An update of knowledge on cortactin as a metastatic driver and potential therapeutic target in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Role of exosomes in the communication and treatment between OSCC and normal cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent cancer that needs new therapeutic targets due to the poor postoperative prognosis in patients. Exosomes are currently one of important research areas owing to their unique properties. Exosomes are capable of acting as drug transporters, as well as facilitating interactions between OSCC and normal cells. Exosomes can be detected in body fluids such as blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and bile. When exosomes are released from donor cells, they can carry various bioactive molecules to recipient cells, where these molecules participate in biological processes. This review highlights the mechanisms of exosome transfer between normal and OSCC cells. Exosomes isolated from donor OSCC cells can carry circular RNAs (circRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) and play a role in signaling processes in the recipient OSCC cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and macrophages. Exosomes secreted by carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, and stem cells can also enter the recipient OSCC cells and modulate signaling events in these cells. Exosomes isolated from OSCC plasma, serum, and saliva are also associated with OSCC prognosis. Furthermore, while exosomes were shown to be associated with chemotherapy resistance in OSCC, they can also be used for drug delivery during OSCC treatment. In this paper, we reviewed the molecular mechanisms and functions of exosomes from different cell sources in OSCC cells, providing a basis for diagnosis and prognosis prediction in OSCC patients, and offering guidance for the design of molecular targets carried by exosomes in OSCC.

Construction of an abnormal glycosylation risk model and its application in predicting the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck, and the incidence rate is increasing year by year. Protein post-translational modification, recognized as a pivotal and extensive form of protein modification, has been established to possess a profound association with tumor occurrence and progression. This study employed bioinformatics analysis utilizing transcriptome sequencing data, patient survival data, and clinical data from HNSCC to establish predictive markers of genes associated with glycosylation as prognostic risk markers. The R procedure WGCNA was employed to construct a gene co-expression network using the gene expression profile and clinical characteristics of HNSCC samples. Multiple Cox Proportional Hazards Regression Model (Cox regression) and LASSO analysis were conducted to identify the key genes exhibiting the strongest association with prognosis. A risk score, known as the glycosylation-related genes risk score (GLRS), was subsequently formulated utilizing the aforementioned core genes. This scoring system facilitated the classification of samples into high-risk and low-risk categories, thereby enabling the prediction of patient prognosis. The association between GLRS and clinical variables was examined through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The validation of six core genes was accomplished using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The findings demonstrated noteworthy variations in risk scores among subgroups, thereby affirming the efficacy of GLRS in prognosticating patient outcomes. Furthermore, a correlation has been observed between the risk-scoring model and immune infiltration. Moreover, significant disparities exist in the expression levels of diverse immune checkpoints, epithelial-mesenchymal transition genes, and angiogenic factors between the high and low-risk groups.

The effectiveness of blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) in lung cancer progression-a comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) are a class of herbs that have the effect of dilating blood vessels and dispersing stagnation. Modern pharmaceutical research has demonstrated that they are capable of improving hemodynamics and micro-flow, resist thrombosis and promote blood flow. BAST contain numerous active ingredients, which can theoretically regulate multiple targets at the same time and have a wide range of pharmacological effects in the treatment of diseases including human cancers. Clinically, BAST have minimal side effects and can be used in combination with Western medicine to improve patients' quality of life, lessen adverse effects and minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis of cancers.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

We aimed to summarize the research progression of BAST on lung cancer in the past five years and present a prospect for the future. Particularly, this review further analyzes the effects and molecular mechanisms that BAST inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant studies about BSAT were collected from PubMed and Web of science.

