Abstract
SPOP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, acts as a prostate-specific tumor suppressor with several key substrates mediating oncogenic function. However, the mechanisms underlying SPOP regulation are ...largely unknown. Here, we have identified G3BP1 as an interactor of SPOP and functions as a competitive inhibitor of Cul3
SPOP
, suggesting a distinctive mode of Cul3
SPOP
inactivation in prostate cancer (PCa). Transcriptomic analysis and functional studies reveal a G3BP1-SPOP ubiquitin signaling axis that promotes PCa progression through activating AR signaling. Moreover, AR directly upregulates G3BP1 transcription to further amplify G3BP1-SPOP signaling in a feed-forward manner. Our study supports a fundamental role of G3BP1 in disabling the tumor suppressive Cul3
SPOP
, thus defining a PCa cohort independent of SPOP mutation. Therefore, there are significantly more PCa that are defective for SPOP ubiquitin ligase than previously appreciated, and these G3BP1
high
PCa are more susceptible to AR-targeted therapy.
Although the introduction of novel targeted agents has improved patient outcomes in several human cancers, no such advance has been achieved in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, recent ...sequencing efforts have begun to dissect the complex genomic landscape of MIBC, revealing distinct molecular subtypes and offering hope for implementation of targeted therapies. Her2 (ERBB2) is one of the most established therapeutic targets in breast and gastric cancer but agents targeting Her2 have not yet demonstrated anti-tumor activity in MIBC. Through an integrated analysis of 127 patients from three centers, we identified alterations of Her2 at the DNA, RNA and protein level, and demonstrate that Her2 relevance as a tumor driver likely may vary even within ERBB2 amplified cases. Importantly, tumors with a luminal molecular subtype have a significantly higher rate of Her2 alterations than those of the basal subtype, suggesting that Her2 activity is also associated with subtype status. Although some of our findings present rare events in bladder cancer, our study suggests that comprehensively assessing Her2 status in the context of tumor molecular subtype may help select MIBC patients most likely to respond to Her2 targeted therapy.
The consequences of low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in high-grade (Gleason 8–10) prostate cancer are unknown.
To evaluate the clinical implications and genomic features of low-PSA, high-grade ...disease.
This was a retrospective study of clinical data for 494 793 patients from the National Cancer Data Base and 136 113 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program with cT1–4N0M0 prostate cancer (median follow-up 48.9 and 25.0 mo, respectively), and genomic data for 4960 patients from the Decipher Genomic Resource Information Database. Data were collected for 2004–2017.
Multivariable Fine-Gray and Cox regressions were used to analyze prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality, respectively.
For Gleason 8–10 disease, using PSA 4.1–10.0ng/ml (n=38 719) as referent, the distribution of PCSM by PSA was U-shaped, with an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 2.70 for PSA ≤2.5ng/ml (n=3862, p<0.001) versus 1.97, 1.36, and 2.56 for PSA of 2.6–4.0 (n=4199), 10.1–20.0 (n=17 372), and >20.0ng/ml (n=16 114), respectively. By contrast, the distribution of PCSM by PSA was linear for Gleason ≤7 (using PSA 4.1–10.0ng/ml as the referent, n=359 898), with an AHR of 0.41 (p=0.13) for PSA ≤2.5ng/ml (n=37 812) versus 1.38, 2.28, and 4.61 for PSA of 2.6–4.0 (n=54 152), 10.1–20.0 (n=63 319), and >20.0ng/ml (n=35 459), respectively (pinteraction<0.001). Gleason 8–10, PSA ≤2.5ng/ml disease had a significantly higher PCSM than standard high-risk/very high-risk disease with PSA >2.5ng/ml (AHR 2.15, p=0.002; 47-mo PCSM 14% vs 4.9%). Among Gleason 8–10 patients treated with radiotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy was associated with a survival benefit for PSA >2.5ng/ml (AHR 0.87; p<0.001) but not ≤2.5ng/ml (AHR 1.36; p=0.084; pinteraction=0.021). For Gleason 8–10 tumors, PSA ≤2.5ng/ml was associated with higher expression of neuroendocrine/small-cell markers compared to >2.5ng/ml (p=0.046), with no such relationship for Gleason ≤7 disease.
Low-PSA, high-grade prostate cancer has very high risk for PCSM, potentially responds poorly to androgen deprivation therapy, and is associated with neuroendocrine genomic features.
In this study, we found that low–prostate-specific antigen, high-grade prostate cancer has a very high risk for prostate cancer death, may not respond well to androgen deprivation therapy, and is associated with neuroendocrine genomic features. These findings suggest that current nomograms and treatment paradigms may need modification.
Low–prostate-specific antigen, high-grade prostate cancer appears to be a unique entity that has a very high risk for prostate cancer–specific mortality, potentially responds poorly to androgen deprivation therapy, and is associated with neuroendocrine genomic features.
Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) subtypes based on ETS gene expression have been described. Recent studies suggest there are racial differences in tumor location, with PCa located anteriorly more often ...among African-American (AA) compared to Caucasian-American (CA) men. In this retrospective analysis of a multi-institutional cohort treated by radical prostatectomy (179 CA, 121 AA), we evaluated associations among molecular subtype, race, anatomic tumor location, and androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Subtype (m-ERG+ , m-ETS+ , m-SPINK1+ , or triple-negative) was determined using distribution-based outlier analysis. AR signaling was investigated using gene expression profiling of canonical AR targets. m-ERG+ was more common in CA than AA men (47% vs 22%, p < 0.001). AA men were more likely to be m-SPINK1+ (13% vs 7%; p = 0.069) and triple-negative (50% vs 37%; p = 0.043). Racial differences in molecular subtypes did not persist when tumors were analyzed by location, suggesting a biologically important relationship between tumor location and subtype. Accordingly, anterior tumor location was associated with higher Decipher scores and lower global AR signaling. Patient summary This study demonstrates associations among patient race, prostate cancer molecular subtypes, and tumor location. Location-specific differences in androgen regulation may further underlie these relationships.
Abstract
Racial disparities in prostate cancer have not been well characterized on a genomic level. Here we show the results of a multi-institutional retrospective analysis of 1,152 patients (596 ...African-American men (AAM) and 556 European-American men (EAM)) who underwent radical prostatectomy. Comparative analyses between the race groups were conducted at the clinical, genomic, pathway, molecular subtype, and prognostic levels. The EAM group had increased
ERG
(
P
< 0.001) and
ETS
(
P
= 0.02) expression, decreased SPINK1 expression (
P
< 0.001), and basal-like (
P
< 0.001) molecular subtypes. After adjusting for confounders, the AAM group was associated with higher expression of
CRYBB2, GSTM3
, and inflammation genes (
IL33, IFNG, CCL4, CD3, ICOSLG
), and lower expression of mismatch repair genes (
MSH2
,
MSH6
) (p < 0.001 for all). At the pathway level, the AAM group had higher expression of genes sets related to the immune response, apoptosis, hypoxia, and reactive oxygen species. EAM group was associated with higher levels of fatty acid metabolism, DNA repair, and WNT/beta-catenin signaling. Based on cell lines data, AAM were predicted to have higher potential response to DNA damage. In conclusion, biological characteristics of prostate tumor were substantially different in AAM when compared to EAM.
Improved and cheaper molecular diagnostics allow the shift from "one size fits all" therapies to personalised treatments targeting the individual tumor. However, the wealth of potential targets based ...on comprehensive sequencing remains a yet unsolved challenge that prevents its routine use in clinical practice. Thus, we designed a workflow that selects the most promising treatment targets based on multi-omics sequencing and in silico drug prediction. In this study we demonstrate the workflow with focus on bladder cancer (BLCA), as there are, to date, no reliable diagnostics available to predict the potential benefit of a therapeutic approach. Within the TCGA-BLCA cohort, our workflow identified a panel of 21 genes and 72 drugs that suggested personalized treatment for 95% of patients-including five genes not yet reported as prognostic markers for clinical testing in BLCA. The automated predictions were complemented by manually curated data, thus allowing for accurate sensitivity- or resistance-directed drug response predictions. We discuss potential improvements of drug-gene interaction databases on the basis of pitfalls that were identified during manual curation.
Tumor progression to metastasis is not cancer cell autonomous, but rather involves the interplay of multiple cell types within the tumor microenvironment. Here we identify asporin (ASPN) as a novel, ...secreted mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) factor in the tumor microenvironment that regulates metastatic development. MSCs expressed high levels of ASPN, which decreased following lineage differentiation. ASPN loss impaired MSC self-renewal and promoted terminal cell differentiation. Mechanistically, secreted ASPN bound to BMP-4 and restricted BMP-4-induced MSC differentiation prior to lineage commitment. ASPN expression was distinctly conserved between MSC and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). ASPN expression in the tumor microenvironment broadly impacted multiple cell types. Prostate tumor allografts in ASPN-null mice had a reduced number of tumor-associated MSCs, fewer cancer stem cells, decreased tumor vasculature, and an increased percentage of infiltrating CD8
T cells. ASPN-null mice also demonstrated a significant reduction in lung metastases compared with wild-type mice. These data establish a role for ASPN as a critical MSC factor that extensively affects the tumor microenvironment and induces metastatic progression. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that asporin regulates key properties of mesenchymal stromal cells, including self-renewal and multipotency, and asporin expression by reactive stromal cells alters the tumor microenvironment and promotes metastatic progression.
