CA : A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

We report here the identification of α1 Na/K-ATPase as a major regulator of the proto-oncogene Src kinase and the role of this regulation in control of Warburg effect and tumor growth. Specifically, we discovered Y260 in α1 Na/K-ATPase as a Src-specific phosphorylation and binding site and that Y260 phosphorylation is required for Src-mediated signal transduction in response to a number of stimuli including EGF. As such, it enables a dynamic control of aerobic glycolysis. However, such regulation appears to be lost or attenuated in human cancers as the expression of Na/K-ATPase α1 was significantly decreased in prostate, breast and kidney cancers, and further reduced in corresponding metastatic lesions in patient samples. Consistently, knockdown of α1 Na/K-ATPase led to a further increase in lactate production and the growth of tumor xenograft. These findings suggest that α1 Na/K-ATPase works as a tumor suppressor and that a loss of Na/K-ATPase-mediated Src regulation may lead to Warburg phenotype in cancer.

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Na/K-ATPase Y260 Phosphorylation-mediated Src Regulation in Control of Aerobic Glycolysis and Tumor Growth

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process during which cells lose their epithelial characteristics, for instance cell polarity and cell-cell contact, and gain mesenchymal properties, such as increased motility. In colorectal cancer (CRC), EMT is associated with an invasive or metastatic phenotype. In this review, we discuss recent studies exploring novel regulation mechanisms of EMT in CRC, including the identification of new CRC EMT regulators. Upregulation of inducers can promote EMT, leading to increased invasiveness and metastasis in CRC. These inducers can downregulate E-cadherin and upregulate N-cadherin and vimentin (VIM) through modulating EMT-related signaling pathways, for instance WNT/β-catenin and TGF-β, and EMT transcription factors, such as zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) and ZEB2. In addition, several microRNAs (miRNAs), including members of the miR-34 and miR-200 families, are found to target mRNAs of EMT-transcription factors, for example ZEB1, ZEB2, or SNAIL. Downregulation of these miRNAs is associated with distant metastasis and advanced stage tumors. Furthermore, the role of EMT in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is also discussed. Mesenchymal markers on the surface of EMT CTCs were found to be associated with metastasis and could serve as potential biomarkers for metastasis. Altogether, these studies indicate that EMT is orchestrated by a complicated network, involving regulators of different signaling pathways. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms underlying EMT in CRC.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/9/12/171/pdf

Regulation of EMT in Colorectal Cancer: A Culprit in Metastasis.

The study of tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) as targets for antitumour therapies has accelerated within the past decade. The most commonly studied class of TSAs are those derived from non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), or SNV neoantigens. However, to increase the repertoire of available therapeutic TSA targets, ‘alternative TSAs’, defined here as high-specificity tumour antigens arising from non-SNV genomic sources, have recently been evaluated. Among these alternative TSAs are antigens derived from mutational frameshifts, splice variants, gene fusions, endogenous retroelements and other processes. Unlike the patient-specific nature of SNV neoantigens, some alternative TSAs may have the advantage of being widely shared by multiple tumours, allowing for universal, off-the-shelf therapies. In this Opinion article, we will outline the biology, available computational tools, preclinical and/or clinical studies and relevant cancers for each alternative TSA class, as well as discuss both current challenges preventing the therapeutic application of alternative TSAs and potential solutions to aid in their clinical translation. To date, very few actionable tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) have been identified that have successfully translated into therapeutic cancer vaccines. This Opinion article provides both examples of TSAs alternative to the traditional single-nucleotide variant neoantigens and details about the novel computational tools used to identify them, with the view to broaden the number of targetable antigens that can be used for cancer vaccine development.

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Alternative tumour-specific antigens.

