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At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

miR-519d-3p inhibits gastric cancer progression by targeting the Beclin-1-dependent autophagy pathway.

Dysregulation of microRNA networks is a hallmark of gastric cancer pathogenesis, but the mechanisms driving early-stage disease remain poorly understood. This study utilized integrative bioinformatics analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset GSE158315 to identify tumor-suppressive microRNAs in early gastric cancer. We identified hsa-miR-519d-3p as a core downregulated microRNA in early-stage tissues. Functional assays in NUGC-3 and MKN-45 cell lines demonstrated that miR-519d-3p overexpression significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion, whereas its inhibition enhanced these malignant phenotypes. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-519d-3p directly targets the 3' untranslated region of BECN1 (Beclin-1). Silencing Beclin-1 via siRNA mimicked the effects of miR-519d-3p overexpression, while rescue experiments showed that Beclin-1 knockdown reversed the pro-migratory and pro-invasive effects triggered by miR-519d-3p inhibition. Furthermore, monitoring of autophagic flux using mRFP-GFP-LC3 tandem reporters revealed that miR-519d-3p inhibition enhances autophagy in a Beclin-1-dependent manner. Clinical data analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas further supported the upregulation of Beclin-1 in gastric cancer and its correlation with aggressive clinicopathological features. In conclusion, our findings establish the miR-519d-3p/Beclin-1 axis as a critical regulator of motility and autophagy in gastric cancer, representing a potential therapeutic target for early intervention.

Autophagy↗

[High throughput screening and analysis of prostate cancer-related genes through mining databases].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Investigation of differentially expressed genes in prostate cancer tissues may help to understand the molecular mechanism of prostate cancer and provide diagnostic markers or new targets for therapy. The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP) public database provides an unprecedented opportunity for cancer researchers to mine genes differentially expressed in cancer tissues by bioinformatic methods. This study was to explore the feasibility of incorporating the Internet-available Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) and cDNA databases to find human prostate cancer-related genes. METHODS: SAGE digital gene expression displayer (DGED) and cDNA DGED were used to analyze differentially expressed (>5 folds) genes in malignant prostate tissues compared with normal prostate tissues. The SAGE tags were filtered by their confidence and our 3 criteria. To test the confidence of tags of virtual digital analysis for gene identification, the modified GLGI (generation of longer cDNA fragments from SAGE tags for gene identification) was used to get the cDNA 3' end downstream of 20 tags. Main functions of all candidate genes and their relations to prostate cancer were annotated. RESULTS: Fifty-three differentially expressed genes were screened out by SAGE DGED, 26 of them were up-regulated and 27 were down-regulated in prostate cancer; 28 differentially expressed genes were got by cDNA DGED, 15 of them were up-regulated and 13 were down-regulated in prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: Reasonable use of public databases by the Internet-available tools is a simple, effective approach to get cancer-related genes, and might provide useful clues for further investigation although the results require experimental validation.

DNA, Complementary↗

Integrative pan-cancer analysis of transferrin reveals context-dependent prognostic associations and links to immune and metabolic disease-related programs.

