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Geng X, Shan J, Dai Y, Liu Z, Min S, Zhao S, Zhang Z, Shi K, Zhang D, Ji T, Chang B. Regulatory mechanism and prognostic value of sex hormone pathways connected with metabolism and immune signaling in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Sci Rep 2025; 15:13482. [PMID: 40251359 PMCID: PMC12008239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-97163-4] [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: 09/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2025] [Indexed: 04/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) represents a major subtype of kidney cancer with variable prognosis. A comprehensive understanding of sex hormone-related pathways could potentially refine the prediction of patient outcomes in ccRCC. Patients from TCGA-KIRC (n = 528) and GSE22541 (n = 40) cohorts were analyzed. Sex-hormone-associated pathways were manually collected and calculated with the activated score, then subtypes were identified. Differential gene expression, pathway enrichment, and tumor-infiltrating immunocytes were assessed. A prognostic signature was developed using Cox analysis and LASSO regression. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to validate the protein level of key model gene in ccRCC tissues. Three distinct subtypes (C1, C2, C3) based on sex hormone pathway activation were discovered. C1 showed the most favorable prognosis (P = 0.00029). 1,094 genes were upregulated in C1 and 197 in C3. 20 risk-associated and 172 protective genes for ccRCC prognosis were identified. LASSO regression narrowed down to 33 genes for the sex-hormone-related-gene (SHAG) prognostic model. In the TCGA-KIRC cohort, the high-SHAG score group had a worse prognosis with an HR of 3.26 (95% CI: 2.334-4.555, P < 0.001). Validation in the GSE22541 cohort corroborated these findings. The nomogram incorporating the SHAG model demonstrated robust predictive accuracy higher than 0.75. IHC validation confirmed that ARHGEF17 protein levels were higher in early-stage ccRCC (stage I-II) compared to advanced-stage (stage III) tumors, supporting its prognostic relevance. The SHAG signature serves as a promising prognostic tool for ccRCC, providing insights into the role of sex hormone-related pathways in tumor progression. Further experimental and clinical validation is warranted to explore its potential in personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Geng
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Jiahao Shan
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750101, Chinal, China
| | - Yu Dai
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Ziwei Liu
- Clinical central laboratory, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Simin Min
- Clinical central laboratory, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Shuo Zhao
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Zhengyuan Zhang
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Kai Shi
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Duobing Zhang
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Tuo Ji
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China
| | - Baoyuan Chang
- Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, 234000, Anhui, China.
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Murata M, Bilim V, Shirono Y, Kazama A, Hiruma K, Tasaki M, Tomita Y. MicroRNAs as Potential Regulators of GSK-3β in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7432-7448. [PMID: 37754254 PMCID: PMC10529713 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090470] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has improved with newer therapies, including molecular-targeted therapies and immuno-oncology agents. Despite these therapeutic advances, many patients with metastatic disease remain uncured. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a promising new therapeutic strategy for RCC; however, the precise regulatory mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as post-translational regulators of target genes, and we investigated the potential regulation of miRNAs on GSK-3β in RCC. We selected nine candidate miRNAs from three databases that could potentially regulate GSK-3β. Among these, hsa-miR-4465 (miR-4465) was downregulated in RCC cell lines and renal cancer tissues. Furthermore, luciferase assays revealed that miR-4465 directly interacted with the 3' untranslated region of GSK-3β, and Western blot analysis showed that overexpression of miR-4465 significantly decreased GSK-3β protein expression. Functional assays showed that miR-4465 overexpression significantly suppressed cell invasion of A498 and Caki-1 cells; however, cell proliferation and migration were suppressed only in Caki-1 and A498 cells, respectively, with no effect on cell cycle and apoptosis. In conclusion, miR-4465 regulates GSK-3β expression but does not consistently affect RCC cell function as a single molecule. Further comprehensive investigation of regulatory networks is required in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Murata
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
| | - Vladimir Bilim
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
- Department of Urology, Kameda Daiichi Hospital, Niigata 950-0165, Japan
| | - Yuko Shirono
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
| | - Akira Kazama
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
- Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kaede Hiruma
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
| | - Masayuki Tasaki
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
| | - Yoshihiko Tomita
- Department of Urology, Division of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; (V.B.); (Y.S.); (A.K.); (K.H.); (M.T.); (Y.T.)
