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Hsu HC, Lee YS, Imbang TI, Liu TC, Hung SI. SLC11A1 predicts the overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:2839-2851. [PMID: 39005670 PMCID: PMC11236786 DOI: 10.62347/vtyu3157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality, emphasizing the critical need for identifying biomarkers that can improve clinical management and patient outcomes. In this retrospective study, we analyzed tumor samples from 25 patients with metastatic CRC, categorized based on long-term (> 50 months) or short-term (< 10 months) survival. Employing the PanCancer Immune Profile Panel, encompassing 770 genes, in the discovery dataset, we identified 54 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within the tumor microenvironment of metastatic CRC. Validation of potential biomarkers was performed using two publicly available RNA-based sequencing datasets (TCGA 1 (n=371) and TCGA 2 (n=566)). Univariate COX regression unveiled that three significant biomarkers were associated with overall survival in CRC within the discovery dataset, which were SLC11A1 (hazard ratio (HR): 4.09, P=0.012), TNFSF11 (HR: 3.67, P=0.02), and MEF2C (HR: 0.34, P=0.037). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analyses confirmed the correlation between SLC11A1 expression and overall survival in CRC across the discovery set (P=0.0071) and the two independent datasets (TCGA 1 (P=0.0016) and TCGA 2 (P=0.025)). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve ranging from 0.64 to 0.76, with sensitivity of 59% to 87% and specificity of 60% to 73% for predicting CRC overall survival. Immunohistochemistry staining further validated the strong expression of SLC11A1 protein in CRC tumor cells, with high expression correlating with short-term survival. These findings suggest that SLC11A1 serves as a predictive biomarker for overall survival in CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Chih Hsu
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial HospitalLinkou Branch, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung UniversityLinkou, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Shien Lee
- Genomic Medicine Research Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial HospitalLinkou Branch, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology, Ming-Chuan UniversityTaoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Titilianty I Imbang
- Cancer Vaccine and Immune Cell Therapy Core Lab, Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Department of Medical Research, Chang Gung Memorial HospitalLinkou Branch, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Chia Liu
- Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Shuen-Iu Hung
- Cancer Vaccine and Immune Cell Therapy Core Lab, Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Department of Medical Research, Chang Gung Memorial HospitalLinkou Branch, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipei 112, Taiwan
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Tavares de Sousa H, Ferreira M, Gullo I, Rocha AM, Pedro A, Leitão D, Oliveira C, Carneiro F, Magro F. Fibrosis-related transcriptome unveils a distinctive remodeling matrix pattern in penetrating ileal Crohn's disease. J Crohns Colitis 2024:jjae064. [PMID: 38700484 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Stricturing (B2) and penetrating (B3) ileal Crohn's disease have been reported to present similar levels of histopathological transmural fibrosis. This study aimed to compare the fibrosis-related transcriptomic profiles of penetrating and stricturing ileal Crohn's disease. METHODS Using Nanostring technology and comparative bioinformatics, we analyzed the expression of 787 fibrosis-related genes in 36 ileal surgical specimens, 12 B2 and 24 B3, the latter including 12 cases with associated stricture(s) (B3s) and 12 without (B3o). Quality control of extracted RNA was performed according to Nanostring parameters and principal component analysis for the distribution analysis. For the selection of the differentially expressed genes a p-adjusted <0.05 and Fold Change ≤-1.5 or ≥ 1.5 was adopted. qPCR and immunohistochemistry analyses were used to validate selected differentially expressed genes. RESULTS We included 34 patients with B2 and B3 phenotypes, balanced for age at diagnosis, age at surgery, gender, Crohn's disease localization, perianal disease and therapy. Inflammation and fibrosis histopathological scoring were similar in all cases. B2 and B3 groups showed a very good clustering regarding 30 significantly differentially expressed genes, all being remarkably upregulated in B3. More than half of these genes were involved in Crohn's disease fibrogenesis, while eight differentially expressed genes were so in other organs. The most significantly active biologic processes and pathways in penetrating disease were response to TGFβand matrix organization and degradation, as validated by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS Despite the histopathological similarities in fibrosis between stricturing and penetrating ileal Crohn's disease, their fibrosis-related transcriptomic profiles are distinct. Penetrating disease exhibits a distinctive transcriptomic landscape related to enhanced matrix remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Tavares de Sousa
- Gastroenterology Department, Algarve University Hospital Center (CHUA), Portimão, Portugal
- ABC-Algarve Biomedical Center, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Marta Ferreira
