Prognostic implication of morphology, cyclinE2 and proliferation in EBV-associated T/NK lymphoproliferative disease in non-immunocompromised hosts

ASF1B Serves as a Potential Therapeutic Target by Influencing Cell Cycle and Proliferation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is very important to find potential biomarkers that can effectively predict the prognosis and progression of HCC. Recent studies have shown that anti-silencing function 1B (ASF1B) may be a new proliferative marker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis. However, the expression and function of ASF1B in hepatocellular carcinoma remain to be determined. In this study, integrated analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), genotypic tissue expression (GTEx), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases revealed that ASF1B was highly expressed in HCC. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that elevated ASF1B expression was associated with poor survival in patients with liver cancer. Correlation analysis of immune infiltration suggested that ASF1B expression was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration in HCC patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that ASF1B regulated the cell cycle, DNA Replication and oocyte meiosis signaling. Our experiments confirmed that ASF1B was highly expressed in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Silence of ASF1B inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth in vitro. Furthermore, ASF1B deficiency induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Mechanistically, ASF1B knockdown reduced the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclinB1, cyclinE2 and CDK9.Moreover, ASF1B interacted with CDK9 in HCC cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the oncogenic gene ASF1B could be a target for inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth.

Prognostic implication of proteomic profiles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the malignant cancers with poor prognosis. However, clinicopathologic and histological criteria were finite to predict the prognosis of HNSCC. We aimed to characterize the proteomic profile of prognosis from HNSCC patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Reverse phase protein array (RPPA) data in HNSCC were downloaded from The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA). Independent prognostic-related proteins (IPP) were screened by Cox regression model and Kaplan-Meier methods. IPP signature (IPPS) including selected proteins was conducted for prognostic prediction for HNSCC. Protein-protein network analysis and gene ontology (GO) enrichment were used to identify related functional proteins and pathways.

RESULTS

Based on the IPP, IPPS for HNSCC was constructed: risk score = (1.541* IRF1) + (1.460 * SMAD4) + (1.396 * LKB1) + (0.746* Cyclin E2) + (0.618* Paxillin) + (0.499* p-PEA-15 (Ser116)). The IPPS in HNSCC showed good predictive performance (area under curve = 0.779) with moderate sensitivity and specificity. Protein-protein network analysis and functional enrichment indicated an implication of response to decreased oxygen levels in HNSCC.

CONCLUSION

The identified proteomic signature might function as a prognostic tool for the management of HNSCC and provide novel target for the treatment of HNSCC.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated T- and NK-cell lymphoproliferative diseases: an update and diagnostic approach

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive T-cell and natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (EBV-TNKLPD) are a group of uncommon disorders characterised by EBV infection of T- and NK-cells. As a group, EBV-TNKLPD are more commonly encountered in Asians and Native Americans from Central and South America compared to Western populations. They encompass a spectrum of entities that range from non-neoplastic lesions such as EBV-associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH) to more chronic conditions with variable outcomes such as chronic active EBV infections (CAEBV) of T- and NK-cell type (cutaneous and systemic forms) and malignant diseases such as systemic EBV-positive T-cell lymphoma of childhood, aggressive NK-cell leukaemia, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type, and primary EBV-positive nodal T/NK-cell lymphoma. Due to their rarity, broad clinicopathological spectrum and significant morphological and immunophenotypic overlap, the diagnosis and precise classification of EBV-TNKLPD often pose a challenge to clinicians and pathologists. Correct classification of this group of rare diseases relies heavily on the age of onset, disease presentation, duration of symptoms and cell of origin (T- vs NK-cell lineage). In this review, we provide an update on the clinicopathological and molecular features of the various EBV-TNKLPD entities occurring in non-immunocompromised patients and present a practical algorithmic approach for the general pathologist who is confronted with these disorders in routine clinical practice.

