Genetic determinants of telomere length and risk of pancreatic cancer: A PANDoRA study

From classical approaches to artificial intelligence, old and new tools for PDAC risk stratification and prediction

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is recognized as one of the most lethal malignancies, characterized by late-stage diagnosis and limited therapeutic options. Risk stratification has traditionally been performed using epidemiological studies and genetic analyses, through which key risk factors, including smoking, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, and inherited predispositions, have been identified. However, the multifactorial nature of PDAC has often been insufficiently addressed by these methods, leading to limited precision in individualized risk assessments. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have been proposed as a transformative approach, allowing the integration of diverse datasets-spanning genetic, clinical, lifestyle, and imaging data into dynamic models capable of uncovering novel interactions and risk profiles. In this review, the evolution of PDAC risk stratification is explored, with classical epidemiological frameworks compared to AI-driven methodologies. Genetic insights, including genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk scores, are discussed, alongside AI models such as machine learning, radiomics, and deep learning. Strengths and limitations of these approaches are evaluated, with challenges in clinical translation, such as data scarcity, model interpretability, and external validation, addressed. Finally, future directions are proposed for combining classical and AI-driven methodologies to develop scalable, personalized predictive tools for PDAC, with the goal of improving early detection and patient outcomes.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs): Genetic and environmental biomarkers for risk of occurrence and prognosis

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) are rare and heterogeneous tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells, representing approximately 10 % of all Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. While most pNENs are sporadic, a subset is associated with genetic syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) or von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). pNENs are further classified into functioning and non-functioning tumors, with distinct clinical behaviors, prognoses, and treatment approaches. This review explores genetic and environmental biomarkers that influence the risk, prognosis, and therapeutic responses in pNENs. The epidemiology of pNENs reveals an increasing incidence, primarily due to advancements in imaging techniques. Genetic factors play a pivotal role, with germline mutations in MEN1, VHL, and other genes contributing to familial pNENs. Somatic mutations, including alterations in the mTOR pathway and DNA maintenance genes such as DAXX and ATRX, are critical in sporadic pNENs. These mutations, along with epigenetic dysregulation and transcriptomic alterations, underpin the diverse clinical and molecular phenotypes of pNENs. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation profiles, can stratify pNEN subtypes and predict disease progression. Environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diabetes, smoking, and chronic pancreatitis, have been linked to an increased risk of sporadic pNENs. While the association between these factors and tumor progression is still under investigation, their potential role in influencing therapeutic outcomes warrants further study. Advances in systemic therapies, including somatostatin analogs, mTOR inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have improved disease management. Biomarkers such as Ki-67, somatostatin receptor expression, and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status are being evaluated for their predictive value. Novel approaches, including the use of circulating biomarkers (NETest, circulating tumor cells, and ctDNA) and polygenic risk scores, offer promising avenues for non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including the need for large, well-annotated datasets and validated biomarkers. Future research should integrate multi-omics approaches and leverage liquid biopsy technologies to refine diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies. Interdisciplinary collaborations and global consortia are crucial for overcoming current limitations and translating research findings into clinical practice. These insights hold promise for improving prevention, early detection, and tailored treatments, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

The relationship of the microbiome, associated metabolites and the gut barrier with pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancers have high mortality and rising incidence rates which may be related to unhealthy western-type dietary and lifestyle patterns as well as increasing body weights and obesity rates. Recent data also suggest a role for the gut microbiome in the development of pancreatic cancer. Here, we review the experimental and observational evidence for the roles of the oral, gut and intratumoural microbiomes, impaired gut barrier function and exposure to inflammatory compounds as well as metabolic dysfunction as contributors to pancreatic disease with a focus on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) initiation and progression. We also highlight some emerging gut microbiome editing techniques currently being investigated in the context of pancreatic disease. Notably, while the gut microbiome is significantly altered in PDAC and its precursor diseases, its utility as a diagnostic and prognostic tool is hindered by a lack of reproducibility and the potential for reverse causality in case-control cohorts. Future research should emphasise longitudinal and mechanistic studies as well as integrating lifestyle exposure and multi-omics data to unravel complex host-microbiome interactions. This will allow for deeper aetiologic and mechanistic insights that can inform treatments and guide public health recommendations.

Genomic instability, DNA damage response and telomere homeostasis in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is becoming one of the most serious health problems at present, but its causes and risk factors are still unclear. One of the drivers in pancreatic carcinogenesis is altered genomic (DNA) integrity with subsequent genomic instability in cancer cells. The latter comprises a) DNA damage response and DNA repair mechanisms, b) DNA replication and mitosis, c) epigenetic regulation, and d) telomere maintenance. In our review we addressed the above aspects in relation to the most abundant and severe form of PC, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In summary, the interactions between the DNA damage response, telomere homeostasis and mitotic regulation are not comprehensively understood at present, including the epigenetic factors entering the trait of genomic stability maintenance. In addition, the complexity of telomere homeostasis in relation to PDAC risk, prognosis and prediction also warrants further investigations.

A pleiotropy scan to discover new susceptibility loci for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pleiotropic variants (i.e. genetic polymorphisms influencing more than one phenotype) are often associated with cancer risk. A scan of pleiotropic variants was successfully conducted 10 years ago in relation to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma susceptibility. However, in the last decade, genetic association studies performed on several human traits have greatly increased the number of known pleiotropic variants. Based on the hypothesis that variants already associated with a least one trait have a higher probability of association with other traits, 61 052 variants reported to be associated by at least one genome-wide association study with at least one human trait were tested in the present study consisting of two phases (discovery and validation), comprising a total of 16 055 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases and 212 149 controls. The meta-analysis of the two phases showed two loci (10q21.1-rs4948550 (P = 6.52 × 10-5) and 7q36.3-rs288762 (P = 3.03 × 10-5) potentially associated with PDAC risk. 10q21.1-rs4948550 shows a high degree of pleiotropy and it is also associated with colorectal cancer risk while 7q36.3-rs288762 is situated 28,558 base pairs upstream of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) gene, which is involved in the cell-differentiation process and PDAC etiopathogenesis. In conclusion, none of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed a formally statistically significant association after correction for multiple testing. However, given their pleiotropic nature and association with various human traits including colorectal cancer, the two SNPs showing the best associations with PDAC risk merit further investigation through fine mapping and ad hoc functional studies.

Genetic landscape for screening and early diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: is there a signature?

