Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 is a novel survival-related biomarker for human patients with renal pelvis carcinoma

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Facilitate Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lung Metastasis in Mice by Providing TGFβ-Mediated Cancer Stem Cell Niche

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been shown to enhance squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) growth, but it is unclear whether they promote SCC lung metastasis. We generated CAFs from K15.KrasG12D.Smad4-/- mouse SCCs. RNA expression analyses demonstrated that CAFs had enriched transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling compared to normal tissue-associated fibroblasts (NAFs), therefore we assessed how TGFβ-enriched CAFs impact SCC metastasis. We co-injected SCC cells with CAFs to the skin, tail vein, or the lung to mimic sequential steps of lung metastasis. CAFs increased SCC volume only in lung co-transplantations, characterized with increased proliferation and angiogenesis and decreased apoptosis compared to NAF co-transplanted SCCs. These CAF effects were attenuated by a clinically relevant TGFβ receptor inhibitor, suggesting that CAFs facilitated TGFβ-dependent SCC cell seeding and survival in the lung. CAFs also increased tumor volume when co-transplanted to the lung with limiting numbers of SCC cancer stem cells (CSCs). In vitro, CSC sphere formation and invasion were increased either with co-cultured CAFs or with CAF conditioned media (which contains the highest TGFβ1 concentration) and these CAF effects were blocked by TGFβ inhibition. Further, TGFβ activation was higher in primary human oral SCCs with lung metastasis than SCCs without lung metastasis. Similarly, TGFβ activation was detected in the lungs of mice with micrometastasis. Our data suggest that TGFβ-enriched CAFs play a causal role in CSC seeding and expansion in the lung during SCC metastasis, providing a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for SCC lung metastasis.

Melatonin Alleviates Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Guinea Pigs Caused by Different Artificial Light Rhythms

Modern lifestyle-associated factors, such as high-calorie intake, high-fat diet (HFD), and excessive artificial light, are risk factors for glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances. Melatonin may be beneficial for managing obesity and diabetes; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well elucidated. We aimed to assess whether melatonin has beneficial effects on constant artificial light-induced fat deposition, lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. Guinea pigs were randomly divided into five experimental groups: control (C), HFD (H), 12 h light (12HL), 24 h light (24HL), and melatonin (M). The majority of indexes, including insulin resistance and obesity, were measured after 10 weeks. AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) pathway expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR and western blotting. Although insulin resistance and obesity indexes were higher in the 24HL group than in the 12HL group, they were significantly lower in the M group than in the 24HL group. Melatonin treatment markedly upregulated AMPKα, phosphorylated AMPKα (p-AMPKα), PPARα, and carnitine palmitoyl-CoA transferase 1 A (CPT1A) gene and protein expression. Melatonin may alleviate insulin resistance and obesity caused by persistent artificial light exposure in guinea pigs, likely via activation of the AMPKα/PPARα signaling pathway.

MACC1-the first decade of a key metastasis molecule from gene discovery to clinical translation

Deciphering the paths to metastasis and identifying key molecules driving this process is one important issue for understanding and treatment of cancer. Such a key driver molecule is Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1). A decade long research on this evolutionarily conserved molecule with features of a transcription factor as well as an adapter protein for versatile protein-protein interactions has shown that it has manifold properties driving tumors to their metastatic stage. MACC1 transcriptionally regulates genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including those which are able to directly induce metastasis like c-MET, impacts tumor cell migration and invasion, and induces metastasis in solid cancers. MACC1 has proven as a valuable biomarker for prognosis of metastasis formation linked to patient survival and gives promise to also act as a predictive marker for individualized therapies in a broad variety of cancers. This review discusses the many features of MACC1 in the context of the hallmarks of cancer and the potential of this molecule as biomarker and novel therapeutic target for restriction and prevention of metastasis.

Prognostic and Risk Stratification Value of Lesion MACC1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer Patients

The up-regulated metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) expression and its clinical significance has been explored in a varity of malignancies. In this study, lesion MACC1 expression in 503 CRC patients (N_colon = 332, N_rectal = 171) were analyzed with immunohistochemistry, and its correlation with clinical parameters, patient survival, and its impact on prognostic stratification were evaluated. Data revealed the survival of patient with MACC1_high is markedly worse than that of MACC1_low (mean overall survival: 80.1 vs. 90.4 months; p = 0.001) and is an independent prognostic predictor (hazard ratio = 1.533; p = 0.005). More importantly, for the first time, we demonstrated that MACC1 status exhibited a significantly prognostic power for stratified clinical parameters such as patient age and gender, particular TNM status, and distinct AJCC disease stage. In summary, our findings indicated that MACC1 is a valuable prognostic and risk stratification biomarker for colorectal cancer patients.