RESULTS

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are highly susceptible to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that BAST, a class of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the function of opening veins and dispersing blood stasis, significantly improve hemodynamics and microcirculation, prevent thrombosis and promote blood flow, and thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. In the current review, we analyzed 51 active ingredients extracted from BAST. It was found that BAST and their active ingredients contribute to the prevention of invasion and metastasis of lung cancer through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of EMT process, specific signaling pathway and metastasis-related genes, tumor blood vessel formation, immune microenvironment and inflammatory response of tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

BSAT and its active ingredients have showed promising anticancer activity and significantly inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. A growing number of studies have realized their potential clinical significance in the therapy of lung cancer, which will provide substantial evidences for the development of new TCM for lung cancer therapy.

Cortactin expression in a Norwegian cohort of human papilloma virus negative oral squamous cell carcinomas of the mobile tongue

Oral squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (OTSCC) is the most common malignancy among oral squamous cell carcinomas and is frequently associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Local spread and distant metastasis are important causes of poor prognosis in OTSCC. Cortactin amplification and overexpression, a common molecular alteration in oral squamous cell carcinomas, have been linked to invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. However, the intra-tumor expression pattern and prognostic significance of cortactin in human papillomavirus (HPV) negative OTSCC is not fully investigated. Immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarray consisting of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded HPV negative OTSCC (n = 123) specimens showed overexpression of cortactin at tissue cores from invading fronts as compared to the corresponding center cores. High overall cortactin expression was found to be associated with advanced (larger) tumor size and the occurrence of distance metastasis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with high overall cortactin expression were associated with reduced 5-year survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified high cortactin expression to be an independent prognostic factor in OTSCC. Additionally, siRNA-mediated silencing of cortactin was found to suppress the proliferative and invasive abilities of OTSCC cells in an organotypic co-culture model. Overexpression of cortactin is a promising prognostic marker in HPV-negative OTSCC.

A four oxidative stress gene prognostic model and integrated immunity-analysis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Background and aims

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is highly aggressive and characterized by a poor prognosis. Oxidative stress has great impacts on the occurrence and development of tumors. However, the predictive role of oxidative stress related genes on PAAD patients' prognosis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to construct a prognostic model for PAAD based on oxidative stress genes and to evaluate its predictive value.

Methods

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were used to identify differentially expressed oxidative stress genes. Univariate Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to select genes and to construct a prognosis model. According to the median value of the model's risk score, patients were divided into high and low risk groups, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), immune infiltration and immunotherapy effect, drug resistance and the expression of immune checkpoint related genes and synthetic driver genes of T cell proliferation were analyzed. Finally, the mRNA and protein levels of four genes in PAAD were verified by the clinical proteomic tumor analysis consortium (CPTAC) database and the immunostaining of patients' tissue.

Results

55 differentially expressed oxidative stress genes were identified, and four genes including MET, FYN, CTTN and CDK1 were selected to construct a prognosis model. GESA indicated that immune related pathways, metabolic pathways and DNA repair pathways were significantly enriched in the high risk group as compared to the low risk group. The frequency of genetic mutations was also significantly higher in high risk groups than that in low risk groups. Moreover, the infiltration level of 23 immune cells as well as the expression of immune checkpoint related and synthetic driver genes of T cell proliferation were significantly altered, with the better immunotherapy effect occurring in low risk group. In patient PAAD tissues, the mRNA and protein levels of these four genes were up-regulated.

Conclusion

We have successfully constructed a four oxidative stress gene prognostic model that has important predictive value for PAAD patients, and this model might be a promising guidance for prognostic prediction and efficacy monitoring in clinical individualized therapy.

