Biomarkers Discovery for Colorectal Cancer: A Review on Tumor Endothelial Markers as Perspective Candidates

Effects of Shenmai Injection on proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of colorectal carcinoma vascular endothelial cells

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer, being 1 of the most significant malignant tumors globally, poses a substantial risk to human health. Unfortunately, its 5-year survival rate stands at a mere 65%. There remains an urgent need for the development of novel treatments to combat this detrimental malignancy effectively. The Shenmai Injection (SMI) is a Chinese medicine that has been proven to have significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to examine the impact of SMI on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of tumor-derived endothelial cells (Td-EC).

METHODS

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) induced Td-EC, and HUVEC were treated with conditioned media from the human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116). The effects of HCT116 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells after treatment of SMI were observed by MTS assay and Transwell techniques. Additionally, an angiogenesis experiment was used to investigate Td-EC tube formation capacity.

RESULTS

SMI had a significant inhibiting effect on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCT116. SMI was also able to inhibit the angiogenesis of Td-EC. Notably, SMI did not have any effect on the normal endothelium.

CONCLUSION

SMI has obvious antiproliferation, migration, infiltration, and neogenesis effects on HCT116.

Changes in serum uric acid, serum uric acid/serum creatinine ratio, and gamma-glutamyltransferase might predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of changes in serum uric acid (SUA), the ratio of serum uric acid to serum creatinine (SUA/SCr), and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) from before to after therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

METHODS

Data from 114 LARC patients from January 2016 to December 2021 were included in this retrospective study. All patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME). The change in SUA was calculated as a ratio: (SUA level after nCRT-SUA level before nCRT)/SUA level before nCRT. The change ratios of SUA/SCr and GGT were calculated in the same way. The efficacy of nCRT was evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) and postoperative pathological response. A nonlinear model was used to evaluate whether the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were associated with the efficacy of nCRT. The predictive power of the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to measure the associations between disease-free survival (DFS) and other predictive indicators. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to further compare DFS between groups.

RESULTS

The nonlinear model indicated that the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were associated with the efficacy of nCRT. The change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were used to predict the area under the ROC curve of efficacy for nCRT (0.95, 0.91-0.99), which was better than the prediction by the change ratio of SUA (0.94, 0.89-0.99), SUA/SCr (0.90, 0.84-0.96), or GGT alone (0.86, 0.79-0.93; p < 0.05). The optimal cut-off values of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT change were 0.02, 0.01, and 0.04, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier method indicated that patients with SUA, SUA/SCr, or GGT changes greater than the cut-off values had shorter DFS (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, or GGT greater than the cut-off values implied a risk of poor pathological response after nCRT and shorter DFS in LARC patients.

AB Toxins as High-Affinity Ligands for Cell Targeting in Cancer Therapy

Conventional targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer have limitations, including the development of acquired resistance. However, novel alternatives have emerged in the form of targeted therapies based on AB toxins. These biotoxins are a diverse group of highly poisonous molecules that show a nanomolar affinity for their target cell receptors, making them an invaluable source of ligands for biomedical applications. Bacterial AB toxins, in particular, are modular proteins that can be genetically engineered to develop high-affinity therapeutic compounds. These toxins consist of two distinct domains: a catalytically active domain and an innocuous domain that acts as a ligand, directing the catalytic domain to the target cells. Interestingly, many tumor cells show receptors on the surface that are recognized by AB toxins, making these high-affinity proteins promising tools for developing new methods for targeting anticancer therapies. Here we describe the structure and mechanisms of action of Diphtheria (Dtx), Anthrax (Atx), Shiga (Stx), and Cholera (Ctx) toxins, and review the potential uses of AB toxins in cancer therapy. We also discuss the main advances in this field, some successful results, and, finally, the possible development of innovative and precise applications in oncology based on engineered recombinant AB toxins.

Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived exosome microRNA-21 promotes angiogenesis in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy, and angiogenesis determines its progression. In the tumor microenvironment, normal fibroblasts (NFs) are transformed into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which can promote angiogenesis. Microribonucleic acid-21 (miR-21) is highly expressed in various tumors. However, research on the relationship between tumor angiogenesis and miR-21 is rare. We analyzed the relationship between miR-21, CAFs, and angiogenesis in MM. NFs and CAFs were isolated from the bone marrow fluids of patients with dystrophic anemia and newly-diagnosed MM. Co-culturing of CAF exosomes with multiple myeloma endothelial cells (MMECs) showed that CAF exosomes were able to enter MMECs in a time-dependent manner and initiate angiogenesis by promoting proliferation, migration, and tubulogenesis. We found that miR-21 was abundant in CAF exosomes, entering MMECs and regulating angiogenesis in MM. By transfecting NFs with mimic NC, miR-21 mimic, inhibitor NC, and miR-21 inhibitor, we found that miR-21 significantly increased the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and fibroblast activation protein in NFs. Our results showed that miR-21 can transform NFs into CAFs, and that CAF exosomes promote angiogenesis by carrying miR-21 into MMECs. Therefore, CAF-derived exosomal miR-21 may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for MM.

Toward Blood-Based Precision Medicine: Identifying Age-Sex-Specific Vascular Biomarker Quantities on Circulating Vascular Cells

Introduction

Abnormal angiogenesis is central to vascular disease and cancer, and noninvasive biomarkers of vascular origin are needed to evaluate patients and therapies. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are often dysregulated in these diseases, making them promising biomarkers, but the need for an invasive biopsy has limited biomarker research on VEGFRs. Here, we pioneer a blood biopsy approach to quantify VEGFR plasma membrane localization on two circulating vascular proxies: circulating endothelial cells (cECs) and circulating progenitor cells (cPCs).

Methods

Using quantitative flow cytometry, we examined VEGFR expression on cECs and cPCs in four age-sex groups: peri/premenopausal females (aged < 50 years), menopausal/postmenopausal females (≥ 50 years), and younger and older males with the same age cut-off (50 years).

Results

cECs in peri/premenopausal females consisted of two VEGFR populations: VEGFR-low (~ 55% of population: population medians ~ 3000 VEGFR1 and 3000 VEGFR2/cell) and VEGFR-high (~ 45%: 138,000 VEGFR1 and 39,000-236,000 VEGFR2/cell), while the menopausal/postmenopausal group only possessed the VEGFR-low cEC population; and 27% of cECs in males exhibited high plasma membrane VEGFR expression (206,000 VEGFR1 and 155,000 VEGFR2/cell). The absence of VEGFR-high cEC subpopulations in menopausal/postmenopausal females suggests that their high-VEGFR cECs are associated with menstruation and could be noninvasive proxies for studying the intersection of age-sex in angiogenesis. VEGFR1 plasma membrane localization in cPCs was detected only in menopausal/postmenopausal females, suggesting a menopause-specific regenerative mechanism.

Conclusions

Overall, our quantitative, noninvasive approach targeting cECs and cPCs has provided the first insights into how sex and age influence VEGFR plasma membrane localization in vascular cells.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-023-00771-1.

Directed Evolution of Seneca Valley Virus in Tumorsphere and Monolayer Cell Cultures of a Small-Cell Lung Cancer Model

The Seneca Valley virus (SVV) is an oncolytic virus from the picornavirus family, characterized by a 7.3-kilobase RNA genome encoding for all the structural and functional viral proteins. Directed evolution by serial passaging has been employed for oncolytic virus adaptation to increase the killing efficacy towards certain types of tumors. We propagated the SVV in a small-cell lung cancer model under two culture conditions: conventional cell monolayer and tumorspheres, with the latter resembling more closely the cellular structure of the tumor of origin. We observed an increase of the virus-killing efficacy after ten passages in the tumorspheres. Deep sequencing analyses showed genomic changes in two SVV populations comprising 150 single nucleotides variants and 72 amino acid substitutions. Major differences observed in the tumorsphere-passaged virus population, compared to the cell monolayer, were identified in the conserved structural protein VP2 and in the highly variable P2 region, suggesting that the increase in the ability of the SVV to kill cells over time in the tumorspheres is acquired by capsid conservation and positively selecting mutations to counter the host innate immune responses.

High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals That Rotundine Inhibits Colorectal Cancer by Regulating Prognosis-Related Genes

