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Cheng K, Seita Y, Whelan EC, Yokomizo R, Hwang YS, Rotolo A, Krantz ID, Ginsberg JP, Kolon TF, Lal P, Luo X, Pierorazio PM, Linn RL, Ryeom S, Sasaki K. Defining the cellular origin of seminoma by transcriptional and epigenetic mapping to the normal human germline. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114323. [PMID: 38861385 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant male germline development can lead to the formation of seminoma, a testicular germ cell tumor. Seminomas are biologically similar to primordial germ cells (PGCs) and many bear an isochromosome 12p [i(12p)] with two additional copies of the short arm of chromosome 12. By mapping seminoma transcriptomes and open chromatin landscape onto a normal human male germline trajectory, we find that seminoma resembles premigratory/migratory PGCs; however, it exhibits enhanced germline and pluripotency programs and upregulation of genes involved in apoptosis, angiogenesis, and MAPK/ERK pathways. Using pluripotent stem cell-derived PGCs from Pallister-Killian syndrome patients mosaic for i(12p), we model seminoma and identify gene dosage effects that may contribute to transformation. As murine seminoma models do not exist, our analyses provide critical insights into genetic, cellular, and signaling programs driving seminoma transformation, and the in vitro platform developed herein permits evaluation of additional signals required for seminoma tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yasunari Seita
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eoin C Whelan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ryo Yokomizo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Young Sun Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Antonia Rotolo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian D Krantz
- Division of Human Genetics, The Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3500 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jill P Ginsberg
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3500 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Thomas F Kolon
- Division of Urology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3500 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Priti Lal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xunda Luo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center, 51 North 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Phillip M Pierorazio
- Division of Urology, University of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center, 3737 Market St. 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rebecca L Linn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandra Ryeom
- Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W. 168th Street, P&S 17-409, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kotaro Sasaki
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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2
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Islam R, Heyer J, Figura M, Wang X, Nie X, Nathaniel B, Indumathy S, Hartmann K, Pleuger C, Fijak M, Kliesch S, Dittmar F, Pilatz A, Wagenlehner F, Hedger M, Loveland B, Hotaling JH, Guo J, Loveland KL, Schuppe HC, Fietz D. T cells in testicular germ cell tumors: new evidence of fundamental contributions by rare subsets. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1893-1903. [PMID: 38649788 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02669-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune cell infiltration is heterogeneous but common in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and pre-invasive germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS). Tumor-infiltrating T cells including regulatory T (Treg) and follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are found in other cancer entities, but their contributions to TGCT are unknown. METHODS Human testis specimens from independent patient cohorts were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with special emphasis on delineating T cell subtypes. RESULTS Profound changes in immune cell composition within TGCT, shifting from macrophages in normal testes to T cells plus B and dendritic cells in TGCT, were documented. In most samples (96%), the CD4+ T cell frequency exceeded that of CD8+ cells, with decreasing numbers from central to peripheral tumor areas, and to tumor-free, contralateral testes. T cells including Treg and Tfh were most abundant in seminoma compared to mixed tumors and embryonal carcinoma. CONCLUSION Despite considerable heterogeneity between patients, T cell subtypes form a key part of the TGCT microenvironment. The novel finding of rare Treg and Tfh cells in human testis suggests their involvement in TGCT pathobiology, with implications for understanding tumor progression, to assess patients' prognosis, and as putative targets for personalized immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashidul Islam
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jannis Heyer
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Miriam Figura
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xichen Nie
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Benedict Nathaniel
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sivanjah Indumathy
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Katja Hartmann
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christiane Pleuger
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Monika Fijak
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Kliesch
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Florian Dittmar
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Adrian Pilatz
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Wagenlehner
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mark Hedger
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - James H Hotaling
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jingtao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kate L Loveland
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Hans-Christian Schuppe
- Dept. of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Daniela Fietz
- Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
- Hessian Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
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3
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Lobo J, Tavares NT, Jerónimo C, Henrique R, Dvindenko E, Cornejo KM, Berney DM, Ulbright TM, Gupta S, Acosta AM. Analysis of MicroRNA-371-373 supports that a subset of spermatocytic tumors demonstrates biologic features similar to those of GCNIS-derived germ cell tumors. Hum Pathol 2024; 148:66-71. [PMID: 38782099 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2024.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Spermatocytic tumors are rare testicular tumors occurring predominantly in older men. Most show a classical tripartite morphology (different from seminoma) and are benign. However, well-documented cases of malignant spermatocytic tumors exist. Our previous work showed that a subset of spermatocytic tumors exhibiting TP53 mutations, DNA methylation profiles closer to seminomas, and/or gains in chromosome 12p exhibited aggressive characteristics, including sarcomatoid transformation and metastatic dissemination. The microRNA-371-373 cluster is a promising biomarker which is upregulated in non-teratoma germ cell tumors with malignant behavior. In this work we analyze microRNAs-371-373 b y quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 18 spermatocytic tumors representative of the whole clinical spectrum, including 6 with aggressive features (sarcomatoid transformation, metastases, or gains in chromosome 12p). The levels of microRNAs-371-373 were significantly higher in non-teratoma germ cell tumors compared to spermatocytic tumors, overall (p < 0.0001). Importantly, levels of microRNA-371-373 were higher in spermatocytic tumors with aggressive features compared to non-aggressive neoplasms. The highest levels were observed in one tumor showing isochromosome 12p. These results further support our previous findings that a subset of spermatocytic tumors are intermediate between so-called type II and type III germ cell tumors and that embryonic microRNAs play a role in aggressive behavior in spermatocytic tumors. Accordingly, this subset of tumors may behave aggressively and require close follow up. In the future, this opens an opportunity for microRNA testing in serum of spermatocytic tumor patients for risk stratification purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Lobo
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC) & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Tiago Tavares
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC) & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Doctoral Programme in Biomedical Sciences, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC) & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Henrique
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC) & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eugenia Dvindenko
- Department of Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, EPE, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Kristine M Cornejo
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel M Berney
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers & Biotherapeutics, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Sounak Gupta
- Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Andres M Acosta
- Department of Pathology Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Labropoulou VT, Manou D, Ravazoula P, Alzahrani FM, Kalofonos HP, Theocharis AD. Expression of CD44 is associated with aggressiveness in seminomas. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:693. [PMID: 38796656 PMCID: PMC11127849 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09638-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) exhibit diverse biological and pathological features and are divided in two main types, seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). CD44 is a cell surface receptor, which is highly expressed in malignancies and is implicated in tumorigenesis affecting cell-matrix interactions and cell signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we examined the expression of CD44 in tumor cell lines and in patients' material. We found that CD44 is over-expressed in TGCTs compared to normal tissues. Immunohistochemical staining in 71 tissue specimens demonstrated increased expression of CD44 in some patients, whereas CD44 was absent in normal tissue. In seminomas, a high percentage of tumor and stromal cells showed cytoplasmic and/or cell surface staining for CD44 as well as increased staining for CD44 in the tumor stroma was found in some cases. The increased expression of CD44 either in tumor cells or in stromal components was associated with tumor size, nodal metastasis, vascular/lymphatic invasion, and disease stage only in seminomas. The increased stromal expression of CD44 in TGCTs was positively associated with angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS CD44 may exhibit diverse biological functions in seminomas and NSGCTs. The expression of CD44 in tumor cells as well as in tumor stroma fosters an aggressive phenotype in seminomas and should be considered in disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki T Labropoulou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece.
| | - Dimitra Manou
- Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis and Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Panagiota Ravazoula
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Patras, Patras, 26504, Greece
| | - Fatimah Mohammed Alzahrani
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haralabos P Kalofonos
- Clinical Oncology Laboratory, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Patras, Rio, 26504, Greece
| | - Achilleas D Theocharis
- Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis and Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.
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Surucu A, de Biase D, Ricci C, di Sciascio L, Collins K, Idrees MT, Ebare K, Fiorentino M, Bridge JA, Ulbright TM, Acosta AM. Beta-Catenin Alterations in Postchemotherapy Yolk Sac Tumor, Postpubertal-Type With Enteroblastic Features. Mod Pathol 2024; 37:100513. [PMID: 38763421 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2024.100513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Postchemotherapy postpubertal-type yolk sac tumors (YST) with glandular and solid phenotypes are aggressive and commonly resistant to systemic chemotherapy. These neoplasms show morphologic features that significantly overlap with those of somatic carcinomas with "enteroblastic" or "fetal" phenotype (the preferred terminology depends on the site of origin). They often present as late or very late recurrences, and their diagnosis is challenging because they frequently affect patients in an age group at risk for carcinomas of somatic origin. Recently, we incidentally identified examples of postchemotherapy glandular and solid YST with "enteroblastic" phenotypes and nuclear expression of beta-catenin, prompting us to further evaluate the prevalence of this phenomenon. We found nuclear expression of beta-catenin in 10 (29%) of 34 such tumors. A subset of cases with nuclear beta-catenin expression was further analyzed with a DNA sequencing panel (n = 6) and fluorescence in situ hybridization for isochromosome 12p [i(12p); n = 5]. Sequencing identified exon 3 CTNNB1 variants in 3 (50%) of 6 analyzed cases, and fluorescence in situ hybridization was positive for i(12p) in 5 of 5 cases. In conclusion, a significant subset of postchemotherapy YST with glandular or solid architecture and "enteroblastic" phenotype demonstrates beta-catenin alterations, suggesting that activation of Wnt signaling may play a role in the progression of these neoplasms. Moreover, nuclear beta-catenin expression in these tumors represents a potential diagnostic pitfall given that carcinomas of true somatic origin with overlapping morphology may also be positive for this marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Surucu
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Dario de Biase
- Department of Pathology, Solid Tumor Molecular Pathology Laboratory, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBit), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Costantino Ricci
- DIAP-Dipartimento InterAziendale di Anatomia Patologica di Bologna, Maggiore Hospital-AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luisa di Sciascio
- DIAP-Dipartimento InterAziendale di Anatomia Patologica di Bologna, Maggiore Hospital-AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Katrina Collins
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | | | - Kingsley Ebare
- Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Michelangelo Fiorentino
- DIAP-Dipartimento InterAziendale di Anatomia Patologica di Bologna, Maggiore Hospital-AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Julia A Bridge
- Department of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Cytogenetics and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization, ProPath Laboratories, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Andres M Acosta
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana.
