scholarly journals MYC regulates a pan-cancer network of co-expressed oncogenic splicing factors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Urbanski ◽  
Mattia Brugiolo ◽  
SungHee Park ◽  
Brittany L Angarola ◽  
Nathan K Leclair ◽  
...  

MYC is dysregulated in >50% of cancers, but direct targeting of MYC has been clinically unsuccessful. Targeting downstream MYC effector pathways represents an attractive alternative. MYC regulates alternative mRNA splicing, a hallmark of cancer, but the mechanistic links between MYC and the splicing machinery remain underexplored. Here, we identify a network of splicing factors (SFs) co-expressed as SF-modules in MYC-active breast tumors. Of these, one is a pan-cancer SF-module, correlating with MYC-activity across 33 tumor types. In mammary cell models, MYC activation leads to co-upregulation of pan-cancer module SFs and to changes in >4,000 splicing events. In breast cancer organoids, co-overexpression of the pan-cancer SF-module is sufficient to induce splicing events that are also MYC-regulated in patient tumors and to increase organoid size and invasiveness, while its knockdown decreases organoid size. Finally, we uncover a pan-cancer splicing signature of MYC activity which correlates with survival in multiple tumor types. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms and function of MYC-regulated splicing and for the development of therapeutics for MYC-driven tumors.

Author(s):  
Hongtao Zhu ◽  
Xingjiang Yu ◽  
Suojun Zhang ◽  
Kai Shu

Malignant glioma is a highly fatal type of brain tumor, and its reoccurrence is largely due to the ordered interactions among the components present in the complex microenvironment. Besides its role in immune surveillance and clearance under physiological conditions, the complement system is expressed in a variety of tumor types and mediates the interactions within the tumor microenvironments. Recent studies have uncovered the broad expression spectrum of complement signaling molecules in the tumor microenvironment and various tumor cells, in particular, malignant glioma cells. Involvement of the complement system in tumor growth, immunosuppression and phenotype transition have also been elucidated. In this review, we enumerate the expression and function of complement molecules in multiple tumor types reported. Moreover, we elaborate the complement pathways in glioma cells and various components of malignant glioma microenvironments. Finally, we summarize the possibility of the complement molecules as prognostic factors and therapeutic targets in the treatment of malignant glioma. Specific targeting of the complement system maybe of great significance and value in the future treatment of multi-type tumors including malignant glioma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxuan Chen ◽  
Haoming Mai ◽  
Haitao Chen ◽  
Bin Zhou ◽  
Jinlin Hou ◽  
...  

C1ORF112 is an evolutionarily conserved gene across vertebrates. Over the last decade, studies have suggested that C1ORF112 may play a role in tumorigenesis. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets, we explored the role of C1ORF112 across various tumor types in this study. In most tumor types, C1ORF112 expression was increased in tumor tissues compared to corresponding non-tumor tissues. In patients with certain tumor types, higher C1ORF112 expression was correlated with shorter overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival. Further analyses of C1ORF112 genetic alteration data showed that C1ORF112 amplification and mutations may have an impact on liver hepatocellular carcinoma and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma prognosis. In cancers including lower grade glioma and adrenocortical carcinoma, C1ORF112 expression was linked to cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration. Gene Ontology analysis showed that C1ORF112 was co-expressed with genes involved in biological processes such as cell cycle and mitotic regulation. The protein interaction network demonstrated that C1ORF112 physically interacted with RAD51, DMC1, and FIGNL1, which have well characterized functions in DNA repair and cell cycle regulation. This pan-cancer study revealed the prognostic value and oncogenic role of C1ORF112 across multiple tumor types.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruijuan Du ◽  
Chuntian Huang ◽  
Kangdong Liu ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Zigang Dong