Background: Rotundine is an herbal medicine with anti-cancer effects. However, little is known about the anti-cancer effect of rotundine on colorectal cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the specific molecular mechanism of rotundine inhibition of colorectal cancer. Methods: MTT and cell scratch assay were performed to investigate the effects of rotundine on the viability, migration, and invasion ability of SW480 cells. Changes in cell apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. DEGs were detected by high-throughput sequencing after the action of rotundine on SW480 cells, and the DEGs were subjected to function enrichment analysis. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to screen out prognosis-related DEGs of COAD. Followed by enrichment analysis of prognosis-related DEGs. Furthermore, prognostic models were constructed, including ROC analysis, risk curve analysis, PCA and t-SNE, Nomo analysis, and Kaplan–Meier prognostic analysis. Results: In this study, we showed that rotundine concentrations of 50 μM, 100 μM, 150 μM, and 200 μM inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SW480 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Rotundine does not induce SW480 cell apoptosis. Compared to the control group, high-throughput results showed that there were 385 DEGs in the SW480 group. And DEGs were associated with the Hippo signaling pathway. In addition, 16 of the DEGs were significantly associated with poorer prognosis in COAD, with MEF2B, CCDC187, PSD2, RGS16, PLXDC1, HELB, ASIC3, PLCH2, IGF2BP3, CLHC1, DNHD1, SACS, H1-4, ANKRD36, and ZNF117 being highly expressed in COAD and ARV1 being lowly expressed. Prognosis-related DEGs were mainly enriched in cancer-related pathways and biological functions, such as inositol phosphate metabolism, enterobactin transmembrane transporter activity, and enterobactin transport. Prognostic modeling also showed that these 16 DEGs could be used as predictors of overall survival prognosis in COAD patients. Conclusions: Rotundine inhibits the development and progression of colorectal cancer by regulating the expression of these prognosis-related genes. Our findings could further provide new directions for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

The Mutually Mediated Chloride Intracellular Channel Protein 1 (CLIC1) Relationship between Malignant Cells and Tumor Blood Vessel Endothelium Exhibits a Significant Impact on Tumor Angiogenesis, Progression, and Metastasis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC)

Background: Overexpression of chloride intracellular channel protein 1 (CLIC1) in tumor cells has been confirmed, but it has received less attention in the tumor blood vessel endothelium. Aim: The assessment of CLIC1 expression in ccRCC tumor blood vessels and its relationship with TNM parameters and tumor cell CLIC1 expression. Methods: CLIC1 immunostaining in ccRCC was evaluated in 50 cases in both malignant cells and tumor blood vessels (CLIC1 microvessel density-CLIC1-MVD) and was correlated with TNM staging parameters. Results: CLIC1-MVD was observed in approximately 65% of cases, and CLIC1 co-localization in both tumor and endothelial cells was observed in 59% of cases. ccRCC was classified into four groups (Classes 0−3) based on the percentage of positive tumor cells, with each group including sub-groups defined by CLIC1 expression in the endothelium. Class 3 (60−100% positive tumor cells) had the highest CLIC1-MVD, with an impact on T and M parameters (p value = 0.007 for T, and p value = 0.006 for M). For cases with CLIC1 intracellular translocation, there was a strong correlation between CLIC1-MVD and M (p value < 0.001). Conclusions: Co-expression of ccRCC tumor and endothelial cells promotes tumor progression and metastasis and should be investigated further as a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC and other human malignancies.

Tumor Endothelial Marker TEM7 is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlating with Immune Infiltrates in Gastric Cancer

Introduction

Tumor endothelial marker 7 (TEM7) is included in the endothelial cells of tumors as a greatly expressed protein. In previous studies, it has been confirmed that TEM7 is highly expressed in gastric cancer (GC) cells and related to tumor invasion and migration. However, the relationship between TEM7 gene expressions, prognostic and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte in GC is still unclear.

Methods

We obtained the expression of TEM7 in GC tissues using Oncomine and TIMER databases and validated it using qRT-PCR. The effect of TEM7 on survival in patients with GC was explored through the Kaplan–Meier Plotter database. Univariate and multifactorial analyses of the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database were performed to explore the association of TEM7 expression with clinical traits. TIMER and GEPIA databases were used to analyze the relationship between TEM7 expression and immune infiltration. GSEA pathway enrichment in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) exposed possible ways.

Results

An expression level of TEM7 was significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues and related with unfavorable survival in GC. Univariate analysis of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database indicated that excessive level of TEM7 expression was linked with age, tumor grade and TMN classification, and multivariate analysis indicated that age and level of TEM7 expression were independent prognostic factors for a poor prognosis. The level of expression of TEM7 was positively related to tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells other than B cells in GC. In the end, GSEA pathway enrichment exposed possible ways related to immunity.

Discussion

Our study indicates that TEM7 is a prognostic biomarker that makes the decision that the progression of GC and is connected with tumor immune infiltrates in GC.

