Fine-scale mapping of the 5q11.2 breast cancer locus reveals at least three independent risk variants regulating MAP3K1

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed SNP rs889312 on 5q11.2 to be associated with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry. In an attempt to identify the biologically relevant variants, we analyzed 909 genetic variants across 5q11.2 in 103,991 breast cancer individuals and control individuals from 52 studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified three independent risk signals: the strongest associations were with 15 correlated variants (iCHAV1), where the minor allele of the best candidate, rs62355902, associated with significantly increased risks of both estrogen-receptor-positive (ER(+): odds ratio [OR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.27, ptrend = 5.7 × 10(-44)) and estrogen-receptor-negative (ER(-): OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.15, ptrend = 3.0 × 10(-4)) tumors. After adjustment for rs62355902, we found evidence of association of a further 173 variants (iCHAV2) containing three subsets with a range of effects (the strongest was rs113317823 [pcond = 1.61 × 10(-5)]) and five variants composing iCHAV3 (lead rs11949391; ER(+): OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.87-0.93, pcond = 1.4 × 10(-4)). Twenty-six percent of the prioritized candidate variants coincided with four putative regulatory elements that interact with the MAP3K1 promoter through chromatin looping and affect MAP3K1 promoter activity. Functional analysis indicated that the cancer risk alleles of four candidates (rs74345699 and rs62355900 [iCHAV1], rs16886397 [iCHAV2a], and rs17432750 [iCHAV3]) increased MAP3K1 transcriptional activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed diminished GATA3 binding to the minor (cancer-protective) allele of rs17432750, indicating a mechanism for its action. We propose that the cancer risk alleles act to increase MAP3K1 expression in vivo and might promote breast cancer cell survival.

Bioactive 6S-styryllactone constituents of Polyalthia parviflora

Parvistones A-E (1-5), five new styryllactones possessing a rare α,β-lactone moiety and a 6S configuration, were isolated from a methanolic extract of Polyalthia parviflora leaves. The structures and the absolute configuration of the isolates were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, specific rotation, circular dichroism, and X-ray single-crystal analysis. Compounds 8, 9, 11, and 12 were isolated for the first time. The results were supported by comparing the data measured to those of 6R-styryllactones. Moreover, a plausible biogenetic pathway of the isolated compounds was proposed. The structure-activity relationship of the compounds in an in vitro anti-inflammatory assay revealed the 6S-styryllactones to be more potent than the 6R derivatives. However, the effect was opposite regarding their cytotoxic activity. In addition, 6S-styrylpyrones isolated showed more potent anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity when compared to the 1S-phenylpyranopyrones obtained.

Obtusifolin suppresses phthalate esters-induced breast cancer bone metastasis by targeting parathyroid hormone-related protein

This study is the first to demonstrate that parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), produced by human breast cancer cells after exposure to phthalate esters, contributes to bone metastasis by increasing osteoclastogenesis. This is also the first to reveal that obtusifolin reverses phthalate esters-mediated bone resorption. Human breast cancer cells were treated with dibutyl phthalate (DBP), harvested in conditioned medium, and cultured to osteoblasts or osteoclasts. Cultures of osteoblasts with DBP-MDA-MB-231-CM increased the osteoclastogenesis activator RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor κ-B ligand) and M-CSF (macrophage colony-stimulating factor). PTHrP was secreted in MDA-MB-231 cells. DBP-MDA-MB-231-CM reduced osteoblasts to produce osteoprotegerin, an osteoclastogenesis inhibitor, while DBP mediated PTHrP up-regulation, increasing IL-8 secretion in MDA-MB-231 and contributing to breast cancer-mediated osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Obtusifolin, a major bioactive compound present in Cassia tora L., suppressed phthalate esters-mediated bone resorption. Therefore, obtusifolin may be a novel anti-breast-cancer bone metastasis agent.

Wedelolactone inhibits breast cancer-induced osteoclastogenesis by decreasing Akt/mTOR signaling

The bone is the most common metastatic site of breast cancer. Bone metastasis causes pain, pathologic fractures, and severely reduces the quality of life. Breast cancer causes osteolytic bone metastasis, which is dependent on osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. While current treatments rely on palliative anti-resorptive agents, there is a need to develop a drug based on potential alternative therapies. This study is the first to determine that wedelolactone (WDL), a natural coumarin isolated from plants, can inhibit breast cancer-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Osteoclasts were generated from human CD14(+) monocytes cultured with M-CSF/RANKL and WDL suppressed human osteoclast differentiation and activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, WDL inhibited the upregulation of osteoclasts stimulated by MDA‑MB‑231 breast cancer cells. The activity of WDL on osteoclasts and breast cancer-mediated osteoclastogenesis was associated with the inhibition of Akt/mammalian target of the rapamycin signaling pathway (mTOR). Blocking Akt and mTOR by specific inhibitors significantly decreased osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Furthermore, WDL regulated breast cancer-enhanced interaction of osteoblasts and osteoclasts by decreasing M-CSF expression in MDA‑MB‑231-stimulated osteoblasts. Thus, this study suggests that WDL may be a potential natural agent for preventing and treating bone destruction in patients with bone metastasis due to breast cancer.

Common non-synonymous SNPs associated with breast cancer susceptibility: findings from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium

Candidate variant association studies have been largely unsuccessful in identifying common breast cancer susceptibility variants, although most studies have been underpowered to detect associations of a realistic magnitude. We assessed 41 common non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) for which evidence of association with breast cancer risk had been previously reported. Case-control data were combined from 38 studies of white European women (46 450 cases and 42 600 controls) and analyzed using unconditional logistic regression. Strong evidence of association was observed for three nsSNPs: ATXN7-K264R at 3p21 [rs1053338, per allele OR = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.10, P = 2.9 × 10(-6)], AKAP9-M463I at 7q21 (rs6964587, OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03-1.07, P = 1.7 × 10(-6)) and NEK10-L513S at 3p24 (rs10510592, OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.07-1.12, P = 5.1 × 10(-17)). The first two associations reached genome-wide statistical significance in a combined analysis of available data, including independent data from nine genome-wide association studies (GWASs): for ATXN7-K264R, OR = 1.07 (95% CI = 1.05-1.10, P = 1.0 × 10(-8)); for AKAP9-M463I, OR = 1.05 (95% CI = 1.04-1.07, P = 2.0 × 10(-10)). Further analysis of other common variants in these two regions suggested that intronic SNPs nearby are more strongly associated with disease risk. We have thus identified a novel susceptibility locus at 3p21, and confirmed previous suggestive evidence that rs6964587 at 7q21 is associated with risk. The third locus, rs10510592, is located in an established breast cancer susceptibility region; the association was substantially attenuated after adjustment for the known GWAS hit. Thus, each of the associated nsSNPs is likely to be a marker for another, non-coding, variant causally related to breast cancer risk. Further fine-mapping and functional studies are required to identify the underlying risk-modifying variants and the genes through which they act.

