Annexin A1 influences in breast cancer: Controversies on contributions to tumour, host and immunoediting processes

Comprehensive analysis and experiments identified ANXA1 as an unfavorable prognosticator in glioma

BACKGROUND

ANXA1 was upregulated in gliomas in previous bulk sequencing studies. we examined the role of ANXA1 in glioma using bioinformatics analysis and experiments.

METHODS

Two cohorts were adopted to validate the prognostic value of ANXA1 in gliomas. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed on samples for further validation. Using the data of GSE162631, ANXA1 expression was analyzed in different cells in glioblastoma specimen. In different groups, lentiviral vector or the empty vector was used to construct cell lines. Wound-healing assay, along with Transwell assay, was conducted to assess the migration and invasion of glioma cells. Animal studies were conducted to examine the role of ANXA1 in gliomas.

RESULTS

ANXA1 expression was associated with overall survival in glioma patients. In glioblastomas, ANXA1 expression was higher than in low-grade gliomas. Among patients receiving chemo- or radiotherapy, high ANXA1 expression presented a shorter overall survival. Single-cell sequencing showed that ANXA1 was expressed in a higher proportion and level in glioblastomas cells than in normal cells; whereas, ANXA1 was enriched in T cells among immune cells. As shown in experiments, knockdown of ANXA1 could attenuate the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells in vitro and vivo, thereby improving the prognosis of animals.

CONCLUSIONS

ANXA1 can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma; its expression is positively correlated with immune response and poor prognosis of glioma. The cancer-promoting mechanisms of ANXA1 in glioma and its correlation with the functional status of glioma patients warrant further investigation.

TAZ downregulated ANXA1 expression to modulate myeloma cell interactions with bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells

We and others have previously shown that TAZ plays a tumor suppressive role in multiple myeloma. However, recent reports suggest that molecular crosstalk between the myeloma cells and bone marrow stromal components contributes to the myeloma cell survival and drug resistance. These reports further point to reciprocal interaction via adhesion molecules as the most prominent mechanism of intercellular crosstalk between myeloma cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs). YAP/TAZ silencing/expression has been shown to correlate across all cancers with a set of adhesion/extracellular matrix proteins. Therefore, we hypothesized that TAZ may regulate myeloma cell interaction with BM stromal cells by influencing the expression of distinct cell adhesion signatures. We used previously established TAZ myeloma cell line models, including DELTA47-pLENTI or TAZ knockout DELTA47 cells cocultured with or without BM-MSCs, as our study models. Using RNA sequencing analysis, we performed the first comprehensive screen for cell adhesion-related transcriptional targets of TAZ in multiple myeloma (MM). In doing so, we uncovered an enrichment of cell adhesion-related genes in TAZ knockout DELTA47 cells relatively to pLENTI-DELTA47 cells, including 11 genes with log2 fold change > 2 (p < 0.05), namely, ANXA1, ADGRL2, NCAM1, NCAM2, ADGRL3, CXADR, ALCAM, JAM2, KIRREL1, KIRREL2, and ADGRG7, suggesting possible relationship with TAZ. We validated ANXA1 as a bona fide target of TAZ in MM. We show that TAZ represses myeloma cell migration and interaction with BM-MSCs by transcriptionally downregulating ANXA1 expression via TEAD-dependent mechanism. Our data provide new insights into the understanding of the role of TAZ in the intercellular communication signals between myeloma cells and BM-MSCs. Our findings also suggest that ANXA1 represents a putative cell adhesion target to attenuate BM-MSC driven, tumor-promoting interaction with myeloma cells.

Insights into membrane interactions and their therapeutic potential

Recent research into membrane interactions has uncovered a diverse range of therapeutic opportunities through the bioengineering of human and non-human macromolecules. Although the majority of this research is focussed on fundamental developments, emerging studies are showcasing promising new technologies to combat conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's and inflammatory and immune-based disease, utilising the alteration of bacteriophage, adenovirus, bacterial toxins, type 6 secretion systems, annexins, mitochondrial antiviral signalling proteins and bacterial nano-syringes. To advance the field further, each of these opportunities need to be better understood, and the therapeutic models need to be further optimised. Here, we summarise the knowledge and insights into several membrane interactions and detail their current and potential uses therapeutically.

