Wnt signalling in gynaecological cancers: A future target for personalised medicine?

Menopause mysteries: the exosome-inflammation connection

Extracellular vesicles, or exosomes, are produced by every type of cell and contain metabolites, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Their role in health and disease is to influence different aspects of cell biology and to act as intermediaries between cells. Follicular fluid exosomes or extracellular vesicles (FF-EVs) secreted by ovarian granulosa cells are critical mediators of ovary growth and maturation. The movement and proteins of these exosomes are crucial in the regulation of cellular communication and the aging of cells, a process termed inflammaging. Menopause, a natural progression in the aging of females, is often accompanied by numerous negative symptoms and health issues. It can also act as a precursor to more severe health problems, including neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, as well as gynecological cancers. Researchers have discovered pathways that reveal the diverse effects of exosome-driven cellular communication and oocyte development in the follicular fluid. It also explores the complex functions of FF exosomal proteins in the pathologies associated with menopause.

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Brominated-Ormeloxifene (Br-ORM) against Cervical Cancer

Aberrant regulation of β-catenin signaling is strongly linked with cancer proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis, thus, small molecules that can inhibit this pathway might have great clinical significance. Our molecular modeling studies suggest that ormeloxifene (ORM), a triphenylethylene molecule that docks with β-catenin, and its brominated analogue (Br-ORM) bind more effectively with relatively less energy (-7.6 kcal/mol) to the active site of β-catenin as compared to parent ORM. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a Br-ORM by NMR and FTIR, as well as its anticancer activity in cervical cancer models. Br-ORM treatment effectively inhibited tumorigenic features (cell proliferation and colony-forming ability, etc.) and induced apoptotic death, as evident by pronounced PARP cleavage. Furthermore, Br-ORM treatment caused cell cycle arrest at the G1-S phase. Mechanistic investigation revealed that Br-ORM targets the key proteins involved in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as demonstrated by upregulation of E-cadherin and repression of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, MMP-2, and MMP-9 expression. Br-ORM also represses the expression and nuclear subcellular localization of β-catenin. Consequently, Br-ORM treatment effectively inhibited tumor growth in an orthotopic cervical cancer xenograft mouse model along with EMT associated changes as compared to vehicle control-treated mice. Altogether, experimental findings suggest that Br-ORM is a novel, promising β-catenin inhibitor and therefore can be harnessed as a potent anticancer small molecule for cervical cancer treatment.

Theranostic silk sericin/SPION nanoparticles for targeted delivery of ROR1 siRNA: Synthesis, characterization, diagnosis and anticancer effect on triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis among all breast cancer subtypes. The lack of proper treatments prompted scientists to find a practical targeted therapy to treat this type of tumor. Based on previous studies, tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (ROR1) is overexpressed in TNBC cells. Here, we designed a system consisting of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) decorated with silk sericin (SS NPs) for the targeted delivery of ROR1 siRNA, a gene silencer to knockdown the expression of human ROR1 gene. NPs exhibited spherical shape of about 193 nm with acceptable properties both in vitro and in vivo. The apoptosis study showed significant death of MDA-MB-231 cells after 24 h treatment with the prepared NPs. The real-time PCR study also demonstrated an almost complete shutdown of ROR1 expression. Guided by magnetic field, enhanced accumulation of NPs was observed in breast tumors induced by 4T1 cells in BALB/c mice. Histological evaluation of the tumor exhibited necrosis 14 days post-treatment with the siRNA-loaded NPs; whereas, the untreated tumor was proliferating. Also, the tumor growth rate was significantly decreased after treatment with siRNA-loaded NPs in vivo. In conclusion, the prepared delivery system could be considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating TNBC.

Inhibition of Wnt-β-Catenin Signaling by ICRT14 Drug Depends of Post-Transcriptional Regulation by HOTAIR in Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells

BACKGROUND

In Cervical cancer (CC), in addition to HPV infection, the most relevant alteration during CC initiation and progression is the aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Several inhibitory drugs of this pathway are undergoing preclinical and clinical studies. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with resistance to treatments. In this regard, understanding the efficiency of drugs that block the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in CC is of relevance to eventually propose successful target therapies in patients with this disease.

METHODS

We analyzed the levels of expression of 249 components of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in a group of 109 CC patients. Three drugs that blocking specific elements of Wnt/β-catenin pathway (C59, NSC668036 and ICRT14) by TOP FLASH assays and qRT-PCR were tested in vitro in CC cells.