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6
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Kilic I, Acosta AM, Idrees MT. Evolution of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in the Molecular Era With Histogenetic Implications. Adv Anat Pathol 2024; 31:206-214. [PMID: 38525515 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The current WHO classification of testicular germ cell tumors is based on the pathogenesis of the tumors driven by different genomic events. The germ cell neoplasia in situ is the precursor lesion for all malignant germ cell tumors. The current understanding of pathogenesis is that the developmental and environmental factors with the erasure of parental genomic imprinting lead to the development of abnormal gonocytes that settle in the "spermatogonial Niche" in seminiferous tubules. The abnormal primordial germ cells in the seminiferous tubules give rise to pre-GCNIS cells under the influence of TPSY and OCT4 genes. The whole genome duplication events give rise to germ cell neoplasia in situ, which further acquires alterations in 12p along with NRAS and KRAS mutations to produce seminoma. A subset of seminomas acquires KIT mutation and does not differentiate further. The remaining KIT-stable seminomas differentiate to nonseminomatous GCTs after obtaining recurrent chromosomal losses, epigenetic modification, and posttranscriptional regulation by multiple genes. Nonseminomatous germ cell tumors also develop directly from differentiated germ cell neoplasia in situ. TP53 pathway with downstream drivers may give rise to somatic-type malignancies of GCT. The GCTs are remarkably sensitive to cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy; however, resistance to cisplatin develops in up to 8% of tumors and appears to be driven by TP53/MDM2 gene mutations. Serum and Plasma miRNAs show promise in diagnosing, managing, and following up on these tumors. The mechanisms underlying the development of most tumors have been elucidated; however, additional studies are required to pinpoint the events directing specific characteristics. Advances in identifying specific molecular markers have been seen recently and may be adopted as gold standards in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Kilic
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
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7
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Rajpert-De Meyts E, Goriely A, Almstrup K. New analysis of atypical spermatocytic tumours reveals extensive heterogeneity and plasticity of germ cell tumours †. J Pathol 2024; 263:1-4. [PMID: 38362619 DOI: 10.1002/path.6262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) derived from immature (type I) and pluripotent germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS, type II) are characterised by remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity. In contrast, the rare spermatocytic tumour (SpT, type III), derived from mature spermatogonia, is considered a homogenous and benign tumour but may occasionally present as an anaplastic or an aggressive sarcomatoid tumour. While various oncogenic processes had been proposed, the precise mechanism driving malignant progression remained elusive until the molecular characterisation of a series of atypical SpTs described in a recent issue of The Journal of Pathology. The emerging picture suggests the presence of two distinct trajectories for SpTs, involving either RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway mutations or a ploidy shift with secondary TP53 mutations and/or gain of chromosome 12p, the latter known as pathognomonic for type II GCNIS-derived TGCTs. Here, we discuss the implications of these findings, seen from the perspective of germ cell biology and the unique features of different TGCTs. The evolving phenotype of SpTs, induced by genomic and epigenetic changes, illustrates that the concept of plasticity applies to all germ cell tumours, making them inherently heterogenous and capable of significant transformation during progression. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts
- Department of Growth & Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Goriely
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristian Almstrup
- Department of Growth & Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Lee SM, Loo C, Prasasya R, Bartolomei M, Kohli R, Zhou W. Low-input and single-cell methods for Infinium DNA methylation BeadChips. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e38. [PMID: 38407446 PMCID: PMC11040145 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The Infinium BeadChip is the most widely used DNA methylome assay technology for population-scale epigenome profiling. However, the standard workflow requires over 200 ng of input DNA, hindering its application to small cell-number samples, such as primordial germ cells. We developed experimental and analysis workflows to extend this technology to suboptimal input DNA conditions, including ultra-low input down to single cells. DNA preamplification significantly enhanced detection rates to over 50% in five-cell samples and ∼25% in single cells. Enzymatic conversion also substantially improved data quality. Computationally, we developed a method to model the background signal's influence on the DNA methylation level readings. The modified detection P-value calculation achieved higher sensitivities for low-input datasets and was validated in over 100 000 public diverse methylome profiles. We employed the optimized workflow to query the demethylation dynamics in mouse primordial germ cells available at low cell numbers. Our data revealed nuanced chromatin states, sex disparities, and the role of DNA methylation in transposable element regulation during germ cell development. Collectively, we present comprehensive experimental and computational solutions to extend this widely used methylation assay technology to applications with limited DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Moe Lee
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christian E Loo
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rexxi D Prasasya
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rahul M Kohli
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Wanding Zhou
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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9
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Clarke DJB, Marino GB, Deng EZ, Xie Z, Evangelista JE, Ma'ayan A. Rummagene: massive mining of gene sets from supporting materials of biomedical research publications. Commun Biol 2024; 7:482. [PMID: 38643247 PMCID: PMC11032387 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06177-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Many biomedical research publications contain gene sets in their supporting tables, and these sets are currently not available for search and reuse. By crawling PubMed Central, the Rummagene server provides access to hundreds of thousands of such mammalian gene sets. So far, we scanned 5,448,589 articles to find 121,237 articles that contain 642,389 gene sets. These sets are served for enrichment analysis, free text, and table title search. Investigating statistical patterns within the Rummagene database, we demonstrate that Rummagene can be used for transcription factor and kinase enrichment analyses, and for gene function predictions. By combining gene set similarity with abstract similarity, Rummagene can find surprising relationships between biological processes, concepts, and named entities. Overall, Rummagene brings to surface the ability to search a massive collection of published biomedical datasets that are currently buried and inaccessible. The Rummagene web application is available at https://rummagene.com .
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J B Clarke
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Giacomo B Marino
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eden Z Deng
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Zhuorui Xie
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - John Erol Evangelista
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Bioinformatics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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10
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Michaelis J, Himmelsbach R, Metzger P, Lassmann S, Börries M, Werner M, Miething C, Höfflin R, Illert AL, Duyster J, Becker H, Sigle A, Gratzke C, Grabbert M. Primary Results of Patients with Genitourinary Malignancies Presented at a Molecular Tumor Board. Urol Int 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38626735 DOI: 10.1159/000538908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Personalized medicine poses great opportunities and challenges. While the therapeutic landscape markedly expands, descriptions about status, clinical implementation and real-world benefits of precision oncology and molecular tumor boards (MTB) remain sparse, particularly in the field of genitourinary (GU) cancer. Hence, this study characterized urological MTB cases to better understand the potential role of MTB in uro-oncology. METHODS We analyzed patients with complete data sets being reviewed at an MTB from January 2019 to October 2022, focusing on results of molecular analysis and treatment recommendations. RESULTS We evaluated 102 patients with GU cancer with a mean patient age of 61.7 years. Prostate cancer (PCa) was the most frequent entity with 52.9% (54/102), followed by bladder cancer (18.6%, 19/102) and renal cell carcinoma (14.7%, 15/102). On average, case presentation at MTB took place 54.9 months after initial diagnosis and after 2.7 previous lines of therapy. During the study period, 49.0% (50/102) of patients deceased. Additional MTB-based treatment recommendations were achieved in a majority of 68.6% (70/102) of patients, with a recommendation for targeted therapy in 64.3% (45/70) of these patients. Only 6.7% (3/45) of patients - due to different reasons - received the recommended MTB-based therapy though, with 33% (1/3) of patients reaching disease control. Throughout the MTB study period, GU cancer case presentations and treatment recommendations increased, while the time interval between initial presentation and final therapy recommendation were decreasing over time. CONCLUSION Presentation of uro-oncological patients at the MTB is a highly valuable measure for clinical decision-making. Prospectively, earlier presentation of patients at the MTB and changing legislative issues regarding comprehensive molecular testing and targeted treatment approval might further improve patients' benefits from comprehensive molecular diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Michaelis
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ruth Himmelsbach
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Metzger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Silke Lassmann
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Börries
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Werner
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Cornelius Miething
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rouven Höfflin
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna L Illert
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Justus Duyster
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heiko Becker
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - August Sigle
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Gratzke
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Grabbert
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Tumorboard Network (MTB) Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany AND German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Zhou W, Johnson BK, Morrison J, Beddows I, Eapen J, Katsman E, Semwal A, Habib W, Heo L, Laird P, Berman B, Triche T, Shen H. BISCUIT: an efficient, standards-compliant tool suite for simultaneous genetic and epigenetic inference in bulk and single-cell studies. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e32. [PMID: 38412294 PMCID: PMC11014253 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Data from both bulk and single-cell whole-genome DNA methylation experiments are under-utilized in many ways. This is attributable to inefficient mapping of methylation sequencing reads, routinely discarded genetic information, and neglected read-level epigenetic and genetic linkage information. We introduce the BISulfite-seq Command line User Interface Toolkit (BISCUIT) and its companion R/Bioconductor package, biscuiteer, for simultaneous extraction of genetic and epigenetic information from bulk and single-cell DNA methylation sequencing. BISCUIT's performance, flexibility and standards-compliant output allow large, complex experimental designs to be characterized on clinical timescales. BISCUIT is particularly suited for processing data from single-cell DNA methylation assays, with its excellent scalability, efficiency, and ability to greatly enhance mappability, a key challenge for single-cell studies. We also introduce the epiBED format for single-molecule analysis of coupled epigenetic and genetic information, facilitating the study of cellular and tissue heterogeneity from DNA methylation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanding Zhou
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Benjamin K Johnson
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jacob Morrison
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ian Beddows
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - James Eapen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Efrat Katsman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Ayush Semwal
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Walid Abi Habib
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Lyong Heo
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Peter W Laird
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Benjamin P Berman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Timothy J Triche
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
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12
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Hashemi Gheinani A, Kim J, You S, Adam RM. Bioinformatics in urology - molecular characterization of pathophysiology and response to treatment. Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:214-242. [PMID: 37604982 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00805-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The application of bioinformatics has revolutionized the practice of medicine in the past 20 years. From early studies that uncovered subtypes of cancer to broad efforts spearheaded by the Cancer Genome Atlas initiative, the use of bioinformatics strategies to analyse high-dimensional data has provided unprecedented insights into the molecular basis of disease. In addition to the identification of disease subtypes - which enables risk stratification - informatics analysis has facilitated the identification of novel risk factors and drivers of disease, biomarkers of progression and treatment response, as well as possibilities for drug repurposing or repositioning; moreover, bioinformatics has guided research towards precision and personalized medicine. Implementation of specific computational approaches such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and molecular subtyping has yet to become widespread in urology clinical practice for reasons of cost, disruption of clinical workflow and need for prospective validation of informatics approaches in independent patient cohorts. Solving these challenges might accelerate routine integration of bioinformatics into clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Hashemi Gheinani
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Urology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jina Kim
- Department of Urology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sungyong You
- Department of Urology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rosalyn M Adam
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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13
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Ran L, Liu Y, Jiang L. Iodine‑125 seeds combined with carboplatin in the treatment of retroperitoneal metastatic seminoma: A case report and literature review. Oncol Lett 2024; 27:156. [PMID: 38426154 PMCID: PMC10902756 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Testicular seminoma is a relatively rare malignant tumor, with the most common site of recurrence and metastasis being the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Since seminoma is highly sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, even if it metastasizes, its cure rate is still >95%. However, the long-term toxicity and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy cannot be ignored. Iodine-125 seeds represent a low-energy radioactive source that kills tumor cells while protecting the surrounding normal tissues, and brachytherapy using iodine-125 seeds has been widely used for the treatment of various malignancies. In addition, carboplatin can be used as an alternative to cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy to reduce the incidence of pulmonary toxicity, neurological damage and renal toxicity. In the present study, a case in which iodine-125 seeds were implanted for the treatment of retroperitoneal metastatic seminoma is reported. The patient was diagnosed with postoperative recurrence of seminoma that metastasized to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Since the tumor was large and surrounded blood vessels, surgical intervention and external radiotherapy were not considered. Moreover, considering the potential long-term toxic side effects of standard chemotherapy, a treatment plan for the patient using iodine-125 seed implantation combined with carboplatin (AUC7) therapy was finally formulated. No disease recurrence or toxic reactions occurred during the 3-year follow-up after treatment. The present case therefore demonstrated the antitumor efficacy and reduced toxicity of iodine-125 seeds combined with carboplatin for treating seminoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhao Ran