Vasculature organotropism in drug delivery

Over the past decades, there has been an exponential increase in the development of preclinical and clinical nanodelivery systems, and recently, an accelerating demand to deliver RNA and protein-based therapeutics. Organ-specific vasculature provides a promising intermediary for site-specific delivery of nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles to interstitial cells. Endothelial cells express organ-specific surface marker repertoires that can be used for targeted delivery. This article highlights organ-specific vasculature properties, nanodelivery strategies that exploit vasculature organotropism, and overlooked challenges and opportunities in targeting and simultaneously overcoming the endothelial barrier. Impediments in the clinical translation of vasculature organotropism in drug delivery are also discussed.

Suppression of VEGF and inflammatory cytokines, modulation of Annexin A1 and organ functions by galloylquinic acids in breast cancer model

The ongoing development of novel drugs for breast cancer aims to improve therapeutic outcomes, reduce toxicities, and mitigate resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Doxorubicin (Dox) is known for its significant side effects caused by non-specific cytotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of galloylquinic acids (BF) and the beneficial role of their combination with Dox in an Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC)-bearing mouse model, as well as their cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells. The EAC-mice were randomized into five experimental groups: normal saline, Dox (2 mg/kg, i.p), BF (150 mg/kg, orally), Dox and BF combined mixture, and a control group. Mice were subjected to a 14-day treatment regimen. Results showed that BF compounds exerted chemopreventive effects in EAC mice group by increasing mean survival time, decreasing tumor volume, inhibiting ascites tumor cell count, modulating body weight changes, and preventing multi-organ histopathological alterations. BF suppressed the increased levels of inflammatory mediators (IL-6 and TNF-α) and the angiogenic marker VEGF in the ascitic fluid. In addition, BF and their combination with Dox exhibited significant cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cells by inhibiting cell viability and modulating Annexin A1 level. Moreover, BF treatments could revert oxidative stress, restore liver and kidney functions, and normalize blood cell counts.

USP7 - a crucial regulator of cancer hallmarks

Over the course of three decades of study, the deubiquitinase Herpesvirus associated Ubiquitin-Specific Protease/Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 7 (HAUSP/USP7) has gradually come to be recognized as a crucially important molecule in cellular physiology. The fact that USP7 is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancers, supports the idea that USP7 is also an important regulator of tumorigenesis. In this review, we discuss USP7's function in relation to the cancer hallmarks described by Hanahan and Weinberg. This post-translational modifier can support increased proliferation, block unfavorable growth signals, stop cell death, and support an unstable cellular genome by manipulating key players in the pertinent signalling circuit. It is interesting to note that USP7 also aids in the stabilization of molecules that support angiogenesis and metastasis. Targeting USP7 has now emerged as a crucial component of USP7 research because pharmacological inhibition of USP7 supports p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Efficacious USP7 inhibition is currently being investigated in both synthetic and natural compounds, but issues with selectivity and a lack of co-crystal structure have hindered USP7 inhibition from being tested in clinical settings. Moreover, the development of new, more effective USP7 inhibitors and their encouraging implications by numerous groups give us a glimmer of hope for USP7-targeting medications as effective substitutes for hazardous cancer chemotherapeutics.

Predictive Value of Inflammatory and Nutritional Indexes in the Pathology of Bladder Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Cystectomy

In recent years, the focus of numerous studies has been the predictive value of inflammatory and nutritional parameters in oncology patients. The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between the inflammatory and nutritional parameters and the histopathological characteristics of patients with bladder cancer. A retrospective study included 491 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer between 2017 and 2021. We calculated the preoperative values of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). Statistically significant positive correlations were observed between NLR, dNLR, SII, SIRI, and PLR and the pathological stage of the tumor. We observed statistically significant inverse correlations for LMR, PNI, and GNRI with the tumor stage. SIRI was identified as an independent predictor of the presence of LVI. dNLR was identified as an independent predictor of positive surgical margins. GNRI was identified as an independent predictor of the presence of metastases in the lymph nodes. We noticed the predictive value of SIRI, dNLR, and GNRI in the pathology of bladder cancer patients.

