice. We performed quantitative comparison of ANXA1(+/-) and ANXA1(-/-) tumors employing reductive dimethyl labeling quantitative proteomics. We observed 253 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) with high statistical significance among over 5000 quantified proteins. Combinatorial use of pathway and network-based computational analyses of the DEPs revealed that ANXA1 primarily modulates processes related to cytoskeletal remodeling and immune responses in these mammary tumors. Of particular note, ANXA1(-/-) tumor showed reduced expression of a known epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker vimentin, as well as myosin light-chain kinase, which has been reported to induce Rho-kinase mediated assembly of stress fibers known to be implicated in EMT. Integrative network analysis of established interactome of ANXA1 alongside with DEPs further highlights the involvement of ANXA1 in EMT. Functional role of ANXA1 in tumorigenesis was established in invasion assay where knocking down ANXA1 in murine mammary tumor cell line 168FARN showed lower invasive capability. Altogether, this study emphasizes that ANXA1 plays modulating roles contributing to invasion-metastasis in mammary tumorigenesis, distinctive to its roles in cancer initiation.

Differential expression of ANXA1 in benign human gastrointestinal tissues and cancers

Background

Annexin-1 contributes to the pathological consequence and sequelae of most serious human diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Although diverse roles in carcinogenesis have been postulated, its role in human gastrointestinal cancers still remains controversial.

Methods

The mRNA and protein expression profiles of ANXA1 were studied in human esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, liver, and bile duct cancers using Real-Time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Gain/loss-of-function by pcDNA3.1-ANXA1 and ANXA1-shRNA was performed in gastric cancer cells.

Results

ANXA1 was widely expressed in adult gastrointestinal tissue. All methods showed that ANXA1 was down-regulated in esophageal, gastric, and bile duct cancers, but up-regulated in pancreatic cancer. Forced ANXA1 expression in gastric cancer cells leads to cell growth inhibition and concomitantly modulates COX-2 expression. We confirm loss of ANXA1 and overexpression of COX-2 in clinical gastric cancer, suggesting that the anti-proliferative function of ANXA1 against COX-2 production might be lost.

Conclusions

ANXA1 expression is “tumor-specific” and might play a multifaceted role in cancer development and progression. ANXA1 was widely expressed in normal gastrointestinal epithelium, suggesting its role in the maintenance of cellular boundaries. Furthermore, ANXA1 regulates GC cell viability via the COX-2 pathway.

Overexpression of ANXA1 confers independent negative prognostic impact in rectal cancers receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) is an increasingly common therapeutic strategy for rectal cancer. Clinically, it remains a major challenge to predict therapeutic response and patient outcomes after CCRT. Annexin I (ANXA1), encoded by ANXA1, is a Ca(2+)/phospholipid-binding protein that mediates actin dynamics and cellular proliferation, as well as suggesting tumor aggressiveness and predicting therapeutic response in certain malignancies. However, expression of ANXA1 has never been reported in rectal cancer receiving CCRT. This study examined the predictive and prognostic impact of ANXA1 expression in patients with rectal cancer following neoadjuvant CCRT. We identified ANXA1 as associated with resistance to CCRT through data mining from a published transcriptomic dataset. Its immunoexpression was retrospectively assessed using H scores on pre-treatment biopsies from 172 rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CCRT followed by curative surgery. Results were correlated with clinicopathological features, therapeutic response, tumor regression grade (TRG), and metastasis-free survival (MeFS), as well as local recurrent-free survival (LRFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). High expression of ANXA1 was associated with advanced pre-treatment tumor status (T3, T4, p = 0.022), advanced pre-treatment nodal status (N1, N2, p = 0.004), advanced post-treatment tumor status (T3, T4, p < 0.001), advanced post-treatment nodal status (N1, N2, p = 0.001) and inferior TRG (p = 0.009). In addition, high expression of ANXA1 emerged as an adverse prognosticator for DSS (p < 0.0001), LRFS (p = 0.0001) and MeFS (p = 0.0004). Moreover, high expression of ANXA1 also remained independently prognostic of worse DSS (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.998; p = 0.007), LRFS (HR = 3.206; p = 0.028) and MeFS (HR = 3.075; p = 0.017). This study concludes that high expression of ANXA1 is associated with poor therapeutic response and adverse outcomes in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CCRT.

