Clinical verification of plasma messenger RNA as novel noninvasive biomarker identified through bioinformatics analysis for lung cancer

ADAMTS Proteases: Their Multifaceted Role in the Regulation of Cancer Metastasis

Cancer leads to nearly 10 million deaths worldwide per year. The tumour microenvironment (TME) is fundamental for tumour growth and progression. A key component of the TME, the extracellular matrix (ECM) has recently become a focus of interest in cancer research. Dysregulation of ECM synthesis and proteolysis leads to uncontrolled tumour growth and metastasis. Matrix remodelling enzymes, secreted by cancer cells and stromal cells, modify the overall structure and organisation of ECM proteins, therefore influencing biochemical interactions, tissue integrity and tissue turnover. While A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinases (ADAMs)' and matrix metalloproteinases' role in cancer has been deeply investigated, other proteolytic enzymes, like ADAMs with thrombospondin(-like) motifs (ADAMTSs) have been gaining interest due to their roles in modulating cancer cell-ECM interactions and oncogenic signalling pathways. In this review, we will discuss the dysregulation of ADAMTSs in cancer and their roles in regulating cancer development and progression, via ECM remodelling and cell signalling modulation.

Optimal Supervised Reduction of High Dimensional Transcription Data

The plight of navigating high-dimensional transcription datasets remains a persistent problem. This problem is further amplified for complex disorders, such as cancer as these disorders are often multigenic traits with multiple subsets of genes collectively affecting the type, stage, and severity of the trait. We are often faced with a trade off between reducing the dimensionality of our datasets and maintaining the integrity of our data. To accomplish both tasks simultaneously for very high dimensional transcriptome for complex multigenic traits, we propose a new supervised technique, Class Separation Transformation (CST). CST accomplishes both tasks simultaneously by significantly reducing the dimensionality of the input space into a one-dimensional transformed space that provides optimal separation between the differing classes. Furthermore, CST offers an means of explainable ML, as it computes the relative importance of each feature for its contribution to class distinction, which can thus lead to deeper insights and discovery. We compare our method with existing state-of-the-art methods using both real and synthetic datasets, demonstrating that CST is the more accurate, robust, scalable, and computationally advantageous technique relative to existing methods. Code used in this paper is available on https://github.com/richiebailey74/CST.

Advances in holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP): Structure, molecular functions, and roles in cancer

Oncogenes are increasingly recognized as important factors in the development and progression of cancer. Holliday Junction Recognition Protein (HJURP) is a highly specialized mitogenic protein that is a chaperone protein of histone H3. The HJURP gene is located on chromosome 2q37.1 and is involved in nucleosome composition in the mitotic region, forming a three-dimensional crystal structure with Centromere Protein A (CENP-A) and the histone 4 complex. HJURP is involved in the recruitment and assembly of centromere and kinetochore and plays a key role in stabilizing the chromosome structure of tumor cells, and its dysfunction may contribute to tumorigenesis. In the available studies HJURP is upregulated in a variety of cancer tissues and cancer cell lines and is involved in tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis and immune response. In an in vivo model, overexpression of HJURP in most cancer cell lines promotes cell proliferation and invasiveness, reduces susceptibility to apoptosis, and promotes tumor growth. In addition, upregulation of HJURP was associated with poorer prognosis in a variety of cancers. These properties suggest that HJURP may be a possible target for the treatment of certain cancers. Various studies targeting HJURP as a prognostic and therapeutic target for cancer are gradually attracting interest and attention. This paper reviews the functional and molecular mechanisms of HJURP in a variety of tumor types with the aim of providing new targets for future cancer therapy.

An Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis towards the Identification of Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Predictive Key Biomarkers for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Simple Summary

Bladder cancer is evidently a challenge as far as its prognosis and treatment are concerned. The investigation of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets is indispensable and still in progress. Most studies attempt to identify differential signatures between distinct molecular tumor subtypes. Therefore, keeping in mind the heterogeneity of urinary bladder tumors, we attempted to identify a consensus gene-related signature between the common expression profile of bladder cancer and control samples. In the quest for substantive features, we were able to identify key hub genes, whose signatures could hold diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic significance, but, primarily, could contribute to a better understanding of urinary bladder cancer biology.

