Discovery of a Novel Bloom's Syndrome Protein (BLM) Inhibitor Suppressing Growth and Metastasis of Prostate Cancer

Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies Germline BLM Mutation in Ovarian Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma with Favorable Response to Niraparib and Anlotinib Combination Therapy-A Case Report and Literature Review

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary represents a rare and malignant extrahepatic tumor that shares morphological and immunophenotypic similarities with hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to the ambiguous histomorphology and aggressive behavior, the diagnosis and management of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary present unique challenges. Here, we present a 67-year-old woman with massive ascites and disseminated peritoneal implants at initial diagnosis. She was treated with six cycles of neoadjuvant therapy (albumin-bound paclitaxel + nedaplatin + bevacizumab) and a debulking surgery, followed by eight cycles of postoperative adjuvant therapy (albumin-bound paclitaxel + carboplatin + bevacizumab). Elaborate pathology workup found significant involvement of angiogenesis in the tumor and confirmed the diagnosis via immunohistochemistry. Further molecular characterization of the tumor by whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed a novel heterozygous germline mutation (NM_000057.2, c.1290_1291delinsATCAGGCCTCCATAG, p.Y430fs1) in gene BLM, likely pathogenic, suggesting a potential candidate for Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. For the maintenance therapy, she received a combination of the PARP inhibitor niraparib and the antiangiogenic anlotinib. As of now, the patient has achieved a partial response, with no apparent evidence of disease progression observed nearly 30 months. Our study sheds light on the WES-based profiling in rare cancers to screen for any treatable targets with otherwise no standard therapeutic options. The promising results with the niraparib-anlotinib combination suggest its potential as a maintenance therapy option for hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary, which warrants validation in future larger cohort.

LncRNA GABPB1-AS1 is a potential target for the diagnosis of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is an adverse tumor that occurs in the male reproductive system. The symptoms of patients in the early stage are not obvious and are generally difficult to detect.

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the regulation of lncRNA GABPB1-AS1 (GABPB1-AS1) on prostate cancer progression and explore the diagnostic potential of GABPB1-AS1.

METHODS

The contents of serum GABPB1-AS1 and miR-330-3p were examined by RT-qPCR assay. The functions of silencing GABPB1-AS1 and miR-330-3p inhibitor in prostate cancer cells were determined using transfection assay, CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay. The target of GABPB1-AS1 was predicted and verified at the molecular level by bioinformatics and luciferase reporter gene assay. The function of GABPB1-AS1 in prostate cancer diagnosis was evaluated via ROC method.

RESULTS

GABPB1-AS1 was upregulated in prostate cancer serum, which was associated with patients' Gleason score and TNM stage. Mechanistically, GABPB1-AS1 directly targeted miR-330-3p, and there was a negative correlation between them. Reduced levels of GABPB1-AS1 in cells after knockdown of GABPB1-AS1 resulted in decreased prostate cancer cell growth and activity, and these inhibitory effects were repaired by miR-330-3p inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

The present study confirmed that GABPB1-AS1 was overexpressed in prostate cancer, and its sponge miR-330-3p may be an effective target for timely diagnosis of prostate cancer.

ML216-Induced BLM Helicase Inhibition Sensitizes PCa Cells to the DNA-Crosslinking Agent Cisplatin

Using standard DNA-damaging medicines with DNA repair inhibitors is a promising anticancer tool to achieve better therapeutic responses and reduce therapy-related side effects. Cell viability assay, neutral comet assay, western blotting (WB), and cell cycle and apoptosis analysis were used to determine the synergistic effect and mechanism of ML216, a Bloom syndrome protein (BLM) helicase inhibitor, and cisplatin (CDDP), a DNA-crosslinking agent, in PCa cells. Based on the online database research, our findings revealed that BLM was substantially expressed in PCa, which is associated with a bad prognosis for PCa patients. The combination of ML216 and CDDP improved the antiproliferative properties of three PCa cell lines. As indicated by the increased production of γH2AX and caspase-3 cleavage, ML216 significantly reduced the DNA damage-induced high expression of BLM, making PC3 more susceptible to apoptosis and DNA damage caused by CDDP. Furthermore, the combination of ML216 and CDDP increased p-Chk1 and p-Chk2 expression. The DNA damage may have triggered the ATR-Chk1 and ATM-Chk2 pathways simultaneously. Our results demonstrated that ML216 and CDDP combination therapy exhibited synergistic effects, and combination chemotherapy could be a novel anticancer tactic.