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Retrotransposon insertions can initiate colorectal cancer and are associated with poor survival.

ABSTRACT: Genomic instability pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC) have been extensively studied, but the role of retrotransposition in colorectal carcinogenesis remains poorly understood. Although retrotransposons are usually repressed, they become active in several human cancers, in particular those of the gastrointestinal tract. Here we characterize retrotransposon insertions in 202 colorectal tumor whole genomes and investigate their associations with molecular and clinical characteristics. We find highly variable retrotransposon activity among tumors and identify recurrent insertions in 15 known cancer genes. In approximately 1% of the cases we identify insertions in APC, likely to be tumor-initiating events. Insertions are positively associated with the CpG island methylator phenotype and the genomic fraction of allelic imbalance. Clinically, high number of insertions is independently associated with poor disease-specific survival.

SUBMITTER: Cajuso T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6731219 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Retrotransposon insertions can initiate colorectal cancer and are associated with poor survival.

Cajuso Tatiana T Sulo Päivi P Tanskanen Tomas T Katainen Riku R Taira Aurora A Hänninen Ulrika A UA Kondelin Johanna J Forsström Linda L Välimäki Niko N Aavikko Mervi M Kaasinen Eevi E Ristimäki Ari A Koskensalo Selja S Lepistö Anna A Renkonen-Sinisalo Laura L Seppälä Toni T Kuopio Teijo T Böhm Jan J Mecklin Jukka-Pekka JP Kilpivaara Outi O Pitkänen Esa E Palin Kimmo K Aaltonen Lauri A LA

Nature communications 20190906 1

Genomic instability pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC) have been extensively studied, but the role of retrotransposition in colorectal carcinogenesis remains poorly understood. Although retrotransposons are usually repressed, they become active in several human cancers, in particular those of the gastrointestinal tract. Here we characterize retrotransposon insertions in 202 colorectal tumor whole genomes and investigate their associations with molecular and clinical characteristics. We find hig ...[more]

PMID: 31492840

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Project description:BackgroundThe prognostic implication of wild-type APC (APC-WT) in microsatellite stable (MSS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is not well defined.Materials and methodsAPC prognostic value was evaluated retrospectively in two independent cohorts of patient with MSS mCRC with a confirmatory analysis from a public data set from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).ResultsIn comparison with the APC-mutant (APC-MT) population (n = 255), APC-WT patients (n = 86) tended to be younger (59% of age < 40 vs. 26% of age > 50), right-sided (41.7% vs. 27%), BRAFV600E mutated (23.3% vs. 0.8%), and KRAS wild type (65.1% vs. 49.8%). Alternative WNT pathway alterations, RNF43 and CTNNB1, were over-represented in the APC-WT versus APC-MT population (7% vs. 0.4% and 4.7% vs. 0.4%, respectively). APC-WT patients had a worse overall survival (OS) than APC-MT patients (22.6 vs. 45.6 months, p < .0001). Using a multivariate model correcting for primary tumor location, RAS and BRAF status, APC-WT was predictive of poor survival (APC-MT vs. APC-WT, hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.86, p = .0037). The prognostic implication of APC-WT on OS was confirmed further in a similar multivariate model of 934 stage IV patients from MSKCC public database (APC-MT vs. APC-WT, HR, 0.63, 95% CI, 0.49-0.81, p < .0001).ConclusionAPC-WT is associated with poor OS in MSS mCRC regardless of RAS and BRAF status. Compared with APC-MT mCRC tumors, APC-WT tumors were associated with other Wnt activating alterations, including RNF43 and CTNBB1. Our data suggest alternative therapy needs to be investigated in APC-WT patients.Implications for practicePatients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer with wild-type APC had a worse overall survival than patients with mutated APC regardless of RAS/RAF status. APC status should be considered as a stratification factor in prospective trials, and novel therapeutic strategies need to be developed for this subgroup of patients.

Dataset Information

Retrotransposon insertions can initiate colorectal cancer and are associated with poor survival.

Publications

Retrotransposon insertions can initiate colorectal cancer and are associated with poor survival.

Similar Datasets

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