Application of bioconjugation chemistry on biosensor fabrication for detection of TAR-DNA binding protein 43

A simple-prepare, single-use and cost-effective, in vitro biosensor for the detection of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a biomarker of neuro-degenerative disorders, was designed, manufactured and tested. This study reports the first biosensor application for the detection of TDP-43 using a novel biosensor fabrication methodology. Bioconjugation mechanism was applied by conjugating anti-TDP 43 with N-succinimidyl S-acetylthioacetate (SATA) producing a thiol-linked anti-TDP 43, which was used to directly link with gold electrode surface, minimizing the preparation steps for biosensor fabrication and simplifying the biosensor surface. The effectiveness of this bioconjugation mechanism was evaluated and confirmed by FqRRM12 protein, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The surface coverage of the electrode was analyzed by Time-of-Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was acted as the detection transduction mechanism with the use of [Fe(CN)₆]^3-/4-redox probe. Human TDP-43 peptide of 0.0005 µg/mL to 2 µg/mL in undiluted human serum was analyzed using this TDP-43 biosensor. Interference study of the TDP-43 biosensor using β-amyloid 42 protein and T-tau protein confirmed the specificity of this TDP-43 biosensor. This bioconjugation chemistry based approach for biosensor fabrication circumvents tedious gold surface modification and functionalization while enabling specific detection of TDP-43 in less than 1 h with a low fabrication cost of a single biosensor less than $3.

Machine Learning-Based Radiomics for Molecular Subtyping of Gliomas

Purpose: The new classification announced by the World Health Organization in 2016 recognized five molecular subtypes of diffuse gliomas based on isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and 1p/19q genotypes in addition to histologic phenotypes. We aim to determine whether clinical MRI can stratify these molecular subtypes to benefit the diagnosis and monitoring of gliomas.Experimental Design: The data from 456 subjects with gliomas were obtained from The Cancer Imaging Archive. Overall, 214 subjects, including 106 cases of glioblastomas and 108 cases of lower grade gliomas with preoperative MRI, survival data, histology, IDH, and 1p/19q status were included. We proposed a three-level machine-learning model based on multimodal MR radiomics to classify glioma subtypes. An independent dataset with 70 glioma subjects was further collected to verify the model performance.Results: The IDH and 1p/19q status of gliomas can be classified by radiomics and machine-learning approaches, with areas under ROC curves between 0.922 and 0.975 and accuracies between 87.7% and 96.1% estimated on the training dataset. The test on the validation dataset showed a comparable model performance with that on the training dataset, suggesting the efficacy of the trained classifiers. The classification of 5 molecular subtypes solely based on the MR phenotypes achieved an 81.8% accuracy, and a higher accuracy of 89.2% could be achieved if the histology diagnosis is available.Conclusions: The MR radiomics-based method provides a reliable alternative to determine the histology and molecular subtypes of gliomas. Clin Cancer Res; 24(18); 4429-36. ©2018 AACR.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors for advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Radioiodine-refractory advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer has poor prognosis. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer treatment.

METHODS

Studies published up to April 2017 were selected. The pooled effect size was calculated through meta-analysis by using random effects models. Outcomes were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (RR), and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

Six studies examining 1615 patients were included. TKI treatment significantly improved PFS in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.82) and those with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC; HR = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.58). TKI treatment significantly prolonged OS in patients with DTC (HR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58-0.95). The TKI treatment group exhibited a significantly improved partial response rate (risk ratio = 15.8; 95% CI, 1.77-140.69) but a significantly higher number of AEs compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION

TKIs significantly improved PFS and RR in patients with advanced or metastatic DTC or MTC. We recommend thoroughly evaluating patients' health status and cautiously using TKIs to maximize their benefits and minimize their toxicity.

Preclinical effects of CRLX101, an investigational camptothecin-containing nanoparticle drug conjugate, on treating glioblastoma multiforme via apoptosis and antiangiogenesis

Malignant gliomas are difficult to treat in clinical practice. This study was aimed to investigate the preclinical efficacy of CRLX101, an investigational nanoparticle-drug conjugate developed by conjugating camptothecin (CPT) with cyclodextrin-polyethylene glycol, against gliomas. CPT fluorescence was detected across tight-junction barriers and in mouse plasma and brain. Following CRLX101 treatment, CPT was distributed in the cytoplasm of human U87 MG glioma cells. U87 MG cell viability was decreased by CRLX101 and CPT. Moreover, CRLX101 induced less cytotoxicity to human astrocytes compared to CPT. Exposure of U87 MG cells to CRLX101 induced G₂/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Administration of CRLX101 induced apoptosis in mice brain tumor tissues and prolonged the survival rate of mice. In addition, CRLX101 inhibited hypoxia and angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of carbonic anhydrase IX, vascular endothelial growth factor, and CD31 in tumor sections. Taken together, this preclinical study showed that CRLX101 possesses antitumor abilities by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cells and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, thereby prolonging the lifespan of mice bearing intracranial gliomas. These data support further research of CRLX101 in patients with brain tumors.

