Mucin 1 is a potential therapeutic target in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

"Next top" mouse models advancing CTCL research

This review systematically describes the application of in vivo mouse models in studying cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a complex hematological neoplasm. It highlights the diverse research approaches essential for understanding CTCL's intricate pathogenesis and evaluating potential treatments. The review categorizes various mouse models, including xenograft, syngeneic transplantation, and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), emphasizing their contributions to understanding tumor-host interactions, gene functions, and studies on drug efficacy in CTCL. It acknowledges the limitations of these models, particularly in fully replicating human immune responses and early stages of CTCL. The review also highlights novel developments focusing on the potential of skin-targeted GEMMs in studying natural skin lymphoma progression and interactions with the immune system from onset. In conclusion, a balanced understanding of these models' strengths and weaknesses are essential for accelerating the deciphering of CTCL pathogenesis and developing treatment methods. The GEMMs engineered to target specifically skin-homing CD4+ T cells can be the next top mouse models that pave the way for exploring the effects of CTCL-related genes.

Structural Analysis of Breast-Milk αS1-Casein: An α-Helical Conformation Is Required for TLR4-Stimulation

Breast-milk αS1-casein is a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist, whereas phosphorylated αS1-casein does not bind TLR4. The objective of this study was to analyse the structural requirements for these effects. In silico analysis of αS1-casein indicated high α-helical content with coiled-coil characteristics. This was confirmed by CD-spectroscopy, showing the α-helical conformation to be stable between pH 2 and 7.4. After in vitro phosphorylation, the α-helical content was significantly reduced, similar to what it was after incubation at 80 °C. This conformation showed no in vitro induction of IL-8 secretion via TLR4. A synthetic peptide corresponding to V77-E92 of αS1-casein induced an IL-8 secretion of 0.95 ng/mL via TLR4. Our results indicate that αS1-casein appears in two distinct conformations, an α-helical TLR4-agonistic and a less α-helical TLR4 non-agonistic conformation induced by phosphorylation. This is to indicate that the immunomodulatory role of αS1-casein, as described before, could be regulated by conformational changes induced by phosphorylation.

Mucin 4 (MUC4) Protein is Expressed in B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) and is restricted to BCR::ABL1 Positive and BCR::ABL-like Subtypes

Mucin 4 (MUC4) is a transmembrane mucin that, like most mucins, is not expressed in normal hematopoietic cells but little is known about its expression in malignant hematopoiesis. B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) consists of genetically distinct disease subtypes with similarities and differences in gene expression most frequently studied at the mRNA level, which is less amenable to widespread routine clinical use. Here, we demonstrate using immunohistochemistry (IHC) that MUC4 protein is expressed in less than 10% of B-ALL with expression restricted to BCR::ABL1+ and BCR::ABL1-like (CRLF2 rearranged) subtypes of B-ALL (4/13, 31%). None (0/36, 0%) of the remaining B-ALL subtypes expressed MUC4. We compare clinical and pathologic features of MUC4+ and MUC4- BCR::ABL1+/like cases and most significantly report a possible shorter time to relapse for MUC4+ BCR::ABL1 B-ALL that would need to be validated in larger studies. In conclusion, MUC4 is a specific, albeit insensitive, marker for these high-risk subtypes of B-ALL. We propose that MUC4 IHC may be employed diagnostically to rapidly identify these B-ALL subtypes particularly in resource limited settings or when an aspirate sample is not available for ancillary genetic studies.

