Wnt3a expression is associated with poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Identification of the prognostic value of a 2-gene signature of the WNT gene family in UCEC using bioinformatics and real-world data

Background

The WNT gene family plays an important role in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors, but its involvement has not been systematically analyzed in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the WNT gene family in UCEC.

Methods

Pan-cancer transcriptome data of the UCSC Xena database and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) normal tissue data were downloaded to analyze the expression and prognosis of 19 WNT family genes in UCEC. A cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (TCGA-UCEC) was used to analyze the expression of the WNT gene family in different immune subtypes and clinical subgroups. The STRING database was used to analyze the interaction of the WNT gene family and its biological function. Univariate Cox regression analysis and Lasso cox analysis were used to identify the genes associated with significant prognosis and to construct multi signature prognosis model. An immunohistochemical assay was used to verify the predictive ability of the model. Risk score and the related clinical features were used to construct a nomogram.

Results

The expression levels of WNT2, WNT3, WNT3A, WNT5A, WNT7A, and WNT10A were significantly different among different immune subtypes and correlated with TP53 mutation. According to the WNT family genes related to the prognosis of UCEC, UCEC was classified into two subtypes (C1, C2). The prognosis of subtype C1 was significantly better than that of subtype C2. A 2-gene signature (WNT2 and WNT10A) was constructed and the two significantly prognostic groups can be divided based on median Risk score. These results were verified using real-world data, and the nomogram constructed using clinical features and Risk score had good prognostic ability.

Conclusions

The 2-gene signature including WNT2 and WNT10A can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with UCEC, which is important for clinical decision-making and individualized therapy for patients with UCEC.

Anti-Cancer and Immunomodulatory Activity of a Polyethylene Glycol-Betulinic Acid Conjugate on Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Drug delivery systems involving polymer therapeutics enhance drug potency by improved solubility and specificity and may assist in circumventing chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer (PC). We compared the effectiveness of the naturally occurring drug, betulinic acid (BA), alone and in a polymer conjugate construct of polyethylene glycol (PEG), (PEG-BA), on PC cells (MIA PaCa-2), a normal cell line (Vero) and on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PEG-BA, was tested for its effect on cell death, immunomodulation and chemoresistance-linked signalling pathways. The conjugate was significantly more toxic to PC cells (p < 0.001, IC50 of 1.35 ± 0.11 µM) compared to BA (IC50 of 12.70 ± 0.34 µM), with a selectivity index (SI) of 7.28 compared to 1.4 in Vero cells. Cytotoxicity was confirmed by increased apoptotic cell death. PEG-BA inhibited the production of IL-6 by 4-5.5 fold compared to BA-treated cells. Furthermore, PEG-BA treatment of MIA PaCa-2 cells resulted in the dysregulation of crucial chemoresistance genes such as WNT3A, TXNRD1, SLC2A1 and GATA3. The dysregulation of chemoresistance-associated genes and the inhibition of cytokines such as IL-6 by the model polymer construct, PEG-BA, holds promise for further exploration in PC treatment.

CircRNA_100367 regulated the radiation sensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas through miR-217/Wnt3 pathway

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in regulating the radioresistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study aimed to determine the role of hsa_circRNA_100367 in regulating radioresistance of ESCC.

Results: Higher expression and potency of endothelial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT) was found in radioresistant ESCC cells (KYSE-150R) than in ESCC cells (KYSE-150). Silencing circRNA_100367 inhibited the proliferation and migration of KYSE-150R cells, and decreased the expression of β-catenin (an important molecule in Wnt pathway) in KYSE-150R cells. Additionally, circRNA_100367 bound to miR-217, and miR-217 targeted Wnt3. Low Wnt3 expression was associated with the short survival time in patients with ESCC and Wnt3 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and migration of KYSE-150R cells. CircRNA_100367 enhanced the radioresistance of KYSE-150R cells through miR-217/Wnt3 pathway. In vivo, circRNA_100367 silence reduced the growth of KYSE-150R cells under radiation.

Conclusion: Our results revealed that circRNA_100367 attenuated radioresistance of ESCC through miR-217/Wnt3 pathway.

Methods: CircRNAs related with the radioresistance of ESCC were analyzed by hierarchical cluster analysis. The relationship between circRNA_100367 and miR-217, Wnt3 was detected by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down and luciferase reporte assays. The proliferation and migration ESCC cells were detected by MTT, Transwell and colony formation assays.

Prognostic significance of IMP-3 expression pattern in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Esophageal cancer is one of the most malignant gastroenterological cancers. To improve the treatment outcomes of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), a biomarker capable of predicting the malignant potential of the cancer cells is needed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the expression pattern of insulin-like growth factor II m-RNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3), a promising cancer testis antigen for peptide vaccine therapy, in ESCC tumors and the outcomes of patients with ESCC.