Evaluation of the correlation of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 in the metastasis and prognosis for colon carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) has been reported to promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have also been reported to promote tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. KiSS-1, a known suppressor of metastasis, has been reported to be down-regulated in various tumors. However, the associations of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 in colonic adenocarcinoma (CAC) invasion and metastasis remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 in CAC invasion and metastasis and their associations with each other and with the clinicopathological characteristics of CAC patients.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry and multivariate analysis were carried out to explore the expression of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 in 212 whole-CAC-tissue specimens and the corresponding normal colon mucosa tissues. Demographic, clinicopathological, and follow-up data were also collected.

RESULTS

The results of this study showed MACC1, CD44, and Twist1 expression to be up-regulated, and KiSS-1 expression was down-regulated in CAC tissues. Positive expression of MACC1, CD44, and Twist1 was found to be positively correlated with invasion, tumor grades, and lymph- node-metastasis (LNM) stages and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages for patients with CAC. Positive expression of KiSS-1 was inversely associated with invasion, tumor size, LNM stage, and TNM stage. The KiSS-1-positive expression group had significantly more favorable OS than did the KiSS-1-negative group. Univariate analysis indicated that overexpression of MACC1, CD44, and Twists1 was negatively associated with longer overall survival (OS) time, and there was a positive relationship between KiSS-1-positive expression and OS time for patients with CAC. Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that overexpression of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and low expression of KiSS-1 and LNM and TNM stages were independent predictors of prognosis in patients with CAC.

CONCLUSIONS

The results in this study indicated that levels of expression of MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 are related to the duration of OS in patients with CAC. MACC1, CD44, Twist1, and KiSS-1 may be suitable for use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in CAC.

Kill two birds with one stone: making multi-transgenic pre-diabetes mouse models through insulin resistance and pancreatic apoptosis pathogenesis

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance accompanied by defective insulin secretion. Transgenic mouse models play an important role in medical research. However, single transgenic mouse models may not mimic the complex phenotypes of most cases of type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Focusing on genes related to pancreatic islet damage, peripheral insulin resistance and related environmental inducing factors, we generated single-transgenic (C/EBP homology protein, CHOP) mice (CHOP mice), dual-transgenic (human islet amyloid polypeptide, hIAPP; CHOP) mice (hIAPP-CHOP mice) and triple-transgenic (11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, 11β-HSD1; hIAPP; CHOP) mice (11β-HSD1-hIAPP- CHOP mice). The latter two types of transgenic (Tg) animals were induced with high-fat high-sucrose diets (HFHSD). We analyzed the diabetes-related symptoms and histology features of the transgenic animals.

RESULTS

Comparing symptoms on the spot-checked points, we determined that the triple-transgene mice were more suitable for systematic study. The results of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (IPGTT) of triple-transgene animals began to change 60 days after induction (p < 0.001). After 190 days of induction, the body weights (p < 0.01) and plasma glucose of the animals in Tg were higher than those of the animals in Negative Control (Nc). After sacrificed, large amounts of lipid were found deposited in adipose (p < 0.01) and ectopically deposited in the non-adipose tissues (p < 0.05 or 0.01) of the animals in the Tg HFHSD group. The weights of kidneys and hearts of Tg animals were significantly increased (p < 0.01). Serum C peptide (C-P) was decreased due to Tg effects, and insulin levels were increased due to the effects of the HFHSD in the Tg HFHSD group, indicating that damaged insulin secretion and insulin resistance hyperinsulinemia existed simultaneously in these animals. The serum corticosterone of Tg was slightly higher than those of Nc due to the effects of the 11βHSD-1 transgene and obesity. In Tg HFHSD, hepatic adipose deposition was more severe and the pancreatic islet area was enlarged under compensation, accompanying apoptosis. In the transgenic control diet (Tg ControlD) group, hepatic adipose deposition was also severe, pancreatic islets were damaged, and their areas were decreased (p < 0.05), and apoptosis of pancreatic cells occurred. Taken together, these data show the transgenes led to early-stage pathological changes characteristic of type 2 diabetes in the triple-transgene HFHSD group. The disease of triple-transgenic mice was more severe than that of dual or single-transgenic mice.

