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Seufferlein T, Lausser L, Stein A, Arnold D, Prager G, Kasper-Virchow S, Niedermeier M, Müller L, Kubicka S, König A, Büchner-Steudel P, Wille K, Berger AW, Kestler AMR, Kraus JM, Werle SD, Perkhofer L, Ettrich TJ, Kestler HA. Prediction of resistance to bevacizumab plus FOLFOX in metastatic colorectal cancer-Results of the prospective multicenter PERMAD trial. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304324. [PMID: 38875244 PMCID: PMC11178165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are widely used for tumor treatment, including metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). So far, there are no biomarkers that reliably predict resistance to anti-VEGF mAbs like bevacizumab. A biomarker-guided strategy for early and accurate assessment of resistance could avoid the use of non-effective treatment and improve patient outcomes. We hypothesized that repeated analysis of multiple cytokines and angiogenic growth factors (CAFs) before and during treatment using machine learning could provide an accurate and earlier, i.e., 100 days before conventional radiologic staging, prediction of resistance to first-line mCRC treatment with FOLFOX plus bevacizumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS 15 German and Austrian centers prospectively recruited 50 mCRC patients receiving FOLFOX plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment. Plasma samples were collected every two weeks until radiologic progression (RECIST 1.1) as determined by CT scans performed every 2 months. 102 pre-selected CAFs were centrally analyzed using a cytokine multiplex assay (Luminex, Myriad RBM). RESULTS Using random forests, we developed a predictive machine learning model that discriminated between the situations of "no progress within 100 days before radiological progress" and "progress within 100 days before radiological progress". We could further identify a combination of ten out of the 102 CAF markers, which fulfilled this task with 78.2% accuracy, 71.8% sensitivity, and 82.5% specificity. CONCLUSIONS We identified a CAF marker combination that indicates treatment resistance to FOLFOX plus bevacizumab in patients with mCRC within 100 days prior to radiologic progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludwig Lausser
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Faculty of Computer Science, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Alexander Stein
- Hematology-Oncology Practice Eppendorf, University Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Arnold
- Asklepios Cancer Center Hamburg, AK Altona, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerald Prager
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kasper-Virchow
- Medical Oncology, University Hospital Essen West German Cancer Center, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Kubicka
- Cancer Center Reutlingen, Reutlingen Hospital, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Alexander König
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Kai Wille
- Hematology, Oncology, University Hospital Ruhr-University-Bochum, Minden, Germany
| | - Andreas W Berger
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Johann M Kraus
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Silke D Werle
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lukas Perkhofer
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas J Ettrich
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hans A Kestler
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Zaragoza-Huesca D, Rodenas MC, Peñas-Martínez J, Pardo-Sánchez I, Peña-García J, Espín S, Ricote G, Nieto A, García-Molina F, Vicente V, Lozano ML, Carmona-Bayonas A, Mulero V, Pérez-Sánchez H, Martínez-Martínez I. Suramin, a drug for the treatment of trypanosomiasis, reduces the prothrombotic and metastatic phenotypes of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting hepsin. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115814. [PMID: 37918256 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, our group identified serine-protease hepsin from primary tumor as a biomarker of metastasis and thrombosis in patients with localized colorectal cancer. We described hepsin promotes invasion and thrombin generation of colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and identified venetoclax as a hepsin inhibitor that suppresses these effects. Now, we aspire to identify additional hepsin inhibitors, aiming to broaden the therapeutic choices for targeted intervention in colorectal cancer. METHODS We developed a virtual screening based on molecular docking between the hepsin active site and 2000 compounds from DrugBank. The most promising drug was validated in a hepsin activity assay. Subsequently, we measured the hepsin inhibitor effect on colorectal cancer cells with basal or overexpression of hepsin via wound-healing, gelatin matrix invasion, and plasma thrombin generation assays. Finally, a zebrafish model determined whether hepsin inhibition reduced the invasion of colorectal cancer cells overexpressing hepsin. RESULTS Suramin was the most potent hepsin inhibitor (docking score: -11.9691 Kcal/mol), with an IC50 of 0.66 µM. In Caco-2 cells with basal or overexpression of hepsin, suramin decreased migration and significantly reduced invasion and thrombin generation. Suramin did not reduce the thrombotic phenotype in the hepsin-negative colorectal cancer cells HCT-116 and DLD-1. Finally, suramin significantly reduced the in vivo invasion of Caco-2 cells overexpressing hepsin. CONCLUSION Suramin is a novel hepsin inhibitor that reduces its protumorigenic and prothrombotic effects in colorectal cancer cells. This suggests the possibility of repurposing suramin and its derivatives to augment the repertoire of molecular targeted therapies against colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Zaragoza-Huesca
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Maria Carmen Rodenas
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Julia Peñas-Martínez
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Irene Pardo-Sánchez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universidad de Murcia, CIBERER, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Jorge Peña-García
- Structural Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Research Group (BIO-HPC), Computer Engineering Department, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Salvador Espín
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Guillermo Ricote
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Andrés Nieto
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, 30008 Murcia, Spain.
