Prognostic Value of MUC2 Expression in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

MUC2 expression modulates immune infiltration in colorectal cancer

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A deeper understanding of the interaction of cancer cells with other cells in the tumor microenvironment is crucial to devise effective therapeutic strategies. MUC2, a major component of the protective mucus layer in the gastrointestinal tract, has been implicated in CRC progression and immune response regulation.

Method

In this study, we sought to elucidate the relationship between MUC2 expression and immune infiltration within CRC using in vitro models involving two well-established cell lines, HT-29 and LS-174T. By employing CRISPR-mediated MUC2 knockout, we investigated the influence of MUC2 on tumor immune infiltration and its interplay with T cells and NK cells enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 3D spheroid cultures.

Results

While MUC2 was more abundant in LS-174T cell line compared to HT-29, its knockout resulted in increased immune infiltration solely in the HT-29 cell line, but not in the LS-174T cell line. We revealed that the removal of MUC2 protein was compensated in LS-174T by the expression of other gel-forming mucin proteins (MUC6, MUC5B) commonly expressed in the gastrointestinal epithelium, while this was not observed in HT-29 cell line.

Conclusion

Our study is the first to demonstrate that MUC2 functions as a physical barrier to immune infiltration in colorectal cancer (CRC) in vitro. In HT-29 cells, MUC2 knockout increased immune infiltration, while in LS-174T cells, compensatory expression of other mucins (MUC6, MUC5B) maintained the barrier. These findings reveal the complexity of mucin biology in CRC and suggest that targeting mucin pathways could be a novel therapeutic approach.

The SCRUM-MONSTAR Cancer-Omics Ecosystem: Striving for a Quantum Leap in Precision Medicine

The SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN consortium is a nationwide molecular profiling project employing artificial intelligence-driven multiomics analyses for patients with advanced malignancies, aiming to develop novel therapeutics and diagnostics and deliver effective drugs to patients. Concurrently, studies assessing molecular residual disease-based precision medicine for resectable solid tumors, including CIRCULATE-Japan, are ongoing. The substantial data generated by these platforms are stored within a state-of-the-art supercomputing infrastructure, VAPOR CONE. Since 2015, our project has registered over 24,000 patients as of December 2023. Among 16,144 patients with advanced solid tumors enrolled in MONSTAR-SCREEN projects, 5.0% have participated in matched clinical trials, demonstrating a 29.2% objective response rate and 14.8-month median survival (95% CI, 13.4-16.3) for patients treated in the matched clinical trials. Notably, patients who received matched therapy demonstrated significantly prolonged overall survival compared with those who did not (hazard ratio 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.83). Significance: Our nationwide molecular profiling initiative played pivotal roles in facilitating the enrollment of patients with advanced solid tumors into matched clinical trials and highlighted the substantial survival benefits of patients treated with matched therapy. We aim to facilitate an industry-academia data-sharing infrastructure ecosystem, fostering new drug discovery paradigms and precision medicine.

MACC1 Regulates LGR5 to Promote Cancer Stem Cell Properties in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The high mortality is directly associated with metastatic disease, which is thought to be initiated by colon cancer stem cells, according to the cancer stem cell (CSC) model. Consequently, early identification of those patients who are at high risk for metastasis is crucial for improved treatment and patient outcomes. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is a novel prognostic biomarker for tumor progression and metastasis formation independent of tumor stage. We previously showed an involvement of MACC1 in cancer stemness in the mouse intestine of our MACC1 transgenic mouse models. However, the expression of MACC1 in human CSCs and possible implications remain elusive. Here, we explored the molecular mechanisms by which MACC1 regulates stemness and the CSC-associated invasive phenotype based on patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and human CRC cell lines. We showed that CD44-enriched CSCs from PDO models express significantly higher levels of MACC1 and LGR5 and display higher tumorigenicity in immunocompromised mice. Similarly, RNA sequencing performed on PDO and PDX models demonstrated significantly increased MACC1 expression in ALDH1(+) CSCs, highlighting its involvement in cancer stemness. We further showed the correlation of MACC1 with the CSC markers CD44, NANOG and LGR5 in PDO models as well as established cell lines. Additionally, MACC1 increased stem cell gene expression, clonogenicity and sphere formation. Strikingly, we showed that MACC1 binds as a transcription factor to the LGR5 gene promoter, uncovering the long-known CSC marker LGR5 as a novel essential signaling mediator employed by MACC1 to induce CSC-like properties in human CRC patients. Our in vitro findings were further substantiated by a significant positive correlation of MACC1 with LGR5 in CRC cell lines as well as CRC patient tumors. Taken together, this study indicates that the metastasis inducer MACC1 acts as a cancer stem cell-associated marker. Interventional approaches targeting MACC1 would potentially improve further targeted therapies for colorectal cancer patients to eradicate CSCs and prevent cancer recurrence and distant metastasis formation.