Methanolic extracts of Solieria robusta inhibits proliferation of oral cancer Ca9-22 cells via apoptosis and oxidative stress

Many red algae-derived natural products are known to have anticancer effects. The biological functions of the red alga Solieria robusta from the Karachi coast (Pakistan) remain unclear. Here, we prepared a methanolic extracts of S. robusta (MESR) to examine its possible anti-oral cancer effects and the corresponding mechanism of action. Cell viability of MESR-incubated oral cancer Ca9-22 cells was dose-responsively decreased (p<0.001). According to a propidium iodide (PI)-based assay the cell cycle distribution was dramatically changed, especially for subG1 accumulation. Annexin V/PI assay of apoptosis using flow cytometry also showed that MESR-incubated Ca9-22 cells were dose-responsively increased (p<0.001). For evaluation of oxidative stress in MESR-incubated Ca9-22 cells, we found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) were overexpressed dose- and time-responsively and mitochondrial depolarization was also increased (p<0.001). Taken together, MESR showed inhibitory effects on oral cancer proliferation coupled with apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Reactive oxygen species and autophagy modulation in non-marine drugs and marine drugs

It is becoming more understandable that an existing challenge for translational research is the development of pharmaceuticals that appropriately target reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated molecular networks in cancer cells. In line with this approach, there is an overwhelmingly increasing list of many non-marine drugs and marine drugs reported to be involved in inhibiting and suppressing cancer progression through ROS-mediated cell death. In this review, we describe the strategy of oxidative stress-based therapy and connect the ROS modulating effect to the regulation of apoptosis and autophagy. Finally, we focus on exploring the function and mechanism of cancer therapy by the autophagy modulators including inhibitors and inducers from non-marine drugs and marine drugs.

The Immune Regulator VTCN1 Gene Polymorphisms and Its Impact on Susceptibility to Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

VTCN1, a T-cell regulator, belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. It is more highly expressed in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, which suggests that it could serve as a tumor-related agent. We hypothesize the gene variants for this coinhibitory molecule may be associated with the risk of breast cancer, given such gene polymorphisms could affect its related gene expression.

METHODS

Genotypes of the VTCN1 gene variants (rs10754339, rs10801935, and rs3738414) were analyzed in 566 patients with breast cancer and 400 age-frequency-matched controls.

RESULTS

Compared with the major allele, the minor alleles of rs10754339, rs10801935, and rs3738414 did modulate the risk of breast cancer with ORs (95% CI) of 1.42 (1.07-1.89), 1.39 (1.10-1.77), and 0.81 (0.67-0.99), respectively. Those with the rs10754339 genotype AG and rs10801935 AC genotype had significantly increased risks when compared with their major genotypes. However, in rs3738414, the AA genotype had a marginally significant decreased risk compared with its wild genotype. In the haplotype-based analysis, the GCG allele was associated with significantly increased risk (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.09-2.22) based on the AAG reference. Further analyses of the haplotype pairs showed GCG carriers had a significantly increased risk.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the VTCN1 genetic variants (rs10754339, rs10801935, and rs3738414) indicate they could be connected with the risk of breast cancer, which in turn provides indirect evidence that T-cell immunity could be involved in the development of breast cancer.

Increased Igf-I/Igfbp-3 Ratios in Postmenopausal Taiwanese with Breast Cancer, Irrespective of Er and Pr Statuses and Her2 Expression in a Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

In most research, there were positive associations between the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) status, including IGF-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and ratio of IGF-I/IGFBP-3, and risks of breast cancer (BC), which was influenced by many factors, including hormone statuses and ethnicity. Therefore, the alterations of the IGF-I status in Taiwanese women with BC by menopausal statuses and hormone receptors were investigated.

METHODS

The levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were determined by the enzyme-labeled chemiluminescent immunometric assay, and the protein expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) on paraffin-embedded sections of tissues with BC were analyzed by the immunohistochemical method.

RESULTS

The ratios of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were significantly higher in the women with BC than those in the controls, but not of the levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3; furthermore, the significantly higher ratios were found only in the postmenopausal status. In addition, there was no significant difference between the IGF-I status and ER and PR statuses, and HER2 expression, respectively, in the women with BC.

CONCLUSIONS

The ratios of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were increased in postmenopausal Taiwanese women with BC, irrespective of their ages, ER and PR statuses, and HER2 expression.

Tumour and lymph node uptakes on dual-phased 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography correlate with prognostic parameters in breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

To examine correlations between the uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) by primary tumours and axillary lymph nodes, and clinical and biological tumour prognostic parameters, in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who had received a dual-phased FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan for pretreatment staging were enrolled retrospectively. Maximal standardized uptake values at 1 h (SUV1), 2 h (SUV2), and retention indices (RI) of the tumours and ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes were measured. SUV and RI were compared with clinical and biological prognostic parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 32 patients participated in the study. Tumour FDG uptake correlated with histological grade and tumour size. FDG uptake in axillary lymph nodes correlated positively with lymph node status, metastasis status and clinical stage. RI values for the tumour and lymph nodes were significantly positively correlated with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

FDG uptake in tumours and lymph nodes showed correlations with some clinical and biological parameters, and may serve as a predictive marker of tumour biological behaviour in breast cancer.

Functional variants at the 21q22.3 locus involved in breast cancer progression identified by screening of genome-wide estrogen response elements

Introduction

Estrogen forms a complex with the estrogen receptor (ER) that binds to estrogen response elements (EREs) in the regulatory region of estrogen-responsive genes and regulates their transcription. Sequence variants in the regulatory regions have the potential to affect the transcription factor–regulatory sequence interaction, resulting in altered expression of target genes. This study explored the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the ERE-associated sequences and breast cancer progression.

Methods

The ERE-associated sequences throughout the whole genome that have been demonstrated to bind ERα in vivo were blasted against online information from SNP data sets and 54 SNPs located adjacent to estrogen-responsive genes were selected for genotyping in two independent cohorts of breast cancer patients: 779 patients in the initial screening stage and another 888 in the validation stage. Deaths due to breast cancer or recurrence of breast cancer were defined as the respective events of interest, and the hazard ratios of individual SNPs were estimated based on the Cox proportional hazards model. Furthermore, functional assays were performed, and information from publicly available genomic data and bioinformatics platforms were used to provide additional evidence for the associations identified in the association analyses.