Relationship between HPV and the biomarkers annexin A1 and p53 in oropharyngeal cancer

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is often present in oropharyngeal cancers. Head and neck tumors have been examined for other molecular markers including p53 and annexin A1 (ANXA1). Here, we investigated the prevalence of HPV and its relationship with p53 and ANXA1 in patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Methods

We have analyzed tumor and adjacent mucosa from 22 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx in addition to samples of the oropharyngeal epithelium in subjects without cancer. We evaluated the presence of the HPV (subtypes 16/18 and 31/33) by chromogenic in situ hybridization. Additionally, we used immunofluorescence to examine the expression of p16, p53, ANXA1 and the phosphorylation of the ANXA1 residues Ser27 (ANXA1-SER) and Tyr21 (ANXA1-TYR).

Results

We have detected the presence of HPV genome in 59% of the 22 tumors. Of those, 92% were also positive for p16 immunostaining. Furthermore, we demonstrated a reduction in the expression of p53 in HPV + compared to HPV- tumors. Also, a reduction was observed in the expression of ANXA1 in tumors compared to epithelium from the margins and from controls. We also noted a reduction in ANXA1-TYR in tumors. However, the expression of both ANXA1 and ANXA1-SER were elevated in the margins of the HPV + versus HPV- tumors.

Conclusions

Our results confirm a high prevalence of HPV in oropharyngeal cancer and a reduction in p53 expression in HPV + tumors. We observed a hypoexpression of ANXA1 and ANXA1-TYR in oropharyngeal cancer. The increase in ANXA1-SER in the margins of HPV + tumors suggests that the epithelium in these cases had been activated by an infectious agent. Those findings indicate that ANXA1 and its phosphorylated forms can play important roles in the response to HPV infection and the carcinogenesis of the oropharynx.

Annexin A1 in malignant tumors: current opinions and controversies

Annexin A1 is a 37 kDa calcium and phospholipid-binding protein that participates in several biological processes, such as inflammatory reactions, modulation of cell proliferation, regulation of cell death signaling, apoptosis, and, most importantly, tumor formation and development. Although annexin A1 has been implicated in the biology of various tumors, the findings are highly controversial and information regarding the underlying mechanism remains limited. Moreover, the mechanism by which annexin A1 participates in carcinogenesis and tumor progression is rather unclear. In the current study, we review the important biological functions of annexin A1 in different tumors. This work indicates that annexin A1 is a possible target for novel therapeutic intervention and that it is a potential biomarker for tumor diagnosis and screening.

Exploring the proteomic landscape of a gastric cancer biopsy with the shotgun imaging analyzer

Accessing localized proteomic profiles has emerged as a fundamental strategy to understand the biology of diseases, as recently demonstrated, for example, in the context of determining cancer resection margins with improved precision. Here, we analyze a gastric cancer biopsy sectioned into 10 parts, each one subjected to MudPIT analysis. We introduce a software tool, named Shotgun Imaging Analyzer and inspired in MALDI imaging, to enable the overlaying of a protein's expression heat map on a tissue picture. The software is tightly integrated with the NeXtProt database, so it enables the browsing of identified proteins according to chromosomes, quickly listing human proteins never identified by mass spectrometry (i.e., the so-called missing proteins), and the automatic search for proteins that are more expressed over a specific region of interest on the biopsy, all of which constitute goals that are clearly well-aligned with those of the C-HPP. Our software has been able to highlight an intense expression of proteins previously known to be correlated with cancers (e.g., glutathione S-transferase Mu 3), and in particular, we draw attention to Gastrokine-2, a "missing protein" identified in this work of which we were able to clearly delineate the tumoral region from the "healthy" with our approach. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000584.

MicroRNA expression profile in head and neck cancer: HOX-cluster embedded microRNA-196a and microRNA-10b dysregulation implicated in cell proliferation

Background

Current evidence implicates aberrant microRNA expression patterns in human malignancies; measurement of microRNA expression may have diagnostic and prognostic applications. Roles for microRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are largely unknown. HNSCC, a smoking-related cancer, is one of the most common malignancies worldwide but reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers have not been discovered so far. Some studies have evaluated the potential use of microRNA as biomarkers with clinical application in HNSCC.

