Sortilin-related receptor is a druggable therapeutic target in breast cancer

Evaluating maternal serum sortilin levels: a potential biomarker for predicting preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To determine the role of sortilin in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia by examining serum sortilin levels in maternal blood.

METHODS

This prospective case-control study was conducted from May to November 2023 at the Perinatology Clinic of Ankara Etlik City Hospital. The study cohort was divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 44 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia, and Group 2 served as the control group, comprising 44 healthy pregnant women. The groups were matched individually, with controls selected based on similar maternal age and gestational age at the time of sample collection.

RESULTS

Maternal sortilin levels were significantly elevated in preeclampsia patients compared to controls. Using a cut-off value of > 3.57 ng/mL, sortilin levels could distinguish preeclampsia cases with a sensitivity of 90.9%, a specificity of 45.5%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.679 (p = 0.002). At a cut-off of > 3.57 ng/mL, it was significantly associated with composite adverse neonatal outcomes, with a sensitivity of 89.6%, a specificity of 36.1%, and an AUC of 0.620 (p = 0.045). In addition, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and protein in 24-hour urine, which are important components in the diagnosis and severity of preeclampsia, were significantly correlated maternal blood sortilin levels.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that maternal sortilin levels are elevated in patients with preeclampsia compared to those in a healthy pregnant control group. Furthermore, maternal sortilin levels may predict adverse neonatal outcomes. In addition, sortilin levels are correlated key clinical markers of preeclampsia severity.

SORL1-Mediated EGFR and FGFR4 Regulation Enhances Chemoresistance in Ovarian Cancer

Recurrent tumors that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy are a major challenge of ovarian cancer treatment. A better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of chemoresistance is critical for developing more effective targeted therapies for ovarian cancer. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of thirteen pairs of matching primary and recurrent ovarian cancers to identify genes that were upregulated in the recurrent tumors. Among these genes, we identified sortilin-related receptor 1 (SORL1) and its role in promoting carboplatin resistance through regulating the stability of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and fibroblast growth receptor 4 (FGFR4) using ovarian cancer models in vitro and in vivo. We further identified that an anti-SORL1 antibody inhibited the pro-tumor functions of SORL1. Our data showed that a selective inhibitor of FGFR4, FGF401, can improve the therapeutic efficacy of carboplatin in a xenograft mouse model of ovarian cancer. This study has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of targeting the SORL1/FGFR4 pathway to improve the chemoresponse of patients with recurrent and/or resistant ovarian cancer.

New Marker in the Umbilical Cord Blood of Fetuses with Fetal Growth Restriction: Serum Sortilin-1 Level

Objective: To determine the role of sortilin in the pathogenesis of fetal growth restriction (FGR) by examining serum sortilin levels in fetal cord blood. Methods: This prospective case-control study was conducted at Ankara Etlik City Hospital between July 2023 and January 2024. Group 1 included 44 pregnant women with late FGR; Group 2 included 44 healthy pregnant women as controls. Results: Umbilical cord blood sortilin levels were significantly higher in the FGR group [2.96 (2.43-4.01)] compared to the control group [2.12 (1.74-3.18)] (p = 0.001). Sortilin levels negatively correlated with APGAR scores at 1 min (r=-0.281, p = 0.008) and 5 min (r=-0.292, p = 0.006). A sortilin threshold of 2.58 ng/ml predicted composite adverse neonatal outcomes with 66.7% sensitivity, 53.1% specificity, and an AUC of 0.652 (95% CI: 0.529-0.775, p = 0.031). Conclusion: This study showed that sortilin levels, which are indicators of oxidation, were higher in the cord blood of newborns with late FGR.

Respiratory complex I regulates dendritic cell maturation in explant model of human tumor immune microenvironment

BACKGROUND

Combining cytotoxic chemotherapy or novel anticancer drugs with T-cell modulators holds great promise in treating advanced cancers. However, the response varies depending on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Therefore, there is a clear need for pharmacologically tractable models of the TIME to dissect its influence on mono- and combination treatment response at the individual level.