STAT2 Controls Colorectal Tumorigenesis and Resistance to Anti-Cancer Drugs

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant socioeconomic burden in modern society and is accountable for millions of premature deaths each year. The role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2)-dependent signaling in this context is not yet fully understood, and no therapies targeting this pathway are currently being pursued. We investigated the role of STAT2 in CRC using experimental mouse models coupled with RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) data and functional assays with anti-cancer agents in three-dimensional tumoroids. Stat2-/- mice showed greater resistance to the development of CRC in both inflammation-driven and inflammation-independent experimental CRC models. In ex vivo studies, tumoroids derived from Stat2-/- mice with the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mutant allele of the adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) locus exhibited delayed growth, were overall smaller and more differentiated as compared with tumoroids from ApcMin/+ wildtype (WT) mice. Notably, tumoroids from ApcMin/+ Stat2-/- mice were more susceptible to anti-cancer agents inducing cell death by different mechanisms. Our findings clearly indicated that STAT2 promotes CRC and suggested that interventions targeting STAT2-dependent signals might become an attractive therapeutic option for patients with CRC.

Technological advances define shifting pathway signaling from normal to primary and metastatic colorectal cancer

Adoption of organoid/tumoroid propagation of normal and malignant intestinal epithelia has provided unparalleled opportunities to compare cell growth factor and signaling dependencies. These 3D structures recapitulate tumours in terms of gene expression regarding the tumor cells but also allow deeper insights into the contribution of the tumour microenvironment (TME). Elements of the TME can be manipulated or added back in the form of infiltrating cytotoxic lymphocytes and/or cancer associated fibroblasts. The effectiveness of chemo-, radio- and immunotherapies can be explored within weeks of deriving these patient-derived tumour avatars informing treatment of these exact patients in a timely manner. Entrenched paths to colorectal cancer (CRC) from the earliest steps of conventional adenoma or serrated lesion formation, and the recognition of further sub-categorisations embodied by consensus-molecular-subtypes (CMS), provide genetic maps allowing a molecular form of pathologic taxonomy. Recent advances in organoid propagation and scRNAseq are reshaping our understanding of CMS and CRC.

Role of gut microbiota and bacterial metabolites in mucins of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health burden, accounting for approximately 10% of all new cancer cases worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests that the crosstalk between the host mucins and gut microbiota is associated with the occurrence and development of CRC. Mucins secreted by goblet cells not only protect the intestinal epithelium from microorganisms and invading pathogens but also provide a habitat for commensal bacteria. Conversely, gut dysbiosis results in the dysfunction of mucins, allowing other commensals and their metabolites to pass through the intestinal epithelium, potentially triggering host responses and the subsequent progression of CRC. In this review, we summarize how gut microbiota and bacterial metabolites regulate the function and expression of mucin in CRC and novel treatment strategies for CRC.

Immunophenotypic profiles and prognosis for colorectal mucinous adenocarcinomas are dependent on anatomic location

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of mucinous adenocarcinomas (MCAs, exhibiting >50% extracellular mucin) of the colorectum, in relation to their anatomic location is not well studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We compared MCAs (n = 175) with non-MCAs (NMCAs, n = 1015) and the cancer-specific survival rates were evaluated, based on their anatomic site, by univariate Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox methods. Subsets of these tumors were immunostained for MUC1, MUC2, Bcl-2, and p53.

RESULTS

MCAs were more commonly found in the right colon, were of high-grade, and were more prevalent in younger patients (<40 years). They exhibited strong expression of MUC2 and Bcl-2 and showed less p53 nuclear staining. In contrast, most NMCAs were low-grade with high expression of MUC1. MCAs of the rectum were associated with poorer outcomes relative to NMCAs (HR 1.85, CI 95% 1.15-2.97), even though the distributions of advanced-stage tumors were similar.