Targeting Annexin A1 as a Druggable Player to Enhance the Anti-Tumor Role of Honokiol in Colon Cancer through Autophagic Pathway

Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tract malignancies, having the second highest mortality rate among all tumors, with a five-year survival of advanced patients of only 10%. Efficient, targeted drugs are still lacking in treating colon cancer, so it is urgent to explore novel druggable targets. Here, we demonstrated that annexin A1 (ANXA1) was overexpressed in tumors of 50% of colon cancer patients, and ANXA1 overexpression was significantly negatively correlated with the poor prognosis of colon cancer. ANXA1 promoted the abnormal proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the cell cycle, while the knockdown of ANXA1 almost totally inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells in vivo. Furthermore, ANXA1 antagonized the autophagic death of honokiol in colon cancer cells via stabilizing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Based on these results, we speculated that ANXA1 might be a druggable target to control colon cancer and overcome drug resistance.

Annexin A protein family: Focusing on the occurrence, progression and treatment of cancer

The annexin A (ANXA) protein family is a well-known tissue-specific multigene family that encodes Ca²⁺ phospholipid-binding proteins. A considerable amount of literature is available on the abnormal expression of ANXA proteins in various malignant diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes. As critical regulatory molecules in cancer, ANXA proteins play an essential role in cancer progression, proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Recent studies about their structure, biological properties and functions in different types of cancers are briefly summarised in this review. We further discuss the use of ANXA as new class of targets in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Tat-NTS Suppresses the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Glioblastoma Cells by Inhibiting Annexin-A1 Nuclear Translocation

Prevention of the nuclear translocation of ANXA1 with Tat-NTS was recently reported to alleviate neuronal injury and protect against cerebral stroke. However, the role that Tat-NTS plays in the occurrence and development of gliomas still needs to be elucidated. Therefore, human glioblastoma (GB) cells were treated with various concentrations of Tat-NTS for 24 h, and cell proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed with CCK-8 and Transwell assays. The nuclear translocation of ANXA1 was evaluated by subcellular extraction and immunofluorescence, and protein expression levels were detected by Western blot analysis. In addition, the activity of MMP-2/9 was measured by gelatin zymography. The results revealed that Tat-NTS significantly inhibited the nuclear translocation of ANXA1 in U87 cells and inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GB cells. Tat-NTS also suppressed cell cycle regulatory proteins and MMP-2/-9 activity and expression. Moreover, Tat-NTS reduced the level of p-p65 NF-κB in U87 cells. These results suggest that the Tat-NTS-induced inhibition of GB cell proliferation, migration and invasion is closely associated with the induction of cell cycle arrest, downregulation of MMP-2/-9 expression and activity and suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, Tat-NTS may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of GB.

A Cell-Based Systematic Review on the Role of Annexin A1 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that is often associated with a poorer prognosis and does not respond to hormonal therapy. Increasing evidence highlights the exploitability of Annexin A1 (AnxA1), a calcium dependent protein, as a precision medicine for TNBC. To systematically summarize the role of AnxA1 and its associated mechanisms in TNBC, we performed data mining using three main databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid/Medline. The papers retrieved were based on two different sets of key words such as “Annexin A1” or “Lipocortin 1” and “Breast cancer” or “TNBC”. A total of 388 articles were identified, with 210 chosen for comprehensive screening and 13 papers that met inclusion criteria were included. Current evidence from cell culture studies showed that AnxA1 expression is correlated with NF-κB, which promotes migration by activating ERK phosphorylation. AnxaA1 also activates TGF-β signaling which upregulates MMP-9 and miR196a expression to enhance epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migratory capacity of TNBC cells. AnxA1 can steer the macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype to create a pro-tumor immune environment. Existing research suggests a potential role of AnxA1 in the metastasis and immune landscape of TNBC tumors. Preclinical and clinical experiments are warranted to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of targeting AnxA1 in TNBC.

TRP Channels Interactome as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancer types worldwide and the first cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Although significant therapeutic advances have been achieved with drugs such as tamoxifen and trastuzumab, breast cancer still caused 627,000 deaths in 2018. Since cancer is a multifactorial disease, it has become necessary to develop new molecular therapies that can target several relevant cellular processes at once. Ion channels are versatile regulators of several physiological- and pathophysiological-related mechanisms, including cancer-relevant processes such as tumor progression, apoptosis inhibition, proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance. Ion channels are the main regulators of cellular functions, conducting ions selectively through a pore-forming structure located in the plasma membrane, protein–protein interactions one of their main regulatory mechanisms. Among the different ion channel families, the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family stands out in the context of breast cancer since several members have been proposed as prognostic markers in this pathology. However, only a few approaches exist to block their specific activity during tumoral progress. In this article, we describe several TRP channels that have been involved in breast cancer progress with a particular focus on their binding partners that have also been described as drivers of breast cancer progression. Here, we propose disrupting these interactions as attractive and potential new therapeutic targets for treating this neoplastic disease.

