1
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Goldmann T, Schmitt B, Müller J, Kröger M, Scheufele S, Marwitz S, Nitschkowski D, Schneider MA, Meister M, Muley T, Thomas M, Kugler C, Rabe KF, Siebert R, Reck M, Ammerpohl O. DNA methylation profiles of bronchoscopic biopsies for the diagnosis of lung cancer. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:38. [PMID: 33596996 PMCID: PMC7890863 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01024-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in most western countries in both, males and females, accounting for roughly 20–25% of all cancer deaths. For choosing the most appropriate therapy regimen a definite diagnosis is a prerequisite. However, histological characterization of bronchoscopic biopsies particularly with low tumor cell content is often challenging. Therefore, this study aims at (a) determining the value of DNA methylation analysis applied to specimens obtained by bronchoscopic biopsy for the diagnosis of lung cancer and (b) at comparing aberrantly CpG loci identified in bronchoscopic biopsy with those identified by analyzing surgical specimens. Results We report the HumanMethylation450-based DNA methylation analysis of paired samples of bronchoscopic biopsy specimens either from the tumor side or from the contralateral tumor-free bronchus in 37 patients with definite lung cancer diagnosis and 18 patients with suspicious diagnosis. A differential DNA methylation analysis between both biopsy sites of patients with definite diagnosis identified 1303 loci. Even those samples were separated by the set of 1303 loci in which histopathological analysis could not unambiguously define the dignity. Further differential DNA methylation analyses distinguished between SCLC and NSCLC. We validated our results in an independent cohort of 40 primary lung cancers obtained by open surgical resection and their corresponding controls from the same patient as well as in publically available DNA methylation data from a TCGA cohort which could also be classified with high accuracy. Conclusions Considering that the prognosis correlates with tumor stage at time of diagnosis, early detection of lung cancer is vital and DNA methylation analysis might add valuable information to reliably characterize lung cancer even in histologically ambiguous sample material. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01024-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Goldmann
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel, Lübeck, Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | | | - Julia Müller
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel, Lübeck, Borstel, Germany
| | - Maren Kröger
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, Germany
| | - Swetlana Scheufele
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Sebastian Marwitz
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel, Lübeck, Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Dörte Nitschkowski
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel, Lübeck, Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Marc A Schneider
- Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Meister
- Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Muley
- Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Thomas
- Internistische Onkologie der Thoraxtumoren, Thoraxklinik im Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC-H), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Klaus F Rabe
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Reck
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany. .,Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany.
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2
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Groth EE, Weber M, Bahmer T, Pedersen F, Kirsten A, Börnigen D, Rabe KF, Watz H, Ammerpohl O, Goldmann T. Exploration of the sputum methylome and omics deconvolution by quadratic programming in molecular profiling of asthma and COPD: the road to sputum omics 2.0. Respir Res 2020; 21:274. [PMID: 33076907 PMCID: PMC7574293 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-020-01544-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, most studies involving high-throughput analyses of sputum in asthma and COPD have focused on identifying transcriptomic signatures of disease. No whole-genome methylation analysis of sputum cells has been performed yet. In this context, the highly variable cellular composition of sputum has potential to confound the molecular analyses. METHODS Whole-genome transcription (Agilent Human 4 × 44 k array) and methylation (Illumina 450 k BeadChip) analyses were performed on sputum samples of 9 asthmatics, 10 healthy and 10 COPD subjects. RNA integrity was checked by capillary electrophoresis and used to correct in silico for bias conferred by RNA degradation during biobank sample storage. Estimates of cell type-specific molecular profiles were derived via regression by quadratic programming based on sputum differential cell counts. All analyses were conducted using the open-source R/Bioconductor software framework. RESULTS A linear regression step was found to perform well in removing RNA degradation-related bias among the main principal components of the gene expression data, increasing the number of genes detectable as differentially expressed in asthma and COPD sputa (compared to controls). We observed a strong influence of the cellular composition on the results of mixed-cell sputum analyses. Exemplarily, upregulated genes derived from mixed-cell data in asthma were dominated by genes predominantly expressed in eosinophils after deconvolution. The deconvolution, however, allowed to perform differential expression and methylation analyses on the level of individual cell types and, though we only analyzed a limited number of biological replicates, was found to provide good estimates compared to previously published data about gene expression in lung eosinophils in asthma. Analysis of the sputum methylome indicated presence of differential methylation in genomic regions of interest, e.g. mapping to a number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes related to both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules in asthma and COPD macrophages. Furthermore, we found the SMAD3 (SMAD family member 3) gene, among others, to lie within differentially methylated regions which has been previously reported in the context of asthma. CONCLUSIONS In this methodology-oriented study, we show that methylation profiling can be easily integrated into sputum analysis workflows and exhibits a strong potential to contribute to the profiling and understanding of pulmonary inflammation. Wherever RNA degradation is of concern, in silico correction can be effective in improving both sensitivity and specificity of downstream analyses. We suggest that deconvolution methods should be integrated in sputum omics analysis workflows whenever possible in order to facilitate the unbiased discovery and interpretation of molecular patterns of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Espen E Groth
