Fascin expression in 90 patients with glioblastoma multiforme

Paraptosis and tumor immunity

Paraptosis is the programmed cell death pathway that leads to cellular necrosis. Manystudies have shown that prolonged paraptosis activation improves tumorimmunogenicity; this treatment reproduces the vaccinating effects of mM-CSFtransduced cells. In this short communication, we want to highlight the paraptosisprocess as a valuable strategy for clinical immunotherapy against cancer.

Effect of Cadherin-11 Expression on the Prognosis of a Newly Diagnosed Primary Glioblastoma

Background

Cadherin-11, a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule, is associated with higher tumor grade and decreased patient survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of cadherin-11 expression in the progression and prognosis of a newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma (GBL).

Methods

Between 2007 and 2016, 52 out of 178 patients diagnosed with a GBL and satisfied the following criteria: 1) a new primary GBL, 2) gross-total resection, 3) immunohistochemically-available tissue, and 4) standardized adjuvant treatment.

Results

In terms of staining intensity, the low-intensity cadherin-11 group showed longer progression-free survival (PFS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median PFS, 12.0 months [95% CI, 11.1–12.9] vs. median PFS, 6.0 months [95% CI, 3.7–8.3]; p<0.001). The low-intensity cadherin-11 group revealed longer overall survival (OS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median OS, 20.0 months [95% CI, 11.8–16.6] vs. median OS, 15.0 months [95% CI, 11.8–18.2]; p=0.003). The staining intensity of cadherin-11 was a statistically significant factor in PFS and OS in terms of univariate and multivariate analyses (univariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005; multivariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005).

Conclusion

Our clinical study demonstrates high cadherin-11 expression may be associated with poor PFS and OS for a newly diagnosed primary GBL.

Roles of Fascin mRNA expression in colorectal cancer: Meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis

Fascin (encoded by FSCN1) is a globular actin cross-linking protein that is required for the formation of actin-based cell surface processes, which are critical for cell migration and cell-matrix adhesion. In the present study, a systematic meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis was used to identify clinicopathological or prognostic parameters in patients with colorectal cancer. A total of 17 articles were included in the present study obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang data, SinoMed and CNKI databases. Odd ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the prognostic significance of Fascin expression in patients with colorectal cancer, and the association between Fascin expression and clinicopathological factors. There was a significant correlation between high Fascin expression and poor overall survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer (OR=0.48; 95% CI, 0.38-0.60; P<0.000001). The meta-analysis showed that the expression of Fascin was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissue compared with the normal mucosa (OR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.10-0.16; P<0.000001) and adenoma (OR=0.23; 95% CI, 0.15-0.34; P<0.000001). Fascin expression was also associated with depth of invasion (OR=0.31; 95% CI, 0.19-0.50; P<0.000001), lymph node metastasis (OR=3.07; 95% CI, 1.72-5.46; P=0.0001), Dukes stage (OR=0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.46; P=0.001), Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage (OR=0.38; 95% CI, 0.21-0.71; P=0.003) and dedifferentiation (OR=0.42; 95% CI, 0.19-0.94; P=0.04). According to the bioinformatics analyses, FSCN1 mRNA expression levels were higher in colorectal cancer and adenoma tissues compared with the normal tissues (P<0.05). According to TCGA, FSCN1 mRNA expression was associated with a less favorable prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer as an independent factor (P<0.05), and positively correlated with depth of invasion, microsatellite instability and low serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels in colorectal cancer. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that Fascin expression is a potential marker of tumorigenesis, aggressiveness and poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

ILK silencing inhibits migration and invasion of more invasive glioblastoma cells by downregulating ROCK1 and Fascin-1

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumor and it is associated with poor survival. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a serine/threonine protein pseudo-kinase that binds to the cytoplasmic domains of β1 and β3 integrins and has been previously shown to promote invasion and metastasis in many cancer types, including GBM. However, little is known regarding the exact molecular mechanism implicating ILK in GBM aggressiveness. In this study, we used two brain cell lines, the non-invasive neuroglioma H4 cells, and the highly invasive glioblastoma A172 cells, which express ILK in much higher levels than H4. We studied the effect of ILK silencing on the metastatic behavior of glioblastoma cells in vitro and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. We showed that siRNA-mediated silencing of ILK inhibits cell migration and invasion of the highly invasive A172 cells while it does not affect the migratory and invasive capacity of H4 cells. These data were also supported by respective changes in the expression of Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1), fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1), and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), which are known to regulate cell migration and invasion. Our findings were further corroborated by analyzing the Cancer Genome Atlas Glioblastoma Multiforme (TCGA-GBM) dataset. We conclude that ILK promotes glioblastoma cell invasion through activation of ROCK1 and FSCN1 in vitro, providing a more exact molecular mechanism for its action.

