CRISPR Screen Contributes to Novel Target Discovery in Prostate Cancer

The application of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-wide screening to disease research

High-throughput genetic screening serves as an indispensable approach for deciphering gene functions and the intricate relationships between phenotypes and genotypes. The CRISPR/Cas9 system, with its ability to precisely edit genomes on a large scale, has revolutionized the field by enabling the construction of comprehensive genomic libraries. This technology has become a cornerstone for genome-wide screenings in disease research. This review offers a comprehensive examination of how CRISPR/Cas9-based genetic screening has been leveraged to uncover genes that play a role in disease mechanisms, focusing on areas such as cancer development and viral replication processes. The insights presented in this review hold promise for the development of novel therapeutic strategies and precision medicine approaches.

CRISPR-Cas-based biosensors for the detection of cancer biomarkers

Along with discovering cancer biomarkers, non-invasive detection methods have played a critical role in early cancer diagnosis and prognostic improvement. Some traditional detection methods have been used for detecting cancer biomarkers, but they are time-consuming and involve materials and human costs. With great flexibility, sensitivity and specificity, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated system provides a wide range of application prospects in this field. Herein, we introduce the background of the CRISPR-Cas (CRISPR-associated) system and comprehensively summarize the diagnosis strategies of cancer mediated by the CRISPR-Cas system, including four kinds of biochemical-based markers: nucleic acid, enzyme, tumor-specific protein and exosome. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges in implementing the CRISPR-Cas system in clinical applications.

Pharmacogenomic discovery of genetically targeted cancer therapies optimized against clinical outcomes

Despite the clinical success of dozens of genetically targeted cancer therapies, the vast majority of patients with tumors caused by loss-of-function (LoF) mutations do not have access to these treatments. This is primarily due to the challenge of developing a drug that treats a disease caused by the absence of a protein target. The success of PARP inhibitors has solidified synthetic lethality (SL) as a means to overcome this obstacle. Recent mapping of SL networks using pooled CRISPR-Cas9 screens is a promising approach for expanding this concept to treating cancers driven by additional LoF drivers. In practice, however, translating signals from cell lines, where these screens are typically conducted, to patient outcomes remains a challenge. We developed a pharmacogenomic (PGx) approach called "Clinically Optimized Driver Associated-PGx" (CODA-PGX) that accurately predicts genetically targeted therapies with clinical-stage efficacy in specific LoF driver contexts. Using approved targeted therapies and cancer drugs with available real-world evidence and molecular data from hundreds of patients, we discovered and optimized the key screening principles predictive of efficacy and overall patient survival. In addition to establishing basic technical conventions, such as drug concentration and screening kinetics, we found that replicating the driver perturbation in the right context, as well as selecting patients where those drivers are genuine founder mutations, were key to accurate translation. We used CODA-PGX to screen a diverse collection of clinical stage drugs and report dozens of novel LoF genetically targeted opportunities; many validated in xenografts and by real-world evidence. Notable examples include treating STAG2-mutant tumors with Carboplatin, SMARCB1-mutant tumors with Oxaliplatin, and TP53BP1-mutant tumors with Etoposide or Bleomycin.

Cancer centers of excellence for the multidisciplinary management of urologic cancers The intersection between education, research, and healthcare

Urologic cancers are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world, representing more than 10% of the total number of new cancer cases worldwide. These complex diseases are linked to several issues related to their diagnosis, management, monitoring, and treatment - issues that require multidisciplinary solutions that encompass and manage patients as complex entities. In response to this, the so-called cancer centers of excellence (CCEs) emerged, defined as multidisciplinary institutions specialized in the diagnosis, management, monitoring, and treatment of specific diseases, including cancer. Different institutions, such as the European Association of Urology (EAU), have proposed and encouraged its consolidation, especially for the management of prostate cancer. These institutions must be composed of three areas: healthcare, education, and research, which have complementary interactions and relationships, stimulating research and problem-solving from a multidisciplinary approach and also covering elements of basic science and mental health. The implementation of these CCEs has generated positive results; therefore, it is necessary to stimulate their implementation with a uro-oncologic approach.