- Department of Radiology, People's Hospital of Chongqing Banan District, Chongqing 401320, P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Radiology, People's Hospital of Chongqing Banan District, Chongqing 401320, P.R. China
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Ultrasound, People's Hospital of Chongqing Banan District, Chongqing 401320, P.R. China
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14
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Pyle LC, Kim J, Bradfield J, Damrauer SM, D'Andrea K, Einhorn LH, Godse R, Hakonarson H, Kanetsky PA, Kember RL, Jacobs LA, Maxwell KN, Rader DJ, Vaughn DJ, Weathers B, Wubbenhorst B, Regeneron Genetics Center Research Team, Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Greene MH, Nathanson KL, Stewart DR. Germline Exome Sequencing for Men with Testicular Germ Cell Tumor Reveals Coding Defects in Chromosomal Segregation and Protein-targeting Genes. Eur Urol 2024; 85:337-345. [PMID: 37246069 PMCID: PMC10676450 DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is the most common cancer among young White men. TGCT is highly heritable, although there are no known high-penetrance predisposition genes. CHEK2 is associated with moderate TGCT risk. OBJECTIVE To identify coding genomic variants associated with predisposition to TGCT. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The study involved 293 men with familial or bilateral (high risk; HR)-TGCT representing 228 unique families and 3157 cancer-free controls. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS We carried out exome sequencing and gene burden analysis to identify associations with TGCT risk. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS Gene burden association identified several genes, including loss-of-function variants of NIN and QRSL1. We identified no statistically significant association with the sex- and germ-cell development pathways (hypergeometric overlap test: p = 0.65 for truncating variants, p = 0.47 for all variants) or evidence of associations with the regions previously identified via genome-wide association studies (GWAS). When considering all significant coding variants together with genes associated with TGCT on GWAS, there were associations with three major pathways: mitosis/cell cycle (Gene Ontology identity GO:1903047: observed/expected variant ratio [O/E] 6.17, false discovery rate [FDR] 1.53 × 10-11), co-translational protein targeting (GO:0006613: O/E 18.62, FDR 1.35 × 10-10), and sex differentiation (GO:0007548: O/E 5.25, FDR 1.90 × 10-4). CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this study is the largest to date on men with HR-TGCT. As in previous studies, we identified associations with variants for several genes, suggesting multigenic heritability. We identified associations with co-translational protein targeting, and chromosomal segregation and sex determination, identified via GWAS. Our results suggest potentially druggable targets for TGCT prevention or treatment. PATIENT SUMMARY We searched for gene variations that increase the risk of testicular cancer and found numerous new specific variants that contribute to this risk. Our results support the idea that many gene variants inherited together contribute to the risk of testicular cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Pyle
- Rare Disease Institute, Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jung Kim
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Scott M Damrauer
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kurt D'Andrea
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Rama Godse
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peter A Kanetsky
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Rachel L Kember
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linda A Jacobs
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kara N Maxwell
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel J Rader
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David J Vaughn
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benita Weathers
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bradley Wubbenhorst
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Mark H Greene
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Katherine L Nathanson
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Douglas R Stewart
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
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15
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Seales CL, Puri D, Yodkhunnatham N, Pandit K, Yuen K, Murray S, Smitham J, Lafin JT, Bagrodia A. Advancing GCT Management: A Review of miR-371a-3p and Other miRNAs in Comparison to Traditional Serum Tumor Markers. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1379. [PMID: 38611057 PMCID: PMC11010994 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs, short non-protein coding RNAs, are overexpressed in GCTs. Circulating levels of germ cell tumor (GCT)-associated miRNAs, such as miR-371a-3p, can be utilized as efficient and cost-effective alternatives in diagnosing and managing patients presenting with GCTs. This quality of miRNAs has demonstrated favorable performance characteristics as a reliable blood-based biomarker with high diagnostic accuracy compared to current serum tumor markers (STMs), including α-fetoprotein (AFP), beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The conventional STMs exhibit limited specificity and sensitivity. Potential clinical implications of miRNAs include impact on de-escalating or intensifying treatment, detecting recurrence at earlier stages, and lessening the necessity of cross-sectional imaging or invasive tissue biopsy for non-teratomatous GCTs. Here, we also highlight the outstanding issues that must be addressed prior to clinical implementation. Standards for measuring circulating miRNAs and determining ideal cutoff values are essential for integration into current clinical guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal L. Seales
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA;
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - Dhruv Puri
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - Nuphat Yodkhunnatham
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - Kshitij Pandit
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - Kit Yuen
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - Sarah Murray
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
| | - Jane Smitham
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
| | - John T. Lafin
- Department of Urology, University Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (D.P.); (N.Y.); (K.P.); (K.Y.); (J.S.)
- Department of Urology, University Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
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16
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Satake D, Natsumeda M, Satomi K, Tada M, Sato T, Okubo N, Kawabe K, Takahashi H, Tsukamoto Y, Okada M, Sano M, Iwabuchi H, Shibata N, Imamura M, Imai C, Takami H, Ichimura K, Nishikawa R, Umezu H, Kakita A, Oishi M. Successful Multimodal Treatment of Intracranial Growing Teratoma Syndrome with Malignant Features. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:1831-1838. [PMID: 38668041 PMCID: PMC11049495 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31040138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular analysis of the growing teratoma syndrome has not been extensively studied. Here, we report a 14-year-old boy with a growing mass during treatment for a mixed germ cell tumor of the pineal region. Tumor markers were negative; thus, growing teratoma syndrome was suspected. A radical resection via the occipital transtentorial approach was performed, and histopathological examination revealed a teratoma with malignant features. Methylation classifier analysis confirmed the diagnosis of teratoma, and DMRT1 loss and 12p gain were identified by copy number variation analysis, potentially elucidating the cause of growth and malignant transformation of the teratoma. The patient remains in remission after intense chemoradiation treatment as a high-risk germ cell tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiken Satake
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
- Advanced Treatment of Neurological Diseases Branch, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Kaishi Satomi
- Department of Pathology, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan;
| | - Mari Tada
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.T.); (A.K.)
| | - Taro Sato
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Noritaka Okubo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Keita Kawabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Haruhiko Takahashi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Yoshihiro Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Masayasu Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Masakazu Sano
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
| | - Haruko Iwabuchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata 951-8520, Japan; (H.I.); (N.S.); (C.I.)
| | - Nao Shibata
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata 951-8520, Japan; (H.I.); (N.S.); (C.I.)
| | - Masaru Imamura
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata 951-8520, Japan; (H.I.); (N.S.); (C.I.)
| | - Chihaya Imai
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata 951-8520, Japan; (H.I.); (N.S.); (C.I.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Toyama University, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Takami
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan;
| | - Koichi Ichimura
- Department of Brain Disease Translational Research, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan;
| | - Ryo Nishikawa
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama 350-1298, Japan;
| | - Hajime Umezu
- Division of Pathology, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8520, Japan;
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.T.); (A.K.)
| | - Makoto Oishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (T.S.); (N.O.); (K.K.); (H.T.); (Y.T.); (M.O.); (M.S.); (M.O.)
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17
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McHugh DJ, Gleeson JP, Feldman DR. Testicular cancer in 2023: Current status and recent progress. CA Cancer J Clin 2024; 74:167-186. [PMID: 37947355 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumor (GCT) is the most common solid tumor in adolescent and young adult men. Progress in the management of GCT has been made in the last 50 years, with a substantial improvement in cure rates for advanced disease, from 25% in the 1970s to nearly 80%. However, relapsed or platinum-refractory disease occurs in a proportion, 20% of whom will die from disease progression. This article reviews the current evidence-based treatments for extracranial GCT, the acute and chronic toxic effects that may result, and highlights contemporary advances and progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deaglan J McHugh
- Genitourinary Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jack P Gleeson
- Cancer Research, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Medical Oncology Department, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Darren R Feldman
- Genitourinary Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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18
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Zhang B, Kapur P, Koduru PR, Jia L. Retroperitoneal Sarcomatoid Yolk Sac Tumor in a Chemotherapy-Naive Patient With Testicular Postpubertal Type Teratoma: A Rare Case Report With Emphasis on Molecular Features. Int J Surg Pathol 2024:10668969241231973. [PMID: 38377960 DOI: 10.1177/10668969241231973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Sarcomatoid yolk sac tumor is a very rare histologic type of testicular germ cell tumor and is mainly reported in testicular germ cell tumor patients who receive chemotherapy. Herein, we report an extremely rare concurrent retroperitoneal sarcomatoid yolk sac tumor in a man with a testicular postpuberal teratoma before he received chemotherapy. A 37-year-old man initially presented with a persistent abdominal pain. Subsequent imaging studies revealed a 9.6-cm retroperitoneal mass, and 2 testicular masses (3.1 cm and 0.9 cm in greatest dimension, respectively). His serum tumor markers were within normal ranges. His radical orchiectomy demonstrated a postpubertal type teratoma with an adjacent scarring nodule. Later, his retroperitoneal tumor showed spindle tumor cells embedded in predominantly myxoid and focally fibrous stroma with diffuse and strong immunoreactivity for keratin AE1/AE3, SALL4 and glypican 3. No tumor necrosis or brisk mitotic figures were observed. A diagnosis of sarcomatoid yolk sac tumor was rendered. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of his retroperitoneal sarcomatoid yolk sac tumor revealed polysomy 12 and MYC amplification, whereas no evidence of isochromosome 12p [i(12p)], and DNA sequencing showed 6 mutations per megabase (muts/Mb), and the somatic alterations included ARAF amplification and ATR I774Yfs*5. Considering its rarity, sarcomatoid yolk sac tumor may pose diagnostic challenges. Therefore, relevant clinicoradiologic information and ancillary work up, including immunohistochemistry and molecular studies, may be helpful for the accurate classification. Our tumor further raises awareness of this rare event, expands the spectrum of its clinical presentation, and explores the molecular features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Payal Kapur
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Prasad R Koduru
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Liwei Jia
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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19
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Yodkhunnatham N, Pandit K, Puri D, Yuen KL, Bagrodia A. MicroRNAs in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: The Teratoma Challenge. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2156. [PMID: 38396829 PMCID: PMC10889716 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are relatively common in young men, making accurate diagnosis and prognosis assessment essential. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), including microRNA-371a-3p (miR-371a-3p), have shown promise as biomarkers for TGCTs. This review discusses the recent advancements in the use of miRNA biomarkers in TGCTs, with a focus on the challenges surrounding the noninvasive detection of teratomas. Circulating miR-371a-3p, which is expressed in undifferentiated TGCTs but not in teratomas, is a promising biomarker for TGCTs. Its detection in serum, plasma, and, potentially, cystic fluid could be useful for TGCT diagnosis, surveillance, and monitoring of therapeutic response. Other miRNAs, such as miR-375-3p and miR-375-5p, have been investigated to differentiate between TGCT subtypes (teratoma, necrosis/fibrosis, and viable tumors), which can aid in treatment decisions. However, a reliable marker for teratoma has yet to be identified. The clinical applications of miRNA biomarkers could spare patients from unnecessary surgeries and allow for more personalized therapeutic approaches. Particularly in patients with residual masses larger than 1 cm following chemotherapy, it is critical to differentiate between viable tumors, teratomas, and necrosis/fibrosis. Teratomas, which mimic somatic tissues, present a challenge in differentiation and require a comprehensive diagnostic approach. The combination of miR-371 and miR-375 shows potential in enhancing diagnostic precision, aiding in distinguishing between teratomas, viable tumors, and necrosis. The implementation of miRNA biomarkers in TGCT care could improve patient outcomes, reduce overtreatment, and facilitate personalized therapeutic strategies. However, a reliable marker for teratoma is still lacking. Future research should focus on the clinical validation and standardization of these biomarkers to fully realize their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuphat Yodkhunnatham
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (N.Y.); (K.P.); (D.P.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Kshitij Pandit
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (N.Y.); (K.P.); (D.P.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Dhruv Puri
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (N.Y.); (K.P.); (D.P.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Kit L. Yuen
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (N.Y.); (K.P.); (D.P.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (N.Y.); (K.P.); (D.P.); (K.L.Y.)