AbstractAurora kinase A (AURKA) belongs to the family of serine/threonine kinases, whose activation is necessary for cell division processes via regulation of mitosis. AURKA shows significantly higher expression in cancer tissues than in normal control tissues for multiple tumor types according to the TCGA database. Activation of AURKA has been demonstrated to play an important role in a wide range of cancers, and numerous AURKA substrates have been identified. AURKA-mediated phosphorylation can regulate the functions of AURKA substrates, some of which are mitosis regulators, tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In addition, enrichment of AURKA-interacting proteins with KEGG pathway and GO analysis have demonstrated that these proteins are involved in classic oncogenic pathways. All of this evidence favors the idea of AURKA as a target for cancer therapy, and some small molecules targeting AURKA have been discovered. These AURKA inhibitors (AKIs) have been tested in preclinical studies, and some of them have been subjected to clinical trials as monotherapies or in combination with classic chemotherapy or other targeted therapies.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien Procureur ◽  
Audrey Simonaggio ◽  
Jean-Emmanuel Bibault ◽  
Stéphane Oudard ◽  
Yann-Alexandre Vano

The immunogenic cell death (ICD) is defined as a regulated cell death able to induce an adaptive immunity. It depends on different parameters including sufficient antigenicity, adjuvanticity and favorable microenvironment conditions. Radiation therapy (RT), a pillar of modern cancer treatment, is being used in many tumor types in curative, (neo) adjuvant, as well as metastatic settings. The anti-tumor effects of RT have been traditionally attributed to the mitotic cell death resulting from the DNA damages triggered by the release of reactive oxygen species. Recent evidence suggests that RT may also exert its anti-tumor effect by recruiting tumor-specific immunity. RT is able to induce the release of tumor antigens, to act as an immune adjuvant and thus to synergize with the anti-tumor immunity. The advent of new efficient immunotherapeutic agents, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), in multiple tumor types sheds new light on the opportunity of combining RT and ICI. Here, we will describe the biological and radiobiological rationale of the RT-induced ICD. We will then focus on the interest to combine RT and ICI, from bench to bedside, and summarize the clinical data existing with this combination. Finally, RT technical adaptations to optimize the ICD induction will be discussed.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3562
Author(s):  
Mitra Nair ◽  
Chelsea Bolyard ◽  
Tae Jin Lee ◽  
Balveen Kaur ◽  
Ji Young Yoo

Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1/ADGRB1) is an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor that has been found to play key roles in phagocytosis, inflammation, synaptogenesis, the inhibition of angiogenesis, and myoblast fusion. As the name suggests, it is primarily expressed in the brain, with a high expression in the normal adult and developing brain. Additionally, its expression is reduced in brain cancers, such as glioblastoma (GBM) and peripheral cancers, suggesting that BAI1 is a tumor suppressor gene. Several investigators have demonstrated that the restoration of BAI1 expression in cancer cells results in reduced tumor growth and angiogenesis. Its expression has also been shown to be inversely correlated with tumor progression, neovascularization, and peri-tumoral brain edema. One method of restoring BAI1 expression is by using oncolytic virus (OV) therapy, a strategy which has been tested in various tumor models. Oncolytic herpes simplex viruses engineered to express the secreted fragment of BAI1, called Vasculostatin (Vstat120), have shown potent anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in multiple tumor models. Combining Vstat120-expressing oHSVs with other chemotherapeutic agents has also shown to increase the overall anti-tumor efficacy in both in vitro and in vivo models. In the current review, we describe the structure and function of BAI1 and summarize its application in the context of cancer treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linbang Wang ◽  
Tao He ◽  
Jingkun Liu ◽  
Jiaojiao Tai ◽  
Bing Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, their contribution to the immunosuppressive status of the TME remains unclear. Methods We integrated single-cell sequencing and transcriptome data from different tumor types to uncover the molecular features of TAMs. In vitro experiments and prospective clinical tests confirmed the results of these analysis. Results We first detected intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneities between TAM subpopulations and their functions, with CD86+ TAMs playing a crucial role in tumor progression. Next, we focused on the ligand-receptor interactions between TAMs and tumor cells in different TME phenotypes and discovered that aberrant expressions of six hub genes, including FLI1, are involved in this process. A TAM-tumor cell co-culture experiment proved that FLI1 was involved in tumor cell invasion, and FLI1 also showed a unique pattern in patients. Finally, TAMs were discovered to communicate with immune and stromal cells. Conclusion We determined the role of TAMs in the TME by focusing on their communication pattern with other TME components. Additionally, the screening of hub genes revealed potential therapeutic targets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Fulvio Borella ◽  
Mario Preti ◽  
Luca Bertero ◽  
Giammarco Collemi ◽  
Isabella Castellano ◽  
...  

Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare neoplasm, usually arising in postmenopausal women, although human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated VC usually develop in younger women. Incidences of VCs are rising in many countries. Surgery is the cornerstone of early-stage VC management, whereas therapies for advanced VC are multimodal and not standardized, combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy to avoid exenterative surgery. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are scarce due to the rarity of the disease and prognosis has not improved. Hence, new therapies are needed to improve the outcomes of these patients. In recent years, improved knowledge regarding the crosstalk between neoplastic and tumor cells has allowed researchers to develop a novel therapeutic approach exploiting these molecular interactions. Both the innate and adaptive immune systems play a key role in anti-tumor immunesurveillance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in multiple tumor types, improving survival rates and disease outcomes. In some gynecologic cancers (e.g., cervical cancer), many studies are showing promising results and a growing interest is emerging about the potential use of ICIs in VC. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the latest developments in the field of VC immunoncology, to present the role of state-of-the-art ICIs in VC management and to discuss new potential immunotherapeutic approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10508-10508
Author(s):  
Ying L Liu ◽  
Anna Maio ◽  
Yelena Kemel ◽  
Erin E. Salo-Mullen ◽  
Margaret Sheehan ◽  
...  

10508 Background: Disparities in access to germline testing for cancer patients (pts) have been demonstrated; however, disparities in post-testing care are unknown. We sought to evaluate germline findings and subsequent genetic counseling/care in cancer pts undergoing tumor-germline sequencing to explore differences by self-reported ancestry. Methods: Pan-cancer pts were prospectively consented to tumor-normal sequencing via a custom NGS panel (MSK-IMPACT) from 1/2015-12/2019 inclusive of germline analysis up to 88 genes. Germline analysis was performed as a research non-billable test in 97.5% of cases. Referral to clinical genetics service (CGS) was recommended for all pts with a new positive (likely pathogenic/pathogenic) germline variant (PV). Ancestry was defined using self-reported Federal definitions of race/ethnicity and designations of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) ancestry. Pts were categorized into mutually exclusive groups: AJ, White, Non-White (Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic, Other), and unknown. All pts self-identifying as Hispanic were classified as such, regardless of race. Abstracted data on germline findings and downstream CGS follow-up were compared across groups using non-parametric statistical tests. Results: Among the 15,775 pts in this cohort (59.6% White, 15.7% AJ, 20.5% Non-White [6.9% Asian, 6.8% Black, 6.7% Hispanic, 0.1% Other], and 4.2% unknown), 2663 (17%) had a PV. AJ pts had the highest rates of PV (n = 683, 27.6%), and Non-White pts had a lower proportion of PV (n = 433, 13.6%) compared to Whites (n = 1451, 15.5%), p < 0.01, with differences mostly due to increased prevalence of moderate/low penetrance variants in White and AJ pts . These findings were consistent across multiple tumor types. Prior knowledge of the PV (424/2663, 16%) was more common in Non-White (19.9%) and AJ (19.2%) than White pts (13.4%), p < 0.01. Among 2239 pts with new PV, all were referred to CGS, and 1652 (73.8%) pts were seen. Non-White pts had lower rates of completing visits (67.7%) than White (73.7%) and AJ pts (78.8%), p < 0.01, with the lowest rates occurring in Black (63%) and Hispanic (68.1%) pts. All pts without a visit (n = 587) received a close out letter including 139 pts (6.2% of pts with new PV) who had no documentation of receipt of results in the medical record. Higher rates of non-disclosure were observed in Non-White (6.7%) compared to White (5.4%) and AJ (3.4%) pts with new PV, p = 0.032; non-disclosure did not vary by gene penetrance. There was a non-significant trend towards lower rates of cascade testing at CGS in Asian and Black pts with ongoing analysis. Conclusions: Even when traditional barriers to genetic testing were minimized, Non-White pts were less likely to receive recommended cancer genetics follow-up for subsequent cancer risk counseling, with potential implications for oncological care, cancer risk reduction, and at-risk family members.


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