Overexpression of MAGE-A9 Is Predictive of Poor Prognosis in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The potential value of cancer-testis antigens in ovarian cancer: Prognostic markers and targets for immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Tumor immunotherapy has become an important adjuvant therapy after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. In recent years, the role of tumor-associated antigen (TAA) in tumor immunotherapy has become increasingly prominent. Cancer-testis antigen (CTA) is a kind of TAA that is highly restricted in a variety of tumors and can induce an immune response.

AIMS

This review article aimed to evaluate the role of CTA on the progression of ovarian cancer, its diagnostic efficacy, and the potential for immunotherapy.

METHODS

We analyzed publications and outlined a comprehensive of overview the regulatory mechanism, immunogenicity, clinical expression significance, tumorigenesis, and application prospects of CTA in ovarian cancer, with a particular focus on recent progress in CTA-based immunotherapy.

RESULTS

The expression of CTA affects the occurrence, development, and prognosis of ovarian cancer and is closely related to tumor immunity.

CONCLUSION

CTA can be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of ovarian cancer and is an ideal target for antitumor immunotherapy. These findings provide novel insights on CTA in the improvement of diagnosis and treatment for ovarian cancer. The successes, current challenges and future prospects were also discussed to portray its significant potential.

Expression of MAGE A1 to MAGE A10 in the Forceps Biopsy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Specimens from Patients with the Central Lung Tumor

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to evaluate the expression of the MAGE A subtypes family in the central lung tumor patients from the forceps biopsy (FB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens and to analyze its association with the histopathological examination.

METHODS

An observational study was conducted on 32 FB and 43 BAL specimens from patients with central lung tumors. All samples were assessed for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) expression by reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and samples showing a positive result were examined for MAGE A subtypes family expression by nested-RT PCR.

RESULT

The MAGE A1 to MAGE A10 genes were highly expressed in the FB and BAL specimens from patients with central lung tumors. The MAGE A1 to MAGE A10 gene and MAGE A1 to MAGE A6 gene were expressed in 60/75 (80%) and 16/75 (21.3 %), respectively. MAGE A8, MAGE A9, and MAGE A10 were the most commonly expressed. In FB specimens diagnosed without malignant cells, MAGE A1 to MAGE A10 and MAGE A1 to MAGE A6 were positive in 16/18 (88.9 %) and 1/18 (5.6 %), respectively. In all BAL specimens were diagnosed with no malignant cells, but MAGE A1 to MAGE A10 and MAGE A1 to MAGE A6 showed positive results in 36/43 (83.7%) and 9/43 (20.9%) %), respectively. There was a significant association between MAGE A1 to MAGE A6 expression with histopathological diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The MAGE A subtype family genes are highly expressed in central lung tumor patients from FB and BAL specimens, even in specimens that were diagnosed with no malignant cells. All BAL specimens were diagnosed as no malignant cells, but expression of the MAGE A subfamily genes was found in more than 80% of the specimens. These observations suggest that combining histopathological and molecular examination could improve the diagnosis of lung malignancy.

MAGE-A10 Protein Expression in Advanced High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Is Associated with Resistance to First-Line Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

Ovarian cancer has a dismal prognosis. Standard treatment following surgery relies on platinum-based chemotherapy. However, sizeable percentages of patients are unresponsive. Identification of markers predicting the response to chemotherapy might help select eligible patients and spare non-responding patients from treatment-associated toxicity. Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are expressed by healthy germ cells and malignant cells of diverse histological origin. This expression profile identifies them as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapies. We analyzed the correlations between expression of MAGE-A10 and New York esophageal-1 cancer (NY-ESO-1) CTAs at the protein level and the effectiveness of platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced-stage high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). MAGE-A10 and NY-ESO-1 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from 93 patients with advanced-stage HGSOC treated at our institutions between January 1996 and December 2013. The correlation between the expression of these markers and response to platinum-based chemotherapy, evaluated according to RECIST 1.1 criteria and platinum sensitivity, measured as platinum-free interval (PFI), progression free (PFS), and overall survival (OS) was explored. The MAGE-A10 protein expression predicted unresponsiveness to platinum-based chemotherapy (p = 0.005), poor platinum sensitivity (p < 0.001), poor PFS (p < 0.001), and OS (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified MAGE-A10 protein expression as an independent predictor of poor platinum sensitivity (p = 0.005) and shorter OS (p < 0.001). Instead, no correlation was observed between the NY-ESO-1 protein expression and response to platinum-based chemotherapy (p = 0.832), platinum sensitivity (p = 0.168), PFS (p = 0.126), and OS (p = 0.335). The MAGE-A10 protein expression reliably identified advanced-stage HGSOC unresponsive to platinum-based chemotherapy. Targeted immunotherapy could represent an important alternative therapeutic option in these cancers.

Tumor immune microenvironment of cutaneous angiosarcoma with cancer testis antigens and the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a highly malignant tumor with few effective treatments. Although the indication for immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 antibodies is expected to expand, there are many unknowns regarding the tumor immune microenvironment in CAS, which is generally considered an immunologically “cold” tumor. Our previous study demonstrated that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) were associated with a favorable prognosis in CAS. However, we still don’t know what the difference is between cases of TLS-rich and TLS-poor. Furthermore, the number of TLSs can vary significantly between lesions in the same case, for example, between primary and recurrence. To analyze the changes in the tumor immune microenvironment in CAS in more detail, we performed comprehensive RNA sequencing using a Next-generation sequencer (NGS). Sixty-two samples from 31 cases of CAS treated at Nagoya City University were collected. NGS and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed on 15 samples among them. Immunohistochemistry and prognostic analysis by Kaplan-Meier method were performed on all 62 samples. NGS results showed that NY-ESO-1 (CTAG1B) was significantly upregulated in the TLS-positive cases. Immune checkpoint molecules including programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) were upregulated in TLS-negative or TLS-low cases and seemed to associate with the suppression of TLS formation. In a comparison of primary and recurrent lesions, other cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) including XAGE-1B were significantly upregulated in recurrent lesions. The number of infiltrating CD8-positive cells and TLSs showed no significant trend between primary and recurrent lesions. However, the PD-L1 expression of tumor cells was significantly lower in recurrent than in primary lesions. Chemokines correlated with NY-ESO-1 expression were CCL21 and CXCL8, and only CCL21 correlated with the number of TLS. There was no chemokine associated with XAGE-1. NY-ESO-1 and XAGE-1 are detectable by immunohistochemistry. Although each cannot be a prognostic marker by itself, they can be a helpful marker in combination with the number of TLSs. CTAs play an essential role in forming the tumor immune microenvironment in CAS. These findings are evidence that CAS is an immunologically “hot” tumor and provides us with potential therapeutic targets and encourages the expansion of immunotherapy indications.