Clinical significance and prognostic value of circulating B10 cells in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

B10 cells, a subset of regulatory B cells, can inhibit antitumor response and thus promote tumor development. This study explored the clinical meaning and prognostic value of circulating B10 cells in colorectal cancer (CRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The proportion of B10 cells in peripheral blood in CRC patients and healthy controls was detected by multicolor flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The proportion of circulating B10 cells was remarkably elevated in CRC patients compared to normal controls (% of CD19⁺ B cells; 16.6% (IQR 6.0%) versus 9.0% (IQR 5.7%), p < 0.001). B10 cells proportion was associated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in CRC. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that CRC patients with high B10 cells proportion suffered worse overall survival than those with low B10 cells proportion. Multivariate analysis revealed that the proportion of B10 cells was an independent prognostic indicator for CRC patients.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that the proportion of circulating B10 cells is an independent prognostic factor for patients with CRC and thus may help guide the clinical decision in CRC.

Latest therapeutic target for gastric cancer: Anthrax toxin receptor 1

Anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1), also known as tumor endothelial marker 8, is a highly conserved cell surface protein overexpressed in tumor-infiltrating vessels. It was first found in vascular endothelial cells of human colorectal cancer. Although our understanding of its physiological function is limited, it has been found that ANTXR1 binds collagen and promotes migration of endothelial cells in vitro. ANTXR1 is upregulated in vessels of different tumor types in mice and humans, and is also expressed by tumor cells themselves in some tumors, such as gastric, lung, intestinal and breast cancer. Developmental angiogenesis and wound healing were not disturbed in ANTXR1 knockout mice, but compared with wild-type mice, growth of melanoma was impaired after ANTXR1 knockout, indicating that host-derived ANTXR1 can promote tumor growth on the basis of immune activity. Previous studies have shown that ANTXR1 vaccines or sublethal doses of anthrax toxin can inhibit angiogenesis, slow tumor growth and prolong survival. These studies suggest that ANTXR1 is necessary for tumor rather than physiological angiogenesis. It has been found that ANTXR1 plays an important role in tumor angiogenesisas well as in the growth and metastasis of many kinds of tumors. This article reviews the physiological function of ANTXR1 and its role in different kinds of cancer.

Clinical Value of Detecting Tumor Endothelial Marker 8 (ANTXR1) as a Biomarker in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer

Background

Despite the continuous improvements in prevention and detection of colorectal cancer (CRC), there is an urgent need to find a sensitive, specific, and noninvasive biomarker to improve the early diagnosis and prognosis of CRC. We aimed to evaluate the tissue TEM8 expression and the serum TEM8 concentration in CRC patients.

Methods

The study enrolled 42 CRC patients and 35 controls. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess the TEM8 tissue expression, whereas the serum TEM8 concentration was evaluated with the ELISA assay.

Results

The expression of TEM8 observed in all primary colorectal tumor samples was significantly correlated with the TNM stages and the presence of lymphovascular invasion. The serum TEM8 concentration was significantly higher in CRC patients than in the controls. The TEM8 level was strongly associated with the TNM stage, depth of invasion, and lymph node and distant metastasis. Patients with a high serum TEM8 concentration had a worse overall survival (OS) rate than CRC patients with a low serum TEM8 level.

Conclusion

TEM8 may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC and it has value in predicting the prognosis of patients with CRC.

The Diagnostic and Immunotherapeutic Value of CD248 in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy in the urinary system. Despite substantial improvements in available treatment options, the survival outcome of advanced RCC is unsatisfactory. Identifying novel biomarkers to assist in early diagnosis and to screen patients who are sensitive to immunotherapy would be beneficial. CD248 is a promising candidate that deserves to be investigated.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set and clinical specimens were adopted to analyze the expression of CD248 between normal and tumor tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors and construct a CD248-based prognostic signature. The correlation among the present signature, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), the tumor mutation burden (TMB), and immunomodulatory molecules was evaluated. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), the enrichment analysis, and the miRNA correlation analysis were performed to explore the underlying mechanism of CD248 in the progression of RCC.

Results: The overexpression of CD248 in RCC was related to a poor prognosis, and a CD248-based prognostic signature could precisely stratify patients with RCC with different survival outcomes regardless of the training or testing cohort. The present signature could reflect the immunosuppressive landscape of RCC (i.e., increased infiltration of regulatory T cells and upregulated immune checkpoints), accompanied by deteriorated clinicopathologic indexes. The TMB and immunostimulatory molecules expression also increased with the risk score generated from the present signature. CD248 co-expressed gene sets were identified through the WGCNA algorithm, and several immunosuppressive Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were significantly enriched. The result of CD248-correlated miRNA further emphasized the importance of CD248 in RCC.

