Cytoplasmic collagen XIαI as a prognostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Screening and verification of hub genes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by integrated analysis

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. However, the mechanisms underlying ESCC tumorigenesis have not been fully elucidated. Thus, we aimed to determine the key genes involved in ESCC tumorigenesis. The following bioinformatics analyses were performed: identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs); gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis; integrated analysis of the protein-protein interaction network and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database for validation of hub genes. Finally, western blotting and qPCR were used to explore the expression of cell division cycle 6 (CDC6) in ESCC cell lines. Immunohistochemistry analysis of ESCC samples from patients and matched clinical characteristics was used to determine the effects of CDC6. A total of 494 DEGs were identified, and functional enrichment was mainly focused on cell cycle and DNA replication. Biological pathway analysis of the hub genes was closely related to the cell cycle. We found that CDC6 was upregulated in ESCC cell lines and patient tissues and was related to the clinicopathological characteristics of ESCC. In conclusion, this study identified hub genes and crucial biological pathways related to ESCC tumorigenesis and integrated analyses indicated that CDC6 may be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for ESCC.

Potential markers of cancer stem-like cells in ESCC: a review of the current knowledge

In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the incidence and mortality rate of ESCC in our country are also higher than those in the rest of the world. Despite advances in the treatment department method, patient survival rates have not obviously improved, which often leads to treatment obstruction and cancer repeat. ESCC has special cells called cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) with self-renewal and differentiation ability, which reflect the development process and prognosis of cancer. In this review, we evaluated CSLCs, which are identified from the expression of cell surface markers in ESCC. By inciting EMTs to participate in tumor migration and invasion, stem cells promote tumor redifferentiation. Some factors can inhibit the migration and invasion of ESCC via the EMT-related pathway. We here summarize the research progress on the surface markers of CSLCs, EMT pathway, and the microenvironment in the process of tumor growth. Thus, these data may be more valuable for clinical applications.

Calcium electroporation of esophageal cancer induces gene expression changes: a sub-study of a phase I clinical trial

PURPOSE

In this study, we aim to investigate gene expression changes in tumor samples obtained from patients with esophageal cancer treated with calcium electroporation. Previously, local treatment with calcium electroporation has been shown to induce gene expression alterations, potentially contributing to a more tumor-hostile microenvironment.

METHODS

In this sub-study of a phase I clinical trial, we included five patients with esophageal cancer treated with calcium electroporation. We compared cancer-associated gene expression patterns in tumor samples before and after treatment. Furthermore, we used linear support vector regression to predict the cellular composition of tumor samples.

RESULTS

Using differential expression analysis, we identified the downregulation of CXCL14 and upregulation of CCL21, ANGPTL4, and CRABP2 genes. We also found a decreased predicted proportion of dendritic cells while the proportion of neutrophils was increased.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that calcium electroporation for esophageal cancer induces local transcriptional changes and possibly alters the cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment. The results are explorative, larger studies are needed to confirm and further correlate our findings with clinical outcomes.

Collagen Family as Promising Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Cancer

Despite advances in cancer detection and therapy, it has been estimated that the incidence of cancers will increase, while the mortality rate will continue to remain high, a fact explained by the large number of patients diagnosed in advanced stages when therapy is often useless. Therefore, it is necessary to invest knowledge and resources in the development of new non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of cancer and new therapeutic targets for better health management. In this review, we provided an overview on the collagen family as promising biomarkers and on how they may be exploited as therapeutic targets in cancer. The collagen family tridimensional structure, organization, and functions are very complex, being in a tight relationship with the extracellular matrix, tumor, and immune microenvironment. Moreover, accumulating evidence underlines the role of collagens in promoting tumor growth and creating a permissive tumor microenvironment for metastatic dissemination. Knowledge of the molecular basis of these interactions may help in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, in overcoming chemoresistance, and in providing new targets for cancer therapies.

Collagen XI Alpha 1 Chain, a Novel Therapeutic Target for Cancer Treatment

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the progression of cancer. Collagen is the most abundant component in ECM, and is involved in the biological formation of cancer. Although type XI collagen is a minor fibrillar collagen, collagen XI alpha 1 chain (COL11A1) expression has been found to be upregulated in a variety of human cancers including colorectal, esophagus, glioma, gastric, head and neck, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, salivary gland, and renal cancers. High levels of COL11A1 usually predict poor prognosis, owing to its association with angiogenesis, invasion, and drug resistance in cancer. However, little is known about the specific mechanism through which COL11A1 regulates tumor progression. Here, we have organized and summarized recent developments regarding the interactions between COL11A1 and intracellular signaling pathways and selected therapeutic agents targeting COL11A1, as these indicate its potential as a target for treatment of cancers, especially epithelial ovarian cancer.