Abstract

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and accounts for high morbidity and mortality. This study intended to elucidate potential key biomarkers related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of BCa through an integrated bioinformatics analysis. In this context, a systematic meta-analysis, integrating 18 microarray gene expression datasets from the GEO repository into a merged meta-dataset, identified 815 robust differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The key hub genes resulted from DEG-based protein–protein interaction and weighted gene co-expression network analyses were screened for their differential expression in urine and blood plasma samples of BCa patients. Subsequently, they were tested for their prognostic value, and a three-gene signature model, including COL3A1, FOXM1, and PLK4, was built. In addition, they were tested for their predictive value regarding muscle-invasive BCa patients’ response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A six-gene signature model, including ANXA5, CD44, NCAM1, SPP1, CDCA8, and KIF14, was developed. In conclusion, this study identified nine key biomarker genes, namely ANXA5, CDT1, COL3A1, SPP1, VEGFA, CDCA8, HJURP, TOP2A, and COL6A1, which were differentially expressed in urine or blood of BCa patients, held a prognostic or predictive value, and were immunohistochemically validated. These biomarkers may be of significance as prognostic and therapeutic targets for BCa.

Identification of circulating biomarkers for differentiating patients with papillary thyroid cancers from benign thyroid tumors

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify the potential circulating biomarkers of protein, mRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) to differentiate the papillary thyroid cancers from benign thyroid tumors.

METHODS

The study population of 100 patients was classified into identification (10 patients with papillary thyroid cancers and 10 patients with benign thyroid tumors) and validation groups (45 patients with papillary thyroid cancers and 35 patients with benign thyroid tumors). The Sengenics Immunome Protein Array-combined data mining approach using the Open Targets Platform was used to identify the putative protein biomarkers, and their expression validated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Next-generation sequencing by Illumina HiSeq was used for the detection of dysregulated mRNAs and lncRNAs. The website Timer v2.0 helped identify the putative mRNA biomarkers, which were significantly over-expressed in papillary thyroid cancers than in adjacent normal thyroid tissue. The mRNA and lncRNA biomarker expression was validated by a real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Although putative protein and mRNA biomarkers have been identified, their serum expression could not be confirmed in the validation cohorts. In addition, seven lncRNAs (TCONS_00516490, TCONS_00336559, TCONS_00311568, TCONS_00321917, TCONS_00336522, TCONS_00282483, and TCONS_00494326) were identified and validated as significantly downregulated in patients with papillary thyroid cancers compared to those with benign thyroid tumors. These seven lncRNAs showed moderate accuracy based on the area under the curve (AUC = 0.736) of receiver operating characteristic in predicting the occurrence of papillary thyroid cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified seven downregulated circulating lncRNAs with the potential for predicting the occurrence of papillary thyroid cancers.

Plasma circulating cell free messenger RNA as a potential biomarker of melanoma

BACKGROUND

Blood borne cell free nucleic acids are increasingly emerging as significant non-invasive adjuncts to current methods of disease status evaluation in cancer patients. In this study, we sought to examine whether significant differences exist in the plasma transcriptomic profile of advanced melanoma patients with a high disease burden compared to patients with a low disease burden or therapeutic response.

METHODS

Pathway focussed gene expression analysis was performed using cDNA derived from the plasma circulating cell free messenger ribonucleic acid (ccfmRNA) samples of twenty-two patients with advanced melanoma. Patients were assessed with paired blood sample collection and CT scan assessments at baseline and at 3 months follow up.

RESULTS

We identified several genes which were significantly over-expressed in patients with a low disease burden or therapeutic response; BCL2L1, CXCL9, IDO1, IL13, MIF, MYD88 and TLR4 (p ≤ 0.001, versus high disease burden). There was an increase in the magnitude of fold change (2^ (-dd CT)) of BCL2L1 (p = 0.031), CCL4 (p = 0.001), CCL5 (p = 0.043), CXCL9 (p = 0.012), GZMB (p = 0.023) and TNFSF10 (p = 0.039) genes in patients with therapeutic response at 3 months follow up assessment relative to baseline assessment. Moreover, in stage IV melanoma patients with brain metastases, CCL18, CCR1, CCR4, CD274, CSF2, EGF, and PTGS2 genes were significantly over-expressed (p < 0.001, versus patients without melanoma brain metastasis).

CONCLUSION

Significant differences were observed in the plasma transcriptomic profile between the various melanoma patient groups, and we postulate that these differences may be exploited to identify novel therapeutic targets or biomarkers relevant to melanoma.