BACKGROUND: Iron metabolism is closely linked to tumor biology, yet the pan-cancer significance of transferrin (TF), the major circulating iron-transport protein, remains insufficiently defined. Although TF has been implicated in cancer-related processes, its prognostic relevance, immune associations, and broader disease-related transcriptional context have not been systematically characterized across tumor types. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform an integrative pan-cancer analysis of TF to characterize its expression patterns, clinical associations, immune context, pathway features, and pharmacogenomic correlations, and to explore whether TF-related signals extend to selected metabolic and chronic organ injury settings. METHODS: We used multiple public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), to integrate transcriptomic, proteomic, and clinical data across 33 tumor types and selected non-malignant conditions. TF expression was evaluated across normal tissues, tumors, and cell lines, followed by survival analysis, immune infiltration analysis, TMB/MSI and methylation assessment, pathway enrichment, and drug-response correlation. Independent GEO cohorts of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), heart failure (HF), and liver cirrhosis (LC) were used for cross-disease extension. Selected findings were further explored in OA/PA-treated hepatocytes, 786-O renal carcinoma cells, and AC16 cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: TF showed pronounced tissue specificity and cancer-type-dependent dysregulation. Across pan-cancer cohorts, the most consistent adverse survival associations were observed in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), where TF remained associated with overall survival (OS) in multivariable analyses. TF expression was also correlated with cancer-type-specific immune infiltration patterns and selected drug-response profiles. Across independent NASH, HF, and LC datasets, TF expression was elevated and TF-associated pathways partially overlapped with those observed in cancer. In vitro experiments provided preliminary support that TF modulation is associated with proliferative phenotypes in KIRC cells and stress- and metabolism-related phenotypes in hepatocyte and cardiomyocyte models. CONCLUSION: These findings support TF as a context-dependent biomarker candidate in cancer, with the most consistent prognostic relevance observed in KIRC and STAD. Rather than establishing a unified mechanism across diseases, this study provides an integrative framework suggesting that TF is associated with malignant behavior, immune context, and selected metabolic stress-related programs, and warrants further mechanistic investigation.

Iron metabolism↗

Advancing cancer detection and treatment using longitudinal routine clinical data.

Cancer management remains fragmented across its continuum, from late-stage diagnosis and salvage therapies to non-personalized surveillance. Here, we present Oncoformer, a unified multimodal transformer model trained on the China Oncology Multimodal Prediction and Surveillance Study (COMPASS) cohort (3.67 million individuals, 17.7 million clinical visits) and validated on independent external cohorts, including the UK Biobank. Oncoformer integrates longitudinal electronic health records with chest X-ray imaging to address multiple clinical tasks: pan-cancer diagnosis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.956), future cancer prediction up to 1 year before diagnosis (AUROC = 0.869), tumor stage inference (mean AUROC > 0.90), patient-specific treatment-response forecasting, and recurrence-free survival stratification across ten cancer types (all p < 0.01). Staging predictions were independently validated against postoperative pathological endpoints and shown to converge on core cancer genomic pathways. By translating routine clinical data into a dynamic view of cancer evolution, Oncoformer provides a framework for risk-informed cancer prediction and treatment stratification using routine clinical data.

Humans↗

KLHL17 as a Prognostic Indicator and Therapeutic Target in Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to clarify the role of kelch like family member 17 (KLHL17) in cervical cancer (CESC) is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To clarify this uncertainty, our research employed bioinformatics analysis coupled with experimental corroboration. METHODS: We utilized the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to assess the expression of KLHL17 in various cancers, specifically CESC, and to explore its association with clinical characteristics, diagnostic utility, and prognostic significance in CESC. The current investigation delved into the potential regulatory pathways related to KLHL17, examining its connection with the infiltration of immune cells, the expression of immune checkpoint genes, the status of microsatellite instability (MSI), and the efficacy of diverse therapeutic agents in CESC. The research analyzed KLHL17 expression patterns using single-cell sequencing data from CESC samples and investigated the genetic variations of KLHL17 within this context. KLHL17 expression was validated using GSE145372. The presence and levels of KLHL17 in different cell lines were validated through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays. RESULTS: KLHL17 exhibited irregular expression profiles across various cancer types, including CESC. Furthermore, increased KLHL17 levels in CESC patients were significantly associated with a lower progression-free survival (PFS) rate (hazard ratio: 1.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.60, p = 0.044). Moreover, KLHL17 expression emerged as a distinct prognostic indicator for CESC patients (p = 0.031). It has been associated with various biological pathways, such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, primary immunodeficiency, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), chemokine signaling pathway, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and others. The expression levels of KLHL17 were found to correlate with the presence of immune cells, the expression of immune checkpoint genes, and the status of MSI within CESC. Furthermore, KLHL17 expression exhibited a significant and inverse correlation with XMD15-27, rTRAIL, Paclitaxel, tp4ek, and tp4ek-k6. Furthermore, KLHL17 was found to be significantly positively regulated in CESC cell lines. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that KLHL17 is involved in the progression of CESC and may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target. KLHL17's association with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint genes indicates a role in immuneevasion. Future research should focus on validating these findings through independent datasets and experimental studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying KLHL17's role in CESC progression and immune regulation. CONCLUSION: KLHL17 is a promising prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in CESC.

