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Xin W, Zhao C, Jiang L, Pei D, Zhao L, Zhang C. Identification of a Novel Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature Predicting Survival in Patients With HNSCC. Pathol Oncol Res 2021; 27:585192. [PMID: 34257533 PMCID: PMC8262154 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2021.585192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. There have been many reports suggesting that biomarkers explored via database mining plays a critical role in predicting HNSCC prognosis. However, a single biomarker for prognostic analysis is not adequate. Additionally, there is growing evidence indicating that gene signature could be a better choice for HNSCC prognosis. We performed a comprehensive analysis of mRNA expression profiles using clinical information of HNSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed, and we found that a set of genes involved in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributed to HNSCC. Cox proportional regression model was used to identify a four-gene (WIPF1, PPIB, BASP1, PLOD2) signature that were significantly associated with overall survival (OS), and all the four genes were significantly upregulated in tumor tissues. We successfully classified the patients with HNSCC into high-risk and low-risk groups, where in high-risk indicated poorer patient prognosis, indicating that this gene signature might be a novel potential biomarker for the prognosis of HNSCC. The prognostic ability of the gene signature was further validated in an independent cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In conclusion, we identified a four-EMT-based gene signature which provides the potentiality to serve as novel independent biomarkers for predicting survival in HNSCC patients, as well as a new possibility for individualized treatment of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Anti-tumor Drug Development and Evaluation China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chaoran Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Anti-tumor Drug Development and Evaluation China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Longyang Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Anti-tumor Drug Development and Evaluation China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dongmei Pei
- Department of Family Medicine, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Anti-tumor Drug Development and Evaluation China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chengpu Zhang
- Department of Family Medicine, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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2
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Wang Z, Yang X, Shen J, Xu J, Pan M, Liu J, Han S. Gene expression patterns associated with tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in invasive breast carcinomas. Hum Immunol 2021; 82:279-287. [PMID: 33612391 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in women. The immune microenvironment, especially T cell infiltration, is related to the occurrence and prognosis of breast carcinoma. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the gene expression patterns associated with tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in invasive breast carcinomas. METHODS The gene expression data and corresponding clinical phenotype data from the Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Invasive Carcinoma (TCGA-BRCA) were downloaded. The stromal and immune score were calculated using ESTIMATE. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with a high vs. low stromal score and a high vs. low immune score were screened and then functionally enriched. The tumor-infiltrating immune cells were investigated using the Cibersort algorithm, and the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-related genes were identified using a Spearman correlation test of infiltrating abundance with the DEGs. Moreover, the miRNA-mRNA pairs and lncRNA-miRNA pairs were predicted to construct the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) network. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves were also plotted. RESULTS In total, 478 DEGs with a high vs. low stromal score and 796 DEGs with a high vs. low immune score were identified. In addition, 39 CD4+ T cell-related genes and 78 CD8+ T cell-related genes were identified; of these, 14 genes were significantly associated with the prognosis of BRCA patients. Moreover, for CD4+ T cell-related genes, the chr22-38_28785274-29006793.1-miR-34a/c-5p-CAPN6 axis was identified from the ceRNA network, whereas the chr22-38_28785274-29006793.1-miR-494-3p-SLC9A7 axis was identified for CD8+ T cell-related genes. CONCLUSIONS The chr22-38_28785274-29006793.1-miR-34a/c-5p-CAPN6 axis and the chr22-38_28785274-29006793.1-miR-494-3p-SLC9A7 axis might regulate cellular activities associated with CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration, respectively, in BRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanwei Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, No. 1558, Sanhuan North Road, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, No. 1558, Sanhuan North Road, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
| | - Junjun Shen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, No. 1558, Sanhuan North Road, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
| | - Jiamin Xu
- Graduate School of Nursing, Huzhou University, No. 1 Bachelor Road, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
| | - Mingyue Pan
- Graduate School of Nursing, Huzhou University, NO.1 Bachelor Road, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, 313000, China.
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Pathology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, No. 1558, Sanhuan North Road, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
| | - Shuwen Han
- Department of Medical Oncology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Central Hospital HuZhou University, No. 1558, Sanhuan North Road, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province 313000, China.