CONCLUSION

Late-stage disease and age were poor independent prognostic indicators of cancer-specific deaths across all tumor locations. In summary, rectal MCAs have a poor prognosis.

The Mucin Family of Proteins: Candidates as Potential Biomarkers for Colon Cancer

Mucins (MUC1-MUC24) are a family of glycoproteins involved in cell signaling and barrier protection. They have been implicated in the progression of numerous malignancies including gastric, pancreatic, ovarian, breast, and lung cancer. Mucins have also been extensively studied with respect to colorectal cancer. They have been found to have diverse expression profiles amongst the normal colon, benign hyperplastic polyps, pre-malignant polyps, and colon cancers. Those expressed in the normal colon include MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC11, MUC12, MUC13, MUC15 (at low levels), and MUC21. Whereas MUC5, MUC6, MUC16, and MUC20 are absent from the normal colon and are expressed in colorectal cancers. MUC1, MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, and MUC6 are currently the most widely covered in the literature regarding their role in the progression from normal colonic tissue to cancer.

Post-Translational Modifications in Tumor-Associated Antigens as a Platform for Novel Immuno-Oncology Therapies

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are generated by adding small chemical groups to amino acid residues after the translation of proteins. Many PTMs have been reported to correlate with tumor progression, growth, and survival by modifying the normal functions of the protein in tumor cells. PTMs can also elicit humoral and cellular immune responses, making them attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. This review will discuss how the acetylation, citrullination, and phosphorylation of proteins expressed by tumor cells render the corresponding tumor-associated antigen more antigenic and affect the immune response in multiple cancers. In addition, the role of glycosylated protein mucins in anti-cancer immunotherapy will be considered. Mucin peptides in combination with stimulating adjuvants have, in fact, been utilized to produce anti-tumor antibodies and vaccines. Finally, we will also outline the results of the clinical trial exploiting glycosylated-MUC1 as a vaccine in different cancers. Overall, PTMs in TAAs could be considered in future therapies to result in lasting anti-tumor responses.

Measuring the multifaceted roles of mucin-domain glycoproteins in cancer

Mucin-domain glycoproteins are highly O-glycosylated cell surface and secreted proteins that serve as both biochemical and biophysical modulators. Aberrant expression and glycosylation of mucins are known hallmarks in numerous malignancies, yet mucin-domain glycoproteins remain enigmatic in the broad landscape of cancer glycobiology. Here we review the multifaceted roles of mucins in cancer through the lens of the analytical and biochemical methods used to study them. We also describe a collection of emerging tools that are specifically equipped to characterize mucin-domain glycoproteins in complex biological backgrounds. These approaches are poised to further elucidate how mucin biology can be understood and subsequently targeted for the next generation of cancer therapeutics.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma: A unique clinicopathological subtype in colorectal cancer

Mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) is a unique clinicopathological subtype of colorectal cancer, which is characterized by extracellular mucinous components that comprise at least 50% of the tumor tissue. The clinical characteristics, molecular features, response to chemo-/radiotherapy, and prognosis of MAC are different from that of non-MAC (NMAC). MAC is more common in the proximal colon, with larger volume, higher T-stage, a higher proportion of positive lymph nodes, poorer tumor differentiation, and a higher proportion of peritoneal implants compared to NMAC. Although biopsy is the main diagnostic method for MAC, magnetic resonance imaging is superior in accuracy, especially for rectal carcinoma. The aberrant expression of mucins, including MUC1, MUC2 and MUC5AC, is a notable feature of MAC, which may be related to tumor invasion, metastasis, inhibition of apoptosis, and chemo-/radiotherapy resistance. The genetic origin of MAC is mainly related to BRAF mutation, microsatellite instability, and the CpG island methylator phenotype pathway. In addition, the poor prognosis of rectal MAC has been confirmed by various studies, and that of colonic MAC is still controversial. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology, clinicopathological characteristics, molecular features, methods of diagnosis, and treatments of MAC in order to provide references for further fundamental and clinical research.