Emergence of MUC1 in Mammals for Adaptation of Barrier Epithelia

The mucin 1 (MUC1) gene was discovered based on its overexpression in human breast cancers. Subsequent work demonstrated that MUC1 is aberrantly expressed in cancers originating from other diverse organs, including skin and immune cells. These findings supported a role for MUC1 in the adaptation of barrier tissues to infection and environmental stress. Of fundamental importance for this evolutionary adaptation was inclusion of a SEA domain, which catalyzes autoproteolysis of the MUC1 protein and formation of a non-covalent heterodimeric complex. The resulting MUC1 heterodimer is poised at the apical cell membrane to respond to loss of homeostasis. Disruption of the complex releases the MUC1 N-terminal (MUC1-N) subunit into a protective mucous gel. Conversely, the transmembrane C-terminal (MUC1-C) subunit activates a program of lineage plasticity, epigenetic reprogramming and repair. This MUC1-C-activated program apparently evolved for barrier tissues to mount self-regulating proliferative, inflammatory and remodeling responses associated with wound healing. Emerging evidence indicates that MUC1-C underpins inflammatory adaptation of tissue stem cells and immune cells in the barrier niche. This review focuses on how prolonged activation of MUC1-C by chronic inflammation in these niches promotes the cancer stem cell (CSC) state by establishing auto-inductive nodes that drive self-renewal and tumorigenicity.

Validation of AAC-11-Derived Peptide Anti-Tumor Activity in a Single Graft Sézary Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model

Sézary syndrome (SS) is an aggressive cutaneous T cell lymphoma with poor prognosis mainly characterized by the expansion of a tumor CD4⁺ T cell clone in both skin and blood. So far, the development of new therapeutic strategies has been hindered by a lack of reproducible in vivo models closely reflecting patients’ clinical features. We developed an SS murine model consisting of the intravenous injection of Sézary patients’ PBMC, together with a mixture of interleukins, in NOD-SCID-gamma mice. Thirty-four to fifty days after injection, mice showed skin disorders similar to that observed in patients, with the detection of epidermis thickening and dermal tumor T cell infiltrates. Although experimental variability was observed, Sézary cells could be tracked in the blood stream, confirming that our model could efficiently exhibit both skin and blood involvement. Using this model, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of RT39, a cell-penetrating peptide derived from the survival protein anti-apoptosis clone 11 (AAC-11), that we previously characterized as specifically inducing apoptosis of Sézary patients’ malignant clone ex vivo. Systemic administration of RT39 led to cutaneous tumor T cells depletion, demonstrating efficient malignant cells’ targeting and a favorable safety profile. These preclinical data confirmed that RT39 might be an innovative therapeutic tool for Sézary syndrome.

Understanding Cell Lines, Patient-Derived Xenograft and Genetically Engineered Mouse Models Used to Study Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a spectrum of lymphoproliferative disorders caused by the infiltration of malignant T cells into the skin. The most common variants of CTCL include mycosis fungoides (MF), Sézary syndrome (SS) and CD30⁺ Lymphoproliferative disorders (CD30⁺ LPDs). CD30⁺ LPDs include primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL), lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) and borderline CD30⁺ LPD. The frequency of MF, SS and CD30⁺ LPDs is ~40–50%, <5% and ~10–25%, respectively. Despite recent advances, CTCL remains challenging to diagnose. The mechanism of CTCL carcinogenesis still remains to be fully elucidated. Hence, experiments in patient-derived cell lines and xenografts/genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) are critical to advance our understanding of disease pathogenesis. To enable this, understanding the intricacies and limitations of each individual model system is highly important. Presently, 11 immortalized patient-derived cell lines and different xenograft/GEMMs are being used to study the pathogenesis of CTCL and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of various treatment modalities prior to clinical trials. Gene expression studies, and the karyotyping analyses of cell lines demonstrated that the molecular profile of SeAx, Sez4, SZ4, H9 and Hut78 is consistent with SS origin; MyLa and HH resemble the molecular profile of advanced MF, while Mac2A and PB2B represent CD30⁺ LPDs. Molecular analysis of the other two frequently used Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus-1 (HTLV-1)⁺ cell lines, MJ and Hut102, were found to have characteristics of Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL). Studies in mouse models demonstrated that xenograft tumors could be grown using MyLa, HH, H9, Hut78, PB2B and SZ4 cells in NSG (NOD Scid gamma mouse) mice, while several additional experimental GEMMs were established to study the pathogenesis, effect of drugs and inflammatory cytokines in CTCL. The current review summarizes cell lines and xenograft/GEMMs used to study and understand the etiology and heterogeneity of CTCL.