Methods

MicroRNA expression profile of oral squamous cell carcinoma samples was determined by means of DNA microarrays. We also performed gain-of-function assays for two differentially expressed microRNA using two squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and normal oral keratinocytes. The effect of the over-expression of these molecules was evaluated by means of global gene expression profiling and cell proliferation assessment.

Results

Altered microRNA expression was detected for a total of 72 microRNAs. Among these we found well studied molecules, such as the miR-17-92 cluster, comprising potent oncogenic microRNA, and miR-34, recently found to interact with p53. HOX-cluster embedded miR-196a/b and miR-10b were up- and down-regulated, respectively, in tumor samples. Since validated HOX gene targets for these microRNAs are not consistently deregulated in HNSCC, we performed gain-of-function experiments, in an attempt to outline their possible role. Our results suggest that both molecules interfere in cell proliferation through distinct processes, possibly targeting a small set of genes involved in cell cycle progression.

Conclusions

Functional data on miRNAs in HNSCC is still scarce. Our data corroborate current literature and brings new insights into the role of microRNAs in HNSCC. We also show that miR-196a and miR-10b, not previously associated with HNSCC, may play an oncogenic role in this disease through the deregulation of cell proliferation. The study of microRNA alterations in HNSCC is an essential step to the mechanistic understanding of tumor formation and could lead to the discovery of clinically relevant biomarkers.

Potential role of Anxa1 in cancer

The annexins are a well-known, closely related, multigene superfamily of Ca2+-regulated, phospholipid-dependent, membrane-binding proteins. As a member of the annexins, Anxa1 participates in a variety of important biological processes, such as cellular transduction, membrane aggregation, inflammation, phagocytosis, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Accumulated evidence has indicated that Anxa1 deregulations are associated with the development, invasion, metastasis, occurrence and drug resistance of cancers. The research evidence in recent years indicates that Anxa1 might specifically function either as a tumor suppressor or a tumor promoter candidate for certain cancers depending on the particular type of tumor cells/tissues. This article summarizes the associations between Anxa1 and malignant tumors, as well as potential action mechanisms. Anxa1 has the potential to be used in the future as a biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of certain tumors.

Sodium butyrate induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in human prostate cancer DU145 cells by up-regulation of the expression of annexin A1

Background

Sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has emerged as a promising anticancer drug for multiple cancers. Recent studies have indicated that sodium butyrate could inhibit the progression of prostate cancer; however, the exact mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of sodium butyrate action in prostate cancer DU145 cells.

Methods

The inhibitory effects of NaB on cell growth were detected by the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrrazolium bromide assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis of DU145 cells stained with annexin V and PI. Hoechst 33258 and fluorescence microscopes were used to observe the nuclear morphology of DU145 cells after treatment with NaB. ANXA1 knockdown cells were established through transfection with ANXA1 siRNA. ANXA1 mRNA levels were measured by qRT-PCR. Bcl-2, Bax, ANXA1, ERK1/2 and pERK1/2 were detected by western blot.

Results

NaB significantly inhibited the growth and induction apoptosis of DU145 and PC3 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of the anti-apoptosis gene Bcl-xl and Bcl-2 in DU145 cells are decreased and expression of the pro-apoptosis gene Bax and Bak increased after NaB treatment. Further studies have demonstrated that NaB up-regulated the expression of ANXA1 and that the tumor inhibition action of NaB was reduced markedly through knockdown of the ANXA1 gene in DU145 cells. Moreover, the siANXA1 cells showed that cell proliferation increased and cell apoptosis was induced by the inactivation of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK).

Conclusion

Our results support a significant correlation between NaB functions and ANXA1 expression in prostate cancer, and pave the way for further studying the molecular mechanism of NaB actions in cancers.