Methods

One hundred and seventy patients with ESCC who underwent a radical transthoracic esophagectomy between 2003 and 2005 at Tokai University Hospital were investigated. IMP3 expression was immunohistochemically analyzed using sections from surgically resected tumor specimens and metastatic lymph nodes.

Results

Of the 170 patients, 160 patients (94%) exhibited IMP3 positivity in the cytoplasm of their cancer cells (IMP3-positive group), while 10 patients (6%) were IMP3-negative (IMP3-negative group). No significant difference in the overall survival curves were observed between the IMP3-positive and IMP3-negative groups. When the survival analysis was confined to the 160 IMP3-positive patients, however, an invasive front-type IMP3 expression pattern (IF-type) was seen in 46 patients (29%) and a diffuse-type pattern (D-type) was seen in 114 patients (71%). A multivariate analysis also showed that an IF-type was a prognostic factor (HR =1.618, P=0.049). The overall survival curve for patients with an IF-type was significantly worse than that of D-type patients (P=0.001).

Conclusions

An IF-type pattern of IMP3 expression might predict a poor outcome in patients with ESCC.

Wnt3a protein overexpression predicts worse overall survival in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

As a classical ligand in the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the role of Wnt3a in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains unclear. Therefore, the expression pattern of the Wnt3a protein in 222 primary LSCC, and 19 corresponding adjacent non-carcinoma specimens, was detected by immunohistochemistry and further correlated with clinicopathological parameters. The results showed that LSCC tissue expressed higher levels of the Wnt3a protein when compared to the corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues. High expression of Wnt3a was closely related to histological grade (P = 0.031), clinical stage (I+II / III+IV; P = 0.004), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.03). Kaplan-Meier analysis evidenced that a worse overall survival (OS) was correlated to the group with high Wnt3a expression (P = 0.003). When stratified survival analyses were performed, patients with lymph node metastasis/advanced clinical stages and high Wnt3a expression had worse OS rates than patients with other features (P < 0.001). Finally, multivariate analysis showed that Wnt3a expression was an independent prognosis factor for LSCC patients. The current findings suggest that Wnt3a is tightly related to the LSCC progression and could serve as a valuable clinic biomarker for LSCC patients.

Wnt3a promotes radioresistance via autophagy in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

The canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway and autophagy play critical roles in cancer progression. However, the role of Wnt‐mediated autophagy in cancer radioresistance remains unclear. In this study, we found that irradiation activated the Wnt/β‐catenin and autophagic signalling pathways in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Wnt3a is a classical ligand that activated the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway, induced autophagy and decreased the sensitivity of SCCHN to irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that Wnt3a promoted SCCHN radioresistance via protective autophagy. Finally, expression of the Wnt3a protein was elevated in both SCCHN tissues and patients' serum. Patients showing high expression of Wnt3a displayed a worse prognosis. Taken together, our study indicates that both the canonical Wnt and autophagic signalling pathways are valuable targets for sensitizing SCCHN to irradiation.

Expression of the Wnt ligands gene family and its relationship to prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The Wnt gene family members are known to participate regulating various normal and pathological processes including tumorigenesis. However, the association between Wnt ligands gene family and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma has not been systematically studied. Therefore, we evaluated the role of Wnt ligands gene family in hepatocellular carcinoma using publicly available data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Methods

Clinical information and RNA-Seq mRNA expression data were derived from TCGA hepatocellular carcinoma cohort. Differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between increased and decreased expression groups (defined by X-tile analyses) of Wnt ligands gene family were compared using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model, with p-values calculated via log-rank test. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed.

Results

Multivariate analysis adjusted for patient age, sex, BMI, tumor grade, and TMN stage revealed that Wnt1, Wnt3 and Wnt5B expressions were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS (OS: HR = 0.58, P = 0.006; HR = 0.65, P = 0.03; HR = 0.56, P = 0.023, respectively; DFS: HR = 0.52, P < 0.001; HR = 1.93, P = 0.003; HR = 0.59, P = 0.011, respectively). Furthermore, expression of Wnt1 and Wnt5B was significantly associated with TMN stage (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03 for OS; P = 0.02 and P = 0.02 for DFS). GSEA showed that nucleotide excision repair was differentially enriched in Wnt1 low expression phenotype and aminoacyl trna biosynthesis and basal transcription factors were differentially enriched in Wnt5B low expression phenotype.

Conclusions

Our results identified associations of several Wnt ligands with prognosis of HCC patients, indicating that these genes could serve as prognostic biomarkers of HCC.