Significance of cyclin D1 overexpression in progression and radio-resistance of pediatric ependymomas

Due to the limited efficacy of chemotherapy, the applications of adjuvant irradiation play an important role for ependymoma treatment. However, in the young ages, the resistance of residual and recurrent tumor, and long-term intellectual sequelae remain the major obstacles of radiotherapy. Understanding the mechanism of therapeutic failure caused by radio-resistance is, therefore, crucial in ependymoma treatment. Here we retrospectively analyze clinic-pathological factors in 82 cases of ependymoma less than 20 years old and identify radio-resistant genes through gene expression microarray followed by qRT-PCR validation and immunohistochemistry staining. Thirty-one out of 82 (37.8%) patients are under 3-year-old. The 10 years PFS and OS are 38% and 60%. Gross-total resection is the single significant prognostic factor for longer 10 years PFS and OS in the multivariant analysis (p<0.05). According to the microarray analysis, CCND1 is up-regulated in supratentorial and infratentorial ependymomas and is associated with DNA repair. We demonstrated that 24 primary and 16 recurrent ependymomas were up-regulated, and 5 out of 7 paired samples exhibited higher CCND1 expression in recurrent tumors. We also found RAD51, another DNA repair gene, was up-regulated in supratentorial and infratentorial ependymomas. Knocking down CCND1 reduced cell proliferation and repressed several genes associated with S-phase and DNA repair. Homologous recombination activities of DNA repair were significantly decreased in CCND1-deficient cells while the level of γH2AX was increased after irradiation. In summary, these observations suggest a robust role of CCND1 in regulating cell proliferation and radio-resistance in ependymomas, providing a potential therapeutic target for pediatric ependymomas.

Dual Inhibition of PIK3C3 and FGFR as a New Therapeutic Approach to Treat Bladder Cancer

Purpose: MPT0L145 has been developed as a FGFR inhibitor exhibiting significant anti-bladder cancer activity in vitro and in vivo via promoting autophagy-dependent cell death. Here, we aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Experimental Design: Autophagy flux, morphology, and intracellular organelles were evaluated by Western blotting, transmission electron microscope, and fluorescence microscope. Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance assay were performed to identify drug-protein interaction. Lentiviral delivery of cDNA or shRNA and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing was used to modulate gene expression. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate was measured by a Seahorse XFe24 extracellular flux analyzer, and ROS level was measured by flow cytometry.Results: MPT0L145 persistently increased incomplete autophagy and phase-lucent vacuoles at the perinuclear region, which were identified as enlarged and alkalinized late-endosomes. Screening of a panel of lipid kinases revealed that MPT0L145 strongly inhibits PIK3C3 with a K_d value of 0.53 nmol/L. Ectopic expression of PIK3C3 reversed MPT0L145-increased cell death and incomplete autophagy. Four residues (Y670, F684, I760, D761) at the ATP-binding site of PIK3C3 are important for the binding of MPT0L145. In addition, MPT0L145 promotes mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS production, and DNA damage, which may in part, contribute to cell death. ATG5-knockout rescued MPT0L145-induced cell death, suggesting simultaneous induction of autophagy is crucial to its anticancer activity. Finally, our data demonstrated that MPT0L145 is able to overcome cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer cells.Conclusions: MPT0L145 is a first-in-class PIK3C3/FGFR inhibitor, providing an innovative strategy to design new compounds that increase autophagy, but simultaneously perturb its process to promote bladder cancer cell death. Clin Cancer Res; 24(5); 1176-89. ©2017 AACR.

Pilot trial of CRLX101 in patients with advanced, chemotherapy-refractory gastroesophageal cancer

Background

CRLX101 is an investigational nanoparticle-drug conjugate with a camptothecin payload. Preclinical evidence indicated preferential uptake in tumors, and tumor xenograft models demonstrate superiority of CRLX101 over irinotecan. A pilot trial was conducted at recommended phase 2 dosing (RP2D) using the bimonthly schedule to assess preferential uptake of CRLX101 in tumor vs. adjacent normal tissue in endoscopically accessible tumors in chemotherapy-refractory gastroesophageal cancer. Results from the biopsies were previously reported and herein we present the clinical outcomes.