RESULTS

137 genes of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway were up-regulated and 112 down-regulated in CC patient's samples, demonstrating that this pathway is dysregulated. C59 was an efficient drug to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin pathway in CC cells. NSC668036, was not able to inhibit the transcriptional activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Strikingly, ICRT14 was neither able to inhibit this pathway in HeLa cells, due to HOTAIR interaction with β-catenin, maintaining the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activated.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate a mechanism by which HOTAIR evades the effect of ICRT14, a Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitory drug, in HeLa cell line. The emergence of these mechanisms reveals new scenarios in the design of target therapies used in cancer.

Insights into the Role of Oxidative Stress in Ovarian Cancer

Oxidative stress (OS) arises when the body is subjected to harmful endogenous or exogenous factors that overwhelm the antioxidant system. There is increasing evidence that OS is involved in a number of diseases, including ovarian cancer (OC). OC is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, and risk factors include genetic factors, age, infertility, nulliparity, microbial infections, obesity, smoking, etc. OS can promote the proliferation, metastasis, and therapy resistance of OC, while high levels of OS have cytotoxic effects and induce apoptosis in OC cells. This review focuses on the relationship between OS and the development of OC from four aspects: genetic alterations, signaling pathways, transcription factors, and the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, strategies to target aberrant OS in OC are summarized and discussed, with a view to providing new ideas for clinical treatment.

Functional profiles of Müllerian inhibiting substance/anti-Müllerian hormone (MIS/AMH) in primarily cultured endometrial cancer cells

Background: Müllerian inhibiting substance/anti-Müllerian hormone (MIS/AMH) inhibits proliferation of MIS/AMH receptor-expressing gynecologic tumors in vivo and in vitro, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully defined. This study aimed to investigate the expression of MIS/AMH type II receptor (MIS/AMHRII) in endometrial cancer, to identify the mechanism of growth inhibition in MIS/AMH-treated endometrial cancer cells, and to evaluate the clinical significance of MIS/AMH as an effective targeted therapy for MIS/AMH receptor-expressing tumors.

Methods: We used tissue samples from 10 patients with total hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. To identify involved signaling pathways, we performed western blotting on apoptosis-, cell cycle-, Wnt signaling-, and autophagy-related proteins.

Results: MIS/AMHRII was highly expressed on the cell membrane of endometrial cancer tissues and primarily cultured endometrial cancer cells. We also found that MIS/AMH treatment reduced cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest, and increased apoptosis. MIS/AMH treatment induced upregulation of β-catenin-interacting protein (ICAT) and inhibition of the Dvl and Axin complex (IDAX) but downregulation of phospho-c-Jun in the Wnt signaling pathway.

Conclusions: MIS/AMH inhibits the growth of MIS/AMH receptor-expressing endometrial cancer cells through regulation of autophagy, apoptosis, and cell cycle pathways, as well as inhibition of Wnt signaling pathways. These data suggest that MIS/AMH functions as a tumor suppressor and may be an effective therapeutic agent in endometrial cancer.

G2 and S phase-expressed-1 acts as a putative tumor promoter in cervical cancer by enhancing Wnt/β-catenin signaling via modulation of GSK-3β

G2 and S phase-expressed-1 (GTSE1) is currently identified as a key regulator of carcinogenesis. However, the involvement of GTSE1 in cervical cancer is unclear. The aims of this work were to explore the relationship between GTSE1 and cervical cancer. Our data elucidated high GTSE1 expression in cervical cancer tissue, which predicted a poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. GTSE1 knockdown had tumor-suppressive effects in cervical cancer cells by inhibiting cell proliferative and invasive abilities. GTSE1 knockdown decreased the level of phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and active β-catenin, resulted in inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Suppression of GSK-3β remarkably abolished the GTSE1-knockdown-induced inhibitory effects on Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling abolished the GTSE1-overexpression-induced oncogenic effects. Notably, GTSE1 knockdown impeded the in vivo tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells. In short, this work demonstrates that GTSE1 is overexpressed in cervical cancer and GTSE1 suppression exerts a tumor-inhibiting role in cervical cancer by down-regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our work underlines a crucial relevance between GTSE1 and cervical cancer progression and suggests GTSE1 as a promising therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Targeting Wnt Signaling in Endometrial Cancer

Simple Summary

Wnt has diverse regulatory roles at multiple cellular levels and numerous targeting points, and aberrant Wnt signaling has crucial roles in carcinogenesis, metastasis, cancer recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance; based on these facts, Wnt represents an appealing therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Although preclinical data supports a role for the Wnt signaling pathway in uterine carcinogenesis, this area remains understudied. In this review, we identify the functions of several oncogenes of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in tumorigenesis and address the translation approach with potent Wnt inhibitors that have already been established or are being investigated to target key components of the pathway. Further research is likely to expand the potential for both biomarker and cancer drug development. There is a scarcity of treatment choices for advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer; investigating the sophisticated connections of Wnt signaling networks in endometrial cancer could address the unmet need for new therapeutic targets.