Hallmarks of Cancer Expression in Oral Lichen Planus: A Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology and likely autoimmune nature that is currently considered an oral potentially malignant disorder, implying that patients suffering from this process are at risk of developing oral cancer in their lifetime. The molecular alterations that develop in OLP and that make the affected oral epithelium predisposed to malignancy are unknown, although, as in other autoimmune diseases (ulcerative colitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, etc.), they may be linked to oncogenesis-promoting effects mediated by the inflammatory infiltrate. So far there is no in-depth knowledge on how these hallmarks of cancer are established in the cells of the oral epithelium affected by OLP. In this scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses the state of evidence based knowledge in this field is presented, to point out gaps of evidence and to indicate future lines of research. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and Dare were searched for secondary-level studies published before October 2022. The results identified 20 systematic reviews and meta-analyses critically appraising the hallmarks tumor-promoting inflammation (n = 17, 85%), sustaining proliferative signaling (n = 2, 10%), and evading growth suppressors (n = 1, 5%). No evidence was found for the other hallmarks of cancer in OLP. In conclusion, OLP malignization hypothetically derives from the aggressions of the inflammatory infiltrate and a particular type of epithelial response based on increased epithelial proliferation, evasion of growth-suppressive signals and lack of apoptosis. Future evidence-based research is required to support this hypothesis.

Hallmarks of Cancer Applied to Oral and Oropharyngeal Carcinogenesis: A Scoping Review of the Evidence Gaps Found in Published Systematic Reviews

Simple Summary

This scoping review of systematic reviews aims to accurately assess the degree of existing scientific evidence on the cancer hallmarks proposed in 2011 by Hanahan and Weinberg, in the form of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, applied to oral potentially malignant disorders, oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, in order to point out gaps in evidence and lines of research that should be implemented in the future to improve the malignant transformation prediction, diagnosis and/or prognosis of these diseases.

Abstract

In 2000 and 2011, Hanahan and Weinberg published two papers in which they defined the characteristics that cells must fulfil in order to be considered neoplastic cells in all types of tumours that affect humans, which the authors called “hallmarks of cancer”. These papers have represented a milestone in our understanding of the biology of many types of cancers and have made it possible to reach high levels of scientific evidence in relation to the prognostic impact that these hallmarks have on different tumour types. However, to date, there is no study that globally analyses evidence-based knowledge on the importance of these hallmarks in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. For this reason, we set out to conduct this scoping review of systematic reviews with the aim of detecting evidence gaps in relation to the relevance of the cancer hallmarks proposed by Hanahan and Weinberg in oral and oropharyngeal cancer, and oral potentially malignant disorders, and to point out future lines of research in this field.

The Prognostic Signature of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Constructed by Immune-Related RNA-Binding Proteins

Purpose

This study aimed to construct a prognostic signature consisting of immune-related RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to predict the prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) effectively.

Methods

The transcriptome and clinical data of HNSCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. First, we ascertained the immunological differences in HNSCC, through single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, stromal and immune cells in malignant tumor tissues using expression data (ESTIMATE), and cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) deconvolution algorithm. Then we used univariate proportional hazards (Cox) regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis to screen immune-related RBPs and acquire the risk score of each sample. Subsequently, we further investigated the difference in prognosis, immune status, and tumor mutation burden in high- and low-risk groups. Finally, the efficacy of immunotherapy was measured by the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score.

Results

We derived 15 immune-related RBPs, including FRMD4A, ASNS, RAB11FIP1, FAM120C, CFLAR, CTTN, PLEKHO1, SELENBP1, CHCHD2, NPM3, ATP2A3, CFDP1, IGF2BP2, NQO1, and DENND2D. There were significant differences in the prognoses of patients in the high- and low-risk groups in the training set (p < 0.001) and the validation set (p < 0.01). Furthermore, there were statistical differences between the high-risk group and low-risk group in immune cell infiltration and pathway and tumor mutation load (p < 0.001). In the end, we found that patients in the low-risk group were more sensitive to immunotherapy (p < 0.001), and then we screened 14 small-molecule chemotherapeutics with higher sensitivity to the high-risk group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The study constructed a prognostic signature of HNSCC, which might guide clinical immunotherapy in the future.

