Differential expression of MUC4, GPR110 and IL2RA defines two groups of CRLF2-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with distinct secondary lesions

Amelioration of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by targeting adhesion G protein-coupled receptor F1 (Adgrf1)

Background

Recent research has shown that the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor F1 (Adgrf1; also known as GPR110; PGR19; KPG_012; hGPCR36) is an oncogene. The evidence is mainly based on high expression of Adgrf1 in numerous cancer types, and knockdown Adgrf1 can reduce the cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. Adgrf1 is, however, mostly expressed in the liver of healthy individuals. The function of Adgrf1 in liver has not been revealed. Interestingly, expression level of hepatic Adgrf1 is dramatically decreased in obese subjects. Here, the research examined whether Adgrf1 has a role in liver metabolism.

Methods

We used recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated gene delivery system, and antisense oligonucleotide was used to manipulate the hepatic Adgrf1 expression level in diet-induced obese mice to investigate the role of Adgrf1 in hepatic steatosis. The clinical relevance was examined using transcriptome profiling and archived biopsy specimens of liver tissues from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients with different degree of fatty liver.

Results

The expression of Adgrf1 in the liver was directly correlated to fat content in the livers of both obese mice and NAFLD patients. Stearoyl-coA desaturase 1 (Scd1), a crucial enzyme in hepatic de novo lipogenesis, was identified as a downstream target of Adgrf1 by RNA-sequencing analysis. Treatment with the liver-specific Scd1 inhibitor MK8245 and specific shRNAs against Scd1 in primary hepatocytes improved the hepatic steatosis of Adgrf1-overexpressing mice and lipid profile of hepatocytes, respectively.

Conclusions

These results indicate Adgrf1 regulates hepatic lipid metabolism through controlling the expression of Scd1. Downregulation of Adgrf1 expression can potentially serve as a protective mechanism to stop the overaccumulation of fat in the liver in obese subjects. Overall, the above findings not only reveal a new mechanism regulating the progression of NAFLD, but also proposed a novel therapeutic approach to combat NAFLD by targeting Adgrf1.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870586), Area of Excellence (AoE/M-707/18), and General Research Fund (15101520) to CMW, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82270941, 81974117) to SJ.

RaScALL: Rapid (Ra) screening (Sc) of RNA-seq data for prognostically significant genomic alterations in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) efforts in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have identified numerous prognostically significant genomic alterations which can guide diagnostic risk stratification and treatment choices when detected early. However, integrating RNA-seq in a clinical setting requires rapid detection and accurate reporting of clinically relevant alterations. Here we present RaScALL, an implementation of the k-mer based variant detection tool km, capable of identifying more than 100 prognostically significant lesions observed in ALL, including gene fusions, single nucleotide variants and focal gene deletions. We compared genomic alterations detected by RaScALL and those reported by alignment-based de novo variant detection tools in a study cohort of 180 Australian patient samples. Results were validated using 100 patient samples from a published North American cohort. RaScALL demonstrated a high degree of accuracy for reporting subtype defining genomic alterations. Gene fusions, including difficult to detect fusions involving EPOR and DUX4, were accurately identified in 98% of reported cases in the study cohort (n = 164) and 95% of samples (n = 63) in the validation cohort. Pathogenic sequence variants were correctly identified in 75% of tested samples, including all cases involving subtype defining variants PAX5 p.P80R (n = 12) and IKZF1 p.N159Y (n = 4). Intragenic IKZF1 deletions resulting in aberrant transcript isoforms were also detectable with 98% accuracy. Importantly, the median analysis time for detection of all targeted alterations averaged 22 minutes per sample, significantly shorter than standard alignment-based approaches. The application of RaScALL enables rapid identification and reporting of previously identified genomic alterations of known clinical relevance.

