Proteomic profiling of retinoblastoma by high resolution mass spectrometry

The Role of Small Extracellular Vesicles in Retinoblastoma Development and Progression

A growing body of research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer has revealed their novel and crucial activities in the progression of tumors while also paving the way for potential therapeutic interventions. It is now known that EVs are natural delivery vehicles for particular payloads of source cells, enabling them to influence diverse functions of cells both in healthy and malignant cells. In this review, we comprehensively summarize mechanistic insights into sEV roles in RB, the most frequent intraocular malignancy that affects the retina of young children. We also explore the therapeutic potential of sEVs as an emerging area as biomarkers and vehicles for targeted therapy. Additionally, we address the potential challenges and limitations of translating sEVs-based technologies into clinical practice.

The Role of Fetuin-A in Tumor Cell Growth, Prognosis, and Dissemination

Fetuin-A, also known as alpha-2-Heremans-Schmid-glycoprotein (Ahsg), is a multifunctional molecule with diverse roles in biological processes such as mineralization, tumor growth, and inflammation. This review explores the involvement of Ahsg in various cancers, including liver, breast, prostate, colorectal, brain, osteosarcoma, and lung cancers. In many cancer types, Ahsg promotes tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis through various mechanisms, including cellular adhesion, spreading, chemotaxis, and modulation of cell-growth signaling pathways. Additionally, Ahsg has been implicated in the regulation of inflammatory cytokine production, making it a potential marker of inflammation in cancer. The complex interplay between Ahsg and cancer progression highlights its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in various cancers. However, further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action of Ahsg in cancer and to explore its clinical implications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Fetuin-B Overexpression Promotes Inflammation in Diabetic Retinopathy Through Activating Microglia and the NF-κB Signaling Pathway

PURPOSE

To investigate the expression, source, role, and mechanism of Fetuin-B (FETUB) in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

ELISA and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the concentration of FETUB in plasma, aqueous fluid, and tissue specimens of patients with DR and healthy controls. Immunofluorescence, q-PCR, and western blotting were used to examine the expression of FETUB in DR mice and cells cultured with different concentrations of glucose. BV2 microglia cell line and DR mice were treated using FETUB recombination protein and FETUB shRNA to explore the function of FETUB in DR by q-PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

FETUB concentrations in plasma, aqueous fluid, and tissue specimens were significantly increased in DR patients. The mice in DR group had a higher concentration of FETUB in the retina and liver tissues than those in the control group, and the expression of FETUB was increased in both ARPE19 and BV2 cells under a high-glucose environment. The ratio of p-P65 (Phospho-P65)/P65 and the expression levels of TNF-α, VEGF, and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule (IBA)-1 were increased in BV2 cells cultured with FETUB recombinant protein, while they were decreased in BV2 cells transfected with FETUB shRNA. Immunofluorescence staining showed that there were more IBA-1+ activated microglia in the retinas of the FETUB recombination protein group than in the retinas of the DR group, and there were fewer IBA-1+ activated microglia in the retinas of the FETUB shRNA group than in the retinas of the DR group.

CONCLUSIONS

FETUB sourced from endocrine, autocrine, and paracrine pathways could promote inflammation in DR by activating the NF-κB pathway and microglia.

Genetics in ophthalmology: molecular blueprints of retinoblastoma

This review presents current knowledge on the molecular biology of retinoblastoma (RB). Retinoblastoma is an intraocular tumor with hereditary and sporadic forms. 8,000 new cases of this ocular malignancy of the developing retina are diagnosed each year worldwide. The major gene responsible for retinoblastoma is RB1, and it harbors a large spectrum of pathogenic variants. Tumorigenesis begins with mutations that cause RB1 biallelic inactivation preventing the production of functional pRB proteins. Depending on the type of mutation the penetrance of RB is different. However, in small percent of tumors additional genes may be required, such as MYCN, BCOR and CREBBP. Additionally, epigenetic changes contribute to the progression of retinoblastoma as well. Besides its role in the cell cycle, pRB plays many additional roles, it regulates the nucleosome structure, participates in apoptosis, DNA replication, cellular senescence, differentiation, DNA repair and angiogenesis. Notably, pRB has an important role as a modulator of chromatin remodeling. In recent years high-throughput techniques are becoming essential for credible biomarker identification and patient management improvement. In spite of remarkable advances in retinoblastoma therapy, primarily in high-income countries, our understanding of retinoblastoma and its specific genetics still needs further clarification in order to predict the course of this disease and improve therapy. One such approach is the tumor free DNA that can be obtained from the anterior segment of the eye and be useful in diagnostics and prognostics.