Spinal versus intracranial meningioma: Expression of E-cadherin and Fascin with relation to clinicopathological features

BACKGROUND

E-cadherin and Fascin are adhesive proteins that are expressed in many tumors. It was supposed that loss of expression of these proteins is associated with increased aggressiveness of the tumor. Whether spinal and intracranial meningiomas express adhesion proteins in different rates is not yet known.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the expression of E-cadherin and Fascin in a large number of meningioma specimens and determine if clinical and prognostic significance existsMETHODS: One hundred and thirty-four spinal and intracranial meningioma samples were collected. Manual TMA blocks were constructed and immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin and Fascin was done. Focal or diffuse staining was considered positive.

RESULTS

Intracranial meningioma occurred in significantly younger age than spinal ones. Most of spinal meningiomas were of transitional histology. E-cadherin was expressed in 38.8% of cases. Spinal meningiomas showed statistically significant negative expression of E-cadherin than intracranial tumors. All atypical meningiomas showed negative E-cadherin expression. Fascin was expressed in 9% of cases with significant expression in atypical cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Aggressive behavior of meningioma could be explained in part by loss of E-cadherin and overexpression of Fascin especially in spinal meningiomas. Further studies are suggested to explore the biological aspects of spinal and intracranial meningiomas for constructing tailored targeted therapies.

Therapeutic potentials of curcumin in the treatment of glioblstoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a greatly aggressive malignancy of the brain, is correlated with a poor prognosis and low rate of survival. Up to now, chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgical approaches have been the treatments increasing the survival rates. The low efficacy of mentioned therapies as well as their side-effects has forced researchers to explore an appropriate alternative or complementary treatment for glioblastoma. In experimental models, it has been shown that curcumin has therapeutic potentials to fight against GBM. Given that curcumin has pharmacological effects against cancer stem cells, as major causes of resistance to therapy in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, it has been showed that curcumin exerts its therapeutic effects on GBM cells via affecting on apoptosis, oxidant system, and inflammatory pathways. Curcumin would possess a synergistic impact with chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we summarized the current findings on curcumin as therapeutic agent in the treatment of GBM.

Inhibition of glioblastoma cell invasion by hsa-miR-145-5p and hsa-miR-31-5p co-overexpression in human mesenchymal stem cells

OBJECTIVE

Human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) show tropism for brain tumors and may be a useful vehicle for drug or gene delivery to malignant gliomas. Recently, some microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to suppress the invasiveness of malignant gliomas.

METHODS

To test their potential to become vehicles for the delivery of miRNA to malignant gliomas, hMSCs were engineered so that hMSC secretion of miRNAs that inhibit glioma cell invasion was enabled without altering the hMSC tropism for glioma cells.

RESULTS

In coculture, hMSCs cotransfected with hsa-miR-145-5p and -31-5p miRNAs showed markedly reduced invasion by U87 glioma cells in a contact-dependent manner both in vitro and ex vivo, with invasion of hMSCs cotransfected with these 2 miRNAs by the U87 cells reduced to 60.7% compared with control cells. According to a Matrigel invasion assay, the tropism of the hMSCs for U87 cells was not affected. In glioma cell lines U251 and LN229, hMSCs exhibited tropism in vivo, and invasion of hMSCs cotransfected with hsa-miR-145-5p and -31-5p was also significantly less than that of control cells. When U87 cells were coimplanted into the striatum of organotypic rat brain slices with hMSCs cotransfected with hsa-miR-145 and -31-5p, the relative invasive area decreased by 37.1%; interestingly, these U87 cells showed a change to a rounded morphology that was apparent at the invasion front. Whole-genome microarray analysis of the expression levels of 58,341 genes revealed that the co-overexpression of hsa-miR-145-5p and -31-5p downregulated FSCN1 expression in U87 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that miRNA overexpression in hMSCs can alter the function of glioma cells via contact-dependent transfer. Co-overexpression of multiple miRNAs may be a useful and novel therapeutic strategy. The study results suggest that hMSCs can be applied as a delivery vehicle for miRNAs.

Anti-Migration and Anti-Invasion Effects of Curcumin via Suppression of Fascin Expression in Glioblastoma Cells

Background

The natural compound curcumin was known to inhibit migration and invasion of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Fascin, a kind of actin-binding proteins, is correlated with migration and invasion of GBM cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-migration and anti-invasion effects of curcumin via suppression of fascin expression in GBM cells.

Methods

U87 cell line was used as an experimental model of GBM. Fascin was quantified by Western blot analysis. And, the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), known to play an important role in migration and invasion of tumor cells, were analyzed by sandwich-ELISA. Migration and invasion capacities were assessed by attachment, migration and invasion assays. Cellular morphology was demonstrated by immunofluorescence.