Liquid biomarkers for the management of paediatric neuroblastoma: an approach to personalised and targeted cancer therapy

Background:

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour of infancy and accounts for about 6–10% of paediatric cancers. It has a biologically and clinically heterogeneous behaviour that ranges from spontaneous regression to cases of highly aggressive metastatic disease that could be unresponsive to standard therapy. In recent years, there have been several investigations into the development of various diagnostic, predictive and prognostic biomarkers towards personalised and targeted management of the disease.

Materials and Methods:

This paper reports on the review of current clinical and emerging biomarkers used in risk assessment, screening for early detection and diagnosis, prognostication and monitoring of the response of treatment of neuroblastoma in paediatric patients.

Conclusions:

Tumour markers can significantly improve diagnosis; however, the invasive, unpleasant and inconvenient nature of current tissue biopsies limits their applications, especially in paediatric patients. Therefore, the development of a non-invasive, reliable high accurate and personalised diagnostic tool capable of early detection and rapid response is the most promising step towards advanced cancer management from tumour diagnosis, therapy to patient monitoring and represents an important step towards the promise of precision, personalised and targeted medicine. Liquid biopsy assay with wide ranges of clinical applications is emerging to hold incredible potential for advancing cancer treatment and has greater promise for diagnostic purposes, identification and tracking of tumour-specific alterations during the course of the disease and to guide therapeutic decisions.

Positive selection and gene duplications in tumour suppressor genes reveal clues about how cetaceans resist cancer

Cetaceans are the longest-living species of mammals and the largest in the history of the planet. They have developed mechanisms against diseases such cancer, although the underlying molecular bases of these remain unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of natural selection in the evolution of 1077 tumour suppressor genes (TSGs) in cetaceans. We used a comparative genomic approach to analyse two sources of molecular variation in the form of d_N/d_S rates and gene copy number variation. We found a signal of positive selection in the ancestor of cetaceans within the CXCR2 gene, an important regulator of DNA damage, tumour dissemination and immune system. Further, in the ancestor of baleen whales, we found six genes exhibiting positive selection relating to diseases such as breast carcinoma, lung neoplasm (ADAMTS8) and leukaemia (ANXA1). The TSGs turnover rate (gene gain and loss) was almost 2.4-fold higher in cetaceans when compared with other mammals, and notably even faster in baleen whales. The molecular variants in TSGs found in baleen whales, combined with the faster gene turnover rate, could have favoured the evolution of their particular traits of anti-cancer resistance, gigantism and longevity. Additionally, we report 71 genes with duplications, of which 11 genes are linked to longevity (e.g. NOTCH3 and SIK1) and are important regulators of senescence, cell proliferation and metabolism. Overall, these results provide evolutionary evidence that natural selection in TSGs could act on species with large body sizes and extended lifespan, providing novel insights into the genetic basis of disease resistance.

Holliday junction recognition protein promotes pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis via modulation of the MDM2/p53 signaling

Holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP) refers to a histone H3 chaperone that has been implicated in different kinds of malignancies. Yet, its character in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. The expression of HJURP was assessed in PDAC tissues by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. HJURP-deficient or overexpressed PDAC cell lines were constructed, using shRNA or plasmids with HJURP insert. MTT, sphere formation assay, migration, and invasion assays were performed to evaluate the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells. We used xenograft mice models to assess the tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. RNA-seq was applicated in search of the potential downstream target of HJURP in PDAC and subsequent verification were fulfilled via multiple assays, including immunofluorescence. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to explore the potential regulation of MDM2 expression by HJURP through H3K4me2. In this current research, we found that the expression of HJURP in PDAC cells and tissue was significantly higher than those of adjacent normal tissue, and high HJURP expression predicted poor survival. HJURP significantly promoted the viability, sphere formation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells in vitro, HJURP also facilitated tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanically, MDM2/p53 axis is critical for HJURP-mediated malignant behaviors in PDAC, and HJURP regulates MDM2 expression through H3K4me2. HJURP could serve as a promising biomarker, and target for PDAC prognosis and treatment.

Identification and validation of key genes with prognostic value in non-small-cell lung cancer via integrated bioinformatics analysis

Background

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer‐related death among all human cancers and the five‐year survival rates are only 23%. The precise molecular mechanisms of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are still unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and validate the key genes with prognostic value in lung tumorigenesis.