Role of Annexin A1 in Squamous Cell Lung Cancer Progression

Lung cancer remains the primary cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and its molecular mechanisms of tumor progression need further characterization to improve the clinical management of affected patients. The role of Annexin A1 (ANXA1) in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in general and especially in lung cancer remains to be controversial and seems to be highly tissue specific and inconsistent among tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. In the current study, we investigated ANXA1 expression in 81 squamous cell lung cancer (SQCLC), 86 pulmonary adenocarcinoma (AC), and 30 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patient-derived tissue samples and its prognostic impact on patient's survival. Mechanistically, we analyzed the impact of ANXA1 expression on proliferation and migration of SQCLC cell lines using CRISPR-Cas9 and mammalian overexpression vectors. Strong expression of ANXA1 was significantly correlated to longer overall survival only in SQCLC patients (P = 0.019). Overexpression of ANXA1 promoted proliferation in SQCLC cell lines but suppressed their migration, while knockout of ANXA1 promoted cell migration and suppressed proliferation. In conclusion, ANXA1 expression might elongate patients' survival by inhibiting tumor cell migration and subsequent metastasis.

Biomarkers of tumor invasiveness in proteomics (Review)

Over the past two decades, quantitative proteomics has emerged as an important tool for deciphering the complex molecular events involved in cancers. The number of references involving studies on the cancer metastatic process has doubled since 2010, while the last 5 years have seen the development of novel technologies combining deep proteome coverage capabilities with quantitative consistency and accuracy. To highlight key findings within this huge amount of information, the present review identified a list of tumor invasive biomarkers based on both the literature and data collected on a biocollection of experimental cell lines, tumor models of increasing invasiveness and tumor samples from patients with colorectal or breast cancer. Crossing these different data sources led to 76 proteins of interest out of 1,245 mentioned in the literature. Information on these proteins can potentially be translated into clinical prospects, since they represent potential targets for the development and evaluation of innovative therapies, alone or in combination. Herein, a systematical review of the biology of each of these proteins, including their specific subcellular/extracellular or multiple localizations is presented. Finally, as an important advantage of quantitative proteomics is the ability to provide data on all these molecules simultaneously in cell pellets, body fluids or paraffin‑embedded sections of tumors/invaded tissues, the significance of some of their interconnections is discussed.

Proteomics analysis of the matrisome from MC38 experimental mouse liver metastases

Dissemination of primary tumors to distant anatomical sites has a substantial negative impact on patient prognosis. The liver is a common site for metastases from colorectal cancer, and patients with hepatic metastases have generally much shorter survival, raising a need to develop and implement novel strategies for targeting metastatic disease. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a meshwork of highly crosslinked, insoluble high-molecular-mass proteins maintaining tissue integrity and establishing cell-cell interactions. Emerging evidence identifies the importance of the ECM in cancer cell migration, invasion, intravasation, and metastasis. Here, we isolated the ECM from MC38 mouse liver metastases using our optimized method of mild detergent solubilization followed by biochemical enrichment. The matrices were subjected to label-free quantitative mass spectrometry analysis, revealing proteins highly abundant in the metastatic matrisome. The resulting list of proteins upregulated in the ECM significantly predicted survival in patients with colorectal cancer but not other cancers with strong involvement of the ECM component. One of the proteins upregulated in liver metastatic ECM, annexin A1, was not previously studied in the context of cancer-associated matrisome. Here, we show that annexin A1 was markedly upregulated in colon cancer cell lines compared with cancer cells of other origin and also over-represented in human primary colorectal lesions, as well as hepatic metastases, compared with their adjacent healthy tissue counterparts. In conclusion, our study provides a comprehensive ECM characterization of MC38 experimental liver metastases and proposes annexin A1 as a putative target for this disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, the authors provide an extensive proteomics characterization of murine colorectal cancer liver metastasis matrisome (the ensemble of all extracellular matrix molecules). The findings presented in this study may enable identification of therapeutic targets or biomarkers of hepatic metastases.