Autophagy-related IFNG is a prognostic and immunochemotherapeutic biomarker of COAD patients

Background

Numerous studies have shown autophagy affects cellular immune responses. This study aims to explore prognosis and immunotherapeutic biomarkers related to autophagy in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD).

Methods

Based on R software, we performed the ssGSEA, differential expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, correlation analysis, and enrichment analysis. For wet experiment, we did qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and CCK-8 experiments.

Results

Using autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and the ssGSEA, COAD patients were divided into low and high autophagy groups. For immune score, stromal score, tumor purity, tumor infiltrating immune cells, co-signaling molecules, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, mismatch repair, immune-related pathways, immune signatures, somatic mutations and subtype analysis, high autophagy group might benefit more from immunotherapy. Among 232 ARGs, IFNG was generally significantly correlated with tumor immunotherapy biomarkers (PD-L1, CD8A and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL)). The disease-free survival of high IFNG group was significantly longer than that of low group. On above-mentioned immune-related research, the high IFNG group reached the same conclusion. The qRT-PCR and IHC analysis confirmed that IFNG was significantly higher expressed in dMMR samples compared to pMMR samples. For chemotherapy, the autophagy and IFNG were significantly negatively related to the chemosensitivity to cisplatin; IFNG inhibitor glucosamine increased cisplatin chemoresistance while IFNG increased cisplatin chemosensitivity; IFNG could reverse glucosamine induced chemoresistance. The functional enrichment analysis of IFNG, PD-L1, CD8A and 20 similar proteins were related to the activation of the immune system. The GSEA and ceRNA network partly described interaction mechanisms of IFNG with PD-L1 and CD8A.

Conclusion

Autophagy score and IFNG expression were novel immunotherapy predictive biomarkers, which might play predictive effects through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. IFNG might be a potential targeted therapy for cisplatin resistant colon cancer. Besides, IFNG was also a prognostic indicator.

KLHL14: A Novel Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OV) is a gynaecological malignancy that poses a serious risk to the health status of women. To date, effective molecular markers are unavailable for the diagnosis and management of ovarian malignancies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular markers associated with the development of this cancer. We used bioinformatic analysis to determine the molecules and genes related to ovarian cancer using the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) and the cancer genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. In addition, we examined the genes and mechanisms underlying ovarian cancer. Our results showed that the KLHL14 gene is overexpressed in some cancers. An increase in the KLHL14 expression indicates a poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Results of immune cell infiltration analysis and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) analysis provide novel insights into the treatment of ovarian cancer. KLHL14 is anticipated to emerge as a novel molecular marker specifically for ovarian carcinoma.

BCL2A1 and CCL18 Are Predictive Biomarkers of Cisplatin Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Colon Cancer Patients

Background: Cisplatin enhances the antitumor T cell response, and the combination of PD-L1 blockade produces a synergistic therapeutic effect. However, the clinical correlation between cisplatin and immunotherapy in colon cancer (CC) is unknown.

Methods: Using the “pRRophetic” package, we calculated the IC50 of cisplatin. The correlation between cisplatin IC50, cisplatin resistance–related genes (CCL18 and BCL2A1), and immunotherapy were preliminarily verified in TCGA and further validated in independent cohorts (GSE39582 and GSE17538), cisplatin-resistant CC cell line DLD1, and our own clinical specimens. Classification performance was evaluated using the AUC value of the ROC curve. Scores of immune signatures, autophagy, ferroptosis, and stemness were quantified using the ssGSEA algorithm.

Results: Based on respective medians of three CC cohorts, patients were divided into high- and low-IC50 groups. Compared with the high IC50 group, the low-IC50 group had significantly higher tumor microenvironment (TME) scores and lower tumor purity. Most co-signaling molecules were upregulated in low IC50 group. CC patients with good immunotherapy efficacy (MSI, dMMR, and more TMB) were more attributable to the low-IC50 group. Among seven shared differentially expressed cisplatin resistance–related genes, CCL18 and BCL2A1 had the best predictive efficacy of the above immunotherapy biomarkers. For wet experimental verification, compared with cisplatin-resistant DLD1, similar to PD-L1, CCL18 and BCL2A1 were significantly upregulated in wild-type DLD1. In our own CC tissues, the mRNA expression of CCL18, BCL2A1, and PD-L1 in dMMR were significantly increased. The high group of CCL18 or BCL2A1 had a higher proportion of MSI, dMMR, and more TMB. IC50, CCL18, BCL2A1, and PD-L1 were closely related to scores of immune-related pathways, immune signatures, autophagy, ferroptosis, and stemness. The microRNA shared by BCL2A1 and PD-L1, hsa-miR-137, were significantly associated with CCL18, BCL2A1, and PD-L1, and downregulated in low-IC50 group. The activity of the TOLL-like receptor signaling pathway affected the sensitivity of CC patients to cisplatin and immunotherapy. For subtype analysis, immune C2, immune C6, HM-indel, HM-SNV, C18, and C20 were equally sensitive to cisplatin chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Conclusions: CC patients sensitive to cisplatin chemotherapy were also sensitive to immunotherapy. CCL18 and BCL2A1 were novel biomarkers for cisplatin and immunotherapy.