The last 15 years have seen unprecedent advancement in genomics techniques such as dense single nucleotide variants (SNVs) arrays or next generation Sequencing. In parallel, new analytical methodologies have been developed to streamline data understanding and integration. These advances have been instrumental in identifying common genetic variants associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk. The role of the individual variants is rather small, and they have no clinical utility for screening or early detection. However, their combined effect computed though polygenic risk scores (PGS) are showing promising potentiality in PDAC risk prediction. There still caveats, and limitations that need to be properly addressed however it is foreseeable that the genetic background will become a powerful tool in PDAC prediction, leveraging the advantage that it has compared to other biomarkers: germline genetics is invariable from birth to death.

Leveraging epigenetic alterations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for clinical applications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by late detection and poor prognosis. Recent research highlights the pivotal role of epigenetic alterations in driving PDAC development and progression. These changes, in conjunction with genetic mutations, contribute to the intricate molecular landscape of the disease. Specific modifications in DNA methylation, histone marks, and non-coding RNAs are emerging as robust predictors of disease progression and patient survival, offering the potential for more precise prognostic tools compared to conventional clinical staging. Moreover, the detection of epigenetic alterations in blood and other non-invasive samples holds promise for earlier diagnosis and improved management of PDAC. This review comprehensively summarises current epigenetic research in PDAC and identifies persisting challenges. These include the complex nature of epigenetic profiles, tumour heterogeneity, limited access to early-stage samples, and the need for highly sensitive liquid biopsy technologies. Addressing these challenges requires the standardisation of methodologies, integration of multi-omics data, and leveraging advanced computational tools such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. While resource-intensive, these efforts are essential for unravelling the functional consequences of epigenetic changes and translating this knowledge into clinical applications. By overcoming these hurdles, epigenetic research has the potential to revolutionise the management of PDAC and improve patient outcomes.

Polymorphisms within autophagy-related genes as susceptibility biomarkers for pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis of three large European cohorts and functional characterization

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers with patients having unresectable or metastatic disease at diagnosis, with poor prognosis and very short survival. Given that genetic variation within autophagy-related genes influences autophagic flux and susceptibility to solid cancers, we decided to investigate whether 55,583 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 234 autophagy-related genes could influence the risk of developing PDAC in three large independent cohorts of European ancestry including 12,754 PDAC cases and 324,926 controls. The meta-analysis of these populations identified, for the first time, the association of the BIDrs9604789 variant with an increased risk of developing the disease (ORMeta = 1.31, p = 9.67 × 10-6). We also confirmed the association of TP63rs1515496 and TP63rs35389543 variants with PDAC risk (OR = 0.89, p = 6.27 × 10-8 and OR = 1.16, p = 2.74 × 10-5). Although it is known that BID induces autophagy and TP63 promotes cell growth, cell motility and invasion, we also found that carriers of the TP63rs1515496G allele had increased numbers of FOXP3+ Helios+ T regulatory cells and CD45RA+ T regulatory cells (p = 7.67 × 10-4 and p = 1.56 × 10-3), but also decreased levels of CD4+ T regulatory cells (p = 7.86 × 10-4). These results were in agreement with research suggesting that the TP63rs1515496 variant alters binding sites for FOXA1 and CTCF, which are transcription factors involved in modulating specific subsets of regulatory T cells. In conclusion, this study identifies BID as new susceptibility locus for PDAC and confirms previous studies suggesting that the TP63 gene is involved in the development of PDAC. This study also suggests new pathogenic mechanisms of the TP63 locus in PDAC.

A genome-wide association study identifies eight loci associated with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm progression toward malignancy

BACKGROUND

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are precursors to pancreatic cancer, but not all IPMNs progress to cancer. The objective of this study was to identify the germline genetic variants associated with IPMN clinical progression by conducting the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) and computing a polygenic hazard score (PHS) in 338 patients with IPMN.

METHODS

The study population was divided into two subsets, and a Cox analysis adjusted for sex, age, cyst size at diagnosis, and the top 10 principal components was performed. A PHS was calculated using the genotypes of common variants associated with IPMN progression identified.

RESULTS

Eight loci with significant associations (p < 5 × 10-8) were identified, and the most significant was 7q21.11-rs117620617 (hazard ratio, 16.35; 95% confidence interval, 6.93-38.60; p = 1.80 × 10-10). All variants were associated with inflammatory processes, suggesting that alleles that predispose to an inflammatory prone phenotype may promote progression. The PHS indicated a statistically significant association (hazard ratio, 18.05; 95% confidence interval, 7.96-45.80; p = 6.18 × 10-11) with IPMN progression among individuals who had the highest number of effect alleles (fourth quartile) compared with those who had the lowest number (first quartile).

CONCLUSIONS

The current results study advance the understanding of individual predisposition to IPMN progression and underscore the potential use of genetics in the stratification of patients who have IPMN.

Ex-Vivo 3D Cellular Models of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: From Embryonic Development to Precision Oncology

ABSTRACT

Pancreas is a vital gland of gastrointestinal system with exocrine and endocrine secretory functions, interweaved into essential metabolic circuitries of the human body. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents one of the most lethal malignancies, with a 5-year survival rate of 11%. This poor prognosis is primarily attributed to the absence of early symptoms, rapid metastatic dissemination, and the limited efficacy of current therapeutic interventions. Despite recent advancements in understanding the etiopathogenesis and treatment of PDAC, there remains a pressing need for improved individualized models, identification of novel molecular targets, and development of unbiased predictors of disease progression. Here we aim to explore the concept of precision medicine utilizing 3-dimensional, patient-specific cellular models of pancreatic tumors and discuss their potential applications in uncovering novel druggable molecular targets and predicting clinical parameters for individual patients.

Potential association between PSCA rs2976395 functional variant and pancreatic cancer risk

Correlated regions of systemic interindividual variation (CoRSIV) represent a small proportion of the human genome showing DNA methylation patterns that are the same in all human tissues, are different among individuals, and are partially regulated by genetic variants in cis. In this study we aimed at investigating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within CoRSIVs and their involvement with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk. We analyzed 29,099 CoRSIV-SNPs and 133,615 CoRSIV-mQTLs in 14,394 cases and 247,022 controls of European and Asian descent. We observed that the A allele of the rs2976395 SNP was associated with increased PDAC risk in Europeans (p = 2.81 × 10-5). This SNP lies in the prostate stem cell antigen gene and is in perfect linkage disequilibrium with a variant (rs2294008) that has been reported to be associated with risk of many other cancer types. The A allele is associated with the DNA methylation level of the gene according to the PanCan-meQTL database and with overexpression according to QTLbase. The expression of the gene has been observed to be deregulated in many tumors of the gastrointestinal tract including pancreatic cancer; however, functional studies are needed to elucidate the function relevance of the association.