Methods

Patients initiated CRLX101 dosed at RP2D (15 mg/m²) on days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Detection of preferential CRLX101 tumor uptake was the primary endpoint and objective response rate (ORR) was a secondary endpoint. With a sample size of ten patients, the study had 90% power to detect ≥1 responder if the true response rate is ≥21%.

Results

Between Dec. 2012 and Dec. 2014, ten patients with chemotherapy-refractory (median 2 prior lines of therapy, range 1-4) gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The median time-to-progression was 1.7 months. Best response was seen in one patient with stable disease (SD) for 8 cycles. Only ≥ grade 3 drug-related toxicity occurred in one patient with grade 3 cardiac chest pain who was able to resume therapy after CRLX101 was reduced to 12 mg/m².

Conclusions

Bimonthly CRLX101 demonstrated minimal activity with SD as best response in this heavily pretreated population. Future efforts with CRLX101 in gastric cancer should focus on combination and more dose-intensive strategies given its favorable toxicity profile and evidence of preferential tumor uptake.

1,4-Naphthoquinones as inhibitors of Itch, a HECT domain-E3 ligase, and tumor growth suppressors in multiple myeloma

A series of 1,4-naphthoquinones (10a-10q) were synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activity. Compound 10e was identified as an inhibitor of Itch, a HECT domain-E3 ligase. In an evaluation of in vivo efficacy, 10e exhibited remarkable anticancer activity with TGI values of 98.3% and 100% at 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg orally daily, respectively, against human RPMI-8226 multiple myeloma xenograft. Treatment with 10e also showed a decrease of Itch level in human RPMI-8226 multiple myeloma cells. Thus 10e is a lead compound for further development of inhibitors targeting E3 ligase for treatment of multiple myeloma.

Overexpression of Uridine-Cytidine Kinase 2 Correlates with Breast Cancer Progression and Poor Prognosis

Purpose

Uridine-cytidine kinase (UCK) 2 is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the salvage pathway of pyrimidine-nucleotide biosynthesis. Recent studies have shown that UCK2 is overexpressed in many types of cancer and may play a crucial role in activating antitumor prodrugs in human cancer cells. In the current study, we evaluated the potential prognostic value of UCK2 in breast cancer.

Methods

We searched public databases to explore associations between UCK2 gene expression and clinical parameters in patients with breast cancer. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify biological pathways associated with UCK2 gene expression levels. Survival analyses were performed using 10 independent large-scale breast cancer microarray datasets.

Results

We found that UCK2 mRNA expression was elevated in breast cancer tissue compared with adjacent nontumorous tissue or breast tissue from healthy controls. High UCK2 levels were correlated with estrogen receptor negativity (p<0.001), advanced tumor grade (p<0.001), and poor tumor differentiation (p<0.001). GSEA revealed that UCK2-high breast cancers were enriched for gene sets associated with metastasis, progenitor-like phenotypes, and poor prognosis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses of microarray datasets verified that high UCK2 gene expression was associated with poor overall survival in a dose-response manner. The prognostic power of UCK2 was superior to that of TNM staging and comparable to that of multiple gene signatures.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that UCK2 may be a promising prognostic biomarker for patients with breast cancer.

Second malignant neoplasms in a nationwide population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors in Taiwan

10569

Background: Childhood cancer survivors have excess risk of second malignant neoplasms, but data are limited in Asian populations. We established a nationwide retrospective cohort of childhood cancer survivors in Taiwan to study the risk of second malignant neoplasms in the population. Methods: Children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer before age 21 years between 1990 and 2011 were identified from the Taiwan Cancer Registry, the national cancer registry in Taiwan. One-year survivors of childhood cancer were ascertained through data linkage with the national death registry. Survivors were followed up through December 2012. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), absolute excess risks (AERs), and cumulative incidence of second malignant neoplasms were calculated. Results: A total of 186 second malignant neoplasms occurred among 15,263 1-year survivors of childhood cancer after a mean follow-up time of 8.0 years (SIR = 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.6-6.2; AER = 12.4 per 10,000 person-years). The most common types of second malignant neoplasms were gastrointestinal cancers (n = 37), leukemia (n = 28), endocrine cancers (n = 18), and brain cancer (n = 17). Cancers in the liver (n = 11, including 9 hepatocellular carcinoma) and colorectum (n = 16) accounted for 73% of second gastrointestinal malignant neoplasms in this population. The cumulative incidence of second malignant neoplasms at 10 and 20 years from follow-up was 1.0% (95% CI = 0.8-1.2%) and 3.0% (95% CI = 2.3-3.6%), respectively. Conclusions: Childhood cancer survivors in Taiwan experience excess risk of second malignant neoplasms, in particular gastrointestinal cancers, compared with the general population.