The expression of cancer-testis antigen in ovarian cancer and the development of immunotherapy

Ovarian cancer is a relatively common tumor in women with the highest mortality among female reproductive system tumors. The lack of apparent early symptoms and effective screening strategies often leads to ovarian cancer being diagnosed at an advanced stage. Immunotherapy relying on tumor-associated antigens might improve the treatment of ovarian cancer. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are ideal tumor-associated antigens, and MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, CT45, and Sp17 are classic CTAs highly expressed in ovarian cancer. Here, we review the research on CTAs in ovarian cancer, including prognostic value and advances in immunotherapy, all of which are essential for developing a theoretical basis for targeted therapy strategies.

Pathogenicity of the MAGE family

The melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) protein family is a group of highly conserved proteins that share a common homology domain. Under normal circumstances, numerous MAGE proteins are only expressed in reproduction-related tissues; however, abnormal expression levels are observed in a variety of tumor tissues. The MAGE family consists of type I and II proteins, several of which are cancer-testis antigens that are highly expressed in cancer and serve a critical role in tumorigenesis. Therefore, this review will use the relationship between MAGEs and tumors as a starting point, focusing on the latest developments regarding the function of MAGEs as oncogenes, and preliminarily reveal their possible mechanisms.

Prognostic Value of Melanoma-Associated Antigen-A (MAGE-A) Gene Expression in Various Human Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 7428 Patients and 44 Studies

Background

Members of the melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) subfamily are overexpressed in many cancers and can drive cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic recurrence.

Objective

This study is the first comprehensive meta-analysis evaluating the prognostic utility of MAGE-A members in different cancers.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The pooled hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated to evaluate the prognostic significance of MAGE-A expression in various cancers.

Results

In total, 44 eligible studies consisting of 7428 patients from 11 countries were analysed. Univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival, progression-free survival, and disease-free survival showed a significant association between high MAGE-A expression and various cancers (P < 0.00001). Additionally, subgroup analysis demonstrated that high MAGE-A expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis for lung, gastrointestinal, breast, and ovarian cancer in both univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival.

Conclusion

Overexpression of MAGE-A subfamily members is linked to poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Therefore, it could serve as a potential prognostic marker of poor prognosis in cancers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40291-020-00476-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Radiomics and radiogenomics in ovarian cancer: a literature review

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynecological cancers in the world despite extensive progress in the areas of chemotherapy and surgery. Many studies have postulated that this is because of the profound heterogeneity that underpins response to therapy and prognosis. Standard imaging evaluation using CT or MRI does not take into account this tumoral heterogeneity especially in advanced stages with peritoneal carcinomatosis. As such, newly emergent fields in the assessment of tumor heterogeneity have been proposed using radiomics to evaluate the whole tumor burden heterogeneity as opposed to single biopsy sampling. This review provides an overview of radiomics, radiogenomics, and proteomics and examines the use of these newly emergent fields in assessing tumor heterogeneity and its implications in ovarian cancer.

Research Progress in Prognostic Factors and Biomarkers of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a serious threat to women's health; its early diagnosis rate is low and prone to metastasis and recurrence. The current conventional treatment for ovarian cancer is a combination of platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy based on surgery. The recurrence and progression of ovarian cancer with poor prognosis is a major challenge in treatment. With rapid advances in technology, understanding of the molecular pathways involved in ovarian cancer recurrence and progression has increased, biomarker-guided treatment options can greatly improve the prognosis of patients. This review systematically discusses and summarizes existing and new information on prognostic factors and biomarkers of ovarian cancer, which is expected to improve the clinical management of patients and lead to effective personalized treatment.

Expression of the tumor-expressed protein MageB2 enhances rRNA transcription

An essential requirement for cells to sustain a high proliferating rate is to be paired with enhanced protein synthesis through the production of ribosomes. For this reason, part of the growth-factor signaling pathways, are devoted to activate ribosome biogenesis. Enhanced production of ribosomes is a hallmark in cancer cells, which is boosted by different mechanisms. Here we report that the nucleolar tumor-protein MageB2, whose expression is associated with cell proliferation, also participates in ribosome biogenesis. Studies carried out in both siRNA-mediated MageB2 silenced cells and CRISPR/CAS9-mediated MageB2 knockout (KO) cells showed that its expression is linked to rRNA transcription increase independently of the cell proliferation status. Mechanistically, MageB2 interacts with phospho-UBF, a protein which causes the recruitment of RNA Pol I pre-initiation complex required for rRNA transcription. In addition, cells expressing MageB2 displays enhanced phospho-UBF occupancy at the rDNA gene promoter. Proteomic studies performed in MageB2 KO cells revealed impairment in ribosomal protein (RPs) content. Functionally, enhancement in rRNA production in MageB2 expressing cells, was directly associated with an increased dynamic in protein synthesis. Altogether our results unveil a novel function for a tumor-expressed protein from the MAGE-I family. Findings reported here suggest that nucleolar MageB2 might play a role in enhancing ribosome biogenesis as part of its repertoire to support cancer cell proliferation.

A new tool for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis using combined biomarkers; synovial MAGE-1 mRNA and serum anti-CCP and RF

Introduction

rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Biomarkers have the potential to aid in the clinical diagnosis of the disease, or to provide means of detecting early signs of the disease. Evaluating Melanoma associated antigen genes (MAGE-1) mRNA expression rate in synovial fluid cells and serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) for RA early diagnosis.

Methods

a total of 213 subjects were enrolled in the study, 135 RA patients and 78 normal subjects with traumatic knee joints (control group). Serum RF and anti-CCP were estimated quantitatively using ELISA. MAGE-1 mRNA expression rate was analyzed by RT-PCR.