- Computer Science Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Irene Gullo
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Mafalda Rocha
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Pedro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Dina Leitão
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla Oliveira
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Carneiro
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Magro
- Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Portugal
- Department of Gastroenterology, São João University Hospital Center, Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
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3
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Application of the NanoString nCounter System as an Alternative Method to Investigate Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Host Plant Responses to Plasmodiophora brassicae. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415581. [PMID: 36555223 PMCID: PMC9779335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clubroot, caused by the soilborne pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae, is an important disease of canola (Brassica napus) and other crucifers. The recent application of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technologies to study P. brassicae−host interactions has generated large amounts of gene expression data, improving knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and host resistance. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis has been widely applied to examine the expression of a limited number of genes and to validate the results of RNA-seq studies, but may not be ideal for analyzing larger suites of target genes or increased sample numbers. Moreover, the need for intermediate steps such as cDNA synthesis may introduce variability that could affect the accuracy of the data generated by qPCR. Here, we report the validation of gene expression data from a previous RNA-seq study of clubroot using the NanoString nCounter System, which achieves efficient gene expression quantification in a fast and simple manner. We first confirm the robustness of the NanoString system by comparing the results with those generated by qPCR and RNA-seq and then discuss the importance of some candidate genes for resistance or susceptibility to P. brassicae in the host. The results show that the expression of genes measured using NanoString have a high correlation with the values obtained using the other two technologies, with R > 0.90 and p < 0.01, and the same expression patterns for most genes. The three methods (qPCR, RNA-seq, and NanoString) were also compared in terms of laboratory procedures, time, and cost. We propose that the NanoString nCounter System is a robust, sensitive, highly reproducible, and simple technology for gene expression analysis. NanoString could become a common alternative to qPCR to validate RNA-seq data or to create panels of genes for use as markers of resistance/susceptibility when plants are challenged with different P. brassicae pathotypes.
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Yang ES, Nassar AH, Adib E, Jegede OA, Alaiwi SA, Manna DLD, Braun DA, Zarei M, Du H, Pal SK, Naik G, Sonpavde GP. Gene Expression Signature Correlates with Outcomes in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Everolimus Alone or with a Vascular Disrupting Agent. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1454-1461. [PMID: 34108261 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-1091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Everolimus monotherapy use for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has diminished due to recent approvals of immune checkpoint and VEGF inhibitors. We hypothesized that gene expression associated with everolimus benefit may provide rationale to select appropriate patients. To address this hypothesis, tumors from a phase I/II trial that compared everolimus alone or with BNC105P, a vascular disrupting agent, were profiled using Nanostring as a discovery cohort. A phase III trial (CheckMate 025) was used for validation. Clinical benefit (CB) was defined as response or stable disease for ≥6 months. A propensity score covariate adjustment was used, and model discrimination performance was assessed using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). In a discovery cohort of 82 patients, 35 (43%) were treated with everolimus alone and 47 (57%) received everolimus + BNC105P. Median PFS (mPFS) was 4.9 (95% CI, 2.8-6.2) months. A four-gene signature (ASXL1, DUSP6, ERCC2, and HSPA6) correlated with CB with everolimus ± BNC105P [AUC, 86.9% (95% CI, 79.2-94.7)]. This was validated in 130 patients from CheckMate 025 treated with everolimus [AUC, 60.2% (95% CI, 49.7-70.7)]. Among 43 patients (52.4%) with low expression of an 18-gene signature, everolimus + BNC105P was associated with significantly longer mPFS compared with everolimus alone (10.4 vs. 6.9 months; HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.24-1.002; P = 0.047). These signatures warrant further validation to select patients who may benefit from everolimus alone or with a vascular disrupting agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddy S Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute and O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
| | - Amin H Nassar