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Chen L, Xiao D, Tang F, Gao H, Li X. CAPN6 in disease: An emerging therapeutic target (Review). Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:1644-1652. [PMID: 33000175 PMCID: PMC7521557 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a member of the calpain protein family, calpain6 (CAPN6) is highly expressed mainly in the placenta and embryos. It plays a number of important roles in cellular processes, such as the stabilization of microtubules, the main-tenance of cell stability, the control of cell movement and the inhibition of apoptosis. In recent years, various studies have found that CAPN6 is one of the contributing factors associated with the tumorigenesis of uterine tumors and osteosarcoma, and that CAPN6 participates in the development of tumors by promoting cell proliferation and angiogenesis, and by inhibiting apoptosis, which is mainly regulated by the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. Due to its abnormal cellular expression, CAPN6 has also been found to be associated with a number of diseases, such as white matter damage and muscular dystrophy. Therefore, CAPN6 may be a novel therapeutic target for these diseases. In the present review, the role of CAPN6 in disease and its possible use as a target in various therapies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Dongqiong Xiao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Fajuan Tang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Hu Gao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xihong Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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Kakurina GV, Kolegova ES, Shashova EE, Cheremisina OV, Choynzonov EL, Kondakova IV. Relationship between the mRNA Expression Levels of Calpains 1/2 and Proteins Involved in Cytoskeleton Remodeling. Acta Naturae 2020; 12:110-113. [PMID: 32477605 PMCID: PMC7245958 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.10947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Remodeling of the cytoskeleton underlies various cellular processes, including
those associated with metastasis. The role of the proteases and proteins
involved in cytoskeletal reorganization is being actively studied. However,
there are no published data on the relationship between the mRNA expression
levels of calpains 1/2 (CAPN 1/2) and the proteins associated with cytoskeleton
remodeling. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to establish the
relationship between the mRNA expression levels of CAPN 1/2 and the proteins
involved in cytoskeletal reorganization, such as cell motility markers (SNAI1,
VIM, and RND3) and actin-binding proteins (CFN1, PFN1, EZR, FSCN1, and CAP1)
using the model of laryngeal/laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LC).
The gene expression level was determined by reverse transcriptase real-time PCR
and calculated using the 2-ΔΔCt method in paired tissue samples of 44
patients with LC (T1-4N0-2M0). The patients were divided into two groups: those
with low and those with high CAPN 1/2 expression levels. It was found that
metastasis in LC patients was associated with decreased expression levels of
VIM and CAP1, and increased levels of CAPN1. A high level of CAPN2 was
accompanied by a high expression level of EZR, indicating the activation of
invasion processes. The results obtained need to be confirmed in further
studies using a larger sample of patients and target genes. Our study is
important in elucidating the mechanisms that underlie cancer progression and
metastasis, a development that could subsequently open the way to a search for
new prognostic and predictive markers of laryngeal/laryngopharyngeal cancer
progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. V. Kakurina
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
| | - E. S. Kolegova
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
| | - E. E. Shashova
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
| | - O. V. Cheremisina
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
| | - E. L. Choynzonov
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
| | - I. V. Kondakova
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634009 Russia
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5
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Non-proteolytic calpain-6 interacts with VEGFA and promotes angiogenesis by increasing VEGF secretion. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15771. [PMID: 31673071 PMCID: PMC6823460 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52364-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis is involved in both normal physiological and pathological conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major factor for promoting angiogenesis. The current anti-VEGF therapies have limited efficacy and significant adverse effects. To find novel targets of VEGFA for angiogenesis inhibition, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and identified calpain-6 as a novel VEGFA-interaction partner and confirmed the endogenous VEGFA–calpain-6 interaction in mammalian placenta. A domain mapping study revealed that the Gly321–Asp500 domain in calpain-6 is required for the interaction with the C-terminus of the VEGFA protein. The functional significance of the VEGFA–calpain-6 interaction was explored by assessing its effect on angiogenesis in vitro. Whereas forced overexpression of calpain-6 increased the secretion of the VEGF protein and tube formation, knockdown of calpain-6 expression abrogated the calpain-6-mediated VEGF secretion and tube formation in HUVECs. Consistent with the domain mapping result, overexpressing calpain-6 without the VEGFA-interacting domain III (Gly321–Asp500) failed to increase the secretion of VEGF protein. Our results identify calpain-6, an unconventional non-proteolytic calpain, as a novel VEGFA-interacting protein and demonstrate that their interaction is necessary to enhance VEGF secretion. Thus, calpain-6 might be a potential molecular target for angiogenesis inhibition in many diseases.
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Zou B, Wang D, Xu K, Yuan DY, Meng Z, Zhang B. Integrin α-5 as a potential biomarker of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:4048-4055. [PMID: 31579416 PMCID: PMC6757314 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors that endanger human health. In recent years, the incidence of HNSCC has been increasing, without any significant improvement in the prognosis. Therefore, increased knowledge on the molecular mechanism underlying HNSCC development will allow the development of new strategies for therapy. The present study attempted to identify key genes involved in HNSCC development. Expression profiles of HNSCC and normal samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HNSCC and normal samples were identified and subjected to Gene Oncology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and Cytoscape CentiScape and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis were used to identify key DEGs. Finally, expression profiles of HNSCCs, including 500 HNSCCs and 44 normal samples, were included in the analysis. A total of 1,181 DEGs were screened, among which 354 genes were upregulated and 827 genes were downregulated in HNSCC compared with normal tissues. The GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in chloride transmembrane transporter, metalloendopeptidase and substrate-specific channel activities. The KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly associated with ‘protein digestion and absorption’, as well as ‘extracellular matrix-receptor interaction’. Integrin α-5 (ITGA5) was identified as a hub gene, based on the PPI network complex, and was confirmed to be significantly associated with the overall survival rate. Moreover, ITGA5 was overexpressed specifically in HNSCC. The genes found, notably ITGA5, are potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zou
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Medical College of Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
| | - Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
| | - Kai Xu
- Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
| | - Dao-Ying Yuan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Medical College of Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Meng
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Medical College of Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Medical College of Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Medical Biology of Shandong Province, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China.,Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, P.R. China
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