Conclusion: CD248 is a valuable biomarker to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic efficiency of RCC. The immunosuppressive effect of CD248 co-expressed genes may provide insight for the present study, and miRNA would help to reveal the mechanism of the expressive regulation of CD248.

Candidate Biomarkers for Specific Intraoperative Near-Infrared Imaging of Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Systematic Review

Simple Summary

Near-infrared imaging of tumors during surgery facilitates the oncologic surgeon to distinguish malignant from healthy tissue. The technique is based on fluorescent tracers binding to tumor biomarkers on malignant cells. Currently, there are no clinically available fluorescent tracers that specifically target soft tissue sarcomas. This review searched the literature to find candidate biomarkers for soft tissue sarcomas, based on clinically used therapeutic antibodies. The search revealed 7 biomarkers: TEM1, VEGFR-1, EGFR, VEGFR-2, IGF-1R, PDGFRα, and CD40. These biomarkers are abundantly present on soft tissue sarcoma tumor cells and are already being targeted with humanized monoclonal antibodies. The conjugation of these antibodies with a fluorescent dye will yield in specific tracers for image-guided surgery of soft tissue sarcomas to improve the success rates of tumor resections.

Abstract

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for localized soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The curative treatment highly depends on complete tumor resection, as positive margins are associated with local recurrence (LR) and prognosis. However, determining the tumor margin during surgery is challenging. Real-time tumor-specific imaging can facilitate complete resection by visualizing tumor tissue during surgery. Unfortunately, STS specific tracers are presently not clinically available. In this review, STS-associated cell surface-expressed biomarkers, which are currently already clinically targeted with monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic purposes, are evaluated for their use in near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging of STS. Clinically targeted biomarkers in STS were extracted from clinical trial registers and a PubMed search was performed. Data on biomarker characteristics, sample size, percentage of biomarker-positive STS samples, pattern of biomarker expression, biomarker internalization features, and previous applications of the biomarker in imaging were extracted. The biomarkers were ranked utilizing a previously described scoring system. Eleven cell surface-expressed biomarkers were identified from which 7 were selected as potential biomarkers for NIRF imaging: TEM1, VEGFR-1, EGFR, VEGFR-2, IGF-1R, PDGFRα, and CD40. Promising biomarkers in common and aggressive STS subtypes are TEM1 for myxofibrosarcoma, TEM1, and PDGFRα for undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma and EGFR for synovial sarcoma.

Endosialin (TEM1) as a Diagnostic, Progression, and Prognostic Serum Marker for Patients With Colorectal Cancer-A Preliminary Study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide usually diagnosed in the advanced stage. In this study, the serum concentration of tumor endothelial marker 1 (TEM1) was measured and correlated with clinicopathological features to evaluate whether TEM1 might serve as a biomarker for early CRC diagnosis, progression, and prognosis. The concentration of TEM1 was measured in the serum samples of 45 patients with CRC and 35 healthy individuals using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. The mean serum concentration of TEM1 was significantly higher in the patients with CRC compared to the healthy individuals (1.31 ± 0.16 vs 0.92 ± 0.90 ng/mL; P < .001). The mean concentration of TEM1 significantly increased in the patients having CRC with early stage (stage I + II) compared to noncancer control individuals (stage I + II vs control 1.21 ± 0.13 ng/mL: 0.92 ± 0.90 ng/mL; P < .001). The TEM1 concentration in blood serum also showed a significant association with the development of T stages (P < .001), N stages (P < .001), and M stages (P = .006). The TEM1 sensitivity and specificity in CRC detection are higher than routinely used blood markers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] and carbohydrate antigen [Ca 19-9]). Patients with high TEM1 concentration (≥1.055 ng/mL) had a worse overall survival rate compared to the patients having CRC with low TEM1 concentration (<1.055 ng/mL). In conclusion, TEM1 can act as a potential diagnostic, progression, and prognostic serum biomarker for patients with CRC; TEM1 might be a good supplement for commonly used markers CEA and Ca 19-9.