Humans↗

Profibrogenic Gremlin-1 expression in prostate cancer and the clinicopathologic association.

BACKGROUND: Gremlin-1 (GREM1) is a profibrogenic molecule involved in TGF-&#x3b2; signaling. Recent studies have implicated GREM1 in androgen receptor (AR)-independent signaling and castration resistance in advanced prostate cancer. However, its compartment expression patterns and clinicopathologic significance in primary prostate cancer remain unclear. METHODS: GREM1 mRNA expression and clinicopathologic associations were analyzed in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) prostate adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PRAD), the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) primary prostate cancer cohorts. Correlations between GREM1 and genes related to TGF-&#x3b2; signaling, extracellular matrix organization, fibroblast activation, and AR signaling were evaluated by Spearman analysis. GREM1 protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in commercial human prostate cancer tissue microarrays (TMAs) using compartment-specific QuPath-based H-scores. RESULTS: GREM1 expression was relatively elevated in prostate and bladder cancers. Across the three prostate cancer cohorts, higher GREM1 expression was associated with adverse pathologic features and was most consistently correlated with FAP. Inverse correlations were observed with selected AR-related genes, whereas no significant correlation was found with AR itself. Higher GREM1 expression was associated with shorter disease-free survival only in MSKCC but was not an independent prognostic factor after clinicopathologic adjustment. Quantitative immunohistochemistry in 43 patients showed higher epithelial than stromal GREM1 H-scores (median, 3.10 vs 1.41; P < 0.0001), with heterogeneous staining in both compartments. Neither epithelial nor stromal H-scores were associated with Gleason score or pathologic T stage. CONCLUSIONS: GREM1 mRNA expression in primary prostate cancer was associated with adverse clinicopathologic features, and a fibroblast-associated transcriptional context but did not demonstrate independent prognostic value. At the protein-level, GREM1 expression was heterogeneous in both epithelial and stromal compartments, with higher epithelial H-scores on average. These findings support further investigation of the biological significance of GREM1 expression in primary prostate cancer.

TCGA↗

PLK1/FOXM1-associated tumor-cell state and macrophage-related immune features in endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) have been widely studied in various cancers; however, their expression characteristics in endometrial cancer (EC) and their potential association with tumor microenvironment remodeling remain insufficiently characterized. METHODS: This study integrated The Cancer Genome Atlas uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma cohort, Gene Expression Omnibus, pan-cancer transcriptomic data, Human Protein Atlas/Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, and local immunohistochemistry data to evaluate PLK1 expression and clinicopathological relevance across transcriptomic, proteomic, and histopathological data. Differential expression, survival, gene-set enrichment, transcription-factor enrichment, and immune-infiltration analyses characterized PLK1-associated features. In vitro experiments combined EC cell lines AN3CA and HEC-1A with co-immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, Transwell assays, and a THP-1 conditioned-medium model. Drug-response prediction and structure-based analysis prioritized candidate therapeutic hypotheses. RESULTS: PLK1 was consistently upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in EC and was associated with higher tumor grade and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage. In survival analysis, higher PLK1 expression was associated with poorer overall survival in univariable models but not after adjustment for age, tumor grade, and FIGO stage. Functional enrichment analysis showed that PLK1-associated genes were mainly involved in cell-cycle and mitotic processes. FOXM1 was identified as a potential candidate component of the PLK1-associated transcriptional program and was positively correlated with PLK1 expression and cell-cycle-related features. In vitro experiments supported an interaction between PLK1 and FOXM1 and suggested that FOXM1 Thr600 phosphorylation-related alterations were associated with migration and invasion phenotypes. Furthermore, the PLK1/FOXM1-associated tumor-cell state was linked to macrophage-related immune features and changes in the M2-like marker profile of THP-1-derived macrophage-like cells. Drug response analyses suggested differential predicted sensitivity patterns in PLK1-high tumors, providing candidate therapeutic hypotheses for further validation. CONCLUSION: The PLK1/FOXM1-associated tumor-cell state may represent a distinct molecular feature associated with proliferative activity, invasive phenotypes, and macrophage-related immune features in EC. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the biological relevance of this molecular feature and highlights potential therapeutic directions for future investigation.