Abstract

This review presents new findings on Wnt signaling in endometrial carcinoma and implications for possible future treatments. The Wnt proteins are essential mediators in cell signaling during vertebrate embryo development. Recent biochemical and genetic studies have provided significant insight into Wnt signaling, in particular in cell cycle regulation, inflammation, and cancer. The role of Wnt signaling is well established in gastrointestinal and breast cancers, but its function in gynecologic cancers, especially in endometrial cancers, has not been well elucidated. Development of a subset of endometrial carcinomas has been attributed to activation of the APC/β-catenin signaling pathway (due to β-catenin mutations) and downregulation of Wnt antagonists by epigenetic silencing. The Wnt pathway also appears to be linked to estrogen and progesterone, and new findings implicate it in mTOR and Hedgehog signaling. Therapeutic interference of Wnt signaling remains a significant challenge. Herein, we discuss the Wnt-activating mechanisms in endometrial cancer and review the current advances and challenges in drug discovery.

[ENTPD5 gene is highly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer: analysis based on Oncomine database and bioinformatics]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer and explore its clinical implications.

OBJECTIVE

The expression level of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer was analyzed based on data from Oncomine and TCGA databases. The relationship between the expression level of ENTPD5 and clinical characteristics of the patients was analyzed using UALCAN database. Gene enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the possible role of ENTPD5 in the occurrence and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. CIBERSORT package was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of ENTPD5 and immune infiltration. The expression patterns of ENTPD5 were verified in 23 epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and 15 normal ovarian tissues using RT-qPCR and Western blotting; the expression of ENTPD5 protein was also detected immunohistochemically in 50 paraffin-embedded samples of epithelial ovarian cancer and 6 normal ovarian tissues.

OBJECTIVE

Analysis of Oncomine and TCGA databases showed that the expression of ENTPD5 was significantly higher in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues than in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.05), and its expression level was negatively correlated with the survival rate of the patients (P < 0.05). Data from UALCAN database showed that the expression level of ENTPD5 was related with the age of patients. The results of GSEA suggested that ENTPD5 was involved in ABC transporter, WNT signaling pathway and insulin signaling, and the expression of ENTPD5 was negatively correlated with the contents of NK cells, mast cells and eosinophils (P < 0.05). In clinical samples of epithelial ovarian cancer tissues, the expression of ENTPD5 was significantly higher than that in normal ovarian tissues at both the mRNA (P < 0.01) and protein (P < 0.05) levels. The paraffinembedded samples also showed significantly higher expressions of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer than in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE

ENTPD5 is highly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer, which may promote the occurrence and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer by participating in multiple functional processes and cellular immune infiltration.

Targeting NEK2 impairs oncogenesis and radioresistance via inhibiting the Wnt1/β-catenin signaling pathway in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

NEK2, a serine/threonine kinase involved in mitosis, has been found to function in chromosome instability, tumor progression and metastasis, but its role in cervical cancer radioresistance remains unknown.

METHODS

We detected the protein levels of NEK2 in cervical carcinoma tissues and paired paracarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. The roles of NEK2 in oncogenesis were examined using cell growth and colony formation assays, EdU assay, apoptosis assay as well as in vivo mouse model. γ-H2AX and Rad51 foci formation, neutral comet assay and clonogenic cell survival assay were applied to determine the radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. RNA-seq was performed to identify the downstream effector of NEK2. The gene expression levels were measured by Real-time PCR.

RESULTS

We report that NEK2 protein level is overexpressed and correlated with the tumor stage and lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer tissues. Furthermore, we provided evidence that depletion of NEK2 impairs oncogenesis and enhances radiosensitivity in cervical cancer. Using RNA sequencing, we identify Wnt1 as a key downstream effector of NEK2. Knockdown of NEK2 downregulates the mRNA and protein levels of Wnt1, thereby inhibiting the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. More importantly, the observed consequences induced by NEK2 depletion in cervical cancer cells can be partially rescued by Wnt1 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that NEK2 activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via Wnt1 to drive oncogenesis and radioresistance in cervical cancer, indicating that NEK2 may be a promising target for the radiosensitization of cervical cancer.