Revitalizing oral cancer research: Crispr-Cas9 technology the promise of genetic editing

This review presents an in-depth analysis of the immense potential of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in revolutionizing oral cancer research. It underscores the inherent limitations of conventional treatments while emphasizing the pressing need for groundbreaking approaches. The unparalleled capability of CRISPR-Cas9 to precisely target and modify specific genes involved in cancer progression heralds a new era in therapeutic intervention. Employing genome-wide CRISPR screens, vulnerabilities in oral cancer cells can be identified, thereby unravelling promising targets for therapeutic interventions. In the realm of oral cancer, the disruptive power of CRISPR-Cas9 manifests through its capacity to perturb genes that are intricately associated with drug resistance, consequently augmenting the efficacy of chemotherapy. To address the challenges that arise, this review diligently examines pertinent issues such as off-target effects, efficient delivery mechanisms, and the ethical considerations surrounding germline editing. Through precise gene editing, facilitated by CRISPR/Cas9, it becomes possible to overcome drug resistance by rectifying mutations, thereby enhancing the efficacy of personalized treatment strategies. This review delves into the prospects of CRISPR-Cas9, illuminating its potential applications in the domains of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. It is paramount to emphasize the necessity of ongoing research endeavors and the imperative to develop targeted therapies tailored specifically for oral cancer. By embracing this comprehensive overview, we can pave the way for ground-breaking treatments that instill renewed hope for enhanced outcomes in individuals afflicted by oral cancer.

Preclinical Anticipation of On- and Off-Target Resistance Mechanisms to Anti-Cancer Drugs: A Systematic Review

The advent of targeted therapies has led to tremendous improvements in treatment options and their outcomes in the field of oncology. Yet, many cancers outsmart precision drugs by developing on-target or off-target resistance mechanisms. Gaining the ability to resist treatment is the rule rather than the exception in tumors, and it remains a major healthcare challenge to achieve long-lasting remission in most cancer patients. Here, we discuss emerging strategies that take advantage of innovative high-throughput screening technologies to anticipate on- and off-target resistance mechanisms before they occur in treated cancer patients. We divide the methods into non-systematic approaches, such as random mutagenesis or long-term drug treatment, and systematic approaches, relying on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system, saturated mutagenesis, or computational methods. All these new developments, especially genome-wide CRISPR-based screening platforms, have significantly accelerated the processes for identification of the mechanisms responsible for cancer drug resistance and opened up new avenues for future treatments.

Synthetic CRISPR/dCas9-KRAB system driven by specific PSA promoter suppresses malignant biological behavior of prostate cancer cells through negative feedback inhibition of PSA expression

PSA is a type of proto-oncogene that is specifically and highly expressed in embryonic and prostate cancer cells, but not expressed in normal prostate tissue cells. The specific expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is found to be related with the conditional transcriptional regulation of its promoter. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-dCas9-KRAB is a newly developed transcriptional regulatory system that inhibits gene expression by interupting the DNA transcription process. Induction of CRISPR-dCas9-KRAB expression through the PSA promoter may help feedback inhibition of cellular PSA gene expression via single guide RNA (sgRNA), thereby monitoring and suppressing the malignant state of tumor cells. In this study, we examined the transcriptional activity of the PSA promoter in different prostate cancer cells and normal prostate epithelial cells and determined that it is indeed a prostate cancer cell-specific promoter.Then we constructed the CRISPR-dCas9-KRAB system driven by the PSA promoter, which can inhibit PSA gene expression in the prostate cancer cells at the transcriptional level, and therefore supress the malignant growth and migration of prostate cancer cells and promote their apoptosis in vitro. This study provides a potentially effective anti-cancer strategy for gene therapy of prostate cancer.

BLM promotes malignancy in PCa by inducing KRAS expression and RhoA suppression via its interaction with HDGF and activation of MAPK/ERK pathway

Prostate cancer (PCa) has long been the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths among male worldwide. Our previous studies have shown that Bloom syndrome protein (BLM) plays a vital role in PCa proliferation, yet the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely obscure. Mechanistically, BLM directly interacted with hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF). Functionally, BLM and HDGF knockdown resulted in the higher impairment of PC3 proliferation, clonogenicity, migration and invasion than that their counterpart with either BLM or HDGF knockdown exclusively. Of note, HDGF overexpression expedited, whereas its knockdown suppressed, PC3 proliferation, clonogenicity, migration and invasion. Additionally, the potentiation or attenuation was partially antagonized upon BLM depletion or overexpression. In line with the vitro data, the impact of BLM and HDGF on tumor growth was investigated in mouse xenograft models. ChIP-seq, dual-luciferase reporter and western blotting assays were employed to expound the regulatory network in PC3 cells. The results unveiled that HDGF activated KRAS and suppressed RhoA transcription, and that the function of HDGF was mediated, in part, by interaction with BLM. Accordingly, the MAPK/ERK pathway was activated. Moreover, the regulation of HDGF on KRAS and RhoA had a signal crosstalk. To recapitulate, BLM and HDGF may serve as novel prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets in PCa.