The Genomics and Molecular Biology of Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma: Opportunities for Translation

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL), is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. While the introduction of L-asparaginase in the treatment of this disease has significantly improved the prognosis, the outcome of patients relapsing after asparaginase-based chemotherapy, which occurs in up to 50% of patients with disseminated disease, remains dismal. There is hence an urgent need for effective targeted therapy especially in the relapsed/refractory setting. Gene expression profiling studies have provided new perspectives on the molecular biology, ontogeny and classification of ENKTL and further identified dysregulated signaling pathways such as Janus associated kinase (/Signal Transducer and activation of transcription (JAK/STAT), Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), Aurora Kinase and NF-κB, which are under evaluation as therapeutic targets. Copy number analyses have highlighted potential tumor suppressor genes such as PR Domain Zinc Finger Protein 1 (PRDM1) and protein tyrosine phosphatase kappa (PTPRK) while next generation sequencing studies have identified recurrently mutated genes in pro-survival and anti-apoptotic pathways. The discovery of epigenetic dysregulation and aberrant microRNA activity has broadened our understanding of the biology of ENKTL. Importantly, immunotherapy via Programmed Cell Death -1 (PD-1) and Programmed Cell Death Ligand1 (PD-L1) checkpoint signaling inhibition is emerging as an attractive therapeutic strategy in ENKTL. Herein, we present an overview of the molecular biology and genomic landscape of ENKTL with a focus on the most promising translational opportunities.

Transcriptomic Abnormalities in Epstein Barr Virus Associated T/NK Lymphoproliferative Disorders

Epstein Barr virus positive T/NK lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV-TNKLPD) comprise a spectrum of neoplasms ranging from cutaneous lymphoid proliferations to aggressive lymphomas. The spectrum includes extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), aggressive NK-cell leukemia, and a group of EBV-TNKLPDs affecting children which are poorly characterized in terms of their molecular biology. Gene and miRNA expression profiling has elucidated RNA abnormalities which impact on disease biology, classification, and treatment of EBV-TNKLPD. Pathways promoting proliferation, such as Janus associated kinase/ Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) and nuclear factor kB, are upregulated in ENKTL while upregulation of survivin and deregulation of p53 inhibit apoptosis in both ENKTL and chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV). Importantly, immune evasion via the programmed cell death-1 and its ligand, PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway, has been demonstrated to play an important role in ENKTL. Other pathogenic mechanisms involve EBV genes, microRNA deregulation, and a variety of other oncogenic signaling pathways. The identification of EBV-positive Peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) as a tumor with a distinct molecular signature and clinical characteristics highlights the important contribution of the knowledge derived from gene and miRNA expression profiling in disease classification. Novel therapeutic targets identified through the study of RNA abnormalities provide hope for patients with EBV-TNKLPD, which often has a poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint inhibition and JAK inhibition in particular have shown promise and are being evaluated in clinical trials. In this review, we provide an overview of the key transcriptomic aberrancies in EBV-TNKLPD and discuss their translational potential.

Knockdown of Long Non-Coding RNA KCNQ1OT1 Restrained Glioma Cells' Malignancy by Activating miR-370/CCNE2 Axis

Accumulating evidence has highlighted the potential role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in solid tumors. Here, we elucidated the function and possible molecular mechanisms of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 in human glioma U87 and U251 cells. Quantitative Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) demonstrated that KCNQ1OT1 expression was up-regulated in glioma tissues and cells. Knockdown of KCNQ1OT1 exerted tumor-suppressive function in glioma cells. Moreover, a binding region was confirmed between KCNQ1OT1 and miR-370 by dual-luciferase assays. qRT-PCR showed that miR-370 was down-regulated in human glioma tissue and cells. In addition, restoration of miR-370 exerted tumor-suppressive function via inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while promoting the apoptosis of human glioma cells. Knockdown of KCNQ1OT1 decreased the expression level of Cyclin E2 (CCNE2) by binding to miR-370. Further, miR-370 bound to CCNE2 3′UTR region and decreased the expression of CCNE2. These results provided a comprehensive analysis of KCNQ1OT1-miR-370-CCNE2 axis in human glioma cells and might provide a novel strategy for glioma treatment.