Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase PRL-3: A Key Player in Cancer Signaling

The prognostic impact of body mass index on patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Body mass index (BMI) is considered a negative prognostic factor in gastric cancer (GC), but its impact on different types of pathology remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between BMI and clinicopathology and its impact on the prognosis of GC, particularly between adenocarcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma subtypes.

Methods

This study analyzed 3,081 GC patients who received extensive GC surgery at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between April 2008 and December 2019. Demographic characteristics, tumor characteristics, and survival data were reviewed from the medical records of all patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis detected independent risk factors affecting prognosis in GC patients. Furthermore, the correlation between BMI and clinicopathological factors was analyzed using Chi-squared assays. Effects of BMI on overall survival in patients with different pathologic types of GC were determined using the Kaplan-Meier curves.

Results

Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified age (P<0.001), BMI (P<0.001), surgery (P<0.001), differentiation (P=0.03), pathological type (P<0.001), nerve invasion (P=0.01), maximum tumor diameter (P=0.05), pathologic tumor (pT) stage (P<0.001), pathologic node (pN) stage (P<0.001), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (P<0.001), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) (P<0.001) were prognostic factors for GC. Patients were divided into three groups based on BMI (kg/m2): low body weight (<18.5), medium (≥18.5, <24), and high (≥24). According to the grouping criteria of BMI, 276 were determined to be in BMI low, 1,956 in BMI medium, and 849 in BMI high. The correlation between BMI and clinicopathological characteristics was confirmed by the Chi-squared test. Specifically, pathologic tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage (P<0.001), nerve invasion (P<0.001), and maximum diameter (P<0.01) were correlated with the BMI. Additionally, serum levels of CEA (P=0.01) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (P<0.001) were also found to be negatively correlated with BMI. Furthermore, in gastric adenocarcinoma, the higher the BMI, the better the prognosis. In mucinous adenocarcinoma, BMI had no significant impact on patient prognosis.

Conclusions

BMI has a reference value for the prognosis of GC. Patients with a higher BMI had a significantly better prognosis in gastric adenocarcinoma. In mucinous adenocarcinoma, the prognosis of patients in the three BMI groups did not differ significantly.

Biomarkers of lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer: update

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, trailing only behind lung cancer, and stands as the third most prevalent malignant tumor, following lung and breast cancers. The primary cause of mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) stems from distant metastasis. Among the various routes of metastasis in CRC, lymph node metastasis predominates, serving as a pivotal factor in both prognostication and treatment decisions for patients. This intricate cascade of events involves multifaceted molecular mechanisms, highlighting the complexity underlying lymph node metastasis in CRC. The cytokines or proteins involved in lymph node metastasis may represent the most promising lymph node metastasis markers for clinical use. In this review, we aim to consolidate the current understanding of the mechanisms and pathophysiology underlying lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC), drawing upon insights from the most recent literatures. We also provide an overview of the latest advancements in comprehending the molecular underpinnings of lymph node metastasis in CRC, along with the potential of innovative targeted therapies. These advancements hold promise for enhancing the prognosis of CRC patients by addressing the challenges posed by lymph node metastasis.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors: a patent review and update (2012-2023)

INTRODUCTION

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), essential and evolutionarily highly conserved enzymes, govern cellular functions by modulating tyrosine phosphorylation, a pivotal post-translational modification for signal transduction. The recent strides in phosphatase drug discovery, leading to the identification of selective modulators for enzymes, restoring interest in the therapeutic targeting of protein phosphatases.

AREAS COVERED

The compilation of patents up to the year 2023 focuses on the efficacy of various classes of Tyrosine phosphatases and their inhibitors, detailing their chemical structure and biochemical characteristics. These findings have broad implications, as they can be applied to treating diverse conditions like cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and neurological diseases. The search for scientific articles and patent literature was conducted using well known different platforms to gather information up to 2023.

EXPERT OPINION

The latest improvements in protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) research include the discovery of new inhibitors targeting specific PTP enzymes, with a focus on developing allosteric site covalent inhibitors for enhanced efficacy and specificity. These advancements have not only opened up new possibilities for therapeutic interventions in various disease conditions but also hold the potential for innovative treatments. PTPs offer promising avenues for drug discovery efforts and innovative treatments across a spectrum of health conditions.