COL8A1 Predicts the Clinical Prognosis of Gastric Cancer and Is Related to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common malignant tumor and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Because GC has the characteristics of high heterogeneity, unclear mechanism, limited treatment methods, and low five-year survival rate, it is necessary to find the prognostic biomarkers of GC and explore the mechanism of GC.

Methods

We first identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between gastric cancer and normal gastric cells through expression analysis. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to find tightly connected modules. We performed survival analysis on the DEGs in the modules to identify genes with prognostic significance. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify gene enrichment pathways. Finally, we used our own collected clinical samples of 119 gastric adenocarcinoma (STAD) tissues and 40 normal gastric tissues to perform immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to verify the differential expression of COL8A1 in STAD tissues and normal gastric tissues and its correlation with epithelial-mesenchymal transition- (EMT-) related factors.

Results

We identified 356 DEGs through differential expression analysis. Through PPI analysis and survival analysis, we determined that the collagen type VII alpha-1 chain (COL8A1) gene has prognostic significance. GSEA analysis showed that COL8A1 was significantly enriched in the EMT. IHC results showed that COL8A1 was upregulated in STAD tissues and could be used as an independent prognostic factor and was related to EMT.

Conclusion

This study shows that COL8A1 is related to the prognosis of GC patients and might affect the progress of GC through the EMT pathway. Therefore, COL8A1 may be a biomarker for predicting the prognosis of GC.

COL11A1 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis and is inversely regulated by miR-335-5p

Background

Esophagus squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a sort of cancer that occurs in the esophageal epithelial tissue. This study performed integrated bioinformatics analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets GSE32424, GSE29968, and GSE130078. Collagen type XI alpha 1 (COL11A1) was identified as the hub gene in ESCC progression. The involvement of COL11A1 in ESCC development was next determined using in vitro functional tests.

Methods

Hub genes were identified through integrated bioinformatics analysis. The real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was implemented for detecting the expression of COL11A1 mRNA in esophageal cancer cells. KYSE-30 cells were transfected using a vector encoding COL11A1. The proliferation of cells was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Detection of the cell migration and invasion was made through making use of the transwell test. The development of ESCC cells in vivo was evaluated in naked mice. The interplay among COL11A1 and microRNA-335-5p (miR-335-5p) was discovered using a luciferase reporter experiment.

Results

In vitro studies showed the upregulation of COL11A1 in ESCC cell lines obtained from ESCC patients and upregulation of COL11A1 was correlated with poor disease-free survival of ESCC patients, thereby implying an oncogenic involvement of COL11A1 in ESCC. Overexpression of COL11A1 enhanced the proliferation of ESCC cells, invasion, and migration; whereas COL11A1 knockdown impeded the proliferation of ESCC cells, invasion, and migration. Additionally, miRNA pathway analysis in combination with TargetScan’s online prediction and the luciferase reporter assay suggested miR-335-5p targeting and negatively regulating the COL11A1 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) within ESCC cells. MiR-335-5p overexpression diminished the development of ESCC cells. Additionally, co-expression of COL11A1 ameliorated the repressive influence of miR-335-5p overexpression on the growth and metastasis of ESCC cells.

Conclusions

Using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, the current study identified COL11A1 as an oncogene in ESCC. The mechanistic studies indicated that COL11A1 promoted ESCC cell progression and that miR-335-5p negatively regulated the expression of COL11A1 in ESCC.

Heat Shock Protein 27, a Novel Downstream Target of Collagen Type XI alpha 1, Synergizes with Fatty Acid Oxidation to Confer Cisplatin Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Simple Summary

Collagen type XI alpha 1 (COL11A1) is a novel biomarker associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer and a promoter of ovarian cancer cell resistance to cisplatin. However, it is poorly understood how COL11A1 promotes ovarian cancer cisplatin resistance. We performed assays to discover the biological molecules that are activated by COL11A1 in ovarian cancer cells. We found that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a cellular stress response protein, is activated by COL11A1. Furthermore, we observed that depletion and drug inhibition of HSP27 makes ovarian cancer cells grown on COL11A1 to be more susceptible to cisplatin treatment. We also discovered that ovarian cancer cells upregulate fatty acid oxidation (FAO), a metabolic process that breaks down fats to generate energy and biomolecules, to compensate for the loss of HSP27. Our findings have therapeutic implications for clinicians who wish to treat ovarian tumors that maintain high levels of COL11A1 and HSP27.

