Fascin expression in serous tumors of ovary correlates with aggressiveness of malignancy. Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2009;28:187-192. [PMID: 19188814 DOI: 10.1097/pgp.0b013e318183cfde]

The Many Faces of Serous Neoplasms and Related Lesions of the Female Pelvis: A Review

Ovarian serous tumors and related lesions are one of the most common conditions of the female genital tract. While ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma carries high mortality and adverse prognosis, most other serous lesions have better clinical behavior. In recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the nature and histogenesis of these lesions that has contributed to better and more precise clinical management. Most of the high-grade serous carcinomas involve the ovaries and/or peritoneum, although in most cases, their origin seems to be in the fallopian tube. This view is supported by the recognition of precursor lesions in the fallopian tube, such as p53 signature and serous tubular in situ carcinoma. This paper presents salient morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular data related to serous tumors and related lesions of the female pelvis and discusses the histogenetic interrelationship among these lesions in light of current knowledge.

Fascin in Gynecological Cancers: An Update of the Literature

Simple Summary

Fascin, an actin-binding protein, is upregulated in different types of human cancers. It is reportedly responsible for increasing the invasive and metastatic ability of cancer cells by reducing cell–cell adhesions. This review provides a brief overview of fascin and its interactions with other genes and oncoviruses to induce the onset and progression of cancer.

Abstract

Fascin is an actin-binding protein that is encoded by the FSCN1 gene (located on chromosome 7). It triggers membrane projections and stimulates cell motility in cancer cells. Fascin overexpression has been described in different types of human cancers in which its expression correlated with tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Moreover, overexpression of fascin was found in oncovirus-infected cells, such as human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), disrupting the cell–cell adhesion and enhancing cancer progression. Based on these findings, several studies reported fascin as a potential biomarker and a therapeutic target in various cancers. This review provides a brief overview of the FSCN1 role in various cancers with emphasis on gynecological malignancies. We also discuss fascin interactions with other genes and oncoviruses through which it might induce cancer development and progression.

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 in human cancer: promising biomarker or therapeutic target?

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) is a highly conserved actin-bundling protein that cross links F-actin microfilaments into tight, parallel bundles. Elevated FSCN1 levels have been reported in many types of human cancers and have been correlated with aggressive clinical progression, poor prognosis, and survival outcomes. The overexpression of FSCN1 in cancer cells has been associated with tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Currently, FSCN1 is recognized as a candidate biomarker for multiple cancer types and as a potential therapeutic target. The aim of this study was to provide a brief overview of the FSCN1 gene and protein structure and elucidate on its actin-bundling activity and physiological functions. The main focus was on the role of FSCN1 and its upregulatory mechanisms and significance in cancer cells. Up-to-date studies on FSCN1 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers are reviewed. It is shown that FSCN1 is an unusual biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

Fascin Is Associated With Aggressive Behavior and Poor Outcome in Uterine Carcinosarcoma

OBJECTIVE

The mechanisms underlying the histogenesis and aggressiveness of uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) are poorly understood; however, previous studies implicate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Fascin is a proinvasive, actin-bundling protein and an important component of EMT. It is associated with poor outcomes in human carcinoma, especially in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors arising in organs normally expressing ER. We sought to evaluate fascin expression in UCS and its relationship to ER status, clinicopathologic indicators of tumor aggressiveness, and survival outcomes.

METHOD

Forty-four surgically staged cases of UCS were immunohistochemically evaluated for fascin and estrogen receptor-α expression and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters derived from electronic medical records and pathology reports.

RESULTS

Fascin was only expressed in malignant epithelium and mesenchyma and was uniformly absent in background benign counterparts. Increased expression was associated with extrapelvic disease (P = 0.028), higher stage (P = 0.021), larger tumor size (P = 0.032), shorter progression-free interval (P = 0.035), and reduced estrogen receptor-α expression (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Fascin is aberrantly expressed in both elements of UCS and is associated with aggressive behavior and worse outcome. As a component of EMT and mediator of invasion, fascin may serve as a target in future therapies.