Inherited Telomere Biology Disorders: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnostics, and Treatment

Background

Telomeres are the end-capping structures of all eukaryotic chromosomes thereby protecting the genome from damage and degradation. During the aging process, telomeres shorten continuously with each cell division until critically short telomeres prevent further proliferation whereby cells undergo terminal differentiation, senescence, or apoptosis. Premature aging due to critically short telomere length (TL) can also result from pathogenic germline variants in the telomerase complex or related genes that typically counteract replicative telomere shortening in germline and certain somatic cell populations, e.g., hematopoetic stem cells. Inherited diseases that result in altered telomere maintenance are summarized under the term telomere biology disorder (TBD).

Summary

Since TL both reflects but more importantly restricts the replicative capacity of various human tissues, a sufficient telomere reserve is particularly important in cells with high proliferative activity (e.g., hematopoiesis, immune cells, intestinal cells, liver, lung, and skin). Consequently, altered telomere maintenance as observed in TBDs typically results in premature replicative cellular exhaustion in the respective organ systems eventually leading to life-threatening complications such as bone marrow failure (BMF), pulmonary fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis.

Key Messages

The recognition of a potential congenital origin in approximately 10% of adult patients with clinical BMF is of utmost importance for the proper diagnosis, appropriate patient and family counseling, to prevent the use of inefficient treatment and to avoid therapy-related toxicities including appropriate donor selection when patients have to undergo stem cell transplantation from related donors. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about TBDs with particular focus on the clinical manifestation patterns in children (termed early onset TBD) compared to adults (late-onset TBD) including typical treatment- and disease course-related complications as well as their prognosis and adequate therapy. Thereby, it aims to raise awareness for a disease group that is currently still highly underdiagnosed particularly when it first manifests itself in adulthood.

Understanding, diagnosing, and treating pancreatic cancer from the perspective of telomeres and telomerase

Telomerase is associated with cellular aging, and its presence limits cellular lifespan. Telomerase by preventing telomere shortening can extend the number of cell divisions for cancer cells. In adult pancreatic cells, telomeres gradually shorten, while in precancerous lesions of cancer, telomeres in cells are usually significantly shortened. At this time, telomerase is still in an inactive state, and it is not until before and after the onset of cancer that telomerase is reactivated, causing cancer cells to proliferate. Methylation of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter and regulation of telomerase by lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB) is the mechanism of telomerase reactivation in pancreatic cancer. Understanding the role of telomeres and telomerase in pancreatic cancer will help to diagnose and initiate targeted therapy as early as possible. This article reviews the role of telomeres and telomerase as biomarkers in the development of pancreatic cancer and the progress of research on telomeres and telomerase as targets for therapeutic intervention.

Analysis of exposome and genetic variability suggests stress as a major contributor for development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The current knowledge on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk factors is limited and no study has comprehensively tested the exposome in combination with the genetic variability in relation to the disease susceptibility.

AIM

The aim of this study was to analyze the exposome and its interaction with known genetic susceptibility loci, in relation to PDAC risk.

METHODS

A case-control study nested in UK Biobank cohort was conducted on 816 PDAC cases and 302,645 controls. A total of 347 exposure variables, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) were analyzed through logistic regression. Gene-environment interaction analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 52 associations under the Bonferroni corrected threshold of p < 1.46 × 10-4 were observed. Known risk factors such as smoking, pancreatitis, diabetes, PRS, heavy alcohol drinking and overweight were replicated in this study. As for novel associations, a clear indication for length and intensity of mobile phone use and the stress-related factors and stressful events with increase of PDAC risk was observed. Although the PRS was associated with PDAC risk (P = 2.09 × 10-9), statistically significant gene-exposome interactions were not identified.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our results suggest that a stressful lifestyle and sedentary behaviors may play a major role in PDAC susceptibility independently from the genetic background.

Association of telomere length with risk of lung cancer: A large prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank

OBJECTIVES

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with a wide variety of diseases, including cancer. However, findings regarding the association between LTL and the risk for lung cancer have been inconclusive and inconsistent across previous observational studies.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included data from 425,146 participants 37-73 years of age housed in the UK Biobank. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to measure LTL in baseline DNA samples. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the relationship between LTL and the risk for lung cancer.

RESULTS

An increase in LTL per interquartile range (IQR) was associated with a 9% increase in the risk for lung cancer (hazard ratio [HR] 1.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.16]). Participants in the highest LTL quintile exhibited an approximately 25% elevated risk for developing lung cancer (HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.09-1.45]) compared with those in the lowest quintile. The relationship between per IQR increase in LTL and elevated risk for lung cancer was greater in the histological subtype of adenocarcinoma (HR 1.30 [95% CI 1.18-1.43]), female sex (HR 1.16 [95% CI 1.06-1.26]), non-smokers (HR 1.45 [95% CI 1.23-1.71]), and individuals with high genetic risk for lung cancer (HR 1.18 [95% CI 1.03-1.34]), respectively. Surprisingly, a per IQR increase in LTL was associated with increased risks for both lung adenocarcinoma (HR 1.56 [95% CI 1.24-1.96]) and squamous cell carcinoma (HR 2.01 [95% CI 1.13-3.56]) in never smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

Longer LTL was associated with an elevated risk for lung cancer, particularly for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in never smokers. The results suggest the potential of telomeres as non-invasive biomarkers for the early screening of lung cancer, particularly in non-smokers, who are typically overlooked.

Role of telomere length in human carcinogenesis (Review)

Cancer is considered the most important clinical, social and economic issue regarding cause‑specific disability‑adjusted life years among all human pathologies. Exogenous, endogenous and individual factors, including genetic predisposition, participate in cancer triggering. Telomeres are specific DNA structures positioned at the end of chromosomes and consist of repetitive nucleotide sequences, which, together with shelterin proteins, facilitate the maintenance of chromosome stability, while protecting them from genomic erosion. Even though the connection between telomere status and carcinogenesis has been identified, the absence of a universal or even a cancer‑specific trend renders consent even more complex. It is indicative that both short and long telomere lengths have been associated with a high risk of cancer incidence. When evaluating risk associations between cancer and telomere length, a disparity appears to emerge. Even though shorter telomeres have been adopted as a marker of poorer health status and an older biological age, longer telomeres due to increased cell growth potential are associated with the acquirement of cancer‑initiating somatic mutations. Therefore, the present review aimed to comprehensively present the multifaceted pattern of telomere length and cancer incidence association.

