Association of THBS1 rs1478605 T>C in 5'-untranslated regions with the development and progression of gastric cancer

In Silico Insights Reveal Fibronectin 1 as a Theranostic Marker in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a complex and highly variable disease, ranking among the top five cancers diagnosed globally, and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Emerging from stomach lining cells amid chronic inflammation, it often advances to preneoplastic stages. Late-stage diagnoses and treatment challenges highlight the critical need for early detection and innovative biomarkers, motivating this study's focus on identifying theranostic markers through gene ontology analysis. By exploring deregulated biological processes, this study aims to uncover insights into cancer progression and associated markers, potentially identifying novel theranostic candidates in GC. Using public data from The Human Protein Atlas, this study pinpointed 299 prognostic genes, delineating 171 with unfavorable prognosis and 128 with favorable prognosis. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses, supported by RNAseq results and conducted via Metascape and Cytoscape, highlighted five genes (vWF, FN1, THBS1, PCDH7, and F5) with promising theranostic potential. Notably, FN1 and THBS1 exhibited significant promise, with FN1 showing a 370% expression increase in cancerous tissue, and it is possible that FN1 can also indicate the stratification status in GC. While further validation is essential, these findings provide new insights into molecular alterations in GC and potential avenues for clinical application of theranostic markers.

A-296G variant of THBS1 gene (rs1478605) is associated with a lower frequency of stroke in a Brazilian population with sickle cell anemia

OBJECTIVES

Stroke is a devastating clinical outcome that significantly contributes to the morbidity and mortality of sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients. Despite its advantages in predicting stroke risk, transcranial Doppler screening has limitations that restrict its applicability, highlighting the need for emerging prognostic tools. Thrombospondin-1 plays a crucial role in endothelial injury, platelet adhesion, and nitric oxide metabolism and may be implicated in stroke pathophysiology. Here, we aimed to evaluate the association of THBS1 genetic variations with the occurrence of stroke in SCA patients MATERIALS AND METHODS: By real-time PCR, 512 SCA patients were fully genotyped for THBS1 A-296G (rs1478605) polymorphism RESULTS: THBS1 GG genotype was associated with a lower risk for stroke occurrence [odds ratio (OR): 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11-0.78; P = 0.011], although these findings were not consistent with multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.12 - 4.37; P = 0.736). In agreement, the cumulative incidence of stroke for patients with AG/AA genotypes was higher when compared to the GG genotype (P = 0.018). However, the association was not maintained in the multivariate proportional hazards model (hazard ratio: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.12-3.61; P = 0.643) CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the present study shows that the THBS1 A-296G (rs1478605) polymorphism may be a potential modifier for stroke in SCA.

Association of THBS1 genetic variants and mRNA expression with the risks of ischemic stroke and long-term death after stroke

Background

Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) derived from platelets and acted as a critical mediator of hemostasis promoting platelet activation in thrombus formation. The biological connection of genetic variants and mRNA expression of THBS1 with ischemic stroke (IS) warrants further validation with population-based evidence.

Objective

To evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mRNA expression of THBS1 with the risks of IS and long-term death after stroke.

Methods

A case-control study consisted of 4,584 IS patients recruited from five hospitals in Jiangsu, China, and 4,663 age-gender-matched controls free of IS. A cohort study enrolled 4,098 participants free of stroke and lasted from 2009 to 2022. Early collected 3158 IS patients aged between 35 and 80 years were followed up an average of 5.86-year to follow up their long-term death outcomes. Two tagSNPs of the THBS1 gene, rs2236471 and rs3743125, were genotyped in all subjects and THBS1 mRNA expression of peripheral leukocyte was measured using RT-qPCR in 314 IS cases and 314 controls.

Results

There is no significant difference in genotype and haplotype frequencies of rs2236741 and rs3743125 between IS cases and controls (all P > 0.05). Furthermore, the cohort studies did not observe significant associations between THBS1 variants and the risk of IS incidence or long-term death after IS (all P > 0.05). The THBS1 mRNA expression level (2^–ΔΔCT) in IS cases was approximately equal to that in controls (1.01 vs. 0.99, P = 0.833). In addition, THBS1 mRNA expression had no significant association with all-cause death, stroke death, and IS death of IS patients (all P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Therefore, our study suggested that there is no significant association of THBS1 polymorphisms and mRNA expression level with the risk of IS and long-term death after IS.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Hub Genes and Potential Therapeutic Agents Associated with Gastric Cancer

Purpose

The current treatment methods available for advanced gastric cancer are not very promising. Hence, it is important to explore novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic agents to treat gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to identify hub genes associated with GC prognosis and explore potential drugs for its treatment.

