Possibility of paclitaxel to induce the stemness-related characteristics of prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Drug resistance poses a crucial problem in the treatment of prostate cancer. Recent studies have shown that chemotherapy agents may cause cancer cells to acquire stem cell-like properties, resulting in drug resistance and, eventually, treatment failure.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether long-term paclitaxel exposure causes an increase in the stem cell-like properties of prostate cancer cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Paclitaxel-resistant PC-3 cells were generated from parental PC-3 cells by treating them with increasing concentrations of paclitaxel. The expression levels of the stem cell markers NANOG, C-MYC, CD44, and ABCG2 were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A sphere formation assay was performed to test the potential of the cells to behave as stem cells, and a wound healing assay was carried out to evaluate migration ability of the cells.

RESULTS

The expression levels of C-MYC and NANOG were significantly higher in paclitaxel-resistant PC-3 cells compared to the parental PC-3 cells. However, there was no significant increase in the expression of CD44 or ABCG2. In addition, the sphere-forming capacity and migration ability of resistant PC-3 cells were increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study indicate that paclitaxel exposure may increase the stem cell-like properties of PC-3 prostate cancer cells.

Postmenopausal estrogen receptor positive breast cancer and obesity associated gene variants

Obesity is one of the most important health risks in postmenopausal women. Molecular pathways that are connected with obesity are believed to interact with the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC). The aim of this research was to study the polymorphisms of two obesity-associated genes ADIPOQ and FTO that are also related to the pathogenesis of BC. Obesity-associated gene polymorphisms ADIPOQ rs1501299 and rs2241766, and FTO rs1477196, rs7206790, rs8047395, and rs9939609 were studied in 101 Turkish postmenopausal estrogen receptor-positive BC patients and 100 healthy control individuals. ADIPOQ rs1501299 was detected to be associated with protection against BC. The ADIPOQ rs1501299 TT genotype, the rs2241766 GT genotype and the G allele were found to be significantly higher in the control group. In addition, ADIPOQ rs1501299 polymorphism was protective in the recessive model and rs2241766 polymorphism was protective in the dominant model. While none of the FTO gene polymorphisms were found to be associated with BC, the frequencies of rs9939609 A allele and rs7206790 G allele were correlated with body mass index (BMI) in BC patients. ADIPOQ rs1501299 TT genotype, rs2241766 GT genotype, and G allele might be protective against BC in the Turkish population but this conclusion needs to be further verified.

Low-penetrance susceptibility variants and postmenopausal oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

The risk of breast cancer (BC) in women is high and many factors including genetic factors increase the risk for the disease. It is revealed that the variations of low-penetrance susceptibility genes are important for carcinogenesis as they interact with the environmental and hereditary factors. Recently, the list of BC-associated common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and chromosomal loci in low-penetrance susceptibility genes have been expanded in genomewide association studies. FGFR2, LSP1, MAP3K1, TGFB1, TOX3, 2q35 and 8q loci variations are some examples for these common SNPs. These SNPs and their association with BC risk was investigated in many different populations. Therefore in this study, we aimed to evaluate low-penetrance susceptibility SNPs; namely FGFR2 rs1219648, rs2981579, rs2981582; MAP3K1 rs889312; TOX3 rs3803662; LSP1 rs909116, rs3817198 and SLC4A7 rs4973768 together, for the firsttime in Turkish postmenopausal oestrogen receptor positive BC cases. Following the DNA isolation, multiplex PCR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with time of flight measurement (MALDI-TOF) based SNP analysis were performed. MAP3K1 rs889312 SNP demonstrated the strongest association with BC risk among the other low penetrant SNPs, it was also associated with BC risk in a dominant model. Only in a ressesive model, TOX3 rs3803662 was associated with BC risk. In addition, rs4973768 CC and rs909116 CC genotypes are correlated with higher tumour size which is not reported in the literature as yet; on the other hand there are no associations between any of the other SNP genotypes and clinopathological parameters. In our opinion, MAP3K1 rs889312 may be a good BC susceptibility biomarker candidate for Turkish population.

Association of B7-H4 gene polymorphisms in urothelial bladder cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

We aimed to study polymorphisms of the B7-H4 gene in order to evaluate a possible association in urothelial carcinoma, as it is highly expressed in cancer tissues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study B7-H4 gene rs10754339, rs10801935, and rs3738414 SNPs were studied by PCR-RFLP method in paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 62 urothelial carcinoma patients and in a control group including 30 patients without bladder cancer.

RESULTS

We detected that the rs10754339 polymorphism was more frequent in the cancer patients when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Only the rs3738414 polymorphism showed a statistically significant difference in frequency between pathologic diagnostic groups.

CONCLUSION

The rs10754339 AA genotype distribution was found to have a higher frequency whereas the rs3738414 AG genotype distribution was lower in the bladder cancer group (P < 0.05). None of the genotype distributions showed a significant difference from the control group for the rs10801935 polymorphism. We conclude that B7-H4 has the potential to be a useful prognostic marker in urothelial carcinoma.