Retinoblastoma: A review of the molecular basis of tumor development and its clinical correlation in shaping future targeted treatment strategies

Retinoblastoma is a retinal cancer that affects children and is the most prevalent intraocular tumor worldwide. Despite tremendous breakthroughs in our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that regulate progression of retinoblastoma, the development of targeted therapeutics for retinoblastoma has lagged. Our review highlights the current developments in the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic landscapes of retinoblastoma. We also discuss their clinical relevance and potential implications for future therapeutic development, with the aim to create a frontline multimodal therapy for retinoblastoma.

Mass spectrometry-based retina proteomics

A subfield of neuroproteomics, retina proteomics has experienced a transformative growth since its inception due to methodological advances in enabling chemical, biochemical, and molecular biology techniques. This review focuses on mass spectrometry's contributions to facilitate mammalian and avian retina proteomics to catalog and quantify retinal protein expressions, determine their posttranslational modifications, as well as its applications to study the proteome of the retina in the context of biology, health and diseases, and therapy developments.

Protein Profiling of WERI-RB1 and Etoposide-Resistant WERI-ETOR Reveals New Insights into Topoisomerase Inhibitor Resistance in Retinoblastoma

Chemotherapy resistance is one of the reasons for eye loss in patients with retinoblastoma (RB). RB chemotherapy resistance has been studied in different cell culture models, such as WERI-RB1. In addition, chemotherapy-resistant RB subclones, such as the etoposide-resistant WERI-ETOR cell line have been established to improve the understanding of chemotherapy resistance in RB. The objective of this study was to characterize cell line models of an etoposide-sensitive WERI-RB1 and its etoposide-resistant subclone, WERI-ETOR, by proteomic analysis. Subsequently, quantitative proteomics data served for correlation analysis with known drug perturbation profiles. Methodically, WERI-RB1 and WERI-ETOR were cultured, and prepared for quantitative mass spectrometry (MS). This was carried out in a data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode. The raw SWATH (sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra) files were processed using neural networks in a library-free mode along with machine-learning algorithms. Pathway-enrichment analysis was performed using the REACTOME-pathway resource, and correlated to the molecular signature database (MSigDB) hallmark gene set collections for functional annotation. Furthermore, a drug-connectivity analysis using the L1000 database was carried out to associate the mechanism of action (MOA) for different anticancer reagents to WERI-RB1/WERI-ETOR signatures. A total of 4756 proteins were identified across all samples, showing a distinct clustering between the groups. Of these proteins, 64 were significantly altered (q < 0.05 & log2FC |>2|, 22 higher in WERI-ETOR). Pathway analysis revealed the “retinoid metabolism and transport” pathway as an enriched metabolic pathway in WERI-ETOR cells, while the “sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis” pathway was identified in the WERI-RB1 cell line. In addition, this study revealed similar protein signatures of topoisomerase inhibitors in WERI-ETOR cells as well as ATPase inhibitors, acetylcholine receptor antagonists, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors in the WERI-RB1 cell line. In this study, WERI-RB1 and WERI-ETOR were analyzed as a cell line model for chemotherapy resistance in RB using data-independent MS. Analysis of the global proteome identified activation of “sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis” in WERI-RB1, and revealed future potential treatment options for etoposide resistance in RB.