Results

The SNPs at 21q22.3 ERE were significantly associated with overall survival and disease-free survival of patients. Furthermore, these 21q22.3 SNPs (rs2839494 and rs1078272) could affect the binding of this ERE-associated sequence to ERα or Rad21 (an ERα coactivator), respectively, which resulted in a difference in ERα-activated expression of the reporter gene.

Conclusion

These findings support the idea that functional variants in the ERα-regulating sequence at 21q22.3 are important in determining breast cancer progression.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-014-0455-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cost trend analysis of initial cancer treatment in Taiwan

Background

Despite the high cost of initial cancer care, that is, care in the first year after diagnosis, limited information is available for specific categories of cancer-related costs, especially costs for specific services. This study purposed to identify causes of change in cancer treatment costs over time and to perform trend analyses of the percentage of cancer patients who had received a specific treatment type and the mean cost of care for patients who had received that treatment.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The analysis of trends in initial treatment costs focused on cancer-related surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and treatments other than active treatments. For each cancer-specific trend, slopes were calculated for regression models with 95% confidence intervals. Analyses of patients diagnosed in 2007 showed that the National Health Insurance (NHI) system paid, on average, $10,780 for initial care of a gastric cancer patient and $10,681 for initial care of a lung cancer patient, which were inflation-adjusted increases of $6,234 and $5,522, respectively, over the 1996 care costs. During the same interval, the mean NHI payment for initial care for the five specific cancers increased significantly (p<0.05). Hospitalization costs comprised the largest portion of payments for all cancers. During 1996–2007, the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy significantly increased in all cancer types (p<0.05). In 2007, NHI payments for initial care for these five cancers exceeded $12 billion, and gastric and lung cancers accounted for the largest share.

Conclusions/Significance

In addition to the growing number of NHI beneficiaries with cancer, treatment costs and the percentage of patients who undergo treatment are growing. Therefore, the NHI must accurately predict the economic burden of new chemotherapy agents and radiation therapies and may need to develop programs for stratifying patients according to their potential benefit from these expensive treatments.

A linear gradient line source facilitates the use of diffusion models with high order approximation for efficient, accurate turbid sample optical properties recovery

In this paper, we demonstrate that a scanning MEMS mirror can be employed to create a linear gradient line source that is equivalent to a planar source. This light source setup facilitates the use of diffusion models of increased orders of approximation having closed form solution, and thus enhance the efficiency and accuracy in sample optical properties recovery. In addition, compared with a regular planar light source, the linear gradient line source occupies much less source area and has an elevated measurement efficiency. We employed a δ-P1 diffusion equation with a closed form solution and carried out a phantom study to understand the performance of this new method in determining the absorption and scattering properties of turbid samples. Moreover, our Monte Carlo simulation results indicated that this geometry had probing depths comparable to those of the conventional diffuse reflectance measurement geometry with a source-detector separation of 3 mm. We expect that this new source setup would facilitate the investigating of superficial volumes of turbid samples in the wavelength regions where tissue absorption coefficients are comparable to scattering coefficients.

Abstract 434: Circulating visfatin promotes malignant cancer behavior through activation of STAT3 signaling in breast cancer

Adipocytokines are adipocyte-derived hormones which have been shown potentially associated with carcinogenesis. In this study, the role of circulating visfatin, a recently discovered adipocytokine involving in breast cancer progression, was investigated. Our data showed that the levels of serum visfatin in breast cancer patients were closely correlated with several clinicopathological characteristics including tumor stages, tumor size, and lymph node (LN) metastasis. In addition, differential association of disease recurrence and patients survival with hormone receptors such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/Neu) were observed. Patients with high serum visfatin, especially in combination with ER- status, showed the lowest survival rate. Furthermore, high serum visfatin patients had a lower recurrence risk and better patient survival after adjuvant hormone therapy. Notably, serum visfatin was positively associated with STAT3 activation through tyrosine phosphorylation in breast cancer tissues. In agreement with the clinical observation, our in vitro data revealed that breast cancer cells treated with visfatin not only enhanced cell proliferation but also activated STAT3 and its upstream regulator, JAK1. Moreover, inhibition of STAT3 resulted in the reduced cell proliferation and invasive ability of breast cancer cells. In conclusion, we propose that high levels of circulating visfatin, probably via activation of STAT3 signaling pathway, lead to a malignant cancer progression and poor survival of breast cancer patients. Therefore, the visfatin/STAT3 pathway may constitute a valuable prognostic system for breast cancer patients. In addition, interference of the visfatin/STAT3 signaling may represent a novel therapeutic potential in the treatment of breast cancer.

Table 1. Univariate and multivariable analysis of overall survival for breast cancerVariablesItemUnivariateMultivariable†Hazard Rate Ratio95% Confidence intervalP valueHazard Rate Ratio95% Confidence intervalP valueTumor size (cm)&gt;54.36(1.69,11.27)0.0022.13(0.79,5.74)0.1362-52.47(1.05,5.81)0.0391.68(0.70,4.05)0.245&lt;21.001.00LN Metastasis≥23.34(1.75,6.37)&lt;0.0012.43(1.25,4.72)0.0090-11.001.00GradeIII2.47(0.81,7.53)0.112---II1.56(0.53,4.55)0.419--I1.00-Age(y)&gt;501.49(0.81,2.73)0.197---≤501.00-BMI(kg/m2)&lt;241.14(0.60,2.14)0.690---≥241.00-Her2/NeuPositive1.14(0.60,2.17)0.699---Negative1.00-RadiotherapyYes1.11(0.60,2.03)0.744---No1.00-ChemotherapyYes0.89(0.41,1.93)0.774---No1.00-HormoneTherapyYes0.36(0.20,0.66)0.0010.46(0.24,0.87)0.017No1.001.00VisfatinHigh5.67(2.01,15.98)0.0013.55(1.22,10.36)0.020Low1.001.00† Variables with P values greater than 0.10 in the univariate analysis were excluded from multivariable analysis.

Citation Format: Shyng-Shiou F. Yuan, Amos C. Hung, Ming-Feng Hou. Circulating visfatin promotes malignant cancer behavior through activation of STAT3 signaling in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 434. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-434

EORTC QLQ-BM22 quality of life evaluation and pain outcome in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer treated with zoledronic acid

BACKGROUND

We assessed the effect of zoledronic acid on quality of life (QOL) and pain outcome in breast cancer patients with bone metastases using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer bone metastases module (EORTC QLQ-BM22).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred sixty-six breast cancer patients receiving zoledronic acid for bone metastases from 13 Centers were prospectively enrolled. QOL was evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-BM22 and pain outcome were measured monthly with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score for 24 months.

RESULTS

No significant change of functional scale (functional interference and psychosocial aspects) of the EORTC QLQ-BM22 was reported. Significant reduction of the symptom scale was noted after treatment compared with the baseline. The painful site subscale was significantly reduced during the first 12 months, with the exception the 6-month follow-up of point. Pain characteristics subscale was also significantly lower from the 2-month time point onwards. VAS scores indicated a significant reduction in pain over the course of the study to the 22-month time point follow-up compared to the baseline.