- Cancer Genetics Lab, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elio Adib
- Cancer Genetics Lab, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Opeyemi A Jegede
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sarah Abou Alaiwi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah L Della Manna
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute and O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - David A Braun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mahsa Zarei
- Cancer Genetics Lab, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Heng Du
- Cancer Genetics Lab, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sumanta K Pal
- Department of Medical Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Gurudatta Naik
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Guru P Sonpavde
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
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Abstract
Gastric cancer is an active topic of clinical and basic research due to high morbidity and mortality. To date, gastrectomy and chemotherapy are the only therapeutic options for gastric cancer patients, but drug resistance, either acquired or primary, is the main cause for treatment failure. Differences in development and response to cancer treatments have been observed among ethnically diverse GC patient populations. In spite of major incidence, GC Asian patients have a significantly better prognosis and response to treatments than Caucasian ones due to genetic discordances between the two populations. Gene therapy could be an alternative strategy to overcome such issues and especially CRISPR/Cas9 represents one of the most intriguing gene-editing system. Thus, in this review article, we want to provide an update on the currently used therapies for the treatment of advanced GC. Graphical abstract.
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Duan S, Wang P, Liu F, Huang H, An W, Pan S, Wang X. Novel immune-risk score of gastric cancer: A molecular prediction model combining the value of immune-risk status and chemosensitivity. Cancer Med 2019; 8:2675-2685. [PMID: 30945466 PMCID: PMC6537086 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer is still one of the most common and deadly malignancies in the world. Not all patients could benefit from chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy due to tumor heterogeneity. Therefore, identifying different subgroups of patients is an important trend for obtaining more effective responses. However, few molecular classifications associated with chemosensitivity are based on immune–risk status. In this study, we obtained six key immune–related genes. Using these genes, we constructed a molecular model related to immune–risk status and calculated an individual immune–risk score. The score showed great efficiency and stability in predicting prognosis and identifying different subgroups where persons could benefit from postoperative adjuvant therapy. The patients could be divided into different risk groups based on the immune–related score. For patients in the low–risk group, both postoperative chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy could significantly improve prognosis on overall survival (OS) and disease–free survival (DFS) (DFS, P < 0.001 and P = 0.041, respectively; OS, P < 0.001, P = 0.006, respectively) and chemoradiotherapy was significantly superior than simple chemotherapy (DFS, P = 0.031; OS, P = 0.027). For patients with an intermediate–risk score, postoperative chemoradiotherapy showed a statistically significant survival advantage over no anticancer treatment (P = 0.004 and P = 0.002, respectively), while chemotherapy did not. Compared with no adjuvant treatment, neither postoperative chemoradiotherapy nor chemotherapy made significant difference for patients in the high–risk group. Combining the value of immune–risk status and chemosensitivity, the immune–risk score could not only offer us prognostic evaluation and adjuvant treatment guidance, but also improve our understanding about the binding point between chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy and the immune system, which may be helpful for further expanding the application of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Duan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Pengliang Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Funan Liu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hanwei Huang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wen An
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Siwei Pan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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7
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Shukla N, Yan IK, Patel T. Multiplexed Detection and Quantitation of Extracellular Vesicle RNA Expression Using NanoString. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1740:177-185. [PMID: 29388144 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7652-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Several different types of RNA molecules such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been detected within extracellular vesicles in the circulation. The detection and potential utility of these as disease biomarkers requires the ability to detect their presence with adequate sensitivity and to quantitate their expression. The potential for circulating miRNA to serve as biomarkers can be evaluated through their detection in association with specific disease states. Multiplexed detection of several miRNA simultaneously can be useful for discovery studies. We describe the analysis of miRNA from biological fluids like plasma and serum using the Nanostring nCounter platform. Assays can be used to quantitate the expression of miRNA using direct detection based on hybridization to target specific color-coded probes followed by counting each color-coded barcode digitally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Shukla
- Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Irene K Yan
- Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Tushar Patel
- Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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Khatri I, Ganguly K, Sharma S, Carmicheal J, Kaur S, Batra SK, Bhasin MK. Systems Biology Approach to Identify Novel Genomic Determinants for Pancreatic Cancer Pathogenesis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:123. [PMID: 30644396 PMCID: PMC6333820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36328-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of <8%. Its dismal prognosis stems from inefficient therapeutic modalities owing to the lack of understanding about pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Considering the molecular complexity and heterogeneity of PDAC, identification of novel molecular contributors involved in PDAC onset and progression using global "omics" analysis will pave the way to improved strategies for disease prevention and therapeutic targeting. Meta-analysis of multiple miRNA microarray datasets containing healthy controls (HC), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and PDAC cases, identified 13 miRNAs involved in the progression of PDAC. These miRNAs showed dysregulation in both tissue as well as blood samples, along with progressive decrease in expression from HC to CP to PDAC. Gene-miRNA interaction analysis further elucidated 5 miRNAs (29a/b, 27a, 130b and 148a) that are significantly downregulated in conjunction with concomitant upregulation of their target genes throughout PDAC progression. Among these, miRNA-29a/b targeted genes were found to be most significantly altered in comparative profiling of HC, CP and PDAC, indicating its involvement in malignant evolution. Further, pathway analysis suggested direct involvement of miRNA-29a/b in downregulating the key pathways associated with PDAC development and metastasis including focal adhesion signaling and extracellular matrix organization. Our systems biology data analysis, in combination with real-time PCR validation indicates direct functional involvement of miRNA-29a in PDAC progression and is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic candidate for patients with progressive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Khatri
- BIDMC Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Koelina Ganguly
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Sunandini Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Joseph Carmicheal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Sukhwinder Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
| | - Manoj K Bhasin
- BIDMC Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
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New insights into the inflamed tumor immune microenvironment of gastric cancer with lymphoid stroma: from morphology and digital analysis to gene expression. Gastric Cancer 2019; 22:77-90. [PMID: 29779068 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-018-0836-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer with lymphoid stroma (GCLS) is characterized by prominent stromal infiltration of T-lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate GCLS biology through analysis of clinicopathological features, EBV infection, microsatellite instability (MSI), immune gene-expression profiling and PD-L1 status in neoplastic cells and tumor immune microenvironment. METHODS Twenty-four GCLSs were analyzed by RNA in situ hybridization for EBV (EBER), PCR/fragment analysis for MSI, immunohistochemistry (PD-L1, cytokeratin, CD3, CD8), co-immunofluorescence (CK/PD-L1, CD68/PD-L1), NanoString gene-expression assay for immune-related genes and PD-L1 copy number alterations. CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell densities were calculated by digital analysis. Fifty-four non-GCLSs were used as control group. RESULTS GCLSs displayed distinctive clinicopathological features, such as lower pTNM stage (p = 0.02) and better overall survival (p = 0.01). EBV+ or MSI-high phenotype was found in 66.7 and 16.7% cases, respectively. GCLSs harbored a cytotoxic T-cell-inflamed profile, particularly at the invasive front of tumors (p < 0.01) and in EBV+ cases (p = 0.01). EBV+ GCLSs, when compared to EBV- GCLSs, showed higher mRNA expression of genes related to Th1/cytotoxic and immunosuppressive biomarkers. PD-L1 protein expression, observed in neoplastic and immune stromal cells (33.3 and 91.7%, respectively), and PD-L1 amplification (18.8%) were restricted to EBV+/MSI-high tumors and correlated with high values of PD-L1 mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that GCLS has a distinctive clinico-pathological and molecular profile. Furthermore, through an in-depth study of tumor immune microenvironment-by digital analysis and mRNA expression profiling-it highlights the role of EBV infection in promoting an inflamed tumor microenvironment, with putative therapeutic implications.