Impact of COVID-19 on hospital screening, diagnosis and treatment activities among prostate and colorectal cancer patients in Canada

BACKGROUND

Suspension of cancer screening and treatment programs were instituted to preserve medical resources and protect vulnerable populations. This research aims to investigate the implications of COVID-19 on cancer management and clinical outcomes for patients with prostate and colorectal cancer in Canada.

METHODS

We examined hospital cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, length of stay, and mortality data among prostate and colorectal cancer patients between April 2017 and March 2021. Baseline trends were established with data between April 2017 and March 2020 for comparison with data collected between April 2020 and March 2021. Scenario analyses were performed to assess the incremental capacity requirements needed to restore hospital cancer care capacities to the pre-pandemic levels.

RESULTS

For prostate cancer, A 12% decrease in diagnoses and 5.3% decrease in treatment activities were observed during COVID-19 between April 2020 and March 2021. Similarly, a 43% reduction in colonoscopies, 11% decrease in diagnoses and 10% decrease in treatment activities were observed for colorectal cancers. An estimated 1,438 prostate and 2,494 colorectal cancer cases were undiagnosed, resulting in a total of 620 and 1,487 unperformed treatment activities for prostate and colorectal cancers, respectively, across nine provinces in Canada. To clear the backlogs of unperformed treatment procedures will require an estimated 3%-6% monthly capacity increase over the next 6 months.

INTERPRETATION

A concerted effort from all stakeholders is required to immediately ameliorate the backlogs of cancer detection and treatment activities. Mitigation measures should be implemented to minimize future interruptions to cancer care in Canada.

Identification and validation of immune-related hub genes based on machine learning in prostate cancer and AOX1 is an oxidative stress-related biomarker

To investigate potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers associated with prostate cancer (PCa), we obtained gene expression data from six datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The datasets included 127 PCa cases and 52 normal controls. We filtered for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and identified candidate PCa biomarkers using a least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) regression model and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) analyses. A difference analysis was conducted on these genes in the test group. The discriminating ability of the train group was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value, with hub genes defined as those having an AUC greater than 85%. The expression levels and diagnostic utility of the biomarkers in PCa were further confirmed in the GSE69223 and GSE71016 datasets. Finally, the invasion of cells per sample was assessed using the CIBERSORT algorithm and the ESTIMATE technique. The possible prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostic biomarkers AOX1, APOC1, ARMCX1, FLRT3, GSTM2, and HPN were identified and validated using the GSE69223 and GSE71016 datasets. Among these biomarkers, AOX1 was found to be associated with oxidative stress and could potentially serve as a prognostic biomarker. Experimental validations showed that AOX1 expression was low in PCa cell lines. Overexpression of AOX1 significantly reduced the proliferation and migration of PCa cells, suggesting that the anti-tumor effect of AOX1 may be attributed to its impact on oxidative stress. Our study employed a comprehensive approach to identify PCa biomarkers and investigate the role of cell infiltration in PCa.

The roles, molecular interactions, and therapeutic value of CDK16 in human cancers

Cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16) is an orphan "cyclin-dependent kinase" (CDK) involved in the cell cycle, vesicle trafficking, spindle orientation, skeletal myogenesis, neurite outgrowth, secretory cargo transport, spermatogenesis, glucose transportation, cell apoptosis, cell growth and proliferation, metastasis, and autophagy. Human CDK16 is located on chromosome Xp11.3 and is related to X-linked congenital diseases. CDK16 is commonly expressed in mammalian tissues and may act as an oncoprotein. It is a PCTAIRE kinase in which Cyclin Y or its homologue, Cyclin Y-like 1, regulates activity by binding to the N- and C- terminal regions of CDK16. CDK16 plays a vital role in various cancers, including lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, malignant melanoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. CDK16 is a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. In this review, we summarized and discussed the roles and mechanisms of CDK16 in human cancers.

