Germline polymorphisms in genes involved in the Hippo pathway as recurrence biomarkers in stages II/III colon cancer

Origin and evolution of animal multicellularity in the light of phylogenomics and cancer genetics

The rise of animals represents a major but enigmatic event in the evolutionary history of life. In recent years, numerous studies have aimed at understanding the genetic basis of this transition. However, genome comparisons of diverse animal and protist lineages suggest that the appearance of gene families that were previously considered animal specific indeed preceded animals. Animals' unicellular relatives, such as choanoflagellates, ichthyosporeans, and filastereans, demonstrate complex life cycles including transient multicellularity as well as genetic toolkits for temporal cell differentiation, cell-to-cell communication, apoptosis, and cell adhesion. This has warranted further exploration of the genetic basis underlying transitions in cellular organization. An alternative model for the study of transitions in cellular organization is tumors, which exploit physiological programs that characterize both unicellularity and multicellularity. Tumor cells, for example, switch adhesion on and off, up- or downregulate specific cell differentiation states, downregulate apoptosis, and allow cell migration within tissues. Here, we use insights from both the fields of phylogenomics and tumor biology to review the evolutionary history of the regulatory systems of multicellularity and discuss their overlap. We claim that while evolutionary biology has contributed to an increased understanding of cancer, broad investigations into tissue-normal and transformed-can also contribute the framework for exploring animal evolution.

α-Hederin Inhibits the Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Hippo-Yes-Associated Protein Signaling Pathway

Aims

Yes-associated protein (YAP), a downstream protein in the Hippo signaling pathway, plays an important role in tumor proliferation, including in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). α-hederin, a monodesmosidic triterpenoid saponin isolated from Fructus akebiae, displayed anti-cancer effects on several cancer cell lines but the precise mechanism has not been ascertained. In the present study, we explored the effects of α-hederin on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human HCC cell lines and the underlying mechanisms.

Main Method

Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed using 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine staining, colony formation, flow cytometry. The expression patterns of components of Hippo signaling pathway and apoptotic genes were further examined via RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. A xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used to evaluate the anti-HCC effects of α-hederin in vivo.

Results

α-hederin promoted the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells in vitro, and remarkably inhibited the tumor size and weight in the xenograft mouse model. Additionally, α-hederin increased the expression of pro-apoptosis proteins and suppressed the expression of anti-apoptosis proteins. Moreover, α-hederin treatment upregulated the expression of Hippo signaling pathway-related proteins and genes, while, effectively reduced the level of nuclear YAP, which resulted in the inhibition of proliferation and the induction of apoptosis of HCC cells. Finally, the effects of α-hederin on HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis were alleviated by XMU-MP-1, a Mst1/2 inhibitor in vitro.

Significance

We identified α-hederin is a novel agonist of Hippo signaling pathway and possesses an anti-HCC efficacy through inhibiting YAP activity.

Molecular Biomarkers according to Primary Tumor Location in Colorectal Cancer: Current Standard and New Insights

According to the 2018 GLOBOCAN database, colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies and leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. During the last decades, considerable progress has been made in understanding the complex pathogenetic mechanisms involved in this neoplastic disease. Due to the need to improve treatment responses and clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients, the identification of new molecular biomarkers became a crucial spot in clinical oncology. As biological indicators of a specific pathological or physiological process, molecular markers play a central role in cancer detection, diagnosis, outcome prediction, and treatment choice. Considering the existing evidence that malignancies originating from distinct colonic regions behave differently, it is clear that specific biomarkers can be associated to right- or left-sided colon carcinomas, reflecting the distinct molecular signatures of these different tumor entities. The aim of this review is to summarize the main differences among tumors arising from proximal and distal colon in terms of current and emerging biomarkers.

Association analysis between SNPs in LATS1 and LATS2 and non-cardia gastric cancer

Background

Many studies have found that large tumor suppressor kinase 1 (LATS1) and LATS2 play important roles in many diseases, but studies have been rare on the relationship between these genes and non-cardia gastric cancer (GC). We performed a case-control association study to investigate the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LATS1 and LATS2 genes and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection as well as the risk of non-cardia GC.

Methods

First, H. pylori infection was determined by the serological test using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Then genotyping of SNPs was performed for 808 samples by the Taqman method. Finally, unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for age and gender, for the association of each SNP with the infection of H. pylori, the risk of non-cardia gastric cancer, as well as the expression of LATS1 and LATS2 proteins in non-cardia GC tissues, using the codominant, dominant, recessive, overdominant, and log-additive inheritance models, respectively.

Results

The statistical results showed that LATS2 rs9552315 was associated with H. pylori infection, and the CC + CT genotype could reduce the risk of H. pylori infection (odds ratio [OR]: 0.549, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.339–0.881, P < 0.05) compared with the TT genotype in a dominant model. LATS1 rs9393175 was associated with the risk of non-cardia GC, and the AG genotype reduced the risk of non-cardia GC (OR: 0.702, 95% CI: 0.516–0.952, P < 0.05) compared with the GG + AA genotype in an overdominant model. LATS2 rs9509492 was associated with the risk of GC in an log-additive model. No associations were found between five SNPs and expression of LATS1 and LATS2 proteins in non-cardia GC tissue.

