Project description:DNA methylation was suggested as the promising biomarker for rectal cancer diagnosis. However, it remains a great challenge to search for the optimal methylation biomarkers to obtain ideal diagnostic performance. We aimed to identify new molecular markers for rectal cancer by evaluating their epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles. Genome-wide methylation analysis revealed 18568 probes with significant methylation differences between the six rectal cancer and paired normal samples. Transcriptome profiling presented 773 low-expressed and 1,161 over-expressed genes. After merging the DNA methylation with gene expression data, we identified a panel of 36 genes with an inverse correlation between methylation and gene expression levels. A genome-wide DNA methylation approach merged with array-based gene expression profiles allowed identifying a number of novel, epigenetically regulated candidate tumor-related genes in rectal carcinogenesis, which can be a good strategy to discover optimal DNA methylation diagnostic panels.
Project description:DNA methylation was suggested as the promising biomarker for rectal cancer diagnosis. However, it remains a great challenge to search for the optimal methylation biomarkers to obtain ideal diagnostic performance. We aimed to identify new molecular markers for rectal cancer by evaluating their epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles. Genome-wide methylation analysis revealed 18568 probes with significant methylation differences between the six rectal cancer and paired normal samples. Transcriptome profiling presented 773 low-expressed and 1,161 over-expressed genes. After merging the DNA methylation with gene expression data, we identified a panel of 36 genes with an inverse correlation between methylation and gene expression levels. A genome-wide DNA methylation approach merged with array-based gene expression profiles allowed identifying a number of novel, epigenetically regulated candidate tumor-related genes in rectal carcinogenesis, which can be a good strategy to discover optimal DNA methylation diagnostic panels. Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of paired rectal cancers and adjacent normal tissues. The Illumina Human Methylation 450K BeadChip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 485,000 CpGs in all samples. Samples included six pairs of rectal cancers and adjacent normal tissues.
Project description:Purpose: MicroRNAs play a prominent role in a variety of physiological and pathological biological processes, including cancer. For rectal cancers, only limited data are available on microRNA expression profiles, while the underlying genomic and transcriptomic aberrations have been firmly established. We therefore aimed to comprehensively map the microRNA expression patterns of this disease. Experimental design: Tumor biopsies and corresponding matched mucosa samples were prospectively collected from 72 patients (68 tumors and 70 normal mucosa) with locally advanced rectal cancers. Total RNA was extracted, and tumor and mucosa microRNA expression profiles were subsequently established for all patients. The expression of selected microRNAs was validated using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Forty-nine microRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (log2-fold difference >0.5 and P<0.001) between rectal cancer and normal rectal mucosa. The predicted targets for the identified microRNAs were enriched for the following KEGG pathways: Wnt, TGF-beta, mTOR, insulin, MAPK, and ErbB signaling. Between rectal tumor and normal tissue, miR-492, miR-542-5p, miR-584, miR-483-5p, miR-144, miR-2110, miR-652*, miR-375, miR-147b, miR-148a, miR-190, miR-26a/b, and miR-338-3p were found to be differentially expressed. Of clinical impact, miR-135b expression correlated significantly with overall survival that could be validated in a larger multicenter patient set (n=94). Conclusion: The comprehensive analysis of the rectal cancer microRNAome uncovered novel microRNAs and pathways associated with rectal cancer. This information contributes to a detailed view of rectal cancer. The identification and validation of miR-135b will help to identify novel molecular targets and pathways for therapeutic exploitation.
Project description:Purpose: MicroRNAs play a prominent role in a variety of physiological and pathological biological processes, including cancer. For rectal cancers, only limited data are available on microRNA expression profiles, while the underlying genomic and transcriptomic aberrations have been firmly established. We therefore aimed to comprehensively map the microRNA expression patterns of this disease. Experimental design: Tumor biopsies and corresponding matched mucosa samples were prospectively collected from 72 patients (68 tumors and 70 normal mucosa) with locally advanced rectal cancers. Total RNA was extracted, and tumor and mucosa microRNA expression profiles were subsequently established for all patients. The expression of selected microRNAs was validated using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Forty-nine microRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (log2-fold difference >0.5 and P<0.001) between rectal cancer and normal rectal mucosa. The predicted targets for the identified microRNAs were enriched for the following KEGG pathways: Wnt, TGF-beta, mTOR, insulin, MAPK, and ErbB signaling. Between rectal tumor and normal tissue, miR-492, miR-542-5p, miR-584, miR-483-5p, miR-144, miR-2110, miR-652*, miR-375, miR-147b, miR-148a, miR-190, miR-26a/b, and miR-338-3p were found to be differentially expressed. Of clinical impact, miR-135b expression correlated significantly with overall survival that could be validated in a larger multicenter patient set (n=94). Conclusion: The comprehensive analysis of the rectal cancer microRNAome uncovered novel microRNAs and pathways associated with rectal cancer. This information contributes to a detailed view of rectal cancer. The identification and validation of miR-135b will help to identify novel molecular targets and pathways for therapeutic exploitation. Paired samples from rectal tumor and matched normal samples. Included are also 2 technical replicates.
