S100P, a calcium-binding protein, is preferentially associated with the growth of polypoid tumors in colorectal cancer

Tissue mRNA for S100A4, S100A6, S100A8, S100A9, S100A11 and S100P Proteins in Colorectal Neoplasia: A Pilot Study

S100 proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic colorectal carcinoma through different mechanisms. The aim of our study was to assess tissue mRNA encoding S100 proteins in patients with non-advanced and advanced colorectal adenoma. Mucosal biopsies were taken from the caecum, transverse colon and rectum during diagnostic and/or therapeutic colonoscopy. Another biopsy was obtained from adenomatous tissue in the advanced adenoma group. The tissue mRNA for each S100 protein (S100A4, S100A6, S100A8, S100A9, S100A11 and S100P) was investigated. Eighteen biopsies were obtained from the healthy mucosa in controls and the non-advanced adenoma group (six individuals in each group) and thirty biopsies in the advanced adenoma group (ten patients). Nine biopsies were obtained from advanced adenoma tissue (9/10 patients). Significant differences in mRNA investigated in the healthy mucosa were identified between (1) controls and the advanced adenoma group for S100A6 (p = 0.012), (2) controls and the non-advanced adenoma group for S100A8 (p = 0.033) and (3) controls and the advanced adenoma group for S100A11 (p = 0.005). In the advanced adenoma group, differences between the healthy mucosa and adenomatous tissue were found in S100A6 (p = 0.002), S100A8 (p = 0.002), S100A9 (p = 0.021) and S100A11 (p = 0.029). Abnormal mRNA expression for different S100 proteins was identified in the pathological adenomatous tissue as well as in the morphologically normal large intestinal mucosa.

Calcium signaling and epigenetics: A key point to understand carcinogenesis

Calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling controls a wide range of cellular processes, including the hallmarks of cancer. The Ca²⁺ signaling system encompasses several types of proteins, such as receptors, channels, pumps, exchangers, buffers, and sensors, of which several are mutated or with altered expression in cancer cells. Since epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in all stages of carcinogenesis, and reversibly regulate gene expression, they have been studied by different research groups to understand their role in Ca²⁺ signaling remodeling in cancer cells and the carcinogenic process. In this review, we link Ca²⁺ signaling, cancer, and epigenetics fields to generate a comprehensive landscape of this complex group of diseases.

Inhibition of lung cancer by vitamin D depends on downregulation of histidine-rich calcium-binding protein

Introduction

Intrinsic vitamin D affects the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and tumorigenesis of lung cancer by regulating tumor signaling pathways. Histidine-rich calcium-binding protein (HRC) maintains Ca²⁺ homeostasis, which plays crucial roles in the occurrence and development of cancer.

Objectives

Our study aims to investigate the ability of vitamin D in the regulation of HRC and the role of HRC playing in lung cancer.

Methods

We investigated the effects of vitamin D on lung cancer and the underlying mechanisms, by measuring HRC and vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in lung cancer, paracancer, and normal tissues from patients using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and real time RT-PCR. We transfected H460 lung cancer cells (supplemented or not with vitamin D) with PX458-HRC and pcDNA3.1-HRC plasmids and injected mice with lung cancer cells harboring pcDNA3.1-vector or pcDNA3.1-HRC plasmids.

Results

Vitamin D inhibited HRC expression and H460 cell migration and proliferation, and promoted apoptosis compared with controls. The expression of HRC and VDR was significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in lung cancer versus paracancer or normal tissues. Cell proliferation and migration were reduced, apoptotic cells were more and tumors were smaller in mice treated with vitamin D/cholecalciferol cholesterol emulsion (CCE) than in vitamin D/CCE+HRC^+/+ mice.

Conclusion

Vitamin D inhibited lung cancer tumor growth, migration, and proliferation by downregulating HRC.

Diverse LEF/TCF Expression in Human Colorectal Cancer Correlates with Altered Wnt-Regulated Transcriptome in a Meta-Analysis of Patient Biopsies

Aberrantly activated Wnt signaling causes cellular transformation that can lead to human colorectal cancer. Wnt signaling is mediated by Lymphoid Enhancer Factor/T-Cell Factor (LEF/TCF) DNA-binding factors. Here we investigate whether altered LEF/TCF expression is conserved in human colorectal tumor sample and may potentially be correlated with indicators of cancer progression. We carried out a meta-analysis of carefully selected publicly available gene expression data sets with paired tumor biopsy and adjacent matched normal tissues from colorectal cancer patients. Our meta-analysis confirms that among the four human LEF/TCF genes, LEF1 and TCF7 are preferentially expressed in tumor biopsies, while TCF7L2 and TCF7L1 in normal control tissue. We also confirm positive correlation of LEF1 and TCF7 expression with hallmarks of active Wnt signaling (i.e., AXIN2 and LGR5). We are able to correlate differential LEF/TCF gene expression with distinct transcriptomes associated with cell adhesion, extracellular matrix organization, and Wnt receptor feedback regulation. We demonstrate here in human colorectal tumor sample correlation of altered LEF/TCF gene expression with quantitatively and qualitatively different transcriptomes, suggesting LEF/TCF-specific transcriptional regulation of Wnt target genes relevant for cancer progression and survival. This bioinformatics analysis provides a foundation for future more detailed, functional, and molecular analyses aimed at dissecting such functional differences.