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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20
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Saliyeva S, Boranbayeva R, Bulegenova M, Beloussov V. Application of microRNAs in the diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric germ cell tumors: Kazakh experience. Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2024; 41:121-134. [PMID: 37898912 DOI: 10.1080/08880018.2023.2267607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
GCT is characterized by specific biochemical markers expression, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which are the main tools in the diagnosis and monitoring of GCT treatment. They are expressed in 15-20% of cases of seminoma and in 60-80% of cases of non-seminoma. MicroRNA profiling allows to identify a number of microRNAs that are superior to classical serum tumor markers in the diagnosis of primary tumors, as well as in subsequent monitoring and prediction of recurrence. We analyzed the expression of 9 microRNAs (microRNA clusters 302/367 and 371-373, microRNA375) in the blood serum of 20 children with extracranial GCT at different stages of therapy and showed their usefulness and informativeness in early detection of events. Taking into consideration the high sensitivity and specificity, serum microRNAs 367,371,372,373,302d are of great interest for clinical use in malignant GCT. Significant expression of miR 375-3p was not detected either in malignant GCT or in teratomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Symbat Saliyeva
- Scientific Center of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Riza Boranbayeva
- Scientific Center of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Minira Bulegenova
- Scientific Center of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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21
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Satomi K, Ichimura K, Shibahara J. Decoding the DNA methylome of central nervous system tumors: An emerging modality for integrated diagnosis. Pathol Int 2024; 74:51-67. [PMID: 38224248 DOI: 10.1111/pin.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The definitive diagnosis and classification of individual cancers are crucial for patient care and cancer research. To achieve a robust diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, a genotype-phenotype integrated diagnostic approach was introduced in recent versions of the World Health Organization classification, followed by the incorporation of a genome-wide DNA methylome-based classification. Microarray-based platforms are widely used to obtain DNA methylome data, and the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum [DKFZ]) has a webtool for a DNA methylation-based classifier (DKFZ classifier). Integration of DNA methylome will further enhance the precision of CNS tumor classification, especially in diagnostically challenging cases. However, in the clinical application of DNA methylome-based classification, challenges related to data interpretation persist, in addition to technical caveats, regulations, and limited accessibility. Dimensionality reduction (DMR) can complement integrated diagnosis by visualizing a profile and comparing it with other known samples. Therefore, DNA methylome-based classification is a highly useful research tool for auxiliary analysis in challenging diagnostic and rare disease cases, and for establishing novel tumor concepts. Decoding the DNA methylome, especially by DMR in addition to DKFZ classifier, emphasizes the capability of grasping the fundamental biological principles that provide new perspectives on CNS tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaishi Satomi
- Department of Pathology, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Ichimura
- Department of Brain Disease Translational Research, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junji Shibahara
- Department of Pathology, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Du Y, Liu L, Zou B, Chen Z, Chen Q, Deng R, Yang P. Prognostic Differences Between Surveillance and Active Treatment After Initial Orchiectomy in Patients With Stage I Mixed Germ Cell Tumors of the Testis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis. J Surg Res 2024; 294:26-36. [PMID: 37857140 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The prognosis and optimal treatment approach for stage I mixed germ cell cancers of the testis are not well-established. This study aimed to assess contemporary treatment rates and their correlation with the cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality (OCM) in patients with stage I testicular mixed germ cell tumors (TMGCT) who underwent orchiectomy, comparing surveillance with active treatment, including chemotherapy (CHT) and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND). METHODS Retrospective analysis of clinical data from stage I TMGCT patients who underwent orchiectomy was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2019. The annual percentage change (APC) in the use of surveillance, postoperative CHT, and RPLND was examined. Propensity score matching (PSM) and cumulative incidence, analyses were employed to compare differences in CSM and OCM between surveillance and active treatment, as well as between CHT and RPLND. Multivariate competing-risks regression models were utilized to investigate independent factors affecting CSM and OCM among stage I TMGCT patients. RESULTS The study included 5743 individuals with stage I TMGCT that underwent surveillance (61.6%), CHT(27.2%), or RPLND (11.2%). Among them, 82 deaths were attributed to TMGCT, and 82 deaths resulted from other causes. Surveillance rates increased over time (APC: 0.635%, P = 0.008), as did CHT rates (APC: 0.863%, P < 0.001), while RPLND rates declined (APC: -0.96%, P < 0.001). After PSM, multivariate competing-risks regression analysis showed that, active treatment, compared to surveillance, was not an independent factor for CSM and OCM. In contrast, when compared to CHT, RPLND was an independent factor associated with lower CSM (hazard ratio = 0.247, 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.761; P = 0.015), but not OCM (hazard ratio = 0.946, 95% confidence interval: 0.377-2.37; P = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS Surveillance and CHT rates have increased over time for patients with stage I TMGCT following initial orchiectomy, while RPLND utilization has decreased. There was no significant difference in CSM between surveillance and active treatment groups, but RPLND demonstrated significantly lower CSM than CHT in active treatment. Our findings suggest that the usage of RPLND in patients with stage I TMGCT should be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Du
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lianghua Liu
- Department of Pathology, Biological Specimen Laboratory, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Bing Zou
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhili Chen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Rui Deng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ping Yang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan Province, China.
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23
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Cao J, Liu Z, Yuan J, Luo Y, Wang J, Liu J, Bo H, Guo J. Subgrouping testicular germ cell tumors based on immunotherapy and chemotherapy associated lncRNAs. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24320. [PMID: 38298718 PMCID: PMC10827771 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common reproductive system malignancies in men aged 15-44 years, accounting for 95 % of all testicular tumors. Our previous studies have been shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), such as LINC00313, TTTY14 and RFPL3S, were associated with development of TGCT. Subgrouping TGCT according to differential expressed lncRNAs and immunological characteristics is helpful to comprehensively describe the characteristics of TGCT and implement precise treatment. In this study, the TGCT transcriptome data in The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database was used to perform consensus clustering analysis to construct a prognostic model for TGCT. TGCT was divided into 3 subtypes C1, C2, and C3 based on the differentially expressed lncRNAs. C1 subtype was sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, while the C2 subtype was not sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, and C3 subtype may benefit from immunotherapy. We defined the C1 subtype as epidermal progression subtype, the C2 subtype as mesenchymal progression subtype, and the C3 subtype as T cell activation subtype. Subgrouping based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and immunological characteristics is helpful for the precise treatment of TGCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Cao
- Hunan Cancer Hospital, Department of Urology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Zhizhong Liu
- Hunan Cancer Hospital, Department of Urology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Junbin Yuan
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yanwei Luo
- Department of Blood Transfusion, the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Jinrong Wang
- Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No.138, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Jianye Liu
- Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No.138, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Bo
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Guo
- National Institution of Drug Clinical Trial, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- China National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Base for Early Clinical Trials of Biological Agents in Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China
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24
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Alonso-Crisostomo L, Trendell J, Ferraresso M, Bailey S, Ward D, Scurlock ZGL, Wenlock SC, Bastos CAP, Jugdaohsingh R, Faria NJ, Enright AJ, Scarpini CG, Coleman N, Murray MJ. Testicular germ cell tumour cells release microRNA-containing extracellular vesicles that induce phenotypic and genotypic changes in cells of the tumour microenvironment. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:372-388. [PMID: 37632231 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Malignant germ-cell-tumours (GCTs) are characterised by microRNA (miRNA/miR-) dysregulation, with universal over-expression of miR-371~373 and miR-302/367 clusters regardless of patient age, tumour site, or subtype (seminoma/yolk-sac-tumour/embryonal carcinoma). These miRNAs are released into the bloodstream, presumed within extracellular-vesicles (EVs) and represent promising biomarkers. Here, we comprehensively examined the role of EVs, and their miRNA cargo, on (fibroblast/endothelial/macrophage) cells representative of the testicular GCT (TGCT) tumour microenvironment (TME). Small RNA next-generation-sequencing was performed on 34 samples, comprising representative malignant GCT cell lines/EVs and controls (testis fibroblast [Hs1.Tes] cell-line/EVs and testis/ovary samples). TME cells received TGCT co-culture, TGCT-derived EVs, and a miRNA overexpression system (miR-371a-OE) to assess functional relevance. TGCT cells secreted EVs into culture media. MiR-371~373 and miR-302/367 cluster miRNAs were overexpressed in all TGCT cells/subtypes compared with control cells and were highly abundant in TGCT-derived EVs, with miR-371a-3p/miR-371a-5p the most abundant. TGCT co-culture resulted in increased levels of miRNAs from the miR-371~373 and miR-302/367 clusters in TME (fibroblast) cells. Next, fluorescent labelling demonstrated TGCT-derived EVs were internalised by all TME (fibroblast/endothelial/macrophage) cells. TME (fibroblast/endothelial) cell treatment with EVs derived from different TGCT subtypes resulted in increased miR-371~373 and miR-302/367 miRNA levels, and other generic (eg, miR-205-5p/miR-148-3p) and subtype-specific (seminoma, eg, miR-203a-3p; yolk-sac-tumour, eg, miR-375-3p) miRNAs. MiR-371a-OE in TME cells resulted in increased collagen contraction (fibroblasts) and angiogenesis (endothelial cells), via direct mRNA downregulation and alteration of relevant pathways. TGCT cells communicate with nontumour stromal TME cells through release of EVs enriched in oncogenic miRNAs, potentially contributing to tumour progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shivani Bailey
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dawn Ward
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Carlos A P Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ravin Jugdaohsingh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nuno J Faria
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anton J Enright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Nicholas Coleman
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew J Murray
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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25
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Tavares NT, Lobo J, Bagrodia A. MicroRNAs for detecting occult genitourinary cancer. Curr Opin Urol 2024; 34:20-26. [PMID: 37916954 DOI: 10.1097/mou.0000000000001137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Genitourinary (GU) malignancies are a real burden in global health worldwide. Each model has its own clinical challenges, and the early screening and/or detection of occult cancer in follow-up is transversal to all of them. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as minimally invasive liquid biopsy cancer biomarkers, due to their stability and low degradation. RECENT FINDINGS The different GU tumor models are in different stages concerning miRNAs as biomarkers for cancer detection. Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) already have a specific defined target, miR-371a-3p, that has shown high sensitivity and specificity in different clinical settings, and is now in final stages of preanalytical testing before entering the clinic. The other GU malignancies are in a different stage, with many liquid biopsy studies (both in urine and plasma/serum) being currently performed, but there is not an agreeable miRNA or set of miRNAs that is ready to follow the footsteps of miR-371a-3p in TGCTs. SUMMARY Further studies with proper molecular characterization of miRNA profiles of GU malignancies and standardization of sampling, biobanking and formal analysis may aid in the advance and choosing of specific target sets to be used for occult cancer detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Tiago Tavares
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Centre Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC)
- Doctoral Programme in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP)
| | - João Lobo
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Centre Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC)
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Centre Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC)
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of California - San Diego Health, San Diego, California
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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26
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Lu X, Luo Y, Nie X, Zhang B, Wang X, Li R, Liu G, Zhou Q, Liu Z, Fan L, Hotaling JM, Zhang Z, Bo H, Guo J. Single-cell multi-omics analysis of human testicular germ cell tumor reveals its molecular features and microenvironment. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8462. [PMID: 38123589 PMCID: PMC10733385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Seminoma is the most common malignant solid tumor in 14 to 44 year-old men. However, its molecular features and tumor microenvironment (TME) is largely unexplored. Here, we perform a series of studies via genomics profiling (single cell multi-omics and spatial transcriptomics) and functional examination using seminoma samples and a seminoma cell line. We identify key gene expression programs share between seminoma and primordial germ cells, and further characterize the functions of TFAP2C in promoting tumor invasion and migration. We also identify 15 immune cell subtypes in TME, and find that subtypes with exhaustion features were located closer to the tumor region through combined spatial transcriptome analysis. Furthermore, we identify key pathways and genes that may facilitate seminoma disseminating beyond the seminiferous tubules. These findings advance our knowledge of seminoma tumorigenesis and produce a multi-omics atlas of in situ human seminoma microenvironment, which could help discover potential therapy targets for seminoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanwei Luo
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xichen Nie
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bailing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guangmin Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qianyin Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhizhong Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liqing Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - James M Hotaling
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Hao Bo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Jingtao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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27
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Lopez-Beltran A. Testicular cancer: new developments, molecular pathology, and current research keynote. PATHOLOGIE (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 44:204-207. [PMID: 37975918 DOI: 10.1007/s00292-023-01264-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are now considered a curable cancer, with a > 95% cure rate in all patients and about 90% cure rate in patients with metastatic disease. The success of physicians in curing the disease is underpinned by multidisciplinary advances. Of relevance in this regard are the nowadays-applied homogeneous terminology based on pathologically better characterized testicular neoplasms and the development of a widely used risk stratification model for metastatic disease introduced by the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group in 1997 and updated in 2021. Non-pulmonary visceral metastases, high levels of the serum tumor markers alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and primary mediastinal non-seminoma are currently identified as determinants of poor prognosis. In addition, the presence of distinct microRNA profiles between seminomas and non-seminoma GCTs has opened up important perspectives in terms of noninvasive biomarkers that can be used in diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Lopez-Beltran
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Cordoba University Medical School, Avda. Menendez-Pidal S/N, 14004, Cordoba, Spain.