Evaluating the Role of Cytokine Receptor-like Factor 2 and Janus Kinase 2 in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive roles of the cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) and the Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) genes expression in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. METHODS: The expression levels of CRLF2 and JAK2 genes were evaluated in the bone marrow (BM) samples of 105 adult ALL patients, compared to 12 healthy controls. The data were correlated to the patients’ relevant clinic-pathological features, response to treatment and survival rates. RESULTS: There was a significant overexpression of JAK2 in ALL patients compared to the control group [0.04 (0–160.8) and 0.006 (0–0.009), respectively, p < 0.001]. Similarly, CRLF2 was overexpressed in ALL patients in comparison to control subjects [0.008 (0–78.2) and 0.0005 (0–0.006), respectively, p < 0.001]. The sensitivity, specificity, and the area under curve (AUC) for JAK2 were 78.1%, 81.8%, and 0.796, respectively (p < 0.001), and that of CRLF2 were 92.4%, 90.9%, 0.958, respectively (p < 0.001). When combining both JAK2 and CRLF2 for the diagnosis of ALL patients, it revealed 90.9% sensitivity, 91.4% specificity, and AUC of 0.957 (p < 0.001). The JAK2, CRLF2, or their combined expression associated significantly with the increased expression of MHC-II (p = 0.015, 0.001, and 0.004, respectively). However, they had no significant impact on patients’ response to treatment, overall (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) rates (p > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: JAK2 and CRLF2 could be a potential useful diagnostic molecular marker for ALL patients, which allow them to be successful targets for ALL therapy.

MUC4 expression by immunohistochemistry is a specific marker for BCR-ABL1+ and BCR-ABL1-like B-lymphoblastic leukemia

BCR-ABL1-like B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a genetically heterogeneous group of high-risk B-ALL that benefits from targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. The incidence of this high-risk B-ALL is relatively low and screening with surrogate markers will be useful to identify patients for further genetic testing. Here we demonstrate that widely available MUC4 protein immunohistochemistry (IHC) is predictive of a BCR-ABL1-like genotype for a subset of patients. Overall, MUC4 expression was observed in 36% (9/25) BCR-ABL1-like, 43% (3/7) BCR-ABL1+ and 9% (2/22) B-ALL other cases (p=.019 for BCR-ABL1 like and BCR-ABL1+ versus B-ALL others). Furthermore, 83% (5/6) of patients with ABL class fusions showed MUC4 expression when compared to 25% (4/16, p=.006) patients with JAK class fusions. Overall, the study demonstrates that MUC4 expression is highly specific (90.9%) for BCR-ABL1+ and BCR-ABL1-like B-ALL with high sensitivity for cases with ABL class fusions.

Molecular classification improves risk assessment in adult BCR-ABL1-negative B-ALL

Genomic classification has improved risk assignment of pediatric, but not adult B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The international UKALLXII/ECOG-ACRIN E2993 (#NCT00002514) trial accrued 1229 adolescent/adult patients with BCR-ABL1- B-ALL (aged 14 to 65 years). Although 93% of patients achieved remission, 41% relapsed at a median of 13 months (range, 28 days to 12 years). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 42% (95% confidence interval, 39, 44). Transcriptome sequencing, gene expression profiling, cytogenetics, and fusion polymerase chain reaction enabled genomic subtyping of 282 patient samples, of which 264 were eligible for trial, accounting for 64.5% of E2993 patients. Among patients with outcome data, 29.5% with favorable outcomes (5-year OS 65% to 80%) were deemed standard risk (DUX4-rearranged [9.2%], ETV6-RUNX1/-like [2.3%], TCF3-PBX1 [6.9%], PAX5 P80R [4.1%], high-hyperdiploid [6.9%]); 50.2% had high-risk genotypes with 5-year OS of 0% to 27% (Ph-like [21.2%], KMT2A-AFF1 [12%], low-hypodiploid/near-haploid [14.3%], BCL2/MYC-rearranged [2.8%]); 20.3% had intermediate-risk genotypes with 5-year OS of 33% to 45% (PAX5alt [12.4%], ZNF384/-like [5.1%], MEF2D-rearranged [2.8%]). IKZF1 alterations occurred in 86% of Ph-like, and TP53 mutations in patients who were low-hypodiploid (54%) and BCL2/MYC-rearranged (33%) but were not independently associated with outcome. Of patients considered high risk based on presenting age and white blood cell count, 40% harbored subtype-defining genetic alterations associated with standard- or intermediate-risk outcomes. We identified distinct immunophenotypic features for DUX4-rearranged, PAX5 P80R, ZNF384-R/-like, and Ph-like genotypes. These data in a large adult B-ALL cohort treated with a non-risk-adapted approach on a single trial show the prognostic importance of genomic analyses, which may translate into future therapeutic benefits.