Methods

Four GEO datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis. Protein‐protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using the STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software and Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) were utilized to PPI network to pick out meaningful DEGs. Hub genes, filtered from the CytoHubba, were validated using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database. The expressions and prognostic values of hub genes were carried out through Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Kaplan‐Meier plotter. Finally, quantitative PCR and the Oncomine database were used to verify the differences in the expression of hub genes in lung cancer cells and tissues.

Results

A total of 121 DEGs (49 upregulated and 72 downregulated) were identified from four datasets. The PPI network was established with 121 nodes and 588 protein pairs. Finally, AURKA, KIAA0101, CDC20, MKI67, CHEK1, HJURP, and OIP5 were selected by Cytohubba, and they all correlated with worse overall survival (OS) in NSCLC.

Conclusion

The results showed that AURKA, KIAA0101, CDC20, MKI67, CHEK1, HJURP, and OIP5 may be critical genes in the development and prognosis of NSCLC.

Key points

Our results indicated that AURKA, KIAA0101, CDC20, MKI67, CHEK1, HJURP, and OIP5 may be critical genes in the development and prognosis of NSCLC. Our methods showed a new way to explore the key genes in cancer development.

Noncoding RNAs orchestrate cell growth, death and drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma

Aim: We aimed to explore the roles of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in renal cell carcinoma. Materials & methods: The altered expressions of miR-196a2, miR-499a, H19, MALAT1 and GAS5, as well as some target transcripts were identified by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Up-regulation of miR-196a2, E2F3, HSPA4 and MALAT1 (median fold change: 5.69, 25.6, 4.15 and 19.6, respectively) and down-regulation of miR-499a, GAS5, PDCD4, ANXA1 and DFFA (median fold change: 0.28, 0.25, 0.12, 0.09 and 0.08, respectively) were reported compared with paired non-cancer tissue. PDCD4, DFFA and GAS5 down-regulation was associated with poor prognosis in terms of high grade, larger tumor, nodal invasion, capsular and pelvic infiltration. Conclusion: The identified ncRNAs could represent potential theranostic biomarkers for renal cell carcinoma.

Plasma Messenger RNAs Identified Through Bioinformatics Analysis are Novel, Non-Invasive Prostate Cancer Biomarkers

Aim

To identify new biomarkers of prostate cancer (PCa) for the diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes.

Materials and Methods

Existing microarray data of PCa tissues in the Oncomine database were analyzed and candidate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may be novel and noninvasive biomarkers were obtained. On this basis, plasma mRNA was extracted from PCa patients and healthy donors. Furthermore, plasma mRNA expression of DEGs was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Finally, the diagnostic power of the biomarkers was evaluated in comparison to the clinical characteristics of the patients.

Results

In this study, the top five significantly overexpressed mRNA (AMACR, PPP1R14b, PCA3, DLX1, and RPL22L1) and the top five significantly underexpressed mRNA (DUOX1, EFS, GSTP1, S100A16, and NCRNA00087) were selected for further validation in PCa patients and healthy donors by qRT-PCR. The results showed that AMACR, DLX1, PCA3, DUOX1, and GSTP1 mRNA were stably amplified in plasma. Additionally, DLX1, PCA3, DUOX1, and GSTP1 mRNA expression was significantly different between PCa circulating free mRNA samples and healthy donors. These mRNAs may be useful biomarkers for PCa diagnosis.

Conclusion

Analysis of the expression of genes in the Oncomine database showed that DLX1, PCA3, and DUOX1 expressions have a cancer specific pattern in PCa. Collectively, DLX1, PCA3, and DUOX1 may be useful candidate biomarkers for PCa diagnosis.