Integrated multi-omics analysis of RB-loss identifies widespread cellular programming and synthetic weaknesses

Inactivation of RB is one of the hallmarks of cancer, however gaps remain in our understanding of how RB-loss changes human cells. Here we show that pRB-depletion results in cellular reprogramming, we quantitatively measured how RB-depletion altered the transcriptional, proteomic and metabolic output of non-tumorigenic RPE1 human cells. These profiles identified widespread changes in metabolic and cell stress response factors previously linked to E2F function. In addition, we find a number of additional pathways that are sensitive to RB-depletion that are not E2F-regulated that may represent compensatory mechanisms to support the growth of RB-depleted cells. To determine whether these molecular changes are also present in RB1^-/- tumors, we compared these results to Retinoblastoma and Small Cell Lung Cancer data, and identified widespread conservation of alterations found in RPE1 cells. To define which of these changes contribute to the growth of cells with de-regulated E2F activity, we assayed how inhibiting or depleting these proteins affected the growth of RB1^-/- cells and of Drosophila E2f1-RNAi models in vivo. From this analysis, we identify key metabolic pathways that are essential for the growth of pRB-deleted human cells.

The biological function of IGF2BPs and their role in tumorigenesis

The insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding proteins (IGF2BPs) pertain to a highly conservative RNA-binding family that works as a post-transcriptional fine-tuner for target transcripts. Emerging evidence suggests that IGF2BPs regulate RNA processing and metabolism, including stability, translation, and localization, and are involved in various cellular functions and pathophysiologies. In this review, we summarize the roles and molecular mechanisms of IGF2BPs in cancer development and progression. We mainly discuss the functional relevance of IGF2BPs in embryo development, neurogenesis, metabolism, RNA processing, and tumorigenesis. Understanding IGF2BPs role in tumor progression will provide new insight into cancer pathophysiology.

Retinoblastoma: from discovery to clinical management

The retinoblastoma gene (RB1) was the first tumour suppressor cloned; the role of its protein product (RB) as the principal driver of the G1 checkpoint in cell cycle control has been extensively studied. However, many other RB functions are continuously reported. Its role in senescence, DNA repair and apoptosis, among others, is indications of the significance of RB in a vast network of cellular interactions, explaining why RB loss or its malfunction is one of the leading causes of a large number of paediatric and adult cancers. RB was first reported in retinoblastoma, a common intraocular malignancy in the paediatric population worldwide. Currently, its diagnosis is clinical, and in nondeveloped countries, where the incidence is higher, it is performed in advanced stages of the disease, compromising the integrity of the eye and the patient's life. Even though new treatments are being continuously developed, enucleation is still a major choice due to the late disease stage diagnosis and treatments costs. Research into biomarkers is our best option to improve the chances of good results in the treatment and hopes of patients' good quality of life. Here, we recapitulated the history of the disease and the first treatments to put the advances in its clinical management into perspective. We also review the different functions of the protein and the progress in the search for biomarkers. It is clear that there is still a long way to go, but we should offer these children and their families a better way to deal with the disease with the community's effort.

Dissecting the Transcriptional and Chromatin Accessibility Heterogeneity of Proliferating Cone Precursors in Human Retinoblastoma Tumors by Single Cell Sequencing-Opening Pathways to New Therapeutic Strategies?

Purpose

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a malignant neoplasm arising during retinal development from mutations in the RB1 gene. Loss or inactivation of both copies of RB1 results in initiation of retinoblastoma tumors; however, additional genetic changes are needed for the continued growth and spread of the tumor. Ex vivo research has shown that in humans, retinoblastoma may initiate from RB1-depleted cone precursors. Notwithstanding, it has not been possible to assess the full spectrum of clonal types within the tumor itself in vivo and the molecular changes occurring at the cells of origin, enabling their malignant conversion. To overcome these challenges, we have performed the first single cell (sc) RNA- and ATAC-Seq analyses of primary tumor tissues, enabling us to dissect the transcriptional and chromatin accessibility heterogeneity of proliferating cone precursors in human Rb tumors.

