Project description:Early cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) show epithelial differentiation features and good prognosis, whereas advanced cSCCs present mesenchymal traits and are associated with tumor relapse, metastasis, and poor survival. Prognostic biomarkers for cSCC relapse must therefore be found that accurately predict the clinical course of the disease, since established markers are suboptimal. Using mouse models of cSCC progression, we showed that the emergence of epithelial plastic cancer cells with a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype promotes tumor progression to a mesenchymal state. These cells can be identified early on by the expression of integrin αV (ITGAV). Analysis of ITGAV expression in a cohort of primary cSCCs from patients provided prognostic information about the risk of relapse beyond current histopathological parameters. Together, our findings provide an opportunity to clinically implement ITGAV by standard immunodetection approaches and thereby improve patient stratification and therapeutic management.
Project description:The identification of cell surface markers specific to pancreatic beta cells is important for both the study of islet biology and for investigating the pathophysiology of diseases in which this cell type is lost or damaged. Following analysis of publicly available single-cell RNAseq data, we identified specific integrin subunits, integrin av and integrin b5, that were expressed in beta cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the vast majority of islet cells expressed some level of both the av and b5 subunits. Using our analysis of single-cell sequencing data as a guide, we isolated populations expressing both subunits from isolated human islets and subjected these to bulk RNAseq analysis. This analysis suggested that the avlob5lo population was enriched for endocrine cell types including alpha, delta and gamma cells, whilst the avhib5hi population was enriched for pericytes and stellate cells . Interestingly, the av+b5neg reference population appeared to be enriched for myeloid cells. This finding was further elaborated using immunofluorescence analysis of histological sections derived from donor human pancreas. Despite the broad expression of specific integrin subunits, we found that expression of integrin avb5 heterodimers was restricted to beta cells and that this complex persisted in islet remnants of some type 1 diabetic individuals from which insulin expression had been lost. This study identifies avb5 heterodimers as a novel cell surface marker of human pancreatic beta cells, a finding that will aid in the identification and characterisation of this important cell type.
Project description:Wilms tumor (WT), the commonest renal tumor of the childhood, is originated from pluripotent metanephric blastemal cells resulting in tumors with triphasic histology, composed by blastemal, epithelial, and stromal cells. Histological subtype and tumor stage have long been recognized as important prognostic factors and used for the current therapeutic approach with blastema considered as the component with the highest clinical impact. Current clinical and molecular research is directed toward identifying prognostic factors for both purposes, definition of the minimal or intense required therapy for successful treatment of children with low or high risk of relapse, respectively. In this study, to identify molecular prognostic markers predictive of tumor relapse, samples from 26 advanced (Stage III or IV) blastemal WT, whose patients presented (13 samples) or did not present (13 samples) relapse, were interrogated by 4,608 human genes immobilized in a customized cDNA platform. This analysis revealed a set of 69 differentially expressed genes, where the nine top genes were evaluated by qRT-PCR in the initial WT samples. TSPAN3, NCOA6, CDO1, MPP2 and MCM2 were technically confirmed showing down-regulation in relapse WT. TSPAN3 and NCOA6 were validated in an independent sample group. Gene trios containing these two genes combined with one of the remaining three reported a reasonable capability of discriminating relapse and no-relapse WT. Negative protein expression of MCM2 and NCOA6 was observed in around 62% and 72% of 34 independent stage III and IV WT patients, respectively without association with relapse. However, a significant association between MCM2 negative staining and chemotherapy as first treatment was observed suggesting that MCM2 protein expression is implicated anyhow with chemotherapy treatment in WT.
Project description:Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), although considered as the most abundant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stromal cells playing a critical role in tumor progression and chemoresistance, are not yet directly druggable. Here we report that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity (evaluated based on 397 tyrosine phosphorylation level) in CAFs is highly increased compared to its activity in fibroblasts from healthy pancreas. Fibroblastic FAK activity is an independent prognostic marker for disease free and overall survival of PDAC patients (cohort of 120 PDAC samples). Genetic inactivation of FAK within fibroblasts (FAK-kinase-dead, KD) reduces fibrosis and immunosuppressive cell number within primary tumor and dramatically decreases tumor spread. Mechanistically, pharmacologic and genetic fibroblastic FAK inactivation reduces fibroblast migration/invasion, decreases extracellular matrix (ECM) expression and deposition by CAFs, and negatively impacts M2 macrophage polarization and migration. Thus, FAK activity within CAFs appears as an independent PDAC prognostic marker and a druggable driver of tumor cell invasion.
Project description:By monitoring the serum ctDNA mutational profile using NGS, the present clinical trial aims to elucidate the correlation between the postoperative ctDNA status and the prognosis of patients with early and intermediate-stage colorectal cancer, and explore the possibility of clinical utility of serum ctDNA as a clinical index to predict postoperative relapse.
Project description:Purpose: Our study aimed to disclose the specific gene expression profile representing peritoneal relapses inherent in primary gastric cancers and to identify patients at high risk of peritoneal relapse in a prospective study on the basis of the molecular prediction. Experimental Design: RNA samples from 141 primary gastric cancer tissues after curative surgery were profiled using oligonucleotide microarrays covering 30,000 human probes. Firstly we constructed molecular prediction system and validated the robustness and prognostic validity of the analysis by 500 times multiple random sampling in 56 retrospective set consisting of 38 relapse free and 18 peritoneal relapse patients. Secondly we applied this prediction to 85 prospective set to assess the predictive accuracy and prognostic validity. Results: In retrospective phase, 500 times multiple random sampling analysis yielded 68% predictive accuracy in average and 22 gene expression profile associated with peritoneal relapse was identified. This prediction could identify significantly poor prognostic patients. In prospective phase, the molecular prediction yielded 76.9% overall accuracy. KaplanâMeier analysis with peritoneal relapse free survival showed a significant difference between âgood signature groupâ and âpoor signature groupâ (Log-rank p=0.0017). Multivariate analysis by Cox regression hazards model revealed that the molecular prediction was the only independent peritoneal relapse prognostic factor. Conclusions: Gene expression profile inherent in primary gastric cancer tissues can be useful to predict peritoneal relapse prospectively after curative surgery and individualize postoperative management to improve the prognosis of advanced gastric cancers. Of 141 samples, 56 represented the retrospective phase and 85 represented the prospective phase.
Project description:Currently, there are no clinical or laboratory measures that accurately predict progression of skin fibrosis and organ involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The goal of this study is to identify skin biomarkers in early diffuse cutaneous SSc patients, to prognosticate the progression of skin fibrosis. We found that skin gene expression of biomarkers associated with macrophages (CD14, IL13RA1) and TGFβ activation (SERPINE1, CTGF, OSMR) are prognostic for progressive skin disease. These biomarkers might help to guide decisions about which patients should be considered for aggressive therapies and/or for clinical trials.