Project description:REG3A is highly expressed in pancreatic tissues, but its significance is unclear. We found that REG3A overexpressed in paracancerous acinar cells interacted with EGFR on tumor cells to stimulate downstream tumor growth signals and promote the occurrence and development of tumors
Project description:We investigated changes in transcriptome in Egfr KO PSCs co-cultured with pancreatic tumor organoids compared to Egfr WT PSCs co-cultured with the same pancreatic tumor organoids. We also investigated the changes in transcriptome in pancreatic tumor organoids co-cultured with Egfr WT or Egfr KO PSCs.
Project description:Transmembrane protease serine 4 (TMPRSS4) is upregulated in various kinds of human cancers, including pancreatic cancer. However, its biological function in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. In the current study, real-time qPCR, immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, and database (Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression) analysis revealed remarkable overexpression of TMPRSS4 in PDAC tissue as compared to non-tumor tissue. The TMPRSS4 overexpression was associated with poor prognosis of PDAC patients. Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that TMPRSS4 serves as an independent risk factor in PDAC. We performed gain-and loss-of-function analysis and found that TMPRSS4 promotes cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of PDAC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we showed that TMPRSS4 might promote cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis through activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. These findings were validated by using ERK1/2 phosphorylation inhibitor SCH772984 both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, this study suggests that TMPRSS4 is a proto-oncogene, which promotes initiation and progression of PDAC by controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis. Our findings indicate that TMPRSS4 could be a promising prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Project description:EGFR and MEK pathways were activated alone or in combination in human mammary epithelial cells. We profiled the pathway gene expression signatures using RNA-Seq. mRNA was extracted from human mammary epithelial cells overexpressing EGFR gene, MEK gene, or EGFR and MEK genes in combination (or GFP control) for RNA-Seq analysis. Experiment was performed in six replicates per condition.
Project description:Background: Glioblastoma mortality is driven by tumour progression or recurrence despite administering a therapeutic arsenal consisting of surgical resection, radiation, and alkylating chemotherapy. The genetic changes underlying tumour progression and chemotherapy resistance are poorly understood. Methods: In this work, we sought to define the relationship between EGFR amplification status, EGFR mRNA expression, and EGFR pathway activity. We compared RNA-sequencing data from matched primary and recurrent tumour samples (N = 40 patients, 20 with EGFR amplification). Results: In the setting of glioblastoma recurrence, the EGFR pathway was overexpressed regardless of EGFR amplification status, suggesting a common genomic endpoint in recurrent glioblastoma, although EGFR amplification did associate with higher EGFR mRNA expression. Three of forty patients in the study cohort had EGFR-amplified tumours and received targeted EGFR therapy. Their molecular subtypes and clinical outcomes did not significantly differ from patients who received conventional chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that while the EGFR amplification may confer a unique molecular profile in primary glioblastoma, pathway analysis reveals upregulation of the EGFR pathway in recurrence, regardless of amplification status. As such, the EGFR pathway may be a key mediator of glioblastoma progression.
Project description:CA19-9 is a glycan elevated in human gastrointestinal pathologies, but absent from rodents. We humanized the mouse glycome and found that CA19-9 is not only a correlative biomarker of pancreatic disease, but also plays a causative role in the initiation of pancreatitis. Elevation of CA19-9 results in the activation of EGFR signaling in the normal pancreatic ductal compartment through secretion of Fibulin 3. These signaling changes can be blocked by blocking either CA19-9 or Fibulin 3.