Methods

Two Rb tumors each characterized by two pathogenic RB1 mutations were dissociated to single cells and subjected to scRNA-Seq and scATAC-Seq using the 10× Genomics platform. In addition, nine human embryonic and fetal retina samples were dissociated to single cells and subjected to scRNA- and ATAC-Seq analyses. The scRNA- and ATAC-Seq data were embedded using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection and clustered with Seurat graph-based clustering. Integrated scATAC-Seq analysis of Rb tumors and human embryonic/fetal retina samples was performed to identify Rb cone enriched subclusters. Pseudo time analysis of proliferating cones in the Rb samples was performed with Monocle. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to identify the signaling pathway and upstream regulators in the Rb cone-enriched subclusters.

Results

Our single cell analyses revealed the predominant presence of cone precursors at different stages of the cell cycle in the Rb tumors and among those identified the G2/M subset as the cell type of origin. scATAC-Seq analysis identified two Rb enriched cone subclusters, each characterized by activation of different upstream regulators and signaling pathways, enabling proliferating cone precursors to escape cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis.

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence of Rb tumor heterogeneity and defines molecular pathways that can be targeted to define new treatment strategies.

Exosomes: Insights from Retinoblastoma and Other Eye Cancers

Exosomes, considered as cell debris or garbage bags, have been later characterized as nanometer-sized extracellular double-membrane lipid bilayer bio-vesicles secreted by the fusion of vesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. The constituents and the rate of exosomes formation differ in different pathophysiological conditions. Exosomes are also observed and studied in different parts of the eye, like the retina, cornea, aqueous, and vitreous humor. Tear fluid consists of exosomes that are shown to regulate various cellular processes. The role of exosomes in eye cancers, especially retinoblastoma (RB), is not well explored, although few studies point towards their presence. Retinoblastoma is an intraocular tumor that constitutes 3% of cases of cancer in children. Diagnosis of RB may require invasive procedures, which might lead to the spread of the disease to other parts. Due to this reason, better ways of diagnosis are being explored. Studies on the exosomes in RB tumors and serum might help designing better diagnostic approaches for RB. In this article, we reviewed studies on exosomes in the eye, with a special emphasis on RB. We also reviewed miRNAs expressed in RB tumor, serum, and cell lines and analyzed the targets of these miRNAs from the proteins identified in the RB tumor exosomes. hsa-miR-494 and hsa-miR-9, upregulated and downregulated, respectively in RB, have the maximum number of targets. Although oppositely regulated, they share the same targets in the proteins identified in RB tumor exosomes. Overall this review provides the up-to-date progress in the area of eye exosome research, with an emphasis on RB.

Tumor induction in Drosophila imaginal epithelia triggers modulation of fat body lipid droplets

Our understanding of cancer-specific metabolic changes is currently unclear. In recent years, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with its powerful genetic tools has become an attractive model for studying both tumor autonomous and the systemic processes resulting from the tumor growth. Here we investigated the effect of tumorigenesis on the modulation of lipid droplets (LDs) in the larval fat bodies (mammalian equivalent of adipose tissue). We have overexpressed Notch signaling alone or in combination with the developmental regulator Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (Mef2) using wing-specific and eye-specific drivers, quantified the size of LDs in the fat body of the different tumor bearing larvae, and estimated the expression of genes associated with lipolysis and lipogenesis. We have found that hyperplastic and neoplastic tumor induced by overexpression of Notch and co-expression of Notch and Mef2 respectively triggers impaired lipid metabolism marked by increased size of fat body LDs. The impaired lipid metabolism in tumor carrying larvae is linked to the altered expression of genes that participate in lipolysis and lipogenesis. These findings reveal modulation of LDs as one of the host's specific response upon tumor initiation. This information could potentially uncover mechanisms for designing innovative approaches to modulate cancer growth.

The M-CSF receptor in osteoclasts and beyond

Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R, also known as c-FMS) is a receptor tyrosine kinase. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and IL-34 are ligands of CSF1R. CSF1R-mediated signaling is crucial for the survival, function, proliferation, and differentiation of myeloid lineage cells, including osteoclasts, monocytes/macrophages, microglia, Langerhans cells in the skin, and Paneth cells in the intestine. CSF1R also plays an important role in oocytes and trophoblastic cells in the female reproductive tract and in the maintenance and maturation of neural progenitor cells. Given that CSF1R is expressed in a wide range of myeloid cells, altered CSF1R signaling is implicated in inflammatory, neoplastic, and neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibiting CSF1R signaling through an inhibitory anti-CSF1R antibody or small molecule inhibitors that target the kinase activity of CSF1R has thus been a promising therapeutic strategy for those diseases. In this review, we cover the recent progress in our understanding of the various roles of CSF1R in osteoclasts and other myeloid cells, highlighting the therapeutic applications of CSF1R inhibitors in disease conditions.