CONCLUSION

The use of multi-transgenes involved in insulin resistance and pancreatic apoptosis is a better way to generate polygene-related early-stage diabetes models.

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1: A promising biomarker for the metastasis and prognosis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most frequent type of malignancy in the world. Metastasis accounts for >90% mortalities in patients with CRC. The metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) gene has been identified as a novel biomarker for the prediction of metastasis and disease prognosis, particularly for patients with early-stage disease. Previous clinical studies demonstrated that MACC1 expression and polymorphisms in CRC tissues were indicators of metastasis, and that circulating transcripts in plasma were also significantly associated with the survival of patients. The present review describes the use of MACC1 beyond its utility in the clinic. By elucidating the upstream and downstream signal pathways of MACC1, the well-known mechanisms of MACC1-mediated cell proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are summarized, as well as the potential signaling pathways. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms by which the overexpression of MACC1 causes cisplatin resistance are emphasized.

Involvement of Non-coding RNAs in the Signaling Pathways of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common diagnosed cancers worldwide. The metastasis and development of resistance to anti-cancer treatment are major challenges in the treatment of CRC. Understanding mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis is therefore critical in developing novel agents for CRC treatments. A large number of evidence has demonstrated that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs have functional roles in both the physiological and pathological processes by regulating the expression of their target genes. These molecules are engaged in the pathobiology of neoplastic diseases and are targets for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of a variety of cancers, including CRC. In this regard, ncRNAs have emerged as one of the hallmarks of CRC pathogenesis and they also play key roles in metastasis, drug resistance and the stemness of CRC stem cell by regulating various signaling networks. Therefore, a better understanding the ncRNAs involved in the signaling pathways of CRC may lead to the development of novel strategy for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of CRC. In this chapter, we summarize the latest findings on ncRNAs, with a focus on miRNAs and lncRNAs involving in signaling networks and in the regulation of pathogenic signaling pathways in CRC.

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 are metastatic and prognostic biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Tumor recurrence and metastasis are the most common reason for treatment failure. Metastasis-associate in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) has been identified as a metastatic and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer and other solid tumors. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), a marker of cancer stem cells, is also associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in many tumors. However, the prognostic value of either MACC1 or ALDH1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between MACC1 and ALDH1 expression, as well as their respective associations with clinicopathological features, to determine if either could be useful for improvement of survival prognosis in NSCLC.

Methods

The expression levels of both MACC1 and ALDH1 in 240 whole tissue sections of NSCLC were examined by immunohistochemistry. Clinical data were also collected.

Results

MACC1 and ALDH1 were significantly overexpressed in NSCLC tissues when compared to levels in normal lung tissues. Investigation of associations between MACC1 or ALDH1 protein levels with clinicopathological parameters of NSCLC revealed correlations between the expression of each with tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and tumor node metastasis. The overall survival of patients with MACC1- or ALDH1-positive NSCLC tumors was significantly lower than that of those who were negative. Importantly, multivariate analysis suggested that positive expression of either MACC1 or ALDH1, as well as TNM stage, could be independent prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with NSCLC.

Conclusions

MACC1 and ALDH1 may represent promising metastatic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as potential therapeutic targets, for NSCLC.

The potential therapeutic applications and prognostic significance of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) in cancers

The metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) gene was identified in 2009. Expression of MACC1 was found to be significantly upregulated in primary and metastatic colon carcinomas compared to normal tissues or adenomas. The induction of MACC1 occurs at the crucial step of transition from a benign to a malignant phenotype.

The aim of this review was to summarise current results of non-clinical and clinical studies on the role of MACC1 in the carcinogenesis and progression of cancer, as well its potential therapeutic and prognostic significance.

The gene encoding the HGF receptor MET is a transcriptional target of MACC1. In addition to promoting the proliferation, invasion, and migration of colon cancer cells in cell culture and tumour growth and metastasis in mouse models, MACC1 also contributes to carcinogenesis and progression of colorectal cancer through the β-catenin signalling pathway and mesenchymal-epithelial transition.