State-of-the-art therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer stem cells in prostate cancer

The development of new therapeutic strategies is on the increase for prostate cancer stem cells, owing to current standardized therapies for prostate cancer, including chemotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), radiotherapy, and surgery, often failing because of tumor relapse ability. Ultimately, tumor relapse develops into advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which becomes an irreversible and systemic disease. Hence, early identification of the intracellular components and molecular networks that promote prostate cancer is crucial for disease management and therapeutic intervention. One of the potential therapeutic methods for aggressive prostate cancer is to target prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs), which appear to be a primary focal point of cancer metastasis and recurrence and are resistant to standardized therapies. PCSCs have also been documented to play a major role in regulating tumorigenesis, sphere formation, and the metastasis ability of prostate cancer with their stemness features. Therefore, the current review highlights the origin and identification of PCSCs and their role in anti-androgen resistance, as well as stemness-related signaling pathways. In addition, the review focuses on the current advanced therapeutic strategies for targeting PCSCs that are helping to prevent prostate cancer initiation and progression, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), nanotechnology, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene-editing system, and photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy.

Ubiquitin specific peptidases and prostate cancer

Protein ubiquitination is an important post-translational modification mechanism, which regulates protein stability and activity. The ubiquitination of proteins can be reversed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs), the largest DUB subfamily, can regulate cellular functions by removing ubiquitin(s) from the target proteins. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading type of cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the development of PCa is highly correlated with USPs. The expression of USPs is either high or low in PCa cells, thereby regulating the downstream signaling pathways and causing the development or suppression of PCa. This review summarized the functional roles of USPs in the development PCa and explored their potential applications as therapeutic targets for PCa.

Influencing factors for mortality in prostate cancer patients with T1 and T2 stage: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Few reports have focused on the influencing factors of localized prostate cancer (PCa)-specific mortality so far. This study aimed to develop a competitive risk model for identifying the factors influencing the localized PCa mortality rate based on 135,310 subjects in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

We included 135,310 localized PCa male patients from SEER database 2004-2016 in this cohort study, and collected the baseline information of all patients, including age of diagnosis, race, marital status, socioeconomic status (SES), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) Gleason score, and so on. The outcome was considered as PCa-specific mortality in this study. The end time of follow-up was November 2018. Independent risk factors were examined by multivariate Fine-Gray analysis. The results are shown by hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

All patients were divided into three groups: died from localized PCa (n=1,400), died from other causes (n=16,996), and survived (n=116,914). The diagnostic age of 119,899 patients was ≥55 years. The multivariate Fine-Gray analysis indicated that age of diagnosis (55-70 years: HR =1.473, 95% CI: 1.124-1.930; >70 years: HR =2.528, 95% CI: 1.901-3.362), race (American India/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander: HR =0.653, 95% CI: 0.490-0.870), marital status (divorced: HR =1.433, 95% CI: 1.197-1.717; single: HR =1.463, 95% CI: 1.244-1.719; widowed: HR =1.485, 95% CI: 1.222-1.804), therapeutic method (radiotherapy: HR =1.500; 95% CI: 1.119-2.011), SES (4-10: HR =0.799, 95% CI: 0.664-0.961; ≥11: HR =0.670; 95% CI: 0.534-0.839), AJCC stage (HR =0.820, 95% CI: 0.715-0.940), level of PSA (HR: 1.002, 95% CI: 1.002-1.002) and Gleason score (HR: 2.226, 95% CI: 2.108-2.350) were associated with the risk of localized PCa mortality.

Conclusions

The study determined the influencing factors for mortality in patients with localized PCa through a competitive risk model. This finding may provide a reference for localized PCa patients: localized PCa patients who are older, divorced, widowed, single, have a radiotherapy, have a high PSA level, and Gleason score may be at high risk.

Prostate Cancer Review: Genetics, Diagnosis, Treatment Options, and Alternative Approaches

Prostate cancer is one of the malignancies that affects men and significantly contributes to increased mortality rates in men globally. Patients affected with prostate cancer present with either a localized or advanced disease. In this review, we aim to provide a holistic overview of prostate cancer, including the diagnosis of the disease, mutations leading to the onset and progression of the disease, and treatment options. Prostate cancer diagnoses include a digital rectal examination, prostate-specific antigen analysis, and prostate biopsies. Mutations in certain genes are linked to the onset, progression, and metastasis of the cancer. Treatment for localized prostate cancer encompasses active surveillance, ablative radiotherapy, and radical prostatectomy. Men who relapse or present metastatic prostate cancer receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), salvage radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Currently, available treatment options are more effective when used as combination therapy; however, despite available treatment options, prostate cancer remains to be incurable. There has been ongoing research on finding and identifying other treatment approaches such as the use of traditional medicine, the application of nanotechnologies, and gene therapy to combat prostate cancer, drug resistance, as well as to reduce the adverse effects that come with current treatment options. In this article, we summarize the genes involved in prostate cancer, available treatment options, and current research on alternative treatment options.