| | | | - Vicente Vicente
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Maria Luisa Lozano
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Alberto Carmona-Bayonas
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Victoriano Mulero
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universidad de Murcia, CIBERER, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Horacio Pérez-Sánchez
- Structural Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Research Group (BIO-HPC), Computer Engineering Department, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Irene Martínez-Martínez
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, CIBERER, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, 30003 Murcia, Spain.
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Meng Y, Yang W, Li J, Chai W. KIAA1429 facilitates progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating m6A levels in HPN. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22084. [PMID: 38058614 PMCID: PMC10695992 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-associated modulatory proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of various cancers. The roles of m6A-related genes in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and the associated mechanisms remain unknown. Methods GEO and GEPIA2 databases were used to identify the m6A modification-related genes which were differentially expressed in LIHC and adjacent non-tumor tissues, and quantitative PCR was used to evaluate the expression of KIAA1429, a major m6A methyltransferase, in LIHC cells. The effect of KIAA1429 on the malignant phenotypes of LIHC cells was evaluated in vitro. The UALCAN, GEPIA, and GEO databases and western blotting assays were used to identify the target genes of KIAA1429. Results KIAA1429 expression was markedly elevated in LIHC tissues, and patients with LIHC who had high KIAA1429 expression had a worse prognosis than those who had low expression. KIAA1429 silencing attenuated LIHC metastasis and proliferation. KIAA142 regulates m6A levels in HPN to intensify LIHC progression. Conclusion Our study suggests a KIAA1429-HPN modulatory model based on m6A modifications, that offers insights into the occurrence and development of LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Meng
- The First Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Yang
- The Department of Nursing, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, China
| | - Jinchao Li
- The First Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Wei Chai
- The First Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
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Rodenas MC, Peñas-Martínez J, Pardo-Sánchez I, Zaragoza-Huesca D, Ortega-Sabater C, Peña-García J, Espín S, Ricote G, Montenegro S, Ayala-De La Peña F, Luengo-Gil G, Nieto A, García-Molina F, Vicente V, Bernardi F, Lozano ML, Mulero V, Pérez-Sánchez H, Carmona-Bayonas A, Martínez-Martínez I. Venetoclax is a potent hepsin inhibitor that reduces the metastatic and prothrombotic phenotypes of hepsin-expressing colorectal cancer cells. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1182925. [PMID: 37275957 PMCID: PMC10235687 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1182925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hepsin is a type II transmembrane serine protease and its expression has been linked to greater tumorigenicity and worse prognosis in different tumors. Recently, our group demonstrated that high hepsin levels from primary tumor were associated with a higher risk of metastasis and thrombosis in localized colorectal cancer patients. This study aims to explore the molecular role of hepsin in colorectal cancer. Methods: Hepsin levels in plasma from resected and metastatic colorectal cancer patients were analyzed by ELISA. The effect of hepsin levels on cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, as well as on the activation of crucial cancer signaling pathways, was performed in vitro using colorectal cancer cells. A thrombin generation assay determined the procoagulant function of hepsin from these cells. A virtual screening of a database containing more than 2000 FDA-approved compounds was performed to screen hepsin inhibitors, and selected compounds were tested in vitro for their ability to suppress hepsin effects in colorectal cancer cells. Xenotransplantation assays were done in zebrafish larvae to study the impact of venetoclax on invasion promoted by hepsin. Results: Our results showed higher plasma hepsin levels in metastatic patients, among which, hepsin was higher in those suffering thrombosis. Hepsin overexpression increased colorectal cancer cell invasion, Erk1/2 and STAT3 phosphorylation, and thrombin generation in plasma. In addition, we identified venetoclax as a potent hepsin inhibitor that reduced the metastatic and prothrombotic phenotypes of hepsin-expressing colorectal cancer cells. Interestingly, pretreatment with Venetoclax of cells overexpressing hepsin reduced their invasiveness in vivo. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that hepsin overexpression correlates with a more aggressive and prothrombotic tumor phenotype. Likewise, they demonstrate the antitumor role of venetoclax as a hepsin inhibitor, laying the groundwork for molecular-targeted therapy for colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carmen Rodenas
