scholarly journals Multiple ETS Factors Participate in the Transcriptional Control of TERT Mutant Promoter in Thyroid Cancers

Cancers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Caitlin E. M. Thornton ◽  
Jingzhu Hao ◽  
Prasanna P. Tamarapu ◽  
Iñigo Landa
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Family Impact ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Ets Factors ◽  
Mutant Promoter ◽  
Tert Expression

Hotspot mutations in the TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) gene are key determinants of thyroid cancer progression. TERT promoter mutations (TPM) create de novo consensus binding sites for the ETS (“E26 transformation specific”) family of transcription factors. In this study, we systematically knocked down each of the 20 ETS factors expressed in thyroid tumors and screened their effects on TERT expression in seven thyroid cancer cell lines with defined TPM status. We observed that, unlike in other TPM-carrying cancers such as glioblastomas, ETS factor GABPA does not unambiguously regulate transcription from the TERT mutant promoter in thyroid specimens. In fact, multiple members of the ETS family impact TERT expression, and they typically do so in a mutation-independent manner. In addition, we observe that partial inhibition of MAPK, a central pathway in thyroid cancer transformation, is more effective at suppressing TERT transcription in the absence of TPMs. Taken together, our results show a more complex scenario of TERT regulation in thyroid cancers compared with other lineages and suggest that compensatory mechanisms by ETS and other regulators likely exist and advocate for the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of TERT deregulation in thyroid tumors before eventually exploring TPM-specific therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Multiple ETS Factors Participate in the Transcriptional Control of TERT Mutant Promoter in Thyroid Cancers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin E.M. Thornton ◽  
Jingzhu Hao ◽  
Prasanna P. Tamarapu ◽  
Iñigo Landa
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Family Impact ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Ets Factors ◽  
Mutant Promoter ◽  
Tert Expression

AbstractHotspot mutations in the TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) gene are key determinants of thyroid cancer progression. TERT promoter mutations (TPM) create de novo consensus binding sites for the ETS (“E26 transforming sequence”) family of transcription factors. In this study, we systematically knocked down each of the 20 ETS factors expressed in thyroid tumors and screened their effects on TERT expression in seven thyroid cancer cell lines with defined TPM status. We observed that, unlike in other TPM-carrying cancers such as glioblastomas, ETS factor GABPA does not unambiguously regulate transcription from the TERT mutant promoter in thyroid specimens. In fact, multiple members of the ETS family impact TERT expression, and they typically do so in a mutation-independent manner. In addition, we observe that partial inhibition of MAPK, a central pathway in thyroid cancer transformation, is more effective at suppressing TERT transcription in the absence of TPMs. Taken together, our results show a more complex scenario of TERT regulation in thyroid cancers compared to other lineages, suggest that compensatory mechanisms by ETS and other regulators likely exist and advocate for the need of a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of TERT deregulation in thyroid tumors before eventually exploring TPM-specific therapeutic strategies.Graphical Abstract

Genetic profile of advanced thyroid cancers in relation to distant metastasis

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 285-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyun Song ◽  
Dong Eun Song ◽  
Jonghwa Ahn ◽  
Tae Yong Kim ◽  
Won Bae Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Thyroid Carcinoma ◽  
Distant Metastasis ◽  
Distant Metastases ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Histone Methyltransferases ◽  
Thyroid Carcinomas ◽  
Poorly Differentiated

Major clinical challenges exist with differentiated thyroid cancers with distant metastases or rare but aggressive types, such as poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. The precise characterization of the mutational profile in these advanced thyroid cancers is crucial. Samples were collected from primary tumors and distant metastases of 64 patients with distant metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer, poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma, or anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed with 50 known thyroid-cancer-related genes. Of the 82 tissues, 63 were from primary tumors and 19 from distant metastases. The most prevalent mutation observed from the primary tumors was TERT promoter mutation (56%), followed by BRAF (41%) and RAS (24%) mutations. TP3 was altered by 11%. Mutations in histone methyltransferases, SWI/SNF subunit–related genes, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related genes were present in 42%, 12%, and 22%, respectively. When the mutational status was analyzed in 15 matched pairs of thyroid tumors and their matched distant metastases and one pair of distant metastases with two distinct sites, the concordance was high. A similar frequency of mutations in TERT promoter (58%) and BRAF (42%) as well as histone methyltransferases (37%), SWI/SNF subunits (10%), and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway (26%) were noted. The same main, early and late mutations were practically always present in individual primary tumor–metastasis pairs. Enrichment of TERT promoter, BRAF, and RAS mutations were detected in highly advanced thyroid cancers with distant metastasis. The genetic profiles of primary thyroid tumors and their corresponding distant metastases showed a high concordance.

