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Wu J, Bai Y, Lu Y, Yu Z, Zhang S, Yu B, Chen L, Li J. Role of sex steroids in colorectal cancer: pathomechanisms and medical applications. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:3200-3221. [PMID: 39113870 PMCID: PMC11301278 DOI: 10.62347/oebs6893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Given that the colon represents the most extensive hormone-responsive tissue in the human body, it prompts a compelling inquiry into whether the progression of its cancer is intimately linked to hormonal dynamics. Consequently, the interplay between sex steroids - a pivotal constituent of hormones - and colorectal cancer has increasingly captivated scientific interest. Upon a comprehensive review of pertinent literature both domestically and internationally, this study delineates the present landscape of three pivotal steroids - estrogen, progestin, and androgen - in the context of colorectal cancer. More specifically, this investigation probes into the potential utility of these steroids in providing therapeutic interventions, diagnostic insights, and prognostic indicators. Furthermore, this study also delves into the mechanistic pathways through which sex steroid interventions exert influence on colorectal cancer. It was discovered that the trio of sex steroid hormones partakes in an array of biological processes, thereby influencing the onset and progression of colorectal cancer. In conclusion, this study posits that a profound interconnection exists between colorectal cancer and sex steroids, suggesting that elucidating the targets of their action mechanisms could unveil novel avenues for the diagnosis and prevention of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianglan Wu
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Yanan Bai
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Yuwen Lu
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Zixuan Yu
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Shumeng Zhang
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Lingli Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology Based on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Li
- Hunan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChangsha 410208, Hunan, China
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2
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Dirican CD, Nelson PS. Y Chromosome Loss and Implications for Oncology. Mol Cancer Res 2024; 22:603-612. [PMID: 38647375 PMCID: PMC11217729 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-24-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The Y chromosome has recognized functions in promoting male sex determination and regulating aspects of fertility. However, recent work has demonstrated important roles for the Y chromosome and Y-encoded genes in multiple domains of male health, including cancer. It is well established that males experience shorter lifespans than females, and this sex bias on overall mortality is accentuated in populations with longer life expectancy, in part related to elevated rates of cancer. The majority of human malignancies exhibit a sex bias with elevated frequencies in males. For many of these cancer types, the disparity has not been explained by environmental risk factors such as tobacco use. Notably, loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) detected in blood cells, termed mosaic LOY, is a common event that is related to advancing age and is associated with a shortened lifespan. Mosaic LOY is linked to increased incidence and mortality across a range of malignancies. Furthermore, tumors arising in different anatomic sites exhibit different frequencies of partial or complete Y chromosome loss. Causal oncogenic or tumor-suppressive roles have been documented for several Y-encoded genes, such as lysine-specific demethylase 5 D, that exert pleiotropic effects on cellular functions by virtue of genome-wide regulation of gene activity. In this review, we discuss aspects of the Y chromosome relevant to oncology. The recent completion of the entire human Y-chromosome sequence provides a reference map of Y-encoded genes and regulatory elements to enable causal molecular studies that may explain and exploit the marked disparity in male cancer risk and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canan D. Dirican
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington.
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3
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Ko E, Kim Y, Shokoohi F, Mersha TB, Kang M. SPIN: sex-specific and pathway-based interpretable neural network for sexual dimorphism analysis. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae239. [PMID: 38807262 PMCID: PMC11133003 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in prevalence, severity and genetic susceptibility exists for most common diseases. However, most genetic and clinical outcome studies are designed in sex-combined framework considering sex as a covariate. Few sex-specific studies have analyzed males and females separately, which failed to identify gene-by-sex interaction. Here, we propose a novel unified biologically interpretable deep learning-based framework (named SPIN) for sexual dimorphism analysis. We demonstrate that SPIN significantly improved the C-index up to 23.6% in TCGA cancer datasets, and it was further validated using asthma datasets. In addition, SPIN identifies sex-specific and -shared risk loci that are often missed in previous sex-combined/-separate analysis. We also show that SPIN is interpretable for explaining how biological pathways contribute to sexual dimorphism and improve risk prediction in an individual level, which can result in the development of precision medicine tailored to a specific individual's characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euiseong Ko
- Department of Computer Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Youngsoon Kim
- Department of Information and Statistics and Department of Bio&Medical Bigdata (BK21 Four program), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Farhad Shokoohi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Tesfaye B Mersha
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mingon Kang
- Department of Computer Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
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4
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Chang YM, Kang YR, Lee YG, Sung MK. Sex differences in colonic gene expression and fecal microbiota composition in a mouse model of obesity-associated colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3576. [PMID: 38347027 PMCID: PMC10861586 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53861-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the sex-specific correlation between obesity and colorectal cancer emphasizing a more pronounced association in males. Estrogen, chromosomal genes, and gut bacteria were assessed in C57BL6/J male, female and ovariectomized (OVX) female mice, subjected to either a low-fat diet (LFD) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. Induction of colon tumor involved azoxymethane (10 mg/kg) administration, followed by three cycles of dextran sulfate sodium. Male mice on HFD exhibited higher final body weight and increased colon tumors compared to females. Colonic mucin 2 expression was significantly higher in females. HFD-modulated differentially expressed genes numbered 290 for males, 64 for females, and 137 for OVX females. Only one up-regulated gene (Gfra3) overlapped between females and OVX females, while two down-regulated genes (Thrsp and Gbp11) overlapped between males and OVX females. Genes up-regulated by HFD in males were linked to cytokine-cytokine interaction, HIF-1 signaling pathway, central carbon metabolism in cancer. Sex-specific changes in gut microbial composition in response to HFD were observed. These findings suggest a male-specific vulnerability to HFD-induced colon tumor formation, implicating key genes and colonic bacteria in colon tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoo-Mee Chang
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo-Ree Kang
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Gyeong Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Kyung Sung