Integrated Analysis of Microarray and RNA-Seq Data for the Identification of Hub Genes and Networks Involved in the Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is the seventh most fatal malignancy, with more than 90% mortality rate within the first year of diagnosis. Its treatment can be improved the identification of specific therapeutic targets and their relevant pathways. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify cancer specific biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and their associated pathways involved in the PaCa progression. RNA-seq and microarray datasets were obtained from public repositories such as the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Differential gene expression (DE) analysis of data was performed to identify significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PaCa cells in comparison to the normal cells. Gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify the modules co-expressed genes, which are strongly associated with PaCa and as well as the identification of hub genes in the modules. The key underlaying pathways were obtained from the enrichment analysis of hub genes and studied in the context of PaCa progression. The significant pathways, hub genes, and their expression profile were validated against The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, and key biomarkers and therapeutic targets with hub genes were determined. Important hub genes identified included ITGA1, ITGA2, ITGB1, ITGB3, MET, LAMB1, VEGFA, PTK2, and TGFβ1. Enrichment analysis characterizes the involvement of hub genes in multiple pathways. Important ones that are determined are ECM–receptor interaction and focal adhesion pathways. The interaction of overexpressed surface proteins of these pathways with extracellular molecules initiates multiple signaling cascades including stress fiber and lamellipodia formation, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, JAK/STAT, and Wnt signaling pathways. Identified biomarkers may have a strong influence on the PaCa early stage development and progression. Further, analysis of these pathways and hub genes can help in the identification of putative therapeutic targets and development of effective therapies for PaCa.

The application of RNA sequencing for the diagnosis and genomic classification of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy, and implementation of risk-adapted therapy has been instrumental in the dramatic improvements in clinical outcomes. A key to risk-adapted therapies includes the identification of genomic features of individual tumors, including chromosome number (for hyper- and hypodiploidy) and gene fusions, notably ETV6-RUNX1, TCF3-PBX1, and BCR-ABL1 in B-cell ALL (B-ALL). RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of large ALL cohorts has expanded the number of recurrent gene fusions recognized as drivers in ALL, and identification of these new entities will contribute to refining ALL risk stratification. We used RNA-seq on 126 ALL patients from our clinical service to test the utility of including RNA-seq in standard-of-care diagnostic pipelines to detect gene rearrangements and IKZF1 deletions. RNA-seq identified 86% of rearrangements detected by standard-of-care diagnostics. KMT2A (MLL) rearrangements, although usually identified, were the most commonly missed by RNA-seq as a result of low expression. RNA-seq identified rearrangements that were not detected by standard-of-care testing in 9 patients. These were found in patients who were not classifiable using standard molecular assessment. We developed an approach to detect the most common IKZF1 deletion from RNA-seq data and validated this using an RQ-PCR assay. We applied an expression classifier to identify Philadelphia chromosome-like B-ALL patients. T-ALL proved a rich source of novel gene fusions, which have clinical implications or provide insights into disease biology. Our experience shows that RNA-seq can be implemented within an individual clinical service to enhance the current molecular diagnostic risk classification of ALL.