Challenging Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: What Animal Models Tell us So Far

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are characterized by heterogeneity of clinical variants, further complicated by genomic and microenvironmental variables. Furthermore, in vitro experiments are hampered by the low culture efficiency of these malignant cells. Animal models are essential for understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying malignancy and for discovering new anticancer treatments. They are divided into two main categories: those in which tumors arise in the host owing to genetic modifications and those that use tumor cell transplantation. In this review, we summarize the attempts to decipher the complexity of the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma by exploiting genetically modified and xenograft models.

Predictive model for risk of gastric cancer using genetic variants from genome-wide association studies and high-evidence meta-analysis

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the risk of gastric cancer (GCa). However, currently, there is no published predictive model to assess the risk of GCa. In the present study, risk-associated SNPs derived from GWAS and large meta-analyses were selected to construct a predictive model to assess the risk of GCa. A total of 1115 GCa cases and 1172 controls from the eastern Chinese population were included. Logistic regression models were used to identify SNPs that correlated with the risk of GCa. A predictive model to assess the risk of GCa was established by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) and classification and regression tree (CART) were applied to calculate the effect of high-order gene-environment interactions on risk of the cancer. A total of 42 SNPs were selected for further analysis. The results revealed that ASH1L rs80142782, PKLR rs3762272, PRKAA1 rs13361707, MUC1 rs4072037, PSCA rs2294008, and PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphisms were associated with a risk of GCa. The area under curve considering both genetic factors and BMI was 3.10% higher than that of BMI alone. MDR analysis revealed that rs13361707 and rs4072307 variants and BMI had interaction effects on susceptibility to GCa, with the highest predictive accuracy (61.23%) and cross-validation consistency (100/100). CART analysis also supported this interaction model that non-overweight status and a six SNP panel could synergistically increase the susceptibility to GCa. The six SNP panel for predicting the risk of GCa may provide new tools for prevention of the cancer based on GWAS and large meta-analyses derived genetic variants.

Immunolocalization of MUC1 in chronic plaque psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disease with immunological, hyperproliferative and angiogenic dysfunction. MUC1 is a molecular sensor and signal transductor that responds to external stimuli generating cellular responses, which include cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, migration, invasion, survival and secretion of growth factors, and cytokines. The current study aimed at evaluation of the possible role of MUC1 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through its immunohistochemical localization in involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin compared to normal skin in addition of correlating MUC1 expression with the clinical and pathological parameters of psoriasis. The current study investigated 30 patients with psoriasis and 10 controls. MUC1 was expressed in epidermis in 30% of normal skin compared to 20% of uninvolved epidermis and 63.3% of involved epidermis of psoriatic skin. MUC1 was seen staining endothelial cells of capillaries and inflammatory cells in dermis in 10% of normal skin, 0% of uninvolved psoriasis, and 83.3% of involved psoriasis. Dermal expression of MUC1 in psoriasis was associated with mild to moderate degrees of epidermal acanthosis (p = .027). Intense MUC1 expression by psoriatic epidermis was associated with short disease duration (p = .044). The upregulation of MUC1 in involved psoriatic lesion compared to uninvolved and normal skin may suggest MUC1 role in pathogenesis of psoriasis especially early stages. MUC1 may be responsible for less severity of psoriasis in old aged patients.

High expression of MUC20 drives tumorigenesis and predicts poor survival in endometrial cancer

Mucins (MUCs) have been reported to play a critical role in the tumorigenesis of different cancers. This study was performed to explore the effect of MUC20 in endometrial cancer (EC). A total of 541 patients with EC were examined from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The relationship between MUC20 expression and clinical characteristics was analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression model was performed to evaluate the prognosis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted. MUC20 high expression was associated with age, histology, positive peritoneal cytology, advanced stage, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival showed that patients with MUC20 high expression had a poorer prognosis than those with MUC20 low expression. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that MUC20 high expression was an independent prognostic factor for worse overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.93, 95% confidence interval = 1.00-3.74). Moreover, interferon α/γ response, cell-cell adhesion, O-glycan processing, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway were associated with MUC20 high expression. MUC20 high expression may be a potential prognostic molecular factor of poor survival. The interferon α/γ response, cell-cell adhesion, O-glycan processing, and ROS pathway may be the key processes regulated by MUC20 in EC.