Fascin1 in carcinomas: Its regulation and prognostic value

Previous cell biological studies demonstrate that the actin bundling protein fascin1 regulates cell motility, migration and invasion. Human studies demonstrate that fascin1 is upregulated in many epithelial cancers. This review gives a brief overview of the role of fascin1 in cell migration and invasion, but focuses mainly on the regulation and clinical relevance of fascin1 in epithelial cancers. Here, we propose fascin1 as a potent prognostic biomarker for breast, colorectal, esophageal cancers and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Fascin1 may also be an attractive drug target against these carcinomas in the future, but more studies are needed.

MicroRNA-145 and MicroRNA-133a Inhibited Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion, While Promoted Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Via Targeting FSCN1

BACKGROUND

Deregulation of FSCN1 has been observed in human cancers. However, the regulatory mechanism of FSCN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown.

AIMS

Our study aimed to reveal the roles of microRNA (miR)-133a, miR-145, and FSCN1 in HCC cells.

METHODS

Real-time RT-PCR and western blot were performed to determine the expression of miR-133a, miR-145, and FSCN1. Luciferase reporter assay was used to determine whether FSCN1 was a target of miR-133a and miR-145. Effects of miR-133a, miR-145, and FSCN1 on HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were then investigated.

RESULTS

We showed that the expression of FSCN1 was increased in HCC tissues compared to the normal adjacent tissues. Moreover, upregulation of FSCN1 and downregulation of miR-145 and miR-133a co-existed in HCC. Functional studies revealed that miR-145 and miR-133a negatively regulated the expression of FSCN1 in HCC cells, via directly binding to the 3'-untranslational region of FSCN1 mRNA. Overexpression of miR-145 and miR-133a led to decreased FSCN1 expression, and downregulation of miR-145 and miR-133a resulted in increased FSCN1 expression in HCC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-145 and miR-133a inhibited cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, while promoted apoptosis in HCC cells. On the contrary, inhibition of miR-145 and miR-133a promoted cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, while suppressed apoptosis in HCC cells.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that the abnormal upregulation of FSCN1 in HCC is associated with downregulation of miR-145 and miR-133a, and miR-145 and miR-133a inhibit malignant progression of HCC in vitro, possibly via directly targeting FSCN1.

Fascin-1 expression as stratification marker in borderline epithelial tumours of the ovary

AIMS

To evaluate the actin-bundling protein fascin-1 (FSCN1) as marker for borderline ovarian tumours (BOTs).

METHODS

We analysed a retrospective cohort of 140 BOTs with validated diagnosis by an independent pathologist. Immunohistochemical detection of FSCN1 was quantified as combined immunoreactive score (CIS) blinded to clinical patient data. Analyses were first performed for FSCN1 positive versus negative, and then verified using three categories derived from the observed distribution (negative, weak, strong; CIS 0, 1-2, 3-9).

RESULTS

We detected FSCN1 positivity in 51.4%, and strong expression (CIS 3-9) in 14.3% of the samples. FSCN1 positivity was associated with serous subtype (p<0.001) and micropapillary pattern (p<0.001). Correlation with micropapillary pattern remained significant within the serous BOT (SBOT) subgroup (p=0.022). Strong FSCN1 expression (CIS 3-9) was associated both with the presence of implants (p=0.022), and a higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (p=0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis links FSCN1 with SBOT with micropapillary pattern. Strong expression is associated with higher FIGO stage and the presence of implants, both related to elevated risk of recurrence. Hence, FSCN1 is an interesting marker worth further analyses of its prognostic value in BOTs.

MicroRNA-133a suppresses colorectal cancer cell invasion by targeting Fascin1

MicroRNAs (miRs) are a type of small non-coding RNA molecule that are involved in gene silencing and the regulation of cancer progression; miR-133a in particular has been implicated in colorectal cancer, although its specific role and underlying mechanism have yet to be determined. In the present study, the expression level of miR-133a was significantly downregulated in a number of colorectal cancer cell lines, as well as in colorectal cancer tissues compared with the normal adjacent tissues. Furthermore, the Fascin1 (FSCN1) gene was identified as a direct target of miR-133a, and the protein expression level of FSCN1 was negatively regulated by miR-133a in colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, restoration of miR-133a expression and downregulation of FSCN1 protein expression suppressed colorectal cancer cell invasion, while overexpression of FSCN1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-133a upregulation on colorectal cancer cell invasion. Thus, the present data indicates that miR-133a may at least partially suppress colorectal cancer cell invasion, possibly via the inhibition of FSCN1 expression. The present study highlights the important role of miR-133a in the progression of colorectal cancer.

