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Liu S, Zhang Z, Wang Z, Li J, Shen L. Genome-wide CRISPR screening identifies the pivotal role of ANKRD42 in colorectal cancer metastasis through EMT regulation. IUBMB Life 2024. [PMID: 38822625 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC), a pervasive and lethal malignancy of gastrointestinal cancer, imposes significant challenges due to the occurrence of distant metastasis in advanced stages. Understanding the intricate regulatory mechanisms driving CRC distant metastasis is of paramount importance. CRISPR-Cas9 screening has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating tumor initiation and progression. However, its application in studying CRC distant metastasis remains largely unexplored. To establish a model that faithfully recapitulates CRC liver metastasis in patients, we developed an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening approach using a spleen-injected liver metastasis mouse model. Through comprehensive screening of a whole-genome sgRNA library, we identified ANKRD42 as a pivotal regulatory gene facilitating CRC liver metastasis. Analysis of the TCGA database and our clinical cohorts unveiled heightened ANKRD42 expression in metastases. At the cellular level, the attenuation of ANKRD42 impaired the migration and invasion processes of tumor cells. In vivo experiments further validated these observations, highlighting the diminished liver metastatic capacity of tumor cells upon ANKRD42 knockdown. To unravel the specific mechanisms by which ANKRD42 regulates CRC distant metastasis, we leveraged patient-derived organoid (PDO) models. Depleting ANKRD42 in PDOs sourced from liver metastases precipitated the downregulation of pivotal genes linked to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including CDH2 and SNAI2, thereby effectively suppressing tumor metastasis. This study not only establishes a conceptual framework but also identifies potential therapeutic avenues for advanced-stage distant metastasis in CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengde Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zizhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenghang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
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Morris MT, Jain A, Sun B, Kurbatov V, Muca E, Zeng Z, Jin Y, Roper J, Lu J, Paty PB, Johnson CH, Khan SA. Multi-omic analysis reveals metabolic pathways that characterize right-sided colon cancer liver metastasis. Cancer Lett 2023; 574:216384. [PMID: 37716465 PMCID: PMC10620771 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
There are well demonstrated differences in tumor cell metabolism between right sided (RCC) and left sided (LCC) colon cancer, which could underlie the robust differences observed in their clinical behavior, particularly in metastatic disease. As such, we utilized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to perform an untargeted metabolomics analysis comparing frozen liver metastasis (LM) biobank samples derived from patients with RCC (N = 32) and LCC (N = 58) to further elucidate the unique biology of each. We also performed an untargeted RNA-seq and subsequent network analysis on samples derived from an overlapping subset of patients (RCC: N = 10; LCC: N = 18). Our biobank redemonstrates the inferior survival of patients with RCC-derived LM (P = 0.04), a well-established finding. Our metabolomic results demonstrate increased reactive oxygen species associated metabolites and bile acids in RCC. Conversely, carnitines, indicators of fatty acid oxidation, are relatively increased in LCC. The transcriptomic analysis implicates increased MEK-ERK, PI3K-AKT and Transcription Growth Factor Beta signaling in RCC LM. Our multi-omic analysis reveals several key differences in cellular physiology which taken together may be relevant to clinical differences in tumor behavior between RCC and LCC liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montana T Morris
- Department of Surgery/Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Abhishek Jain
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Boshi Sun
- Department of Surgery/Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Vadim Kurbatov
- Department of Surgery/Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Engjel Muca
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zhaoshi Zeng
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ying Jin
- Department of Surgery/Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Jatin Roper
- Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine, 124 Davison Building, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06378, USA
| | - Philip B Paty
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Caroline H Johnson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Sajid A Khan
- Department of Surgery/Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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Yang Y, Yan C, Chen XJ. CERCAM is a prognostic biomarker associated with immune infiltration of macrophage M2 polarization in head and neck squamous carcinoma. BMC Oral Health 2023; 23:724. [PMID: 37803318 PMCID: PMC10559510 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03421-0] [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: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the relevance of cerebral endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CERCAM) expression to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) prognosis and immune infiltration by macrophage M2 polarization. METHODS Timer, UALCAN and HPA databases was used to analyze the differences in mRNA and protein levels of CERCAM expression in HNSCC. The Timer database was also applied to analyze the correlation between CERCAM in HNSCC and immune infiltration. TCGA-HNSCC database was applied to analyze the correlation between CERCAM expression levels and clinicopathological features, and its diagnostic and prognostic value in HNSCC was also assessed. The cBioPortal and MethSurv databases were then applied to analyze the genetic variation and methylation status of CERCAM. In vitro cellular assays were performed to provide evidence that CERCAM promotes malignant biological behavior of tumors and promotes macrophage M2 polarization in tumors. Finally, underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CERCAM involvement in the development of HNSCC were predicted using a bioinformatics approach. RESULTS CERCAM is significantly overexpressed in HNSCC and correlates with poor prognostic levels and has good performance in predicting survival status in HNSCC patients. Cox regression analysis indicates that CERCAM expression levels are independent risk factors for predicting OS, DSS, and PFI. CERCAM promotes tumor malignant biological behavior and promotes macrophage M2 polarization immune infiltration in HNSCC. In addition, CERCAM promotes tumor cell adhesion in head and neck squamous carcinoma and promotes tumor progression through several oncogenic signaling pathways. CONCLUSION CERCAM may serve as a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in HNSCC and is a promising therapeutic target for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Department of Stomatology, General Hospital of the Central Theater Command, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Cong Yan
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Jian Chen
- Department of Stomatology, General Hospital of the Central Theater Command, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Mo WY, Cao SQ. MiR-29a-3p: a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:563-577. [PMID: 36355327 PMCID: PMC9941256 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02978-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is frequently caused by microRNAs, which control post-transcriptional levels of gene expression by binding to target mRNAs. MiR-29a-3p has recently been shown to play a twofold function in the majority of malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC), according to mounting evidence. Here, we not only briefly summarize such connection between miR-29a-3p and cancers, but aslo primarily evaluate the miR-29a-3p expression pattern, clinical applicability, and molecular mechanisms in CRC to provide a guide for future studies. This review established the diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-29a-3p abnormalty in a variety of clinical samples for CRC. Furthermore, current molecular mechanisms of miR-29a-3p for regulating cancerous biological processes such growth, invasion, metastasis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation process, and immunomodulation through its upstream regulatory factors and downstream targeted genes were briefly explored. More specifically, miR-29a-3p has been linked to a few medications that have been shown to have anticancer benefits. To sum up, miR-29a-3p is a promising biomarker and prospective therapeutic target for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC, but further research is still needed to establish a theoretical basis for more practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yan Mo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430077, Hubei, China
| | - Shi-Qiong Cao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430077, Hubei, China.
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miRNAs in Cancer (Review of Literature). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052805. [PMID: 35269947 PMCID: PMC8910953 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding, single-stranded RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding to mRNAs. miRNAs affect the course of processes of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the organism. These processes include cell division, proliferation, differentiation, cell apoptosis and the formation of blood vessels. Altered expression of individual miRNAs has been shown in numerous cancers, which may indicate the oncogenic or suppressor potential of the molecules in question. This paper discusses the current knowledge about the possibility of using miRNA as a diagnostic marker and a potential target in modern anticancer therapies.
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