Mutation accumulation in cancer genes relates to nonoptimal outcome in chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm accounting for ∼15% of all leukemia. Progress of the disease from an indolent chronic phase to the more aggressive accelerated phase or blast phase (BP) occurs in a minority of cases and is associated with an accumulation of somatic mutations. We performed genetic profiling of 85 samples and transcriptome profiling of 12 samples from 59 CML patients. We identified recurrent somatic mutations in ABL1 (37%), ASXL1 (26%), RUNX1 (16%), and BCOR (16%) in the BP and observed that mutation signatures in the BP resembled those of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We found that mutation load differed between the indolent and aggressive phases and that nonoptimal responders had more nonsilent mutations than did optimal responders at the time of diagnosis, as well as in follow-up. Using RNA sequencing, we identified other than BCR-ABL1 cancer-associated hybrid genes in 6 of the 7 BP samples. Uncovered expression alterations were in turn associated with mechanisms and pathways that could be targeted in CML management and by which somatic alterations may emerge in CML. Last, we showed the value of genetic data in CML management in a personalized medicine setting.

Combination efficacy of ruxolitinib with standard-of-care drugs in CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) is a high-risk ALL subtype with high rates of relapse and poor patient outcome. Activating mutations affecting components of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway occur in the majority of Ph-like ALL cases. The use of JAK inhibitors represents a potential treatment option for Ph-like ALL, although we and others have shown that CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like ALL responds poorly to single-agent JAK inhibitors in the preclinical setting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify effective combination treatments against CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like ALL, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of synergy. We carried out a series of high-throughput combination drug screenings and found that ruxolitinib exerted synergy with standard-of-care drugs used in the treatment of ALL. In addition, we investigated the molecular effects of ruxolitinib on Ph-like ALL by combining mass spectrometry phosphoproteomics with gene expression analysis. Based on these findings, we conducted preclinical in vivo drug testing and demonstrated that ruxolitinib enhanced the in vivo efficacy of an induction-type regimen consisting of vincristine, dexamethasone, and L-asparaginase in 2/3 CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like ALL xenografts. Overall, our findings support evaluating the addition of ruxolitinib to conventional induction regimens for the treatment of CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like ALL.

lncRNAs-mRNAs Co-Expression Network Underlying Childhood B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: A Pilot Study

Simple Summary

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most common childhood cancers. The ALL onset involves abnormal proliferation and arrest of differentiation of B or T cell progenitors. Recently, long non–coding RNAs (lncRNAs) gained great interest in the B–ALL leukemogenesis, however, so far few “omic” studies investigate lncRNAs and protein–coding gene networks. In our retrospective study, we conceived an integrated bioinformatic approach, by using NGS platform, to discover lncRNAs strongly correlated with aberrantly expressed protein–coding genes. We provided dysregulated lncRNA–mRNA pairs potentially underlying B–ALL pathogenesis. Diagnosis incidence peak of ALL appears approximatively between 1 and 19 years old. lncRNAs may be of clinical utility as non–invasive biomarker for B–ALL onset or therapy response in support of precision medicine. The identification of lncRNA as key regulators in B–ALL could lead to the identification of the altered pathways able to sustain the leukemic growth.

Abstract

Long non–coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key gene regulators in the pathogenesis and development of various cancers including B lymphoblastic leukaemia (B–ALL). In this pilot study, we used RNA–Seq transcriptomic data for identifying novel lncRNA–mRNA cooperative pairs involved in childhood B–ALL pathogenesis. We conceived a bioinformatic pipeline based on unsupervised PCA feature extraction approach and stringent statistical criteria to extract potential childhood B–ALL lncRNA signatures. We then constructed a co–expression network of the aberrantly expressed lncRNAs (30) and protein–coding genes (754). We cross–validated our in–silico findings on an independent dataset and assessed the expression levels of the most differentially expressed lncRNAs and their co–expressed mRNAs through ex vivo experiments. Using the guilt–by–association approach, we predicted lncRNA functions based on their perfectly co–expressed mRNAs (Spearman’s correlation) that resulted closely disease–associated. We shed light on 24 key lncRNAs and their co–expressed mRNAs which may play an important role in B–ALL pathogenesis. Our results may be of clinical utility for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes in paediatric B–ALL management.