Abstract

Collagen type XI alpha 1 (COL11A1) is a novel biomarker associated with cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer. We have previously reported that COL11A1 activates Src-Akt signaling through the collagen receptors discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) and integrin α1β1 to confer cisplatin resistance to ovarian cancer cells. To identify the potential signaling molecules downstream of COL11A1 signaling, we performed protein kinase arrays and identified heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) as a potential mediator of COL11A1-induced cisplatin resistance. Through receptor knockdown and inhibitor experiments, we demonstrated that COL11A1 significantly upregulates HSP27 phosphorylation and expression via DDR2/integrin α1β1 and Src/Akt signaling in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition of HSP27, via ivermectin treatment, significantly sensitizes ovarian cancer cells cultured on COL11A1 to cisplatin treatment. HSP27 knockdown or inhibition also decreases NFκB activity as well as the expression of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), which are known downstream effector molecules of COL11A1 that promote cisplatin resistance. Interestingly, HSP27 knockdown or inhibition stimulates ovarian cancer cells to upregulate fatty acid oxidation (FAO) for survival and cisplatin resistance, and dual inhibition of HSP27 and FAO synergistically kills ovarian cancer cells that are cultured on COL11A1. Collectively, this study identifies HSP27 as a novel and druggable COL11A1 downstream effector molecule that may be targeted to overcome cisplatin resistance in recurrent ovarian cancer, which often overexpress COL11A1.

Collagen XI alpha 1 chain, a potential therapeutic target for cancer

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the progression of cancer. Collagen is the most abundant component in ECM, and it is involved in the biological formation of cancer. Although type XI collagen is a minor fibrillar collagen, collagen XI alpha 1 chain (COL11A1) has been found to be upregulated in a variety of cancers including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. High levels of COL11A1 usually predict poor prognosis, while COL11A1 is related to angiogenesis, invasion, and drug resistance of cancer. However, little is known about the specific mechanism by which COL11A1 regulates tumor progression. Here, we have organized and summarized the recent developments regarding elucidation of the relationship between COL11A1 and various cancers, as well as the interaction between COL11A1 and intracellular signaling pathways. In addition, we have selected therapeutic agents targeting COL11A1. All these indicate the possibility of using COL11A1 as a target for cancer treatment.

High-Expression of Cytoplasmic Poly (A) Binding Protein 1 (PABPC1) as a Prognostic Biomarker for Early-Stage Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background and Objective

Poly (A) binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1) plays a crucial role in the regulation of RNA polyadenylation, translation initiation, and mRNA stability and may be involved in tumorigenesis. Herein, we set out to identify the prognostic value of PABPC1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analysis, the present study investigated mRNA and protein expressions of PABPC1 in 231 ESCCs and their paired adjacent normal epithelial tissues.

Results

We observed a reduction in the average mRNA expression of PABPC1 in ESCC tissue specimen, but the mRNA expression of PABPC1 was significantly higher (P<0.001) in ESCC tissues with high PABPC1 expression and lower (P=0.033) in tissues with low PABPC1 expression. In immunohistochemical analysis, positive expression of the PABPC1 protein was identified in 179 ESCC tissue specimens (179/231, 77.5%), while the percentage of ESCC tissue specimens with high expression of PABPC1 was found to be 41.1% (95/231). PABPC1 expression was found to be significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (P=0.011), pathological stage (P=0.021), tumor recurrence (P<0.001), and the outcome (P<0.001) of patients with ESCC. High expression of PABPC1 was associated with poor overall survival (OS) of ESCC patients (P<0.001) among all pathological stages, particularly in the early stages (pStage-I and -II), and identified to be an independent prognostic factor for OS of patients with ESCC in multivariate analysis (HR=2.622; 95% CI, 1.68–4.129). Comparatively, the expression of Ki-67, p53, and nm23 was not associated with OS.