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Angori S, Banaei-Esfahani A, Mühlbauer K, Bolck HA, Kahraman A, Karakulak T, Poyet C, Feodoroff M, Potdar S, Kallioniemi O, Pietiäinen V, Schraml P, Moch H. Ex Vivo Drug Testing in Patient-derived Papillary Renal Cancer Cells Reveals EGFR and the BCL2 Family as Therapeutic Targets. Eur Urol Focus 2023; 9:751-759. [PMID: 36933996 DOI: 10.1016/j.euf.2023.03.005] [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] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents are used for first-line treatment of advanced papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) but pRCC response rates to these therapies are low. OBJECTIVE To generate and characterise a functional ex vivo model to identify novel treatment options in advanced pRCC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We established patient-derived cell cultures (PDCs) from seven pRCC samples from patients and characterised them via genomic analysis and drug profiling. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Comprehensive molecular characterisation in terms of copy number analysis and whole-exome sequencing confirmed the concordance of pRCC PDCs with the original tumours. We evaluated their sensitivity to novel drugs by generating drug scores for each PDC. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS PDCs confirmed pRCC-specific copy number variations such as gains in chromosomes 7, 16, and 17. Whole-exome sequencing revealed that PDCs retained mutations in pRCC-specific driver genes. We performed drug screening with 526 novel and oncological compounds. Whereas exposure to conventional drugs showed low efficacy, the results highlighted EGFR and BCL2 family inhibition as the most effective targets in our pRCC PDCs. CONCLUSIONS High-throughput drug testing on newly established pRCC PDCs revealed that inhibition of EGFR and BCL2 family members could be a therapeutic strategy in pRCC. PATIENT SUMMARY We used a new approach to generate patient-derived cells from a specific type of kidney cancer. We showed that these cells have the same genetic background as the original tumour and can be used as models to study novel treatment options for this type of kidney cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Angori
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amir Banaei-Esfahani
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Mühlbauer
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hella A Bolck
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Abdullah Kahraman
- School for Life Sciences, Institute for Chemistry and Bioanalytics, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Tülay Karakulak
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss Informatics Institute, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cédric Poyet
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michaela Feodoroff
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Laboratory of Immunovirotherapy, Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
| | - Swapnil Potdar
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Kallioniemi
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Vilja Pietiäinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Schraml
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Distante A, Marandino L, Bertolo R, Ingels A, Pavan N, Pecoraro A, Marchioni M, Carbonara U, Erdem S, Amparore D, Campi R, Roussel E, Caliò A, Wu Z, Palumbo C, Borregales LD, Mulders P, Muselaers CHJ. Artificial Intelligence in Renal Cell Carcinoma Histopathology: Current Applications and Future Perspectives. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2294. [PMID: 37443687 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132294] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by its diverse histopathological features, which pose possible challenges to accurate diagnosis and prognosis. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore recent advancements in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in RCC pathology. The aim of this paper is to assess whether these advancements hold promise in improving the precision, efficiency, and objectivity of histopathological analysis for RCC, while also reducing costs and interobserver variability and potentially alleviating the labor and time burden experienced by pathologists. The reviewed AI-powered approaches demonstrate effective identification and classification abilities regarding several histopathological features associated with RCC, facilitating accurate diagnosis, grading, and prognosis prediction and enabling precise and reliable assessments. Nevertheless, implementing AI in renal cell carcinoma generates challenges concerning standardization, generalizability, benchmarking performance, and integration of data into clinical workflows. Developing methodologies that enable pathologists to interpret AI decisions accurately is imperative. Moreover, establishing more robust and standardized validation workflows is crucial to instill confidence in AI-powered systems' outcomes. These efforts are vital for advancing current state-of-the-art practices and enhancing patient care in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Distante
- Department of Urology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Marandino
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Bertolo
- Department of Urology, San Carlo Di Nancy Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Alexandre Ingels
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Henri Mondor, APHP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Nicola Pavan
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Urology, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Pecoraro
- Department of Urology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Michele Marchioni
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Umberto Carbonara
- Andrology and Kidney Transplantation Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation-Urology, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Selcuk Erdem
- Division of Urologic Oncology, Department of Urology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul 34093, Turkey
| | - Daniele Amparore
- Department of Urology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Riccardo Campi
- Urological Robotic Surgery and Renal Transplantation Unit, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Eduard Roussel
- Department of Urology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna Caliò
- Section of Pathology, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Zhenjie Wu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Carlotta Palumbo
- Division of Urology, Maggiore della Carità Hospital of Novara, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 13100 Novara, Italy
| | - Leonardo D Borregales
- Department of Urology, Well Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter Mulders
- Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Constantijn H J Muselaers
- Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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