Fascin-1 and its role as a serological marker in prostate cancer: a prospective case-control study

The FSCN1 gene rs2966447 variant is associated with increased serum fascin-1 levels and breast cancer susceptibility

Fascin-1 (FSCN1) is recognized as an actin-binding protein, commonly exhibits up-regulation in breast cancer (BC) and is crucial for tumor invasion and metastasis. The existence of FSCN1 gene polymorphisms may raise the potential for developing BC, and there are still no studies focusing on the relationship between the FSCN1 rs2966447 variant and BC risk in Egyptian females. Thus, we investigated the serum fascin-1 levels in BC patients and the association between the FSCN1 rs2966447 variant with its serum levels and BC susceptibility. Genotyping was conducted in 153 treatment-naïve BC females with different stages and 144 apparent healthy females by TaqMan® allelic discrimination assay, whereas serum fascin-1 level quantification was employed by ELISA. The FSCN1 rs2966447 variant demonstrated a significant association with BC susceptibility under all utilized genetic models, cancer stages and estrogen receptor negativity. Also, BC females with AT and TT genotypes had higher serum fascin-1 levels and tumor size than those with the AA genotype. Moreover, serum fascin-1 levels were significantly elevated in the BC females, notably in those with advanced-stages. Furthermore, serum fascin-1 levels were markedly positively correlated with number of positive lymph nodes as well as tumor size. Collectively, these findings revealed that the FSCN1 rs2966447 variant may be regarded as a strong candidate for BC susceptibility. Also, this intronic variant is associated with increased serum fascin-1 levels and tumor size.

Comparative proteome and serum analysis identified FSCN1 as a marker of abiraterone resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Abiraterone (Abi) is an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor that significantly improves patients' life expectancy in metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Despite its beneficial effects, many patients have baseline or acquired resistance against Abi. The aim of this study was to identify predictive serum biomarkers for Abi treatment.

METHODS

We performed a comparative proteome analysis on three Abi sensitive (LNCaPabl, LAPC4, DuCaP) and resistant (LNCaPabl-Abi, LAPC4-Abi, DuCaP-Abi) PCa cell lines using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. Two bioinformatic selection workflows were applied to select the most promising candidate serum markers. Serum levels of selected proteins were assessed in samples of 100 Abi-treated patients with metastatic castration-resistant disease (mCRPC) using ELISA. Moreover, FSCN1 serum concentrations were measured in samples of 69 Docetaxel (Doc) treated mCRPC patients.

RESULTS

Our proteome analysis identified 68 significantly, at least two-fold upregulated proteins in Abi resistant cells. Using two filtering workflows four proteins (AMACR, KLK2, FSCN1 and CTAG1A) were selected for ELISA analyses. We found high baseline FSCN1 serum levels to be significantly associated with poor survival in Abi-treated mCRPC patients. Moreover, the multivariable analysis revealed that higher ECOG status (>1) and high baseline FSCN1 serum levels (>10.22 ng/ml by ROC cut-off) were independently associated with worse survival in Abi-treated patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively). In contrast, no association was found between serum FSCN1 concentrations and overall survival in Doc-treated patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis identified baseline FSCN1 serum levels to be independently associated with poor survival of Abi-treated, but not Doc-treated mCRPC patients, suggesting a therapy specific prognostic value for FSCN1.

Targeting FSCN1 with an oral small-molecule inhibitor for treating ocular neovascularization

BACKGROUND

Ocular neovascularization is a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. While intravitreal anti-VEGF agents can be effective, they do have several drawbacks, such as endophthalmitis and drug resistance. Additional studies are necessary to explore alternative therapeutic targets.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis and quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect and verify the FSCN1 expression levels in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mice model. Transwell, wound scratching, tube formation, three-dimensional bead sprouting assay, rhodamine-phalloidin staining, Isolectin B4 staining and immunofluorescent staining were conducted to detect the role of FSCN1 and its oral inhibitor NP-G2-044 in vivo and vitro. HPLC-MS/MS analysis, cell apoptosis assay, MTT assay, H&E and tunnel staining, visual electrophysiology testing, visual cliff test and light/dark transition test were conducted to assess the pharmacokinetic and security of NP-G2-044 in vivo and vitro. Co-Immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR and western blot were conducted to reveal the mechanism of FSCN1 and NP-G2-044 mediated pathological ocular neovascularization.

