Genotype-based prevention of psychosis onset and schizophrenia: a personalized approach in a target population

Schizophrenia imposes a significant burden on public health, affecting approximately 25 million individuals worldwide and generating an extensive healthcare burden. It is important to consider that the disease onset in schizophrenia stems from gene-environment interactions. Early interventions in order to prevent schizophrenia are of high clinical interest, and this is where personalized healthcare and medicine comes in. In this article, we bring a genotype-based personalized, preventive perspective to psychosis onset and schizophrenia. Our objective relies on the possibility of making use of a specific gene-environment interaction in the emergence of schizophrenia as a personalized preventive tool. In particular, we discuss screening of a specific AKT1 allelic variation and its interaction with cannabis use as a preventive approach in a target population with early symptoms of psychosis.

Enhanced shedding of extracellular vesicles from amoeboid prostate cancer cells: potential effects on the tumor microenvironment

The gene encoding the cytoskeletal regulator DIAPH3 is lost at high frequency in metastatic prostate cancer, and DIAPH3 silencing evokes a transition to an amoeboid tumor phenotype in multiple cell backgrounds. This amoeboid transformation is accompanied by increased tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. DIAPH3 silencing also promotes the formation of atypically large (> 1 μm) membrane blebs that can be shed as extracellular vesicles (EV) containing bioactive cargo. Whether loss of DIAPH3 also stimulates the release of nano-sized EV (e.g., exosomes) is not established. Here we examined the mechanism of release and potential biological functions of EV shed from DIAPH3-silenced and other prostate cancer cells. We observed that stimulation of LNCaP cells with the prostate stroma-derived growth factor heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), combined with p38MAPK inhibition caused EV shedding, a process mediated by ERK1/2 hyperactivation. DIAPH3 silencing in DU145 cells also increased rates of EV production. EV isolated from DIAPH3-silenced cells activated AKT1 and androgen signaling, increased proliferation of recipient tumor cells, and suppressed proliferation of human macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. DU145 EV contained miR-125a, which suppressed AKT1 expression and proliferation in recipient human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and macrophages. Our findings suggest that EV produced as a result of DIAPH3 loss or growth factor stimulation may condition the tumor microenvironment through multiple mechanisms, including the proliferation of cancer cells and suppression of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.

[The Proteus syndrome: a rare cause of pulmonary emphysema]

INTRODUCTION

The Proteus syndrome is a rare genetic disease which is characterized by the overgrowth of tissues, especially bone, connective and adipose tissue. This condition is related to a somatic mosaic activating mutation in the AKT1 oncogene.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 25-year-old man, diagnosed with the Proteus syndrome at the age of 6 months. He exhibited an asymmetric overgrowth of the extremities leading to bilateral amputation of the legs at the age of 10 years. He was hospitalized for acute respiratory failure due to a bronchopulmonary infection. Severe bullous pulmonary emphysema, predominantly on the left, with mediastinal deviation, was diagnosed. The patient recovered with antibiotics. An assessment 2 months later revealed mild hypoxaemia (PaO2=75 mmHg) and severe airflow limitation (FEV1=1260 mL [28% th.], FEV1/V C=69%) with hyperinflation (TLC=7840 mL [107% th.], RV=6010 mL [253% th.]).

CONCLUSION

The Proteus syndrome is a very rare cause of pulmonary emphysema. The pathophysiology of emphysema in this syndrome is unknown. It can be hypothesized that the development of pulmonary cysts leading to emphysema may share the same AKT1 activation pathway with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Transcriptomic profiling of progesterone in the male fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) testis

P4 is a hormone with diverse functions that include roles in reproduction, growth, and development. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of P4 on androgen production in the mature teleost testis and to identify molecular signaling cascades regulated by P4 to improve understanding of its role in male reproduction. Fathead minnow (FHM) testis explants were treated in vitro with two concentrations of P4 (10(-8) and 10(-6) M) for 6 and 12 h. P4 significantly increased testosterone (T) production in the FHM testis but did not affect 11-ketotestosterone. Gene network analysis revealed that insulin growth factor (Igf1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor (Tnfr) signaling was significantly depressed with P4 treatment after 12h. There was also a 20% increase in a gene network for follicle-stimulating hormone secretion and an 18% decrease in genes involved in vasopressin signaling. Genes in steroid metabolism (e.g. star, cyp19a, 11bhsd) were not significantly affected by P4 treatments in this study, and it is hypothesized that pre-existing molecular machinery may be more involved in the increased production of T rather than the de novo expression of steroid-related transcripts and receptors. There was a significant decrease in prostaglandin E synthase 3b (cytosolic) (ptges3b) after treatment with P4, suggesting that there is cross talk between P4 and prostaglandin pathways in the reproductive testis. P4 has a role in regulating steroid production in the male testis and may do so by modulating gene networks related to endocrine pathways, such as Igf1, Tnfr, and vasopressin.

