In breast cancer (BC) patients, local recurrences often arise in proximity of the surgical scar, suggesting that response to surgery may have a causative role. Radiotherapy (RT) after lumpectomy ...significantly reduces the risk of recurrence. We investigated the direct effects of surgery and of RT delivered intraoperatively (IORT), by collecting irradiated and non-irradiated breast tissues from BC patients, after tumor removal. These breast tissue specimens have been profiled for their microRNA (miR) expression, in search of differentially expressed miR among patients treated or not with IORT. Our results demonstrate that IORT elicits effects that go beyond the direct killing of residual tumor cells. IORT altered the wound response, inducing the expression of miR-223 in the peri-tumoral breast tissue. miR-223 downregulated the local expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), leading to decreased activation of EGF receptor (EGFR) on target cells and, eventually, dampening a positive EGF-EGFR autocrine/paracrine stimulation loop induced by the post-surgical wound-healing response. Accordingly, both RT-induced miR-223 and peri-operative inhibition of EGFR efficiently prevented BC cell growth and reduced recurrence formation in mouse models of BC. Our study uncovers unknown effects of RT delivered on a wounded tissue and prompts to the use of anti-EGFR treatments, in a peri-operative treatment schedule, aimed to timely treat BC patients and restrain recurrence formation.
MULTIMERIN2 (MMRN2), also known as Endoglyx-1, is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein whose function has so far remained elusive. Given its specific localization in tight association with the ...endothelium we hypothesized that this protein could modulate neo-angiogenesis. By multiple assays we showed that MMRN2 significantly impaired endothelial cell (EC) migration and organization of a functional vessel network. The interaction of ECs with MMRN2 induced a striking impairment of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 activation. We focused our attention on VEGFR2, a chief regulator of angiogenesis, and clarified that MMRN2 interfered with the VEGF/VEGFR2 axis through a direct binding with VEGF-A. This novel interaction was assessed in several assays and the affinity was estimated (Kd ∼50 nM). We next questioned whether the anti-angiogenic properties of MMRN2 could impair tumor growth. Although overexpression of MMRN2 by HT1080 cells did not affect their growth and apoptotic rate in vitro, it remarkably affected their growth in vivo. In fact, MMRN2-positive cells failed to efficiently grow and form well-vascularized tumors; a similar outcome was observed following treatment of established tumors with a MMRN2 adenoviral construct. Tumor-section immunostaining revealed a strong co-localization of VEGF-A with the ectopically expressed MMRN2. These novel findings suggest that VEGF may be sequestered by MMRN2 and be less available for the engagement to the receptors. Taken together these results highlight MMRN2 as a crucial player in the regulation of EC function, neo-angiogenesis and hence tumor growth. We hypothesize that secreted and deposited MMRN2 may function as a homeostatic barrier halting the sprouting of novel vessels, and suggest that these studies may embody the potential for the development of novel tools for cancer treatment.
The mitotic cell cycle is a tightly regulated process that ensures the correct division of one cell into two daughter cells. Progress along the different phases of the cell cycle is positively ...regulated by the sequential activation of a family of serine-threonine kinases called CDKs (Cyclin Dependent Kinases). Their activity is counteracted by small proteins known as CDK inhibitors (CKI) that ensure the correct timing of CDK activation in the different phases of the cell cycle. The present review will deal with the role of one of this CKI, p27(kip1), in human cancer, focusing in particular on the mechanisms underlying its functional inactivation in tumor cells. p27(kip1) protein downregulation is usually achieved by proteasomal degradation and is often correlated to a worse prognosis in several types of human cancers, resulting in the reduction of disease free and overall survival. More recently, it has been proposed that p27(kip1) protein, rather than degraded, can be functionally inactivated. The mechanisms and the implications of these two types of p27(kip1) deregulation will be discussed and some potential therapeutic approaches targeting p27(kip1) functions will be proposed.
Emerging evidences suggest that cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) can regulate cellular functions other than cell cycle progression, such as differentiation and migration. Here, we report ...that cytoplasmic expression of p27(kip1) affects microtubule (MT) stability following cell adhesion on extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents. This p27(kip1) activity is due to its ability to bind and impair the function of the MT-destabilizing protein stathmin. Accordingly, upregulation of p27(kip1) or downregulation of stathmin expression results in the inhibition of mesenchymal cell motility. Moreover, high stathmin and low cytoplasmic p27(kip1) expression correlate with the metastatic phenotype of human sarcomas in vivo. This study provides a functional link between proliferation and invasion of tumor cells based on diverse activities of p27(kip1) in different subcellular compartments.
The mitotic cell cycle is a tightly regulated process that ensures the correct division of one cell into two daughter cells. Progress along the different phases of the cell cycle is positively ...regulated by the sequential activation of a family of serine-threonine kinases called CDKs (Cyclin Dependent Kinases). Their activity is counteracted by small proteins known as CDK inhibitors (CKI) that ensure the correct timing of CDK activation in the different phases of the cell cycle. The present review will deal with the role of one of this CKI, p27kip1, in human cancer, focusing in particular on the mechanisms underlying its functional inactivation in tumor cells. p27kip1 protein downregulation is usually achieved by proteasomal degradation and is often correlated to a worse prognosis in several types of human cancers, resulting in the reduction of disease free and overall survival. More recently, it has been proposed that p27kip1 protein, rather than degraded, can be functionally inactivated. The mechanisms and the implications of these two types of p27kip1 deregulation will be discussed and some potential therapeutic approaches targeting p27kip1 functions will be proposed.