Src is the prototypal member of Src Family tyrosine Kinases (SFKs), a large non-receptor kinase class that controls multiple signaling pathways in animal cells. SFKs activation is necessary for the mitogenic signal from many growth factors, but also for the acquisition of migratory and invasive phenotype. Indeed, oncogenic activation of SFKs has been demonstrated to play an important role in solid cancers; promoting tumor growth and formation of distant metastases. Several drugs targeting SFKs have been developed and tested in preclinical models and many of them have successfully reached clinical use in hematologic cancers. Although in solid tumors SFKs inhibitors have consistently confirmed their ability in blocking cancer cell progression in several experimental models; their utilization in clinical trials has unveiled unexpected complications against an effective utilization in patients. In this review, we summarize basic molecular mechanisms involving SFKs in cancer spreading and metastasization; and discuss preclinical and clinical data highlighting the main challenges for their future application as therapeutic targets in solid cancer progression

Src Family Kinases as Therapeutic Targets in Advanced Solid Tumors: What We Have Learned so Far.

// Yuhui Wang 1, * , Nan Wu 1, * , Bo Pang 1, * , Dandan Tong 2 , Donglin Sun 1 , Haiming Sun 1 , Chunyu Zhang 1 , Wenjing Sun 1 , Xiangning Meng 1 , Jing Bai 1 , Feng Chen 1 , Jingshu Geng 3 , Songbin Fu 1, 4 and Yan Jin 1, 4 1 Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China 2 Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China 3 Department of Pathology, Third Affiliated Clinical Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China 4 Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Higher Education Institutions, Harbin, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yan Jin, email: jinyan@emshrbmueducn Songbin Fu, email: fusb@emshrbmueducn , fusongbin@yahoocom Keywords: TRIB1, colorectal carcinoma, migration, invasion, MMP-2 Received: November 30, 2016      Accepted: May 01, 2017      Published: May 25, 2017 ABSTRACT Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world and distant metastasis is the leading cause of death among CRC patients However, the underlying mechanisms of distant metastasis remain largely unknown Amplification of 8q24 is a common chromosomal abnormality in CRC In the present study, a putative oncogene at 8q24, TRIB1, was characterized for its role in CRC metastasis and underlying molecular mechanisms Higher expression of TRIB1 protein was detected in 58/83 (699%) of CRC tissues, compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues Moreover, the expression of TRIB1 was significantly associated with distant metastasis ( P =0043) and advanced staging ( P =0008) in CRC tissues TRIB1 overexpression was also correlated with poor prognosis in CRC patients as analyzed in PrognoScan database In addition, elevated expression of TRIB1 promoted CRC cell motility and adhesive ability, while silencing of TRIB1 reduced those effects Further study revealed that TRIB1-mediated migration and invasion of CRC cells required up-regulation of MMP-2 through the activation of FAK/Src and ERK pathway Collectively, the results suggest that TRIB1 promotes CRC cell motility by activation MMP-2 via the FAK/Src and ERK pathways It may provide a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for CRC

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TRIB1 promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion through activation MMP-2 via FAK/Src and ERK pathways

Introduction Since the first fusion gene was discovered decades ago, a considerable number of fusion genes have been detected in leukemia. The majority of them are generated through chromosomal rearrangement or abnormal transcription. With the development of techniques, high-throughput sequencing method makes it possible to detect fusion genes systematically in multiple human cancers. Owing to their biological significance and tumor-specific expression, some of the fusion genes are attractive diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting BCR-ABL1 fusions have been widely used to treat CML. The combination of ATRA and ATO targeting PML-RARA fusions has proven to be effective in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Moreover, therapy with high dose cytarabine (HDAC) has significantly improved the prognosis of core binding factor (CBF) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Therefore, studies on fusion genes may benefit patients with leukemia by providing more diagnostic markers and therapies in the future. Conclusion The presented review focuses on the history of fusion genes, mechanisms of formation, and treatments against specific fusion genes in leukemia.