Conclusions

LATS2 rs9552315 CT genotype may be a protective factor against infection of H. pylori. LATS1 rs9393175 AG genotype and LATS2 rs9509492 GG genotype may be protective factors for non-cardia GC.

Up-regulation of FAT4 enhances the chemosensitivity of colorectal cancer cells treated by 5-FU

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has high mortality, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a common clinical chemotherapeutic drug. The current study aimed to investigate the role of FAT4 in chemosensitivity of CRC cells treated by 5-FU.

METHODS

The immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR was conducted to measure the FAT4 expression in CRC and adjacent tissues. The FAT4 expression was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot, comparison of FAT expression between normal and several CRC cell lines was then made, so as to identify cell lines with the highest (LS174T) and the lowest (SW-620) expressions of FAT4. The effects of 5-FU stimulation at various doses on cell viability were determined by CCK-8, and the level of FAT4 was also measured. After FAT4 knockdown in LS174T or FAT4 overexpression in SW-620 with or without pretreatment of 5-FU (30 µg/mL), cell growth, colony formation, cell migration and invasion, angiogenesis were determined by flow cytometry, wound-healing, transwell assay and tube formation assay, respectively. The expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

FAT4 was down-regulated in CRC tissues and cells, cell viability of CRC cells was decreased. The level of FAT4 was increased with the increase of 5-FU concentrations. Moreover, 5-FU stimulation increased FAT4 expression, and reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and cell EMT process, furthermore, such effects of 5-FU stimulation could be enhanced by FAT4 overexpression but reversed by FAT4 knockdown.

CONCLUSIONS

Upregulation of FAT4 could increase the sensitivity of CRC cells to 5-FU.

Jiedu Sangen Decoction Inhibits the Invasion and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Regulating EMT through the Hippo Signaling Pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors affecting the digestive tract. Moreover, the invasion and metastasis of CRC are the main reason therapy is usually inefficient. Decreased intercellular adhesion and enhanced cell motility induced by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) provide the basic conditions for the invasion and metastasis of the epithelial tumor cells of CRC. The Jiedu Sangen Decoction (JSD) is a prescription that has been used for more than 50 years in the treatment of CRC in the Zhejiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of JSD-triggered inhibition of invasion and metastasis in colon cancer. In vitro, the EMT model of the SW480 cells was induced by using epithelial growth factor (50 ng/mL). In vivo, the murine model of liver metastasis was constructed by inoculating mice with the SW480 cells. The effects of JSD on cell migration, invasion, and proliferation were determined using the transwell assay and CCK-8 assay. Moreover, the proteins related to the EMT process and the Hippo signaling pathway in the cancerous tissues and cell lines were determined by western blotting and immunostaining. JSD could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells and reverse their EMT status (all, P < 0.05). Moreover, after intervention with JSD, the levels of E-Cadherin (E-cad) increased, whereas the expression levels of N-Cadherin (N-cad), Yes-associated protein (YAP), and the transcriptional coactivator with the PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) decreased in both the SW480 cells and the tumor tissues. In summary, JSD reversed EMT and inhibited the invasion and metastasis of CRC cells through the Hippo signaling pathway.

GNAS knockdown suppresses osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells via activation of Hippo signaling pathway

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are a suitable option for cell-based tissue engineering therapies due to their ability to renew and differentiate into multiple different tissue types, such as bone. Over the last decade, the effect of GNAS on the regulation of osteoblast differentiation has attracted great attention. Herein, this study aimed to explore the role of GNAS in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. A total of 85 GNAS^f/f male mice were selected for animal experiments and 10 GNAS^f/f male mice for BMSC isolation to conduct cell experiments. The mice and BMSCs were treated with Verteporfin (a Hippo signaling pathway inhibitor) to inhibit the Hippo signaling pathway or recombinant adenovirus-expressing Cre to knockout the GNAS expression. Next, computed tomography scan, Von Kossa staining, and alizarin red staining were performed to detect osteogenic differentiation ability. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were used to assess the expression of Oc and Osx in femur tissues and ALP activity. At last, the expression of GNAS, osteogenic markers, and factors related to the Hippo signaling pathway was evaluated. Initially, the results displayed successful knockout of the GNAS gene from mice and BMSCs. Moreover, the data indicated that GNAS knockout inhibits expression of Oc, Osx, ALP, BMP-2, and Runx2, and ALP activity. Additionally, GNAS knockout promotes activation of the Hippo signaling pathway, so as to repress osteogenic differentiation. Collectively, depleted GNAS exerts an inhibitory role in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by activating Hippo signaling pathway, providing a candidate mediator for osteoporosis.