A Microbiota-Dependent, STAT3-Driven Mouse Model of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

In recent years, much has been learned about the molecular genetics of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Fanok et al. (2018) translate knowledge from systematic genomic and transcriptomic analyses to develop a mouse model that tests the hypothesis that activated STAT3 in CD4⁺ T cells may be a driver of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The transgenic mouse that they developed exhibits clinical features of mycosis fungoides, as well as Sezary syndrome, two well-known entities in the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma spectrum. Furthermore, these authors show that TCR engagement and microbiota are required for development of the complete clinical phenotype. This mouse model, which develops progressive disease, provides a new tool to understand cutaneous T-cell lymphoma biology and to potentially test new therapies.

Developments in diagnosis and treatment of essential thrombocythemia

INTRODUCTION

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by thrombocytosis, increased risk of thrombotic/hemorrhagic events and clonal evolution into blast phase or myelofibrosis. Areas covered: The authors will discuss biology, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and outcome of ET. An accurate molecular-morphologic assessment is necessary in order to properly establish diagnosis and prognosis of ET. Stratification for thrombosis prediction is essential, and IPSET-t model is widely applied. The current treatment strategy is directed to lower the rate of vascular events using cytoreduction in patients at high risk. Prophylactic low dose aspirin indication is more uncertain. To date, therapies for patients who are resistant or intolerant to first-line treatments are scarce. Overall, life expectancy indicates an indolent disease, but IPSET model helps in predicting survival at the time of diagnosis. Expert opinion: Challenging for the future will be to share criteria for ET diagnosis with the community. New insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the disease will improve the prediction of clonal evolution and outcome, and lead to the use of disease-modifying treatments.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: modern data of pathogenesis, clinics and therapy

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas that are characterized by skin infiltration with malignant monoclonal T lymphocytes. More common in adults aged 55 to 60 years, the annual incidence is about 0.5 per 100 000 people. Mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome and CD30+ lymphoproliferative diseases are the main subtypes of CTCL. To date, CTCL have a complex concept of etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis. The article presented summary data on these issues.

The diverse role of TIGAR in cellular homeostasis and cancer

TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) is a p53 target protein that plays critical roles in glycolysis and redox balance. Accumulating evidence shows that TIGAR is highly expressed in cancer. TIGAR redirects glycolysis and promotes carcinoma growth by providing metabolic intermediates and reductive power derived from pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The expression of TIGAR in cancer is positively associated with chemotherapy resistance, suggesting that TIGAR could be a novel therapeutic target. In this review, we briefly presented the function of TIGAR in metabolic homeostasis in normal and cancer cells. Finally, we discussed the future directions of TIGAR research in cancer.

Multiple Roles of Glycans in Hematological Malignancies

The three types of blood cells (red blood cells for carrying oxygen, white blood cells for immune protection, and platelets for wound clotting) arise from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in the adult bone marrow, and function in physiological regulation and communication with local microenvironments to maintain systemic homeostasis. Hematological malignancies are relatively uncommon malignant disorders derived from the two major blood cell lineages: myeloid (leukemia) and lymphoid (lymphoma). Malignant clones lose their regulatory mechanisms, resulting in production of a large number of dysfunctional cells and destruction of normal hematopoiesis. Glycans are one of the four major types of essential biological macromolecules, along with nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Major glycan subgroups are N-glycans, O-glycans, glycosaminoglycans, and glycosphingolipids. Aberrant expression of glycan structures, resulting from dysregulation of glycan-related genes, is associated with cancer development and progression in terms of cell signaling and communication, tumor cell dissociation and invasion, cell-matrix interactions, tumor angiogenesis, immune modulation, and metastasis formation. Aberrant glycan expression occurs in most hematological malignancies, notably acute myeloid leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasms, and multiple myeloma, etc. Here, we review recent research advances regarding aberrant glycans, their related genes, and their roles in hematological malignancies. Our improved understanding of the mechanisms that underlie aberrant patterns of glycosylation will lead to development of novel, more effective therapeutic approaches targeted to hematological malignancies.