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28
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Teveroni E, Di Nicuolo F, Vergani E, Oliva A, Vodola EP, Bianchetti G, Maulucci G, De Spirito M, Cenci T, Pierconti F, Gulino G, Iavarone F, Urbani A, Milardi D, Pontecorvi A, Mancini F. SPTBN1 Mediates the Cytoplasmic Constraint of PTTG1, Impairing Its Oncogenic Activity in Human Seminoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16891. [PMID: 38069214 PMCID: PMC10707054 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Seminoma is the most common testicular cancer. Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is a securin showing oncogenic activity in several tumors. We previously demonstrated that nuclear PTTG1 promotes seminoma tumor invasion through its transcriptional activity on matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and E-cadherin (CDH1). We wondered if specific interactors could affect its subcellular distribution. To this aim, we investigated the PTTG1 interactome in seminoma cell lines showing different PTTG1 nuclear levels correlated with invasive properties. A proteomic approach upon PTTG1 immunoprecipitation uncovered new specific securin interactors. Western blot, confocal microscopy, cytoplasmic/nuclear fractionation, sphere-forming assay, and Atlas database interrogation were performed to validate the proteomic results and to investigate the interplay between PTTG1 and newly uncovered partners. We observed that spectrin beta-chain (SPTBN1) and PTTG1 were cofactors, with SPTBN1 anchoring the securin in the cytoplasm. SPTBN1 downregulation determined PTTG1 nuclear translocation, promoting its invasive capability. Moreover, a PTTG1 deletion mutant lacking SPTBN1 binding was strongly localized in the nucleus. The Atlas database revealed that seminomas that contained higher nuclear PTTG1 levels showed significantly lower SPTBN1 levels in comparison to non-seminomas. In human seminoma specimens, we found a strong PTTG1/SPTBN1 colocalization that decreases in areas with nuclear PTTG1 distribution. Overall, these results suggest that SPTBN1, along with PTTG1, is a potential prognostic factor useful in the clinical management of seminoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Teveroni
- International Scientific Institute Paul VI, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.T.); (F.D.N.); (A.P.); (F.M.)
| | - Fiorella Di Nicuolo
- International Scientific Institute Paul VI, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.T.); (F.D.N.); (A.P.); (F.M.)
| | - Edoardo Vergani
- Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.V.); (A.O.); (E.P.V.)
| | - Alessandro Oliva
- Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.V.); (A.O.); (E.P.V.)
| | - Emanuele Pierpaolo Vodola
- Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.V.); (A.O.); (E.P.V.)
| | - Giada Bianchetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Biophysics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (G.M.); (M.D.S.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maulucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Biophysics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (G.M.); (M.D.S.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco De Spirito
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Biophysics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (G.M.); (M.D.S.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Tonia Cenci
- Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, School of Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (T.C.); (F.P.)
| | - Francesco Pierconti
- Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, School of Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (T.C.); (F.P.)
| | - Gaetano Gulino
- Department of Urology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Federica Iavarone
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Vito, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.I.); (A.U.)
- Clinical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Operations (UOC), Agostino Gemelli Foundation University Hospital IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Vito, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.I.); (A.U.)
- Clinical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Operations (UOC), Agostino Gemelli Foundation University Hospital IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Milardi
- International Scientific Institute Paul VI, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.T.); (F.D.N.); (A.P.); (F.M.)
- Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.V.); (A.O.); (E.P.V.)
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- International Scientific Institute Paul VI, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.T.); (F.D.N.); (A.P.); (F.M.)
- Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.V.); (A.O.); (E.P.V.)
| | - Francesca Mancini
- International Scientific Institute Paul VI, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.T.); (F.D.N.); (A.P.); (F.M.)
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29
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Urbini M, Bleve S, Schepisi G, Menna C, Gurioli G, Gianni C, De Giorgi U. Biomarkers for Salvage Therapy in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16872. [PMID: 38069192 PMCID: PMC10706346 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The outcome of metastatic testicular germ cell tumor patients has been dramatically improved by cisplatin-based chemotherapy combinations. However, up to 30% of patients with advanced disease relapse after first-line therapy and require salvage regimens, which include treatments with conventional-dose chemotherapy or high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation. For these patients, prognosis estimation represents an essential step in the choice of medical treatment but still remains a complex challenge. The available histological, clinical, and biochemical parameters attempt to define the prognosis, but they do not reflect the tumor's molecular and pathological features and do not predict who will exhibit resistance to the several treatments. Molecular selection of patients and validated biomarkers are highly needed in order to improve current risk stratification and identify novel therapeutic approaches for patients with recurrent disease. Biomolecular biomarkers, including microRNAs, gene expression profiles, and immune-related biomarkers are currently under investigation in testicular germ cell tumors and could potentially hold a prominent place in the future treatment selection and prognostication of these tumors. The aim of this review is to summarize current scientific data regarding prognostic and predictive biomarkers for salvage therapy in testicular germ cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Urbini
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Sara Bleve
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Schepisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Cecilia Menna
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Giorgia Gurioli
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Caterina Gianni
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Ugo De Giorgi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
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30
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He F, Bandyopadhyay AM, Klesse LJ, Rogojina A, Chun SH, Butler E, Hartshorne T, Holland T, Garcia D, Weldon K, Prado LNP, Langevin AM, Grimes AC, Sugalski A, Shah S, Assanasen C, Lai Z, Zou Y, Kurmashev D, Xu L, Xie Y, Chen Y, Wang X, Tomlinson GE, Skapek SX, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva RT, Zheng S. Genomic profiling of subcutaneous patient-derived xenografts reveals immune constraints on tumor evolution in childhood solid cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7600. [PMID: 37990009 PMCID: PMC10663468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Subcutaneous patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are an important tool for childhood cancer research. Here, we describe a resource of 68 early passage PDXs established from 65 pediatric solid tumor patients. Through genomic profiling of paired PDXs and patient tumors (PTs), we observe low mutational similarity in about 30% of the PT/PDX pairs. Clonal analysis in these pairs show an aggressive PT minor subclone seeds the major clone in the PDX. We show evidence that this subclone is more immunogenic and is likely suppressed by immune responses in the PT. These results suggest interplay between intratumoral heterogeneity and antitumor immunity may underlie the genetic disparity between PTs and PDXs. We further show that PDXs generally recapitulate PTs in copy number and transcriptomic profiles. Finally, we report a gene fusion LRPAP1-PDGFRA. In summary, we report a childhood cancer PDX resource and our study highlights the role of immune constraints on tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Funan He
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Abhik M Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Laura J Klesse
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anna Rogojina
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Sang H Chun
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Erin Butler
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Taylor Hartshorne
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Trevor Holland
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dawn Garcia
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Korri Weldon
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Luz-Nereida Perez Prado
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Langevin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Allison C Grimes
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Aaron Sugalski
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Shafqat Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chatchawin Assanasen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gail E Tomlinson
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Stephen X Skapek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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31
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Kirchner K, Seidel C, Paulsen FO, Sievers B, Bokemeyer C, Lessel D. Further Association of Germline CHEK2 Loss-of-Function Variants with Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. J Clin Med 2023; 12:7065. [PMID: 38002677 PMCID: PMC10672725 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12227065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) represent the most frequent malignancy in young adult men and have one the highest heritability rates among all cancers. A recent multicenter case-control study identified CHEK2 as the first moderate-penetrance TGCT predisposition gene. Here, we analyzed CHEK2 in 129 TGCT cases unselected for age of onset, histology, clinical outcome, and family history of any cancer, and the frequency of identified variants was compared to findings in 27,173 ancestry-matched cancer-free men. We identified four TGCT cases harboring a P/LP variant in CHEK2 (4/129, 3.10%), which reached statistical significance (p = 0.0191; odds ratio (OR), 4.06; 95% CI, 1.59-10.54) as compared to the control group. Cases with P/LP variants in CHEK2 developed TGCT almost 6 years earlier than individuals with CHEK2 wild-type alleles (5.67 years; 29.5 vs. 35.17). No association was found between CHEK2 status and further clinical and histopathological characteristics, including histological subtypes, the occurrence of aggressive TGCT, family history of TGCT, and family history of any cancer. In addition, we found significant enrichment for the low-penetrance CHEK2 variant p.Ile157Thr (p = 0.0259; odds ratio (OR), 3.69; 95% CI, 1.45-9.55). Thus, we provide further independent evidence of CHEK2 being a moderate-penetrance TGCT predisposition gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Kirchner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (K.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Christoph Seidel
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (C.S.); (F.-O.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Finn-Ole Paulsen
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (C.S.); (F.-O.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Bianca Sievers
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (K.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Carsten Bokemeyer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (C.S.); (F.-O.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Davor Lessel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (K.K.); (B.S.)
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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32
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Ranjbari S, Arslanturk S. Integration of incomplete multi-omics data using Knowledge Distillation and Supervised Variational Autoencoders for disease progression prediction. J Biomed Inform 2023; 147:104512. [PMID: 37813325 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2023.104512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The rapid advancement of high-throughput technologies in the biomedical field has resulted in the accumulation of diverse omics data types, such as mRNA expression, DNA methylation, and microRNA expression, for studying various diseases. Integrating these multi-omics datasets enables a comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of cancer and facilitates accurate prediction of disease progression. METHODS However, conventional approaches face challenges due to the dimensionality curse problem. This paper introduces a novel framework called Knowledge Distillation and Supervised Variational AutoEncoders utilizing View Correlation Discovery Network (KD-SVAE-VCDN) to address the integration of high-dimensional multi-omics data with limited common samples. Through our experimental evaluation, we demonstrate that the proposed KD-SVAE-VCDN architecture accurately predicts the progression of breast and kidney carcinoma by effectively classifying patients as long- or short-term survivors. Furthermore, our approach outperforms other state-of-the-art multi-omics integration models. RESULTS Our findings highlight the efficacy of the KD-SVAE-VCDN architecture in predicting the disease progression of breast and kidney carcinoma. By enabling the classification of patients based on survival outcomes, our model contributes to personalized and targeted treatments. The favorable performance of our approach in comparison to several existing models suggests its potential to contribute to the advancement of cancer understanding and management. CONCLUSION The development of a robust predictive model capable of accurately forecasting disease progression at the time of diagnosis holds immense promise for advancing personalized medicine. By leveraging multi-omics data integration, our proposed KD-SVAE-VCDN framework offers an effective solution to this challenge, paving the way for more precise and tailored treatment strategies for patients with different types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Ranjbari
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, 48202, MI, USA.
| | - Suzan Arslanturk
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, 48202, MI, USA.