Telomere-related prognostic biomarkers for survival assessments in pancreatic cancer

Human telomeres are linked to genetic instability and a higher risk of developing cancer. Therefore, to improve the dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients, a thorough investigation of the association between telomere-related genes and pancreatic cancer is required. Combat from the R package "SVA" was performed to correct the batch effects between the TCGA-PAAD and GTEx datasets. After differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were assessed, we constructed a prognostic risk model through univariate Cox regression, LASSO-Cox regression, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Data from the ICGC, GSE62452, GSE71729, and GSE78229 cohorts were used as test cohorts for validating the prognostic signature. The major impact of the signature on the tumor microenvironment and its response to immune checkpoint drugs was also evaluated. Finally, PAAD tissue microarrays were fabricated and immunohistochemistry was performed to explore the expression of this signature in clinical samples. After calculating 502 telomere-associated DEGs, we constructed a three-gene prognostic signature (DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1) that can be effectively applied to the prognostic classification of pancreatic cancer patients in multiple datasets, including TCGA, ICGC, GSE62452, GSE71729, and GSE78229 cohorts. In addition, we have screened a variety of tumor-sensitive drugs targeting this signature. Finally, we also found that protein levels of DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1 were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to normal tissues by immunohistochemistry analysis. We established and validated a telomere gene-related prognostic signature for pancreatic cancer and confirmed the upregulation of DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1 expression in clinical samples, which may provide new ideas for individualized immunotherapy.

The PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium: Ten years' experience of association studies to understand the genetic architecture of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer has an incidence that almost matches its mortality. Only a small number of risk factors and 33 susceptibility loci have been identified. so Moreover, the relative rarity of pancreatic cancer poses significant hurdles for research aimed at increasing our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms contributing to the disease. Additionally, the inability to adequately power research questions prevents small monocentric studies from being successful. Several consortia have been established to pursue a better understanding of the genetic architecture of pancreatic cancers. The Pancreatic disease research (PANDoRA) consortium is the largest in Europe. PANDoRA is spread across 12 European countries, Brazil and Japan, bringing together 29 basic and clinical research groups. In the last ten years, PANDoRA has contributed to the discovery of 25 susceptibility loci, a feat that will be instrumental in stratifying the population by risk and optimizing preventive strategies.

The prognostic significance of human ovarian aging-related signature in breast cancer after surgery: A multicohort study

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have shown that ovarian aging is strongly associated with the risk of breast cancer, however, its prognostic impact on breast cancer is not yet fully understood. In this study, we performed a multicohort genetic analysis to explore its prognostic value and biological features in breast cancer.

METHODS

The gene expression and clinicopathological data of 3366 patients from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) cohort and the GSE86166 cohort were analyzed. A total of 290 ovarian aging-related genes (OARGs) were included in the establishment of the prognostic model. Furthermore, functional mechanisms analysis, drug sensitivity, and immune cell infiltration were investigated using bioinformatic methods.

RESULTS

An eight OARG-based signature was established and validated using independent cohorts. Two risk subgroups of patients with distinct survival outcomes were identified by the OARG-based signature. A nomogram with good predictive performance was developed by integrating the OARG risk score with clinicopathological factors. Moreover, the OARG-based signature was correlated with DNA damage repair, immune cell signaling pathways, and immunomodulatory functions. The patients in the low-risk subgroup were found to be sensitive to traditional chemotherapeutic, endocrine, and targeted agents (doxorubicin, tamoxifen, lapatinib, etc.) and some novel targeted drugs (sunitinib, pazopanib, etc.). Moreover, patients in the low-risk subgroup may be more susceptible to immune escape and therefore respond less effectively to immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we proposed a comprehensive analytical method for breast cancer assessment based on OARG expression patterns, which could precisely predict clinical outcomes and drug sensitivity of breast cancer patients.

Relationship between common telomere length-related genetic variations, telomere length, and risk of antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity in Chinese Han population: As assessed for causality using the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method

Antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) is a significant threat to tuberculosis control, and two recent studies indicated that leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be a potential biomarker for ATDH. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between common telomere length-related genetic variations, LTL, and risk of ATDH in Eastern Chinese antituberculosis treatment patients. A 1:4 matched case-control study was conducted among 79 ATDH cases assessed for causality using the updated RUCAM and 316 controls. LTL was determined by quantitative real-time PCR, and nine SNPs involved in telomere biology reported by previous GWAS were assessed. Conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between genotypes and risk of ATDH with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The average RUCAM score of cases was 7.1. The average LTL in cases was significantly shorter than that in controls (median = 1.239 vs. 1.481, P = 0.032). Differences in the distribution of LTL were statistically significant among three genotypes of SNP rs2736098 (CC vs. CT vs. TT, median = 1.544 vs. 1.356 vs. 1.337, P = 0.026) and rs2853677 (AA vs. AG vs. GG, median = 1.511 vs. 1.544 vs. 1.159, P = 0.005) in TERT. SNP rs7675998 in NAF1 was statistically associated with the risk of ATDH under the dominant model (adjusted OR = 1.725, 95% CI: 1.021-2.913, P = 0.042). This is the first study to investigate the relationship of LTL, common telomere length-related variations, and risk of ATDH. SNP rs2736098 and rs2853677 in TERT were significantly associated with LTL, and SNP rs7675998 in NAF1 may be associated with ATDH in Chinese population.

Relative Leukocyte Telomere Length and Genetic Variants in Telomere-Related Genes and Serum Levels Role in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Telomere shortening is well known to be associated with ageing. Age is the most decisive risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) development. The older the individual, the higher the AMD risk. For this reason, we aimed to find any associations between telomere length, distribution of genetic variants in telomere-related genes (TERT, TERT-CLPTM1, TRF1, TRF2, and TNKS2), and serum TERF-1 and TERF2 levels on AMD development.

METHODS

Our study enrolled 342 patients with AMD and 177 healthy controls. Samples of DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes were extracted by DNA salting-out method. The genotyping of TERT rs2736098, rs401681 in TERT-CLPTM1 locus, TRF1 rs1545827, rs10107605, TNKS2 rs10509637, rs10509639, and TRF2 rs251796 and relative leukocyte telomere length (T/S) measurement were carried out using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. Serum TERF-1 and TERF2 levels were measured by enzymatic immunoassay (ELISA).