Emerging evidence demonstrates that the DNA repair kinase DNA-PKcs exerts divergent roles in transcriptional regulation of unsolved consequence. Here, in vitro and in vivo interrogation demonstrate ...that DNA-PKcs functions as a selective modulator of transcriptional networks that induce cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Accordingly, suppression of DNA-PKcs inhibits tumor metastases. Clinical assessment revealed that DNA-PKcs is significantly elevated in advanced disease and independently predicts for metastases, recurrence, and reduced overall survival. Further investigation demonstrated that DNA-PKcs in advanced tumors is highly activated, independent of DNA damage indicators. Combined, these findings reveal unexpected DNA-PKcs functions, identify DNA-PKcs as a potent driver of tumor progression and metastases, and nominate DNA-PKcs as a therapeutic target for advanced malignancies.
•Identification of DNA-PKcs-modulated transcriptional networks and consequence•DNA-PKcs-mediated gene regulation promotes migration, invasion, and metastases•DNA-PKcs is upregulated and highly activated in aggressive human tumors•DNA-PKcs independently predicts for metastases, recurrence, and poor survival
Goodwin et al. identify DNA-PKcs as a promising therapeutic target that drives prostate cancer progression and metastasis through transcriptional regulation. DNA-PKcs is significantly elevated in advanced disease and is an independent predictor of metastasis, recurrence, and poor survival.
To test the hypothesis that a genomic classifier (GC) would predict biochemical failure (BF) and distant metastasis (DM) in men receiving radiation therapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy (RP).
...Among patients who underwent post-RP RT, 139 were identified for pT3 or positive margin, who did not receive neoadjuvant hormones and had paraffin-embedded specimens. Ribonucleic acid was extracted from the highest Gleason grade focus and applied to a high-density-oligonucleotide microarray. Receiver operating characteristic, calibration, cumulative incidence, and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess GC performance for predicting BF and DM after post-RP RT in comparison with clinical nomograms.
The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the Stephenson model was 0.70 for both BF and DM, with addition of GC significantly improving area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to 0.78 and 0.80, respectively. Stratified by GC risk groups, 8-year cumulative incidence was 21%, 48%, and 81% for BF (P<.0001) and for DM was 0, 12%, and 17% (P=.032) for low, intermediate, and high GC, respectively. In multivariable analysis, patients with high GC had a hazard ratio of 8.1 and 14.3 for BF and DM. In patients with intermediate or high GC, those irradiated with undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA ≤0.2 ng/mL) had median BF survival of >8 years, compared with <4 years for patients with detectable PSA (>0.2 ng/mL) before initiation of RT. At 8 years, the DM cumulative incidence for patients with high GC and RT with undetectable PSA was 3%, compared with 23% with detectable PSA (P=.03). No outcome differences were observed for low GC between the treatment groups.
The GC predicted BF and metastasis after post-RP irradiation. Patients with lower GC risk may benefit from delayed RT, as opposed to those with higher GC; however, this needs prospective validation. Genomic-based models may be useful for improved decision-making for treatment of high-risk prostate cancer.
Abstract Background Decipher is a validated genomic classifier developed to determine the biological potential for metastasis after radical prostatectomy (RP). Objective To evaluate the ability of ...biopsy Decipher to predict metastasis and Prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) in primarily intermediate- to high-risk patients treated with RP or radiation therapy (RT). Design, setting, and participants Two hundred and thirty-five patients treated with either RP ( n = 105) or RT ± androgen deprivation therapy ( n = 130) with available genomic expression profiles generated from diagnostic biopsy specimens from seven tertiary referral centers. The highest-grade core was sampled and Decipher was calculated based on a locked random forest model. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Metastasis and PCSM were the primary and secondary outcomes of the study, respectively. Cox analysis and c-index were used to evaluate the performance of Decipher. Results and limitations With a median follow-up of 6 yr among censored patients, 34 patients developed metastases and 11 died of prostate cancer. On multivariable analysis, biopsy Decipher remained a significant predictor of metastasis (hazard ratio: 1.37 per 10% increase in score, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.06–1.78, p = 0.018) after adjusting for clinical variables. For predicting metastasis 5-yr post-biopsy, Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment score had a c-index of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.50–0.69), while Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment plus biopsy Decipher had a c-index of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60–0.82). National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group had a c-index of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53–0.77), while National Comprehensive Cancer Network plus biopsy Decipher had a c-index of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.66–0.82). Biopsy Decipher was a significant predictor of PCSM (hazard ratio: 1.57 per 10% increase in score, 95% CI: 1.03–2.48, p = 0.037), with a 5-yr PCSM rate of 0%, 0%, and 9.4% for Decipher low, intermediate, and high, respectively. Conclusions Biopsy Decipher predicted metastasis and PCSM from diagnostic biopsy specimens of primarily intermediate- and high-risk men treated with first-line RT or RP. Patient summary Biopsy Decipher predicted metastasis and prostate cancer-specific mortality risk from diagnostic biopsy specimens.
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