The role of GPR110 in lung cancer progression

Background

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in several signaling pathways. However, the roles of many GPCRs in tumor oncogenesis and progression are not fully understood. In our previous study, we concluded that the absence of Gpr110 decelerates the development of liver brosis/cirrhosis into tumorigenesis. In our current study, the role of GPR110 in the oncogenesis and progression of lung cancer was observed.

Methods

After collecting tumor tissues from lung cancer patients, the expression of GPR110 was analyzed by both Western blotting and real-time PCR. Immunofluorescence was used to observe GPR110 expression in human lung cancer cells. A CCK8 kit was used to analyze the proliferation of human lung cancer cells transfected with Gpr110. Changes in cell migration were evaluated with wound healing and Transwell assays. A nude mouse xenograft model was constructed. Lung cancer model was induced in Gpr110^-/- mice with urethane.

Results

GPR110 mRNA and protein expression was significantly higher in lung cancer tissue. GPR110 was barely expressed in H460, A549, H1299, and SPC-A1 cells, but its expression in PC-9 and QG56 cells was significantly higher. Overexpression of GPR110 promoted the proliferation and cell aggregation of H1299 cells and H1299 cell migration was also enhanced. Overexpression of GPR110 in H1299 cells significantly promoted tumor development in the nude mice tumor xenograft model. There was no statistical significance between the Gpr110^+/+ and Gpr110^-/- mice despite the lesions in the Gpr110^-/- mice group decreasing at 35 and 40 weeks after the initial injection of urethane.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that GPR110 promotes the progression of lung cancer through accelerating cell proliferation and migration.

Prognostic value of bone marrow MUC4 expression in acute myeloid leukaemia

Background: Aberrant expression of mucin-4 (MUC4) is present in a variety of solid cancers, but the expression pattern of MUC4 and its clinical relevance in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the expression level of MUC4 and explore its prognostic value in newly diagnosed adult patients with AML. Methods: Bone marrow from 70 AML patients and 26 healthy donors was obtained. MUC4 levels were quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Routine blood indices were measured by standard techniques. Results: Bone marrow MUC4 expression levels were significantly elevated in AML patients compared to controls at median (range) 2.77 (0.7-16.6) and 1.14 (0.5-1.99) respectively (p = 0.005). Moreover, lower MUC4 expression was strongly associated with persistent remission (p = 0.001) while higher MUC4 levels were associated with worse overall as well as disease-free survival (p = 0.011 and p = 0.006, respectively). Thus, its level may act as an indicator of disease progression. High MUC4 expression was identified as an independent prognostic predictor for both overall survival and disease-free survival. Conclusion: MUC4 over-expression is an independent predictor of a poor prognosis in AML patients.

The Emerging Role of Adhesion GPCRs in Cancer

Aberrant expression, function, and mutation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their signaling partners, G proteins, have been well documented in many forms of cancer. These cell surface receptors and their endogenous ligands are implicated in all aspects of cancer including proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Adhesion GPCRs (aGPCRs) form the second largest family of GPCRs, most of which are orphan receptors with unknown physiological functions. This is mainly due to our limited insight into their structure, natural ligands, signaling pathways, and tissue expression profiles. Nevertheless, recent studies show that aGPCRs play important roles in cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and cell-cell communication, processes that are dysregulated in cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that aGPCRs are implicated in migration, proliferation, and survival of tumor cells. We here review the role of aGPCRs in the five most common types of cancer (lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, and gastric) and emphasize the importance of further translational studies in this field.