The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of ALK is the therapy of choice for ALK-fusion patients. Unfortunately, all patients under this kind of treatment eventually develop acquired resistance ...through several well-known mechanisms, such as acquisition of a secondary mutation within the kinase domain, activation of a bypass signaling pathway, or a histological change like small-cell lung cancer transformation. At the time of progression, a tissue re-biopsy may give important molecular and morphological information regarding the mechanisms driving resistance to ALK TKIs. However, this procedure is not always feasible and it may not reflect the tumor heterogeneity, and therefore gives incomplete information. To overcome these drawbacks, the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from plasma, the so-called liquid biopsy, is emerging as a noninvasive and useful tool for detecting resistance mutations. Secondary resistance mutations are common in second-generation TKIs resistant patients and among these, Gly1202Arg (p.G1202R) emerged as the most frequent mutation.
We have treated an ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma patient with a sequential strategy of ALK TKIs. Patient follow-up was performed combining clinical, radiological, and molecular profiling. ctDNA was isolated from plasma and by means of ultra-deep next generation sequencing; we searched for secondary ALK resistance mutations on exons 21-25. ALK mutation Gly1202Arg (G1202R) was detected. We have documented consistency between plasma levels of G1202R mutation and radiological progression or improvement.
Liquid biopsy appears to be a promising tool to anticipate progression and to drive the therapeutic strategy based upon ALK resistance mutations.
We have carried out a comprehensive molecular mapping of PG-M/versican isoforms V0-V3 in adult human tissues and have specifically investigated how the expression of these isoforms is regulated in ...endothelial cells in vitro. A survey of 21 representative tissues highlighted a prevalence of V1 mRNA; demonstrated that the relative frequency of expression was V1 > V2 > V3 >or= V2; and showed that <15% of the tissues transcribed significant levels of all four isoforms. By employing novel and previously described anti-versican antibodies we verified a ubiquitous versican deposition in normal and tumor-associated vascular structures and disclosed differences in the glycanation profiles of versicans produced in different vascular beds. Resting endothelial cells isolated from different tissue sources transcribed several of the versican isoforms but consistently failed to translate these mRNAs into detectable proteoglycans. However, if stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha or vascular endothelial growth factor, they altered their versican expression by de novo transcribing the V3 isoform and by exhibiting a moderate V1/V2 production. Induced versican synthesis and de novo V3 expression was also observed in endothelial cells elicited to migrate in a wound-healing model in vitro and in angiogenic endothelial cells forming tubule-like structures in Matrigel or fibrin clots. The results suggest that, independent of the degree of vascularization, human adult tissues show a limited expression of versican isoforms V0, V2, and V3 and that endothelial cells may contribute to the deposition of versican in vascular structures, but only following proper stimulation.
Previous studies have suggested that surface components of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cells may be aberrantly glycanated, but the precise nature of these molecules has not been unveiled nor ...documented to be of clinical relevance. A monoclonal antibody was raised against a unique keratan sulfate (KS) determinant and used to differentially screen benign and malignant thyroid tissue for the expression of components carrying these moieties. In a total of 349 cases of benign and malignant thyroid lesions, 100% of the 115 PTC cases examined (including various histological subtypes) were found to contain KS-bearing molecules, whereas these were virtually absent from benign tissues and other thyroid tumors, with the exception of 21% of the follicular carcinoma cases analyzed. A composite immunoaffinity chromatography, immunochemistry, and mass spectrometric approach revealed that the PTC-specific KS-bearing macromolecules were unique glycoforms of thyroglobulin and transferrin. Combined, reciprocal immunoprecipitation and Western blotting further indicated that the former glycoform predominated and that most of the transferrin produced by PTC was glycanated with KS moieties. Fluorescent keratanase II-based fingerprinting of the KS moieties bound to these isoforms further demonstrated several PTC-specific peculiarities: 1) that a considerable portion of the moieties was covalently attached via a novel core protein linkage structure; 2) they had an unusual extended average length; 3) an unusual relative ratio of highly sulfated disaccharides terminating with α (2-3)-linked
N
-acetylneuraminic acid capping residues; and 4) a novel unidentified oligosaccharide moiety at the nonreducing terminus. Comparative analysis of the relative distribution of transferrin in benign
versus
PTC tissues highlighted a marked malignancy-associated abundance of the molecule, with a >75% frequency in expression in PTC. These findings demonstrate that PTC cells synthesize unique post-translationally modified thyroglobulin and transferrin variants
in situ
that may be directly exploitable for diagnosis, through histological and noninvasive cytological procedures; for devising novel strategies for antibody-guided imaging of this tumor
in vivo
; and for postsurgery follow-up of PTC patients.
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