Trophoblast Cell Surface Antigen 2 (Trop2) in Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma

TROP2 promotes PINK1-mediated mitophagy and apoptosis to accelerate the progression of senile chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by up-regulating DRP1 expression

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterised by irreversible airflow limitation. The elderly are a vulnerable population for developing COPD. With the growth of age, physiological degenerative changes occur in the thorax, bronchus, lung and vascular wall, which can lead to age-related physiological attenuation of lung function in the elderly, so the prevalence of COPD increases with age. Its pathogenesis has not yet been truly clarified. Mitophagy plays an important role in maintaining the stability of mitochondrial function and intracellular environment by scavenging damaged mitochondria. Currently, studies have shown that trophoblast antigen 2 (TROP2) expression is up-regulated in airway basal cells of patients with COPD, suggesting that TROP2 is involved in the progression of COPD. However, whether it is involved in disease progression by regulating mitochondrial function remains unclear. In this study, compared with non-smoking non-COPD patients, the expression of TROP2 in lung tissues of smoking non-COPD patients and patients with COPD increased, and TROP2 expression in patients with COPD was higher than that in smoking non-COPD patients. To further explore the role of TROP2, we stimulated BEAS-2B with cigarette smoke to construct an in vitro model. We found that TROP2 expression increased, whereas TROP2 silencing reversed the cigarette smoke extract-induced decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, increased reactive oxygen species content, decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, increased inflammatory factor secretion and increased apoptosis. In addition, we searched online bioinformatics and screened the gene dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) related to mitophagy as the research object. Co-IP assay verified the binding relationship between DRP1 and TROP2. Further study found that TROP2 promoted mitophagy and apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells by up-regulating the expression of DRP1. In addition, PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) is a potential binding protein of DRP1, and DRP1 accelerated mitophagy and apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells by promoting the expression of PINK1. We established a COPD SD rat model by cigarette smoke exposure and LPS instillation and treated it by intraperitoneal injection of si-TROP2. The results showed that TROP2 silencing restored lung function and reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In conclusion, TROP2 can be used as a new reference for COPD treatment.

VDRA downregulate β-catenin/Smad3 and DNA damage and repair associated with improved prognosis in ccRCC patients

The clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) spotlighted the poorest survival, while chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) was associated with the best survival. Earlier studies corroborated vitamin D receptor (VDR) was a promising molecular for improving the prognosis of RCC. In contrast to VDRA, the one of VDR isoforms, VDRB1 (VDR isoform B1) has an N-terminal extension of 50 amino acids and is less ligand-dependent. However, the functional differences between VDRA and VDRB1, and their roles in the prognosis of ccRCC and chRCC, have not been investigated. In the present study, we uncovered that the transcripts related to vitamin D pathway and cellular calcium signaling were effectively decreased in the context of ccRCC, yet failed to exert a comparable effect within chRCC. Specially, minimally levels of VDRA wherein kidneys of patients suffering from ccRCC predict shorter survival time. In addition, the protein expressions for β-catenin/Smad3 pathway and DNA damage and repair pathways were obviously impeded in VDRA-overexpressed ccRCC cells, yet this inhibitory effect was conspicuously absent in enable VDRB1 cells. Our results provide a new idea to improve the prognosis of ccRCC via VDRA upregulation.

Expression of nectin-4 in papillary renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Nectin-4 contributes to tumor proliferation, lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in malignant tumors and is an emerging target in tumor therapy. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC) VEGF-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors are currently treatments of choice. Enfortumab vedotin-ejf (EV) is an antibody drug conjugate that targets Nectin-4. The aim of our study was to investigate the expression of Nectin-4 in a large cohort of papillary RCC specimens.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Specimens were derived from the PANZAR consortium (Erlangen, Heidelberg, Herne, Homburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Marburg, Muenster, LMU Munich, TU Munich, and Regensburg). Clinical data and tissue samples from n = 190 and n = 107 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively, were available. Expression of Nectin-4 was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTS

In total, Nectin-4 staining was moderately or strongly positive in of 92 (48.4%) of type 1 and 39 (36.4%) type 2 of pRCC cases. No associations between Nectin-4 expression and age at diagnosis, gender, grading, and TNM stage was found. 5 year overall survival rate was not statistically different in patients with Nectin-4 negative versus Nectin-4 positive tumors for the overall cohort and the pRCC type 2 subgroup, but higher in patient with Nectin-4 positive pRCC type 1 tumors compared to Nectin-4 negative tumors (81.3% vs. 67.8%, p = 0.042).

CONCLUSION

Nectin-4 could not be confirmed as a prognostic marker in pRCC in general. Due to its high abundance on pRCC specimens Nectin-4 is an interesting target for therapeutical approaches e.g. with EV. Clinical trials are warranted to elucidate its role in the pRCC treatment landscape.