Results

At various concentrations of curcumin and exposure times, fascin expression decreased. After temporarily exposure to 10 µM/L curcumin during 6 hours as less invasive concentration and time, fascin expression temporarily decreased at 12 hours (18.4%, p=0.024), and since then recovered. And, the change of phosphrylated STAT3 level also reflected the temporarily decreased pattern of fascin expression at 12 hours (19.7%, p=0.010). Attachment, migration, and invasion capacities consistently decreased at 6, 12, and 24 hours. And, immunofluorescence showed the change of shape and the reduction of filopodia formation in cells.

Conclusion

Curcumin is likely to suppress the fascin expression in GBM cells, and this might be a possible mechanism for anti-migration and anti-invasion effects of Curcumin via inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation.

Molecular Determinants of Malignant Brain Cancers: From Intracellular Alterations to Invasion Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles

Malignant glioma cells invade the surrounding brain parenchyma, by migrating along the blood vessels, thus promoting cancer growth. The biological bases of these activities are grounded in profound alterations of the metabolism and the structural organization of the cells, which consequently acquire the ability to modify the surrounding microenvironment, by altering the extracellular matrix and affecting the properties of the other cells present in the brain, such as normal glial-, endothelial- and immune-cells. Most of the effects on the surrounding environment are probably exerted through the release of a variety of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which contain many different classes of molecules, from genetic material to defined species of lipids and enzymes. EV-associated molecules can be either released into the extracellular matrix (ECM) and/or transferred to neighboring cells: as a consequence, both deep modifications of the recipient cell phenotype and digestion of ECM components are obtained, thus causing cancer propagation, as well as a general brain dysfunction. In this review, we first analyze the main intracellular and extracellular transformations required for glioma cell invasion into the brain parenchyma; then we discuss how these events may be attributed, at least in part, to EVs that, like the pawns of a dramatic chess game with cancer, open the way to the tumor cells themselves.

Identification of T cell target antigens in glioblastoma stem-like cells using an integrated proteomics-based approach in patient specimens

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor and still remains incurable. Among others, an immature subpopulation of self-renewing and therapy-resistant tumor cells-often referred to as glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs)-has been shown to contribute to disease recurrence. To target these cells personalized immunotherapy has gained a lot of interest, e.g. by reactivating pre-existing anti-tumor immune responses against GSC antigens. To identify T cell targets commonly presented by GSCs and their differentiated counterpart, we used a proteomics-based separation of GSC proteins in combination with a T cell activation assay. Altogether, 713 proteins were identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS mass spectrometry. After a thorough filtering process, 32 proteins were chosen for further analyses. Immunogenicity of corresponding peptides was tested ex vivo. A considerable number of these antigens induced T cell responses in GBM patients but not in healthy donors. Moreover, most of them were overexpressed in primary GBM and also highly expressed in recurrent GBM tissues. Interestingly, expression of the most frequent T cell target antigens could also be confirmed in quiescent, slow-cycling GSCs isolated in high purity by the DEPArray technology. Finally, for a subset of these T cell target antigens, an association between expression levels and higher T cell infiltration as well as an increased expression of positive immune modulators was observed. In summary, we identified novel immunogenic proteins, which frequently induce tumor-specific T cell responses in GBM patients and were also detected in vitro in therapy-resistant quiescent, slow-cycling GSCs. Stable expression of these T cell targets in primary and recurrent GBM support their suitability for future clinical use.

Identification of Novel MAGE-G1-Interacting Partners in Retinoic Acid-Induced P19 Neuronal Differentiation Using SILAC-Based Proteomics

MAGE-G1 is a protein plays role in the early process of neurogenesis. However, the fundamental roles MAGE-G1 played in neurogenesis have not yet been completely understood. Finding the partners MAGE-G1 interacting with will surely contribute to the function study of MAGE-G1. In this study, using Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino acids in Cell culture-immunoprecipitation quantitative proteomics, we screened the interacting proteins of MAGE-G1 during retinoic acid -induced neuronal differentiation of P19 cells and firstly found that FSCN1 and VIME were potential novel MAGE-G1-interacting proteins. Then, the interaction between overexpressed MAGE-G1 and FSCN1 or VIME was validated by GST-pull down assay in bacteria and by co-immunoprecipitation assay in COS7 cells. Endogenous co-immunoprecipitation assay further confirmed that MAGE-G1 interacted with FSCN1 or VIME in P19 cells after a 6-day retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation. Those results provide a functional linkage between MAGE-G1 and FSCN1 or VIME and may facilitate a better understanding of the fundamental aspects of MAGE-G1 during neurogenesis.

Temozolomide induces the expression of the glioma Big Potassium (gBK) ion channel, while inhibiting fascin-1 expression: possible targets for glioma therapy

OBJECTIVE

Temozolomide (TMZ) improves Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) patient survival. The invasive behavior of the glioma cells is the cause of GBM relapse. The glioma BK ion channel (gBK) may provide glioma cells with a mechanism to invade surrounding tissue. gBK contains epitopes that cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can recognize and kill glioma cells. Fascin-1 is an actin crosslinking molecule that supports microvilli; these membrane protrusions provide a physical defense against CTLs. TMZ was investigated to determine its effect on gBK and fascin-1 expression.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Human glioma cells cultured in TMZ were analyzed for their altered mRNA and gBK protein levels by using quantitative real time PCR, immunostaining and cellular functional assays.