FoxM1↗

Polymorphisms, genomic imprinting and cancer susceptibility.

Polymorphisms have been identified in proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that predispose people to cancer. Recent evidence indicates that genomic imprinting, an epigenetic form of gene regulation that results in uniparental gene expression, can also function as a cancer predisposing event. Thus, cancer susceptibility is increased by both Mendelian inherited genetic and non-Mendelian inherited epigenetic events. Consequently, chemical and physical agents cannot only induce cancer through the formation of genetic mutations but also through epigenetic changes that result in the inappropriate expression of imprinted proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The role of genomic imprinting in carcinogenesis and cancer susceptibility is examined in this review.

Genes, Tumor Suppressor↗

Comprehensive genomic profiling and tumor mutational burden in parathyroid carcinoma: a nationwide real-world study from Japan.

PURPOSE: Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an extremely rare endocrine malignancy with limited treatment options for unresectable or recurrent cases. With the increasing use of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), treatment based on genomic findings is becoming more common. However, the frequency and clinical significance of elevated tumor mutational burden (TMB) in PC remain unclear because previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed genomic and clinical data of patients with PC registered in the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics database in Japan between June 2019 and March 2025. TMB values were obtained as reported by each CGP assay. TMB-H was defined as TMB&#x2009;&#x2265;&#x2009;10 mut/Mb for descriptive analyses. We also assessed genomic alterations, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and clinicogenomic characteristics. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with PC were included. The median assay-reported TMB was 4.0 mut/Mb (range, 0-35). Seven tumors (28.0%) had assay-reported TMB values of &#x2265;&#x2009;10 mut/Mb, including three (12.0%) with TMB&#x2009;&#x2265;&#x2009;20 mut/Mb. The most frequently altered genes were CDC73 (40%), TP53 (32%), and MEN1 (24%). No co-alterations were observed between CDC73 and MEN1 or between CDC73 and TP53. One tumor was MSI-high and was included in the TMB-H group. POLE alterations were detected in three cases, including two tumors in the TMB-H group. CONCLUSION: This nationwide, real-world study demonstrated that a subset of PCs showed elevated assay-reported TMB values and genomic features potentially related to abnormalities in DNA replication or repair pathways. These findings support the clinical relevance of comprehensive genomic profiling in identifying the molecular heterogeneity and potential therapeutic opportunities for this rare malignancy.

Humans↗

Screening and identification of key genes related to the immune microenvironment of rectal cancer influenced by radiotherapy based on bioinformatics methods.

OBJECTIVE: Radiotherapy (RT) plays a crucial role in the comprehensive treatment of rectal cancer. However, the impact of radiotherapy on the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially its effect on immune cell infiltration and immune-related gene expression, has not been fully studied. This study aims to screen and analyze key genes related to the immune microenvironment of rectal cancer influenced by radiotherapy based on bioinformatics methods for the purpose of identifying potential biomarkers and providing new insights for the personalized therapy of rectal cancer. METHODS: Using data from the Public Gene Expression Database (GEO) and the Cancer Genomics Database (TCGA), the impact of radiotherapy on the immune microenvironment of rectal cancer was explored using bioinformatics tools. Through screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs), correlation analysis, TIMER database analysis, immune infiltration score, and correlation analysis between key genes and prognosis, the effects of radiotherapy on the immune microenvironment of rectal cancer were investigated. RESULTS: Totally 7 upregulated and 4 downregulated differentially expressed genes were identified, among which MASP1, LTK, SLC9A3R2 were negatively correlated with myeloid suppressor cell infiltration (MDSCs), while ZP2 was positively correlated. The expression of MASP1 and SLC9A3R2 was closely related to the level of immune cell infiltration and played significant roles in the immune microenvironment. High expression of MASP1 was significantly correlated with survival benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, while SLC9A3R2 was closely related to the efficacy of PD-L1 inhibitors and CTLA4 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: MASP1 and SLC9A3R2, as two key genes that may be related to the immune microenvironment of rectal cancer radiotherapy, deserve further exploration of their roles in the mechanism. The combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy holds promising prospects in the treatment of rectal cancer, and exploration of related mechanisms will provide new strategies and targets for the treatment of various tumors and rectal cancer.