Drugs directed at a key signaling receptor involved in breaking down bone tissue could help treat diseases marked by pathological bone loss and destruction. In a review article, Kyung-Hyun Park-Min and colleagues from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, USA, discuss the essential roles played by the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) protein in the survival, function, proliferation and differentiation of myeloid lineage stem cells in the bone marrow, including bone-resorbing osteoclasts. They explore the links between the CSF1R-mediated signaling pathway and diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. The authors largely focus on bone conditions, highlighting mouse studies in which CSF1R-blocking drugs were shown to ameliorate bone loss and inflammatory symptoms in models of arthritis, osteoporosis and metastatic cancer. Clinical trials are ongoing to test therapeutic applications.

The development and clinical applications of proteomics: an Indian perspective

INTRODUCTION

Proteomic research has been extensively used to identify potential biomarkers or targets for various diseases. Advances in mass spectrometry along with data analytics have led proteomics to become a powerful tool for exploring the critical molecular players associated with diseases, thereby, playing a significant role in the development of proteomic applications for the clinic.

AREAS COVERED

This review presents recent advances in the development and clinical applications of proteomics in India toward understanding various diseases including cancer, metabolic diseases, and reproductive diseases. Keywords combined with 'clinical proteomics in India' 'proteomic research in India' and 'mass spectrometry' were used to search PubMed.

EXPERT OPINION

The past decade has seen a significant increase in research in clinical proteomics in India. This approach has resulted in the development of proteomics-based marker technologies for disease management in the country. The majority of these investigations are still in the discovery phase and efforts have to be made to address the intended clinical use so that the identified potential biomarkers reach the clinic. To move toward this necessity, there is a pressing need to establish some key infrastructure requirements and meaningful collaborations between the clinicians and scientists which will enable more effective solutions to address health issues specific to India.

Biomarkers in retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common intraocular malignancy of childhood caused by inactivation of the Rb genes. The prognosis of RB is better with an earlier diagnosis. Many diagnostic approaches and appropriate clinical treatments have been developed to improve clinical outcomes. However, limitations exist when utilizing current methods. Recently, many studies have identified identify new RB biomarkers which can be used in diagnosis, as prognostic indicators and may contribute to understanding the pathogenesis of RB and help determine specific treatment strategies. This review focuses on recent advances in the discovery of RB biomarkers and discusses their clinical utility and challenges from areas such as epigenetics, proteomics and radiogenomics.

Functional Genomics of the Retina to Elucidate its Construction and Deconstruction

The retina is the light sensitive part of the eye and nervous tissue that have been used extensively to characterize the function of the central nervous system. The retina has a central position both in fundamental biology and in the physiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases. We address the contribution of functional genomics to the understanding of retinal biology by reviewing key events in their historical perspective as an introduction to major findings that were obtained through the study of the retina using genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. We illustrate our purpose by showing that most of the genes of interest for retinal development and those involved in inherited retinal degenerations have a restricted expression to the retina and most particularly to photoreceptors cells. We show that the exponential growth of data generated by functional genomics is a future challenge not only in terms of storage but also in terms of accessibility to the scientific community of retinal biologists in the future. Finally, we emphasize on novel perspectives that emerge from the development of redox-proteomics, the new frontier in retinal biology.