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Harvey BJ, Harvey HM. Sex Differences in Colon Cancer: Genomic and Nongenomic Signalling of Oestrogen. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2225. [PMID: 38137047 PMCID: PMC10742859 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy that exhibits distinct differences in incidence, prognosis, and treatment responses between males and females. These disparities have long been attributed to hormonal differences, particularly the influence of oestrogen signalling. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in colon cancer and the protective role of membrane and nuclear oestrogen signalling in CRC development, progression, and therapeutic interventions. We discuss the epidemiological and molecular evidence supporting sex differences in colon cancer, followed by an exploration of the impact of oestrogen in CRC through various genomic and nongenomic signalling pathways involving membrane and nuclear oestrogen receptors. Furthermore, we examine the interplay between oestrogen receptors and other signalling pathways, in particular the Wnt/β-catenin proliferative pathway and hypoxia in shaping biological sex differences and oestrogen protective actions in colon cancer. Lastly, we highlight the potential therapeutic implications of targeting oestrogen signalling in the management of colon cancer and propose future research directions to address the current gaps in our understanding of this complex phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J. Harvey
- Faculty of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, D02 YN77 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Harry M. Harvey
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z5, Canada;
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Chiodi V, Rappa F, Lo Re O, Chaldakov GN, Lelouvier B, Micale V, Domenici MR, Vinciguerra M. Deficiency of histone variant macroH2A1.1 is associated with sexually dimorphic obesity in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19123. [PMID: 37926763 PMCID: PMC10625986 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46304-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity has a major socio-economic health impact. There are profound sex differences in adipose tissue deposition and obesity-related conditions. The underlying mechanisms driving sexual dimorphism in obesity and its associated metabolic disorders remain unclear. Histone variant macroH2A1.1 is a candidate epigenetic mechanism linking environmental and dietary factors to obesity. Here, we used a mouse model genetically depleted of macroH2A1.1 to investigate its potential epigenetic role in sex dimorphic obesity, metabolic disturbances and gut dysbiosis. Whole body macroH2A1 knockout (KO) mice, generated with the Cre/loxP technology, and their control littermates were fed a high fat diet containing 60% of energy derived from fat. The diet was administered for three months starting from 10 to 12 weeks of age. We evaluated the progression in body weight, the food intake, and the tolerance to glucose by means of a glucose tolerance test. Gut microbiota composition, visceral adipose and liver tissue morphology were assessed. In addition, adipogenic gene expression patterns were evaluated in the visceral adipose tissue. Female KO mice for macroH2A1.1 had a more pronounced weight gain induced by high fat diet compared to their littermates, while the increase in body weight in male mice was similar in the two genotypes. Food intake was generally increased upon KO and decreased by high fat diet in both sexes, with the exception of KO females fed a high fat diet that displayed the same food intake of their littermates. In glucose tolerance tests, glucose levels were significantly elevated upon high fat diet in female KO compared to a standard diet, while this effect was absent in male KO. There were no differences in hepatic histology. Upon a high fat diet, in female adipocyte cross-sectional area was larger in KO compared to littermates: activation of proadipogenic genes (ACACB, AGT, ANGPT2, FASN, RETN, SLC2A4) and downregulation of antiadipogenic genes (AXIN1, E2F1, EGR2, JUN, SIRT1, SIRT2, UCP1, CCND1, CDKN1A, CDKN1B, EGR2) was detected. Gut microbiota profiling showed increase in Firmicutes and a decrease in Bacteroidetes in females, but not males, macroH2A1.1 KO mice. MacroH2A1.1 KO mice display sexual dimorphism in high fat diet-induced obesity and in gut dysbiosis, and may represent a useful model to investigate epigenetic and metabolic differences associated to the development of obesity-associated pathological conditions in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Chiodi
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanita', Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Rappa
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Oriana Lo Re
- Department of Translational Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute of the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria
- International Clinical Research Center (FNUSA-ICRC), St'Anne University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - George N Chaldakov
- Department of Translational Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute of the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Research Institute of the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria
| | | | - Vincenzo Micale
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Domenici
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanita', Rome, Italy
| | - Manlio Vinciguerra
- Department of Translational Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute of the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.
- International Clinical Research Center (FNUSA-ICRC), St'Anne University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science (LCCS), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
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7
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Stępniak J, Koziróg E, Karbownik-Lewińska M. The Protective Effect of Exogenous 17β-Estradiol against Experimentally Induced Oxidative Damage to Membrane Lipids Is Stronger in Male vs. Female Porcine Thyroids: Preliminary Results. TOXICS 2023; 11:746. [PMID: 37755756 PMCID: PMC10535314 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11090746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
It is well-known that thyroid diseases are more prevalent in women than in men. The contribution of sex hormones may explain such disparity. The aim of this study was to check if there are any differences between sexes concerning the effects of 17β-estradiol on oxidative damage to membrane lipids (lipid peroxidation) in porcine thyroid homogenates under basal conditions and in the presence of Fenton reaction (Fe2+ + H2O2→Fe3+ + •OH + OH-) substrates. We observed that 17β-estradiol did not change the basal level of lipid peroxidation (measured spectrophotometrically as concentrations of malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxyalkenals) in thyroid homogenates, and no differences were found between sexes. The lipid peroxidation level in response to Fe2+ + H2O2 plus 17β-estradiol was lower in male thyroids. In turn, in male thyroids, 17β-estradiol reduced experimentally induced lipid peroxidation in as low of a concentration as 0.1 μM, whereas in female thyroids the lowest effective concentration of 17β-estradiol was 10 μM, i.e., 100 times higher than in males. In conclusion, the protective effects of exogenous 17β-estradiol against experimentally induced oxidative damage to membrane lipids is stronger in male than in female thyroids. Our observation suggests that female tissue is less sensitive to the protective effects of exogenous 17β-estradiol. This sexual dimorphism of oxidative processes in the thyroid may constitute one of the mechanisms of the different prevalence of thyroid diseases in women and in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Stępniak
- Department of Oncological Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, 7/9 Zeligowski St., 90-752 Lodz, Poland; (J.S.); (E.K.)
| | - Edward Koziróg
- Department of Oncological Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, 7/9 Zeligowski St., 90-752 Lodz, Poland; (J.S.); (E.K.)
| | - Małgorzata Karbownik-Lewińska
- Department of Oncological Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, 7/9 Zeligowski St., 90-752 Lodz, Poland; (J.S.); (E.K.)
- Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital–Research Institute, 281/289 Rzgowska St., 93-338 Lodz, Poland
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8
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Li H, Li C, Yang LZ, Liu J. Integrative analysis of histone acetyltransferase KAT2A in human cancer. Cancer Biomark 2023; 38:443-463. [PMID: 38007639 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-220464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
The high incidence of mutations and the crucial roles of KAT2A in cancer development have received increased attention. Nevertheless, a systematic comparison of the heterogeneity and dynamics across different cancer types has not been conducted. Hence, a deep analysis using public databases was performed to clarify the contributions of KAT2A and its correlation with tumorigenesis. The raw data regarding KAT2A expression in cancer patients and healthy controls were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Sexually dimorphic manner, genomic alterations, and expression pattern of KAT2A, as well as the association of the KAT2A with survival, were retrieved from UALCAN, cBioportal, and TISIDB databases. Additionally, the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis was conducted using the STRING database. The human protein atlas was used to obtain the staining results of protein levels in cancer and normal samples. The correlation between KAT2A and its potential target drugs was determined using TISIDB and HISTome2. Compared to the normal tissues, CHOL and TGCT tumors presented significantly high KAT2A expression, which was positively correlated with BLCA, BRCA, CESC, CHOL, COAD, ESCA, HNSC, KICH, KIRP, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, READ, STAD, and THCA. However, no significant difference was detected between normal and tumor tissues for the sex difference pattern of KAT2A expression. The PPI analysis indicated that TADA3, CCDC101, TRRAP, SUPT3H, MYC, TADA2A, and USP22 levels were positively correlated with KAT2A expression, while TADA2B and ATXN7 were negatively correlated. A positive link of KAT2A with cancer isotypes and significant connections of the KAT2A expression to poor overall and disease-free survival were also observed. Further validation was conducted using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, qPCR, and Western blot. Some potential HAT inhibitory drugs of KAT2A were also determined, but more work and clinical trials are required before their application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu-Zong Yang
- Department of Anesthesia, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Sponagel J, Jones JK, Frankfater C, Zhang S, Tung O, Cho K, Tinkum KL, Gass H, Nunez E, Spitz DR, Chinnaiyan P, Schaefer J, Patti GJ, Graham MS, Mauguen A, Grkovski M, Dunphy MP, Krebs S, Luo J, Rubin JB, Ippolito JE. Sex differences in brain tumor glutamine metabolism reveal sex-specific vulnerabilities to treatment. MED 2022; 3:792-811.e12. [PMID: 36108629 PMCID: PMC9669217 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain cancer incidence and mortality rates are greater in males. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie those sex differences could improve treatment strategies. Although sex differences in normal metabolism are well described, it is currently unknown whether they persist in cancerous tissue. METHODS Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and mass spectrometry, we assessed sex differences in glioma metabolism in samples from affected individuals. We assessed the role of glutamine metabolism in male and female murine transformed astrocytes using isotope labeling, metabolic rescue experiments, and pharmacological and genetic perturbations to modulate pathway activity. FINDINGS We found that male glioblastoma surgical specimens are enriched for amino acid metabolites, including glutamine. Fluoroglutamine PET imaging analyses showed that gliomas in affected male individuals exhibit significantly higher glutamine uptake. These sex differences were well modeled in murine transformed astrocytes, in which male cells imported and metabolized more glutamine and were more sensitive to glutaminase 1 (GLS1) inhibition. The sensitivity to GLS1 inhibition in males was driven by their dependence on glutamine-derived glutamate for α-ketoglutarate synthesis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle replenishment. Females were resistant to GLS1 inhibition through greater pyruvate carboxylase (PC)-mediated TCA cycle replenishment, and knockdown of PC sensitized females to GLS1 inhibition. CONCLUSION Our results show that clinically important sex differences exist in targetable elements of metabolism. Recognition of sex-biased metabolism may improve treatments through further laboratory and clinical research. FUNDING This work was supported by NIH grants, Joshua's Great Things, the Siteman Investment Program, and the Barnard Research Fund.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Sponagel
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jill K Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cheryl Frankfater
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Resource, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Olivia Tung
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kevin Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kelsey L Tinkum
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hannah Gass
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Elena Nunez
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Douglas R Spitz
- Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA; Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Prakash Chinnaiyan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA; Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI 48073, USA
| | - Jacob Schaefer
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Gary J Patti
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Maya S Graham
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Audrey Mauguen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Milan Grkovski
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mark P Dunphy
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Simone Krebs
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jingqin Luo
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joshua B Rubin
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Joseph E Ippolito
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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10