Bioinformatics↗

Tumor Loss of the Y Chromosome Defines a Biological Phenotype Associated with Resistance to Radiotherapy Across Cancer Types.

PURPOSE: Sex-linked determinants of radiotherapy response remain poorly understood. We investigated whether tumor loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) is associated with biological and clinical features of radiotherapy resistance across cancer types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We integrated publicly available cancer cell-line experimental datasets and clinical data to evaluate the impact of LOY on radiotherapy response. The radiosensitivity of 125 cancer cell lines, stratified by Y chromosome status, was analyzed. Gene expression analyses were performed to identify biological pathways associated with LOY. Clinical associations were examined in 537 male patients treated with radiotherapy across multiple tumor types in The Cancer Genome Atlas. RESULTS: LOY was associated with increased post-radiotherapy survival in cancer cell lines (p < 0.001). Transcriptomic analyses demonstrated LOY-associated alterations in DNA damage response, senescence, longevity, and proliferation pathways. In TCGA tumors, LOY was associated with remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, including altered immune and stromal signatures. Clinically, LOY was associated with inferior survival in common-support overlap-weighted analyses adjusted for age, tumor stage, and TCGA-defined tumor type. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that tumor LOY is associated with a distinct biological profile characterized by features of radioresistance and adverse clinical outcomes following radiotherapy. Further studies are warranted to determine whether LOY represents a clinically relevant sex-linked determinant of radiotherapy response.

loss of Y chromosome↗

Polymorphisms of the carcinogen detoxifying UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT1A7 in proximal digestive tract cancer.

Cancer of the proximal digestive tract is associated with tobacco smoke and ethanol exposure. The UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A7 is a detoxifying enzyme capable of tobacco-borne carcinogen detoxification and cellular protection and has been implicated as a cancer risk gene. In this study, UGT1A7 expression is demonstrated in oral, esophageal, and gastric tissue, which are the principle sites of proximal digestive tract cancer. Genomic DNA from the blood of 76 patients with esophageal, orolaryngeal and gastric cancer as well as from 210 healthy blood donors was analysed for the presence of UGT1A7 polymorphisms by sequencing and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. Wild type UGT1A7 alleles were equally distributed between controls (19 %) and cancer patients (22 %). However, the UGT1A7*3 allele combining W208R, N129K and R131K missense mutations and exhibiting substantially reduced carcinogen detoxification activity was significantly associated with proximal gastrointestinal cancer and identified as a risk allele present in 32 % of cancer patients and 19 % of controls (P = 0.0008, OR 2,02 (95 %-CI 1.33-3.07)). We identify the significant association of the UGT1A7*3 allele encoding a low catalytic activity protein as a risk gene in proximal digestive tract cancer and as a potential marker for cancer susceptibility.

Adult↗

Identification of defensin alpha6 as a potential biomarker in colon adenocarcinoma.