RNA-Seq Profiling of Serum Exosomal Circular RNAs Reveals Circ-PNN as a Potential Biomarker for Human Colorectal Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as cardinal areas of focus in the non-coding RNA field. Growing evidences have revealed exosomal circRNAs as potential biomarkers for detection of various cancers. However, the clinical importance of most serum exosomal circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) have rarely been investigated. In this study, we examined the possible clinical application of serum exosomal circRNAs in the diagnosis of CRC. Firstly, we conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis using fifty CRC and fifty healthy control serum samples to identify CRC-related circRNAs. The sequencing data showed 122 differentially expressed circRNAs including 100 up-regulated and 22 down-regulated circRNA transcripts in CRC patients. Then, eight most dysregulated circRNAs were selected for validation by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Validation analysis revealed that the serum exosomal circ-PNN (hsa_circ_0101802) levels were significantly up-regulated in CRC cases compared with those in the healthy control groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis suggested that circ-PNN had significant value in CRC diagnosis with areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.855 and 0.826 in the training and validation sets, respectively. We also found that the AUC of serum exosomal circ-PNN for early-stage CRC was 0.854. Finally, a network map based on circ-PNN was constructed to determine its potential miRNA-mRNAs binding. We also demonstrated that the expression of hsa-miR-6833-3P, hsa-let-7i-3p and hsa-miR-1301-3P were negatively correlated with circ-PNN in CRC patients. Collectively, our findings indicated that serum exosomal circ-PNN might be a potential non-invasive biomarker for the detection of CRC and may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CRC.

A 3-circular RNA signature as a noninvasive biomarker for diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of noncoding RNAs, play critical roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. Emerging studies also shows that circRNAs may function as potential markers for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the diagnostic value of circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains need to be unearthed.

Methods

CircRNA microarray was performed to detect the differentially expressed circRNAs in eight plasma samples, including four colorectal cancer (CRC) and four normal samples. Besides, the results of microarray were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, ROC curve evaluation was performed to calculate the diagnostic value of significantly dysregulated circRNAs. In order to predict the potential mechanism of the significant circRNAs, circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed based on the TargetScan, miRTarBase and MIRDB database, as well as CircInteractome online software. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to further predict the function of meaningful circRNAs.

Results

Totally three differentially expressed circRNAs were identified in CRC plasma compared to normal plasma by circRNA microarray analysis, and the results was validated by qRT-PCR. Hsa_circ_0082182, hsa_circ_0000370 and hsa_circ_0035445 were identified and ROC curves analysis was used to calculate the single and joint diagnostic value. Furthermore, GO and KEGG analyses revealed that functions were mainly cancer-related, which indicated that the circRNAs were meaningfully associated with CRC cell proliferation and metastasis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have identified three circRNAs that are dysregulated in CRC plasma, including hsa_circ_0082182, hsa_circ_0000370 and hsa_circ_0035445. ROC curves showed that these circRNAs might have diagnostic value for colorectal cancer. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis indicated that the above-mentioned circRNAs might be involved in the development of CRC.

Regulatory effects of lncRNA ATB targeting miR-200c on proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells

This investigation was intended to elucidate whether long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-activated by transforming growth factor-β (ATB) interacting with miR-200c could mediate colorectal cancer (CRC) progression, offering potential strategies for diagnosing and treating CRC. Here totally 315 patients with CRC were recruited, and their CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were gathered. Concurrently, four colon cancer cell lines (ie, SW620, Lovo, HCT116, and SW480) and the human colon mucosal epithelial cell line (NCM460) were also purchased. Moreover, si-ATB, si-NC, miR-200c mimic, miR-200c inhibitor, and miR-NC were prepared for transfection into the CRC cells, and their effects on CRC cell lines were evaluated based on the conduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry assay. Eventually, the Luciferase reporter gene assay was carried out to judge if there existed a targeted relationship between ATB and miR-200c. The results of Cox regression analyses suggested that overexpressed lncRNA ATB, underexpressed miR-200c, poor tumor differentiation, lymph-vascular invasion, and perineural invasion were symbolic of shortened survival of the patients with CRC (all P < .05). Besides, transfection of pcDNA3.1-ATB and miR-200c inhibitor could boost the viability and proliferation of Lovo and SW620 cell lines (all P < .05). Meanwhile, the expressions of p53 and p21 were also reduced under treatments of pcDNA3.1-ATB and miR-200c inhibitor (P < .05). In addition, CDK2 seemed to reverse the contribution of miR-200c to intensifying viability and proliferation of Lovo and SW420 cell lines (P < .05). Furthermore, ATB might downregulate miR-200c expression by targeting it (P < .05), and CDK2 was subjected to dual regulation of both ATB and miR-200c (P < .05). In conclusion, the lncRNA ATB/miR-200c/CDK2 signaling was responsible for intensified proliferation and prohibited apoptosis of CRC cells, which might provide effective approaches for diagnosing and treating CRC.