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Lobo J, Acosta AM, Netto GJ. Molecular Biomarkers With Potential Clinical Application in Testicular Cancer. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100307. [PMID: 37611872 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) and sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs) are the most common testicular neoplasms. The morphologic spectrum of such tumors is wide, with several histologic subtypes within each group. Testicular tumors often represent a diagnostic challenge, requiring proper identification of their biologic potential for accurate risk stratification and selection of therapy. In the era of precision medicine, molecular biomarkers are increasingly assuming a critical role in the management of patients with cancer. Given the overall rarity of certain types of testicular neoplasms, progress in biomarker research has been relatively slow. However, in recent years, we have witnessed a multitude of important contributions, including both tissue-based and liquid biopsy biomarkers, stemming from important discoveries of tumor pathobiology, accurate histopathological analysis, multi-institutional studies, and genome-wide molecular analyses of specific tumor subtypes. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress in molecular biomarkers of TGCTs and SCSTs, focusing on those with greatest potential for clinical application. In TGCTs, developmental biology has been the key to understanding these tumors and identifying clinically useful biomarkers (from classical serum tumor markers to pluripotency factors and circulating microRNAs of the 371-373 cluster). For SCSTs, studies have focused on tissue biomarkers only, and genome-wide investigations have recently contributed to a better understanding of rare phenotypes and the aggressive biological behavior of some tumors within this nosologic category. Several new biomarkers are moving toward clinical implementation in this field. Therefore, the practicing pathologist should be aware of their strengths and limitations in order to utilize them properly and maximize their clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Lobo
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), Porto, Portugal; Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Andres M Acosta
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - George J Netto
- Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
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Lee SM, Loo CE, Prasasya RD, Bartolomei MS, Kohli RM, Zhou W. Low-input and single-cell methods for Infinium DNA methylation BeadChips. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558252. [PMID: 37786695 PMCID: PMC10541608 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The Infinium BeadChip is the most widely used DNA methylome assay technology for population-scale epigenome profiling. However, the standard workflow requires over 200 ng of input DNA, hindering its application to small cell-number samples, such as primordial germ cells. We developed experimental and analysis workflows to extend this technology to suboptimal input DNA conditions, including ultra-low input down to single cells. DNA preamplification significantly enhanced detection rates to over 50% in five-cell samples and ∼25% in single cells. Enzymatic conversion also substantially improved data quality. Computationally, we developed a method to model the background signal's influence on the DNA methylation level readings. The modified detection p -values calculation achieved higher sensitivities for low-input datasets and was validated in over 100,000 public datasets with diverse methylation profiles. We employed the optimized workflow to query the demethylation dynamics in mouse primordial germ cells available at low cell numbers. Our data revealed nuanced chromatin states, sex disparities, and the role of DNA methylation in transposable element regulation during germ cell development. Collectively, we present comprehensive experimental and computational solutions to extend this widely used methylation assay technology to applications with limited DNA.
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Bhuta R, Shah R, Gell JJ, Poynter JN, Bagrodia A, Dicken BJ, Pashankar F, Frazier AL, Shaikh F. Children's Oncology Group's 2023 blueprint for research: Germ cell tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70 Suppl 6:e30562. [PMID: 37449938 PMCID: PMC10529374 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Extracranial germ cell tumors (GCT) are a biologically diverse group of tumors occurring in children, adolescents, and young adults. The majority of patients have excellent outcomes, but treatment-related toxicities impact their quality of survivorship. A subset of patients succumbs to the disease. Current unmet needs include clarifying which patients can be safely observed after initial surgical resection, refinement of risk stratification to reduce chemotherapy burden in patients with standard-risk disease, and intensify therapy for patients with poor-risk disease. Furthermore, enhancing strategies for detection of minimal residual disease and early detection of relapse, particularly in serum tumor marker-negative histologies, is critical. Improving the understanding of the developmental and molecular origins of GCTs may facilitate discovery of novel targets. Future efforts should be directed toward assessing novel therapies in a biology-driven, biomarker-defined, histology-specific, risk-stratified patient population. Fragmentation of care between subspecialists restricts the unified study of these rare tumors. It is imperative that trials be conducted in collaboration with national and international cooperative groups, with harmonized data and biospecimen collection. Key priorities for the Children's Oncology Group (COG) GCT Committee include (a) better understanding the biology of GCTs, with a focus on molecular targets and mechanisms of treatment resistance; (b) strategic development of pediatric and young adult clinical trials; (c) understanding late effects of therapy and identifying individuals most at risk; and (d) prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion to reduce cancer health disparities and studying the impacts of social determinants of health on outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roma Bhuta
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Rachana Shah
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joanna J. Gell
- The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Medical School, Farmington, CT, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Jenny N. Poynter
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Bryan J. Dicken
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Stollery Children’s Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Farzana Pashankar
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - A Lindsay Frazier
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Furqan Shaikh
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Nestler T, Schoch J, Belge G, Dieckmann KP. MicroRNA-371a-3p-The Novel Serum Biomarker in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3944. [PMID: 37568759 PMCID: PMC10417034 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are a paradigm for the use of serum tumor markers in clinical management. However, conventional markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) have quite limited sensitivities and specificities. Within the last decade, the microRNA-371a-3p (miR371) emerged as a possible new biomarker with promising features. AREAS COVERED This review covers the typical features as well as possible clinical applications of miR371 in TGCT patients, such as initial diagnosis, therapy monitoring, and follow-up. Additionally, technical issues are discussed. EXPERT OPINION With a sensitivity of around 90% and specificity >90%, miR371 clearly outperforms the classical serum tumor markers in TGCTs. The unique features of the test involve the potential of modifying recent standards of care in TGCT. In particular, miR371 is expected to aid clinical decision-making in scenarios such as discriminating small testicular TGCT masses from benign ones prior to surgery, assessing equivocal lymphadenopathies, and monitoring chemotherapy results. Likewise, it is expected to make follow-up easier by reducing the intensity of examinations and by sparing imaging procedures. Overall, the data presently available are promising, but further prospective studies are required before the test can be implemented in standard clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Nestler
- Department of Urology, Federal Armed Forces Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Justine Schoch
- Department of Urology, Federal Armed Forces Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Gazanfer Belge
- Department of Tumour Genetics, University Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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Doghish AS, Moustafa HAM, Elballal MS, Sallam AAM, El-Dakroury WA, Abdel Mageed SS, Elesawy AE, Abdelmaksoud NM, Shahin RK, Midan HM, Elrebehy MA, Elazazy O, Nassar YA, Elazab IM, Elballal AS, Elballal MS, Abulsoud AI. The potential role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of testicular germ cell tumors - A Focus on signaling pathways interplay. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154611. [PMID: 37315401 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most common testicular neoplasms in adolescents and young males. Understanding the genetic basis of TGCTs represents a growing need to cope with the increased incidence of these neoplasms. Although the cure rates have been comparatively increased, investigation of mechanisms underlying the incidence, progression, metastasis, recurrence, and therapy resistance is still necessary. Early diagnosis and non-compulsory clinical therapeutic agents without long-term side effects are now required to reduce the cancer burden, especially in the younger age groups. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control an extensive range of cellular functions and exhibit a pivotal action in the development and spreading of TGCTs. Because of their dysregulation and disruption in function, miRNAs have been linked to the malignant pathophysiology of TGCTs by influencing many cellular functions involved in the disease. These biological processes include increased invasive and proliferative perspective, cell cycle dysregulation, apoptosis disruption, stimulation of angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis, and resistance to certain treatments. Herein, we present an up-to-date review of the biogenesis of miRNAs, miRNA regulatory mechanisms, clinical challenges, and therapeutic interventions of TGCTs, and role of nanoparticles in the treatment of TGCTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S Doghish
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11231, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Hebatallah Ahmed Mohamed Moustafa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Elballal
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Al-Aliaa M Sallam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Walaa A El-Dakroury
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Sherif S Abdel Mageed
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Ahmed E Elesawy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | | | - Reem K Shahin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Heba M Midan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A Elrebehy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt.
| | - Ola Elazazy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Yara A Nassar
- Biology Department, School of Biotechnology, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Elazab
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S Elballal
- Department of Dentistry, Medical Administration, University of Sadat, City Menoufia 32897, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmed I Abulsoud
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11231, Cairo, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt
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Elesawy AE, Abulsoud AI, Moustafa HAM, Elballal MS, Sallam AAM, Elazazy O, El-Dakroury WA, Abdel Mageed SS, Abdelmaksoud NM, Midan HM, Shahin RK, Elrebehy MA, Nassar YA, Elazab IM, Elballal AS, Elballal MS, Doghish AS. miRNAs orchestration of testicular germ cell tumors - Particular emphasis on diagnosis, progression and drug resistance. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154612. [PMID: 37327566 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Testicular cancer (TC) is one of the most frequently incident solid tumors in males. A growing prevalence has been documented in developed countries. Although recent advances have made TC an exceedingly treatable cancer, numerous zones in TC care still have divisive treatment decisions. In addition to physical examination and imaging techniques, conventional serum tumor markers have been traditionally used for the diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). Unlike other genital and urinary tract tumors, recent research methods have not been broadly used in TGCTs. Even though several challenges in TC care must be addressed, a dedicated group of biomarkers could be particularly beneficial to help classify patient risk, detect relapse early, guide surgery decisions, and tailor follow-up. Existing tumor markers (Alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotrophin, and lactate dehydrogenase) have limited accuracy and sensitivity when used as diagnostic, prognostic, or predictive markers. At present, microRNAs (miRNA or miR) play a crucial role in the process of several malignancies. The miRNAs exhibit pronounced potential as novel biomarkers since they reveal high stability in body fluids, are easily detected, and are relatively inexpensive in quantitative assays. In this review, we aimed to shed light on the recent novelties in developing microRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers in TC and discuss their clinical applications in TC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed E Elesawy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Ahmed I Abulsoud
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City 11231, Cairo, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt.
| | - Hebatallah Ahmed Mohamed Moustafa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Elballal
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Al-Aliaa M Sallam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Ola Elazazy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Walaa A El-Dakroury
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Sherif S Abdel Mageed
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | | | - Heba M Midan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Reem K Shahin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A Elrebehy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Yara A Nassar
- Biology Department, School of Biotechnology, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Elazab
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S Elballal
- Department of Dentistry, Medical Administration, University of Sadat City Menoufia 32897, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmed S Doghish
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City 11231, Cairo, Egypt.
