Project description:The role of fibronectin (FN) in tumorigenesis and malignant progression has been highly controversial. Cancerous FN plays a tumor-suppressive role, whereas it is pro-metastatic and associated with poor prognosis. Interestingly, FN matrix deposited in the tumor microenvironments (TMEs) promotes tumor progression but is paradoxically related to a better prognosis. Here, we justify how FN impacts tumor transformation and subsequently metastatic progression. Next, we try to reconcile and rationalize the seemingly conflicting roles of FN in cancer and TMEs. Finally, we propose future perspectives for potential FN-based therapeutic strategies.
Project description:Current evidence strongly suggests that aberrant activation of the NF-?B signalling pathway is associated with carcinogenesis. A number of key cellular processes are governed by the effectors of this pathway, including immune responses and apoptosis, both crucial in the development of cancer. Therefore, it is not surprising that dysregulated and chronic NF-?B signalling can have a profound impact on cellular homeostasis. Here we discuss NFKB1 (p105/p50), one of the five subunits of NF-?B, widely implicated in carcinogenesis, in some cases driving cancer progression and in others acting as a tumour-suppressor. The complexity of the role of this subunit lies in the multiple dimeric combination possibilities as well as the different interacting co-factors, which dictate whether gene transcription is activated or repressed, in a cell and organ-specific manner. This review highlights the multiple roles of NFKB1 in the development and progression of different cancers, and the considerations to make when attempting to manipulate NF-?B as a potential cancer therapy.
Project description:The PGC1 family (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ? (PPAR?) coactivators) of transcriptional coactivators are considered master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and function. The PGC1? isoform is expressed especially in metabolically active tissues, such as the liver, kidneys and brain, and responds to energy-demanding situations. Given the altered and highly adaptable metabolism of tumor cells, it is of interest to investigate PGC1? in cancer. Both high and low levels of PGC1? expression have been reported to be associated with cancer and worse prognosis, and PGC1? has been attributed with oncogenic as well as tumor suppressive features. Early in carcinogenesis PGC1? may be downregulated due to a protective anticancer role, and low levels likely reflect a glycolytic phenotype. We suggest mechanisms of PGC1? downregulation and how these might be connected to the increased cancer risk that obesity is now known to entail. Later in tumor progression PGC1? is often upregulated and is reported to contribute to increased lipid and fatty acid metabolism and/or a tumor cell phenotype with an overall metabolic plasticity that likely supports drug resistance as well as metastasis. We conclude that in cancer PGC1? is neither friend nor foe, but rather the obedient servant reacting to metabolic and environmental cues to benefit the tumor cell.
Project description:Aggregation of misfolded microtubule associated protein tau into abnormal intracellular inclusions defines a class of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. The consistent spatiotemporal progression of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) led to the hypothesis that tau aggregates spread in the brain via bioactive tau "seeds" underlying advancing disease course. Recent studies implicate microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, in both negative and positive regulation of tau pathology. Polymorphisms in genes that alter microglial function are associated with the development of AD and other tauopathies. Experimental manipulation of microglia function can alter tau pathology and microglia-mediated neuroinflammatory cascades can exacerbate tau pathology. Microglia also exert protective functions by mitigating tau spread: microglia internalize tau seeds and have the capacity to degrade them. However, when microglia fail to degrade these tau seeds there are deleterious consequences, including secretion of exosomes containing tau that can spread to neurons. This review explores the intersection of microglia and tau from the perspective of neuropathology, neuroimaging, genetics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology. As tau-targeted therapies such as anti-tau antibodies advance through clinical trials, it is critical to understand the interaction between tau and microglia.
Project description:The prevalence and incidence of cancers has risen over the last decade. Available treatments have improved outcomes, yet mortality and morbidity remain high, creating an urgent demand for personalized and new therapy targets. Interferon induced transmembrane protein (IFITM3) is highly expressed in cancers and is a marker of poor prognosis. In this review, we discuss recent advances in IFITM3 biology, the regulatory pathways, and its function within cancer as part of immunity and maintaining stemness. Overexpression of IFITM3 is likely an indirect effect of ongoing inflammation, immune and cancer epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) related pathways i.e., interferons, TGF-β, WNT/β-catenin, etc. However, IFITM3 also influences tumorigenic phenotypes, such as cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, IFITM3 plays a key role in cancer growth and maintenance. Silencing of IFITM3 reduces these phenotypes. Therefore, targeting of IFITM3 will likely have implications for potential cancer therapies.
