Glyoxalase 1 as a candidate for indicating the metastatic potential of SN12C human renal cell carcinoma cell clones

A pan-cancer multi-omics analysis of lactylation genes associated with tumor microenvironment and cancer development

Background

Lactylation is a significant post-translational modification bridging the gap between cancer epigenetics and metabolic reprogramming. However, the association between lactylation and prognosis, tumor microenvironment (TME), and response to drug therapy in various cancers remains unclear.

Methods

First, the expression, prognostic value, and genetic and epigenetic alterations of lactylation genes were systematically explored in a pan-cancer manner. Lactylation scores were derived for each tumor using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm. The correlation of lactylation scores with clinical features, prognosis, and TME was assessed by integrating multiple computational methods. In addition, GSE135222 data was used to assess the efficacy of lactylation scores in predicting immunotherapy outcomes. The expression of lactylation genes in breast cancers and gliomas were verified by RNA-sequencing.

Results

Lactylation genes were significantly upregulated in most cancer types. CREBBP and EP300 exhibited high mutation rates in pan-cancer analysis. The prognostic impact of the lactylation score varied by tumor type, and lactylation score was a protective factor for KIRC, ACC, READ, LGG, and UVM, and a risk factor for CHOL, DLBC, LAML, and OV. In addition, a high lactylation score was associated with cold TME. The infiltration levels of CD8+ T, γδT, natural killer T cell (NKT), and NK cells were lower in tumors with higher lactylation scores. Finally, immunotherapy efficacy was worse in patients with high lactylation scores than other types.

Conclusion

Lactylation genes are involved in malignancy formation. Lactylation score serves as a promising biomarker for predicting patient prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy.

Glyoxalases in Urological Malignancies

Urological cancers include a spectrum of malignancies affecting organs of the reproductive and/or urinary systems, such as prostate, kidney, bladder, and testis. Despite improved primary prevention, detection and treatment, urological cancers are still characterized by an increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. While advances have been made towards understanding the molecular bases of these diseases, a complete understanding of the pathological mechanisms remains an unmet research goal that is essential for defining safer pharmacological therapies and prognostic factors, especially for the metastatic stage of these malignancies for which no effective therapies are currently being used. Glyoxalases, consisting of glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) and glyoxalase 2 (Glo2), are enzymes that catalyze the glutathione-dependent metabolism of cytotoxic methylglyoxal (MG), thus protecting against cellular damage and apoptosis. They are generally overexpressed in numerous cancers as a survival strategy by providing a safeguard through enhancement of MG detoxification. Increasing evidence suggests that glyoxalases, especially Glo1, play an important role in the initiation and progression of urological malignancies. In this review, we highlight the critical role of glyoxalases as regulators of tumorigenesis in the prostate through modulation of various critical signaling pathways, and provide an overview of the current knowledge on glyoxalases in bladder, kidney and testis cancers. We also discuss the promise and challenges for Glo1 inhibitors as future anti-prostate cancer (PCa) therapeutics and the potential of glyoxalases as biomarkers for PCa diagnosis.

The long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 overexpression as a poor prognostic biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 has previously played important roles in cancer. However, its role is still unknown in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We utilized the most recent molecular and clinical data of clear cell renal cell carcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas project, and the relationship between urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 expression and the clinicopathological features was analyzed. Our results indicated that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 overexpression was associated with male ( p = 0.003), wild-type PBRM1 ( p = 0.021), and BAP1 mutation ( p = 0.022) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, although lower expression was found in tumors compared with normal controls, validated in tumor tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas and 21 clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients at our hospital. Moreover, urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 overexpression indicated poor prognosis independently (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 1.92, p = 0.000) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma; it might be a potential detrimental gene considered as a predictive biomarker involved in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The proteomic landscape of renal tumors

INTRODUCTION

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most fatal of the common urologic cancers, with approximately 35% of patients dying within 5 years following diagnosis. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive markers that are capable of detecting and determining the severity of small renal masses at an early stage in order to tailor treatment and follow-up. Proteomic studies have proved to be very useful in the study of tumors. Areas covered: In this review, we will detail the current knowledge obtained by the different proteomic approaches, focusing on MS-based strategies, used to investigate RCC biology in order to identify diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers on tissue, cultured cells and biological fluids. Expert commentary: Currently, no reliable biomarkers or targets for RCC have been translated into the clinical setting. Moreover, despite the efforts of proteomics and other -omics disciplines, only a small number of them have been observed as shared targets between the different analytical platforms and biological specimens. The difficulty to define a specific molecular pattern for RCC and its subtypes highlights a peculiar profile and a heterogeneity that must be taken into account in future studies.

High expression of pituitary tumor-transforming gene-1 predicts poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) is a recently identified oncogene involved in the progression of malignant tumors; however, the expression level of PTTG1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its potential value as a novel prognostic marker for ccRCC remains unclear. In this study, PTTG1 mRNA and protein levels were assessed in 44 paired ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Further immunohistochemical analysis was implemented in 192 samples of ccRCC to evaluate the associations between PTTG1 levels and the clinical characteristics in ccRCC. Reverse transcription qPCR and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the PTTG1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in ccRCC compared to normal tissues. In addition, the PTTG1 protein level in 192 ccRCC samples was found to be significantly correlated with T stage, N classification, metastasis, recurrence and Fuhrman grade, whereas it was not associated with age and gender. Patients with low PTTG1 levels exhibited a better survival outcome compared to those with a higher PTTG1 level. PTTG1 expression and N stage were identified as independent prognostic factors for the overall survival of ccRCC patients. The results suggested that the overexpression of PTTG1 indicates a poor prognosis in ccRCC patients and, therefore, PTTG1 may serve as a novel prognostic marker for ccRCC.