CONCLUSION

Zoledronic acid treatment improved QOL of breast cancer patients with bone metastases by relieving bone pain.

Cancer/stroma interplay via cyclooxygenase-2 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase promotes breast cancer progression

Introduction

Expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in primary breast cancer increases tumor growth and metastasis. However, the clinical significance of stromal IDO and the regulation of stromal IDO are unclear.

Methods

Metabolomics and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to study the effect of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-overexpressing breast cancer cells on IDO expression in co-cultured human breast fibroblasts. Biochemical inhibitors and short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used to clarify how prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) upregulates IDO expression. Associations of stromal IDO with clinicopathologic parameters were tested in tumor specimens. An orthotopic animal model was used to examine the effect of COX-2 and IDO inhibitors on tumor growth.

Results

Kynurenine, the metabolite generated by IDO, increases in the supernatant of fibroblasts co-cultured with COX-2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. PGE₂ released by cancer cells upregulates IDO expression in fibroblasts through an EP4/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-dependent pathway. Conversely, fibroblast-secreted kynurenine promotes the formation of the E-cadherin/Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) complex, resulting in degradation of E-cadherin to increase breast cancer invasiveness. The enhancement of motility of breast cancer cells induced by co-culture with fibroblasts is suppressed by the IDO inhibitor 1-methyl-tryptophan. Pathological analysis demonstrates that upregulation of stromal IDO is a poor prognosis factor and is associated with of COX-2 overexpression. Co-expression of cancer COX-2 and stromal IDO predicts a worse disease-free and metastasis-free survival. Finally, COX-2 and IDO inhibitors inhibit tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

Integration of metabolomics and molecular and pathological approaches reveals the interplay between cancer and stroma via COX-2, and IDO promotes tumor progression and predicts poor patient survival.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-014-0410-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Inhibition of chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 sialylation suppresses CCL19-stimulated proliferation, invasion and anti-anoikis

Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 (CCR7) is involved in lymph-node homing of naive and regulatory T cells and lymphatic metastasis of cancer cells. Sialic acids comprise a group of monosaccharide units that are added to the terminal position of the oligosaccharide chain of glycoproteins by sialyation. Recent studies suggest that aberrant sialylation of receptor proteins contributes to proliferation, motility, and drug resistance of cancer cells. In this study, we addressed whether CCR7 is a sialylated receptor protein and tried to elucidate the effect of sialylation in the regulation of signal transduction and biological function of CCR7. Our results demonstrated that α-2, 3-sialyltransferase which catalyze sialylation reaction in vivo was overexpressed in breast tumor tissues and cell lines. Lectin blot analysis clearly demonstrated that CCR7 receptor was sialyated in breast cancer cells. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 19 (CCL19), the cognate ligand for CCR7, induced the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and AKT signaling and increased the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins and proliferation of breast cancer cells. When cells were pre-treated with a sialyltransferase inhibitor AL10 or sialidase, CCL19-induced cell growth was significantly suppressed. CCL19 also increased invasion and prevented anoikis by up-regulating pro-survival proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Inhibition of sialylation by AL10 totally abolished these effects. Finally, we showed that AL10 inhibited tumorigenicity of breast cancer in experimental animals. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time that CCR7 receptor is a sialylated protein and sialylation is important for the paracrine stimulation by its endogenous ligand CCL19. In addition, inhibition of aberrant sialylation of CCR7 suppresses proliferation and invasion and triggers anoikis in breast cancer cells. Targeting of sialylation enzymes may be a novel strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Genetic variation at CYP3A is associated with age at menarche and breast cancer risk: a case-control study

INTRODUCTION

We have previously shown that a tag single nucleotide polymorphism (rs10235235), which maps to the CYP3A locus (7q22.1), was associated with a reduction in premenopausal urinary estrone glucuronide levels and a modest reduction in risk of breast cancer in women age ≤50 years.

METHODS

We further investigated the association of rs10235235 with breast cancer risk in a large case control study of 47,346 cases and 47,570 controls from 52 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Genotyping of rs10235235 was conducted using a custom Illumina Infinium array. Stratified analyses were conducted to determine whether this association was modified by age at diagnosis, ethnicity, age at menarche or tumor characteristics.

RESULTS

We confirmed the association of rs10235235 with breast cancer risk for women of European ancestry but found no evidence that this association differed with age at diagnosis. Heterozygote and homozygote odds ratios (ORs) were OR = 0.98 (95% CI 0.94, 1.01; P = 0.2) and OR = 0.80 (95% CI 0.69, 0.93; P = 0.004), respectively (P(trend) = 0.02). There was no evidence of effect modification by tumor characteristics. rs10235235 was, however, associated with age at menarche in controls (P(trend) = 0.005) but not cases (P(trend) = 0.97). Consequently the association between rs10235235 and breast cancer risk differed according to age at menarche (P(het) = 0.02); the rare allele of rs10235235 was associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk for women who had their menarche age ≥15 years (OR(het) = 0.84, 95% CI 0.75, 0.94; OR(hom) = 0.81, 95% CI 0.51, 1.30; P(trend) = 0.002) but not for those who had their menarche age ≤11 years (OR(het) = 1.06, 95% CI 0.95, 1.19, OR(hom) = 1.07, 95% CI 0.67, 1.72; P(trend) = 0.29).

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge rs10235235 is the first single nucleotide polymorphism to be associated with both breast cancer risk and age at menarche consistent with the well-documented association between later age at menarche and a reduction in breast cancer risk. These associations are likely mediated via an effect on circulating hormone levels.

Cluster of differentiation 45 activation is crucial in interleukin-10-dependent tumor-associated dendritic cell differentiation

Tumor-associated dendritic cells (TADCs) are important in tumor immune surveillance, and it has been reported that the secretion of interleukin (IL)-10 by cancer cells is a major factor involved in the induction of TADCs in the tumor microenvironment. In the present study, IL-10 was found to activate cluster of differentiation (CD)45 protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase), inducing a TADC-like phenomenon. The PTPase inhibitor, phenylarsine oxide, and a CD45 inhibitor reversed the IL-10-induced impaired differentiation of the DCs, and also reversed the induction of the TADCs by A549, MDA-MB-231 and SW480 conditioned media, which thus represents a novel therapy to reduce immune surveillance in the tumor microenvironment. The present study is the first to identify that CD45 is involved in IL-10-activated signaling in myeloid lineage cells.

Acid suppressive agents and risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: case-control study

Background

The acid-suppressive agents have been linked with an increased risk of infectious disease. The relationship between these drugs and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) was not been reported.