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He F, Furones AR, Landegren N, Fuxe J, Sarhan D. Sex dimorphism in the tumor microenvironment - From bench to bedside and back. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:166-179. [PMID: 35278635 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cancer represents a significant cause of death and suffering in both the developed and developing countries. Key underlying issues in the mortality of cancer are delayed diagnosis and resistance to treatments. However, improvements in biomarkers represent one important step that can be taken for alleviating the suffering caused by malignancy. Precision-based medicine is promising for revolutionizing diagnostic and treatment strategies for cancer patients worldwide. Contemporary methods, including various omics and systems biology approaches, as well as advanced digital imaging and artificial intelligence, allow more accurate assessment of tumor characteristics at the patient level. As a result, treatment strategies can be specifically tailored and adapted for individual and/or groups of patients that carry certain tumor characteristics. This includes immunotherapy, which is based on characterization of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and, more specifically, the presence and activity of immune cell subsets. Unfortunately, while it is increasingly clear that gender strongly affects immune regulation and response, there is a knowledge gap concerning differences in sex-specific immune responses and how these contribute to the immunosuppressive TME and the response to immunotherapy. In fact, sex dimorphism is poorly understood in cancer progression and is typically ignored in current clinical practice. In this review, we aim to survey the available literature and highlight the existing knowledge gap in order to encourage further studies that would contribute to understanding both gender-biased immunosuppression in the TME and the driver of tumor progression towards invasive and metastatic disease. The review highlights the need to include sex optimized/genderized medicine as a new concept in future medicine cancer diagnostics and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Urology, First affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Andrea Rodgers Furones
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Tumor Immunology Department, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Nils Landegren
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 23, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine (Solna), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 76, Sweden
| | - Jonas Fuxe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dhifaf Sarhan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
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11
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Sipilä LJ, Seppä K, Aavikko M, Ravantti J, Heikkinen S, Aaltonen LA, Pitkäniemi J. Sex-specific familial aggregation of cancers in Finland. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15126. [PMID: 36068325 PMCID: PMC9448814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19039-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that the effect of sex on the occurrence of cancers has been studied extensively, it remains unclear whether sex modifies familial aggregation of cancers. We explored sex-specific familial aggregation of cancers in a large population-based historical cohort study. We combined cancer and population registry data, inferring familial relationships from birth municipality-surname-sex (MNS) combinations. Our data consisted of 391,529 incident primary cancers in 377,210 individuals with 319,872 different MNS combinations. Cumulative sex-specific numbers of cancers were compared to expected cumulative incidence. Familial cancer risks were similar between the sexes in our population-wide analysis. Families with concordant cancer in both sexes exhibited similar sex-specific cancer risks. However, some families had exceptionally high sex-specific cumulative cancer incidence. We identified six families with exceptionally strong aggregation in males: three families with thyroid cancer (ratio between observed and expected incidence 184.6; 95% credible interval (95% CI) 33.1–1012.7, 173.4 (95% CI 65.4–374.3), and 161.4 (95% CI 29.6–785.7), one with stomach (ratio 14.4 (95% CI 6.9–37.2)), colon (ratio 15.5 (95% CI 5.7–56.3)) cancers and one with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (ratio 33.5 (95% CI 17.2–207.6)). Our results imply that familial aggregation of cancers shows no sex-specific preference. However, the atypical sex-specific aggregation of stomach cancer, colon cancer, thyroid cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in certain families is difficult to fully explain with present knowledge of possible causes, and could yield useful knowledge if explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri J Sipilä
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Finnish Cancer Registry, Unioninkatu 22, 00130, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Karri Seppä
- Finnish Cancer Registry, Unioninkatu 22, 00130, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mervi Aavikko
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Ravantti
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Heikkinen
- Finnish Cancer Registry, Unioninkatu 22, 00130, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lauri A Aaltonen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Pitkäniemi
- Finnish Cancer Registry, Unioninkatu 22, 00130, Helsinki, Finland. .,Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences (Health Sciences), Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. .,Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research, Finnish Cancer Registry, Unioninkatu 22, 00130, Helsinki, Finland.
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12
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Zhao LF, Zhang JG, Qi FY, Hou WY, Li YR, Shen DD, Zhao LJ, Qi L, Liu HM, Zheng YC. SDC: An Integrated Database for Sex Differences in Cancer. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1068-1076. [PMID: 35284049 PMCID: PMC8897669 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences are evident in the incidence and mortality of diverse cancers. With the development of personalized approaches in cancer treatment, the impact of sex differences has not been systematically incorporated into preclinical and clinical cancer research. The molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in cancer have not been elucidated. Here, we developed the first database of Sex Differences in Cancer (SDC), a web-based public database that integrates resources from multiple databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression Project (GTEx), UCSC Xena, Broad Institute Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC). SDC contains 27 types of cancers, 6 types of molecular data, more than 10,000 donors, 977 cancer cell lines were used to analyze sex differences among cancers. It provides five main modules: Survival and phenotype, Molecular differences, Signatures and pathways, Therapy response, Download. Users can download the all the visualized results and raw data after analysis. Collectively, SDC is the first integrated database to analyze sex differences in cancer on the web server, which will strengthen our understanding of the role of sex in cancers. It is implemented in Shiny-server and freely available for public use at http://sdc.anticancer.xyz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long-Fei Zhao
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Jin-Ge Zhang
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Feng-Yu Qi
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Wei-Yan Hou
- School of Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Yin-Rui Li
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Dan-Dan Shen
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Li-Juan Zhao
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Lin Qi
- School of Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Corresponding authors at: Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China (H.M. Liu and Y.C. Zheng).
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Corresponding authors at: Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China (H.M. Liu and Y.C. Zheng).
| | - Yi-Chao Zheng
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
- Corresponding authors at: Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China (H.M. Liu and Y.C. Zheng).