A combination of anti-PD-L1 mAb plus Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine to suppress tumor growth and metastasis in HPV-infected cancers

e23175

Background: PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy is viewed as having clinical benefits in advanced cancers but is effective in only a few patients, suggesting that an efficient combination approach is needed to improve efficacy for certain non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: PD-L1 and E6 oncoprotein expressions in lung tumors from 122 NSCLC patients were examined by immunohistochemistry and their prognostic value was evaluated by Kaplain-Meier and Cox regression analysis. HPV16-postive and negative TL-1 and TL-4 lung cancer and SiHa and C33A cervical cancer cells were used to test whether PD-L1 expression could be regulated by E6, not by E7 oncoprotein. Immune deficiency nude mice were used to test the possibility that combining anti-PD-L1 mAb with Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine could have a higher antitumor activity compared with anti-PD-L1 mAb or Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine alone. Results: Immunohistochemistry analysis indicated that PD-L1 expression was correlated with the E6 expression in tumors from 122 lung cancer patients. The poorest survival occurred in PD-L1-positive/E6-positive tumor. PD-L1 expression was increased by the expression of E6, but not the E7, oncoprotein in lung and cervical cancer cells. PD-L1 expression was responsible for E6-mediated colony formation and soft agar growth. Therefore, PD-L1 secreted from tumor cells may directly promote tumor progression, particularly in E6-positive tumors. A greater antitumor activity was obtained with anti-PD-L1 mAb+Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine than with anti-PD-L1 mAb or Lm-LLO-E6 alone in subcutaneous and metastatic tumors induced by TL-1 and SiHa cells. The longest survival time for nude mice was observed in the anti-PD-L1 mAb+Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine group. Conclusions: An anti-PD-L1 mAb+Lm-LLO-E6 vaccine may be an efficient treatment for suppression of tumor growth and metastasis induced by HPV-infected cells.

Human mitochondrial pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 promotes invasiveness and impacts survival in breast cancers

Human mitochondrial pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (PYCR) is a house-keeping enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate to proline. This enzymatic cycle plays pivotal roles in amino acid metabolism, intracellular redox potential and mitochondrial integrity. Here, we hypothesize that PYCR1 might be a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer. In this study, breast cancer tissue samples were obtained from Zhejiang University (ZJU set). Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to detect the protein level of PYCR1, and Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional analyses were employed in this outcome study. The prognostic significance and performance of PYCR1 mRNA were validated on 13 worldwide independent microarray data sets, composed of 2500 assessable breast cancer cases. Our findings revealed that both PYCR1 mRNA and protein expression were significantly associated with tumor size, grade and invasive molecular subtypes of breast cancers. Independent and pooled analyses verified that higher PYCR1 mRNA levels were significantly associated with poor survival of breast cancer patients, regardless of estrogen receptor (ER) status. For in vitro studies, inhibition of PYCR1 by small-hairpin RNA significantly reduced the growth and invasion capabilities of the cells, while enhancing the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (ER positive) and MDA-MB-231 (ER negative). Further population study also validated that chemotherapy significantly improved survival in early-stage breast cancer patients with low PYCR1 expression levels. Therefore, PYCR1 might serve as a prognostic biomaker for either ER-positive or ER-negative breast cancer subtypes and can also be a potential target for breast cancer therapy.

Mechanism and Clinical Properties of StemBios Cell Therapy: Induction of Early Osseointegration in Novel Dental Implants

PURPOSE

To examine early bone tissue healing in dental implants incorporating StemBios cell therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SLAffinity samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The clinical trial comprised 11 patients, who each received a dental implant in the mandible. Only one of these 11 patients received StemBios cell therapy in combination with the dental implant. The patients continued to be observed over a 4-month period after implantation using computed tomography and resonance frequency analysis.