A Novel Prognostic Biomarker Panel for Early-Stage Colon Carcinoma

Molecular characterization of colorectal cancer has helped us understand better the biology of the disease. However, previous efforts have yet to provide significant clinical value in order to be integrated into clinical practice for patients with early-stage colon cancer (CC). The purpose of this study was to assess PD-L1, GLUT-1, e-cadherin, MUC2, CDX2, and microsatellite instability (dMMR) and to propose a risk-panel with prognostic capabilities. Biomarkers were immunohistochemically assessed through tissue microarrays in a cohort of 144 patients with stage II/III colon cancer. A biomarker panel consisting of PD-L1, GLUT-1, dMMR, and potentially CDX2 was constructed that divided patients into low, medium, and high risk of overall survival or disease-free survival (DFS) in equally sized groups. Compared with low-risk patients, medium-risk patients have almost twice the risk of death (HR = 2.10 (0.99-4.46), p = 0.054), while high-risk patients have almost four times the risk (HR = 3.79 (1.77-8.11), p = 0.001). The multivariate goodness of fit was 0.756 and was correlated with Kaplan-Meier curves (p = 0.002). Consistent results were found for DFS. This study provides a critical basis for the future development of an immunohistochemical assessment capable of discerning early-stage CC patients as a function of their prognosis. This tool may aid with treatment personalization in daily clinical practice and improve survival outcomes.

DOCK4 stimulates MUC2 production through its effect on goblet cell differentiation

The intestinal mucosa is in continuous contact with milliard of microorganisms, thus intestinal epithelial barrier is a critical component in the arsenal of defense mechanisms required to prevent infection and inflammation. Mucin 2 (MUC2), which is produced by the goblet cells, forms the skeleton of the intestinal mucus and protects the intestinal tract from self-digestion and numerous microorganisms. Dedicator of cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4) is a member of the DOCK-B subfamily of the DOCK family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors. It is reported that DOCK4 plays a critical role in the repair of the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium after chemical damage. In this study, the role of DOCK4 in the goblet cell differentiation and MUC2 production is explored. Disordered intestinal epithelium and shortage of goblet cells were observed in DOCK4 gene knockout mice. Furthermore, DOCK4 deletion contributed to the low expression of MUC2 and the goblet cell differentiation/maturation factors including growth factor independent 1 (Gfi1) and SAM pointed domain epithelial-specific transcription factor (Spdef) in mouse ileums and colons. Overexpression of DOCK4 caused a marked increase in Gfi1, Spdef, and MUC2, while siRNA knockdown of endogenous DOCK4 significantly decreased Gfi1, Spdef, and MUC2 in HT-29 cells. In addition, MUC2, DOCK4, and the goblet cell differentiation/maturation factors mRNA levels were decreased in colorectal cancer samples compared with normal colons. A significant positive correlation was found between MUC2 and DOCK4. In conclusion, DOCK4 may serve as a critical regulator of goblet cell differentiation and MUC2 production in the intestine.

Mucin expression, epigenetic regulation and patient survival: A toolkit of prognostic biomarkers in epithelial cancers

Twenty mucin genes have been identified and classified in two groups (encoding secreted and membrane-bound proteins). Secreted mucins participate in mucus formation by assembling a 3-dimensional network via oligomerization, whereas membrane-bound mucins are anchored to the outer membrane mediating extracellular interactions and cell signaling. Both groups have been associated with carcinogenesis progression in epithelial cancers, and are therefore considered as potential therapeutic targets. In the present review, we discuss the link between mucin expression patterns and patient survival and propose mucins as prognosis biomarkers of epithelial cancers (esophagus, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, lung, breast or ovarian cancers). We also investigate the relationship between mucin expression and overall survival in the TCGA dataset. In particular, epigenetic mechanisms regulating mucin gene expression, such as aberrant DNA methylation and histone modification, are interesting as they are also associated with diagnosis or prognosis significance. Indeed, mucin hypomethylation has been shown to be associated with carcinogenesis progression and was linked to prognosis in colon cancer or pancreatic cancer patients. Finally we describe the relationship between mucin expression and non-coding RNAs that also may serve as biomarkers. Altogether the concomitant knowledge of specific mucin-pattern expression and epigenetic regulation could be translated as biomarkers with a better specificity/sensitivity performance in several epithelial cancers.