RESULTS

We found longer telomeres in early AMD patients compared to the control group. Additionally, we revealed that minor allele C at TRF1 rs10107605 was associated with decreases the odds of both early and exudative AMD. Each minor allele G at TRF2 rs251796 and TRF1 rs1545827 C/T genotype and C/T+T/T genotypes, compared to the C/C genotype, increases the odds of having shorter telomeres. Furthermore, we found elevated TERF1 serum levels in the early AMD group compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, these results suggest that relative leukocyte telomere length and genetic variants of TRF1 and TRF2 play a role in AMD development. Additionally, TERF1 is likely to be associated with early AMD.

A polymorphic variant in telomere maintenance is associated with worrisome features and high-risk stigmata development in IPMNs

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are nonobligatory precursor lesions of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The identification of molecular biomarkers able to predict the risk of progression of IPMNs toward malignancy is largely lacking and sorely needed. Telomere length (TL) is associated with the susceptibility of developing cancers, including PDAC. Moreover, several PDAC risk factors have been shown to be associated with IPMN transition to malignancy. TL is genetically determined, and the aim of this study was to use 11 SNPs, alone or combined in a score (teloscore), to estimate the causal relation between genetically determined TL and IPMNs progression. For this purpose, 173 IPMN patients under surveillance were investigated. The teloscore did not show any correlation, however, we observed an association between PXK-rs6772228-A and an increased risk of IPMN transition to malignancy (HR = 3.17; 95%CI 1.47-6.84; P = 3.24 × 10-3). This effect was also observed in a validation cohort of 142 IPMNs even though the association was not statistically significant. The combined analysis was consistent showing an association between PXK-rs6772228-A and increased risk of progression. The A allele of this SNP is strongly associated with shorter LTL that in turn have been reported to be associated with increased risk of developing PDAC. These results clearly highlight the importance of looking for genetic variants as potential biomarkers in this setting in order to further our understanding the etiopathogenesis of PDAC and suggest that genetically determined TL might be an additional marker of IPMN prognosis.

Genetic Susceptibility in Understanding of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Risk: A Decade-Long Effort of the PANDORA Consortium

Pancreatic cancer, a complex disease, emerges as a severe health problem worldwide and it exhibits a poor prognosis and high mortality. Risk factors associated with sporadic pancreatic cancer remain poorly understood, even less is known about disease prognosis due to its rapid progression. The PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium, of which the authors are members, was established to coordinate the efforts of different research groups to uncover new genetic factors for pancreatic cancer risk, response to treatment, and patient survival. PANDoRA consortium has contributed to the identification of several low-penetrance risk loci for the disease both by candidate variants approach and genome-wide association studies, including those in cell-cycle and DNA damage response, telomere homeostasis, SCL and ABC transporters, ABO locus variability, mitochondrial metabolism and it participated on collaborative genome-wide association study approach and implementation of a search for functional-based pancreatic cancer risk loci and long noncoding RNAs. Complex studies covering genetic, environmental and microenvironmental factors in the pancreatic cancer onset, progression and its prognosis are warranted.

Systematic review of Mendelian randomization studies on risk of cancer

BACKGROUND

We aimed to map and describe the current state of Mendelian randomization (MR) literature on cancer risk and to identify associations supported by robust evidence.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Scopus up to 06/10/2020 for MR studies investigating the association of any genetically predicted risk factor with cancer risk. We categorized the reported associations based on a priori designed levels of evidence supporting a causal association into four categories, namely robust, probable, suggestive, and insufficient, based on the significance and concordance of the main MR analysis results and at least one of the MR-Egger, weighed median, MRPRESSO, and multivariable MR analyses. Associations not presenting any of the aforementioned sensitivity analyses were not graded.

RESULTS

We included 190 publications reporting on 4667 MR analyses. Most analyses (3200; 68.6%) were not accompanied by any of the assessed sensitivity analyses. Of the 1467 evaluable analyses, 87 (5.9%) were supported by robust, 275 (18.7%) by probable, and 89 (6.1%) by suggestive evidence. The most prominent robust associations were observed for anthropometric indices with risk of breast, kidney, and endometrial cancers; circulating telomere length with risk of kidney, lung, osteosarcoma, skin, thyroid, and hematological cancers; sex steroid hormones and risk of breast and endometrial cancer; and lipids with risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the large amount of research on genetically predicted risk factors for cancer risk, limited associations are supported by robust evidence for causality. Most associations did not present a MR sensitivity analysis and were thus non-evaluable. Future research should focus on more thorough assessment of sensitivity MR analyses and on more transparent reporting.

Alternative Splicing: A New Therapeutic Target for Ovarian Cancer

Background: Increasing evidences have shown that abnormal alternative splicing (AS) events are closely related to the prognosis of various tumors. However, the role of AS in ovarian cancer (OV) is poorly understood. This study aims to explore the correlation between AS and the prognosis of OV and establish a prognostic model for OV. Methods: We downloaded the RNA-seq data of OV from The Cancer Genome Atlas databases and assessed cancer-specific AS through the SpliceSeq software. Then systemically investigated the overall survival (OS)-related AS and splicing factors (SFs) by bioinformatics analysis. The nomogram was established based on the clinical information, and the clinical practicability of the nomogram was verified through the calibration curve. Finally, a splicing correlation network was constructed to reveal the relationship between OS-related AS and SFs. Results: A total of 48,049 AS events were detected from 10,582 genes, of which 1523 were significantly associated with OS. The area under the curve of the final prediction model was 0.785, 0.681, and 0.781 in 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Moreover, the nomogram showed high calibration and discrimination in OV patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine 8 SFs significantly related to survival, including major facilitator superfamily domain containing 11, synaptotagmin binding cytoplasmic RNA interacting protein, DEAH-box helicase 35, CWC15, integrator complex subunit 1, LUC7 like 2, cell cycle and apoptosis regulator 1, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1. Conclusion: This study provides a prognostic model related to AS in OV, and constructs an AS-clinicopathological nomogram, which provides the possibility to predict the long-term prognosis of OV patients. We have explored the wealth of RNA splicing networks and regulation patterns related to the prognosis of OV, which provides a large number of biomarkers and potential targets for the treatment of OV. Put forward the potential possibility of interfering with the AS of OV in the comprehensive treatment of OV.

