EpCAM Expression in Lymph Node and Bone Metastases of Prostate Carcinoma: A Pilot Study

Strategies for understanding the role of cellular heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of lung cancer: a cell model for chronic exposure to cigarette smoke extract

Background

Human tumors are highly heterogeneous at the cellular, molecular, genetic and functional levels. Tumor heterogeneity has tremendous impact on cancer progression and treatment responses. However, the mechanisms for tumor heterogeneity have been poorly understood due to the lack of experimental models.

Methods

This study provides a novel exploration and analysis of the impacts of cellular and molecular heterogeneity of human lung epithelial cells on their malignant transformation following chronic exposure to cigarette smoke extracts.

Results

The ability of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) to cause malignant transformation of the human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) is dependent on the sizes of the cells. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in this process. Mechanistically, CSE-induced malignant transformation of 16HBE cells was closely linked to the reduced relative telomere length of the larger 16HBE cells, thereby up-regulation of the expression of stemness genes.

Conclusions

These findings provide novel insights for understanding the impact of cellular heterogeneity in lung cancer development. The in vitro transformation model described in this study could be extrapolated to studying the pathogenesis of other malignancies, as well as for mechanistic studies that are not feasible in vivo.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-022-02116-6.

EpCAM as a Novel Biomarker for Survivals in Prostate Cancer Patients

Background: Due to the insufficient understanding of the biological mechanisms, the improvement of therapeutic effects of prostate cancer (PCa) is limited. There is an urgent need to find the molecular mechanisms and underlying PCa to improve its early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Methods: The mRNA expression profiles, survival and methylation data of PRAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses were performed by R software. Subsequently, we identified the key gene and validated its prognostic role from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, UALCAN and the LinkedOmics database. We performd correlation analysis and constructed the ceRNA network based on the data obtained from miRbase and starBase. Finally, we performed methylation analysis and evaluated the immune cell infiltration by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER).

Results: A total of 567 DEGs were identified in PCa. ARHGEF38, SLPI, EpCAM, C1QTNF1, and HBB were regarded as target genes related to favorable overall survival (OS). Among them, EpCAM was considered as the most significant gene through the HPA database and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. A prognostic ceRNA network was constructed with EBLN3P, miR-204-5p, and EpCAM. EpCAM was found to be related to DNA methylation and tumor-infiltrating immune cells.

Conclusion: Our findings provide novel insights into the tumorigenesis mechanism of PCa and contribute to the development of EpCAM as a potential prognostic biomarker in PCa.

The combination therapy with EpCAM/CD3 BsAb and MUC-1/CD3 BsAb elicited antitumor immunity by T-cell adoptive immunotherapy in lung cancer

Lung cancer remains a global challenge due to high morbidity and mortality rates and poor response to treatment, and there are still no effective strategies to solve it. The bispecific antibody (BsAb) is a novel antibody, which can target two different antigens and mediate specific killing effects by selectively redirecting effector cells to the target cells. In this study, we combined two BsAbs to achieve a dual-target therapy strategy of EpCAM⁺ and MUC-1⁺ with high affinity and specificity. The results showed that the combination of two BsAbs against EpCAM and MUC-1 could inhibit the growth of lung cancer more effectively in cell lines and primary tumors. The superior antitumor effect of two BsAbs could be attributable to enhanced CTL and increased production of type I IFNs. At the same time, the combination of EpCAM/CD3 BsAb and MUC-1/CD3 BsAb significantly regulated T population in the TDLNs. Therefore, we have found a potential immunotherapeutic strategy, which was the combination therapy with EpCAM/CD3 BsAb and MUC-1/CD3 BsAb for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

A meta-analysis and The Cancer Genome Atlas data of prostate cancer risk and prognosis using epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression

BACKGROUND

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression has been reported in many types of cancer, including prostate cancer (PCa). However, the role of EpCAM expression remains inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of EpCAM expression in PCa.

METHODS

Publications were searched online using electronic databases. The available data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

We identified seven studies in which immunohistochemistry was used and that included 871 prostatic tissue samples. EpCAM expression was significantly higher in PCa samples than in benign and normal tissue samples (OR = 77.93, P = 0.002; OR = 161.61, P <  0.001; respectively). No correlation of EpCAM overexpression with pT stage and lymph node metastasis was observed; however, EpCAM overexpression showed a significant correlation with Gleason score (OR = 0.48, P = 0.012) and bone metastasis (OR = 145.80, P <  0.001). Furthermore, TCGA data showed that EpCAM overexpression was not closely correlated with age, pT stage, lymph node metastasis, number of lymph node, prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason score, biochemical recurrence, and overall survival. Based on multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, a significant correlation was observed between EpCAM overexpression and 5-year worse biochemical recurrence free-survival.

CONCLUSIONS

EpCAM overexpression may be correlated with the development of bone metastasis and worse biochemical recurrence free-survival of PCa. Further studies are needed to verify these findings.

EpCAM Expression in Lymph Node Metastases of Urothelial Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Pilot Study

In this retrospective pilot study, the feasibility of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) as an imaging target for lymph node (LN) metastatic disease of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the bladder was investigated. LN metastases and LNs without metastases of patients who underwent pelvic lymph node dissection because of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) were used. Primary tumors of the same patients were used from cystectomy specimen, transurethral resections, and biopsies. A pathologist, blinded to clinical data, scored EpCAM immunoreactivity. This method determines a total immunostaining score, which is the product of a proportion score and an intensity score. EpCAM expression was observed in 19/20 (95%) LNs with UCC metastases and in 11/12 (92%) of the primary tumors. EpCAM expression was absent in 14/14 (100%) LNs without metastases. Median EpCAM expression (TIS) in LN metastases was 5 (IQR 2.0–8.0) and in the primary tumors 6 (IQR 2.3–11.0). Based on the absence of staining in LNs without metastases, EpCAM show high tumor distinctiveness. EpCAM seems to be a feasible imaging target in LN metastases of UCC of the bladder. Pre- and perioperative visualization of these metastases will improve disease staging and improve the complete resection of LN metastases in MIBC.