BCL9/BCL9L in hepatocellular carcinoma: will it or Wnt it be the next therapeutic target?

Development of a whole-exome sequencing kit to facilitate porcine biomedical research

BACKGROUND

It is important for porcine models to replicate gene mutations present in human diseases to improve the translatability of animal studies. In this study, the high efficacy of a whole exome sequencing kit was demonstrated for the improved pig reference genome (Sus scrofa 11.1) to profile biomedically relevant swine breeds and enable high-depth sequencing required for intratumor heterogeneity profiling.

RESULTS

We identify a total of 751,624 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 113,597 insertions and deletions (INDELs) across 93 samples from 12 porcine breeds. The identified mutations and affected pathways are correlated to muscle-to-fat ratios between different porcine breeds and further inform their utility as models of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Finally, 7935 SNVs and 358 INDELs are present in an Oncopig hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line and samples from a single Oncopig HCC tumor, with pathways related to hepatic fibrosis, WNT/B-catenin, ATM signaling, and p53 signaling enriched.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate the kit's high efficacy and utility for identifying mutations in the context of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer across a range of pig models used in biomedical research.

Transcriptional co-activators: emerging roles in signaling pathways and potential therapeutic targets for diseases

Specific cell states in metazoans are established by the symphony of gene expression programs that necessitate intricate synergic interactions between transcription factors and the co-activators. Deregulation of these regulatory molecules is associated with cell state transitions, which in turn is accountable for diverse maladies, including developmental disorders, metabolic disorders, and most significantly, cancer. A decade back most transcription factors, the key enablers of disease development, were historically viewed as 'undruggable'; however, in the intervening years, a wealth of literature validated that they can be targeted indirectly through transcriptional co-activators, their confederates in various physiological and molecular processes. These co-activators, along with transcription factors, have the ability to initiate and modulate transcription of diverse genes necessary for normal physiological functions, whereby, deregulation of such interactions may foster tissue-specific disease phenotype. Hence, it is essential to analyze how these co-activators modulate specific multilateral processes in coordination with other factors. The proposed review attempts to elaborate an in-depth account of the transcription co-activators, their involvement in transcription regulation, and context-specific contributions to pathophysiological conditions. This review also addresses an issue that has not been dealt with in a comprehensive manner and hopes to direct attention towards future research that will encompass patient-friendly therapeutic strategies, where drugs targeting co-activators will have enhanced benefits and reduced side effects. Additional insights into currently available therapeutic interventions and the associated constraints will eventually reveal multitudes of advanced therapeutic targets aiming for disease amelioration and good patient prognosis.

The role of BCL9 genetic variation as a biomarker for hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered one of the most common cancers related to mortality around the world, and susceptibility is related with genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Copy number variation of the Bcell CLL/lymphoma 9 (BCL9) gene is a type of structural variation which can influence gene expression and can be related with specific phenotypes and diseases and has a role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Our aims were to assess the copy number variation (CNV) in the BCL9 gene and explore its role in HCV-related HCC Egyptian patients. A total of 50 HCV-related HCC patients were enrolled in the study (including 25 early HCC and 25 late HCC cases); the copy number of the BCL9 gene was detected using quantitative polymerase reaction.

RESULTS

There was a highly statistically significant difference between the two groups (early and late HCC patients) in gender, bilharziasis, performance status, child score class, child grade, focal lesion size, portal vein, and ascites. CNV was detected and represented by the gain in the BCL9 gene in 14% of patients, and all of them were males. Also, it was noticed that the ratio of gain in BCL9 copy number in late individuals was about 1.5 times than that in early HCC individuals. Moreover, our results showed that the distribution of performance status > 1, average and enlarged liver, focal lesion size, thrombosed portal vein, and AFP was higher in patients with BCL9 copy number gain.

CONCLUSION

We detected about 14% gain in BCL9 copy number in Egyptian HCC patients. But the variation in copy number of the BCL9 gene did not affect HCC development in our patients' cohort.