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Englisz A, Smycz-Kubańska M, Mielczarek-Palacz A. Sensitivity and Specificity of Selected Biomarkers and Their Combinations in the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:949. [PMID: 38732363 PMCID: PMC11083226 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14090949] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges in modern gynecological oncology is ovarian cancer. Despite the numerous studies currently being conducted, it is still sometimes detected at late clinical stages, where the prognosis is unfavorable. One significant contributing factor is the absence of sensitive and specific parameters that could aid in early diagnosis. An ideal screening test, in view of the low incidence of ovarian cancer, should have a sensitivity of greater than 75% and a specificity of at least 99.6%. To enhance sensitivity and specificity, diagnostic panels are being created by combining individual markers. The drive to develop better screening tests for ovarian cancer focuses on modern diagnostic methods based on molecular testing, which in turn aims to find increasingly effective biomarkers. Currently, researchers' efforts are focused on the search for a complementary parameter to those most commonly used that would satisfactorily enhance the sensitivity and specificity of assays. Several biomarkers, including microRNA molecules, autoantibodies, cDNA, adipocytokines, and galectins, are currently being investigated by researchers. This article reviews recent studies comparing the sensitivity and specificity of selected parameters used alone and in combination to increase detection of ovarian cancer at an early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Englisz
- The Doctoral School, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland;
| | - Marta Smycz-Kubańska
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Mielczarek-Palacz
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland;
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Perez-Moreno E, Oyanadel C, de la Peña A, Hernández R, Pérez-Molina F, Metz C, González A, Soza A. Galectins in epithelial-mesenchymal transition: roles and mechanisms contributing to tissue repair, fibrosis and cancer metastasis. Biol Res 2024; 57:14. [PMID: 38570874 PMCID: PMC10993482 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-024-00490-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Galectins are soluble glycan-binding proteins that interact with a wide range of glycoproteins and glycolipids and modulate a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological processes. The expression and subcellular localization of different galectins vary among tissues and cell types and change during processes of tissue repair, fibrosis and cancer where epithelial cells loss differentiation while acquiring migratory mesenchymal phenotypes. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that occurs in the context of these processes can include modifications of glycosylation patterns of glycolipids and glycoproteins affecting their interactions with galectins. Moreover, overexpression of certain galectins has been involved in the development and different outcomes of EMT. This review focuses on the roles and mechanisms of Galectin-1 (Gal-1), Gal-3, Gal-4, Gal-7 and Gal-8, which have been involved in physiologic and pathogenic EMT contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Perez-Moreno
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia (CCTE) Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Oyanadel
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adely de la Peña
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia (CCTE) Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ronny Hernández
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisca Pérez-Molina
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Metz
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alfonso González
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile.
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia (CCTE) Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Andrea Soza
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile.
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia (CCTE) Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile.
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Therachiyil L, Peerapen P, Younis SM, Ahmad A, Thongboonkerd V, Uddin S, Korashy HM. Proteomic insight towards key modulating proteins regulated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor involved in ovarian carcinogenesis and chemoresistance. J Proteomics 2024; 295:105108. [PMID: 38316181 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Gynecological malignancies pose a severe threat to female lives. Ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecological malignancy, is clinically presented with chemoresistance and a higher relapse rate. Several studies have highly correlated the incidence of OC to exposure to environmental pollutants, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a process mainly mediated through activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). We have previously reported that exposure of OC cells to TCDD, an AhR activator, significantly modulated the expression of several genes that play roles in stemness and chemoresistance. However, the effect of AhR activation on the whole OC cell proteome aiming at identifying novel druggable targets for both prevention and treatment intervention purposes remains unrevealed. For this purpose, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis of OC cells A2780 untreated/treated with TCDD for 24 h using a mass spectrometry-based label-free shotgun proteomics approach. The most significantly dysregulated proteins were validated by Western blot analysis. Our results showed that upon AhR activation by TCDD, out of 2598 proteins identified, 795 proteins were upregulated, and 611 were downregulated. STRING interaction analysis and KEGG-Reactome pathway analysis approaches identified several significantly dysregulated proteins that were categorized to be involved in chemoresistance, cancer progression, invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, survival, and prognosis in OC. Importantly, selected dysregulated genes identified by the proteomic study were validated at the protein expression levels by Western blot analysis. In conclusion, this study provides a better understanding of the the cross-talk between AhR and several other molecular signaling pathways and the role and involvement of AhR in ovarian carcinogenesis and chemoresistance. Moreover, the study suggests that AhR is a potential therapeutic target for OC prevention and maintenance. SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the role and involvement of AhR and its regulated genes in OC by performing a comparative proteomic analysis to identify the critical proteins with a modulated expression upon AhR activation. We found AhR activation to play a tumor-promoting and chemoresistance-inducing role in the pathogenesis of OC. The results of our study help to devise novel therapeutics for better management and prevention and open the doors to finding novel biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Therachiyil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Paleerath Peerapen