Long non-coding RNAs defining major subtypes of B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a novel class of RNA due to its diverse mechanism in cancer development and progression. However, the role and expression pattern of lncRNAs in molecular subtypes of B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) have not yet been investigated. Here, we assess to what extent lncRNA expression and DNA methylation is driving the progression of relapsed BCP-ALL subtypes and we determine if the expression and DNA methylation profile of lncRNAs correlates with established BCP-ALL subtypes.

METHODS

We performed RNA sequencing and DNA methylation (Illumina Infinium microarray) of 40 diagnosis and 42 relapse samples from 45 BCP-ALL patients in a German cohort and quantified lncRNA expression. Unsupervised clustering was applied to ascertain and confirm that the lncRNA-based classification of the BCP-ALL molecular subtypes is present in both our cohort and an independent validation cohort of 47 patients. A differential expression and differential methylation analysis was applied to determine the subtype-specific, relapse-specific, and differentially methylated lncRNAs. Potential functions of subtype-specific lncRNAs were determined by using co-expression-based analysis on nearby (cis) and distally (trans) located protein-coding genes.

RESULTS

Using an integrative Bioinformatics analysis, we developed a comprehensive catalog of 1235 aberrantly dysregulated BCP-ALL subtype-specific and 942 relapse-specific lncRNAs and the methylation profile of three subtypes of BCP-ALL. The 1235 subtype-specific lncRNA signature represented a similar classification of the molecular subtypes of BCP-ALL in the independent validation cohort. We identified a strong correlation between the DUX4-specific lncRNAs and genes involved in the activation of TGF-β and Hippo signaling pathways. Similarly, Ph-like-specific lncRNAs were correlated with genes involved in the activation of PI3K-AKT, mTOR, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Interestingly, the relapse-specific lncRNAs correlated with the activation of metabolic and signaling pathways. Finally, we found 23 promoter methylated lncRNAs epigenetically facilitating their expression levels.

CONCLUSION

Here, we describe a set of subtype-specific and relapse-specific lncRNAs from three major BCP-ALL subtypes and define their potential functions and epigenetic regulation. The subtype-specific lncRNAs are reproducible and can effectively stratify BCP-ALL subtypes. Our data uncover the diverse mechanism of action of lncRNAs in BCP-ALL subtypes defining which lncRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of disease and are relevant for the stratification of BCP-ALL subtypes.

Potential efficacy and prognosis of silencing the CRLF2‑mediated AKT/mTOR pathway in pediatric acute B‑cell lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a common type of blood cancer, which is associated with aberrant gene expression. Cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) serves a crucial role in the growth and allergic and inflammatory responses of dendritic cells and T cells. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential therapeutic and prognostic effect of silencing the CRLF2-mediated RAC-α serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT)/serine/threonine-protein kinase mTOR (mTOR) pathway in B-ALL. In our study, bone marrow specimens were collected from 128 children with B-ALL and 26 healthy children. The expression of CRLF2 in bone marrow tissue was detected using immunohistochemistry. The survival rates were compared among the children with high and low CRLF2 expression levels. BaF3 leukemia cells were treated with CRLF2 short hairpin RNA knockdown and/or the AKT/mTOR pathway specific inhibitor LY294002. mRNA and protein expression associated with CRLF2 and the AKT/mTOR pathway in each group was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blotting. The viability of BaF3 cells in all the groups was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay; the migration and invasion of BaF3 cells were determined by wound healing and Transwell invasion assays; and the sensitivity of BaF3 cells to the chemotherapeutic drug imatinib was detected using flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that CRLF2 overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in B-ALL, and the CRLF2/AKT/mTOR pathway is involved in the migration, invasion and chemotherapeutic agent-induced apoptosis of BaF3 cells.