FAS receptor regulates NOTCH activity through ERK-JAG1 axis activation and controls oral cancer stemness ability and pulmonary metastasis

Pulmonary metastasis occurring via the colonization of circulating cancer stem cells is a major cause of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)-related death. Thus, understanding the mechanism of OSCC pulmonary metastasis may provide a new opportunity for OSCC treatment. FAS, a well-known apoptosis-inducing death receptor, has multiple nonapoptotic, protumorigenic functions. Previously, we found that SAS OSCC cells with FAS receptor knockout did not affect orthotopic tumor growth or cervical lymph node metastasis. However, FAS knockout cells could not colonize in distant organs to form metastases upon intravenous injection, which hinted at the cancer stemness function of the FAS receptor. Immunohistochemistry staining indicated that the FAS receptor serves as a poor prognosis marker in OSCC patients. FAS knockout inhibited in vitro cancer spheroid formation, migration and invasion, and prevented mesenchymal transition in OSCC cells and inhibited OSCC pulmonary metastasis in vivo. To determine the regulatory mechanism by which the FAS receptor exerts its oncogenic function, we utilized cDNA microarrays and phosphoprotein arrays to discover key candidate genes and signaling pathway regulators. JAG1 expression and NOTCH pathway activation were controlled by the FAS receptor through ERK phosphorylation. Both JAG1 and NOTCH1 silencing decreased in vitro cancer spheroid formation. In OSCC cells, FAS ligand or JAG1 protein treatment increased NOTCH pathway activity, which could be abolished by FAS receptor knockout. In FAS knockout cells, restoring the NOTCH1 intracellular domain stimulated cancer spheroid formation. Both JAG1 and NOTCH1 silencing decreased in vivo OSCC growth. In conclusion, we found a novel FAS-ERK-JAG1-NOTCH1 axis that may contribute to OSCC stemness and pulmonary metastasis.

Prognostic and Clinicopathological Significance of the Aberrant Expression of β-Catenin in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Simple Summary

β-catenin is a multifunctional protein whose physiological functions are mainly related to the maintenance of cell-cell adhesion by forming complexes with the adhesion molecule E-cadherin, both responsible for the preservation of squamous epithelia homeostasis. The loss of β-catenin expression in the cell membrane, the failure of cytoplasmic degradation mechanisms—essentially related to the activation of Wnt canonical oncogenic pathway—and/or its translocation to the nucleus—developing actions as a transcription factor of oncogenes—are aberrant mechanisms with oncogenic implications in oral carcinogenesis. In this systematic review and meta-analysis on 41 studies and 2746 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients we demonstrate that the aberrant expression of β-catenin—mainly the immunohistochemical analysis of its loss in the cell membrane—behaves as a prognostic biomarker, significantly associated with poor survival, essentially linked to the increased risk for the development of lymph node metastases, higher tumour size and clinical stage in these patients.

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of the aberrant expression of β-catenin (assessed through the immunohistochemical loss of membrane expression, cytoplasmic and nuclear expression) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We searched for primary-level studies published before October-2021 through PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, with no limitation in regard to their publication date or language. We evaluated the methodological quality and risk of bias of the studies included using the QUIPS tool, carried out meta-analyses, explored heterogeneity and their sources across subgroups and meta-regression, and conducted sensitivity and small-study effects analyses. Forty-one studies (2746 patients) met inclusion criteria. The aberrant immunohistochemical expression of β-catenin was statistically associated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.20–2.60, p = 0.004), disease-free survival (HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.10–5.50, p = 0.03), N+ status (OR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.68–3.40, p < 0.001), higher clinical stage (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.58–3.63, p < 0.001), higher tumour size (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.23–2.53, p = 0.004), and moderately-poorly differentiated OSCC (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.09–2.25, p = 0.02). The loss of β-catenin in the cell membrane showed the largest effect size in most of meta-analyses (singularly for poor overall survival [HR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.55–3.62, p < 0.001], N+ status [OR = 3.44, 95% CI = 2.40–4.93, p < 0.001] and higher clinical stage [OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.17–5.35, p = 0.02]). In conclusion, our findings indicate that immunohistochemical assessment of the aberrant expression of β-catenin could be incorporated as an additional and complementary routine prognostic biomarker for the assessment of patients with OSCC.