Results

a significant increase in serum levels of RF IgM and anti-CCP in RA patients compared to the controls. A positively significant correlation was found between serum anti-CCP and RF IgM. The expression rate of MAGE-1 mRNA was 100% in RA patients versus the controls (0%). The specificity and the sensitivity of the three biomarkers was 100%.

Conclusion

the high expression rate of MAGE-1 in synovial fluid cells of RA patients is encouraging its utilization as a diagnostic biomarker for RA. The combined use of MAGE-1 transcript in synovial fluid cells, serum RF and anti-CCP is recommended for improving early diagnostic ability of RA.

Wnt Signaling Drives Ectopic Gene Expression and Larval Arrest in the Absence of the Caenorhabditis elegans DREAM Repressor Complex

Establishment and maintenance of proper gene expression is a requirement for normal growth and development. The DREAM complex in Caenorhabditis elegans functions as a transcriptional repressor of germline genes in somatic cells. At 26°, DREAM complex mutants show increased misexpression of germline genes in somatic cells and High Temperature Arrest (HTA) of worms at the first larval stage. To identify transcription factors required for the ectopic expression of germline genes in DREAM complex mutants, we conducted an RNA interference screen against 123 transcription factors capable of binding DREAM target promoter loci for suppression of the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. We found that knock-down of 15 embryonically expressed transcription factors suppress the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. Five of the transcription factors found in the initial screen have associations with Wnt signaling pathways. In a subsequent RNAi suppression screen of Wnt signaling factors we found that knock-down of the non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway factors vang-1, prkl-1 and fmi-1 in a lin-54 mutant background resulted in strong suppression of the HTA phenotype. Animals mutant for both lin-54 and vang-1 showed almost complete suppression of the HTA phenotype, pgl-1 misexpression, and fertility defects associated with lin-54 single mutants at 26°. We propose a model whereby a set of embryonically expressed transcription factors, and the Wnt/PCP pathway, act opportunistically to activate DREAM complex target genes in somatic cells of DREAM complex mutants at 26°.

Identification of a 3-mRNA signature as a novel potential prognostic biomarker in patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma in G2 and G3

The use of mRNAs as biomarkers serves to diagnose, treat, as well as aid the prognosis of cancer. The present study involved an analysis of mRNAs in the cell cycle at the G2 and G3 tumor grades for the prognosis of ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OSC) using 364 clinical samples (G2:G3=42:322). Statistics aided the identification of NPFFR2, XPNPEP2 and CELA3B; the 3-mRNA model that allows for classification of patients into high- and low-risk groups using a median value of 0.9580745. The rates of survival varied (P=0.00149) and the independent detection of stratification of the risk of this disease was validated with success using the 3-mRNA signature, which was demonstrated to be more successful than the weight model. This approach was revealed to provide the prognosis of grade G2 and G3 in patients with OSC compared with factors used traditionally. Compared with traditional factors, this 3-mRNA model was demonstrated to be the only and independent prognostic factor for patients with G2 and G3 stage OSC. A literature survey was also performed in the present study in order to assess the role of the 3 genes and indirectly prove their effectiveness. The establishment of this new genetic model will enhance prospective prognosis and treatment for patients with OSC.

Cervical, Ovarian and Endometrial Tumor Markers: Potential Clinical Value

Tumors markers can be described as molecular products expressed by neoplasia tissues (immunohistochemistry), or metabolized and secreted by tumor and characterized biochemically in body fluids such as blood and urine. They may have utility as indicators of tumor stage and grade as well useful for monitoring responses to treatment and predicting recurrence, progression, development of metastases, or even patient survival. Unfortunately, in some cases they may have no identified clinical potential. Several investigations have been carried out, especially in the last decade, using biotechnological methods, in order to identify new potential tumor markers. By translating these findings into clinical use one may facilitate accurate diagnosis and prognostic prediction, and contribute to individualized treatment. The objective of this review is to describe some biomarkers with potential use in clinical settings of uterine cervix, ovary, and endometrium carcinomas.

MiR-143-3p suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting Melanoma-Associated Antigen A9 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Previously we found that melanoma-associated antigen-A9 (MAGE-A9) was a significantly upregulated biomarker in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). A high expression of MAGE-A9 indicates an unfavorable survival outcome, and the MAGE-A9 expression level is an independent prognostic factor of LSCC. To explore the mechanism of MAGE-A9 upregulation, several predicted regulatory microRNAs were screened and validated in LSCC cells. In the current study, we found that miR-143-3p (MAGE-A9 related miRNAs) expression levels correlated negatively with the MAGE-A9 protein expression in LSCC tissues. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and Western blot analysis revealed MAGE-A9 to be a direct target of miR-143-3p. Furthermore, a series of in vitro gain- and loss-of-function assays revealed that miR-143-3p inhibited LSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Also, miR-143-3p suppressed LSCC tumorigenesis in vivo. These effects were clinically relevant, as a lower expression of miR-143-3p occurred in severer clinical stages and represented poor overall survival in patients with LSCC. Taken together, these results suggest that downregulation of miR-143-3p contributes to tumor progression through upregulation of MAGE-A9. The expression level of these two key molecules maintained LSCC progression, thus, highlighting the potential of miR-143-3p as a therapeutic target for human LSCC.