False Discovery Rate Estimation for Hybrid Mass Spectral Library Search Identifications in Bottom-up Proteomics

We present a method for FDR estimation of mass spectral library search identifications made by a recently developed method for peptide identification, the hybrid search, based on an extension of the target-decoy approach. In addition to estimating confidence for a given identification, this allows users to compare and integrate identifications from the hybrid mass spectral library search method with other peptide identification methods, such as a sequence database-based method. In addition to a score, each hybrid score is associated with a "DeltaMass" value, which is the difference in mass of the search and library peptide, which can correspond to the mass of a modification. We explored the relation between FDR and DeltaMass using 100 concatenated random decoy libraries and discovered that a small number of DeltaMass values were especially likely to result from decoy searches. Using these values, FDR values could be adjusted for these specific values and a reliable FDR generated for any DeltaMass value. Finally, using this method, we find and examine common, reliable identifications made by the hybrid search for a range of proteomic studies.

Correlated low IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 expression predicts a good prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 are shown to be critical in the regulation of caner progression. However, the prognostic value of IGF2BP1 in lung adenocarcinoma and its relationship with FOXM1 still remains unclear. In this study, the expression and biological significance of both IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 were evaluated in 188 lung adenocarcinoma, at mRNA and protein levels. We showed that mRNA and protein levels of IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 were upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues. High IGF2BP1 expression was correlated with a poor prognosis for lung adenocarcinoma patients. Moreover, IGF2BP1 expression was positively associated with FOXM1 expression. Meanwhile, the findings indicated that low IGF2BP1 combined with low FOXM1 expression, was negatively correlated with pathological stage and lymph node metastasis, predicted good outcomes for lung adenocarcinoma patients. Additionally, low IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 expression status, is an independent prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinoma after surgical resection. We demonstrate that low IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 expression can serve as a potential factor for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma, and targeted inhibition of IGF2BP1 and FOXM1 might be an alternative strategy for the management of lung adenocarcinoma.

Non-coding and Coding Transcriptional Profiles Are Significantly Altered in Pediatric Retinoblastoma Tumors

Retinoblastoma is a rare pediatric tumor of the retina, caused by the homozygous loss of the Retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) tumor suppressor gene. Previous microarray studies have identified changes in the expression profiles of coding genes; however, our understanding of how non-coding genes change in this tumor is absent. This is an important area of research, as in many adult malignancies, non-coding genes including LNC-RNAs are used as biomarkers to predict outcome and/or relapse. To establish a complete and in-depth RNA profile, of both coding and non-coding genes, in Retinoblastoma tumors, we conducted RNA-seq from a cohort of tumors and normal retina controls. This analysis identified widespread transcriptional changes in the levels of both coding and non-coding genes. Unexpectedly, we also found rare RNA fusion products resulting from genomic alterations, specific to Retinoblastoma tumor samples. We then determined whether these gene expression changes, of both coding and non-coding genes, were also found in a completely independent Retinoblastoma cohort. Using our dataset, we then profiled the potential effects of deregulated LNC-RNAs on the expression of neighboring genes, the entire genome, and on mRNAs that contain a putative area of homology. This analysis showed that most deregulated LNC-RNAs do not act locally to change the transcriptional environment, but potentially function to modulate genes at distant sites. From this analysis, we selected a strongly down-regulated LNC-RNA in Retinoblastoma, DRAIC, and found that restoring DRAIC RNA levels significantly slowed the growth of the Y79 Retinoblastoma cell line. Collectively, our work has generated the first non-coding RNA profile of Retinoblastoma tumors and has found that these tumors show widespread transcriptional deregulation.

Update on pathology of retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is caused by mutational inactivation of both alleles of the RB1 gene, which maps to chromosome 13q14 and encodes retinoblastoma protein that acts as a tumor suppressor. Histopathological high-risk features of retinoblastoma are predictive of metastasis or local recurrence. The focus of this update is to emphasize the recent advances in pathology, various molecular key pathways and genome wide approaches for newer potential therapeutic future targets associated with retinoblastoma tumor biology. This review article highlights the new biomarkers expressed by the retinoblastoma tumor for the better survival of patients.