Molecular Pathogenesis of the Coronin Family: CORO2A Facilitates Migration and Invasion Abilities in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

In humans, the coronin family is composed of seven proteins containing WD-repeat domains that regulate actin-based cellular processes. Some members of the coronin family are closely associated with cancer cell migration and invasion. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis revealed that CORO1C, CORO2A, and CORO7 were significantly upregulated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues (p < 0.05). Moreover, the high expression of CORO2A was significantly predictive of the 5-year survival rate of patients with OSCC (p = 0.0203). Overexpression of CORO2A was detected in OSCC clinical specimens by immunostaining. siRNA-mediated knockdown of CORO2A suppressed cancer cell migration and invasion abilities. Furthermore, we investigated the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the molecular mechanism underlying CORO2A overexpression in OSCC cells. TCGA analysis confirmed that tumor-suppressive miR-125b-5p and miR-140-5p were significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues. Notably, these miRNAs bound directly to the 3'-UTR of CORO2A and controlled CORO2A expression in OSCC cells. In summary, we found that aberrant expression of CORO2A facilitates the malignant transformation of OSCC cells, and that downregulation of tumor-suppressive miRNAs is involved in CORO2A overexpression. Elucidation of the interaction between genes and miRNAs will help reveal the molecular pathogenesis of OSCC.

A comparative immunohistochemical analysis of cortactin in orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC), sporadic odontogenic keratocyst (OKC), and syndromic OKC

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate and compare the immunohistochemical expression of cortactin in the epithelial lining of orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC), sporadic odontogenic keratocyst (OKC), and syndromic OKC.

METHODS

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of histopathologically diagnosed cases of OOC, OKC, syndromic OKC, normal buccal mucosa (NBM), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) were examined for immunohistochemical expression of cortactin. Clear brown cytoplasmic and membranous staining was considered positive.

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was observed between OOC and syndromic OKC (p<0.001), as well as between sporadic OKC and syndromic OKC (p<0.001). Although not statistically significant, the expression of cortactin was slightly higher in the basal layer of NBM (mean=0.47), OOC (mean=0.27), sporadic OKC (mean=0.47) syndromic OKC (mean=1.53), and OSCC (mean=0.67) than in the parabasal layers of NBM (mean=0.27), OOC (mean=0.20), sporadic OKC (mean=0.47), syndromic OKC (mean=1.27), and OSCC (mean=0.60).

CONCLUSION

The expression of cortactin in the basal layer may suggest the formation of invadopodia in the basal layer where the invasion mechanism occurs. This finding is further supported by the higher localization of cortactin in areas of epithelial budding and daughter cysts in syndromic OKC, thereby reaffirming its possible association with recurrence.

Exome sequencing identifies novel somatic variants in African American esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal cancer has a strikingly low survival rate mainly due to the lack of diagnostic markers for early detection and effective therapies. In the U.S., 75% of individuals diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are of African descent. African American ESCC (AA ESCC) is particularly aggressive, and its biological underpinnings remain poorly understood. We sought to identify the genomic abnormalities by conducting whole exome sequencing of 10 pairs of matched AA esophageal squamous cell tumor and control tissues. Genomic analysis revealed diverse somatic mutations, copy number alterations (SCNAs), and potential cancer driver genes. Exome variants created two subgroups carrying either a high or low tumor mutation burden. Somatic mutational analysis based on the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) detected SBS16 as the prominent signature in the high mutation rate group suggesting increased DNA damage. SBS26 was also detected, suggesting possible defects in mismatch repair and microsatellite instability. We found SCNAs in multiple chromosome segments, encoding MYC on 8q24.21, PIK3CA and SOX2 on 3q26, CCND1, SHANK2, CTTN on 11q13.3, and KRAS on 12p12. Amplifications of EGFRvIII and EGFRvIVa mutants were observed in two patients, representing a novel finding in ESCC that has potential clinical relevance. This present exome sequencing, which to our knowledge, represents the first comprehensive exome analysis exclusively in AA ESCC, and highlights novel mutated loci that might explain the aggressive nature of AA ESCC and lead to the development of diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as therapeutic targets.