Association of hCG and LHCGR expression patterns with clinicopathological parameters in ovarian cancer

In addition to its critical role during pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has been shown to be expressed by various tumor types. Recent studies have similarly documented the presence of the luteinizing hormone (LH)/hCG receptor (LHCGR) in a variety of nongonadal organs; however, its clinicopathological significance in ovarian cancer remains unclear. The present study used a combination of immunohistochemical, real-time PCR, and western blot analyses to examine hCG and LHCGR expression in normal and cancerous tissues collected from patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). hCG and LHCGR expression levels were resultantly shown to be significantly increased and decreased in cancerous versus normal (or benign) ovarian tissues, respectively (P < 0.05), and both expression pattern changes were associated with more advanced tumor stages and a higher rate of metastasis. Furthermore, patients with tumors with high or low levels of hCG and LHCGR, respectively, experienced a worse overall survival (OS) rate than those with low hCG or high LHCGR expression levels (P < 0.05). In fact, hCG and LHCGR expression levels were independent prognostic factors of patient OS (P < 0.05) for EOC. Collectively, these findings indicate that hCG and LHCGR expression pattern changes are associated with EOC occurrence and progression. Thus, hCG and LHCGR represent promising potential targets to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of patients with EOC.

Cancer-testis antigens in ovarian cancer: implication for biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Ovarian cancer remains the most fatal gynecologic malignancy worldwide due to delayed diagnosis as well as recurrence and drug resistance. Thus, the development of new tumor-related molecules with high sensitivity and specificity to replace or supplement existing tools is urgently needed. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are exclusively expressed in normal testis tissues but abundantly found in several types of cancers, including ovarian cancer. Numerous novel CTAs have been identified by high-throughput sequencing techniques, and some aberrantly expressed CTAs are associated with ovarian cancer initiation, clinical outcomes and chemotherapy resistance. More importantly, CTAs are immunogenic and may be novel targets for antigen-specific immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. In this review, we attempt to characterize the expression of candidate CTAs in ovarian cancer and their clinical significance as biomarkers, activation mechanisms, function in malignant phenotypes and applications in immunotherapy.

A four-gene-based prognostic model predicts overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

With the development of new advances in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) management and noninvasive radiological techniques, high‐risk patient groups such as those with hepatitis virus are closely monitored. HCC is increasingly diagnosed early, and treatment may be successful. In spite of this progress, most patients who undergo a hepatectomy will eventually relapse, and the outcomes of HCC patients remain unsatisfactory. In our study, we aimed to identify potential gene biomarkers based on RNA sequencing data to predict and improve HCC patient survival. The gene expression data and clinical information were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A total of 339 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained between the HCC (n = 374) and normal tissues (n = 50). Four genes (CENPA, SPP1, MAGEB6 and HOXD9) were screened by univariate, Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses to develop the prognostic model. Further analysis revealed the independent prognostic capacity of the prognostic model in relation to other clinical characteristics. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the good performance of the prognostic model. Then, the prognostic model and the expression levels of the four genes were validated using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. A nomogram comprising the prognostic model to predict the overall survival was established, and internal validation in the TCGA cohort was performed. The predictive model and the nomogram will enable patients with HCC to be more accurately managed in trials testing new drugs and in clinical practice.

Cancer-testis antigens: Unique cancer stem cell biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy

Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are considered as unique and promising cancer biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. CTAs are multifunctional protein group with specific expression patterns in normal embryonic and adult cells and various types of cancer cells. CTAs are involved in regulating of the basic cellular processes during development, stem cell differentiation and carcinogenesis though the biological roles and cell functions of CTA families remain largely unclear. Analysis of CTA expression patterns in embryonic germ and somatic cells, pluripotent and multipotent stem cells, cancer stem cells and their cell descendants indicates that rearrangements of characteristic CTA profiles (aberrant expression) could be associated with cancer transformation and failure of the developmental program of cell lineage specification and germ line restriction. Therefore, aberrant CTA profiles can be used as panels of biomarkers for diagnoses and the selection of cancer treatment strategies. Moreover, immunogenic CTAs are prospective targets for cancer immunotherapy. Clinical trials testing broad range of cancer therapeutic vaccines against antigens of MAGEA and NY-ESO-1 families for treating various cancers have shown mixed clinical efficiency, safety and tolerability, suggesting the requirement of in-depth research of CTA expression in normal and cancer stem cells and extensive clinical trials for improving cancer immunotherapy technologies. This review focuses on recent advancement in study of CTAs in normal and cancer cells, particularly in normal and cancer stem cells, and provides a new insight into CTA expression patterns during normal and cancer stem cell lineage development. Additionally, new approaches in development of effective CTA-based therapies exclusively targeting cancer stem cells will be discussed.

LTBP2 is a prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta binding protein 2 (LTBP2) belongs to the fibrillin/LTBP extracellular matrix glycoprotein superfamily. It plays vital roles in tumorigenesis through regulating TGFβ activity, elastogenesis and maintenance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure. In this study, we determined the expression levels of LTBP2 mRNA and protein in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues and adjacent normal tissues by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry analysis (TMA-IHC) respectively. LTBP2 protein levels in cancer tissues were correlated with HNSCC patients' clinical characteristics and overall survival. Both LTBP2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in HNSCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. High LTBP2 protein level was associated with lymph node metastasis and higher pTNM stages. High LTBP2 protein level is an independent prognostic marker in HNSCC. Our data suggest that LTBP2 acts as an oncogene in HNSCC development and progression. Detection of LTBP2 expression could be a useful prognosis marker and targeting LTBP2 may represent a novel strategy for cancer treatment through regulating activities of TGFβ.

EphA8 is a prognostic marker for epithelial ovarian cancer

EphA8 is one of the Eph receptors in the Eph/ephrin receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) subfamily. During tumorigenesis, EphA8 is involved in angiogenesis, cell adhesion and migration. In this study, we determined the mRNA and protein expression levels of EphA8 in cancerous and normal ovarian tissue samples by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) (N = 60) and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry analysis (TMA-IHC) (N = 223) respectively. EphA8 protein levels in cancer tissues were correlated with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients’ clinical characteristics and overall survival. Both EphA8 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in EOC tissues than in normal or benign ovarian tissues (all P < 0.05). High EphA8 protein level was associated older age at diagnosis, higher FIGO stage, positive lymph nodes, presence of metastasis, positive ascitic fluid, and higher serum CA-125 level. High EphA8 protein level is an independent prognostic marker in EOC. We conclude that EphA8 acts as an oncogene in EOC development and progression. Detection of EphA8 expression could be a useful prognosis marker and targeting EphA8 represents a novel strategy for EOC treatment.