There is substantial interest in the identification of circulating human tumor-derived proteins in serum for the purposes of early cancer diagnosis. We have implemented an approach based on the analysis of microarray data for the identification of tumor proteins that may have utility as biomarkers in colon cancer. Expression analysis of microarray data obtained from a variety of 283 tumors and normal tissues revealed that defensin alpha6 was maximally expressed in colon cancer. These findings were corroborated by reverse transcription-PCR, in which the colon cancer cell lines LoVo, Caco2, HCT-15, SW480, and SW620 showed significantly higher levels of defensin alpha6 expression than did non-colon cancer cell lines. Moreover, our data were concordant with data obtained from the NCI, National Institutes of Health Cancer Genome Anatomy Project. To evaluate defensin alpha6 as a potential biomarker of colon cancer, a preliminary "training" set of serum from 91 healthy donors and 109 colon cancer patients was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data pattern was confirmed by an independent set of 67 masked serum samples: 18 from healthy donors and 49 from colon cancer patients. This result yielded a sensitivity of 69.4% (95% CI 54.6-81.8), specificity of 83.3% (58.6-96.4), and positive predictive value of 91.9% (78.1-98.3). These findings justify a prospective assessment of serum defensin alpha6 protein as a screening tool for colon cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Comparison of genomic abnormalities between BRCAX and sporadic breast cancers studied by comparative genomic hybridization.

Very little is known about the chromosomal regions harbouring genes involved in initiation and progression of BRCAX-associated breast cancers. We applied comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to identify the most frequent genomic imbalances in 18 BRCAX hereditary breast cancers and compared them to chromosomal aberrations detected in a group of 27 sporadic breast cancers. The aberrations observed most frequently in BRCAX tumours were gains of 8q (83%), 19q (67%), 19p (61%), 20q (61%), 1q (56%), 17q (56%) and losses of 8p (56%), 11q (44%) and 13q (33%). The sporadic cases most frequently showed gains of 1q (67%), 8q (48%), 17q (37%), 16p (33%), 19q (33%) and losses of 11q (26%), 8p (22%) and 16q (19%). Losses of 8p and gains 8q, 19 as well as gains of 20q (with respect to ductal tumours only) were detected significantly more often in BRCAX than in sporadic breast cancers. Analysis of 8p-losses and 8q-gains showed that these aberrations are early events in the tumorigenesis of BRCAX tumors. The findings of this report indicate similarities between BRCAX and BRCA2 tumours, possibly suggesting a common pathway of disease. These findings need confirmation by more extensive studies because only a limited number of cases were analysed and there are relatively few reports published.

Adult↗

Genomic biomarkers for cancer assessment: implementation challenges for laboratory practice.