RESULTS

It was found that StemBios cell therapy promoted bone tissue healing in the case of the treated dental implant. The data indicated that stress altered more smoothly and declined faster in the patient who received the StemBios cell therapy than those without StemBios cell therapy over 4 months.

CONCLUSION

A dental implant with SLAffinity surface treatment, in combination with StemBios cell therapy, significantly promoted bone tissue healing, especially at early osseointegration compared with that of implants without StemBios cell therapy when monitored over a 4-month period.

Ovatodiolide suppresses colon tumorigenesis and prevents polarization of M2 tumor-associated macrophages through YAP oncogenic pathways

Background

An increased expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP1) has been shown to promote tumorigenesis in many cancer types including colon. However, the role of YAP1 in promoting colon tumorigenesis remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that YAP1 expression is associated with M2 tumor-associated macrophage polarization and the generation of colon cancer stem-like cells. YAP1 downregulation by gene silencing or a phytochemical, ovatodiolide, not only suppresses colon cancer tumorigenesis but also prevents M2 TAM polarization.

Methods

Human monocytic cells, THP-1, and colon cancer cell lines, HCT116 and DLD-1, were co-cultured to mimic the interactions between tumor and its microenvironment. M2 polarization of the THP-1 cells were examined using both flow cytometry and q-PCR technique. The inhibition of YAP1 signaling was achieved by gene-silencing technique or ovatodiolide. The molecular consequences of YAP1 inhibition was demonstrated via colony formation, migration, and colon-sphere formation assays. 5-FU and ovatodiolide were used in drug combination studies. Xenograft and syngeneic mouse models were used to investigate the role of YAP1 in colon tumorigenesis and TAM generation.

Results

An increased YAP1 expression was found to be associated with a poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer using bioinformatics approach. We showed an increased YAP1 expression in the colon spheres, and colon cancer cells co-cultured with M2 TAMs. YAP1-silencing led to the concomitant decreased expression of major oncogenic pathways including Kras, mTOR, β-catenin, and M2-promoting IL-4 and tumor-promoting IL-6 cytokines. TAM co-cultured colon spheres showed a significantly higher tumor-initiating ability in vivo. Ovatodiolide treatment alone and in combination with 5-FU significantly suppressed in vivo tumorigenesis and less TAM infiltration in CT26 syngeneic mouse model.

Conclusions

We have identified the dual function of YAP1 where its suppression not only inhibited tumorigenesis but also prevented the generation of cancer stem-like cells and M2 TAM polarization. Ovatodiolide treatment suppressed YAP1 oncogenic pathways to inhibit colon tumorigenesis and M2 TAM generation both in vitro and in vivo. Ovatodiolide should be considered for its potential for adjuvant therapeutic development.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13045-017-0421-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Autophagy induction causes a synthetic lethal sensitization to ribonucleotide reductase inhibition in breast cancer cells

Macroautophagy can promote cellular survival or death depending on the cellular context and its extent. We hypothesized that autophagy induction would synergize with a therapeutic agent targeting the autophagic cargo. To test this hypothesis, we treated breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells with tamoxifen (TMX), which induces autophagy through an estrogen receptor-independent pathway. Induction of autophagy reduced cellular levels of RRM2, a subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RR), the rate limiting enzyme in the production of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs). This autophagy inducer was combined with COH29, an inhibitor developed in our laboratory that targets RR through a novel mechanism. The combination therapy showed synergistic effects on cytotoxicity in vitro and in an in vivo xenograft model. This cytotoxicity was blocked by knockdown of the autophagy protein ATG5 or addition of chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor. The combined therapy also induced dNTP depletion and massive genomic instability, leading us to hypothesize that combining autophagy induction with RR inhibition can lead to mitotic catastrophe in rapidly dividing cells. We propose that this TMX + COH29 combined therapy may have clinical benefit. Furthermore, autophagy induction may be a general mechanism for augmenting the effects of chemotherapeutic agents.