MAGE-A9 in head and neck cancer: Prognostic value and preclinical findings in the context of irradiation

Radiotherapy alone, or as an addition to surgery is important for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In addition to their expression in germ cells, melanoma associated antigens-A (MAGE-A) are only expressed in malignant tissue. Notably, there is a known correlation between MAGE-A9 expression and poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. However, current knowledge regarding the function of MAGE-A9 expression, particularly in the context of irradiation, is limited. MAGE-A9 expression in 37 oral squamous cell carcinoma patents was immunohistochemically determined and analyzed for overall survival by the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test. Next, the expression of MAGE-A9 was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in HNSCC cell lines prior to and following irradiation with 2 Gray. The radiosensitivity of each cell line was determined using a clonogenic survival assay. There was a significantly (P=0.0468) longer overall survival in patients with a low level of MAGE-A9 expression. The median overall survival in patients with high MAGE-A9 expression was 47% compared to 73% in the group with low MAGE-A9 expression. The cell lines revealed a distinct expression pattern of MAGE-A9. Following irradiation of the cell lines, a significant enhancement of MAGE-A9 mRNA expression levels was observed. The most prominent alteration in MAGE-A9 expression was observed in the most radioresistant cell line. A high MAGE-A9 expression level correlates significantly with lower overall survival in HNSCC patients. Additionally, irradiation increased the MAGE-A9 mRNA levels in all five HNSCC cell lines, and the most resistant cell line demonstrated the greatest increase in MAGE-A9 expression following irradiation.

Cancer-testis gene PIWIL1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in lung adenocarcinoma

Piwi-like RNA-mediated gene silencing 1 (PIWIL1) has been identified as a novel extremely highly expressed cancer-testis (CT) gene in lung adenocarcinoma. However, the exact function and mechanism of PIWIL1 in lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. Herein, we sought to investigate the role of PIWIL1 in the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma. We examined the expression pattern of PIWIL1 in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) lung adenocarcinoma samples, and validated it by Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) in additional 21 paired lung adenocarcinoma tissues and 16 normal tissues. Subsequently, we explored the biological function of PIWIL1 in A549 and H1299 cell lines by gain and loss-of-function analyses. Using TCGA lung adenocarcinoma data, we further performed coexpression and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses, and analyzed the association of DNA methylation levels in PIWIL1 promoter region with its expression. Finally, we evaluated its expression in different mutation status of significantly mutated genes (SMGs) in TCGA lung adenocarcinoma data. We observed that PIWIL1 was expressed in testis and lung adenocarcinoma but not in other normal tissues, and its high expression was associated with shortened survival of lung cancer patients. Overexpression of PIWIL1 could facilitate the proliferation, invasion and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells and vice versa. GO analysis revealed that PIWIL1 upregulated genes were enriched in embryonic development, cell proliferation and regulation of transcription. Moreover, promoter DNA hypomethylation of PIWIL1 could contribute to its aberrant expression in tumors. Interestingly, PIWIL1 expression was significantly higher in patients without hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11) mutation (P = 0.006 and 0.005, respectively). PIWIL1 is an epidriver gene in lung adenocarcinoma, indicating a potential target for further therapy.

High expression of MAGE-A9 contributes to stemness and malignancy of human hepatocellular carcinoma

MAGE-A9, a well-characterized cancer testis antigen (CTA), belongs to a member of melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) family. In human malignancies, aberrant expression of MAGE genes correlated with poor clinical prognosis, increased tumor growth, metastases, and enrichment in stem cell populations of certain cancers. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed to contribute to the major malignant phenotypes of liver cancer, including recurrence, metastasis and chemoresistance. However, expression and potential role of MAGE-A9 in liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) still remain unclear. In the present study, we first analyzed the expression profiling of MAGE family genes in EpCAM+ and EpCAM- human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on public Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Among these examined MAGE members, MAGE-A9 is the only one with significantly higher expression in EpCAM+ HCC specimens as compared with EpCAM- HCC. Quantitative PCR analysis further confirmed that MAGE-A9 expression significantly elevated in a subtype of HCC patients that had features of hepatic stem/progenitor cells with high-level expression of EpCAM and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Moreover, MAGE-A9 displayed remarkably enriched expression in EpCAM+ HCC cells that were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and cultured HCC cell spheroids with characteristics of stem/progenitor cells. Functional experiments further revealed that MAGE-A9 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, chemoresistance, and tumorigenicity in the context of EpCAM+ HCC cells, whereas MAGE-A9 knockdown significantly inhibited anchorage-dependent and spheroid colony formation and in vivo tumorigenicity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that MAGE-A9 functions as an important regulator of LCSCs, and MAGE-A9 may serve as a potential therapeutic target against HCC stem/progenitor cells.

High expression of LAMP1 as a prognostic marker in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Lysosome Associated Membrane Protein-1 (LAMP1), expressed in several functional processes, is a heavily glycosylated lysosomal membrane protein which is able to protect the lysosomal membranes from intracellular proteolysis. Its pro-tumorigenic effects are involved in the development of several types of Malignancy. However, the role of LAMP1 in human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) patients remains unclear. To demonstrate its prognostic significance in EOC, the methods of RT-PCR and IHC were used to evaluate LAMP1 expression in both EOC and nonmalignant tissues. What's more, the relationship between LAMP1 and clinicopathological factors was investigated. Survival analysis was used to elaborate its prognostic value. Expression of LAMP1 in tumor cells in EOC was significantly higher than those in noncancerous tissues. LAMP1 over-expression in EOC was significantly related to FIGO stage, metastasis invasion, positive ascites cell and the level of serum CA125. The Kaplan-Meier plot and Cox regression method have shown that LAMP1 over-expression in EOC and FIGO stage was significantly related to malignant features in EOC and EOC patients' unfavorable survival. It was strongly evidenced in our research that LAMP1 is a prognostic factor in EOC. Our results suggest that LAMP1 could be used as a poor prognostic factor and novel therapeutic target for EOC.