RESULTS

We discovered that Fascin homologue 1 (FSCN1) is vital for angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo, and that it is highly expressed in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). We found that NP-G2-044, a small-molecule inhibitor of FSCN1 with oral activity, can impede the sprouting, migration, and filopodia formation of cultured endothelial cells. Oral NP-G2-044 can effectively and safely curb the development of OIR and CNV, and increase efficacy while overcoming anti-VEGF resistance in combination with intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea) injection.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, FSCN1 inhibition could serve as a promising therapeutic approach to block ocular neovascularization.

Fascin-1 in Cancer Cell Metastasis: Old Target-New Insights

As metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths, understanding the cellular and molecular events that lead to cancer cell migration and invasion will certainly provide insights into novel anti-metastatic therapeutic targets. Fascin-1 is an actin-bundling protein fundamental to all physiological or pathological processes that require cell migration. It is responsible for cross-linking actin microfilaments during the formation of actin-rich cellular structures at the leading edge of migrating cells such as filopodia, lamellipodia and invadopodia. While most epithelial tissues express low levels of Fascin-1, it is dramatically elevated in the majority of cancers and its expression has been associated with more aggressive disease and decreased overall survival. Hence, it has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer target. In the present review, we studied recent literature with regard to Fascin-1 expression in different cancers, its role in altering the mechanical properties of cancer cells, promoting cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis and the effect of its inhibition, via various pharmacological inhibitors, in eliminating metastasis in vitro and/or in vivo. Recent studies corroborate the notion that Fascin-1 is critically involved in metastasis and prove that it is a valuable anti-metastatic target that is worth investigating further.

The Role of Fascin-1 in Human Urologic Cancers: A Promising Biomarker or Therapeutic Target?

Human cancer statistics show that an increased incidence of urologic cancers such as bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. Due to the lack of early markers and effective therapeutic targets, their prognosis is poor. Fascin-1 is an actin-binding protein, which functions in the formation of cell protrusions by cross-linking with actin filaments. Studies have found that fascin-1 expression is elevated in most human cancers and is related to outcomes such as neoplasm metastasis, reduced survival, and increased aggressiveness. Fascin-1 has been considered as a potential therapeutic target for urologic cancers, but there is no comprehensive review to evaluate these studies. This review aimed to provide an enhanced literature review, outline, and summarize the mechanism of fascin-1 in urologic cancers and discuss the therapeutic potential of fascin-1 and the possibility of its use as a potential marker. We also focused on the correlation between the overexpression of fascin-1 and clinicopathological parameters. Mechanistically, fascin-1 is regulated by several regulators and signaling pathways (such as long noncoding RNA, microRNA, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and extracellular regulated protein kinases). The overexpression of fascin-1 is related to clinicopathologic parameters such as pathological stage, bone or lymph node metastasis, and reduced disease-free survival. Several fascin-1 inhibitors (G2, NP-G2-044) have been evaluated in vitro and in preclinical models. The study proved the promising potential of fascin-1 as a newly developing biomarker and a potential therapeutic target that needs further investigation. The data also highlight the inadequacy of fascin-1 to serve as a novel biomarker for prostate cancer.

Radiomics in prostate cancer: an up-to-date review

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common worldwide diagnosed malignancy in male population. The diagnosis, the identification of aggressive disease, and the post-treatment follow-up needs a more comprehensive and holistic approach. Radiomics is the extraction and interpretation of images phenotypes in a quantitative manner. Radiomics may give an advantage through advancements in imaging modalities and through the potential power of artificial intelligence techniques by translating those features into clinical outcome prediction. This article gives an overview on the current evidence of methodology and reviews the available literature on radiomics in PCa patients, highlighting its potential for personalized treatment and future applications.