Prognostic and predictive value of the macroscopic growth pattern in patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal cancer: a single-institution retrospective cohort study of 4,080 Chinese patients

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether macroscopic growth patterns had an impact on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with different tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stages and responses to chemotherapy in stage III patients.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively recruited 4,080 stage I–III CRC patients who underwent curative resection at Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University. All patients were grouped by macroscopic growth patterns (expansive, infiltrative and ulcerative subtypes), and stage III patients were further divided into chemotherapy and nonchemotherapy groups. Kaplan–Meier methods, univariate and multivariate analyses and subset analyses were performed to assess the overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Kaplan–Meier survival curves and univariate analyses revealed better OS (HR=0.731; 95% CI=0.584–0.916), CSS (HR=0.714; 95% CI=0.548–0.932) and DFS (HR=0.722; 95% CI=0.602–0.864) in the expansive subtype and worse OS (HR=2.121; 95% CI=1.457–3.088), CSS (HR=2.499; 95% CI=1.664–3.753) and DFS (HR=2.360; 95% CI=1.756–3.170) in the infiltrative subtype. Subset analyses based on the tumor–node–metastasis stage showed that the infiltrative subtype was associated with inferior DFS in stage II (HR=2.357; 95% CI=1.210–4.595) and stage III patients (HR=1.941; 95% CI=1.394–2.702) and inferior OS and CSS in stage III patients (HR=1.805; 95% CI=1.210–2.693 and HR=1.981, 95% CI=1.280–3.065, respectively). In addition, multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models revealed similar results. Furthermore, in stage III patients, the OS, CSS and DFS in both the expansive and ulcerative subtypes were significantly extended after the administration of chemotherapy (all, P<0.001). However, the OS, CSS and DFS in the infiltrative subtype did not change significantly after the administration of chemotherapy (P=0.486, 0.290 and 0.731, respectively).

Conclusion

The macroscopic growth pattern was an independent prognostic factor among stage I–III CRC patients. The infiltrative subtype had the worst prognosis in stage III patients and did not display survival benefits from chemotherapy.

S100P interacts with integrin α7 and increases cancer cell migration and invasion in lung cancer

S100P, a Ca2⁺ binding protein, has been shown to be overexpressed in various cancers. However, its functional character in lung cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we show that S100P increases cancer migration, invasion and metastasis in lung cancer cells. Ectopic expression of S100P increases migration, invasion and EMT in less invasive CL1-0 lung cancer cells. Conversely, knockdown of S100P suppressed migration and invasion, and caused a reversion of EMT in highly invasive lung cancer cells. These effects were transduced by increasing the interaction of S100P with integrin α7, which activated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and AKT. Blocking FAK significantly decreased S100P-induced migration by decreasing Src and AKT activation, whereas inhibiting AKT reduced S100P upregulation on ZEB1 expression. Further study has indicated that S100P knockdown prevents the spread of highly metastatic human lung cancer in animal models. This study therefore suggests that S100P represents a critical activator of lung cancer metastasis. Detection and targeted treatment of S100P-expressing cancer is an attractive therapeutic strategy in treating lung cancer.

A novel truncated form of S100P predicts disease-free survival in patients with lymph node positive breast cancer

The calcium-binding protein S100P is overexpressed in various cancers and may contribute to the oncogenic phenotype. This study used mass spectrometry to characterize a novel 9.2-kDa C-terminally truncated form of S100P (t-S100P), and to investigate its potential prognostic value in breast cancer. Univariate analysis demonstrated the association between breast tissue t-S100P levels (n = 148) and conventional pathological markers. Across all tumor samples, high t-S100P was strongly prognostic for poor disease-free survival (P = 0.005), its efficacy confined to lymph node-positive tumors (n = 74, P = 0.007). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry confirmed differential t-S100P abundance between breast cancer and unaffected adjacent tissue. t-S100P was exclusively located in the cell nucleus of breast cancer tissue, and full-length S100P was essentially undetectable by mass spectrometry. We conclude that t-S100P is the predominant form of S100P in breast cancer tissue and is strongly prognostic for disease-free survival in women with lymph node-positive disease.