Methods

We conducted a case–control study using data from National Health Insurance research database of Taiwan. From 1996 till 2008, and 6541 cases were defined as TB infection/activation (ICD-9 coding plus prescription two of four first-line anti-TB regimen for at least one month). Control subjects who were matched to the TB cases by age and sex were selected with 10:1 ratio. Medical records including acid-suppressive agent prescription and comorbidity, and socioeconomic status were analyzed.

Results

TB infection/activation was more frequent to comorbidity with chronic diseases, alcohol abuse, malignancy, immune deficient/suppression status and acid-related disease (peptic ulcer, reflux esophagitis). Among the TB cases, there was higher exposure record to acid-suppressive agents within 3 months before TB index date (OR 2.43(2.06-2.88) and 1.90 (1.68-2.14) for proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H₂RA) respectively). After adjusting confounding factors, PPIs prescription 3 months before TB index date had an association of TB infection/activation (adjusted OR 1.63(1.61-1.63)). Similar result was found in H₂RA user (adjusted OR 1.51(1.50-1.52)). The association of acid-suppressive agents in TB infection/activation was fade gradually when the drug prescription period extended.

Conclusions

Recent prescription of acid-suppressive agent seems to associate the TB infection/activation. In the society where TB was prevalent, evaluation of pulmonary TB before prescription of PPI or H₂RA is warranted.

Androgen receptor and gene network: Micromechanics reassemble the signaling machinery of TMPRSS2-ERG positive prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is a gland tumor in the male reproductive system. It is a multifaceted and genomically complex disease. Transmembrane protease, serine 2 and v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 homolog (TMPRSS2-ERG) gene fusions are the common molecular signature of prostate cancer. Although tremendous advances have been made in unraveling various facets of TMPRSS2-ERG-positive prostate cancer, many research findings must be sequentially collected and re-interpreted. It is important to understand the activation or repression of target genes and proteins in response to various stimuli and the assembly in signal transduction in TMPRSS2-ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer cells. Accordingly, we divide this multi-component review ofprostate cancer cells into several segments: 1) The role of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion in genomic instability and methylated regulation in prostate cancer and normal cells; 2) Signal transduction cascades in TMPRSS2-ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer; 3) Overexpressed genes in TMPRSS2-ERG fusion-positive prostate cancer cells; 4) miRNA mediated regulation of the androgen receptor (AR) and its associated protein network; 5) Quantitative control of ERG in prostate cancer cells; 6) TMPRSS2-ERG encoded protein targeting; In conclusion, we provide a detailed understanding of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion related information in prostate cancer development to provide a rationale for exploring TMPRSS2-ERG fusion-mediated molecular network machinery.

Identifying association model for single-nucleotide polymorphisms of ORAI1 gene for breast cancer

Background

ORAI1 channels play an important role for breast cancer progression and metastasis. Previous studies indicated the strong correlation between breast cancer and individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ORAI1 gene. However, the possible SNP-SNP interaction of ORAI1 gene was not investigated.

Results

To develop the complex analyses of SNP-SNP interaction, we propose a genetic algorithm (GA) to detect the model of breast cancer association between five SNPs (rs12320939, rs12313273, rs7135617, rs6486795 and rs712853) of ORAI1 gene. For individual SNPs, the differences between case and control groups in five SNPs of ORAI1 gene were not significant. In contrast, GA-generated SNP models show that 2-SNP (rs12320939-GT/rs6486795-CT), 3-SNP (rs12320939-GT/rs12313273-TT/rs6486795-TC), 5-SNP (rs12320939-GG/rs12313273-TC/rs7135617-TT/rs6486795-TT/rs712853-TT) have higher risks for breast cancer in terms of odds ratio analysis (1.357, 1.689, and 13.148, respectively).

Conclusion

Taken together, the cumulative effects of SNPs of ORAI1 gene in breast cancer association study were well demonstrated in terms of GA-generated SNP models.

5-azacytidine induces anoikis, inhibits mammosphere formation and reduces metalloproteinase 9 activity in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

Cancer stem cells are a subset of cancer cells that initiate the growth of tumors. Low levels of cancer stem cells also exist in established cancer cell lines, and can be enriched in serum-free tumorsphere cultures. Since cancer stem cells have been reported to be resilient to common chemotherapeutic drugs in comparison to regular cancer cells, screening for compounds selectively targeting cancer stem cells may provide an effective therapeutic strategy. We found that 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) selectively induced anoikis of MCF-7 in suspension cultures with an EC₅₀ of 8.014 µM, and effectively inhibited tumorsphere formation, as well as the migration and matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) activity of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, 5-AzaC and radiation collaboratively inhibited MCF-7 tumorsphere formation at clinically relevant radiation doses. Investigating the underlying mechanism may provide insight into signaling pathways crucial for cancer stem cell survival and pave the way to novel potential therapeutic targets.

Activation of VCAM-1 and its associated molecule CD44 leads to increased malignant potential of breast cancer cells

VCAM-1 (CD106), a transmembrane glycoprotein, was first reported to play an important role in leukocyte adhesion, leukocyte transendothelial migration and cell activation by binding to integrin VLA-1 (α4β1). In the present study, we observed that VCAM-1 expression can be induced in many breast cancer epithelial cells by cytokine stimulation in vitro and its up-regulation directly correlated with advanced clinical breast cancer stage. We found that VCAM-1 over-expression in the NMuMG breast epithelial cells controls the epithelial and mesenchymal transition (EMT) program to increase cell motility rates and promote chemoresistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin in vitro. Conversely, in the established MDAMB231 metastatic breast cancer cell line, we confirmed that knockdown of endogenous VCAM-1 expression reduced cell proliferation and inhibited TGFβ1 or IL-6 mediated cell migration, and increased chemosensitivity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that knockdown of endogenous VCAM-1 expression in MDAMB231 cells reduced tumor formation in a SCID xenograft mouse model. Signaling studies showed that VCAM-1 physically associates with CD44 and enhances CD44 and ABCG2 expression. Our findings uncover the possible mechanism of VCAM-1 activation facilitating breast cancer progression, and suggest that targeting VCAM-1 is an attractive strategy for therapeutic intervention.

Myosin IIa activation is crucial in breast cancer derived galectin-1 mediated tolerogenic dendritic cell differentiation

BACKGROUND

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) play important roles in immune tolerance, autoimmune disease, tissue transplantation, and the tumor micro-environment. Factors that induce tDCs have been reported, however the intracellular mechanisms involved are rarely discussed.