Organoid models in gynaecological oncology research

Cell culture and animal models represent experimental cornerstones for the investigation of tissue, organ and body physiology in the context of gynaecological research. However, their ability to accurately reflect human mechanisms in vivo is limited. The development of organoid technologies has begun to address this limitation by providing platforms ex vivo that resemble the phenotype and genotype of the multi-cellular tissue from which they were derived more accurately. In this review, we discuss advances in organoid derivation from endometrial, ovarian, fallopian tube and cervical tissue, both benign and malignant, the manipulation of organoid microenvironment to preserve stem cell populations and achieve long-term expansion and we explore the morphological and molecular kinship of organoids to parent tissue. Apart from providing new insight into mechanisms of carcinogenesis, gynaecological cancer-derived organoids can be utilised as tools for drug screening of chemotherapeutic and hormonal compounds where they exhibit interpatient variability consistent with states in vivo and xenografted tumours allowing for patient-tailored treatment strategies. Bridging organoid with bioengineering accomplishments is clearly the way forward to the generation of organoid-on-a-chip technologies enhancing the robustness of the model and its translational potential. Undeniably, organoids are expected to stand their ground in the years to come and revolutionize development and disease modelling studies.

Pharmacological targeting and the diverse functions of the metastasis suppressor, NDRG1, in cancer

N-myc downstream regulated gene-1 (NDRG1) is a potent metastasis suppressor that is regulated by hypoxia, metal ions including iron, the free radical nitric oxide (NO^.), and various stress stimuli. This intriguing molecule exhibits diverse functions in cancer, inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell migration and angiogenesis by modulation of a plethora of oncogenes via cellular signaling. Thus, pharmacological targeting of NDRG1 signaling in cancer is a promising therapeutic strategy. Of note, novel anti-tumor agents of the di-2-pyridylketone thiosemicarbazone series, which exert the "double punch" mechanism by binding metal ions to form redox-active complexes, have been demonstrated to markedly up-regulate NDRG1 expression in cancer cells. This review describes the mechanisms underlying NDRG1 modulation by the thiosemicarbazones and the diverse effects NDRG1 exerts in cancer. As a major induction mechanism, iron depletion appears critical, with NO^. also inducing NDRG1 through its ability to bind iron and generate dinitrosyl-dithiol iron complexes, which are then effluxed from cells. Apart from its potent anti-metastatic role, several studies have reported a pro-oncogenic role of NDRG1 in a number of cancer-types. Hence, it has been suggested that NDRG1 plays pleiotropic roles depending on the cancer-type. The molecular mechanism(s) underlying NDRG1 pleiotropy remain elusive, but are linked to differential regulation of WNT signaling and potentially differential interaction with the tumor suppressor, PTEN. This review discusses NDRG1 induction mechanisms by metal ions and NO^. and both the anti- and possible pro-oncogenic functions of NDRG1 in multiple cancer-types and compares the opposite effects this protein exerts on cancer progression.

Artificial Intelligence in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Is This the Way Forward?

An increasing trend in funding towards artificial intelligence (AI) research in medicine has re-animated huge expectations for future applications. Obstetrics and gynaecology remain highly litigious specialities, accounting for a large proportion of indemnity payments due to poor outcomes. Several challenges have to be faced in order to improve current clinical practice in both obstetrics and gynaecology. For instance, a complete understanding of fetal physiology and establishing accurately predictive antepartum and intrapartum monitoring are yet to be achieved. In gynaecology, the complexity of molecular biology results in a lack of understanding of gynaecological cancer, which also contributes to poor outcomes. In this review, we aim to describe some important applications of AI in obstetrics and gynaecology. We also discuss whether AI can lead to a deeper understanding of pathophysiological concepts in obstetrics and gynaecology, allowing delineation of some grey zones, leading to improved healthcare provision. We conclude that AI can be used as a promising tool in obstetrics and gynaecology, as an approach to resolve several longstanding challenges; AI may also be a means to augment knowledge and assist clinicians in decision-making in a variety of areas in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Expression of Wnt pathway molecules is associated with disease outcome in metastatic high-grade serous carcinoma