Project description:ARID1A belongs to a class of chromatin regulatory proteins that function by maintaining accessibility at most promoters and enhancers, thereby regulating gene expression. The high frequency of ARID1A alterations in human cancers has highlighted its significance in tumorigenesis. The precise role of ARID1A in cancer is highly variable since ARID1A alterations can have a tumor suppressive or oncogenic role, depending on the tumor type and context. ARID1A is mutated in about 10% of all tumor types including endometrial, bladder, gastric, liver, biliopancreatic cancer, some ovarian cancer subtypes, and the extremely aggressive cancers of unknown primary. Its loss is generally associated with disease progression more often than onset. In some cancers, ARID1A loss is associated with worse prognostic features, thus supporting a major tumor suppressive role. However, some exceptions have been reported. Thus, the association of ARID1A genetic alterations with patient prognosis is controversial. However, ARID1A loss of function is considered conducive for the use of inhibitory drugs which are based on synthetic lethality mechanisms. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the role of ARID1A as tumor suppressor or oncogene in different tumor types and discuss the strategies for treating ARID1A mutated cancers.
Project description:BackgroundA higher chemotherapy completion rate is associated with better outcomes including treatment efficacy and overall survival. Exercise may have the potential to improve relative dose intensity (RDI) by reducing the frequency and severity of chemotherapy-related toxicities. We examined the association between exercise adherence and RDI and possible clinical- and health-related fitness predictors of RDI.MethodsChemotherapy records were extracted from the electronic medical record for patients enrolled in the ENACT trial (n = 105). Chemotherapy completion was assessed using average RDI. A threshold of 85% was established for "high" versus "low" RDI. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between the clinical- and health-related fitness predictors of RDI.ResultsPatients with breast cancer (BC) had a significantly higher average RDI (89.8% ± 17.6%) compared with gastrointestinal cancer (GI) (76.8% ± 20.9%, p = 0.004) and pancreatic cancer (PC) (65.2% ± 20.1%, p < 0.001). Only 25% of BC patents required a dose reduction compared to 56.3% of GI and 86.4% of PC patients. Cancer site was significantly associated with RDI. Compared with BC, patients with GI (β = -0.12, p = 0.03) and PC (β = -0.22, p = 0.006) achieved significantly lower RDI. Every 2.72 unit increase in overall exercise adherence led to a significant 7% decrease in RDI (p = 0.001) in GI patients. Metastatic GI patients had a 15% RDI increase for every 2.72 unit increase in exercise adherence (p = 0.04).ConclusionExercise is a supportive therapy that has potential to enhance chemotherapy tolerance and completion. The relationship between exercise adherence and RDI is influenced by factor such as cancer site and treatment type. Special attention must be paid to how exercise is prescribed to ensure that exercise adherence does not negatively affect RDI. Cancer site, exercise dosage, and multimodal interventions to address toxicities are key areas identified for future research.
Project description:S100 proteins are widely expressed small molecular EF-hand calcium-binding proteins of vertebrates, which are involved in numerous cellular processes, such as Ca2+ homeostasis, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and inflammation. Although the complex network of S100 signalling is by far not fully deciphered, several S100 family members could be linked to a variety of diseases, such as inflammatory disorders, neurological diseases, and also cancer. The research of the past decades revealed that S100 proteins play a crucial role in the development and progression of many cancer types, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma. Hence, S100 family members have also been shown to be promising diagnostic markers and possible novel targets for therapy. However, the current knowledge of S100 proteins is limited and more attention to this unique group of proteins is needed. Therefore, this review article summarises S100 proteins and their relation in different cancer types, while also providing an overview of novel therapeutic strategies for targeting S100 proteins for cancer treatment.
Project description:Protein misfolding and aggregation is a common hallmark in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). In these disorders, the misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins occurs alongside neuronal degeneration in somewhat specific brain areas, depending on the disorder and the stage of the disease. However, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms governing protein aggregation, and whether this constitutes a protective or detrimental process. In PD, alpha-synuclein (aSyn) forms protein aggregates, known as Lewy bodies, and is phosphorylated at serine 129. Other residues have also been shown to be phosphorylated, but the significance of phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still controversial. In AD and in FTD, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein causes its misfolding and aggregation. Again, our understanding of the precise consequences of tau phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still limited. Through the use of a variety of model organisms and technical approaches, we are now gaining stronger insight into the effects of phosphorylation in the behavior of these proteins. In this review, we cover recent findings in the field and discuss how targeting phosphorylation events might be used for therapeutic intervention in these devastating diseases of the nervous system.