Serum MMP-2 as a potential predictive marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma

Diagnostic Utility of Selected Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-11, MMP-26), HE4, CA125 and ROMA Algorithm in Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) has an unfavorable prognosis. Due to the lack of effective screening tests, new diagnostic methods are being sought to detect OC earlier. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration and diagnostic utility of selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as OC markers in comparison with HE4, CA125 and the ROMA algorithm. The study group consisted of 120 patients with OC; the comparison group consisted of 70 patients with benign lesions and 50 healthy women. MMPs were determined via the ELISA method, HE4 and CA125 by CMIA. Patients with OC had elevated levels of MMP-3 and MMP-11, similar to HE4, CA125 and ROMA values. The highest SE, SP, NPV and PPV values were found for MMP-26, CA125 and ROMA in OC patients. Performing combined analyses of ROMA with selected MMPs increased the values of diagnostic parameters. The topmost diagnostic power of the test was obtained for MMP-26, CA125, HE4 and ROMA and performing combined analyses of MMPs and ROMA enhanced the diagnostic power of the test. The obtained results indicate that the tested MMPs do not show potential as stand-alone OC biomarkers, but can be considered as additional tests to raise the diagnostic utility of the ROMA algorithm.

Exploring the clinical utility of angioinvasion markers in papillary thyroid cancer: a literature review

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer, and angioinvasion, the invasion of blood vessels by cancer cells, is a crucial pathological feature associated with disease progression and poor prognosis. Thus, a comprehensive search of scientific databases was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating angioinvasion markers in PTC. The selected studies were reviewed and analyzed to assess the clinical significance and potential utility of these markers in predicting angioinvasion and guiding treatment decisions. Numerous studies have investigated various markers associated with angioinvasion in PTC, including oxidative stress, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and other angiogenic factors. The results indicate that increased expression of these markers is correlated with the presence and extent of angioinvasion in PTC. Moreover, some studies suggest that these markers can serve as prognostic indicators and guide therapeutic strategies, such as selecting patients for more aggressive treatment approaches or targeted therapies. The findings from the reviewed literature highlight the potential clinical utility of angioinvasion markers in PTC. The identification and validation of reliable markers can aid in assessing the risk of angioinvasion, predicting disease progression, and optimizing treatment decisions for patients with PTC. However, further research and validation on larger patient cohorts are necessary to establish the robustness and generalizability of these markers in clinical practice.

Signal-On Mass Spectrometric Biosensing of Multiplex Matrix Metalloproteinases with a Phospholipid-Structured Mass-Encoded Microplate

The detection of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is of great importance for diagnosis and staging of cancer. This work proposed a signal-on mass spectrometric biosensing strategy with a phospholipid-structured mass-encoded microplate for assessment of multiplex MMP activities. The designed substrate and internal standard peptides were subsequently labeled with the reagents of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ), and DSPE-PEG(2000)maleimide was embedded on the surface of a 96-well glass bottom plate to fabricate the phospholipid-structured mass-encoded microplate, which offered a simulated environment of the extracellular space for enzyme reactions between MMPs and the substrates. The strategy achieved multiplex MMP activity assays by dropping the sample in the well for enzyme cleavages, followed by adding trypsin to release the coding regions for ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The peak area ratios of released coding regions and their respective internal standard (IS) peptides exhibited satisfied linear ranges of 0.05-50, 0.1-250, and 0.1-100 ng mL^-1 with the detection limits of 0.017, 0.046, and 0.032 ng mL^-1 for MMP-2, MMP-7, and MMP-3, respectively. The proposed strategy demonstrated good practicability in inhibition analysis and detections of multiplex MMP activities in serum samples. It is of great potential for clinical applications and can be expanded for multiplex enzyme assays.

Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors in Locally Invasive Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Locally invasive papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) protrudes beyond the thyroid capsule and invades local structures. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) are implicated in local invasion and metastasis in PTC. The aim of our study was to determine expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in tissue specimens of invasive and non-invasive PTC. Our hypothesis was that expression levels of these biomarkers correlate with the development of locally invasive PTC. In our single-center study we retrospectively investigated MMP and TIMP expression levels in 50 samples of thyroid tissue diagnosed as locally invasive papillary carcinoma (study group) and 30 samples of thyroid tissue diagnosed as non-invasive, non-metastatic papillary carcinoma (control group). Tissue specimens were immunohistochemically stained with primary monoclonal antibodies against MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2. When correlating expression levels of MMPs and TIMPs in thyroid tissue, statistically significant differences were found for MMP-1 and TIMP-1 expression (p < 0.001; Mann−Whitney U test) with the highest levels of expression in the invasive PTC group. Although expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-2 was higher in invasive PTC, the differences were not statistically significant. Elevated expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in tumor tissue can predict invasiveness for PTC.

Thyroid Cancer and Fibroblasts

Thyroid cancer is the most common type of endocrine cancer, and its prevalence continue to rise. Non-metastatic thyroid cancer patients are successfully treated. However, looking for new therapeutic strategies is of great importance for metastatic thyroid cancers that still lead to death. With respect to this, the tumor microenvironment (TME), which plays a key role in tumor progression, should be considered as a new promising therapeutic target to hamper thyroid cancer progression. Indeed, thyroid tumors consist of cancer cells and a heterogeneous and ever-changing niche, represented by the TME, which contributes to establishing most of the features of cancer cells. The TME consists of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, soluble factors, metabolites, blood and lymphatic tumor vessels and several stromal cell types that, by interacting with each other and with tumor cells, affect TME remodeling, cancer growth and progression. Among the thyroid TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained more attention in the last years. Indeed, recent important evidence showed that thyroid CAFs strongly sustain thyroid cancer growth and progression by producing soluble factors and ECM proteins, which, in turn, deeply affect thyroid cancer cell behavior and aggressiveness. Hence, in this article, we describe the thyroid TME, focusing on the desmoplastic stromal reaction, which is a powerful indicator of thyroid cancer progression and an invasive growth pattern. In addition, we discuss the origins and features of the thyroid CAFs, their influence on thyroid cancer growth and progression, their role in remodeling the ECM and their immune-modulating functions. We finally debate therapeutic perspectives targeting CAFs.

Extracellular vesicles from thyroid cancer harbor a functional machinery involved in extracellular matrix remodeling

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in cell-stroma crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment and fibroblasts (Fb) contribute to tumor promotion in thyroid cancer. However, the role of tumor-stroma derived EVs still needs to be deciphered. We hypothesized that the interaction of thyroid tumor cells with Fb would liberate EVs with a specific proteomic profile, which would have an impact on EV-functionality in thyroid tumor progression-related events. Tumor (TPC-1, 8505c) and non-tumor (NThyOri) thyroid cells were co-cultured with human Fb. EVs, obtained by ultracentrifugation of conditioned media, were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blotting. EV-proteomic analysis was performed by mass-spectrometry, and metalloproteinases (MMPs) were studied by zymography. EV-exchange was evaluated using immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy and FACS. EVs expressed classical exosome markers, with EVs from thyroid tumor cell-Fb co-cultures showing a proteomic profile related to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Bidirectional crosstalk between Fb and TPC-1 cells produced significantly more EVs than their isolated cells, and potentiated EV-functionality. In line with this, Fb-TPC-1 derived EVs induced MMP2 activation in NThyOri supernatants, and MMP2 activity could be evidenced in Fb and TPC-1 contact-independent co-cultures. Besides, MMP2 interactors allowed us to discriminate between EVs from thyroid tumoral and non-tumoral milieus. Interestingly, Fb internalized more EVs from TPC-1 than from NThyOri producing cells. Fb and thyroid tumor cell crosstalk produces specialized EVs with an ECM remodeling proteomic profile, enabling activation of MMP2 and possibly facilitating ECM-degradation, which is potentially linked with thyroid tumor progression.

Thrombospondin-2 acts as a bridge between tumor extracellular matrix and immune infiltration in pancreatic and stomach adenocarcinomas: an integrative pan-cancer analysis

Background

Thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) is a versatile glycoprotein that regulates numerous biological functions, including the apoptosis-proliferation balance in endothelial cells, and it has been linked to tumor angiogenesis. However, the exact role of THBS2 in human cancer remains unknown. This study aimed to determine THBS2 expression in a pan-cancer analysis and its association with pan-cancer prognosis and to further identify its possible roles in tumor immunity and the extracellular matrix (ECM).