RESULTS

TMZ slowed glioma cell growth and inhibited their transmigratory properties due to loss of fascin-1. TMZ induced increased gBK and HLA expression and allowed these TMZ-treated cells to become better targets for gBK-specific CTLs.

CONCLUSIONS

Besides its traditional chemotherapeutic effect, TMZ can have four other targeted pathways: 1) slowed glioma cell growth; 2) inhibited glioma cell transmigration; 3) increased HLA-A2 and gBK tumor antigen production; 4) increased CTL-mediated cytolysis of the TMZ treated glioma cells due to the loss of their defensive membrane protrusions supported by fascin-1.

The clinical significance of fascin expression in a newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma

The actin-binding protein fascin has been associated with clinically aggressive tumors and poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate possibility of fascin expression as a prognostic factor in a newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma (GBM). Between July 2007 and December 2013, 37 out of 126 patients diagnosed with GBM satisfied the following inclusion criteria: (1) the presence of immunohistochemically-available tissue, (2) a new primary GBM, (3) gross-total resection, and (4) standardized adjuvant treatment, known as the Stupp regimen. The median follow-up period was 18 months (range 5-95). According to the staining intensity of fascin, progression-free survival (PFS) in the low-intensity fascin group (median PFS 9.0 months; 95 % CI 6.0-12.0) was longer than PFS in the high-intensity fascin group (median PFS 7.0 months; 95 % CI 5.6-10.4; p = 0.024). Overall survival (OS) in the low-intensity fascin group (median OS 20.0 months; 95 % CI 17.7-22.4) was longer than OS in the high-intensity fascin group (median OS 13.0 months; 95 % CI 8.2-17.8; p = 0.031). And, the staining intensity of fascin was a statistically significant factor in PFS and OS according to univariate and multivariate analyses (univariate analysis p = 0.043 and p = 0.043; multivariate analysis p = 0.041 and p = 0.044). Our clinical study showed that fascin expression intensity may be correlated with clinical outcomes of a newly diagnosed primary GBM, especially with regard to PFS and OS.

Systematic review of protein biomarkers of invasive behavior in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and incurable brain tumor with a grave prognosis. Recurrence is inevitable even with maximal surgical resection, in large part because GBM is a highly invasive tumor. Invasiveness also contributes to the failure of multiple cornerstones of GBM therapy, including radiotherapy, temozolomide chemotherapy, and vascular endothelial growth factor blockade. In recent years there has been significant progress in the identification of protein biomarkers of invasive phenotype in GBM. In this article, we comprehensively review the literature and survey a broad spectrum of biomarkers, including proteolytic enzymes, extracellular matrix proteins, cell adhesion molecules, neurodevelopmental factors, cell signaling and transcription factors, angiogenic effectors, metabolic proteins, membrane channels, and cytokines and chemokines. In light of the marked variation seen in outcomes in GBM patients, the systematic use of these biomarkers could be used to form a framework for better prediction, prognostication, and treatment selection, as well as the identification of molecular targets for further laboratory investigation and development of nascent, directed therapies.

A cell-based fascin bioassay identifies compounds with potential anti-metastasis or cognition-enhancing functions

The actin-bundling protein fascin is a key mediator of tumor invasion and metastasis and its activity drives filopodia formation, cell-shape changes and cell migration. Small-molecule inhibitors of fascin block tumor metastasis in animal models. Conversely, fascin deficiency might underlie the pathogenesis of some developmental brain disorders. To identify fascin-pathway modulators we devised a cell-based assay for fascin function and used it in a bidirectional drug screen. The screen utilized cultured fascin-deficient mutant Drosophila neurons, whose neurite arbors manifest the 'filagree' phenotype. Taking a repurposing approach, we screened a library of 1040 known compounds, many of them FDA-approved drugs, for filagree modifiers. Based on scaffold distribution, molecular-fingerprint similarities, and chemical-space distribution, this library has high structural diversity, supporting its utility as a screening tool. We identified 34 fascin-pathway blockers (with potential anti-metastasis activity) and 48 fascin-pathway enhancers (with potential cognitive-enhancer activity). The structural diversity of the active compounds suggests multiple molecular targets. Comparisons of active and inactive compounds provided preliminary structure-activity relationship information. The screen also revealed diverse neurotoxic effects of other drugs, notably the 'beads-on-a-string' defect, which is induced solely by statins. Statin-induced neurotoxicity is enhanced by fascin deficiency. In summary, we provide evidence that primary neuron culture using a genetic model organism can be valuable for early-stage drug discovery and developmental neurotoxicity testing. Furthermore, we propose that, given an appropriate assay for target-pathway function, bidirectional screening for brain-development disorders and invasive cancers represents an efficient, multipurpose strategy for drug discovery.