Robust Prediction of Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a revolutionary milestone in the field of immune-oncology. However, the low response rate is the major problem of ICI treatment. The recent studies showed that response rate to single-agent programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition in unselected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is 25% so that researchers defined several biomarkers to predict the response of immunotherapy in ICIs treatment. Common biomarkers like tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1 expression have several limitations, such as low accuracy and inadequately validated cutoff value.

Methods

Two published and an unpublished ICIs treatment NSCLC cohorts with 129 patients were collected and divided into a training cohort (n = 53), a validation cohort (n = 22), and two independent test cohorts (n = 34 and n = 20). We identified six immune-related pathways whose mutational status was significantly associated with overall survival after ICIs treatment. Then these pathways mutational status combined with TMB, PD-L1 expression and intratumor heterogeneity were incorporated to build a Bayesian-regularization neural networks (BRNN) model to predict the ICIs treatment response.

Results

We firstly proved that TMB, PD-L1, and mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) were independent biomarkers. The survival analysis of six immune-related pathways revealed the mutational status could distinguish overall survival after ICIs treatment. When predicting immunotherapy efficacy, the overall accuracy of area under curve (AUC) in validation cohort reaches 0.85, outperforming previous predictors in either sensitivity or specificity. And the AUC in two independent test cohorts reach 0.74 and 0.80.

Conclusion

We developed a pathway-model that could predict the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC patients. Our study made a significant contribution to solving the low prediction accuracy of immunotherapy of single biomarker. With the accumulation of larger data sets, further studies are warranted to refine the predictive performance of the approach.

Colorectal Adenocarcinomas Harboring ALK Fusion Genes: A Clinicopathologic and Molecular Genetic Study of 12 Cases and Review of the Literature

This study determined the frequency and the clinicopathologic and genetic features of colorectal carcinomas driven by oncogenic fusions of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (ALK). Of the 8150 screened tumors, 12 (0.15%) were immunohistochemically ALK-positive with D5F3 antibody. These cancers harbored CAD-ALK (n=1), DIAPH2-ALK (n=2), EML4-ALK (n=2), LOC101929227-ALK (n=1), SLMAP-ALK (n=1), SPTBN1-ALK (n=4), and STRN-ALK (n=1) fusions, as detected by an RNA-based next-generation sequencing assay. ALK fusion carcinomas were diagnosed mostly in older patients with a 9:3 female predominance (median age: 72 y). All tumors, except a rectal one, occurred in the right colon. Most tumors were stage T3 (n=7) or T4 (n=3). Local lymph node and distant metastases were seen at presentation in 9 and 2 patients. These tumors showed moderate (n=6) or poor (n=3) glandular differentiation, solid medullary growth pattern (n=2), and pure mucinous morphology (n=1). DNA mismatch repair-deficient phenotype was identified in 10 cases. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were prominent in 9 carcinomas. In 4 carcinomas, tumor cells showed strong, focal (n=3), or diffuse programmed death-ligand 1 immunoreactivity. CDX2 expression and loss of CK20 and MUC2 expression were frequent. CK7 was expressed in 5 tumors. Four patients died of disease within 3 years, and 7 were alive with follow-up ranging from 1 to 8 years. No mutations in BRAF, RAS, and in genes encoding components of PI3K-AKT/MTOR pathway were identified. However, 1 tumor had a loss-of-function PTEN mutation. Aberration of p53 signaling, TP53 mutations, and/or nuclear accumulation of p53 protein was seen in 9 cases. ALK fusion colorectal carcinomas are a distinct and rare subtype of colorectal cancers displaying some features of mismatch repair-deficient tumors.

The Diverse Roles of the Mucin Gene Cluster Located on Chromosome 11p15.5 in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common malignant tumor in the world, shows multiple complex and pathologies based on the impaired structure and function of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Goblet cells secrete mucins, which are involved in the formation of the intestinal mucosal barrier and not only lubricate and protect the intestinal mucosa but also participate in the processes of cell adhesion, intercellular signal transduction, and immune regulation. It is accepted that the disordered expression and dysfunction of mucins are associated with the occurrence and development of CRC. This article focuses on the secretory mucins encoded by a gene cluster located on chromosome 11p15.5 and systematically reviews their composition, regulation, function, and role in CRC, to deepen the understanding of the pathogeneses of CRC and to provide a new basis and ideas for the treatment of CRC.