Decitabine Priming Enhances Mucin 1 Inhibition Mediated Disruption of Redox Homeostasis in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a heterogeneous neoplasm and patients with relapsed/refractory disease exhibit resistance to standard therapies. We have previously demonstrated that the Mucin 1 C-terminal subunit (MUC1-C) plays a critical role in protection from oxidative stress in CTCL cells. Targeting of MUC1-C with a pharmacologic inhibitor, GO-203, was associated with apoptosis in CTCL. However, disease responses were incomplete underscoring the need for combinatorial strategies that could exploit the vulnerability of CTCL cells to oxidative signals. Cell lines, primary samples, and xenograft models of CTCL were used to assess synergy of GO-203 with decitabine, a hypomethylating agent. Present studies demonstrate that exposure of CTCL cells to decitabine in combination with GO-203, increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and decreased levels of scavenger molecules, NADP, NADPH, glutathione, and TIGAR, critical to intracellular redox homeostasis. Dual exposure to GO-203 and decitabine resulted in marked downregulation of DNA methyl transferases demonstrating significant synergy of these agents in inducing global and gene specific hypomethylation. Accordingly, treatment with decitabine and GO-203 upregulated the ROS generating enzymes, NADPH oxidase 4 and dual oxidase 2 potentially due to their effect on epigenomic regulation of these proteins. In concert with these findings, exposure to decitabine and GO-203 resulted in heightened apoptotic death in CTCL cell lines, patient-derived primary samples and in a murine xenograft model. These findings indicate that decitabine intensifies MUC1-C inhibition induced redox imbalance and provides a novel combination of targeted and epigenetic agents for patients with CTCL. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(10); 2304-14. ©2017 AACR.

Bone marrow stroma protects myeloma cells from cytotoxic damage via induction of the oncoprotein MUC1

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a lethal haematological malignancy that arises in the context of a tumour microenvironment that promotes resistance to apoptosis and immune escape. In the present study, we demonstrate that co-culture of MM cells with stromal cells results in increased resistance to cytotoxic and biological agents as manifested by decreased rates of cell death following exposure to alkylating agents and the proteosome inhibitor, bortezomib. To identify the mechanism of increased resistance, we examined the effect of the co-culture of MM cells with stroma cells, on expression of the MUC1 oncogene, known to confer tumour cells with resistance to apoptosis and necrosis. Co-culture of stroma with MM cells resulted in increased MUC1 expression by tumour cells. The effect of stromal cell co-culture on MUC1 expression was not dependent on cell contact and was therefore thought to be due to soluble factors secreted by the stromal cells into the microenvironment. We demonstrated that MUC1 expression was mediated by interleukin-6 and subsequent up-regulation of the JAK-STAT pathway. Interestingly, the effect of stromal cell co-culture on tumour resistance was partially reversed by silencing of MUC1 in MM cells, consistent with the potential role of MUC1 in mediating resistance to cytotoxic-based therapies.

CD164 identifies CD4+ T cells highly expressing genes associated with malignancy in Sézary syndrome: the Sézary signature genes, FCRL3, Tox, and miR-214

Sézary syndrome (SS), a leukemic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), is associated with a significantly shorter life expectancy compared to skin-restricted mycosis fungoides. Early diagnosis of SS is, therefore, key to achieving enhanced therapeutic responses. However, the lack of a biomarker(s) highly specific for malignant CD4+ T cells in SS patients has been a serious obstacle in making an early diagnosis. We recently demonstrated the high expression of CD164 on CD4+ T cells from Sézary syndrome patients with a wide range of circulating tumor burdens. To further characterize CD164 as a potential biomarker for malignant CD4+ T cells, CD164+ and CD164-CD4+ T cells isolated from patients with high-circulating tumor burden, B2 stage, and medium/low tumor burden, B1-B0 stage, were assessed for the expression of genes reported to differentiate SS from normal controls, and associated with malignancy and poor prognosis. The expression of Sézary signature genes: T plastin, GATA-3, along with FCRL3, Tox, and miR-214, was significantly higher, whereas STAT-4 was lower, in CD164+ compared with CD164-CD4+ T cells. While Tox was highly expressed in both B2 and B1-B0 patients, the expression of Sézary signature genes, FCRL3, and miR-214 was associated predominantly with advanced B2 disease. High expression of CD164 mRNA and protein was also detected in skin from CTCL patients. CD164 was co-expressed with KIR3DL2 on circulating CD4+ T cells from high tumor burden SS patients, further providing strong support for CD164 as a disease relevant surface biomarker.