The correlation of cortactin and fascin-1 expression with clinicopathological parameters in pancreatic and ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma

Cortactin and fascin-1 are important factors affecting progression and metastasis of carcinomas. We tested the hypothesis that cortactin and fascin expression has significant correlation with clinicopathological parameters in pancreatic and ampulla of Vater adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemical analysis of cortactin and fascin-1 was performed in 50 pancreatic and 40 ampulla of Vater adenocarcinomas. The specimens were from 29 R0, 8 R1, and 13 palliative resections of pancreatic adenocarcinomas and 18 R0, 14 R1, and 8 palliative resections of ampulla of Vater adenocarcinomas. 'R0' resection is defined by complete removal of the tumor and histologically negative surgical margins and 'R1' resection indicates the presence of microscopically residual disease at the surgical margins. The level of expression was assessed by scoring the intensity of cytoplasmic or membranous immunostaining on a 4-point scale. Higher immunostaining scores of cortactin and fascin-1 were both significantly correlated with histological grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and survival rate in all patients. In conclusion, overexpression of cortactin and fascin-1 implies poorer tumor differentiation, advanced AJCC stage, and shorter survival rate in pancreatic and ampulla of Vater adenocarcinomas.

Fascin expression predicts survival after potentially curative resection of node-positive colon cancer

Fascin, an actin-bundling protein, is expressed in many neoplasms including colorectal cancer. It is considered to be a mediator of tumor cell invasion and an indicator of aggressive phenotype; however, there are few reports on the association between fascin and prognosis in colorectal cancer. The aims of this study were to: (a) investigate the expression of fascin in the central part of the tumor and at the invasive front in patients who had a potentially curative resection for node-positive colonic carcinoma; (b) examine the method of scoring fascin expression; and (c) investigate the association between fascin expression and overall survival and other clinicopathologic features. Fascin expression was assessed by immunostaining of microarrays from archived tissue of 470 patients who were followed for a minimum of 5 years after resection. Other clinicopathologic data had been recorded prospectively according to a standardized protocol. Analysis of overall survival was by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. For both central tumor tissue and the invasive front, it was found that the percentage of stained cells was a sufficient measure of fascin expression in relation to survival, with staining intensity providing no significant additional information. At both levels, there was a significant independent association between high fascin expression and diminished survival, although this association was much stronger in the central region (adjusted hazard ratio 1.6, P<0.001) than at the invasive front (adjusted hazard ratio 1.1, P=0.044). Fascin expression predicted overall survival but did not displace other routinely collected clinicopathologic predictors.

Fascin expression in colorectal carcinomas

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of fascin expression in colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 167 consecutive, well-documented cases of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma for which archival material of surgical specimens from primary tumor resections were available. We chose a representative tissue sample block and examined fascin expression by immunohistochemistry using a primary antibody against "fascin". We calculated the "immunohistochemical score (IHS)" of fascin for each case, which was calculated from the multiplication of scores for the percentage of stained cells and the staining intensity.

RESULTS

Fascin immunoreactivity was observed in 59 (35.3%) of all cases with strong reactivity in 24 (14.4%), moderate reactivity in 25 (14.9%) and weak reactivity in 10 (6.0%) cases. Strong/moderate immunoreactivities were mostly observed in invasive fronts of the tumors or in both invasive and other areas. Fascin immunoreactivity scores were significantly higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis (p:0.002) and advanced stage presentation (p:0.007). There was no relation between fascin expression and age, gender, depth of invasion, distant metastasis or histological grade (p>0.05). There was a higher and statistically significant correlation between fascin immunoreactivity in the invasive borders of tumors and lymph node metastasis (r:0.747, p:0.005). In stage III/IV tumors, two-year survival was 92.2% in tumors without fascin immunoreactivity, and only 60.0% in tumors with a fascin IHS>10 (p:0.003).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that fascin is heterogeneously expressed in approximately one third of colorectal carcinomas with a significant association with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage and location. Moreover, these results indicate that fascin may have a role in the lymph node metastasis of colorectal carcinomas.

Fascin expression in serous tumors of ovary correlates with aggressiveness of malignancy