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Dang S, Vialaneix N. Cutting Edge Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Approaches Are Bringing Precision Medicine and Nutrition to a New Era. Lifestyle Genom 2018; 11:73-76. [PMID: 30472706 DOI: 10.1159/000494131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeena Dang
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA,
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11
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The Transcriptomic Landscape of Gastric Cancer: Insights into Epstein-Barr Virus Infected and Microsatellite Unstable Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19072079. [PMID: 30018250 PMCID: PMC6073163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) positive and microsatellite unstable (MSI-high) gastric cancer (GC) are molecular subgroups with distinctive molecular profiles. We explored the transcriptomic differences between EBV+ and MSI-high GCs, and the expression of current GC immunotherapy targets such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4 and Dies1/VISTA. Methods: Using Nanostring Technology and comparative bioinformatics, we analyzed the expression of 499 genes in 46 GCs, classified either as EBV positive (EBER in situ hybridization) or MSI-high (PCR/fragment analysis). PD-L1 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: From the 46 GCs, 27 tested MSI-high/EBV−, 15 tested MSS/EBV+ and four tested MSS/EBV−. The Nanostring CodeSet could segregate GCs according to MSI and, to a lesser extent, EBV status. Functional annotation of differentially expressed genes associated MSI-high/EBV− GCs with mitotic activity and MSS/EBV+ GCs with immune response. PD-L1 protein expression, evaluated in stromal immune cells, was lower in MSI-high/EBV− GCs. High mRNA expression of PD-1, CTLA4 and Dies1/VISTA and distinctive PD-1/PD-L1 co-expression patterns (PD-1high/PD-L1low, PD-1high/PDL1high) were associated with MSS/EBV+ molecular subtype and gastric cancer with lymphoid stroma (GCLS) morphological features. Conclusions: EBV+ and MSI-high GCs present distinct transcriptomic profiles. GCLS/EBV+ cases frequently present co-expression of multiple immunotherapy targets, a finding with putative therapeutic implications.
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12
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Chivu-Economescu M, Matei L, Necula LG, Dragu DL, Bleotu C, Diaconu CC. New therapeutic options opened by the molecular classification of gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24:1942-1961. [PMID: 29760539 PMCID: PMC5949709 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i18.1942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most lethal and aggressive cancers, being the third cause of cancer related death worldwide. Even with radical gastrectomy and the latest generation of molecular chemotherapeutics, the numbers of recurrence and mortality remains high. This is due to its biological heterogeneity based on the interaction between multiple factors, from genomic to environmental factors, diet or infections with various pathogens. Therefore, understanding the molecular characteristics at a genomic level is critical to develop new treatment strategies. Recent advances in GC molecular classification provide the unique opportunity to improve GC therapy by exploiting the biomarkers and developing novel targeted therapy specific to each subtype. This article highlights the molecular characteristics of each subtype of gastric cancer that could be considered in shaping a therapeutic decision, and also presents the completed and ongoing clinical trials addressed to those targets. The implementation of the novel molecular classification system will allow a preliminary patient selection for clinical trials, a mandatory issue if it is desired to test the efficacy of a certain inhibitor to the given target. This will represent a substantial advance as well as a powerful tool for targeted therapy. Nevertheless, translating the scientific results into new personalized treatment opportunities is needed in order to improve clinical care, the survival and quality of life of patients with GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Chivu-Economescu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
| | - Lilia Matei
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
| | - Laura G Necula
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
- Nicolae Cajal Institute, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest 040441, Romania
| | - Denisa L Dragu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
| | - Coralia Bleotu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
| | - Carmen C Diaconu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest 030304, Romania
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Alsina M, Gullo I, Carneiro F. Intratumoral heterogeneity in gastric cancer: a new challenge to face. Ann Oncol 2018; 28:912-913. [PMID: 28368465 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M Alsina
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Gullo
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology at the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Porto, Portugal.,Institute for Research Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - F Carneiro