The Expression of miR-205 in Prostate Carcinoma and the Relationship with Prognosis in Patients

Purpose. We aimed to investigate the changes of serum and cell exosome miR-205 levels in patients with prostate carcinoma and its clinical significance. Materials and Methods. Firstly, pronouncement of miR-205 in normal and prostate carcinoma tissues was analyzed by using UALCAN database. The relationship between miR-205 in tumor tissues and the pathological and clinical characteristics of patients with prostate carcinoma were analyzed. Consequently, 60 people with prostate carcinoma were collected to the Minhang Hospital from August 2016 to August 2021. Serum of patients in the two groups was collected, and RNA in serum exosomes was extracted, and qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of miR-205 mediated by serum exosomes. Meanwhile, the relationship among the clinical as well as pathological aspects and bodement of patients with prostate carcinoma and the pronouncement level of miR-205 mediated by exosome was compared. Next, assays like wound healing and CKK-8 were used to investigate the effects of miR-205 in exosomes extracted from prostate carcinoma on the augmentation and metastasis of prostate carcinoma. Results. The results showed that the pronouncement level of miR-205 in tissues with prostate carcinoma was significantly lower than that in normal prostate tissues. In addition, the pronouncement level of miR-205 in fluid exosome of people with prostate carcinoma and exosomes derived from the lines of prostate carcinoma was considerably less than that in serum exosomes of healthy patients and that of normal cell lines of prostate. The pronouncement level of miR-205 in fluid exosomes of people with prostate carcinoma was negatively associated with cancer phase, uncontrolled cell division in lymph nodes, distant metastasis, and PSA level at initial diagnosis. Analysis (multivariate and univariate) showed that miR-205 pronouncement was a sovereign threat cause for prognosis of prostate cancer patients. Additionally, the pronouncement and metastasis of prostate carcinoma can be restricted by the overexpression of miR-205. Conclusion. The pronouncement of miR-205 in liquid derived exosomes is correlated with the prediction of people with prostate carcinoma and may be a new marker for identification and cure of prostate carcinoma.

Hesperidin Suppresses the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells by Inducing Oxidative Stress and Disrupting Ca2+ Homeostasis

Although androgen deprivation therapy is mainly used for its treatment, the mortality rate of prostate cancer remains high due to drug resistance. Hence, there is a need to discover new compounds that exhibit therapeutic effects against prostate cancer with minimum side effects. Hesperidin is a flavonoid carbohydrate isolated from citrus fruits. It has antiproliferative effects in various cancer types; however, whether it can modulate cell proliferation by modulating the key targets of cancer therapy, including intracellular signaling pathways and oxidative stress, remains unknown. Therefore, we confirmed that hesperidin suppressed the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, PC3 and DU145. Hesperidin induced cell death by regulating the cell cycle and inhibited the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a cell proliferation marker. Hesperidin also promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species and induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization and endoplasmic reticulum stress in prostate cancer cells. Moreover, as hesperidin increased Ca2+ levels in prostate cancer cells, we co-treated the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor inhibitor, 2-aminoethyl diphenyl borate (2-APB), with hesperidin. Notably, 2-APB restored cell proliferation, which was reduced to control levels by hesperidin. In addition, hesperidin inhibited the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Hesperidin also enhanced the anticancer effects of the chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin, in both PC3 and DU145 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that hesperidin can be used as a potential therapeutic adjuvant in prostate cancer as it can inhibit cell proliferation by mediating oxidative stress and increasing Ca2+ levels.

Overcoming Drug Resistance in Advanced Prostate Cancer by Drug Repurposing

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men. Common treatments include active surveillance, surgery, or radiation. Androgen deprivation therapy and chemotherapy are usually reserved for advanced disease or biochemical recurrence, such as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but they are not considered curative because PCa cells eventually develop drug resistance. The latter is achieved through various cellular mechanisms that ultimately circumvent the pharmaceutical's mode of action. The need for novel therapeutic approaches is necessary under these circumstances. An alternative way to treat PCa is by repurposing of existing drugs that were initially intended for other conditions. By extrapolating the effects of previously approved drugs to the intracellular processes of PCa, treatment options will expand. In addition, drug repurposing is cost-effective and efficient because it utilizes drugs that have already demonstrated safety and efficacy. This review catalogues the drugs that can be repurposed for PCa in preclinical studies as well as clinical trials.