Ovarian serous tumors make up about one-fourth of all ovarian tumors. There is a spectrum of proliferation and cellular atypia in these tumors with benign serous cystadenoma, borderline tumors, and low grade or type I serous carcinoma at the lower end and type II or high-grade serous papillary cystadenocarcinoma at the higher end. Fascin is a globular actin cross-linking protein involved in cell motility that has been shown to be upregulated in many human neoplasms and associated with the aggressiveness of malignancy. The aim of this study was to investigate fascin expression in serous tumors of ovary and to evaluate its relationship with the aggressiveness of tumor. Sections from a total of 66 serous tumors of ovary were collected including 26 serous carcinomas, 20 borderline serous tumors, and 20 benign serous cystadenomas. Ten benign ovaries with inclusion cysts were used as controls. Sections were immunostained with fascin. Fascin expression was significantly increased in borderline (13/20, 65%) and malignant serous tumors (22/26, 84%) compared with benign serous cystadenoma (0/20) (P<0.001). There was increased quantitative expression of fascin in carcinoma compared with borderline tumors (diffuse versus patchy). Fascin expression also correlated well with the tumor grade in serous carcinoma cases with 8/12 (66%) of grade I/II tumors staining positive compared with all 14 (100%) of grade III tumors showing fascin expression (P<0.05). Our findings suggest that upregulation of fascin plays a role in increasing aggressiveness of serous ovarian tumors and could potentially be a molecular therapeutic target and a prognostic marker.

Neurotrophin 3/TrkC-regulated proteins in the human medulloblastoma cell line DAOY

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor and high neurotrophin (NP) receptor TrkC mRNA expression was identified as a powerful independent predictor of favorable survival outcome. In order to determine downstream effector proteins of TrkC signaling, the MB cell line DAOY was stably transfected with a vector containing the full-length TrkC cDNA sequence or an empty vector control. A proteomic approach was used to search for expressional changes by two mass spectrometric methods and immunoblotting for validation of significant results. Multiple time points for up to 48 h following NP-3-induced TrkC receptor activation were chosen. Thirteen proteins from several pathways (nucleoside diphosphate kinase A, stathmin, valosin-containing protein, annexin A1, dihydropyrimidinase-related protein-3, DJ-1 protein, glutathione S-transferase P, lamin A/C, fascin, cofilin, vimentin, vinculin, and moesin) were differentially expressed and most have been shown to play a role in differentiation, migration, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis, drug resistance, or oncogenesis. Knowledge on effectors of TrkC signaling may represent a first useful step for the identification of marker candidates or reflecting probable pharmacological targets for specific treatment of MB.

The expression of six biomarkers in the four most common ovarian cancers: correlation with clinicopathological parameters

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of fascin-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, cortactin, survivin, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression with clinicopathological parameters for the four most common ovarian surface epithelial carcinomas. Six biomarkers were investigated immunohistochemically using tissue microarrays of 185 specimens including 79 serous cystadenocarcinomas, 47 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, 45 endometrioid adenocarcinomas, and 14 clear cell carcinomas. The four most common ovarian carcinomas showed significant expression of fascin-1, cortactin, survivin, and EGFR, but not of MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition, higher immunostaining scores for fascin-1 in mucinous cystadenocarcinomas correlated with T stage, N stage, American Joint Committee on Cancer AJCC clinical stage, and a poorer survival rate; for cortactin in serous cystadenocarcinomas correlated with T stage; for cortactin in clear cell carcinomas correlated with T and clinical AJCC stages; and for survivin in clear cell carcinomas correlated with T stage and AJCC clinical stage. In addition, higher immunostaining scores for fascin-1, cortactin, and survivin correlated with poorer tumor differentiation in serous, mucinous, and endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Thus, the expression of fascin-1, cortactin, and survivin may be helpful in evaluating the aggressiveness of ovarian mucinous, serous, and clear cell adenocarcinoma. Additionally, the expression of fascin-1 may be an independent prognostic risk factor in mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.

Immunolocalization of fascin, an actin-bundling protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein in human astrocytoma cells

Fascin is a 55-kDa globular protein that functions to organize filamentous-actin into parallel bundles. A role for fascin in cell migration has led to its study in many tumor types. In this report, we investigate fascin in astrocytomas. We show that fascin is expressed in astrocytes and in a panel of human astrocytoma cell lines. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrates that fascin and the intermediate filament protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), are both expressed in the perinuclear region and within cytoplasmic processes of astrocytes and astrocytoma cells. Amino acid residues within the NH2 terminus of GFAP can undergo phosphorylation; these modifications regulate intermediate filament disassembly and occur during cytokinesis. We show that fascin and specific phosphorylated species of GFAP colocalize within dividing cells. Finally, we demonstrate that fascin co-immunoprecipitates with GFAP and that immunocomplex formation is preferential for GFAP phosphorylated at serine residues 8 and 13. These data show that fascin and GFAP are immunolocalized regionally within cells and tumors of astrocytic origin and suggest that their binding may occur during dynamic reorganization of intermediate filaments.