Genome-wide association study of mitochondrial copy number

Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) variation has been associated with increased risk of several human diseases in epidemiological studies. The quantification of mtDNAcn performed with real-time PCR is currently considered the de facto standard among several techniques. However, the heterogeneity of the laboratory methods (DNA extraction, storage, processing) used could give rise to results that are difficult to compare and reproduce across different studies. Several lines of evidence suggest that mtDNAcn is influenced by nuclear and mitochondrial genetic variability, however this relation is largely unexplored. The aim of this work was to elucidate the genetic basis of mtDNAcn variation. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of mtDNAcn in 6836 subjects from the ESTHER prospective cohort, and included, as replication set, the summary statistics of a GWAS that used 295 150 participants from the UK Biobank. We observed two novel associations with mtDNAcn variation on chromosome 19 (rs117176661), and 12 (rs7136238) that reached statistical significance at the genome-wide level. A polygenic score that we called mitoscore including all known single nucleotide polymorphisms explained 1.11% of the variation of mtDNAcn (p = 5.93 × 10-7). In conclusion, we performed a GWAS on mtDNAcn, adding to the evidence of the genetic background of this trait.

Association between telomere length and mitochondrial copy number and cancer risk in humans: A meta-analysis on more than 300,000 individuals

In the last decades the association of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial copy number (mtDNAcn) with cancer risk has been the focus of many reports, however the relation is not yet completely understood. A meta-analysis of 112 studies including 64,184 cancer cases and 278,641 controls that analysed LTL and mtDNAcn in relation to cancer risk has been conducted to further our understanding of the topic. Stratified analyses for tumor type were also performed. Overall, no association was observed for all cancer combined neither for LTL nor mtDNAcn. Significant associations were detected for these biomarkers and specific cancer type; however, a large degree of heterogeneity was present, even within the same tumor type. Alternatives approaches based on polymorphic variants, such as polygenic risk scores and mendelian randomization, could be adopted to unravel the causal correlation of telomere length and mitochondrial copy number with cancer risk.

TERT Gene rs2736100 and rs2736098 Polymorphisms are Associated with Increased Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis

Abnormal telomerase activity plays a key role in the development of carcinogenesis. The variants rs2736100 and rs2736098 of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene, which encodes the telomerase catalytic subunit, are associated with the risk of different types of cancers. However, the results remain controversy. We conducted a meta-analysis to more precisely assess this association. We comprehensively searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases up to June 1, 2020, and retrieved a total of 103 studies in 82 articles, including 89,320 cases and 121,654 controls. Among these studies, 69 published studies including 75,274 cases and 10,3248 controls were focused on rs2736100, and 34 published studies including 14,046 cases and 18,362 controls were focused on rs2736098. The results showed a strong association between variant rs2736100 and cancer risk in all populations. (G vs. T: OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.12-1.24; TG+GG vs. TT: OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.15-1.31; GG vs. TG+TT: OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16-1.36); the variant rs2736098 was associated with cancer risk in all populations as well (A vs. G: OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.22; GA+AA vs. GG: OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.27; AA vs. GA+GG: OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10-1.38). Stratified analysis based on the cancer type indicated that rs2736100 was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, glioma, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. rs2736098 only increased the risk of bladder cancer and lung cancer. Moreover, the TERT variants rs2736100 and rs2736098 were associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. The variants rs2736098 and rs2736100 located in 5p15.33 around TERT were associated with increased cancer risk in all populations. These two variants had bidirectional effects in different tumors.

Polygenic and multifactorial scores for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk prediction

BACKGROUND

Most cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are asymptomatic in early stages, and the disease is typically diagnosed in advanced phases, resulting in very high mortality. Tools to identify individuals at high risk of developing PDAC would be useful to improve chances of early detection.

OBJECTIVE

We generated a polygenic risk score (PRS) for PDAC risk prediction, combining the effect of known risk SNPs, and carried out an exploratory analysis of a multifactorial score.

METHODS

We tested the associations of the individual known risk SNPs on up to 2851 PDAC cases and 4810 controls of European origin from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium. Thirty risk SNPs were included in a PRS, which was computed on the subset of subjects that had 100% call rate, consisting of 839 cases and 2040 controls in PANDoRA and 6420 cases and 4889 controls from the previously published Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium I-III and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium genome-wide association studies. Additional exploratory multifactorial scores were constructed by complementing the genetic score with smoking and diabetes.

RESULTS

The scores were associated with increased PDAC risk and reached high statistical significance (OR=2.70, 95% CI 1.99 to 3.68, p=2.54×10-10 highest vs lowest quintile of the weighted PRS, and OR=14.37, 95% CI 5.57 to 37.09, p=3.64×10-8, highest vs lowest quintile of the weighted multifactorial score).

CONCLUSION

We found a highly significant association between a PRS and PDAC risk, which explains more than individual SNPs and is a step forward in the direction of the construction of a tool for risk stratification in the population.

Genetically determined telomere length and multiple myeloma risk and outcome

Telomeres are involved in processes like cellular growth, chromosomal stability, and proper segregation to daughter cells. Telomere length measured in leukocytes (LTL) has been investigated in different cancer types, including multiple myeloma (MM). However, LTL measurement is prone to heterogeneity due to sample handling and study design (retrospective vs. prospective). LTL is genetically determined; genome-wide association studies identified 11 SNPs that, combined in a score, can be used as a genetic instrument to measure LTL and evaluate its association with MM risk. This approach has been already successfully attempted in various cancer types but never in MM. We tested the "teloscore" in 2407 MM patients and 1741 controls from the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMeNSE) consortium. We observed an increased risk for longer genetically determined telomere length (gdTL) (OR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.36-2.11; P = 2.97 × 10^-6 for highest vs. lowest quintile of the score). Furthermore, in a subset of 1376 MM patients we tested the relationship between the teloscore and MM patients survival, observing a better prognosis for longer gdTL compared with shorter gdTL (HR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.86-0.99; P = 0.049). In conclusion, we report convincing evidence that longer gdTL is a risk marker for MM risk, and that it is potentially involved in increasing MM survival.