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology at the University of Porto (Ipatimup), Porto, Portugal.,Institute for Research Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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14
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Das K, Taguri M, Imamura H, Sugimoto N, Nishikawa K, Yoshida K, Tan P, Tsuburaya A. Genomic predictors of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced or recurrent gastric cancer in the GC0301/TOP002 phase III clinical trial. Cancer Lett 2017; 412:208-215. [PMID: 29061504 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recent gastric cancer clinical trials have aimed to establish the efficacy of combination therapy over monotherapy, however, the role for genomic biomarkers in these trials has remained largely unexplored. Here, using the NanoString expression platform, we analyzed 105 gastric tumors from a randomized phase III Japanese clinical trial (GC0301/TOP002) testing the efficacy of irinotecan plus S-1(IRI-S) versus S-1 therapy. We found that previously established proliferative subtype signatures, were associated with older patients (>65 years) and liver metastasis while mesenchymal subtype signatures were associated with younger patients (≤65 years) and peritoneal metastasis. Genes associated with tumor microenvironment (CD4, CD14, ADAMTS1, CCL5, CXCL12, CCL19), therapeutic implications (DPYD) and oncogenic signaling (Wnt5A, PTRF) were significantly associated with patient age, histology, tumor status, measurable lesions and metastasis. We identified Wnt5A downregulation as a candidate predictor of improved progression free survival (>8 weeks) in S-1 but not in IRI-S treatment. Although statistical significance was not achieved, mesenchymal subtype showed a trend for treatment interaction with IRI-S for efficacy. These findings highlight promising genomic markers that could be useful predictors of chemotherapy efficacy for better prognosis and survival outcome in gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kakoli Das
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore.
| | - Masataka Taguri
- Department of Biostatistics, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Imamura
- Department of Surgery, Toyonaka Municipal Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Naotoshi Sugimoto
- Department of Medical Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Nishikawa
- Kazuhiro Nishikawa, Department of Surgery, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Yoshida
- Kazuhiro Yoshida, Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Japan
| | - Patrick Tan
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore; SingHealth/Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, National Heart Centre, 5 Hospital Drive, Singapore; Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore; Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore.
| | - Akira Tsuburaya
- Department of Surgery, Tsuboi Cancer Center Hospital, Koriyama, Japan.
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15
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Li Y, Li J, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Chu J, Sun C, Fu Z, Huang Y, Zhang H, Yuan H, Yin Y. Roles of cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) in breast cancer. Cancer Lett 2017; 399:64-73. [PMID: 28274891 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the US. For breast cancer, early diagnosis and efficient therapy remains a significant clinical challenge. Therefore, it is necessary to identify novel tumor associated molecules to target for biomarker development and immunotherapy. In this regard, cancer testis antigens (CTAs) have emerged as a potential clinical biomarker targeting immunotherapy for various malignancies due to the nature of its characteristics. CTAs are a group of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) that display normal expression in immune-privileged organs, but display aberrant expression in several types of cancers, particularly in advanced cancers. Investigation of CTAs for the clinical management of breast malignancies indicates that these TAAs have potential roles as novel biomarkers, with increased specificity and sensitivity compared to those currently used in the clinic. Moreover, TAAs could be therapeutic targets for cancer immunotherapy. This review is an attempt to address the promising CTAs in breast cancer and their possible clinical implications as biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets with particular focus on challenges and future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfei Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Yanhong Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Jiahui Chu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Chunxiao Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Ziyi Fu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China; Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Medical Institute, Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, China
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Magee Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hansheng Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hongyan Yuan
- Department of Oncology and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yongmei Yin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210004, China.
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