High-grade glioma before and after treatment with radiation and Avastin: initial observations

We evaluate the effects of adjuvant treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor Avastin (bevacizumab) on pathological tissue specimens of high-grade glioma. Tissue from five patients before and after treatment with Avastin was subjected to histological evaluation and compared to four control cases of glioma before and after similar treatment protocols not including bevacizumab. Clinical and radiographic data were reviewed. Histological analysis focused on microvessel density and vascular morphology, and expression patterns of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and the hematopoietic stem cell, mesenchymal, and cell motility markers CD34, smooth muscle actin, D2-40, and fascin. All patients with a decrease in microvessel density had a radiographic response, whereas no response was seen in the patients with increased microvessel density. Vascular morphology showed apparent "normalization" after Avastin treatment in two cases, with thin-walled and evenly distributed vessels. VEGF-A expression in tumor cells was increased in two cases and decreased in three and did not correlate with treatment response. There was a trend toward a relative increase of CD34, smooth muscle actin, D2-40, and fascin immunostaining following treatment with Avastin. Specimens from four patients with recurrent malignant gliomas before and after adjuvant treatment (not including bevacizumab) had features dissimilar from our study cases. We conclude that a change in vascular morphology can be observed following antiangiogenic treatment. There seems to be no correlation between VEGF-A expression and clinical parameters. While the phenomena we describe may not be specific to Avastin, they demonstrate the potential of tissue-based analysis for the discovery of clinically relevant treatment response biomarkers.

The role of fascin in the migration and invasiveness of malignant glioma cells

Malignant glioma is the most common primary brain tumor, and its ability to invade the surrounding brain parenchyma is a leading cause of tumor recurrence and treatment failure. Whereas the molecular mechanisms of glioma invasion are incompletely understood, there is growing evidence that cytoskeletal-matrix interactions contribute to this process. Fascin, an actin-bundling protein, induces parallel actin bundles in cell protrusions and increases cell motility in multiple human malignancies. The role of fascin in glioma invasion remains unclear. We demonstrate that fascin is expressed in a panel of human malignant glioma cell lines, and downregulation of fascin expression in glioma cell lines by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is associated with decreased cellular attachment to extracellular matrix (ECM) and reduced migration. Using immunofluorescence analysis, we show that fascin depletion results in a reduced number of filopodia as well as altered glioma cell shape. In vitro invasiveness of U251, U87, and SNB19 glioma cells was inhibited by fascin siRNA treatment by 52.2%, 40.3%, and 23.8% respectively. Finally, we show a decreased invasiveness of U251-GFP cells by fascin knockdown in an ex vivo rat brain slice model system. This is the first study to demonstrate a role for fascin in glioma cell morphology, motility, and invasiveness.

Fascin expression [corrected] in glial tumors and its prognostic significance in glioblastomas

Fascin is a -55 kDa-actin binding protein. Actin bundles rearranged by fascin proteins are concentrated in cell membrane protrusions and these protrusions provide motility of the cell. In this study, we evaluated fascin expression in glial tumors and its relation with histologic grade. Its prognostic value in glioblastomas (GBs) was also investigated. Seventy-six glial tumors including 44 glioblastomas with known survival time, 18 anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs), six diffuse astrocytomas (DAs), and eight pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) were examined immunohistochemically for fascin expression. Fascin was observed in the neurons of normal brain tissue and endothelium of vascular spaces in the glial tumors. Fascin expression was correlated with histologic grade in DAs. PAs expressed low levels of fascin. Half of the GBs showed high levels of fascin expression. In the GB group, overall survival was poor for cases with percentage of stained cells >50% having moderate or strong staining intensity. In GBs, overall survival was also poor for >50-year-old cases and cases that refused radiotherapy. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age (>50 years, P=0.021) and higher level of fascin expression (immunohistochemical score >8, P=0.040) were independent poor prognostic factors. In conclusion, fascin expression levels are correlated with histologic grade and fascin overexpression may play an important role in the biologic behavior of glial astrocytic tumors and in the prognosis of GBs.

EMMPRIN and fascin overexpression associated with clinicopathologic parameters of pancreatobiliary adenocarcinoma in Chinese people

The aim of this study was to test whether expression of EMMPRIN and fascin correlates with clinicopathologic parameters of pancreatobiliary adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis of EMMPRIN and fascin was performed in 100 surgical specimens obtained from Chinese patients, including 18 well-differentiated, 62 moderately differentiated, and 20 poorly differentiated pancreatic and biliary adenocarcinomas. Neither EMMPRIN nor fascin was detectable in normal pancreatic and biliary glandular epithelia. However, EMMPRIN and fascin immunoreactivity was observed on the cell membrane and within the cytoplasm in pancreatobiliary adenocarcinomas. Higher immunostaining scores of EMMPRIN and fascin were strongly associated with advanced grades of pancreatobiliary adenocarcinomas (36.1 and 51.3 for grade I, 95.5 and 110.1 for grade II, and 133.7 and 165.8 for grade III). In addition, higher immunostaining scores of EMMPRIN and fascin were associated with advanced T stages (29.8 and 43.6 for T1, 86.3 and 93.2 for T2, 107.6 and 117.6 for T3, and 129.5 and 156.5 for T4). Higher EMMPRIN and fascin scores were associated with shorter survival times and more advanced M and N stages of pancreatiobiliary adenocarcinomas. A higher expression of EMMPRIN and fascin was found to correlate well with histologic grades and clinical stages of pancreatobiliary adenocarcinomas.