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Julia Peñas-Martínez
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Irene Pardo-Sánchez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - David Zaragoza-Huesca
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Carmen Ortega-Sabater
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jorge Peña-García
- Computer Engineering Department, Structural Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Research Group (BIO-HPC), UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, Guadalupe, Spain
| | - Salvador Espín
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Guillermo Ricote
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Sofía Montenegro
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco Ayala-De La Peña
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ginés Luengo-Gil
- Clinical Analysis and Pathology Department, Group of Molecular Pathology and Pharmacogenetics, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Andrés Nieto
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Vicente Vicente
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francesco Bernardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - María Luisa Lozano
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Victoriano Mulero
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Horacio Pérez-Sánchez
- Computer Engineering Department, Structural Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Research Group (BIO-HPC), UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, Guadalupe, Spain
| | - Alberto Carmona-Bayonas
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Irene Martínez-Martínez
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, IMIB-Pascual Parrilla, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Curtis AA, Yu Y, Carey M, Parfrey P, Yilmaz YE, Savas S. Multifactor dimensionality reduction method identifies novel SNP interactions in the WNT protein interaction networks that are associated with recurrence risk in colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1122229. [PMID: 36998434 PMCID: PMC10043327 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1122229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundInteractions among genetic variants are rarely studied but may explain a part of the variability in patient outcomes.ObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to identify 1 to 3 way interactions among SNPs from five Wnt protein interaction networks that predict the 5-year recurrence risk in a cohort of stage I-III colorectal cancer patients.Methods423 patients recruited to the Newfoundland Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry were included. Five Wnt family member proteins (Wnt1, Wnt2, Wnt5a, Wnt5b, and Wnt11) were selected. The BioGRID database was used to identify the proteins interacting with each of these proteins. Genotypes of the SNPs located in the interaction network genes were retrieved from a genome-wide SNP genotype data previously obtained in the patient cohort. The GMDR 0.9 program was utilized to examine 1-, 2-, and 3-SNP interactions using a 5-fold cross validation step. Top GMDR 0.9 models were assessed by permutation testing and, if significant, prognostic associations were verified by multivariable logistic regression models.ResultsGMDR 0.9 has identified novel 1, 2, and 3-way SNP interactions associated with 5-year recurrence risk in colorectal cancer. Nine of these interactions were multi loci interactions (2-way or 3-way). Identified interaction models were able to distinguish patients based on their 5-year recurrence-free status in multivariable regression models. The significance of interactions was the highest in the 3-SNP models. Several of the identified SNPs were eQTLs, indicating potential biological roles of the genes they were associated with in colorectal cancer recurrence.ConclusionsWe identified novel interacting genetic variants that associate with 5-year recurrence risk in colorectal cancer. A significant portion of the genes identified were previously linked to colorectal cancer pathogenesis or progression. These variants and genes are of interest for future functional and prognostic studies. Our results provide further evidence for the utility of GMDR models in identifying novel prognostic biomarkers and the biological importance of the Wnt pathways in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A. Curtis
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Yajun Yu
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Megan Carey
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Patrick Parfrey
- Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Yildiz E. Yilmaz
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Sevtap Savas
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Discipline of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- *Correspondence: Sevtap Savas,
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