Methods

Data on THBS2 expression in cancers and normal tissues were downloaded from the Genotype-Tissue Expression portal and UCSC Xena visual exploration tool and analyzed using the ONCOMINE database, Perl programming language, and Gene Expression Profiling and Interactive Analyses vision 2 webserver. In addition, survival prognosis was analyzed using the survival, survminer, limma, and forestplot packages in R v. 4.0.3.Immune and matrix components were also analyzed using R v. 4.0.3. Most importantly, we partially validated the role and mechanism of THBS2 in pancreatic and gastric cancers in vitro using PANC1 and BGC-823 cell lines.

Results

THBS2 was significantly overexpressed in 17 of the 33 investigated cancers and linked to a poor prognosis in pan-cancer survival analysis. High THBS2 expression was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor in kidney renal papillary cell, mesothelioma, and stomach and pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Immune infiltration and THBS2 expression were also related. THBS2 expression has been linked to immune and stromal scores and immune checkpoint markers in various cancers. The protein–protein interaction network revealed that THBS2 is associated with multiple ECM and immune proteins. THBS2 knockdown decreased the expression of CD47 and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) as well as the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PANC1 and BGC-823 cells in vitro.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that THBS2 might promote cancer progression by remodeling the tumor microenvironment, affecting CD47-mediated signaling pathways, activating the pro-tumor functions of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs, and enhancing MMP-2 expression. Furthermore, it functions as a bridge between the ECM and immune infiltration in cancer and serves as a potential prognostic biomarker for several cancers, especially pancreatic and gastric adenocarcinomas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02622-x.

Can We Predict Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Behavior? Role of Genetic and Molecular Markers

Thyroid cancer is ranked in ninth place among all the newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2020. Differentiated thyroid cancer behavior can vary from indolent to extremely aggressive. Currently, predictions of cancer prognosis are mainly based on clinicopathological features, which are direct consequences of cell and tissue microenvironment alterations. These alterations include genetic changes, cell cycle disorders, estrogen receptor expression abnormalities, enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix degradation, increased hypoxia, and consecutive neovascularization. All these processes are represented by specific genetic and molecular markers, which can further predict thyroid cancer development, progression, and prognosis. In conclusion, evaluation of cancer genetic and molecular patterns, in addition to clinicopathological features, can contribute to the identification of patients with a potentially worse prognosis. It is essential since it plays a crucial role in decision-making regarding initial surgery, postoperative treatment, and follow-up. To date, there is a large diversity in methodologies used in different studies, frequently leading to contradictory results. To evaluate the true significance of predictive markers, more comparable studies should be conducted.

Identification of soluble tissue-derived biomarkers from human thyroid tissue explants maintained on a microfluidic device

Although a large cohort of potential biomarkers for thyroid cancer aggressiveness have been tested in various formats in recent years, to the best of our knowledge, thyroglobulin and calcitonin remain the only two established biomarkers associated with thyroid cancer management. Our group has recently validated a novel means of maintaining live, human ex vivo thyroid tissue within a tissue-on-chip format. The present pilot study aimed to interrogate the tissue effluent, containing all the soluble markers released by the tissue samples maintained within the devices' tissue chamber, for the presence of markers potentially associated with thyroid cancer aggressiveness. Culture effluent from tissue samples harvested from 19 individual patients who had undergone thyroidectomy for the treatment of suspected thyroid cancer was assessed, first using a proteome profiler™ angiogenesis array kit. Patients were subcategorised as 'aggressive' if they possessed a minimum of N1b level metastases, whilst 'non-aggressive' samples were T3 or lower without evidence of multifocality; and contralateral healthy thyroid tissue was harvested for comparative studies. Levels of Serpin-F1, vascular endothelial growth factor, Thrombospondin-1 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand were significantly altered and, thus, were further investigated using ELISA to allow for quantitative analysis. The concentration of serpin-F1 was significantly increased in the effluent of aggressive thyroid cancer tissue when compared with levels released by both non-aggressive and benign samples. The present study demonstrated the usability of microfluidic technology for the analysis of the ex vivo tissue secretome in order to identify novel biomarkers.