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Subramanian I, Mathur S, Oosterbaan A, Flanagan R, Keener AM, Moro E. Unmet Needs of Women Living with Parkinson's Disease: Gaps and Controversies. Mov Disord 2022; 37:444-455. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.28921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Indu Subramanian
- Department of Neurology David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
- Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center Los Angeles California USA
| | | | - Annelien Oosterbaan
- Department of Neurology Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | | | - Adrienne M. Keener
- Department of Neurology David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
- Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center Los Angeles California USA
| | - Elena Moro
- Grenoble Alpes University, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Neurology CHUGA, Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences Grenoble France
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14
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Li CH, Haider S, Boutros PC. Age influences on the molecular presentation of tumours. Nat Commun 2022; 13:208. [PMID: 35017538 PMCID: PMC8752853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27889-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is often called a disease of aging. There are numerous ways in which cancer epidemiology and behaviour change with the age of the patient. The molecular bases for these relationships remain largely underexplored. To characterise them, we analyse age-associations in the nuclear and mitochondrial somatic mutational landscape of 20,033 tumours across 35 tumour-types. Age influences both the number of mutations in a tumour (0.077 mutations per megabase per year) and their evolutionary timing. Specific mutational signatures are associated with age, reflecting differences in exogenous and endogenous oncogenic processes such as a greater influence of tobacco use in the tumours of younger patients, but higher activity of DNA damage repair signatures in those of older patients. We find that known cancer driver genes such as CDKN2A and CREBBP are mutated in age-associated frequencies, and these alter the transcriptome and predict for clinical outcomes. These effects are most striking in brain cancers where alterations like SUFU loss and ATRX mutation are age-dependent prognostic biomarkers. Using three cancer datasets, we show that age shapes the somatic mutational landscape of cancer, with clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance H Li
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute for Precision Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Syed Haider
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Paul C Boutros
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Institute for Precision Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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15
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Papillary Thyroid Cancer Prognosis: An Evolving Field. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215567. [PMID: 34771729 PMCID: PMC8582937 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Over the last couple of decades, the prognostic stratification systems of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients have been revised several times in an attempt to achieve a tailored clinical management reflecting the single patients’ needs. Such revisions are likely to continue in the near future, since the prognostic value of a number of promising clinicopathological features and new molecular biomarkers are being evaluated. Here, we will review the current staging systems of thyroid cancer patients and discuss the most relevant clinicopathological parameters and new molecular markers that are potentially capable of refining the prognosis. Abstract Over the last few years, a great advance has been made in the comprehension of the molecular pathogenesis underlying thyroid cancer progression, particularly for the papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which represents the most common thyroid malignancy. Putative cancer driver mutations have been identified in more than 98% of PTC, and a new PTC classification into molecular subtypes has been proposed in order to resolve clinical uncertainties still present in the clinical management of patients. Additionally, the prognostic stratification systems have been profoundly modified over the last decade, with a view to refine patients’ staging and being able to choose a clinical approach tailored on single patient’s needs. Here, we will briefly discuss the recent changes in the clinical management of thyroid nodules, and review the current staging systems of thyroid cancer patients by analyzing promising clinicopathological features (i.e., gender, thyroid auto-immunity, multifocality, PTC histological variants, and vascular invasion) as well as new molecular markers (i.e., BRAF/TERT promoter mutations, miRNAs, and components of the plasminogen activating system) potentially capable of ameliorating the prognosis of PTC patients.
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16
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Christakoudi S, Tsilidis KK, Evangelou E, Riboli E. Association of body-shape phenotypes with imaging measures of body composition in the UK Biobank cohort: relevance to colon cancer risk. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1106. [PMID: 34654381 PMCID: PMC8518225 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08820-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference are strongly correlated and do not reflect body composition. A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Hip Index (HI) define waist and hip size among individuals with the same weight and height and would thus reflect body density. We examined differences in body composition between body-shape phenotypes defined with ABSI and HI and used this information to propose explanations for associations between body-shape phenotypes and colon cancer risk. Methods We used data from the UK Biobank Resource for 15,520 men, 16,548 women with dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements; 3997 men, 4402 women with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements; 200,289 men, 230,326 women followed-up for colon cancer. We defined body-shape phenotypes as: large-ABSI-small-HI (“apple”), small-ABSI-large-HI (“pear”), small-ABSI-small-HI (“slim”), large-ABSI-large-HI (“wide”). We evaluated differences in body composition in linear models and associations with colon cancer risk in Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for confounders and explored heterogeneity by BMI. Results Among individuals with the same height and weight, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was lowest for “pear” and highest for “apple”, while abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) was lowest for “slim” and highest for “wide” phenotype. In the gynoid region, differences between “apple” and “pear” phenotypes were accounted for mainly by fat mass in women but by lean mass in men. In men, lean mass was inversely associated with waist size, while the pattern of gynoid fat resembled ASAT in women. Lean and fat mass were higher for higher BMI, but not hand grip strength. Compared to normal weight “pear”, the risk of colon cancer in men (1029 cases) was higher for “apple” phenotype for normal weight (hazard ratio HR = 1.77; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–2.69) and comparably for overweight and obese, higher for “wide” phenotype for overweight (HR = 1.60; 1.14–2.24) and comparably for obese, but higher for “slim” phenotype only for obese (HR = 1.98; 1.35–2.88). Associations with colon cancer risk in women (889 cases) were weaker. Conclusions ABSI-by-HI body-shape phenotypes provide information for body composition. Colon cancer risk in men appears related to ASAT quantity for “slim” and “wide” but to factors determining VAT accumulation for “apple” phenotype. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08820-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Christakoudi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk place, London, W2 1PG, UK. .,MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
| | - Konstantinos K Tsilidis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk place, London, W2 1PG, UK.,Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Evangelos Evangelou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk place, London, W2 1PG, UK.,Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Elio Riboli
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk place, London, W2 1PG, UK
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17