Fascin1 expression in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma is a prognostic marker and knockdown of fascin1 suppresses the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells

Fascin1 (FSCN1) involved in cell motility and filopodia assembly plays important roles in biological processes such as cancer invasion and metastasis of multiple epithelial tumors. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is aggressive and metastatic by acquiring an invasive phenotype and this step requires remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of fascin1 in HGSOC tissues as well as its clinical significance such as prognostic predictors and its utility of therapeutic target. Fascin1 and β-catenin were evaluated using immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray of 79 HGSOC. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) approach was used to knock down fascin1 expression in ovarian cancer cell lines to determine whether fascin1 contributes to tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Fascin1 expression levels were determined by western blot analysis after siRNA transfection using two human ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and OVCAR3). Fascin1 overexpression was significantly correlated with lymph node involvement, distance metastasis and high International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (III/IV) (P<0.05). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the fascin1 expression group was significantly associated with poor overall survival (P=0.010). We showed that inactivation of fascin1 by siRNA transfection led to a drop in cell viability, and significantly decreased tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness compared to untransfected cells. We found that fascin1 expression is a potential poor marker of prognosis for patients with HGSOC and knockdown of fascin1 suppresses ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration, this could be applied for therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer treatment.

Clinicopathological significance of fascin and CD44v6 expression in endometrioid carcinoma

Background

Fascin and CD44v6 may have significant roles as biomarkers in tumour progression and metastasis. In endometrioid carcinomas, the fascin expression profile is less defined, and the significance of CD44v6 is uncertain. We aimed to investigate the expressions of both fascin and CD44v6 in endometrioid carcinomas and to evaluate their inter-relation with clinicopathological parameters.

Methods

Fascin and CD44v6 expressions were evaluated, individually and in combination, in a series of 47 endometrioid carcinomas and 10 proliferative endometrium samples. The staining extent and intensity of both markers in tumour cells were scored semiquantitatively. The relationship between immunoexpressions and clinicopathological variables was assessed.

Results

The expression rates of fascin and CD44v6 in endometrioid carcinoma were 72.34% and 46.80%, respectively. Although these expression rates were higher than those in proliferative endometrial samples, fascin expression showed a statistically significant difference from the normal group (p = 0.02), but CD44v6 did not differ (p = 0.54). Fascin expression was significantly correlated with tumour grade (p = 0.003) and neural invasion (p = 0.036) in a univariate analysis. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between CD44v6 and any of the clinicopathological parameters.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that fascin might be an independent prognostic indicator in the different steps of extracellular matrix invasion. On the other hand, CD44v6 was not a predictive factor in endometrioid cancer.

Virtual Slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/8511594927206899.

Fascin promotes the motility and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells

AIM: To explore the role of actin-bundling protein, fascin during the progression of pancreatic cancer.

METHODS: The plasmid expressing human fascin-1 was stably transfected into the pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2. The proliferation, cell cycle, motility, scattering, invasiveness and organization of the actin filament system in fascin-transfected MIA PaCa-2 cells and control non-transfected cells were determined.

RESULTS: Heterogeneous overexpression of fascin markedly enhanced the motility, scattering, and invasiveness of MIA PaCa-2 cells. However, overexpression of fascin had minimal effect on MIA PaCa-2 cell proliferation and cell cycle. In addition, cell morphology and organization of the actin filament system were distinctly altered in fascin overexpressed cells. When transplanted into BALB/c-nu mice, fascin-transfected pancreatic cancer cells developed solid tumors at a slightly slower rate, but these tumors displayed more aggressive behavior in comparison with control tumors.

CONCLUSION: Fascin promotes pancreatic cancer cell migration, invasion and scattering, thus contributes to the aggressive behavior of pancreatic cancer cells.