Clinical Value of Combined Determination of Serum B7-H4 with Carcinoembryonic Antigen, Osteopontin, or Tissue Polypeptide-Specific Antigen for the Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer

Aim

B7-H4 is member of the B7 family that negatively regulates the immune response, which are associated with tumor development and prognosis. The present study is aimed at examining serum B7-H4 expression and exploring its contribution to diagnosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

We determined serum expressions of B7-H4, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), osteopontin (OPN), and tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS) in 59 patients with colorectal cancer and 29 healthy volunteers and analyzed the diagnostic value of B7-H4 combined with CEA, OPN, or TPS detection for colorectal cancer. B7-H4, OPN, and TPS serum expressions were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CEA was measured by electrochemical luminescence detection.

Results

Serum B7-H4 levels were significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients compared with paired normal controls (P = 0.001). B7-H4 serum level was positively correlated with infiltration depth, tumor masses, and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004, P = 0.016, and P = 0.0052, respectively). We also detected serum expression of B7-H4 before and after radical resection and showed that B7-H4 levels decreased significantly during the first week postoperation (P = 0.0064). We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to indicate the potential diagnostic values of these markers. The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) for B7-H4, OPN, TPS, and CEA were 0.867, 0.805, 0.812, and 0.833, respectively. The optimal sensitivity and specificity of B7-H4 for discriminating between colon cancer patients and healthy controls were 88.2% and 86.7%, respectively, using a cut-off of value of 78.89 ng/mL. However, combined ROC analysis using B7-H4 and CEA revealed an AUC of 0.929, with a sensitivity of 98.9% and a specificity of 80.4% for discriminating colon cancer patients from healthy controls.

Conclusions

B7-H4 was highly expressed in the serum in colorectal cancer patients. Detection of B7-H4 plus CEA showed significantly increased sensitivity and specificity for discriminating between colorectal cancer patients and healthy controls compared to individual detection of these markers. Combined detection of serum B7-H4 and CEA may thus have the potential to become a new laboratory method for the early clinical diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of colorectal cancer.

Evaluation of platelet indices as diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer

Altered platelet indices, including platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT), have been found in various cancer types. This study aimed to evaluate the role of platelet indices as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), and to assess the association between platelet indices and CRC clinicopathological characteristics. The study included 783 subjects with CRC, 463 subjects with colorectal adenomas (CA), and 689 control subjects from June 2015 to October 2017. All participants' clinicopathological characteristics were collected and analyzed. Here, we found that PC, MPV and PCT levels in CRC patients were significantly higher than those in CA patients and healthy participants (p < 0.001); however, PDW level in CRC patients was significantly higher than that in healthy participants while lower than that in CA patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that combined detection of PCT and CEA appears to be a more effective marker to distinguish CRC patients from CA patients, with 70% sensitivity and 83% specificity. Among CRC patients, PC and PCT levels were associated with TNM stages and tumor size; MPV and PCT levels were associated with vascular invasion. Our findings suggest that altered PC, MPV and PCT levels might serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC.

Tumour YAP1 and PTEN expression correlates with tumour-associated myeloid suppressor cell expansion and reduced survival in colorectal cancer

The expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) correlates with tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we found a significant association between CD33⁺ MDSC number and Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) and phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) levels in CRC patients (P < 0·05). Moreover, the CD33⁺ MDSCs, YAP1 and PTEN were identified as predictors for the prognosis of CRC patients (P < 0·05). Notably, CD33⁺ MDSCs were an independent survival predictor for CRC patients through a Cox model analysis. In vitro data determined that the expression levels of YAP1 and PTEN in CRC-derived cell lines were associated with CRC-derived MDSC induction, and the blockade of YAP1 and PTEN decreased CRC-derived MDSC induction. A mechanistic analysis revealed that YAP1 promoted CRC-derived MDSC induction by suppressing PTEN expression to up-regulate COX-2, P-AKT and P-p65 in CRC-derived cells, leading to secretion of the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Our findings establish a novel mechanism of pro-tumorigenic MDSC induction mediated by ectopic YAP1 and PTEN expression in CRC.

Indirubin inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis in tumor-derived endothelial cells

Purpose

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most predominant malignancies with high fatality rate and its incidence is rising at an alarming rate because of its resistance to radio- and chemotherapy. Indirubin is the major active anti-tumor ingredient of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of indirubin on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of tumor-derived endothelial cells (Td-EC).

