Molecular Heterogeneity of Cervical Cancer Among Different Ethnic/Racial Populations

Metabolism and spatial transcription resolved heterogeneity of glutamine metabolism in cervical carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Reprogramming of cellular metabolism is a pivotal mechanism employed by tumor cells to facilitate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, thereby propelling the progression of cancer. A comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional and metabolic landscape of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at high resolution could greatly enhance the precision of management and therapeutic strategies for this malignancy.

METHODS

The Air-flow-assisted Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectro-metric Imaging (AFADESI-MSI) and Spatial Transcriptomics techniques (ST) were employed to investigate the metabolic and transcription profiles of CSCC and normal tissues. For clinical validation, the expression of ASCT2(Ala, Ser, Cys transporter 2) was assessed using immune histochemistry in 122 cases of cervical cancer and 30 cases of cervicitis.

RESULTS

The AFADESI-MSI findings have revealed metabolic differences among different CSCC patients. Among them, the metabolic pathways of glutamine show more significant differences. After in situ detection of metabolites, the intensity of glutamate is observed to be significantly higher in cancerous tissue compared to normal tissue, but the intensity is not uniform. To elucidate the potential factors underlying alterations in glutamine metabolism across tissues, we employ ST to quantify mRNA levels. This analysis unveils significant perturbations in glutamine metabolism accompanied by extensive heterogeneity within cervical cancer tissues. After conducting a comprehensive analysis, it has been revealed that the differential expression of ASCT2(encoded by SLC1A5) in distinct regions of cervical cancer tissues plays a pivotal role in inducing heterogeneity in glutamine metabolism. Furthermore, the higher the expression level of ASCT2, the higher the intensity of glutamate is in the region. Further verification, it is found that the expression of ASCT2 protein in CSCC tissues is significantly higher than that in normal tissues (105/122, 86.07%).

CONCLUSIONS

This finding suggests that the variation in glutamine metabolism is not uniform throughout the tumor. The differential expression of ASCT2 in different regions of cervical cancer tissues seems to play a key role in causing this heterogeneity. This research has opened up new avenues for exploring the glutamine metabolic characteristics of CSCC which is essential for developing more effective targeted therapies.

The differential expression of AFF3 in cervical cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common malignancy in women, and identifying biomarkers of CC is crucial for prognosis prediction. Here, we investigated the expression of AF4/FMR2 Family Member 3 (AFF3) in CC and its association with clinicopathological features and prognosis.

METHODS

Tumour and adjacent tissues, along with clinicopathological features and follow-up information, were collected from 78 patients. AFF3 expression was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The correlation between AFF3 expression and CC symptoms was using chi-square test. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Univariate analysis of prognostic risk factors was conducted using the COX proportional hazards model, followed by multivariate COX regression analysis including variables with p < 0.01.

RESULTS

AFF3 expression was downregulated in CC, and its levels were correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) and International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage. Patients with low AFF3 expression had a lower 5-year OS rate (52.78%, 19/36). Postoperative survival was reduced in patients with histological grade 3 (G3), myometrial invasion (depth ≥ 1/2), lymphovascular space invasion, LNM, and advanced FIGO stage. Low expression of AFF3 (HR: 2.848, 95% CI: 1.144-7.090) and histological grade G3 (HR: 4.393, 95% CI: 1.663-11.607) were identified as independent prognostic risk factors in CC patients.

CONCLUSION

Low expression of AFF3 and histological G3 are independent predictors of poor prognosis in CC patients, suggesting that AFF3 could serve as a potential biomarker for prognostic assessment in CC.

