Elevated preoperative serum levels of collagen I carboxyterminal telopeptide predict better outcome in early-stage luminal-B-like (HER2-negative) and triple-negative subtypes of breast cancer

Retrospective Evaluation of Bone Turnover Markers in Serum for the Prediction of Metastases Development in Breast Cancer Patients: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Serum bone turnover markers might play a role in the prediction of the development of bone metastases in breast cancer (BC) patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to address the association of serum bone turnover markers with oncologic outcomes.

METHODS

We included 80 women with BC, who were operated on at the Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Homburg/Saar, Germany. Serum samples were obtained prior to surgery and were used for estimation of the concentration of tumor and bone turnover markers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTS

At baseline, pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type-1 collagen (ICTP) concentrations were higher in nodal positive vs. negative tumors (Mann-Whitney test p = 0.04). After a median follow-up of 79.4 months, 17 patients developed metastases, with 9 demonstrating, among other organs, osseous metastases. ICTP demonstrated the best area under the curve in the predection of osseous metastases in our cohort (AUC = 0.740, DeLong Test p = 0.005). Univariable Cox proportional hazard models failed to demonstrate significant associations between serum bone turnover markers and oncologic outcomes (progression-free survival, overall survival).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum bone turnover markers (e.g., ICTP) were able to predict the development of osseous metastases but were not associated with oncologic outcomes. Further investigation and validation are required for the use of such markers in clinical practice.

Antitumor and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from the seaweed Durvillaea antarctica

The present study was carried out to determine the antitumor and antioxidant activities of the seaweed Durvillaea antarctica. Extraction and purification of polysaccharides from D. antarctica were performed. They were characterized by FT-IR and GC-MS, identifying isomers of arabinose, fucose, mannose, and galactose. The antioxidant capacity of polysaccharides was analyzed using the ABTS method (14.3 ± 0.5 μmol TE g-1 PS) and the DPPH method (21.82 ± 0.32 μmol TE g-1 PS). The antitumor capacity of polysaccharides was studied by MTT colorimetric assays in human leukemia, colon, breast, and lung cancer cell lines, obtaining the lowest IC50 in colon cancer (19.99 μg mL-1 ). In the line of healthy human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1), an IC50 of 444.39 μg mL-1 was obtained. Flow cytometry in the HL60 cell line showed that polysaccharides at concentrations higher than IC50 inhibited cell proliferation, demonstrating a possible antitumor capacity in vitro. In the proteomic analysis with HGF-1, nine proteins involved in different biological processes were identified. In conclusion, polysaccharides from D. antarctica could be considered powerful nutraceuticals, mainly against colon cancer.

Trends in extracellular matrix biology

Extracellular matrixes (ECMs) are intricate 3-dimensional macromolecular networks of unique architectures with regulatory roles in cell morphology and functionality. As a dynamic native biomaterial, ECM undergoes constant but tightly controlled remodeling that is crucial for the maintenance of normal cellular behavior. Under pathological conditions like cancer, ECM remodeling ceases to be subjected to control resulting in disease initiation and progression. ECM is comprised of a staggering number of molecules that interact not only with one another, but also with neighboring cells via cell surface receptors. Such interactions, too many to tally, are of paramount importance for the identification of novel disease biomarkers and more personalized therapeutic intervention. Recent advances in big data analytics have allowed the development of online databases where researchers can take advantage of a stochastic evaluation of all the possible interactions and narrow them down to only those of interest for their study, respectively. This novel approach addresses the limitations that currently exist in studies, expands our understanding on ECM interactions, and has the potential to advance the development of targeted therapies. In this article we present the current trends in ECM biology research and highlight its importance in tissue integrity, the main interaction networks, ECM-mediated cell functional properties and issues related to pharmacological targeting.

Predictive value of collagen in cancer

Cancer is a complex disease and a significant cause of mortality worldwide. Over the course of nearly all cancer types, collagen within the tumor microenvironment influences emergence, progression, and metastasis. This review discusses collagen regulation within the tumor microenvironment, pathological involvement of collagen, and predictive values of collagen and related extracellular matrix components in main cancer types. A survey of predictive tests leveraging collagen assays using clinical cohorts is presented. A conclusion is that collagen has high predictive value in monitoring cancer processes and stratifying by outcomes. New approaches should be considered that continue to define molecular facets of collagen related to cancer.

Targeting Type I Collagen for Cancer Treatment

Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. Interactions between tumor cells and collagen influence every step of tumor development. Type I collagen is the main fibrillar collagen in the extracellular matrix and is frequently up-regulated during tumorigenesis. The binding of type I collagen to its receptors on tumor cells promotes tumor cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and metastasis. Type I collagen also regulates the efficacy of tumor therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Furthermore, type I collagen fragments are diagnostic markers of metastatic tumors and have prognostic value. Inhibition of type I collagen synthesis has been reported to have anti-tumor effects in animal models. However, collagen has also been shown to possess anti-tumor activity. Therefore, the roles that type I collagen plays in tumor biology are complex and tumor type-dependent. In this review, we discuss the expression and regulation of synthesis of type I collagen, as well as the role up-regulated type I collagen plays in various stages of cancer progression. We also discuss the role of collagen in tumor therapy. Finally, we highlight several recent approaches targeting type I collagen for cancer treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Tumor Microenvironment: Extracellular Matrix Alterations Influence Tumor Progression

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of various cell types embedded in an altered extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM not only serves as a support for tumor cell but also regulates cell-cell or cell-matrix cross-talks. Alterations in ECM may be induced by hypoxia and acidosis, by oxygen free radicals generated by infiltrating inflammatory cells or by tumor- or stromal cell-secreted proteases. A poorer diagnosis for patients is often associated with ECM alterations. Tumor ECM proteome, also named cancer matrisome, is strongly altered, and different ECM protein signatures may be defined to serve as prognostic biomarkers. Collagen network reorganization facilitates tumor cell invasion. Proteoglycan expression and location are modified in the TME and affect cell invasion and metastatic dissemination. ECM macromolecule degradation by proteases may induce the release of angiogenic growth factors but also the release of proteoglycan-derived or ECM protein fragments, named matrikines or matricryptins. This review will focus on current knowledge and new insights in ECM alterations, degradation, and reticulation through cross-linking enzymes and on the role of ECM fragments in the control of cancer progression and their potential use as biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.