METHODS

Circulating CD14(+)CD16(+) of breast cancer patients and induced CD14(+)CD16(+) DCs were identified as tDCs by treating CD14(+) monocytes with galectin-1 and cancer cell-derived medium combined with IL-4 and GM-CSF. In addition, the 4T1 breast cancer syngeneic xenograft model was used to investigate the effect of galectin-1 in vivo.

RESULTS

The CD14(+)CD16(+) tDC population in the breast cancer patients was comparatively higher than that in the healthy donors, and both the MDA-MB-231 conditioned medium and galectin-1 could induce tDC differentiation. In a BALB/c animal model, the 4T1 breast cancer cell line enhanced IL-10 expression in CD11c(+) DCs which was down-regulated after knocking down the galectin-1 expression of 4T1 cells. Analysis of galectin-1 interacting proteins showed that myosin IIa was a major target of galectin-1 after internalization through a caveolin-dependent endocytosis. Myosin IIa specific inhibitor could diminish the effects of galectin-1 on monocyte-derived tDCs and also block the 4T1 cell induced CD11c(+)/Ly6G(+)/IL-10(+) in the BALB/c mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Galectin-1 can induce tDCs after internalizing into CD14(+) monocytes through the caveolae-dependent pathway and activating myosin IIa. For the breast cancer patients with a high galectin-1 expression, blebbistatin and genistein show potential in immune modulation and cancer immunotherapy.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Myosin IIa activation and galectin-1 endocytosis are important in tumor associated tDC development.

Using electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry to rapidly examine the integrity of proteins stored in various solutions

Electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS) allows the rapid desorption and ionization of proteins from solutions under ambient conditions. In this study, we have demonstrated the use of ELDI/MS to efficiently examine the integrity of the proteins stored in various solutions before they were further used for other biochemical tests. The protein standards were prepared in the solutions containing buffers, organic salts, inorganic salts, strong acid, strong base, and organic solvents, respectively, to simulate those collected from solvent extraction, filtration, dialysis, or chromatographic separation. Other than the deposit of a drop of the sample solution on the metallic sample plate in an ELDI source, no additional sample pretreatment is needed. The sample drop was then irradiated with a pulsed laser; this led to desorption of the analyte molecules, which subsequently entered the ESI plume to undergo post-ionization. Because adjustment of the composition of the sample solution is unnecessary, this technique appears to be useful for rapidly evaluating the integrity of proteins after storage or prior to further biochemical treatment. In addition, when using acid-free and low-organic-solvent ESI solutions for ELDI/MS analysis, the native conformations of the proteins in solution could be detected.

Predictive factors of overall quality of life in advanced cancer patients using EORTC QLQ-C30

OBJECTIVE

To identify which domains/symptoms from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) were predictive of overall quality of life (QoL) in advanced cancer patients.

METHODS

Four hundred and forty seven patients with brain metastases or bone metastases from seven countries were enrolled with regression analysis to determine the predictive value of the QLQ-C30 functional/symptom scores for patient reported overall QoL (question 30), overall health (question 29) and the global health status domain (questions 29 and 30).

RESULTS

Worse role functioning, social functioning, fatigue and financial problems were the most significant predictive factors for worse QoL. In the bone metastases subgroup (n = 400), role functioning, fatigue and financial problems were the most significant predictors. In patients with brain metastases (n = 47), none of the EORTC domains significantly predicted worse QOL.

CONCLUSION

Deterioration of certain QLQ-C30 functional/symptom scores significantly contributes to worse QoL, overall health and global health status.

Fine-scale mapping of the FGFR2 breast cancer risk locus: putative functional variants differentially bind FOXA1 and E2F1

The 10q26 locus in the second intron of FGFR2 is the locus most strongly associated with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer in genome-wide association studies. We conducted fine-scale mapping in case-control studies genotyped with a custom chip (iCOGS), comprising 41 studies (n = 89,050) of European ancestry, 9 Asian ancestry studies (n = 13,983), and 2 African ancestry studies (n = 2,028) from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. We identified three statistically independent risk signals within the locus. Within risk signals 1 and 3, genetic analysis identified five and two variants, respectively, highly correlated with the most strongly associated SNPs. By using a combination of genetic fine mapping, data on DNase hypersensitivity, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays to study protein-DNA binding, we identified rs35054928, rs2981578, and rs45631563 as putative functional SNPs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that FOXA1 preferentially bound to the risk-associated allele (C) of rs2981578 and was able to recruit ERα to this site in an allele-specific manner, whereas E2F1 preferentially bound the risk variant of rs35054928. The risk alleles were preferentially found in open chromatin and bound by Ser5 phosphorylated RNA polymerase II, suggesting that the risk alleles are associated with changes in transcription. Chromatin conformation capture demonstrated that the risk region was able to interact with the promoter of FGFR2, the likely target gene of this risk region. A role for FOXA1 in mediating breast cancer susceptibility at this locus is consistent with the finding that the FGFR2 risk locus primarily predisposes to estrogen-receptor-positive disease.

Quality of life assessment in Taiwanese patients with bone metastases from breast cancer receiving zoledronic acid

BACKGROUND

The current study aimed to examine the impact of zoledronic acid therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Taiwanese patients with bone metastases from breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with bone metastases from breast cancer who received zoledronic acid according to the standards of care were enrolled in this observational phase IV study. HRQoL was measured monthly using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30 (QLQ-C30) and the breast cancer-specific module (BR-23) for 24 months.

RESULTS

A total of 366 patients from 13 centers were enrolled. QLQ C-30 demonstrated that zoledronic acid improved the HRQoL in different aspects. In particular, a significant reduction of pain in the first 14 months and the 22-month follow-up was reported by patients. QLQ-BR23 indicated improved future perspective and breast symptom scores over the course of the study.

CONCLUSION

These data confirm the HRQoL benefits and safety of zoledronic acid in Taiwanese patients with bone metastases from breast cancer.

Phyto-SERM constitutes from Flemingia macrophylla

The methanolic extract of Flemingia macrophylla roots exhibited significant estrogenic activity in the transgenic plant assay system which was comparable to the activity of soybean extract. Utilizing estrogenic activity-guided fractionation, one new compound, fleminigin, together with 23 known compounds were isolated from F. macrophylla roots' methanolic extract. The structure of the new compound was identified based on intensive spectroscopic analysis and the full spectral data for one of the isolated compounds, flemichin E, was introduced for the first time in the current investigation. The estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated revealing that the isolated isoflavonoids may act as partial estrogen agonists, as well as antagonists. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory and the cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were studied. These results suggested the potential applications of F. macrophylla extract and its isolated compounds as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

The functional significance of microRNA-29c in patients with colorectal cancer: a potential circulating biomarker for predicting early relapse

Background

The recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is frequent within the first year of curative resection surgery and may be unavoidable. microRNAs have been suggested to play roles in carcinogenesis and cancer recurrence. We recently identified microRNA-29c (miRNA-29c) as a predictor of early recurrence in CRC. In the present study, we further investigated the functions and serum level of miRNA-29c in relation to early recurrence of CRC.

