Wilms' tumor gene 1 regulates p63 and promotes cell proliferation in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Analysis of Head and Neck Cancer scRNA-seq Data Identified PRDM6 Promotes Tumor Progression by Modulating Immune Gene Expression

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a biologically aggressive and heterogeneous group of cancers with limited treatment options for patients who do not respond to standard therapies. While HPV-related HNSCCs tend to show better therapeutic outcomes, we still had limited understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying these cancers. Immune-responsive genes (IRGs) have emerged as critical factors in regulating both tumor progression and immune response. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and the development of cell-type specific regulon inference tools, such as IRIS3, have provided new insights into the tumor immune microenvironment. In this study, we leveraged the IRIS3 platform to analyze scRNA-seq data from HNSCC patient samples, identifying novel transcription factor (TF)-IRG networks that contribute to tumor proliferation and immune escape. Specifically, we identified PRDM6, a histone methyltransferase, possesses the previously unknown role in promoting tumor cell proliferation by inducing IRG expression. We further demonstrated that HPV viral oncoproteins (E6/E7) oncoproteins up-regulate the PRDM6 expression, which associates PRDM6 with HPV-positive HNSCC.

Stepwise activation of p63 and the MEK/ERK pathway induces the expression of ARL4C to promote oral squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation

Carcinogenesis is a multistep process wherein cells accumulate multiple genetic alterations and progress to a more malignant phenotype. It has been proposed that sequential accumulation of gene abnormalities in specific genes drives the transition from non-tumorous epithelia through a preneoplastic lesion/benign tumor to cancer. Histologically, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progresses in multiple ordered steps that begin with mucosal epithelial cell hyperplasia, which is followed by dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. It is therefore hypothesized that genetic alteration-mediated multistep carcinogenesis would be involved in the development of OSCC; however, the detailed molecular mechanisms are unknown. We clarified the comprehensive gene expression patterns and carried out an enrichment analysis using DNA microarray data from a pathological specimen of OSCC (including a non-tumor region, carcinoma in situ lesion and invasive carcinoma lesion). The expression of numerous genes and signal activation were altered in the development of OSCC. Among these, the p63 expression was increased and the MEK/ERK-MAPK pathway was activated in carcinoma in situ lesion and in invasive carcinoma lesion. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that p63 was initially upregulated in carcinoma in situ and ERK was sequentially activated in invasive carcinoma lesions in OSCC specimens. ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)-like 4c (ARL4C), the expression of which is reportedly induced by p63 and/or the MEK/ERK-MAPK pathway in OSCC cells, has been shown to promote tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemically, in OSCC specimens, ARL4C was more frequently detected in tumor lesions, especially in invasive carcinoma lesions, than in carcinoma in situ lesions. Additionally, ARL4C and phosphorylated ERK were frequently merged in invasive carcinoma lesions. Loss-of-function experiments using inhibitors and siRNAs revealed that p63 and MEK/ERK-MAPK cooperatively induce the expression of ARL4C and cell growth in OSCC cells. These results suggest that the stepwise activation of p63 and MEK/ERK-MAPK contributes to OSCC tumor cell growth through regulation of ARL4C expression.

The Prognostic Significance of FOXD1 Expression in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

It has been reported that forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) plays an established role in human early embryonic development and is broadly involved in various malignancies. However, there is limited information regarding FOXD1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This present study aimed to explore the clinical significance of FOXD1 in patients with HNSCC. Tissue microarrays of 334 primary HNSCC patients who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2010 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were investigated by immunohistochemistry regarding FOXD1 expression. χ2 test was used to estimate the relationship of FOXD1 expression with clinicopathologic characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify FOXD1 expression as an independent prognostic indicator of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). FOXD1 expression is closely associated with postoperative recurrence. HNSCC patients with high FOXD1 expression have poorer prognoses than the low-expression group (p < 0.05). According to multivariate analysis, FOXD1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS. The results revealed that FOXD1 could be a prognostic factor for HNSCC and might serve as a potential target for novel therapies.

E47 upregulates ΔNp63α to promote growth of squamous cell carcinoma

Targeted therapy has greatly improved both survival and prognosis of cancer patients. However, while therapeutic treatment of adenocarcinoma has been advanced greatly, progress in treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been slow and ineffective. Therefore, it is of great importance to decipher mechanisms and identify new drug targets involved in squamous cell carcinoma development. In this study, we demonstrate that E47 plays the distinctive and opposite roles on cell proliferation in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. While E47 suppresses cell proliferation in adenocarcinoma cells, it functions as a oncoprotein to promote cell proliferation and tumor growth of squamous cell carcinoma. Mechanistically, we show that E47 can directly bind to the promoter and transactivate ΔNp63 gene expression in squamous cell carcinoma cells, resulting in upregulation of cyclins D1/E1 and downregulation of p21, and thereby promoting cell proliferation and tumor growth. We further show that expression of E2A (E12/E47) is positively correlated with p63 and that high expression of E2A is associated with poor outcomes in clinical samples of squamous cell carcinoma. These results highlight that the E47-ΔNp63α axis may be potential therapeutic targets for treatment of squamous cell carcinoma.