Integrin β3 and LKB1 are independently involved in the inhibition of proliferation by lovastatin in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas are one of the most difficult cancers to treat. In our study, Lovastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, demonstrated anticancer properties by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, cell migration and cell adhesion. Lovastatin inhibited the expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. Furthermore, lovastatin inhibited the expressions of integrin β1 and integrin β3 but not integrin αv or integrin β5. While Lovastatin's inhibitory effects on TGFβ1, COX2, and ICAM-1 expression were independently controlled by the tumor suppressor LKB1, integrin β3 expression was not affected. Lovastatin's inhibitory effect on cell adhesion was associated with the decreased expression of integrin β3 and cell surface heterodimer integrin αvβ3. Quantitative real time PCR, fluorescent microscopy, and cell migration assays all confirmed that Lovastatin inhibits integrin αvβ3 downstream signaling including FAK activation, and β-catenin, vimentin, ZO-1, and β-actin. Overall, Lovastatin reduced tumor cell proliferation and migration by modifying the expression of genes involved in cell adhesion and other critical cellular processes. Our study highlights novel anti-cancer properties of Lovastatin and supports further exploration of statins in the context of cholangiocarcinoma therapy.

Signature miRNAs in colorectal cancers were revealed using a bias reduction small RNA deep sequencing protocol

To explore the role of miRNAs in colorectal cancers (CRC), we have deep sequenced 48 pairs of frozen CRC samples, of which 44 pairs produced high quality sequencing data. By using a combined approach of our bias reduction small RNA (smRNA) deep sequencing protocol and Illumina small RNA TruSeq method for sample bar coding, we have obtained data from samples of relatively large size with bias reduced digital profile results. This novel approach allowed us to validate many previously published results using various techniques to profile miRNAs in CRC tissues or cell lines and to characterize ‘true’ miRNA signatures highly expressed in colon/rectum (CR) or CRC tissues. According to our results, miR-21, a miRNA that is up-regulated in CRC, and miR-143, a miRNA that is down-regulated in CRC, are the two miRNAs that dominated the miRNA population in CR tissues, and probably are also the most important miRNAs in CRCs. These two miRNAs, together with the other eight miRNAs, miR-148a, -194, -192, 200b, -200c, -10b, -26a, and -145, with descending expressing levels, constituted the top 10 highly expressed miRNAs in CR/CRC. Using TaqMan miRNA qPCR, we detected the relative expression of some of the CRC miRNAs in 10 CRC cell lines, validated their dysregulation under cancer condition, and provided possible explanation for their dysregulation, which could be caused by APC, KRAS, or TP53 mutations. We believe these results will provide a new direction in future miRNA-related CRC development studies, and application of miRNAs in CRC diagnosis/prognosis, and therapy.

Does aspirin use reduce the risk for cancer?

Recently, studies have reported that aspirin has chemopreventive properties. In this study, we used the Taiwan NHI database, which covers a population of 23 million (99.99%) Taiwanese from 2001 to 2011. This was a case-control study which identified 601,733 patients using ICD-9-CM codes who were diagnosed with cancer. Each case with 4 eligible controls was matched for age, sex, and index date and adjusted for confounding factors. The observed overall cancer risk (adjusted OR (AOR), 0.95; 95% CI 0.94 to 0.96) reduced with aspirin use, specifically, colorectal (AOR, 0.97; 95% CI 0.94 to 0.99) and digestive system (AOR, 0.96; 95% CI 0.94 to 0.98) cancers. Findings from the Asian population would contribute to the discussion on aspirin's safety profile.

Prognostic and therapeutic value of mitochondrial serine hydroxyl-methyltransferase 2 as a breast cancer biomarker

Mitochondrial serine hydroxylmethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is a key enzyme in the serine/glycine synthesis pathway. SHMT2 has been implicated as a critical component for tumor cell survival. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value and efficiency of SHMT2 as a biomarker in patients with breast cancer. Individual and pooled survival analyses were performed on five independent breast cancer microarray datasets. Gene signatures enriched by SHMT2 were also analyzed in these datasets. SHMT2 protein expression was detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay in 128 breast cancer cases. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that SHMT2 was significantly associated with gene signatures of mitochondrial module, cancer invasion, metastasis and poor survival among breast cancer patients (p<0.05). The clinical relevance of SHMT2 was validated on IHC data. The mitochondrial localization of SHMT2 protein was visualized on IHC staining. Independent and pooled analysis confirmed that SHMT2 expression was associated with breast cancer tumor aggressiveness (TNM staging and Elson grade) in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). The prognostic performance of SHMT2 mRNA was comparable to other gene signatures and proved superior to TNM staging. Further analysis results indicated that SHMT2 had better prognostic value for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer patients, compared to ER-positive patients. In cases involving stage IIb breast cancer, chemotherapy significantly extended survival time among patients with high SHMT2 expression. These results indicate that SHMT2 may be a valuable prognostic biomarker in ER-negative breast cancer cases. Furthermore, SHMT2 may be a potential target for breast cancer treatment and drug discovery.