- Medical Proteomics Unit, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shahd M Younis
- Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Aamir Ahmad
- Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Visith Thongboonkerd
- Medical Proteomics Unit, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hesham M Korashy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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Li X, Wang H, Jia A, Cao Y, Yang L, Jia Z. LGALS1 regulates cell adhesion to promote the progression of ovarian cancer. Oncol Lett 2023; 26:326. [PMID: 37415637 PMCID: PMC10320426 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.13912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to explore the significance and molecular mechanisms of galectin-1 (LGALS1) in ovarian cancer (OC). Using the Gene Expression Omnibus database and The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the results of the present study demonstrated that LGALS1 mRNA expression was markedly increased in OC and associated with advanced tumor, lymphatic metastasis and residual lesions. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients who expressed LGALS1 highly had a poor prognosis. Furthermore, using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, differentially expressed genes that are potentially regulated by LGALS1 in OC were determined. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis were used to build a biological network of upregulated differentially expressed genes. The results of the enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated differentially expressed genes were primarily associated with 'ECM-receptor interaction', 'cell-matrix adhesion' and 'focal adhesion', which are closely associated with the metastasis of cancer cells. Subsequently, cell adhesion was selected for further analysis. The results demonstrated that LGALS1 was co-expressed with the candidate genes. Subsequently, the elevated expression levels of candidate genes were verified in OC tissues, and survival analysis indicated that high expression of candidate genes was associated with shortened overall survival of patients with OC. In the present study, OC samples were also collected to verify the high protein expression levels of LGALS1 and fibronectin 1. The results of the present study highlighted that LGALS1 may regulate cell adhesion and participate in the development of OC. Therefore, LGALS1 exhibits potential as a therapeutic target in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejian Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
| | - Huifei Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250000, P.R. China
| | - Aran Jia
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Cao
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
| | - Liuqing Yang
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
| | - Zanhui Jia
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China
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Englisz A, Smycz-Kubańska M, Mielczarek-Palacz A. Evaluation of the Potential Diagnostic Utility of the Determination of Selected Immunological and Molecular Parameters in Patients with Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13101714. [PMID: 37238197 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13101714] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious challenges in modern gynaecological oncology. Due to its non-specific symptoms and the lack of an effective screening procedure to detect the disease at an early stage, ovarian cancer is still marked by a high mortality rate among women. For this reason, a great deal of research is being carried out to find new markers that can be used in the detection of ovarian cancer to improve early diagnosis and survival rates of women with ovarian cancer. Our study focuses on presenting the currently used diagnostic markers and the latest selected immunological and molecular parameters being currently investigated for their potential use in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Englisz
- The Doctoral School, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Marta Smycz-Kubańska
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Mielczarek-Palacz
- Department of Immunology and Serology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
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Characterization of Galectin Fusion Proteins with Glycoprotein Affinity Columns and Binding Assays. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031054. [PMID: 36770718 PMCID: PMC9919667 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031054] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Galectins are β-galactosyl-binding proteins that fulfill essential physiological functions. In the biotechnological field, galectins are versatile tools, such as in the development of biomaterial coatings or the early-stage diagnosis of cancer diseases. Recently, we introduced galectin-1 (Gal-1) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) as fusion proteins of a His6-tag, a SNAP-tag, and a fluorescent protein. We characterized their binding in ELISA-type assays and their application in cell-surface binding. In the present study, we have constructed further fusion proteins of galectins with fluorescent protein color code. The fusion proteins of Gal-1, Gal-3, and Gal-8 were purified by affinity chromatography. For this, we have prepared glycoprotein affinity resins based on asialofetuin (ASF) and fetuin and combined this in a two-step purification with Immobilized Metal Affinity chromatography (IMAC) to get pure and active galectins. Purified galectin fractions were analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography. The binding characteristics to ASF of solely His6-tagged galectins and galectin fusion proteins were compared. As an example, we demonstrate a 1.6-3-fold increase in binding efficiency for HSYGal-3 (His6-SNAP-yellow fluorescent protein-Gal-3) compared to the HGal-3 (His6-Gal-3). Our results reveal an apparent higher binding efficiency for galectin SNAP-tag fusion proteins compared to His6-tagged galectins, which are independent of the purification mode. This is also demonstrated by the binding of galectin fusion proteins to extracellular glycoconjugates laminin, fibronectin, and collagen IV. Our results indicate the probable involvement of the SNAP-tag in apparently higher binding signals, which we discuss in this study.