Precision medicine approaches may be the future for CRLF2 rearranged Down Syndrome Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia patients

Breakthrough studies over the past decade have uncovered unique gene fusions implicated in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The critical gene, cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2), is rearranged in 5-16% of B-ALL, comprising 50% of Philadelphia-like ALL and cooperates with genomic lesions in the Jak, Mapk and Ras signalling pathways. Children with Down Syndrome (DS) have a predisposition to developing CRLF2 rearranged-ALL which is observed in 60% of DS-ALL patients. These patients experience a poor survival outcome. Mutations of genes involved in epigenetic regulation are more prevalent in DS-ALL patients than non-DS ALL patients, highlighting the potential for alternative treatment strategies. DS-ALL patients also suffer greater treatment-related toxicity from current ALL treatment regimens compared to non-DS-ALL patients. An increased gene dosage of critical genes on chromosome 21 which have roles in purine synthesis and folate transport may contribute. As the genomic landscape of DS-ALL patients is different to non-DS-ALL patients, targeted therapies for individual lesions may improve outcomes. Therapeutically targeting each rearrangement with targeted or combination therapy that will perturb the transforming signalling pathways will likely improve the poor survival rates of this subset of patients.

Clinical Significance of G Protein-Coupled Receptor 110 (GPR110) as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker in Osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND G protein-coupled receptor 110 (GPR110) belongs to the subfamily of the adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The potential role of GPR110 has been correlated with cancer cell invasion in some tumors such as glioma. However, its expression and role in human osteosarcoma has not been identified. This study aimed to examine the expression level of GPR110 and determine whether the expression of GPR110 was correlated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of osteosarcoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 94 osteosarcoma patients. Immunohistochemistry staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect the expression level of GPR110 in osteosarcoma specimens. We then determined the correlation of the GPR110 expression with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis by univariate or multivariate analysis. Patient outcomes were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test and prognostic factors were detected by multivariate analysis. The function of GPR110 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined in this in vitro study. RESULTS Overexpression of GPR110 was correlated with the advanced stage of osteosarcoma. Patients with high expression level of GPR110 had significantly poorer 5-year overall survival; the multivariate analysis found that GPR110 expression level can act as an independent prognosis factor. Knockdown of GPR110 can decrease the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity of human osteosarcoma cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Our studies suggest a role of GPR110 in tumor progression and as a potential novel prognostic biomarker in osteosarcoma.

GPCRs profiling and identification of GPR110 as a potential new target in HER2+ breast cancer

PURPOSE

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of druggable targets in human genome. Although several GPCRs can cross-talk with the human epidermal growth factor receptors (HERs), the expression and function of most GPCRs remain unknown in HER2+ breast cancer (BC). In this study, we aimed to evaluate gene expression of GPCRs in tumorigenic or anti-HER2 drug-resistant cells and to understand the potential role of candidate GPCRs in HER2+ BC.

METHODS

Gene expression of 352 GPCRs was profiled in Aldeflur+ tumorigenic versus Aldeflur- population and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant derivatives versus parental cells of HER2+ BT474 cells. The GPCR candidates were confirmed in 7 additional HER2+ BC cell line models and publicly available patient dataset. Anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent cell growth, mammosphere formation, and migration/invasion were evaluated upon GPR110 knockdown by siRNA in BT474 and SKBR3 parental and lapatinib+ trastuzumab-resistant (LTR) cells.

RESULTS

Adhesion and class A GPCRs were overexpressed in Aldeflur+ and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant population of BT474 cells, respectively. GPR110 was the only GPCR overexpressed in Aldeflur+ and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant population in BT474, SKBR3, HCC1569, MDA-MB-361, AU565, and/or HCC202 cells and in HER2+ BC subtype in patient tumors. Using BT474 and SKBR3 parental and LTR cells, we found that GPR110 knockdown significantly reduced anchorage-dependent/independent cell growth as well as migration/invasion of parental and LTR cells and mammosphere formation in LTR derivatives and not in parental cells.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest a potential role of GPR110 in tumorigenicity and in tumor cell dissemination in HER2+ BC.