Low Annexin A1 expression predicts benefit from induction chemotherapy in oral cancer patients with moderate or poor pathologic differentiation grade

BACKGROUND

The benefit of induction chemotherapy in locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains to be clearly defined. Induction chemotherapy is likely to be effective for biologically distinct subgroups of patients and biomarker development might lead to identification of the patients whose tumors are to respond to a particular treatment. Annexin A1 may serve as a biomarker for responsiveness to induction chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate Annexin A1 expression in pre-treatment biopsies from a cohort of OSCC patients treated with surgery and post-operative radiotherapy or docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) induction chemotherapy followed by surgery and post-operative radiotherapy. Furthermore we sought to assess the utility of Annexin A1 as a prognostic or predictive biomarker.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining for Annexin A1 was performed in pre-treatment biopsies from 232 of 256 clinical stage III/IVA OSCC patients. Annexin A1 index was estimated as the proportion of tumor cells (low and high, <50% and ≥50% of stained cells, respectively) to Annexin A1 cellular membrane and cytoplasm staining.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between Annexin A1 expression and pathologic differentiation grade (P=0.015) in OSCC patients. The proportion of patients with low Annexin A1 expression was significantly higher amongst those with moderate/poorly differentiated tumor (78/167) compared to those with well differentiated tumor (18/65). Multivariate Cox model analysis showed clinical stage (P=0.001) and Annexin A1 expression (P=0.038) as independent prognostic risk factors. Furthermore, a low Annexin A1 expression level was predictive of longer disease-free survival (P=0.036, HR=0.620) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (P=0.031, HR=0.607) compared to high Annexin A1 expression. Patients with moderate/poorly differentiated tumor and low Annexin A1 expression benefited from TPF induction chemotherapy as measured by distant metastasis-free survival (P=0.048, HR=0.373) as well as overall survival (P=0.078, HR=0.410).

CONCLUSIONS

Annexin A1 can be used as a prognostic biomarker for OSCC. Patients with moderate/poorly differentiated OSCC and low Annexin A1 expression can benefit from the addition of TPF induction chemotherapy to surgery and post-operative radiotherapy. Annexin A1 expression can potentially be used as a predictive biomarker to select OSCC patients with moderate/poorly differentiated tumor who may benefit from TPF induction chemotherapy.

Prognostic significance of annexin A1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Annexin A1 is a 37-kDa calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein of the annexin superfamily considered to play an important role in tumorigenesis. However, associations with clinicopathological features in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases have yet to be fully defined. We therefore investigated the prognostic value of annexin A1 protein as a PDAC biomarker in 83 tumor and matched non-cancerous tissues or normal pancreas tissues. Expression was analyzed using real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. In non-tumor tissue, myoepithelial cells showed no or weak expression of annexin A1 while expression was strong and sometimes even located in the nuclei of endothelial cells in tumor tissue. High expression was significantly associated with advanced stage (P <0.05) and a worse overall survival (P <0.05). These results provide new insights to better understand the role of annexin A1 in PDAC survival, and might be relevant to prediction of prognosis and development of more effective therapeutic strategies aimed at improving survival.

Annexin A1 down-regulation in oral squamous cell carcinoma correlates to pathological differentiation grade

OBJECTIVES

Functional role of Annexin A1 in tumorigenesis is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Annexin A1 protein expression and pathological differentiation grade in biopsy samples from a large cohort of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); and to evaluate the potential role of Annexin A1 on cell proliferation and tumorigenesis of OSCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated the relationship between Annexin A1 expression by immunohistochemical staining and pathological differentiation grade of biopsy samples from 232 OSCC patients, and the relationship between Annexin A1 expression and cell proliferation as well as tumor formation using both in vitro and in vivo OSCC models.

RESULTS

Annexin A1 expression correlated significantly with pathological differentiation grade in OSCC patients, a lower Annexin A1 expression correlating with a poorer differentiation grade. Forced Annexin A1 overexpression in OSCC cell lines, CAL27 and Tca8113, significantly reduced the cell proliferation whereas down-regulation of Annexin A1 expression in OSCC cell line, HB96, significantly increased proliferation of HB96 cells. Tumors formed from CAL27 cells overexpressing Annexin A1 grown significantly slower compared to the parental CAL27 cells in nude mice and showed a significantly reduced nuclear Ki-67 labeling index. Interestingly, these tumors also showed a well differentiated histology pattern whereas the tumors formed from the parental cells were consistently moderately differentiated.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support a significant correlation between Annexin A1 expression and pathological differentiation grade, and a functional role of Annexin A1 in inhibiting cell proliferation and cell differentiation in OSCC.