The prognostic implications of growth-related gene product β in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Growth-related gene product β (GROβ) is an angiogenic chemokine that belongs to the CXC chemokine family, and a number of studies have suggested that GROβ is associated with tumor development and progression. However, a number of studies have investigated the association between GROβ expression and the clinical attributes of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In the present study, one-step quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to detect GROβ expression and evaluate the association between its expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of LSCC. The results demonstrated that the GROβ mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased in LSCC compared with the corresponding non-cancerous tissues. GROβ protein expression in LSCC was associated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis and histopathological grade. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox multi-factor analysis indicated that high GROβ expression, lymph node metastasis and histopathological grade were significantly associated with poor survival of patients with LSCC. These data indicated that GROβ may be a novel prognostic biomarker of LSCC.

MAGE-A family serves as poor prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer patients: a retrospective clinical study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study is to investigate the expression pattern and prognostic significance of melanoma-associated antigens-A (MAGE-A) family in primary epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients.

STUDY DESIGN

The expression of MAGE-A family members, including MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10 and -A12 was immunohistochemically detected in 82 cases of primary EOC and 10 cases of pericarcinoma ovarian tissues. The association between MAGE-A family expression and the clinicopathological parameters as well as the prognosis of primary EOC patients was analyzed.

RESULTS

MAGE-A family expressed in 48.8% of primary EOC tissues, but not expressed in pericarcinoma ovarian tissues. MAGE-A expression was associated with the pathological types, FIGO stage, and pre-operative serum CA125 level. Overall survival of EOC patients with positive MAGE-A family expression was significantly shorter than those patients with negative MAGE-A expression. Multivariate analysis showed that although MAGE-A family expression can affect the overall survival, it was not an independent prognostic marker for EOC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Molecular assessment of MAGE-A family members could be helpful to improve the prognostic evaluation and to provide a new potential therapeutic target for primary EOC patients.

Functional interaction between co-expressed MAGE-A proteins

MAGE-A (Melanoma Antigen Genes-A) are tumor-associated proteins with expression in a broad spectrum of human tumors and normal germ cells. MAGE-A gene expression and function are being increasingly investigated to better understand the mechanisms by which MAGE proteins collaborate in tumorigenesis and whether their detection could be useful for disease prognosis purposes. Alterations in epigenetic mechanisms involved in MAGE gene silencing cause their frequent co-expression in tumor cells. Here, we have analyzed the effect of MAGE-A gene co-expression and our results suggest that MageA6 can potentiate the androgen receptor (AR) co-activation function of MageA11. Database search confirmed that MageA11 and MageA6 are co-expressed in human prostate cancer samples. We demonstrate that MageA6 and MageA11 form a protein complex resulting in the stabilization of MageA11 and consequently the enhancement of AR activity. The mechanism involves association of the Mage A6-MHD domain to MageA11, prevention of MageA11 ubiquitinylation on lysines 240 and 245 and decreased proteasome-dependent degradation. We experimentally demonstrate here for the first time that two MAGE-A proteins can act together in a non-redundant way to potentiate a specific oncogenic function. Overall, our results highlight the complexity of the MAGE gene networking in regulating cancer cell behavior.

A Comprehensive Guide to the MAGE Family of Ubiquitin Ligases

Melanoma antigen (MAGE) genes are conserved in all eukaryotes and encode for proteins sharing a common MAGE homology domain. Although only a single MAGE gene exists in lower eukaryotes, the MAGE family rapidly expanded in eutherians and consists of more than 50 highly conserved genes in humans. A subset of MAGEs initially garnered interest as cancer biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets due to their antigenic properties and unique expression pattern that is primary restricted to germ cells and aberrantly reactivated in various cancers. However, further investigation revealed that MAGEs not only drive tumorigenesis but also regulate pathways essential for diverse cellular and developmental processes. Therefore, MAGEs are implicated in a broad range of diseases including neurodevelopmental, renal, and lung disorders, and cancer. Recent biochemical and biophysical studies indicate that MAGEs assemble with E3 RING ubiquitin ligases to form MAGE-RING ligases (MRLs) and act as regulators of ubiquitination by modulating ligase activity, substrate specification, and subcellular localization. Here, we present a comprehensive guide to MAGEs highlighting the molecular mechanisms of MRLs and their physiological roles in germ cell and neural development, oncogenic functions in cancer, and potential as therapeutic targets in disease.

MAGE-A Antigens and Cancer Immunotherapy

MAGE-A antigens are expressed in a variety of cancers of diverse histological origin and germinal cells. Due to their relatively high tumor specificity, they represent attractive targets for active specific and adoptive cancer immunotherapies. Here, we (i) review past and ongoing clinical studies targeting these antigens, (ii) analyze advantages and disadvantages of different therapeutic approaches, and (iii) discuss possible improvements in MAGE-A-specific immunotherapies.