scholarly journals A Novel Nanoproteomic Approach for the Identification of Molecular Targets Associated with Thyroid Tumors

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2370
Author(s):  
María García-Vence ◽  
María del Pilar Chantada-Vázquez ◽  
José Manuel Cameselle-Teijeiro ◽  
Susana B. Bravo ◽  
Cristina Núñez
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Thyroid Nodule ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Thyroid Tissue ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Metabolic Reprogramming ◽  
Benign Tumors ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Papillary Thyroid ◽  
Thyroid Carcinomas

A thyroid nodule is the most common presentation of thyroid cancer; thus, it is extremely important to differentiate benign from malignant nodules. Within malignant lesions, classification of a thyroid tumor is the primary step in the assessment of the prognosis and selection of treatment. Currently, fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the preoperative test most commonly used for the initial thyroid nodule diagnosis. However, due to some limitations of FNAB, different high-throughput “omics” approaches have emerged that could further support diagnosis based on histopathological patterns. In the present work, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens from normal (non-neoplastic) thyroid (normal controls (NCs)), benign tumors (follicular thyroid adenomas (FTAs)), and some common types of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs), conventional or classical papillary thyroid carcinomas (CV-PTCs), and the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas (FV-PTCs)) were analyzed. For the first time, FFPE thyroid samples were deparaffinized using an easy, fast, and non-toxic method. Protein extracts from thyroid tissue samples were analyzed using a nanoparticle-assisted proteomics approach combined with shotgun LC-MS/MS. The differentially regulated proteins found to be specific for the FTA, FTC, CV-PTC, and FV-PTC subtypes were analyzed with the bioinformatic tools STRING and PANTHER showing a profile of proteins implicated in the thyroid cancer metabolic reprogramming, cancer progression, and metastasis. These proteins represent a new source of potential molecular targets related to thyroid tumors.

scholarly journals Immune Landscape of Thyroid Cancers: New Insights

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Menicali ◽  
Martina Guzzetti ◽  
Silvia Morelli ◽  
Sonia Moretti ◽  
Efisio Puxeddu
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Thyroid Tumors ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Immune Destruction

Immune system plays a key role in cancer prevention as well as in its initiation and progression. During multistep development of tumors, cells must acquire the capability to evade immune destruction. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that thyroid tumor cells can avoid immune response by promoting an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The recruitment of immunosuppressive cells such as TAMs (tumor-associated macrophages), TAMCs (tumor-associated mast cells), MDSC (myeloid-derived suppressor cells), TANs (tumor-associated neutrophils) and Tregs (regulatory T cells) and/or the expression of negative immune checkpoints, like PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1), CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4), and/or immunosuppressive enzymes, as IDO1 (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1), are just some of the mechanisms that thyroid cancer cells exploit to escape immune destruction. Some authors systematically characterized immune cell populations and soluble mediators (chemokines, cytokines, and angiogenic factors) that constitute thyroid cancer microenvironment. Their purpose was to verify immune system involvement in cancer growth and progression, highlighting the differences in immune infiltrate among tumor histotypes. More recently, some authors have provided a more comprehensive view of the relationships between tumor and immune system involved in thyroid carcinogenesis. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) delivered a large amount of data that allowed to combine information on the inflammatory microenvironment with gene expression data, genetic and clinical-pathological characteristics, and differentiation degree of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Moreover, using a new sensitive and highly multiplex analysis, the NanoString Technology, it was possible to divide thyroid tumors in two main clusters based on expression of immune-related genes. Starting from these results, the authors performed an immune phenotype analysis that allowed to classify thyroid cancers in hot, cold, or intermediate depending on immune infiltration patterns of the tumor microenvironment. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive and updated view of the knowledge on immune landscape of thyroid tumors. Understanding interactions between tumor and microenvironment is crucial to effectively direct immunotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of thyroid cancer, particularly for those not responsive to conventional therapies.

