Prognostic and Clinicopathological Significance of EphB3 and Dysadherin Expression in Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Dysadherin expression in prostatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with E-cadherin and β-catenin

BACKGROUND

We analyzed immunoexpression of Dysadherin, E-cadherin and ß-catenin proteins in prostate.

METHODS

53 radical prostatectomy specimens were included. Dysadherin, E-cadherin and ß-catenin were evaluated in prostatic adenocarcinoma and in adjacent non-tumorous tissue, and correlated with clinicomorphological features in prostatic adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

We report cytoplasmic/membraneous and nuclear staining for Dysadherin in prostatic tissue. Cytoplasmic/membraneous expression was stronger in prostatic adenocarcinoma when compared to adjacent non-tumorous prostatic tissue (p < 0.001).

Dysadherin positively correlated with T status (rho = 0.326, P = 0.017) and Grade Group (rho = 0.278, P = 0.044). We report no correlation with recurrence, surgical margins status, sPSA and N status. E-cadherin was negatively correlated with recurrence (rho = -0.297, P = 0.031), T status (rho = -0.430, P = 0.001), Grade Group (rho = -0.558, P < 0.001) and positive surgical margins (rho = -0.404, P = 0.003). ß-catenin negatively correlated with Grade Group (rho = -0.557, P < 0,001). No correlation was observed between Dysadherin and E-cadherin and Dysadherin and ß-catenin expression.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest a potential role for Dysadherin in tumor progression. No significant correlation between Dysadherin and E-cadherin or ß-catenin indicates potential independence of Dysadherin in its regulatory role in prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Epidemiology of biliary tract cancer in China: A narrative review

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a group of rare malignancies that affect the gallbladder and bile ducts. Although rare, BTC is becoming a significant public health burden in China, particularly among males and older individuals. The increasing trends in BTC incidence and mortality in China are influenced by various demographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. In this review, we examine available epidemiological data on the incidence, mortality, prognosis, and trends of different BTC subtypes in China. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities for improving the prevention, diagnosis, and management of BTC in China, and identify areas for further research and intervention. The article aims to provide a better understanding of the epidemiological features of BTC in China and to inform public health strategies and clinical practice.

EphB3 receptor suppressor invasion, migration and proliferation in glioma by inhibiting EGFR-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Eph receptors are the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases, and they have been shown to play a crucial role in glioma. The EphB3 receptor is a member of this family, and its effect on the invasion, migration and proliferation of glioma cells was examined in this study. It was found that the expression of EphB3 was decreased in glioma specimens with increasing tumor grade. Additionally, the U87MG and U251 cell lines showed low levels of EphB3 expression. This finding was consistent with the negative correlation between EphB3 expression in glioma tissues and tumor grade. Depletion of EphB3 gene in U87MG and U251 cell lines resulted in a substantial enhancement of their invasion, migration, and proliferation capacities in vitro. Furthermore, the knockdown of EphB3 led to an upregulation of EGFR, p-PI3K, and p-AKT protein levels. On the other hand, EphB3 overexpression reduced the invasiveness, proliferative capacity and migration rate of U87MG and U251 cells, and downregulated EGFR, p-PI3K and p-AKT. These findings indicate that EphB3 functions as a tumor suppressor in glioma, and its downregulation enhances the malignant potential of glioma cells by activating the EGFR-PI3K/AKT pathway. Thus, EphB3 is a promising diagnostic marker for glioma, and the EphB3-EGFR-PI3K / AKT axis deserves further investigation as a potential therapeutic target.

Ephrin-Eph receptor tyrosine kinases for potential therapeutics against hepatic pathologies

Hepatic fibrosis is the common pathological change that occurs due to increased synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix components. Chronic insult from hepatotoxicants leads to liver cirrhosis, which if not reversed timely using appropriate therapeutics, liver transplantation remains the only effective therapy. Often the disease further progresses into hepatic carcinoma. Although there is an increased advancement in understanding the pathological phenotypes of the disease, additional knowledge of the novel molecular signaling mechanisms involved in the disease progression would enable the development of efficacious therapeutics. Ephrin-Eph molecules belong to the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which are identified to play a crucial role in cellular migratory functions, during morphological and developmental stages. Additionally, they contribute to the growth of a multicellular organism as well as in pathological conditions like cancer, and diabetes. A wide spectrum of mechanistic studies has been performed on ephrin-Eph RTKs in various hepatic tissues under both normal and diseased conditions revealing their diverse roles in hepatic pathology. This systematic review summarizes the liver-specific ephrin-Eph RTK signaling mechanisms and recognizes them as druggable targets for mitigating hepatic pathology.