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany. .,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany. .,Department of Internal Medicine I, Pneumology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany. .,Department of Oncology, Hematology and BMT with Section Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Melanie Weber
- Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas Bahmer
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine I, Pneumology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Frauke Pedersen
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Anne Kirsten
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Daniela Börnigen
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus F Rabe
- LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Henrik Watz
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany.,Research Center Borstel, Pathology, Borstel, Germany
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3
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Marwitz S, Heinbockel L, Scheufele S, Kugler C, Reck M, Rabe KF, Perner S, Goldmann T, Ammerpohl O. Fountain of youth for squamous cell carcinomas? On the epigenetic age of non-small cell lung cancer and corresponding tumor-free lung tissues. Int J Cancer 2018; 143:3061-3070. [PMID: 29974462 PMCID: PMC6282761 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.31641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Aging affects the core processes of almost every organism, and the functional decline at the cellular and tissue levels influences disease development. Recently, it was shown that the methylation of certain CpG dinucleotides correlates with chronological age and that this epigenetic clock can be applied to study aging‐related effects. We investigated these molecular age loci in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues from patients with adenocarcinomas (AC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SQC) as well as in matched tumor‐free lung tissue. In both NSCLC subtypes, the calculated epigenetic age did not correlate with the chronological age. In particular, SQC exhibited rejuvenation compared to the corresponding normal lung tissue as well as with the chronological age of the donor. Moreover, the younger epigenetic pattern was associated with a trend toward stem cell‐like gene expression patterns. These findings show deep phenotypic differences between the tumor entities AC and SQC, which might be useful for novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. What's new? Chronological age is correlated with the methylation status of CpG sites in the genome, enabling the study of aging‐related phenomena. Here, investigation of molecular age loci in cells from patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) reveals remarkable differences in NSCLC cell epigenetic age compared to the host's chronological age. Adenocarcinomas showed a higher epigenetic age than squamous cell carcinomas (SQC). Reduced SQC epigenetic age was accompanied by increased expression of stem cell gene signatures, suggesting an increased abundance of stem cells in SQC. Elevated stem cell levels could have clinical implications, as stems cells often show therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marwitz
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig‐Holstein (UKSH)Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstelsite BorstelGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | - Lena Heinbockel
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig‐Holstein (UKSH)Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstelsite BorstelGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | - Swetlana Scheufele
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig‐Holstein (UKSH)Campus KielGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | | | - Martin Reck
- OncologyLungenClinic GrosshansdorfGrosshansdorfGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | - Klaus F. Rabe
- PneumologyLungenClinic GrosshansdorfGrosshansdorfGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | - Sven Perner
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig‐Holstein (UKSH)Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstelsite BorstelGermany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig‐Holstein (UKSH)Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstelsite BorstelGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Ulm, UlmGermany
- Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)GroßhansdorfGermany
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4
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Paradiso B, Simonato M, Thiene G, Lavezzi A. From fix to fit into the autoptic human brains. Eur J Histochem 2018; 62. [PMID: 30173504 PMCID: PMC6151333 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2018.2944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded (FFPE) human brain tissues are very often stored in formalin for long time. Formalin fixation reduces immunostaining, and the DNA/RNA extraction from FFPE brain tissue becomes suboptimal. At present, there are different protocols of fixation and several procedures and kits to extract DNA/RNA from paraffin embedding tissue, but a gold standard protocol remains distant. In this study, we analyzed four types of fixation systems and compared histo and immuno-staining. Based on our results, we propose a modified method of combined fixation in formalin and formic acid for the autoptic adult brain to obtain easy, fast, safe and efficient immunolabelling of long-stored FFPE tissue. In particular, we have achieved an improved preservation of cellular morphology and obtained success in postmortem immunostaining for NeuN. This nuclear antigen is an important marker for mapping neurons, for example, to evaluate the histopathology of temporal lobe epilepsy or to draw the topography of cardiorespiratory brainstem nuclei in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, NeuN staining is frequently faint or lost in postmortem human brain tissues. In addition, we attained Fluoro Jade C staining, a marker of neurodegeneration, and immunofluorescent staining for stem cell antigens in the postnatal human brain, utilizing custom fit fixation procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Paradiso
- University of Milan, "Lino Rossi" Research Center for the study and prevention of unexpected perinatal death and SIDS Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences; Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua Medical School, Padua; Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology and National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara.