An overview of cutaneous T cell lymphomas

Cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas that are characterized by a cutaneous infiltration of malignant monoclonal T lymphocytes. They typically afflict adults with a median age of 55 to 60 years, and the annual incidence is about 0.5 per 100,000. Mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, and primary cutaneous peripheral T cell lymphomas not otherwise specified are the most important subtypes of CTCL. CTCL is a complicated concept in terms of etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis. Herein, we summarize advances which have been achieved in these fields.

MUC1 in hematological malignancies

Mucin1 (MUC1) is a transmembrane oncogenic protein that plays a central role in malignant transformation and disease evolution, including cell proliferation, survival, self-renewal, and metastatic invasion. MUC1 has been shown to interact with diverse effectors such as β-catenin, receptor tyrosine kinases, and c-Abl, which are of importance in the pathogenesis of various hematological malignancies. In myeloid leukemia, MUC1 has been shown to have an essential role in leukemia stem-cell function, the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the promotion of terminal myeloid differentiation. As such, MUC1 is an attractive therapeutic target in hematologic malignancies. Targeting MUC1 has been shown to be an effective approach for inducing cell death in tumor in in vivo and in vitro models. Furthermore, MUC1 inhibition is synergistic with other therapeutic agents in the treatment of hematologic disorders. This review will explore the role of MUC1 in hematological malignancies, and strategies for targeting this oncoprotein.

Intrahepatic Xenograft of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Cell Lines: A Useful Model for Rapid Biological and Therapeutic Evaluation

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases primarily involving the skin that could have an aggressive course with circulating blood cells, especially in Sézary syndrome and transformed mycosis fungoides. So far, few CTCL cell lines have been adapted for in vivo experiments and their tumorigenicity has not been adequately assessed, hampering the use of a reproducible model for CTCL biological evaluation. In fact, both patient-derived xenografts and cell line xenografts at subcutaneous sites failed to provide a robust tool, because engraftment was dependent on mice strain and cell line subtype. Herein, we describe an original method of intrahepatic injection into adult NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid)Il2rg(tm1Wjl)/SzJ mice liver of both aggressive (My-La, HUT78, HH, MAC2A, and MAC2B) and indolent (FE-PD and MAC1) CTCL cell lines. Six of the seven CTCL cell lines were grafted with a high rate of success (80%). Moreover, this model provided a quick (15 days) and robust assay for in vivo evaluation of CTCL cell lines tumorigenicity and therapeutic response in preclinical studies. Such a reproducible model can be therefore used for further functional studies and in vivo drug testing.

The role of microRNA in metastatic processes of non-small cell lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs are small non-coding one-stranded RNA molecules that play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of genes. Bioinformatic predictions indicate that each miRNA can regulate hundreds of target genes. MicroRNA expression can be associated with various cellular processes leading to the metastasis of malignant tumours including non-small cell lung carcinoma. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role of microRNAs in NSCLC metastasis to the brain and lymph nodes.

METHODS

A search of the NCBI/PubMed database for publications on expression levels and the mechanisms of microRNA action in NSCLC metastasis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Dysregulation of microRNAs in NSCLC can be associated with brain and lymph node metastasis. There are differences in microRNA expression profiling between NSCLC with and without metastases but it is currently not possible to reliably predict the site of metastasis in NSCLC. Based on data from RNAmicroarrays, bioinformatics analysis is able to predict the target genes of highlighted microRNAs, providing us with complex information about cancer cell features such as enhanced proliferation, migration and invasion. Such microRNAs may then be knocked-down using siRNAs or substituted with miRNA mimics. RNA microarray profiling may thus be a useful tool to select up- or down-regulated microRNAs. A number of authors suggest that microRNAs could serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of NSCLC metastasis.