The Blood Biomarkers of Thyroid Cancer

Introduction

With the gradual increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer, people’s attention to thyroid cancer has also gradually increased. Although the prognosis of thyroid cancer is rather mild compared to other cancers, it will still bring a heavy psychological burden on people who have been diagnosed. At present, the diagnosis of thyroid cancer mainly depends on ultrasound and percutaneous fine needle aspiration (pFNA). Due to the unsatisfactory accuracy of the diagnosis methods we use now, there are still some thyroid nodules that cannot be clearly diagnosed before surgery.

Methods

In this article, we have searched for relevant research on blood markers of thyroid cancer in the past five years and categoried them into four groups.

Discussion

Though we have not found a biomarker which can diagnose thyroid cancer both sensitively and specifically, we do found many substances that are related to it, and have the potential to recognize it and help the diagnosis. And perhaps combined models can do it better.

Thyroid tumor cells-fibroblasts crosstalk: role of extracellular vesicles

Tumor-stroma crosstalk leads to a tumor-promoting microenvironment. In this milieu, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are protagonists in cell-cell communication. Despite thyroid cancer being the most common endocrine malignancy, the contribution of the tumor microenvironment to thyroid cancer progression is still largely underexplored. We focused on the role of thyroid tumor cell-fibroblast interaction and EVs as mediators of tumor-stroma interplay, in the promotion of thyroid tumor aggressiveness. Thyroid tumor (TPC-1, 8505c) or non-tumor thyroid cells (NThyOri) were co-cultured with human fibroblasts (Fb). Thyroid cell migration was investigated by the wound-healing assay and actin-network staining. Cell-CD147 expression was characterized by flow cytometry. EVs, obtained by ultracentrifugation of conditioned media (CMs), were characterized by transmission electron-microscopy and CD81 and CD147 expression. Metalloproteinases (MMPs) were evaluated by zymography in CMs. A migratory phenotype was triggered in thyroid tumor cells treated with CMs from Fb or from Fb-thyroid tumor cell co-cultures. Fb-thyroid cell co-cultures induced the secretion of proMMP9 and proMMP2 and led to a significant MMP2 activation in CMs. Fb, thyroid cells and Fb-thyroid cell co-cultures released EVs, and remarkably, EVs released by Fb-thyroid tumor cell co-cultures induced the secretion of proMMP2 and the expression of MMP2 from normal Fb. A significant CD147 expression was demonstrated in Fb-thyroid tumor cell-derived EVs. These findings reveal the role of Fb and thyroid tumor cell-Fb interaction in the promotion of a microenvironment suitable for thyroid tumor progression. Moreover, they highlight, for the first time, the role of thyroid tumor cell-Fb interaction in the production of specialized EVs.

NF-κB-Activated miR-574 Promotes Multiple Malignant and Metastatic Phenotypes by Targeting BNIP3 in Thyroid Carcinoma

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, and miR-574 is significantly upregulated in thyroid cancer. However, the role and underlying mechanism of miR-574 in thyroid cancer development are poorly understood. In this study, we showed that NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway was activated and miR-574 was upregulated in thyroid cancer cells. p65 directly bound to the promoter of miR-574 and activated miR-574 transcription. Functionally, miR-574 inhibited apoptosis, promoted proliferation and migration of thyroid cancer cells, and stimulated thyroid cancer-induced tube formation of endothelial cells. On the molecular level, miR-574 inhibited the expression of BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) by binding to 3'-UTR of BNIP3. miR-574 also downregulated the expression of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), while elevated the levels of MMP2, MMP9, and VEGFA. In vivo, miR-574 promoted xenograft growth, which was associated with reduced apoptosis and enhanced angiogenesis. NF-κB/miR-574 signaling presents multiple oncogenic activities on thyroid cancer development by directly regulating the BNIP3/AIF pathway. Therefore, targeting NF-κB/miR-574 signaling may reduce the aggressiveness of thyroid cancer. IMPLICATIONS: miR-574, directly regulated by NF-κB/p65, promotes tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer via inhibiting BNIP3/AIF pathway.