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Christakoudi S, Tsilidis KK, Evangelou E, Riboli E. A Body Shape Index (ABSI), hip index, and risk of cancer in the UK Biobank cohort. Cancer Med 2021; 10:5614-5628. [PMID: 34196490 PMCID: PMC8366087 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abdominal size is associated positively with the risk of some cancers but the influence of body mass index (BMI) and gluteofemoral size is unclear because waist and hip circumference are strongly correlated with BMI. We examined associations of 33 cancers with A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and hip index (HI), which are independent of BMI by design, and compared these with waist and hip circumference, using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models in UK Biobank. During a mean follow-up of 7 years, 14,682 incident cancers were ascertained in 200,289 men and 12,965 cancers in 230,326 women. In men, ABSI was associated positively with cancers of the head and neck (hazard ratio HR = 1.14; 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.26 per one standard deviation increment), esophagus (adenocarcinoma, HR = 1.27; 1.12-1.44), gastric cardia (HR = 1.31; 1.07-1.61), colon (HR = 1.18; 1.10-1.26), rectum (HR = 1.13; 1.04-1.22), lung (adenocarcinoma, HR = 1.16; 1.03-1.30; squamous cell carcinoma [SCC], HR = 1.33; 1.17-1.52), and bladder (HR = 1.15; 1.04-1.27), while HI was associated inversely with cancers of the esophagus (adenocarcinoma, HR = 0.89; 0.79-1.00), gastric cardia (HR = 0.79; 0.65-0.96), colon (HR = 0.92; 0.86-0.98), liver (HR = 0.86; 0.75-0.98), and multiple myeloma (HR = 0.86; 0.75-1.00). In women, ABSI was associated positively with cancers of the head and neck (HR = 1.27; 1.10-1.48), esophagus (SCC, HR = 1.37; 1.07-1.76), colon (HR = 1.08; 1.01-1.16), lung (adenocarcinoma, HR = 1.17; 1.06-1.29; SCC, HR = 1.40; 1.20-1.63; small cell, HR = 1.39; 1.14-1.69), kidney (clear-cell, HR = 1.25; 1.03-1.50), and post-menopausal endometrium (HR = 1.11; 1.02-1.20), while HI was associated inversely with skin SCC (HR = 0.91; 0.83-0.99), post-menopausal kidney cancer (HR = 0.77; 0.67-0.88), and post-menopausal melanoma (HR = 0.90; 0.83-0.98). Unusually, ABSI was associated inversely with melanoma in men (HR = 0.89; 0.82-0.96) and pre-menopausal women (HR = 0.77; 0.65-0.91). Waist and hip circumference reflected associations with BMI, when examined individually, and provided biased risk estimates, when combined with BMI. In conclusion, preferential positive associations of ABSI or inverse of HI with several major cancers indicate an important role of factors determining body shape in cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Christakoudi
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonNorfolk Place, LondonUK
- MRC Centre for TransplantationKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Konstantinos K. Tsilidis
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonNorfolk Place, LondonUK
- Department of Hygiene and EpidemiologyUniversity of Ioannina School of MedicineIoanninaGreece
| | - Evangelos Evangelou
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonNorfolk Place, LondonUK
- Department of Hygiene and EpidemiologyUniversity of Ioannina School of MedicineIoanninaGreece
| | - Elio Riboli
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Public HealthImperial College LondonNorfolk Place, LondonUK
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18
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Indukuri R, Jafferali MH, Song D, Damdimopoulos A, Hases L, Zhao C, Archer A, Williams C. Genome-wide estrogen receptor β chromatin binding in human colon cancer cells reveals its tumor suppressor activity. Int J Cancer 2021; 149:692-706. [PMID: 33754337 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the western world. In women, menopausal hormone therapy has been shown to reduce CRC incidence by 20%. Studies demonstrate that estrogen activating estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) protects against CRC. ERβ is a nuclear receptor that regulates gene expression through interactions with the chromatin. This molecular mechanism is, however, not well characterized in colon. Here, we present for the first time, the cistrome of ERβ in different colon cancer cell lines. We use cell lines engineered to express ERβ, optimize and validate an ERβ antibody for chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and perform ChIP-Seq. We identify key binding motifs, including ERE, AP-1, and TCF sites, and we determine enrichment of binding to cis-regulatory chromatin sites of genes involved in tumor development, cell migration, cell adhesion, apoptosis, and Wnt signaling pathways. We compare the corresponding cistromes of colon and breast cancer and find that they are conserved for about a third of genes, including GREB1, but that ERβ tethering to TCF and KLF family motifs is characteristic for colon. We exemplify upregulation of putative CRC tumor suppressor gene CST5 where ERβ in colon cells binds to cis-regulatory regions nearby (-351 bp) the transcriptional start site. Our work provides a foundation for understanding the mechanism of action of ERβ in CRC prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajitha Indukuri
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mohammed Hakim Jafferali
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Dandan Song
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Anastasios Damdimopoulos
- Bioinformatics and Expression Core, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Linnea Hases
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Chunyan Zhao
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Amena Archer
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Williams
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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Xu X, Lu Y, Wu Y, Wang M, Wang X, Wang H, Chen B, Li Y. A signature of seven immune-related genes predicts overall survival in male gastric cancer patients. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:117. [PMID: 33602220 PMCID: PMC7891008 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01823-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer (GC) has a high mortality rate and is one of the most fatal malignant tumours. Male sex has been proven as an independent risk factor for GC. This study aimed to identify immune-related genes (IRGs) associated with the prognosis of male GC. Methods RNA sequencing and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed IRGs between male GC and normal tissues were identified by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to screen survival-associated IRGs. Then, GC patients were separated into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed based on the TCGA dataset. The prognostic value of the risk signature model was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Harrell’s concordance index and calibration curves. In addition, the gene expression dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was also downloaded for external validation. The relative proportions of 22 types of infiltrating immune cells in each male GC sample were evaluated using CIBERSORT. Results
A total of 276 differentially expressed IRGs were screened, including 189 up-regulated and 87 down-regulated genes. Subsequently, a seven-IRGs signature (LCN12, CCL21, RNASE2, CGB5, NRG4, AGTR1 and NPR3) was identified to be significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of male GC patients. Survival analysis indicated that patients in the high-risk group exhibited a poor clinical outcome. The results of multivariate analysis revealed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor. The established nomogram could be used to evaluate the prognosis of individual male GC patients. Further analysis showed that the prognostic model had excellent predictive performance in both TCGA and validated cohorts. Besides, the results of tumour-infiltrating immune cell analysis indicated that the seven-IRGs signature could reflect the status of the tumour immune microenvironment. Conclusions Our study developed a novel seven-IRGs risk signature for individualized survival prediction of male GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Yida Lu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Youliang Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Mingliang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Huizhen Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Yongxiang Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 JiXi Avenue, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
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20
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Han R, Sun W, Huang J, Shao L, Zhang H. Sex-biased DNA methylation in papillary thyroid cancer. Biomark Med 2021; 15:109-120. [PMID: 33464123 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2020-0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Women have a higher risk of developing papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) than men. DNA methylation is known to differ between men and women. Materials & methods: Using the human methylation 450 BeadChip and RNA-sequence, we profiled the genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients and para-carcinoma tissue. Results: We first identified 398 different expression genes (DEGs) between males and females PTC. Then we analyzed the relationship between differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and DEGs at gene promoter regions and identified 39 genes and explored DMP-DEGs' correlation with immune cell infiltration and tumor purity. We also analyzed the relationship between genomic regions and enhancers. Conclusion: Our study identified 39 DMP-DEGs providing some new insights into the mechanisms of methylation-mediated gender differences in PTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Han
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China 110001
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China 110001
| | - Jiapeng Huang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China 110001
| | - Liang Shao
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China 110001
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China 110001
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21
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Lee CH, Han K, Kim DH, Kwak MS. Repeatedly elevated γ-glutamyltransferase levels are associated with an increased incidence of digestive cancers: A population-based cohort study. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:176-188. [PMID: 33510558 PMCID: PMC7807301 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i2.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between elevated γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) at a certain point and incident cancer has been suggested; however, no study has evaluated the association between repeatedly elevated GGT and cancer incidence.