Inhibitory effects of safranal on laser-induced choroidal neovascularization and human choroidal microvascular endothelial cells and related pathways analyzed with transcriptome sequencing

AIM

To determine the effects of safranal on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and oxidative stress damage of human choroidal microvascular endothelial cells (HCVECs) and its possible mechanisms.

METHODS

Forty-five rats were used as a laser-induced CNV model for testing the efficacy and safety of safranal (0.5 mg/kg·d, intraperitoneally) on CNV. CNV leakage on fluorescein angiography (FA) and CNV thickness on histology was compared. HCVECs were used for a H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress model to test the effect of safranal in vitro. MTT essay was carried to test the inhibition rate of safranal on cell viability at different concentrations. Tube formation was used to test protective effect of safranal on angiogenesis at different concentrations. mRNA transcriptome sequencing was performed to find the possible signal pathway. The expressions of different molecules and their phosphorylation level were validated by Western blotting.

RESULTS

On FA, the average CNV leakage area was 0.73±0.49 and 0.31±0.11 mm² (P=0.012) in the control and safranal-treated group respectively. The average CNV thickness was 127.4±18.75 and 100.6±17.34 µm (P=0.001) in control and safranal-treated group. Under the condition of oxidative stress, cell proliferation was inhibited by safranal and inhibition rates were 7.4%-35.4% at the different concentrations. For tube formation study, the number of new branches was 364 in control group and 35, 42, and 17 in 20, 40, and 80 µg/mL safranal groups respectively (P<0.01). From the KEGG pathway bubble graph, the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway showed a high gene ratio. The protein expression was elevated of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and the phosphorylation level of PI3K, phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1/2 (PDK1/2), AKT and Bcl-2 associated death promoter (BAD) was also elevated under oxidative stress condition but inhibited by safranal.

CONCLUSION

Safranal can inhibit CNV both in vivo and in vitro, and the IRS-PI3K-PDK1/2-AKT-BAD signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of CNV.

Cortactin expression assessment improves patient selection for a watchful waiting strategy in pT1cN0-staged oral squamous cell carcinomas with a tumor infiltration depth below 4 mm

BACKGROUND

In this feasibility study we aimed to evaluate the value of previously reported molecular tumor biomarkers associated with lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to optimize neck strategy selection criteria.

METHODS

The association between expression of cortactin, cyclin D1, FADD, RAB25, and S100A9 and sentinel lymph node status was evaluated in a series of 87 (cT1-2N0) patients with OSCC treated with primary resection and SLNB procedure.

RESULTS

Tumor infiltration depth and tumor pattern of invasion were independent prognostic markers for SLN status, while none of the tumor makers showed a better prognostic value to replace SLNB as neck staging technique in the total cohort. However, in the subgroup of patients with pT1N0 OSCC, cortactin expression (OR 16.0, 95%CI 2.0-127.9) was associated with SLN classification.

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of cortactin is a promising immunohistochemical tumor marker to identify patients at low risk that may not benefit from SLNB or END.

Molecular Basis of LH Action on Breast Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion via Kinase and Scaffold Proteins

Breast cancer (BC) is a major public health problem affecting women worldwide. Approximately 80% of diagnosed cases are hormone-dependent breast cancers. These hormones are known to stimulate tumor development and progression. In this setting, tentative evidence suggests that luteinizing hormone (LH) may also play a role in tumors. In BC cells that express functional LH receptors (LHR), this hormone regulates cell migration and invasion by controlling several kinases that activate actin cytoskeletal proteins. In this article, we show that LH induces phosphorylation of paxillin and its translocation toward the plasmatic membrane, where focal adhesion complexes are assembled. This process is triggered via a rapid extra-gonadal LHR signaling to Src/FAK/paxillin, which results in the phosphorylation/activation of the nucleation promoter factors cortactin and N-WASP. As a consequence, Arp2/3 complexes induce actin polymerization, essential to promote cell adhesion, migration, and invasion, thus enhancing metastatic spread of tumoral cells. Our findings provide relevant information about how gonadotrophins exert their action in BC. This information helps us understand the extragonadal effects of LH on BC metastasis. It may provide new perspectives for therapeutic treatment, especially for women with high serum levels of gonadotrophins.