An Update to Calcium Binding Proteins

Ca²⁺ binding proteins (CBP) are of key importance for calcium to play its role as a pivotal second messenger. CBP bind Ca²⁺ in specific domains, contributing to the regulation of its concentration at the cytosol and intracellular stores. They also participate in numerous cellular functions by acting as Ca²⁺ transporters across cell membranes or as Ca²⁺-modulated sensors, i.e. decoding Ca²⁺ signals. Since CBP are integral to normal physiological processes, possible roles for them in a variety of diseases has attracted growing interest in recent years. In addition, research on CBP has been reinforced with advances in the structural characterization of new CBP family members. In this chapter we have updated a previous review on CBP, covering in more depth potential participation in physiopathological processes and candidacy for pharmacological targets in many diseases. We review intracellular CBP that contain the structural EF-hand domain: parvalbumin, calmodulin, S100 proteins, calcineurin and neuronal Ca²⁺ sensor proteins (NCS). We also address intracellular CBP lacking the EF-hand domain: annexins, CBP within intracellular Ca²⁺ stores (paying special attention to calreticulin and calsequestrin), proteins that contain a C2 domain (such as protein kinase C (PKC) or synaptotagmin) and other proteins of interest, such as regucalcin or proprotein convertase subtisilin kexins (PCSK). Finally, we summarise the latest findings on extracellular CBP, classified according to their Ca²⁺ binding structures: (i) EF-hand domains; (ii) EGF-like domains; (iii) ɣ-carboxyl glutamic acid (GLA)-rich domains; (iv) cadherin domains; (v) Ca²⁺-dependent (C)-type lectin-like domains; (vi) Ca²⁺-binding pockets of family C G-protein-coupled receptors.

Assessment of annexin A1 release during immunogenic cell death

The protein annexin A1 (ANXA1) belongs to the danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that alert the innate immune system about tissue perturbations. In the context of immunogenic cell death (ICD), ANXA1 is released from the cytoplasm of dying cells and, once extracellular, acts on formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) expressed on dendritic cells to favor long-term interactions between dying and dendritic cells. As a result, the accumulation of extracellular ANXA1 constitutes one of the hallmarks of ICD. In the past, the detection of ANXA1 was based on semiquantitative immunoblots. More recently, a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to measure ANXA1 in an accurate fashion. Here, we detail the protocol to measure the concentration of ANXA1 in the supernatants of cancer cells treated with chemotherapy.

Distinct prognostic values of Annexin family members expression in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Annexin family consist of 12 members, many of them are frequently dysregulated in human cancers. However, the diagnosis and prognosis of Annexin family expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain elusive. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of Annexin expressions in adult and pediatric AML.

METHODS

GenomicScape tool was used to assess the prognostic value of the expressions of Annexin family members in a cohort of 162 adult AML patients. Quantitative reverse transcript real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was performed to detect the ANXA2 expression level in the bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMCs) obtained from 101 pediatric AML patients and 30 controls.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that high mRNA expressions of ANXA2, ANXA6, and ANXA7 were significantly associated with worse prognosis, while ANXA5 was correlated with better prognosis in adult AML. QRT-PCR analysis showed that ANXA2 expression was dramatically downregulated in BMMCs of pediatric AML patients compared to controls (p < 0.0001). ROC analysis demonstrated that ANXA2 could efficiently differentiate pediatric AML patients from controls (AUC 0.872, p < 0.0001). Likewise, ANXA2 was significantly lower in AML patients with poor-risk karyotype (p = 0.048). Also, the level of ANXA2 trended to decrease in AML patients who had not achieving complete remission. Moreover, patients with lower expression of ANXA2 had higher death rate (p = 0.042) and shorter overall survival (HR 0.55, p = 0.042). Thus, these findings suggest that ANXA2 exerts poor prognostic effect on adult AML but favorable prognostic effect on pediatric AML.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, Annexin family members exert distinct prognostic roles in AML, and ANXA2 can be used as a biological marker for diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric AML.

Preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio is a significant predictor of survival in bladder cancer patients after radical cystectomy: a retrospective study

Purpose

Earlier studies have indicated the prognostic value of the pretreatment C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CAR) in multiple tumor types. The present study attempts to investigate the predictive role of preoperative CAR in patients with bladder cancer after radical cystectomy (RC), and explores its prognostic index value.