ALPK1 hotspot mutation as a driver of human spiradenoma and spiradenocarcinoma

Spiradenoma and cylindroma are distinctive skin adnexal tumors with sweat gland differentiation and potential for malignant transformation and aggressive behaviour. We present the genomic analysis of 75 samples from 57 representative patients including 15 cylindromas, 17 spiradenomas, 2 cylindroma-spiradenoma hybrid tumors, and 24 low- and high-grade spiradenocarcinoma cases, together with morphologically benign precursor regions of these cancers. We reveal somatic or germline alterations of the CYLD gene in 15/15 cylindromas and 5/17 spiradenomas, yet only 2/24 spiradenocarcinomas. Notably, we find a recurrent missense mutation in the kinase domain of the ALPK1 gene in spiradenomas and spiradenocarcinomas, which is mutually exclusive from mutation of CYLD and can activate the NF-κB pathway in reporter assays. In addition, we show that high-grade spiradenocarcinomas carry loss-of-function TP53 mutations, while cylindromas may have disruptive mutations in DNMT3A. Thus, we reveal the genomic landscape of adnexal tumors and therapeutic targets.

A genetic variant in Rassf1a predicts outcome in mCRC patients treated with cetuximab plus chemotherapy: results from FIRE-3 and JACCRO 05 and 06 trials

The Hippo pathway is involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. The Hippo regulator Rassf1a is also involved in the Ras signaling cascade. In this work, we tested single nucleotide polymorphisms within Hippo components and their association with outcome in CRC patients treated with cetuximab. Two cohorts treated with cetuximab plus chemotherapy were evaluated (198 RAS wild-type (wt) patients treated with first-line FOLFIRI plus Cetuximab within the FIRE-3 trial and 67 Ras wt patients treated either with first-line mFOLFOX6 or SOX plus Cetuximab). In these two populations, Rassf1a rs2236947 was associated with overall survival, as patients with a CC genotype had significantly longer OS compared to those with CA or AA genotypes. This association was stronger in patients with left-side CRC [HR: 1.79 (1.01–3.14); P=0.044 and HR: 2.83 (1.14–7.03); P=0.025, for Fire 3 and JACCRO cohorts, respectively]. Rassf1a rs2236947 is a promising biomarker for patients treated with cetuximab plus chemotherapy.

Prognostic significance of TAZ expression in various cancers: a meta-analysis

Background

The overexpression of transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), a Hippo pathway effector, was detected in a variety of cancers. However, controversies remain in published studies on the prognostic value of TAZ expression in cancer. We performed a meta-analysis to demonstrate the prognostic significance of TAZ in overall survival (OS) and its association with clinicopathologic characteristics.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed by using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for eligible studies investigating the association between TAZ and survival. After extracting data, we used hazard ratio (HR), odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for association evaluation, I² for heterogeneity across studies, and Egger’s test and Begg’s funnel plot for publication bias assessment.

Results

A total of 15 studies including 2,881 patients were analyzed. Pooled results showed that a high TAZ was significantly associated with poor OS (HR =1.82, 95% CI =1.58–2.11; I²=33%; P=0.11). Subgroup analysis indicated significant correlation between TAZ overexpression and OS in patients stratified by ethnicity, sample size, sample source, and staining location. Furthermore, TAZ overexpression was associated with worse OS in hepatocellular carcinoma (HR =2.26, 95% CI =1.43–3.57; P=0.49) and gastrointestinal cancers (HR =2.00, 95% CI =1.54–2.58; P=0.97), but not in non-small-cell lung cancer (HR =1.71, 95% CI =0.93–3.14; P=0.08). TAZ overexpression was also found to be significantly associated with some clinicopathologic characteristics, including TNM stage (OR =2.56, 95% CI =1.60–4.11; P=0.52), tumor differentiation (OR =3.08, 95% CI =1.25–7.63; P=0.01), and lymph node metastasis (OR =2.53, 95% CI =1.81–3.53; P=0.58).

Conclusion

TAZ overexpression is not only a predictive factor of poor prognosis but also associated with advanced TNM stage, poor tumor differentiation, and lymph node metastasis.

Novel therapeutics in metastatic colorectal cancer: molecular insights and pharmacogenomic implications

Although the survival of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients has improved five-fold over the last century, CRC remains a significant global health burden. Impressive strides have been made in identifying new regimens, employing maintenance strategies to limit treatment toxicities, and combining multidisciplinary approaches to achieve cure in oligometastatic disease. Attempts at personalized integration of targeted agents have been limited by the ability to identify molecularly enriched patient populations most likely to benefit. In this review, we discuss novel therapeutics and regimens recently approved and in development for mCRC. In addition, we discuss using older agents in novel combination and maintenance strategies, and highlight evidence for implementing pharmacogenomic data and non-invasive monitoring into the personalized management of mCRC patients.