The AKT genes and their roles in various disorders

AKT (AK mouse plus Transforming or Thymoma) is a common oncogene expressed in most tissues. Both AKT2 and AKT3, although important, have more limited distributions. The regulation of all three genes depends on two receptors-a receptor tyrosine kinase with a growth factor ligand, and a G protein coupled receptor, also with a ligand together with an explanation of how their downsteam components function. AKT2 is amplified or overexpressed in cancer with a higher frequency than those found with AKT1. AKT1 is cardioprotective to the heart by supporting its physiological growth and function. AKT2 is closely linked to Type II diabetes and the implications of various types of mutations are discussed. Various AKT3 mutations are important in neurological disorders, such as microcephaly, hemimegalencephaly, and megalencephaly syndromes. Finally, a reduced level of AKT1 in the frontal cortex has been found during post-mortem brain studies of schizophrenic patients in the populations of many countries.

Targeting genomic alterations in squamous cell lung cancer

Squamous cell lung cancer causes approximately 400,000 deaths worldwide per year. Identification of specific molecular alterations, such as activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor kinase and echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4/anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusions have led to significant therapeutic gains in patients with adenocarcinoma. However, meaningful therapeutic gains based on the molecular pathobiology of squamous cell lung cancer have not yet been realized. A comprehensive genomic characterization of 178 cases of squamous cell lung cancer has recently been reported. Squamous cell lung cancer appears to be characterized by a broader and more complex group of genomic alterations than adenocarcinoma. In this review, potentially targetable genes or pathways in squamous cell lung cancer are emphasized in relation to available therapeutic agents in development or active clinical trials. This organization of data will provide a framework for development for clinical investigation. Squamous cell lung cancer appears to be characterized by not only driver mutations in candidate genes but also gene copy number alterations resulting in tumor proliferation and survival. Better understanding of these genetic alterations and their use as therapeutic targets will require broad collaboration between industry, government, the cooperative groups, and academic institutions with the ultimate goal of rapid translation of scientific advancement to patient benefit.

Novel monofunctional platinum (II) complex Mono-Pt induces apoptosis-independent autophagic cell death in human ovarian carcinoma cells, distinct from cisplatin

Failure to engage apoptosis appears to be a leading mechanism of resistance to traditional platinum drugs in patients with ovarian cancer. Therefore, an alternative strategy to induce cell death is needed for the chemotherapy of this apoptosis-resistant cancer. Here we report that autophagic cell death, distinct from cisplatin-induced apoptosis, is triggered by a novel monofunctional platinum (II) complex named Mono-Pt in human ovarian carcinoma cells. Mono-Pt-induced cell death has the following features: cytoplasmic vacuolation, caspase-independent, no nuclear fragmentation or chromatin condensation, and no apoptotic bodies. These characteristics integrally indicated that Mono-Pt, rather than cisplatin, initiated a nonapoptotic cell death in Caov-3 ovarian carcinoma cells. Furthermore, incubation of the cells with Mono-Pt but not with cisplatin produced an increasing punctate distribution of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), and an increasing ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I. Mono-Pt also caused the formation of autophagic vacuoles as revealed by monodansylcadaverine staining and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, Mono-Pt-induced cell death was significantly inhibited by the knockdown of either BECN1 or ATG7 gene expression, or by autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine, chloroquine and bafilomycin A 1. Moreover, the effect of Mono-Pt involved the AKT1-MTOR-RPS6KB1 pathway and MAPK1 (ERK2)/MAPK3 (ERK1) signaling, since the MTOR inhibitor rapamycin increased, while the MAPK1/3 inhibitor U0126 decreased Mono-Pt-induced autophagic cell death. Taken together, our results suggest that Mono-Pt exerts anticancer effect via autophagic cell death in apoptosis-resistant ovarian cancer. These findings lead to increased options for anticancer platinum drugs to induce cell death in cancer.