The foggy world(s) of p63 isoform regulation in normal cells and cancer

The p53 family member p63 exists as two major protein variants (TAp63 and ΔNp63) with distinct expression patterns and functional properties. Whilst downstream target genes of p63 have been studied intensively, how p63 variants are themselves controlled has been relatively neglected. Here, we review advances in understanding ΔNp63 and TAp63 regulation, highlighting their distinct pathways. TAp63 has roles in senescence and metabolism, and in germ cell genome maintenance, where it is activated post-transcriptionally by phosphorylation cascades after DNA damage. The function and regulation of TAp63 in mesenchymal and haematopoietic cells is less clear but may involve epigenetic control through DNA methylation. ΔNp63 functions to maintain stem/progenitor cells in various epithelia and is overexpressed in squamous and certain other cancers. ΔNp63 is transcriptionally regulated through multiple enhancers in concert with chromatin modifying proteins. Many signalling pathways including growth factors, morphogens, inflammation, and the extracellular matrix influence ΔNp63 levels, with inconsistent results reported. There is also evidence for reciprocal regulation, including ΔNp63 activating its own transcription. ΔNp63 is downregulated during cell differentiation through transcriptional regulation, while post-transcriptional events cause proteasomal degradation. Throughout the review, we identify knowledge gaps and highlight discordances, providing potential explanations including cell-context and cell-matrix interactions. Identifying individual p63 variants has roles in differential diagnosis and prognosis, and understanding their regulation suggests clinically approved agents for targeting p63 that may be useful combination therapies for selected cancer patients. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification of a Novel Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature Predicting Survival in Patients With HNSCC

Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. There have been many reports suggesting that biomarkers explored via database mining plays a critical role in predicting HNSCC prognosis. However, a single biomarker for prognostic analysis is not adequate. Additionally, there is growing evidence indicating that gene signature could be a better choice for HNSCC prognosis. We performed a comprehensive analysis of mRNA expression profiles using clinical information of HNSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed, and we found that a set of genes involved in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributed to HNSCC. Cox proportional regression model was used to identify a four-gene (WIPF1, PPIB, BASP1, PLOD2) signature that were significantly associated with overall survival (OS), and all the four genes were significantly upregulated in tumor tissues. We successfully classified the patients with HNSCC into high-risk and low-risk groups, where in high-risk indicated poorer patient prognosis, indicating that this gene signature might be a novel potential biomarker for the prognosis of HNSCC. The prognostic ability of the gene signature was further validated in an independent cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In conclusion, we identified a four-EMT-based gene signature which provides the potentiality to serve as novel independent biomarkers for predicting survival in HNSCC patients, as well as a new possibility for individualized treatment of HNSCC.

WT1 Is Necessary for the Proliferation and Migration of Cells of Renin Lineage Following Kidney Podocyte Depletion

Wilms' tumor suppressor 1 (WT1) plays an important role in cell proliferation and mesenchymal-epithelial balance in normal development and disease. Here, we show that following podocyte depletion in three experimental models, and in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and membranous nephropathy, WT1 increased significantly in cells of renin lineage (CoRL). In an animal model of FSGS in RenWt1^fl/fl reporter mice with inducible deletion of WT1 in CoRL, CoRL proliferation and migration to the glomerulus was reduced, and glomerular disease was worse compared with wild-type mice. To become podocytes, CoRL undergo mesenchymal-to-epithelial transformation (MET), typified by reduced staining for mesenchymal markers (MYH11, SM22, αSMA) and de novo expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and cytokeratin18). Evidence for changes in MET markers was barely detected in RenWt1^fl/fl mice. Our results show that following podocyte depletion, WT1 plays essential roles in CoRL proliferation and migration toward an adult podocyte fate.

Restoration of Brain Acid Soluble Protein 1 Inhibits Proliferation and Migration of Thyroid Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND

Brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1) is identified as a novel potential tumor suppressor in several cancers. However, its role in thyroid cancer has not been investigated yet. In the present study, the antitumor activities of BASP1 against the growth and migration of thyroid cancer cells were evaluated.

METHODS

BASP1 expression in thyroid cancer tissues and normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemical staining and the association between its expression and prognosis was analyzed. pcDNA-BASP1 carrying full length of BASP1 cDNA was constructed to restore the expression of BASP1 in thyroid cancer cell lines (BHT-101 and KMH-2). The cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo was evaluated by WST-1 assay and xenograft tumor models, respectively. Cell cycle distribution after transfection was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis after transfection was examined by annexin V/propidium iodide assay. The migration was examined using transwell assay.