The objective of this study was to analyze the expression and clinical role of Wnt pathway molecules in metastatic high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). mRNA expression by qPCR of 20 molecules related to Wnt signaling (WNT1, WNT2, WNT3, WNT4, WNT5A, WNT6, WNT7, WNT11, FZD1, FZD4, FZD5, FZD6, FZD7, FZD8, FZD10, LRP5, LRP6, DKK, CCND, RUNX2) was analyzed in 87 HGSC effusions. Thirty-nine surgical specimens (19 ovarian, 20 from other intra-abdominal sites) were analyzed for comparative purposes. Protein expression of YAP and LRP and their phosphorylated forms by western blotting were analyzed in 52 tumors. Significant differences in mRNA expression as a function of the anatomic site were observed for WNT3 (p = 0.005), WNT5A (p = 0.008), WNT7 (p < 0.001), FRZ5 (p = 0.04), and FRZ6 (p < 0.001). YAP and LRP and their phosphorylated forms were detected in HGSC specimens. FZD10 was overexpressed in effusions from patients who had complete response to chemotherapy compared with those with less favorable response (p = 0.037). WNT4 (p = 0.005), WNT7 (p = 0.047), RUNX2 (p = 0.038), LRP5 (p = 0.022), LRP6 (p = 0.011), FZD6 (p = 0.036), FZD7 (p = 0.004), and FZD10 (p = 0.015) levels were inversely related to primary chemoresistance. High FZD5 levels in pre-chemotherapy effusions tapped at diagnosis and high WNT2 levels in post-chemotherapy disease recurrence effusions were related to shorter overall survival (p = 0.018 and p = 0.011, respectively), whereas high RUNX2 (p = 0.031) and FZD1 (p = 0.029) in post-chemotherapy effusions were associated with longer overall survival. In multivariate analysis of post-chemotherapy cases, WNT2 (p = 0.002), RUNX2 (p = 0.017), FZD1 (p = 0.036), and FZD4 (p = 0.013) were independent prognosticators. In conclusion, expression of Wnt pathway molecules is anatomic site dependent. In HGSC effusions, it is informative of chemoresponse and survival.

WNT signaling inducing activity in ascites predicts poor outcome in ovarian cancer

High grade serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum (HGSC) is the deadliest gynecological disease which results in a five-year survival rate of 30% or less. HGSC is characterized by the early and rapid development of metastases accompanied by a high frequency of ascites i.e. the pathological accumulation of fluid in peritoneum. Ascites constitute a complex tumor microenvironment and contribute to disease progression by largely unknown mechanisms. Methods: Malignant ascites obtained from HGSC patients who had undergone cytoreductive surgery were tested for their ability to induce WNT signaling in the Kuramochi cell line, a novel and clinically relevant in vitro model of HGSC. Next, cancer spheroids (the main form of metastatic cancer cells in ascites) were evaluated with respect to WNT signaling. Kuramochi cells were used to determine the role of individual WNT signaling branches in the adoption of metastatic stem cell-like behavior by HGSC cells. Furthermore, we analyzed genomic and transcriptomic data on WNT/Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) components retrieved from public cancer databases and corroborated with primary patient samples and validated antibodies on the protein level. Results: We have shown that ascites are capable of inducing WNT signaling in primary HGSC cells and HGSC cell line, Kuramochi. Importantly, patients whose ascites cannot activate WNT pathway present with less aggressive disease and a considerably better outcome including overall survival (OS). Functionally, the activation of non-canonical WNT/PCP signaling by WNT5A (and not canonical WNT/β-catenin signaling by WNT3A) promoted the metastatic stem-cell (metSC) like behavior (i.e. self-renewal, migration, and invasion) of HGSC cells. The pharmacological inhibition of casein kinase 1 (CK1) as well as genetic ablation (dishevelled 3 knock out) of the pathway blocked the WNT5A-induced effect. Additionally, WNT/PCP pathway components were differentially expressed between healthy and tumor tissue as well as between the primary tumor and metastases. Additionally, ascites which activated WNT/PCP signaling contained the typical WNT/PCP ligand WNT5A and interestingly, patients with high levels of WNT5A protein in their ascites exhibited poor progression-free survival (PFS) and OS in comparison to patients with low or undetectable ascitic WNT5A. Together, our results suggest the existence of a positive feedback loop between tumor cells producing WNT ligands and ascites that distribute WNT activity to cancer cells in the peritoneum, in order to promote their pro-metastatic features and drive HGSC progression. Conclusions: Our results highlight the role of WNT/PCP signaling in ovarian cancerogenesis, indicate a possible therapeutic potential of CK1 inhibitors for HGSC, and strongly suggest that the detection of WNT pathway inducing activity ascites (or WNT5A levels in ascites as a surrogate marker) could be a novel prognostic tool for HGSC patients.