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Capasso D, Pirone L, Di Gaetano S, Russo R, Saviano M, Frisulli V, Antonacci A, Pedone E, Scognamiglio V. Galectins detection for the diagnosis of chronic diseases: An emerging biosensor approach. Trends Analyt Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.116952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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[Galectin-1 knockdown inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and promotes apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2022; 42:1628-1637. [PMID: 36504055 PMCID: PMC9742775 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2022.11.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of galectin-1 on biological behaviors of lung adenocarcinoma cells and the underlying mechanism. METHODS The expression levels of galectin-1 mRNA were detected in 8 pairs of lung adenocarcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues and in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 and H1299 and normal bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2b using qRT-PCR. The effect of galectin-1 knockdown by RNA interference on the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities and apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells were examined using CCK8 assay, Transwell assay, scratch assay and flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to detect the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins BAX, BCL-2, and caspase-3 and the proteins involved in the AKT and ERK pathways. RESULTS The mRNA expression of galectin-1 was significantly increased in lung cancer tissues and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (P < 0.05). In lung adenocarcinoma cells, galectin-1 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion and obviously increased cell apoptosis rate (P < 0.05), causing also significant reduction of the phosphorylation level of ERK signaling pathway (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Galectin-1 knockdown inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion and promotes apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells, and this effect is mediated probably by inhibition of the phosphorylation levels of the ERK pathway.
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Funkhouser AT, Strigenz AM, Blair BB, Miller AP, Shealy JC, Ewing JA, Martin JC, Funk CR, Edenfield WJ, Blenda AV. KIT Mutations Correlate with Higher Galectin Levels and Brain Metastasis in Breast and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112781. [PMID: 35681762 PMCID: PMC9179545 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate a potential role for galectins as biomarkers that enable diagnosis or prognostication of breast or non-small cell lung cancer, the serum levels of galectins -1, -3, -7, -8, and -9 of cancer patients determined by ELISA assays were compared to the mutation status of 50 known cancer-critical genes, which were determined using multiplex PCR in tumors of the same patients. Mutations in the KIT proto-oncogene, which codes for the c-Kit protein, a receptor tyrosine kinase, correlated with higher levels of galectins -1, -3, -8, and -9 in breast cancer patients and galectin-1 in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Mutations in the KIT gene were more likely found in brain metastases from both of these primary cancers. The most common KIT mutation in our panel was p.M541L, a missense mutation in the transmembrane domain of the c-Kit protein. These results demonstrate an association between KIT oncogenic signaling and elevated serum galectins in patients with metastatic disease. Changes in protein trafficking and the glycocalyx composition of cancer cells may explain the observed alterations in galectin expression. This study can be useful for the targeted selection of receptor tyrosine kinase and galectin inhibitor anti-cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery T Funkhouser
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Alexander M Strigenz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Bailey B Blair
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Andrew P Miller
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Jonah C Shealy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Joseph A Ewing
- Data Support Core, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Julie C Martin
- Prisma Health Cancer Institute, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
| | - Christopher R Funk
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Anna V Blenda
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
- Prisma Health Cancer Institute, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC 29605, USA
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