RESULTS

BASP1 expression was abundant in normal tissues while it is significantly decreased in cancer tissues (P = 0.000). pcDNA-BASP1 restored the expression of BASP1 and significantly inhibited the growth of BHT-101 and KMH-2 cells as well as xenograft tumors in nude mice (P = 0.000). pcDNA-BASP1 induced G1 arrest and apoptosis in BHT-101 and KMH-2 cells. In addition, pcDNA-BASP1 significantly inhibited the cell migration.

CONCLUSIONS

Downregulation of BASP1 expression may play a role in the tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer. Restoration of BASP1 expression exerted extensive antitumor activities against growth and migration of thyroid cancer cells, which suggested that BASP1 gene might act as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Gastro-duodenal fluid induced nuclear factor-κappaB activation and early pre-malignant alterations in murine hypopharyngeal mucosa

We recently described the role of gastro-duodenal fluids (GDFs) in generating changes consistent with hypopharyngeal neoplasia through activation of NF-κB pathway, using an in vitro model of human hypopharyngeal normal keratinocytes. Here, we further provide evidence that gastro-duodenal reflux is a risk factor for early pre-malignant alterations in hypopharyngeal mucosa (HM) related to an activated NF-κB oncogenic pathway, using both an in vitro and a novel in vivo model of C57Bl/6J mice. Histological, immunohistochemical and automated quantitative analysis documents significant NF-κB activation and early pre-malignant alterations in HM topically exposed to GDFs, compared to acid alone and other controls. Early pre-malignant histologic lesions exhibited increased Ki67, CK14 and ΔNp63, cell proliferation markers, changes of cell adhesion molecules, E-Cadherin and β-catenin, and STAT3 activation. The in vivo effect of NF-κB activation is positively correlated with p-STAT3, Ki67, CK14 or β-catenin expression, while GDFs induce significant transcriptional activation of RELA(p65), bcl-2, TNF-α, STAT3, EGFR and wnt5A, in vivo. Our in vivo model demonstrates selectively activated NF-κB in response to topically administrated GDFs, leading to early pre-malignant events in HM.

Matrilin-2 regulates proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle during radiation-induced injury in HPAEpiC cell

Radiation pulmonary injury is related to the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in the alveolar interstitial space. Matrilin-2 as a component of extracellular filamentous networks, present higher level in the lung tissue from irradiated mice and irradiated pulmonary epithelial cell line, HPAEpiC cells. Knockdown of endogenous matrilin-2 prevents the apoptosis of HPAEpiC cell induced by the irradiation injury. Consistently, over-expression of matrilin-2 reduced the proliferation and induced apoptosis of HPAEpiC cells. Matrilin-2 promotes the expression of p21 via increasing the transcriptional activity of p53, by which induces the G1 phase arresting in HPAEpiC cells. In summary, matrilin-2, increased by irradiation, reduced the proliferation and induces apoptosis of pulmonary epithelial cells via p53/p21 pathway.

miR-21, miR-155, miR-192, and miR-375 Deregulations Related to NF-kappaB Activation in Gastroduodenal Fluid-Induced Early Preneoplastic Lesions of Laryngeal Mucosa In Vivo

Gastroduodenal refluxate found in the upper aerodigestive tract is not clinically uncommon. We recently demonstrated the neoplastic potential of gastroduodenal fluids (GDF) on hypopharyngeal mucosa, via NF-κB, using in vitro and in vivo models. Here we will explore the in vivo effect of GDF on laryngeal mucosa (LM) to induce early preneoplastic lesions related to NF-κB activation, along with deregulation of specific microRNA (miRNA) markers previously linked to laryngeal cancer. We used histological, immunohistochemical, automated quantitative analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to examine LM from 35 C57Bl/6J mice previously treated with topical GDF against corresponding controls (4 experimental and 3 control groups; 5 mice/group). Our analysis showed that GDF produced early preneoplastic lesions in treated LM related to NF-κB activation. LM treated by acid and bile combination demonstrated significantly higher expression of the analyzed cell proliferation markers (Ki67, CK14, ∆Np63), oncogenic p-STAT3, and changes of cell adhesion molecules (E-cadherin, ϐ-catenin) versus untreated LM or LM exposed to acid alone (P < .0005). Furthermore, acidic bile but not neutral bile appeared to accelerate the expression of “oncomirs” miR-21, miR-155, and miR-192 (acidic bile versus neutral bile, P < .0001), while reducing tumor suppressor miR-375 (acidic bile versus neutral bile, P = .0137), previously linked to NF-κB and laryngeal cancer. Finally, acidic bile induced reduction of miR-34a, miR-375, and miR-451a, exhibiting an inverse correlation with NF-κB activation. SIGNIFICANCE: Bile in combination with acid has a selective tumorigenic effect on LM, inducing deregulation of “oncomirs” and tumor suppressor miRNAs, produced by NF-κB activation with molecular and early histopathological alterations linked to neoplastic transformation. Systematic acid suppression may in part convey a protective role.