Methods

First we further confirmed overexpression of miRNA-29c in non-early relapse subjects. Gain-of-function in vitro studies were used to evaluate the effect of miRNA-29c on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression. The colon cancer cell line Caco2 and a stable clone overexpressing miRNA-29c were xenografted to evaluate the in vivo effect of miRNA-29c in null mice. Finally, circulating miRNA-29c was investigated as a potential biomarker for identifying early relapse.

Results

miRNA-29c expression significantly decreased during early relapse compared to non-early relapse in UICC stage II and III CRC patients (P = 0.021). In vitro studies showed that overexpression of miRNA-29c inhibited cell proliferation and migration. The cell cycle studies also revealed that miRNA-29c caused an accumulation of the G1 and G2 population. In vivo, miRNA-29c suppressed tumor growth in null mice. The serum miRNA-29c increased significantly in early relapsed patients compared to non-early elapsed patients (P = 0.012).

Conclusions

miRNA-29c shows anti-tumorigenesis activity, and preoperative circulating miRNA-29c levels can be used to predict postoperative early relapse of CRC.

Distant metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) relapses more frequently than hormone receptor-positive subtypes and is often associated with poor outcomes. This retrospective study reviewed the pattern of distant metastasis with regard to survival in patients with TNBC. A total of 205 TNBC patients were analyzed. TNBC patients with lung metastases had the longest median post-metastatic OS (with 95% confidence interval) of 16.6 (10.3-22.9) months, followed by the bone, 16.3 (11.7-20.8) months, the liver, 8.9 (3.5-14.4) months, the pleura, 7.5 (2.8-12.3) months, and the brain, 4.3 (0.6-8.0) months. Kaplan-Meier plots indicated that TNBC patients with metastatic spread to brain, liver, and pleural had poorer post-metastatic OS rate than patients with lung metastases (p = 0.001, 0.004, and 0.029, respectively). Moreover, brain and liver metastases correlated significantly with poorer post-metastatic OS as compared to bone metastasis (p = 0.004 and 0.011, respectively). Route of first metastasis correlated significantly with survival of TNBC patients with brain metastases being the poorest survival indicator, followed by metastases to liver, pleura, bone, and lung.

Involvement of STIM1 and Orai1 in EGF-mediated cell growth in retinal pigment epithelial cells

BACKGROUND

In non-excitable cells, one major route for calcium entry is through store-operated calcium (SOC) channels in the plasma membrane. These channels are activated by the emptying of intracellular Ca²⁺ store. STIM1 and Orai1 are major regulators of SOC channels. In this study, we explored the functions of STIM1 and Orai1 in epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell proliferation and migration in retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19 cell line).

RESULTS

EGF triggers cell proliferation and migration in ARPE-19 cells. Cell proliferation and migration involve STIM1 and Orai1, as well as phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2, and Akt. Pharmacological inhibitors of SOC channels and siRNA of Orai1 and STIM1 suppress cell proliferation and migration. Pre-treatment of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors and a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinases (PI3K) inhibitor attenuated cell proliferation and migration. However, inhibition of the SOC channels failed to prevent EGF-mediated ERK 1/2 and Akt phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that STIM1, Orai1, ERK 1/2, and Akt are key determinants of EGF-mediated cell growth in ARPE-19 cells. EGF is a potent growth molecule that has been linked to the development of PVR, and therefore, STIM1, Orai1, as well as the MEK/ERK 1/2 and PI3K/Akt pathways, might be potential therapeutic targets for drugs aimed at treating such disorders.

Determinants of quality of life in advanced cancer patients with bone metastases undergoing palliative radiation treatment

PURPOSE

Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is critical to effective delivery of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer. The current study analyzes relationships between baseline social determinants of health and medical factors, and self-reported HRQOL in patients with bone metastases receiving palliative radiotherapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Advanced cancer patients referred for radiotherapy treatment of bone metastases completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire in multiple outpatient clinics internationally. Demographics and social determinants were collected as baseline information. Univariate and Bonferroni-adjusted multivariate linear regression analyses were used to detect significant correlations between baseline determinants and different HRQOL domains.

RESULTS

Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was correlated with better physical (p = 0.0002), role (p < 0.0001), emotional (p < 0.0001), and social (p < 0.0001) functioning, and global health scores (p = 0.0015) and predicted lower symptom scores for fatigue (p < 0.0001), pain (p < 0.0001), appetite loss (p < 0.0001), and constipation (p < 0.0001). Increased age was predictive of better social functioning (p < 0.0001) and less insomnia (p = 0.0036), higher education correlated with better global health status (p = 0.0043), and patients who were employed or retired had improved physical functioning (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.0030, respectively) and less financial challenges compared to patients who were unemployed (p = 0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline KPS had the greatest influence on EORTC QLQ-C30 domain scores. Age, education level, and employment status had significant impacts, although on fewer domains. Further studies that investigate baseline determinants are worthwhile to clarify relationships in order to care for patients more effectively at the end of life.

A soft coral natural product, 11-episinulariolide acetate, inhibits gene expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and interleukin-8 through attenuation of calcium signaling

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in many types of cancer cells. EGFR-mediated signaling involves inflammatory gene expression including cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and interleukin (IL)-8, and is associated with cancer pathogenesis. In a search of phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory activity, the COX-2 and IL-8 inhibitory activities of some marine compounds were examined. After screening these compounds 11-episinulariolide acetate (1) from soft coral exhibited the most potent activity. Reverse-transcription PCR; western blotting; ELISA and luciferase assays were used to test the effect of compound 1 on EGF-stimulated expressions of COX-2 and IL-8 in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells. After exposure to 10 μM of compound 1, expression levels of COX-2 and IL-8 were reduced. In addition; intracellular Ca²⁺ increase and Ca²⁺-dependent transcription factor activation were blocked by compound 1. Thus, compound 1 can potentially serve as a lead compound for targeting Ca²⁺ signaling-dependent inflammatory diseases.

Common genetic determinants of breast-cancer risk in East Asian women: a collaborative study of 23 637 breast cancer cases and 25 579 controls

In a consortium including 23 637 breast cancer patients and 25 579 controls of East Asian ancestry, we investigated 70 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 67 independent breast cancer susceptibility loci recently identified by genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted primarily in European-ancestry populations. SNPs in 31 loci showed an association with breast cancer risk at P < 0.05 in a direction consistent with that reported previously. Twenty-one of them remained statistically significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons with the Bonferroni-corrected significance level of <0.0015. Eight of the 70 SNPs showed a significantly different association with breast cancer risk by estrogen receptor (ER) status at P < 0.05. With the exception of rs2046210 at 6q25.1, the seven other SNPs showed a stronger association with ER-positive than ER-negative cancer. This study replicated all five genetic risk variants initially identified in Asians and provided evidence for associations of breast cancer risk in the East Asian population with nearly half of the genetic risk variants initially reported in GWASs conducted in European descendants. Taken together, these common genetic risk variants explain ~10% of excess familial risk of breast cancer in Asian populations.