MACC1 knockdown with si/sh RNA was investigated in cell lines of different types of cancer. MACC1 is a promising therapeutic target for antitumour and antimetastatic intervention strategies for cancers. Here, it is presented as a potential independent prognostic indicator of reduced overall survival as well as of the occurrence of distant metastasis in patients with different types of cancer.

Genetic Variation in Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer-1 and the Risk of Breast Cancer Among the Chinese Han Population: A STROBE-Compliant Observational Study

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene, is involved in angiogenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis in many cancers. Epidemiological studies have indicated the associations between MACC1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. However, the association between genetic polymorphisms in MACC1 and breast cancer (BC) was not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between MACC1 polymorphisms and BC risk.We genotyped 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MACC1 (rs975263, rs1990172, rs3735615, rs4721888) to determine the haplotypes in 560 BC patients and 583 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy individuals. Genotypes were determined using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using the chi-square test.There were significant differences between patients and controls in the MACC1 rs975263 allelic (T vs C: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.61-0.95, P = 0.014) and genotypic groups (TC vs TT: OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54-0.92, P = 0.009; TC+CC vs TT: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55-0.92, P = 0.008). Analysis of clinical features demonstrated significant associations between rs975263 and Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grade 3 cancer (P = 0.006) and postmenopausal women (P = 0.018). Compared with the rs4721888 CC genotype, the frequency of rs4721888 GC and GC+CC variants was higher in patients. Further analysis revealed that the variant genotypes were positively associated with lymph node metastasis. However, we failed to find any relationships between rs1990172 or rs3735615 polymorphism and BC risk. In addition, haplotype analysis indicated that the CTGG and CTCG haplotypes (rs975263, rs1990172, rs3735615, rs4721888) were significantly associated with decreased susceptibility to BC (P = 0.029 and 0.019 respectively).Our results suggest that rs975263 and rs4721888 polymorphisms in MACC1 are associated with the risk of BC susceptibility and may be involved in the progression of BC in Chinese women.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Investigation of HSP90A as a Potential Biomarker for HCC

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most frequent cause of cancer-related death in adults. Despite recent advances in the clinical technologies, the screening and diagnostic efficacy for HCC remains poor. Discovering novel and reliable HCC biomarkers is urgently needed.

Material/Methods

We performed a transcriptome-proteome integrated assay to track the possible HCC biomarkers from the process of HCC-derived gene expression in malignant cells to its protein product released into serum.

Results

Our screening results demonstrated that heat shock protein 90A (HSP90A), which participates in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and many other cancer-related pathways, warrants further investigation. The expression of HSP90A was increased in the HCC cells, serum, and tissues. Immunohistochemistry analysis on 76 clinical tissue samples also suggested the relevance between HSP90A expression and HCC metastatic behavior.

Conclusions

These findings suggest a role for HSP90A in HCC pathogenesis and the potential use of HSP90A for the screening and diagnosis of this malignancy.

Heterogeneity analysis of Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1) for survival prognosis of colorectal cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is directly linked to patient survival. We previously identified the novel gene Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1) in CRC and demonstrated its importance as metastasis inducer and prognostic biomarker. Here, we investigate the geographic expression pattern of MACC1 in colorectal adenocarcinoma and tumor buds in correlation with clinicopathological and molecular features for improvement of survival prognosis.

Methods

We performed geographic MACC1 expression analysis in tumor center, invasive front and tumor buds on whole tissue sections of 187 well-characterized CRCs by immunohistochemistry. MACC1 expression in each geographic zone was analyzed with Mismatch repair (MMR)-status, BRAF/KRAS-mutations and CpG-island methylation.

Results

MACC1 was significantly overexpressed in tumor tissue as compared to normal mucosa (p < 0.001). Within colorectal adenocarcinomas, a significant increase of MACC1 from tumor center to front (p = 0.0012) was detected. MACC1 was highly overexpressed in 55% tumor budding cells. Independent of geographic location, MACC1 predicted advanced pT and pN-stages, high grade tumor budding, venous and lymphatic invasion (p < 0.05). High MACC1 expression at the invasive front was decisive for prediction of metastasis (p = 0.0223) and poor survival (p = 0.0217). The geographic pattern of MACC1 did not correlate with MMR-status, BRAF/KRAS-mutations or CpG-island methylation.

Conclusion

MACC1 is differentially expressed in CRC. At the invasive front, MACC1 expression predicts best aggressive clinicopathological features, tumor budding, metastasis formation and poor survival outcome.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1150-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.