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Recurrent Fusion Genes in Leukemia: An Attractive Target for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Double minute chromosomes (DMs) have important implications for cancer progression because oncogenes frequently amplified on them. We previously detected a functionally undefined gene amplified on DMs, Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1). The relationship between RPL22L1 and cancer progression is unknown. Here, RPL22L1 was characterized for its role in ovarian cancer (OC) metastasis and its underlying mechanism was examined. DNA copy number and mRNA expression of RPL22L1 in OC cells was analyzed using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus database. An immunohistochemical analysis of clinical OC specimens was performed and the relationships between expression level and clinicopathological factors were evaluated. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro assays were performed to understand the role of RPL22L1 in OC. RPL22L1 expression was higher in OC specimens than in normal tissues, and its expression level was highly positively correlated with invasion and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). RPL22L1 over-expression significantly enhanced intraperitoneal xenograft tumor development in nude mice and promoted invasion and migration in vitro. Additionally, RPL22L1 knockdown remarkably inhibited UACC-1598 cells invasion and migration. Further, RPL22L1 over-expression up-regulated the mesenchymal markers vimentin, fibronectin, and α-SMA, reduced expression of the epithelial markers E-cadherin, α-catenin, and β-catenin. RPL22L1 inhibition reduced expression of vimentin and N-cadherin. These results suggest that RPL22L1 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our data showed that the DMs amplified gene RPL22L1 is critical in maintaining the aggressive phenotype of OC and in triggering cell metastasis by inducing EMT. It could be employed as a novel prognostic marker and/or effective therapeutic target for OC.

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Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1) Promotes Ovarian Cancer Metastasis by Inducing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Nucleotide binding protein-like, NUBPL, is an assembly factor for human mitochondrial complex I, which is the biggest member of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, the relationship between NUBPL and carcinoma progression remains unknown. In this study, NUBPL was characterized for its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Data (n = 197) from the Oncomine database revealed that mRNA levels of NUBPL were remarkably overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis of 75 pairs of CRC and non-tumor tissues showed that the expression level of NUBPL was significantly higher in CRC tissues, and its expression level was positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.028) and advanced staging (P = 0.030). Expression of NUBPL in metastatic lymph nodes of CRC patients was also detected by immunohistochemical staining and high expression levels of NUBPL were observed. Overexpression of NUBPL significantly promoted the migration and invasion ability of CRC cell lines SW480 and SW620, whereas knockdown of NUBPL lead to an opposite effect. Our further study found that NUBPL could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized by downregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin) and upregulation of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin). Moreover, NUBPL was able to activate ERK, which is believed to promote EMT and tumor metastasis. Inhibition of ERK suppressed the NUBPL-induced changes in EMT and cell motility. These data showed that NUBPL plays a vital role in CRC migration and invasion by inducing EMT and activating ERK. It might be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/cas.13243

NUBPL, a novel metastasis-related gene, promotes colorectal carcinoma cell motility by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

To investigate whether cytokine genetic polymorphisms influence the outcome of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we tested 337 consecutive DLBCL treated with CHOP or rituximab-CHOP (R-CHOP) from interleukin 10 (IL10), Bcl-2, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α polymorphisms. Patients who carried the IL10 rs1800871 TT or rs1800872 AA genotype showed higher complete response (CR) and overall response rate (ORR) significantly. A longer progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in patients with IL10 rs1800871 TT (P = 0.017) or rs1800872 AA (P = 0.017) genotype after rituximab-based chemotherapy, and better PFS was also noted with Bcl-2 rs1801018 AA genotype in the CHOP group (P = 0.048). Furthermore, the R-CHOP group patients who carried the IL10 non-CCA haplotype had longer PFS (P = 0.030). Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that the genotype TT of IL10 rs1800871 and AA plus AC of rs1800872 were predictive of longer PFS and event-free survival (EFS) in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP. And the Bcl-2 rs2279115 AA plus AC genotypes and rs1801018 GG genotype were risk factors for EFS in DLBCL patients treated with CHOP. In conclusion, the results reminded us those DLBCL patients with IL10 rs1800871 TT, rs1800872 AA, or IL10 non-CCA haplotype are likely to benefit from the therapy of rituximab-based chemotherapy.

Yuhui Wang

Papers

TRIB1 promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion through activation MMP-2 via FAK/Src and ERK pathways

Recurrent Fusion Genes in Leukemia: An Attractive Target for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1) Promotes Ovarian Cancer Metastasis by Inducing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

NUBPL, a novel metastasis-related gene, promotes colorectal carcinoma cell motility by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Polymorphisms in cytokine genes as prognostic markers in diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients treated with (R)-CHOP.