Association of cortactin and fascin-1 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma: correlation with clinicopathological parameters

Cortactin and fascin-1 are important factors in tumor progression. We tested the hypothesis that cortactin and fascin-1 expression correlates with clinicopathological parameters of gastric adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis of cortactin and fascin-1 was done using tissue microarrays of 100 surgical specimens, including 20 well-differentiated, 20 moderately differentiated, and 60 poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas. Among the 20 well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas, 15 cases (75%) showed negative or weak staining (1+); 5 cases (25%) had moderate (2+) or strong (3+) cortactin expression. Among the 60 poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas, more than three-quarters of the cases (76.7%) had moderate or strong cortactin expression; 14 cases (23.3%) had weak staining. Of 20 well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma cases, 14 (70%) showed negative or weak staining of fascin-1, whereas nearly one-third (30%) had moderate or strong expression. Among the 60 poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas, 32 (53.3%) exhibited moderate or strong fascin-1 expression; fewer than half of the cases showed negative or weak staining. Higher intensity of cortactin and fascin-1 staining correlated directly with more-advanced cancer stages (TNM) and inversely with survival rates. Our findings suggest the possibility that pharmacological inhibitors of cortactin and fascin-1 activity may slow down tumor progression and prolong survival time in patients with gastric adenocarcinomas.

Phenotypes of Drosophila brain neurons in primary culture reveal a role for fascin in neurite shape and trajectory

Subtle cellular phenotypes in the CNS may evade detection by routine histopathology. Here, we demonstrate the value of primary culture for revealing genetically determined neuronal phenotypes at high resolution. Gamma neurons of Drosophila melanogaster mushroom bodies (MBs) are remodeled during metamorphosis under the control of the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). In vitro, wild-type gamma neurons retain characteristic morphogenetic features, notably a single axon-like dominant primary process and an arbor of short dendrite-like processes, as determined with microtubule-polarity markers. We found three distinct genetically determined phenotypes of cultured neurons from grossly normal brains, suggesting that subtle in vivo attributes are unmasked and amplified in vitro. First, the neurite outgrowth response to 20E is sexually dimorphic, being much greater in female than in male gamma neurons. Second, the gamma neuron-specific "naked runt" phenotype results from transgenic insertion of an MB-specific promoter. Third, the recessive, pan-neuronal "filagree" phenotype maps to singed, which encodes the actin-bundling protein fascin. Fascin deficiency does not impair the 20E response, but neurites fail to maintain their normal, nearly straight trajectory, instead forming curls and hooks. This is accompanied by abnormally distributed filamentous actin. This is the first demonstration of fascin function in neuronal morphogenesis. Our findings, along with the regulation of human Fascin1 (OMIM 602689) by CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) binding protein, suggest FSCN1 as a candidate gene for developmental brain disorders. We developed an automated method of computing neurite curvature and classifying neurons based on curvature phenotype. This will facilitate detection of genetic and pharmacological modifiers of neuronal defects resulting from fascin deficiency.

Association of EMMPRIN and fascin expression in renal cell carcinoma: correlation with clinicopathological parameters

EMMPRIN and fascin are important factors in tumor invasion and progression. We tested the hypothesis that expression of EMMPRIN and fascin correlate with clinicopathological parameters of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Immunohistochemical analysis of EMMPRIN and fascin were performed in tissue microarrays of 100 surgical specimens, including 35 clear-cell RCC (CRCC), 21 clear-cell RCC with granular differentiation (GRCC), 12 chromophobe RCC (ChRCC), 8 papillary RCC (PRCC), 9 carcinoma of the collecting duct of Bellini (CDC), 10 clear-cell RCC with sarcomatoid differentiation (SRCC), and 6 metastatic RCC. Average immunoscores of EMMPRIN were 100.8 in CRCC, 195.2 in GRCC, 298.4 in ChRCC, 219.2 in PRCC, 186.1 in CDC, 226.9 in SRCC, and 151.7 in metastatic RCC. Among all included cases, average EMMPRIN immunoscores were 84.6 in grade I, 130.4 in grade II, 184.3 in grade III, and 223.5 in grade IV. Additionally, average immunostaining scores of fascin were 53.6 in CRCC, 289.3 in GRCC, 193.3 in ChRCC, 151.8 in PRCC, 181.3 in CDC, 275.4 in SRCC, and 131.7 in metastatic RCC. Average fascin immunoscores were 59.3 in grade I, 91.6 in grade II, 130.2 in grade III, and 194.7 in grade IV. Higher EMMPRIN and fascin immunoscores also correlated significantly with TNM stages and survival rates in RCC. Significant correlation was found between EMMPRIN and fascin expression. In conclusion, higher expression of EMMPRIN and fascin correlate significantly with histological grades, clinical stages, and survival rates of RCC.