Precision Population Cancer Medicine in Cancer of the Uterine Cervix: A Potential Roadmap to Eradicate Cervical Cancer

With the success of the Human Genome Project, the era of genomic medicine (GM) was born. Later on, as GM made progress, there was a feeling of exhilaration that GM could help resolve many disease processes. It also led to the conviction that personalized medicine was possible, and a relatively synonymous word, precision medicine (PM), was coined. However, the influence of environmental factors and social determinants of diseases was only partially given their due importance in the definition of PM, although more recently, this has been recognized. With the rapid advances in GM, big data, data mining, wearable devices for health monitoring, telemedicine, etc., PM can be more easily extended to population-level health care in disease management, prevention, early screening, and so on.and the term precision population medicine (PPM) more aptly describes it. PPM's potential in cancer care was posited earlier,and the current authors planned a series of cancer disease-specific follow-up articles. These papers are mainly aimed at helping emerging students in health sciences (medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, public health, population health), healthcare management (health-focused business administration, nonprofit administration, public institutional administration, etc.), and policy-making (e.g., political science), although not exclusively. This first disease-specific report focuses on the cancer of the uterine cervix (CC). It describes how recent breakthroughs can be leveraged as force multipliers to improve outcomes in CC - by improving early detection, better screening for CC, potential GM-based interventions during the stage of persistent Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and treatment interventions - especially among the disadvantaged and resource-scarce populations. This work is a tiny step in our attempts to improve outcomes in CC and ultimately eradicate CC from the face of the earth.

Variations in Genes Encoding Human Papillomavirus Binding Receptors and Susceptibility to Cervical Precancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer oncogenesis starts with human papillomavirus (HPV) cell entry after binding to host cell surface receptors; however, the mechanism is not fully known. We examined polymorphisms in receptor genes hypothesized to be necessary for HPV cell entry and assessed their associations with clinical progression to precancer.

METHODS

African American women (N = 1,728) from the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study were included. Two case-control study designs were used-cases with histology-based precancer (CIN3+) and controls without; and cases with cytology-based precancer [high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL)] and controls without. SNPs in candidate genes (SDC1, SDC2, SDC3, SDC4, GPC1, GPC2, GPC3, GPC4, GPC5, GPC6, and ITGA6) were genotyped using an Illumina Omni2.5-quad beadchip. Logistic regression was used to assess the associations in all participants and by HPV genotypes, after adjusting for age, human immunodeficiency virus serostatus, CD4 T cells, and three principal components for ancestry.

RESULTS

Minor alleles in SNPs rs77122854 (SDC3), rs73971695, rs79336862 (ITGA6), rs57528020, rs201337456, rs11987725 (SDC2), rs115880588, rs115738853, and rs9301825 (GPC5) were associated with increased odds of both CIN3+ and HSIL, whereas, rs35927186 (GPC5) was found to decrease the odds for both outcomes (P value ≤ 0.01). Among those infected with Alpha-9 HPV types, rs722377 (SDC3), rs16860468, rs2356798 (ITGA6), rs11987725 (SDC2), and rs3848051 (GPC5) were associated with increased odds of both precancer outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphisms in genes that encode binding receptors for HPV cell entry may play a role in cervical precancer progression.

IMPACT

Our findings are hypothesis generating and support further exploration of mechanisms of HPV entry genes that may help prevent progression to cervical precancer.

AFF3 is a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential target for immunotherapy in gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with a poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) serves a pivotal role in affecting the prognosis and efficacy of immunotherapy. Given the poor prognosis of GC patients and the limitation of immunotherapy, we urged to identify new prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarkers.

Methods

The transcriptome data were downloaded from the TCGA, GEO, and GEPIA databases, and performed differential analysis of AFF3 in tumor samples and normal samples. The UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier plotter and GEPIA databases were employed to assess the correlation of AFF3 with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. The potential mechanism of AFF3 was explored by the GO and KEGG enrichment. The potential role of AFF3 on tumor‐infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) was explored by TIMER2.0 and TISIDB. TIMER2.0 and SangerBox3.0 databases were, respectively, used to determine the correlation of AFF3 with immune checkpoint (ICs), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) in GC.

Results

We found significant downregulation of AFF3 in GC tissues as compared with normal tissues. However, GC patients having a higher expression of AFF3 were found to have worse clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. Moreover, the GO enrichment analysis illustrated that AFF3 might regulate the immune cells in the TME. In addition, the AFF3 was positively correlated with TIICs, ICs, TMB, and MSI.

Conclusion

Here, we conclude that AFF3 may be a promising potential marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of GC patients, and may influence response to ICIs by affecting TIICs and ICs expression in the TME.