Integrated Analysis To Identify Molecular Biomarkers Of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Purpose

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death worldwide. Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer can significantly improve patient prognosis. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify key diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers specific for ovarian cancer. Because high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer and accounts for the majority of deaths, we identified potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of HGSOC.

Methods

Six datasets (GSE14001, GSE18520, GSE26712, GSE27651, GSE40595, and GSE54388) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HGSOC and normal ovarian surface epithelium samples were screened via integrated analysis. Hub genes were identified by analyzing protein-protein interaction (PPI) network data. The online Kaplan-Meier plotter was utilized to evaluate the prognostic roles of these hub genes. The expression of these hub genes was confirmed with Oncomine datasets and validated by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting.

Results

A total of 103 DEGs in patients with HGSOC-28 upregulated genes and 75 downregulated genes-were successfully screened. Enrichment analyses revealed that the upregulated genes were enriched in cell division and cell proliferation and that the downregulated genes mainly participated in the Wnt signaling pathway and various metabolic processes. Ten hub genes were associated with HGSOC pathogenesis. Seven overexpressed hub genes were partitioned into module 1 of the PPI network, which was enriched in the cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. Survival analysis revealed that MELK, CEP55 and KDR expression levels were significantly correlated with the overall survival of HGSOC patients (P < 0.05). The RNA and protein expression levels of these hub genes were validated experimentally.

Conclusion

Based on an integrated analysis, we propose the further investigation of MELK, CEP55 and KDR as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of HGSOC.

Jatrorrhizine inhibits mammary carcinoma cells by targeting TNIK mediated Wnt/β-catenin signalling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

BACKGROUND

Traf2 and Nck interacting serine protein kinase (TNIK) is a tumour target protein which its high expression is closely related to the occurrence and development of mammary carcinoma cells. Molecular docking revealed that jatrorrhizine, a protoberberine alkaloid, exhibits good binding affinity and interaction with TNIK. However, the underlying mechanisms of jatrorrhizine targeting TNIK inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells remain unclear.

METHODS

To figure out the mechanisms in vitro and in vivo, the CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to knockout TNIK gene and detected qualitatively by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting assay. The MTT cell viability assay for cytotoxicity test, the apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry, the migration and invasion were evaluated by colony formation, wound healing assay and cell invasion assay, respectively. Anticancer effects were further corroborated by 4T1/Luc homograft tumour model.

RESULTS

The results showed that targeted knockout of TNIK that attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signalling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) expression, the effects were potentiated by the addition of jatrorrhizine. Moreover, jatrorrhizine distinctly inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and 4T1 cells with IC₅₀ values of 11.08 ± 1.19 μM, 17.11 ± 4.54 μM and 22.14 ± 2.87 μM, induced mitochondrial dysfunction and early apoptosis involving mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These results were further corroborated by the 4T1 tumour-bearing mice, which showed that jatrorrhizine significantly suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of mammary carcinoma cells without obvious toxicity.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide an overall perspective that jatrorrhizine potentially restrains TNIK regulating Wnt/β-catenin signalling and EMT expression for mammary cancer targeted therapy.

tRNA-derived fragment tRF-03357 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Background

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is one of the most common ovarian epithelial malignancies. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) have been identified as novel potential biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, the influence of tRFs on HGSOC remains unknown. This study aimed to identify HGSOC-associated tRFs and to investigate the function and mechanism of key tRFs in SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cells.

Methods

The tRF profiles in HGSOC patients and controls were investigated using small RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed tRFs were verified by real-time PCR, and a key tRF was evaluated in a function study.

Results

A total of 27 tRFs were differentially expressed between HGSOC patients and controls. Differentially expressed tRFs were mainly involved in the functions of protein phosphorylation, transcription and cell migration and the pathway of cancer, and the MAPK and Wnt signaling pathways. Real-time PCR verified that tRF-03357 and tRF-03358 were significantly increased in the HGSOC serum samples and SK-OV-3 cells compared to their expression levels in the controls. Importantly, tRF-03357 promoted SK-OV-3 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, tRF-03357 was predictively targeted, and significantly downregulated HMBOX1.

Conclusion

This study suggests that tRF-03357 might promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion, partly by modulating HMBOX1 in HGSOC.

A phase 1b dose escalation study of ipafricept (OMP54F28) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVES

The WNT pathway is an important oncologic driver of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The first-in-class recombinant fusion protein ipafricept (IPA) blocks Wnt signaling through binding of Wnt ligands. This phase Ib trial was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase 2 dose (RPh2) for IPA in combination with taxane and platinum therapy (C/P).