Prognostic value of dysadherin in cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and novel prognostic factors are reported with increasing numbers. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses on cumulative research data are crucial in estimating the true prognostic value of proposed factors. Dysadherin (FXYD Domain Containing Ion Transport Regulator 5; FXYD5) is a cell membrane glycoprotein that modulates Na+, K+-ATPase activity and cell-cell adhesion. It is abundantly expressed in a variety of cancer cells, but only in a limited number of normal cells and its levels are increased in many different tumor types. The expression or level of dysadherin has been suggested as an independent predictor for metastasis and poor prognosis by number of studies, yet we lack a definitive answer. In this study, we systematically evaluated the prognostic value of dysadherin in cancer and summarized the current knowledge on the subject. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and relevant clinical trial and preprint databases were searched for relevant publications and PRISMA and REMARK guidelines were applied in the process. After a careful review, a total of 23 original research articles were included. In each study, dysadherin was pointed as a marker for poor prognosis. Meta-analyses revealed 3- and 1.5-fold increases in the risk of death (fixed effects HR 3.08, 95% CI 1.88-5.06, RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.06-2.05 on overall survival, respectively) for patients with high (>50%) tumoral FXYD5 level. In many studies, a connection between dysadherin expression or level and metastatic behavior of the cancer as well as inverse correlation with E-cadherin level were reported. Thus, we conclude that dysadherin might be a useful prognostic biomarker in the assessment of disease survival of patients with solid tumors.

Hit Identification of a Novel Quinazoline Sulfonamide as a Promising EphB3 Inhibitor: Design, Virtual Combinatorial Library, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Docking Simulation Studies

EphB3 is a major key player in a variety of cellular activities, including cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. However, the exact role of EphB3 in cancer remains ambiguous. Accordingly, new EphB3 inhibitors can increase the understanding of the exact roles of the receptor and may act as promising therapeutic candidates. Herein, a hybrid approach of structure-based design and virtual combinatorial library generated 34 quinazoline sulfonamides as potential selective EphB3 inhibitors. A molecular docking study over EphB3 predicted the binding affinities of the generated library, and the top seven hit compounds (3a and 4a–f), with GlideScore ≥ −6.20 Kcal/mol, were chosen for further MM-GBSA calculations. Out of the seven top hits, compound 4c showed the highest MM-GBSA binding free energy (−74.13 Kcal/mol). To validate these predicted results, compounds 3a and 4a–f were synthesized and characterized using NMR, HRMS, and HPLC. The biological evaluation revealed compound 4c as a potent EphB3 inhibitory lead (IC₅₀ = 1.04 µM). The screening of 4c over a mini-panel of kinases consisting of EGFR, Aurora A, Aurora B, CDK2/cyclin A, EphB1, EphB2, EphB4, ERBB2/HER2, and KDR/VEGFR2, showed a promising selective profile against EphB3 isoform. A dose-dependent assay of compound 4c and a molecular docking study over the different forms of EphB provided insights into the elicited biological activities and highlighted reasonable explanations of the selectivity.

MMP8 increases tongue carcinoma cell-cell adhesion and diminishes migration via cleavage of anti-adhesive FXYD5

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) modify bioactive factors via selective processing or degradation resulting in tumour-promoting or tumour-suppressive effects, such as those by MMP8 in various cancers. We mapped the substrates of MMP8 to elucidate its previously shown tumour-protective role in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). MMP8 overexpressing (+) HSC-3 cells, previously demonstrated to have reduced migration and invasion, showed enhanced cell-cell adhesion. By analysing the secretomes of MMP8 + and control cells with terminal amine isotopic labelling of substrates (TAILS) coupled with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we identified 36 potential substrates of MMP8, including FXYD domain-containing ion transport regulator 5 (FXYD5). An anti-adhesive glycoprotein FXYD5 has been previously shown to predict poor survival in OTSCC. Cleavage of FXYD5 by MMP8 was confirmed using recombinant proteins. Furthermore, we detected a loss of FXYD5 levels on cell membrane of MMP8 + cells, which was rescued by inhibition of the proteolytic activity of MMP8. Silencing (si) FXYD5 increased the cell-cell adhesion of control but not that of MMP8 + cells. siFXYD5 diminished the viability and motility of HSC-3 cells independent of MMP8 and similar effects were seen in another tongue cancer cell line, SCC-25. FXYD5 is a novel substrate of MMP8 and reducing FXYD5 levels either with siRNA or cleavage by MMP8 increases cell adhesion leading to reduced motility. FXYD5 being a known prognostic factor in OTSCC, our findings strengthen its potential as a therapeutic target.