Project description:Mutations of the KRAS oncogene are predictive for resistance to treatment with antibodies against the epithelial growth factor receptor in patients with colorectal cancer. Overcoming this therapeutic dilemma could potentially be achieved by the introduction of drugs that inhibit signaling pathways that are activated by KRAS mutations. To comprehensively identify such signaling pathways we profiled pretreatment biopsies from 65 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer – 30 of which carried mutated KRAS - using global gene expression microarrays. By comparing all tumor tissues exclusively to matched normal mucosa, we could improve assay sensitivity, and identified a total of 22,297 features that were differentially expressed (adjusted p-value p<0.05) between normal mucosa and cancer, including several novel potential rectal cancer genes. We then used this comprehensive description of the rectal cancer transcriptome as the baseline for identifying KRAS-dependent alterations. The presence of activating KRAS mutations resulted in significant upregulation of 13 genes (adjusted p-value < 0.05), among them DUSP4, a MAP-kinase phosphatase, and SMYD3, a histone methyltransferase. Inhibition of the expression of both genes has been achieved therapeutically with the MEK1-inhibitor PD98059 and the antibacterial compound Novobiocin, respectively, suggesting a potential approach to overcome resistance to treatment with antibodies against the epithelial growth factor receptor in patients with KRAS-mutant rectal carcinomas. Paired samples of tumor and mucosa from a total of 65 patients, i.e. 130 arrays
Project description:Mutations of the KRAS oncogene are predictive for resistance to treatment with antibodies against the epithelial growth factor receptor in patients with colorectal cancer. Overcoming this therapeutic dilemma could potentially be achieved by the introduction of drugs that inhibit signaling pathways that are activated by KRAS mutations. To comprehensively identify such signaling pathways we profiled pretreatment biopsies from 65 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer – 30 of which carried mutated KRAS - using global gene expression microarrays. By comparing all tumor tissues exclusively to matched normal mucosa, we could improve assay sensitivity, and identified a total of 22,297 features that were differentially expressed (adjusted p-value p<0.05) between normal mucosa and cancer, including several novel potential rectal cancer genes. We then used this comprehensive description of the rectal cancer transcriptome as the baseline for identifying KRAS-dependent alterations. The presence of activating KRAS mutations resulted in significant upregulation of 13 genes (adjusted p-value < 0.05), among them DUSP4, a MAP-kinase phosphatase, and SMYD3, a histone methyltransferase. Inhibition of the expression of both genes has been achieved therapeutically with the MEK1-inhibitor PD98059 and the antibacterial compound Novobiocin, respectively, suggesting a potential approach to overcome resistance to treatment with antibodies against the epithelial growth factor receptor in patients with KRAS-mutant rectal carcinomas.
Project description:Understanding transcriptional changes in locally advanced rectal cancer which are therapy-related and dependent upon tumour regression will drive stratified medicine in the rectal cancer paradigm
Project description:DNA methylation in colorectal cancer diagnosis. The Illumina GoldenGate Methylation Cancer Panel I was used to select a set of candidates markers informative of colorectal cancer diagnosis from 807 cancer-related genes. In the discovery phase, tumor tissue and paired adjacent normal mucosa from 92 colorectal patients were analyzed.
Project description:The rectal mucosa is a critical site of HIV vulnerability. We sought to identify transcriptomic features of rectal mucosal tissue prior to exposure associated with support or restriction of HIV replication. For the first time, we identified rectal tissue transcriptomic signatures associated with increased p24 production utilizing an ex-vivo model. Our findings are highly relevant to HIV transmission and the early establishment of HIV reservoirs in humans.
Project description:The aims of the study were investigated whether expression of urinary cell-free miRNAs would be different between prostate cancer (CaP) patients and non-cancer subjects with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Urinary cell-free miRNAs will provide potential benefits for detecting CaP, and virus-encoded hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p could be the important urinary diagnostic markers of CaP. It would be interesting because this is the first report about virus-encoded miRNAs related to CaP, and two miRNAs showed good diagnostic performance even in patients with PSA gray zone.