METHODS

Dose escalation started with a standard 3 + 3 design for IPA/C/P with q3w intravenous IPA on Day 1, in cycles 1 to 6 with C (AUC = 5 mg/ml·min) and P (175 mg/m²). For enhanced bone safety the trial was revised to 6-patient cohorts with a q3w regimen of IPA on Day 1 and C/P on Day 3 (IPA → C/P).

RESULTS

37 patients have been treated; 30 of whom were treated following protocol revision to q3w IPA(D1) → C/P(D3) (2 & 4 mg/kg). IPA-related TEAEs that occurred in ≥15% included: fatigue (40%); nausea (35%); diarrhea and decreased appetite (22%) each; dysgeusia (19%); and vomiting (16.2%). 22% reported ≥1 IPA related TEAE Grade ≥3 the most common of which was neutropenia at 16%. There were no DLTs; the MTD was not reached. The maximum administered dose based on bone safety was 6 mg/kg. The overall response rate (ORR) was 75.7%. Median PFS was 10.3 months (95% CI 8.5-14.2) and OS 33 months (95% CI 23.4-NR).

CONCLUSIONS

IPA is well tolerated in combination with sequential C/P. ORR, PFS and OS are comparable to historical data but bone toxicity at efficacy doses of this particular Wnt inhibitor limit further development in EOC.

Expression Analysis of Platinum Sensitive and Resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patient Samples Reveals New Candidates for Targeted Therapies

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic malignancies. Identification of new biomarkers is highly needed due to its late diagnosis and high recurrence rate. The objective of this study was to identify mechanisms of therapy resistance and potential biomarkers by analyzing mRNA and protein expression from samples derived from patients with platinum-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer (total cohort n = 53). The data revealed new candidates for targeted therapies, such as GREB1 and ROR2. We showed that the development of platinum resistance correlated with upregulation of ROR2, whereas GREB1 was downregulated. Moreover, we demonstrated that high levels of ROR2 in platinum-resistant samples were associated with upregulation of Wnt5a, STAT3 and NF-kB levels, suggesting that a crosstalk between the non-canonical Wnt5a-ROR2 and STAT3/NF-kB signaling pathways. Upregulation of ROR2, Wnt5a, STAT3 and NF-kB was further detected in a platinum-resistant cell-line model. The results of the present study provided insight into molecular mechanisms associated with platinum resistance that could be further investigated to improve treatment strategies in this clinically challenging gynecological cancer.

An update of Wnt signalling in endometrial cancer and its potential as a therapeutic target

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological malignancy in developed nations, and its prevalence is rising as women defer or decide not to have children and as obesity rises, both key risk factors. Despite this, treatment options remain limited, particularly for advanced or refractory disease. New genomic analyses have revealed distinct mutational profiles with therapeutic and prognostic potential. Wnt signalling, which is pivotal in embryogenesis, healing and homeostasis, is of importance in the endometrium and has been linked to carcinogenesis. This review aims to update and discuss the current evidence for the role of β-catenin dependent and independent Wnt signalling, including the ROR receptors in the endometrium and its potential as a therapeutic target, in light of recent trials of Wnt-targeted therapy in multiple tumour types.

Expression Analysis of Platinum Sensitive and Resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patient Samples Reveals New Candidates for Targeted Therapies

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic malignancies. Identification of new biomarkers is highly needed due to its late diagnosis and high recurrence rate. The objective of this study was to identify mechanisms of therapy resistance and potential biomarkers by analyzing mRNA and protein expression from samples derived from patients with platinum-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer (total cohort n = 53). The data revealed new candidates for targeted therapies, such as GREB1 and ROR2. We showed that the development of platinum resistance correlated with upregulation of ROR2, whereas GREB1 was downregulated. Moreover, we demonstrated that high levels of ROR2 in platinum-resistant samples were associated with upregulation of Wnt5a, STAT3 and NF-kB levels, suggesting that a crosstalk between the non-canonical Wnt5a-ROR2 and STAT3/NF-kB signaling pathways. Upregulation of ROR2, Wnt5a, STAT3 and NF-kB was further detected in a platinum-resistant cell-line model. The results of the present study provided insight into molecular mechanisms associated with platinum resistance that could be further investigated to improve treatment strategies in this clinically challenging gynecological cancer.