Patients and methods

A total of 131 patients with bladder cancer after RC between 2009 and 2015 were analyzed in the present study. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analyses. Prediction accuracy was evaluated through the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

The median follow-up time for all patients in the present retrospective study was 39.72 months (15.51–53.26 months). The Kaplan–Meier curve analysis indicated that bladder cancer patients with high preoperative CAR (>0.2) were significantly associated with decreased PFS and OS (all, P<0.001). The multivariate analysis confirmed CAR as a common independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. Furthermore, the effective combination of CAR and pathological T staging constituted a new index (CART), and was observed to be an independent risk factor for OS (CART score =2, HR=0.264; 95% CI: 0.106–0.660, P=0.004; CART score =3, HR =0.371; 95% CI: 0.208–0.661, P=0.001). However, CART did not show any prognostic significance for PFS. Importantly, the AUC values of CAR for OS and PFS were higher than other conventional clinical indices.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that CAR can be used as a new prognostic indicator of OS and PFS in patients with bladder cancer after RC. Combining the CAR score with pathological T staging as the CART score appears to be a more effective prognostic indicator of poor OS, but not PFS.

Differentially expressed proteins in positive versus negative HNSCC lymph nodes

Background

Lymph node metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and critical for delineating their treatment. However, clinical and histological criteria for the diagnosis of nodal status remain limited. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the proteomic profile of lymph node metastasis from HNSCC patients.

Methods

In the present study, we used one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analysis to characterize the proteomic profile of lymph node metastasis from HNSCC.

Results

Comparison of metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes showed 52 differentially expressed proteins associated with neoplastic development and progression. The results reinforced the idea that tumors from different anatomical subsites have dissimilar behaviors, which may be influenced by micro-environmental factor including the lymphatic network. The expression pattern of heat shock proteins and glycolytic enzymes also suggested an effect of the lymph node environment in controlling tumor growth or in metabolic reprogramming of the metastatic cell. Our study, for the first time, provided direct evidence of annexin A1 overexpression in lymph node metastasis of head and neck cancer, adding information that may be useful for diagnosing aggressive disease.

Conclusions

In brief, this study contributed to our understanding of the metastatic phenotype of HNSCC and provided potential targets for diagnostic in this group of carcinomas.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12920-018-0382-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Annexin A1: Uncovering the Many Talents of an Old Protein

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) has long been classed as an anti-inflammatory protein due to its control over leukocyte-mediated immune responses. However, it is now recognized that ANXA1 has widespread effects beyond the immune system with implications in maintaining the homeostatic environment within the entire body due to its ability to affect cellular signalling, hormonal secretion, foetal development, the aging process and development of disease. In this review, we aim to provide a global overview of the role of ANXA1 covering aspects of peripheral and central inflammation, immune repair and endocrine control with focus on the prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the molecule in cancer, neurodegeneration and inflammatory-based disorders.

Augmenting Endogenous Levels of Retinal Annexin A1 Suppresses Uveitis in Mice

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of the anti-inflammatory protein Annexin A1 (AnxA1) in mice and human retinae during uveitis and to determine whether local administration of human recombinant AnxA1 (hrAnxA1) can suppress uveitis in mice.

METHODS

Retinal sections from mice (healthy normal and uveitis) and postmortem human (no history of eye disease (n = 5) and uveitis (n = 7)) were stained for AnxA1 expression and imaged by immunofluorescence microscopy. AnxA1 cellular expression was determined by colabeling with CD45, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and Iba-1 cells, with additional staining of AnxA1 receptors formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) and FPRL1/FPR2. Mice with acute endotoxin-induced uveitis and chronic experimental autoimmune uveitis were treated locally by intravitreal injection with hrAnxA1, and disease was assessed by clinical scoring and quantification of leukocyte infiltrate via flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Constitutive expression of AnxA1 was observed in both healthy mouse and human retinae, and its expression increased during uveitis compared to healthy controls. AnxA1 colocalizes predominantly with CD45⁺ cells, GFAP⁺ macroglia, and to a lesser extent, Iba-1⁺ myeloid cells. We also demonstrate that local treatment with hrAnxA1 attenuates the severity of uveitis in mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that locally expressed AnxA1 is elevated in the retina during intraocular inflammation. We demonstrate that local administration of hrAnxA1 to augment levels results in suppression of uveitis in mice.

TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE

Our data suggest that elevated expression of retinal AnxA1 in human uveitis may be immunoregulatory and that local supplementation with hrAnxA1 may provide a potential novel treatment for inflammatory eye diseases such as noninfectious uveitis.