Imaging Biomarkers of Tumour Proliferation and Invasion for Personalised Lung Cancer Therapy

The Role of DACT Family Members in Tumorigenesis and Tumor Progression

Disheveled-associated antagonist of β-catenin (DACT), which ubiquitously expressed in human tissue, is critical for regulating cell proliferation and several developmental processes in different cellular contexts. In addition, DACT is essential for some other cellular processes, such as cell apoptosis, migration and differentiation. Given the importance of DACT in these cellular processes, many scientists are gradually interested in studying the role of DACT in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. This review article focuses on the latest research regarding the essential functions and potential DACT mechanisms in the occurrence and progression of tumors. Our study indicates that DACT may act as a tumor biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as a promising therapeutic target in cancers.

Comparing DESI-MSI and MALDI-MSI Mediated Spatial Metabolomics and Their Applications in Cancer Studies

Metabolic heterogeneity of cancer contributes significantly to its poor treatment outcomes and prognosis. As a result, studies continue to focus on identifying new biomarkers and metabolic vulnerabilities, both of which depend on the understanding of altered metabolism in cancer. In the recent decades, the rise of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) enables the in situ detection of large numbers of small molecules in tissues. Therefore, researchers look to using MSI-mediated spatial metabolomics to further study the altered metabolites in cancer patients. In this review, we examined the two most commonly used spatial metabolomics techniques, MALDI-MSI and DESI-MSI, and some recent highlights of their applications in cancer studies. We also described AFADESI-MSI as a recent variation from the DESI-MSI and compare it with the two major techniques. Specifically, we discussed spatial metabolomics results in four types of heterogeneous malignancies, including breast cancer, esophageal cancer, glioblastoma and lung cancer. Multiple studies have effectively classified cancer tissue subtypes using altered metabolites information. In addition, distribution trends of key metabolites such as fatty acids, high-energy phosphate compounds, and antioxidants were identified. Therefore, while the visualization of finer distribution details requires further improvement of MSI techniques, past studies have suggested spatial metabolomics to be a promising direction to study the complexity of cancer pathophysiology.

MiR-29b-3p Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma by Downregulating COL1A1 and COL5A1

Introduction

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate genetic expression and are also vital for tumor initiation and development. MiR-29b-3p was found to be involved in regulating various biological processes of tumors, including tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis inhibition; however, the biofunction and molecule-level mechanisms of miR-29b-3p inpapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remain unclear.

Methods

The expression of miR-29b-3p in PTC samples was tested via qRT-PCR. Cellular proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 and EdU assays, and cellular migratory and invasive abilities were assessed utilizing wound-healing and Transwell assays. In addition, protein expressions of COL1A1, COL5A1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin were identified via Western blot (WB) assay. Bioinformatics, qRT-PCR, WB, and dual luciferase reporter assays were completed to identify whether miR-29b-3p targeted COL1A1 and COL5A1. In addition, our team explored the treatment effects of miR-29b-3p on a murine heterograft model.

Results

Our findings revealed that miR-29b-3p proved much more regulated downward in PTC tissue specimens than in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Meanwhile, decreased expression of miR-29b-3p was strongly related to the TNM stage of PTC patients (p<0.001), while overexpression of miR-29b-3p in PTC cells suppressed cellular migration, invasion, proliferation, and EMT. Conversely, silencing miR-29b-3p yielded the opposite effect. COL1A1 and COL5A1 were affirmed as the target of miR-29b-3p. Additionally, the COL1A1 and COL5A1 were highly expressed in PTC tumor samples than in contrast to neighboring healthy samples. Functional assays revealed that overexpression of COL1A1 or COL5A1 reversed the suppressive role of miR-29b-3p in migration, invasion, and EMT of PTC cells. Finally, miR-29b-3p agomir treatment dramatically inhibited Xenograft tumor growth in the animal model.

Conclusions

These findings document that miR-29b-3p inhibited PTC cells invasion and metastasis by targeting COL1A1 and COL5A1; this study also sparks new ideas for risk assessment and miRNA replacement therapy in PTC.

PET and SPECT Imaging of the EGFR Family (RTK Class I) in Oncology

The human epidermal growth factor receptor family (EGFR-family, other designations: HER family, RTK Class I) is strongly linked to oncogenic transformation. Its members are frequently overexpressed in cancer and have become attractive targets for cancer therapy. To ensure effective patient care, potential responders to HER-targeted therapy need to be identified. Radionuclide molecular imaging can be a key asset for the detection of overexpression of EGFR-family members. It meets the need for repeatable whole-body assessment of the molecular disease profile, solving problems of heterogeneity and expression alterations over time. Tracer development is a multifactorial process. The optimal tracer design depends on the application and the particular challenges of the molecular target (target expression in tumors, endogenous expression in healthy tissue, accessibility). We have herein summarized the recent preclinical and clinical data on agents for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) imaging of EGFR-family receptors in oncology. Antibody-based tracers are still extensively investigated. However, their dominance starts to be challenged by a number of tracers based on different classes of targeting proteins. Among these, engineered scaffold proteins (ESP) and single domain antibodies (sdAb) show highly encouraging results in clinical studies marking a noticeable trend towards the use of smaller sized agents for HER imaging.