Long noncoding RNAs-related diseases, cancers, and drugs

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) function is described in terms of related gene expressions, diseases, and cancers as well as their polymorphisms. Potential modulators of lncRNA function, including clinical drugs, natural products, and derivatives, are discussed, and bioinformatic resources are summarized. The improving knowledge of the lncRNA regulatory network has implications not only in gene expression, diseases, and cancers, but also in the development of lncRNA-based pharmacology.

Indomethacin inhibits cancer cell migration via attenuation of cellular calcium mobilization

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were shown to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and are widely used to modulate inflammatory responses. Indomethacin is an NSAID. Herein, we reported that indomethacin can suppress cancer cell migration through its influence on the focal complexes formation. Furthermore, endothelial growth factor (EGF)-mediated Ca²⁺ influx was attenuated by indomethacin in a dose dependent manner. Our results identified a new mechanism of action for indomethacin: inhibition of calcium influx that is a key determinant of cancer cell migration.

Marine algal natural products with anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties

For their various bioactivities, biomaterials derived from marine algae are important ingredients in many products, such as cosmetics and drugs for treating cancer and other diseases. This mini-review comprehensively compares the bioactivities and biological functions of biomaterials from red, green, brown, and blue-green algae. The anti-oxidative effects and bioactivities of several different crude extracts of algae have been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Natural products derived from marine algae protect cells by modulating the effects of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress plays important roles in inflammatory reactions and in carcinogenesis, marine algal natural products have potential for use in anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Alternative splicing for diseases, cancers, drugs, and databases

Alternative splicing is a major diversification mechanism in the human transcriptome and proteome. Several diseases, including cancers, have been associated with dysregulation of alternative splicing. Thus, correcting alternative splicing may restore normal cell physiology in patients with these diseases. This paper summarizes several alternative splicing-related diseases, including cancers and their target genes. Since new cancer drugs often target spliceosomes, several clinical drugs and natural products or their synthesized derivatives were analyzed to determine their effects on alternative splicing. Other agents known to have modulating effects on alternative splicing during therapeutic treatment of cancer are also discussed. Several commonly used bioinformatics resources are also summarized.

Abstract 1933: Visfatin promotes malignant breast cancer behavior through activation of STAT3

Background. Obesity-associated adipocyte dysfunction and adipocytokine imbalance has become a major focus in breast cancer research. In this study, the role of circulating visfatin, a recently discovered adipocytokine, in breast cancer was explored.

Methods. Serum visfatin was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and survival, while the expression of phosphorylated and activated STAT3 in breast cancer tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The biologic activity of visfatin as well as the underlying mechanisms was analyzed by using XTT cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry and immunoblotting analysis in human breast cancer cells.

Results. Serum visfatin was substantially elevated in breast cancer patients. It was positively associated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis, but negatively associated with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. Breast cancer patients with high serum visfatin, especially in combination with ER− and PR− status, had a poor patient survival. On the other hand, patients with high serum visfatin had a lower incidence of disease recurrence and a better patient survival after adjuvant hormone therapy. Serum visfatin was positively associated with STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation in breast cancer tissues. In agreement with the clinical observation, visfatin treatment in breast cancer cells activated JAK1 and SRC as well as their downstream molecule STAT3, followed by an enhanced G1/S progression and cell proliferation.

Conclusion. Serum visfatin, through activation of STAT3, leads to a malignant cancer behavior and poor survival in breast cancer patients.

Key words: visfatin, adipocytokine, breast cancer, STAT3

Citation Format: Shyng-Shiou F. Yuan, Yun-Ju Chen, Yi-Chen Lee, Ming-Feng Hou. Visfatin promotes malignant breast cancer behavior through activation of STAT3. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1933. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1933

Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.

Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer

TERT-locus SNPs and leukocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the Illumina custom genotyping array iCOGs, we analyzed ∼480 SNPs at the TERT locus in breast (n = 103,991), ovarian (n = 39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (n = 11,705) cancer cases and controls. Leukocyte telomere measurements were also available for 53,724 participants. Most associations cluster into three independent peaks. The minor allele at the peak 1 SNP rs2736108 associates with longer telomeres (P = 5.8 × 10(-7)), lower risks for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (P = 1.0 × 10(-8)) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)) breast cancers and altered promoter assay signal. The minor allele at the peak 2 SNP rs7705526 associates with longer telomeres (P = 2.3 × 10(-14)), higher risk of low-malignant-potential ovarian cancer (P = 1.3 × 10(-15)) and greater promoter activity. The minor alleles at the peak 3 SNPs rs10069690 and rs2242652 increase ER-negative (P = 1.2 × 10(-12)) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P = 1.6 × 10(-14)) breast and invasive ovarian (P = 1.3 × 10(-11)) cancer risks but not via altered telomere length. The cancer risk alleles of rs2242652 and rs10069690, respectively, increase silencing and generate a truncated TERT splice variant.

1,5-Diphenylpent-3-en-1-ynes and methyl naphthalene carboxylates from Lawsonia inermis and their anti-inflammatory activity

Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae) known as henna is one of the most popular and ancient plants used in cosmetics and hair dying. It is cultivated for its leaves but other parts such as seeds, flowers, stem bark and roots are also used in traditional medicine for millennia. Henna tattoo paste also proved to be beneficial for wound healing and in several skin diseases suggesting potent anti-inflammatory activity. To evaluate henna anti-inflammatory activity, 31 compounds, including three 1,5-diphenylpent-3-en-1-yne derivatives, lawsochylin A-C and three methyl naphthalene carboxylates, lawsonaphthoate A-C, were isolated from the stems and leaves of henna utilizing a bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data. Two compounds, lawsochylin A and lawsonaphthoate A showed potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of superoxide anion generation (IC(50)=1.80 and 1.90 μg/ml) and elastase release (IC(50)=1.58 and 3.17 μg/ml) of human neutrophils in response to fMLP or cytochalasin B. Moreover, the known compounds, luteolin, apigenin, 4S-4-hydroxy-α-tetralone, and 2-butoxysuccinic acid, also showed potent inhibition of superoxide anion generation (IC(50)=0.75-1.78 μg/ml) and elastase release (IC(50)=1.62-3.61 μg/ml).