AIM To investigate the effects of repeatedly elevated GGT on the incidence of digestive cancers.
METHODS Participants who had undergone health screening from 2009 to 2012 and 4 consecutive previous examinations were enrolled. GGT points were calculated as the number of times participants met the criteria of quartile 4 of GGT in four serial measurements (0-4 points). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied.
RESULTS In total, 3559109 participants were included; among them, 43574 digestive cancers developed during a median of 6.8 years of follow-up. The incidence of total digestive cancers increased in a dose-response manner in men [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) compared with those with 0 GGT points = 1.28 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.24-1.33 in those with 1 point; aHR = 1.40 and 95%CI = 1.35-1.46 in those with 2 points; aHR = 1.52 and 95%CI = 1.46-1.58 in those with 3 points; aHR = 1.88 and 95%CI = 1.83-1.94 in those with 4 points; P for trend < 0.001]. This trend was more prominent in men than in women and those with healthy habits (no smoking, no alcohol consumption, and a low body mass index) than in those with unhealthy habits.
CONCLUSION Repeatedly elevated GGT levels were associated with an increased risk of incident digestive cancer in a dose-responsive manner, particularly in men and those with healthy habits. Repeated GGT measurements may be a good biomarker of incident digestive cancer and could help physicians identify high-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Hoon Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, South Korea
| | - Kyungdo Han
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, South Korea
| | - Da Hye Kim
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea
| | - Min-Sun Kwak
- Department of Internal Medicine, Healthcare Research Institute, Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 06236, South Korea
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22
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Abancens M, Bustos V, Harvey H, McBryan J, Harvey BJ. Sexual Dimorphism in Colon Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:607909. [PMID: 33363037 PMCID: PMC7759153 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.607909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A higher incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is found in males compared to females. Young women (18-44 years) with CRC have a better survival outcome compared to men of the same age or compared to older women (over 50 years), indicating a global incidence of sexual dimorphism in CRC rates and survival. This suggests a protective role for the sex steroid hormone estrogen in CRC development. Key proliferative pathways in CRC tumorigenesis exhibit sexual dimorphism, which confer better survival in females through estrogen regulated genes and cell signaling. Estrogen regulates the activity of a class of Kv channels (KCNQ1:KCNE3), which control fundamental ion transport functions of the colon and epithelial mesenchymal transition through bi-directional interactions with the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Estrogen also modulates CRC proliferative responses in hypoxia via the novel membrane estrogen receptor GPER and HIF1A and VEGF signaling. Here we critically review recent clinical and molecular insights into sexual dimorphism of CRC biology modulated by the tumor microenvironment, estrogen, Wnt/β-catenin signalling, ion channels, and X-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Abancens
- Department of Molecular Medicine, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Viviana Bustos
- Departamento de Acuicultura y Recursos Agroalimentarios, Programa Fitogen, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
| | - Harry Harvey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jean McBryan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brian J. Harvey
- Department of Molecular Medicine, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Centro de Estudios Cientificos CECs, Valdivia, Chile
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23
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So EY, Jeong EM, Wu KQ, Dubielecka PM, Reginato AM, Quesenberry PJ, Liang OD. Sexual dimorphism in aging hematopoiesis: an earlier decline of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in male than female mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:25939-25955. [PMID: 33378745 PMCID: PMC7803521 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) reside in the bone marrow (BM) ensuring homeostasis of blood production and immune response throughout life. Sex differences in immunocompetence and mortality are well-documented in humans. However, whether HSPCs behave dimorphically between sexes during aging remains unknown. Here, we show that a significant expansion of BM-derived HSPCs occurs in the middle age of female but in the old age of male mice. We then show that a decline of HSPCs in male mice, as indicated by the expression levels of select hematopoietic genes, occurs much earlier in the aging process than that in female mice. Sex-mismatched heterochronic BM transplantations indicate that the middle-aged female BM microenvironment plays a pivotal role in sustaining hematopoietic gene expression during aging. Furthermore, a higher concentration of the pituitary sex hormone follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum and a concomitant higher expression of its receptor on HSPCs in the middle-aged and old female mice than age-matched male mice, suggests that FSH may contribute to the sexual dimorphism in aging hematopoiesis. Our study reveals that HSPCs in the BM niches are possibly regulated in a sex-specific manner and influenced differently by sex hormones during aging hematopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eui-Young So
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Euy-Myoung Jeong
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Keith Q Wu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Patrycja M Dubielecka
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Anthony M Reginato
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Peter J Quesenberry
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Olin D Liang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
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24
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Hases L, Archer A, Indukuri R, Birgersson M, Savva C, Korach-André M, Williams C. High-fat diet and estrogen impacts the colon and its transcriptome in a sex-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16160. [PMID: 32999402 PMCID: PMC7527340 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a strong association between obesity and colorectal cancer (CRC), especially in men, whereas estrogen protects against both the metabolic syndrome and CRC. Colon is the first organ to respond to high-fat diet (HFD), and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) can attenuate CRC development. How estrogen impacts the colon under HFD and related sex differences has, however, not been investigated. To dissect this, mice were fed control diet or HFD for 13 weeks and administered receptor-selective estrogenic ligands for the last three weeks. We recorded impact on metabolism, colon crypt proliferation, macrophage infiltration, and the colon transcriptome. We found clear sex differences in the colon transcriptome and in the impact by HFD and estrogens, including on clock genes. ERα-selective activation reduced body weight and generated systemic effects, whereas ERβ-selective activation had local effects in the colon, attenuating HFD-induced macrophage infiltration and epithelial cell proliferation. We here demonstrate how HFD and estrogens modulate the colon microenvironment in a sex- and ER-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Hases
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - A Archer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - R Indukuri