Methods

Td-EC were derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by treating HUVEC with the conditioned medium of human liver cancer cell line HepG2. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis were assessed by MTT, wound healing, in vitro cell invasion, and in vitro tube formation assay.

Results

Td-EC were successfully obtained from HUVEC cultured with 50% culture supernatant from serum-starved HepG2 cells. Indirubin significantly inhibited Td-EC proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Indirubin also inhibited Td-EC migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. However, indirubin's effects were weaker on HUVEC than Td-EC.

Conclusion

Indirubin significantly inhibited Td-EC proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structure of Seneca Valley Virus Procapsid

Seneca Valley virus (SVV), like some other members of the Picornaviridae, forms naturally occurring empty capsids, known as procapsids. Procapsids have the same antigenicity as full virions, so they present an interesting possibility for the formation of stable virus-like particles. Interestingly, although SVV is a livestock pathogen, it has also been found to preferentially infect tumor cells and is being explored for use as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of small-cell lung cancers. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy to investigate the procapsid structure and describe the transition of capsid protein VP0 to the cleaved forms of VP4 and VP2. We show that the SVV receptor binds the procapsid, as evidence of its native antigenicity. In comparing the procapsid structure to that of the full virion, we also show that a cage of RNA serves to stabilize the inside surface of the virus, thereby making it more acid stable.IMPORTANCE Viruses are extensively studied to help us understand infection and disease. One of the by-products of some virus infections are the naturally occurring empty virus capsids (containing no genome), termed procapsids, whose function remains unclear. Here we investigate the structure and formation of the procapsids of Seneca Valley virus, to better understand how they form, what causes them to form, how they behave, and how we can make use of them. One potential benefit of this work is the modification of the procapsid to develop it for targeted in vivo delivery of therapeutics or to make a stable vaccine against SVV, which could be of great interest to the agricultural industry.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Monotherapy Ontuxizumab (MORAb-004) Plus Best Supportive Care in Patients with Chemorefractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ontuxizumab (MORAb-004), a monoclonal antibody that interferes with endosialin (tumor endothelial marker-1) function, in patients with chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer and to identify a responsive patient population based on biomarkers.Experimental Design: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II study. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive weekly intravenous ontuxizumab (8 mg/kg) or placebo plus best supportive care until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Tissue and blood biomarkers were evaluated for their ability to identify a patient population that was responsive to ontuxizumab.Results: A total of 126 patients were enrolled. No significant difference between the ontuxizumab and placebo groups was evident for the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), with a median PFS of 8.1 weeks in each group (HR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-1.67; P = 0.53). There were no significant differences between groups for overall survival (OS) or overall response rate (ORR). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the ontuxizumab group (vs. the placebo group, respectively) were fatigue (53.7% vs. 47.5%), nausea (39.0% vs. 35.0%), decreased appetite (34.1% vs. 27.5%), and constipation (28.0% vs. 32.5%). The most common grade 3/4 TEAE in the ontuxizumab group versus placebo was back pain (11.0% vs. 0%). No single biomarker clearly identified patients responsive to ontuxizumab.Conclusions: No benefit with ontuxizumab monotherapy compared with placebo for clinical response parameters of PFS, OS, or ORR was demonstrated. Ontuxizumab was well tolerated. Clin Cancer Res; 24(2); 316-25. ©2017 AACR.

Diagnostic potential of serum exosomal colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed long non-coding RNA (CRNDE-p) and microRNA-217 expression in colorectal carcinoma

In this study, we investigated the diagnostic potential of serum exosomal colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE-p) long coding RNA and microRNA-217 in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We detected high CRNDE-p and low miR-217 levels in exosomes released by multiple CRC cell lines into culture media as well as in sera from CRC xenograft mice and CRC patients. Conversely, we observed lower CRNDE-p and higher miR-217 levels in serum exosomes from post-chemotherapy than from pre-chemotherapy patient samples. The area under curve (AUC) value for the serum exosomal CRNDE-p and miR-217 combination was higher than CRNDE-p or miR-217 alone. Moreover, high CRNDE-p and low miR-217 serum exosomal levels correlated with advanced clinical stages (III/IV), tumor classification (T3/T4), and lymph node or distant metastasis. Thus combined evaluation of serum exosomal CRNDE-p and miR-217 levels show diagnostic and prognostic potential for CRC patients.