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Nuñez-Corona D, Contreras-Sanzón E, Puente-Rivera J, Arreola R, Camacho-Nuez M, Cruz Santiago J, Estrella-Parra EA, Torres-Romero JC, López-Camarillo C, Alvarez-Sánchez ME. Epigenetic Factors and ncRNAs in Testicular Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12194. [PMID: 37569569 PMCID: PMC10418327 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular cancer is the most prevalent tumor among males aged 15 to 35, resulting in a significant number of newly diagnosed cases and fatalities annually. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators in various cellular processes and pathologies, including testicular cancer. Their involvement in gene regulation, coding, decoding, and overall gene expression control suggests their potential as targets for alternative treatment approaches for this type of cancer. Furthermore, epigenetic modifications, such as histone modifications, DNA methylation, and the regulation by microRNA (miRNA), have been implicated in testicular tumor progression and treatment response. Epigenetics may also offer critical insights for prognostic evaluation and targeted therapies in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). This comprehensive review aims to present the latest discoveries regarding the involvement of some proteins and ncRNAs, mainly miRNAs and lncRNA, in the epigenetic aspect of testicular cancer, emphasizing their relevance in pathogenesis and their potential, given the fact that their specific expression holds promise for prognostic evaluation and targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nuñez-Corona
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma De México (UACM), San Lorenzo 290, Col. Del Valle, México City 03100, Mexico
| | - Estefania Contreras-Sanzón
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma De México (UACM), San Lorenzo 290, Col. Del Valle, México City 03100, Mexico
| | | | - Rodrigo Arreola
- Departamento De Genética, Instituto Nacional De Psiquiatría “Ramón De la Fuente Muñiz”, Calz. Mexico, Xochimilco 101, Col. Huipulco, Tlalpan, México City 14370, Mexico
| | - Minerva Camacho-Nuez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma De México (UACM), San Lorenzo 290, Col. Del Valle, México City 03100, Mexico
| | - José Cruz Santiago
- Hospital De Especialidades Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, IMSS, México City 02990, Mexico
| | - Edgar Antonio Estrella-Parra
- Laboratorio De Fitoquímica, UBIPRO, FES-Iztacala, Unidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. De los Barrios No.1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Julio César Torres-Romero
- Laboratorio De Bioquímica y Genética Molecular, Facultad De Química, Universidad Autónoma De Yucatán, Calle 43 s/n x Calle 96, Paseo De las Fuentes y 40, Col. Inalambrica, Yucatán 97069, Mexico
| | - César López-Camarillo
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma De México (UACM), San Lorenzo 290, Col. Del Valle, México City 03100, Mexico
| | - María Elizbeth Alvarez-Sánchez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma De México (UACM), San Lorenzo 290, Col. Del Valle, México City 03100, Mexico
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Reece AS, Bennett K, Hulse GK. Cannabis- and Substance-Related Carcinogenesis in Europe: A Lagged Causal Inferential Panel Regression Study. J Xenobiot 2023; 13:323-385. [PMID: 37489337 PMCID: PMC10366890 DOI: 10.3390/jox13030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent European data facilitate an epidemiological investigation of the controversial cannabis-cancer relationship. Of particular concern were prior findings associating high-dose cannabis use with reproductive problems and potential genetic impacts. Cancer incidence data age-standardised to the world population was obtained from the European Cancer Information System 2000-2020 and many European national cancer registries. Drug use data were obtained from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Alcohol and tobacco consumption was sourced from the WHO. Median household income was taken from the World bank. Cancer rates in high-cannabis-use countries were significantly higher than elsewhere (β-estimate = 0.4165, p = 3.54 × 10-115). Eighteen of forty-one cancers (42,675 individual rates) were significantly associated with cannabis exposure at bivariate analysis. Twenty-five cancers were linked in inverse-probability-weighted multivariate models. Temporal lagging in panel models intensified these effects. In multivariable models, cannabis was a more powerful correlate of cancer incidence than tobacco or alcohol. Reproductive toxicity was evidenced by the involvement of testis, ovary, prostate and breast cancers and because some of the myeloid and lymphoid leukaemias implicated occur in childhood, indicating inherited intergenerational genotoxicity. Cannabis is a more important carcinogen than tobacco and alcohol and fulfills epidemiological qualitative and quantitative criteria for causality for 25/41 cancers. Reproductive and transgenerational effects are prominent. These findings confirm the clinical and epidemiological salience of cannabis as a major multigenerational community carcinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Kellie Bennett
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, 208 Kent St., Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Singh A, Rappolee DA, Ruden DM. Epigenetic Reprogramming in Mice and Humans: From Fertilization to Primordial Germ Cell Development. Cells 2023; 12:1874. [PMID: 37508536 PMCID: PMC10377882 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, advances in the understanding of epigenetic reprogramming from fertilization to the development of primordial germline cells in a mouse and human embryo are discussed. To gain insights into the molecular underpinnings of various diseases, it is essential to comprehend the intricate interplay between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors during cellular reprogramming and embryonic differentiation. An increasing range of diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders, have been linked to alterations in DNA methylation and histone modifications. Global epigenetic reprogramming occurs in mammals at two stages: post-fertilization and during the development of primordial germ cells (PGC). Epigenetic reprogramming after fertilization involves rapid demethylation of the paternal genome mediated through active and passive DNA demethylation, and gradual demethylation in the maternal genome through passive DNA demethylation. The de novo DNA methyltransferase enzymes, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b, restore DNA methylation beginning from the blastocyst stage until the formation of the gastrula, and DNA maintenance methyltransferase, Dnmt1, maintains methylation in the somatic cells. The PGC undergo a second round of global demethylation after allocation during the formative pluripotent stage before gastrulation, where the imprints and the methylation marks on the transposable elements known as retrotransposons, including long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) and intracisternal A-particle (IAP) elements are demethylated as well. Finally, DNA methylation is restored in the PGC at the implantation stage including sex-specific imprints corresponding to the sex of the embryo. This review introduces a novel perspective by uncovering how toxicants and stress stimuli impact the critical period of allocation during formative pluripotency, potentially influencing both the quantity and quality of PGCs. Furthermore, the comprehensive comparison of epigenetic events between mice and humans breaks new ground, empowering researchers to make informed decisions regarding the suitability of mouse models for their experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Singh
- CS Mott Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Daniel A Rappolee
- CS Mott Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Reproductive Stress Measurement, Mechanisms and Management, Corp., 135 Lake Shore Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236, USA
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Douglas M Ruden
- CS Mott Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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Xu L, Pierce JL, Sanchez A, Chen KS, Shukla AA, Fustino NJ, Stuart SH, Bagrodia A, Xiao X, Guo L, Krailo MD, Shaikh F, Billmire DF, Pashankar F, Bestrashniy J, Oosterhuis JW, Gillis AJM, Xie Y, Teot L, Mora J, Poynter JN, Rakheja D, Looijenga LHJ, Draper BW, Frazier AL, Amatruda JF. Integrated genomic analysis reveals aberrations in WNT signaling in germ cell tumors of childhood and adolescence. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2636. [PMID: 37149691 PMCID: PMC10164134 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38378-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are neoplasms of the testis, ovary and extragonadal sites that occur in infants, children, adolescents and adults. Post-pubertal (type II) malignant GCTs may present as seminoma, non-seminoma or mixed histologies. In contrast, pre-pubertal (type I) GCTs are limited to (benign) teratoma and (malignant) yolk sac tumor (YST). Epidemiologic and molecular data have shown that pre- and post-pubertal GCTs arise by distinct mechanisms. Dedicated studies of the genomic landscape of type I and II GCT in children and adolescents are lacking. Here we present an integrated genomic analysis of extracranial GCTs across the age spectrum from 0-24 years. Activation of the WNT pathway by somatic mutation, copy-number alteration, and differential promoter methylation is a prominent feature of GCTs in children, adolescents and young adults, and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Significantly, we find that small molecule WNT inhibitors can suppress GCT cells both in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight the importance of WNT pathway signaling in GCTs across all ages and provide a foundation for future efforts to develop targeted therapies for these cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Xu
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Population & Data Sciences, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Joshua L Pierce
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Angelica Sanchez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kenneth S Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Abhay A Shukla
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nicholas J Fustino
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Blank Children's Hospital, Des Moines, IA, USA
| | - Sarai H Stuart
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Xue Xiao
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Population & Data Sciences, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lei Guo
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Population & Data Sciences, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mark D Krailo
- Department of Preventative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Children's Oncology Group, Monrovia, CA, USA
| | - Furqan Shaikh
- The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Farzana Pashankar
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Ad J M Gillis
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Yang Xie
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Population & Data Sciences, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lisa Teot
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaume Mora
- Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jenny N Poynter
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Dinesh Rakheja
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Bruce W Draper
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A Lindsay Frazier
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James F Amatruda
- Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Comaills V, Castellano-Pozo M. Chromosomal Instability in Genome Evolution: From Cancer to Macroevolution. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050671. [PMID: 37237485 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The integrity of the genome is crucial for the survival of all living organisms. However, genomes need to adapt to survive certain pressures, and for this purpose use several mechanisms to diversify. Chromosomal instability (CIN) is one of the main mechanisms leading to the creation of genomic heterogeneity by altering the number of chromosomes and changing their structures. In this review, we will discuss the different chromosomal patterns and changes observed in speciation, in evolutional biology as well as during tumor progression. By nature, the human genome shows an induction of diversity during gametogenesis but as well during tumorigenesis that can conclude in drastic changes such as the whole genome doubling to more discrete changes as the complex chromosomal rearrangement chromothripsis. More importantly, changes observed during speciation are strikingly similar to the genomic evolution observed during tumor progression and resistance to therapy. The different origins of CIN will be treated as the importance of double-strand breaks (DSBs) or the consequences of micronuclei. We will also explain the mechanisms behind the controlled DSBs, and recombination of homologous chromosomes observed during meiosis, to explain how errors lead to similar patterns observed during tumorigenesis. Then, we will also list several diseases associated with CIN, resulting in fertility issues, miscarriage, rare genetic diseases, and cancer. Understanding better chromosomal instability as a whole is primordial for the understanding of mechanisms leading to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Comaills
- Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, University of Pablo de Olavide-University of Seville-CSIC, Junta de Andalucía, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Maikel Castellano-Pozo
- Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, University of Pablo de Olavide-University of Seville-CSIC, Junta de Andalucía, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Genetic Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, 41080 Seville, Spain
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44
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Zhanxian S, Yuchen H, Jinzhi W, Lei Z. Mediastinal high-grade vasculogenic mesenchymal tumour with seminoma: a case report and literature review. Diagn Pathol 2023; 18:56. [PMID: 37118812 PMCID: PMC10142469 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-023-01333-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cell tumours with somatic-type solid malignancy (GCT-STM) are a rare disease of the mediastinum. Recently, a cohort of vasculogenic mesenchymal tumour (VMT)-nonseminoma cases with different prognoses were recognized and reported. Here, we report a case of mediastinal high-grade VMT with a seminoma. A 16-year-old male had a fever, chest tightness and fatigue. Chest CT showed a 7.5 cm×5.3 cm solid mass in the right anterior mediastinum. The serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were within the normal range. Tumorectomy was performed. The tumour was irregular, and no capsule was found. The cut surface was greyish white and greyish brown with medium consistency. There were foci of bleeding and necrosis. Microscopic histology showed prominent vascular proliferation, which was lined by mildly atypical endothelial cells in a cellular stroma with significant cytologic atypia. The vascular spectrum varied from crevice-like or antler-like thin- to thick-walled vessels. Beyond the tumour area, inside the remnant thymus tissues, there were small clusters of polygonal tumour cells with clear cytoplasm, distinct cell membranes, and round to polygonal nuclei with prominent nucleoli that were positive for Oct4, PLAP, SALL4 and CD117. The patient did not receive any treatments pre- or postoperation, and his condition was stable without progression after 14 months of follow-up evaluation. Here, we added a new entity of GCT-STM of the mediastinum composed of VMT and seminoma. A better understanding of the pathological features of GCT-VMT could help pathologists improve their awareness of these rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Zhanxian
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Han Yuchen
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Wei Jinzhi
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Zhu Lei
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