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - M Birgersson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - C Savva
- Department of Medicine, Metabolism Unit and Integrated CardioMetabolic Center (ICMC), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Korach-André
- Department of Medicine, Metabolism Unit and Integrated CardioMetabolic Center (ICMC), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C Williams
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden. .,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
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25
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Oliva M, Muñoz-Aguirre M, Kim-Hellmuth S, Wucher V, Gewirtz ADH, Cotter DJ, Parsana P, Kasela S, Balliu B, Viñuela A, Castel SE, Mohammadi P, Aguet F, Zou Y, Khramtsova EA, Skol AD, Garrido-Martín D, Reverter F, Brown A, Evans P, Gamazon ER, Payne A, Bonazzola R, Barbeira AN, Hamel AR, Martinez-Perez A, Soria JM, Pierce BL, Stephens M, Eskin E, Dermitzakis ET, Segrè AV, Im HK, Engelhardt BE, Ardlie KG, Montgomery SB, Battle AJ, Lappalainen T, Guigó R, Stranger BE. The impact of sex on gene expression across human tissues. Science 2020; 369:eaba3066. [PMID: 32913072 PMCID: PMC8136152 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Many complex human phenotypes exhibit sex-differentiated characteristics. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain largely unknown. We generated a catalog of sex differences in gene expression and in the genetic regulation of gene expression across 44 human tissue sources surveyed by the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx, v8 release). We demonstrate that sex influences gene expression levels and cellular composition of tissue samples across the human body. A total of 37% of all genes exhibit sex-biased expression in at least one tissue. We identify cis expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) with sex-differentiated effects and characterize their cellular origin. By integrating sex-biased eQTLs with genome-wide association study data, we identify 58 gene-trait associations that are driven by genetic regulation of gene expression in a single sex. These findings provide an extensive characterization of sex differences in the human transcriptome and its genetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Oliva
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Manuel Muñoz-Aguirre
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sarah Kim-Hellmuth
- Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valentin Wucher
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ariel D H Gewirtz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel J Cotter
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Princy Parsana
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Silva Kasela
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brunilda Balliu
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ana Viñuela
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephane E Castel
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pejman Mohammadi
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Yuxin Zou
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ekaterina A Khramtsova
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Computational Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Andrew D Skol
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Data Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Diego Garrido-Martín
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ferran Reverter
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Patrick Evans
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eric R Gamazon
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony Payne
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rodrigo Bonazzola
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alvaro N Barbeira
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew R Hamel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angel Martinez-Perez
- Genomics of Complex Diseases Group, Research Institute Hospital de la Sant Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Manuel Soria
- Genomics of Complex Diseases Group, Research Institute Hospital de la Sant Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Brandon L Pierce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Stephens
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eleazar Eskin
- Departments of Computational Medicine, Computer Science, and Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ayellet V Segrè
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hae Kyung Im
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Barbara E Engelhardt
- Department of Computer Science, Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Genomics plc, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Stephen B Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alexis J Battle
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tuuli Lappalainen
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roderic Guigó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Barbara E Stranger
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Data Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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26
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Tricarico R, Nicolas E, Hall MJ, Golemis EA. X- and Y-Linked Chromatin-Modifying Genes as Regulators of Sex-Specific Cancer Incidence and Prognosis. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5567-5578. [PMID: 32732223 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-1741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biological sex profoundly conditions organismal development and physiology, imposing wide-ranging effects on cell signaling, metabolism, and immune response. These effects arise from sex-specified differences in hormonal exposure, and from intrinsic genetic and epigenetic differences associated with the presence of an XX versus XY chromosomal complement. In addition, biological sex is now recognized to be a determinant of the incidence, presentation, and therapeutic response of multiple forms of cancer, including cancers not specifically associated with male or female anatomy. Although multiple factors contribute to sex-based differences in cancer, a growing body of research emphasizes a role for differential activity of X- and Y-linked tumor-suppressor genes in males and females. Among these, the X-linked KDM6A/UTX and KDM5C/JARID1C/SMCX, and their Y-linked paralogs UTY/KDM6C and KDM5D/JARID1D/SMCY encode lysine demethylases. These epigenetic modulators profoundly influence gene expression, based on enzymatic activity in demethylating H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, and nonenzymatic scaffolding roles for large complexes that open and close chromatin for transcription. In a growing number of cases, mutations affecting these proteins have been recognized to strongly influence cancer risk, prognosis, and response to specific therapies. However, sex-specific patterns of mutation, expression, and activity of these genes, coupled with tissue-specific requirement for their function as tumor suppressors, together exemplify the complex relationship between sex and cancer vulnerabilities. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current state of the literature on the roles of these proteins in contributing to sex bias in cancer, and the status of clinical agents relevant to their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Tricarico
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. .,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Emmanuelle Nicolas
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael J Hall
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Department of Clinical Genetics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Erica A Golemis
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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