Conclusion

In this study, we discovered that PABPC1 is a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for ESCC, particularly early-stage ESCC.

Comprehensive Analysis and Identification of an Immune-Related Gene Signature with Prognostic Value for Prostate Cancer

Background

The tumor microenvironment (TME) has recently been proven to play a crucial role in the development and prognosis of tumors. However, the current knowledge on the potential of the TME in prostate cancer (PCa) remains scarce.

Purpose

This study aims to elucidate the value of TME-related genes for PCa prognosis by integrative bioinformatics analysis.

Materials and Methods

We downloaded the immune and stromal scores of PCa samples via the ESTIMATE and correlated these scores to clinicopathological characteristics and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients. Based on these scores, the TME-related differentially expressed genes were identified for functional enrichment analysis. Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic genes and establish a predictive risk model. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to evaluate the relationship between risk score and immune pathway.

Results

The stromal and immune scores were associated with clinicopathological characteristics and RFS in PCa patients. In total, 238 intersecting differentially expressed genes were identified. Functional enrichment analysis further revealed that these genes dramatically participated in the immune-related pathways. The immune-related risk model was built with C-type lectin domain containing 7A (CLEC7A) and collagen type XI alpha 1 chain (COL11A1) using Cox regression analyses. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the expression levels of CLEC7A and COL11A1 were significantly associated with the RFS. Further, the RFS time in high-risk group was significantly shorter than that in low-risk group. The areas under the curve for the risk model in predicting 3- and 5-year RFS rates were 0.694 and 0.731, respectively. GSEA suggested that immunosuppression existed in high-risk PCa patients.

Conclusion

CLEC7A and COL11A1 were selected to build a predictive risk model, which may help clinicians to assess the prognosis of PCa patients and select appropriate targets for immunotherapy.

Comprehensive analysis based on DNA methylation and RNA-seq reveals hypermethylation of the up-regulated WT1 gene with potential mechanisms in PAM50 subtypes of breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer (BC), one of the most widespread cancers worldwide, caused the deaths of more than 600,000 women in 2018, accounting for about 15% of all cancer-associated deaths in women that year. In this study, we aimed to discover potential prognostic biomarkers and explore their molecular mechanisms in different BC subtypes using DNA methylation and RNA-seq.

Methods

We downloaded the DNA methylation datasets and the RNA expression profiles of primary tissues of the four BC molecular subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, and HER2-enriched), as well as the survival information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The highly expressed and hypermethylated genes across all the four subtypes were screened. We examined the methylation sites and the downstream co-expressed genes of the selected genes and validated their prognostic value using a different dataset (GSE20685). For selected transcription factors, the downstream genes were predicted based on the Gene Transcription Regulation Database (GTRD). The tumor microenvironment was also evaluated based on the TCGA dataset.

Results

We found that Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), a transcription factor, was highly expressed and hypermethylated in all the four BC subtypes. All the WT1 methylation sites exhibited hypermethylation. The methylation levels of the TSS200 and 1stExon regions were negatively correlated with WT1 expression in two BC subtypes, while that of the gene body region was positively associated with WT1 expression in three BC subtypes. Patients with low WT1 expression had better overall survival (OS). Five genes including COL11A1, GFAP, FGF5, CD300LG, and IGFL2 were predicted as the downstream genes of WT1. Those five genes were dysregulated in the four BC subtypes. Patients with a favorable 6-gene signature (low expression of WT1 and its five predicted downstream genes) exhibited better OS than that with an unfavorable 6-gene signature. We also found a correlation between WT1 and tamoxifen using STITCH. Higher infiltration rates of CD8 T cells, plasma cells, and monocytes were found in the lower quartile WT1 group and the favorable 6-gene signature group. In conclusion, we demonstrated that WT1 is hypermethylated and up-regulated in the four BC molecular subtypes and a 6-gene signature may predict BC prognosis.

Collagen Type XI Alpha 1 (COL11A1): A Novel Biomarker and a Key Player in Cancer

Collagen type XI alpha 1 (COL11A1), one of the three alpha chains of type XI collagen, is crucial for bone development and collagen fiber assembly. Interestingly, COL11A1 expression is increased in several cancers and high levels of COL11A1 are often associated with poor survival, chemoresistance, and recurrence. This review will discuss the recent discoveries in the biological functions of COL11A1 in cancer. COL11A1 is predominantly expressed and secreted by a subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts, modulating tumor-stroma interaction and mechanical properties of extracellular matrix. COL11A1 also promotes cancer cell migration, metastasis, and therapy resistance by activating pro-survival pathways and modulating tumor metabolic phenotype. Several inhibitors that are currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer or used in clinic for other diseases, can be potentially used to target COL11A1 signaling. Collectively, this review underscores the role of COL11A1 as a promising biomarker and a key player in cancer.