The correlation between lipid metabolism disorders and the prostate cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Dłubek ◽  
Jacek Rysz ◽  
Zbigniew Jabłonowski ◽  
Anna Gluba-Brzózka ◽  
Beata Franczyk
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Prostate Gland ◽  
Hdl Cholesterol ◽  
Atp Citrate Lyase ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Lipid Metabolism Disorders

: Prostate cancer is second most common cancer affecting male population all over the world. The existence of a correlation between lipid metabolism disorders and cancer of the prostate gland has been widely known for a long time. According to hypotheses, cholesterol may contribute to prostate cancer progression as a result of its participation as a signalling molecule in prostate growth and differentiation via numerous biologic mechanisms including Akt signalling and de novo steroidogenesis. The results of some studies suggest that increased cholesterol levels may be associated with higher risk of more aggressive course of disease. The aforementioned alterations in the synthesis of fatty acids are a unique feature of cancer and, therefore, it constitutes an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of prostate cancer. Pharmacological or gene therapy aimed to reduce the activity of enzymes involved in de novo synthesis of fatty acids, FASN, ACLY (ATP citrate lyase) or SCD-1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase) in particular, may result in cells growth arrest. Nevertheless, not all cancers are unequivocally associated with hypocholesterolaemia. It cannot be ruled out that the relationship between prostate cancer and lipid disorders is not a direct quantitative correlation between carcinogenesis and the amount of the circulating cholesterol. Perhaps the correspondence is more sophisticated and connected to the distribution of cholesterol fractions, or even sub-fractions of e.g. HDL cholesterol.

Epigenetic signature associated with thyroid cancer progression and metastasis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Hong-Liang Duan ◽  
Sen Wang ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Guo-Nan Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression

scholarly journals Thyroid Cancers: From Surgery to Current and Future Systemic Therapies through Their Molecular Identities

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3117
Author(s):  
Loredana Lorusso ◽  
Virginia Cappagli ◽  
Laura Valerio ◽  
Carlotta Giani ◽  
David Viola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Poorly Differentiated ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancers ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Systemic Therapies

Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) are commonly and successfully treated with total thyroidectomy plus/minus radioiodine therapy (RAI). Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is only treated with surgery but only intrathyroidal tumors are cured. The worst prognosis is for anaplastic (ATC) and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC). Whenever a local or metastatic advanced disease is present, other treatments are required, varying from local to systemic therapies. In the last decade, the efficacy of the targeted therapies and, in particular, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been demonstrated. They can prolong the disease progression-free survival and represent the most important therapeutic option for the treatment of advanced and progressive thyroid cancer. Currently, lenvatinib and sorafenib are the approved drugs for the treatment of RAI-refractory DTC and PDTC while advanced MTC can be treated with either cabozantinib or vandetanib. Dabrafenib plus trametinib is the only approved treatment by FDA for BRAFV600E mutated ATC. A new generation of TKIs, specifically for single altered oncogenes, is under evaluation in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current and future treatments of thyroid cancer with regards to the advanced and progressive cases that require systemic therapies that are becoming more and more targeted on the molecular identity of the tumor.

Computational study for suppression of CD25/IL-2 interaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moein Dehbashi ◽  
Zohreh Hojati ◽  
Majid Motovali-bashi ◽  
Mazdak Ganjalikhani-Hakemi ◽  
Akihiro Shimosaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Treg Cells ◽  
Homology Search ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas

AbstractCancer recurrence presents a huge challenge in cancer patient management. Immune escape is a key mechanism of cancer progression and metastatic dissemination. CD25 is expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells including tumor-infiltrating Treg cells (TI-Tregs). These cells specially activate and reinforce immune escape mechanism of cancers. The suppression of CD25/IL-2 interaction would be useful against Treg cells activation and ultimately immune escape of cancer. Here, software, web servers and databases were used, at which in silico designed small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), de novo designed peptides and virtual screened small molecules against CD25 were introduced for the prospect of eliminating cancer immune escape and obtaining successful treatment. We obtained siRNAs with low off-target effects. Further, small molecules based on the binding homology search in ligand and receptor similarity were introduced. Finally, the critical amino acids on CD25 were targeted by a de novo designed peptide with disulfide bond. Hence we introduced computational-based antagonists to lay a foundation for further in vitro and in vivo studies.

scholarly journals Genome-wide methylation sequencing identifies progression-related epigenetic drivers in myelodysplastic syndromes

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-dong Zhou ◽  
Ting-juan Zhang ◽  
Zi-jun Xu ◽  
Zhao-qun Deng ◽  
Yu Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Myelodysplastic Syndromes ◽  
Bisulfite Sequencing ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Dna Hypermethylation ◽  
Reduced Representation ◽  
Targeted Bisulfite Sequencing ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Potential Biomarker

AbstractThe potential mechanism of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) progressing to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poorly elucidated. It has been proved that epigenetic alterations play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of cancer progression including MDS. However, fewer studies explored the whole-genome methylation alterations during MDS progression. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was conducted in four paired MDS/secondary AML (MDS/sAML) patients and intended to explore the underlying methylation-associated epigenetic drivers in MDS progression. In four paired MDS/sAML patients, cases at sAML stage exhibited significantly increased methylation level as compared with the matched MDS stage. A total of 1090 differentially methylated fragments (DMFs) (441 hypermethylated and 649 hypomethylated) were identified involving in MDS pathogenesis, whereas 103 DMFs (96 hypermethylated and 7 hypomethylated) were involved in MDS progression. Targeted bisulfite sequencing further identified that aberrant GFRA1, IRX1, NPY, and ZNF300 methylation were frequent events in an additional group of de novo MDS and AML patients, of which only ZNF300 methylation was associated with ZNF300 expression. Subsequently, ZNF300 hypermethylation in larger cohorts of de novo MDS and AML patients was confirmed by real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR. It was illustrated that ZNF300 methylation could act as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis in MDS and AML patients. Functional experiments demonstrated the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic role of ZNF300 overexpression in MDS-derived AML cell-line SKM-1. Collectively, genome-wide DNA hypermethylation were frequent events during MDS progression. Among these changes, ZNF300 methylation, a regulator of ZNF300 expression, acted as an epigenetic driver in MDS progression. These findings provided a theoretical basis for the usage of demethylation drugs in MDS patients against disease progression.

scholarly journals RET Regulates Human Medullary Thyroid Cancer Cell Proliferation through CDK5 and STAT3 Activation

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 860
Author(s):  
Chia-Herng Yue ◽  
Muhammet Oner ◽  
Chih-Yuan Chiu ◽  
Mei-Chih Chen ◽  
Chieh-Lin Teng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Medullary Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
Cancer Cell Proliferation ◽  
Thyroid Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Proliferation ◽  
Medullary Thyroid

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor that arises from the parafollicular C-cells, which produces the hormone calcitonin. RET is a transmembrane receptor protein-tyrosine kinase, which is highly expressed in MTC. Our previous studies reported that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) plays a crucial role in cancer progression, including MTC. However, the role of CDK5 in GDNF-induced RET signaling in medullary thyroid cancer proliferation remains unknown. Here, we investigated RET activation and its biochemically interaction with CDK5 in GDNF-induced medullary thyroid cancer proliferation. Our results demonstrated that GDNF stimulated RET phosphorylation and thus subsequently resulted in CDK5 activation by its phosphorylation. Activated CDK5 further caused STAT3 activation by its specific phosphorylation at Ser727. Moreover, we also found that GDNF treatment enhanced ERK1/2 and EGR1 activity, which is involved in p35 activation. Interestingly, we identified for the first time that CDK5 physically interacted with RET protein in MTC. Overall, our results provide a new mechanism for medullary thyroid cancer cell proliferation, suggesting that targeting CDK5 may be a promising therapeutic candidate for human medullary thyroid cancer in the near future.

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