Genomic biomarkers are an emerging class of laboratory tests, which present special implementation challenges for clinical laboratory services, compared to conventional laboratory tests. These challenges, which include analytical, bioinformatics, bioethical, interpretation and commercialization issues, represent real obstacles to widespread implementation of these tests. Technical challenges include the capacity to detect and identify many different kinds of markers for different diseases in a short time period, capacity to identify simultaneously gene rearrangements, amplification, inhibition, deletions and replications. Bioinformatics challenges include rapid analysis of genomic data, as well as the cross reference to other genomic data, and to other laboratory tests. Bioethical issues relate to consent to retain and use genetic data, which may be obtained inadvertently during analysis for genomic markers. Interpretation challenges include observations that the particular genomic markers may not be independent variables, as other undetected genomic alterations could invalidate or alter genomic marker interpretation. Further, as early experience with predictive genetic markers for cancer has shown, proprietary commercial interests may conflict with public health values of identifying genomic markers in subject populations. Based on our 10 years of experience with genomic biomarkers, important implementation strategies for genomic markers include development of:Standard high throughput analyzers capable of detecting any alteration of any genomic variant at any time. Bioinformatics analysis online, coupled to stored patient data. Laboratory service framework that preserves confidentiality but integrates genomic data with other laboratory tests. Laboratory service framework, which links consents, genomic analysis, reports to both specimen and data repositories. Overall, the laboratory service challenges for genomic markers are to manage very large analytical sets and very large data sets in finite time with responsible interpretation, all within finite funding. To meet these challenges, implementation strategies beyond the one disease, one diagnosis, one genomic marker concept must begin now.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Antibody-drug conjugates against multidrug-resistant cancers: Biomarker-guided patient selection, payload engineering, linker chemistry, and bystander effects.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are one of the most significant advancements in modern cancer therapeutics. Combining the target selectivity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic potential of payloads, ADCs effectively kill cancer cells and offer hope to patients with even refractory cancer types. Beyond simply increasing the number of therapeutic options available for cancer patients, ADCs have become a powerful frontline agent in overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR). As one of the most challenging obstacles to effective cancer care, MDR is mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-mediated drug efflux, target-based mutations, and dysregulated apoptosis. The clinical success of ADCs specifically engineered to overcome MDR, including in heterogeneous tumors and cancer cells that exhibit bypass signaling, is well established. This is especially evident with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in HER2-low, HER2-positive, and HER2-mutant cancers; sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in TROP2-expressing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and urothelial carcinoma; and enfortumab vedotin in Nectin-4-positive bladder cancer. By overcoming MDR, ADCs have enabled more effective treatment algorithms across multiple malignancies. Most importantly, the clinical application of ADCs has become inextricably linked to cancer genomics. HER2 testing has evolved from a two-tiered system to a continuous spectrum including HER2-ultralow, HER2-low, HER2-positive, and ERBB2-mutant categories. Each of these categories exhibits different eligibility guidelines for ADC patient selection. As cancer cells continue to evolve and develop resistance to even ADCs through mutations and variants, researchers and clinicians have used pharmacogenomics to predict ADC response and resistance. To define the genomic architecture of ADC-resistant tumor subpopulations, single-cell transcriptomic studies and liquid biopsy approaches are being used to enable real-time examination of the tumor genome during ADC therapy, thereby optimizing treatment and circumventing resistance driven by emerging mutations and variants. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the molecular structure of ADCs, the pharmacological principles underlying their potent cytotoxic activity against MDR cancer cells, the genomic and transcriptomic biomarkers that guide ADC patient selection, and the emerging resistance mechanisms that will shape the next generation of promising ADC development.

Humans↗

Genetic changes in familial prostate cancer by comparative genomic hybridization.

BACKGROUND: Germline mutations in recessive cancer predisposition genes are uncovered by somatic genetic deletions during tumor development. Analysis of genetic changes in tumor tissues from patients with an inherited predisposition may therefore highlight regions of the genome containing susceptibility or modifier genes. Our aim was to characterize genetic changes in familial prostate cancer METHODS: Twenty-one primary prostate cancers from 19 Finnish prostate cancer families were analyzed for somatic genetic changes by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). RESULTS: The average number of genetic alterations per tumor was 4.0 +/- 1.9, distributed equally among losses and gains. The most common losses were found at chromosomal regions 13q14-q22 (29%), 8p12-pter (24%), and 6q13-q16 (14%), and the most common gains at 19p (25%), 19q (14%) and 7q (14%). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that prostate cancers in genetically predisposed individuals arise for the most part through similar somatic genetic progression pathways as sporadic prostate cancers. This also implies that the biological properties of tumors from the two groups may not be different from one another.

Aged↗

Two messenger RNAs and five isoforms for Po66-CBP, a galectin-8 homolog in a human lung carcinoma cell line.

Galectins are animal proteins which specifically bind beta-D-galactoside residues and their specific cellular function is not yet clearly established. However, these proteins seem to play a role in neoplastic transformations. Po66 is a murine monoclonal antibody directed against a protein from human lung carcinoma, Po66 Carbohydrate-Binding-Protein (Po66-CBP), which belongs to the galectin-8 family. Our results show that the Po66-CBP gene generates five transcripts by alternative splicing, which could give rise to five proteins: two proteins belong to the tandemly repeated galectin family and three belong to the single carbohydrate recognition domain galectins. All these proteins are encoded by a unique gene located in 1q42. Experiments carried out by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction show that the levels of expression of these five galectin-8 isoforms are variable during the culture time in SK-MES-1, a human lung squamous carcinoma cell line. Cancer Genome Anatomy Project database analysis confirms the presence of Po66-CBP in lung cancer and its absence in healthy lung.

Amino Acid Sequence↗