Bizarre giant cells in human angiosarcoma exhibit chemoresistance and contribute to poor survival outcomes

Giant cells (GC) are a poorly understood subset of tumor cells that have been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to tumor heterogeneity and treatment resistance. We aimed to characterize the biological and clinical significance of GC in angiosarcoma, an aggressive rare cancer of endothelial origin. Archival angiosarcoma samples were examined for the presence of GC and compared with clinicopathological as well as NanoString gene expression data. GC were examined in angiosarcoma cell lines MOLAS and ISOHAS using conventional and electron microscopy, single cell whole genome profiling, and other assays. In the cell lines, GC represented a rare population of mitotically active, non–senescent CD31⁺ cells, and shared similar genomic profiles with regular‐sized cells, consistent with a malignant endothelial phenotype. GC remained viable and persisted in culture following exposure to paclitaxel and doxorubicin. In patient samples, GC were present in 24 of 58 (41.4%) cases. GC was correlated with poorer responses to chemotherapy (25.0% vs 73.3%, P = 0.0213) and independently contributed to worse overall survival outcomes (hazard ratio 2.20, 95% confidence interval 1.17‐4.15, P = 0.0142). NanoString profiling revealed overexpression of genes, including COL11A1, STC1, and ERO1A, accompanied by upregulation of immune‐related metabolic stress and metastasis/matrix remodeling pathways in GC‐containing tumors. In conclusion, GC may contribute to chemoresistance and poor prognosis in angiosarcoma.

Reciprocal Interplay Between Fibrillar Collagens and Collagen-Binding Integrins: Implications in Cancer Progression and Metastasis

Cancers are complex ecosystems composed of malignant cells embedded in an intricate microenvironment made of different non-transformed cell types and extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The tumor microenvironment is governed by constantly evolving cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, which are now recognized as key actors in the genesis, progression and treatment of cancer lesions. The ECM is composed of a multitude of fibrous proteins, matricellular-associated proteins, and proteoglycans. This complex structure plays critical roles in cancer progression: it functions as the scaffold for tissues organization and provides biochemical and biomechanical signals that regulate key cancer hallmarks including cell growth, survival, migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, and immune response. Cells sense the biochemical and mechanical properties of the ECM through specialized transmembrane receptors that include integrins, discoidin domain receptors, and syndecans. Advanced stages of several carcinomas are characterized by a desmoplastic reaction characterized by an extensive deposition of fibrillar collagens in the microenvironment. This compact network of fibrillar collagens promotes cancer progression and metastasis, and is associated with low survival rates for cancer patients. In this review, we highlight how fibrillar collagens and their corresponding integrin receptors are modulated during cancer progression. We describe how the deposition and alignment of collagen fibers influence the tumor microenvironment and how fibrillar collagen-binding integrins expressed by cancer and stromal cells critically contribute in cancer hallmarks.

Pan-cancer analysis reveals the role of long non-coding RNA LINC01614 as a highly cancer-dependent oncogene and biomarker

Long intergenic non-coding RNA 1614 (LINC01614) is highly expressed in several malignant tumor types, suggesting that it may act as an oncogene. However, the specific roles of LINC01614 in malignant tumors have remained elusive. To examine the expression pattern of LINC01614 in various malignancies, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis was performed using public databases, including 53 normal tissue types and 32 cancer datasets with samples from 9,091 patients. The results were validated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis of tissue specimens from patients. LINC01614 expression was upregulated in most malignant tumors, thus demonstrating diagnostic potential. Furthermore, upregulation of LINC01614 was associated with poor overall survival in the majority of cases. However, the association with clinical outcome was highly cancer-dependent; LINC01614 appeared to be an oncogene and diagnostic/prognostic biomarker in cancers of the digestive, respiratory, nervous and endocrine systems, as well as breast and head and neck cancer, but not in the cancers of the reproductive system or some of the urinary system. High LINC01614 expression was also markedly associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and associated signaling pathways. Overall, the present results suggest that LINC01614 is an EMT-associated oncogene that influences the metastasis and prognosis of several cancers, thus highlighting its potential as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker.