Materials and Methods

Three gene expression data of GC and normal tissues were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and processed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We conducted a comprehensive analysis of DEGs, including functional enrichment analysis, construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, identification of hub genes, survival analysis and expression verification of hub genes. Finally, we constructed the network of miRNA-mRNA, and predicted the drugs that might be effective for GC treatment.

Results

A total of 340 DEGs, including 94 up-regulated and 246 down-regulated genes, were identified. Among the up-regulated DEGs, the enrichment terms were primarily related to tumorigenesis and tumor progression, extracellular matrix organization, and collagen catabolic process. Additionally, 10 hub genes (FN1, COL3A1, COL1A2, BGN, THBS2, COL5A2, THBS1, COL5A1, SPARC, and COL4A1) were identified, out of which 7 genes were significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in GC. The expression levels of these 7 hub genes were verified using real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and the GEPIA2 (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis) server. A regulatory network of miRNA-mRNA was also constructed, and the top 4 interactive miRNAs (hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-29a-3p, and hsa-miR-29c-3p) that targeted the most hub genes were identified. Finally, fourteen small molecules were predicted to be effective in treating GC.

Conclusion

The identification of the hub genes, miRNA-mRNA network, and potential candidate drugs associated with GC provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms and treatment of GC.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote Aggressive Gastric Cancer Phenotypes via Heat Shock Factor 1-Mediated Secretion of Extracellular Vesicles

Gastric cancer is the third most lethal cancer worldwide, and evaluation of the genomic status of gastric cancer cells has not translated into effective prognostic or therapeutic strategies. We therefore hypothesize that outcomes may depend on the tumor microenvironment (TME), in particular, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). However, very little is known about the role of CAFs in gastric cancer. To address this, we mapped the transcriptional landscape of human gastric cancer stroma by microdissection and RNA sequencing of CAFs from patients with gastric cancer. A stromal gene signature was associated with poor disease outcome, and the transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) regulated the signature. HSF1 upregulated inhibin subunit beta A and thrombospondin 2, which were secreted in CAF-derived extracellular vesicles to the TME to promote cancer. Together, our work provides the first transcriptional map of human gastric cancer stroma and highlights HSF1 and its transcriptional targets as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in the genomically stable tumor microenvironment. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows how HSF1 regulates a stromal transcriptional program associated with aggressive gastric cancer and identifies multiple proteins within this program as candidates for therapeutic intervention. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/7/1639/F1.large.jpg.

Progressive and Prognostic Performance of an Extracellular Matrix-Receptor Interaction Signature in Gastric Cancer

The role of an extracellular matrix- (ECM-) receptor interaction signature has not been fully clarified in gastric cancer. This study performed comprehensive analyses on the differentially expressed ECM-related genes, clinicopathologic features, and prognostic application in gastric cancer. The differentially expressed genes between tumorous and matched normal tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validation cohorts were identified by a paired t-test. Consensus clusters were built to find the correlation between clinicopathologic features and subclusters. Then, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) method was used to construct a risk score model. Correlation analyses were made to reveal the relation between risk score-stratified subgroups and clinicopathologic features or significant signatures. In TCGA (26 pairs) and validation cohort (134 pairs), 25 ECM-related genes were significantly highly expressed and 11 genes were downexpressed in gastric cancer. ECM-based subclusters were slightly related to clinicopathologic features. We constructed a risk score model = 0.081∗log₂ (CD36) + 0.043∗log₂ (COL5A2) + 0.001∗log₂ (ITGB5) + 0.039∗log₂ (SDC2) + 0.135∗log₂ (SV2B) + 0.012∗log₂ (THBS1) + 0.068∗log₂ (VTN) + 0.023∗log₂ (VWF). The risk score model could well predict the outcome of patients with gastric cancer in both training (n = 351, HR: 1.807, 95% CI: 1.292-2.528, P = 0.00046) and validation (n = 300, HR: 1.866, 95% CI: 1.347-2.584, P = 0.00014) cohorts. Besides, risk score-based subgroups were associated with angiogenesis, cell adhesion molecules, complement and coagulation cascades, TGF-beta signaling, and mismatch repair-relevant signatures (P < 0.0001). By univariate (1.845, 95% CI: 1.382-2.462, P < 0.001) and multivariate (1.756, 95% CI: 1.284-2.402, P < 0.001) analyses, we regarded the risk score as an independent risk factor in gastric cancer. Our findings revealed that ECM compositions became accomplices in the tumorigenesis, progression, and poor survival of gastric cancer.