Potential Salivary mRNA Biomarkers for Early Detection of Oral Cancer

We evaluated potential biomarkers in human whole saliva for the early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We selected 30 candidate genes with relevance to cancer from recent reports in PubMed. Saliva samples were obtained from 34 non-tumor control and 33 OSCC patients. Real-time PCR was performed, and mRNA levels were compared. Normalized mRNA levels of six genes (NGFI-A binding protein 2 (NAB2), cytochrome P450, family 27, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (CYP27A1), nuclear pore complex interacting protein family, member B4 (NPIPB4), monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), sialic acid acetyltransferase (SIAE), and collagen, type III, alpha 1 (COL3A1)) were significantly lower in saliva of OSCC patients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to individually evaluate the predictive power of the potential biomarkers for OSCC diagnosis. The area under the curve (AUC) values were evaluated for the OSCC vs. non-tumor groups via univariate ROC analyses, as well as multivariate ROC analyses of combinations of multiple potential biomarkers. The combination of CYP27A1 + SIAE showed a favorable AUC value of 0.84. When we divided saliva samples into two groups according to age using a 60-year cut-off, with OSCC patients and controls evaluated together, the AUC of MAOB-NAB2 was more predictive of OSCC in the under-60 group (AUC, 0.91; sensitivity, 0.92; and specificity, 0.86) than any other gene combination. These results are expected to aid the early diagnosis of OSCC, especially in patients under 60 years of age. While more studies with larger numbers of patients are necessary, our result suggest that salivary mRNA would be a potent biomarker for early OSCC diagnosis.

Discovery of plasma messenger RNA as novel biomarker for gastric cancer identified through bioinformatics analysis and clinical validation

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, partially due to the lack of effective screening strategies. Thus, there is a stringent need for non-invasive biomarkers to improve patient diagnostic efficiency in GC.

Methods

This study initially filtered messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as prospective biomarkers through bioinformatics analysis. Clinical validation was conducted using circulating mRNA in plasma from patients with GC. Relationships between expression levels of target genes and clinicopathological characteristics were calculated. Then, associations of these selected biomarkers with overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool.

Results

Based on a comprehensive analysis of transcriptional expression profiles across 5 microarrays, top 3 over- and underexpressed mRNAs in GC were generated. Compared with normal controls, expression levels of collagen type VI alpha 3 chain (COL6A3), serpin family H member 1 (SERPINH1) and pleckstrin homology and RhoGEF domain containing G1 (PLEKHG1) were significantly upregulated in GC plasmas. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves on the diagnostic efficacy of plasma COL6A3, SERPINH1 and PLEKHG1 mRNAs in GC showed that the area under the ROC (AUC) was 0.720, 0.698 and 0.833, respectively. Combined, these three biomarkers showed an elevated AUC of 0.907. Interestingly, the higher COL6A3 level was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in GC patients. High level of SERPINH1 mRNA expression was correlated with advanced age, poor differentiation, lower OS, and PLEKHG1 was also associated with poor OS in GC patients.

Conclusion

Our results suggested that circulating COL6A3, SERPINH1 and PLEKHG1 mRNAs could be putative noninvasive biomarkers for GC diagnosis and prognosis.

Monitoring tumour burden and therapeutic response through analysis of circulating tumour DNA and extracellular RNA in multiple myeloma patients

Monitoring tumour burden and therapeutic response through analyses of circulating cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) and extracellular RNA (exRNA) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients were performed in a Phase Ib trial of 24 relapsed/refractory patients receiving oral azacitidine in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Mutational characterisation of paired BM and PL samples at study entry identified that patients with a higher number of mutations or a higher mutational fractional abundance in PL had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (p = 0.005 and p = 0.018, respectively). A decrease in ctDNA levels at day 5 of cycle 1 of treatment (C1D5) correlated with superior progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.017). Evaluation of exRNA transcripts of candidate biomarkers indicated that high CRBN levels coupled with low levels of SPARC at baseline were associated with shorter OS (p = 0.000003). IKZF1 fold-change <0.05 at C1D5 was associated with shorter PFS (p = 0.0051) and OS (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, patients with high baseline CRBN coupled with low fold-change at C1D5 were at the highest risk of progression (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, this exploratory analysis has provided the first demonstration in MM of ctDNA for predicting disease outcome and of the utility of exRNA as a biomarker of therapeutic response.

HJURP antagonizes CENP-A mislocalization driven by the H3.3 chaperones HIRA and DAXX

The centromere specific histone H3 variant CENP-A/CENH3 specifies where the kinetochore is formed in most eukaryotes. Despite tight regulation of CENP-A levels in normal cells, overexpression of CENP-A is a feature shared by various types of solid tumors and results in its mislocalization to non-centromeric DNA. How CENP-A is assembled ectopically and the consequences of this mislocalization remain topics of high interest. Here, we report that in human colon cancer cells, the H3.3 chaperones HIRA and DAXX promote ectopic CENP-A deposition. Moreover, the correct balance between levels of the centromeric chaperone HJURP and CENP-A is essential to preclude ectopic assembly by H3.3 chaperones. In addition, we find that ectopic localization can recruit kinetochore components, and correlates with mitotic defects and DNA damage in G1 phase. Finally, CENP-A occupancy at the 8q24 locus is also correlated with amplification and overexpression of the MYC gene within that locus. Overall, these data provide insights into the causes and consequences of histone variant mislocalization in human cancer cells.