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Cuevas-Estrada B, Montalvo-Casimiro M, Munguia-Garza P, Ríos-Rodríguez JA, González-Barrios R, Herrera LA. Breaking the Mold: Epigenetics and Genomics Approaches Addressing Novel Treatments and Chemoresponse in TGCT Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097873. [PMID: 37175579 PMCID: PMC10178517 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ-cell tumors (TGCT) have been widely recognized for their outstanding survival rates, commonly attributed to their high sensitivity to cisplatin-based therapies. Despite this, a subset of patients develops cisplatin resistance, for whom additional therapeutic options are unsuccessful, and ~20% of them will die from disease progression at an early age. Several efforts have been made trying to find the molecular bases of cisplatin resistance. However, this phenomenon is still not fully understood, which has limited the development of efficient biomarkers and precision medicine approaches as an alternative that could improve the clinical outcomes of these patients. With the aim of providing an integrative landscape, we review the most recent genomic and epigenomic features attributed to chemoresponse in TGCT patients, highlighting how we can seek to combat cisplatin resistance through the same mechanisms by which TGCTs are particularly hypersensitive to therapy. In this regard, we explore ongoing treatment directions for resistant TGCT and novel targets to guide future clinical trials. Through our exploration of recent findings, we conclude that epidrugs are promising treatments that could help to restore cisplatin sensitivity in resistant tumors, shedding light on potential avenues for better prognosis for the benefit of the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Cuevas-Estrada
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Michel Montalvo-Casimiro
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Paulina Munguia-Garza
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Juan Alberto Ríos-Rodríguez
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo González-Barrios
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Luis A Herrera
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Monterrey 64710, Mexico
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Fan Z, Zhang L, Zhang S, Liu A, Li S, Cao X, Tian J, Zhao S, Sun J. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) Inhibitors Increase Inhibition of KIT Mutants by Imatinib. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 12:74-82. [PMID: 37724142 PMCID: PMC10505455 DOI: 10.52547/rbmb.12.1.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT are the major cause of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. KIT-mediated activation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3 kinase/AKT pathways plays an important role in KIT mutant-mediated cell transformation. Methods The frequently seen primary KIT mutations W557K558del and V560D, and the secondary KIT mutations V654A and N822K, in gastrointestinal stromal tumors were stably transfected into Ba/F3 cells. Cell proliferation was examined with a CCK kit, and cell survival and cell cycle were examined by flow cytometry. Cell signaling was examined by western blot. Results We found that farnesyltransferase inhibitors tipifarnib and lonafarnib, which inhibit RAS activity, inhibited ERK activation mediated by both wild-type and KIT mutants, which often occur in gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Correspondingly, both wild-type and KIT mutant-mediated cell survival and proliferation were inhibited by both inhibitors. Imatinib is used as the first-line targeted therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumors in the clinic. In our study, both inhibitors increased imatinib-mediated inhibition of cell survival and proliferation induced by both wild-type and KIT mutants. Similar to the primary KIT mutations, secondary mutations of KIT-induced ERK activation and cell response were inhibited by both inhibitors. Conclusions Our results suggested the potential benefit of farnesyltransferase inhibitors either alone or combined with imatinib in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors carrying KIT mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Liangying Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Shaoting Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Anbu Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Shujing Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Xu Cao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Jinhai Tian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Sien Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Jianmin Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Science and Technology Center, School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
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Skowron MA, Kotthoff M, Bremmer F, Ruhnke K, Parmaksiz F, Richter A, Küffer S, Reuter-Jessen K, Pauls S, Stefanski A, Ströbel P, Stühler K, Nettersheim D. Targeting CLDN6 in germ cell tumors by an antibody-drug-conjugate and studying therapy resistance of yolk-sac tumors to identify and screen specific therapeutic options. Mol Med 2023; 29:40. [PMID: 36991316 PMCID: PMC10053054 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00636-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Being the standard-of-care for four decades, cisplatin-based chemotherapy is highly efficient in treating germ cell tumors (GCT). However, often refractory patients present with a remaining (resistant) yolk-sac tumor (YST(-R)) component, resulting in poor prognosis due to lack of novel treatment options besides chemotherapy and surgery. The aim of this study was to identify novel targets for the treatment of YST by deciphering the molecular mechanisms of therapy resistance. Additionally, we screened the cytotoxic efficacy of a novel antibody-drug-conjugate targeting CLDN6 (CLDN6-ADC), as well as pharmacological inhibitors to target specifically YST. METHODS Protein and mRNA levels of putative targets were measured by flow cytometry, immunohistochemical stainings, mass spectrometry of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, phospho-kinase arrays, or qRT-PCR. Cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle assays of GCT and non-cancerous cells were performed using XTT cell viability assays or Annexin V / propidium iodide flow cytometry, respectively. Druggable genomic alterations of YST(-R) tissues were identified by the TrueSight Oncology 500 assay. RESULTS We demonstrated that treatment with a CLDN6-ADC enhanced apoptosis induction specifically in CLDN6+ GCT cells in comparison with non-cancerous controls. In a cell line-dependent manner, either an accumulation in the G2 / M cell cycle phase or a mitotic catastrophe was observed. Based on mutational and proteome profiling, this study identified drugs targeting the FGF, VGF, PDGF, mTOR, CHEK1, AURKA, or PARP signaling pathways as promising approaches to target YST. Further, we identified factors relevant for MAPK signaling, translational initiation and RNA binding, extracellular matrix-related processes as well as oxidative stress and immune response to be involved in therapy resistance. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study offers a novel CLDN6-ADC to target GCT. Additionally, this study presents novel pharmacological inhibitors blocking FGF, VGF, PDGF, mTOR, CHEK1, AURKA, or PARP signaling for the treatment of (refractory) YST patients. Finally, this study shed light on the mechanisms of therapy resistance in YST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaretha A Skowron
- Department of Urology, Urological Research Laboratory, Translational UroOncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mara Kotthoff
- Department of Urology, Urological Research Laboratory, Translational UroOncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Bremmer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katja Ruhnke
- Department of Urology, Urological Research Laboratory, Translational UroOncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Fatma Parmaksiz
- Department of Urology, Urological Research Laboratory, Translational UroOncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Annika Richter
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Küffer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Stella Pauls
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anja Stefanski
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philipp Ströbel
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kai Stühler
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniel Nettersheim
- Department of Urology, Urological Research Laboratory, Translational UroOncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Radhakrishnan K, Luu M, Iaria J, Sutherland JM, McLaughlin EA, Zhu HJ, Loveland KL. Activin and BMP Signalling in Human Testicular Cancer Cell Lines, and a Role for the Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Protein Importin-5 in their Crosstalk. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071000. [PMID: 37048077 PMCID: PMC10093041 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common malignancy in young men. Originating from foetal testicular germ cells that fail to differentiate correctly, TGCTs appear after puberty as germ cell neoplasia in situ cells that transform through unknown mechanisms into distinct seminoma and non-seminoma tumour types. A balance between activin and BMP signalling may influence TGCT emergence and progression, and we investigated this using human cell line models of seminoma (TCam-2) and non-seminoma (NT2/D1). Activin A- and BMP4-regulated transcripts measured at 6 h post-treatment by RNA-sequencing revealed fewer altered transcripts in TCam-2 cells but a greater responsiveness to activin A, while BMP4 altered more transcripts in NT2/D1 cells. Activin significantly elevated transcripts linked to pluripotency, cancer, TGF-β, Notch, p53, and Hippo signalling in both lines, whereas BMP4 altered TGF-β, pluripotency, Hippo and Wnt signalling components. Dose-dependent antagonism of BMP4 signalling by activin A in TCam-2 cells demonstrated signalling crosstalk between these two TGF-β superfamily arms. Levels of the nuclear transport protein, IPO5, implicated in BMP4 and WNT signalling, are highly regulated in the foetal mouse germline. IPO5 knockdown in TCam-2 cells using siRNA blunted BMP4-induced transcript changes, indicating that IPO5 levels could determine TGF-β signalling pathway outcomes in TGCTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthika Radhakrishnan
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
- Correspondence: (K.R.); (K.L.L.)
| | - Michael Luu
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Josie Iaria
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | - Jessie M. Sutherland
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Schools of Biomedical Science & Pharmacy and Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2305, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - Eileen A. McLaughlin
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Schools of Biomedical Science & Pharmacy and Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2305, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Gwynneville, NSW 2500, Australia
| | - Hong-Jian Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | - Kate L. Loveland
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- Correspondence: (K.R.); (K.L.L.)
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Fujii H, Yamada Y, Yamamura K, Ishida Y, Tsujimura M, Matsumoto K, Tanaka S, Date H, Nishikawa T, Yoshida Y, Kashima J, Yatabe Y, Ogawa S, Marx A, Ulbright TM, Haga H. A case of vasculogenic mesenchymal tumor in the mediastinum: whole-exome sequencing reveals origin from pre-existing germ cell tumor. Virchows Arch 2023; 482:923-927. [PMID: 36943470 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-023-03529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Vasculogenic mesenchymal tumor (VMT), a primitive mesenchymal neoplasm enriched by various-sized atypical vessels, is a new entity that develops in mediastinal germ cell tumors (GCTs) with yolk sac tumor (YST) components after chemotherapy. Notably, patients with VMT in the residual GCT have increased risk of developing sarcomas or hematopoietic malignancies. Here, we report a late-teenage male patient with residual teratoma and high-grade VMT after chemotherapy for a mediastinal mixed GCT, including YST. Whole-exome sequencing revealed biallelic inactivation of TP53 and extensive copy number alterations that suggested whole-genome doubling. The biopsy tissue of the mixed GCT before chemotherapy exhibited overlapping genetic alterations to those in the VMT. Immunohistochemical analyses of the VMT showed that the abnormal vessels were positive for cytokeratin, glypican 3, EZH2, and IMP3. The findings that VMT inherits the genetic alterations of pre-existing mixed GCT and exhibits a partly YST-like immunophenotype might contribute to its clinical aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotake Fujii
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yosuke Yamada
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Kentaro Yamamura
- Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ishida
- Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Marina Tsujimura
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | | | - Satona Tanaka
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Date
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tadaaki Nishikawa
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jumpei Kashima
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasushi Yatabe
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seishi Ogawa
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Alexander Marx
- Institute of Pathology, Mannheim and Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medical Centre, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thomas M Ulbright
- Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hironori Haga
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
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Cabral ERM, Pacanhella MF, Lengert AVH, dos Reis MB, Leal LF, de Lima MA, da Silva ALV, Pinto IA, Reis RM, Pinto MT, Cárcano FM. Somatic mutation detection and KRAS amplification in testicular germ cell tumors. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1133363. [PMID: 37007070 PMCID: PMC10060882 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1133363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular Germ Cell Tumors (TGCT) are the most common cancer among young adult men. The TGCT histopathology is diverse, and the frequency of genomic alterations, along with their prognostic role, remains largely unexplored. Herein, we evaluate the mutation profile of a 15-driver gene panel and copy number variation of KRAS in a large series of TGCT from a single reference cancer center. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cohort of 97 patients with TGCT, diagnosed at the Barretos Cancer Hospital, was evaluated. Real-time PCR was used to assess copy number variation (CNV) of the KRAS gene in 51 cases, and the mutation analysis was performed using the TruSight Tumor 15 (Illumina) panel (TST15) in 65 patients. Univariate analysis was used to compare sample categories in relation to mutational frequencies. Survival analysis was conducted by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. RESULTS KRAS copy number gain was a very frequent event (80.4%) in TGCT and presented a worse prognosis compared with the group with no KRAS copy gain (10y-OS, 90% vs. 81.5%, p = 0.048). Among the 65 TGCT cases, different variants were identified in 11 of 15 genes of the panel, and the TP53 gene was the most recurrently mutated driver gene (27.7%). Variants were also detected in genes such as KIT, KRAS, PDGFRA, EGFR, BRAF, RET, NRAS, PIK3CA, MET, and ERBB2, with some of them potentially targetable. CONCLUSION Although larger studies incorporating collaborative networks may shed the light on the molecular landscape of TGCT, our findings unveal the potential of actionable variants in clinical management for applying targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andre V. H. Lengert
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Mariana B. dos Reis
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Leticia F. Leal
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
- Barretos School of Health Sciences Dr. Paulo Prata – FACISB, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Marcos A. de Lima
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
| | | | - Icaro A. Pinto
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Rui M. Reis
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- 3ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - Mariana T. Pinto
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Flavio M. Cárcano
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil
- Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Oncoclínicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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