Project description:The reason why prostate cancer is significantly more common in Western than Asian men is unknown. Using a genome-wide approach to compare the genomic changes in prostate cancer tissues, we determined that those from Chinese patients lack key somatic genomic changes commonly found in Western patients, including the 21q22.2-22.3 deletion which causes the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion gene, and 10q deletion which leads to PTEN inactivation. The results were confirmed and their consequence on ERG expression was identified by study of a large series of Chinese and UK samples using tissue-microarrays. Subsequently, we identified significant AR genotype differences between UK and Chinese prostate cancer patients. The identification of specific somatic genomic differences in cancers from distinct populations may provide an opportunity to identify cancer-causing or protective factors.
Project description:<p>While the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen drastically in Western countries over the last 40 years, a similar trend has not been observed for EAC in China. Here we analyzed mutational spectrum, copy number alterations, and structural variants from whole-genome sequencing of ten Chinese EAC tumor samples and their matched normals, and compared them to EAC tumor specimens from Western countries previously reported. The mutational burden in Chinese EAC was significantly lower than that found in EAC from Western countries. The hallmark A>C mutational signature observed at high frequency in EAC from Western countries, which linked to acid reflux, is completely absent in Chinese samples. Furthermore, none of Chinese samples showed evidence of chromothripsis and genome doubling that often found in EAC from Western countries. In summary, Chinese EAC tumor samples revealed distinct genomic profiles and signatures, suggesting that Chinese EAC may arise from a different etiological pathway.</p>
Project description:Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. Asia has a high incidence of gastric cancer globally. South Korea, Mongolia, Japan and China are the four countries with the highest incidence of gastric cancer in the world. Gansu province in China has the estimated age-standardized incidence rates and mortality rates by Chinese standard population of 62.34/100,000 and 36.94/100,000, respectively, in 2012, which are much higher than the average level of China (22.06/100,000 and 15.16/100,000) in the same year. As a high incidence area of gastric cancer in China, Wuwei city in Gansu province has the prevalence of gastric cancer almost 5 times higher than the average level nationwide. In this study, the cancer tissues and matched adjacent normal mucosa tissues of 5 patients with early gastric cancers who were treated with ESD in Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital and the First Hospital of Lanzhou University were collected. All of the patients are from Gansu, China. MicroRNA array was used to find the differences in microRNAs expression profile between the early gastric cancer tissues and the para-cancer normal tissues. It is expected to explore the reasons of the abnormal high incidence of gastric cancer in Gansu Province, China, from the aspect of microRNAs expression profile characteristics.
Project description:Purpose: Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and the third leading cause of cancer related deaths among men living in developed countries. Biomarkers that predict disease outcome at the time of initial diagnosis would aid management of the disease. Experimental design: Proteins extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embeddded sections were identified either using LC-MALDI MS/MS of tryptic digests or after separation by one- or two-dimensional electrophoresis. A list of potential biomarker candidates, based on proposed associations with prostate cancer, was derived from the 320 identified proteins. Results: Four of the candidates: annexin A2, peroxiredoxin-1, prostate-specific antigen and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein, were examined by Western blotting of extracts of biopsies from men whom there was 10-year disease outcome data. Multiplexed Western blotting using cocktails of antibodies and fluor-labeled detection reagents showed that annexin A2 provided the best prediction of risk of metastatic disease. Conclusions and clinical relevance: This pilot study indicates that tumour expression of ANXA2 in diagnostic biopsies of a prostate cancer is predictive for the metastatic potential of that cancer. The potential of protein profiling of each cancer is to lead to an overall reduction in mortality from metastatic prostate cancer as well as reduced treatment associated morbidity.
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant carcinoma that develops in men in Western countries. Up to 30% of patients continue to suffer from disease progression following radical prostatectomy. Therefore, better prognostic markers and molecular targets for cancer treatment are needed. MicroRNA (miRNA) has the potential to be used as biomarkers and as a therapeutic target for the treatment of various cancers, including PCa. Here, to determine how miRNA is involved in PCa progression, we investigated the miRNA expression profiles of 3 PCa cell lines, namely PC3, DU145, and LNCaP, and 2 normal prostate cell lines, namely RWPE-1 and PrSc, using miRNA microarrays.
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant carcinoma that develops in men in Western countries. Up to 30% of patients continue to suffer from disease progression following radical prostatectomy. Therefore, better prognostic markers and molecular targets for cancer treatment are needed. MicroRNA (miRNA) has the potential to be used as biomarkers and as a therapeutic target for the treatment of various cancers, including PCa. Here, to determine how miRNA is involved in PCa progression, we investigated the miRNA expression profiles of 3 PCa cell lines, namely PC3, DU145, and LNCaP, and 2 normal prostate cell lines, namely RWPE-1 and PrSc, using miRNA microarrays. We investigated miRNA genes that were significantly upregulated in PCa cell lines (PC3, DU145, LNCaP) compared with normal cell lines (RWPE-1, PrSc).