Serum protein profiling using an aptamer array predicts clinical outcomes of stage IIA colon cancer: A leave-one-out crossvalidation

An aptamer interacting with heat shock protein 70 shows therapeutic effects and prognostic ability in serous ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy owing to its high chemoresistance and late diagnosis, which lead to a poor prognosis. Hence, developing new therapeutic modalities is important for OvCa patient treatment. Our previous results indicated that a novel aptamer, Tx-01, can specifically recognize serous carcinoma cells and tissues. Here, we aim to clarify the clinical role and possible molecular mechanisms of Tx-01 in OvCa. Immunostaining and statistical analysis were performed to detect the interaction of Tx-01 and heat shock protein 70/Notch1 intracellular domain (HSP70/NICD) in OvCa. The in vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out to demonstrate the potential mechanisms of Tx-01. Results show that Tx-01 reduced serous OvCa OVCAR3 cell migration and invasion and inhibited HSP70 nuclear translocation by interrupting the intracellular HSP70/NICD interaction. Furthermore, Tx-01 suppressed serous-type OVCAR3 cell tumor growth in vivo. Tx-01 acts as a prognostic factor through its interaction with membrane-bound HSP70 (mHSP70 that locates on the cell surface without direct interaction to NICD) on ascitic circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and is reported to be involved in natural killer (NK) cell recognition and activation. Our data demonstrated that Tx-01 interacted with HSP70 and showed therapeutic and prognostic effects in serous OvCa. Tx-01 might be a potential inhibitor for use in serous OvCa treatment.

Identifying Mutually Exclusive Gene Sets with Prognostic Value and Novel Potential Driver Genes in Patients with Glioblastoma

The pathogenesis and prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM) remain poorly understood. Mutual exclusivity analysis can distinguish driver genes and pathways from passenger ones. The purpose of this study was to identify mutually exclusive gene sets (MEGSs) that have prognostic value and to detect novel driver genes in GBM. The genomic alteration profile and clinical information were derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the MEGSA method was used to identify the MEGS. Next, we performed survival analysis and constructed a risk prediction model for prognostic stratification. Leave-one-out cross-validation and permutation test were used to evaluate its performance. Finally, we identified 21 statistically significant MEGSs. We found that the MEGS in the RB pathway was significantly associated with poor prognosis, after adjusting for age and gender (HR = 1.837, 95% CI: 1.192-2.831). Based on the risk prediction model, 208 (80.9%) and 49 (19.1%) patients were assigned to high- and low-risk groups, respectively (log-rank: p < 0.001, adjusted p=0.001). Additionally, we found that SPTA1, a novel gene involved in the MEGS, was mutually exclusive with members of cell cycle, P53, and RB pathways. In conclusion, the MEGS in the RB pathway had considerable clinical value for GBM prognostic stratification. Mutated SPTA1 may be involved in GBM development.

Oncoproteomics: Current status and future opportunities

Oncoproteomics is the systematic study of cancer samples using omics technologies to detect changes implicated in tumorigenesis. Recent progress in oncoproteomics is already opening new avenues for the identification of novel biomarkers for early clinical stage cancer detection, targeted molecular therapies, disease monitoring, and drug development. Such information will lead to new understandings of cancer biology and impact dramatically on the future care of cancer patients. In this review, we will summarize the advantages and limitations of the key technologies used in (onco)proteogenomics, (the Omics Pipeline), explain how they can assist us in understanding the biology behind the overarching "Hallmarks of Cancer", discuss how they can advance the development of precision/personalised medicine and the future directions in the field.

Nucleic acid aptamers in diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Nucleic acid aptamers are promising recognition ligands for diagnostic applications. They are short DNA or RNA molecules isolated from large random libraries through the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure. These molecules, with a particular three-dimensional shape, bind to a wide range of targets from small molecules to whole cells with high affinity and specificity. The unique properties of nucleic acid aptamers including high binding affinity and specificity, thermostability, ease of chemical production, ease of chemical modification, target adaptability, simple storage, resistance to denaturation, low immunogenicity, and low cost make them potential diagnostic tools for clinical use. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in humans and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Due to low response rate to current therapies in advanced stages of the disease, early detection of CRC can be useful in disease management. This review highlights recent advances in the development of nucleic acid aptamer-based methods for diagnosis, prognosis, and theranosis of colorectal cancer.