METHODS

Here we establish a patient-derived explant culture (PDEC) model of breast cancer, which retains the immune contexture of the primary tumor, recapitulating cytokine profiles and CD8+T cell cytotoxic activity.

RESULTS

We explored the immunomodulatory action of a synthetic lethal BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax+metformin drug combination ex vivo, discovering metformin cannot overcome the lymphocyte-depleting action of venetoclax. Instead, metformin promotes dendritic cell maturation through inhibition of mitochondrial complex I, increasing their capacity to co-stimulate CD4+T cells and thus facilitating antitumor immunity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results establish PDECs as a feasible model to identify immunomodulatory functions of anticancer drugs in the context of patient-specific TIME.

Hepsin promotes breast tumor growth signaling via the TGFβ-EGFR axis

Hepsin, a type II transmembrane serine protease, is commonly overexpressed in prostate and breast cancer. The hepsin protein is stabilized by the Ras-MAPK pathway, and, downstream, this protease regulates the degradation of extracellular matrix components and activates growth factor pathways, such as the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) pathway. However, how exactly active hepsin promotes cell proliferation machinery to sustain tumor growth is not fully understood. Here, we show that genetic deletion of the gene encoding hepsin (Hpn) in a WAP-Myc model of aggressive MYC-driven breast cancer inhibits tumor growth in the primary syngrafted sites and the growth of disseminated tumors in the lungs. The suppression of tumor growth upon loss of hepsin was accompanied by downregulation of TGFβ and EGFR signaling together with a reduction in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein levels. We further demonstrate in 3D cultures of patient-derived breast cancer explants that both basal TGFβ signaling and EGFR protein expression are inhibited by neutralizing antibodies or small-molecule inhibitors of hepsin. The study demonstrates a role for hepsin as a regulator of cell proliferation and tumor growth through TGFβ and EGFR pathways, warranting consideration of hepsin as a potential indirect upstream target for therapeutic inhibition of TGFβ and EGFR pathways in cancer.

Experimental Tumor Induction and Evaluation of Its Treatment in the Chicken Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane Model: A Systematic Review

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model, generated during avian development, can be used in cancer research as an alternative in vivo model to perform tumorigenesis in ovo due to advantages such as simplicity, low cost, rapid growth, and being naturally immunodeficient. The aim of this systematic review has been to compile and analyze all studies that use the CAM assay as a tumor induction model. For that, a systematic search was carried out in four different databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and WOS. After eliminating duplicates and following the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 74 articles were included. Of these, 62% use the in ovo technique, 13% use the ex ovo technique, 9% study the formation of metastasis, and 16% induce tumors from patient biopsies. Regarding the methodology followed, the main species used is chicken (95%), although some studies use quail eggs (4%), and one article uses ostrich eggs. Therefore, the CAM assay is a revolutionary technique that allows a simple and effective way to induce tumors, test the effectiveness of treatments, carry out metastasis studies, perform biopsy grafts of patients, and carry out personalized medicine. However, unification of the methodology used is necessary.

Stomatin-like protein-2 contributes the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells via regulating ERK/FOXO3a signaling pathway

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumor in women, and its incidence is increasing, ranking first among female malignant tumors. It is urgently needed to find new and reliable biomarkers of BC and to understand the cellular changes that cause metastasis. Stomatin-like protein-2 (SLP-2) is a member of the stomatin protein superfamily. Studies have shown that SLP-2 was highly expressed in some tumors and played an important role in tumor genesis and development. SLP-2 regulated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, and activation of ERK phosphorylated FOXO3a, which was involved in BC progression. However, its possible role in the progression of BC remains unclear. In this study, we found the high expression of SLP-2 in BC tissues and cells. SLP-2 promoted the viability of BC cells. In addition, we found that SLP-2 stimulated the motility of BC cells in vitro. Mechanically, our results revealed that SLP-2 could mediate FOXO3a expression and ERK signaling pathway, thereby contributing to the viability and motility of BC cells. Therefore, SLP-2 has the potential to serve as a promising target for BC treatment.