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5
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Marwitz S, Heinbockel L, Scheufele S, Nitschkowski D, Kugler C, Perner S, Reck M, Ammerpohl O, Goldmann T. Epigenetic modifications of the VGF gene in human non-small cell lung cancer tissues pave the way towards enhanced expression. Clin Epigenetics 2017; 9:123. [PMID: 29209432 PMCID: PMC5704452 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0423-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Hwang et al. recently showed that VGF substantially contributes to the resistance of human lung cancer cells towards epidermal growth factor receptor kinase inhibitors. This was further linked to enhanced epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Here, we demonstrate that VGF is epigenetically modified in non-small cell lung cancer tissues compared to corresponding tumor-free lung tissues from the same donors by using methylome bead chip analyses. These epigenetic modifications trigger an increased transcription of the VGF gene within the tumors, which then leads to an increased expression of the protein, facilitating epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and the resistance to kinase inhibitors. These results should be taken into account in the design of novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marwitz
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel Parkallee 3, 23845 Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Lena Heinbockel
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel Parkallee 3, 23845 Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Swetlana Scheufele
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), D-24105 Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Dörte Nitschkowski
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel Parkallee 3, 23845 Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Christian Kugler
- Surgery, LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, D-22927 Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Sven Perner
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel Parkallee 3, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Martin Reck
- Oncology, LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, D-22927 Grosshansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck and the Research Center Borstel Parkallee 3, 23845 Borstel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), D-22927 Großhansdorf, Germany
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6
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Influence of mucinous and necrotic tissue in colorectal cancer samples on KRAS mutation analysis. Pathol Res Pract 2017; 213:606-611. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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7
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Marwitz S, Scheufele S, Perner S, Reck M, Ammerpohl O, Goldmann T. Epigenetic modifications of the immune-checkpoint genes CTLA4 and PDCD1 in non-small cell lung cancer results in increased expression. Clin Epigenetics 2017; 9:51. [PMID: 28503213 PMCID: PMC5426039 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting checkpoint inhibitors using monoclonal antibodies results in significantly better outcome of cancer patients compared to conventional chemotherapy. However, the current companion diagnostics to predict response is so far suboptimal, since they base on more or less reliable immunohistochemical approaches. In order to overcome these limitations, we analyzed epigenetic modifications of PDCD1 (PD1), CD274 (PD-L1), and CTLA4 in NSCLC tissues from 39 patients. Results were correlated with transcriptome data. Significant differences in the CpG-methylation patterns between tumor tissues and matched controls were observed for CTLA4 and PDCD1 (PD1) showing a decreased methylation of these genes compared to matched tumor-free tissues from the same patients. Results were confirmed by bisulfide sequencing in an independent validation cohort. Hypomethylation also resulted in increased expression of these genes as shown by transcriptome data. These epigenetic pathways as a hallmark of NSCLC might be useful to generate more precise diagnostic approaches in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marwitz
- Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Swetlana Scheufele
- Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Sven Perner
- Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Martin Reck
- LungenClinic Großhansdorf, Großhansdorf, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Campus Luebeck and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Pathology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany.,Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany
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8
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Marwitz S, Depner S, Dvornikov D, Merkle R, Szczygieł M, Müller-Decker K, Lucarelli P, Wäsch M, Mairbäurl H, Rabe KF, Kugler C, Vollmer E, Reck M, Scheufele S, Kröger M, Ammerpohl O, Siebert R, Goldmann T, Klingmüller U. Downregulation of the TGFβ Pseudoreceptor BAMBI in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Enhances TGFβ Signaling and Invasion. Cancer Res 2016; 76:3785-801. [PMID: 27197161 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-1326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by early metastasis and has the highest mortality rate among all solid tumors, with the majority of patients diagnosed at an advanced stage where curative therapeutic options are lacking. In this study, we identify a targetable mechanism involving TGFβ elevation that orchestrates tumor progression in this disease. Substantial activation of this pathway was detected in human lung cancer tissues with concomitant downregulation of BAMBI, a negative regulator of the TGFβ signaling pathway. Alterations of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker expression were observed in lung cancer samples compared with tumor-free tissues. Distinct alterations in the DNA methylation of the gene regions encoding TGFβ pathway components were detected in NSCLC samples compared with tumor-free lung tissues. In particular, epigenetic silencing of BAMBI was identified as a hallmark of NSCLC. Reconstitution of BAMBI expression in NSCLC cells resulted in a marked reduction of TGFβ-induced EMT, migration, and invasion in vitro, along with reduced tumor burden and tumor growth in vivo In conclusion, our results demonstrate how BAMBI downregulation drives the invasiveness of NSCLC, highlighting TGFβ signaling as a candidate therapeutic target in this setting. Cancer Res; 76(13); 3785-801. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marwitz
- Pathology of the University Hospital of Lübeck and the Leibniz Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany. Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany
| | - Sofia Depner
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. BIOQUANT, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dmytro Dvornikov
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ruth Merkle
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. BIOQUANT, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Szczygieł
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Philippe Lucarelli
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marvin Wäsch
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Heimo Mairbäurl
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany. Medical Clinic VII, Sports Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Klaus F Rabe
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. LungenClinic Groβhansdorf, Groβhansdorf, Germany. Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Kugler
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. LungenClinic Groβhansdorf, Groβhansdorf, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Vollmer
- Pathology of the University Hospital of Lübeck and the Leibniz Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany. Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany
| | - Martin Reck
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. LungenClinic Groβhansdorf, Groβhansdorf, Germany
| | - Swetlana Scheufele
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Maren Kröger
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany. Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Torsten Goldmann
- Pathology of the University Hospital of Lübeck and the Leibniz Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany. Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Groβhansdorf, Germany
| | - Ursula Klingmüller
- Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. BIOQUANT, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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