Multicenter study identified molecular blood-born protein signatures for Wilms Tumor

Wilms Tumor (WT) is the most common renal childhood tumor. Recently, we reported a cDNA microarray expression pattern that varied between WTs with different risk histology. Since the Societé Internationale d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (SIOP) in Europe initiates treatment without a histological confirmation, it is important to identify blood-born markers that indicate WT development. In a multicenter study, we established an autoantibody signature by using an array with 1,827 recombinant E. coli clones. This array was screened with sera of patients with WT recruited by SIOP or the Children's Oncology Group (COG). We report an extended number of antigens that are reactive with autoantibodies present in sera from patients with WT. We established an autoantibody signature that separates untreated patients with WT recruited in SIOP from non-WT controls with a specificity of 0.83 and a sensitivity of 0.82 at standard deviations of 0.02 and 0.04, respectively. Likewise, patients recruited in the COG in the United States were separated from the controls with an accuracy of 0.83 at a standard deviation of 0.02. Proteins that were most significant include zinc finger proteins (e.g., ZFP 346), ribosomal proteins and the protein fascin that has been associated with various types of cancer including renal cell carcinoma. Our study provides first evidence for autoantibody signatures for WTs and suggests that these may be most informative before chemotherapy. We present the first multicenter study of autoantibody signatures in patients with WT. We established an autoantibody signature that separates patients with WT from controls.

Bilateral aggressive malignant granulosa cell tumour with essentially different immunophenotypes in primary and metastatic lesions comprising predominantly sarcomatoid and fibrothecomatous patterns - looking for prognostic markers: a case report

We present an unusual case of a young woman with rare bilateral, very aggressive ovarian granulosa cell tumour (GCT), comprised of granulosa, sarcomatoid and fibrothecomatous fields with significantly different immunostaining of primary and metastatic tumours showing stronger WT1, Bcl2, fascin and EGFR expression in metastases. Despite radical surgery and chemotherapy the tumour recurred rapidly and the patient died 16 months later. Such results clearly demonstrate the usefulness of immunostaining for the above markers as prognostic/predictive factors and the need for careful assessment of the immunoprofile of both primary and metastatic tumours, which can be useful for therapy and follow-up planning in GCT cases.

The actin-cytoskeleton pathway and its potential role in inflammatory bowel disease-associated human colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

To improve our understanding of the various clinical phenotypes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated colorectal cancer (CRC) and provide potential targets for early diagnosis and future therapy, we sought to identify new candidate genes and molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis and progression of this disorder. Recent evidence has implicated the actin-cytoskeleton pathway in the development of metastatic sporadic CRC through cytoskeletal proteins such as fascin-1. We hereby propose that similar genetic polymorphisms and mutations among regulatory genes of the actin-cytoskeleton pathway may also be associated with increased dysplasia, carcinogenesis, and susceptibility for invasion and metastasis in IBD-associated CRC, as compared with sporadic CRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To test this hypothesis, we identified three patients with IBD-associated CRC. We subsequently retrieved normal, dysplastic, and cancerous tissue from within the same surgical colonic specimen. Messenger RNA was subsequently isolated from fresh frozen tissue, and oligonucleotide arrays were carried out to identify genes that were differentially expressed between the three various tissue types (normal, dysplasia, and cancer). By utilizing the same specimen to obtain each of the three various tissue types, we excluded intersubject variability during the analysis. Finally, we performed bioinformatic interaction pathway analysis using the "Ingenuity Pathway Analysis" software.

RESULTS

Computerized pathway analysis revealed that the actin-cytoskeleton pathway was significantly dysregulated in the progression of normal cells, via dysplasia, to IBD-associated CRC (p < 0.05). Significantly up-regulated genes identified in the analysis included the fibroblast growth factor, Abelson interactor gene-2, profilin-2, and radixin genes. Conversely, the diaphanous homolog gene appeared to be significantly down-regulated.

CONCLUSION

Via the dysregulation of these five genes within the actin-cytoskeleton pathway, we propose that this molecular pathway provides a potential mechanism for the malignant transformation and progression of normal tissue, via dysplasia, to IBD-associated CRC.