Impact of Fetuin-A (AHSG) on Tumor Progression and Type 2 Diabetes

Fetuin-A is the protein product of the AHSG gene in humans. It is mainly synthesized by the liver in adult humans and is secreted into the blood where its concentration can vary from a low of ~0.2 mg/mL to a high of ~0.8 mg/mL. Presently, it is considered to be a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer, as well as in inhibition of ectopic calcification. In this review we have focused on work that has been done regarding its potential role(s) in tumor progression and sequelae of diabetes. Recently a number of laboratories have demonstrated that a subset of tumor cells such as pancreatic, prostate and glioblastoma multiform synthesize ectopic fetuin-A, which drives their progression. Fetuin-A that is synthesized, modified, and secreted by tumor cells may be more relevant in understanding the pathophysiological role of this enigmatic protein in tumors, as opposed to the relatively high serum concentrations of the liver derived protein. Lastly, auto-antibodies to fetuin-A frequently appear in the sera of tumor patients that could be useful as biomarkers for early diagnosis. In diabetes, solid experimental evidence shows that fetuin-A binds the β-subunit of the insulin receptor to attenuate insulin signaling, thereby contributing to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fetuin-A also may, together with free fatty acids, induce apoptotic signals in the beta islets cells of the pancreas, reducing the secretion of insulin and further exacerbating T2DM.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) in cancer

The insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) plays essential roles in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis. IGF2BP1 serves as a post-transcriptional fine-tuner regulating the expression of some essential mRNA targets required for the control of tumor cell proliferation and growth, invasion, and chemo-resistance, associating with a poor overall survival and metastasis in various types of human cancers. Therefore, IGF2BP1 has been traditionally regarded as an oncogene and potential therapeutic target for cancers. Nevertheless, a few studies have also demonstrated its tumor-suppressive role. However, the details about the contradictory functions of IGF2BP1 are unclear. The growing numbers of microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as its direct regulators, during tumor cell proliferation, growth, and invasion in multiple cancers. Thus, the mechanisms of post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression mediated by IGF2BP1, miRNAs, and lncRNAs in determining the fate of the development of tissues and organs, as well as tumorigenesis, need to be elucidated. In this review, we summarized the tissue distribution, expression, and roles of IGF2BP1 in embryogenesis and tumorigenesis, and focused on modulation of the interconnectivity between IGF2BP1 and its targeted mRNAs or non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The potential use of inhibitors of IGF2BP1 and its related pathways in cancer therapy was also discussed.

RNA-Sequencing of Primary Retinoblastoma Tumors Provides New Insights and Challenges Into Tumor Development

Retinoblastoma is rare tumor of the retina caused by the homozygous loss of the Retinoblastoma 1 tumor suppressor gene (RB1). Loss of the RB1 protein, pRB, results in de-regulated activity of the E2F transcription factors, chromatin changes and developmental defects leading to tumor development. Extensive microarray profiles of these tumors have enabled the identification of genes sensitive to pRB disruption, however, this technology has a number of limitations in the RNA profiles that they generate. The advent of RNA-sequencing has enabled the global profiling of all of the RNA within the cell including both coding and non-coding features and the detection of aberrant RNA processing events. In this perspective, we focus on discussing how RNA-sequencing of rare Retinoblastoma tumors will build on existing data and open up new area's to improve our understanding of the biology of these tumors. In particular, we discuss how the RB-research field may be to use this data to determine how RB1 loss results in the expression of; non-coding RNAs, causes aberrant RNA processing events and how a deeper analysis of metabolic RNA changes can be utilized to model tumor specific shifts in metabolism. Each section discusses new opportunities and challenges associated with these types of analyses and aims to provide an honest assessment of how understanding these different processes may contribute to the treatment of Retinoblastoma.

The Warburg Effect and Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomic Analysis

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a unique metabolism by performing lactic acid fermentation in the presence of oxygen, also known as the Warburg effect. Researchers have proposed several hypotheses to elucidate the phenomenon, but the mechanism is still an enigma. In this review, we discuss three typical models, such as "damaged mitochondria", "adaptation to hypoxia", and "cell proliferation requirement", as well as contributions from mass spectrometry analysis toward our understanding of the Warburg effect. Mass spectrometry analysis supports the "adaptation to hypoxia" model that cancer cells are using quasi-anaerobic fermentation to reduce oxygen consumption in vivo. We further propose that hypoxia is an early event and it plays a crucial role in carcinoma initiation and development.