Telomere Length and Male Fertility

Over the past decade, telomeres have attracted increasing attention due to the role they play in human fertility. However, conflicting results have been reported on the possible association between sperm telomere length (STL) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and the quality of the sperm parameters. The aim of this study was to run a comprehensive study to investigate the role of STL and LTL in male spermatogenesis and infertility. Moreover, the association between the sperm parameters and 11 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), identified in the literature for their association with telomere length (TL), was investigated. We observed no associations between sperm parameters and STL nor LTL. For the individual SNPs, we observed five statistically significant associations with sperm parameters: considering a p < 0.05. Namely, ACYP2˗rs11125529 and decreased sperm motility (p = 0.03); PXK˗rs6772228 with a lower sperm count (p = 0.02); NAF1˗rs7675998 with increased probability of having abnormal acrosomes (p = 0.03) and abnormal flagellum (p = 0.04); ZNF208˗rs8105767 and reduction of sperms with normal heads (p = 0.009). This study suggests a moderate involvement of telomere length in male fertility; however, in our analyses four SNPs were weakly associated with sperm variables, suggesting the SNPs to be pleiotropic and involved in other regulatory mechanisms independent of telomere homeostasis, but involved in the spermatogenic process.

Genome-wide association study identifies an early onset pancreatic cancer risk locus

Early onset pancreatic cancer (EOPC) is a rare disease with a very high mortality rate. Almost nothing is known on the genetic susceptibility of EOPC, therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel genetic variants specific for patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at younger ages. In the first phase, conducted on 821 cases with age of onset ≤60 years, of whom 198 with age of onset ≤50, and 3227 controls from PanScan I-II, we observed four SNPs (rs7155613, rs2328991, rs4891017 and rs12610094) showing an association with EOPC risk (P < 1 × 10-4 ). We replicated these SNPs in the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium and used additional in silico data from PanScan III and PanC4. Among these four variants rs2328991 was significant in an independent set of 855 cases with age of onset ≤60 years, of whom 265 with age of onset ≤50, and 4142 controls from the PANDoRA consortium while in the in silico data, we observed no statistically significant association. However, the resulting meta-analysis supported the association (P = 1.15 × 10-4 ). In conclusion, we propose a novel variant rs2328991 to be involved in EOPC risk. Even though it was not possible to find a mechanistic link between the variant and the function, the association is supported by a solid statistical significance obtained in the largest study on EOPC genetics present so far in the literature.

Genetic polymorphisms associated with telomere length and risk of developing myeloproliferative neoplasms

Telomere length measured in leukocyte (LTL) has been found to be associated with the risk of developing several cancer types, including myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). LTL is genetically determined by, at least, 11 SNPs previously shown to influence LTL. Their combination in a score has been used as a genetic instrument to measure LTL and evaluate the causative association between LTL and the risk of several cancer types. We tested, for the first time, the “teloscore” in 480 MPN patients and 909 healthy controls in a European multi-center case–control study. We found an increased risk to develop MPNs with longer genetically determined telomeres (OR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.24–2.68, P = 2.21 × 10⁻³, comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of the teloscore distribution). Analyzing the SNPs individually we confirm the association between TERT-rs2736100-C allele and increased risk of developing MPNs and we report a novel association of the OBFC1-rs9420907-C variant with higher MPN risk (OR_allelic= 1.43; 95% CI 1.15–1.77; P = 1.35 × 10⁻³). Consistently with the results obtained with the teloscore, both risk alleles are also associated with longer LTL. In conclusion, our results suggest that genetically determined longer telomeres could be a risk marker for MPN development.

Leukocyte Telomere Length and Its Interaction with Germline Variation in Telomere-Related Genes in Relation to Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Risk

BACKGROUND

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been associated with risk of multiple cancers, but its association with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is unclear. We therefore investigated the association between peripheral blood LTL and PDAC risk, and examined effect modification by candidate SNPs previously reported to be associated with variation in LTL.

METHODS

A case-control study of 1,460 PDAC cases and 1,459 frequency-matched controls was performed using biospecimens and data from the Mayo Clinic Biospecimen Resource for Pancreas Research. Quantitative PCR was used to measure LTL and categorized into tertiles based on sex-specific control distribution. Eleven telomere-related SNPs also were genotyped. Logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Shorter peripheral blood LTL was associated with a higher risk of PDAC (ORT1vsT3 = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.03-1.54, P trend = 0.02; ORcontinuous = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02-1.28), but the association was restricted to cases with treatment-naïve blood samples (ORT1vsT3 = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.16-1.96, P trend = 0.002; ORcontinuous = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.08-1.45) and not cases whose blood samples were collected after initiation of cancer therapy (ORT1vsT3 = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.87-1.39, P trend = 0.42; ORcontinuous = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.94-1.23). Three SNPs (TERC-rs10936599, ACYP2-rs11125529, and TERC-rs1317082) were each associated with interindividual variation in LTL among controls, but there was no evidence of effect modification by these SNPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment-naïve short LTL is associated with a higher risk of PDAC, and the association does not differ by germline variation in the candidate telomere-related SNPs examined.

IMPACT

Peripheral blood LTL might serve as a molecular marker for risk modeling to identify persons at high risk of PDAC.

Identification of Leukocyte telomere length-related genetic variants contributing to predisposition of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Cancers may arise from cells with dysregulated telomeric functions due to shorten telomere length. We and others previously found that short leukocyte telomere length was associated with markedly evaluated risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Hence, we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with shorter telomere length may contribute to ESCC predisposition.

Methods: We systematically evaluated association between seven candidate seven SNPs (CXCR4 rs6430612, TERT rs13172201, TERT rs10069690, TERT rs2853676, TERT rs451360, OBFC1 rs4387287, and VPS34 rs2162440) and ESCC risk in two case-control sets consisting of 1588 ESCC cases and 1600 controls. Logistic regression models were utilized to estimate associations between SNPs and ESCC susceptibility and odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed.

Results: We firstly identified three SNPs (rs6430612, rs13172201 and rs4387287) which are significantly associated with telomere length in Chinese populations (all P<0.05). Importantly, CXCR4 rs6430612 and OBFC1 rs4387287 polymorphisms significantly confer reduced risk of ESCC (P=1.7×10^-7 and P=3.9×10^-5). On the contrary, we observed an evidently increased risk for ESCC development associated with TERT rs13172201 genetic variant (P=2.2×10^-4).

Conclusions: In summary, rs6430612, rs13172201 and rs4387287 might be key genetic components in complicated regulation of telomere length and contributing to ESCC predisposition. Our results elucidate the prevalent involvement of genetic variants in telomere biology and further provide pathogenic insights into the role of telomeres in cancer development.

Long non-coding RNA H19, a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality, which threats peoples’ health. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of PDAC remains unclear. Recent studies have indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate the development and progression of malignant tumors through varying mechanisms. LncRNA H19 has a unique expression profile and can act as a sponger of specific miRNAs to regulate the pathogenic process of many diseases, including PDAC and several other types of cancers. Here, we review the research approaches to understanding the regulatory role of H19 and potential mechanisms in the progression of PDAC and other types of cancers and diseases. These studies suggest that H19 may be a novel therapeutic target for PDAC and our findings may open new revenues for scientific researches and development of valuable therapies for these diseases in the future.