High expression of IGBP1 correlates with poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Immunoglobulin binding protein 1 (IGBP1) is an important signal transduction regulator that mediates various functions. However, its expression profile, role, and clinical significance in cancers are uncertain. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression profile and the prognostic significance of IGBP1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

Polymerase chain reaction assay, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay were performed to examine IGBP1 expression in ESCC tissues and matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Moreover, IHC was used to evaluate IGBP1 expression in archived 190 paraffin-embedded ESCC specimens. Statistical analyses were applied to evaluate the prognostic value and the correlations between IGBP1 expression and the clinical parameters.

RESULTS

We found that the messenger RNA and protein levels of IGBP1 were up-regulated in the ESCC tissues compared with their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. High expression of IGBP1 in ESCC patients was positively associated with T classification (P=0.013) and vital status (P=0.03). The ESCC patients with higher IGBP1expression had a shorter survival time than those with lower IGBP1 expression. Importantly, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the expression of IGBP1 was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We provide the first evidence that increased IGBP1 expression correlates with poor prognosis of ESCC, and that IGBP1 may be a tumor promoter of ESCC, which provide a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ESCC.

The clinical significance of collagen family gene expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a subtype of esophageal cancer with high incidence and mortality. Due to the poor 5-year survival rates of patients with ESCC, exploring novel diagnostic markers for early ESCC is emergent. Collagen, the abundant constituent of extracellular matrix, plays a critical role in tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the clinical significance of collagen genes in ESCC has been rarely studied. In this work, we systematically analyzed the gene expression of whole collagen family in ESCC, aiming to search for ideal biomarkers.

Methods

Clinical data and gene expression profiles of ESCC patients were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the gene expression omnibus databases. Bioinformatics methods, including differential expression analysis, survival analysis, gene sets enrichment analysis (GSEA) and co-expression network analysis, were performed to investigate the correlation between the expression patterns of 44 collagen family genes and the development of ESCC.

Results

A total of 22 genes of collagen family were identified as differentially expressed genes in both the two datasets. Among them, COL1A1, COL10A1 and COL11A1 were particularly up-regulated in ESCC tissues compared to normal controls, while COL4A4, COL6A5 and COL14A1 were notably down-regulated. Besides, patients with low COL6A5 expression or high COL18A1 expression showed poor survival. In addition, a 7-gene prediction model was established based on collagen gene expression to predict patient survival, which had better predictive accuracy than the tumor-node-metastasis staging based model. Finally, GSEA results suggested that collagen genes might be tightly associated with PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, p53 pathway, apoptosis, cell cycle, etc.

Conclusion

Several collagen genes could be potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for ESCC. Moreover, a novel 7-gene prediction model is probably useful for predicting survival outcomes of ESCC patients. These findings may facilitate early detection of ESCC and help improves prognosis of the patients.

The role of collagen in cancer: from bench to bedside

Collagen is the major component of the tumor microenvironment and participates in cancer fibrosis. Collagen biosynthesis can be regulated by cancer cells through mutated genes, transcription factors, signaling pathways and receptors; furthermore, collagen can influence tumor cell behavior through integrins, discoidin domain receptors, tyrosine kinase receptors, and some signaling pathways. Exosomes and microRNAs are closely associated with collagen in cancer. Hypoxia, which is common in collagen-rich conditions, intensifies cancer progression, and other substances in the extracellular matrix, such as fibronectin, hyaluronic acid, laminin, and matrix metalloproteinases, interact with collagen to influence cancer cell activity. Macrophages, lymphocytes, and fibroblasts play a role with collagen in cancer immunity and progression. Microscopic changes in collagen content within cancer cells and matrix cells and in other molecules ultimately contribute to the mutual feedback loop that influences prognosis, recurrence, and resistance in cancer. Nanoparticles, nanoplatforms, and nanoenzymes exhibit the expected gratifying properties. The pathophysiological functions of collagen in diverse cancers illustrate the dual roles of collagen and provide promising therapeutic options that can be readily translated from bench to bedside. The emerging understanding of the structural properties and functions of collagen in cancer will guide the development of new strategies for anticancer therapy.