Mucins and their receptors in chronic lung disease

There is growing recognition that mucus and mucin biology have a considerable impact on respiratory health, and subsequent global morbidity and mortality. Mucins play a critical role in chronic lung disease, not only by providing a physical barrier and clearing pathogens, but also in immune homeostasis. The aim of this review is to familiarise the reader with the role of mucins in both lung health and disease, with particular focus on function in immunity, infection and inflammation. We will also discuss their receptors, termed glycan-binding proteins, and how they provide an attractive prospect for therapeutic intervention.

Colonic Adenocarcinomas Harboring NTRK Fusion Genes: A Clinicopathologic and Molecular Genetic Study of 16 Cases and Review of the Literature

This study was undertaken to determine the frequency, and the clinicopathologic and genetic features, of colon cancers driven by neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusions. Of the 7008 tumors screened for NTRK expression using a pan-Trk antibody, 16 (0.23%) had Trk immunoreactivity. ArcherDx assay detected TPM3-NTRK1 (n=9), LMNA-NTRK1 (n=3), TPR-NTRK1 (n=2) and EML4-NTRK3 (n=1) fusion transcripts in 15 cases with sufficient RNA quality. Patients were predominantly women (median age: 63 y). The tumors involved the right (n=12) and left colon unequally and were either stage T3 (n=12) or T4. Local lymph node and distant metastases were seen at presentation in 6 and 1 patients, respectively. Lymphovascular invasion was present in all cases. Histologically, tumors showed moderate to poor (n=11) differentiation with a partly or entirely solid pattern (n=5) and mucinous component (n=10), including 1 case with sheets of signet ring cells. DNA mismatch repair-deficient phenotype was seen in 13 cases. Tumor-infiltrating CD4/CD8 lymphocytes were prominent in 9 cases. Programmed death-ligand 1 positive tumor-infiltrating immune cells and focal tumor cell positivity were seen in the majority of cases. CDX2 expression and loss of CK20 and MUC2 expression were frequent. CK7 was expressed in 5 cases. No mutations in BRAF, RAS, and PIK3CA were identified. However, other genes of the PI3K-AKT/MTOR pathway were mutated. In several cases, components of Wnt/β-catenin (APC, AMER1, CTNNB1), p53, and TGFβ (ACVR2A, TGFBR2) pathways were mutated. However, no SMAD4 mutations were found. Two tumors harbored FBXW7 tumor suppressor gene mutations. NTRK fusion tumors constitute a distinct but rare subgroup of colorectal carcinomas.

Importance of digestive mucus and mucins for designing new functional food ingredients

The mucus, mainly composed of the glycoproteins mucins, is a rheological substance that covers the intestinal epithelium and acts as a protective barrier against a variety of harmful molecules, microbial infection and varying lumen environment conditions. Alterations in the composition or structure of the mucus could lead to various diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer. Recent studies revealed that an exogenous intake of probiotic bacteria or other dietary components (such as bioactive peptides and probiotics) derived from food influence mucus layer properties as well as modulate gene expression and secretion of mucins. Therefore, the use of such components for designing new functional ingredients and then foods, could constitute a novel approach to preserve the properties of mucus. After presenting some aspects of the mucus and mucins in the gastrointestinal tract as well as mucus role in the gut health, this review will address role of dietary ingredients in improving mucus/mucin production and provides new suggestions for further investigations of how dietary ingredients/probiotics based functional foods can be developed to maintain or improve the gut health.

Candidate genes involved in metastasis of colon cancer identified by integrated analysis

Colon cancer is one of the most malignant cancers worldwide. Nearly 20% of all colon cancer patients are diagnosed at stage IV (metastasis). However, further study of colon cancer is difficult due to a lack of understanding of its pathogenesis. In this study, we acquired high–throughput sequence data from TCGA datasets and performed integrated bioinformatic analysis including differential gene expression analysis, gene ontology and KEGG pathways analysis, protein–protein analysis, survival analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis in order to identify a panel of key candidate genes involved in the metastasis of colon cancer. We then constructed a prognostic signature based on the expression of REG1B, TGM6, NTF4, PNMA5, and HOXC13 which could provide significant prognostic value for colon cancer.