Genetic determinants of telomere length and cancer risk

The relationship of telomere length with cancer risk has been the source of much debate within epidemiological studies, which have produced inconsistent finding both between and within different cancer types. Over recent years, genome-wide association studies of increasing size have identified variants that determine human telomere length. These variants have subsequently been utilised as instrumental variables in Mendelian randomisation based studies, allowing the investigation of potential causal relationships between telomere length and cancer. Here we discuss recent advances in both genomic discovery, studies that give increasing evidence towards a causal role for telomere length in cancer risk and considerations for future studies.

Telomeres and Telomere Length: A General Overview

Telomeres are highly conserved tandem nucleotide repeats that include proximal double-stranded and distal single-stranded regions that in complex with shelterin proteins afford protection at chromosomal ends to maintain genomic integrity. Due to the inherent limitations of DNA replication and telomerase suppression in most somatic cells, telomeres undergo age-dependent incremental attrition. Short or dysfunctional telomeres are recognized as DNA double-stranded breaks, triggering cells to undergo replicative senescence. Telomere shortening, therefore, acts as a counting mechanism that drives replicative senescence by limiting the mitotic potential of cells. Telomere length, a complex hereditary trait, is associated with aging and age-related diseases. Epidemiological data, in general, support an association with varying magnitudes between constitutive telomere length and several disorders, including cancers. Telomere attrition is also influenced by oxidative damage and replicative stress caused by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms at different loci, identified through genome-wide association studies, influence inter-individual variation in telomere length. In addition to genetic factors, environmental factors also influence telomere length during growth and development. Telomeres hold potential as biomarkers that reflect the genetic predisposition together with the impact of environmental conditions and as targets for anti-cancer therapies.

Identification of DNA methylation-driven genes by integrative analysis of DNA methylation and transcriptome data in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a painful and fatal disease that undoubtedly remains a health care priority and offers significant therapeutic challenges. The significance of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation in tumor development, has gained the attention of researchers. Identifying DNA methylation-driven genes and investigating the mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of PAAD are of substantial importance for developing methods of physiological evaluation, treatment planning and prognostic prediction for PAAD. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression data from 188 clinical samples was performed to identify DNA methylation-driven genes in PAAD. In addition, the diagnostic and prognostic value of DNA methylation-driven genes was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve, survival and recurrence analyses. A total of 7 DNA methylation-driven genes, namely zinc finger protein 208 (ZNF208), eomesodermin (EOMES), prostaglandin D2 receptor (PTGDR), chromosome 12 open reading frame 42 (C12orf42), integrin subunit α 4 (ITGA4), dedicator of cytokinesis 8 and protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 14D (PPP1R14D), were identified. All of them may be used to diagnose PAAD with excellent specificity and sensitivity (area under curve, >0.8). Of the 7 DNA methylation-driven genes, 6 were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) P<0.05). Among them, ZNF208, EOMES, PTGDR, C12orf42 and ITGA4 were significantly negatively associated with the OS rate and positively associated with the recurrence rate, while PPP1R14D was significantly positively associated with the OS rate and negatively associated with the recurrence rate. The present study provides novel insight into the epigenetic alterations associated with the occurrence and progression of PAAD, thereby increasing the mechanistic understanding of this disease, offering potential novel molecular biomarkers and contributing to the development of therapeutic targets for PAAD.

Genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory genes and pancreatic cancer risk: a two-phase study on more than 14 000 individuals

There is overwhelming evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cancer and its progression. Inflammation is regulated through a complex network of genes and polymorphic variants in these genes have been found to be associated to risk of various human cancers, alone or in combination with environmental variables. Despite this, not much is known on the genetic variability of genes that regulate inflammation and risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We performed a two-phase association study considering the genetic variability of 76 genes that are key players in inflammatory response. We analysed tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and regulatory SNPs on 7207 PDAC cases and 7063 controls and observed several associations with PDAC risk. The most significant association was between the carriers of the A allele of the CCL4-rs1719217 polymorphism, which was reported to be also associated with the expression level of the CCL4 gene, and increased risk of developing PDAC (odds ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.18, P = 3.34 × 10-5). This association was significant also after correction for multiple testing, highlighting the importance of using potentially functional SNPs in order to discover more genetic variants associated with PDAC risk.

WGS-based telomere length analysis in Dutch family trios implicates stronger maternal inheritance and a role for RRM1 gene

Telomere length (TL) regulation is an important factor in ageing, reproduction and cancer development. Genetic, hereditary and environmental factors regulating TL are currently widely investigated, however, their relative contribution to TL variability is still understudied. We have used whole genome sequencing data of 250 family trios from the Genome of the Netherlands project to perform computational measurement of TL and a series of regression and genome-wide association analyses to reveal TL inheritance patterns and associated genetic factors. Our results confirm that TL is a largely heritable trait, primarily with mother's, and, to a lesser extent, with father's TL having the strongest influence on the offspring. In this cohort, mother's, but not father's age at conception was positively linked to offspring TL. Age-related TL attrition of 40 bp/year had relatively small influence on TL variability. Finally, we have identified TL-associated variations in ribonuclease reductase catalytic subunit M1 (RRM1 gene), which is known to regulate telomere maintenance in yeast. We also highlight the importance of multivariate approach and the limitations of existing tools for the analysis of TL as a polygenic heritable quantitative trait.

Genetic variants in RTEL1 influencing telomere length are associated with prostate cancer risk

Telomere length measured in lymphocytes has been evaluated as a potential biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa) risk. Identifying genetic variants that affect telomere length and testing their association with disease could clarify any causal role. We therefore investigated associations between genetic variants in three telomere length-related genes and PCa risk in a case-control study. The influence of these variants on the leukocyte telomere lengths was then appraised by real-time PCR. RTEL1 rs2297441 [odds ratio (OR): 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.46, P = 0.021] and rs3208008 (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.03-1.46) were associated with PCa risk. These two risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39-0.89, P = 0.012 and OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.38-0.87, P = 0.009, respectively) and another SNP PARP1 rs1136410 (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.01-2.31, P = 0.043) were also associated with leukocyte telomere length. These findings support that genetic determinants of telomere length may influence PCa risk.