Upregulation of microRNA-143-3p induces apoptosis and suppresses proliferation, invasion, and migration of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells by targeting MSI2

As a tumor-associated biological molecule, microRNA-143-3p (miR-143-3p) is implicated in the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). We conducted this study to elucidate the effects of miR-143-3p mediated by Musashi RNA binding protein 2 (MSI2) on the biological activities of PTC cells. The K1 cells with the lowest miR-143-3p expression were selected for the experiments. The targeting relationship between miR-143-3p and MSI2 was verified. The biological functions of miR-143-3p and MSI2 with respect to K1 cell proliferation, cycle distribution, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis were studied using gain- and loss-of-function assays both in vitro and in vivo. MSI2 was verified to be a target gene of miR-143-3p. Cells treated with upregulation of miR-143-3p or silencing of MSI2 exhibited significantly decreased the expression of Bcl-2, PCNA, MCM2, Ki67, MSI2, MMP-2, and MMP-9. This was accompanied by inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion, and migration, as well as a significant increase in Bax expression, cell cycle arrest, and cell apoptosis. More importantly, the tumor inhibitory effects of upregulated miR-143-3p were also confirmed in the tumor xenografts in nude mice. Our results indicate that upregulation of miR-143-3p suppresses the progression of PTC by impeding cell growth, invasion, and migration via downregulation of MSI2, highlighting the potential of miR-143-3p as a target for future PTC treatment.

Upregulation Of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type C Associates To The Combination Of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis And Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma And Is Predictive Of A Poor Prognosis

Introduction

PTC is not generally considered a lethal disease, but prone to recurrence as the prognosis. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an important factor that affects the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). It is crucial to find biomarkers to identify the combination of HT with PTC and to predict the prognosis.

Methods

RNASeq data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PTC with HT via the edgeR package of R software version 3.3.0. Also, the DEGs were applied to the DAVID web-based tool to determine the enrichment of gene functions via Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and to identify associated pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. By constructing protein interaction networks within Cytoscape software, we screened candidate genes and explored possible relationships with the clinical phenotype of PTC. Finally, additional thyroid tissue samples were collected to verify the results above.

Results

After analyzing the RNA-Seq data of PTC patients from the Cancer Genomic Atlas, 497 differentially expressed PTC genes were found to be associated with HT, of which protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C (PTPRC), KIT, and COL1A1 were associated with tumor size and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Verification of these results with another 30 thyroid tissues of clinical PTC patients revealed that the expression level of PTPRC in the PTC with HT group was higher than that in the PTC without HT group (p < 0.05) and the ROC curve showed a good discrimination (area under the curve = 0.846). However, the correlation with the clinical phenotype was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Discussion

These data suggest that upregulation of PTPRC enhances the incidence of HT associated with PTC and is also predictive of a poor prognosis.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2: Not (just) a "hero" of the past

The 72-kDa type IV collagenase or gelatinase A is the second member of the matrix metalloproteinase family, MMP-2. Since the discovery of its first two substrates within components of the extracellular matrix, denatured interstitial type I collagen and native type IV collagen, the roles and various levels of regulation of MMP-2 have been intensively studied, mainly in vitro. Its (over)expression in most if not all tumors was considered a hallmark of cancer aggressiveness and boosted investigations aiming at its inhibition. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm subsided like a soufflé after clinical trial failures, mostly because of insufficient knowledge of in vivo MMP-2 activities and detrimental side effects of broad-spectrum MMP inhibition. Nowadays, MMP-2 remains a major topic of interest in research, the second in the MMP family after MMP-9. This review presents a broad overview of the major features of this protease. This knowledge is crucial to identify diagnostic or therapeutic strategies focusing on MMP-2. In this sense, recent publications and clinical trials underline the potential value of measuring circulating or tissular MMP-2 levels as diagnostic or prognostic tools, or as a useful secondary outcome for therapies against other primary targets. Direct MMP-2 inhibition has benefited from substantial progress in the design of more specific inhibitors but their in vivo application remains challenging but certainly worth the efforts it receives.