Circulating exosomes in cardiovascular disease: Novel carriers of biological information

Exosomes are a group of nanosized extracellular vesicles that include various bioactive nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. They originate from membrane invagination and are released by exocytosis, which can transmit signals to target cells to achieve cell-to-cell communication and maintain homeostasis. The heart is a complex multicellular organ that contains resident cell types such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells. Communication between different cell types and immune systems is essential for the dynamic equilibrium of the cardiac internal environment. Intercellular communication is a universal phenomenon mediated by exosomes and their contents during several pathological processes in cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Therefore, exosomes can be used as novel invasive diagnostic biomarkers in multiple diseases, including atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, cardiac fibrosis, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, the biocompatible nature and low immunogenicity of exosomes make them high-quality nanoparticle drug carriers with potential applications in translational medicine and therapeutic strategies. Here, we focus on the biogenesis, isolation, biological functions, and future application prospects of exosomes in cardiovascular disease.

Prognostic and Clinicopathological Significance of FADD Upregulation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Fas-associated death domain (FADD) upregulation, i.e., gene amplification, protein phosphorylation and/or overexpression, has shown promising prognostic implications in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of FADD upregulation in HNSCC. We searched studies published before February 2020 through PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. We evaluated the quality of the studies included using the QUIPS tool. The impact of FADD upregulation on survival and clinicopathological variables was meta-analysed. We explored heterogeneity and their sources, conducted sensitivity analyses and investigated small-study effects. Thirteen studies (1,923 patients) met inclusion criteria. FADD immunohistochemical overexpression was statistically associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.52, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.28-1.81, p < 0.001), disease-specific survival (HR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.61-3.96, p < 0.001), disease-free survival (HR = 1.67, 95% CI=1.29-2.15, p < 0.001), higher clinical stage (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.17-2.51, p = 0.005) and a large magnitude of effect with N+ status (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.85-3.00, p < 0.001). FADD phosphorylation in ser-194 demonstrated no prognostic value, while no conclusive results can be drawn for FADD gene amplification. In conclusion, our findings indicate that immunohistochemical assessment of FADD overexpression could be incorporated into the prognostic evaluation of HNSCC.

Quantitative proteomic profiling of tumor-associated vascular endothelial cells in colorectal cancer

To investigate the global proteomic profiles of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in the tumor microenvironment and antiangiogenic therapy for colorectal cancer (CRC), matched pairs of normal (NVECs) and tumor-associated VECs (TVECs) were purified from CRC tissues by laser capture microdissection and subjected to iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Here, 216 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified and used for bioinformatics analysis. Interestingly, these proteins were implicated in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, angiogenesis and HIF-1 signaling pathway, which may play important roles in CRC angiogenesis. Among these DEPs we found that Tenascin-C (TNC) was upregulated in TVECs of CRC and correlated with CRC multistage carcinogenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, the reduction of tumor-derived TNC could attenuate human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation, migration and tube formation through ITGB3/FAK/Akt signaling pathway. Based on the present work, we provided a large-scale proteomic profiling of VECs in CRC with quantitative information, a certain number of potential antiangiogenic targets and a novel vision in the angiogenesis bio-mechanism of CRC.

Summary: We provided large-scale proteomic profiling of vascular endothelial cells in colorectal cancer with quantitative information, a number of potential antiangiogenic targets and a novel vision in the angiogenesis bio-mechanism of CRC.