Molecular characterization and expression of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 8 in chicken

Objective

A disintegrin and metallopeptidase with thrombospondin motifs type 8 (ADAMTS8) is crucial for diverse physiological processes, such as inflammation, tissue morphogenesis, and tumorigenesis. The chicken ADAMTS8 (chADAMTS8) gene was differentially expressed in the kidney following exposure to different calcium concentrations, suggesting a pathological role of this protein in metabolic diseases. We aimed to examine the molecular characteristics of chADAMTS8 and analyze the gene-expression differences in response to toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) stimulation.

METHODS

The ADAMTS8 mRNA and amino acid sequences of various species (chicken, duck, cow, mouse, rat, human, chimpanzee, pig, and horse) were retrieved from the Ensembl database and subjected to bioinformatics analyses. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) experiments were performed with various chicken tissues and the chicken fibroblast DF-1 cell line, which was stimulated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly[I:C]; a TLR3 ligand).

RESULTS

The chADAMTS8 gene was predicted to contain three thrombospondin type 1 (TSP1) domains, whose amino acid sequences shared homology among the different species, whereas sequences outside the TSP1 domains (especially the amino-terminal region) were very difffferent. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that chADAMTS8 is evolutionarily clustered in the same clade with that of the duck. chADAMTS8 mRNA was broadly expressed in chicken tissues, and the expression was significantly up-regulated in the DF-1 cells in response to poly(I:C) stimulation (p&lt;0.05). These results showed that chADAMTS8 may be a target gene for TLR3 signaling.

CONCLUSION

In this report, the genetic information of chADAMTS8 gene, its expression in chicken tissues, and chicken DF-1 cells under the stimulation of TLR3 were shown. The result suggests that chADAMTS8 expression may be induced by viral infection and correlated with TLR3-mediated signaling pathway. Further study of the function of chADAMTS8 during TLR3-dependent inflammation (which represents RNA viral infection) is needed and it will also be important to examine the molecular mechanisms during different regulation, depending on innate immune receptor activation.

The Art of War: harnessing the epigenome against cancer

Histone chaperones are indispensable regulators of chromatin structure and function. Recent work has shown that they are frequently mis-regulated in cancer, which can have profound consequences on tumor growth and survival. Here, we focus on chaperones for the essential H3 histone variants H3.3 and CENP-A, specifically HIRA, DAXX/ATRX, DEK, and HJURP. This review summarizes recent studies elucidating their roles in regulating chromatin and discusses how cancer-specific chromatin interactions can be exploited to target cancer cells.

Circulating cell-free high mobility group AT-hook 2 mRNA as a detection marker in the serum of colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Detection of circulating cell-free mRNA serves as noninvasive tools for cancer diagnosis. As an oncofetal protein, HMGA2 (high mobility group AT-hook 2) is upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues. However, it is not clear whether the increased levels of circulating cell-free HMGA2 mRNA functions as potential biomarkers for improved diagnosis of CRC.

METHODS

To assess its clinical significance in diagnosis and prediction, we evaluated serum levels of circulating HMGA2 mRNA in CRC patients and in healthy controls. In this study, 83 CRC patients and 11 normal controls were enrolled in this study. We used real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to evaluate the plasma mRNA levels of HMGA2 and analyze the correlation between their expression and clinicopathologic characteristics.

RESULTS

We found that the levels of HMGA2 mRNA were significantly higher in CRC patients compared with healthy volunteers. The patients with right-sided CRC, colon cancer, positive nerve infiltration, positive vascular invasion, negative microsatellite instability (MSI), and increasing in serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 199 had higher levels of plasma HMGA2 mRNA. A strong positive correlation between circulating cell-free HMGA2 mRNA and CA199 level in serum was found in our study. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that levels of HMGA2 mRNA in plasma and in tumors were strictly correlated.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our data suggested that cell-free HMGA2 mRNA in plasma might function as a novel diagnostic marker for CRC.