LAMP3 expression correlated with poor clinical outcome in human ovarian cancer

Lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 belongs to the lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein family, which is associated with lymph node, metastasis, poor overall survival, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Epithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly global female gynecologic malignant tumors. Its clinical outcome is poor and most epithelial ovarian cancer patients tend to relapse because of drug resistance. However, lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer and its relationship between clinicopathologic factors remain poorly understood. To clarify the prognostic implications of lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 in epithelial ovarian cancer, we analyzed both messenger RNA and protein levels of lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 in ovarian carcinomas. Polymerase chain reaction results showed higher expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 messenger RNA in epithelial ovarian cancer than in noncancerous tissues. Immunohistochemical results showed that high lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 cytoplasmic expression was significantly related to tumor grade ( p = 0.038), lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.049), metastasis ( p < 0.001), level of CA125 ( p = 0.030), and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) ( p < 0.001). High lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 nuclear expression was significantly associated with tumor grade ( p = 0.046), tumor single or double (representative whether the tumor involving one or both ovaries) ( p = 0.016), metastasis ( p < 0.001), and FIGO stage ( p < 0.001). Survival analysis indicated that high lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 cytoplasmic expression (hazard ratio: 4.632, 95% confidence interval: 2.421-8.864; p < 0.001), patients' age (hazard ratio: 1.729, 95% confidence interval: 1.027-2.911; p = 0.039), and FIGO stage (hazard ratio: 2.049, 95% confidence interval: 1.113-3.774; p = 0.021) were significantly correlated with poor survival outcome of epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Lack of XAGE-1b and NY-ESO-1 in metastatic lymph nodes may predict the potential survival of stage III melanoma patients

The cancer-testis antigens (CTA) are a large family of tumor-associated antigens expressed by a variety of cancer cells and primitive germ cells of the adult testis and placenta. These tumor-restricted expressing patterns suggest that CTA would be ideal targets for tumor-specific immunotherapy. XAGE-1 is a CTA that was originally identified by computer-based screening, and four transcription variants, XAGE-1a, -1b, -1c and -1d, have been characterized to date. Although the presence of XAGE-1 transcripts has been reported in various cancers, the expression of XAGE-1b in melanoma has not been fully characterized. In this study, we performed immunohistochemical staining of XAGE-1b together with NY-ESO-1, a well-known CTA, in 113 melanoma samples obtained from 84 patients and evaluated their expression in tumor cells. The effects of expression on tumor progression and patient prognosis were analyzed. Both XAGE-1b and NY-ESO-1 were expressed at high levels in lymph node metastasis and skin metastasis samples compared with the primary site (P < 0.01 in XAGE-1b and P < 0.05 in NY-ESO-1). In a subgroup analysis of 22 patients with stage III lymph node metastasis, overall survival was significantly higher in the XAGE-1b and NY-ESO-1 double-negative group than in the other groups (P < 0.05). These results suggest that lack of XAGE-1b and NY-ESO-1 expression could have a positive influence on clinical outcome in patients with melanoma.

Prognostic Value of KIF2A and HER2-Neu Overexpression in Patients With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) is a member of Kinesin-13 family and involved in cell migration and cell signaling. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-neu) is implicated in the development of many cancers. Both of these 2 proteins are upstream inducer of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway that plays an important role in the regulation of many cellular events including proliferation, survival, and invasion. We hypothesized that aberrant KIF2A and HER2-neu expression might be associated with aggressive behavior of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).To address the prognostic implications of KIF2A and HER2-neu in EOC, we assessed protein levels of KIF2A and HER2-neu in 159 ovarian and fallopian tube tissues (111 carcinomas and 48 normal ovary or fallopian tube tissues) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis on tissue microarray and KIF2A mRNA levels in 35 ovarian and fallopian tube tissues (15 carcinomas and 20 normal ovary or fallopian tube tissues) by real-time PCR.We found that significantly higher KIF2A mRNA expression in EOC tumors than that in normal ovary or fallopian tube tissues. The IHC results showed that protein of KIF2A and HER2-neu was overexpressed in EOC tissues compared with normal ovary or fallopian tube tissues, and KIF2A expression level was significantly associated with lymph nodes, metastasis, ascites cells, and FIGO stage. No correlation between KIF2A and HER2-neu expression was observed. Survival analysis showed that patients with KIF2A and HER2-neu overexpression had a worse overall survival (OS) as compared to patients with low or none expression of the 2 proteins. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that overexpression of KIF2A was an independent prognostic factor for OS.These findings indicate the important role of KIF2A in predicting EOC prognosis.

Expression of MAGE-A1, -A9, -A11 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and their prognostic significance: a retrospective clinical study

CONCLUSION

The melanoma-associated antigens A1, -A9, -A11 (MAGE-A1, -A9, -A11) are relatively tumor-specific in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and could be ideal antigens for LSCC immunotherapy. In addition, MAGE-A9 probably is a poor prognostic marker for LSCC patients.

OBJECTIVE

The MAGE-A family belongs to Cancer/testis antigens (CTA). However, the expression pattern of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, and MAGE-A11 in LSCC is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the expression and possible prognostic role of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, and MAGE-A11 in LSCC patients.

METHODS

The expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, and MAGE-A11 in LSCC specimens was investigated by immunohistochemistry, and the association of their expression and the clinical parameters and the survival of LSCC patients were analyzed by chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

The expression rates of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, and MAGE-A11 in LSCC were 54.7%, 46.2%, and 51.9%, respectively. The expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, and MAGE-A11 in LSCC was correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and tumor size. The overall survival of LSCC patients with positive MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, or MAGE-A11 expression was lower than the patients without MAGE-A1, MAGE-A9, or MAGE-A11 expression. Cox's multivariable analysis showed that MAGE-A9 expression was an independently poor prognostic factor for LSCC patients.

The MAGE protein family and cancer

The Melanoma Antigen Gene (MAGE) protein family is a large, highly conserved group of proteins that share a common MAGE homology domain. Intriguingly, many MAGE proteins are restricted in expression to reproductive tissues, but are aberrantly expressed in a wide variety of cancer types. Originally discovered as antigens on tumor cells and developed as cancer immunotherapy targets, recent literature suggests a more prominent role for MAGEs in driving tumorigenesis. This review will highlight recent developments into the function of MAGEs as oncogenes, their mechanisms of action in regulation of ubiquitin ligases, and outstanding questions in the field.