NHERF1 inhibits beta-catenin-mediated proliferation of cervical cancer cells through suppression of alpha-actinin-4 expression

Cervical cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer in female. Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been found to be involved in cervical cancer development and progression, whereas the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. The present study showed that NHERF1 was a novel gene associated with both cell proliferation and Wnt signaling pathway in cervical cancer by analysis of differential gene expression and gene cluster for the cervical cancer specimens from GEO data sets. It was further demonstrated in cellular study that NHERF1 inhibition of cervical cancer cell proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling was dependent on α-actinin-4 (ACTN4) expression. A negative association between NHERF1 expression and levels of ACTN4 and β-catenin was found in mouse xenograft model and cervical cancer specimens. Low levels of NHERF1 in cervical cancer specimens were found to associate with activation of cell proliferation and Wnt/β-catenin signaling by gene set enrichment analysis, and also were an independent predictive factor for worse prognosis of cervical cancer patients by Cox regression analysis. These findings demonstrate that NHERF1 inhibits Wnt signaling-mediated proliferation of cervical cancer via suppression of ACTN4, and NHERF1 downregulation may contribute to the progression of cervical cancer. These findings may also shed some lights for understanding the underlying mechanisms of cisplatin resistance and worse prognosis of HPV-inactive cervical cancer patients.

Lycorine possesses notable anticancer potentials in on-small cell lung carcinoma cells via blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

Lycorine, an natural isoquinoline alkaloid has reportedly that possesses multi-anticancer activity. However, to date, the anticancer feature of lycorine in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has still not fully been spelled out. The present study mainly focused on the molecular mechanism of lycorine against NSCLC in vitro and vivo. The results showed that lycorine evidently inhibited proliferation of A549 and H460 with IC₅₀ values were 10.83 ± 1.14 μM and 12.35 ± 1.13 μM, while caused slight cytotoxicity in normal pulmonary epithelial Beas-2B cells, and arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Hoechst DNA-binding staining showed that typical characteristics of nuclear morphology apoptosis, AnnexinV-FITC/PI staining revealed the early-period apoptosis and the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were also captured after lycorine treatment. Moreover, lycorine effectively repressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling and reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, lycorine also intervened the caspase-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Furthermore, A549/Luc tumor xenograft model was also corroborated that lycorine significantly suppressed the growth and metastasis of the lung tumor. These data highlight the significance of lycorine as potential anti-neoplastic agents to combat NSCLC.

Expression of Adiponectin Receptor-1 and Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients

Background

Adiponectin receptor-1 (AdipoR1) has been reported to be associated with the risk of obesity-associated malignancies, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The aim of this study was to determine if AdipoR1 could serve as a prognosis indicator for patients with EOC.

Material/Methods

In this study, expression of AdipoR1 in 73 EOC patients consecutively admitted to our hospital was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between AdipoR1 expression level and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in patients.

Results

A relatively lower expression of AdipoR1 in the cancerous tissues was detected compared to normal ovarian tissues, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). AdipoR1 expression level in EOC patients was negatively correlated with advanced FIGO stages in patients and tumor differentiation, but had no correlation with pathological types, presenting of ascites, shorter platinum-free interval (PFI), diabetes, preoperative and postoperative body mass index (BMI), or platelet counts (p>0.05). Moreover, patients with AdipoR1 expression had a significantly longer PFS and OS compared to the negative expression group (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that AdipoR1 expression level in cancerous tissues might serve as an independent prognostic indicator in EOC patients and is associated with longer PFS and OS.

MEDICI: Mining Essentiality Data to Identify Critical Interactions for Cancer Drug Target Discovery and Development

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate the transmission and regulation of oncogenic signals that are essential to cellular proliferation and survival, and thus represent potential targets for anti-cancer therapeutic discovery. Despite their significance, there is no method to experimentally disrupt and interrogate the essentiality of individual endogenous PPIs. The ability to computationally predict or infer PPI essentiality would help prioritize PPIs for drug discovery and help advance understanding of cancer biology. Here we introduce a computational method (MEDICI) to predict PPI essentiality by combining gene knockdown studies with network models of protein interaction pathways in an analytic framework. Our method uses network topology to model how gene silencing can disrupt PPIs, relating the unknown essentialities of individual PPIs to experimentally observed protein essentialities. This model is then deconvolved to recover the unknown essentialities of individual PPIs. We demonstrate the validity of our approach via prediction of sensitivities to compounds based on PPI essentiality and differences in essentiality based on genetic mutations. We further show that lung cancer patients have improved overall survival when specific PPIs are no longer present, suggesting that these PPIs may be potentially new targets for therapeutic development. Software is freely available at https://github.com/cooperlab/MEDICI. Datasets are available at https://ctd2.nci.nih.gov/dataPortal.