Comprehensive Analysis of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network to Reveal Potential Inflammation-Related Targets for Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common malignancy of the stomach. This study was aimed at elucidating the regulatory network of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and identifying the precise inflammation-related targets in GC. The expression profiles of GSE83521, GSE78091, and GSE33651 were obtained from the GEO database. Interactions between miRNAs and circRNAs were investigated by the Circular RNA Interactome, and targets of miRNAs were predicted with miRTarBase. Then, a circRNA/miRNA/mRNA regulatory network was constructed. Also, functional enrichment analysis of selected differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed. The inflammation-/GC-related targets were collected in the GeneCards and GenLiP3 database, respectively. And a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DE mRNAs was constructed with STRING and Cytoscape to identify hub genes. The genetic alterations, neighboring gene networks, expression levels, and the poor prognosis of hub genes were investigated in cBioPortal, Oncomine, and Human Protein Atlas databases and Kaplan-Meier plotter, respectively. A total of 10 DE miRNAs and 33 DEGs were identified. The regulatory network contained 26 circRNAs, 10 miRNAs, and 1459 mRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the selected 33 DEGs were involved in negative regulation of fat cell differentiation, response to wounding, extracellular matrix- (ECM-) receptor interaction, and regulation of cell growth pathways. THBS1, FN1, CALM1, COL4A1, CTGF, and IGFBP5 were selected as inflammation-related hub genes of GC in the PPI network. The genetic alterations in these hub genes were related to amplification and missense mutations. Furthermore, the genes RYR2, ERBB2, PI3KCA, and HELZ2 were connected to hub genes in this study. The hub gene levels in clinical specimens were markedly upregulated in GC tissues and correlated with poor overall survival (OS). Our results suggest that THBS1, FN1, CALM1, COL4A1, CTGF, and IGFBP5 were associated with the pathogenesis of gastric carcinogenesis and may serve as biomarkers and inflammation-related targets for GC.

Thrombospondin-1 in maladaptive aging responses: a concept whose time has come

Numerous age-dependent alterations at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ systems levels underlie the pathophysiology of aging. Herein, the focus is upon the secreted protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) as a promoter of aging and age-related diseases. TSP1 has several physiological functions in youth, including promoting neural synapse formation, mediating responses to ischemic and genotoxic stress, minimizing hemorrhage, limiting angiogenesis, and supporting wound healing. These acute functions of TSP1 generally require only transient expression of the protein. However, accumulating basic and clinical data reinforce the view that chronic diseases of aging are associated with accumulation of TSP1 in the extracellular matrix, which is a significant maladaptive contributor to the aging process. Identification of the relevant cell types that chronically produce and respond to TSP1 and the molecular mechanisms that mediate the resulting maladaptive responses could direct the development of therapeutic agents to delay or revert age-associated maladies.

THBS1 (thrombospondin-1)

Thrombospondins are encoded in vertebrates by a family of 5 THBS genes. THBS1 is infrequently mutated in most cancers, but its expression is positively regulated by several tumor suppressor genes and negatively regulated by activated oncogenes and promoter hypermethylation. Consequently, thrombospondin-1 expression is frequently lost during oncogenesis and is correlated with a poor prognosis for some cancers. Thrombospondin-1 is a secreted protein that acts in the tumor microenvironment to inhibit angiogenesis, regulate antitumor immunity, stimulate tumor cell migration, and regulate the activities of extracellular proteases and growth factors. Differential effects of thrombospondin-1 on the sensitivity of normal versus malignant cells to ischemic and genotoxic stress also regulate the responses to tumors to therapeutic radiation and chemotherapy.

Prognostic and Predictive Value of DAMPs and DAMP-Associated Processes in Cancer

It is now clear that human neoplasms form, progress, and respond to therapy in the context of an intimate crosstalk with the host immune system. In particular, accumulating evidence demonstrates that the efficacy of most, if not all, chemo- and radiotherapeutic agents commonly employed in the clinic critically depends on the (re)activation of tumor-targeting immune responses. One of the mechanisms whereby conventional chemotherapeutics, targeted anticancer agents, and radiotherapy can provoke a therapeutically relevant, adaptive immune response against malignant cells is commonly known as “immunogenic cell death.” Importantly, dying cancer cells are perceived as immunogenic only when they emit a set of immunostimulatory signals upon the activation of intracellular stress response pathways. The emission of these signals, which are generally referred to as “damage-associated molecular patterns” (DAMPs), may therefore predict whether patients will respond to chemotherapy or not, at least in some settings. Here, we review clinical data indicating that DAMPs and DAMP-associated stress responses might have prognostic or predictive value for cancer patients.